18 JAN 2008 _______________________________________ *Heathrow Crash Report: Engines Failed *What pilots are saying about the BA 777 accident *'No thrust' on stricken BA plane *TAM Renews IOSA International Operational Safety Certification *************************************** Heathrow Crash Report: Engines Failed from The Associated Press LONDON January 18, 2008, 12:54 p.m. ET . The engines on a British Airways plane that crash-landed at London's Heathrow airport failed to respond for a demand to increase thrust, a preliminary accident report said Friday. Using flight recorder information, investigators will focus on what other systems might have caused the engine failure, according to the report from Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The British Airways Boeing 777 made a crunching touchdown short of the runway on Thursday, ripping off the plane's landing gear and severely damaging the two engines and wings. Nineteen injuries were reported among the 152 people aboard. "The aircraft speed reduced and the aircraft descended onto the grass short of the paved runway surface," the report said. The crumpled aircraft remained at the end of one of Heathrow's two runways Friday. British Airways said it expected to operate all of its long-haul flights from Heathrow on Friday and 90 percent of short-haul operations. ************* What pilots are saying about the BA 777 accident Pilots who know British Airways and the Boeing 777 tell Flight International, flightglobal.com's print edition that they believe that whatever happened to reduce the engine power occurred in the last three minutes, possibly even the last two minutes, of the flight. Given the task of diagnosing the cause in order to maintain power and simultaneously keeping the aircraft clear of stalling speed as power reduced, the crew did well to select accurately the best touchdown point they could achieve and put the aircraft down, still under control, with wings level and a rate of descent that prevented serious damage. Heathrow tower controllers believed the aircraft's nose-high attitude on approach indicated it was about to go around, but shortly after one of the controllers voiced that opinion, the crew declared an emergency. Among many theories as to the reason for a simultaneous failure of both engines after a long, uneventful flight, fuel contamination appears to come out top in the probabilities list. The theory pilots propose is that although fuel was plentiful, a heavier-than-fuel contaminant, such as water, represented a minute proportion of the fuel in the tanks on the approach, so problems did not arise. During the flight, the fuel was cold-soaked and any contaminant could have frozen to crystalline or solid form. Then, in the bumpy approach at lower levels, as the fuel warmed, the melting contaminant began to circulate in the relatively small amount of fuel remaining, forming a slush that could impede the fuel flow to the engines. This is only a pilot theory and there is no positive evidence for it from any official source. Pilots do not rule out the double-engine birdstrike theory, but the photographs do not appear to show bird remains on fanblades, engine intakes, wing leading edges or nose. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/01/18/220942/what-pilots-are-sayin g-about-the-ba-777-accident.html ************** 'No thrust' on stricken BA plane The engines failed to respond to a "demand for thrust" Two engines on a plane that crash-landed at Heathrow failed to respond to demands for thrust, a preliminary report has said. Despite continued demands for power the Boeing 777 "descended rapidly", landing short of the runway, the Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) said. As the plane struck the ground on Thursday the right landing gear broke off from the wing, the report said. All 136 passengers and 16 crew on the British Airways flight survived. Earlier Captain Peter Burkill revealed the jet was brought in to land by the co-pilot. A significant amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft but there was no fire AAIB crash report According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) at about 600ft "autothrottle demanded an increase in thrust from the two engines". After continued demands for increased thrust, and the "flight crew moving the throttle levers, the engines similarly failed to respond", the report indicated. "The aircraft speed reduced and the aircraft descended onto the grass short of the paved runway surface." The AAIB said the plane was using an instrument landing system (ILS) approach, which allows pilots to follow a set path and be guided in, as it was coming into runway 27L at Heathrow. Stopping at the very start of the paved surface of the runway, just inside the airfield boundary fence, the plane rolled on the ground. As it did the right main landing gear separated from the wing and the left main landing gear was pushed up through the wing roof, the report said. It also noted that: "A significant amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft but there was no fire." 'Outstanding team' At a press conference before the report was released Mr Burkill said Senior First Officer John Coward had done a "most remarkable job" in landing the aircraft. He also praised all the crew for showing "the highest standards of skill and professionalism". "Flying is about teamwork and we had an outstanding team on board," he said. During the emergency evacuation via the slides all occupants left the aircraft, one person suffered a broken leg and others received minor injuries. The AAIB said it had been notified of the accident within a few minutes and a team of inspectors had gone to the airport. US aviation authorities and representatives of Boeing were also involved, the AAIB said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7196962.stm *************** TAM Renews IOSA International Operational Safety Certification IATA-accredited Audit attests to quality of company's operations and control systems after 940 question-examination January 18, 2008: 09:00 AM EST SAO PAULO, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TAM Linhas Aereas has had its IOSA certificate (IATA Operational Safety Audit) renewed until January 2010. The certificate is the most thorough and widely accepted international verification of civil aviation operational safety. The IOSA registration revalidation, valid for the next two years, was granted to TAM after the conclusion of the auditing process by independents and accredited technicians by IATA (International Air Transport Association) in November 2007. The IATA audit certified that the company had satisfied standards via 940 questions on safety and operational quality. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060418/SPTU001LOGO ) TAM is the only Brazilian airline to obtain IOSA certification (www.iata.org/registry), in January 2007. Begun in 2003, the IOSA Program is internationally recognized as a world reference for the management of operational safety. The certification covers ten main aspects of an airline's operational safety: operations control; flight operations; flight operations dispatch; engineering and aircraft maintenance; cabin operations and "ground handling" (check-in and ground services); cargo operations, security and training of all areas involved in operations. Produced in a standardized, consistent manner, IOSA reports are accepted by international airlines in code-share agreements and aviation authorities as FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), from United Estates, and JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities), from Europe, making it possible to dispense with individual audits for any new partnership made with another company. The TAM's IOSA certification has already been accepted in code-share agreements that the Company implemented in 2007 with TAP Portugal, United Airlines, LAN and Lufthansa. Flight Safety Flight safety is one of the most important commandments left by Commandant Rolim Amaro, TAM's founder. In keeping with higher governance standards, TAM's Flight Safety department functions completely independent of the company's other divisions and is connected directly to the president's office. TAM adheres strictly to rules and standards established by Brazilian aviation authorities and international organizations such as ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). It is affiliated with the most important civil aviation safety agencies in the world, among them FSF (the Flight Safety Foundation), the largest non-governmental safety organization. The Company actively participates in coordination efforts of IATA's Regional Flight Safety Committee (RCG) for the Americas. It complies with regulations of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the agency in charge of civil aviation in the United States, as well as NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and DoT (Department of Transportation), fully adhering to the requirements for operating in U.S. air space. In July of 2006, it became an effective member of the United Kingdom Flight Safety Committee (UKFSC), an association of institutions and professionals dedicated to enhancing flight safety for commercial aviation in the United Kingdom. That same year, it became a member of the steering committee of IATA's Emergency Response and Planning Task Force (ERPTF). About TAM: TAM Linhas Aereas (www.tam.com.br) has been domestic market leader since July of 2003, and closed the month of December 2007 with a 48.6% market share. The company flies to 47 destinations in Brazil. With commercial agreements signed with regional companies, it reaches 81 different destinations nationwide. TAM's market share among Brazilian companies operating international airlines was 70% in December. Operations abroad include direct flights to eleven destinations: New York and Miami (USA), Paris (France), London (England), Milan (Italy), Frankfurt (Germany), Madrid (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Caracas (Venezuela) and Montevideo (Uruguay). With TAM Mercosur, it also serves Asuncion and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay), Cordoba (Argentina), Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba (Bolivia), among other South American cities. It has code-share agreements with international companies, allowing for the sharing of seats on flights with international companies, enabling passengers to travel to 62 other destinations in the USA, South America and Europe. A pioneer in Brazil's airline industry with the launch of its Programa Fidelidade frequent flyer program, TAM today has more than 4.3 million members and has issued more than 5 million tickets redeemed with frequent flyer points. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYF01618012008-1.htm ***************