17 planes grounded in New Zealand

A subsidiary of Air New Zealand, the regionally operative Eagle Air has been forced to ground 17 of its fleet of Beech 1900D planes, to perform safety inspections on what was released to the public as a problem with a component on the undercarriage of the fleet of Beech aircraft.

This safety precaution has forced the cancellation of 60 flights and affecting the travel plans of over 1,000 people. The ‘issue’ has not been clearly identified or explained by the airline, but action was taken to halt services after a safety inspection on Monday revealed the undisclosed problem.

The planes afflicted were made by the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation based in Wichita, Kansas, USA. So far nine of the fourteen 17-seat planes have been fully inspected and returned to service.

Of the aircraft inspected, five of them are in need of replacement parts and should be returned to the skies in the next couple of days. The only previous issue with the Beech 1900D aircraft was reported in June, when the plane’s landing gear refused to open. No one was hurt in the ordeal.