Flight Safety Information August 12, 2010 - No. 162 In This Issue Safety Management System (SMS) NTSB Recommends Changes In Aircraft Seat Belt Rules FAA Publishes Draft Policy On Lithium Batteries Too early to tell whether Alaska crash deaths came at impact, or later Engine problem forces Delta jet back to LA airport Air Force 2 in minor accident with small plane FAA investigating Logan incident FSI Advertising ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puzzle [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103612404293&s=6053&e=001C0iQ9Y-8_1QMrf-0jTLn5jO0zUYXvm1_ybuu083b0bG7m2xDya8LS3G7pxHv6gtyzbDBjqig9OlMeXS7YyGIOuuLj50qVvhnp6tXfNDOzCBWJZ0eBGwvKQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB Recommends Changes In Aircraft Seat Belt Rules Changes Stem From Pilatus PC-12 Accident In March 2009 The NTSB has issues a set of three safety recommendations to the FAA concerning seat belts and restraints in general aviation aircraft. The action comes from the investigation of an accident in March, 2009, in which a Pilatus PC-12/45, (N128CM), was diverting to Bert Mooney Airport (BTM), Butte, Montana, when it descended and impacted the ground near the approach end of runway 33 at BTM. The airplane was owned by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Oregon, and was operating as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The pilot and the 13 airplane passengers were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight departed Oroville Municipal Airport, Oroville, California, at 1210 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with a destination of Gallatin Field, Bozeman, Montana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the letter making the recommendations, the airplane was configured with two pilot seats and eight passenger seats. Two of the passenger seats faced aft, and the other six passenger seats faced forward. All of the pilot and passenger seats were equipped with lap and shoulder harness restraints. Among the 13 passengers were six adults and seven children (ages 1 through 9 years). Because the flight was a single-pilot operation, eight seats in the cabin and one seat in the cockpit were available to the 13 passengers. Thus, the number of passengers exceeded the number of available seats. Except for the pilot and the occupant of the right front seat, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to determine the original seating position for the occupants, but the bodies of four children, ages 3 to 9 years, were found farthest from the impact site, indicating that these children were likely thrown from the airplane because they were unrestrained or improperly restrained. The investigation of this accident is ongoing, and evidence indicates that the accident was not survivable. However, the NTSB notes that, if the accident had been less severe and the impact had been survivable, any unrestrained occupants or occupants sharing a single restraint system would have been at a much greater risk of injury or death. The NTSB now recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration: Amend 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 to require separate seats and restraints for every occupant. Amend 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 to require each person who is less than 2 years of age to be restrained in a separate seat position by an appropriate child restraint system during takeoff, landing, and turbulence. Amend 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 121 and 135 to require each person who is less than 2 years of age to be restrained in a separate seat position by an appropriate child restraint system during takeoff, landing, and turbulence. The board was not unanimous in its recommendation. Vice Chair Christopher A. Hart wrote in his dissenting statement that "sending a recommendation to the FAA about requiring separate seats and restraints for passengers under 2 is a futile effort because we have made that recommendation before, without success, and we have no reason to believe that this approach will achieve a better result this time. NTSB Vice Chair Hart "In filing this dissent, let me note at the outset that it is indisputable as a matter of basic physics that a properly restrained child in an airplane is safer than an unrestrained child, and our goal should be to do whatever we can to help assure that every person in an airplane is restrained, irrespective of age. Given that our previous approach has been unsuccessful, I would like to suggest an alternate approach to reach that goal. "The different approach I would like to suggest relates to the fact that infant car seats have improved tremendously since the FAA first promulgated its regulatory exception that allows passengers under the age of 2 not to be restrained - indeed, car seats for children that age may not even have existed when the exception was first created. Given these car seat improvements, perhaps it is time to revisit whether there is still a scientific basis for an exception for children under 2. Thus, I think we should recommend that the FAA revisit, in light of current infant car seat technology, whether there is a scientific basis for excepting children under age 2 from the restraint requirements . . . and if there is no scientific basis for the exception, then the exception is arbitrary, by definition, and SHOULD BE RESCINDED" (emphasis his). FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Publishes Draft Policy On Lithium Batteries Thu, 12 Aug '10 Comments Are Due To The FAA By August 29 The FAA has published a draft policy (ANM-113-10-004) on the certification of permanently installed rechargeable lithium batteries. The policy memo provides guidance on permanently installed (part of the type certificate or supplemental type certificate) rechargeable lithium batteries or rechargeable lithium battery systems and their protective circuitry used on transport-category aircraft. According to the document, increased use of rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems located in many areas of the aircraft has prompted the FAA to review the adequacy of existing regulations. The FAA's review indicates the existing regulations do not adequately address several failure, operation and maintenance characteristics of newly developed batteries and battery systems, which could affect the safety and reliability of the electronics-system installation. Specifically, this policy addresses new batteries and battery systems requirements not adequately addressed in Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 25.1353. Special conditions may be required for these systems. The intent of the policy is to establish when special conditions will be proposed and what the proposed special conditions will be, as well as to provide a standardized approach on how to show compliance for these newly developed battery and battery systems, including their installations. This policy also will ensure, as required by §25.601 and §25.1309, that they do not represent a hazard to the aircraft and its occupants. According to the FAA, the general policy stated in the document does not constitute a new regulation. The FAA official who implements this policy should follow this policy when it is applicable to a specific project. Whenever a proposed method of compliance is outside this established policy, that official has to coordinate it with the policy-issuing office using an issue paper. Applicants should expect that certificating officials would consider this information when making findings of compliance relevant to new certification. In addition, as with all advisory material, this statement of policy identifies one means, but not the only means, of compliance. Any alternate means of compliance must be coordinated between the Aircraft Certification Office and Transport Airplane Directorate. The FAA has concluded that current regulations may not adequately address all of the safety concerns of newly developed batteries and battery systems, and their effects on other systems. In the event that data are presented to the FAA which demonstrate otherwise, the intent and content of this policy may be reconsidered. FMI: www.faa.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Too early to tell whether Alaska crash deaths came at impact, or later NTSB could not interview survivors Wednesday because of their injuries NTSB and other investigators have arrived at the crash site NTSB chief says "we haven't ruled anything out" on cause of crash Anchorage, Alaska (CNN) -- It's too early to say whether former Sen. Ted Stevens and the four others who died in an Alaskan plane crash initially survived but eventually succumbed while waiting to be rescued, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board told CNN Wednesday. "We don't know that information at this point," Deborah Hersman told CNN's "American Morning." "It's going to be up to the medical examiner to determine the cause of death." The plane flew into the side of a mountain in remote southern Alaska Monday night, authorities said. Brutal terrain and bad weather kept survivors waiting 12 hours for rescue after the crash, officials and witnesses said. The accident left five people dead and four others injured. Autopsies on the victims were expected to be completed by the end of the day Wednesday, but Hersman said the NTSB would not release those results. The investigation into the cause of the crash is still in preliminary stages, with teams interviewing first responders, personnel from the flight service center that was in contact with the plane, staff at the lodge from which the plane departed and others, Hersman said at a Wednesday evening news conference in Anchorage. "There's a lot of work we need to do and additional interviews we need to conduct to really establish a firm timeline and we're working to do that," she said. On Wednesday afternoon, NTSB investigators, other federal and state officials, and representatives from the manufacturers of the downed airplane and its engine arrived at the crash site, Hersman said. "We're really putting a lot of the factual information together right now," she told CNN. "We're certainly looking at weather but everything is on the table right now and we haven't ruled anything out." The NTSB was hoping to interview the four crash survivors on Wednesday, "but due to their medical conditions, we were unable to conduct those interviews today," Hersman said Wednesday evening. "Our first priorty is their health and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them in their recovery." She said the survivors may owe their lives to the fact that "there was no post-crash fire." She said investigators talked to a physician who spent the night on the hillside with survivors and also spoke to emergency responders as they try to determine what happened leading up to the accident. "Right now our first priority is to make sure that they get the medical attention that they need and certainly we'd like to talk to them," Hersman said. "They'll be able to give us a good picture." The Alaska Department of Public Safety identified the dead as Stevens of Anchorage, Alaska; pilot Theron "Terry" Smith, 62, of Eagle River, Alaska; lobbyist William "Bill" Phillips Sr., of the Washington, D.C., area; GCI executive Dana Tindall, 48, of Anchorage, Alaska; and her daughter Corey Tindall, 16, of Anchorage, Alaska. The bodies have been recovered and sent to Anchorage. Injured were William "Willy" Phillips Jr., 13, the son of Bill Phillips Sr.; Sean O'Keefe, 54; his son, Kevin O'Keefe; and lobbyist Jim Morhard of Alexandria, Virginia. Sean O'Keefe is the former head of NASA. Sean O'Keefe is in critical condition, while his son is in stable condition, according to the Providence Alaska Medical Center. Neither appear to have life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from an O'Keefe family spokesperson Wednesday. Morhard is in serious condition and William Phillips is in good condition, the Providence Alaska Medical Center said Wednesday. The aircraft, which was taking the group on a fishing trip, crashed around 7 p.m. Monday about 17 miles north of Dillingham in the southwestern area of the state, authorities said. The region, near the Bering Sea southwest of Anchorage, is rugged terrain surrounded by mountains. When the nine people on board had not arrived at a camp on time, the search began. The pilot was not required to file a flight plan, authorities said. The NTSB has found no evidence of distress calls, Hersman said Wednesday night. Pilots flying over the crash site said the amphibious DeHavilland DHC-Z3T Otter flew into the side of the mountain, which has a 40-degree slope. The pilots didn't think anyone on board could have survived such an accident. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Engine problem forces Delta jet back to LA airport LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Delta Airlines spokesman says a Detroit-bound jetliner was forced to return to Los Angeles International Airport after experiencing problems with an engine. The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot reported that a bird may have been sucked into an engine of the Boeing 757 just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. However, Delta spokesman Kent Landers says a maintenance crew inspected the engine after the plane safely landed and found no indication of a bird strike. He says the crew will further evaluate to determine the cause of the engine problem. The 179 passengers and nine crew members on the flight were placed on another aircraft that departed at 5 p.m. Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103612404293&s=6053&e=001C0iQ9Y-8_1SexCWEV8OjePls3k0nO1GKZ7Z05bLdt-D0L-fsFw4VF6dwSWDb_QZ2eAboQDgG7J-SShSNGmfik8hHUAGi_nav] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vice President Joe Biden's Air Force 2 in minor accident with small plane on Long Island runway WASHINGTON - The backwash from Vice President Biden's Air Force 2 sent a parked privately owned Piper Cub tumbling yesterday at a small general aviation airport on Long Island. There were no injuries as the Bidens' 757 jet lifted off from Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. No one was in the Piper, which was tethered in an adjacent lot, the Air Force said. The force of the jet wash from Air Force Two's powerful engines snapped a wing on the small plane. Biden's office referred all calls to the Air Force and declined to say whether the Vice President had spoken to the unidentified owner of the small plane. Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Michelle Lai said an investigation will be conducted, including determining the cost of the damage to the plane and whose responsibility it will be to pay. The light craft belongs to an aerial media company. "The Air Force and the 89th Airlift Wing (at Andrews Air Force Base) are working with local airfield management to investigate the incident," an Air Force statement said. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103612404293&s=6053&e=001C0iQ9Y-8_1Qz3BzCXxDWG0B-1_o3T9VxdkobtsXqxXDehfCLPyAVaZQ64l3Si-enux7Krf4JMTnpopnjy4m7X2FI4kfqrl8rxhdMZOdoJAVPjv5QG-dTug==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA investigating Logan incident Cape Air plane caused JetBlue flight to abort takeoff A JetBlue [JBLU] flight was forced to abort its takeoff from Logan International Airport Monday after a Cape Air plane apparently came too close to the runway while taxiing. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, spokeswoman Arlene Salac said. The Cape Air plane was moving along the taxiways of the airport to get into position for its flight to Nantucket. Its route took it across a runway where the JetBlue flight was already preparing to depart, Salac said. Air traffic control told the Cape Air pilot to wait before crossing the runway, she said. The pilot brought the plane to a stop, but had crossed the "hold line," the marking that indicates where aircraft are supposed to stop. "Cape Air did not encroach on the runway, but passed over the hold line," Salac said. "Once he crosses over that hold line, that is a violation of our standards." The Cape Air pilot seemed to be immediately aware that he had gone too far, according to air traffic control recordings. http://news.bostonherald.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103612404293&s=6053&e=001C0iQ9Y-8_1TJ__s7ApllW7SRtBnR3ujn9zTOTa318MZ-pOqGLmdHfevuRg9qsUqwLhM3X8_dkviOXqyZ6FNLLdMkzd-txGjEXST8-4jWNZrEJ22p1adtKw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC