MORE than six weeks after the horrific crash of an SA Airlink Jetstream 41 in Durban – which claimed the life of the pilot and injured two crew members and a street cleaner – the airline has come under fire once more.

This comes after an SA Airlink plane veered off the runway on take- off from Port Elizabeth Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

While SA Airlink maintains that it was not a technical problem which led to the flight being cancelled seconds before take- off, rumours of a nose-wheel steering failure – as stated by a local police spokesman – refuse to die down.

SA Airlink chief executive Rodger Foster said the pilot could not establish directional control at the time of take-off, which was why he elected to abort take-off.

“The captain decided as he was preparing to take off at 70 knots (135km/h) that he was going to abort the flight because he had not established direction control. He rapidly aborted the flight and had to push on the brakes quite hard, which caused the aircraft to veer to the side.

“There was also a cross-wind with a speed of 20 to 25 knots which could also be a factor to consider, but we cannot confirm whether that was the case,” Foster said.

He said the airline would “drill” the pilot to establish why he could not get direction control, as the incident should not have happened at all.

Foster said the aircraft was 14 years old and had undergone regular maintenance. “The Civil Aviation Authority is still investigating the matter, but so far they have determined that there was definitely no mechanical malfunction.

“The aircraft does not have a history of steering problems. In fact, after the incident, it was still able to be taxied back on to the apron under its own power.”

Retired pilot Kobus Raath, who flew planes for 40 years, said it was impossible for the wind to have blown the plane off the runway.

“The aircraft was taking off into the direction of the wind and, even if it was a cross-wind, it would not affect the aircraft in that way. The wind was blowing in an easterly direction, but those craft are built to withstand the wind,” Raath said.

He said the nose- wheel steering was very important for the aircraft to build up speed to be able to take off.

“It’s the same as the front end of the front wheel of a motor car. If the steering of a motor car fails, the wheel would go in its own direction. It’s the same thing.”

On September 24, an SA Airlink Jetstream 41 crashed into a school playground in Meerbank, Durban. The pilot, Captain Alistair Freeman, died two weeks later at Durban’s St Augustine’s Hospital.

Two crew members and a municipal worker, street sweeper Abraham Mthethwa, were injured in the crash.

In another incident last Sunday, a plane headed for Nelspruit from Johannesburg had to turn back after an “abnormality” in the cockpit.

Referring to the incident on Wednesday afternoon, Foster said 14 passengers had opted to take a later flight, six decided to take the airline up on its offer of accommodation, and the remaining nine passengers decided to drive or take alternative flights.