The territory's only helicopter rental company, Heliservices, was criticised for poor maintenance yesterday. A Civil Aviation Department inquiry into a crash last June revealed two vital components had come apart in mid-flight because an engineer had forgotten to replace parts he had removed. The single-engine Lama helicopter had been carrying barrels of cement for China Light & Power at Tan Kwai Tsuen Quarry near Yuen Long when the pilot lost control of the tail rotor. With the aircraft spinning, he 'skilfully' brought it down without injuring himself or workers on the ground. On the eve of the crash, an engineer carrying out a routine inspection on the helicopter had begun replacing a vital bolt, the department report said. But after taking a break he forgot to finish the job and the bolt remained in place with the pin and collar removed. The report was critical of the non-recording of information on worksheets and the lack of a 'duplicate inspection'. 'Heliservices should introduce a procedure for shift handovers which will clearly identify incomplete maintenance items to the succeeding shift engineer,' it said. It also recommended the Sek Kong-based company should review procedures. A Heliservices spokesman last night said the company had already complied with all the recommendations.
