22 JUL 2009 _______________________________________ *NTSB Chief Mark V. Rosenker Announced Departure From Board *New regulations coming to an airline near you *Boeing eyes Dreamliner solution *Boeing continues developing 787 wing fix *Brazil Completes TAM Accident Review *Caspian Crash is Iran’s Fourth Involving Tu-154M *Airplane hits pig during landing (India) *Over 200 Exhibitors For India Aviation 2010 *FAA Releases 3407 Air Traffic Control Tapes *IG Report Accuses FAA of Inadequate Charter Oversight *American flight diverted to Tulsa *Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association striving for passengers and air travel safety *Crew member arrested as cocaine found on Ghana-UK flight *Upcoming Events **************************************** NTSB Chief Mark V. Rosenker Announced Departure From Board One Day After Board Member Kathryn Higgins Resigns More turnover is coming to the NTSB. After leading the National Transportation Safety Board for four and a half years, Mark V. Rosenker has announced that he will resign his position as Acting Chairman and Member. He submitted his letter of resignation to President Obama Tuesday, just one day after Board Member Kathryn Higgins turned in a similar letter. Rosenker said he will delay his departure until a new Chairman and an additional Board Member are confirmed to ensure a quorum remains at the Board. In his letter to the President, Rosenker said that the opportunity to serve in and lead the NTSB "has been the highlight of my entire 40-year professional life. It is an agency that truly makes a positive difference every day, saving lives by preventing accidents, not only in our great Nation, but around the world." Rosenker became a Member and the Vice Chairman of the NTSB in March 2003 and became Acting Chairman two years later. He was sworn in as the 11th Chairman of the Safety Board in August 2006, and was renominated by President Bush for a second term as Chairman in October 2007. During his Chairmanship of the Board, the agency marked a number of major transportation safety achievements. In aviation, the Board removed Airliner Fuel Tank Flammability when the Federal Aviation Administration announced a new requirement for inerting fuel systems in newly manufactured airliners. Under his leadership, the Safety Board added important issues to the Most Wanted list to reflect new safety priorities, including Emergency Medical Helicopter Safety, Cell Phone Use by Bus Drivers, Highway Vehicle Anti- collision Technology, On-board Highway Vehicle Recorders, and School Bus Passenger Safety. Chairman Rosenker also improved the Safety Board's financial posture. Among fiscal improvements, he ensured that the NTSB Training Center - which was renamed from the previous NTSB Academy to better reflect the internal training mission of the facility - reduce the operational cost burden to the taxpayer through course fees, short-term rentals and long- term subleases. During his tenure at the Board, the NTSB was presented with new investigative challenges. Among there were a public forum held to bring to the aviation community a broad understanding of the growing Unmanned Aircraft Systems industry, and its more than 3-year investigation into the crash of American Airlines flight 587 in New York provided a new understanding of the consequences of excessive rudder manipulations in transport category airplanes. Mark Rosenker He has been the Board Member on scene for the Safety Board's investigations on many occasions, including the October 2005 capsizing of the passenger vessel Ethan Allen in Lake George, New York that claimed 20 lives; the December 2005 crash of a seaplane in Miami that killed all 20 persons aboard; the August 2007 collapse of an Interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis that killed 13 motorists who were crossing the bridge at the time of the collapse; the June 2008 midair collision of two emergency medical helicopters in Flagstaff, Arizona; and the March 2009 crash of a single- engine plane in Butte, Montana that killed all 14 persons aboard. In March 2007, Rosenker chaired the NTSB's public forum promoting runway safety, held on the 30th anniversary of the deadliest aviation accident in history, a runway collision in the Canary Islands. In May of this year, he chaired the Board's public hearing into the crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, New York that killed 50 people. Rosenker is a retired Major General in the Air Force Reserve. He intends to pursue opportunities in the private sector. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net *************** New regulations coming to an airline near you With universal heath care sucking all the air out of the Capitol, it's easy to forget Congress is busy working on changes to other parts of your life. Flying largely under public radar are ideas — some quite contentious — that road warriors and even occasional travelers should keep an eye on: Airline Passenger Bill of Rights: Code for passengers stuck for hours on planes unable to take off or reach a gate. This provision in the Senate's Federal Aviation Administration funding bill requires that airlines provide adequate food, water and restrooms for people trapped for "excessive periods" in a parked plane. So, what's the problem? Airlines are dead-set against a requirement to let passengers off a plane after three hours unless it would endanger their safety or security. Also, pilots could extend the deadline 30 minutes if they "reasonably believe" the flight will take off within that time. Carriers say forcing aircraft to return to the gate would disrupt airport operations and lead to more canceled flights, abandoning travelers far from home. Last year, Airline Passenger Bill of Rights protections were blocked on the Senate floor. Cell Phones: Who wants to sit for hours beside some stranger arguing loudly with a spouse or gabbing endlessly about, well, anything. House members heard you and put a ban on using cell phones in flight into their FAA bill. The Federal Communications Commission and FAA prohibit the practice. But the European Union gave airlines the green light last year. Irish ultra-low fare airline Ryanair now charges for midair calls, with more carriers ready to follow suit. Carriers offering Wi-Fi say their customers oppose introducing cell phones. But the lure of a possibly lucrative, new income stream might prompt airlines to push for a regulatory change. Cynics suggest airlines could even charge extra to sit in special "no cell phone" zones of the cabin. Airport Tax: Ever wonder about that charge on your ticket that's not federal tax or the security fee? The "passenger facility charge" — PFC in aviation jargon — is a tax airports receive for aviation improvements, such as runways and terminals (but not revenue generators like parking garages). Most airports, including Tampa International, charge the federally allowed maximum of $4.50 per flight segment. The amount hasn't changed since 2001. Airport operators say collections haven't kept pace with construction costs, and through their trade group pushed to raise the cap to $7.50. The House agreed to $7. The Senate bill doesn't include any increase. It would create a pilot program to remove the cap at six airports — but only if they collect PFCs from passengers directly instead of through airline ticket sales. Keep an eye on the fine print. http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/article1020442.ece *************** Boeing eyes Dreamliner solution The Dreamliner project has been regularly behind schedule Planemaker Boeing says it has found a technical solution to a problem which had delayed the appearance of its new 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Last month, Boeing said it would delay the maiden flight of its new Dreamliner 787 aircraft once again. A small area on the 787's upper wing joint needs structural reinforcement, which Boeing will now address. Boeing said second-quarter profits rose 17%, driven by a strong performance from defence and commercial aircraft. Boeing earned $998m (£417m) between April and June, up from $852m in the same period a year before. Sales were up 1% to $17.15bn. 'Financial implications' The firm said it would reveal a new delivery schedule for the 787 in the current financial quarter. "The 787 programme has identified a technical solution to the previously announced requirement to reinforce an area within the side-of-body joint, and is currently evaluating alternative ways to implement that solution," Boeing said in a statement. "The company expects to complete its assessment of the schedule and financial implications during the third quarter." During the second financial quarter the Dreamliner programme had new orders for 13 planes, but orders for 41 planes were cancelled. The firm said that total confirmed orders were now for 850 aircraft from 56 customers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8163038.stm *************** Boeing continues developing 787 wing fix Nearly a month after Boeing postponed initial 787 flight tests, the company continues to work to develop, install and test a fix to launch the test programme. According to a senior programme source: "There is good news and bad news. The good news is we know what to fix, and how to fix it." The bad news, the source adds, is very difficult to get to. Boeing says that revised schedules for first flight and delivery remain under review, as they have been since the company's 23 June announcement of the delay. While the fix is being developed and a final revised schedule finalised for airlines, sources at both Boeing and partner suppliers indicate that the existing production plan has slid roughly one-to-three months for the delivery of airplane ten's components to Everett, even as suppliers continue to prep parts for shipment. The slip, the sources say, allows Boeing to finalise and test the fix, and limit the number of aircraft in final assembly required to undergo the fix in Everett. Airplane Eight, ZA101, is expected to begin final assembly operations before the month is out, with parts for Airplane Nine, ZA102, believed to be arriving beginning in early August. Supplier sources say structural components for Airplane Ten, ZA104, may not arrive until October. The customer ZA-designations are non-sequential. The side-of-body issue was first discovered in late-May during a test that saw lower wing loads than the 21 April test of 120-130% of limit load. That test revealed weakness in the upper section on the stringer caps of the wing-to-body join at the side of body of the aircraft. Boeing engineers are working 80-hour weeks to design the fix that allows the 787 to fly with a robust flight envelope and achieve FAA certification with 150% of limit load on the wing, sources say. For the development of the remedial fix, widely believed to be made of titanium, engineers have to design a modification that avoids two potential challenges down the road. Veteran structural engineers tell ATI that the key to developing a reinforcement centres around ensuring that the loads that caused the initial problem at the site of the wing stringer caps are not redistributed elsewhere causing a further structural issue. Also, as the area is stiffened Boeing engineers must take great care to develop a fix that isn't susceptible to long term fatigue issues that come from the normal structural aging of the aircraft. Several programme sources indicate that August is a crucial month for the wing fix as the development phase moves into the installation phase. Boeing is reiterating that its engineers are "working with urgency", and no internal timeline has been finalised for the testing or duration of the installation of the fix. Sources say the area that will be reinforced at the side of body is extremely tight and difficult to reach as the installation area of the fix will provide very little room to install the fasteners to secure the reinforcement. The installation of the fix may begin as early as the middle of August, with installation times around one month for each already assembled airplane, sources estimate. Boeing has nine 787s at its Everett facility that have gone through, or continue to undergo, final assembly operations, and structural sections for a 10th continue to arrive. ZA001 is expected to leave the flight line for Paint Hangar 45-03 where the first 787 will undergo installation of the fix. ZA002 will remain on the Everett flight line and the area around the side of body will be covered with a tent to protect the aircraft. Even with the remedial fix in the works, a key discussion centres on the future of 787 production and when the permanent fix is designed into the wing-to-body join. Sources say a revision of the upper part of the wing-to-body join is almost certainly necessary to create a permanent long-term solution and eliminate the time consuming installation of the remedial fix. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Brazil Completes TAM Accident Review Brazilian aviation officials say they have completed their accident investigation review of the July 17, 2007, runway overrun of a TAM Airlines Airbus A320, and they are ready to draft the final report. A draft report has now been sent to involved stakeholders for a 60-day comment period before it will be formally released, said Brazilian authorities. The report has been compiled by the Brazilian air force’s Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center. TAM Airlines Flight 3054 was landing at Sao Paulo from Porto Alegre during rainy weather. The aircraft overshot the runway, causing 12 fatalities on the ground and killing all 187 onboard. A separate review by Brazil’s public safety ministry, released last year, identified several failure points, including that airport authorities did not close the airfield and that Airbus didn’t provide alarms to signal the braking system was not fully effective. http://www.aviationweek.com ***************** Caspian Crash is Iran’s Fourth Involving Tu-154M Investigators have begun the hunt for solid clues to the cause of a Caspian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154M accident on July 15, only 16 min. after takeoff from Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport. Flight 7908 crashed in a field near Qazvin, Iran, and all 15 crew and 153 passengers on board were killed in Iran’s fourth accident involving that aircraft type since 2002. On Sept. 1, 2006, an Iran Air Tours Tu-154M crashed near Mashad, killing 176. On Feb. 20, 2002, a Kish Air aircraft was involved in an accident also near Mashad (number of fatalities not indicated in the accident database). And on Feb. 12, 2002, another Iran Tours Tu-154M went down near Sarab-E Dorah, Iran, resulting in 119 fatalities. The 22-year old Caspian Tu-154 was destroyed. It was the first accident for the Tehran-based Caspian Airlines, which was established in 1993 as an Iran-Russia joint venture. According to the airline’s web site, Caspian provides service to major cities in Iran as well as to Armenia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine. The airline noted that as of July 15, it had four Tu-154Ms in operation. http://www.aviationweek.com ************** Airplane hits pig during landing (India) (UKPA) – An aircraft carrying 56 passengers has hit a pig soon after it landed at an Indian airport. The flight was arriving at Nagpur in western India when a group of wild pigs darted across the runway and the Kingfisher aircraft hit one of them. Nagpur was upgraded to an international airport last year, but wild animals including wild boars and deer constantly disrupt operations. **************** Over 200 Exhibitors For India Aviation 2010 NEW DELHI, July 22 (Bernama) -- India, along with its guest partner France, will host the premier India Aviation 2010 in Hyderabad, where more than 200 exhibitors are expected to participate. The second such exhibition, it is organised by India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The event, from March 3-7, is expected to provide a boost to the bruised Indian aviation sector. "The India Aviation 2010 will be a very important milestone as we will be partnering France. France has a huge aviation sector and will be a meaningful partner, with its focus on Europe and the sub-continent," India's Minister of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel said in his address at the launch of the exhibition in Delhi on Wednesday. Terming the aviation sector as the backbone of the Indian economy, Patel said the industry was already showing signs of recovery, despite a dip in passenger volume and financial woes. It includes India's national carrier Air India,suffering close to US$1.4 billion (RM4.9 billion) in losses. "The decline has been addressed.There has been marginal growth. In the coming years, we should be back in the growth trajectory.Better days are ahead," he added. After suffering 12 consecutive months of contraction, from June 2008, the Indian aviation market appears to be on a slightly upbeat mood now. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation's recent report said the air traffic of domestic airlines jumped by 5.7 percent to 3.7 million passengers last June, compared to the same month last year. --BERNAMA ************* FAA Releases 3407 Air Traffic Control Tapes The FAA has released tapes of the air traffic controller and pilot dialogue from the night of February 12th, when Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center. On the three hour-long tapes, co-pilot Rebecca Shaw is heard communicating with air traffic controllers in Cleveland and Buffalo as the Dash 8 plane makes its way into Western New York. Air Traffic Control: "Colgan 3407...Contact tower 1-2-0 Have a good night..." Pilot Shaw: "Same to you...Colgan 3407" Less than two minutes after the air traffic controller in Cleveland directs Flight 3407 to contact the local tower in Buffalo, two air traffic controllers in Buffalo are heard on the tape, frantically trying to get a hold a Flight 3407. ATC 1: "Check Colgan there...what happened..." ATC 2: "I don't see him." ATC 1: "Check em'...see if he's on ya...he's on ya." ATC 1: "Colgan 34 zero 7 approach?" ATC 1: "You got him?" ATC 2: "No. What's his call file?" ATC 1: "Colgan 3407. See if he's on ya..." ATC 1: "Alright, now call him. He just disappeared over the marker... Do you see anything out there?" ATC 2: "Nothing." ATC 1: "Well...they're looking for him." ATC 2: "I don't have him." ATC 1: "See if you got Mercy Flight... and he can get him in the air. He went XXX right over the mark and then I lost everything on him. (breathes) He was right over the mark and then he disappeared." ATC 2: (inaudible) ATC 1: I know...call somebody out...get a helicopter out there or something. ATC 1: "All I can tell you is that there was an aircraft over the mark and we're not talking to them now." Air traffic controllers from both Buffalo and Cleveland are heard on the tapes, asking other pilots if they experienced icing issues in and around the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Most pilots reported small icing issues but nothing major. Captain Marvin Renslow is not heard on any of the three tapes provided by the FAA. http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68768&provider=gnews *************** IG Report Accuses FAA of Inadequate Charter Oversight In a report on the on-demand Part 135 charter industry issued last week, the Department of Transportation Inspector General (IG) concluded that the “FAA does not effectively target inspections to higher-risk on-demand operators” nor provide enough inspector oversight of charter operators in comparison with Part 121 airlines. The IG suggests that if Part 135 on-demand and Part 121 regulations were similar, then some notable accidents might not have occurred. While the IG audit notes that “the number of fatalities from on-demand operations makes it imperative that FAA take action to address these issues,” the IG was not able to analyze Part 135 versus 121 accident rates to support its concerns. The IG audit, said the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association, does not place “enough emphasis on the inherently-more-risky 135 environment. Much of the flying is done in foul weather, on demanding schedules, in relatively unsophisticated aircraft, with a single-pilot. And according to National Air Transportation Association president Jim Coyne, “The IG largely conducts an apples-and-oranges comparison. Part 121 is very homogenous with regard to the types of aircraft and operations. Part 135 contains every possible mission profile and includes single-engine pistons up to large cabin jets. Of course the requirements are going to be different. http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/ig-report-accuses-faa -of-inadequate-charter-oversight/ **************** American flight diverted to Tulsa TULSA, Okla.(AP) — An American Airlines flight from Newark, N.J., to Los Angeles landed safely after being diverted to Tulsa. An airline spokesman says the pilot was diverted to Tulsa International Airport Monday night after reporting unspecified engine problems. The Boeing 767 with 168 passengers and six crew members on board landed about 9:15 p.m. with no injuries reported. The passengers were put on a another airplane and taken on to Los Angeles. ***************** Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association striving for passengers and air travel safety KARACHI, Jul 20, 2009 -- Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA) alleges some elements in PIA management are trying to sabotage our sincere efforts on negotiating working agreement with management to improve flight safety standards for passengers and aircraft safety. PALPA spokesman rejected notion given in press report that portrayed British Airways pilots as patriots as they accepted a pay cut in hard times without analyzing entire agreement under which in lieu of pay cut they would be entitled to own company shares. He said PIA pilots were maligned for putting up demands for salary increase before their management at a time when airline is in trouble. The facts are being distorted. The ongoing tubal flying tussle between the management and PALPA is not specifically for pay raise but is centred on passenger safety and adherence to global safety standards, spokesman stated. The points under discussion with PIA management are: more than 2 sectors flight with single crew at night, more then 3 sectors flight with multiple crew exceeding normal duty hours, minimum rest for pilots before flights, proper call mechanism for flight duties etc. We must not compare PIA with BA that is being operated transparently and professionally. PIA woes are due to non-transparent procedures in operations and procurement. These were compounded by recession in aviation industry. The point is how private domestic airlines are in better position than PIA?. PIA pilots accepted 40% cut in salaries in 2001, as compared to 2.61% cut in BA pilots which media is terming as patriotic gesture while no one called our pilots patriots, in order to provide a chance to administration to put its house in order and streamline operations of PIA. We in 2006 again agreed to have salaries adjusted and restructured which in terms of taxes helped us and management and could not be called salary increase. He said quality of equipment, maintenance of aircraft, their radars or overworking crucial human resource that could risk aircraft safety cannot be compromised. Continuous grounding of aircraft on non availability of spares and other issues are not tolerated in airlines like BA. BA pilots will take wage cut of 2.61% percent on their basic pay in October 2009 and 20% cut in flying time allowances which will generate 16 million of annual savings. productivity part of this package includes increase in annual duty hours, delivery of shorter turnaround times on short haul flights, reduction to crew arrangements on certain long haul routes which will generate 10 million of annual savings. Can PIA management come up with this type of package?, PALPA spokesman added. http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2433506/ ******************* Crew member arrested as cocaine found on Ghana-UK flight Law enforcement personnel at London Gatwick have arrested an airline crew member after seizing drugs carried on a Ghana International Airlines flight. UK Border Agency officers discovered about 1kg of cocaine in baggage that had arrived on a service from Accra. The agency has not confirmed the crew member's position, nor clarified whether they were working for Ghana International or serving as crew on the inbound flight. "The crew member arrested is now being held in custody and will be interviewed by HM Revenue & Customs investigation officers," says a spokesman for the Border Agency. Yesterday's arrest follows two similar high-profile detention of several crew members on South African Airways flights into London Heathrow during January and February, after discoveries of drugs in luggage. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Upcoming Events July 27-Aug. 2—EAA AirVenture. Oshkosh, Wis. See www.airventure.org Sept. 2–3—21st Annual FAA/Air Transport Assn. International Symposium. Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego. Call +1 (304) 872-5670 or see www.airlines.org/2009hfsymposium Sept. 7-10—Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress. Asia World Expo. Hong Kong (SAR China) See www.asianaerospace.com Sept. 14-18-International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) 2009 Seminar. Orlando, FL. See: http://www.isasi2009.org/ Sept. 21-24—Air Transport Assn.’s 52nd Annual Forum on Non-Destructive Testing. Westin Peachtree Hotel, Atlanta. Call +1 (202) 626-4000 or see www.airlines.org/2009NDTForum Nov. 2-5-International Air Safety Seminar (IASS), Flight Safety Foundation. Beijing, China. See: http://www.flightsafety.org/seminars.html#iass ***************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC