Flight Safety Information November 22, 2010 - No. 240 In This Issue 3 Delta Planes Suffer Mishaps Qantas oxygen tank blowout 'unique' Iran to boost aviation safety standard IATA critical of state of Brazil's airports Longtime Northwest Airlines CEO Don Nyrop dies Cracked windshield diverts plane to BLO Two planes nearly collided over B-G Airport ICAO adopts stringent air cargo security standards Graduate Research Study - Survey Graduate Research Study - Survey 3 Delta Planes Suffer Mishaps By ANDY PASZTOR Three Delta Air Lines Inc. jets suffered separate engine emergencies over the weekend, despite a stepped-up maintenance program put in place partly to combat engine problems. The trio of engine shutdowns-two on specially equipped planes used for long-haul international routes-all ended in safe emergency landings without injuries. They are being probed by Delta and federal safety experts. The incidents included a Moscow-bound Delta Boeing 767 with more than 200 people aboard, which returned safely to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday after losing thrust from its left engine shortly after takeoff. A phalanx of fire trucks and more than 100 fire fighters showed up for the touchdown because of mistaken early reports that there was a fire from the engine or on a wing. A Delta spokesman said late Sunday, "it's too early to speculate about the exact causes of each of these incidents." Officials won't know for at least a few days whether maintenance had a role in any of the incidents. But the pattern is likely to prompt federal air-safety regulators and accident investigators to delve into maintenance practices at Delta, which suffered an unusual spate of in-flight engine malfunctions, shutdowns and other maintenance-caused delays and cancellations throughout the spring and part of the summer. The Delta pilots of a Boeing 767 en route from Atlanta to Los Angeles on Sunday declared an emergency after reporting an engine problem and returned to Atlanta. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident, the plane scraped its tail during the landing. Saturday, a Delta Boeing 757 with more than 160 people aboard made an emergency landing in Shannon, Ireland, after developing problems with one of its two engines while crossing the Atlantic from Philadelphia. On Sunday, a Delta spokesman said preliminary indications are the Shannon incident was caused by a compressor stall. During much of the busy summer travel season, Delta's flights on average recorded significantly more delays than those of some of its biggest competitors. But according to a Delta spokesman last month, the carrier's on-time percentage had improved, with maintenance-related cancellations dropping by as much as 80% for some periods. Delta officials previously acknowledged the airline's Boeing 767 fleet had a higher than anticipated number of in-flight engine shutdowns earlier this year. But the spokesman said Delta's aircraft "never exceeded the threshold of what was acceptable.'' According to air-safety websites that keep track of various types of in-flight incidents on commercial jets, between early July and late September Delta's overall fleet of single-aisle and wide-body aircraft had more than ten incidents of engine problems on takeoff or in the air. Last month, a Delta spokesman said in-flight engine shutdowns were more frequent earlier in the year. He attributed the overall increase in maintenance problems to the challenge of melding Delta's maintenance and operations with those of Northwest Airlines as part of the merger of the two carriers, completed late last year. Prompted partly by recurring engine issues and, to a greater extent, an uptick in many other types of maintenance-related delays, Delta's management months ago opted to increase the frequency of certain inspections. The airline also beefed up the mechanic work force at some airports, and extended layover times to allow more-thorough checks of some planes between flights. Delta says those efforts paid off in better on-time reliability in October. Throughout the Delta-Northwest merger consolidation period, according to industry officials, the new entity had to reconcile different maintenance practices, flight manuals and other operational procedures. Pilots at the two airlines, for example, had different rules about when they were permitted to fly with elevated engine- oil temperatures. On Sunday, the Delta spokesman said most of the maintenance changes made earlier this year focused on onboard systems that didn't pertain to engines. While overall engine incidents in some months spiked above historic levels, the spokesman reiterated that the number of in-flight shutdowns never exceeded regulatory limits or any of the company's own acceptable trend lines. Last month, Delta confirmed that over a five-day period, one of its Boeing 767s had two different engines malfunction in midair. The first incident occurred Sept. 27 on a flight from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Germany, when the crew opted to divert to St. John's, Newfoundland. There were no injuries. The engine was changed but the same plane-on its next trip carrying passengers-suffered a second emergency with the replacement engine. Bound for Seattle with more than 150 people aboard, the pilots decided to put down at Syracuse, N.Y. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703567304575629520426512514.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Back to Top Qantas oxygen tank blowout 'unique' CANBERRA, Australia - An oxygen bottle explosion that tore a hole in a Qantas jumbo during a flight two years ago was a unique event that is extremely unlikely ever to happen again, investigators said Monday in their final report into the incident. But the investigators concluded the exact cause of the incident would never be known because the key piece of evidence -- the oxygen tank -- fell into the South China Sea and was never recovered. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the July 2008 incident is unrelated to the blowout of a Rolls-Royce engine on a Qantas superjumbo earlier this month, but both events are part of a string of safety incidents in recent years that have tested the Australian airline's reputation as one of the world's safest. The latest incident also involves parts not likely to be recovered, with some of the Airbus A380's engine parts still lost after the blowout over an Indonesian island. However, safety bureau chief commissioner Martin Dolan said he did not expect a similarly inconclusive result for the superjumbo investigation. A preliminary report on that investigation is due next week. "We've got most of the necessary engine when it comes to the 380 and we've got significant components that have given us enough information already to establish reasonably clearly what's going on there and that will be reflected in our interim report," Dolan told reporters. On the Boeing 747 oxygen bottle explosion, investigators had been unable to replicate that rupture in experiments with similar U.S.-manufactured steel tanks. "Given the widespread and long-term use of this type of cylinder, it was clear that this occurrence was a unique event," Dolan said. "It is our view that the risk of a similar rupture and consequent aircraft damage remains extremely remote." Investigators speculated that the tank's flaw lay in the manufacture of the steel with which it was made, and that that fault could have been impossible to detect, Dolan said. Qantas welcomed the report's finding that the emergency was unique and without precedent. "Importantly, the report makes no findings in relation to Qantas' engineering and maintenance operations," the airline said in a statement. The Boeing 747 was flying across the South China Sea carrying 369 passengers and crew from London to Melbourne, Australia, when the oxygen bottle -- one of a bank of seven stowed in a cargo hold to supply passengers' oxygen masks in an emergency -- split in two. The lower part blew a gaping hole 2 metres by 1.5 metres in its fuselage, while the top shot through the passenger cabin floor and sheared off an emergency door handle before it bounced off the ceiling and ricocheted back through the floor. The explosion caused rapid cabin decompression and damaged navigational instruments. No one was injured and the jet landed safely in the Philippines, but questions were raised about the much-lauded safety record of Qantas, which has never lost a jet airliner in an accident. It was among a series of high profile incidents that prompted Australian air safety regulators to order Qantas in September 2008 to improve its maintenance system. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority said it found deficiencies and "signs of emerging problems" in the way Qantas manages and delivers maintenance to its planes. Questions over Qantas safety flared anew when one of the airline's Airbus A380 superjumbos was damaged by an engine explosion over Indonesia on Nov. 4. Qantas' fleet of six A380s remain grounded while the airline swaps out some parts of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine they use and conducts safety tests. Other airlines using the A380 with Trent 900 engines are still flying the planes. In its report Monday, the transport bureau said the cylinder design was "inherently robust" and there was no evidence suggesting Qantas' handling, operating or maintenance procedures had contributed to the failure. It said it has found no record of any other related instances of aviation oxygen cylinder rupture. The jet involved has returned to service, but has continued to attract unwelcome attention for Qantas. After it was repaired in Manila, it collided with another 747 on a Melbourne airport tarmac in November 2008 while airline staff were towing it. There were no passengers aboard either jet and no one was injured. The same jet was diverted during a flight from Singapore to Sydney in September 2009 when cockpit instruments registered a fuel leak. The jet landed safely with 290 passengers aboard in the western Australian city of Perth. Source: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20101122/qantas-boeing-747-south-china-sea-report-101122/ Back to Top Iran to boost aviation safety standard Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization says the country plans to improve the safety standards of its aviation fleet to minimize potential risk to passengers. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Reza Nakhjavani said Iranian airlines are asked to remove all Russian-made Tupolev aircraft from their fleet of passenger jets by February 19, 2011, IRNA reported. "Under no circumstances will we allow flight of passenger planes lacking essential safety standards to endanger people's lives," the official added. All Iranian air carriers that use Tupolev aircraft are obliged to replace them with planes that meet fuel consumption and safety standards, he noted. He went on to say that Tupolev passenger jets are not adequately equipped for a safe flight. These planes have been in use as air carriers in the country for more than 20 years while passengers have always complained about them. More than 20 Tupolev aircraft are currently in service in different Iranian air companies. Iran has suffered a string of aviation disasters over the past decade, most involving private airlines using Russian-made planes and crew. In the worst plane crash in Iran, a Tupolev-154M crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran en route to the Armenian capital of Yerevan on July 15, 2009, killing all 168 passengers onboard. Iranian Road and Transportation Minister Hamid Behbahani said in August that Iran plans to add eight Boeing MD and six Airbus passenger planes to its aviation fleet. Behbahani said five Boeing MD planes have already joined the country's air fleet. Iran has added 108 passenger aircraft to its commercial air fleet since 2005. Source: http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=230764 Back to Top IATA critical of state of Brazil's airports RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazil's overburdened airports cannot meet demand and are a ''growing disaster'' that could embarrass the country during the upcoming Olympic games and World Cup if they aren't improved, the head of the world's top airline association said. The language used by Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of the International Air Transport Association, to describe Brazil's overwhelmed airports at an industry conference Thursday was some of the harshest criticism yet leveled at the nation on the topic. ''Brazil is Latin America's largest and fastest growing economy but air transport infrastructure is a growing disaster,'' he told industry leaders at a meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association in Panama. The organization represents 230 airlines around the world. ''To avoid a national embarrassment, Brazil needs bigger and better facilities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics,'' Bisignani said.'' But I don't see progress and the clock is ticking. The time for debate is over.'' Brazil's robust economic growth has resulted in increased demands on air travel. Thirteen of the country's 20 largest domestic airports cannot accommodate existing demand, and the situation is critical in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest international hub, Bisignani said. The rapid growth has resulted in regular and massive delays for air travelers in Brazil. Experts have said aviation problems stem from chronic underspending on radar, runways and other infrastructure. Safety upgrades, backup systems and even training for air traffic controllers have been put off for years. Bisignani's comments were pointed, but he isn't the first one to voice concern. The International Olympic Committee has expressed doubt about the country's ability to upgrade airports ahead of the games. Earlier this year, Rio 2016 committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman said the IOC's principal concern was the apparent lack of planning to revamp airports. Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288861/iata-critical-state-brazils-airports Back to Top Longtime Northwest Airlines CEO Don Nyrop dies Donald Nyrop, the legendary tight-fisted manager who led Northwest Airlines for nearly a quarter of a century until he retired in 1978, died Nov. 16. He was 98. Under his leadership, NW was consistently profitable and enjoyed one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry. He maintained tight oversight over the airline's spending and famously warred with the airline's unions over wages and benefits. Northwest endured numerous strikes during his tenure, but in large part owing to the Mutual Aid Pact of the regulated era, continued to make money despite the service disruptions. Nyrop also had a strong commitment to aviation safety, developed during his years as an aviation regulator, and he significantly improved the carrier's spotty performance after taking the helm. Prior to joining Northwest in 1954, he served as Civil Aeronautics Administrator and on the Civil Aeronautics Board. He began his aviation career at the Civil Aeronautics Administration in 1939 and served in the Air Transport Command during World War II. Source: http://atwonline.com/airline-finance-data/news/longtime-northwest-airlines-ceo-don-nyrop-dies-1121 Back to Top Cracked windshield diverts plane to BLO Tense moments in the skies as a passenger plane makes an emergency landing in Buffalo. A United Airlines flight bound for Chicago was forced to divert to Buffalo when the windshield cracked. No one was injured in the incident but it does raise some serious concerns about safety. This is the second time, a cracked windshield has happened since Friday. For nearly five hours, 176 passengers on their way to Chicago were stranded in the Buffalo Niagara Airport. The pilots on United Flight 881 noticed a crack in the windshield after taking off from Boston. Aviation expert Bob Miller said, "The visibility out of the Captain's window was totally obscured. But the real concern is if the window should fail altogether. And then we have sudden loss of cabin pressure." News 4 brought in an Aviation expert to explain the potential disaster of a cracked windshield. "The crash, you would hope not, but what it could have done is seriously disable the Captain. Imagine on your car,driving down the thruway and the windshield should blow out," added Miller. This is the second time in two days that passengers have been on a plane with a cracked windshield. Mike Fleming, a Delta passenger said, "Immediately the Co-Pilot instinctively just put on a mask and the face shield and the crack really started to spread." On Friday, Pilots on a Delta flight were forced to land in Dallas. The plane was headed from Atlanta to California and that plane was also a Boeing 57. "Believe me the FAA is even more concerned, anytime something like this happens. The business and the FAA is extremely concerned. And if there is any suspension that this is a problem inherent in a make or model aircraft, they will ground the aircraft," added Miller. Passengers eventually left at 3 PM Sunday. news 4 is told the cracked windshield has something to do with the heating system in between the panes of glass. Source: http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/windshield-crack-diverts-plane-to-blo Back to Top Two planes nearly collided over B-G Airport The two planes were only 800 feet apart, below the minimum of 1,000 feet allowed between aircraft.The Transportation Ministry launched an investigation into the incident An accident was averted at Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday evening, after an alert air traffic controller spotted an Air Berlin passenger plane deviating from its runway while taking off and approaching an El Al plane about to land. The German plane was ordered to take a different path. The Israeli plane, which arrived from Athens, landed safely. According to reports in the Israeli media, the Air Berlin plane, heading to Cologne, Germany, had received instructions to take off from east to west, and climb to 8,000 feet. The aircraft, however, strayed south as it took off, coming close to an El Al Israel Airlines flight from Athens which was at 4,000 feet and coming in to land. The two planes were only 800 feet apart, below the minimum of 1,000 feet allowed between aircraft. The Transportation Ministry launched an investigation into the incident. Sources in the aviation industry defined Thursday evening's incident as extremely serious due to the fact that the air controller's awareness was the only thing that prevented a collision between the two planes. The incident took place at around 5:30 pm. For an unknown reason, the German plane deviated southward after taking off from east to west. The Israel Airports Authority, said the cause was likely human error on the part of the German pilot. Ben-Gurion Airport has been operating with only one runway for take offs and landings due to renovations on the other runway as part of the airport's safety upgrade. Source: http://www.port2port.com/Index.asp?CategoryID=44&ArticleID=2669 Back to Top ICAO adopts stringent air cargo security standards The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted more stringent air cargo security standards, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the overall security of air transport operations worldwide. The new measures emphasize more extensive screening of cargo, mail and other goods prior to placing them on board aircraft and better protection from unauthorized interference from the point where security controls are applied until departure of the aircraft. Also included is the strengthening of provisions related to the deployment of security equipment, the security of air traffic service providers, training programs and instructor certification systems, and cyber threats. The updated security requirements are contained in the 12th revision of Annex 17 (Security) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted by the ICAO council. "This latest revision to the Security Annex has been in development for some time and reflects our determination to constantly review and adapt ICAO security standards to address a rapidly evolving security situation. It also complements a number of recent initiatives to significantly increase the level of aviation security, in a proactive and concerted manner," said Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, ICAO council president. The recent 37th session of the ICAO assembly unanimously adopted a declaration which identified a number of areas where states committed to working together, in cooperation with the industry, on security issues. These include air cargo security, screening technologies to detect prohibited articles, strengthening international standards, improving security information-sharing and providing capacity-building assistance to states in need. A diplomatic conference, held in Beijing in September 2010 under the auspices of ICAO, adopted two international air law instruments for the suppression of unlawful acts relating to civil aviation. The two treaties further criminalize the act of using civil aircraft as a weapon, and of using dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other targets on the ground. They also provide for the unlawful transport of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and their related material, to be punishable. Making a threat against civil aviation may also trigger criminal liability. (EHL) Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/288960/icao-adopts-stringent-air-cargo-security-standards Back to Top Graduate Research Study - Survey My name is Chris Vanchure, and I am completing an academic research project as part of my Masters of Aeronautical Science program for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. My research concerns the likelihood one would be willing to switch their current mode of transportation to that of a small air transportation system, such as an "air taxi" given a certain fare increase. My survey is short and anonymous. Please visit the site below to help complete my research. Thank you in advance. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/96YFR6T Back to Top Graduate Research Study - Survey Dear fellow aviation enthusiasts, I am conducting a research study to satisfy part of the requirements for a Graduate Research Project at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The study topic is tilt-rotor technology - more specifically, how the public views the use of this technology in its current military applications and how much the public supports the potential use of this technology in civil aviation environments like commercial air transportation and other public service roles (i.e., disaster relief, police and fire support, medivac, border patrol, search & rescue). It would be greatly appreciated if I could take a few minutes of your time to complete the linked survey related to this topic: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JSSBLTB If you have time, please review relevant information about the technology at the following Website (or from other resources you may have access to): http://www.simlabs.arc.nasa.gov/library/tiltrotor/ctr20th.html The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ames Research Center, in California, has been involved with all of the tilt-rotor technology research and development efforts in the U.S. to date. The information on their website is accurate and unbiased. Feel free to pursue other sources of information on the subject as desired, or email me with any questions you may have. Thank you for completing the survey! Vincent G. Pirato Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Master's Degree Program Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC