An Air North jet is back in the air after a minor issue was encountered after takeoff back in January.
The Vancouver-bound Air North flight returned to Whitehorse shortly after takeoff on Jan. 26 due to a pressurization issue, according to Joe Sparling, the airline’s CEO. A company spokesperson confirmed the flight destination and date via email on Feb. 4.
The bleed valve is an instrument that uses air from the engine to heat the cabin, and control cabin pressure, said Sparling.
The aircraft had three valves, one in each engine and one in the tail, he said. One of the valves was not opening, he said.
“It was more prudent to return Whitehorse, because had we arrived in at our destination with that issue, it may have grounded us there. So we chose to come back to Whitehorse and swap airplanes,” said Sparling.
While the airline’s fleet generally operate very reliably, Sparling said mechanical issues can occur from time to time. This issue was relatively minor, he said. However, he did confirm it occurred on one of the airline’s new jets.
The issue wouldn’t have been discovered in a maintenance check, said Sparling. He said the maintenance checks are done daily on aircraft before they take off. There are also checks that occur based on hours, cycles and calendar times, he said.
The plane went in for maintenance and is now flying again, said Sparling.
“Crews are always following procedures and acting in accordance with safety protocols. And that's exactly what they did,” said Sparling. “They elected to return to base because they had just taken off when the problem occurred, and it made more sense to come back than carry on.”
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
