OuchTransport Canada issues warning over some Bombardier fuel tanks
Leaks reported on certain regional jets
Keith McArthur
00:00 EST Friday, March 15, 2002
Transport Canada is telling airlines to carry extra fuel when flying certain Bombardier Inc. regional jets because of reports of fuel leaking between tanks.
No Canadian airlines fly the 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700, which went into service last year. But the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority is enforcing Transport Canada's order in the United States where several regional airlines fly the plane.
In an emergency airworthiness directive issued this week, the FAA referred to reports of fuel inadvertently transferring between the wing fuel tanks and the centre fuel tank in certain aircraft.
"Such uncommanded fuel transfer, if not corrected, could cause the centre fuel tank to overfill, and fuel to leak from the centre tank vent system or to become inaccessible, and result in engine fuel starvation. In addition, such fuel leakage on the ground could cause a fire," the directive said.
Transport Canada and the FAA do not consider the issue serious enough to order the planes out of the air.
But they are telling pilots to monitor fuel tank gauges and to land aircraft if fuel is moving around inadvertently.
The aviation officials have also ordered planes to carry an extra 1,362 kilograms of fuel. On flights of around 2,000 kilometres, this extra fuel would prevent airlines from carrying a full load of passengers, but Bombardier said it does not believe this will be a factor for any of the airlines currently flying the CRJ700.
The aircraft will also be required to remain within 60 minutes of an airport.
This would not be a factor for a regional jet, which would always be close to an airport because it does not fly over oceans.
FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said the procedural changes recommended by the FAA have an estimated cost of just $180 (U.S.).
"It's not an expensive equipment issue.
"It's a procedure issue, but it was an emergency [directive] that we issued, which means take the action immediately," she said.
Airlines had just 48 hours to comply with the new procedures.
Bombardier is going beyond the procedural modifications ordered by the FAA and Transport Canada. The company says it has already fixed the fuel line problem on 30 per cent of the aircraft. The rest should be fixed by the end of the month, said Jean-Guy Blondin, Bombardier's director of the CRJ700 program.
Mr. Blondin said the new procedures and modifications will ensure the aircraft are safe so passengers do not need to worry.
Copyright © 2002 The Globe and Mail
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Good luck to all