Carry out KNKT’s Safety Recommendations

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Officers of the National Transportation Safety Committee\'s (KNKT) examine the turbine of the downed Lion Air plane at the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) 2 in Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, on Nov. 4, 2018. An operation in search for the wreckage of the plane, which plunged into off the coast of Karawang regency, West Java, was extended to Nov. 7, 2018.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government is urging that recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Committee’s (KNKT) investigation report of the crash of Lion Air’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 with registration code PK-LQP and flight number JT-610 be carried out. This is important, especially to ensure aviation safety in the future.

“The recommendations must be carried out both by the airline and the government,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in Jakarta on Thursday (31/10/2019).

The 317-page investigation report has several suggestions for several parties. On page 228, for instance, the KNKT recommends Boeing that develop a guideline on the criteria of information that must be included in the manual for aircraft crew members and technicians.

Boeing is also requested to include a bigger tolerance in the aircraft’s operational design that will allow most pilots to still be able to control their airplanes in certain conditions. Simulations by test pilots are deemed to provide a lacking picture on pilots’ capability to control airplanes as test pilots commonly have better flight skills.

The recommendations must be carried out both by the airline and the government.

On page 226, KNKT recommends that Lion Air improve its internal system so that aircraft manuals can be updated on time. Lion Air is also suggested to review its training materials, including training duration.

For the Transportation Ministry’s Air Transportation Directorate General, the KNKT recommends increased monitoring to ensure that flight manuals are in line with standards and updated on time regularly in line with developments.

Amid Boeing’s unfinished investigation, Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) chair Denon B Prawiraatmadja said that flight safety should be made a priority for all stakeholders, including flight operators and the government.

In its 2019 Annual General Meeting, INACA created an additional committee for safety affairs. The committee tackles communications of safety law and regulations between operators, relevant agencies and the government.

“Under the core management, there is the safety committee that helps the KNKT and the Transportation Ministry to disseminate information on flight safety to scheduled and unscheduled flight operators. We hope that, out of this program, we can get updates from the government to harmonize all regulations,” Denon said.

EPA-EFE/GARY HE

Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft sit parked at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, USA, 21 July 2019. The Boeing 737 Max 8 was grounded by aviation regulators and airlines around the world in March 2019 after 346 people were killed in two crashes.

For the world

Discussions between the United States Congress and Boeing gained appreciation from Lion Air.

“The people [in the US] seem to want assurance from Boeing,” Lion Air president director Edward Sirait said.

He said that he could not comment further before Boeing reached its final conclusion.

“However, we have seen good progress so far. This is not only for us but also for the world,” he said.

This is not only for us but also for the world.

Regarding Lion Air’s business relationship with Boeing, Edward said there would be no change. Moreover, Lion Air has diverse products from Boeing, not only the Boeing 737 MAX.

The government also pushes Boeing to take responsibility for Lion Air following the release of KNKT’s investigation report. Boeing is urged to take care of families of the Lion Air JT-610 crash victims.

Read more : Safety Depends on Coordination

“The government does not have a direct relationship with Boeing. It is purely a business relationship between Lion Air and Boeing. However, we are pushing [Boeing] to take responsibility,” Budi Karya said.