Production of Tu-204 airliners may be suspended over alleged stabilizer defect
MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) has announced it is considering suspending the license for manufacturing Tupolev Tu-204 airliners because of an alleged stabilizer defect.
On December 29, five people were killed and three injured as a Tu-204 ran off a runway at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport and broke into three parts. There was no one except the crew aboard during the accident, which occurred after landing. The fatalities included the captain of the jet, which belonged to Russian airline Red Wings.
The IAC said the plane's thrust reversers had failed.
"Due to appeals from the Federal Air Transport Agency and the Federal Supervisory Service for the Transport Industry concerning a defect in the load-carrying structure of the stabilizer of Tu-204 aircraft that had been identified by some foreign and Russian airline companies, the IAC Aviation Registry is taking necessary measures within the limits of its powers and is considering the suspension of the manufacturing certificate for such aircraft," the IAC said in a statement on Monday.