Flight Safety Information March 17, 2010 - No. 056 In This Issue Northwest Pilots Who Overflew Airport Drop Bid To Keep Licenses Autopilot Fix Ordered on Boeing 777s Many Canadian runways still too short: safety board Pilot error blamed in fatal helicopter crash 9 taken to NC hospital after bad smell on airplane Transport Canada Regains Responsibility for Aviation Safety Airbus A330s get safety mandate FAA Proposes Fines for American Airlines THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY...OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Northwest Pilots Who Overflew Airport Drop Bid To Keep Licenses May Apply For Reinstatement In 10 Months The Northwest Airlines pilots who had their airman certificates pulled in an emergency revocation after they overshot their destination airport by 150 miles have dropped their bid to have the licenses returned, the FAA said Monday. The settlement reached between the FAA and the pilots means an appeal hearing which could have resulted in litigation will not be needed next month. Under the terms of the agreement, the pilots will not contest the revocation, and may apply for reinstatement of their airman priveleges in 10 months rather than 12. CNN reports that when they reapply, they will need to re-take the tests they had originally passed to get licenses in the first place, according to FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. They will also need simulator training to allow them to fly commercial airliners. Captain Timothy Cheney and FO Richard Cole have been apologetic for the incident. "There is no good excuse," Cheney reportedly told the NTSB in its initial investigation. "I let my guard down. I wish I could explain why." Cheney admitted that his actions put the 144 passengers on the plane "at risk," and said he was embarrassed by the incident. FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Autopilot Fix Ordered on Boeing 777s FAA Tells Airlines to Install New Software to Avert Possibility of Planes Running Off End of Runways By ANDY PASZTOR Air-safety regulators are ordering U.S. airlines to install new software on Boeing 777s to keep the jetliners from possibly running off the end of runways, a mandate that could ultimately affect more than 800 planes world-wide. In a safety directive released Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the fix to prevent problems when the autopilot system is inadvertently on while a Boeing 777 aircraft is rolling down the runway just before takeoff. Boeing says no injuries have been attributed to the plane's autopilot issues. When pilots try to climb under such circumstances without realizing the autopilot is engaged, they encounter greater than usual resistance in raising the aircraft's nose. As a result, the FAA said, the pilots decide to halt the takeoff at a dangerously high speed. The order comes in the wake of two Boeing 777 incidents in January in which pilots inadvertently engaged the autopilot before starting to take off. When the crews felt unusually strong resistance from their flight controls as they were trying to overcome the autopilot, they opted to stop at a speed that was too high for such a maneuver. Both planes remained on their runways, Boeing Co. said. Since 1995, the FAA and Boeing have identified a total of nine similar incidents. U.S. airlines operate nearly 150 Boeing 777s. Boeing and the FAA said that if, as expected, the agency's order is accepted by foreign regulators, it would affect more than 800 planes. A Boeing spokeswoman said that since 1995, when the Boeing twin-engine 777 was introduced, the planes have made a total of 4.8 million flights without any injuries or accidents attributed to such autopilot issues. The FAA's airworthiness directive also calls for other software changes to ensure that Boeing 777s can climb steeply enough to avoid obstacles if one engine fails on takeoff. The FAA said Boeing found during simulator testing that after some 777 takeoffs with only one engine operating, the plane could fail to climb steeply enough on autopilot during the initial phase of flight. The FAA said that if the autopilots aren't modified, more takeoffs could be halted by pilots just as the front wheels of a Boeing 777 lift off the runway. It is particularly hard for pilots to slow down at that point. The results include "possible overrun of the runway," the agency said. Around the time of the January incidents, Boeing issued a service bulletin alerting airlines to install new autopilot software making it impossible for pilots to engage autopilots before takeoffs. Compliance with such bulletins is voluntary. Boeing called for the software changes to be completed within a year. The FAA decided the matter was more urgent, and that it would require airlines to comply with its order within 90 days after it becomes final. Corrections & Amplifications An earlier version of this article inaccurately described a potential problem that could result if a Boeing 777's autopilot is inadvertently engaged during takeoff. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Many Canadian runways still too short: safety board Ottawa - Major runways at Canadian airports are still too short - increasing the risk of planes overshooting the runway like the Air France jet that crashed and burned five years ago at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, the Transportation Safety Board is warning. In a blast against government inaction, the independent federal body said its recommendation for the creation of 300-metre safety areas at the end of major runways has been ignored by Ottawa and the country's big airports. Even worse, the board said, the government is only consulting the aviation industry on the addition of a 150-metre safety area, or half of the length determined to be necessary after the 2005 Air France crash in Toronto. In an interview, Transportation Safety Board chair Wendy Tadros said the process is "taking too long" seeing as how planes that overshoot runways represent one of the biggest problems facing the aviation industry. "Somewhere in the world, about once a month, a large aircraft will run off the end of a runway in bad weather. It's a persistent problem," Ms. Tadros said. She said that while Canadian airports remain relatively safe, U.S. airports are moving more quickly to add the buffer zones. "In the United States, they are moving toward the recommended practice from the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] of 300 metres," she said. Asked whether the high cost of the additional safety areas is causing the delays, Ms. Tadros refused to answer. "For us, it's an issue of safety," she said. The TSB made its recommendation for a 300-metre safety zone (or an equivalent "arrestor bed" - crushable concrete that can stop an aircraft - where there is not enough space) after a two-year probe into an Air France flight that overshot the runway at Pearson during a torrential rainstorm. None of the 309 people on board died in the crash, but pictures of the plane in flames left no doubt as to the extent of the potential catastrophe that had been avoided. The Harper government announced consultations on the matter in early 2008, but it has yet to take action. As it stands, the government is in discussions with the aviation community through a joint government-industry body called the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council. Captain Barry Wiszniowski, chair of the Air Canada Pilots Association's safety division, said the lessons from the Air France crash have not been applied, at Pearson or elsewhere. "Nothing's changed," he said in an interview. Liberal MP Joe Volpe said the government is to blame for the inaction, adding that Conservative ministers "agree with everything then don't do anything about it." But Transport Minister John Baird defended Ottawa's handling of the file, saying there is "more work to be done." "Our airports meet currently all the international standards," Mr. Baird told reporters. "Some of these changes don't happen overnight but, like I say, we welcome the work [of the TSB]." The Greater Toronto Airports Authority said that it meets all federal standards and will comply if any changes are mandated. GTAA spokesman Scott Armstrong added that safety trumps costs when it comes to runways. "If there is something that needs to be done, we will look to do it cost-effectively. But cost certainly isn't a deciding factor when it comes to a safety concern," he said. The TSB added that despite its recent recommendations, airline pilots still often lack the necessary information about landing conditions during bad weather, including the presence of ice, snow or slush on runways. "Our investigations show the information available may not always be current, and current information may not have been transmitted to the pilots in a timely basis," said TSB board member Kathy Fox. The TSB's comments on airline safety came as part of a "watch list" of nine transportation problems facing Canadians, including the lack of emergency preparations on ferries and dangerous railway crossings. "We know from hard experience, if persistent problems are not addressed, there will be another accident," Ms. Tadros said. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/many-canadian-runways-still-too-short-safety-board/article1502610/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pilot error blamed in fatal helicopter crash 4 died in 2008 when medical flight stuck radio tower in Aurora The National Transportation Safety Board attributed the fatal 2008 crash of an Air Angels medical helicopter in Aurora to the pilot's "inadequate preflight planning" and flying too low, which caused the copter to strike a radio tower. "During preflight planning, the pilot should have identified the obstacles along the route of flight, including the radio station tower," the report said. The board's March 11 final report on the crash said the DuPage Airport air traffic controller contributed to the accident by failing to issue a safety alert, which is required by Federal Aviation Administration rules. This was a contributing factor but not the main cause of the accident, according to the report. On Oct. 15, 2008, veteran pilot Delbert Waugh, 69, of Carmel, Ind., flew a Bell 222 helicopter into a roughly 734-foot-tall radio station tower. The Air Angels emergency medical helicopter was transporting a 14-month-old girl from a hospital in Sandwich to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The pilot was killed in the crash. The other victims were the patient, Kirstin Reann Blockinger of Leland, Ill., who was being treated for seizures; nurse William J. Mann Jr., 31; and paramedic Ronald Battiato, 41. The report also said helicopter was not equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system, which would have detected any obstacle along the flight path and alerted the pilot. Investigators determined there were no defects to the helicopter prior to the crash, according to the report. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-0317-ntsb-air-angles-20100316,0,6961678.story Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9 taken to NC hospital after bad smell on airplane CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Nine crew members and passengers aboard a Jamaica-bound US Airways flight were taken to a hospital with coughs and sore throats after smelling strong odors Tuesday, two months after 15 people aboard the same jet were treated for similar problems. Some of the 152 passengers aboard Flight 985 began complaining of a foul electrical smell soon after it pushed away from its gate at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport bound for Montego Bay on Tuesday, US Airways spokeswoman Michelle Mohr said. Two pilots, five flight attendants and two passengers sought medical attention, the airline said. All were expected to be discharged from Carolinas Medical Center within hours of arriving, spokesman Raymond Jones said. The remaining passengers and a new crew left for Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon, Mohr said. The same aircraft, a Boeing 767, was yanked out of service for five days and inspected after seven crew members and eight passengers aboard a Jan. 16 flight arriving in Charlotte from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, complained of scratchy throats and itchy eyes, Mohr said. The crew members were examined at a hospital while the passengers were checked out inside the airport and continued traveling to their destinations the same night, she said. Ground crews found the jet had a slight fuel leak that vaporized into the cabin air system. They repaired the problem, Mohr said. Flight attendants also reported strange odors aboard the same aircraft on flights from Charlotte to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 28 and 30, Mohr said. No passengers complained, she said. The first time, maintenance workers were flown to San Juan to fix the jet and it returned to the skies the same day, Mohr said. But the second incident sidelined the aircraft for six days after workers found that leaking hydraulic fluid got into the cabin air system, she said. Repair workers will comb the jet to find what was behind Tuesday's problem, Mohr said. "Certainly, we've got the aircraft and we're thoroughly investigating," she said. On Tuesday, a fire department hazardous materials unit checked for contaminants in the Jamaica-bound jet's cabin but found none, Charlotte Fire Department airport operations chief Shane Nantz said. Everyone was off the jet and the cabin doors had been opened by the time the team arrived, so firefighters did not notice any odd smells, he said. Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103199672789&s=6053&e=001QcL7axpS7dD0v3kfv16HbzltJ7ngwPQ8aYO8uQK4oYKPfbdZXijPBvdpArBYOtfCoxlg_1dhWSMfnmNb2G3xQH5YQyOEYkD9] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transport Canada Regains Responsibility for Aviation Safety The government of Canada on Tuesday announced re-claiming the responsibility for licensing and overseeing aircraft being operated by private businesses. The responsibility was in 2003 delegated to the Canadian Business Aviation Association, which is an industry lobby group. The responsibility re-claim was announced by Canadian Transport Minister John Baird. The move was immediately hailed by the Canadian Federal Pilots Association (CFPA) as conducive to maintaining aviation safety. The association also represents federal civil aviation inspectors. "We applaud the minister's decision," said CFPA president, captain Daniel Slunder. "It demonstrates that he is prepared to listen to safety concerns and act to address them. The minister's decision signals an end to the practice of delegating safety oversight." It was the second time in six months for Baird to change the country's transport safety mechanism. In November last year Baird delayed the roll-out of safety management system (SMS) to air taxi services and other small operators due to safety concerns. "Minister Baird and his senior management team at Transport Canada have shown an impressive commitment to safety, even if it means changing their SMS program. We continue to work with them to ensure Canadian travelers enjoy the highest levels of safety," Captain Slunder said. Transport Canada is the department within the Canadian government responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in the country. http://english.cri.cn/6966/2010/03/17/1361s557228.htm Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airbus A330s get safety mandate European regulators ordered airlines flying Airbus SAS A330s with Rolls-Royce Plc engines to take precautionary measures to cut the chances of ice building up in fuel systems and potentially leading to engine failure. A US Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Tuesday the agency would be releasing a similar directive next week. The emergency safety mandate by the European Aviation Safety Agency, based in Cologne, Germany, follows up on an Airbus communication to airlines three days earlier. A buildup of ice inside the fuel systems of such jets can potentially be ingested by engines, causing them to shut down. A330s have two engines and can be ones from either Rolls- Royce or United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney. Planes with Pratt engines aren't affected. "Yes, we issued an all-operators telex about this," said Stefan Schaffrath, a spokesman for Airbus in Toulouse, France. "It's a precautionary measure and fully in line with airworthiness processes." Paul Takemoto, a spokesman with the FAA, said the directive would affect 10 US-registered aircraft, five of which are owned by USAirways Group Inc. and five by Colombia's biggest airline, Aerovias del Continente Americano SA, or Avianca. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/248009/airbus-a330s-get-safety-mandate [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103199672789&s=6053&e=001QcL7axpS7dAn44_DtAppF2LHgzeuIHHKKBPdTAKI5IVPM8AxQqccGIV04JMBY1tdMxbn8YWZHauiDB1FZJOe42StyqsGbHJsdNb12lXjLAOb_LWWOZOQMDdsFOdPOriBR5Y2N0W4fEFEhzG-ro9Am_tzPaORtJiHhH2PRTvqWbkpSGlWH4_nvQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Proposes Fines for American Airlines Federal aviation regulators proposed $787,500 in civil penalties against AMR Corp.'s American Airlines unit for alleged maintenance violations involving a handful of planes, including one aircraft without a properly operating flight computer and four others that had improper rudder inspections. The alleged maintenance lapses, dating to 2008 and 2009, involve a total of half a dozen aircraft that made 15 flights with passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said that in one case, American pilots flew a McDonnell Doulgas MD-82 on 10 flights with passengers without being told that a certain flight-computer system wasn't working. In another case, according to the FAA, the airline failed to properly inspect certain rudder parts on some Boeing 757 jets. After FAA inspectors advised the airline about the situation, according to the agency, American told them the planes would be grounded until repairs were made. But the airline later flew two of the aircraft on three flights that weren't in compliance with mandatory safety directives, according to the FAA. American spokesman Tim Smith said the airline was reviewing the FAA action and will meet with regulators to discuss the proposed penalties. "American Airlines is very proud of our safety record and our employees' commitment to safety every day,'' Mr. Smith said. In recent months, the carrier has run into increasing FAA criticism and scrutiny over its maintenance procedures and operations.The Department of Transportation's inspector general also has been critical of some of American's past maintenance lapses. The largest portion of the latest proposed penalty stems from inoperative air-sensor systems on an MD-82 jet that had its automatic throttles disconnected during an approach to Los Angeles International Airport in April 2008. According to the FAA, American mechanics deferred required immediate repairs to the plane's Central Air Data Computer, which control the automatic throttles and other important safety systems. Mechanics cleared the plane for further flight by telling pilots not to use the automatic throttle system, but didn't tell them the data computer wasn't working, the FAA said. Such planes aren't allowed to carry passengers with inoperative air data computers, which are essential to help pilots fly the aircraft. In a separate case, the FAA alleges that in March 2008 American "committed to stop" flying four of its Boeing 757 jetliners until certain rudder checks were properly completed. But despite that pledge, the agency alleges, two of those planes flew passengers on three flights. The FAA earlier this year proposed penalties totaling $5.4 million for alleged maintenance violations by American and its commuter affiliate, American Eagle, a separately operated AMR unit. In addition, FAA inspectors are currently considering proposing a potentially larger penalty against American for improper repairs to certain MD-82 wiring in previous years. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS PO Box 588 Civic Square www.asasi.org Canberra ACT 2608 2010 Australasian Safety Seminar - CANBERRA 'The Safety Investigation Profession' Rydges - Lakeside CANBERRA Australian Capital Territory 4 to 6 June 2010 A two day technical program with papers on contemporary issues for safety professionals. Welcome cocktail reception in the Australian War Memorial Aviation Hall. Full details on the ASASI Website: www.asasi.org or contact ASASI Secretary/Treasurer - Paul.Mayes@Cobham.com.au [mailto:Paul.Mayes@Cobham.com.au] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC