Flight Safety Information June 3, 2010 - No. 110 In This Issue Pilot, mechanic killed in fiery helicopter crash in Ellis County (Texas) Bell 222 Accident (Texas)... FAA Issues Emergency AD For Agusta Model 119... (India) Govt mulling forming independent airline safety board Air crash leads Indian authorities to inspect local airports Australia's Cairns Airport receives ILS upgrade Virgin Atlantic names new safety operations director... FAA Keeps ADS-B Date, But Questions Remain Airlines Offer More Wi-Fi EADS CEO: Many Banks Will Not Return To Aircraft Financing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pilot, mechanic killed in fiery helicopter crash in Ellis County (Texas) MIDLOTHIAN - Two CareFlite crew members were killed Wednesday when their helicopter apparently lost its rotor, crashed and caught fire near Midlothian, authorities said. The CareFlite helicopter apparently lost its rotor when it crashed near Midlothian on Wednesday, authorities said. The wreckage ignited a large grass fire. The CareFlite helicopter apparently lost its rotor when it crashed near Midlothian on Wednesday, authorities said. The wreckage ignited a large grass fire. The Bell 222 helicopter went down after taking off from its Grand Prairie hangar for a post-maintenance test flight, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. The National Transportation Safety Boardand the FAA were investigating the crash site late Wednesday to determine a cause. Midlothian firefighters were in the area shortly after the 2:15 p.m. crash near U.S. Highway 67 and Wyatt Road in rural Ellis County. The wreckage ignited a large grass fire, officials said. The Bell 222 helicopter went down Wednesday after taking off from its Grand Prairie hangar for a post-maintenance test flight. " The Bell 222 helicopter went down Wednesday after taking off from its Grand Prairie hangar for a post-maintenance test flight. "We immediately started to extinguish the fire, but there were no survivors," said Midlothian Deputy Fire Chief Dale McCaskill. "The wreckage is pretty entangled." The rotor was about 100 yards from the wreckage, and the tail section of the aircraft was in a cluster of small mesquite trees about 250 yards away. McCaskill said there were no mayday calls before the helicopter went down in a ball of fire. "It was pretty spontaneous," McCaskill said. The crash site is about a quarter-mile west of U.S. 67 beyond heavy brush and a rusty fence. It's an industrial area near two gutted, abandoned buildings that once belonged to a tire refurbishing company. Firefighters had to cut through a gate to get to the site, officials said. Getting water to the site was difficult because there were no hydrants in the area, McCaskill said. A CareFlite representative said the two crew members were a pilot and a mechanic. Firefighters pulled their bodies from the crash and took them to the Dallas County medical examiner's office. Their names were not released, pending notification of their relatives. "We ask that you keep the families of those killed, and of all first responders in your prayers," CareFlite said in a prepared statement. From his shop, Dennis Lauterbach Sr., owner of Quality Aircraft in Midlothian, heard the call dispatched to rescuers on his police scanner. He and his son, Dennis Lauterbach Jr., went up in their helicopter and circled the wreckage as smoke billowed into the sky. They surveyed the scene as the first Midlothian fire engines arrived. From the air, the Lauterbachs saw a large debris field and a spreading grass fire. The two landed only briefly to tell authorities where they saw the detached tail end of the helicopter. They said they were unable to approach the wreckage because of the fire and smoke. "Really, there was nothing for anybody to do," the father said. CareFlite is the second-oldest medical air transportation service in Texas, according to its website. http://www.dallasnews.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103188835241&s=6053&e=001NrEleEzyGquBkuRVbZfEszLAKQa5MvJ1euHg8KBXmIdTRLHBpJASfwHwlS_Cpj5HI_krEIrfPb3LzLnE5XTEILPldbYJg-1m2TAVsOoWfShZuOfacMlu3Q==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bell 222 Accident (Texas) Date: 02-JUN-2010 Time: 2:15pm LT Type: Bell 222UT Operator: CareFlite Registration: N515MK C/n / msn: 47515 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Near Highway 67 and Wyatt Road, Midlothian, TX - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Test Departure airport: Grand Prairie Municipal Airport - KGPM Destination airport: Grand Prairie Municipal Airport - KGPM Narrative: The Bell 222 crashed on a test flight, after take off from Prairie Municipal Airport (KGPM), TX, near Highway 67 and Wyatt Road, Midlothian, TX. The pilot and the mechanic were killed. www.aviation-safety.net [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103188835241&s=6053&e=001NrEleEzyGqu_-m6LGk7kENT9mapUOCfsxFLriIQvm-FDYsBbIJKS2QlsFDU9uubDSMkiUcNq_FB3PEtii6o_fJxwZgRjyEm5oUO49_wYJrOQhlN1g2CofFGja5qXwz0d] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Issues Emergency AD For Agusta Model 119 Missing Control Rod Bushing Could Cause Excessive Vibration, Loss Of Control The FAA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) (2010-12-51) for Agusta Model AW119 MKII helicopters. The EAD is the result of the report of a missing control-rod bushing (bushing) from a 90-degree tail rotor gearbox (TGB) installed on a Model AW119 MKII helicopter. The Agusta Model 119 helicopters also have the affected TGB installed; therefore, they are also included in the applicability of this EAD. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in abnormal vibration and damage to the tail rotor system, loss of the yaw control function, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. Agusta Alert Bollettino Tecnico No. 119-38, dated March 25, 2010 (ABT), specifies inspecting the TGB, part number (P/N) 109-0440-06-103, to verify the presence of the bushing. If the bushing is not installed, the ABT specifies replacing the TGB and associated parts with a "new" TGB assembly, P/N 109-0440-06-105. Also, the ABT specifies if the bushing is installed, reidentifying the TGB "by installing an additional nameplate" with P/N 109-0440-06-105. EASA notified the FAA that an unsafe condition may exist on these helicopter models. EASA advises of a missing bushing in the TGB of a Model AW119 MKII helicopter. EASA also advises that "this condition, if not detected and corrected, could cause abnormal vibration of the tail rotor controls possibly leading to their damage and consequent loss of the yaw control function." EASA classified the ABT as mandatory. The FAA says the condition is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs. Therefore, this EAD requires, before further flight, removing the forward boot from the nut and inserting a 0.3 millimeter (mm) thickness gauge, not exceeding 10 mm in width, between the rod and nut until the gauge stops. This EAD requires, from the face of the nut, measuring the depth the gauge is inserted between the rod and the nut before it stops. If the depth measurement is between 4 mm and 6 mm, the bushing is installed, and this EAD requires reidentifying the TGB, P/N 109-0440-06-103, by using an etch pen to change the last three digits of the P/N from -103 to -105. If the depth measurement is greater than 6 mm, this EAD requires, before further flight, replacing the TGB and the associated parts with airworthy parts. The actions must be accomplished by following specified portions of the ABT described previously. This rule is issued under 49 U.S.C. Section 44701 pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, and is effective immediately upon receipt of this emergency AD. FMI: www.faa.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (India) Govt mulling forming independent airline safety board NEW DELHI: Government is considering creating a dedicated mechanism to deal with all major accidents, including air crash, and giving total autonomy to the DGCA to further empower it as the aviation regulator of the country. Aiming at separating the roles of the regulator and an investigator, government is considering establishing an independent safety board on the lines of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here. The NTSB investigates all major accidents in the US including air crashes or accidents at sea or on highways. It also assists other nations in probing such accidents, like it sent a team of investigators to India after the Mangalore air crash on May 22, in which 158 people lost their lives. "We have had a tragic accident. We should not be now found lacking on any front. We will do everything necessary to ensure an orderly growth of aviation in the country. The expectations are very high as the sector is growing," the minister said. After addressing the first meeting of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC), set up within a week of the Mangalore air crash, he said "Government will definitely consider granting full autonomy to the DGCA and empower it to independently carry out its work as a regulator of Indian aviation". If needed, the government would bring in a "suitable legislation" to turn Directorate General of Civil Aviation into a fully autonomous body with overriding authority on all aviation regulatory matters, he said. As a need was felt that the role of the regulator and the investigator should be "de-linked", the government was considering a separate body to probe accidents, he said. Drawing lessons from the recent crash which occurred on a 'table-top runway' located on a plateau, the DGCA has decided to carry out a drive to inspect systems and facilities at 11 airports described as "critical", Patel said, adding "critical does not mean unsafe. It reflects on the topography of the area where these airports exist". Sources said the DGCA had sent 11 teams to these airports for inspection and review of the existing facilities, landing and navigational systems as well as the runways and recommend steps for improvements. The "critical airports" are those in Leh, Kullu, Shimla, Port Blair, Agartala, Lengpui, Calicut, Mangalore, Jammu, Patna and Latur. He said the reports of these teams are "expected to come (to the DGCA) within a week". http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Air crash leads Indian authorities to inspect local airports India's directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) plans to inspect airports in the country as part of a safety drive, following two recent incidents. Officials will inspect and review facilities at airports, including runway conditions, says the ministry of civil aviation. The airports that will be inspected first on a priority basis are Leh, Kullu, Shimla, Port Blair, Agartala, Lengpui, Calicut, Mangalore, Jammu, Patna, Latur, adds the ministry. Officials will also carry out checks on airlines' maintenance programmes and inspect maintenance hangars, it says. The checks come after two incidents involving Air India Express aircraft late last month. On 22 May, an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 overran the runway at southern India's Mangalore International Airport and crashed. Four days later, another Air India Express 737-800 experienced a sudden loss of altitude mid-flight while flying to Pune from Dubai. Reports said the incident occurred when the pilot left the cockpit. In response to the two incidents, the DGCA has issued fresh directives on standard operating procedures, says the ministry. Among this is a reminder to pilots to carry out landings correctly. "A good landing is not one that the passengers perceive as a soft landing, but one that is made at the correct point on the runway with the correct flight parameters... If however, for any reasons, the approach is unstabilised, a go-around is a safer option which affords the pilot another opportunity to conduct a safe approach to land," says the ministry. The DGCA has also directed cabin crew to be inside an aircraft's cockpit in the observer seat in cases when one of the flight crew members has to leave the cockpit. "The cabin crew shall remain in the flight deck [until] the flight deck crew member returns to the flight deck," says the ministry. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103188835241&s=6053&e=001NrEleEzyGqtSqvznXHrF9_MisOtU-BiKgvG0ZM9H2C-lUbPr1eFOkt6DA7PE09oq5p2uMRNP6YYZe-IEKhDElQkmOps0ke-v] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Australia's Cairns Airport receives ILS upgrade Air traffic services provider Airservices Australia has begun a major upgrade of Cairns Airport's instrument landing system (ILS) as part of a nationwide enhancement of such technology. The upgrade includes essential works on equipment and facilities currently used for the provision of precision approach services, says Airservices. The ILS is a highly accurate and dependable navigation aid that allows safe and efficient air traffic movement in and out of the airport, particularly during low visibility and bad weather conditions, it says. Airservices general manager technology and asset services Alastair Hodgson says the A$3 million ($2.5 million) Cairns upgrade and maintenance work have been timed to ensure minimal disruption to the travelling public. The upgrade will also be in time for the wet season when "demand from airlines for use of the ILS traditionally peaks", says Hodgson. It is expected to be completed by September 2010. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Virgin Atlantic names new safety operations director UK long-haul operator Virgin Atlantic has named Corneel Koster as director of operations, safety and security. Koster will join the carrier on 1 September, says Virgin. He heads ground-handling company Cobalt Ground Solutions, which operates at London Heathrow and London City, and previously served in several director roles at KLM. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Keeps ADS-B Date, But Questions Remain FAA's final rule outlining equipment requirements for Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) received a mixed reaction from industry groups, which see the FAA as the primary beneficiary. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Thursday the release of the much-anticipated rule, stating the agency has reached a "major NextGen milestone." FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who joined LaHood in the announcement, says the release marks "A step across the threshold. This rule gives the green light for manufacturers to begin building the onboard equipment that will allow our air traffic controllers to know where aircraft are with greater precision and reliability." As proposed, the rule requires all aircraft that fly in Class A, B and C airspace and above 10,000 feet to be equipped with ADS-B by 2020. FAA expects to have the ground infrastructure in place by 2013. Some industry people and lawmakers pushed for earlier deadlines, but FAA says the 2020 compliance date remains appropriate because airspace users "need to equip. FAA also expects this timeframe will provide sufficient operational experience to make ADS-B the primary source for surveillance." FAA reauthorization legislation has called for implementation by 2015. But LaHood notes that FAA has been working with Capitol Hill on its plans. As for reauthorization, "what's going to happen is unclear. When the bill is signed, we'll see what it says and we'll follow the law," he says. The mandate specifically calls for installation of equipment for ADS-B "Out," including either 1090 megahertz extended squitter broadcast link or a Universal Access Transceiver broadcast link. This equipment broadcasts information about an aircraft through an onboard transmitter to a ground receiver. That information then is transmitted continuously to air traffic control. Currently, the refresh rate for air traffic control is 12 seconds, Babbitt notes, adding, "12 seconds is a long time to not see anybody." In addition to continuous transmissions, Babbitt says ADS-B enables controllers to track aircraft in locations where tracking previously wasn't possible, such as the Gulf of Mexico. FAA considered requiring ADS-B "In" equipment, which would provide more direct benefits - such as the ability to see surrounding traffic - but decided against such a mandate. "The agency is mindful, and operators are advised, that ...compliance with this rule alone may not enable operators to take full advantage of certain ADS-B In applications," the agency says. "Operators may voluntarily choose equipment that meets the higher performance standards to enable use of these applications." Babbitt estimates the cost of the rule (including agency costs) to be between $2.1 billion and $4.1 billion. The actual costs, he adds, will depend on the equipment operators choose. Asked if the Administration has considered providing assistance to offset the costs, LaHood responded that, "We've had several meetings with folks at the White House about this." LaHood acknowledged the costs could be higher for some of the smaller operators, and said, "I think we have the White House's attention on this." The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, however, last week noted that the equipment will cost general aviation aircraft owners thousands but only duplicate what currently exists. "The industry has always maintained that the migration to the new system must be benefits-driven," says Melissa Rudinger, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs. "But the only real beneficiary of this new ADS-B Out mandate is the FAA." ADS-B Out should be a replacement for transponders, AOPA contends, but FAA is requiring ADS-B Out and transponders. AOPA, however, praised FAA for maintaining a 10-year implementation. "That gives the FAA and industry a decade to work together to find low-cost solutions, such as permitting portable options to display available traffic." General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce was pleased with the release of the rule, saying, "The ADS-B program demonstrates successful collaboration between the FAA and industry. This cooperation is essential as we look to deploy other components of the NextGen program." Bunce says the rule puts the standards in place to accelerate modernization, "particularly if we can incentivize operators to expedite the equipage of their aircraft." Aircraft Electronics Association President Paula Derks says she is "cautiously optimistic that FAA listened to the majority of comments raised by industry." The Air Transport Association, meanwhile, was withholding judgment until it could fully review the rule. "ATA has said repeatedly that any rule requiring this type of equipage and expense must be based on a solid business case," says ATA President and CEO James May. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airlines Offer More Wi-Fi As Americans grow accustomed to being connected all the time, more broadband providers are filling in one of the few remaining dead zones-airplanes. One issue is causing some airlines to hesitate before installing wireless Internet access on all of their aircraft-it remains unclear how many passengers are willing to pay for wireless access in flight. On Tuesday, US Airways finished installing wireless Internet capability on its 51 Airbus A321 aircraft, narrow-body planes primarily used on transcontinental domestic flights, and is providing the service free to passengers until June 8. If demand is strong enough, the airline will consider expanding the service to some of its other narrow-body Airbus aircraft, according to a US Airways spokesman. US Airways is using a service called Gogo Inflight Internet from Aircell LLC, an airline wireless Internet provider that has now equipped 930 aircraft for eight airlines with Wi-Fi. That is nearly twice as many planes as the company had equipped a year ago. Aircell's prices start at $4.95 for flights shorter than an hour and a half and go up to $12.95 on flights longer than three hours. Monthly and 24-hour Internet-access passes are also available on some airlines. Row 44 Inc., a competitor of Aircell, provides wireless services on a handful of Southwest Airlines' planes and is planning to expand Wi-Fi to the rest of the airline's fleet of more than 500 planes over the next 18 months, says Gregg Fialcowitz, president of Row 44. The basic Row 44 service is free to passengers, but it is limited to certain travel-themed retail sites, games and a service that allows users to text cellphones on the ground. Broader access is available for a fee that passengers pay to Southwest. The airline is experimenting with pricing and a Southwest spokeswoman says such charges will likely settle in the $5 to $12 range, depending on the length of the flight. "[Airborne-service] pricing is still out of line with other paid Internet sessions," says Michael Planey, a consultant specializing in in-flight passenger technologies. "The service is being used, I think, by an increasing number of passengers, but it is certainly not a majority of passengers at this point." Niels Steenstrup, vice president of marketing for Aircell, concedes that the company's prices are higher than those for a typical timed Internet session on the ground, but says it costs more to provide wireless on a plane "moving at high speed and high altitude." Gogo, the Aircell service, is also available on all AirTran Airways and Virgin America flights, and on some Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines flights. The service will be rolled out on some Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines flights later this year. http://online.wsj.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103188835241&s=6053&e=001NrEleEzyGqvSI8SuVft-n9HW5M7UaNDIN0l2rk45ftoM_2NLFtb_DPly5gWCLQrRMtcHGbBMjToROfdv0vCebItVvp0HCp7IXpy6gutNBPuI9ZlbuNf-xw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EADS CEO: Many Banks Will Not Return To Aircraft Financing LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The head of Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV (EAD.FR) said Wednesday that he didn't expect many banks that stopped funding aircraft purchases to return to the market, though China will take up some of the slack. Many banks retreated from the aircraft finance market during the credit crunch and led some airlines to cancel or defer new deliveries while the industry sought alternative sources of capital. EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois said at a media briefing that he expected Chinese institutions to take a more active role, while Airbus planned to boost the amount of customer finance it provides airlines this year. Gallois forecast Airbus support would be less than $1 billion in this year but higher than the $400 million provided in 2009. It spent EUR153 million funding its own sales in the first quarter alone. Boeing Co. (BA) executives expect to trim their own support from about $900 million in 2009 to below $500 million this year. Gallois said he expected export credit agencies to continue their increased backing for aircraft deals--they accounted for about a third of total industry funding last year. Airbus and Boeing recently announced plans to boost production to handle a backlog of thousands of aircraft, and Gallois said he aimed to diversify his customer base further, reducing the reliance on sales to the U.S. and Europe. Gallois also reiterated that Airbus would decide by year-end whether to press ahead and redesign its best-selling A320 family of commercial planes with new engines to boost fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Airbus had hoped to make a decision by the Farnborough air show in July, but more and more industry executives believe it will opt for an all-new aircraft that may not fly until 2025. Boeing is also examining its options for re- engining its 737 family. A400 Deal By Summer's End? While the outlook for EADS's commercial division has been improving, uncertainty still clouds its military business. Gallois expressed optimism that EADS will win the controversial contract to provide the U.S. Air Force with new aerial refueling tankers, where it faces competition from Boeing. He said 200 staff are working on the bid due July 8. EADS opted for a solo bid after partner Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) pulled out earlier this year. This marks the third time the U.S. has sought bids for the tanker, and delays are also plaguing EADS's European defense business. Gallois said talks to finalize a new contract with seven European governments for its delayed A400M military transport plane were "not so easy", though the company still aims to secure a pact during the summer. The seven nations agreed an outline deal in March to amend their contract to acquire 180 A400Ms. The aircraft made its first flight last December amid delays and cost overruns that had threatened the program with cancellation. Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Turkey agreed in March to boost the A400M budget from EUR20 billion to at least EUR24.3 billion. Gallois said that none of the countries wants "to escape" or back-out from the finalizing a deal, adding the most important aspect is to keep the momentum of negotiations. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC