In Kuala Lumpur, the Civilian Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has decided to halt all flight operations involving certain Blackshape aircraft models in Malaysian airspace starting from Wednesday (March 20).
According to CAAM’s chief executive officer, Datuk Capt Norazman Mahmud, this move is in response to the Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) (AD No.: 2024-0074-E) issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) to the aircraft manufacturer on Monday (March 18), which instructed the suspension of all flight operations for all Blackshape aircraft effective March 20.
The decision by EASA to issue the EAD was prompted by a recent fatal accident involving a Blackshape aircraft, leading to heightened concerns regarding its safety standards.
“CAAM is dedicated to prioritizing flight safety in Malaysia and will take all necessary measures to ensure safe flight operations,” stated Datuk Capt Norazman Mahmud in a statement released on Tuesday (March 19).
One of the incidents that likely influenced this decision was the crash of a Blackshape Gabriél BK 160TR managed by Aviation Safety Technology Pte Ltd of Singapore in an oil palm plantation near Kapar, Selangor. The crash occurred on Feb 13 after the aircraft took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Subang, Selangor, resulting in the deaths of both individuals on board.
An initial report from the Transport Ministry’s Air Disaster Investigation Bureau, which was issued on March 13, indicated that the maintenance of the aircraft was not well-organized and that the aircraft had exceeded its weight limit, as noted in the damage assessment.
Furthermore, the report highlighted the absence of flight data recorders and two Garmin G3X GDU 460 main flight displays in the front and rear of the cabin of the aircraft. – Bernama
