Flight Safety Information March 2, 2011 - No. 046 In This Issue Problem with nose gear on US Airways flight at Bradley Airport Data: O'Hare air traffic controllers' mistakes on rise Snowbirds jet damaged in landing Second oil leak hits Qantas A380 engine Mesa Air comes out of Chapter 11 Bombardier wins Netjets order worth up to $6.7bn Federal Aviation Administration recognizes Robert Schallip Jr Problem with nose gear on US Airways flight at Bradley Airport Windsor Locks, Conn. (WTNH) - An incident involving the nose gear of a US Airways plane had emergency crews on alert at Bradley International Airport Tuesday morning. The airport's website indicates US Airways flight #3503 from Bradley to Pittsburgh was cancelled. An FAA spokesperson told News 8 there was a mechanical problem with the nose gear as the plane was getting ready to take off. No injuries are reported, the FAA said. 29 passengers and 3 crew members were on board. The passengers were put on other flights. That flight is operated by Trans States Airlines, which does business as US Airways Express. It was scheduled to take off at 6:30 a.m. The airline's website listed the reason for the cancellation as "MTR DELAY DUE TO A/C MAINTENANCE." Airport operations officials would not initially describe to News 8 what happened, but said it was not a big deal. Airport officials referred calls about what happened to the airline. http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/airplane-us-airways- bradley-airport Back to Top Data: O'Hare air traffic controllers' mistakes on rise March 2, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Federal investigators plan to examine air traffic safety at Chicago's O'Hare airport Wednesday after new data shows an increase in mistakes by air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration says O'Hare experienced 17 errors within a one-year period, an increase from six errors the year before. O'Hare is training new employees as part of the ramp-up to open the next air traffic tower to boost O'Hare's capacity. Data show the errors happened while new controllers were directing aircraft to land, take off or taxi. The main error was not keeping proper distance between airplanes. The FAA says it is working to reduce training fatigue by veteran controllers. Back to Top Snowbirds jet damaged in landing Snowbirds flying team temporarily grounded A spokesperson from the base told CBC News that the jet's two crew members walked away from the plane after the landing at about 3 p.m. CT and were not injured. A medical evaluation found them in excellent condition. According to the base official, the jet's landing gear failed to deploy properly and the pilot was forced to land the plane on its belly. An investigation has been launched. The plane was scheduled to be part of the Snowbirds' upcoming air show season. The remaining planes in the flying team have been grounded until officials determine they are safe to fly. The aerobatic team needs 10 planes for its shows. Nine are used for the formation flying routines; the 10th travels with the team as a spare. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/03/01/sk- tutor-jet-damaged-110301.html Back to Top Second oil leak hits Qantas A380 engine (WSJ) ANOTHER Qantas A380 flew into London on only three engines last week after an oil leak prompted the pilots to reduce the fourth engine to idle on a flight from Singapore. It was the second oil problem on an A380 in less than two weeks and sources say the leaks may be the result of a design flaw with the Roll- Royce Trent 900 that allows a fitting to loosen when subjected to vibration. The latest problem, which happened as Qantas Flight 31 neared Ashgabat in Turkmenistan on February 24, is similar to a partial power loss on a different Qantas A380 near New Delhi on February 15. An engine was also reduced to idle on that flight and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it found the fitting of the external high pressure-intermediate pressure oil line "had less than the required torque". In the latest incident, the crew detected a reduction in oil in the No3 engine and were forced to gradually reduce its thrust. Qantas said yesterday the issue did not affect the safety of the flight and it was not related to the manufacturing flaw that caused a Trent 900 engine to explode in November and severely damage an A380 operating as QF32. It said the November explosion had involved an internal oil line while this one was on the outside of the engine. However, it confirmed the issue had been a problem previously and it had asked Rolls-Royce for an explanation. A spokeswoman said the engine was at no stage shut down and the plane was in no danger. "Had this been required, there is no question the aircraft would have diverted to the nearest suitable airport," she said. "The flight crew responded appropriately and there was absolutely no flight safety issue. "The external oil line had been fitted in line with Rolls-Royce requirements, after a mandated boroscope inspection. This issue has been experienced previously, including by another Trent 900 operator, and it has been raised with Rolls-Royce." The incidents are being investigated by the ATSB and come as Qantas and Rolls-Royce are still negotiating on compensation for last year's catastrophic engine failure, which saw the national carrier temporarily ground its entire A380 fleet. Qantas has estimated the full-year cost of the incident at $80 million. This does include the $100m it will cost to fix the plane, which is covered by insurance, or damage to the airline's brand. Back to Top Mesa Air comes out of Chapter 11 Mesa Air Group has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a 13- month reorganization process and enters the ranks of private companies. Officials say the Phoenix-based regional airline "is well positioned to compete aggressively in the regional aviation industry, having shed inefficient aircraft, significant debt and extended our partnership with US Airways Group (NYSE:LCC). Restructuring elements included: * Elimination of 100 excess aircraft, related leases and debt, which help shed $700 million in capitalized leases and $50 million in debt from Mesa's balance sheet. * Restructuring of aircraft leases and financing for Mesa's remaining CRJ 200 and Dash 8 fleets creating flexibility and reducing long-term lease exposure and costs. * Losing its public company status and issuing four series of notes, common stock or purchase warrants to creditors in exchange for their claims in the Chapter 11 proceedings. * Extending the term of its code-share agreement with US Airways through September 2015. * Setting up a new board of directors: Daniel J. Altobello, retired chairman of LSG/Sky Chefs Onex Food Services Inc.; Ellen N. Artist, ENA Advisors LLC; Mitchell I. Gordon, president, Morpheus Capital Advisors; Dana J. Lockhart, DJL Advisors LLC; Grant Lyon, president, Odyssey Capital Group; Harvey W. Schiller, vice chairman and president of the sports, media, and entertainment practice of Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson; Mark J. Schulte, managing director and head of transportation investment banking at Dahlman Rose & Co.; Don Skiados, president, leadership communications and training LLC. Mesa currently operates 76 aircraft with 450 daily departures to 94 cities, 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Mexico. It flies as US Airways Express and United Express under agreements with those airlines and independently as go! Mokulele in Hawaii. "Today marks a new beginning for Mesa, one that allows the company to build on its almost 30-year history and reestablish ourselves as one of the world's leading regional airlines," said CEO Jonathan Ornstein. Mesa was founded by Larry and Janie Risley in New Mexico in 1982. http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/morning_call/2011/03/mesa-air- comes-out-of-chapter-11.html Back to Top Bombardier wins Netjets order worth up to $6.7bn NetJets, the business jet company owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has ordered as many as 120 aircraft from Bombardier, the Canadian aerospace group, in a deal worth more than $6.7bn. Aircraft parts demand bolsters Meggitt - Mar-01.Rolls-Royce targets growth in Asia - Feb-27.Make room for brief encounters in the sky - Feb-25.Lockheed sells Pacific Architects and Engineers - Feb-23..The order consists of a firm order of 50 jets together with options to purchase a further 70, and is the largest business aircraft sale for Bombardier, the world's number three civil aircraft group after Airbus and Boeing. NetJets, which also ordered 125 Embraer SA jets in October, said it expects the new aircraft to help meet increasing demand following what will probably be a "difficult" 2011. While airlines still account for the majority of corporate travel, many businesses are gradually returning to private planes. Total business jet flights - privately owned and charter - rose 7 per cent to 2.84m in the 12-month period through September, according to data tracked by the Federal Aviation Administration. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/838401ee-44b4-11e0-a8c6- 00144feab49a.html#axzz1FS2dLPK3 Back to Top Federal Aviation Administration recognizes Robert Schallip Jr Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - Sanderson Field's very own Robert Schallip Jr. was recently recognized as the 2010 Michigan Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year for his contributions to safety at the Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Airport. "He's a very conscientious aircraft mechanic," said Fixed Base Operator Larry Putnam. "He stays on top of everything and goes the extra mile to make sure the aircraft are safe to fly." Putnam said, as an employee of Soo Air Inc., Schallip is responsible for dozens of planes performing needed repairs and periodic inspections in the Sanderson Field fleet. Schallip's nomination was fueled by two big supporters back in September. Airport Manager Darien Neveu wrote he found Schallip "to be a very meticulous mechanic, very knowledgeable about aircraft repair and maintenance, and a seasoned pilot." Secretary Teresa Browning Wolski of the Soo Pilots Association wrote that Schallip is more than willing to share his knowledge with other pilots. "He also teaches and encourages interested potential future aviation maintenance technicians, including me," she wrote. "He allows us to gain practical experience and hands-on learning about aircraft systems and annual check-ups under his close supervision," said Wolski. The Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office of Michigan presents the annual award to recognize individuals for significant contributions to aviation safety. Schallip reportedly began working on aircraft in Pueblo, Colorado in 1973 and continued in this field for many years in Hamilton, Ohio before moving to Neebish Island in 1991. In 2004, Schallip passed the Federal Aviation Administration test which awarded him inspection authorization. Schallip received his pilot's license in 1975 and is the owner of a 1958 Cessna 180. http://www.sooeveningnews.com/news/x1580328066/Federal- Aviation-Administration-recognizes-Robert-Schallip-Jr Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC