06 FEB 2008 _______________________________________ *Australia to help Indonesia improve transport safety *Congressman Seeks GAO Review Of Air Safety Results *FAA Extends Pilot Safety Program At American Airlines *Bail rejected for Garuda crash pilot in Jakarta *Brit Air Selects Flightscape Flight Animation System *Safety Concern: 757 Window Heating Systems *************************************** Australia to help Indonesia improve transport safety Australia’s Government has agreed to provide an assistance package to Indonesia to help the country improve transport safety. The Australian minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government, Anthony Albanese, signed a formal agreement with Indonesia last week covering the assistance package. He says in a statement that Australia will provide nearly A$24 million ($22 million) over three years to help train up to 40 Indonesian airworthiness inspectors, help improve air traffic management services and provide advice in accident investigations, among other things. The assistance deal comes after Indonesia suffered from several air accidents last year, which led European and US authorities to downgrade the country’s aviation safety rating. Australia has provided assistance to Indonesia in the past, such as helping to train aviation security officers to improve screening at key airports. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Congressman Seeks GAO Review Of Air Safety Results Says "NASA Won't Do The Work" One lawmaker believes the results of interviews with pilots regarding air safety should finally get the analysis they deserve... and called on the Government Accountability Office to sift through over 24,000 interviews with pilots, conducted over four years under NASA oversight. "When the public pays for five years of government work designed to help us improve flying safety, I think the public deserves to get a report back on what was learned," Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN) of the House Science and Technology Committee told The Associated Press. "NASA won't do the work, so I am asking the GAO to bring back some answers to the committee that we can then share with the country." As ANN reported, charges flew in October NASA withheld the results from the National Aviation Operations Monitoring System project, for fear it might upset the flying public and negatively impact the airlines. Not so, replied NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. The confidential NAOMS data, he asserted, was developed for long-term capability, but was under the guidance of an outside study contractor. Thus, NASA was not involved with the actual data gathering, or with redacting the data to appropriately protect those who volunteered information on air safety standards. The release of partial data in the waning moments of 2007 came after media requests under the Freedom of Information Act by the AP, and congressional inquiries regarding the study findings. Since the NAOMS data had been gathered independent of the Aviation Safety Reporting System -- which protects the pilots who volunteer reports on incidents and infractions under an enforcement statute by the FAA -- NASA chose to not release the raw data. Concerns were that specific events, fight hours, or even locations mentioned could lead back to those who reported. The FAA also questioned the NAOMS findings, noting "the project's results showing more safety incidents than the FAA's own data, saying it reflected pilots' subjective opinions." The GAO will compare NAOMS information against the data gathered by the FAA. At the time of this writing, NASA had received the final reports from the study contractor, and had posted them on NASA's website. Griffin considered the entire project closed by the end of January. FMI: www.nasa.gov/news/reports/NAOMS.html, www.faa.gov, www.gao.gov, http://gordon.house.gov/ aero-news.net *************** FAA Extends Pilot Safety Program At American Airlines Gives Pilots, Management More Time To Sort Out Issues An innovative pilot safety program at American Airlines will survive the next few months, after the FAA granted a temporary reprieve as airline executives and union officials bicker over how to administer the program. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the FAA, at American's request, extended the Aviation Safety Action Partnership program by 90 days. "Now we need to work through it," said American spokeswoman Tami McLallen. "We're continuing to have dialogue, which is a good thing." ASAP allows pilots to report safety-related issues, without fear of discipline by the airline or the FAA. That immunity includes if the pilot was at fault. First adopted by American in 1994, similar programs have since been adopted by other airlines. As ANN reported, the program was in danger of being eliminated Thursday, due to claims by the Allied Pilots Association the company has unfairly disciplined pilots, even when an incident was accepted for review under the program. That, they argued, has made pilots wary of participating, and could eventually increase the chances of safety breakdowns. American counters it is allowed to discipline pilots in the rare instances when an outside party, such as a ramp worker, also submits a report. The airline has so far refused to sign off on a union plan to extend immunity to pilots in those circumstances. FMI: www.aa.com, www.alliedpilots.org aero-news.net ************** Bail rejected for Garuda crash pilot in Jakarta INDONESIAN authorities have rejected a bail request for the Garuda pilot arrested over the fatal crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians, in Yogyakarta last year. But Yogyakarta Police Chief Anggoro Rahardjo Harry Anwar indicated bail may be considered in the future. Garuda captain Marwoto Komar was arrested on Monday night, and will face charges of negligence causing injury and death and flying an aeroplane which endangered the safety of people or the plane, when he faces court, possibly within weeks. If convicted, he faces up to seven years' imprisonment. Mr Komar's lawyers yesterday submitted a request to police seeking the 45-year-old's release from detention. "We're going to keep him for the moment,'' Anggoro said at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters, where Komar is being detained. "The letter from the suspect's lawyers has been accepted, but bail is not granted yet because we still need him for the investigation.'' Mr Komar's lawyer Mohammad Assegaf confirmed that bail had been rejected, but said his client was holding up well after three days of questioning. "For now, we can say that it's been rejected, but let's see what develops during the examinations,'' he said. The arrest shocked Indonesia's aviation community and sparked protests outside parliament yesterday demanding his release. Mr Komar is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a crash in Indonesia, which has a dismal aviation safety record. Yogyakarta police indicated co-pilot Gagam Jahman Rochman may also be questioned again in the near future. Gagam said that both he and the pilot tried to save the flight from disaster. "We both try, with our power, our best power, to stop the accident,'' he said. The Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737, carrying 140 passengers and crew, overshot the runway on landing and burst into flames in a rice paddy field in Yogyakarta on March 7 last year. A final report by safety regulators said the pilot was so "fixated'' with landing that he ignored 15 alarms and the pleas of his copilot warning he was coming in too fast. Five Australians travelling to Yogyakarta for a visit by then Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer were among those killed. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta will hold a "small private commemoration'' next month to mark the first anniversary of the crash. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23170042-23109,00.html **************** Brit Air Selects Flightscape Flight Animation System Ottawa, February 6, 2008 - Flightscape (Ottawa, Canada) is pleased to announce that Brit Air has ordered Insight|Animation and Insight|Analysis to augment its FOQA program. Brit Air will use the state of the art system to analyse and communicate flight data from high interest FOQA events. Brit Air will now have the same tools used by the majority of air safety investigators from governments, militaries and aircraft manufacturers around the world. Brit Air, who uses a CAE simulator, will benefit from increased technical compatibility actively being developed between the Insight product line and CAE's simulation products. Brit Air, a wholly-owned Air France subsidiary, operates a network of European regional routes serving the major cities in France and throughout Europe. It offers some 275 daily flights linking up more than 45 cities in France and Europe, operating a fleet of 43 regional aircraft with an average age of 9.2 years including 15 Canadair Jet 100s, 15 Canadair Jet 700s, and 13 Fokker F100s. With 1,330 employees, it posted earnings of 481 million euros in 2006-2007, including 9.4 million euros from its subsidiary Icare, which offers airlines regional aircraft type-rating courses. Brit Air was one of Europe?s first regional airlines, and is based in Morlaix. It is also the world?s first regional carrier to have received certification for its service commitments, on 6 September 2005. Flightscape, part of CAE's training solutions group, offers flight safety expertise in flight data analysis and flight sciences. Flightscape develops software tools that enable the effective study and understanding of recorded flight data to improve safety, maintenance and flight operations. Flightscape software powers IATA's web-based Flight Data Analysis Service to provide Flight Data Monitoring and Flight Operations Quality Assurance as an out-source service to airlines who do not wish to invest in the infrastructure of an in-house program. Flightscape develops flight recorder laboratories including complete turnkey systems. Flightscape's mission is to improve safety on an international basis by having the operator, investigative and aircraft manufacturer communities collaborate on flight data analysis issues with a common suite of continually advancing tools. CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1 billion, CAE employs approximately 6,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crew members yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and through CAE's professional services division, we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs. http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=57723 **************** Safety Concern: 757 Window Heating Systems Cockpit window heating system units on Boeing 757—as well as 747s, 767 and 777-series aircraft—will undergo intense scrutiny as the NTSB’s probe of American Airlines Flight 1738 gets underway. The event is prompting the NTSB to voice concerns about the FAA’s delay in implementing board recommendations that would require Boeing 747, 757, 767 and 777 operators to install redesigned window heating systems. On Jan. 30, American Airlines Flight 1738, with 139 passengers and seven crew on board, was forced to make an emergency landing when smoke started filling the cockpit and cabin. The 757-200 was at cruising altitude, en route from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia, when smoke emanated from the window heating unit system that is connected to the first officer’s windshield, NTSB said. The flight crew donned oxygen masks and smoke goggles and diverted the aircraft to Palm Beach (Fla.) International Airport. During the descent, the inner pane of the copilot’s windshield shattered (see photo), but the 757 landed without incident and no fire was reported. Seven people were treated for smoke inhalation and released. The NTSB is examining Flight 1738’s digital flight data recorder and has removed the windshield and heating unit for detailed analysis. Investigators stress the cause of this smoke incident has not yet been determined, but cautions that five events occurred in 2004-2006 in which smoke, and in some cases fire, was reported originating from window heating systems on 757-200 aircraft, three involving American Airlines: •Jan. 21, 2004. Air Greenland at Copenhagen, electrical fire near windshield heat terminal. •Jan. 25, 2004. American Airlines Flight 1477, on departure from Dallas Forth Worth International; fire erupts near windshield heat terminal. •May 2, 2004.American Airlines Flight 2107, Miami to Caracas, fire near the windshield heat terminal. •Feb. 23, 2006. Unknown operator, Aviation Safety Reporting System, smoke and fire near windshield heat terminal. •April 23, 2006. American Airlines Flight 923, smoke in the cockpit prompts diversion to New York Kennedy International Airport. Airline inspection revealed a short in the windshield heat terminal block due to cross-threaded screw. Investigators determined that cross-threading of the screw attaching the power wire to the windshield heat terminal block (see photo) resulted in an electrical arc and fire on the two January 2004 incidents. (“Cross-threading” occurs when the terminal block screw is installed so that its axis and the terminal’s axis are misaligned. The torque created by misalignment prevents the screw from being fully seated in the terminal, resulting in a loose electrical connection between the wire and terminal block, NTSB says.) During the probe of the January 2004 incidents, Boeing told the NTSB that they were similar “to least four other” events that involved 747, 767, 757 and 777 aircraft. The airframer also redesigned the terminal block to incorporate a pin/socket connector instead of a screw. Following the 2006 incidents, on Sept. 4, 2007, the NTSB issued recommendations asking the FAA “to complete the process begun in 2004” to approve the service bulletin for installation of the redesigned windshield heat terminal block on Boeing 767s (A-08-49) and to mandate replacing the windshield heat terminal block on 747, 757, 767 and 777 aircraft in accordance with Boeing service bulletins (A-08-50). In the letter, the board said it was “very concerned that airworthiness directives originally scheduled to be issued as early as September 2004 have not yet been implemented.” In mid-2004, Boeing incorporated the new terminal block into production airplanes and told the NTSB it would issue service bulletins to retrofit existing 747, 757, 767 and 777 aircraft with the redesigned terminal block. The 757 SB was to be issued in September 2004, for example. At the same time, the FAA informed the safety board it planned to issue airworthiness directives that would make those service bulletins mandatory. SB issuance dates were pushed back to 2005, with the FAA again saying it would issue directives requiring inspection of the flight deck windshield for cross-thread condition and require installation of a new windshield with a new style terminal block. Boeing issued SBs for 747, 757 and 777s between June and August 2006. However, according to the NTSB’s Sept. 4, 2007, letter, the 767 SB had still not been issued due to ongoing “minor” disagreements between the FAA and Boeing. More extensive industry discussion and action about this serious safety concern is expected as the investigation of Flight 1738 progresses. http://www.aviationweek.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/search/AvnowSearchResult.do?reference=xml/awx_xml/2008/02/04/awx_02_04_2008_p0-28711.xml **************