Q400s Must Be Checked for Cracks
Bombardier urges inspections of Q400 turboprops
Bombardier Inc. said it’s urging carriers to inspect most of their Q400 turboprop aircraft for cracks or corrosion near the landing gear after an unidentified airline found a fault in that area earlier this year.
Of more than 300 planes in service globally with 30 carriers, 222 need to be examined for fatigue, corrosion or stress in the engine casings attached to the landing gear, John Arnone, a Bombardier spokesman, said by telephone today. About 60 percent of the inspections have been completed. The “potential for issues” was found in less than 4 percent of those and corrective measures are under way, he said.
The Q400, the largest turboprop in the market, has been in service since 2000. Montreal-based Bombardier issued a bulletin in April after the first crack was found and reissued it in July, Arnone said.
Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia’s biggest airline, said Aug. 21 that five of its Q400s were temporarily grounded following inspections after incidents experienced by another unidentified Q400 operator.
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