PLUNA CRJ-900 Incident on Approach to Punta del Este (PDP) - US$ 500,000 Repair

PLUNA CRJ-900, CX-CRI

PLUNA CRJ-900 CX-CRI has been parked inoperative at Uruguay's Punta del Este (PDP) airport for about a month due to an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) cover that it lost over the town of Pan de Azucar while on final approach to PDP at the end of a ferry flight from Montevideo (MVD). The loss of the cover apparently damaged the rudder and horizontal stabilizer with replacement cost of the APU cover estimated at US$ 120,000 and other repair costs estimated at three times that amount.

The aircraft was moved to the large Uruguayan Navy hangar at the airport where it has been worked on by Bombardier technicians. The cost of repairs have not been calculated into PLUNA's debt load.

Source: El Pais Uruguay 08Jul12, 11Jul12