08 SEP 2009 _______________________________________ *After Air France crash, Airbus is looking to eliminate black boxes *Close shave for 213 as AI flight catches fire *Day after AI jet fire, two pilots grounded *Southwest flight makes emergency landing in Tampa *In Turbulent Air, Flight Attendants Face Risk *China Says First Jet to Cost Less Than Boeing, Airbus *Indonesia navy plane crash-lands; 4 dead *European Council adopts aviation package *American responds to FAA probe reports **************************************** After Air France crash, Airbus is looking to eliminate black boxes Paris - European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is looking to replace the black boxes that currently record a plane's vital flight data with a more secure system, company head Thomas Enders said in an interview published Friday . 'To further improve aviation security in the future, we must be sure that we can retrieve all the data in case of an accident,' Enders told the daily Le Parisien. 'For example, the most important flight data could be transmitted in real time via satellite, as is currently the case with information related to aircraft maintenance,' he said. Enders said Airbus was already working on the issue with its partners and suppliers. However, when Airbus first raised the possibility of real-time data transmission, in early July, pilots protested, saying that it constituted an infringement on their privacy. The reason for the reconsideration of the system is the inability by searchers to recover the black boxes from the Air France Airbus A330 that crashed in the Atlantic on June 1, killing 228 people. The black boxes - a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder - contain data vital to determining what has caused an aircraft to crash. The wreck of the Air France plane and its two boxes are believed to be lying in a mountainous region of the seafloor, which makes locating them difficult. Enders told the daily that Airbus was prepared to 'provide significant financial support' for the new stage of the search for the wreck and the black boxes, which is set to begin in the coming weeks. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1499213.php/After -Air-France-crash-Airbus-is-looking-to-eliminate-black-boxes ************** Close shave for 213 as AI flight catches fire | MUMBAI: A major disaster was averted at Mumbai airport on Friday morning when one of the ground staffers spotted fuel spilling out of the left wing of an Air India flight preparing to take off for Riyadh with 213 passengers on board. As he watched, a fire erupted in one of the engines of the Boeing-747. An emergency rescue operation was immediately mounted to evacuate Flight AI 829 and passengers slid out of the aircraft through flight chutes. The fire was brought under control and doused within five minutes However, chaos ensued on the tarmac with panicky passengers running helter-skelter looking for refuge. Fifteen passengers sustained minor bruises, and six of them had to be rushed to the AI clinic in Kalina to check for fractures. Another aircraft finally took the passengers to Riyadh at 6.30pm. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident, even as AI derostered one of the engineers involved. "The official in the follow-me jeep was guiding the aircraft towards the runway, as the pilot was unfamiliar with the geography of the airport. While the plane was on taxiway Alpha 3, he saw drops of fuel spilling from the wing of the aircraft," a source said. "He immediately alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC), which in turn sounded an alarm to the pilot asking him to turn the engine off." In a fraction of a second, flames and smoke flared up from the engine. "Although the pilot had immediately turned the engine off, the heat generated started a fire. The pilot promptly started the evacuation process by letting down the flight chutes," said an official, adding that the fire was big enough to not only cause panic among the passengers but also alarm officials. Fortunately, the airport fire station was a stone's throw away and four fire vehicles reached within a minute to get the fire under control. "It could have been a major disaster if the aircraft had taken off. The situation was brought under control due to timely detection," said a senior airport official. An eyewitness told TOI that many passengers suffered bruises and cuts while sliding down from the chutes but were taken to the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) casualty centre and given first aid. "Six passengers were sent for an X-ray to Kalina as fractures were suspected. However, their reports were normal," the official added. The trouble for AI 829 began much earlier than the actual accident. The flight was actually scheduled for departure at 2am but was delayed by one hour, 30 minutes. It started taxiing for take-off at 4.30am, only to abort it minutes later. Sources said that a false fire alarm went off on the aircraft, forcing the pilot to cancel take-off. "On inspection, engineers found some water in the cargo compartment which had sparked the fire alarm," a source told TOI. "The aircraft was changed for the next scheduled departure at 11am." Air safety experts say that the oil-spilling, which snowballed into a big fire, reflects the poor maintenance standards of the airline. "This clearly shows that maintenance is being compromised upon. The aircraft are prepared for operations without carrying out maintenance as per the manufacturer's guidelines," said aviation expert, captain R Rangnathan. An AI spokesperson told the press that the aircraft maintenance engineer had been derostered pending enquiry, and a four-member in-house committee had been set up to investigate the incident. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/mumbai/Close-e-for-213-as-AI-fl ight-catches-fire/articleshow/4974158.cms *************** Day after AI jet fire, two pilots grounded MUMBAI: A day after the Air India plane with 213 passengers caught fire just before take-off, the two pilots operating the Mumbai-Riyadh flight were taken off flying duty on Saturday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation also launched an investigation. The two pilots, S Jha and Prakash Bapat, have been kept away from duty pending enquiry. AI, however, did not deroster its cabin crew, which is also part of the on-going enquiry. "It is a standard operating procedure when an incident takes place involving an aircraft to deroster those involved so that they can be available to give their statements," an AI spokesperson said, adding that the cabin crew was questioned by DGCA officials on Saturday morning. The airline had already derostered the aircraft maintenance engineer who was supervising the flight departure, after the left engine of the Boeing-747 caught fire seconds after fuel was seen dripping from one of its wings on Friday morning. Passengers on board escaped unhurt. Boeing officials will fly in from the United States to look into the causes for the fire. "A team will be sent to ascertain whether maintenance guidelines are being followed and to check if there's a manufacturing error which led to the sudden eruption of fire or fuel spill. In that case, the machinery of other Boeing aircraft will also be rectified," a senior official told TOI. DGCA officials said a preliminary investigation report would be ready on Monday. Responding to reports which said that the cabin crew evacuated passengers from the exit on the left side of the aircraft near the engine which was on fire, the officials clarified that the evacuation procedure was carried out from the right side of the plane. ''The left chute was opened by Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd fire officials, who entered the aircraft after the evacuation to check if any passenger was stranded. The firemen, faced with thick smoke and soot, tried to open the left door, but since the chutes were activated, the left one came out instead,'' an official said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Day-after-AI-jet-fire-two-pilo ts-grounded/articleshow/4977341.cms *************** Southwest flight makes emergency landing in Tampa TAMPA, Fla.(AP) - An airline spokesman says an indicator light that warned of possible smoke aboard a Southwest Airlines flight forced the pilot to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Fla. Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan (GO'-haygan) says passengers were let out of the plane on emergency slides Monday afternoon. She says airport fire crews confirmed smoke in the cabin. But Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said there was no smoke or fire on the plane. He said an indicator light went on soon after takeoff, prompting the pilot to land in Tampa as a precaution. He says Flight 1245 had 129 passengers and crew and all got off safely with only minor injuries. Hawkins said the airline was arranging for another aircraft so passengers could continue their trip to Denver. *************** In Turbulent Air, Flight Attendants Face Risk By CHRISTINE NEGRONI MIAMI - About an hour into a recent flight to Miami, the pilot turned on the "Fasten Seat Belt" sign and warned passengers to buckle up. "We're going to be flying through some turbulence," he said. Still, the flight attendants continued to serve drinks to the last of the passengers before taking their own seats. "It is left up to you individually," said one of the flight attendants, who spoke anonymously because her airline does not allow employees to talk to the media. "If you feel that your safety is in jeopardy, then it's up to you to make the decision to go sit down." While it is extremely unusual for turbulence to injure people who have their seat belts fastened, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, flight attendants are especially vulnerable to injuries because they are out of their seats for much of the flight. This year has been an especially bad one for turbulence. In the first eight months, there have been eight instances involving domestic airlines where turbulence caused injuries serious enough to merit investigation. The most prominent occurred on Aug. 3, when more than 30 people, including five flight attendants, needed medical treatment after a Continental flight from Brazil to Houston encountered rough air. The plane made an emergency landing in Miami. In the first eight months of 2009, 143 flight attendants were injured on two of the major American carriers, according to the Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing them. "We're concerned about the high number of flight attendant injuries," said Christopher J. Witkowski, director of air safety for the union. "It seems as if there is some complacency on the issue." Toni Higgins was one of two flight attendants with Midwest Airlines seriously hurt in 2003. Her injuries kept her out of work for a year. Her colleague never did return to flying. "I remember hitting the ceiling the first time and the second I don't remember because I was unconscious," she said. The pilots had warned of turbulence on the flight. Mrs. Higgins said she had walked through the cabin to make sure all passengers were buckled up. According to the report by the safety board, she had returned to her seat but had not fastened her belt when the DC-9 dropped suddenly. "Typically, if it's going to be bad the pilots will call us and say, 'Hey, it's going to be pretty rough and we want you guys to sit down, too,' " she said. "But they didn't do that. It happened very quickly." While some turbulence is anticipated - the kind associated with storms can actually be seen on radar in the cockpit - sometimes it is unanticipated and unavoidable, as in Mrs. Higgins's case. And clear-air turbulence is invisible. "Sometimes a pilot doesn't have much warning of imminent turbulence," said Peter Frey, an airline pilot, who is also an air safety investigator. "They'll say, 'Clean up and sit down.' But if the carts are out and meals and airline trays are all over the place, it may take them more than five minutes to clean up." Since 1990, the number of turbulence accidents involving injuries has remained somewhat consistent, with a high of 14 in one year but never fewer than five. "We look into every injury from turbulence to determine if and when procedures need to be changed," Les Dorr, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said. After two particularly bad years in 2003 and 2004, the agency sent an advisory to airlines to pass along to their employees. "You are not invincible," it read, reminding flight attendants that the safety of passengers may depend on their "self preservation." "The F.A.A. requires the presence of flight attendants on aircraft, and it's not to serve peanuts and soft drinks," said Barry Schimmel a representative for the international airline division of the Teamsters, which includes flight attendants. He cited the crash-landing of a US Airways jetliner on the Hudson River in January, with the pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger, credited with saving the lives of his passengers. "As heroic an act as Captain Sullenberger did, he didn't evacuate that aircraft. It was the three flight attendants that got those passengers safely off the aircraft." One of the flight attendants on the Miami-bound flight said the attendants pressed on to finish the service, because "Ingrained in us from years of training is, do the service, do the service, do the service." The F.A.A. guidance on avoiding injuries is 11 pages long, with multiple references to the unpredictability of the problem and the need for everyone to exercise judgment and discretion. For example, when turbulence is strong, flight attendants can forgo walking through the aircraft to check if passengers are securely fastened in. "If it gets really turbulent, it's not logical to put yourself at risk to check seat belts," said Nora Marshall, chief of the survival factors unit at the National Transportation Safety Board. But for some airline workers - whether it is stopping service to passengers or working through what seems to be manageable bumps - what seems logical at the time may seem foolish after the fact. "Unfortunately, the end result is we'll have flight attendants sitting in their jump seats when they and the passengers will feel they could have gotten up and done a service," Captain Frey said. "So even if you institute tighter controls to make sure everyone is seated and secure, they're likely to say the system is overly protective." http://www.nytimes.com/ ************** China Says First Jet to Cost Less Than Boeing, Airbus Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, the government-controlled planemaker, said its first commercial jet will "surely be cheaper" than comparable Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS models, heightening competition in the world's fastest-growing aviation market. The 168-seater C919, due to enter service in 2016, will use as much as 15 percent less fuel than current Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, Chen Jin, Comac's sales head, said at the Hong Kong air show, where the company is showing a model of the plane for the first time. Comac will initially target Chinese customers for the single-aisle C919 before seeking to challenge Boeing and Airbus overseas in the largest segment of the plane market. China's carriers will likely need 3,710 new planes over 20 years, of which 70 percent will be single-aisle aircraft, Chicago-based Boeing said in October. "In the medium- to long-term, Chinese aircraft manufacturers will be able to challenge the larger planemakers like Airbus and Boeing," said Jack Xu, an analyst at Sinopec Securities Asia Ltd. in Shanghai. Price will be a "major advantage," he added. The plane is part of China's push to develop its own technologies in a range of industries to move beyond being a low-cost assembler for overseas companies. Aircraft Orders The plane's development schedule will likely coincide with a surge in aircraft orders worldwide as airlines move ahead with fleet plans delayed by the global recession, Comac's Chen said. The first test flight is set for 2014, he added. Boeing expects to be able to add new technologies to the 737 that will make it more fuel efficient, Randy Tinseth, the company's marketing chief said today. "We have to find new ways to consistently reduce the cost," he added. The C919 threatens Boeing and Airbus in China, which Boeing expects to be the world's fastest-growing domestic air-travel market. "Our home market is the biggest market and has the most potential, so it's unnecessary to pursue overseas sales just yet," Chen said. "In the future though, we will surely go into Europe and the U.S." The company's first customers will likely included China's big three carriers, Air China Ltd., China Southern Airlines Co. and China Eastern Airlines Corp., he said. Comac will offer also financial support to win customers, Chen said. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=am7fsSBVrBrQ *************** Indonesia navy plane crash-lands; 4 dead Four people killed after Indonesian navy plane crashed in eastern Borneo Navy spokesman: Plane was on routine patrol when the engine failed Crew forced to make emergency landing when second engine failed A search and rescue team has been dispatched to the area September 7, 2009 -- Updated 1307 GMT (2107 HKT)Next Article in World > JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- An Indonesian navy plane crash-landed Monday in eastern Borneo, killing four crew members and injuring five others, a navy spokesman said. The plane carrying the nine crew members was on routine patrol in east Borneo when it experienced engine failure and was forced to land, said the spokesman Iskandar Sitompul. When one of the engines shut down in mid-air, the crew tried to force-start the engine and then the second engine died, Sitompul said. They were forced to make an emergency landing about 24 miles (39 km) from Tanjung Selor in the East Borneo province. A search and rescue team has been dispatched to the area, Sitompul said. ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 07 SEP 2009 Time: 14:28 Type: GAF Nomad N.24A Operator: Tentara Nasional Indonesia-AL (Navy) Registration: P-837 C/n / msn: 135 First flight: Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 6 Total: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 9 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Long Apung, Bulungan, East Kalimantan (Indonesia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Military Departure airport: Long Bawan Airport (LBW/WRLB), Indonesia Destination airport: Tarakan-Juwata Airport (TRK/WALR), Indonesia Narrative: The Nomad maritime reconnaissance plane took off from Tarakan-Juwata Airport (TRK) for Long Bawan Airport (LBW) at 11.11. The plane was supposed to return back at Tarakan at 14.30 but crashed at Long Apung, Bulungan district, at 14.28. Five of nine occupants reported killed. (aviation-safety.net) **************** European Council adopts aviation package The European Council today adopted two regulations to improve the performance and safety of the European aviation system - the first strengthens the Single European Sky legislation (3640/09), while the second extends the tasks of the European Aviation Safety Agency (3641/09). Both regulations are adopted following a first-reading agreement reached with the European Parliament in March 2009. Single European Sky The Single European Sky regulation amends four existing regulations1 adopted in 2004. Since their adoption it has proved necessary to consolidate and address a number of challenges, relating in particular to: . sustainable development - attenuating the environmental impact of aviation through, for example, the creation of a rational European route network, including shorter routes for intra-Community traffic; . performance - the performance of the network in terms of reduction in delays and lower costs for airspace users; . governance issues - ensuring that the system is supervised in a transparent and correct manner at national and EU level. The regulation sets a fixed deadline for the implementation of functional airspace blocks that are a tool for a more rational and efficient European airspace. In addition, it strengthens the central network function at the EU level, as well as the principles concerning the degree of autonomy to be accorded to national supervisory authorities responsible for overseeing the provision of aeronautical services in the member states. European Aviation Safety Agency The regulation adopted today amends regulation (EC) No 216/20081 with a view to improving the safety of aerodromes, air traffic management and air navigation services. The regulation extends the EASA's competences to cover the safety of aerodromes, air traffic-management and air navigation services. In particular, the EASA's new tasks will cover rule-making and standardisation inspections. In addition, as far as air traffic management and air navigation services are concerned, it will be necessary to coordinate the common safety rules properly with the new Single European Sky regulation and the related implementing rules. The regulation repeals Council directive 06/23/EEC. http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/27761 ************** American responds to FAA probe reports A spokesman for American Airlines Inc. said Friday the company is in the process of responding to a Federal Aviation Administration probe into fasteners used on some of the airline's MD-80 bulkheads. Fort Worth, Tx.-based American (NYSE: AMR) sent that response after the Wall Street Journal reported that the FAA is focusing on 16 MD-80s and cited an anonymous source saying the airline retired one of the planes to keep it from inspectors. American spokesman Tim Wagner responded to the report saying,"We believe the Wall Street Journal's unnamed source's allegations misrepresent the facts. The FAA has complete access to retired airplanes - and it exercises that access frequently. All airlines have the authority to make decisions regarding the retirement of individual aircraft based on economic and competitive factors." Wagner added, "The FAA has provided American Airlines the opportunity to respond to its investigation and we are in the process of doing so. American Airlines is following the FAA process provided for in its investigation, and we believe conversations outside of that process are inconsistent with FAA regulations." American also said the company discovered the potentially improper fasteners and voluntarily self-disclosed this information to the FAA. American serves cutomers in central New Mexico from the Albuquerque International Sunport. http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/08/31/daily63.html *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC