Flight Safety Information November 23, 2010 - No. 241 In This Issue Safety agency narrows A380 engine safety checks 747 cargo jet overshoots runway at Sea-Tac Somebody Call A Locksmith Delta Crew Locked Out Of The Cockpit TSA: Pilots' Junk Off Limits, Flight Attendants' Fair Game Man arrested for shining laser at helicopter Indonesian flag carrier sorry for flight chaos FAA Previews SMS Requirements... Report: Boeing 787 fire caused by forgotten tool The European Society of Air Safety Investigators...2011...Regional Air Safety Seminar Safety agency narrows A380 engine safety checks PARIS Nov 23 (Reuters) - Europe's air safety regulator said it had lightened a series of compulsory safety inspections on Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines after investigations into a Qantas A380 engine blowout "progressed". The European Aviation Safety Agency said airlines would no longer be required to carry out checks on turbine blades inside the engines as investigators check for clues that might explain why one of the superjumbo's engines disintegrated mid-flight earlier this month. Airlines must still carry out regular checks on the "air buffer cavity" and focus in particular on the "oil service tubes" in an area housing two of the engine's three turbines, EASA said in an updated airworthiness directive. Airlines which operate the A380 with Rolls-Royce engines -- currently Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa -- will still have to carry out the mandatory checks after 10 flights initially and then every 20 flights, EASA said. The Nov. 4 emergency has been linked to possible oil leaks. Qantas said it would resume flying the Airbus A380 superjumbo this week on a limited basis. Back to Top 747 cargo jet overshoots runway at Sea-Tac By KOMO-TV SEA-TAC AIRPORT -- A Boeing 747-400 freighter overshot a runway while landing at Sea-Tac Airport on Monday afternoon, but the four-person crew was not injured. Federal Aviation Administration officials the China Airlines cargo jet arriving from John F. Kennedy International Airportwent off runway 34L at about 4:30 p.m. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said the plane went about 100 feet beyond the end of the runway, but remained on an area of safety concrete. The runway has been closed while crews investigate and work to move the aircraft. Flights are taking off and landing using the airports two other runways, but Cooper said some flights are seeing delays of up to an hour due to inclement weather. Back to Top Somebody Call A Locksmith. Delta Crew Locked Out Of The Cockpit Flight Delayed Several Hours Due To Snafu A Delta airlines flight getting set to depart from LAX on Sunday was delayed several hours because the crew could not get into the cockpit of the airplane. Delta Flight 124 was scheduled to depart from LAX to Atlanta at 0900 PST Sunday, but the cockpit door had been locked, so the crew could not get into the front office of the 767-300. It reportedly took mechanics nearly four hours to gain access to the the airplane's cockpit. Television station KTLA reports that a Delta spokeswoman said the plane had been towed to the gate from a remote part of the airport in preparation for the morning flight. That's when the crew discovered the door was locked and a maintenance crew was called. It was not immediately clear why it took so long to unlock the door. The flight, which was to arrive in Atlanta at 1620 EST and then continue on to Brussels was three hours and 43 minutes late getting its wheels off the ground in California. It finally landed in Atlanta at 1936. FMI: www.delta.com Back to Top TSA: Pilots' Junk Off Limits, Flight Attendants' Fair Game TSA officers demonstrate the first Advanced Imaging Technology screening unit, the current alternative to invasive body searches for flight attendants. The TSA agreed on Friday to exempt pilots from invasive security pat-downs. Last week, two major pilots' unions demanded that their members be exempted from new rules that require passengers to submit to an invasive body search if they refuse to pass through the new backscatter x-ray machines. So far, the TSA has not granted the same exemption for flight attendants, despite protests by unions representing these workers. Flight attendants undergo the same fingerprinting and 10-year FBI background check as pilots. Unions representing pilots and flight attendants are advising their members to avoid the scanners because they inflict micro-doses of radiation. The dose is trivially small, equivalent to the extra radiation exposure of flying for 15 minutes, but pilots may have to pass through the scanners twice every working day. Radiation exposure is cumulative, and pilots are already exposed to large amounts of radiation as part of their work. The old scanners didn't cause radiation exposure. Why should flight professionals accept any additional radiation from scanners that haven't even been proven to be more effective than the old technology? The TSA has yet to supply a cost-benefit analysis for the scanners. Basically any question you might ask about why flight professionals should put up with extra radiation or genital touching in the name of security could also be asked of the general public. Why is the government forcing anyone to participate in a giant, uncontrolled, human experiment? The TSA won't even explain exactly what the new body searches involve, much less why they are more effective than the old pat downs. In late October the TSA suddenly introduced a new and invasive body search protocol which involves the screener touching the passenger's clothed genitals. The pilots' argued that these searches were degrading. "In my view, it is unacceptable to submit to one in public while wearing the uniform of a professional airline pilot. I recommend that all pilots insist that such screening is performed in an out-of-view area to protect their privacy and dignity," wrote Allied Pilots Association President David Bates in a message to members last week. Most Americans would find it degrading to be groped in public, even in the name of security. It is doubly degrading for flight attendants who are themselves trained security professionals. Flight attendants are frequent targets of air rage and disrespect from passengers. Public pat-downs of flight attendants in uniform will only further errode their hard-won status and authority. Degrading and demoralizing flight crews, the last line of defense against terrorist attack, is much more dangerous than skipping the pat downs. The TSA's decision to exempt pilots but not flight attendants smacks of sexism. Over 95% of U.S. airline pilots are men, 74% of flight attendants are women. Our society takes it for granted that men have absolute bodily autonomy; whereas women are often expected to subordinate their bodily autonomy for someone else's idea of the greater good. http://inthesetimes.com/ Back to Top Man arrested for shining laser at helicopter LAKELAND, Fla.(AP) -- Polk County deputies have arrested a Lakeland man for reportedly shining a laser into the cockpit of a sheriff's helicopter and temporarily blinding the pilot. Authorities arrested 58-year Mark Clay Hazlitt Sunday night on a felony charge of misuse of a laser lighting device. Deputies say Hazlitt told them that he was tired of hearing the helicopter fly over his house. The helicopter was searching for a man who threatened suicide. Hazlitt was released from the Polk County Jail on $1,000 bond Monday. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/ Back to Top Indonesian flag carrier sorry for flight chaos JAKARTA (AFP)- National carrier Garuda Indonesia was forced to issue a public apology Tuesday for three days of flight chaos caused by the loss of crew rotation data during a switch to a new operating system. More than 700 passengers have been affected by flight delays and cancellations which started Sunday and were continuing on Tuesday, company officials said. Flights to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur were among those cancelled or rescheduled, as the company forked out tens of thousands of dollars in hotel expenses for stranded passengers. Bookings had also been shut down until the problem -- caused by someone failing to plug in a cable during the software switch -- was sorted out, hopefully by Wednesday. "Garuda Indonesia expresses its deepest regret and sincerest apologies to all its customers for the recent flight delay and cancellation on account of a new operational monitoring system being implemented," the state-owned company said on its website. "The necessary repairs are currently being carried out and we expect to normalise all operations as soon as possible." Garuda president Emirsyah Satar told reporters on Monday that the failure of the 1.5- million-dollar operating system had led to the loss of crew flight schedules, resulting in staff being called to fly on their days off. "The management apologises to our customers and also flight crew for this mess.... One unplugged cable caused us to lose all the crew schedule data," he was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Globe daily. The incident overshadowed Garuda's entry Tuesday into the SkyTeam Alliance alongside Air France and Korean Airlines, among others. It is also an embarrassing blow to an airline that has been flying high since it was removed from a European Union safety blacklist last year. Garuda has bought new aircraft, opened new routes and is planning an initial public offering this year to fund further expansion. Back to Top FAA Previews SMS Requirements FAA has begun to outline a template for the future of safety management system (SMS) requirements, but that template comes as the Nov. 18 international deadline for SMS was missed. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had set a Nov. 18 deadline for non-commercial operators and certain aviation organizations to have an SMS program in place. ICAO previously set a Jan. 1, 2009, deadline for member states to adopt SMS requirements for commercial operators. FAA has filed a "difference" with ICAO, essentially notifying the organization that FAA is not in full compliance with the deadline. Few countries have formally implemented SMS requirements-Canada being among the first to take action. Bermuda last week began enforcing the ICAO requirements for non-commercial operators (ICAO Annex 6 Part 2). The National Business Aviation Association has been pushing FAA to release guidance that would recognize best industry practices as an acceptable means for SMS compliance. This guidance is important for business aircraft operators to demonstrate to international inspectors that they meet ICAO compliance requirements, says Doug Carr, vice president of safety, security and regulation for NBAA. Bermuda has stated it would accept a variety of means to demonstrate compliance, such as registration with either the Air Charter Safety Foundation's (ACSF) Industry Audit Standard or the International Business Aviation Council's International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. FAA notes that it has been assured that neither Transport Canada nor the European Aviation Safety Agency plans to restrict operations that are not currently in compliance with ICAO SMS requirements. No Rush To Regulate But both Carr and Russ Lawton, director of safety and security for the National Air Transportation Association and the ACSF, warn that operators flying internationally should make sure they are aware of what the individual states are expecting. While other countries have not restricted operations for SMS non-compliance, Lawton notes anecdotes of certain operators of large business aircraft that have been turned away from France because they were not in compliance with flight data analysis requirements. It is unclear if or when FAA will consider formal regulation for non-commercial operators. "In the short term, I don't think we'll be facing some rush to regulate us," says Carr, who adds that NBAA is not taking a formal position on regulations until the agency develops a proposal specifically geared to general aviation. "It's premature to say whether NBAA is going to end up on one side or another of a discussion," he says. It also is unclear when FAA might require SMS for Part 135 operators-which fall under the Jan. 1, 2009, deadline. But the agency has indicated those regulations are coming. FAA on Nov. 5 released a proposal requiring Part 121 air carriers to adopt SMS, but says that proposal will serve as a template for other certificate holders. The proposal, which was issued at the directive of Congress, calls for Part 121 carriers to submit an SMS implementation plan within six months of release of a final rule (BA, Nov. 8/1). The scheduled carriers would be required to implement the plans three years later. While focused on Part 121, FAA says it "has developed these general requirements with the intent that in the future they could be applied to other FAA-regulated entities, such as Part 135 operators, Part 145 repair stations and Part 21 aircraft design and manufacturing organizations and approval holders," the agency says. The agency did not discuss plans for other general aviation operations. The Aircraft Electronics Association notes that the proposal does not directly apply to most AEA members, but warns its members to follow the rulemaking closely, saying, "This is the beginning of an SMS mandate which, in the next several years, will have a direct effect on the AEA membership." Lawton agrees, saying the proposal, which is accompanied by a proposed advisory circular, regulatory analysis and inspector guidance, could have wider-ranging ramifications. The proposal appears to follow the recommendations of the industry-based Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), notes Carr. The ARC is still ongoing, and its deliberations will be included as part of the public docket, adds Lawton, who is a member of the ARC. The proposal cites the ARC's recommendations that the agency phase in requirements for different sectors of the industry, and asked for comments on the future application of the general requirements. FAA also acknowledges the ARC's appeal for flexibility and scalability in an SMS rule, and says the proposal would require a process that "can be tailored to provide [a] relevant, yet robust management system for each carrier." The proposal may necessitate specialists in information technology and statistical analysis for some operations, but others may only need "a whiteboard, pencil and paper," FAA says as example. The proposal would create a new Part 5 to house SMS requirements and would focus on four components-safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion. The proposal calls for a series of processes to implement each component. FAA says the proposal defines "what" is expected rather than "how" the requirements will be met. "We need a holistic approach to safety that allows us to spot trends in aviation and make necessary changes to help avoid incidents and accidents," says FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Safety management systems are a critical piece of a successful safety culture." http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Report: Boeing 787 fire caused by forgotten tool A tool caused the electronics bay fire that forced a Boeing 787 to make an emergency landing in Texas on 9 November, reports French newspaper La Tribune. The newspaper cites unnamed sources blaming the fire on a tool inadvertently left inside the P100 electronics cabinet, which erupted in flames filling the cabin with smoke minutes before the 787 landed in Laredo, Texas La Tribune notes the incident may put France's Zodiac Aerospace in the "crosshairs" as an electronics supplier on the 787 programme. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top The European Society of Air Safety Investigators 2011 Regional Air Safety Seminar Air Accident Investigation in the European Environment Thursday 7th and Friday 8th April 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal Following the success of its seminar last year the European Society of Air Safety Investigators is pleased to announce the dates for its 4th Air Safety Seminar to be held in Lisbon. With emphasis on current European issues in the investigation and prevention of accidents and incidents, the two-day seminar is aimed at accident investigation professionals and will provide an opportunity to update professional knowledge and skills, as well as to meet other active air safety investigators. Presentations will address current issues in European environment and the challenges of modern air safety investigations. The presentation programme will be available early in 2011. The two day programme will take place at the SOFITEL LISBON LIBERDADE where hotel accommodation has also been arranged. Avenida Da Liberdade 127 1269-038 LISBOA PORTUGAL Tel:(+351)21/3228300 Fax :(+351)21/3228310 E-mail :H1319@sofitel.com Please contact the hotel directly to book accommodation (booking form attached) ESASI Seminar discounted room rate 125 Euros single occupancy 140 Euros double occupancy (taxes and breakfast included) For bookings and further details please contact ESASI Councillor ESASI Secretary Anne Evans John Dunne Tel: +44 (0) 7860516763 Tel: +44 (0) 7860 222266 e-mail: anne_e_evans@hotmail.com e-mail: j.dunne@btinternet.com For information on the presentation programme or to offer to give a presentation please contact Brian McDermid Tel: + 44 (0) 1252 510300 e-mail: bmcdermid@aaib.gov.uk Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC