Andrew Mollett/TOKYO

Japan, Shocked by fatal accidents to foreign airliners in its own territory, is to carry out no-notice inspections of aircraft starting next year, according to the Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).

The Bureau expects to conduct ramp inspections, implement tighter safety administration of wet-leased foreign aircraft, and to make air safety information available to the public.

"We are concerned about the number of accidents in Japan by foreign aircraft such as the China Air Lines [Airbus Industrie A300-600R] crash in Nagoya in 1994 and the Garuda [McDonnell Douglas DC-10] crash in Fukuoka in 1996," the JCAB says.

The Bureau adds that the inspections would probably begin next year, explaining: "We still need to prepare the necessary procedures and determine to which airports the inspections would apply. Most importantly, we have yet to get the funding as well as more inspectors. We are also collating evidence from other countries which have [set up similar programmes], such as the USA, Germany and Australia.

"The inspectors would have authority to ground any aircraft which had any deficiency that our inspectors perceive to jeopardise passenger safety, although the measures would not extend to pilot evaluation." The Japanese authorities recently charged with professional negligence the Garuda pilot whose aircraft crashed at Fukuoka.

Source: Flight International