Flight Safety Information October 11, 2010 - No. 208 In This Issue FAA On Lithium Batteries FAA Proposes Safety Systems For Part 139 Certificated Airports... UPS Investigation Focusing On How Emergency Was Handled Branson 'Spaceship' Successfully Falls off Mothership ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA On Lithium Batteries FAA Alerts Aircraft Operators to Results of New Research on the Risks of Transporting Lithium Batteries as Cargo WASHINGTON-The Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today alerted operators to results of new research on the risks associated with transporting lithium batteries as cargo on aircraft and recommended actions air carriers can take to reduce those risks. In a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), the FAA summarized recent research which shows that lithium metal (non-rechargeable) and lithium-ion (rechargeable) batteries are highly flammable and capable of igniting during air transport under certain circumstances.  The research also indicates that Halon 1301, the suppression agent found in Class C cargo compartments, is ineffective in suppressing lithium metal battery fires. The SAFO also lays out additional recommended procedures air carriers can institute when transporting lithium batteries. The Safety Alert for Operators can be found here. Source: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=11960 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Announces Major Gains in Runway Safety Serious Runway Incursions Cut in Half for Second Straight Year FAA Continues to Deploy Runway Safety Technology WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt announced today that the number of serious runway incursions at the nation's airports dropped 50 percent from 2009, the second consecutive year that the number of serious incursions was cut in half. "We continue to make terrific progress in the area of runway safety and the credit should go to the entire aviation community," LaHood said. "I'm thrilled that we've further reduced serious incursions, and I look forward to additional improvements in the years ahead." "The goal we are working towards is zero runway incursions," Babbitt said during a press conference at Boston's Logan Airport where he highlighted runway safety technology. "I'm confident that the right combination of education and technology will help us get there." The number of serious runway incursions at the nation's airports dropped from 12 in fiscal year 2009 to six in fiscal year 2010, which ended on Sept. 30. Today's announcement reflects a steady, significant improvement in runway safety over the last decade. In fiscal year 2000 there were 67 serious runway incursions. Of the six incursions this fiscal year, three involved commercial aircraft. Several years ago the FAA launched an intensive effort to improve runway safety. That effort included the expedited installation of new technology at airports, expanded requirements for improved signage and markings at airports, and improved pilot training on runway conflict scenarios. Since then, the FAA and pilot groups also have conducted extensive outreach and training for general aviation pilots. During the press conference, Babbitt announced that the Runway Status Lights system at Boston's Logan Airport has completed a successful testing period. The runway safety system gives direct warnings to pilots of potential runway incursions or collisions through a network of red lights that are embedded in the airfield pavement. The lights warn pilots when it is unsafe for a pilot to enter, cross or proceed down a runway. Pilots must stop when the red lights are illuminated and may not continue without clearance from air traffic control. The new technology, which is also being used at Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Diego and Los Angeles, was successfully tested for 90 days at Boston. The FAA partnered with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to install the system. The FAA funded the design and development of the system, as well as the equipment. Massport paid for the installation of the airfield lighting equipment. Runway Status Lights systems are scheduled to be installed at 23 airports across the country beginning next year. Source: https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=11959 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103767564033&s=6053&e=001U8AGf9tp2Q2om2SEYOLc1P5JdNA_KQeJzfta8eOvNUJ-Blktkra8hjrGgiwrUCAt3e0Z2yxRKzzX2R_bRWhXYV0eXTWYOV0akVl_uBtGe9N1PT_Ir1-IPuL91CtSlVSwHknI5WOiIX51ukUmJUhJGpXNXr_koyLpZFgb4xI-gCJ5juX9bLO6NQ==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPS investigation focusing on how emergency was handled Draft provision on risks associated with carriage of lithium batteries being worked upon UPS investigation focusing on how emergency was handled. (FILE) The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) revealed new details today regarding the ongoing investigation of the UPS Boeing 747-400 Cargo crash on September 3, 2010 in Dubai. The investigation is progressing with the remaining aircraft wreckage removed recently from the accident site, the GCAA said in a media statement. Components of the wreckage required for further forensic investigation will be in GCAA custody in a secured unit, until such time the investigation is concluded, it added. "Onsite forensic examination of the wreckage by fire specialists highlighted several areas of interest," the statement noted. "Further to that, detailed laboratory analysis is being conducted by the NTSB under the guidance of GCAA investigators. As the investigation progresses, additional components of the aircraft and the cargo may be shipped to USA for a detailed analysis to establish the cause of fire." GCAA investigators, in conjunction with international investigation agencies, have initiated an in-depth technical investigation into key areas of the flight where the retrieved digital flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorder indicate areas of significant interest. Also being investigated is the international logistical cargo network, the point of origin of the suspected cargo, along with the current regulatory frame work for the carriage of dangerous goods and the way it was handled at the point of departure and at arrival at Dubai International Airport. Further on, the GCAA investigators are working closely with the aircraft manufacturer and the cargo operator to initiate procedural changes which the investigation highlighted may have been a contributory factor to certain elements of the cockpit crew coordination - this action is ongoing and is making steady progress. In particular the investigation is focusing on how was the emergency handled by the crew, and their ability to function effectively after the cargo caught fire, the subsequent smoke, the and the stability of the aircraft as the cargo fire progressed, in conjunction with tribulations with radio communication experienced by them. This is the focus of an international effort to gain a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with specific hazardous cargo, which under certain conditions could ignite and the resulting fire could self propagate. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA are working currently on a draft provision highlighting the risks associated with the carriage of lithium (or lithium derivative) batteries. Source: http://www.emirates247.com/news/ups-investigation-focusing-on-how-emergency-was-handled-2010-10-11-1.302509 Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Branson 'spaceship' successfully falls off mothership Surly bonds of Earth still in place for Virgin By Lewis Page Virgin Galactic, the nascent suborbital joyride company backed by bearded biz-lord Richard Branson, has announced a further milestone on its road to dominance in the exoatmospheric-excursion market. In a test yesterday, one of the firm's passenger rocketplanes was successfully dropped from a jet "mothership" at 45,000 feet to make a glide landing. Down, down and away "I watched the world's first manned commercial spaceship landing on the runway at Mojave Air and Space Port and it was a great moment," enthused Branson. "Now, the sky is no longer the limit and we will begin the process of pushing beyond to the final frontier of space itself over the next year." Following release from the specialist high-altitude four-engined jet VMS (Virgin Mother Ship) Eve, the VSS (Virgin Space Ship) Enterprise made an unpowered gliding descent to land at the Mojave "spaceport" in New Mexico, the planned base of operations for Virgin Galactic. Pilots Pete Siebold and Mike Alsbury carried out a mock landing approach at height before doing it for real on the Mojave runway. During commercial operations, a VSS would instead fire up its tyre-rubber-and-laughing-gas powered rocket to zoom briefly out of the atmosphere. Even with a helping hand from the VMS carrier, a VSS lacks the power to reach full orbital velocity and so remain in space. Thus, once the rocket has burned out the little ship will plunge back to Earth for a glide landing at Mojave, as performed yesterday. It's stretching reality to call this a "commercial spaceship", and it's clear the sky remains very much a limit - and will remain so even once the Virgin "Galactic" joyrides commence. But a commercial seat on an actual real orbital spaceship - as offered in recent times by the Russian space programme and the International Space Station, and perhaps in future by companies boasting armed Soviet-era space warships [1] - costs well over 100 times what a ticket from Virgin Galactic does: a comparatively pocket-pleasing $200k. Virgin Galactic tickets can be booked as soon as you like; Branson's people have been taking reservations for years already. The first proper test flight isn't expected until next year, however, with commercial operations some distance beyond that. "Our challenge going forward will be to complete our experimental program, obtain our FAA licence and safely bring the system into service," said Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides, following yesterday's glide.® Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/11/virgin_spaceship_drop_test/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC