Following the crash off Miami Beach, the company, which services The Bahamas and Florida, voluntarily grounded its remaining aircraft.
An employee at the airline’s Paradise Island office said on Monday that the airline is preparing for the resumption of flights.
Meanwhile, a Miami Herald press report said Federal officials had reported that Chalk’s had volunteered not to fly the planes until January 1.
Following the deadly crash off Miami Beach just over two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered that all similar aircraft be inspected.
The ill-fated aircraft – a G-73 Turbine Mallard – crashed into the ocean on its way to Bimini. Among those killed were 11 Biminites and an American woman who had made the northern Bahamian island her home.
Shortly after the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States said it had found fatigue cracks along the plane’s right wing and promised a full report on the accident within a year.
The Associated Press reported that the FAA mandated detailed visual inspections of the wings of like aircraft, including removal of wing sealant, to detect possible cracking or corrosion, and removal of any repairs to allow for inspection of the original wing structure.
The FAA ordered the repair of any cracks or corrosion found.
The AP also reported that the directive requires that all repairs and inspections follow FAA approved methods and that inspection results be sent to the FAA.
The Miami Herald story said that Friday’s emergency order, which affects all 37 Grumman G-73 aircraft still registered in the United States, will keep the planes grounded until their owners supply test results to the FAA proving that the airframes are structurally sound.
Chalk’s explains on its website that the G-73 Turbine Mallard is a twin-engine amphibious aircraft, powered by two Pratt & Whitney-Canada PT-6 turbine engines and is capable of operating from water as well as land-based airports.
Its interior accommodates 17 passengers in air-conditioned comfort, and the aircraft boasts a cruising speed of 200 miles per hour, according to Chalk’s.
Flight 101 had 18 passengers, including three infants, and two pilots onboard when its right wing broke off before the plane crashed.
Prior to the accident, Chalk’s Ocean Airways had said that its fleet of G-73’s was undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme which includes complete mechanical overhaul and cosmetic renovation, in addition to all new interior appointments.
Chalk’s says it is the world’s oldest schedule airline. It was founded by Arthur B. Chalk, an automobile mechanic in Paducah, Kentucky in 1911.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
