Spanish steward of Air Algerie crash complained of fatigue
Adverse weather conditions over the Sahara could been a factor in the crash on Thursday say French investigators examining the second black box flight recorder
MADRID
While a second black box from the Air Algerie flight that crashed in Mali last Thursday killing all 118 people on board, is being examined in France, media reports in Spain claim that a member of the Spanish crew had complained of exhaustion due to long hours of work, which he feared could put the safety of the plane at risk.
The plane, on its way from Burkina Faso to Algiers when it came down, was operated by a Spanish company, Swiftair, which rents out its fleet of 30 planes in a system called "wet-lease". It operates regular passenger flights for firms in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and also rents it services to tour operators and corporations and supplies technical services.
An email from one steward to his boss at Swiftair a week before the fatal crash, is quoted on Spanish news website, el economista. The steward says that twelve-plus hour days are commonly worked and this results in "difficulty maintaining focus during take off and landing". He adds that the delays during Ramadan days can easily become longer.
It is difficult to establish a link between fatigue and the recent crash, says Agustin Guzman, a spokesperson from Spanish pilots trade union, Sepla, however Sepla has been denouncing in the past year the deteroriation of working conditions in the flight industry at European level.
The wet-lease system is broadly used all over Europe and does not compromise flight security, says Alvaro Gammichia, security expert with Spanish pilots trade union Sepla. Swiftair had valid flight certificates and had recently undergone an inspection in Marseille, France, said Gammichia.
The likely cause of the crash points to an accident caused by adverse weather, as there was a severe sandstorm in the area at the time. French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said "the only certain thing is that the pilot asked air traffic controllers for a route change, and later asked for permission to turn around”. Right after that, the flight went off the radar screens.
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