Flight Safety Information October 5, 2010 - No. 204 In This Issue F-35 Flight Testing Suspended For Technical Problems Southwest Airlines Jet Diverted to Flagstaff... Jet with flap problem lands safely Boeing says pilot cuts short 787 test flight Airplane Air Is No Riskier Than Other Enclosed Spaces Troy W. Boonstra Joins Med-Trans Corp as Director of Safety Unstabilised approach causes Global Express runway excursion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ F-35 Flight Testing Suspended For Technical Problems Fuel Pump Software, Inlet Door Hinges Questioned. Flights Resume Tuesday The Pentagon late last week suspended flight testing of all variants of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter after problems were discovered with software that controls the airplane's three fuel boost pumps. An additional issue was discovered with the auxiliary inlet door hinge during a post-flight inspection of the BF-1 STOVL aircraft, and short takeoff/vertical landing mode testing has also been prohibited while that problem is addressed. The Air Force Times reports that the software problem affects the fuel pumps in all three models of the JSF was discovered during lab testing. Pentagon spokesperson Cheryl Irwin said that the problem "could have possibly triggered a shutdown on the three boost pumps, which could potentially cause an engine stall." While she said a simultaneous shutdown of all three pumps would be very unlikely, "prudence dictated a suspension of operations, temporarily, until the fuel boost pump signal timing was corrected." Lockheed Martin spokesperson John Kent said that flight testing was set to resume Tuesday after updated software was delivered and installed over the weekend, but that STOVL testing would not resume until the root cause of the hinge issue has been identified. FMI: www.lockheedmaritn.com, www.defense.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Southwest Airlines Jet Diverted to Flagstaff FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)- Poor weather in Phoenix today caused a passenger plane to be diverted to Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport. A Southwest Airlines jet from Indianapolis heading for Phoenix landed in Flagstaff this afternoon as the Phoenix area dealt with dust and thunderstorms. City of Flagstaff Spokeswoman Kim Ott and Wiseman Avaition owner Orville Wiseman confirmed that air traffic controllers in Albuquerque requested for the Flagstaff Airport to prepare for up to four 737s from Southwest and Delta Airlines to land in Flagstaff this afternoon. Wiseman confirmed with air traffic controllers that the other three planes were diverted to other locations. The Southwest Airlines plane from Indianapolis is currently sitting on the tarmac in front of Wiseman Avaition, and officials say that the passengers will remain on the plane until it leaves Flagstaff. Wiseman says that the plane will receive 11,000 lbs. of fuel at the airport before it departs for Phoenix later this evening. He also says lightning in the area will delay the refueling process. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jet with flap problem lands safely LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A jet heading to Louisville from Houston made an emergency landing at Louisville International Airport after pilots reported a problem with the plane's flaps. According to the Regional Airport Authority and the FAA, Continental Express flight 2496 declared an emergency just after 7 p.m. when the flap problem developed. The plane, an Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet which left Houston around 5:20 p.m. Eastern time, landed safely at Louisville International at 7:42 p.m. and was met by airport fire crews. The landing as without incident and there were no injuries among the 47 passengers and crew. Mechanics will check the aircraft to determine what caused the problem with the flaps. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boeing says pilot cuts short 787 test flight   Boeing Co. says one of its 787 test airplanes had some maintenance trouble during its first flight and the pilot chose to land the plane early. SEATTLE (AP) - Boeing Co.'s sixth and final 787 flight test airplane has made its first flight. However, The Seattle Times reports the jetliner had some maintenance trouble on the flight from Everett's Paine Field on Monday, and the pilot decided to land early at Seattle's Boeing Field rather than flying to Moses Lake as scheduled. Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach says the diversion was only precautionary. She declined to provide details, but says the hour-long flight is still considered a success. The plane is one of two flight test planes with GE engines. The other four have Rolls-Royce engines. Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103746425836&s=6053&e=001eLB--cMvUmTfPW9-vmRz1teWGcUxjXbdbdCa1bN3UOjFPxe4HNSr09QznsphZNyplulWpRK8rJrE_TLr-0AA27meSoI5gc9lhCi-t907Ut0t0fEdgftqCeYMkpX0-bCW] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airplane Air Is No Riskier Than Other Enclosed Spaces, Study Says Thousands of flights to Mexico were canceled last year in response to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus there. And the SARS scare in 2003 prompted airports and airlines to adopt emergency measures, among them screening passengers for high fevers as they boarded. Recent studies show that an airplane's cabin is no more a health threat than any other enclosed space. No wonder, then, that an aircraft's cabin is commonly seen as a particularly effective purveyor of communicable disease. True, jet travel can spread diseases from one continent to another far faster than in the past. But recent studies, including a report in August by the National Research Council's Transportation Research Board, make a case that, in general, an airplane is no more a health threat to occupants than any other enclosed environment, like a theater or subway. "There is always an increased risk of infection whenever you enter a confined space, but an aircraft cabin is no worse an environment than the office you sit in every day," said Dr. Mark Gendreau, an emergency and aviation medicine expert at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. Cabin air, he said, is refreshed about 15 times an hour, compared with less than 12 an hour in an office building. On most full-size jets, the air is also circulated through hospital-grade HEPA filters, which are supposed to remove 99.97 percent of bacteria and the minuscule particles that carry viruses. The cabin air is also divided into separate ventilation systems covering every seven rows or so, limiting the ability of germs to travel from one end of the plane to the other. Still, that does not rule out the prospect of diseases spreading from passenger to passenger on a long flight. Travelers tend to ignore doctors' advice to avoid flying if they are sick, exposing unsuspecting seatmates to a threat of infection, the research panel noted. In the summer of 2007, federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed a "do not board" list to stop people with serious infectious diseases from flying to or from the United States. The impetus came from some well-publicized cases, including the May 2007 incident in which an American man infected with tuberculosis flew to Europe for his wedding, and then promptly dropped out of sight. He was later placed under quarantine by the United States government when he returned via Canada. Four years before that, after an outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, airports and airlines adopted emergency screening measures as the disease spread quickly around the world. There is no evidence, however, that large numbers of passengers were affected during those episodes, and the few identified cases involved people sitting within a few rows of an infected person. While prominent pandemics have garnered the most attention, it is garden variety ailments, like colds or stomach viruses, that travelers should be worried about, members of the research panel said. And air travelers are more likely to pick up these bugs by touching a lavatory doorknob or a latch on an overhead bin. Charles P. Gerba, a professor at the University of Arizona and an expert on public hygiene, said research showed that viruses like influenza can survive for hours on such surfaces, which are not necessarily disinfected in routine cleaning between flights. In fact, Dr. Gendreau of the Lahey Clinic said that the first thing he did upon boarding a plane was to take out an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and wipe down his tray table and other hard surfaces. Many road warriors have their own rituals for staving off a sickness that could ruin not just their trip but any business they hope to gain. Stephen Wood, chief market strategist for North America at Russell Investments in New York, said that despite flying some 120,000 miles a year, he never became ill while traveling because he relied on some basic common sense practices, like drinking lots of water during a flight and avoiding alcohol. But many frequent fliers say a long flight can leave them feeling as if they have the flu, even if they are perfectly healthy. Medical experts attribute that achy sensation to the effects of the lower oxygen and the aridity of air inside a plane that is at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet and above. Even though most cabins are pressurized at around 8,000 feet above sea level, it is a higher altitude than most people are used to, and the swift ascent and descent of the plane only exaggerate the effects. "Fliers may actually be experiencing a mild case of mountain sickness," Dr. Gendreau said. Airplane manufacturers do not dispute this. The air inside a plane must be dry as a desert to protect the metal fuselage from the dangers of corrosion, said Ken Price, an interiors expert at Boeing. As a result, humidity levels can dip below 10 percent, contributing to any discomfort a traveler may experience on a flight. The company's new 787 Dreamliner will have "much more humidity than any current plane," he said, because it is made from composite materials that are more flexible. The Airbus A350, another midsize plane being developed by a European aerospace consortium, will also be built mainly from composites. The next generation of planes will be pressurized at closer to 5,000 feet above ground, and Mr. Price said that tests showed that the difference in cabin pressure would help reduce the aches and pains associated with long flights. http://www.nytimes.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103746425836&s=6053&e=001eLB--cMvUmRKSw7iyNBUd46PKkzCgwAfCKh7UJDiZg7o5Sm01y5vNt1FZYDnHU0rTntPLfJBZOg-lWEwzrU0rgV-1sYExka1_jTiq3j2BQMOeILtR6sC2w==] Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103746425836&s=6053&e=001eLB--cMvUmQWYWDjrxYWEHW3shNApVSlO0qOqRgIqWSnm4S__p7YjeO4qRSp4Ca9j15i52-onNf49JD9SkSM0ciD9DZZdzty] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Troy W. Boonstra Joins Med-Trans Corp as Director of Safety Med-Trans Corp is pleased to announce that Troy Boonstra has accepted the position of Director of Safety for Med-Trans Corporation (MTC). Mr. Boonstra is a proven aviation expert and senior safety professional and has earned numerous safety-related awards and certifications. Prior to joining the MTC leadership team, Mr. Boonstra served as a Systems Engineer and System Safety Engineer with Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson, AZ, specializing in weapons integration for rotary wing and unmanned aerial systems. Mr. Boonstra retired from the United States Army in May 2009 as a Master Aviator and Developmental Test Pilot for U.S. Army Special Operations Command with nearly 6,000 accident free flight hours. He also amassed an impressive 2800 flight hours with Night Vision Goggles during his tenure with the Army. Troy served the Army for more than 24 years highlighted by over 17 years with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). During his career with the 160th SOAR he served as a Regiment Standardization Instructor Pilot, Regiment Safety Officer, and led the Research, Development, and Integration efforts for Special Operations Aviation on the AH/ MH-6 Little Bird Helicopter managing integration and modifications on the 51 aircraft fleet. Troy earned the US Army Special Operations Command's Safety Officer of the Year Award in 2004 and also received the Army Aviation Association of America's McClellan Aviation Safety Award in 2005 for his Army-wide impact on Aviation Safety. In addition to his many military awards and decorations, he has also received the Honorable Order of Saint Michael Bronze and Silver Awards for his impact on Army Aviation. Fred Buttrell, President & CEO stated, "We are very happy to announce that Troy Boonstra has joined our team. Troy has established himself as a master of integrating safety and risk management into highly diverse and complex helicopter operations; thereby, reducing risk and facilitating consistently safe aviation operations. He intends to apply this skill set to impact not only MTC but will help advance safety initiatives and best practices across the Air Medical Industry through participation in safety-related forums and committees." Mr. Boonstra holds a Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Safety and a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Science with Aerospace Safety Specialization. He is also a Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP), the most prestigious safety certification available. About Med-Trans Corp Med-Trans, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading national air medical provider focused on establishing partnerships with hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies through 20 programs, representing 35 bases, across 15 states. Med-Trans is able to offer customized air ambulance programs through alternative delivery/shared resource models, community based models or traditional hospital-based models. Med-Trans operates over 40 helicopters, comprised predominantly of Bell 407s and, on a select basis, EC 135s. The company is "Gold" rated by ARG/US and is an industry leader in safety. http://new.rotor.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103746425836&s=6053&e=001eLB--cMvUmSeXmgDAqDcpI4HJddqKI8uUSrZN5wHRWOuIRLSKrSbvlF1HIPewa0tUKKuiy6enZVhoOsT4rsLlclVTxKk07kT5rq4kDwb9gE=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Report: Unstabilised approach causes Global Express runway excursion in Switzerland * The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of Switzerland issued their final report of the investigation into the cause of a runway excursion accident involving a Bombardier BD-700 Global Express jet in February 2009, citing an unstabilized approach. * A Bombardier BD-700-1A10, registration N906JW, operated on a private flight from Warsaw (EPWA), Poland to Samedan (LSZS), Switzerland. The cockpit crew and two passengers were on board. This was this crew's first flight to Samedan. The flight initially was carried out under instrument flight rules. Once the crew were able to make visual contact with the Samedan runway, the approach to Samedan started with the flight now under visual flight rules. * It had snowed in Samedan until shortly before the arrival of N906JW. The runway was partly covered with snow and most of its surface was icy. Snow clearance was interrupted because of the aircraft arriving from Warsaw. After N906JW had to discontinue the approach to runway 03, it again flew a circuit at low altitude to commence a second approach. The aircraft touched down at approximately 450 m after the threshold of runway 03. The aircraft could not be decelerated sufficiently, such that the aircraft skidded over the end of the runway into a bank of snow and after rotating 80° clockwise around its vertical axis came to a standstill some 30 m beyond the runway. The occupants were not injured. The aircraft was damaged. * * A Bombardier BD-700-1A10, registration N906JW, operated on a private flight from Warsaw (EPWA), Poland to Samedan (LSZS), Switzerland. The cockpit crew and two passengers were on board. This was this crew's first flight to Samedan.The flight initially was carried out under instrument flight rules. Once the crew were able to make visual contact with the Samedan runway, the approach to Samedan started with the flight now under visual flight rules.It had snowed in Samedan until shortly before the arrival of N906JW. The runway was partly covered with snow and most of its surface was icy. Snow clearance was interrupted because of the aircraft arriving from Warsaw. After N906JW had to discontinue the approach to runway 03, it again flew a circuit at low altitude to commence a second approach.The aircraft touched down at approximately 450 m after the threshold of runway 03. The aircraft could not be decelerated sufficiently, such that the aircraft skidded over the end of the runway into a bank of snow and after rotating 80° clockwise around its vertical axis came to a standstill some 30 m beyond the runway. The occupants were not injured. The aircraft was damaged. * The accident is attributable to the fact that after an unstabilised approach the aircraft touched down on runway 03 too late and too fast and could not be brought to a standstill within the remaining distance on the snow-covered and partly iced runway. * The following factors contributed to the accident: * Inadequate flight preparation * An approach on a aerodrome in mountainous area under critical weather conditions * www.aviation-safety.net [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103746425836&s=6053&e=001eLB--cMvUmSVivCENraHoMPBhMK3XJeP2g2TamDI3cm_KrfJMRkdtOAsqWx8cyiqL5FzRjUF9PWdvz2kzq0kIkGjns7pJn9FdDyVITyRCrj7yvUniq3lsVLHgrMJk4OH] * Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC