24 JUL 2009 _______________________________________ *Helicopter crashes onto Md. interstate, killing 4 *FAA Seeks Mandatory Engine Fixes on Certain Boeing 777 Jets *Engineers Say Dreamliner May Not Fly This Year *Qatar CEO to meet with Boeing tomorrow to discuss 787 deliveries *Embry-Riddle Launches Its First Two Ph.D. Degree Programs *Indonesian Airlines Should Merge to Boost Safety, Minister Says *FAA Makes Statement on first regional airline safety forum *UAL names new president for United Airlines *Virgin Nigeria's ex-chief to head Emirates in UK *Aeroflot postpones A320 deliveries but plans to lease MD-11s *Italy grounds MyAir over mounting financial problems **************************************** Helicopter crashes onto Md. interstate, killing 4 SMITHSBURG, Md.(AP) - A commercial helicopter crashed onto a western Maryland interstate highway and burst into flames late Thursday, killing all four people on board, emergency officials said. The aircraft was engulfed when firefighters arrived at the scene minutes after receiving a call at 10:30 p.m., said Washington County emergency services director Kevin Lewis. No vehicles on the highway were hit when the helicopter smashed into the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70. Visibility was somewhat limited by fog at the time of the crash, but it wasn't clear if weather played a role, Lewis said. Storms had passed through the area earlier in the night. Lewis said a witness saw the craft flying low when a bright arc of electricity flashed in the air, apparently caused by the helicopter striking a power line. It wasn't clear if the craft was already on its way down when it hit the lines. "The witness basically saw a large arc at which point the helicopter crashed onto the interstate," Lewis said. Before seeing the arc, the witness thought the helicopter might have been trying to land along the roadway. Troopers temporarily shut down lanes in both directions at the crash site near Smithsburg, which is about 10 miles east of Hagerstown, and Lewis said there were downed power lines in the interstate. The highway was reopened early Friday. Wreckage could be seen just off the shoulder of the three eastbound lanes. A blade jutted out from twisted metal. The wreckage is almost directly beneath a set of power lines. Federal Aviation Administration records list the owner of the four-seat Robinson R44 helicopter as Marsan Aviation Inc., of Wilmington, Del. Telephone messages weren't immediately returned early Friday by an attorney for Marsan listed in FAA records. Maryland State police, who are in charge of the investigation, declined to release the victims' names until family members were notified. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were also at the scene west of the Washington County-Frederick County line, on the western slope of a ridge known as South Mountain. Maryland State police spokesman Greg Shipley said the bodies were being taken to the state medical examiner in Baltimore. Any information about the owner of the aircraft and the cause of the crash will come from NTSB, which will conduct a briefing Friday morning at the Hagerstown Regional Airport. ***** Date: 23-JUL-2009 Time: 2230 Type: Robinson R44 Operator: Marsan Aviation Inc. Registration: N7189W C/n / msn: 0324 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Interstate 70 near Smithsburg, Maryland - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The helicopter crashed into Interstate 70 and burst into flames, killing all four aboard, after having struck power lines. The helicopter was destroyed. (aviation-safety.net) **************** FAA Seeks Mandatory Engine Fixes on Certain Boeing 777 Jets By ANDY PASZTOR U.S. aviation regulators, prompted by the 2008 crash landing of a British Airways Plc jetliner near London, proposed mandatory safety fixes Thursday intended to prevent ice accumulation inside the fuel systems of certain Boeing 777 aircraft. Such problems can lead to dangerous reductions in engine thrust. Following the lead of European air-safety regulators who took similar action earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a directive requiring installation of redesigned oil-cooler systems on certain Boeing 777s by January 2011. Affecting roughly 50 of the widebody aircraft registered in the U.S. and equipped with engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce Plc, the changes are designed to prevent ice from plugging up fuel-system piping. The changes affect parts that cool engine oil and also heat fuel before it enters the engines. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines is a major operator of Roll-Royce equipped Boeing 777s. Twice since January 2008, Boeing 777 jetliners equipped with Rolls-Royce engines and operated by other airlines have experienced so-called thrust rollbacks. In January 2008, a British Airways jet slammed into the ground at London's Heathrow International Airport after both engines reduced thrust substantially without any command from the pilots. The plane crashed short of a runway and was badly damaged. All 152 aboard survived. Investigators concluded that the Jan. 17, 2008 accident occurred because ice built up in a portion of the long-range jet's fuel system during a polar flight from China in unusually cold outside temperatures. When pilots commanded an increase in thrust while approaching the runway, the ice dislodged and ended up blocking fuel flow to both engines. In its proposed safety directive Thursday, the FAA said "this type of icing was previously unknown." The move comes four months after the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board issued urgent recommendations to redesign the oil-cooler system on Rolls-Royce's widely used Trent 800 engine model. Earlier this year, Boeing and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic issued warnings and interim operational changes to prevent internal ice accumulation from blocking fuel flow to such engines. Rolls-Royce officials have declined to comment on the issue. During the first few months of the investigation, Britain's top air-safety watchdog said a redesign of the oil-cooler system probably wouldn't be necessary. Since then, however, laboratory tests and data analyses convinced industry and government investigators that design changes are the only sure way to prevent a repeat of dangerous engine malfunctions. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124839381970977579.html *************** Engineers Say Dreamliner May Not Fly This Year Structural Problems More Difficult To Repair Than Originally Thought Two engineers with knowledge of the situation say that the structural issues with the B787 Dreamliner are more complex than originally described by Boeing, and the maiden flight of the aircraft could still be months or more in the future. The engineers told The Seattle Times that the issue involves an area where the wing joins the fuselage, caused by high stress loads at the ends of the stringers in the upper skin of the wing. As the wings flex during flight, the stress loads could cause the composite stringers to delaminate from the skin. This condition occurred during wing flex tests. The engineers said while this is not likely to lead to a catastrophic failure of the wing, it would require constant and expensive monitoring and repair over the aircraft's life. The repair as described to the paper by the engineers is extensive, and involves someone inside the wing of the aircraft first relieving and then reinforcing the stress points. They said the repair would need to be completed on the non-flying test aircraft before proceeding on to the flight-test models. The delamination showed up during the maximum load test of the wing, which the engineers said is 50 percent higher that is expected in normal operation, though it is unknown if it began at lower stresses and was masked by titanium components in the wing. The repair will have to be monitored at every stress level during subsequent tests. The engineers told the Times that Boeing's focus now is on repairing the current Dreamliners so testing can resume, and that it has not been determined at what point in the production process a permanent fix would be implemented. FMI: www.boeing.com aero-news.net *************** Qatar CEO to meet with Boeing tomorrow to discuss 787 deliveries Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is meeting with Boeing officials tomorrow to discuss the latest delays to the Boeing 787 programme, and possible changes to the carrier's 787 delivery schedule that could result in deliveries from 2011. Speaking to reporters at last month's Paris Air Show Baker warned the carrier may cancel its 30-aircraft 787 order if the airframer does not quickly resolve delay issues. At a media briefing in Washington DC today, Al Baker says Boeing has responded to this warning by scheduling a meeting with the carrier. "The meeting is at their request because they are now concerned which way Qatar Airways will go," Al Baker says. "They are taking a very proactive stand with Qatar Airways." Al Baker says "there are a few issues we will discuss with them" including the latest delays in the 787 test programme and the possibility of assuming earlier delivery slots. He says Qatar's first 787 is now scheduled to be roughly the 50th production aircraft to roll off the assembly line, but there should be an opportunity to move up as airlines ahead of Qatar have requested deferrals. Qatar's first 787 was originally scheduled for delivery in mid 2010, but programme delays have pushed back all deliveries by at least two years. Al Baker is now asking for slots in 2011 and says if Boeing can only offer 2012 deliveries it may cancel its entire order. "If it slips into 2012 for delivery then we'll have to consider cancelling our order," he says. "We'll have to consider [cancelling] because if there is another big slippage the deliveries will be at the same we are receiving this large order of A350s and the A350 mission will be very close to the 787. If there's a huge overlap then why am I buying two types of airplanes that are doing the same mission?" Qatar has 100 A350s on order. Its 787 order is for 30 firm aircraft plus 30 options. The carrier had been planning to use the 787 to replace its A330s on medium-haul routes and open new long-haul markets. Al Baker says the A350 will be used for similar routes but Qatar decided initially to also acquire 787s because it needed additional capacity earlier. "We'll start getting the A350 during the last quarter of 2013 if they are on time," he says. "I think there could be a six month slippage maximum, but at the same time I feel more confident Airbus will deliver on time due to the fact they're learning huge lessons from the mistake Boeing has made." Al Baker believes 2011 deliveries for the 787 are still feasible despite the latest delays in the aircraft's first flight. He explains while aircraft number 50 may now not be delivered until after 2011 Qatar should be able to move up to a 2011 slot because airlines which are now ahead of it no longer want their 787s until after 2011. "The people that are committed to the airplanes before us are not taking those airplanes," he explains. He adds Qatar should be in position to receive these slots because "others that have ordered after us don't have the right" to move up and take these slots. Al Baker says Qatar will not accept any early production aircraft because these will be heavier and will have performance limitations. But he believes Qatar can move up to 2011 slots without having to take any of these early aircraft. He says last month Qatar was "about to send [Boeing] a letter of termination" but Boeing's response since his comments at Paris gives him hope the manufacturer may be able to provide the delivery slots and "other technical requirements" Qatar seeks. "They knew that when Qatar Airways says something it's not just talk but we will follow it up with our decision," he says. He would not specify what new technical requirements Qatar wants Boeing to meet, explaining they are confidential and customer specific. But he says they do not involve performance guarantees because these are already specified in the original contract. "We have very water tight performance guarantees they will have to meet or else they will have to keep on giving us cash," Al Baker warns. He says if Qatar fails to provide the delivery slots and technical requirements it seeks the Qatar government's new aircraft leasing company could take over the order and remarket the 30 787s to other airlines. "Or we'll just cancel it to send a message to Boeing that they shouldn't mess around with customers," Al Baker quickly adds. The Qatar Airways chief believes Boeing knew about the delays at Paris although it did not announce them until the following week. Al Baker also criticises Boeing for not taking steps earlier to mitigate the delays. "Boeing has lost leadership. The mess of this programme should have been corrected a long time ago," he claims, adding Qatar had a better relationship with Boeing when Alan Mulally was still CEO. "I'm having a meeting with Boeing here [Washington, DC] tomorrow. They will have to brief me exactly where this programme is," Al Baker adds. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Embry-Riddle Launches Its First Two Ph.D. Degree Programs Curricula Designed To Meet New Challenges In Aviation/Aerospace Industry To serve the need for more broadly educated experts in the aviation and aerospace industries, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is launching its first two Ph.D. degree programs - in Aviation and Engineering Physics. The new degrees take the university's unique approach to education, a blend of theory and applied research, to the highest level. Embry-Riddle's Ph.D. in Aviation is the only one in the United States. Approval to offer the new doctoral programs was granted by the university's accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. "This approval to offer the Ph.D. is a historic moment for Embry-Riddle," said John P. Johnson, president of the university. "It moves us to a new level of scholarly pursuit that will result in a more robust research program. It also allows Embry-Riddle to participate more fully in the national aviation and aerospace conversation." Embry-Riddle Campus The Ph.D. in Aviation is designed for working professionals who seek to enhance their contribution to the aviation and aerospace organizations that employ them. The program combines advanced analytical and research tools with a broad understanding of the issues affecting the aviation industry. Students in the Ph.D. in Aviation program will conduct research on challenges faced by their employers, ranging from airline fuel hedging, ticket pricing, and route scheduling to pilot training and safety curriculums, customer services, and lean manufacturing processes. Courses for the Ph.D. in Aviation are offered online to enable working professionals to pursue the degree without disrupting their full-time work schedules. Students also complete a six-day residency experience each year they are in the program; residencies are offered at an Embry-Riddle campus and are designed to allow students to interact with faculty, yet minimize the impact on their professional schedules. Embry-Riddle's Ph.D. in Engineering Physics builds on the university's solid program of space research, which is funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Air Force, and other agencies. Faculty researchers probe Earth's upper atmosphere for clues about global warming, as well as space weather events like solar storms that can compromise satellite systems and disrupt power grids and pipelines. Others conduct studies of spacecraft dynamics and control, space robotics, cosmology and star formation, quantum optics, and the physiology of space travel. The Ph.D. in Engineering Physics blends theoretical physics with practical engineering applications and problem-solving. It is designed for those who wish to conduct cutting-edge research ranging from the remote sensing of the Earth's upper atmosphere and space weather to the engineering of spacecraft control systems and scientific instruments. Embry-Riddle Simulator Students in the Ph.D. in Engineering Physics program will be enrolled and in residence at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus for at least two semesters per year, although internships at an aerospace corporation or government laboratory will be allowed with university approval and supervision by the student's research advisor. Graduates will work as researchers at universities and agencies like NASA and NOAA and as educators. The Aviation Ph.D. program starts in January 2010; the Engineering Physics Ph.D. program begins in September 2010. FMI: www.erau.edu aero-news.net **************** Indonesian Airlines Should Merge to Boost Safety, Minister Says July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Airlines in Indonesia should merge or form alliances to help them meet improved safety standards as the country's carriers attempt to have flight bans lifted after a series of fatal crashes, Transport Minister Jusman Djamal said. The European Union July 14 removed a prohibition on PT Garuda Indonesia, the nation's biggest airline, and three other carriers after "significant improvements" by the Indonesian civil aviation authority, according to the European Commission, the EU's regulatory arm. Twelve of the country's 14 scheduled- flight carriers are still banned from flying to the EU. Indonesia last year passed a law that forces companies to make significant investments to improve safety and ensure only industry-experienced people can manage airlines, Djamal said in an interview in Jakarta late yesterday. Indonesia has reported 2,176 air-crash fatalities since 1943, compared with 1,141 in the Philippines and 1,976 in Japan. Garuda lost $1.5 million a month in sales due to the ban, the company said in 2008. "It's a sexy business and attracts a lot of wealthy people who don't know how to run an airline," said Jim Eckes, managing director of Hong Kong-based industry adviser Indoswiss Aviation. "If a guy wants to set up an airline in Indonesia, one thing that is critical is that it has more modern equipment." The Southeast Asian country of more than 17,000 islands has 12 airlines operating scheduled domestic routes after authorities revoked the permits of 27 carriers this month, Djamal said. Some, including PT Adam Skyconnection Airlines, which had a crash in January 2007 that killed all 102 people on board, couldn't meet safety requirements after several warnings, he said. Licenses Revoked Adam Air stopped flying last year after the government suspended its license and forced the carrier to overhaul its maintenance procedures. "They saw they could not make such investments," said the 54-year-old Djamal. "We want airlines to grow but they need to prioritize safety and if they can't, there is a way to eliminate these seeds of accidents," he said. "I think there are too many airlines in Indonesia and some are not very safe," Eckes said in a phone interview from New York. "They're making some progress but they need to get their regulatory group together. I think they can do more." EU Flight Ban The EU blacklisted all Indonesian carriers in June 2007 after accidents including a Mandala Airlines crash in September 2005, which killed 149, and an Adam Air crash in January 2007, which caused 102 fatalities. Garuda last suffered a fatal incident in March 2007, when a plane crashed on landing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, killing 21 people. The country had 3.77 fatal accidents for every 1 million takeoffs in the three years ended March 31, 2007, compared with a global rate of 0.25, according to Ascend, a London-based aviation adviser. The EU lifted the ban on Garuda, Mandala and two chartered airlines -- Airfast Indonesia and Premiair -- that are regularly used by mining executives in Indonesia. Lion Mentari Airlines, which carried the most domestic passengers in Indonesia last year, is still banned from flying to Europe. Lion Air must get rid of all its older planes and improve the skills of its pilots to get a green light, Djamal said. "There is nothing wrong with an old airplane as long as it is extremely well maintained," Eckes said. "In Indonesia, we find that maintenance is very weak." Three-Month Audits Under the new law, all Indonesian airlines must go through audits every three months, and other countries, including those from the European Union, can send independent monitors to check the capability of Indonesian pilots and safety of Indonesian planes, Djamal said. The law requires airlines to operate at least 10 planes to get new operational certification for scheduled flights. Carriers must also publish safety targets and achievements, and board appointments require the approval of the transport minister. "If you do not have much capital to properly manage an airline, you should merge. At least they should form some sort of alliance like Star Alliance that can give that group a standard to fix their safety levels." http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aOuTSyG3IwTo *************** FAA Makes Statement on first regional airline safety forum. July 23, 2009 - FAA Administrator, Randy Babbitt, made a statement on what was the first in a series of 12 nationwide regional airline safety forums designed to reduce risk at regional airlines. The forum was attended by 65 safety executives representing airlines and unions, and discussions focused on air carrier management responsibilities for crew education and support, professional standards and flight discipline, training standards and performance, and mentoring. Statement by FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt on the First Regional Airline Safety Forum Federal Aviation Administration Release date: July 21, 2009 Today we held the first meeting in what will be a series of 12 nationwide regional airline safety forums to reduce risk at regional airlines. I'm pleased to report that airlines and unions are responding positively to the recent Call to Action from Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and me to push safety initiatives forward now. Today's forum was attended by 65 safety executives representing airlines and unions. The discussions focused on air carrier management responsibilities for crew education and support, professional standards and flight discipline, training standards and performance, and mentoring. The FAA will collect effective airline best practices and innovative ideas and share that information with airlines and unions. FAA inspectors will then assess how airlines are using the information. This open dialogue will continue through August at additional Forums to be held in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Atlanta, Anchorage, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Denver, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Boston. http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/563554 *************** UAL names new president for United Airlines CHICAGO (AP) - UAL Corp. on Thursday tapped an insider to become president of its United Airlines operating subsidiary. John Tague will remain an executive vice president at the parent company while serving as president of Chicago-based United, the company said. Tague will be responsible for sales, marketing, customer service and other operations at United, the nation's third-largest airline, and the United Express regional affiliate. UAL also promoted Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells to executive vice president. She had been a senior vice president. *************** Virgin Nigeria's ex-chief to head Emirates in UK Virgin Nigeria's former chief executive, Conrad Clifford, has resurfaced at Middle Eastern carrier Emirates, as its UK and Ireland head. Clifford, who was formerly Virgin Atlantic commercial director before joining Menzies Aviation Group, subsequently headed Virgin Nigeria from 2005. In his new post at Emirates he succeeds Vic Sheppard, who is retiring from the Dubai-based carrier. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***************** Aeroflot postpones A320 deliveries but plans to lease MD-11s Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot is to postpone deliveries of five Airbus A320-family aircraft, following its recent examination of capacity requirements. It is also to lease three Boeing MD-11s from Boeing Capital, having already opted to withdraw its long-haul Ilyushin Il-86 fleet. The carrier will push back delivery of two A320s, scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2010, to the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. Aeroflot will also delay delivery of three A321s by up to two years. The aircraft, which would have arrived in the third quarter of 2010, have been put back to the first and third quarters of 2012. The airline's board says it is rescheduling the deliveries "in connection with the air transport market situation". Aeroflot's board has approved the changes in relation to a business plan for July 2009 to June 2010. The carrier's fleet currently totals 105 aircraft. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Italy grounds MyAir over mounting financial problems Italian civil aviation authority ENAC has suspended budget carrier MyAir's operating licence, effective from midnight tomorrow. The carrier had been operating on a temporary licence for about a month. Following mounting disruption to MyAir flights, ENAC has decided that the airline could not "ensure coverage of costs for essential services". MyAir has been seeking recapitalisation for several months, but its failure to land secure investment has been reflected in deteriorating levels of service. ENAC's final warning, on 21 July, demanded that MyAir "restore the smooth operation of flights" within 24 hours. Yesterday, however, several Italian airports were still reporting delays and cancellations to MyAir flights. Summing up its decision for the "emergency" suspension, ENAC says the airline has "not provided concrete evidence" about proposed recapitalisation. It has concluded that allowing MyAir to continue would only "aggravate" problems for the airline's customers. MyAir was not available for comment but a statement on its Internet site confirms the ENAC decision, and that the airline is "obliged" to halt services. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC