Plane in 1992 Faro crash was airworthy: Dutch Safety Board

Plane PH-MBN, which crashed during landing near Faro in Portugal in 1992, was airworthy. There were no defects in the landing gear, and its maintenance was up to date. The device met all maintenance requirements, the Dutch Safety Board concluded. 56 people died in the Faro disaster. More than a hundred others were seriously injured.

In 2016, television program EenVandaag reported doubts about the maintenance of the landing gear due to the postponement of work. The Dutch Safety Board was then asked to investigate whether these allegations were correct, but a second opinion investigation was already underway at the time commissioned by the court in The Hague. 

This investigation confirmed previous Portuguese investigation results: the aircraft was airworthy. In 2020, the Minister of Transport and Water Management asked the Dutch Safety Board to investigate whether EenVandaag had revealed new facts in 2016. 

The researchers spoke to those directly involved and searched archives in Portugal and the Netherlands. According to the Safety Board, no deviations from maintenance periods or inspections were found. The final conclusion is once again that the aircraft met all requirements and was airworthy upon departure from Amsterdam.

The investigation took more than six months longer than intended. According to the Safety Board, this was due to coronavirus restrictions.