EDITORIAL: Piloting the Pilatus
Dec
18:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE fatal crash on Wednesday involving a Royal Malaysian Air Force
Pilatus PC-7 made it the second time this year that the Swiss-made
turboprop aircraft used to train pilots has fallen from the sky. It
also brings the number of RMAF crashes this year to five two
Pilatus PC-7s, two Nuri helicopters, and one MiG-29 fighter
jet.
While it is true that by any statistical measure, flying is
generally safer than driving, and that more Malaysians die on the
roads than in the air, safety in flying military and civilian
airplanes is just as important as in driving private cars and
commercial vehicles. The instructor and the trainee pilot, and the
other aviators, would not have died in vain if their deaths draw
attention to the safety issues involved.
Of course, until the board of inquiry finishes its investigation,
the causes of the latest crash will not be known. The female
trainee pilot who was killed in last year's Pilatus crash
apparently suffered a blackout. The MiG-29 fighter pilot ejected to
safety when he sensed the jet was experiencing technical problems.
Strong headwinds were blamed for the Nuri helicopter crash in
Ba'Kelalan, Sarawak, in August. In fact, a recent study by the RMAF
showed that accidents involving Nuri helicopters were not due to
technical factors.
While operational conditions and pilot error rather than engine
failure seem to be the major causes of fatal air crashes, whether
it be small planes or wide-bodied jets, there are nevertheless
compelling reasons for replacing older models with newer ones.
After all, the Bulldog replaced the Piston Provost in the 1970s,
which in turn gave way to the Pilatus PC-7 in the early 80s. As the
RMAF chief explained in the middle of this year, "Normally, when we
buy an aircraft, we plan its deployment for 25 years. Upon reaching
10 to 15 years, we refurbish and upgrade it and after using it for
20 to 25 years, we propose to replace the plane with the latest in
the market." But this has not happened in the case of the Nuri
helicopters which were supposed to have been phased out by 1997,
but will not now start until the Ninth Malaysia Plan at the
earliest. While it is said that the Nuri helicopters will still be
technically airworthy for the next 10 years, the sooner the ageing
helicopters are replaced the better. Based on this time-frame for
obsolescence, perhaps it is time to take a look at the Pilatus PC-7
as well. Not that the RMAF has failed to do so, because there are
eight PC-7 MkIIs, the most recent trainer aircraft produced by
Pilatus, at the Kepala Batas base.
Since about 20 air forces are training their pilots in the PC-7, it
may be a good thing for the RMAF to compare not only its safety
record with theirs but also to compare notes about how the PC-7s
are flown and maintained and how the pilots are trained. There is a
need for stiffer safety requirements and higher training standards.
Everything possible must be done to make sure the skies are
safe.
Extracted from the New Straits Times.