Ju-52 grounded for the time being
The Federal Office of Civil Aviation has imposed a temporary flight ban on the two Ju-52s of Ju-Air stationed in Dübendorf with immediate effect. The examination of the wreckage of the Ju-52, which crashed in August 2018, by the Swiss Safety Investigation Authority revealed serious structural damage in the area of the wing spars.
Following the crash of a three-engine Junkers Ju-52 operated by Ju-Air on August 4, 2018, the airline had resumed flight operations with the two remaining aircraft of the same type on August 17. As there were no indications of general technical deficiencies at that time, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (Bazl) had approved the resumption of flight operations in compliance with precautionary measures approved. This also included that the Bazl would issue a flight ban in case of new findings from the ongoing safety investigations.
No indications of technical problems
Meanwhile, the first results of the investigation by the Safety Investigation Authority (Sust) in the form of an interim report. According to Bazl, there is still no evidence that a serious technical problem led to the accident with 20 fatalities. However, examination of the wreckage had revealed serious structural damage in the form of cracks and corrosion on the main spar, the load-bearing element of the aircraft wing, and other parts of the aircraft. This damage remained hidden during normal inspections and maintenance work and could only be detected on the basis of the wreckage, according to the Bazl press release.
Since the two Ju-52s HB-HOP and HB-HOS stationed in Dübendorf correspond to the aircraft involved in the accident in terms of both age and operating hours, it must be ensured that neither of the two aircraft is damaged in this way. Until this proof has been provided or any damage has been repaired, these two Ju-52s may no longer be flown for the time being.
What does the operator Ju-Air say?
The Ju-Air has agreed to the temporary grounding. After the end of the summer flight operations, the two affected aircraft are already in Dübendorf for comprehensive annual maintenance, the airline writes. It is planned to resume flight operations as planned in spring 2019.
A third Oltimer is planned
The company plans to add a third vintage aircraft to its fleet in the coming summer half-year. Preparatory work on the Ju-52 with the registration HB-HOY, which is currently parked in Mönchengladbach, has been completed to such an extent that the aircraft can be flown to Dübendorf for a structural overhaul. The corresponding permits are currently being applied for.
