Flight Safety Information February 23, 2012 - No. 038 In This Issue No injuries as jet with 45 aboard slips off runway at Rochester airport ICAO to consider new safety standards for air transport of lithium batteries DECISION ON 787 STRETCH BY YEAR-END ARGUS PROS Global Auditing High winds delay flights at Denver International Airport; 88 mph gust Passenger allegedly turned violent USAF kills plans to purchase iPads for pilots No injuries as jet with 45 aboard slips off runway at Rochester airport A passenger jet traveling from Chicago to Rochester with 45 people aboard ran off the runway late last night at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Angela Veltre, the acting director of aviation for Monroe County, said that there were no injuries in the incident. Veltre said that United Airlines flight No. 3350 landed in Rochester -- its final destination for the night -- about 11:37 p.m. during a period of heavy snow falling in the region. She said other flights landed without incident shortly before flight 3350. Veltre said the jet, an Embraer ERJ-145 that can seat around 50 people, ended up 50 to 75 feet off a runway. She said there did not appear to be any damage to the aircraft after it came to rest. Veltre said that the flight was operated for United by Trans States Airlines, a regional carrier. Passengers were transported from the disabled plane to the terminal. Veltre said luggage would be delivered to passengers on Thursday. Veltre said that FAA officials were on scene investigating the incident. The aircraft was being towed from its position through the morning. Veltre said it should not interfere with flights at the airport later today. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120223/NEWS01/302230016/United- Airlines-plane-runway-Rochester-International- Airport?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CLocal%20News Back to Top ICAO to consider new safety standards for air transport of lithium batteries The International Civil Aviation Organisation is to consider new safety standards for air transport of lithium batteries in the wake of increased concern over the potential for in- flight fires. Following a meeting in Montreal in February, the organisation's dangerous goods panel has put forward recommendations that large shipments of batteries be treated and labelled as dangerous, and that shippers be trained to prepare them correctly. The standards also involve airlines performing acceptance checks and pre-loading inspections, while pilots would be notified of the location of any battery shipment on board an aircraft. Such provisions, if approved by the ICAO Air Navigation Commission, would come into effect from the beginning of 2013. The transport of lithium batteries has been a discussion point for several years, but the loss of two Boeing 747-400Fs - a UPS jet in Dubai and an Asiana aircraft near Jeju - to in-flight fire in the space of 10 months has intensified the debate, as both had been carrying batteries. After the Dubai incident, Transport Canada, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the UK Civil Aviation Authority analysed the likelihood of further fire accidents to US- registered aircraft. The assessment - based on five previous accidents - predicted six accidents, at least four battery-related, in the 10 years to 2020. The model also suggested that, in an extreme case, there could be as many as a dozen accidents. However, during the Montreal meeting the Rechargeable Battery Association rejected the analysis as "flawed" and based on "faulty data and assumptions" - claiming, for instance, that the FAA had based its model on the "mere presence" of batteries on some of the accident flights. Delegates heard of a disturbing incident at Toronto airport on 29 October, 2011, in which fire ignited on a pallet containing lithium batteries - as well as small-arms cartridges - just before loading on to a Boeing 767 passenger aircraft. Investigators had no concerns over the equipment design, and found the consignment met "all the requirements" of the technical instructions for shipping, including being correctly classified, labelled, documented and packaged. However, the initiating event remains "unknown", and in response the shipper amended internal procedures on charging the batteries and opted to transport them using freighters only. Both the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations have backed the tighter regulations. "While this recommendation marks critical progress, ALPA pilots will not rest in our work until the safe transport of lithium batteries is ensured on all aircraft," ALPA said. But it added that it would continue to press for enhanced oversight of battery shippers, better safety standards for batteries contained in electronic equipment and mandatory installation of effective fire suppression in aircraft freight compartments. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/icao-to-consider-new-safety-standards-for- air-transport-of-lithium-batteries-368651/ Back to Top DECISION ON 787 STRETCH BY YEAR-END ANA put the plane into regular passenger service starting on December 1. Due to production problems, that was three years later than originally planned. ANA said Boeing had contacted the airline to say there were no safety issues involved in shimming and to give a general indication of the inspection procedure. ANA said its five Dreamliners are operating normally. Japan Airlines Corp (JALFQ.PK) has already said it no longer expects its first Dreamliner by the end of February as a result of the manufacturing glitch. The 787 problem comes as Boeing rival Airbus, an EADS (EAD.PA) unit, investigates the cause of cracks in part of the wings of its A380 superjumbo. It also insists its jets are safe. . Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders pledged last week the plane-maker would apply lessons from the A380 glitches to the development of the A350, which is the European company's carbon-composite answer to the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing will decide whether to go ahead with plans to produce a stretched, or longer, version of the 787 Dreamliner by the end of this year, Albaugh said. Most aircraft analysts have expected Boeing to push ahead with the 787-10, which would carry around 320 people, 40 more than the longest 787 version currently on offer, the 787-9. The 787 and A350 address the mid-sized segment of the market, which is expected to number several thousand aircraft in coming decades as airlines renew fleets to save fuel and open up new routes. Airbus and Boeing are also battling to maintain a roughly equal share of the single-aisle aircraft segment, the industry's largest by volume, after updating their best-selling 150- seat jets with new engines. Airbus took the lead last year with strong sales of its A320neo, but Boeing is redressing the balance with its 737 MAX. "We have over 1,100 commitments (for the 737 MAX), and our goal this year is to turn all of those into firm orders," Albaugh told reporters, adding that Boeing aims for a couple of thousand firm orders by the time the updated aircraft enters service in 2017. "If there really is a softening in the economy, you could see some deferrals, you could see some people cancelling and you could see fewer orders," he said. Underlining concerns about the economy, Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIAL.SI) said on Wednesday it was cutting cargo capacity by 20 percent because of weak demand and high fuel prices. Back to Top Back to Top High winds delay flights at Denver International Airport; 88 mph gust reported in foothills DENVER - Strong gusts Wednesday delayed flights arriving in Denver for part of the day, downed power lines and trees, and fueled two wildland fires in Boulder County. Xcel Energy Inc. reported about 33,000 customers mostly in the west Denver area lost power, and it could be Friday or possibly the weekend before all power is restored. Colorado Springs Utilities said about 1,100 customers lost power Wednesday night. For part of Wednesday day, flights arriving at Denver International Airport could only approach from the west as winds gusted up to 40 mph. That delayed arrivals an average of 1 1/2 hours before the wind shifted, allowing the airport to use all of its runways for takeoffs and landings. A gust of 88 mph was recorded near Boulder, where crews were repairing downed power poles and lines, and a tree fell on a parked car. Two Boulder County fires prompted warnings to residents. Both fires were contained by Wednesday night, but residents near one of the fires east of Lyons were told it could be hours before crews determined it was safe for them to go home. The warm winds drove temperatures into the 60s around Colorado Springs, but in the northern mountains, the National Weather Service predicted up to 30 inches of snow before the storm ends Thursday. Back to Top Passenger allegedly turned violent PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Disruptive behavior by a young Saudi Arabian man aboard a Continental Airlines flight this week turned violent, officials in Portland, Ore., said Wednesday. While it was initially reported the Tuesday afternoon incident centered on the passenger's refusal to turn off an e-cigarette, authorities said Wednesday Yazeed Mohammed Abunayyan, 19, took a swing at a flight attendant, and hit or tried to hit several passengers on Continental Flight 1118 before he was subdued and handcuffed. His behavior prompted the crew of the Houston-bound plane to return to Portland where Abunayyan was taken into custody. He also is accused of "yelling profanities" and "speaking or singing about Osama bin Laden and his hatred of women," The (Portland) Oregonian reported the charges against him state. He was to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon on a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. The newspaper said Abunayyan also was arrested Sunday by Ashland police after a low- speed car chase. He is accused of ramming two police cars while driving under the influence of intoxicants, and faces multiple charges in that case. Steve Johnson, a spokesman for the Port of Portland, said the man turned on his e- cigarette sometime after the plane departed from Portland and was uncooperative when asked to turn it off. Electronic cigarettes do not burn tobacco, instead a lithium battery heats a liquid nicotine solution that creates a vapor inhaled by the user, the newspaper said. Federal law prohibits smoking tobacco products on commercial planes but does not mention e-cigarettes and a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman told the newspaper e-cigarettes are not prohibited by the agency. Continental Airlines, however, bans "the use of electronic, simulated smoking materials," including cigarettes, pipes and cigars on its flights, the newspaper said. The U.S. Transportation said last fall it plans to prohibit the devices explicitly but has not yet enacted a ban, the newspaper said. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/02/22/Passenger-allegedly-turned- violent/UPI-71271329930857/#ixzz1nD37fezv Back to Top USAF kills plans to purchase iPads for pilots A few weeks ago, we got word that the United States Air Force Special Operations Command was looking at purchasing as many as 18,000 iPad tablets. The tablets were expected to be used in the cockpit of aircraft to help reduce pilot workload with digital charts and other capabilities. Reports are now coming in the USAF has canceled those plans to purchase iPads. Pilots for American Airlines are using iPads in the cockpit for easier access to charts and weight savings already. According to Nextgov.com, it sent a query to the Special Operations Command regarding plans to include Russian-developed security and document reader software on the tablets. Apparently, two days after the query was sent; the Air Force canceled its plans to purchase 2861 iPad 2 tablets. The software specifically in question is called GoodReader was developed to meet mission security requirements. The website also reports that the director of the Army smartphone project had told it that he would not use software developed in Russia in his program to avoid any potential end-user security risk. According to a spokesperson for SOC, options are continuing to be explored. I'm sure eventually that the Air Force will find suitable technology and will migrate to tablets for use in the cockpit. The reduced pilot workload and fuel savings by reducing weight is likely hard to pass up. American Airlines claims that the weight savings alone will save $1.2 million in fuel per year across its fleet. http://www.slashgear.com/usaf-kills-plans-to-purchase-ipads-for-pilots-23214883/ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC