20 NOV 2009 _______________________________________ *FAA chief: Unmanned aircraft not ready for routine U.S. use *Bill Seeks to Allow Airlines Access to Cockpit Conversations *TECH Snafu Grounds Nation's Fliers *FAA Proposes Limits On Companies Hiring FAA Inspectors *Fokker 100 Accident (Iran) *Another near disaster in Congo aviation (MD-80) *Airbus, Boeing wooing United Airlines for plane order **************************************** FAA chief: Unmanned aircraft not ready for routine U.S. use FAA Administrator J. Randolph Babbitt Unmanned aircraft are the way of the future, but that future is not now, Federal Aviation Administration J. Randolph Babbitt said Wednesday. "(U)nmanned aircraft systems are not ready for seamless or routine use yet in civilian airspace," Babbitt said in prepared remarks to the Aerospace Industries Association. "The idea of pilots flying remotely has been around for a long time. And it is, I truly believe, the way of the future. But where we are, on numerous fronts, they're not ready for open access to the (National Airspace System) and we can't give you the thumbs up. ... Right now, the era of the unmanned aircraft system in civilian airspace is just not here yet." The advent of unmanned aircraft systems is similar to the introduction of the jet engine, Babbitt said. "We're talking about an exponential leap in capability, and that leap needs a contemporaneous jump in technology and procedures to do so safely." One problem is ensuring unmanned aircraft can see and avoid other aircraft, Babbitt said. "Without a pilot who can look and scan to the left and the right -- just the way you and I do when we're backing out of a parking space -- there's a perceived level of risk that the American public isn't ready for." Also, most unmanned aircraft systems have a single point of failure for hydraulics, electrical, flight control and satellite link, he noted. "When there's a single point of failure for something that runs into trouble every thousand hours, that's a problem." The FAA is working on standards for routine commercial operations of small unmanned aircraft, and a multi-agency Unmanned Aircraft Systems Executive Committee has been established to develop solutions to allow incremental access of the systems into the National Airspace System, Babbitt said. Also, he said, a special committee with private not-for-profit RTCA is developing standards that will be the basis for regulations. http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/185734.asp?from=blog_last3 ************** Bill Seeks to Allow Airlines Access to Cockpit Conversations By ANDY PASZTOR Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, plans to introduce a bill that would break a taboo in the airline industry: allowing airlines to use information from cockpit voice recorders in cases against pilots they want to discipline or fire. Current labor contracts effectively bar major U.S. carriers from relying on information gathered from cockpit-recorders, or, in some cases, flight-data recorders to punish pilots or monitor their performance during trips. But the proposed legislation seeks to overturn those longstanding restrictions in both areas, which is already riling pilot union leaders. The move also shines a spotlight on privacy and other complex legal questions surrounding the use of such information by airlines to make personnel decisions. Today, cockpit voice recorder data doesn't become public or lead to actions against pilots unless there is an accident or serious incident investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board. Allowing airlines to use the information for their own personnel decisions would significantly open up an area that currently is considered to be an almost private sanctum for accident investigators. Called the "Pilot Professionalism Assurance Act," the bill drafted by the Sen. DeMint envisions downloading voice or flight-data recorders "to discipline or discharge a pilot . . . for actions that endanger the safety or well being of passengers." The bill also proposes using previously sacrosanct recordings of cockpit conversations "to evaluate or monitor the judgment or performance of an individual pilot." Sen. DeMint has not yet formally introduced his legislation and it is unclear what type of support it might find in Congress. The legislation is bound to face stiff resistance from both pilot unions -- and potentially the FAA and the NTSB. One of their principal objections is that the bill could put a chill on the current system of voluntary reporting of safety lapses by pilots. Currently, pilots are encouraged to file anonymous reports on safety problems that arise in the course of duty. Allowing airlines to review cockpit recordings could make pilots more reticent to report shortcomings because they might worry that they would be exposed to disciplinary action from their employer. However, the bill comes in the wake of several commercial-aircraft accidents and incidents, including the bizarre October flight of a Northwest Airlines jet that lost contact with air-traffic controllers for more than an hour and overflew its destination. The pilots, whose licenses were revoked after the slip-up, told investigators they were engrossed in conversation about revised crew-scheduling procedures and became distracted by turning on and using their personal laptops on the flight deck. That has created new impetus for stricter pilot oversight measures. There have been two attempts on Capitol Hill in recent weeks to draft legislation supporting installation of video recorders in cockpits. Pilot union officials successfully lobbied and managed to head off those efforts. The Air Line Pilots Association or ALPA, which is the largest pilot union in North America, is gearing up to quietly try to kill the DeMint bill before it is introduced, according to people familiar with the matter. The escalating controversy focuses on how pilot professionalism conflicts with recent examples of distraction and lax safety standards in the cockpit. Randy Babbitt, the head of the FAA, has spoken out strongly on the need to enhance pilot performance and raise the safety bar by having larger airlines and veteran pilots mentor less experienced pilots at the smaller commuter partners. But so far, the FAA chief has opposed drastic moves such as stripping cockpit recorders of the confidentiality they have enjoyed for decades. Currently, flight-data recorders are routinely screened for unusual occurrences, but the analysis is done privately inside each airline and the results generally don't become public. John Prater, president of ALPA, has previously said media pressure shouldn't "lead our industry in a direction that is detrimental to the goal of accident and incident prevention." Earlier this week. Mr. Prater put out a statement urging Congress to avoid "drafting legislation that simply reacts to events already under investigation." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125866886792856401.html ************* TECH Snafu Grounds Nation's Fliers By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY and ANDY PASZTOR WASHINGTON -- The failure of a single piece of computer gear in Utah disrupted travel for thousands Thursday, exposing the risks of the long-running patchwork upgrade of the nation's air-traffic-control system. It is the second time in 15 months that a tech glitch threw air travel into disarray across large swaths of the country. The problems took four hours to resolve, and prompted fresh calls from Congress for the Federal Aviation Administration and its private contractors to do more to prevent cascading delays caused by relatively small problems. The FAA has been struggling for years to upgrade its antiquated systems, layering modern hardware and software on top of decades-old air-traffic-control technology critical to day-to-day operations. Fully modernizing could take at least another decade and as much as $40 billion in public and private funding. Debates over who would pay and how the money would be spent have held back progress. The malfunction occurred in an FAA facility in Salt Lake City around 5 a.m. EST, when a card inside a router that processes flight plans and weather information started to fail. The router began feeding misinformation to controllers about planes' intended flight paths and, in some cases, what the weather was like. The snafu showed why the FAA still has to spend significant resources on the backbone of its system -- the phone lines, data cables and other connectors. "This is like going into the house and having to redo the plumbing and electrical," said William Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a Virginia-based group that promotes aviation safety. "It's not glamorous, but it's essential for anything else to work." Controllers didn't lose their ability to talk to pilots or see aircraft on radar. The FAA said there is no evidence the failure was sabotage or some form of attack. Government and industry safety experts said Thursday's events didn't pose a direct safety threat to any passengers. That is because controllers maintained extra distance between planes in the air, and radar equipment continued to track aircraft normally. But the network did stop transmitting accurate flight-plan data between control centers. Controllers had to manually enter the information into computers. This meant they had less time to monitor air traffic, forcing the FAA to lighten their workload by delaying flights. By 9 a.m., when the issue was resolved, New York's three major airports were averaging 80-minute delays, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. By 3:30 p.m. Thursday, 377 flights at Hartsfield were either delayed or canceled, the most of any airport, according to FlightStats.com. The FAA said it couldn't determine how many flights were affected by the problems, noting weather played a role in some delays. According to FlightStats, as of 3:30 p.m., 72% of arrivals and 69% of departures at the nation's 26 largest airports were on-time, down from a recent average of 80% or so. Such outages have occurred before. In August 2008 a technician doing routine maintenance triggered an error delaying hundreds of flights nationwide. Thursday's failure crippled part of the FAA's core telecommunications network, which shuttles phone, email and other flight-related data among controllers and other FAA employees. The network, known as the Federal Telecommunications Infrastructure, or FTI, is managed by Florida-based Harris Corp. The Department of Transportation's inspector general has criticized the program over previous failures. And on Thursday, the chairman of the House subcommittee on aviation called for the inspector general to investigate the most recent failure. "Why did it take four hours to locate a seemingly small technical problem, and why did it have a system-wide effect?" said Rep. Jerry Costello (D., Ill.), in a statement. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency is "very pleased" with the performance of the telecommunications system. In a statement, Harris Corp. spokesman Marc Raimondi said the company is "working with the FAA to evaluate the interruption ... to prevent similar outages in the future." He said the FTI system "has proven to be one of the most reliable and secure communications networks operating within the the civilian government." Two of the FAA's largest unions said the incident suggests the FAA hasn't done enough to prevent small glitches from spawning major delays. Tom Brantley, president of Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, which represents FAA technicians, said the contractor, Harris, tried to troubleshoot the problem remotely before sending personnel to the scene, contributing to the length of the outage. Harris declined to comment on its response to the incident. Ms. Brown of the FAA said: "We are reviewing the entire situation. If we think we need to make any changes we will." Travelers were delayed when a small glitch cascaded across the air-traffic system, raising worries of more outages. The FTI is emblematic of the challenges the FAA faces as it transitions from old to new. The centerpiece of the FAA's modernization -- often referred to as NextGen -- is a move toward a satellite-based network that could reduce delays, accommodate increases in traffic and save airlines millions of dollars in fuel costs. The Obama administration has agreed in principle to start rolling out a new generation of air traffic control technology in specific regions, including the Gulf of Mexico. The next big decision will come late this year, when White House officials are supposed to decide whether to underwrite the cost of new onboard air-traffic-control equipment. That's something the cash-strapped airlines want to see happen. The FAA is spending $800 million a year on the NextGen program. Congress is considering a reauthorization bill for the FAA that is expected to establish a dedicated source of funding for the project, possibly from new fees on airlines and general aviation. Even as the preliminary stages of NextGen roll out, some computer experts predict they won't protect against an incident like Thursday's. That's partly because only a minority of aircraft nationwide -- or in a given geographic area -- will be able to use satellite-navigation features. Thursday's problems delayed flights and inconvenienced travelers. Tim Smith, spokesman at Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, said the delays weren't "extreme," but were "fairly universal," ranging from 15 to 20 minutes to more than an hour. "We've had worse days driven by weather," he said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125863837097855555.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETo pStories ************** FAA Proposes Limits On Companies Hiring FAA Inspectors Tries To Stop "Revolving Door" For FAA Employees In a move to prevent potential conflicts of interests that could affect aviation safety, the FAA is proposing to put limits on airlines and other operators hiring FAA safety inspectors and their managers for two years after those employees leave the agency. The proposed rule would prohibit air carriers, flight schools, repair stations and other certificated organizations from employing or contracting with former FAA inspectors and managers to represent them in agency matters if the former employee had any direct oversight of the certificate holder in the preceding two years. This rule also would apply to anyone who owns or manages a fractional ownership program aircraft. "We're committed to making sure operators don't hire their former FAA inspectors and create even a perception of inappropriate activities," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "The 'cooling off' period we're proposing actually exceeds the restrictions applicable to most businesses that hire former Federal employees." Current law basically forbids former federal employees (including those at the FAA) to represent an entity before the government on matters in which they were involved. It also places a 2-year restriction on those same former employees from representing anyone in matters that the employee was directly responsible for. The new proposal goes a step further by placing inspector hiring restrictions on FAA-certified companies and fractional ownership operations themselves. FAA policy already provides for a 2-year cooling off period for newly employed aviation safety inspectors, prohibiting them from having certificate management responsibilities over their former aviation employer. The rule would not keep operators from hiring former inspectors to serve in other positions (e.g. aircraft dispatcher, flight attendant, maintenance technician, pilot, or training instructor) as long as they do not represent the operator in FAA matters. The FAA is asking for public comments until February 19, 2010. FMI: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-27852_PI.pdf aero-news.net ************** Fokker 100 Accident (Iran) Status: Preliminary Date: 18 NOV 2009 Time: ca 22:00 Type: Fokker 100 Operator: Iran Air Registration: EP-CFO C/n / msn: 11389 First flight: 1992-04-03 (17 years 8 months) Engines: 2 Rolls Royce 650-15 Tay Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 99 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN) (Iran) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN/OIFM), Iran Destination airport: Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR/OIII), Iran Narrative: A Fokker 100 passenger plane, operated by Iran Air, was substantialy damaged when the left hand main landing gear failed at Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN), Iran. Flight IR220 operated on a scheduled domestic flight from Isfahan to Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR). Shortly after takeoff the undercarriage failed to retract. The crew decided to return to Isfahan. After touch down the shock absorber of left main landing gear broke and the left hand wing struck the runway. (aviation-safety.net) *************** Another near disaster in Congo aviation (MD-80) Information just received from Goma indicates that an MD80 aircraft, apparently coming from the Congolese capital Kinshasa, overshot the available runway. The plane ended up in a section of lava, which buried part of the airport several years ago in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption nearby. Since the 2002 eruption, sections of the runway and airport are unserviceable and all efforts by pilots to have the debris cleared and the full runway restored have been in vain. The nearly 120 passengers mostly escaped with a major scare although some 20 passengers are reported to have been injured, either when the plane hit the volcanic rocks or while evacuating the aircraft. Congo DR has an atrocious air safety record and has suffered major crashes in recent years, including one in Goma. Pilots and other airline personnel this column has spoken to in Entebbe, who frequently fly to Goma, have confirmed that the runway is simply too short for larger planes, especially when they come in heavy. All Congolese airlines presently appear on the EU blacklist, which prohibits them from flying into and across European airspace. http://www.eturbonews.com/12859/another-near-disaster-congo-aviation ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 19 NOV 2009 Time: ca 11:00 Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 Operator: Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation - CAA Registration: 9Q-CAB C/n / msn: 49702/1479 First flight: 1988-04-26 (21 years 7 months) Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217C Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 117 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Goma Airport (GOM) (Congo (Democratic Republic)) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH/FZAA), Congo (Democratic Republic) Destination airport: Goma Airport (GOM/FZNA), Congo (Democratic Republic) Flightnumber: 3711 Narrative: A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 passenger plane, operated by Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (CAA), was substantialy damaged when it overran the runway on landing at Goma Airport (GOM), D.R. Congo. Some twenty passengers were injured in the accident. Flight E9-3711 operated on a scheduled domestic flight from Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH) to Goma. The airplane failed to stop while landing on runway 36 and overran into a rocky lava field. Initial press reports indicat the runway was wet. (aviation-safety.net) *************** Airbus, Boeing wooing United Airlines for plane order Airline expects to pick between A350-XWB, 787 by end of the year United Airlines is close to placing its first aircraft order in more than a decade and has narrowed its search to two groundbreaking airplanes: Boeing's 787 Dreamliner or Airbus' counterpart, the A350-XWB, sources told the Tribune. United is being furiously courted by both Chicago-based Boeing Co. and France-based Airbus SAS, sources said, even though the carrier's finances appeared shaky just months ago. Winning United's business is important to both plane-makers, analysts said. Aside from US Airways, Airbus has yet to land a major U.S. airline customer for the A350, a largely composite jet that is due to enter the market in about five years. With a United order, Boeing stands to gain a publicity boost. It has garnered only 13 Dreamliner orders this year, along with 83 cancellations for the jet, which is more than two years behind schedule. A victory also would spare the aerospace giant the embarrassment of losing a longtime customer based just blocks from Boeing's corporate headquarters. "The question: How aggressive is Boeing willing to be from either the prestige or embarrassment perspective?" said Scott Hamilton, an industry consultant. By year's end, United plans to place a firm order for 25 long-range jets worth upward of $5 billion at list price, said people familiar with its plans. United also wants options for 75 additional wide-body planes that could be converted to orders at a later date. United intends to hold a separate competition for narrow-body planes next year. Combined, the two contests could add about 150 planes to the carrier's fleet over the next decade. A United spokeswoman confirmed that the carrier had decided to split its jet purchases but wouldn't address other aspects of its plans. She downplayed a rumor sweeping aviation circles that a deal was imminent. "We are not working toward a specific time frame," said Jean Medina, the United spokeswoman. "We are working toward getting the right deal for the company." After sitting on the sidelines while other U.S. carriers placed orders in recent years, United is taking advantage of a buyer's market for jetliners. Emirates Airline and Ryannair are the only other marquee airlines shopping for planes, analysts said, while many financially squeezed carriers are attempting to defer or cancel orders that they placed during global aviation's mid-decade boom. United, the nation's third-largest carrier, made it clear that it expected manufacturers to provide advantageous pricing and to help finance the purchase when the airline issued a request for proposal in June. While some in aircraft financing circles scoffed at its approach, United appears likely to get its way. Analysts think that Airbus likely holds the edge if United's decision comes down to money, since it has a reputation for striking aggressive deals. Boeing has argued that Airbus can afford to undercut pricing because it is illegally subsidized by European governments, an argument supported by World Trade Organization judges in a preliminary ruling this fall. "Airbus is far more eager to maintain production rates and aggressively seek market share, so they're going to have an advantage," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with Teal Group. Representatives of Airbus and Boeing declined to comment. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri-airplane-order-uaua-nov20,0,1 725029.story *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC