Light Safety - Asia in general - Indonesia in particular - Curt Lewis

 

Indonesia's Aviation Safety Can't Keep Pace With Its Rapid Growth

The tail of Air Asia flight 8501. 

Rapid growth, a skills shortage, and a geographically challenging environment are already a challenge. But when you add in a focus on very low fares, it's a recipe for trouble.
- Jason Clampet

A faulty component, a poor maintenance regime, bad weather, a critical mistake, a communication failure, 162 people dead.

The loss of AirAsia Flight 8501 on a stormy December morning a year ago, from an airline that previously had an excellent safety record, came as a shock, even in a country with one of the world's worst aviation records.

This was a relatively new plane, captained by a pilot with a decade of experience in the air force and more than 9,000 hours flying commercial jets. Yet interviews with pilots, air traffic controllers, flight trainers and regulators show that the combination of mistakes and failures that doomed those on board show why Indonesia still has more than three times the global average rate of fatal air crashes.