Latest news with #transportministry
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
South Korea preparing to order airlines to check fuel switches on Boeing jets
The FAA advisory has recommended that operators of several Boeing models inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches. (Reuters pic) SEOUL : South Korea's transport ministry is preparing to order all airlines in the country that operate Boeing jets to examine fuel switches in accordance with a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the ministry's foreign media spokesman said today. The spokesman did not give a timeline for the checks. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fuel switch locks have come under scrutiny after a preliminary report into the crash of an Air India's Boeing 787-8 jet that killed 260 people last month mentioned a 2018 advisory from the FAA. The FAA advisory recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. Reuters reported yesterday, citing a document and sources, that the planemaker and the FAA have privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe and checks are not required. The Air India preliminary report said the airline had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA's 2018 advisory was not a mandate. However, it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Speeding on downhill bend caused Gerik bus crash, says ministry task force
Fifteen UPSI students died in the bus crash on the Gerik-Jeli East West Highway, near Tasik Banding, on June 9. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A preliminary report by a special task force under the transport ministry has found that the Gerik bus crash which killed 15 university students last month was mainly caused by excessive speed on a downhill bend. It said the bus was travelling faster than the safe speed limit for the curve, which caused it to lose control and overturn on the left side of the road at KM53 of the East-West Highway. 'The vehicle overturned to the left before scraping against and crashing into a W-beam guardrail, which then penetrated the cabin space, causing severe injuries and fatalities among the passengers,' the task force said in the report. Investigators estimated that the bus was travelling at 117.6km/h, nearly twice the 60km/h speed limit, and above the critical rollover threshold of 111.3 to 114.5km/h determined through technical analysis. While the driver claimed there had been brake failure, investigators have not confirmed any mechanical faults so far. Initial checks found signs of overheating in the braking system, but the report noted that this could also be due to overuse or the improper use of the brakes. The report also flagged other contributing factors, including weak road lighting, a lack of visible road markings, and insufficient warning signs before the bend. The guardrail that tore into the bus was found to have wider-than-allowed gaps and missing bolts, making it structurally unsound. The bus, operated by Kenari Utara Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd which had illegally transferred its permit to a third party, also lacked basic safety systems such as passenger seat belts, an active speed limiter, and GPS tracking device. 'Checks revealed that both drivers had racked up more than 30 traffic summonses combined, many of which remained unpaid,' it added. In response to the crash, several safety proposals were outlined including mandatory dash cams, the enforcement of seat belt requirements for all buses, and a nationwide audit of guardrails and roadside safety features. The task force said in the report's closing remarks that the tragedy pointed to 'a systemic breakdown' that demanded comprehensive reforms by all parties involved in the public transport ecosystem. 'This incident was not solely the result of technical failure or driver error, but was also driven by weaknesses in operational structure, inappropriate driver selection, insufficient safety protections, and ineffective monitoring and enforcement systems. 'The discovery of the drivers' extensive records of traffic violations, as well as the operator's failure to conduct regular checks as required under Industrial Code of Practice, further reinforce evidence of governance failure at the organisational level,' it said.
CNA
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
South Korea set to order airlines to check Boeing jet fuel switches
SEOUL: South Korea is preparing to order all airlines in the country that operate Boeing jets to examine fuel switches in the focus of an investigation of a deadly Air India crash that killed 260 people. Fuel switch locks have come under scrutiny after a mention of a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a preliminary report into last month's crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 jet. A spokesperson for the South Korean transport ministry said the checks were in line with a 2018 advisory from the FAA, but did not give a timeline for inspections. Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA, which was not immediately available to comment outside regular hours. In the Air India crash, the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run position to cutoff just after takeoff, but the preliminary report did not say how they could have flipped to that position during flight. The 2018 FAA advisory recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. On Sunday (Jul 13), citing a document and sources, Reuters reported that the planemaker and the FAA had privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes were safe and checks were not required. The Air India preliminary report said the airline had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA's 2018 advisory was not a mandate. But it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash. In an internal memo on Monday, the airline's CEO, Campbell Wilson, said the investigation into the crash was far from over and it was unwise to jump to premature conclusions, following the release of the preliminary report.
Al Arabiya
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
After Air India crash, South Korea to ask airlines to check fuel switches on Boeing planes
South Korea's transport ministry is preparing to order all airlines in the country that operate Boeing jets to examine fuel switches in accordance with a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the ministry's foreign media spokesperson said on Monday. The spokesperson did not give a timeline for the checks. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fuel switch locks have come under scrutiny after a preliminary report into the crash of an Air India's Boeing 787-8 jet that killed 260 people last month mentioned a 2018 advisory from the FAA. The FAA advisory recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a document and sources, that the plane-maker and the FAA have privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe and checks are not required. The Air India preliminary report said the airline had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA's 2018 advisory was not a mandate. But it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another of Putin's ministers allegedly commits suicide—he was abruptly fired hours before
Roman Starovoit, a Putin insider, has been found dead in a car in a Moscow suburb. Russian authorities say it is likely a suicide. Since 2022, there have been dozens of 'suicides' among the political and business elite who orbit Putin. Roman Starovoit, Russia's recently ousted transport minister, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car in a Moscow suburb on Monday, just hours after President Vladimir Putin abruptly dismissed him. Russian authorities have launched an investigation, with suicide cited as the leading theory. Starovoit, 53, was removed from his post by Russia's President Putin after barely a year in office. Before he was appointed transport minister in May 2024, he served as governor of the Kursk region, a border area critical to Russia's logistics and military operations. His dismissal came amid mounting transportation crises, including widespread flight cancellations linked to Ukrainian drone attacks and a major ammonia leak at a Leningrad port. The Kremlin did not specify the reason for his removal, but reports indicate Starovoit may have faced a looming criminal investigation related to alleged budget improprieties during his governorship. Since 2022, dozens of prominent Russians—many in the energy, finance, and infrastructure sectors, often at the level of director or chairman—have died in ways that have fueled speculation about internal power struggles, corruption probes, and the Kremlin's shifting loyalties. Starovoit is the fourth of Putin's ministers to die in that period. Starovoit's sudden death is notable not only for its timing—mere hours after his firing—but also for its echoes of a troubling pattern among Russia's elite. In recent years, a string of high-profile officials, oligarchs, and business leaders with close Kremlin ties have died under mysterious or violent circumstances. These incidents, often labeled as 'sudden Russian death syndrome,' include apparent suicides, falls from windows, and unexplained accidents. The episode underscores the precariousness of elite status in Putin's Russia—and the unpredictable consequences for those who lose the president's trust. For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This story was originally featured on
