A SPATE of accidents involving China’s Xian MA60 aircraft has cast doubts on the aircraft model and prompted aviation authorities in Indonesia and Myanmar to take measures.
A Merpati-operated MA60 crash-landed in East Nusa Tenggara last week, sparking safety concerns (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 11, 2013).
However, the airline has said it will continue to deploy its MA60s unless told to do otherwise by Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation.
Herry Saptono, corporate secretary for Merpati, was quoted in Antara News Agency as saying: “(Merpati’s) MA60s are fit to fly (so) we will continue to utilise the aircraft.”
He added that the airline’s management was still waiting for the results of the National Transportation Safety Committee investigation into last week’s incident, but admitted that the Ministry of Transportation had the power to ground the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s Civil Aviation Department has already grounded the MA60 after a Myanma Airways flight skidded off a runway in southern Myanmar on the same day as the East Nusa Tenggara incident.
According to news agency AFP, it was the second such incident in under a month for Myanma Airways.
