KUALA LUMPUR: The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has not received any 'grounding order' from the manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft that crashed in Kapar on Tuesday.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud also stood by the Transport Ministry's statement that the aircraft was airworthy when it was flying on the fateful day.
This comes after the aircraft's Italy-based manufacturer, Blackshape, yesterday said that the aircraft was taken into the air, in flagrant and patent violation of a 'grounding' order.
Norazman said the aircraft involved in the accident had furnished CAAM with a valid Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Airworthiness and a valid Flying License.
"As such the approval was granted based on the valid documents required."
He said if such a grounding order is based on commercial reasons between manufacturer and distributor, there was no need to inform the authorities.
"If it was for safety reasons, yes, manufacturers would inform their civil aviation authorities (CAA) as they are responsible for the approval of the design and manufacturing of the aircraft.
"They must also notify the aircraft's state of register."
Norazman said, if the grounding was due to safety, the manufacturer should notify the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) where they will issue instructions to all States of Register who have the aircraft in their respective registry.
"Just like the Federal Aviation Administration as State of Design for the Boeing 737 Max.. they issued the Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (Canic) followed up by an Airworthiness Directive to all State of Register including Malaysia."
Commenting further on Blackshape's statement, Norazman said it was possible that EASA is not obligated to notify the CAAM because Malaysia is not the State of Register of the particular aircraft.
The aircraft, bearing the tail number I-POOC, was of Italian registration.