19 DEC 2008 _______________________________________ *Safety board probes loss of power on Delta engine *Authorities: Pilot Of Missing Trislander Stole Aircraft *Proposed head of US DOT draws praise from legislators *US officials determine ATC facilities need upgrades *Storm Brewing Between FAA and Weather Service *Nigeria: World Bank Grants $46 Million for Aviation Safety Projects *NTSB Issues Safety Alert on Operating Aircraft in Icing **************************************** Safety board probes loss of power on Delta engine DALLAS - Federal safety inspectors said Thursday they are investigating the loss of power in one engine on a Delta Air Lines flight last month from Shanghai to Atlanta. A similar incident occurred before a British Airways crash landing in January at London's Heathrow Airport, according to British investigators. Both planes were Boeing 777s equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engines, and in September Boeing recommended procedures to prevent ice from building up in fuel lines on long, high-altitude flights. In the Nov. 26 incident, the Delta jet lost power in the right engine as it cruised 39,000 feet over Montana, U.S. officials said Friday. The pilots immediately took the twin-engine jet down to 31,000 feet, where the right engine resumed normal operation, and the flight continued on to Atlanta without further incident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. None of the 232 passengers or 15 crewmembers aboard Flight 18 were injured, the officials said. The board said flight data recorders from the plane were taken for examination and both pilots have been interviewed. In January, a British Airways PLC jet lost power in both Rolls Royce engines as it approached London's Heathrow Airport and crashed just short of the runway. No one was killed, but several passengers were injured and the jet was totaled. Investigators with the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch determined that the crash probably was caused by ice building up in the fuel system on the flight from China. Boeing recommended that pilots flying its 777 jets with Rolls-Royce engines rev the engines for brief periods during long flights to flush out ice that could build up in the power system. Betsy Talton, a spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta, declined to say Friday whether pilots took the actions recommended by Boeing Co., calling that part of the ongoing federal investigation. "As always, we will partner closely with them and comply with any recommended actions as soon as possible to ensure that there is no operational impact to our customers or communities," she said. Ian Bustin, a spokesman for Rolls-Royce, said the London-based company is working closely with Boeing, Delta and the U.S. transportation safety board but declined further comment. U.S. safety officials said they were working with U.K. investigators of the London crash to see if there are common issues to the November Delta flight. The FAA, Boeing, Eaton-Argotech, Delta Air Lines and the Air Line Pilots Association are also involved in the investigation, according to officials. ************** Authorities: Pilot Of Missing Trislander Stole Aircraft Student Pilot Had Rotorcraft License Stripped In 2006 Details surrounding this week's disappearance of a Britten-Norman Trislander near the Bahamas are starting to gel, after several conflicting and confusing initial reports. As ANN reported, the BN-2A MK III Trislander with 12 onboard disappeared Monday afternoon in the vicinity of the so-called "Bermuda Triangle." Initial reports identified the aircraft as a missing airline flight bound for New York from the Dominican Republic; later reports indicated the plane had actually been stolen. Dominican authorities tell the Associated Press they now know who was flying the plane... and, that he shouldn't have been for at least two reasons. Adriano Jimenez had only a US student pilot certificate in his possession; he reportedly lost his rotorcraft license in 2006, after being caught operating multiengine fixed-wing aircraft without the proper rating. Jimenez earned his student rating in March; Pedro Dominguez, president of the Dominican Pilots Association, adds that Jimenez apparently had a minor landing accident in a small plane just two weeks ago. "An in-depth investigation was never opened to prevent what today we are lamenting," Dominguez said. The Trislander was owned by Luis Perez, who is also president of Puerto Rico Airlines. Perez told the AP he hired a pilot to fly the accident plane to the Dominican Republic to show it to an interested buyer -- Jimenez. Perez says that pilot was met by Jimenez... and 11 other passengers. When the pilot refused to fly with Jimenez with all those people onboard, Jimenez commandeered the plane (type shown below) and departed Santiago with his passengers, operating on a flight plan to Mayaguana Island. Local officials think Jimenez was trying to fly illegal immigrants to the US. US Coast Guard Petty Officer Barry Bena said Jimenez sent a distress call about 35 minutes after he took off over the Atlantic, in low visibility conditions. Aided by local authorities, the Coast Guard searched a roughly 5,300 square mile area of the Atlantic Ocean, turning up no sign of the missing aircraft. The search was suspended Wednesday. FMI: www.uscg.mil aero-news.net ************* Proposed head of US DOT draws praise from legislators Republican Congressman Ray LaHood, likely the US transportation secretary under President-elect Barack Obama, has received praise from the US House transportation and infrastructure committee chair as well as aviation trade groups. "He's no ideologue. I think he is well suited by temperament," says transportation and infrastructure committee chairman James Oberstar, adding LaHood will be able to bring parties together to resolve air traffic controller contract concerns. Asked about concerns that LaHood lacks high-level transportation experience, Oberstar says a transportation secretary needs more than knowledge to be effective. The transportation secretary can have all the knowledge, "but if the president and his budget office is not on board, then you're nothing but a messenger", he says. Before joining the House appropriations committee, which oversees federal discretionary spending, LaHood served on the transportation and infrastructure committee for six years. LaHood's nomination drew an immediate positive response from airline and airport lobbying groups. "Congressman Ray LaHood has a well-deserved reputation for his even-handed, thoughtful and deliberative approach to complex issues," says the Air Transport Association of America. Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) also applauded the selection. "Aviation in the United States faces a number of critical issues including the need to boost investment in infrastructure and modernization of our outdated air traffic control system. These issues cry out for the kind of bipartisan action and leadership that have been the hallmark of Congressman LaHood's career," ACI-NA president Greg Principato says in a statement. A former member of the Illinois House of Representatives and a former junior high school teacher, LaHood was first elected to the US Congress in November 1994. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** US officials determine ATC facilities need upgrades A new audit by the US DOT Inspector General's (IG) office reveals that 59% of the FAA's 420 air traffic control facilities are beyond their 25-30 year useful life, leading to maintenance problems at "several facilities". DOT says the review was requested by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman James Oberstar, who "expressed concerns about the overall state of FAA facilities". Oberstar asked the IG to determine if FAA has a plan and funding to maintain and upgrade its facilities in line with its next generation air transportation system (NextGen) goals. The FAA currently spends 11% of its capital budget, about $300 million per year, to upkeep its manned and unmanned facilities, according to the report. "During our site visits to various air traffic control facilities, we observed obvious structural deficiencies and maintenance-related issues at several locations," the IG states in the 15 December report. "These included water leaks, mould, tower cab window condensation, deterioration due to poor design, and general disrepair. While the deficiencies we observed posed no immediate risk to the operations of the (National Airspace System), they could affect operations in the long term if they are not addressed." The findings echo numerous complaints aired recently by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca) union regarding FAA facilities and equipment. The IG concludes that the FAA is having the problems "due to its previous, decentralized approach to facility maintenance and its practice of paying for recurring maintenance with residual, year-end funds." While the agency is "beginning to move toward a proactive approach that merges facility-level priorities with better national oversight," the IG says the FAA's new processes however continue to focus on "sustaining" the existing system. "The FAA must work to ensure it has a system of facilities well-equipped for the long term," the report continues. Recommendations to the FAA include determining the types, numbers and location of needed facilities to support NextGen as well as identifying target dates for realigning or consolidating facilities, and establishing "realistic funding requirements for maintaining existing sites until those dates." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Storm Brewing Between FAA and Weather Service The National Weather Service is set to deliver recommendations next week on the future of the Federal Aviation Administration's use of government meteorologists at its air route traffic control centers. The Bush administration seems eager to make a final decision before Inauguration Day, after trying for years to change the FAA's use of government forecasters in an effort to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The move is opposed by Weather Service employees who say the move would risk the safety of air passengers. The FAA has 21 regional air route traffic control centers nationwide responsible for safely moving air traffic across the country. Each control center has at least four NWS meteorologists working side-by-side with air traffic controllers and managers to provide aviation-based forecasting as part of an interagency relationship that started in the late 1970s. One cost-cutting proposal discussed would move NWS meteorologists from the 21 control centers to two forecast centers at College Park, Md. and Kansas City. "These are simply ways of sharing information much more inexpensively. Doing it by teleconference. Taking advantage of the technology we have out there to do that," said FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto. Others disagree however, concerned that communicating with air traffic controllers via teleconferences and e-mail could sacrifice quality forecasting and safety. "Honest to God, the FAA's going to kill people" with this idea, said Dan Sobien, the president of the National Weather Service Employees Union. "Not only are they going to kill people, but on a day-to-day basis they're going to cost us all so much money." The consolidation would mean big costs to relocate meteorologists or reassign them to other departments, Sobien said, and the quality of forecasts provided to controllers could also suffer. "[Meteorologists] could be dealing with a blizzard, a hurricane, a fire in Southern California and maybe volcanic ash." "We're kinda puzzled," said Bill Proenza, director of the Weather Service's southern region, which stretches from the Virgin Islands to New Mexico. "We want to take a very close look at this, but the FAA is really pressing to end this program as soon as possible.... I think it's important that the new administration have an opportunity to review this proposal and then we have a chance to review it." "I think for this administration to attempt to implement this kind of policy this close to the end of the administration is not fair to the American people," said Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas), the outgoing chairman of the House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. "If you want to do something right for the country, then make the recommendation, but then pass it on to President-elect Barack Obama. Let that administration make the decision." Takemoto disputes all of these concerns, noting that the proposed changes have "zero impact on safety. These are simply ways of sharing information much more inexpensively." Air traffic controllers already have access to weather information on screens in each control tower and all controllers must "intensely" understand weather systems in order to carry out their duties, Takemoto said, since most air traffic delays are caused by weather events. (The NWS meteorologists conduct weather refresher courses for the air traffic controllers however.) "If you went into a working air traffic facility, you would see immediately that safety would not be compromised. They're looking at live screens looking at up-to-date weather patterns." The Weather Service's proposed solution is still being developed, according to Christopher J. Vaccaro. It is due by Dec. 23 and then will be submitted to the FAA, which will have to accept or decline the proposal. If the proposal is accepted, it's expected to face a nine month testing and evaluation period. The final proposal also requires the approval of the National Transportation Safety Board, the same agency that recommended the NWS-FAA interagency relationship 30 years ago. Will the Bush administration make a final decision before Jan. 20? Stay tuned. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2008/12/the_bush_administration _is_con.html?hpid=topnews ************** Nigeria: World Bank Grants $46 Million for Aviation Safety Projects Newly assigned Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, on Thursday commended the World Bank for granting over $46 million for airport security and safety equipment measures in Nigeria. Out of the amount, $2,122,612 had been disbursed for various projects while projects worth $9,702,574 had been valued. The minister made the remark when a World Bank team led by Pierrie Pozzo Di Borgo paid him a courtesy visit in his office. Omotoba said the funds would go a long way in improving air safety and security in the country, adding that the present administration was determined to upgrade the facilities in the sector to world standard. Borgo, who is the team leader of the West and Central Africa Air Transport Safety and Security Programme, stated that the team was in Nigeria on a supervision mission of the World Bank project. It is to inspect facilities and hold technical discussions with four parastatals of the aviation sector on the progress and the implementation of the World Bank projects. He said the World Bank fund is meant for human capacity building of the parastatals, acquisition of goods and equipment, consultation services and studies for technical assistance programmes. http://allafrica.com/stories/200812190198.html *************** NTSB Issues Safety Alert on Operating Aircraft in Icing WASHINGTON, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board issued a Safety Alert titled "Activate Leading-Edge Deice Boots As Soon As Airplanes Enter Icing Conditions." "This Safety Alert, directed to the pilot community, is intended to increase the visibility of airplane icing issues and address procedures taught regarding the accumulation of ice before activating deice boots," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. Some of the highlights of the newly issued Safety Alert, which was approved by all five board members, are: noting that as little as 1/4 inch of ice can be deadly; as little as 1/4 inch of leading edge ice can increase the stall speed 25 to 40 knots; and early activation of the deice boots limits the effects of leading-edge ice and improves the operating safety margin. The Safety Alert states that leading-edge deice boots should be activated as soon as icing is encountered, unless the aircraft flight manual or the pilot's operating handbook specifically directs not to activate them. In the Alert, pilots are instructed to maintain extremely careful vigilance of airspeed and any unusual handling qualities if the aircraft manual or the pilot's operating handbook allows for an accumulation of ice before activating the deice boots, and to turn off or limit the use of the autopilot in order to better "feel" changes in the handling qualities of the airplane. "When followed, this Safety Alert will create a safer environment for pilots flying in icing conditions," Rosenker stated. http://www.amtonline.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=7016 **************