06 MAR 2009 _______________________________________ *Southwest planes touch on ground in San Diego *FAA adopts new measures to stop Trent 777 fuel icing *Qantas 747 oxygen tank blast probe continuing *Pinnacle plans to replace crashed Colgan Q400 *Southwest overhauls ATOS during fallout from missed inspections *Airbus working flat-out to address A380 reliability issues *Boeing Warns 737 Operators Of Possible Altimeter-Autopilot Fault *NTSB report outlines factors in Fossett crash *Qantas jet plunge blamed on computer *Sea-Tac Airport: 4 more planes targeted by laser **************************************** Southwest planes touch on ground in San Diego SAN DIEGO (AP) -Southwest Airlines says no one is injured after two of its jets touched on the ground at San Diego's Lindbergh Field. Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger says a wingtip of one jet clipped the tail of another jet as it was backing out of the gate Thursday around 3:45 p.m. PST. Both were Boeing 737s. Both planes were taken out of service and customers are being moved to other aircraft. One flight is headed to Kansas City International Airport and the other to San Francisco International Airport. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the aircraft were not under FAA air traffic controllers' direction at the time. *************** FAA adopts new measures to stop Trent 777 fuel icing US FAA regulators have formally incorporated new Boeing 777 operational procedures designed to reduce the risk of fuel-system icing on Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered airframes. The FAA's revised airworthiness directive covers new measures to counter the threat of ice build-up on the engine's fuel-oil heat exchanger, based on guidance from Boeing. It also states that a modification is under development by the manufacturer - without specifying whether it refers to Boeing or Rolls-Royce - to address the condition. "Once this modification is developed, approved and available, we might consider additional rulemaking," says the FAA. The new directive follows investigation of a single-engine roll-back incident on a Delta Air Lines 777 in November which bore resemblance to the dual-engine roll-back that led to the British Airways 777 landing accident at London Heathrow last year. While data confirmed suspicions, arising from the BA accident, that ice released after a high-thrust command could block fuel-flow at the heat exchanger, analysis also showed that ice accretes in the fuel system more rapidly - and at warmer fuel temperatures - than previously indicated. The FAA says testing demonstrates that reducing the fuel-flow to minimum idle levels will clear ice accumulation at the heat exchanger "within a few seconds". Boeing advised last September that Trent-powered 777s operating at the same altitude for three hours should, for a few seconds, be powered up to maximum thrust before descent. The new FAA measures bring this cruise period threshold down to two hours. The directive also requires crews to retard the throttles to minimum idle for 30s at top of descent to ensure that ice accumulated on the heat exchanger melts while the aircraft is at high altitude. Ground procedures for fuel circulation, issued in parallel last September, remain unchanged. The FAA's new directive becomes effective on 20 March. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Qantas 747 oxygen tank blast probe continuing Australian investigators are continuing to carry out oxygen cylinder tests as part of their probe into the in-flight explosion of a cylinder on a Qantas Airways Boeing 747-400 last year. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has been assessing design properties of emergency oxygen cylinders since the 25 July incident, which occurred as the 747-400 was operating as flight QF30 from Hong Kong to Melbourne. No serious injuries occurred in the incident although a large section of the aircraft's fuselage separated, resulting in a depressurisation and emergency landing in Manila. Investigators determined that the depressurisation occurred after a passenger oxygen cylinder exploded and ruptured the aircraft's fuselage when the 747 was cruising at 29,000ft (8,840m). The ATSB says in an interim factual report released today that the remaining cylinders recovered from the aircraft together with five others from the same manufacturing batch lot are still being physically examined for evidence of deficiencies or deviations from the certified design. It also says computer modelling and analysis of the oxygen cylinder design will be carried out to "provide an enhanced understanding of the cylinder shell stresses, and an assessment of the critical flaw size required to produce an uncontrolled cylinder failure". Several cylinders from the same manufacturing batch have already been destructively tested and the results are being used to establish fundamental strength levels, says the ATSB. In addition, hydraulic and pneumatic testing of several more cylinders is planned. "The pneumatic testing will provide further understanding of the mechanism and characteristics of a cylinder failure at elevated pressures," says the ATSB. "In addition to the pneumatic tests, both cyclic and static hydraulic pressure tests will be performed on select cylinders to establish their performance against the certified design requirements." The ATSB says it expects to release a final report late this year. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Pinnacle plans to replace crashed Colgan Q400 Colgan Airways parent Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is working to replace the Bombardier Q400 aircraft that crashed on approach to Buffalo 12 February. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident. Initial analysis by NTSB of the aircraft's flight data recorder shows the aircraft experienced severe pitch and roll excursions after selecting a 15 degree flap setting in preparation for landing. During a call today to discuss Pinnacle's full-year and fourth quarter earnings company CFO Peter Hunt said Pinnacle was in discussions with both Bombardier and Continental over replacing the aircraft, "however given the availability of the Qs [Q400s] it is probably not going to be replaced until some time in 2010". Hunt says it is important to both Pinnacle and Continental to make sure the aircraft has the next-generation cabin interior. Pinnacle is "fully insured for this event" says Hunt, who noted the company is a participant with seven other airlines in a consortium that includes two major US airlines. "Together we jointly source aircraft hull and aviation liability insurance, and every airline in the program is insured to the same level," he adds. Reiterating Pinnacle is fully insured for the cost of the aircraft Hunt says the company also believes "we are fully insured for any related aviation liability associated with this accident". Company CEO Phil Trenary praised the Q400 calling it a "very safe aircrafta very capable aircraft in all weather conditions including icethe performance and efficiency is just not available in a traditional jet aircraft". Trenary also took an opporunity to express Pinnacle's "deepest sympathies to the families and the passengers and crew members of flight 3407 and to those affected on the ground. We are profoundly saddened by this terrible accident." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Southwest overhauls ATOS during fallout from missed inspections Southwest has undertaken significant changes to the FAA-mandated Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) as part of the fallout from a $10.2 million fine levied against the carrier in 2008 for missed aircraft inspections. Roughly a year after FAA issued the penalty the agency and Southwest finally settled the payment on 9 March. The fine was cut to $7.5 million after FAA considered certain Southwest assertions that "certain facts and circumstances alleged" might not constitute violation of Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), and Southwest's current and remedial efforts to cure deficiencies. The highly-publicized violation was Southwest's operation of 46 Boeing 737s on 59,791 flights after the carrier missed fuselage inspections required under an airworthiness directive (AD) issued in September 2004. FAA in its agreement with Southwest outlined significant safety and compliance initiatives undertaken by the carrier since the lapsed inspections. Among those initiatives was the hiring of consultant JDA Aviation Technology and Solutions to assess the carrier's regulatory compliance and ATOS conformance. DOT's Office of Inspector General (OIG) was tasked to perform several audits of FAA oversight after the Southwest incident, with one examination focusing solely on ATOS. "Our work at SWA [Southwest] and other carriers found weaknesses in FAA's national program for risk-based oversight, ATOS," says OIG. "At SWA, multiple missed ATOS inspections allowed AD compliance issues in SWA's maintenance program to go undetected for several years." System-wide problems with ATOS were identified by OIG as far back as 2002 when it found "inconsistent inspection methods across FAA field offices for various carriers". OIG cited FAA inspector confusion over how to conduct ATOS inspections and access risks. After bringing in a consultant FAA says the Southwest project "involves the rewrite of the entire Maintenance Procedures Manual to ensure compliance with FARs as well as ATOS". In addition to the manual overhaul FAA says Southwest added three new chapters covering AD management, the continuing analysis and surveillance system (CASS) and maintenance inspection programs. FAA highlights the complete rewrite of the Southwest manuals to add industry best practices and compliance with ATOS "exceeds the requirements of the FARs and should promote safety and regulatory compliance". OIG has not yet released its ATOS audit. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Airbus working flat-out to address A380 reliability issues Airbus is working flat-out to resolve A380 technical issues in the wake of a brief grounding of the Qantas fleet and concerns by Emirates about declining reliability. There are 13 A380s in service with three airlines: four with Emirates, three with Qantas and six with Singapore Airlines. Qantas suffered the most recent high-profile problems earlier this week, when technical issues grounded all three of its A380s briefly. The airline says two A380s were declared "unserviceable with a fuel tank indication system problem", while the third "experienced a nose-wheel ground steering issue and an unrelated fuel leak issue". Emirates Airline president Tim Clark adds: "We've a number of unrelated issues that have brought down despatch reliability." But he points out that the airframer has "gone overboard to sort things out". Airbus's head of A380 product marketing Richard Carcaillet declines to reveal the A380 fleet's current technical dispatch reliability, as the figure is "not meaningful yet" due to the small operating fleet. "It is not significantly bad, but it is not where we want it to be," he says. "This is not a crisis. We have a number of small issues for which we have developed fixes, some of which have already been retrofitted." One of the reliability issues has been a fuel pump problem that has required a modification, but Carcaillet says this was not related to the Qantas grounding. In response to concerns about declining reliability, the airframer recently gave customers "a reaffirmation that 'we are on the case' and that fixing these problems is our top priority from senior management down", says Carcaillet. Clark confirms that Airbus chief executive Tom Enders "has made it a top priority in the organisation and follows the reliability on a daily basis". While Airbus has reduced the support provided to customers compared with the 'enhanced' level offered for the early months of operation, it continues to provide significant assistance, says Clark. "Support teams have been with us since August 2008, Airbus has placed a substantial inventory of line spares at New York, London, Sydney and Auckland at its expense," he says. The 13-strong A380 fleet has to date accumulated 31,500h and 3,000 cycles in revenue service since the October 2007 debut with SIA. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Boeing Warns 737 Operators Of Possible Altimeter-Autopilot Fault Boeing is advising operators of all 737-series and BBJ aircraft to carefully monitor primary flight instruments and not engage autopilot/throttle system during approach and landing in event of a radio altimeter malfunction. The manufacturer issued the March 4 Multi-Operator Message (MOM 09-0063-01B) in response to preliminary findings of Dutch investigators in their probe of the Feb. 25 Turkish Airlines 737-800 crash at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The MOM includes all 737 series, from -100 to -900. The initial accident findings, issued the same day, indicate the Dutch are focusing on the link between radio altimeter deviation and the autothrottle system as the possible cause of the landing accident. Based on flight data recorder readouts, investigators determined that all was normal on Flight 1951 until the aircraft reached 1,950 ft. during its final approach to Runway 18R with 135 people on board. At that point, the radio altimeter readout on the captain's (left) side suddenly switched to -8 feet. The altimeter, interpreting the 737 to be just a few feet above touchdown, commanded the autothrottles to power down and configure for landing. The "landing gear must go down" warning signal alerted the crew to the problem, but data indicate the signal was not regarded as a problem, according to the preliminary report. The 737-800 responded to the command, decelerating to minimum flying speed, with a stall warning sounding at 150 meters (490 ft.). The flight crew applied full power, but the aircraft was too low to allow recovery. The aircraft hit the ground traveling at 175 km. (94 kt.) airspeed (normal landing speed is 260 km. or 140 kt.) about 1.5 km. north of the Schiphol. Enormous braking forces - in part caused by the nose wheel becoming embedded in the ground - caused the 737 to break into three parts, with its tail, landing gear and engines detaching. Nine of the 135 onboard were killed, including the flight crew. The deviation occurred only on the captain's (left) radio altimeter, according to the Dutch initial report, which also states that the malfunction had occurred twice previously, both times during landing. However, it was unclear from the report if the events occurred on the same aircraft. A DAILY check of the FAA database indicates the agency issued no airworthiness directives (AD) on 737-series radio altimeter malfunctions. FAA spokesman Les Dorr confirmed there were no ADs to date, but noted FAA is monitoring the progress of the Flight 1951 probe and will take whatever action becomes necessary. http://www.aviationweek.com ************** NTSB report outlines factors in Fossett crash Fresno, CA (AP) -- A camper who believes he saw Steve Fossett's plane moments before he slammed into a Sierra mountainside says headwinds were so strong that day that the plane appeared to be "standing still," according to a federal report released Thursday on the 2007 crash. The report by the National Transportation Safety Board says the unidentified camper and his companions watched the plane struggle at an altitude of about 11,500 feet as strong winds blew out of the southwest. "It looked like it was standing still due to the wind," the report said. Fossett's widow, Peggy, characterized what was supposed to be a short flight on Sept. 3, 2007, along the rugged eastern Sierra as "a Sunday drive." The fate of the millionaire adventurer was a mystery until a hiker's discovery of some of Fossett's belongings, including two identification cards, in October 2008 ultimately led to the charred wreckage. The report says Fossett died on impact of multiple traumatic injuries. Only tiny bone fragments remained by the time the wreckage was found. The fact-finding report does not include a cause of the crash, but outlines facts discovered during the investigation, including reports of strong winds and previous problems with the plane. It also says that radar tracking initially discounted when Fossett disappeared most likely showed the final path of his plane. The radar tracked a plane as it flew south along the mountain range at 9:07 a.m. It ends abruptly at 9:27 a.m. near the crash site. Among the discoveries amid the shattered wreckage was the emergency release handle for the 63-year-old pilot's door, with the locking pin still in place, the NTSB said. Fossett left the western Nevada ranch owned by his friend Barron Hilton at about 8:30 a.m. in a Bellanca 8KCAB-180, called the "Super Decathalon," for what was supposed to be a quick morning flight followed by lunch. He had logged at least 40 hours in the plane, the report said. Fossett told the Flying M Ranch's chief pilot that he intended to fly along Highway 395. He did not say he would attempt aerobatic maneuvers, as the plane is capable of, nor did he wear a parachute, which would have been required, the report said. When Fossett did not return by 11:30 a.m., a massive search began. Investigators previously said the 10,000-foot peaks near the spot where Fossett crashed were shrouded that day in thunder clouds. Fossett's wreckage was 300 feet from the top, the report said. He had flown nearly 65 miles south to a remote wilderness area near Mammoth Lakes when he apparently turned west to return. Searchers speculated that the Sierra's notorious downdrafts, combined with a loss of power at high altitude, might have made it difficult for Fossett to clear the mountain. Wind speeds of nearly 23 mph, with gusts up to 54 mph, were recorded at 12,300 feet by officials at Mammoth Yosemite Airport around the time of the accident. Strong downdrafts were recorded at between 300 and 400 feet per minute. A pilot who flew his passengers over Yosemite National Park around that time said the smooth ride interrupted by "random rough chop" made for "a weird day" in the air, according to the NTSB. The report also says that the plane had some mechanical problems that had been corrected after a rough landing and contact with a barbed wire fence two months earlier. Mechanics had installed a new propeller and logged nearly a dozen hours before Fossett's fatal flight. Fossett, who made a fortune in the Chicago commodities market, gained worldwide fame for setting records in high-tech balloons, gliders, jets and boats. In 2002, he became the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/05/state/n170841S98 .DTL&type=science *************** Qantas jet plunge blamed on computer A COMPUTER glitch is believed to have contributed to a Qantas jet's wild ride off Western Australia which left 14 passengers seriously injured. Investigators believe the malfunction left the pilots without control of the A330-300 aircraft as it climbed and then plummeted, hurling passengers around. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating Tuesday's incident on a Qantas flight from Singapore to Perth. Initial investigations show that the jet, carrying 303 passengers and 10 crew, was flying at 37,000 feet, 204 kilometres off Carnarvon in Western Australia, when its pilots received an electronic message of an "irregularity" with the elevator control system, the function that sets the stability of an aircraft. The bureau's director of aviation safety investigation, Julian Walsh, said the plane climbed about 100 metres by itself before diving about the same distance. He said some of the passengers and cabin crew were thrown around the cabin, mainly in the rear of the aircraft. The crew sent a mayday call and managed to control the aircraft, before making an emergency landing on an RAAF airstrip at the WA town of Learmonth 40 minutes after the drama began. Fourteen people were taken by air ambulance to Perth with broken bones and cuts. Thirty others were taken to Exmouth Hospital with concussion, minor cuts and fractures. A further 30 were given first aid. The plane is grounded at Learmonth, where seven investigators from the safety bureau will analyse the flight data recorder, which they expect will shed more light on what happened. The bureau will provide a preliminary report within a month. Mr Walsh said there was no indication that the accident was due to a general fault with the five-year-old aircraft, which he said had a good safety record around the world. Maintenance of the aircraft would be assessed as part of the investigation, he said. Qantas said it would refund fares and give passengers travel vouchers equivalent to the value of a flight from Australia to London. Other compensation and medical costs would be assessed on an individual basis. The airline's chief executive, Geoff Dixon, said it was doing everything possible to help the passengers and crew. The incident continues a horror year for Qantas, during which it has been rebuked by the air safety watchdog for a series of maintenance problems. It follows an emergency landing by a Melbourne-bound flight in Manila in July after an oxygen tank exploded, blowing a hole in the plane's fuselage. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the head of the Australian and International Pilots Association, Captain Ian Woods, said the latest accident highlighted the need for passengers to wear seatbelts. http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-jet-plunge-blamed-on-comp uter-20081113-5y5w.html *************** Sea-Tac Airport: 4 more planes targeted by laser SEATAC, Wash. (AP) - A Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesman says at least four more planes have been targeted by a laser beam as they approached the airport to land. Spokesman Perry Cooper says pilots of four planes reported seeing a bright laser light Wednesday night about 9 p.m. while heading south toward the airport. All landed safely. King County sheriff's deputies have searched an area near the north end of the airport. The FBI and Transportation Security Administration have also been notified. Last Sunday night, the crew of a Horizon Airlines plane reported that someone pointed a green laser at them as they approached Sea-Tac. And a dozen planes were targeted on Feb. 22. None of those planes had trouble landing. David Campbell of the Air Line Pilots Association has said that the bright laser light can be a huge distraction to pilots. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-05-sea-tac-lasers_N.htm *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC