Flight Safety Information June 15, 2011 - No. 122 In This Issue Eritrean volcanic eruption threatens Middle East flights U.S. Airlines Must Adjust Boeing 747 Drains to Prevent Fires Jetliner makes emergency landing after hitting birds on takeoff from D/FW U.S. Airways mechanic a stowaway on flight from Tampa NTSB Issues Prelim On AZ Runway Overrun Virgin America Launches LEAP Engine with $1.4 Billion Order IATA to investigate Tel Aviv fuel contamination CANSO to open African office Finnair Becomes First Airline to Use Alertness Modeling in Crew Scheduling Aviation Safety Technologies Assigned Patent CAE Signs Contract to Train Pilots for IndiGo ERAU GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Eritrean volcanic eruption threatens Middle East flights Flights in the Horn of Africa region are being disrupted as airlines and meteorologists throughout the Middle East monitor an ash cloud resulting from the eruption of a volcano in Eritrea. The eruption of the Nabro volcano was triggered on 12 June following a series of earthquakes at the northeastern end of the East African Rift Valley. An ash plume up to 8.4mi (13.5km) high has been moving steadily northwest across Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt but is now caught in a westerly jetstream and is curving back eastwards. The Israel Meteorological Service said on the evening of 13 June that the plume seemed unlikely to pass over Israel but would potentially affect Jordan and Iraq. Lufthansa said that it had cancelled flights to Addis Ababa and Asmara on 13 June and to Addis Ababa again on 14 June. The carrier serves the Ethiopian capital five times weekly and the Eritrean capital, thrice-weekly. Lufthansa said it is monitoring the situation closely before deciding on any further cancellations. Ethiopian Airlines has said that its services to Khartoum, Djibouti and domestic northern Ethiopian destinations have been affected, and is advising passengers to check their flight status before they travel. Egyptair has said the ash cloud is also affecting its services to Addis Ababa and Asmara. Royal Jordanian Airlines chief executive Hussein Dabbas said on 14 June that the airline was closely watching the ash cloud's progress. Its flights had not yet been affected but it had a contingency plan in place in case it had to suspend services, particularly to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. http://www.flightglobal.com/ Back to Top U.S. Airlines Must Adjust Boeing 747 Drains to Prevent Fires (Bloomberg) - U.S. airlines must adjust fuel-drain systems in 258 Boeing Co. (BA) 747s at a total cost of $10.2 million to prevent leaks that could result in fires, regulators said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will propose the action in the Federal Register tomorrow after receiving a report of fuel leaks in the leading edge of a wing in a 737 plane. The affected 747s have a similar design, the FAA said. Airlines have five years to complete the adjustment from the time the FAA makes its proposal final, according to the notice posted today. Airlines have 45 days to comment. The FAA said it issued a directive in 2009 to address the fuel-drain issue in 757 aircraft and is considering rulemakings for 737 and 767 planes. Back to Top Jetliner makes emergency landing after hitting birds on takeoff from D/FW An American Airlines jet struck more than 20 birds Monday evening as it took off from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. The MD-82 "sustained multiple bird strikes on departure," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a report. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing around 6:15 p.m. The plane had dents in its radar dome and the leading edge of its right wing, the FAA said. A "runway sweep recovered 20-plus birds," the report said. American spokesman Ed Martelle said Flight 880 was headed to Norfolk, Va. There were 122 passengers aboard with five crew members. The flight left for Norfolk later Monday using a different plane, landing about two hours after its original scheduled arrival. Martelle said the jetliner is out of service as mechanics make repairs and inspect the engines. Bird strikes are not uncommon. In the first four months of 2011, D/FW Airport had 72 of them, according to an FAA database. Birds involved in the strikes at D/FW include mourning doves and upland sandpipers. In 2010, D/FW had 320 bird strikes. Since the FAA began recording bird strikes in 1990, D/FW has reported 3,113. The most famous bird strike occurred in January 2009 when US Airways Flight 1549 had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after takeoff in New York because it struck a flock of Canada geese. http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/14/3152462/jetliner-makes-emergency- landing.html#ixzz1PJBY8dZA Back to Top U.S. Airways mechanic a stowaway on flight from Tampa A U.S. Airways mechanic stowed away on a flight from Tampa to Charlotte this morning inside the cargo hold of the commercial plane, the Allegheny County (Pa.) Police Department said. The Tampa-based mechanic, whose name hasn't been released, then boarded a flight to Pittsburgh, where police picked him up and took him to a hospital for evaluation, said Allegheny County police Lt. Richard Mullen. Mullen said the stowaway bought an employee ticket in the terminal at Charlotte Douglas International Airport for the flight to Pittsburgh International Airport, Mullen said. While the plane was on its way to Pittsburgh, airline officials received information about what the mechanic had done. U.S. Airways contacted the Allegheny County police to alert that the man's plane would land at 11 a.m. in Pittsburgh, Mullen said. Police met the man at the gate and spoke to him. He wasn't arrested. He agreed to be taken to a hospital for an evaluation, Mullen said. "He really committed no violation here (in Pittsburgh)," Mullen said. "He flew here as a regular passenger." The mechanic was described as a man in his mid 40s, Mullen said. The Transportation Security Administration released a statement saying it's investigating the case and that the man's airport credentials had been revoked. "TSA is conducting an investigation to determine whether a U.S. Airways employee may have improperly used his airport credentials to access the aircraft and subsequently travel on a flight from Tampa to Charlotte," TSA said in a statement. The airline also released a statement confirming an incident with an employee and said it is working with agencies to determine what happened. "Out of respect for our employee's privacy, we will not be providing additional details about this situation," U.S. Airways said in a statement. http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/jun/14/1/us-airways-mechanic-a-stowaway-on-flight- from-tamp-ar-237388/ Back to Top NTSB Issues Prelim On AZ Runway Overrun Pilot Overshot The Runway, Ran Down A 40 Degree Embankment The NTSB has issued a preliminary report on an accident in which an air charter flight went off the end of a runway in Sedona, AZ, on landing and careened down an embankment. Fortunately, everyone survived the accident, but two people were seriously injured. NTSB Identification: WPR11FA236 Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter Accident occurred Wednesday, May 25, 2011 in Sedona, AZ Aircraft: EMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE EMB-500, registration: N224MD Injuries: 2 Serious,3 Uninjured. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. On May 25, 2011, about 1550 mountain standard time, an Embraer-Empresa Brasileira DE EMB-500 (Phenom 100), N244MD, sustained substantial damage during a runway overrun during landing at the Sedona Airport (SEZ), Sedona, Arizona. The airline transport rated captain, who was the flying pilot, and two of the three passengers were not injured. The airline transport rated first officer and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Superior Air Charter LLC., doing business as Jet Suite, Long Beach, California, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as an on demand air charter flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The cross- country flight originated from San Jose, California, about 1420 Pacific daylight time, with an intended destination of SEZ. A witness, located in the airport terminal building reported that he had received a landing request on the common traffic advisory frequency. The witness responded to the landing request with the current automated weather observing system (AWOS) and informed the pilots that runway 3 was the uphill runway. The witness said that he attempted to transmit this information twice with no response. He further stated that he then observed the accident airplane land within the touchdown area on runway 21 and proceed to "fish tail" down the runway at a "high rate of speed" until it exited the departure end of the runway. The witness further reported that he observed the airplane strike a chain link fence and continue out of sight down an embankment. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest upright on an approximate 40- degree incline, about 397 feet beyond the departure end of runway 21. All major structural components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination. FMI: www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Virgin America Launches LEAP Engine with $1.4 Billion Order NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Virgin America today launched CFM International's advanced LEAP(TM) engine with an order to power 30 new Airbus A320neo aircraft. The airline also announced that CFM's CFM56-5B will power 30 current technology A320s. The 60 airplanes were announced in January of this year and the engine orders have a combined value of approximately $1.4 billion U.S. at list price. Both the LEAP and CFM56-5B engines are products of CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran group) and GE. The new airplanes will begin delivery in 2016. LEAP engines incorporate revolutionary technologies never before seen in the single-aisle aircraft segment. The new engine combines advanced aerodynamic design techniques, lighter, more durable materials, and leading-edge environmental technologies, making it a major breakthrough in engine technology. The 15 percent better engine fuel efficiency*, at current fuel prices, translates to as much as $1.6 million in fuel cost savings alone for customers per airplane, per year. LEAP technology will also achieve double-digit improvements in CO2 emissions and noise levels, all while providing the industry's best reliability and lowest maintenance costs. "As a young and growing airline, we credit much of our success to having the right equipment, and choosing LEAP to power our A320neos is right in line with our long-term strategy," said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. "With LEAP, Virgin America is getting the best of all possible worlds: the industry's most advanced technology-with all of the benefits that represents -as well as the consistency and inherent reliability of a CFM product. We also know that the company's reputation for meeting its commitments is unrivaled and this latest move will help us continue to fuel growth and success in the North American market." "We are thrilled that Virgin America is launching LEAP and look forwarding to expanding an already great relationship," said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM. "But this is just the beginning; this engine has a great future." "The advantages of LEAP technology will speak for themselves," said Kevin McAllister, vice president of Sales for CFM. "We believe our customers will have a clear preference for all we have to offer. CFM and its parent companies, Snecma and GE, have invested heavily in the LEAP program and spent more than 15 years developing and maturing the most advanced technology in the industry today. This engine will provide unprecedented levels of efficiency and environmental responsibility while maintaining the legacy of aviation's most reliable product line." The lower fuel burn also reduces CO2 emission by 15 percent, while LEAP's industry-leading combustor technology will reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), a greenhouse gas, by 50 percent compared to current requirements. Further contributing to Virgin America's role as an environmentally responsible leader, the engine cuts noise by as much as 15 decibels, which will keep objectionable noise within the confines of the airport. In simple terms, this reduction is comparable to making a jack hammer operate as quietly as an alarm clock. Virgin America's current A320 family fleet is powered by the CFM56. The CFM56 provides the highest reliability, durability, and lowest maintenance costs in its class. The airline's current fleet is up to 25 percent more fuel and carbon efficient than the average fleet flying domestically. The A320neo, along with the CFM LEAP engine will yield even greater efficiencies. CFM began testing eCore Demonstrator 2 in late May at GE facilities in Ohio, one month ahead of schedule. eCore Demo 2 features a 10-stage high-pressure compressor and two-stage high-pressure turbine, along with the lean burn, low emissions TAPS combustor. At the same time, CFM is close to completing a demanding 5,000-cycle endurance test program for the advanced 3-D Woven Resin Transfer Molding (3-DW RTM) fan, along with the composite fan case being developed by Snecma. With a base of more than 500 customers, and more than 22,200 engines delivered, CFM has consistently delivered on its commitments, completing 21 engine/aircraft certifications on time and on specification. Since the first A320 was launched in 1985, CFM56 engines have been selected to power nearly 60 percent of all A320 family aircraft. Back to Top IATA to investigate Tel Aviv fuel contamination IATA fuel experts will arrive in Israel in the week beginning 20 June to carry out an independent investigation into the fuel contamination that prevented aircraft from refuelling at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport in May. The company that supplies fuel at Ben Gurion detected the contamination on 5 May and airlines were instructed to refuel at Larnaca in Cyprus or other nearby airports. Refuelling resumed after two days but the cause of the contamination remains unclear. An IATA source said: "We want to investigate the incident ourselves to be sure that all the measures were taken to avoid another one." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top CANSO to open African office Air navigation services provider CANSO is to open an African office to help oversee the future provision of air traffic control services on the continent. At its air traffic management summit in Bangkok, CANSO signed a memorandum of understanding with South Africa's Air Traffic & Navigation Services (ATNS), under which it will set up a project liaison office at ATNS' Gauteng head office. Dates for the new office to become operational have not yet been confirmed. The new office will seek to provide a regional focus for air navigation service providers (ANSP), airports and airlines to co-operate in improving air traffic management in Africa. ATNS will provide a liaison officer who will work to develop initiatives and expand CANSO's membership on the continent, as well as improving co-ordination with bodies such as ICAO, IATA and Airport Council International. CANSO's African members include the ANSPs for Egypt, Uganda, Nigeria and Tunisia. Speaking in Bangkok, CANSO director general Graham Lake said the growth of aviation in Africa raised several challenges. "As the global association for air traffic management, CANSO has a lot to offer aviation in Africa. We bring together the world's leading experts to exchange knowledge, information and best practice. Our new office will help bring these experts to Africa and I applaud ATNS for working with us to spearhead this initiative." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Finnair Becomes First Airline to Use Alertness Modeling in Crew Scheduling Finnair says it has become the first airline in the world to introduce an alertness model into the creation of flight-crew schedules. The new, scientifically determined and experimentally verified system has been formulated with the aid of the Boeing Alertness Model (BAM), created by Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen. The model assesses a pilot's state of alertness and promotes flight safety and well-being in work, according to Finnair. "The cornerstone of Finnair's flight operations is safety. Finnair continually develops operating practices that support safety and well-being in work and takes proactive steps to reduce possible safety risks. That's why we wanted to be involved in the Jeppesen research from the very start," says Antti Aukia, Finnair's vice president, safety and quality management. Finnair says it is the first airline to use alertness modelling to improve the well-being in work of its flight crews by influencing the structure of complex crew schedules, while taking all safety criteria carefully into account and maintaining productivity. A Finnair flight crew prepares for a flight. Finnair has become the first airline in the world to introduce an alertness model into the creation of flight-crew schedules BAM is included in fatigue risk management systems (FRMS), which take into account time differences and any consequent decline in alertness, among other factors, when planning work rosters. For example, the model flags work rosters in which alertness levels might be too low, according to Finnair. "This is an important milestone for Finnair in improving the well-being in work of its flight crews. To date, roster planning has been very subjective. The information gathered by the new tool provides a scientific basis for planning, so we can now influence flight crew rosters by scheduling work better than before," explains Aukia. The flight crew members of a Finnair Embraer 170, captain and first officer, are seen in the aircraft's cockpit before beginning a flight Finnair has worked closely with Jeppesen and has tested the model and the effectiveness of the tool with field trials. A total of 34 volunteer Finnair pilots participated in the research over a period of 400 days. The results were compared with the results given by the alertness model and they were found to correlate so well that they supported the introduction of the model, the airline says. Fatigue risk management will be compulsory for all airlines in future, according to Finnair. The carrier intends to implement the system in full during the autumn. http://www.airlinesanddestinations.com/airlines/finnair-becomes-first-airline-to-use-alertness-modeling- in-crew-scheduling/ Back to Top Aviation Safety Technologies Assigned Patent ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 8 -- Aviation Safety Technologies, Chicago, has been assigned a patent (7,957,878) developed by Zoltan Ivan Rado, Budapest, Hungary, for a "method and device of calculating aircraft braking friction and other relating landing performance parameters based on the data received from aircraft's on board flight data management system." The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making." The patent application was filed on Nov. 12, 2010 (12/927,393). The full-text of the patent can be found at http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph- Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch- bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=7,957,878.PN.&OS=PN/7,957,878&RS=PN/7,957,87 8 http://www.militaryaerospace.com/ Back to Top CAE Signs Contract to Train Pilots for IndiGo CAE has signed a five-year contract with IndiGo Airlines to train ab initio pilot cadets at CAE Global Academy Gondia, India and CAE type-rating training centres. The new IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program is specifically designed by CAE and IndiGo to enable aspiring young pilot candidates to receive both their initial Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and an Airbus A320 Type Rating in a focused and efficient way. IndiGo, India's second largest airline, recently placed an order for 180 Airbus A320 series aircraft, including the new A320neo. "IndiGo is committed to contributing to the growth of commercial aviation in India. This means creating more job opportunities and helping youngsters chase their dreams of building stable careers in the airline business. I am delighted that CAE has agreed to partner with us in this cause. We like the flexibility that CAE offers us in training the cadets to our company's protocols and standards," said Aditya Ghosh, President of IndiGo. "This is a natural fit for IndiGo since we have been training our pilots with CAE since we started operations five years ago. With CAE we have seen the highest standards of training quality." IndiGo will support cadets to become professional pilots at CAE Global Academy Gondia, the newest flight school in India. Also known as the National Flying Training Institute (NFTI), the school is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and CAE. After obtaining their CPL, cadets will be type rated on the Airbus 320 at CAE's training centre in Bangalore or other centres in CAE's global network. CAE also has the largest and most global network for civil aircraft type ratings with 25 training centres and more than 150 full-flight simulators in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. We are excited to be extending our relationship with IndiGo to now include the ab initio IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program," said Walter Visser, Vice President, CAE Global Academy and leader of CAE's Pilot Solutions services and Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL) programs. "We are committed to working with IndiGo to tailor training programs which meet their growing need for the highest-quality pilots." The CAE Global Academy is the world's largest network of professional flight schools with 11 campuses in nine countries on five continents - Australia, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, India, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States. With a fleet of nearly 300 aircraft, CAE Global Academy has the capacity to train about 1800 ab initio pilots annually. http://rotor.com/Default.aspx?TabId=177&newsid375=73270 Back to Top ERAU GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Nick Lopes. I am a graduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Los Angeles Metro Campus completing my Master of Aeronautical Science Degree with a specialization in Aviation/Aerospace Safety Systems. I am seeking respondents for my Graduate Capstone Project (GCP) survey. The survey's purpose is to measure how pilots view human factors issues, company/employee relations, aircraft equipment, and their overall view of single pilot cargo operations. All respondents must have flown and/or are currently flying as Captains in single pilot 14 CFR Part 135 cargo operations within the last 3 years. If you meet those qualifications, I would appreciate you taking the survey. No respondent will be identified and all data will be kept confidential. Here is the link for the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Part_135_Cargo_Survey Regards, Nick Lopes Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC