Bombardier: Some Q-400 Turboprops Should Be Grounded
Bombardier said on Wednesday that some older Q-400 turboprops — those with 10,000 or more cycles on the landing gear — should not be flown until inspections are completed. The advisory follows two recent incidents in Europe in which the landing gear failed on landing. A Scandinavian Airlines aircraft was damaged when it skidded off a runway in Lithuania early Wednesday, though none of the passengers or crew were hurt. In an incident on Sunday, an SAS aircraft caught fire after its right landing gear collapsed during an emergency landing in Denmark, and five people on board suffered minor injuries. The advisory affects about 60 aircraft, and led to the cancellation of some 200 flights worldwide.
Bombardier said on Wednesday that some older Q-400 turboprops -- those with 10,000 or more cycles on the landing gear -- should not be flown until inspections are completed. The advisory follows two recent incidents in Europe in which the landing gear failed on landing. A Scandinavian Airlines aircraft was damaged when it skidded off a runway in Lithuania early Wednesday, though none of the passengers or crew were hurt. In an incident on Sunday, an SAS aircraft caught fire after its right landing gear collapsed during an emergency landing in Denmark, and five people on board suffered minor injuries. The advisory affects about 60 aircraft, and led to the cancellation of some 200 flights worldwide.
Horizon Air, based in Seattle, cancelled more than 100 flights. "Our teams are working around the clock, in conjunction with Bombardier, to complete the necessary inspections and return the affected aircraft to service as quickly as possible," said Jeff Pinneo, Horizon president and CEO.
