Pilatus PC21 crash

[piisfish 140]

SYSTRAN translation

Quote

The grounding of the PC-21 is a hard blow for Pilatus

The federal Office of the civil aviation reacted immediately
after the accident of Thursday: the new floret of Stans is nailed on
the ground until the end of the investigation. The consequences could
be hard for the Swiss airframe manufacturer. In Buochs yesterday, the
firemen carried out the survey. Consequence of this accident, Pilatus
PC-21 (which one sees in medallion) is interdict of
vol.Keystone/Flueeler and Tischler the FACTS Pilatus PC-21, last-born
child of the airframe manufacturer of Stans, is interdict of flight
after the accident of Thursday. Bern calls upon the public security
while at the same time the apparatus had just received its final
certification. The round of demonstration envisaged these next days is
cancelled.

The federal Office of the civil aviation pronounced yesterday an
immediate grounding for the PC-21, the new floret of the manufacturer
of Stans (NW). One of the two prototypes of this plane of military
drive was crushed Thursday towards 5 p.m. close to Buochs (to read 24
hours of yesterday), killing the pilot chief of Pilatus which was with
the commands. Busy was seriously wounded by remains of the apparatus.

The spokesman of the OFAC Daniel Göring refused with any comment on
this crash landing. The federal Office of investigation into the flight
accidents opened an investigation in collaboration with justices
cantonal and federal. The grounding of the PC-21 will be maintained
until the light is made on the causes of the accident.

According to the ATS, the apparatus would have lost an element before
being crushed on the ground and exploding. Thursday, the two
prototypes carried out intensive trial flights for a round of
demonstration abroad. The departure was envisaged yesterday bound for
the Persian Gulf, in particular in Qatar, specifies a specialist.

Daniel Göring justified the diligence of the authorities by
considerations of public security: "a prohibition with immediate
effect can be taken only immediately", under penalty of being disputed
in front of justice. It also mentioned the risk that in the event of
time, Pilatus can mount several planes to haste, which would make more
difficult one measurement of prohibition afterwards.

Loan for the series

With the end of the year 2004 indeed, the manufacturer of Stans
obtained OFAC the final certification of his apparatus. In an official
statement January 3, 2005, Pilatus announced that the PC-21 was thus
ready for a series production. Since spring 2002, the two prototypes
were for the benefit of individual authorizations of flight in order
to perfect their development.

It is the usual procedure into force at the time of the construction
of a new plane, specified the spokesman of the OFAC. The certificate
of the type is granted only when all the static tests and the trial
flights were accomplished successfully and when documentation relative
to the new apparatus was approved by the authorities. Daniel Göring
excluded any precipitation on this level. "Pilatus would not have
obtained the certificate of its PC-21 if all the conditions had not
been met."

It also swept in advance any attempt at pressure of the airframe
manufacturer. Even if the PC-21 is a major project for Pilatus which
invested more than 200 million franks, the OFAC intends well to
fully exert its role of authority of monitoring. If it does not wish
to advance over the duration of prohibition, Daniel Göring does not
exclude that it can be raised rather quickly, in particular if the
investigation were to show that a human error is at the base of the
accident and to exclude any technical failure.

from newspaper
One of the prototypes crashed at landing, killing the pilot (Pilatus chief test pilot) and injuring a pedestrian.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[ematteo 0]

Thanks for the info.

Evan's translation:

The grounding of the PC-21 is a harsh blow for Pilatus. The federal Office of Civil Aviation reacted immediately after the accident Thursday. The new Stans flagship will be nailed to the ground until the end of the investigation. There could be severe repercussions for the Swiss airplane manufacturer.

The Facts
The Pilatus PC-21, most recent model from airplane manufacturer Stans, is grounded following an accident Thursday. Berne invoked public safety, despite the fact that the plane has received its final certification. The demonstration tour planned for the next few days has been cancelled.


Yesterday, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (OFAC) announced an immediate flight ban for the PC-21, the new flagship of manufacturer Stans (NW). One of the two prototypes of this military training aircraft crashed Thursday around 5pm near Buochs, killing the chief pilot of Pilatus, who was at the controls. A passerby was seriously injured by the debris.

The spokesman of the OFAC, Daniel Goring, would not comment on the crash. The Federal Bureau of Investigations on aircraft crashes has opened an investigations in collaboration with the local and federal authorities. The flight ban on the PC-21 will be maintained until light can be shed on the causes of the accident.

According to ATS, the plane lost a piece before crashing into the ground and exploding. Thursday, the two prototypes were undergoing intensive test flights in advance of a foreign airshow. The departure was planned for yesterday, to a destination in the Persian Gulf, specifically Qatar, according to a source.

Daniel Goring justified the actions of authorities, citing considerations of public safety: “a grounding with immediate effect can only be taken immediately,” subject to appeal in front of the courts. He also cited the risks of a delay, that Pilatus might produce several more airplanes in haste, which would make a ban more difficult after the fact.

Ready for the series

At the end of 2004, the manufacturer Stans obtained final certification of the plane from OFAC. In a press release dated January 3, 2005, Pilatus announced that the PC-21 was thus ready for series production. Since the Spring of 2002, the two prototypes were flying under individual flight authorizations in order to perfect their development.

It is the usual procedure in force during the construction of a new airplane, explained the spokesman for the OFAC. The type certificate is not awarded until all of the static tests and trial flighs have been successfully performed and the until documentation of the new plane has been approved by the authorities. Daniel Goring denied any haste at this level. “Pilatus would not have obtained the certificate for its PC-21 if all of the conditions were not satisfied.”

He also swept aside any possibility of pressure from the aircraft manufacturer. Even if the PC-21 is a major project for Pilatus, which has invested more than 200 million francs, the OFAC intends to fully exercise its oversight authority. While he did not wish to speculate on the duration of the ban, Daniel Goring did not exclude the possibility that it could be lifted quickly, particularly if the investigation showed human error as the cause of the accident and excluded all technical failures.

Laurent Aubert