MH192 Aircraft with structural defects are not allowed to take off.

A senior expert from the Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology, Ahmad Maulan Bardai said ensuring aircraft safety was a standard operating procedure (SOP) which should be first practised by any airline.

“According to protocol, there are eight SOPs that need to be adhered to ensure the safety of an aircraft. All airlines must first make sure that SOPs are adhered to, before the plane takes off.

“According to the SOP, the pilot performs a series of checks on the aircraft to ensure that everything is in order for a safe and secure flight before take-off," he told Bernama in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, when commenting on an incident involving a burst tyre on the landing gear of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH192 aircraft.

He said if there was the slightest indication that an accident could be caused, the aircraft should not be allowed to proceed with the flight.

Former special adviser to the chief executive officer of low-cost airline AirAsia, Peter Talalla, said the SOP was something that must be adhered to by all airlines.

He said MAS’ SOP clearly stated the pilot should check the aircraft thoroughly, including the tyre condition.

The MH192 aircraft carrying 159 passengers and seven crew took off from the KL International Airport (KLIA), Sepang at 10.09pm on Monday night to Bangalore, India.

The flight was forced to turn back to make an emergency landing at KLIA at 1.56am on Tuesday when it was detected the landing gear on the right was not working.

The aircraft was flown by Captain Nor Adam Azmi, along with co-pilot Prakash Kumar.

- Bernama