SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said investigations showed that a defective component in an Apache helicopter was the cause for an emergency landing last month.
The defective component led to the loss of power and shut-down of both engines during flight, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing in an open field in Woodlands.
Speaking in Parliament in Monday, Mr Teo said the defective component was the Anti-Ice Start Bleed Valve (AISBV).
"The AISBV in both engines were found internally corroded when opened up by the manufacturer. The defect was caused by corrosion in the valve which occurred over time," said Mr Teo.
The investigation then focused on why the AISBV was corroded.
Mr Teo said investigations showed there was no evidence that there were manufacturing defects in the corroded valves.
The RSAF maintenance crew have also followed the required maintenance procedures specified by the manufacturer for the aircraft, including the AISBV.
Prior to this, there were no reported incidents of the same nature.
Mr Teo also announced that the Apache and Seahawk helicopters would progressively resume flying this week after all existing valves have been replaced and thoroughly tested.
On the issue of ensuring the safety of the population, Mr Teo said that their safety is the highest priority.
He stressed that the RSAF maintains the highest standards of maintenance and flight safety, and its pilots are well trained to handle emergencies.
"Our pilots are trained to ensure the safety of the public before making a decision to land in any of the open spaces, and (they) will forego such a landing even at risk to themselves if there is a danger to population," said Mr Teo.
As for flight training, Mr Teo said local training is essential to ensure that RSAF pilots are familiar with the local operating environment.
In response to MP Michael Palmer's question on whether the RSAF and its other aircraft manufacturers are working on ways to detect similar engine faults or corrosion in the future, Mr Teo said the RSAF followed strictly the maintenance procedures mandated by the aircraft manufacturer.
Mr Teo also said that the RSAF is discussing with the manufacturers on other maintenance and replacement procedures which would be able to prevent such an incident from happening in the future.
- CNA/wk/ls
