12 NOV 2009 _______________________________________ *FAA Issues SAIB For Carbureted Engines *Alcohol tests catch 11 pilots a year *Unions prod Obama to fix ailing airline industry *FAA database reveals 6,100 problem pilots *Incident at Mumbai airport leads DGCA to issue new guidelines *************************************** FAA Issues SAIB For Carbureted Engines Float-Type Carburetors Indicated In Engine Fires The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Bulletin for potential hazards associated with normally-aspirated carbureted engines. However, they say that for the time being, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrantan AD. The SAIB results from reports of numerous accidents and incidents over the past 20 years that resulted from an engine stoppage or engine fire involving float-type carburetors. Numerous service information letters (SILs) and service bulletins (SBs) were issued during that time to address float-type carburetor issues related to poor idle cut-off and fuel leaking from the carburetor after engine shutdown. The FAA issued SAIB CE-06-33R1 in April 2006 to address those conditions. These conditions are often the result of fuel leaking into the carburetor float, a damaged or worn float, or a damaged or worn float valve. Despite the availability of the SILs and SBs, the FAA is still receiving reports of accidents and incidents resulting from carburetor float anomalies. In comparison to the SILs and SBs previously issued, the SAIB is applicable to all aircraft with reciprocating engines with float-type carburetors installed and provides more detail and focaused recommended actions. The SAIB says pilots should examine the engine area for evidence of fuel leakage during pre-flight inspection . During engine start, be alert for carburetor flooding or the need for excessive leaning. Hard starting might be an indicator of a deteriorating or damaged carburetor float. During engine operation, excessive fuel consumption and/or poor idle performance might indicate a deteriorating or damaged carburetor float. Difficulty shutting down the engine with the mixture cut-off control might be an indicator of a deteriorating or damaged carburetor float. If any of these conditions are observed, the pilot should have qualified maintenance personnel inspect the aircraft before the next flight. FMI: www.faa.gov aero-news.net ************** Alcohol tests catch 11 pilots a year By Alan Levin, USA TODAY Nearly a dozen U.S. commercial pilots a year test positive for alcohol while attempting to fly, according to federal aviation regulators who are investigating the latest incident in London this week. From 1997 through last year, an average of 11 commercial pilots annually tested positive for alcohol, Federal Aviation Administration records show. The agency prohibits flying with more than 0.04% alcohol in the blood. The FAA does more than 10,000 random alcohol tests a year, said spokeswoman Laura Brown. Thirteen pilots tested positive last year. There are about 100,000 commercial pilots in the U.S. The agency is reviewing the case of United Airlines Capt. Erwin Washington, 51, who was taken into custody Monday at Heathrow Airport in London on suspicion of being drunk on the job. He was arrested after members of his crew reported him, according to British police and the airline. The British government limits alcohol in pilots to 0.02%, or roughly the equivalent of one beer for the average man. The arrest is the latest black eye for an occupation reeling this year from high-profile blunders. Washington, who could face license revocation, was the third U.S. pilot to be arrested in England on alcohol-related charges in the past 13 months. Additionally, two Northwest Airlines pilots had their licenses revoked after they flew past their destination on Oct. 21 because they were using their laptops and not paying attention. Pilots in a crash last February that killed 50 people near Buffalo have also been criticized for making critical mistakes and chatting in the cockpit, a violation of federal rules. "You've got to start wondering when you see the rash of incidents," said Scott Maurer, whose daughter, Lorin, died in the Buffalo crash. Maurer and other family members have called for significantly higher federal standards for airline pilots. It's unusual for pilots to attempt to fly under the influence, said Dana Archibald, an airline captain who is chairman of a program that gives pilots alcohol treatment. The program, the Human Intervention Motivation Study, assists about 125 pilots a year. Archibald said he entered the program 11 years ago. "Did I go to work drunk? Not really," he said. "Did I drink heavily outside of work? Yes," he said. The program has helped about 4,300 pilots go back to work after treatment, Archibald said. The pilots are closely supervised by the FAA, unions and airlines. They are also subject to increased alcohol testing. No U.S. airline has had a crash because of an inebriated pilot, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Contributing: The Associated Press http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-11-11-drunk-pilots_N.htm ************** Unions prod Obama to fix ailing airline industry WASHINGTON (AP) - Three decades of airline deregulation have helped make air travel more accessible to consumers through lower fares. Now labor unions are questioning whether the industry is paying the price, and the Obama administration is listening. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was holding a forum Thursday to discuss the state of the airline industry, which is mired in a severe economic slump and blamed for using a business model critics say undermines safety. The industry has suffered repeated shocks in recent years, including the 9/11 terror attacks, the SARS virus, volatile oil prices and the current economic downturn. "U.S. aviation is facing severe economic uncertainty, and an open and frank conversation will help begin a continuing dialogue about the industry's future," Transportation Department spokeswoman Sasha Johnson said. Airlines are offering the fewest seats to passengers, measured by available seats and distance traveled, in more than a decade. They have shed more than 158,000 full-time jobs since employment peaked in 2001 and lost an estimated $33 billion over the past decade. Thirteen airlines have filed for bankruptcy in the past two years. The forum, which is closed to the public and the media, was organized at the request of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department. Ed Wytkind, the trades department's president, said the industry has become dysfunctional, and all involved are suffering. He said he'd like to see a blue-ribbon commission to recommend solutions. "We can't keep doing things the exact same way and expect a better outcome," Wytkind said, adding that new regulation probably should be considered. The Air Transport Association, which represents major carriers, declined to comment ahead of the forum. Airlines are extremely wary of any discussion of a return to economic regulation. They contend they are already heavily regulated and taxed. The industry sought financial assistance from the Bush administration after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but came away largely empty-handed. More recently, industry leaders approached the White House for help with installing new equipment in airliners as the nation shifts from an air traffic control system based on radar to one based on satellite technology. While airline deregulation has been regarded as a success for consumers, other trends have raised concerns about whether airlines are offsetting low fares at the expense of safety. A report last year by a government watchdog said nine large U.S. airlines farm out 70 percent of major maintenance. Overseas repair shops handled one-quarter of the work, challenging the ability of U.S. inspectors to determine whether it is done properly, the report said. Major airlines have also farmed out short-haul trips to regional carriers, which now account for half of all domestic flights. Regional airlines often hire pilots with significantly less experience and pay lower wages than major airlines. Both issues have been raised in the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, which crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., in February, killing 50 people. The flight was operated for Continental by regional carrier Colgan Air Inc. of Manassas, Va. "A safe, secure, stable industry can't be driven by lowest common denominator," said John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. "The cheapest fare out there will not give us a transportation system that works for everyone." On the Net: Transportation Department: http://www.dot.gov/ ************** FAA database reveals 6,100 problem pilots DALLAS - At a time when airline pilots face increased scrutiny, News 8 has discovered more that 6,100 pilots have faced warnings or lost or had their licenses suspended over the last decade. News 8 reviewed an FAA database of pilots who have been sanctioned since 1999. The date revealed 6,176 names of commercial and airline transport pilots. "We've got pilots out there who are not paying attention, and that could be your pilot," said Don Swaim, a Dallas aviation attorney who has worked on major airline disasters. He said recent news has disturbed him, including the incident last month when two Delta Airlines pilots landed their 767 on an active taxiway rather than on the runway in Atlanta. Days later, two Northwest Airlines pilots simply forgot to land at their destination in Minneapolis. They said they were distracted while on their laptop computers. Monday, a United Airlines pilot was arrested in London minutes before boarding after he failed a sobriety test. But, the database revealed these problems aren't isolated events. The federal database revealed that of the 6,176 sanctions given to pilots, a quarter of them, almost 1,500, happened in the last two years. "It's essentially taking away the ability of that pilot to go to work," said Scott Shankland, Allied Pilots Association. "It's like a lawyer being disbarred and not being able to practice law." According to the database, most pilot problems, 2,700 of them, were reported to the FAA by air traffic controllers. Almost 600 pilots faced sanctions for DUIs, and 156 failed drug tests. At least one captain was reprimanded for not landing his crippled jet at the closest airport after one of his two engines failed. "Most of that is behind closed doors that you and I aren't going to hear about unless there's an accident," Swaim said. Records showed Delta Airlines had the most pilots, 71, to face trouble. US Airways had 69 and Southwest Airlines 23. Of the eight major airlines News 8 reviewed, American Airlines was second to the bottom with 18. Northwest Airlines had 15. American's pilots said they're the most experienced in the industry and less apt to cut corners. "We're not surprised by the data because of what we instill in our pilots or professionalism and experience," Shankland said. "And when they board that aircraft, their sole purpose is to get their passengers safely to the destination." The Allied Pilots Association represents American's pilots. "The pilots know what they should be doing," Swaim said. "The problem is it's hard to enforce that. That's why for years and years the NTSB has been arguing for video in the cockpit." But, pilots have pushed back saying they are already regulated enough with rigorous health and safety checks. Pilots said cameras might make them second guess themselves in an emergency. Airlines often successfully weed out problem pilots, but federal records and recent events clearly indicate some remain in the sky. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa091111_mo_ faa.2a957d631.html *************** Incident at Mumbai airport leads DGCA to issue new guidelines India's aviation regulator has issued new guidelines to airlines operating at Mumbai International Airport after a Kingfisher Airlines aircraft skidded off the runway. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) says no operations will be allowed on the runway if the surface is wet, and assisted take-offs and landings are not allowed. One of the two pilots operating aircraft on the runway must be a training captain while the other must have a minimum of 300 hours' flying experience, it adds. Pilots must also file a de-briefing report after each flight, says the DGCA. On 10 November, a Kingfisher ATR 72-500 aircraft flying from Bhavnagar skidded off the shortened runway 27A at the Mumbai airport during rainy weather conditions. All 42 passengers and four crew members on board were not hurt, says the airline. A Kingfisher spokesman says it is too early to comment on the possible cause of the incident, and adds that the aircraft manufacturer is assessing the damage to the aircraft, which has registration VT-KAC. Runway 27A, which is 1,738m-long, is a portion of the airport's main runway. On Tuesdays, the runway is partially closed for six hours to allow for construction works on the airport's secondary runway. The DGCA had allowed short runway operations to take place on runway 27A during this period. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC