Conveyor conveyor
How and why the IAC and Transaero flooded the Russian sky with old airplanes
The tragedy of the plane of the company "Tatarstan" shook the whole society. The crash of the aircraft, whose age is 23 of the year, revived the discussion about the age limit of the purchased foreign aircraft. But as soon as a bill was passed to the State Duma banning the use of passenger planes older than 20 years, such a howl arose, as if we are talking about a ban on flying in general. Our Version decided to find out why in the country with great traditions of the aircraft industry today, most of the airlines fly to the junk of foreign production, which regularly falls. It turned out terrible: this can be to blame for all three parties - an international body, a government agency and a private company Transaero. And they are all related and business ties.
Transaero Airlines was founded on December 28 on 1990, when the collapse of the USSR and the economy were already running. Legal chaos, "that is not prohibited, it is allowed," the first cooperatives and gangsters ...
Ay pug, to know she is strong!
... in fact, the committee’s experts in the investigation of air accidents should decide whether their employer “messed up” when issuing an operator’s certificate. Is it any wonder that Russia has already become a world phenomenon: only in our plane crash pilots are almost always to blame ... It was then, in the 90s, that the most nimble and cynical people began to use their administrative resources to create their own business. It was then that the head of the technical department of the Ministry of Civil aviation USSR Tatyana Anodina realized that it was possible to create a private airline. Anodina from hereditary aviators: was born on April 16, 1939 in Leningrad in the family of a military pilot, she graduated from the Lviv Polytechnic Institute in 1961. At the Civil Aviation Research Institute, she went from a test engineer to a director. She is today the director of the State Research Institute of Air Navigation. The late husband (he died in 1987), Colonel General P.S. Pleshakov, being the Minister of Radio Industry of the USSR, greatly helped her in the first stage of her career. However, further, the “Iron Lady”, as they called her for her eyes, made her way through herself, albeit using her husband's connections and best practices. And not without success. “The ministers were afraid of her,” one of them once told the author of these lines.
They say that Anodina helped Mikhail Gorbachev to create Transaero, whom she was able to convince of the need to create a private airline. The new company was headed by the son of Anodina Alexander Pleshakov, now the chairman of the board of directors. And Olga Pleshakova, his wife, became the CEO. The very same Anodina became a shareholder of the company with 3% of the shares, despite the position of the head of the control and investigative body.
However, the start-up of a family company was not very impressive, or rather, absolutely none. No wonder the official birthday of the airline is considered to be 5 on November 1991 of the year, when on a leased plane, but under its own UN code, its first flight was made - a charter flight on the route Moscow - Tel Aviv - Moscow.
However, in the airline business, a real start-up Transaero is associated with a completely different event: the organization of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) in 1991, headed by Tatyana Anodina. It was rumored that this appointment was a kind of compromise: an ambitious lady rushed to senior positions, and the officials who were afraid for their positions to throw her into the scandalous and ungrateful work of investigating aviation incidents seemed to be successful. However, the first thing Anodina, apparently, took up the creation of unprecedented preferences for their offspring - Transaero, using all their lobbying opportunities in the created IAC. And they were considerable.
I must say that the MAC is a very unusual design. Created in accordance with Presidential Decree 05.08.1992 No. 439, 23.04.1994 Government Decree 367 No. 07.04.1995 316, and the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the IAC on the conditions of his stay in 20.10.1995 RF, reorganize it today is almost impossible: for this you need to re-assemble the presidents of 11 of the CIS countries. At the same time, the powers of the committee are also unusual: the positions of the heads and employees of the IAC are equated and vested with the powers of the federal ministry, and the IAC decisions are binding on all the organs of Russia. The premises of the MAC and its property are inviolable. It does not apply the legislation of the Russian Federation. The property of the IAC, located on the territory of the Russian Federation, enjoys immunity in relation to search, requisition, expropriation, confiscation or other forms of judicial intervention. IAC is exempt from all taxes, fees, duties and other charges levied on the territory of the Russian Federation. (Certification of only one aircraft, carried out by the IAC, costs about 3 million dollars, lawyer Igor Trunov once noted). The chairman of the IAC and his deputies enjoy immunity, that is, “they are not subject to judicial responsibility for actions committed by them in the performance of their official duties”. Officials of the IAC in relation to themselves and their family members have diplomatic privileges and immunities that remain even after the termination of their service in the IAC. And so on.
At the same time, the international agreement on the basis of which the MAC was created, signed by the heads of the CIS countries in December 1991, should have been ratified by adopting a separate federal law, which is not available. In fact, the MAC for more than 10 years exists on a temporary basis, being an excellent illustration of the saying “There is nothing more permanent than temporary”.
In international practice, aviation accidents investigate national aviation authorities and supervisory authorities - for example, the FBI in the United States. IAC not only replaces these bodies with itself, but also conducts activities for certifying aircraft and their components, which is undoubtedly nonsense: in fact, experts of the committee during an investigation of aircraft accidents must decide whether their employer didn’t "issue" the operator’s certificate. Is it any wonder that Russia has already become a global phenomenon: it is only here that pilots are almost always at fault in plane crashes. However, more on that later.
The Untouchables
In our opinion, it is precisely the graciousness of the IAC that “did not prevent” the company from leaving behind the “imperceptible” people. Of course, Transaero has never had any problems obtaining an operator certificate for an aircraft of any age (and this played a fatal role for Russian aviation, about which a little later), the company has an amazing job! - impeccable story flights, although any experienced pilot will tell you that no airline lives without aviation, no less than exploiting outdated technology, as they say, in the tail and in the mane.
Supposedly due to her old connections in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the high status of the IAC, Anodina was able to create a powerful lobby of Transaero interests in the Ministry of Transport and Rosaviation. The author of these lines remembered how, at that time, the Ministry of Transport honestly admitted that the Rosaviation didn’t get very involved in the affairs of the Ministry: in fact, the department retained its independence. However, the then Minister of Transport Sergey Frank himself supported the main ideas of Anodina.
It can be considered that due to the tacit approval of the ministry and the lobbying of IAC, “Transaero” began to receive the most “tasty” directions, including foreign ones. Companies whose reputation in the eyes of the global airline industry was not very high, managed to get routes that shouldn’t have to be at all - for example, on routes where bilateral agreements on national carriers operated.
In an effort to embrace the immensity, the company made a bid to expand its fleet on the principle of "a lot and cheap." Apparently the Ministry of Transport went to meet her and here: Transaero received unprecedented preferences for the purchase of old imported aircraft with the full support of the Ministry. And it became fatal for Russian aviation.
However, the administrative resource can not replace funding. Airlines had to buy planes, rent parking, pay for fuel. This is too much money for the family, the whole life associated with the public service. Where could they then come from?
It is worth remembering that Boris Berezovsky, responding to the questions of attorney Jonathan Sampshna during the famous court in London with Roman Abramovich, stated that he and Transaero owned the company together with Badri Patarkatsishvili and at the end of 1990's he had the intention to merge it and Aeroflot "Then to take offshore.
Berezovsky’s words are also confirmed by documents in the media. When Transaero first entered the debt market in 2004, it was forced to publish a list of shareholders. Then it was announced that 32,1% of the shares belong allegedly to firms that are affiliated with Berezovsky. Borey-2 CJSC controlled by LogoVAZ owned 15,47% of Transaero shares, Ratmir + CJSC - 4,93%. Another 11,7% belonged to the United Financial Corporation (FLC), founded by the scandalous Swiss company Andava Holding. In 1999, there were rumors in the market that structures affiliated with Berezovsky owned about 38% of shares. And when the High Court of London recognized that the actual ownership of property in Russia does not always coincide with the legal, introducing a new word into the world jurisdiction - krysha, they began talking in the market that the Anodina-Pleshakovs family could own Tranero in the interests of the disgraced oligarch. Berezovsky himself said that “he does not remember whether he has a stake in Transaero.
Old-fashioned Transaero in action
At the beginning of the 90's, Russian aviation was going through hard times. Air transportation of passengers fell catastrophically, many airplanes got amused, slowly rusting. In the middle of 90-x, the growth of passenger traffic began, accelerating to zero due to mass overseas tourism and the revitalization of inter-regional flights. But then the question arose where to take the aircraft.
At first, the airlines used a parked fleet: from two or three planes, it was possible they were assembling a new one. But it soon became clear that it could not continue so long: the stocks of airplanes are finite, and it is impossible to fly all my life on the old technology. But here the experts from aviation said their weighty word: you can, you can fly on the old ones! Only on ... old foreign aircraft.
We can assume that it was this idea, lobbied by that very “troika” - the IKA, the Ministry of Transport with Rosaviation and Transaero - that became the shovel that has been systematically bury the Russian aviation industry all these years. The Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya assured the government that without imported second-hand aircraft, Russian aviation would not survive. IAC gave the nod to the operation of outright trash. And Transaero, taking advantage of cheaply purchased junk and profitable routes obtained through blat, grew as a balloon inflated by air, becoming the envy and example for other private airlines - they say it should be.
Judge for yourself: when it became known that since April 2006, in accordance with the 4th chapter of the Rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Russian aircraft will not be able to fly to Europe due to the fact that they will no longer comply with emission and noise standards, there were two ways ... The first is to change engines and avionics on Russian aircraft: cheap and fast. In addition, it was planned to do this with foreign companies, which made it possible to import advanced technologies. But not a single project was implemented - neither Aviastar with Rolls-Royce, nor Perm Motors with Pratt & Whitney. And all the funds allocated for this were actually wasted. But in 2004, the customs duty rate on imported used aircraft was reduced from 20 to 18%, and most importantly, it became possible to pay it in installments over 34 months. And the airlines stood in line for imported junk, striving to become "like Transaero."
At the same time, emissaries of countries getting rid of outdated equipment visited Russia often. For example, already in January of the same year, the Ministry of Transport of Germany sent a letter to the Russian Minister of Transport Sergey Frank proposing to replace the Tu-134 and Tu-154 aircraft operated by Russian airlines with MD-200 and Fokker-80 ships on 100. They are ready to be delivered within two years by Germania Fluggesellschaft (Germany) and Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS, Sweden), as well as aviation leasing company General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS, USA). As independent experts noted at the time, such a number of aircraft would kill the aviation industry, as it would close down all the needs of airlines in the near future - the Ministry of Transport was not against ...
Amazing Adventures of "Africans" in Russia
It is worth noting that at that time only two airlines operated in Russia: Aeroflot and Transaero, which were exempted from paying customs duties and fees on the basis of government orders from 1994. Why such an exemption was received by Aeroflot is clear: being a national air carrier, the company was obliged to carry out foreign flights in accordance with bilateral agreements. Why benefits received "Transaero", which had no obligations on the routes, I think, is also clear: at this point, its warm relations with the IAC and the relevant department composed legends. However, they didn’t embellish reality: we believe that literally any wish from Transaero came to life as if it were an order from a higher authority.
But the most interesting is the conditions for exemption from duties! Aeroflot was limited by the number of liners imported on preferential terms - no more than 27 in the park. A "Transaero" - only a five-year period of benefits. However, in December 1999, the period of validity of benefits was extended for another five years. Ten years of duty-free importation for one of the private airlines against 27 ships for the national carrier is strong, isn't it? Interestingly, what would the Mintras, Rosaviatsia and the IAC say, the head of which Tatyana Anodina is simultaneously co-owner of Transaero?
However, no wonder there is a saying: "Not in a horse feed." Aeroflot has relied on the purchase of new aircraft, both imported and Russian SuperJet. Transaero has used the benefits for the purchase of cheap used Boeing. Result: today Aeroflot has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in Europe - the average age of 5,6 aircraft of the year. Transaero has one of the oldest aircraft fleets - 16,6 of the year. In the rating of the Bureau of Investigation of accidents on air transport (JACDEC) this is the biggest age.
But we remember, as we were assured: the age has nothing to do with the reliability of the aircraft? The main thing is to make repairs on time, so that there is a certificate ... Everything is so, and not quite. The devil, as always, in the details.
First of all, it should be said that in most civilized countries and decent airlines the age of airplanes does not exceed 10 years. Over 15 years, the average age of the air fleet is very small and specific to the air carriers. But even among them there are no ones whose average age of the fleet is more than 20 years, like dozens of Russian airlines.
Opponents of age-limited aircraft operation love to refer to the US experience: there is no rarity of a flying aircraft of 50 years of age. Indeed, Delta Air Lines, for example, has an average aircraft age close to Transaero - 16,7 years. However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that all these aircraft were operated by the group itself throughout its life. For example, in 1983, Delta received its first Boeing 767-200, which was paid for by voluntary contributions from employees, retirees and partners of the company. The plane remained the flagship fleet airlines until 2006, the last two years flying in a festive livery in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Delta. In 2006, the Boeing 737-300 were also decommissioned.
In general, it should be said that the following order was established in the world long ago. New planes are bought by discounters (they need to constantly keep the plane in the air, any repairs are a loss) and the largest air groups, having in their composition both low-cost regional carriers and premium carriers. After several years of operation, discounters resell their planes to airlines easier - of course, after a serious quality repair. Major airlines either sell their used airplanes to them, or transfer them to cheaper and less stressful routes. Of course, all this time, the aircraft is not only qualitatively operated, but also repaired qualitatively, which is reflected in the documents.
Now let us recall that the Boeing that fell in Kazan had previously undergone a difficult service in Bulgaria, Romania and even Uganda. Even if we assume that the Russian repairmen were up to par and in time carried out all the necessary repairs, that the inspectors from the IAC were picky and incorruptible, is it safe to say that the repairmen of Uganda screwed all the nuts right? Are there any documents on all repairs during these 23 years and are they true? That is the difference between American "old men" and Russian ones.
Killer numbers
The same situation is with Transaero's fleet. Thanks to the online base http://www.airfleets.net, which presents the history of all airlines, the journalists managed to find out the history of the planes purchased by her. It immediately became clear from whence such opposition to the bill submitted to the State Duma: more than a quarter of the Transaero fleet (24 operating 92 aircraft) are older than 20 years. This corresponds to the age of "Boeing-737", which crashed in Kazan. Moreover, the largest number of such aircraft in absolute terms refer specifically to the Boeing 737 model (11 of 43). There are also among Boeing 747 (4 of 22) and Boeing 767 (9 of 14). (See the top 10 most dangerous for passengers.)
Even more amazing things open up, if you ask, who bought the aircraft. First of all, it is striking that some liners were bought not from real sellers, but from unknown companies, which, in turn, owned this technique in a matter of weeks. In our opinion, there may be frauds on tax evasion when importing airplanes or falsifying materials about the condition of the aircraft, which allow selling goods that are used and endangered to the life of passengers without jeopardizing the reputation of participants in transactions.
Here, for example, Boeing 737 (No. MSN 23772). 26 years fly by and 3 of the month, Transaero 1 of May 2002 of the year was purchased from the Belgian company Sabena of 15 years by the Belgian company Sabena through a special company “gasket” UG, which acquired 4 of the year 2002 of the year and resold Transaero in two months and Transaero resold two months later.
Sometimes Ukrainian structures are used as “gaskets”. Boeing 737 (MSN 24355) 13 years operated by the Belgian Sabena, was sold to Air Ukraine, which bought the 3 airliner in May 2005 of the year and 1 in June of 2006, resold it to Transaero.
We believe that if it were any other Russian airline, its leadership would most likely have already spoken to the investigators. And in the case of Transaero, neither the IAC nor the Rosaviatsia seem to see anything questionable in such transactions.
A lot of old cars received "Transaero" from the third world with a very low culture of operation. Here, for example, Boeing 737 (MSN 24165), which made the first flight of 8 on May 1989 of the year. It was operated by Indian companies for seven years, 1 in July 2007 was bought by Serbian JAT Airways. Her leadership took five months to realize that the car must be sold somewhere. And 1 December of the same year, the plane bought Transaero. Now this liner is already 24 of the year and 5 months.
Boeing 737 (MSN 24904) made the first flight of 18 on January 1991 of the year, 10 was operated by Turkish Turkish Airlines for years, from there 14 of February of 2001 of the year went to Hungarian MALEV, 6 of May of 2004 of the year was sold to Transaero. The plane still carries passengers, its age - 22, 8 months.
Boeing-737 (MSN 25183 and MSN 25188) were bought in China, made the first flights of February 14 and March 12 of 1992 of the year, 10 of February and 12 of January 2007 of the year began to operate as Transaero liners. The Chinese have decided that 15 is enough years for a passenger plane, Transaero is enough for its passengers. Now the operation time of each aircraft exceeds the 21 year, Transaero is still actively using them.
Boeing 747 (MSN 26637) was bought, having managed to fly 15 for years. From October 27 1992 to December 20 2007, the plane was in South Africa, the main part of this period - after the fall of the white minority and the beginning of the reign of the black majority with general chaos, rising crime, reduced infrastructure and an increase in the number of aviation accidents. But even the new owners of South Africa were able to understand that it was time to sell the car with it. And they sold it to Transaero.
South Africa also bought three other Boeing 747 airplanes: MSN 26638 (flew in Africa from October 5 1993 on December 12 to 2008 on the year 29119 of 30 of the year in Africa) and MSN 1998 on November 17 on November 2012 in Africa. 28960 (in Africa from 30 December 1998 of the year to 30 December 2010).
The history of Boeing 747 (MSN 28959) is particularly impressive. His 10 years, from 30 December 1998-th to 1 September 2008, used South Africa, then the car went to very poor and wild Angola, where they still fire, and in less than two years, 10 June 2010, already bought the ship in Angola Transaero.
There are more “creepy sides”, such as Boeing 767 (MSN 23623), which made the first flight of 12 on November 1991 of the year. He flew first to Brunei (Royal Brunei Airlines), after which he worked for a long time in Ethiopia ravaged by civil war (Ethiopian Airlines) and only in the 2004 year, after 13 years of terrible operating conditions in Africa, was it bought by Transaero.
Boeing 737 (MSN 25062) was operated by 22, 6 months, managed to work in Senegalese Air Senegal International, the Africans refused the aircraft, and the owners of Transaero and 7 in May 2007, sent the first flight. For comparison: the Boeing crashed in Kazan was exploited in Brazil and Uganda, and already after poor Uganda, it was taken by the airline Tatarstan.
There are also combined options. For example, Boeing 737 (MSN 24519) made the first flight of 2 in October 1989 of the year and, having reached the corresponding state after 11 years of operation by Cayman Airways (Cayman Islands) and Istanbul Airlines (Turkey), was sold by the Turkish FSB gaskets and Royal Airways, implementation through which allowed to avoid responsibility for failures emerging with time. The Turks managed to shoot the battered car to the Irish from Skynet Airlines. Those suffered with it for a year and a half, but 20 August 2004, they were lucky - they resold it "Transaero". Where the plane flies so far with the total lifetime 24 of the year and 2 of the month.
Sometimes Transaero exploits cars that more developed countries are trying to get rid of. Here is the Boeing 737 (MSN 25037): its second last owner, the German TUIfly, used the plane only from January 15 to July 1 of the year 2007. Then she sold Transaero. Neither the airline nor the IAC did not embarrass the German picky, and now this airliner has been operating in Russia, having flown a total of 22 of the year 7 months.
Boeing-747 (MSN 24019) was purchased by Transaero from Japan Airlines, which flew 21 on it exactly a year, from February 19 1988 to February 19 on 2009. Boeing 747 (MSN 23482) flew from the same Japanese the same 21 year, from 15 April 1986 of the year to 17 of August 2008, and was bought by the same Transaero. Boeing 767 (MSN 23899) carries Russians from 12 September 2003, and before that 16 carried passengers for US State Airways, US Air and Piedmont.
The list goes on, but the principle is clear. Transaero buys airplanes, of which only one thing can be said: “For you, God, that we are not fit.” At the same time, neither the IAC nor the Rosaviatsiya is embarrassed that even not very developed countries are happy to get rid of these airliners, so to say: no complaints about the condition of the aircraft appear, they will receive airworthiness certificates without any problems. There are no high-profile claims to deal schemes using “gaskets”.
But that's not all.
In Transaero, a sufficiently large number of old aircraft is being mothballed. What does this mean? In principle, many airlines put on preservation aircraft that are not currently in use. But usually we are talking about airplanes, which simply do not have a place in the sky because of the worsened conjuncture, but the airline hopes that this is a temporary break. However, in this case we are not usually talking about 30-year-olds! Three such 1982 release models have been mothballed by Transaero: Boeing 747-219B (22725 number, purchased in 2006 from Air Pacific from Fiji), Boeing 747-219B (22791 number, purchased in 2005 from Malaysian Malaysia) and Boeing 747-267B (22872 number, purchased in 2006 from Indonesian Garuda Indonesia).
A little better and Boeing 767-216 (ER) (23623 number) 1986 of the year, bought in 2002 year in war-ravaged Salvador (previously it was also used in Chile). In Chile, the second one of the same Boeing (24973 number) 1990 was bought at the same time.
Why does Transaero also have this blatant trash? After all, it is not difficult to see that we are talking not only of old airplanes, but also of mountains, oceanic islands and subtropical monsoons that were used in very unfavorable conditions, such as Boeing 737-5Y0 (46712 number) 1991 of the year of production, acquired by 2006 in the year Chinese China Southern Airlines, was disassembled. Like McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 from Chile 1973 (!) Year of manufacture (No. 46712).
Why buy 'killed' planes and take them apart? It seems to use them for parts - as they used at the beginning of the 90-s of a huge fleet from the USSR. But only then this crazy practice was stopped, and now nobody cares. You can put the item with age more than the age of the aircraft - and say that after that he became “as good as new”! Of course, if the IAC agrees with this and gives an operator certificate without any questions ...
Why are there "how" - one of the apologists of the IAC after the tragedy in Kazan agreed even to the point that the 11-year-old plane is even newer than the 9-year-old, because in the 10-year-old age there was an overhaul with the replacement of parts with new ones. This expert on a Transaero aircraft, repaired with details from a 40-year-old “donor” ...
One of the bloggers noted that if the airline’s website had listed its age, the previous owners, the number of repairs and technical problems, the number of passengers would have significantly diminished on the airline’s flight information page. Alas, most often the Russian passengers can judge the condition of the aircraft, only by going to its cabin. And they may never know about technical problems and even accidents: the announcement of the delay of the aircraft “for technical reasons” and even “due to the weather” can mean anything: from a serious problem to non-flying weather. It may be worthwhile to adopt the practice, for example, Air France, when the true reason for the delay is not concealed from passengers. Moreover, they explain how exactly they are going to deal with it and in what time frame. The French believe that in this way they remove the fears of passengers - after all, they are reasonable people. Maybe we should admit that Russian citizens are no worse than French?
Version of the MAC: the pilot is always wrong?
In Russia, as already mentioned, the human factor in aviation accidents has an exorbitantly large share: if it is 50% all over the world, then in Russia it is 80%. It should be noted that in other countries it most often accompanies other problems: pilot error and adverse weather conditions, technical malfunction or aircraft defect, unacceptable aerodrome conditions, controller error, etc. In the CIS, the results of an IAC investigation are most often standard: the plane before the flight was technically sound, the only pilot error was the cause of the accident.
The author of these lines was once specifically interested in flight safety experts, pilots and air service services - in this connection, what about the CIS getting out of world statistics? Most looked away or hotly assured that all this is because we are unique. But experts independent of the IAC honestly admitted that the pilot’s mistake was the same truth, which is worse than deception.
Imagine, they explained, that you were driving a broken-down old car. Handbrake does not hold, brake pads erased, tires "bald." How much higher is the probability that, for example, on ice will carry you - compared to a normal car? Much higher. Thanks to skill and luck, you can get out of this incident safe and sound. And you can not get out - if you make a mistake in emergency management. What will be the direct cause of the accident? That's right - a driver error. And what will be the real, original reason? The condition of the car, which, in an amicable way, only travels around the yard on a clear dry summer day at a speed of no more than 20 kilometers per hour. But the verdict of the experts about the driver’s error will be absolutely correct. According to the form.
Exactly the same thing and in the Russian aircraft, the expert continues. Of course, we have a shortage of experienced pilots, pilots training is lame, many airfields are poorly equipped, and the climatic conditions are severe. But if the planes were not old junk, if they were not repaired often with counterfeit parts, if the technical condition was monitored in full, then the pilots simply could not be mistaken so often.
And today, when the passengers of the crashed plane unanimously say that his condition already when flying from Kazan to Moscow was terrible, and the IAC in response - that the plane was in perfect order, I recall this explanation. After all, even now, after the fall of Boeing 737-500 in Kazan, whose age exceeded 23 of the year, Russian aviation experts began again to assert that age had nothing to do with it. They are supported by the preliminary conclusion of the IAC: the aircraft systems worked fine, the pilot himself for no reason sent the plane to the second round, and then he took it and sent the car to the peak. Pilots - they are unpredictable. And the MAC is just a visionary, if it publishes such preliminary detention two days after the crash, when the voice recorder for some reason was not found in the “black box”, and the first messages referring to the dispatchers contained the words “we have a non-landing configuration, we will not sit ".
And I believe that the main “pilot error” is the unification in the hands of the IAC of the oversight of aircraft serviceability and the investigation of plane crashes. And the main problem of the Russian airline business, in our opinion, is the possible kinship and business ties between Rosaviatsia, the IKA and Transaero, in which Ms. Anodina directly owns, despite all reasonable notions, 3% of shares. Because it was Transaero that set the fashion for old airplanes in Russia. And the Rosaviation and the IAC in a certain sense consecrated this fashion with their authority.
Price of immortality
Something similar was at one time in the automotive industry, when imported trash 20-year-old was massively imported into the country. And let these cars have on the move to fall off the bridge or “cover up” the motor - citizens were happy with the power steering and heated seats, unthinkable in the monsters of the Soviet automobile industry. The irony of fate: today these foreign cars have been at the dump for a long time, and their peers of the Quartet and the Five still feed the numerous visitors of the bombed. The ease of taxiing and the softness of the seats were not the main criteria for durability ...
Nevertheless, the government had enough determination to put an end to imported auto junk, and now there is an offensive on Soviet longevity monsters. Although the same "bombili" claim that it is only here and there to fasten, lubricate, tie up with a string and "just like a new car, wah!". However, road safety is still more important, the authorities decided. And this is absolutely correct.
Why is the situation in the airline business different? Where are the conversations that age does not matter?
I have to admit: the whole thing is greed. And in cronyism. Transaero received unprecedented benefits for the purchase of foreign aircraft duty free - by the way, this benefit will end only in 2014 year! But instead of using this inconceivable benefit for the purchase of modern airliners, the company bought on a cheap basis a bunch of old equipment, from which even the third world countries were being disposed of. But the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Air Transport Agency did not hinder this at all. And the IAC has consecrated with the names of its experts the statement that the old in Russia has the properties of Koshchey the Immortal - to live forever.
As a result, the majority of Russian airlines went down this route. And Russia actually lost the aviation industry. And now it is losing space, and military aviation is next in line, since all these three sectors are interconnected vessels in terms of design and technical. But Russian designers are now working on Boeing. He is pleased.
Another sad consequence of this decision: the majority of Russian companies are candidates for being blacklisted by the EU. There are companies recognized by them unsafe. And this means a ban to fly to EU countries.
But the worst thing is that because of this decision today people are dying in Russia. The safety factor of SAFA flights, one of the most revered in the world, for most Russian airlines is more than 1 (and Aeroflot with its young fleet has 0,6 – 0,7). For comparison: in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the coefficient is 0,4 – 0,6. European average - 0,9, in these figures fit even Bulgaria and Ukraine.
According to the international independent organization Aviation Safety Network (ASN), Russia is in second place after the United States in the number of aircraft crashes that have occurred since 1945 to the present day. And if you take the results by year, then in 2011 and 2012 years, our country held the first place in terms of the number of people killed in plane crashes. Given that in the States of air travel is carried out in dozens, if not hundreds of times more than in Russia.
IATA’s data on the number of crashes of scheduled flights per million flights over 2011 a year are even more vivid: according to this indicator, we are world leaders. For Russia and the CIS countries it is 8,19 per million, for African countries - 6,17, for North America - 1,33. Think about it: in terms of the number of accidents in passenger aviation, we have overtaken even everlasting and impoverished Africa!
Here it is - the real price statement "age does not count"
Even now, after the tragedy in Kazan, when Rosaviatsia, represented by its head Alexander Neradko, stated that she favored introducing in Russia restrictions on the use of airplanes by age, the IAC, in an uncharacteristic emotional manner, demanded to stop talking about the age of airplanes, repeating his mantra: "The main thing for safety is the airworthiness of the aircraft, not its age." Having forgotten to remind you that he himself confirms airworthiness, which means that it is from him that one would have to ask why fully operational aircraft fall in Russia. It is clear that Anodina decided to defend her family shop with all her might.
But the current situation is clearly contrary to state interests - after all, our country cannot afford to risk the lives of fellow citizens. It is time to stop. And as soon as possible. The situation is clearly intolerable and not in the interests of the state. Here, the State Duma adopted a bill to ban the operation of passenger aircraft over 20 years - is only the first step. It is still worth to deal with the amazing policy of Rosaviatsii, the phenomenal powers of the IAC and the strange preferences of Transaero. As with the dubious links between them from any point of view. Otherwise, our planes will all fall, the pilots will be wrong, and the passengers will die.
Source of information: electronic publication "Aloud - Digest"
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Top 10 most dangerous for passengers of Transaero aircraft
The tragedy of the plane of the company "Tatarstan" shook the whole society. The crash of the aircraft, whose age is 23 of the year, revived the discussion about the age limit of the purchased foreign aircraft. But as soon as a bill was passed to the State Duma banning the use of passenger planes older than 20 years, such a howl arose, as if we are talking about a ban on flying in general. Our Version decided to find out why in the country with great traditions of the aircraft industry today, most of the airlines fly to the junk of foreign production, which regularly falls. It turned out terrible: this can be to blame for all three parties - an international body, a government agency and a private company Transaero. And they are all related and business ties.
Transaero Airlines was founded on December 28 on 1990, when the collapse of the USSR and the economy were already running. Legal chaos, "that is not prohibited, it is allowed," the first cooperatives and gangsters ...
Ay pug, to know she is strong!
... in fact, the committee’s experts in the investigation of air accidents should decide whether their employer “messed up” when issuing an operator’s certificate. Is it any wonder that Russia has already become a world phenomenon: only in our plane crash pilots are almost always to blame ... It was then, in the 90s, that the most nimble and cynical people began to use their administrative resources to create their own business. It was then that the head of the technical department of the Ministry of Civil aviation USSR Tatyana Anodina realized that it was possible to create a private airline. Anodina from hereditary aviators: was born on April 16, 1939 in Leningrad in the family of a military pilot, she graduated from the Lviv Polytechnic Institute in 1961. At the Civil Aviation Research Institute, she went from a test engineer to a director. She is today the director of the State Research Institute of Air Navigation. The late husband (he died in 1987), Colonel General P.S. Pleshakov, being the Minister of Radio Industry of the USSR, greatly helped her in the first stage of her career. However, further, the “Iron Lady”, as they called her for her eyes, made her way through herself, albeit using her husband's connections and best practices. And not without success. “The ministers were afraid of her,” one of them once told the author of these lines.
They say that Anodina helped Mikhail Gorbachev to create Transaero, whom she was able to convince of the need to create a private airline. The new company was headed by the son of Anodina Alexander Pleshakov, now the chairman of the board of directors. And Olga Pleshakova, his wife, became the CEO. The very same Anodina became a shareholder of the company with 3% of the shares, despite the position of the head of the control and investigative body.
However, the start-up of a family company was not very impressive, or rather, absolutely none. No wonder the official birthday of the airline is considered to be 5 on November 1991 of the year, when on a leased plane, but under its own UN code, its first flight was made - a charter flight on the route Moscow - Tel Aviv - Moscow.
However, in the airline business, a real start-up Transaero is associated with a completely different event: the organization of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) in 1991, headed by Tatyana Anodina. It was rumored that this appointment was a kind of compromise: an ambitious lady rushed to senior positions, and the officials who were afraid for their positions to throw her into the scandalous and ungrateful work of investigating aviation incidents seemed to be successful. However, the first thing Anodina, apparently, took up the creation of unprecedented preferences for their offspring - Transaero, using all their lobbying opportunities in the created IAC. And they were considerable.
I must say that the MAC is a very unusual design. Created in accordance with Presidential Decree 05.08.1992 No. 439, 23.04.1994 Government Decree 367 No. 07.04.1995 316, and the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the IAC on the conditions of his stay in 20.10.1995 RF, reorganize it today is almost impossible: for this you need to re-assemble the presidents of 11 of the CIS countries. At the same time, the powers of the committee are also unusual: the positions of the heads and employees of the IAC are equated and vested with the powers of the federal ministry, and the IAC decisions are binding on all the organs of Russia. The premises of the MAC and its property are inviolable. It does not apply the legislation of the Russian Federation. The property of the IAC, located on the territory of the Russian Federation, enjoys immunity in relation to search, requisition, expropriation, confiscation or other forms of judicial intervention. IAC is exempt from all taxes, fees, duties and other charges levied on the territory of the Russian Federation. (Certification of only one aircraft, carried out by the IAC, costs about 3 million dollars, lawyer Igor Trunov once noted). The chairman of the IAC and his deputies enjoy immunity, that is, “they are not subject to judicial responsibility for actions committed by them in the performance of their official duties”. Officials of the IAC in relation to themselves and their family members have diplomatic privileges and immunities that remain even after the termination of their service in the IAC. And so on.
At the same time, the international agreement on the basis of which the MAC was created, signed by the heads of the CIS countries in December 1991, should have been ratified by adopting a separate federal law, which is not available. In fact, the MAC for more than 10 years exists on a temporary basis, being an excellent illustration of the saying “There is nothing more permanent than temporary”.
In international practice, aviation accidents investigate national aviation authorities and supervisory authorities - for example, the FBI in the United States. IAC not only replaces these bodies with itself, but also conducts activities for certifying aircraft and their components, which is undoubtedly nonsense: in fact, experts of the committee during an investigation of aircraft accidents must decide whether their employer didn’t "issue" the operator’s certificate. Is it any wonder that Russia has already become a global phenomenon: it is only here that pilots are almost always at fault in plane crashes. However, more on that later.
The Untouchables
In our opinion, it is precisely the graciousness of the IAC that “did not prevent” the company from leaving behind the “imperceptible” people. Of course, Transaero has never had any problems obtaining an operator certificate for an aircraft of any age (and this played a fatal role for Russian aviation, about which a little later), the company has an amazing job! - impeccable story flights, although any experienced pilot will tell you that no airline lives without aviation, no less than exploiting outdated technology, as they say, in the tail and in the mane.
Supposedly due to her old connections in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the high status of the IAC, Anodina was able to create a powerful lobby of Transaero interests in the Ministry of Transport and Rosaviation. The author of these lines remembered how, at that time, the Ministry of Transport honestly admitted that the Rosaviation didn’t get very involved in the affairs of the Ministry: in fact, the department retained its independence. However, the then Minister of Transport Sergey Frank himself supported the main ideas of Anodina.
It can be considered that due to the tacit approval of the ministry and the lobbying of IAC, “Transaero” began to receive the most “tasty” directions, including foreign ones. Companies whose reputation in the eyes of the global airline industry was not very high, managed to get routes that shouldn’t have to be at all - for example, on routes where bilateral agreements on national carriers operated.
In an effort to embrace the immensity, the company made a bid to expand its fleet on the principle of "a lot and cheap." Apparently the Ministry of Transport went to meet her and here: Transaero received unprecedented preferences for the purchase of old imported aircraft with the full support of the Ministry. And it became fatal for Russian aviation.
However, the administrative resource can not replace funding. Airlines had to buy planes, rent parking, pay for fuel. This is too much money for the family, the whole life associated with the public service. Where could they then come from?
It is worth remembering that Boris Berezovsky, responding to the questions of attorney Jonathan Sampshna during the famous court in London with Roman Abramovich, stated that he and Transaero owned the company together with Badri Patarkatsishvili and at the end of 1990's he had the intention to merge it and Aeroflot "Then to take offshore.
Berezovsky’s words are also confirmed by documents in the media. When Transaero first entered the debt market in 2004, it was forced to publish a list of shareholders. Then it was announced that 32,1% of the shares belong allegedly to firms that are affiliated with Berezovsky. Borey-2 CJSC controlled by LogoVAZ owned 15,47% of Transaero shares, Ratmir + CJSC - 4,93%. Another 11,7% belonged to the United Financial Corporation (FLC), founded by the scandalous Swiss company Andava Holding. In 1999, there were rumors in the market that structures affiliated with Berezovsky owned about 38% of shares. And when the High Court of London recognized that the actual ownership of property in Russia does not always coincide with the legal, introducing a new word into the world jurisdiction - krysha, they began talking in the market that the Anodina-Pleshakovs family could own Tranero in the interests of the disgraced oligarch. Berezovsky himself said that “he does not remember whether he has a stake in Transaero.
Old-fashioned Transaero in action
At the beginning of the 90's, Russian aviation was going through hard times. Air transportation of passengers fell catastrophically, many airplanes got amused, slowly rusting. In the middle of 90-x, the growth of passenger traffic began, accelerating to zero due to mass overseas tourism and the revitalization of inter-regional flights. But then the question arose where to take the aircraft.
At first, the airlines used a parked fleet: from two or three planes, it was possible they were assembling a new one. But it soon became clear that it could not continue so long: the stocks of airplanes are finite, and it is impossible to fly all my life on the old technology. But here the experts from aviation said their weighty word: you can, you can fly on the old ones! Only on ... old foreign aircraft.
We can assume that it was this idea, lobbied by that very “troika” - the IKA, the Ministry of Transport with Rosaviation and Transaero - that became the shovel that has been systematically bury the Russian aviation industry all these years. The Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya assured the government that without imported second-hand aircraft, Russian aviation would not survive. IAC gave the nod to the operation of outright trash. And Transaero, taking advantage of cheaply purchased junk and profitable routes obtained through blat, grew as a balloon inflated by air, becoming the envy and example for other private airlines - they say it should be.
Judge for yourself: when it became known that since April 2006, in accordance with the 4th chapter of the Rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Russian aircraft will not be able to fly to Europe due to the fact that they will no longer comply with emission and noise standards, there were two ways ... The first is to change engines and avionics on Russian aircraft: cheap and fast. In addition, it was planned to do this with foreign companies, which made it possible to import advanced technologies. But not a single project was implemented - neither Aviastar with Rolls-Royce, nor Perm Motors with Pratt & Whitney. And all the funds allocated for this were actually wasted. But in 2004, the customs duty rate on imported used aircraft was reduced from 20 to 18%, and most importantly, it became possible to pay it in installments over 34 months. And the airlines stood in line for imported junk, striving to become "like Transaero."
At the same time, emissaries of countries getting rid of outdated equipment visited Russia often. For example, already in January of the same year, the Ministry of Transport of Germany sent a letter to the Russian Minister of Transport Sergey Frank proposing to replace the Tu-134 and Tu-154 aircraft operated by Russian airlines with MD-200 and Fokker-80 ships on 100. They are ready to be delivered within two years by Germania Fluggesellschaft (Germany) and Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS, Sweden), as well as aviation leasing company General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS, USA). As independent experts noted at the time, such a number of aircraft would kill the aviation industry, as it would close down all the needs of airlines in the near future - the Ministry of Transport was not against ...
Amazing Adventures of "Africans" in Russia
It is worth noting that at that time only two airlines operated in Russia: Aeroflot and Transaero, which were exempted from paying customs duties and fees on the basis of government orders from 1994. Why such an exemption was received by Aeroflot is clear: being a national air carrier, the company was obliged to carry out foreign flights in accordance with bilateral agreements. Why benefits received "Transaero", which had no obligations on the routes, I think, is also clear: at this point, its warm relations with the IAC and the relevant department composed legends. However, they didn’t embellish reality: we believe that literally any wish from Transaero came to life as if it were an order from a higher authority.
But the most interesting is the conditions for exemption from duties! Aeroflot was limited by the number of liners imported on preferential terms - no more than 27 in the park. A "Transaero" - only a five-year period of benefits. However, in December 1999, the period of validity of benefits was extended for another five years. Ten years of duty-free importation for one of the private airlines against 27 ships for the national carrier is strong, isn't it? Interestingly, what would the Mintras, Rosaviatsia and the IAC say, the head of which Tatyana Anodina is simultaneously co-owner of Transaero?
However, no wonder there is a saying: "Not in a horse feed." Aeroflot has relied on the purchase of new aircraft, both imported and Russian SuperJet. Transaero has used the benefits for the purchase of cheap used Boeing. Result: today Aeroflot has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in Europe - the average age of 5,6 aircraft of the year. Transaero has one of the oldest aircraft fleets - 16,6 of the year. In the rating of the Bureau of Investigation of accidents on air transport (JACDEC) this is the biggest age.
But we remember, as we were assured: the age has nothing to do with the reliability of the aircraft? The main thing is to make repairs on time, so that there is a certificate ... Everything is so, and not quite. The devil, as always, in the details.
First of all, it should be said that in most civilized countries and decent airlines the age of airplanes does not exceed 10 years. Over 15 years, the average age of the air fleet is very small and specific to the air carriers. But even among them there are no ones whose average age of the fleet is more than 20 years, like dozens of Russian airlines.
Opponents of age-limited aircraft operation love to refer to the US experience: there is no rarity of a flying aircraft of 50 years of age. Indeed, Delta Air Lines, for example, has an average aircraft age close to Transaero - 16,7 years. However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that all these aircraft were operated by the group itself throughout its life. For example, in 1983, Delta received its first Boeing 767-200, which was paid for by voluntary contributions from employees, retirees and partners of the company. The plane remained the flagship fleet airlines until 2006, the last two years flying in a festive livery in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Delta. In 2006, the Boeing 737-300 were also decommissioned.
In general, it should be said that the following order was established in the world long ago. New planes are bought by discounters (they need to constantly keep the plane in the air, any repairs are a loss) and the largest air groups, having in their composition both low-cost regional carriers and premium carriers. After several years of operation, discounters resell their planes to airlines easier - of course, after a serious quality repair. Major airlines either sell their used airplanes to them, or transfer them to cheaper and less stressful routes. Of course, all this time, the aircraft is not only qualitatively operated, but also repaired qualitatively, which is reflected in the documents.
Now let us recall that the Boeing that fell in Kazan had previously undergone a difficult service in Bulgaria, Romania and even Uganda. Even if we assume that the Russian repairmen were up to par and in time carried out all the necessary repairs, that the inspectors from the IAC were picky and incorruptible, is it safe to say that the repairmen of Uganda screwed all the nuts right? Are there any documents on all repairs during these 23 years and are they true? That is the difference between American "old men" and Russian ones.
Killer numbers
The same situation is with Transaero's fleet. Thanks to the online base http://www.airfleets.net, which presents the history of all airlines, the journalists managed to find out the history of the planes purchased by her. It immediately became clear from whence such opposition to the bill submitted to the State Duma: more than a quarter of the Transaero fleet (24 operating 92 aircraft) are older than 20 years. This corresponds to the age of "Boeing-737", which crashed in Kazan. Moreover, the largest number of such aircraft in absolute terms refer specifically to the Boeing 737 model (11 of 43). There are also among Boeing 747 (4 of 22) and Boeing 767 (9 of 14). (See the top 10 most dangerous for passengers.)
Even more amazing things open up, if you ask, who bought the aircraft. First of all, it is striking that some liners were bought not from real sellers, but from unknown companies, which, in turn, owned this technique in a matter of weeks. In our opinion, there may be frauds on tax evasion when importing airplanes or falsifying materials about the condition of the aircraft, which allow selling goods that are used and endangered to the life of passengers without jeopardizing the reputation of participants in transactions.
Here, for example, Boeing 737 (No. MSN 23772). 26 years fly by and 3 of the month, Transaero 1 of May 2002 of the year was purchased from the Belgian company Sabena of 15 years by the Belgian company Sabena through a special company “gasket” UG, which acquired 4 of the year 2002 of the year and resold Transaero in two months and Transaero resold two months later.
Sometimes Ukrainian structures are used as “gaskets”. Boeing 737 (MSN 24355) 13 years operated by the Belgian Sabena, was sold to Air Ukraine, which bought the 3 airliner in May 2005 of the year and 1 in June of 2006, resold it to Transaero.
We believe that if it were any other Russian airline, its leadership would most likely have already spoken to the investigators. And in the case of Transaero, neither the IAC nor the Rosaviatsia seem to see anything questionable in such transactions.
A lot of old cars received "Transaero" from the third world with a very low culture of operation. Here, for example, Boeing 737 (MSN 24165), which made the first flight of 8 on May 1989 of the year. It was operated by Indian companies for seven years, 1 in July 2007 was bought by Serbian JAT Airways. Her leadership took five months to realize that the car must be sold somewhere. And 1 December of the same year, the plane bought Transaero. Now this liner is already 24 of the year and 5 months.
Boeing 737 (MSN 24904) made the first flight of 18 on January 1991 of the year, 10 was operated by Turkish Turkish Airlines for years, from there 14 of February of 2001 of the year went to Hungarian MALEV, 6 of May of 2004 of the year was sold to Transaero. The plane still carries passengers, its age - 22, 8 months.
Boeing-737 (MSN 25183 and MSN 25188) were bought in China, made the first flights of February 14 and March 12 of 1992 of the year, 10 of February and 12 of January 2007 of the year began to operate as Transaero liners. The Chinese have decided that 15 is enough years for a passenger plane, Transaero is enough for its passengers. Now the operation time of each aircraft exceeds the 21 year, Transaero is still actively using them.
Boeing 747 (MSN 26637) was bought, having managed to fly 15 for years. From October 27 1992 to December 20 2007, the plane was in South Africa, the main part of this period - after the fall of the white minority and the beginning of the reign of the black majority with general chaos, rising crime, reduced infrastructure and an increase in the number of aviation accidents. But even the new owners of South Africa were able to understand that it was time to sell the car with it. And they sold it to Transaero.
South Africa also bought three other Boeing 747 airplanes: MSN 26638 (flew in Africa from October 5 1993 on December 12 to 2008 on the year 29119 of 30 of the year in Africa) and MSN 1998 on November 17 on November 2012 in Africa. 28960 (in Africa from 30 December 1998 of the year to 30 December 2010).
The history of Boeing 747 (MSN 28959) is particularly impressive. His 10 years, from 30 December 1998-th to 1 September 2008, used South Africa, then the car went to very poor and wild Angola, where they still fire, and in less than two years, 10 June 2010, already bought the ship in Angola Transaero.
There are more “creepy sides”, such as Boeing 767 (MSN 23623), which made the first flight of 12 on November 1991 of the year. He flew first to Brunei (Royal Brunei Airlines), after which he worked for a long time in Ethiopia ravaged by civil war (Ethiopian Airlines) and only in the 2004 year, after 13 years of terrible operating conditions in Africa, was it bought by Transaero.
Boeing 737 (MSN 25062) was operated by 22, 6 months, managed to work in Senegalese Air Senegal International, the Africans refused the aircraft, and the owners of Transaero and 7 in May 2007, sent the first flight. For comparison: the Boeing crashed in Kazan was exploited in Brazil and Uganda, and already after poor Uganda, it was taken by the airline Tatarstan.
There are also combined options. For example, Boeing 737 (MSN 24519) made the first flight of 2 in October 1989 of the year and, having reached the corresponding state after 11 years of operation by Cayman Airways (Cayman Islands) and Istanbul Airlines (Turkey), was sold by the Turkish FSB gaskets and Royal Airways, implementation through which allowed to avoid responsibility for failures emerging with time. The Turks managed to shoot the battered car to the Irish from Skynet Airlines. Those suffered with it for a year and a half, but 20 August 2004, they were lucky - they resold it "Transaero". Where the plane flies so far with the total lifetime 24 of the year and 2 of the month.
Sometimes Transaero exploits cars that more developed countries are trying to get rid of. Here is the Boeing 737 (MSN 25037): its second last owner, the German TUIfly, used the plane only from January 15 to July 1 of the year 2007. Then she sold Transaero. Neither the airline nor the IAC did not embarrass the German picky, and now this airliner has been operating in Russia, having flown a total of 22 of the year 7 months.
Boeing-747 (MSN 24019) was purchased by Transaero from Japan Airlines, which flew 21 on it exactly a year, from February 19 1988 to February 19 on 2009. Boeing 747 (MSN 23482) flew from the same Japanese the same 21 year, from 15 April 1986 of the year to 17 of August 2008, and was bought by the same Transaero. Boeing 767 (MSN 23899) carries Russians from 12 September 2003, and before that 16 carried passengers for US State Airways, US Air and Piedmont.
The list goes on, but the principle is clear. Transaero buys airplanes, of which only one thing can be said: “For you, God, that we are not fit.” At the same time, neither the IAC nor the Rosaviatsiya is embarrassed that even not very developed countries are happy to get rid of these airliners, so to say: no complaints about the condition of the aircraft appear, they will receive airworthiness certificates without any problems. There are no high-profile claims to deal schemes using “gaskets”.
But that's not all.
In Transaero, a sufficiently large number of old aircraft is being mothballed. What does this mean? In principle, many airlines put on preservation aircraft that are not currently in use. But usually we are talking about airplanes, which simply do not have a place in the sky because of the worsened conjuncture, but the airline hopes that this is a temporary break. However, in this case we are not usually talking about 30-year-olds! Three such 1982 release models have been mothballed by Transaero: Boeing 747-219B (22725 number, purchased in 2006 from Air Pacific from Fiji), Boeing 747-219B (22791 number, purchased in 2005 from Malaysian Malaysia) and Boeing 747-267B (22872 number, purchased in 2006 from Indonesian Garuda Indonesia).
A little better and Boeing 767-216 (ER) (23623 number) 1986 of the year, bought in 2002 year in war-ravaged Salvador (previously it was also used in Chile). In Chile, the second one of the same Boeing (24973 number) 1990 was bought at the same time.
Why does Transaero also have this blatant trash? After all, it is not difficult to see that we are talking not only of old airplanes, but also of mountains, oceanic islands and subtropical monsoons that were used in very unfavorable conditions, such as Boeing 737-5Y0 (46712 number) 1991 of the year of production, acquired by 2006 in the year Chinese China Southern Airlines, was disassembled. Like McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 from Chile 1973 (!) Year of manufacture (No. 46712).
Why buy 'killed' planes and take them apart? It seems to use them for parts - as they used at the beginning of the 90-s of a huge fleet from the USSR. But only then this crazy practice was stopped, and now nobody cares. You can put the item with age more than the age of the aircraft - and say that after that he became “as good as new”! Of course, if the IAC agrees with this and gives an operator certificate without any questions ...
Why are there "how" - one of the apologists of the IAC after the tragedy in Kazan agreed even to the point that the 11-year-old plane is even newer than the 9-year-old, because in the 10-year-old age there was an overhaul with the replacement of parts with new ones. This expert on a Transaero aircraft, repaired with details from a 40-year-old “donor” ...
One of the bloggers noted that if the airline’s website had listed its age, the previous owners, the number of repairs and technical problems, the number of passengers would have significantly diminished on the airline’s flight information page. Alas, most often the Russian passengers can judge the condition of the aircraft, only by going to its cabin. And they may never know about technical problems and even accidents: the announcement of the delay of the aircraft “for technical reasons” and even “due to the weather” can mean anything: from a serious problem to non-flying weather. It may be worthwhile to adopt the practice, for example, Air France, when the true reason for the delay is not concealed from passengers. Moreover, they explain how exactly they are going to deal with it and in what time frame. The French believe that in this way they remove the fears of passengers - after all, they are reasonable people. Maybe we should admit that Russian citizens are no worse than French?
Version of the MAC: the pilot is always wrong?
In Russia, as already mentioned, the human factor in aviation accidents has an exorbitantly large share: if it is 50% all over the world, then in Russia it is 80%. It should be noted that in other countries it most often accompanies other problems: pilot error and adverse weather conditions, technical malfunction or aircraft defect, unacceptable aerodrome conditions, controller error, etc. In the CIS, the results of an IAC investigation are most often standard: the plane before the flight was technically sound, the only pilot error was the cause of the accident.
The author of these lines was once specifically interested in flight safety experts, pilots and air service services - in this connection, what about the CIS getting out of world statistics? Most looked away or hotly assured that all this is because we are unique. But experts independent of the IAC honestly admitted that the pilot’s mistake was the same truth, which is worse than deception.
Imagine, they explained, that you were driving a broken-down old car. Handbrake does not hold, brake pads erased, tires "bald." How much higher is the probability that, for example, on ice will carry you - compared to a normal car? Much higher. Thanks to skill and luck, you can get out of this incident safe and sound. And you can not get out - if you make a mistake in emergency management. What will be the direct cause of the accident? That's right - a driver error. And what will be the real, original reason? The condition of the car, which, in an amicable way, only travels around the yard on a clear dry summer day at a speed of no more than 20 kilometers per hour. But the verdict of the experts about the driver’s error will be absolutely correct. According to the form.
Exactly the same thing and in the Russian aircraft, the expert continues. Of course, we have a shortage of experienced pilots, pilots training is lame, many airfields are poorly equipped, and the climatic conditions are severe. But if the planes were not old junk, if they were not repaired often with counterfeit parts, if the technical condition was monitored in full, then the pilots simply could not be mistaken so often.
And today, when the passengers of the crashed plane unanimously say that his condition already when flying from Kazan to Moscow was terrible, and the IAC in response - that the plane was in perfect order, I recall this explanation. After all, even now, after the fall of Boeing 737-500 in Kazan, whose age exceeded 23 of the year, Russian aviation experts began again to assert that age had nothing to do with it. They are supported by the preliminary conclusion of the IAC: the aircraft systems worked fine, the pilot himself for no reason sent the plane to the second round, and then he took it and sent the car to the peak. Pilots - they are unpredictable. And the MAC is just a visionary, if it publishes such preliminary detention two days after the crash, when the voice recorder for some reason was not found in the “black box”, and the first messages referring to the dispatchers contained the words “we have a non-landing configuration, we will not sit ".
And I believe that the main “pilot error” is the unification in the hands of the IAC of the oversight of aircraft serviceability and the investigation of plane crashes. And the main problem of the Russian airline business, in our opinion, is the possible kinship and business ties between Rosaviatsia, the IKA and Transaero, in which Ms. Anodina directly owns, despite all reasonable notions, 3% of shares. Because it was Transaero that set the fashion for old airplanes in Russia. And the Rosaviation and the IAC in a certain sense consecrated this fashion with their authority.
Price of immortality
Something similar was at one time in the automotive industry, when imported trash 20-year-old was massively imported into the country. And let these cars have on the move to fall off the bridge or “cover up” the motor - citizens were happy with the power steering and heated seats, unthinkable in the monsters of the Soviet automobile industry. The irony of fate: today these foreign cars have been at the dump for a long time, and their peers of the Quartet and the Five still feed the numerous visitors of the bombed. The ease of taxiing and the softness of the seats were not the main criteria for durability ...
Nevertheless, the government had enough determination to put an end to imported auto junk, and now there is an offensive on Soviet longevity monsters. Although the same "bombili" claim that it is only here and there to fasten, lubricate, tie up with a string and "just like a new car, wah!". However, road safety is still more important, the authorities decided. And this is absolutely correct.
Why is the situation in the airline business different? Where are the conversations that age does not matter?
I have to admit: the whole thing is greed. And in cronyism. Transaero received unprecedented benefits for the purchase of foreign aircraft duty free - by the way, this benefit will end only in 2014 year! But instead of using this inconceivable benefit for the purchase of modern airliners, the company bought on a cheap basis a bunch of old equipment, from which even the third world countries were being disposed of. But the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Air Transport Agency did not hinder this at all. And the IAC has consecrated with the names of its experts the statement that the old in Russia has the properties of Koshchey the Immortal - to live forever.
As a result, the majority of Russian airlines went down this route. And Russia actually lost the aviation industry. And now it is losing space, and military aviation is next in line, since all these three sectors are interconnected vessels in terms of design and technical. But Russian designers are now working on Boeing. He is pleased.
Another sad consequence of this decision: the majority of Russian companies are candidates for being blacklisted by the EU. There are companies recognized by them unsafe. And this means a ban to fly to EU countries.
But the worst thing is that because of this decision today people are dying in Russia. The safety factor of SAFA flights, one of the most revered in the world, for most Russian airlines is more than 1 (and Aeroflot with its young fleet has 0,6 – 0,7). For comparison: in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the coefficient is 0,4 – 0,6. European average - 0,9, in these figures fit even Bulgaria and Ukraine.
According to the international independent organization Aviation Safety Network (ASN), Russia is in second place after the United States in the number of aircraft crashes that have occurred since 1945 to the present day. And if you take the results by year, then in 2011 and 2012 years, our country held the first place in terms of the number of people killed in plane crashes. Given that in the States of air travel is carried out in dozens, if not hundreds of times more than in Russia.
IATA’s data on the number of crashes of scheduled flights per million flights over 2011 a year are even more vivid: according to this indicator, we are world leaders. For Russia and the CIS countries it is 8,19 per million, for African countries - 6,17, for North America - 1,33. Think about it: in terms of the number of accidents in passenger aviation, we have overtaken even everlasting and impoverished Africa!
Here it is - the real price statement "age does not count"
Even now, after the tragedy in Kazan, when Rosaviatsia, represented by its head Alexander Neradko, stated that she favored introducing in Russia restrictions on the use of airplanes by age, the IAC, in an uncharacteristic emotional manner, demanded to stop talking about the age of airplanes, repeating his mantra: "The main thing for safety is the airworthiness of the aircraft, not its age." Having forgotten to remind you that he himself confirms airworthiness, which means that it is from him that one would have to ask why fully operational aircraft fall in Russia. It is clear that Anodina decided to defend her family shop with all her might.
But the current situation is clearly contrary to state interests - after all, our country cannot afford to risk the lives of fellow citizens. It is time to stop. And as soon as possible. The situation is clearly intolerable and not in the interests of the state. Here, the State Duma adopted a bill to ban the operation of passenger aircraft over 20 years - is only the first step. It is still worth to deal with the amazing policy of Rosaviatsii, the phenomenal powers of the IAC and the strange preferences of Transaero. As with the dubious links between them from any point of view. Otherwise, our planes will all fall, the pilots will be wrong, and the passengers will die.
Source of information: electronic publication "Aloud - Digest"
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Top 10 most dangerous for passengers of Transaero aircraft
Model | MSN | First flight | Age | Facts | The profile |
Boeing 767 | 25346 | 12.11.91 | 22 | 6 years in Brunei, 7 years in Ethiopia ravaged by civil war | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b767-25346.htm |
Boeing 767 | 23623 | 16.05.86 | 27,5 | 7 years in Chile, 9 years in civil war-ravaged Salvador | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b767-23623.htm |
Boeing 747 | 28959 | 15.05.98 | 15,5 | 10 years in South Africa, 2 years in impoverished Angola | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-28959.htm |
Boeing 737 | 25062 | 25.04.91 | 22,6 | 16 years of operation in Germany, Greece, Senegal | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-25062.htm |
Boeing 747 | 26637 | 27.10.92 | 21,1 | 15 years in South Africa | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-26637.htm |
Boeing 747 | 26638 | 01.09.93 | 20,2 | 15 years in South Africa | https://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-26638.htm |
Boeing 737 | 23772 | 12.08.87 | 26,3 | 15 years operated in Belgium, after which it was written off and purchased through the "gasket" UG | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-23772.htm |
Boeing 737 | 24165 | 08.05.89 | 24,5 | 7 years in India(Sahara India Airlines и Jet Airways). Then I bought the Serbian JAT Airways, which, because of the condition of the aircraft, chose to sell it via 5 months after the purchase. | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-24165.htm |
Boeing 737 | 25183 | 30.01.92 | 21,8 | 15 years in China - the Chinese because of the condition of the aircraft sold | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-25183.htm |
Boeing 737 | 24519 | 15.09.89 | 24,2 | 13 years in the Cayman Islands and in Turkey, then in the company FSB | http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b737-24519.htm |
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