Come fly with me, it is safe

This is one industry that knows it cannot afford any sort of compromise in safety

While no one in his aeronautical senses would hazard a guess on what happened to Flight PK 8303 for it to come down in so horrific a fashion, it is not usual for both engines to fail simultaneously unless hit by birds. If you remember Captain Sullenberger and his landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson in January 2009, this situation in the air comes pretty close to that. This specific aircraft is believed to have undergone an A check in March so that means it was not mechanically compromised.
But such an event occurring will be an area of concern with Karachi being on the BASH (Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard) radar. From what one has been able to glean, the pilot displayed great courage and presence of mind in maintaining contact with the tower while struggling to control his crippled aircraft.
That said, the tragedy will undoubtedly, if unfairly, also focus attention on the issue of the operational status of aircraft globally, after their Covid-19 grounding for several weeks. Even a day's standby calls for a different protocol in giving the aircraft the green signal to fly.
The actions taken by all elements to service and prepare the aircraft are critical to ensuring the airworthiness of the airplane.
We have 65 per cent of the global fleet on the ground. Nearly 16,000 aircraft have been sitting ducks for over 60 days. Literally. From the impact of temperature and humidity on the plane's systems to deterioration of the wiring to the presence of wildlife (snakes, rodents, birds, insects, to name a few) to sludge on the tanks, the collapse of tyres, and a hundred other checks each plane needs a lot of TLC (tender, loving care). That TLC comprises the process before returning an airplane to service after extended downtime. Heat, dust, ice, debris, storms (like the one that hit Kolkata last week and swamped the airport) are all detrimental to the aircraft's safety parameters. The universal manual makes for a pertinent quote: "component mechanisms may lose lubrication, batteries may discharge, contamination of potable water systems or fuel tanks may occur, and some systems or components (such as oxygen cylinders, tires, hydraulic systems, and landing gear shock struts) may lose pressure. Although the airplane is inactive during parking, it is important to maintain the engine, auxiliary power unit, and cargo fire extinguishing systems and all portable fire extinguishers in fully serviceable condition in case of a fire. The airplane must be electrostatically grounded while it is parked."
There is also fuel in the plane kept as a ballast to maintain aircraft balance and before these planes take to the air the tanks have to be fully drained and cleaned.
Sensors and engines have to be protected from foreign object entry. Birds building nests is common. Corrosion is a major problem. Think of how your knives and scissors and bolts rust.so why not aircraft?
And it is not cheap to get the aircraft shipshape and passed for the Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) or Permit to Fly which can only be re-validated by the maintenance organisation responsible.
The rules of the game are pretty simple and apply to the strongest and the weakest links in the aviation network. That aspect makes for the tender underbelly of the industry because aircraft fly from good airports to inadequate airports, thereby leaving them vulnerable to short cuts. The defence is a robust and strictly unforgiving adherence to rules and it is this collective discipline that has made flying so safe.
Aircraft on ground (AOG) is usually a term used when a plane is not in good shape. It demands a great in-depth inspection to be made airworthy again. An average of $300,000 is not going anywhere to get up to speed per plane and can rise to double that if there are complications.
The sheer wonderment of modern aircraft is testament to human brilliance. This is one industry that knows it cannot afford any sort of compromise in safety.
Justin Hale is Boeing's 787 product marketing leader. He says the Dreamliner, for example, has roughly two million parts, and each of those parts has to show up at exactly the right place and time in order to be integrated into the build of an airplane.
Each part has to perform perfectly for this symphony to rise into the air. Would I feel safe in a plane today? Yes. I would. Having seen this industry close up and personal for years no one, not even the most limited nation, sends up aircraft that haven't been checked out.
Accidents happen through human factor and caprice of fate.life is not failsafe. So fly. -bikram@khaleejtimes.com