Flight Safety Information May 14, 2010 - No. 095 In This Issue Airbus Releases Statement On Afriqiyah Airways Accident US crash investigators launch for Tripoli FAA fines Continental for landing gear maintenance lapse Cyprus Airways names new chief executive ICAO continues work to develop a CO2 standard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airbus Releases Statement On Afriqiyah Airways Accident The Airplane Went Down "Short Of The Runway Threshold" Airbus released the following statement Wednesday following the crash of an A330 operated by Afriqiyah Airways in Tripoli, Libya: "Airbus regrets to confirm that an Airbus A330-200 operated by Afriqiyah Airways was involved in an accident in Tripoli, Libya at 0400 GMT, Wednesday May 12th. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight 8U771 from Johannesburg, South Africa to Tripoli, Libya. "The aircraft involved in the accident, registered as 5A-ONG, was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 1024, delivered from the production line in September 2009. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 1600 flight hours in some 420 flights. It was powered by General Electric CF6-80E1 engines. At this time no further factual information is available. "Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft crashed short of the runway threshold during approach. According to available information there were 93 passengers and 11 crew on board. "In line with ICAO Annex 13 international convention Airbus is dispatching a team of technical advisors to support the investigation authorities and the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) as accredited representative. "The Airbus A330-200 is a widebody, twin-engine aircraft, which typically carries 253 passengers in a three-class, twin-aisle cabin on medium to long range routes of up to 7,250 nautical miles (13,400km). The A330-200 was first delivered in April 1998. "The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident." FMI: www.airbus.com Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ US crash investigators launch for Tripoli The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent a team of investigators to help the government of Libya determine what caused an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330-200 to crash on approach to the Tripoli airport early on the morning of 12 May. There was one survivor of the 104 passengers and crew on board. The aircraft, equipped with General Electric CF6-8E1 engines, was arriving from Johannesburg, South Africa. The US team, set to arrive in Tripoli Friday afternoon, will include a lead investigator as well an engines specialist and technical advisors from the US Federal Aviation Administration and General Electric. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA fines Continental for landing gear maintenance lapse FAA has proposed a $325,000 civil penalty against Continental Airlines for operating a dozen flights with an aircraft whose right main landing gear was improperly maintained. The agency alleges on 20 December 2008 the crew of a Continental Boeing 737 saw a warning light on the right main landing gear indicator after the gear retracted on a flight from Houston to Los Angeles. The crew elected to continue the flight after discussing the issue with maintenance control. But the flight was diverted to Phoenix after the crew noticed an excessive amount of fuel was being burned by the aircraft. After the landing, maintenance technicians inspected the landing gear, but did not make a required entry into the aircraft's maintenance log or any other record about the abnormality. FAA believes the aircraft operated at least 12 additional passenger flights before the gear problem was fixed, which is in violation of Federal Aviation Regulations. "Air carriers cannot let maintenance issues lapse," says FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "When a problem is discovered, it needs to be corrected immediately." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cyprus Airways names new chief executive Cyprus Airways has appointed George Mavrocostas as chief executive, effective 20 May. Mavrocostas joined the airline 26 years ago and has held various senior positions including the position of engineering and maintenance manager. He was promoted to the position of head of operations in 2006. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ICAO continues work to develop a CO2 standard ICAO remains optimistic that it can introduce a CO2 standard sometime in 2013, but the organisation realises that deadline could be compromised if resources are dedicated to concurrent projects on noise stringency and certification of particulate matter emissions for aircraft engines. The organisation is working towards creating a standard to coincide with the next cycle of its Committee on Aviation Environment Protection (CAEP) 9 scheduled for 2013. During the ICAO Colloquium on Aviation and Climate Change Curtis Holsclaw, who serves as Rapporteur of the CAEP working group on emissions, explained the three year timeframe to complete the complex task of establishing the standard is unprecedented. The working group must ensure the standard is equitable across all products and manufacturers, and allows flexibility in aircraft design, says Holsclaw. Other issues the group needs to consider include determining specific aircraft to which the standard would apply, explains Holsclaw. The group needs to determine if the standard will encompass only new aircraft types, or if in-service aircraft should be included, he says. As the group looks at options for certification of the new CO2 standard, Holsclaw stresses the importance of examining cost analysis for different stringency standards as regulatory compliance guidelines are developed . Holsclaw admits the group is already struggling with determining metrics to accompany the CO2 standard, and warns other standards the group is tasked with developing including noise stringency and particulate matter could tax its resources. As ICAO works to develop a CO2 standard NASA is conducting its own research in carbon dioxide reduction through its environmentally responsible aviation (ERA) project, and has determined if noting changes in the aviation industry CO2 emissions in the USA will double by 2050. But using some of the technologies under consideration and in development through ERA NASA chief engineer for aerosciences Larry Leavitt estimates CO2 emissions could fall by 40% during the same time period. Leavitt explains biofuels are not being used in ERA, noting NASA believes there is a cost associated with the introduction of those fuels. ICAO is working to develop its draft resolution on international aviation and climate change for introduction during the 37th assembly of its member states scheduled for September. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC