Flight Safety Information July 11, 2011 - No. 138 In This Issue Same pilot at controls of Tiger safety breach flights FAA Levies Fines Against Fed-Ex, ERA Helicopters Three-day mourning in Congo for plane crash victims Tennessee National Guard Helicopter Crashes Plane crash in Russia kills at least 5 Couple and 5 children killed in rural Alabama plane crash Stun Gun found On Board Jet Blue Plane Industry Grappling With Shortfall Of Rare-Earth Elements CASA investigates Jetstar maintenance lapses Bullet strike grounds Cargolux 747-400F France overhauls air traffic centres with new airspace system Iridium Offers New Air-Traffic Service Same pilot at controls of Tiger safety breach flights The same pilot was behind two breaches which led to the grounding of Tigar Airways. THE two Tiger Airways flights that last month breached height safety limits, triggering the grounding of the airline until August 1, were piloted by the same captain. But aviation sources told The Sunday Age that the pilot had not been given any retraining after the first incident at Melbourne Airport on June 7, before he again made an unsafe low approach to Avalon Airport on June 30. The pilot has been interviewed by both the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority over the two incidents, but neither authority will identify the pilot or discuss his role in the incidents. Tiger Airways also refused to identify the captain or allow him to answer questions. Spokeswoman Vanessa Regan said the airline's priority was to resume services as soon as possible. She said no jobs had been lost since the airline was grounded and that the airline had no further comment, ''as the incidents are still being reviewed by Tiger and the relevant authorities''. The transport safety bureau found in its preliminary report of the Melbourne Airport incident that the information already programmed into the plane's navigational computer had been inaccurate, and incompatible with the paper flight path for the entry to Melbourne Airport. The bureau is expected to release on Wednesday its preliminary findings of the second, more serious, incident at Avalon. The pilots' union representative, Lawrie Cox of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, said he had accompanied the man to both hearings, and that he was a ''very experienced'' pilot with both domestic and long-haul experience. Mr Cox was adamant there was little fault with the pilot's flying in the first incident, saying ''the database was the issue, not necessarily the pilot''. ''At no stage was either aircraft, passengers or crew in any significant risk of being in an accident ... We don't believe there will be any action against our pilots in this circumstance,'' Mr Cox said. He also said there was no reason why Tiger Airways should have retrained the captain after the first incident, because all internal procedures were followed. ''The pilots were dealt with in the normal manner that you would expect from any airline,'' Mr Cox said. He could not speak in detail about the second incident because it was still under investigation, but he said Tiger Airways' internal processes had not had time to work after it, because 24 hours later, the fleet was grounded by CASA, citing ''a serious and imminent risk to air safety''. One hundred Tiger Airways pilots were ordered back into training last week in flight simulators, but Mr Cox said this was more to do with the airline officially recording their training rather than the training itself. He said his members had been ''unfairly painted as the crux of the issue. The problem is more about the management systems ... rather than these two incidents.'' Avalon Airport chief executive Justin Giddings said the regional airport's expansion plans, including a $50 million international terminal, would not be threatened if Tiger did not fly again in Australia as long as Jetstar continued to fly from there. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/same-pilot-at-controls-of-tiger- safety-breach-flights-20110709-1h807.html#ixzz1RmvieTEP Back to Top FAA Levies Fines Against Fed-Ex, ERA Helicopters Civil Penalty Lodged Against The Cargo Hauler Near $700,000 The FAA on Friday announced it has levied civil penalties against two companies; Fed-Ex and ERA Helicopters. The FAA alleges that in 89 instances from June 13 to Sept. 4, 2009, FedEx failed to provide pilots-in-command with complete, accurate information on the nature, quantity and weight of hazardous materials loaded on their aircraft. Pilots-in-command must be given this information under hazardous materials regulations. The FAA also alleged that FedEx accepted four shipments of hazardous materials for transportation by air when those materials were not accurately described and certified in the accompanying shipper's documents. The shipments were accepted between June 18 and Aug. 26, 2009. The alleged violations were found during an FAA dangerous goods inspection at the FedEx cargo-handling facility at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, CT, from Aug. 31 to Oct. 1, 2009. "Pilots must know they are carrying dangerous goods so they can take all necessary safety precautions," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Shippers and airlines must follow the rules so they are able to move these materials safely." The agency has proposed a fine of $689,800 against the freight hauler, which has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letters to respond to the agency. The other fine has been levied against ERA Helicopters of Lake Charles, LA, for violations of the FAA's drug and alcohol testing program regulations. In proposing a $194,249 civil penalty, the FAA alleges ERA failed to conduct required pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative test results in 2010 before hiring eight employees to perform safety-sensitive duties. The FAA also cited ERA for allegedly failing to conduct required random testing of at least 25 percent of its safety- sensitive employees during 2009. In addition, the FAA alleges that on Mar. 15, 2010, ERA returned an individual to safety- sensitive duties who had tested positive for drug use earlier, but failed to obtain documentation that the individual had completed return-to-duty requirements before assigning him to flight crewmember duties. The FAA also cited ERA for failing to implement a reasonable program of follow-up drug and alcohol testing for a different employee in 2009 in accordance with the schedule prescribed by an ERA substance abuse professional. The company removed the employee from safety-sensitive duties for refusing to take a random drug test. He later completed return-to-duty drug and alcohol testing, but the FAA said ERA did not complete required follow-up random testing after he returned to duty. The company has since modified its hiring and drug testing programs to bring them into compliance with regulations. Like Fed-Ex, ERA Helicopters has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency. FMI: www.faa.gov Back to Top Three-day mourning in Congo for plane crash victims KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced a three-day national mourning for the Friday plane crash in which at least 127 people were reportedly killed. Government spokesperson Lambert Mende, in a television address, said that a national mourning will be held in remembrance of the victims of the crash, Xinhua reported. DR Congo's transport ministry was quoted in reports as saying that the toll reached 127, with 51 people surviving the tragedy. It said the number of people onboard had been underestimated. Inclement weather was blamed for the plane crash. It was not immediately clear how many people were on board the plane. The Hewa Bora Airways, which operated the aircraft, was banned from flying into Europe due to safety concerns, said RIA Novosti. The airline said that its Boeing 727 aircraft crashed near the Kisangani airport after the pilot tried to land it in a stormy weather. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-10/rest-of- world/29757608_1_plane-crash-kisangani-airport-dr-congo ********** Status: Preliminary Date: 08 JUL 2011 Time: ca 14:30 Type: Boeing 727-030 (WL) Operator: Hewa Bora Airways Registration: 9Q-COP ? C/n / msn: 18933/185 First flight: 1965-09-11 (45 years 10 months) Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 6 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 112 Total: Fatalities: 74 / Occupants: 118 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Kisangani-Bangoka International Airport (FKI) (Congo (Democratic Republic)) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH) (FIH/FZAA), Congo (Democratic Republic) Destination airport: Kisangani-Bangoka International Airport (FKI) (FKI/FZIC), Congo (Democratic Republic) Flightnumber: 952 Narrative: A Boeing 727 operated by Hewa Bora Airways crashed on landing at Kisangani Airport (FKI), D.R. Congo. The aiplane operated on a domestic flight from Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH) to Kisangani-Bangoka International Airport (FKI). The weather was reported to have been poor at the time of the accident with heavy rain, limited visibility and thunderstorms in the area. There are conflicting reports about the number of occupants and fatalities. Hewa Bora said the plane was carrying 112 passengers and a crew made up of three pilots, two stewardesses and a mechanic. Authorities put the number of fatalities at 74 after initial confusion about the number of casualties. The identity of the plane has not been confirmed. Latest reports from the region suggest that four Boeing 727-200's owned by Hewa Bora (9Q-CHD, -CHE, -CHF and -CHG) are stored at Kinshasa (FIH) while a Boeing 727-030 (9Q-COP) was planned to re-enter service in 2011. According Hewa Bora's web site the airplane operates two Boeing 727 aircraft with a seating arrangement of 137 economy and 12 business class seats. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Tennessee National Guard Helicopter Crashes, Two Pilots Killed Caryville, Tenn - Two pilots were killed Saturday when a Tennessee National Guard helicopter crashed near Caryville in Campbell County, Tenn. The pair were conducting a routine training flight when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft crashed at about 5:30pm local time, according to Maj. Randy Harris, director of Joint Public Affairs for the Tennessee Military Department. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The names of the pilots were withheld pending notification of their next-of-kin. The Tennessean reported the helicopter had crashed in the woods near the Royal Blue Recreation area, about 30 miles (48km) north of Knoxville, and there was currently no access to the site. The crash downed several power lines, leaving more than 5,000 households without electricity for a couple of hours. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/10/tennessee-national-guard- helicopter-crashes-two-pilots-killed/#ixzz1RmnEYIDo Back to Top Plane crash in Russia kills at least 5 The Antonov-24 apparently has an engine fire, Russian investigators say It has 33 passengers aboard when it makes a "hard landing" on a river, reports say (CNN) -- At least five people were killed and another four were seriously injured in a plane crash in western Siberia, Russia's Investigative Committee said Monday on its website. The Angara Airlines plane had 33 passengers on its flight from Tomsk to Surgut, the committee said. Preliminary findings suggest the accident was caused by an engine fire, the committee said. Investigators and forensic experts are working on the site of the crash, the report said. Russian state TV reported earlier Monday that the Antonov-24 had made a hard landing on the surface of the Ob river less than a mile from the village of Medvedevo in the west Siberian region of Tomsk. The landing resulted in the partial wreckage of the plane, according to the TV report, which cited emergency officials. *********** Status: Preliminary Date: 11 JUL 2011 Time: 08:55 MSK Type: Antonov 24RV Operator: Angara Airlines Registration: RA-47302 C/n / msn: 57310302 First flight: 1975 Engines: 2 Ivchenko AI-24VT Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 33 Total: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 37 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Strezhevoy (Russia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Tomsk-Bogashevo Airport (TOF) (TOF/UNTT), Russia Destination airport: Surgut Airport (SGC) (SGC/USRR), Russia Flightnumber: 5007 Narrative: An Antonov 24RV passenger plane, registration RA-47302, crashed into the Ob River, Russia killing three. The airplane took off from Tomsk (TOF) at 10:10 local time on domestic flight SP5007 to Surgut (SGC). About 11:48 the pilot reported an engine fire, stating that he would perform an emergency landing.The airplane came down in the Ob River, close to Strezhevoy Airport. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Couple and 5 children killed in rural Alabama plane crash (CNN) -- A small plane went down short of an airport in rural Alabama, killing a couple and five of their children, authorities said. "It's going to take a long time (to investigate) since the wreckage is so deep in the woods," Nick Worrell of the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday night. The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking into the deadly crash, which occurred Saturday evening near Demopolis, Alabama. According to preliminary information, the Cessna C421 was flying from St. Louis to Destin, Florida, when it lost its right engine, said the FAA's Kathleen Bergen. The plane was diverted to Demopolis Municipal Airport but crashed about two miles short of the runway, Bergen said. Seven people were on board the plane, according to Bergen. All seven died. Marengo County Coroner Stuart Eatmon told CNN the father was the pilot. The wife and at least five children perished in the crash, he said. The bodies were burned "beyond recognition," he said. Eatmon said it took hours for officials to remove the victims from the plane. The wreckage was discovered around 2 a.m. Sunday, but rescue workers could not remove the bodies for about 12 hours because they had to wait for the plane to cool down. Officials had to use an infrared camera to locate the bodies, he said. Authorities are waiting to release the names of the victims until family members have been notified. ********** Date: 09-JUL-2011 Time: Type: C421 Operator: ADVANCED INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS LLC Registration: N692TT C/n / msn: 421C0616 Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 Airplane damage: Location: Demopolis, AL - Phase: Approach Nature: Private Departure airport: St. Louis, MO Destination airport: Destin, FL www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Stun Gun found On Board Jet Blue Plane MYFOXNY.COM - There are security concerns after a stun gun was found aboard a flight that landed at Newark Liberty International Airport Friday. According to federal law enforcement source, the FBI is investigating how the stun gun got aboard a Jet Blue flight. A Striker 1800 stun gun was obtained by FOX 5 News and according to sources was found by a cleaning crew inside the back pocket of a seat on board Jet Blue flight 1179. The plane had just arrived from Boston and all of the passengers were of the plane. Jet Blue and the Port Authority say the cleaning crew called the PA Police and the Transportation Safety Administration was also notified. Sources say they suspect that the stun gun got through screening at Logan Airport in Boston. FOX 5 News contacted Jet Blue who confirmed the information and said it is cooperating with the investigation. Investigators are trying to find the identity everyone who had access to the seat pocket where the stun gun was found. Back to Top Industry Grappling With Shortfall Of Rare-Earth Elements Shortage of key metals complicates commercial aviation supply chain A growing competition for rare-earth elements (REEs) could soon hamstring a wide swath of the aerospace industry, from companies that build precision guided-weapon systems to suppliers for commercial widebody jets. The commercial aviation industry has long relied on REEs because they give materials enhanced strength and durability. They are used in everything from tires, avionics and jet engine coatings to actuators and airframe alloys. But demand is beginning to outstrip supply as more and more of the elements are needed to support production of hybrid vehicles, smart phones and other consumer products. And China, the world's dominant supplier of REEs, is beginning to limit their export to ensure they will be available to feed the nation's growing economy. Daniel Cordier, an REE commodities specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey, says the world could be in for a big shortage once China becomes a net importer of rare earths. "There's no telling what's going to happen," he declares. The problem for the aviation industry is that these elements are used in a wide array of components and cannot be replaced. The U.S. Energy Department predicts that demand for neodymium oxide-a component used to fabricate coatings for turbine blades-could exceed supply in 2015. Demand for yttrium, another key element, already has reached unsustainable levels, it says. And producers that can still access the vital materials may have to pay for them dearly. Pricing data for REEs are largely proprietary, but the Energy Department calculates that prices for some of these materials were up 300-700% in 2010. Concerns about the shortage have become so acute that some U.S. lawmakers are urging the Pentagon to begin stockpiling REEs to ensure their availability for future defense systems. The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee underscored the need for the U.S. to rebuild a supply chain of rare-earth metals, oxides, alloys and permanent magnets in their version of the defense appropriations bill. Rare-earth oxides are the base ingredient in advanced materials like alloys, phosphors for fluorescent lights, chemical catalysts, electronics, ceramics and magnets. According to the Energy Department, the U.S. consumes 12.5% of all these materials and imports 91% of them from China. Five of these elements-dysprosium, neodymium, terbium, europium and yttrium-are commonly used in aircraft systems and considered the most critical. Overall, rare-earth deposits are abundant. China has 36% of REE reserves, compared with Russia and other former Soviet republics, holding 19%; the U.S. with 13%; and Australia with 5%. The problem is that few international producers other than China will come online to produce these important materials in the next few years. The U.S. Geological Survey notes that China produces 97% of the world's supply of processed REEs, and new companies are trying to gain market share. Australia's Lynas Corp. will be the first company to provide a new source of non-Chinese rare-earth oxides. It plans to open its Mount Weld mine in the third quarter of 2011. The first U.S. REE company to go online will be California's Molycorp Minerals, which says it plans to start full production of rare-earth oxides at its Mountain Pass mine in 2012. While this progress is promising, China likely will dominate into the foreseeable future some widely used materials such as dysprosium, which is essential to permanent magnet manufacturing. Molycorp has reported that China likely will become a net importer of REEs in 2015, as worldwide demand increases. Although new sources of processed REEs are slowly emerging, the fact that aerospace companies use limited portions of these materials may position them poorly against competition from other industries, says Jeff Green, spokesman for the U.S. Magnetic Materials Association. He urges aerospace companies to remember that REEs are used a lot more heavily in permanent magnets for electric cars and computer components, so the aviation aftermarket may have to wait until after the Toyotas or IBMs of the world take their share. "The supply of these materials is generally going first to the larger consumers and then flowing down to the smaller buyers," says Green. "Those companies, say, perhaps in the automotive industry, that can leverage a large buy up-front are going to be first in the queue." But in spite of researchers' concern about the REE economic environment, aviation players remain optimistic about providing components infused with the minerals. Chromalloy uses rare-earth oxides in its low thermal conductivity (Low K) high-pressure turbine blade coatings. By adding neodymium to yttria stabilized zirconia, or 7YSZ, the PMA parts manufacturer has been able to reduce thermal conductivity of the blades, thus increasing on-wing time. Ravi Shankar, director of qualification engineering and standards for Chromalloy, says that material shortages will likely impact some hot-section components but suggests that the consequences may not be widespread. "Price increases of materials may affect users as well as the OEMs that utilize Low K thermal-barrier coatings on new spare parts and repairs," says Shankar. "Since the neodymia (and gadolinia or erbia) containing Low K thermal-barrier coatings are only used on the most advanced gas turbine engine parts, depending on availability and usage, this may affect the manufacture and repair prices of only a small segment of parts." GE Global Research is seeking ways to use smaller amounts of REEs in manufacturing in hopes of mitigating the impact of price increases. Based in Niskayuna, N.Y., this division has played an important role in illustrating the negative effects of REE shortages to lawmakers. Steve Duclos, chief scientist of material sustainability at GE Global Research, urged the House Science and Technology Committee last year to educate Congress on the ways that rare-earth mineral shortages could adversely affect GE's many teams, including aviation. Duclos is spearheading a project to construct permanent magnets with REEs at the nano level, which could save on the total amount of neodymium-iron-boron needed in magnet manufacturing. Permanent magnets are an integral part of electric motors and generators that are used mainly in new electric and hybrid vehicles. Although research is on track in the laboratory, challenges remain in scaling up the materials to bulk production to satisfy commercial demand. If all goes well, GE says the new technology could reduce rare-earth material in permanent magnets by 80%. This process is just one of the means that GE is considering to reduce its dependency on REEs for multiple industry applications. For aerospace thermal-barrier coatings, Duclos says the best way to reduce REE content is to develop better manufacturing. Improving methods of applying the materials is an ongoing initiative for GE Global Research. "The path that would most likely be taken for yttria-stabilized zirconia would be improving our manufacturing processes to reduce waste," says Duclos. "In the case of thermal-barrier coatings, in all likelihood it would be improving the process so that we don't need as much." http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top CASA investigates Jetstar maintenance lapses Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is investigating low-cost carrier Jetstar after the airline did not carry out certain maintenance procedures on time on four Airbus A320 aircraft. "We are taking a look at their maintenance control system to ensure they are performed properly," said a CASA spokesman. He added that the agency has not identified any safety issues. The airline took four A320s out of service temporarily late on 7 July for maintenance procedures, said Jetstar. "We identified some routine maintenance tasks that should have been completed within specific time limits. As soon as this was identified it was rectified and none of the tasks were safety significant," it added. These procedures included the testing of batteries of emergency lights, sampling of hydraulic fluid and lubrication of door switches. The aircraft were serviced overnight and have since returned to service, said the airline, adding that it is liasing with CASA. CASA's spokesman said the authority is reviewing Jetstar's actions and expects the investigation to take a "few weeks". Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Bullet strike grounds Cargolux 747-400F Cargolux has grounded a Boeing 747-400 freighter which was struck by small-arms fire, resulting in a bullet hole in the fuselage. The airline said the hole was found during a maintenance A-check on the 747 after it returned from a multiple-stop African service. It operated the flight on 4 July, flying from Luxembourg to Abidjan in Ivory Coast, then Accra in Ghana, and finally to the Nigerian city of Abuja before returning to its home base on 5 July. "The hole was found in an unpressurised area on the left side near the rear of the aircraft and did not endanger the safety of the crew at any time," said Cargolux. While it has determined that the hole "was caused by a bullet" it added that there is "no evidence" that the aircraft was shot at deliberately - although it also said this "cannot be ruled out". It has filed incident reports with the Luxembourg police service and the country's civil aviation authority. Cargolux operates 16 747-400 freighters. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top France overhauls air traffic centres with new airspace system French air navigation service DSNA is to install a new air traffic management system, based on a Franco-Italian partnership, in two area control centres by 2015. The system, known as 4-Flight, emerged from a collaboration between DSNA and its Italian counterpart ENAV, which was started three years ago. It is based on the Coflight initiative to create a new flight-data processing system compatible with the Single European Sky programme. DSNA has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thales to develop the 4-Flight system for French airspace. It will include a new human-machine interface and decision- support tools. All French area centres and major approach facilities will have the system within a decade, said Thales. DSNA director Maurice Georges said the system will "provide interoperability" with other European systems, particularly in the neighbouring functional airspace block. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Iridium Offers New Air-Traffic Service By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) Seeking to improve in-flight communications, satellite-operator Iridium Communications Inc. is set to provide enhanced navigation and traffic-control services for jets flying across oceans and, eventually, over remote polar regions. By obtaining regulatory approval to use digital data to keep track of jets on isolated, long-range routes, Iridium is expected to help carriers such as Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc. and various cargo operators save fuel, reduce emissions and make it easier for aircraft to maneuver around storms. The new services also will reduce pilot workload in the cockpit, according to the company. Other U.S. and international carriers are likely to follow, according to Don Thoma, Iridium's executive vice president of marketing. "A lot of airlines have been monitoring" performance trials, Mr. Thoma said, "and the word we get from them is that they see a very big return" on an investment to use Iridium. More broadly, Iridium and industry officials said the new services, approved last month for airspace supervised by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, represent an important interim step toward international cooperation on satellite-based air-traffic- control networks. Data links provide automated exchanges of information about flight paths and aircraft positions, using onboard flight-management computers. Instead of pilots using sometimes-unreliable radio transmissions to communicate with controllers on the ground, now jetliners will be able to use the data link to report their en route positions and maintain safe distances from other aircraft as they cross national boundaries and oceans. For planes crossing the North Atlantic on busy flyways, Iridium's services also will allow them to save fuel and time by cruising as close as 30 miles from each other. The current mandatory separation is 50 miles in all directions. Over parts of the Pacific, Iridium will allow pilots to obtain flight clearances through the data links, instead of relying on spotty and congested radio frequencies, according to Ron Renk, manager of flight technologies for Continental Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings Inc. Continental was one of the main participants in flight tests. Continental chose Iridium's fleet of 66 satellites because its communication links "work on every airplane in any situation, anywhere around the globe," according to Mr. Renk. In all, United and Continental plan to equip around 150 of their Boeing Co. 737s, 747s, 757s and other models with Iridium equipment. Airline officials said Iridium's onboard equipment is lighter, and also is less expensive to install and operate, than alternate systems. In addition to automated receipt and transmission of data, Iridium is working to demonstrate reliability of its voice- communication services for essential safety purposes. Standard-setting groups, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations, already have signed off on Iridium's initial plans. Messrs. Renk and Thoma said air-traffic officials from the U.K., Australia and Japan are among those poised to sign off on the latest traffic-control procedures. After years of preparation and painstaking flight tests, the FAA in June approved the use of Iridium's satellite constellation for traffic-control purposes in airspace supervised by the FAA. On Monday, Iridium is slated to announce the agency's decision. "With proven benefits in operational efficiency, environmental impact and safety," Iridium's services already are important elements of the drive to upgrade control procedures across the Atlantic, parts of Asia and the South Pacific, the FAA said. Polar runs are among the most profitable and fastest-growing routes for airlines. The FAA intends to support a version of such satellite-based links as part of the agency's "domestic data communications program," Peggy Gilligan, the agency's top safety official, said in a June 27 letter giving Iridium the green light to proceed. Iridium, based in McLean, Va., has been pursuing this initiative as a way to expand its service offerings and break the near monopoly enjoyed by its London-based rival, Inmarsat PLC, in offering communication links to airliners on oceanic routes. Data links between aircraft and the ground will serve as essential building blocks of next- generation navigation and traffic-control systems separately under development in Europe and the U.S. By shuttling data back and forth, flight-control computers on jetliners are slated to command optimum descent trajectories, maintain minimum separations between planes and ensure the most-efficient use of runway capacity-all without pilot interventions. European aerospace companies and traffic-control officials are scheduled to conduct the first in-flight tests of those automated functions later this year . Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC