AVIATION/ SA AIRLINK EXAMINED AFTER 3RD CRASH

South Africa's civil aviation authority is intensifying an audit of regional carrier SA AIRLINK, after it suffered its 3rd serious incident since mid-September, but does not appear intent on grounding the carrier. Yesterday, SA Airlink Flight 8625, an ERJ135 on Domestic Service from Cape Town, overran the runway at George Airport. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to its forward fuselage. Of the 30 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, 8 suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from a local hospital. Initial reports suggest that the aircraft may have aquaplaned off the runway. The accident follows the fatal loss of a British Aerospace Jetstream at Durban in September and an incident last month in which another Jetstream veered off the runway at Port Elizabeth. A spokeswoman for the South African Civil Aviation Authority says that the regulator is carrying out an "intensified audit" of maintenance, operations and training at SA Airlink, a process initiated after the September crash. She says that the authority is "working very closely with the operator to rectify deficiencies picked up in the audit". But the spokeswoman indicates that the CAA is not prepared, at least at this stage, to impose any operational restrictions on SA Airlink. In a statement, SA Airlink said they were concerned about the impact of the recent crashes on public confidence in the Airline. "The best we can do is to let our passengers know that our standard of operations is of a world standard, and that we continue to reinforce operational safety."