Flight Safety Information August 15, 2011 - No. 167 In This Issue Air Safety Board Urges Cockpit Changes Russian accident airline warned for safety shortcomings in ramp checks Officials: 2 die in Alaska plane crash; 4 survive CDC looks for 15 passengers of flight with bat Tail-strikes ground SpiceJet aircraft (INDIA) Boeing poised to complete 787 certification flight testing Airbus clashes with pilots over AF447 alarm Air India Chief Replaced Passenger jet near miss close to Glasgow Airport probed by safety watchdog CIS air companies to buy by 2030 over 1,000 planes - Boeing Panasonic sees 'massive' demand for in-flight connectivity Air Safety Board Urges Cockpit Changes ByANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) Federal air-safety watchdogs on Friday recommended changes to ensure that emergency cockpit-oxygen systems on thousands of Boeing airliners are properly designed to help pilots fight windshield fires. The National Transportation Safety Board urged action to lengthen hoses for such oxygen systems, including those installed on certain Boeing 757 and 767 models, so pilots can keep their masks on while retrieving fire-extinguishers stored at the rear of the cockpit. Concerned about the dangers of inadequately designed hoses forcing pilots to temporarily remove masks in order to reach the portable extinguishers, some pilot union leaders have advocated equipment modifications for four years. Windshields are among the most common locations for cockpit fires on Boeing jets. The issue received heightened attention last year, after a United Airlines Boeing 757 experienced a windshield fire en route from New York to Los Angeles, and ended up making an emergency landing at Dulles international Airport outside Washington. While the plane was cruising at 36,000 feet, the captain's lower-front windshield began to smoke and "his eyes began to burn before he donned his oxygen mask and smoke goggles," according to the safety board's latest recommendation letter. But as the captain left his seat and moved to retrieve the extinguisher, the mask and goggles were "torn off" his face. After putting the protective devices back on, he discharged the fire-retardant chemical and retrieved a second extinguisher at the cockpit door, which was handed over by cabin crew. But according to the safety board, his "mask and goggles came off again" because the oxygen hose was too short. The recommendation, as well as two related changes to safety procedures, aren't binding on the Federal Aviation Administration. In the past, the agency said it was looking into the hose-length issue, but officials also expressed concerns about pilots possibly getting distracted or even tangled up in longer hoses. A spokeswoman for the FAA couldn't immediately be reached. A spokeswoman for manufacturer Boeing Co. said company safety experts "are aware of the recommendations" and intend to "work with NTSB, FAA and operators, as needed, to ensure safety continues at the highest levels." In its recommendation, the safety board stressed that quickly donning cockpit oxygen masks may be the easiest and most effective way to protect pilots during cockpit fires, versus using other onboard systems such as portable smoke hoods or oxygen bottles. Focusing on the underlying causes for a spate of cockpit windshield fires over the years, the safety board on Friday said it was satisfied with the FAA's progress so far in ordering stepped-up inspections, or replacement, of suspect windshield parts on various Boeing models. On Friday, Boeing said that since 2001 it has received 38 separate reports of electrical arcing of windshield heaters on its 747, 757, 767 and 777 jetliners, incidents that typically resulted in smoke or flames. A new windshield design appears to have resolved the problems. Back to Top Russian accident airline warned for safety shortcomings in ramp checks Russian airline Avis-Amur had been warned by Russia's transport safety regulator in March and May 2011 regarding safety shortcomings on their Antonov 12 aircraft. On August 9 the Antonov 12 operated by Avis-Amur crashed while returning to Magadan, Russia after reporting a fuel leak and engine fire. All eleven on board were killed Rostransnadzor said in a statement that the airline had been warned about safety shortcomings following ramp checks in March an May 2011. In March it was found that there were too many seats on the flight deck and that the attachments were lacking. Source: * Rostransnadzor * ASN Accident Description www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Officials: 2 die in Alaska plane crash; 4 survive ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Residents of a remote Alaskan village have been shocked and saddened by the news that a plane carrying all three of its teachers crashed, leaving the pilot and a teacher dead and the other two teachers and their two children injured, a school official says. The deadly crash closely follows two midair collisions in the state, including one that killed an Anchorage family of four. Karen Ladegard, superintendent of the Iditarod School District, said Sunday that the single-engine Cessna 207 was heading to the community of Anvik Saturday night when it went down. Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said the survivors were flown to an Anchorage hospital. Ladegard identified the injured as Don and Rosemary Evans, their 10-year-old son, Don Jr., and 8-year-old daughter, McKenzie. The couple were set to share a teaching position at the 18-student school, where classes are scheduled to begin Wednesday. Ladegard told The Associated Press she spoke by phone to Rosemary Evans, who said from the hospital that many of the injuries are broken bones. None of the injuries appear life threatening, Ladegard said. Ladegard said the two who died were Julie Walker, a lifelong Anvik resident and longtime teacher in the village, and the pilot, Ernie Chase, who was originally from Anvik. Residents in the community of 85 were reeling, Ladegard said. "Everybody is calling me. They're devastated," she said late Sunday afternoon in a phone interview from the community of McGrath. The Cessna departed Saturday evening from McGrath, about 225 miles northwest of Anchorage. The plane was headed to Anvik, about 140 miles to the west. Later Saturday night, a personal spot beacon transmitting a 911 signal was activated, showing the plane 37 miles west of McGrath. The Alaska National Guard's Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage coordinated the ensuing search, which was hampered by poor weather, Guard officials said. The Cessna's emergency locator beacon helped searchers pinpoint the exact location, said Benjamin Morgan, a ground crew member for Aniak-based Inland Aviation. Morgan said the plane crashed in hilly, rough terrain. He said there was heavy mist at the time and visibility was between two and three miles. The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. On July 30, an Anchorage pilot and his family died in a collision between their single- engine plane and another aircraft around Amber Lake near Trapper Creek, 80 miles north of Anchorage. The pilot of the other plane was alone in the aircraft and uninjured. On July 10, nine people aboard a Piper Navajo and four people in a Cessna 206 were uninjured when the planes collided as they were flying directly toward each other in Lake Clark Pass - a narrow river valley that runs between Anchorage mountains. Both aircraft had minor damage but were able to land safely in Anchorage. Printable Version Email This Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Officials-2-die-in-Alaska-plane-crash- 4-survive-1992346.php#ixzz1V6KalBg5 Back to Top CDC looks for 15 passengers of flight with bat ATLANTA (AP) - Health officials are still looking for 15 passengers who were on a flight in which a bat flew inside the airplane's cabin so they can protect them against the possibility of rabies. Danielle Buttke of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday they have contacted 35 of the 50 passengers on the Aug. 5 Delta Air Lines flight 5121 that was operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines. She says none of the passengers they've spoken with required treatment. The plane was flying from Madison, Wis., to Atlanta when the bat emerged. No one knows if the bat had rabies because it escaped. The CDC wants to talk to the plane's passengers to make sure they didn't have close contact with it, putting them at risk. Back to Top Tail-strikes ground SpiceJet aircraft (INDIA) New Delhi - A SpiceJet aircraft has been grounded by the civil aviation safety regulator - the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - after the plane's belly was severely damaged in a tail-strike. A tail-strike is when the tail portion of the aircraft touches the runway first during landing or touches the ground due to high nose altitude during take-off. The tail-strike took place on July 19 when the aircraft, a Boeing 737-900 ER (call sign VTSPU), landed at the Guwahati airport. The DGCA has initiated a high-level inquiry into the incident - fourth such involving the same plane. "We have grounded the pilot also," a DGCA official said. The earlier tail-strikes took place on February 7 and 19 this year in Bagdogra and Delhi and August 12, 2008 in Bangalore. "A series of tail strikes is a clear indication that there is something wrong in the training as well as the procedures that are followed," said Capt Mohan Ranganathan, member of a government committee on air safety. "It is also a reflection on the inexperience of not just the pilots but the training team for not emphasising on the correct techniques to follow," he said. SpiceJet confirmed that damage was caused to the aircraft but no passenger was injured. "SpiceJet takes safety very seriously and ensures all action is taken to avoid future occurrences of this nature," the airline said in an e-mail response to Hindustan Times. "Tail strike at the time of take off or landing point on this aircraft type does occasionally happen according to Boeing. That is why it is fitted with a tail skid to avoid damage. This aircraft has done 6000 flights since the first incident," SpiceJet said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Tail-strikes-ground-SpiceJet-aircraft/Article1- 733116.aspx Back to Top Boeing poised to complete 787 certification flight testing Boeing appears to have completed certification flight testing of the first delivery variant of its 787 Dreamliner, 606 days after the type first began flying. Aircraft ZA102, operating as flight BOE102, completed its final scheduled systems functionality and reliability (F&R) flight trials on 13 August, clearing the way for final certification documentation submittals to the US Federal Aviation Administration. Boeing has not yet confirmed the completion, pending final data analysis from the trials. The airframer said it expects to receive its FAA type certificate by the end of the month, clearing the way for first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways in September. The initial certification will provide Boeing regulatory approval for its 787 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Package A engines. The second engine choice, the General Electric GEnx-1B, is expected to achieve certification in the fourth quarter. The airframer plans to introduce a Package B upgrade for the Trent 1000 and a first Performance Improvement Package (PIP1) for the GEnx at a later date. Boeing's F&R trials evaluated how the aircraft's systems performed in a degraded state based on the master minimum equipment list (MMEL) and dispatch deviation guide (DDG). ZA102, the ninth aircraft built, the airframer's third production configuration aircraft, completed extended operations testing (ETOPS) on 3 August as part of a 300h block of F&R trials, which included an 18h 7min maximum endurance flight. Boeing began flight testing on 15 December 2009, when ZA001 made its maiden sortie from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, more than two years later than planned. Seven test aircraft, including Trent 1000-powered Airplane Nine and four R-R and two GE-powered test aircraft, have completed more than 4,800h of flight testing. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Airbus clashes with pilots over AF447 alarm Frustration is building within Airbus over Air France's and cockpit union SNPL's public claims that the stall alarm on flight AF447 activated in a manner which would have confused the A330's crew. While the airframer has formally said little about the latest findings by the French Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses, a clear rift has emerged over the human factor aspect of the accident. "The situation was not ambiguous and the stall was obvious," said a source at the airframer, pointing out the 54s continuous vocal alarm which sounded as the aircraft climbed to about 37,500ft and the flying pilot kept his sidestick nose-up. As the stall worsened, the aircraft's airspeed bled away and it began to descend, the angle of attack increasing to 41.5° before the airspeed fell below 60kt and the angle of attack became "non-computed data" - an invalidation which shut off the stall alarm. In the 75s following the shut-off, however, the stall warning sounded another eight times as the angle of attack data briefly became valid again, each time at values from 38-43°, as the airspeed fluctuated with the aircraft's attitude. Four of those eight warnings occurred while the flying pilot was holding the sidestick fully back, with no indication from the flight-data recorder of a relaxation in response to the alarm. Another two instances occurred while the pilot made inputs "apparently not related to the alarm", said the source, while the other two occurred when the pilot's actions were "possibly consistent" with the stall alarm switching off and on. "We are not in a situation where the crew has a systematic and consistent reaction to the stall warning," the source added. "It is crucial that a crew reacts immediately to the stall warning, in order never to get into such a situation. Airliners are not to be flown at such angles of attack - what happened beyond [the initial continuous alarm cut-off] is clearly far out of the flight envelope. None of our test pilots ever went into such a situation." Seven months before the loss of AF447, Air France issued a warning to crews over the possibility of anemometric anomalies on the A330 and A340 fleet. Six incidents had been reported by crews characterised by loss of speed indications at high altitudes, in potential icing conditions and turbulence, during cruise at M0.80-0.82. Among other symptoms listed by Air France were disconnection of the autopilot, a switch to alternate law, and the possible sounding of the stall warning. Crews had not reported any sensation of overspeed or approach to stall, despite the stall alarm. Pilots were told to remain attentive to the possibility of problems and, in the event of taking manual control of the aircraft, to proceed with small corrections. Air France accelerated replacement of pitot probes, a programme which had started five days before the 1 June 2009 accident, following the crash. It has introduced new simulator sessions focused on unreliable airspeed procedures, with a focus on high-altitude flight in alternate law and training in modified stall responses. The carrier has also amended its internal operational rules governing relief duty and put in place a new cockpit decision-making structure. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Air India Chief Replaced NEW DELHI - India's federal government on Aug. 12 replaced the head of Air India and said it will complete the financial restructuring plan of the ailing carrier in about three months. According to a government spokesman, Air India's Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav was replaced by Rohit Nandan, a joint secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Nandan will be on a three-year appointment or until further notice from the government, whichever is earlier, from the date of taking over, the spokesman said late Friday. "It is a challenge and a privilege to be associated with Air India," Nandan said, soon after he was handed the appointment letter. "Employee morale and financial health are my immediate priorities, which I will seek to improve." The government's decision comes as Air India continues to incur losses following its 2007 merger with the former national carrier Indian Airlines due to a failure to synergize operations, unprofitable flights, high debt costs, an inflated wage bill and high fuel prices. In the last financial year that ended March 31, 2011, the airline incurred a loss of about 70 billion rupees ($1.5 million). Air India has been plagued by labor issues since Jadhav assumed office in May 2009 for a three-year tenure. Last May, a nine-day strike by about 750 pilots over wage and promotion issues forced the carrier to cancel more than 200 daily flights out of a total of 500. Jadhav's failure to avert strikes by employees, which crippled flight services for days, and Air India inability to join the Star Alliance also could be some reasons for his likely removal, an airline official says. Meanwhile, the government Friday said it would take three months to finalize a financial restructuring plan of the cash-strapped carrier. "The exercise of finalizing the financial restructuring plan and loans would take about three months," Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said on Aug. 12. A panel of ministers, headed by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, is looking into the turnaround and financial restructuring plans, prepared by state-run State Bank of India's financial advisory arm, SBI Caps. The panel is scheduled to meet on Aug. 17. The debt-ridden carrier had earlier sent a proposal to the civil aviation ministry for permission to convert its short-term loans into long-term to help save interest payments of up to 10 billion rupees per annum. A ir India was also involved in talks with public sector banks led by the State Bank of India for restructuring its working capital loan of 220 billion rupees. "Air India's cumulative losses amounted to 221.65 billion rupees apart from a 220 billion rupees debt burden to buy new aircraft," Deputy Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V. Narayanaswamy said Friday. "There are two plans under consideration -- one is the turnaround plan and the other is a financial restructuring plan which is being considered by a group of ministers," said Narayanaswamy in parliament. "A turnaround committee will also be formed, which will include senior management and representatives from the unions," he said. The government has tried to shore up the airline's finances by infusing 25 billion rupees ($552 million) into the carrier and assuring another 12 billion rupees this fiscal year. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Passenger jet near miss close to Glasgow Airport probed by safety watchdog Air safety chiefs are investigating a possible near-miss between a passenger jet and a glider close to a major airport. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is reclassifying the airspace around Glasgow Airport to make it safer in the wake of the incident on July 23. It plans to tighten up the way certain types of aircraft enter the airspace to ensure it is done in a more controlled and co-ordinated way. The Glasgow Control Area will be reclassified from class E to class D as an "interim safety enhancement" from September 16. This 'fast-track' process is reserved for use where a "clear and present threat to public safety" is identified, the CAA said. The July 23 incident has been classified as an "airprox", a situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or controller, the distance between aircraft, their relative positions and speed, have been such that the safety of the aircraft was, or may have been, compromised. It is being investigated by the UK Airprox Board. The CAA said no further details about the incident would be available until the board publishes its report. Airspace around the UK is given different types of classification determining which type of aircraft are allowed to use it. The lowest levels are open to everyone from hot air balloons to gliders, while the highest levels are much stricter and only open to certain types of aircraft. A CAA spokesman said: "At Glasgow we've raised the airspace round the airport by one level. "We've restricted it so there's still the possibility for lower level users like microlights to use it but it has to be done in a much more co-ordinated way and much more controlled by air traffic control. "It really only affects leisure users of the airspace. For airlines and general traffic going in and out it makes no difference." He said that National Air Traffic Services will now apply to make the interim reclassification order permanent. The interim order will remain in place until then. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/08/15/passenger-jet-near-miss- close-to-glasgow-airport-probed-by-safety-watchdog-86908-23346930/ Back to Top CIS air companies to buy by 2030 over 1,000 planes - Boeing Airlines of Russia and other CIS countries in the next 20 years will buy more than one thousand new aircraft, three quarters of which will be used to replace the existing fleet. These figures are contained in an annual forecast of Boeing - Commercial Airplanes, Itar- Tass reported. Airlines of the CIS in 2011-2030 years will need 1,080 aircraft worth $110 billion, Boeing - Commercial Airplanes Vice President Randy Tinseth told journalists at a briefing on Monday timed to the opening of the Moscow Airspace Show (MAKS). According to him, 24 percent of them - for the expansion of the fleet, 76 percent - for the fleet replacement. The total number of aircraft in the CIS in 20 years will exceed 2,000. Tinseth noted that the figures are 12 percent higher regarding the number of airplanes and 20 percent higher concerning the market value, compared with a similar forecast made by Boeing in 2010. The company's vice president added over 250 Boeing airliners of various modifications are currently in service in the Commonwealth countries, and their share in the aircraft fleet of CIS airlines over the past 10 years has increased from 3 to almost 30 percent. According to the Boeing's outlook, the commercial aviation market in the Commonwealth of Independent States continues to grow as the region's airlines add new airplanes to their fleets. We are forecasting that the CIS will acquire 1,080 new airplanes, valued at US$110 billion, over the next 20 years. Of that total, 32 percent of the airplanes are in current backlog and expected to be delivered in the next five years. The freighter market is also growing, with 60 new airplanes-as well as 130 converted airplanes-needed to meet demand in the region. More than 65 percent of the new freighters will be in the large category. The region's economies had moderate growth in 2010. GDP was up 4.2 percent, compared to the substantial decline of 4.1 percent in 2009. Overall, we expect the GDP to grow at an average annual rate of 3.4 percent over the next 20 years. Russia continues to be the largest driver of the economy, accounting for 70 percent of GDP in 2010, followed by Ukraine and Kazakhstan, the forecast says. Passenger traffic remains strong-up 10.1 percent in the first quarter of 2011, according to Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency. Domestic passengers account for nearly 60 percent of this traffic. Over the next 20 years, air travel is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.2 percent. A projected 680 new single-aisle airplanes will be needed over the next 20 years to support anticipated domestic growth. Given the diverse geography of the region, airline travel is expected to become more attractive as liberalization occurs and personal incomes increase, according to the outlook. Market growth is being supported by government programs to upgrade airports. In Russia, there are plans to replace a runway at Moscow's Domodedovo airport in 2015. This will help the airport to reach its planned capacity of 50 million passengers, it says. The budget travel market is especially underserved in the CIS, because low-cost carriers serve only a small percentage of the domestic market. Currently, low-cost carriers account for less than 4 percent of domestic airline seats in the CIS, which is well below market share in most regions. With only 5 percent of Russia's population using air services, there are substantial opportunities for airlines to stimulate the market and win new customers. Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defence systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest US exporters in terms of sales, according to the company website. Boeing has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. It continuee to expand its product line and services to meet emerging customer needs. Its broad range of capabilities includes creating new, more efficient members of its commercial airplane family; integrating military platforms, defence systems and the warfighter through network-centric operations; creating advanced technology solutions that reach across business units; e-enabling airplanes and providing connectivity on moving platforms; and arranging financing solutions for its customers. Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 158,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. MAKS (International Aviation and Space Salon) is an International Air Show held near Moscow on Zhukovskiy LII airfield. The first show, Mosaeroshow-92, was held in 1992. Since 1993, it was renamed to its current name and is held on odd years. MAKS is an important event in Russian business. Although it started mainly as an entertainment event, the show soon became a marketplace where Russian airplane manufacturers could find export contracts and Russian air carriers could find foreign contacts. http://en.trend.az/capital/business/1918635.html Back to Top Panasonic sees 'massive' demand for in-flight connectivity Panasonic Avionics is fielding a staggering number of requests for proposals (RFPs) for airborne connectivity, as airlines - both big and small - realise that keeping passengers connected to the ground during flight has become the cost of doing business. "We believe that virtually every airline in the world realises it needs connectivity. They're asking, 'How do I do it and how fast do I do it' but right now we have RFPs for over 1,500 aircraft and we believe there is a major decision, maybe two, happening every single month, and so you're talking about 200 or 300 airplanes per month getting committed so it's massive," Panasonic Avionics vice-president, global communications services David Bruner revealed to Air Transport Intelligence and Flightglobal this week during an interview near the company's headquarters in Lake Forest, California. US in-flight connectivity service provider Gogo's success in securing multiple airline customers for its an air-to-ground (ATG)-based solution in the United States, and Row 44's deal to bring Ku-band satellite-based connectivity to Southwest Airlines' fleet, helped to kick start interest in connectivity in other parts of the world. Unlike Gogo, however, Panasonic has focused its efforts on providing in-flight high-speed Internet via Ku satellites on overseas flights because, as a leading provider of embedded in-flight entertainment systems on widebody aircraft, such a plan fits its model. "We said, 'Let's do the hardest thing first, which is offer a solution that flies anywhere in the world even across the equator'," said Bruner. Panasonic Avionics CEO Paul Margis added: "For us connectivity is about the overall experience in the cabin. It wasn't just about connecting laptops. It was also about what you can do with in-flight entertainment, maintenance reporting and telephony when you connect an airplane." Offering connectivity via a higher bandwidth Ku pipe - versus other lower bandwidth offerings on the market - is core to Panasonic's strategy, which includes offering TV over IP and mobile connectivity. "All of our appetites [for bandwidth] are expanding," noted Bruner. However, if an airline is interested, the company is willing to provide connected IFE applications - such as social media apps, for instance - using Inmarsat's L-band-based SwiftBroadband [SBB] aeronautical service, which operates at speeds of up to 432 kbps. "I think that SBB is almost better suited to connected IFE than in the wild because you can manage the experience and get the information transfer without really seeing what the latencies are, what the hourglass is," said Margis. A former Connexion by Boeing customer Lufthansa late last year relaunched Ku-band connectivity on CBB-fitted aircraft in partnership with Panasonic. The rest of the German carrier's long-haul fleet is being fitted with Panasonic's Ku system, dubbed eXConnect. Mobile connectivity via Ku is also in the cards. Other customers for eXConnect include Turkish Airlines and Gulf Air, which will come on line in the coming months, as well as Cathay Pacific and SAS. Panasonic is also understood to be working with Transaero and Japan Airlines. However, the company declined to comment on discussions. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC