But Transair Australia Says It Had Flown 60 Hours Since Repairs

A Fairchild Metroliner that went down in Queensland, Australia, over the weekend was in the maintenance shop just last month after suffering a power loss, authorities said Monday.

"The pilots as part of their procedures check their instruments and follow procedures, and on this occasion the power output from that engine did not meet requirements," Transair Australia Duncan MacKellar told The Age newspaper. "It certainly wasn't an engine failure. They made some adjustments and the flight took off about an hour and a half later."

Since then, there had been no reports of problems with that particular engine, MacKellar said. "It would be speculation that I don't want to enter into (to try to link the engine problem to Saturday's crash)."

The Metroliner impacted a 1,600-foot tall peak in a Queensland rainforest Saturday while on approach to the airport at Lockhart River after departing Bamaga. All 15 people on board were lost.

MacKeller told the Age regular commuter flights from Cairns to Bamaga and the Cape York Peninsula have been suspended out of respect for the victims. He gave no indication when those flights will resume.

FMI: www.atsb.gov.au