§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action(a) his Department and (b) the CAA have taken to ensure that the technical problems associated with the fuel tanks on Boeing 747s have been addressed by operators based in the United Kingdom. [2662]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonSafety regulation of UK registered aircraft is the statutory responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Under International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, primary responsibility for promulgating information necessary to maintain the continued airworthiness of an aircraft type rests with the State of Design. In the case of the Boeing 747 the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the body responsible.
As a result of its investigation, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made some interim safety recommendations to the FAA, which are intended to reduce the risks of explosions in partially empty fuel tanks. The FAA is publicly consulting industry and other interested parties and if it determines that mandatory corrective action is necessary, it will issue an Airworthiness Directive.
In addition, Boeing has recommended some precautionary fuel tank inspections which are being carried out by United Kingdom operators of 747s. These inspections are primarily intended to seek information on the condition of equipment in and around fuel tanks; they are not checking for the existence of specific identified problems.
475WIf the FAA issues any Airworthiness Directive related to this issue, it is likely that the CAA will make it mandatory for UK operators.