”Force Technology delivered a quick and well-documented analysis and acted as a flexible and competent collaboration partner”, says Martin Puggaard from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board.
In 2007 Danish aviation attracted the greatest attention in recent years when an SAS plane of the type Bombardier Dash 8, Q400 crashed during landing in Aalborg Airport.
|
|
|
FORCE Technology helped the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board in finding the cause of the accident with SAS' airplane Dash 8, Q400. |
All 76 passengers were saved from the plane, and nobody was seriously hurt. However, the attention of the surrounding world was raised, and in this way there was additional pressure on the responsible actors to find the cause of the accident.
In Denmark it is an investigation case for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board. In this context FORCE Technology was contacted in order to make analyses of some components from the wrecked aircraft.
”We contacted FORCE Technology after normal office hours with a request for starting the analysis early next morning. Our request was met, which indicates a clear understanding of what is at stake in a flight security context. FORCE Technology was very professional. The management, coordination and dialogue in relation to the task were professional and provided a clear indication of the competence being first class”, says Martin Puggaard, Director of the Aviation Unit of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board.
Expertise on the runway
FORCE Technology has a great deal of experience in the application of materials-technical analyses in connection with crashes and has been involved in both plane and train accidents.
Within 3-4 days they were ready with the conclusion of the analysis. A quick and flexible effort seen in the light of the complexity.
“We enjoy good and intensive collaboration with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board which dates back many years. When we were contacted about the accident with the Dash 8, Q400 plane, we knew that it was important to the involved stakeholders that we conducted the technical analyses quickly. Cancellations of planned plane departures result in impatient and frustrated passengers. The plane manufacturers and the airlines are worried about the safety and of course any liability and financial consequences. At the same time, the public authorities would like to have a valid, thorough technical analysis for the further work. Speed and validity are therefore in focus”, says Peter Bo Mortensen, Departmental Manager of FORCE Technology.
During the whole process at FORCE Technology, the analyses were followed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board together with technical advisors from the production country.
”Our analyses showed that the materials combination and the physical environment of the undercarriage during operation resulted in a galvanic corrosion which made a component of the undercarriage of the Dash 8, Q400 plane give in”, Peter Bo Mortensen explains.
Authority
It has been advantageous to use FORCE Technology for this analysis. Otherwise we would have had to find a comparable, independent competence abroad. That would have resulted in a time postponement of the conclusion on the cause leading to the average”, Martin Puggaard explains.
