Another fault hits China’s MA-60 aircraft

China’s troubled aircraft, the MA-60, suffered yet another fault this week, when a flight had to make an emergency landing due to a malfunction.

Xinhua reports that the MA-60, operated by Okay Airways, was carrying 45 passengers and crew from Yinchuan, in northern China’s Ningxia region, to Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, when the incident occurred. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Yulin Airport but no injuries were reported.

A source from the airport reportedly told Xinhua that the problem stemmed from the aircraft’s undercarriage.

Earlier this year, Chinese aviation authorities grounded the entire fleet of MA-60s following two incidents. In February 2014, the landing gear of an MA-60 collapsed after a Joy Air flight landed at Zhengzhou Airport. And in the same month, another MA-60 operated by Okay Airways was forced to circle for more than two hours after a problem was found with its landing gear. It eventually landed safely at Shenyang Airport.

The aircraft has also previously been grounded in Indonesia and Myanmar after suffering numerous failures, many apparently connected with the plane’s landing gear.

The MA-60 is a turboprop aircraft manufactured by Xi’an Aircraft Industry Co.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com