03 APR 2009 _______________________________________ *787 flight test aircraft not allocated to customers *Air Charters Had Deadliest Year Since 2000 *NTSB: AVIATION ACCIDENT STATISTICS FOR 2008 *NTSB: 2008 Aviation Accident Statistics Show 'Mixed Picture' *NTSB TO MEET ON AA JETLINER ACCIDENT INVOLVING ENGINE FIRE *NTSB Will Meet On September 2007 MD-82 Engine Fire, Landing Gear Failure *Report: Pilot 'gave no reason' for trying to divert plane *Chinese Female pilots to make debut in historic parade *Roseville (CA) Man Indicted In Laser Case *Homemade E-Bombs Could Bring Down Airplanes, Terrorism Experts Warn *Plane lands at Australia Airport after hit by lightning *Group sues to force FAA implementation of safety proposals *ERA calls for centralised European aircraft registry *FAA mandates GE CF34 changes stemming from Pinnacle crash *House aviation leaders call for icing hearing *Cargojet earns IATA safety certification **************************************** 787 flight test aircraft not allocated to customers Boeing has confirmed that the first six 787 test flight aircraft, once destined for customers ANA, Delta Airlines and Royal Air Maroc are no longer assigned to specific airlines. "As we made adjustments to the latest delivery schedule, our customers had the opportunity to take production airplanes that better suited their business needs for a variety of reasons, including schedule," said Boeing. But the airframer remains confident of placing the six refurbished flight test aircraft with customers. Morocco's Royal Air Maroc has also moved into the early production stream assuming ownership of two delivery spots previously held by Air China and China Eastern, with JAL taking an additional Dreamliner from another spot held by China Eastern. In addition, this new information appears to confirm that Delta Air Lines, which excluded 18 787s from an order table listed in a recent US Securities and Exchange Commission filing, does not intend to be an early 787 customer, even though the airline confirms that it retains firm orders for the type. According to the schedule of the first 30 aircraft, Qantas and Air India have assumed control of spots previously held by Delta. The Australian airline, which will use the aircraft in its low-cost Jetstar subsidiary, previously expected to receive three 787s over three months, will now take delivery of its first five 787s over four months. Boeing expects to fly the first 787 by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2009. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Air Charters Had Deadliest Year Since 2000 Accidents on charter flights killed 66 people in the United States last year, the highest total since 2000, transportation safety officials said yesterday. The air charter category includes medical helicopters, tour flights and air taxis. That toll compared with 43 air-charter deaths in 2007, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's annual review of aviation accident statistics. The agency recently put the spotlight on the safety of medevac helicopter services. Those helicopters were involved in four accidents last year, resulting in 15 deaths. That included a crash in Prince George's County that killed four people. The safety board's figures showed that general aviation remained the deadliest form of air travel, accounting for 495 of the 564 fatalities in U.S. civil aviation last year. There were 1,559 accidents last year in general aviation, which includes a variety of personal and business flights not run by the commercial airlines. Large commercial carriers were involved in 20 accidents last year, down from 26. There were no deaths. They 753 million passengers on 10.6 million flights. Commuter airlines, which often fly smaller aircraft, made 581,000 flights. They had seven accidents in 2008, none of them fatal. There were three deaths in cargo-related accidents. Commercial aviation in the United States had been having an uncommonly quiet period, as measured by aviation deaths, for the past two years, but that ended with two high-profile accidents this year. In February, a commuter turboprop crashed into a home outside Buffalo, killing 50 people. Last month, a small plane crashed in Butte, Mont., resulting in 14 deaths, including several children. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040203 740.html?hpid=sec-health *************** NTSB: AVIATION ACCIDENT STATISTICS FOR 2008 Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board today released preliminary aviation accident statistics for the 2008 calendar year, showing improvements in some industry sectors but increased accident rates in others. "While the overall aviation safety record in the United States is among the best in the world, the 2008 accident statistics reveal a mixed picture," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "We are particularly concerned with the spike in fatalities in on-demand air charter operations. There's a lot of room for improvement in this area, and as evidenced by our recent forum on emergency medical service helicopter accidents, we continue to do everything we can to identify the safety issues involved, and to advocate for the adoption of our recommendations that will make the skies safer." On-demand flight operations (classified by regulators as operating under the federal code 14 CFR Part 135), which include air medical, air taxi and air tour flights, logged over 3.6 million flight hours and had 56 accidents, killing 66 people - the highest number of fatalities since 2000; there were 43 fatalities in 2007. The accident rate per 100,000 flight hours (1.52) remained virtually unchanged from 2007 (1.54). The number of accidents involving large commercial carriers (Part 121) was 28 in both 2008 and 2007. In both scheduled and non-scheduled services, the airlines carried 753 million passengers on over 10.8 million flights without a passenger fatality. In 2008, commuter airlines (also operating under Part 135 in the federal code) that typically fly smaller turboprop aircraft made 581,000 flights, logging over 290,000 hours. These operators had seven accidents, none of which resulted in fatalities. This is an increase from three accidents in 2007. In general aviation, there were 1,559 accidents, 275 of which involved fatalities, killing a total of 495 - one fewer than the previous year. The GA accident rate per 100,000 flight hours was 7.11, up from 6.92 in 2007. In the last 20 years, the highest accident rate was 9.08 in 1994; the lowest rate was 6.33 in 2006. Federal legislation defines an aircraft accident as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. The 2008 statistical tables are available at http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/stats.htm ### NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson (202) 314-6100 peter.knudson@ntsb.gov ************* NTSB: 2008 Aviation Accident Statistics Show 'Mixed Picture' Notes Spike In Fatalities Among Part 135 Ops; GA Accident Rate Climbs Per Hours Flown The National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday its preliminary aviation accident statistics for the 2008 calendar year, showing improvements in some industry sectors but increased accident rates in others. "While the overall aviation safety record in the United States is among the best in the world, the 2008 accident statistics reveal a mixed picture," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "We are particularly concerned with the spike in fatalities in on-demand air charter operations. There's a lot of room for improvement in this area, and as evidenced by our recent forum on emergency medical service helicopter accidents, we continue to do everything we can to identify the safety issues involved, and to advocate for the adoption of our recommendations that will make the skies safer." On-demand flight operations (classified by regulators as operating under the federal code 14 CFR Part 135), which include air medical, air taxi and air tour flights, logged over 3.6 million flight hours and had 56 accidents, killing 66 people - the highest number of fatalities since 2000; there were 43 fatalities in 2007. The accident rate per 100,000 flight hours (1.52) remained virtually unchanged from 2007 (1.54). The number of accidents involving large commercial carriers (Part 121) was 28 in both 2008 and 2007. In both scheduled and non-scheduled services, the airlines carried 753 million passengers on over 10.8 million flights without a passenger fatality. In 2008, commuter airlines (also operating under Part 135 in the federal code) that typically fly smaller turboprop aircraft made 581,000 flights, logging over 290,000 hours. These operators had seven accidents, none of which resulted in fatalities. This is an increase from three accidents in 2007. In general aviation, there were 1,559 accidents, 275 of which involved fatalities, killing a total of 495 -- one fewer than the previous year. The GA accident rate per 100,000 flight hours was 7.11, up from 6.92 in 2007. In the last 20 years, the highest accident rate was 9.08 in 1994; the lowest rate was 6.33 in 2006. Federal legislation defines an aircraft accident as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. FMI: www.ntsb.gov/aviation/stats.htm aero-news.net ************** NTSB TO MEET ON AA JETLINER ACCIDENT INVOLVING ENGINE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RETURN TO AIRPORT The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting on its investigation into an accident in which the crew of an American Airlines jetliner, which experienced an engine fire shortly after take-off, declared an emergency and returned to the airport. No one was injured in the accident. The purpose of the meeting will be to determine the probable cause of the accident and to consider proposed safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood of future such mishaps. The meeting will be held in Washington on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. ET, in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W. On September 28, 2007, at 1:13 p.m. CDT, American Airlines flight 1400, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N454AA, experienced an in-flight left engine fire during departure climb from the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL). During the return to STL, the nose landing gear failed to extend, and a go-around was executed. The flight crew conducted an emergency landing, and the two flight crewmembers, three flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned on the runway. No occupant injuries were reported, but the airplane sustained substantial damage. A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board's website at http://www.ntsb.gov/Events/Boardmeeting.htm. Technical support details are available under "Board Meetings." To report any problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for Webcast Technical Support. A summary of the Board's final report, which will include its findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later. Directions to the NTSB Board Room: Front door located on Lower 10th Street, directly below L'Enfant Plaza. From Metro, exit L'Enfant Plaza station at 9th and D Streets escalator, walk through shopping mall, at the CVS store (on the left), and take escalator (on the right) down one level. The Board room will be to your left. ### Media Contact: Peter Knudson 202-314-6100 peter.knudson@ntsb.gov *************** NTSB Will Meet On September 2007 MD-82 Engine Fire, Landing Gear Failure American Airlines Jet Made Safe Emergency Landing At STL The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public Board meeting next week on its investigation into a 2007 accident inwhich the crew of an American Airlines MD-82, which experienced an engine fire shortly after take-off, declared an emergency and returned to the airport. No one was injured in the accident. The purpose of the meeting will be to determine the probable cause of the accident and to consider proposed safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood of future such mishaps. It will be held Tuesday, April 7 in Washington, DC As ANN reported, on September 28, 2007 American Airlines flight 1400, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) experienced an in-flight left engine fire during departure climb from the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL). During the return to STL, the nose landing gear failed to extend... and a one-engine go-around was executed. The flight crew conducted an emergency landing, and the two flight crewmembers, three flight attendants, and 138 passengers deplaned on the runway. No occupant injuries were reported, but the airplane sustained substantial damage. A summary of the Board's final report, which will include its findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later. FMI: www.ntsb.gov AERO-NEWS.NET *************** Report: Pilot 'gave no reason' for trying to divert plane Preliminary report sheds light on crash that killed 14 people in Butte, Montana Investigators probe what role overloading or weather may have played in March crash Report: Diversion to Butte "cleared at pilot's discretion" moments before crash (CNN) -- The pilot of a plane that crashed last month in Montana twice requested a change of destination in radio comments to air traffic controllers but "gave no reason for the diversion," according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board issued Thursday. A witness in Butte, Montana, took this photo shortly after the plane crash on March 22. Fourteen people were killed when the plane slammed into a cemetery March 22 in Butte, and investigators immediately began focusing on why the pilot asked to divert the flight from Bozeman, Montana, to Butte, 80 miles to the west. The report said the single engine-Pilatus PC-12/45 was carrying people to a ski vacation. The plane originally departed Redlands, California, for Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville, California, where passengers were picked up. It then went to Oroville, California, to pick up more passengers. The pilot left Oroville at 12:10 p.m. local time, with Bozeman as the destination and Butte as the alternate, according to an instrument flight rules flight plan the pilot filed. The pilot requested to divert to Butte at 2:03 p.m. and "was cleared at pilot's discretion to descend to 14,000 feet." The pilot two minutes later again requested to divert to Butte. The report said that at 2:27 p.m., controllers asked the pilot whether he had the airport in sight and "the pilot indicated he had one more cloud to maneuver around." A minute later, the pilot reported the airport in sight and controllers "terminated radar service." At 2:29 p.m., air traffic control "called the aircraft in the blind with no response," and the accident was reported four minutes later. The aircraft slammed into a cemetery about 500 feet short of the Butte airport. "Initial reports from ground witnesses indicate that the airplane was flying approximately 300 feet above ground level in a north-northwesterly direction. Shortly thereafter, the airplane's nose pitched to a nose-low attitude and it impacted the ground. One witness with aviation experience reported that the airplane was west of the runway centerline and appeared too high to land on the runway," the report said. "The witness then saw the airplane bank to the left and fly farther west when it rolled, pitched down and descended out of his view. Although there is no air traffic control tower at Butte, the local fixed base operator lineman was monitoring the radio as the airplane approached the airport. He heard the pilot transmit that he would be landing on runway 33." Investigators also were looking into whether the single-engine plane was overloaded and what role weather may have played in the accident. The preliminary NTSB report said "visual meteorological conditions prevailed" at both Bozeman and Butte. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/02/montana.butte.crash.report/index.html *************** Chinese Female pilots to make debut in historic parade (China Daily) - All 16 women, who range from 21 to 24 years old, graduated with distinction in five final assessments after 44 months of training at the Third Flying College, the First Flying College and the Aviation University of People's Liberation Army Air Force, reported Xinhua News Agency. And their reward will be becoming the first female pilots involved in the National Day celebrations, which this year will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China. Deng Changyou, political commissar for the air force who attended the pilots' graduation ceremony, said China had finally fulfilled a dream, while an official who refused to be named told Xinhua: "Due to the improvements in flying ability, the accumulation of training experience and modern military needs, we've started to train women combat pilots and the air force plans to increase their numbers to enable women to enter all areas of military service." The 16 newly qualified pilots all underwent 28 months of basic training, which included parachute jumping and field survival training at the in Aviation University of the China Air Force, as well as 16 months of flight training. Each now has an average of 135 hours of personal flight time. Zhao Jingbo, deputy director for military training at the air force command, said they had also passed comprehensive examinations on political and military theory, flight skills, management and mental health. So far, 545 female trainees have enrolled at the air force college, with 328 having graduated and 52 now working in air transport, according to official statistics. "With our strict training regime, female pilots can do what men can do," added Wu Huiming, dean of the third flying college. As well as China, 15 other countries allow women to fly fighter jets, including Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Israel, Pakistan and the United States, the latter having trained nearly 300 since females were permitted to enroll at its military flight schools in 1976. Following the end of the Cold War, China has initiated several development projects, such as the Jian-10 and Jian-11 aircraft. Another low-cost, light jet fighter, the FC-1 has also been developed for both the international and domestic markets. *************** Roseville Man Indicted In Laser Case ROSEVILLE, Calif. -- A Roseville man has been indicted for shining a laser at two aircraft. On Thursday, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment for Balltazar Valladares, 29. Police said Valladares shined a powerful handheld green laser into the cockpit of a plane headed to Sacramento International Airport that had 137 people onboard. Valladares then shined the laser at a law enforcement helicopter sent to investigate the laser hit on the jetliner, police said. Roseville police officers arrested Valladares and recovered a laser from his home. Officials said brief exposure to a laser can cause temporary visual impairments and the beam reflects all over the cockpit. http://www.kcra.com/news/19081862/detail.html ************** Homemade E-Bombs Could Bring Down Airplanes, Terrorism Experts Warn (ChattahBox) - A frightening report in the New Scientist magazine warns that commercial airplanes are vulnerable to homemade electromagnetic pulse weapons, also called "e-bombs." Yael Shahar, director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, Israel, believes aircraft can be brought down by e-bombs, made from readily available materials, such as components from digital cameras, using instructions available on the Internet. A single microwave pulse, aimed at an airplane from the ground as it tries to land, or blasted from inside a plane can fry all of the plane's electronics, with catastrophic results. Both the U.S. and Russia have electromagnetic pulse (EMP) warheads that blast hundreds of electrical volts into the atmosphere, which disable electrical systems, from car electronics to public transit systems and anything containing a microchip. Newer aircraft are particularly vulnerable, because of the use of carbon-reinforced fuselages, instead of metal, which are more susceptible to disruption from an electromagnetic pulse. Aircraft experts say newer planes should have some sort of metal shielding to protect them from e-bomb attacks. It's unlikely scientists say that a homemade device could be smuggled onto an airliner, because its size would be too large to conceal. It's much more likely a terrorist would attempt to use an e-bomb device from the ground. Governments are aware of the potential threat to aircraft from an e-bomb pulse and are taking steps to minimize the risk. http://chattahbox.com/technology/2009/04/02/homemade-e-bombs-could-bring-dow n-airplanes-terrorism-experts-warn/ *************** Plane lands at Australia Airport after hit by lightning CANBERRA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A Virgin Blue jet on its way from Melbourne to Launceston has been forced to make an emergency landing at Melbourne Airport after being struck by lightning, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported on Friday. Virgin Blue flight DJ137, which was carrying 117 passengers and six crew, has detected an emergency signal soon after takeoff on Friday and returned to land safely, an airport spokeswoman said, adding that no one was injured. The plane was hit by lightning a number of times 10 minutes into the flight, the Nine Network said. **************** Group sues to force FAA implementation of safety proposals The National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation has filed suit in a Washington, D.C., federal court to make the Federal Aviation Administration carry out its runway safety and flight-in-icing recommendations. NADA/F says in its lawsuit: "As a direct result of the DOT and FAA refusal to adopt the safety recommendations, hundreds of lives have been needlessly lost in 'deja vu' disasters that are repeat occurrences of known aviation safety flaws." Aviation International News (04/2009) Washington Post, The (04/02) http://www.smartbrief.com/news/ata/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=B1ECE392-C654-4F 14-B3BE-0AFB16104635©id=643AC418-8A7B-4BF7-9BEC-5CFBDFD7F958 ***************** ERA calls for centralised European aircraft registry European Regions Airline Association (ERA) is calling on the European Commission to set up a centralised aircraft registry to cut complexity and reduce costs. It has also reiterated its call for a unified accident investigation agency. Speaking during the organisation's regional airline conference in Warsaw, ERA director general Mike Ambrose argued that European liberalisation had eliminated the need for individual national aircraft registries. "What is the point?" he asked. Some national civil aviation authorities require aircraft modifications to meet their registry requirements but, under the free market, aircraft from other European countries can enter the market and operate even domestic services. "There is no justification for not having a European aircraft registry," argues Ambrose. He adds that the absence of a central registry places an unnecessary burden on the industry, through modification costs and taxes applied to inter-country aircraft movements. ERA is also calling for a centralised air accidents investigation bureau. "What is disappointing is that there is the impression that Brussels is continuing, almost without looking out of the window," says Ambrose. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ****************** FAA mandates GE CF34 changes stemming from Pinnacle crash The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has concluded that "excessive" friction between the static and rotating portions of a certain seal inside the General Electric CF34 turbofan engine under certain high-power, high-altitude conditions is unsafe and must be corrected. A final rule to be published tomorrow calls on US operators of some 2,450 CF34 engines to replace the original 4-step air balance piston seals with 8-step seals at the next life-limited parts replacement interval, a relatively inexpensive modification expected to take five hours per engine. The issue gained prominence in the investigation of the Pinnacle Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 crash in 2004. Both pilots were killed during the repositioning flight after purposefully stalling the aircraft at 41,000ft and experiencing a dual flameout that resulted in core lock of both engines. The crew initially misreported the situation to air traffic controllers, and ultimately failed to restart the engines. The aircraft crash-landed short of the airport in a Missouri neighbourhood. According the FAA, GE had found during the post-crash investigation "that under certain high-power, high-altitude engine shutdown events, interference between the rotating and stationary portions of the CF34's 4-step air balance piston seal can develop". After the airworthiness directive was first proposed in July 2008, the engine manufacturer requested that the FAA remove references to "excessive friction" in the seal. Instead GE said it would be "more accurate" to say that by reducing the friction, the modification would enhance the ability to restart an engine after flameout. GE also asked that the FAA change the AD's incident description stating "both engines experienced high-altitude flameouts" to reflect the fact that the engines flamed out after the pilots performed a high-altitude stall and upset. The FAA rebuffed GE on both requests however, saying that GE's proposed wording regarding "reduced friction" would suggest the seal change out "may not be adequate to address the inability to restart (the engines) due to the friction". Commenting on the AD GE says it respectfully disagrees that there is an unsafe condition in the engine, noting the rulemaking is a response to "an engine condition that is extremely rare". Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** House aviation leaders call for icing hearing Two senior aviation subcommittee members in the US House of Representatives are calling for a congressional hearing to explore aircraft icing hazards and "the steps being taken to address this potentially deadly risk," according to the 30 March request to House Transportation and Infrastructure committee leaders. Representatives John Mica and Thomas Petri point to a long-standing most-wanted request by the US National Transportation Safety Board to reduce the dangers of aircraft flying in icing conditions as well press accounts of icing as being a "potential factor" in two recent high profile fatal crashes as justification for the hearing. The letter specifically mentions the Colgan Air Bombardier Q400 crash near Buffalo, New York, on 12 February that killed 50, and the crash of a privately operated Pilatus PC-12 in Butte, Montana, on 22 March that killed 14. Federal investigators recently downplayed the likely contribution of icing in the Colgan crash, saying there did not appear to be any icing protection system failures before the accident and that modelling and simulation efforts "indicate that icing had a minimal impact on the stall speed of the airplane". The Board has called for a public meeting in mid-May to review the Colgan crash investigation factual findings to date. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Cargojet earns IATA safety certification Canadian operator Cargojet has received safety certification from IATA after completing the operational safety audit designed by the association. Officially called the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the programme assesses operational management and control systems of an airline. Independent IOSA-certified auditors completed the review of Cargojet during the past few months as they examined flight and maintenance operations and management practices. The auditors flew on Cargojet flights, evaluated security and observed aircraft loading. Additionally, they reviewed company manuals. Cargojet last month agreed to buy the remaining 49% stake in its regional freight transport partner Prince Edward Air after buying 51% of the company in 2008. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC