Andrew McKeen, president of the NZ Air Line Pilots Association.
Andrew McKeen, president of the NZ Air Line Pilots Association.
An airline pilots’ association leader says he wouldn’t be flying Boeing planes if he didn’t think they were safe.
New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) president Andrew McKeen, an Air NZ Dreamliner pilot, said: “If there was something that was immediately of concern, I wouldn’t be going to workin the 787.”
Boeing’s 787s Dreamliners are back in the spotlight following a mid-air plunge by a Latam Airlines plane a week ago. One theory is that a Latam flight attendant delivering food to the cockpit may have pushed down on the cover of the switch on the back of a pilot’s seat which caused it to be activated, pushing him forward on to the controls of the plane.
Fifty passengers and crew were hurt, with 13 needing hospital treatment after the aircraft dived suddenly. The plane was carrying 272 passengers and crew, and those who weren’t belted in were thrown around the cabin, some forced on to the ceiling of the cabin.
McKeen said the incident needed to be kept in perspective, and speculation before an inquiry is completed wasn’t helpful.
“Boeing had his fair share of issues and there’s lots of things going on around the world in terms of engines and all the rest of it. But I think the biggest sort of takeaway is that air travel is the safest form of transportation in the world.”
Taking lessons from accident investigations was a key reason why flying was so safe.
“I would say to anyone who had concerns is that if we didn’t think it was safe, we wouldn’t be flying and therefore they wouldn’t be flying.”
A Lan (now Latam) Dreamliner cockpit with inset of a rocker switch cover on the rear of the pilot's seat. Photo / Grant Bradley
Following the incident Boeing told airlines to inspect the cockpit seats on more than 1100 Dreamliners flying now.
Air New Zealand operates 14 of the planes and its chief operational and integrity and safety officer David Morgan said that since the incident with Flight LA800, his airline had been working alongside other carriers to understand what may have happened.
“Based on an assumption as to what the cause may have been, we initiated a fleet-wide inspection of the flight deck seat mechanism including the seat electrical switches. Subsequently, we received advice from Boeing asking airlines to inspect and maintain switches on flight deck seats.”
The inspection programme has so far found no defects on any of its aircraft.
McKeen said there would be a preliminary fact-finding report issued within 30 days of LA800 incident.
‘‘The information that’s contained in them is usually fact based only there’s no conclusions drawn.’'
Chile’s aviation safety body is leading the inquiry.
‘‘We’re interested to see what it is once we get some of those facts that come out. but in the meantime, there is no reason not to just turn up to work and go flying - as everyone continues to do,’' he said.
