As a result of the investigation, the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation issued recommendation R970128, to Qantas and Ansett on 29 September 1997. The recommendation stated:
"The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that Australian operators of aircraft manufactured by the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company:
- develop a simulator training procedure to ensure that aircrew are familiar with the procedures to be used in the event of lateral control jamming; and
- ensure that aircrew are aware of the control wheel forces required when the override mechanism is being operated in the event of jammed lateral controls".
A similar recommendation (R970145) was issued to the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company on 29 September 1997.
The following response was received from Qantas on 26 November 1997:
"I refer to your letter reference B97/099 which detailed a recommendation that a simulator training procedure be developed to ensure that all aircrew are aware of the procedure to be used, and control forces required, in the event of aileron control jamming.
Qantas simulators (with the exception of the B767-200 simulator) are equipped to simulate aileron control jamming and the control wheel forces required to override and regain control.
This scenario will be made a subject, both for discussion and demonstration, in the first available recurrent training simulator session. This will apply to the Boeing 747-400, 747-200/300, 767, 737 and Airbus A300 fleets".
Response classification: CLOSED - ACCEPTED.
The following response was received from Ansett on 24 June 1998:
"I refer to the above recommendation, which resulted from an incident involving a Boeing 747 aircraft at Sydney on 2 May 1997, and provide the following response to that recommendation.
The company conducts ground training for technical crews that includes instruction on aileron control jamming procedures. Additionally, simulator training is presently conducted for Boeing 737 aircraft and will be conducted in the Boeing 767 simulator when that simulator is upgraded to allow such training. For the Boeing 747, training is conducted in the aircraft, whilst on the ground, during type endorsement".
Response classification: CLOSED - ACCEPTED.
The following response was received from the Boeing Commercial Aeroplane Company on 13 February 1998:
"We have not yet committed any changes in our simulator training procedures or manuals. We are reviewing the reported event and looking at possible training and manual changes which would be implemented for all applicable Boeing models, not just 747.
However, additional time is necessary for this review before we can come to any conclusion. I anticipate that this review may take three more months. We plan to keep your office advised of the progress of our review".
A further response was received on 27 May 1998, and stated:
"Earlier this month I reviewed proposed changes to our operational documentation concerning flight control jams across all our various model airplanes. This has been a slow process trying to get agreement on. I anticipate that we will have some changes to be released in a couple of months. These changes would affect the Flight Manual, the Flight Crew Training Manual, the Operations Manual and the QRH".
Response classification: OPEN.
Local safety action
Boeing have also advised that Service Letter 747-SL-27-134, which addresses the need to replace deteriorated cable guards, is to be upgraded to service bulletin status in the near future to add more emphasis to this discrepancy.