MAS experienced another “technical problem” for its flight MH181 from Chennai to KLIA yesterday. Thank God that the 195 passengers were in the able hands of MAS pilot and the aircraft made an emergency landing safely in Penang yesterday morning.
No much detail was given for the problems except that “… the diversion was due to low cabin pressure detected during the final phase of the journey.”, in HERE.
Yours truly has been reliably informed that the said MH 181’s right hand side of the air condition duct ruptured which has caused decompression in the cabin and the oxygen masks to drop. The “technical problem” will no doubt be costly for MAS as it would have to replace the oxygen generators and masks, the air condition ducting and had to pay the direct expenses of fuel dumping, providing accommodation and alternative transport for the passengers from Penang to KLIA. There are about 300 oxygen generators and masks in the aircraft and the cost of each generator is about RM3,000.
The A330 aircraft had to be flown back empty to KLIA for repair work. If the necessary spare parts are not available then this A330 would have to be grounded for sometime. This will no doubt be a lost of revenue to MAS.
This “technical problem” was a costly affair which MAS can ill afford during this difficult time.
Question should be asked whether such “technical problem” could have been avoided in the first place. It is only the “competent” En Azhari Dhalan, the Head of MAS Engineering Division, could provide us with the answers for this “technical problem”. At the time of his appointment as Head of MAS Engineering, En Azhari Dahlan was not the DCA or EASA approved Nominated Post Holder.
