Ansett grounds Boeing 767s

Ansett grounds Boeing 767s

SYDNEY (AP): Ansett Airlines has grounded almost half of its
fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft after cracks were found in the
engine mountings, aviation authorities said Monday.

Ansett, the country's second largest airline, has suffered a
series of problems in recent months and has been forced to ground
planes for safety reasons, including failure to perform regular
checks.

Ansett operates long-haul international flights to Hong Kong,
Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand and Fiji in addition to its
domestic services.

In the latest incident, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(CASA) said Ansett engineers discovered cracks in the engine
pylons, which join engines to wings, of three of its fleet of
seven Boeing 767-200 planes.

Ansett voluntarily grounded the three planes after weekend
safety checks, CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said.

Gibson said CASA would ground the remaining four 767 planes
until they are inspected.

"We take this whole thing very seriously, (the engine pylon)
is a vital component," Gibson said.