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A340 Incident
A340-600 ENGINE RUN INCIDENT
You have all probably heard about the unfortunate A340 incident in Toulouse which happened during pre-delivery engine run tests. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. However the incident does raise some serious questions.
How does an apparently perfectly serviceable aircraft end up smashing into a concrete wall?
Are current engine run training practices sufficient?
A recent EASA working group (66.011) dealt specifically with type training issues. One of those issues was engine run training. The Aircraft Engineers International (AEI) representative within the group fought particularly hard on this aspect as AEI believe that engine running should also be part of the 147 type training course as well as requiring an operator input. AEI believe that the operator alone should not determine training levels as running an engine is a complex, dangerous procedure even for a highly trained technician that also involves a high level of attention to safety.
66.011 comprised of numerous NAA representatives (including our own UK CAA) and a representative from Airbus. They all dismissed AEI views as can be witnessed on page 19, para. 42 of NPA 2007-07. http://www.easa.eu.int/home/r_archives.html
AEI however have been concerned for some time now that the basic knowledge and fundamental safety procedures relating to the running of engines are lacking as more and more operators reduce training to reduce costs. As this case has now highlighted, the consequences of getting it wrong can be dramatic and life threatening.