PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6621 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite 275
Long Beach, CA 90803
Office: +1.949.764.9246
www.soar.aero
vvargas@soar.aero
Unprecedented Recovery of MD83 in Juba, Sudan: No Secondary Damage
Newport Beach, California – January 3, 2007 – Source One Aircraft Repair (SOAR) successfully extracted a 1996 build MD-83 (S/N 2155) from a muddy mine field in the Sudan with no secondary damage incurred during recovery.
The aircraft overran its runway on landing at the Juba Airport, crossed a watercourse and settled approximately 400 meters from the tarmac in a muddy field. “This kind of AOG [Airplane On the Ground] operational recovery is difficult due to the location and terrain,” reported Chris Merry, General Manager of SOAR. “The aircraft had enough remaining value to warrant a recovery for inspection, however it was the worst mud and dirt condition we have ever seen and there was little infrastructure to help.”
This kind of complicated and labor-intensive recovery could not be done alone. Prior to extraction, there was considerable coordination of insurance underwriters, UN officials, civil authorities, risk mitigations, military and other support to overcome the local terrain and airport utilization issues.
Challenges experienced during the recovery included digging out the landing gear from the hardened clay by hand, building a bridge over a watercourse, and excavating an exit path through the muddy terrain to tow the aircraft a quarter mile back to the airport.
Historically, such conditions have made AOG recovery too difficult and costly to consider, resulting in the complete loss of valuable aircraft. SOAR’s operational design as a general contractor makes difficult recoveries more achievable because it has more flexibility to work with expert providers from around the world who offer specialized services. For instance, BCG of Holland and local contractor Terrain participated in the MD-83 recovery.
SOAR is an international operation, which is prepared to dispatch its program managers and global network partners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide recovery, repair, parts and materials, project planning, touch labor, engineering services, flight-testing, modification, insurance claims assistance, and more globally.
For Further Information or Queries Contact:
Veronica Vargas
Marketing and Business Development
www.soar.aero
Source One Aircraft Repair is a global Aircraft on the Ground support company that provides aircraft recovery, field repair, modification and damage evaluation for commercial aircraft incidents. Core services include expert aircraft incident recovery anywhere in the world, responsive and cost-efficient incident repair 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and inspections including damage evaluation, insurance claims assistance, hull surveys and valuations with a response time between 24 to 48 hours of a request.
In addition to its highly experienced certified core of Program Managers, SOAR can provide cost-effective touch labor and parts logistics through its global network of recognized repair stations, spares distributors, and parts refurbishment partners servicing the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Pacific-Asia. Headquartered in Newport Beach, SOAR’s distinction is that it provides innovative and personalized global incident field support via cost-effective and responsive solutions. Source One Aircraft Repair is a Source One member company.