Public deserves answers following persistent PAL problems, says aviation expert

Passengers, you know, this morning are waking up saying, Whoa, are Dash 8s on PAL, you know, safe? Are Dash 8s in general safe? And, you know, somebody has to answer that question. And there are lots of questions after a wheel fell off again on the same PAL Airlines plane, the second time in two weeks. Dangerous. John Graddick teaches aviation management. Travelers deserve answers, he says, from PAL and federal regulators. People are asking, if it's that regulated, how did the wheel fall off the same airplane in the space of two weeks? Transport Canada says it's following up and won't hesitate to take action if there's safety or regulatory deficiencies. Meanwhile, the independent agency that looks into these incidents says it's too early to say if there'll be an investigation. The Transportation Safety Board says it's currently gathering information and it's in contact with PAL. It is disconcerting when you have that type of incident happen where it appears to be a mechanical. Issue that caused that wheel to dislodge from its landing gear. And that to me is a real concern in terms of the maintenance that was done on that aircraft. This is not the first time PAL's had aircraft issues. There's a class action lawsuit after this happened two years ago. A PAL-operated flight leaving St. John's blew a tire, causing the landing gear to collapse in Halifax. Before that, an emergency landing at the Stephenville Airport in 2018. Another landing gear issue. As for the current plane problems, PAL wouldn't do an interview Friday pointing to their previous statement. The airline says it's pulled that plane out of service, it's inspecting it, and it's inspecting all their Dash 8 wheel assemblies. PAL says it's in talks with Transport Canada and the plane manufacturer to review what happened. Laura Howells, CBC News, St. John's.