Disturbing footage reveals ‘RUST on a REX plane’s propeller shaft’ two years after one fell from the sky over Sydney – but airline denies ‘wild accusations’ it has a safety problem
- Footage taken of Regional Express plane allegedly shows rust in propeller shaft
- It has been revealed as the company faces accusations of a poor safety culture
- REX flight approaching Sydney in March 2017 had a propeller fall mid-flight
- The 100kg propeller was found just metres from homes in Sydney bushland
Alarming footage of a Regional Express (REX) plane appears to show the aircraft’s propeller shaft coated in rust.
The alleged rust is visible on the prop shaft of the Saab plane with the registration number VH-RXN which flew people from Kangaroo Island to Adelaide on Thursday.
An engineer who found and filmed the alleged rust on the plane last month said he was too scared to report the problem to his bosses for fear of being punished, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The video was anonymously passed to the Air Transport Safety Bureau and an investigation began.
Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association (ALAEA) technical officer Stephen Re has seen the video.
He said: ‘This is clearly a Regional Express aircraft with worrying evidence of corrosion on the prop shaft.’
A REX flight was approaching Sydney from Albury in March 2017 when the Saab 340 propeller fell into bushland southwest of the city
A police helicopter on patrol spotted the 100kg propeller in bushland off The River Road at Revesby, just metres away from homes
Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson insisted that the video will be looked at ‘carefully and closely’.
It comes just two years after a REX plane’s propeller fell from the sky over Sydney.
The REX flight was approaching Sydney from Albury in March 2017 when the Saab 340 propeller fell into bushland southwest of the city, just metres from homes.
Meanwhile, REX is facing accusations from the ALAEA that it has a poor safety culture.
Three engineers claim they were punished by managers eight times for finding technical defects.
The claims have been written up in a 17-page report and handed to the air safety watchdog.
The airline hit back at the report, saying it included ‘wild accusations’ from a ‘disgruntled’ worker.
‘We believe that our safety culture, as part of the safety management system, is second to none,’ REX’s chief operating officer Neville Howell said.
‘Realising that these baseless accusations are not getting any traction, some are now taking the despicable and cowardly approach of launching anonymous malicious attacks on REX in the press.
‘REX will not be making any further comments on this matter, and we will leave it to the safety authority to judge if our safety culture is lacking in any manner’.
Photographs of the plane on the ground show the right propeller had fallen off entirely
ALAEA asked the safety authority to remove REX’s capacity to service its own aircraft, a move that would effectively ground the entire fleet.
The airline said it had invited senior management from CASA on June 18 to discuss the claims, along with ‘the professional failings of the disgruntled engineer’.
REX added it had a proven track record for its Safety Management System and culture.
He then referred to a section of a statement it was sent from CASA late last month.
‘I would like to re-iterate my previous advice that the Board and Management of CASA have no current safety concerns with Rex. CASA is satisfied that Rex is currently meeting all its obligations,’ Mr Howell said.
A CASA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘CASA is reviewing the allegations. We have put them to REX and they have responded.’
‘All this information is being carefully considered. We are looking at the allegations thoroughly.’
The REX plane’s propeller was found in bushland not far from homes in Sydney’s south-west