Flight Safety Information October 4, 2011 - No. 204 In This Issue 767 makes emergency landing on Sunday (GUAM) Passengers and crew dead in Indonesian C-212 crash PIA blues II: The plane truth about flight safety (Pakistan) Robinson Working With FAA On R44 "Mast-Rocking" ITT Launches New Flight Tracking Application for Alaskan Airspace Furloughed FAA employees to receive back pay Boeing Awarded 'Greener Skies' Contract by Federal Aviation Administration Electric plane wins $1.35 million prize Sikorsky Chief Test Pilot Awarded SETP Honor Jet noise levels at LAX have declined since 1992 767 makes emergency landing on Sunday (GUAM) United/Continental Airlines is investigating another emergency landing of one of its aircraft, this time involving Flight 001 from Honolulu to Guam, Sunday evening. Koji Nagata, director of corporate communications for the Asia/Pacific region for United/Continental Airlines, said the flight landed on Guam safely without incident. "Continental Flight 001 from Honolulu to Guam ... made an emergency landing at Guam International Airport yesterday due to a possible problem with the nose gear," according to Nagata. "The flight landed safely at 6:55 p.m. without any incident." The B767-400 aircraft was carrying 247 passengers. "Continental is currently investigating the cause of the problem," according to Nagata. Rolenda Faasuamalie, A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority spokeswoman, confirmed that the United/Continental flight "reported landing-gear indicator malfunctioning" at 6:47 p.m. Sunday. An alert was called with airport rescue units standing by for response. The aircraft performed a couple of flybys to confirm with ground crew that the landing gear was engaged. This is the fifth incident in about the last month in which flight crews have called the Guam airport for a possible emergency, Faasuamalie said. She said the other four flights were for B737s. http://www.guampdn.com/article/20111004/NEWS01/110040310 Back to Top Passengers and crew dead in Indonesian C-212 crash Investigators have found an Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) C-212-200 aircraft that crashed in Indonesia's Sumatra island on 29 September. The aircraft, which was operated by Nusantara Buana Air, was on its way from Medan to Kutacane in northern Sumatra when it crashed around Bohorok, located east of Kutacane. All 18 passengers and crew died in the incident, said an official with the airline. The aircraft, with the registration PK-TLF, was manufactured in March 1989 by IAe under license from CASA. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ******** Status: Preliminary Date: 29 SEP 2011 Time: ca 07:35 Type: CASA/Nurtanio NC-212 Aviocar 200 Operator: Nusantara Buana Air Registration: PK-TLF C/n / msn: 283/88N First flight: 1989 Total airframe hrs: 11329 Cycles: 13626 Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14 Total: Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Bohorok, Sumatra (Indonesia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Medan-Polonia Airport (MES) (MES/WIMM), Indonesia Destination airport: Kutacane-Alas Leuser Airport, Indonesia Narrative: A CASA/Nurtanio NC-212 Aviocar 200 passenger plane was damaged beyond repair in an accident near Bohorok, Sumatra, Indonesia. All 14 passengers and four crew members were killed. The airplane was reported missing during a domestic flight between Medan and Kutacane, Indonesia. The airplane departed at 07:28 with an estimated time of arrival of 08:03. Contact with the flight was lost at 07:35. The wreckage was spotted in a forest, but rescue parties had to abandon their attempts to reach the site by helicopter because of poor visibility. A rescue party arrived at the scene on October 1, finding that all aboard had died. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top PIA blues II: The plane truth about flight safety (Pakistan) Cosy relationship with the regulator, weak internal oversight ensure that the national flag carrier stays sub-standard. DESIGN: ESSA MALIK KARACHI: Recent months have witnessed a number of PIA aircraft making 'emergency' or 'technical' landings, while the spectre of another ban by the EU haunts the national flag carrier. The Express Tribune continues to investigate in part II of the series. Cutting corners Saleem Irshad*, a retired flight engineer who worked at PIA for 30 years, doesn't concur with Pakistan International Airline's spokesperson Mashood Tajwar, who disregards the notion that technical issues could have had perilous implications. "There are grave problems as far as maintenance of PIA aircraft and adherence to flight procedures is concerned," Irshad says. "For example the grease required to lubricate the plane on landing, is often substandard, and in many cases has caused the landing gear to catch fire due to friction." He vehemently dismisses the widely-held notion that technical irregularities in PIA's fleet are the result of ageing aircraft. "The ATR planes, which experienced technical failures [on September 2], were purchased three or four years ago, so it's not a matter of an ageing fleet," he says. "The new generation of aircraft is fuel efficient and lighter, but they need preventive maintenance, which PIA does not adequately ensure." A potential reason for technical deficiencies in aircraft is the plummeting standards of engineering in the airline, says the president of Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP), Shaukat Jamshed. "For the past four or five years, we have not inducted engineers and technicians, while serving personnel have retired or migrated," he explains. "This has resulted in a gap in engineering standards." He says that PIA's A-310 planes are possibly on the verge of ban again by the EU, but dismisses the idea that safety violations by the company's aircraft are a serious concern. "The main issue, which the French aviation authorities detected, was fuel leakage and we are currently investigating that," he says. Technical issues causing delays? The dearth of standby planes is also a cause of flight delays - now a notorious trait of the airline. "Since flights are queued back to back, even if one plane experiences some technical issue, three to four flights will get delayed in succession," explains Jamshed. The airline's spokesperson, however, refutes the notion of a vicious cycle linking dearth of planes with technical predicaments and delays. "In August and September, we were facing very bad weather and bird crowding on runways. Hence the delays," Mashood Tajwar explains. What about the postponement in Umrah flights during August, which highly irked pilgrims? "It was the peak season for flights and our schedule was fully booked so delays due to unavoidable circumstances, like aircraft maintenance, resulted in long waiting hours for pilgrims," Tajwar says. A retired managing director for PIA marketing, however, is not apologetic. "They are all just a result of gross mismanagement," he says. "When appointments in an organisation have been made on the basis of political and personal connections, what else would you expect?" Who regulates the national carrier? Why does PIA continue to be marred by mismanagement? "Airlines everywhere will try to cut corners, but it's the job of the regulatory authority to ensure that it meets international standards," says Irshad. "The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has failed to regulate PIA, because of a stark conflict of interest. The CAA has serving and retired PIA officials and is therefore not a neutral regulatory body." Irshad's point about the overlap between the two organisations - particularly in the top management - couldn't have been truer than at present. PIA's current Managing Director Nadeem Yousafzai previously served as Director General CAA, while retaining his position as a PIA pilot. "How can a body effectively regulate an airline when its staff is serving at the highest positions in the former?" he asks rhetorically. Highlighting the fact that the CAA is one of the few government organisations which generates lucrative profits, he adds, "The CAA is now primarily a revenue-generating body and its regulatory function of ensuring air worthiness of planes is secondary." Sources in PIA say the CAA also fails to perform its basic function of clearing runways of birds, leaving the planes vulnerable to bird hits and consequent delays. From January to July, there were 41 incidents of bird strikes, and each hit can cause up to a million rupees in damages to the aircraft. But CAA's spokesperson Pervez George is quick to dismiss these allegations. "Whoever is appointed to work for the CAA has to follow certain rules and regulations to ensure air worthiness of planes, regardless of their affiliation with PIA or any other organisation," he asserted. "Thus the overlap between CAA and PIA does not compromise the former's neutrality." Regarding the recent technical issues with PIA planes, he said, "The CAA endeavours to fully ensure the fleet's adherence to security standards, but minor technical problems can take place any time and are beyond our control." With the possibility of another EU ban looming, the next few months are potentially going to be crucial for PIA and CAA's reputation. And it will take a lot for PIA to convince travellers that their operational standards are as lofty as the skies their planes fly in. *names have been changed http://tribune.com.pk/story/266260/pia-blues-ii-the-plane-truth-about-flight-safety/ Back to Top Robinson Working With FAA On R44 "Mast-Rocking" Robinson Helicopter CEO Kurt Robinson said the company has been working with the FAA for "some time" to address concerns about "mast-rocking" or "chugging" on its R44 helicopters. On August 22 the NTSB issued several safety recommendations (A-11-82 through -86) related to the condition in the wake of several mast-rocking accidents/incidents dating back to 2006. "We are working with the FAA to address any concerns or recommendations the NTSB has," Robinson told AIN. Pilots of the incident/accident aircraft reported yaw and pitch oscillations so severe that they elected to make emergency landings, several of them hard enough to cause substantial aircraft damage. The condition appears to be exacerbated by a forward cg that can still be within the flight envelope and is more readily entered during descending and banking turns of 30 degrees. Flight-test reports dating back to 2006 found that certain combinations of transmission mount and vibration isolator mitigate the problem, as did stopping turns while adding power, especially during practice autorotations. The NTSB recommends that the FAA require Robinson to resolve the "root cause" of the mast-rocking, create a database of all related incidents, insert a warning in the flight manual and incorporate recognition and mitigation of the vibrations into its pilot training program. 'Chugging' Incidents While documented incidents cited by the NTSB date back to 2006, AIN found reports of "chugging" that were more than 10 years old and all seem to have several common characteristics, including loading close to, at or over mtow and a forward cg, often encountered after the R44 had burned off substantial fuel. Several aircraft at/over weight limits were conducting air-tour operations. Pilots reported condition onset after descending left turns, fast straight-and-level flight and aggressive maneuvers. It is sometimes first detected by vibrations felt through the anti-torque pedals that grow more severe until the helicopter enters a "bucking" nose-up/nose-down motion that increases in severity through 30 degrees of pitch until it feels as if the helicopter is "out of control." Although the condition can successfully be flown out of by raising the collective while adding power, it has prompted some pilots to make hasty emergency landings that in least one case completely destroyed a helicopter. That accident occurred on May 12, 2009, when an R44 being operated by the Alaska State Troopers made a hard emergency landing after experiencing chugging. The helicopter touched down with 5 to 10 knots of forward speed and the main rotor contacted the tail boom. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The NTSB determined the probable cause was "the main transmission mount design, which resulted in in-flight vibration/oscillation and damage to the helicopter during the subsequent emergency descent and hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of information from the manufacturer regarding this known flight oscillation, and loading the helicopter beyond the forward center of gravity limit by the pilot." During its investigation the NTSB found "at least" three similar incidents: Dec.16, 2006, in Ballymena, Ireland; March 15, 2007, in Opa Locka, Fla.; and Sept. 30, 2007 near Jackson Center, Ohio. None of the accidents/incidents resulted in injury to those aboard. The tail boom separated on landing in the Opa Locka incident. A 2006 flight-test report prepared by an FAA flight-test engineer found that chugging could be induced under several flight regimes and stopped under certain conditions using an R44 with aft and forward main rotor transmission mounts that are designed to react with upward and downward movement of the transmission. Vibrations stopped when G loading was reduced in turns, but could be induced during straight-in autorotations with a forward cg. The maneuvers were replicated in a second R44 with stiffer aft mounts and did not produce vibrations. However, according to the FAA test pilot, a standard configuration was not established as each helicopter responded differently during testing. The report stated that Robinson planned to revise its flight-test procedure to have helicopters fly the maneuvers while in forward cg and, if needed, install stiffer main-rotor transmission mounts and retest the aircraft. On Aug. 17, 2008, Robinson informed the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which was investigating the Ballymena accident, that it was no longer encountering a vibration problem during test flights, had not received any additional reports of it from customers, and would therefore not issue a service letter about the condition. The NTSB notes that helicopters in service before the revised flight-test procedure "continue to exhibit this condition." The Board also noted that "it is not known if the condition will manifest as the helicopters age, even with stiffer transmission mounts installed. It is also not known how frequently mast rocking may occur in the fleet because Robinson Helicopter does not track reports of this condition. The NTSB concludes that the lack of a specific solution for the mast-rocking vibration in all affected R44 helicopters suggests that the manufacturer has not identified the underlying cause of the vibration." Kurt Robinson declined to speculate on what specific actions the FAA is likely to take. http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2011-10- 04/robinson-working-faa-r44-mast-rocking Back to Top ITT Launches New Flight Tracking Application for Alaskan Airspace Web-based flight data visualization service enhances safety and efficiency HERNDON, Va., Oct 04, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ITT Corporation /quotes/zigman/156751/quotes/nls/itt ITT +0.49% has launched a Web-based data visualization application that enhances the safety and operational efficiency of Alaskan airspace by providing unprecedented fleet awareness. ITT's AlaskaVue provides a cost-effective solution for understanding in real time where flight assets are located. This capability is particularly significant for Alaska, where weather, terrain and gaps in radar coverage can affect situational awareness and contribute to accident rates that are much higher than in the continental United States. "Alaskan airspace has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. It began with the success of the Alaska Capstone Project, which laid the groundwork for implementing the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) initiative," said John Kefaliotis, ITT's vice president of next generation transportation systems. "ITT continually looks for ways to support airspace safety and efficiency; the launch of AlaskaVue provides real-time flight tracking and historical playback to improve flight safety in Alaska." The AlaskaVue application service has pan and zoom capabilities; multiple views, such as satellite, maps, charts and elevation; multiple overlays, such as significant boundaries, runways, air routes and navigation aids; flexible display options; and color coding of flight objects. AlaskaVue includes saved views and historical playback. Subscribers to AlaskaVue will access the data visualization application and the comprehensive surveillance data via the Internet. AlaskaVue is based on a synthesis of multiple FAA system-derived aircraft surveillance data available in the U.S. National Airspace System. AlaskaVue data sources include data derived from the U.S. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) network being deployed by ITT, along with Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) data from FAA-deployed WAM systems. ITT Information Systems provides networked decision-support solutions to government and commercial customers through sophisticated information integration and protection, such as next-generation air traffic management and information and cyber solutions. ITT is currently under contract with the FAA to deploy, operate and maintain the ADS-B system, the cornerstone technology of NextGen that will transform the ground-based air traffic control system of today to a more efficient, satellite-based system. ITT's ADS-B contract performance is meeting all contract milestones in accordance with an aggressive schedule set by the FAA in 2007. About ITT Corporation ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company reported 2010 revenue of $11 billion. www.itt.com . SOURCE: ITT Corporation Back to Top Furloughed FAA employees to receive back pay Almost 4,000 Federal Aviation Administration employees furloughed over the summer will be reimbursed for salary lost during that time, FAA said in a statement. The back pay will be included in Oct. 18 paychecks after Transportation Department lawyers concluded that congressional approval was not needed to issue back pay, according to a spokesman for Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J. "A preventable failure of Congress resulting in significant hardship for thousands of FAA employees has finally been made right," LoBiondo, whose district includes an FAA technical center, said in a news release. In a separate statement, the president of the FAA Managers Association also welcomed the news. "We congratulate and commend [Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt] for discovering the legal mechanisms to bring the back pay issue to a close," David Conley said. "It is the right thing to do." The total cost will be about $20 million, according to FAA, which had last month mistakenly put the figure at $40 million. The partial shutdown, which began in late July, occurred after lawmakers deadlocked on a short-term funding extension for FAA. Although air traffic controllers continued to work, employees involved in construction grant administration and implementation of the Next Generation air traffic control system were sent home for about two weeks until lawmakers reached a short-term compromise. Up to now, the presumption was that Congress would have to authorize any back pay decision; LoBiondo had introduced a bill for that purpose in August. But the short-term compromise was retroactive to July 23, the same day that the furloughs began. As a result, the Transportation Department decided that there was no lapse in its authority to spend money out of an FAA trust fund, said Justin Harclerode, a spokesman for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Also temporarily halted during the funding lapse were some 250 airport improvement and construction projects; the government also lost more than $350 million in airline ticket tax revenue that it no longer had the authority to collect. Congress has since passed another funding extension that will carry FAA funding through the end of January. http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20111003/BENEFITS01/110030302/ Back to Top Boeing Awarded 'Greener Skies' Contract by Federal Aviation Administration International industry group to maximize precision navigation benefits across U.S. WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Boeing /quotes/zigman/220026/quotes/nls/ba BA -1.13% today announced a research task order award from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to maximize performance-based navigation capabilities across the United States. The FAA initiated a $3.1 million task order for "Greener Skies Initiative 2." The Boeing team will evaluate current precision navigation procedures and analyze new procedures to advance the use of flight deck and air traffic control capabilities in the national airspace system for an improved air traffic management system. The Initiative builds on the success of the Greener Skies Over Seattle project, which demonstrated Alaska Airlines' ability to cut fuel burn and reduce emissions by 35 percent compared to a conventional landing using precision navigation called Required Navigation Performance (RNP). "The Greener Skies 2 initiative represents another critical milestone as Boeing helps to drive implementation of NextGen, the FAA's program to transform the national airspace system," said Neil Planzer, vice president, Air Traffic Management, Boeing Flight Services. "This research and development initiative supports Boeing's strategic focus on maximizing the capabilities of Boeing aircraft and implement RNP globally." Required Navigation Performance (RNP) is a GPS-based navigation technology that enables aircraft to fly precise and predefined paths to closely spaced parallel runways. The result is more efficient departure, en-route and approach profiles and a reduction in fuel usage, emissions and noise. The research will help create new procedures in flight deck and air traffic control ground-based systems, which will lead to new reduced separation criteria and increased safety margins. The procedures will be tested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Seattle's Boeing Field for future implementation at capacity-constrained airports across the United States. The contract is a task order award under the FAA's Systems Engineering 2020 (SE- 2020) contract. Boeing will lead an industry consortium consisting of SE-2020 team members Adacel, Airbus, Cessna and Honeywell. Boeing's Air Traffic Management team draws on expertise from across Boeing, including Commercial Airplanes, Flight Services, including Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen, Boeing Research and Technology and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Boeing, Alaska Airlines, the Port of Seattle and the FAA began the Greener Skies partnership in 2009. In 2010, the FAA approved Greener Skies as an official FAA project. Contact: Samantha SolomonBoeing Flight Services Communications +1 206 304- 8127samantha.solomon@boeing.com Daryl StephensonBoeing Engineering, Operations & Technology Communications +1 314 232-8203 daryl.l.stephenson@boeing.com SOURCE Boeing Back to Top Electric plane wins $1.35 million prize The Pipistrel USA Taurus G4, a four-seat, twin-fuselage aircraft, earned the $1.35 million first prize from NASA. (CNN) A Pennsylvania company has won a $1.35 million prize from NASA for developing a highly efficient airplane power by electricity. Pipistrel-USA.com of State College earned the top prize in the CAFE Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, NASA announced Monday. The plane developed by Pipistrel doubled the fuel efficiency requirement for the competition - flying 200 miles in less than two hours while using less than a gallon of fuel per occupant or the equivalent in electricity. The winning plane used a little more than a half-gallon of fuel per passenger for the 200-mile flight. Team Pipistrel-USA.com was one of 14 entrants in the competition, which began two years ago. In total, the 14 teams invested $4 million in the competition, according to NASA. "Two years ago the thought of flying 200 miles at 100 mph in an electric aircraft was pure science fiction," Jack W. Langelaan, team leader of Team Pipistrel-USA.com, said in statement. "Now, we are all looking forward to the future of electric aviation." Second place, and a $120,000 prize, went to Team eGenius of Ramona, California, whose leader, Eric Raymond, congratulated Team Pipistrel. The winning aircraft, the Pipistrel Taurus G4, is a four-seat, twin-fuselage aircraft powered by a 145-kilowatt brushless electric motor driving a two-blade propeller mounted on a spar between the fuselages. The plane's wingspan is about 75 feet. "I'm proud that Pipistrel won. They've been a leader in getting these things into production, and the team really deserves it, and worked hard to win this prize," Raymond said in a NASA statement. "Electric aircraft have moved beyond science fiction and are now in the realm of practice," Joe Parrish, acting chief technologist at NASA headquarters in Washington, said in a statement. The planes flew last week out of Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in California. Only three of the 14 entrants made it into the air, according to The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. The airport is home to the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation, which organized the competition with NASA. Back to Top Sikorsky Chief Test Pilot Awarded SETP Honor for Achievement with X2 Technology™ Demonstrator STRATFORD, Conn., Oct. 3, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Kevin Bredenbeck, the pilot who flew the revolutionary X2 Technology™ demonstrator last year to an unofficial speed record for conventional helicopters, has been recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) with the Iven C. Kincheloe Award for the year's outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing, Sikorsky Aircraft announced today. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). Bredenbeck, who also is Sikorsky's Director of Flight Operations, accepted the award at a ceremony in California on Sept. 24. "It's hard to believe what has transpired over the last few years, focusing on the task at hand, holding a team together and pushing the envelope of an 'X' plane," Bredenbeck said in collecting the award. "I got to lead a great team and would never have been able to demonstrate the capabilities of this X2 technology without them. I'm even prouder that this team delivered to the doorstep of the future the next generation potential for rotor winged flight." The Iven C. Kincheloe Award was established in 1958 in memory of Air Force Test Pilot and SETP member Iven C. Kincheloe to honor exceptional contributions to an aerospace program as a test pilot. The award is sponsored by the Lockheed Martin Corp. The history of previous award winners includes some of the aerospace and aviation industry's most accomplished and recognized figures in experimental and exploration flight including NASA astronauts from the Space Shuttle and Apollo space program. The X2 Technology demonstrator has been recognized with a number of aviation, innovation and technology accolades over the past two years including winning the Robert J. Collier Trophy for greatest achievement in aerospace in 2010. In addition, it was chosen by the American Helicopter Society as the winner of the 2011 Hughes Award, given in recognition of an outstanding improvement in fundamental helicopter technology brought to fruition during the preceding calendar year. In April 2011, Professional Pilot magazine named X2 as the "Innovation of the Year." The X2 also was previously named one of the Top 10 Technologies to Watch by Aviation Week (January 2010), was awarded a 2009 Breakthrough Award in Innovation from Popular Mechanics magazine, was named One of 2009's Best Inventions by Time magazine, was identified among the "Best of What's New" by Popular Science in 2009, and was a finalist for Aviation Week's Laureate Award in Aerospace and Propulsion. Mark Miller, Sikorsky Vice President of Research & Engineering, said: "The SETP award is appreciated by the entire Sikorsky workforce as recognition of the great things that can be accomplished with innovative thinking, dedication to the task at hand, and a vision that believes the tough challenges of vertical flight are attainable." The X2 Technology program began in 2005 when Sikorsky first committed resources and full funding for the program's development. The X2 Technology demonstrator combines an integrated suite of technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art, counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter. It is designed to demonstrate a helicopter can cruise comfortably at 250 knots while retaining such desirable attributes as excellent low speed handling, efficient hovering, and a seamless and simple transition to high speed. Among the innovative technologies the X2 Technology demonstrator employs are: ·Fly-by-wire flight controls ·Counter-rotating rigid rotor blades ·Hub drag reduction ·Active vibration control ·Integrated auxiliary propulsion system As a "follow-on" to the successful X2 program, Sikorsky Aircraft is continuing development of the next-generation rotary wing technology by launching the S-97™ RAIDER™ program. Sikorsky and select suppliers will design, build, and fly two prototype light tactical helicopters. These prototype vehicles will enable the U.S. armed forces to experience, first hand, the advanced performance capabilities X2 Technology can provide. Like the X2 Technology demonstrator, the S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller. In addition to flying at nearly twice the speed of a conventional helicopter, the S-97 RAIDER prototype aircraft will incorporate other key performance parameters critical to combat operations - increased maneuverability, greater endurance, and the ability to operate at high altitudes. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries. SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Back to Top Jet noise levels at LAX have declined since 1992 Roaring jetliners are generating less noise while taking off and landing at Los Angeles International Airport, primarily driven by efficiencies within the airline industry over the past two decades, officials told the Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday. Noise levels declined up to 6 decibels in communities surrounding LAX due to fewer flights and quieter engines installed in passenger planes since 1992, said Scott Tatro, the airport's environmental affairs officer. "This is pretty significant," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of LAX, the nation's third-busiest airport. "It is human nature, however, not to perceive the reduction the same way you would perceive an increase," she said. Federal laws enacted over past 20 years have required air carriers to significantly reduce noise generated by plane engines, Tatro said. That mandate has resulted in larger, fuel-efficient jetliners that operate at full capacity, leading to an 18 percent decline in departures and landings at LAX. Even though operations have dropped, passenger traffic at LAX increased from 45.7 million travelers in 1992 to more than 59 million travelers last year. Depending on how close they live, residents immediately north of LAX experienced a decline in noise levels by an average of 3 to 6 decibels, Tatro said. Jetliners currently generate 55 to 74 decibels in Westchester and Playa del Rey, down from 62 to 77 decibels logged nearly 20 years ago. "I feel more hopeful," said Airport Commissioner Valeria Velasco, a Playa del Rey resident who requested the report. To the south of LAX, noise levels in El Segundo have declined since 1992 by an average of 5 decibels, currently measuring 61 to 68 decibels in the city. Declines were less significant in communities east of LAX, where noise monitors logged a reduction of a mere 1 to 3 decibels since 1992. Planes landing at LAX currently generate 65 to 75 decibels in Lennox, down from 68 to 77 decibels measured in 1992. Next door in Inglewood, jetliner noise generated 59 to 70 decibels, down from 63 to 72 decibels in 1992. Aircraft noise in South Los Angeles dropped from 66 decibels in 1992 to the current average of 64 decibels. The unincorporated community of Athens dropped from 67 decibels in 1992 to a current average of 66 decibels. Noise was further alleviated in 17,310 residences over the past 20 years through airport-funded soundproofing improvements or LAX's Residential Acquisition and Relocation Program, which allows any home and apartment owner to sell their property to the airport. http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_19032774 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC