EADS CASA president admits A400 has problems in 'critical areas'

EADS CASA President Francisco Fernandez (pictured) admits openly that his A400 military transport plane still suffers from about a dozen "difficulties" in "areas that present a critical risk."

However, he assures the public that the company is aware of the problems and is working on them.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the delivery of the first A400M vertical stabilizer at the San Pablo, Fernandez downplays the problems, saying that they "were not unknown" and would be fixed.

Parallels with ill-fated A380 upset EADS CASA chief

The president of EADS CASA doesn't appreciate journalists' questions that liken the problems of the A400M military transport with the trouble-plagued EADS A380 jetliner.

EADS has lost billions of dollars because of manufacturing problems in the A380 program. EADS CASA President Francisco Fernandez didn't hide his distaste for the questions at a ceremony for delivery of the first A400M vertical stabilizer.

The Spanish news agency EFE reports, "The president of the company appeared upset by some questions from journalists who reminded him that some of the causes of the tail of the giant A380 airplane . . . coincided with the deficiences detected in the outside audit of the A400M."

Cracks found in several EADS CASA C-212 planes

AeroNews.net is sending out a report that cracks have been found in the wing attachment fittings in several EADS CASA C-212 aircraft.

According to the report, the cracks were found "during final assembly of a production aircraft," and in "several in-service aircraft."

A Swedish Coast Guard EADS CASA C-212 lost a wing on October 26, killing all four crewmen aboard. The fatal CASA crash was due to metal fatigue where the wing attached to the fuselage.

The report, marked "urgent," nevertheless contains watered-down language, as if to de-emphasize the deadly consequences of the cracks.

The text of the report, carried by AeroNews.net, follows:

"Cracks were discovered in outer to centre wing attachment fittings during final assembly of a production aircraft, and also in several in-service aircraft. Investigation revealed the cracking was caused by a defective manufacturing process at the supplier facility. This condition, which involves fittings that are principal structural elements, could result in reduced structural integrity of the aircraft unless detected and corrected."

Urgent inspection notice for EADS CASA C-212s

The following urgent inspection notice has been sent out to owners of EADS CASA C-212 aircraft:

Urgent CASA AD: EADS-CASA
Fri, 01 Dec '06

Applicability: Model C-212-DF and C-212-EE aircraft, serial numbers 444 through 477, except if EADS-CASA AOL 212-010 Revision 1 or Revision 2 has been previously accomplished on both upper and lower fittings in both outer and centre wings on both left and right hand sides of the aircraft.

Requirement:
1. Inspect the eight upper and lower fittings in both outer and centre wings on both left and right hand sides of the aircraft to verify the fitting material, in accordance with EADS-CASA COM 212-303 original issue. For fittings verified to be made of 2024-T42 (L-3140-T42) alloy material, no further action is required.

2. For fittings verified to be made of 7050-T7451 (L-3767-T7451), remove the affected outer wing and perform a one-time inspection in accordance with EADS-CASA COM 212-301 Revision 1 and EADS-CASA COM 212-302 Revision 1. If a crack is detected during the Requirement 2 inspection, before further flight, replace the affected fitting.

Note: EASA Emergency AD 2006-0359-E refers.

Compliance:
Before further flight after 1 December 2006.
Before further flight.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 1 December 2006.

Background: Cracks were discovered in outer to centre wing attachment fittings during final assembly of a production aircraft, and also in several in-service aircraft. Investigation revealed the cracking was caused by a defective manufacturing process at the supplier facility. This condition, which involves fittings that are principal structural elements, could result in reduced structural integrity of the aircraft unless detected and corrected.