An ATR 72-500 aircraft was banned from taking off for maintenance reasons

An ATR 72-500 aircraft has been banned from taking off for maintenance reasons. The French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR has been returned to the parking lot following an incident.

What happened?

The aircraft caused fright to the passengers on board last week at the departure of Libreville. In a statement issued yesterday, the carrier Afrijet said it had grounded the aircraft. "The aircraft has been grounded. It will not be put back in flight until all inspections and due diligence have been completed. And this in accordance with the standards in force in our profession.

The event comes three years after the airline Afrijet received delivery of another ATR 72-500 for lease. "The captain judged that the technical parameters during taxiing would not allow a safe flight. He aborted the takeoff procedure when the aircraft had not yet reached its decision point. The braking of the aircraft generated a deflation of the rear tires, which is a known phenomenon. This is not a damage, but a perfectly controlled maneuver, which the crew is trained to do," said the airline.
The incident has caused delays on the flight schedule to and from Port-Gentil. The company plans to offer "commercial compensation" to the victims of this delay.