Flight Safety Information May 18, 2012 - No. 100 In This Issue Indonesia Predicts Slow Probe of Crashed Jetliner Rollout Of ADS-B Network Gathers Momentum In U.S Ignition of oxygen bottle forces OLT A320 to divert Bird strike caused Marine helicopter crash FAA pushes tougher punishment for aiming lasers at aircraft FAA Grants APB Blended Winglets Approval for 767 Boeing Converted Freighter PRISM CERTIFICATION CONSULTANTS Alligator Airways stays on the ground after court ruling Caffeinated gum keeps Israeli pilots, commandos alert Boeing tweaks design of 737 MAX engine Safety experts, celebrities want aviation-like agency to protect patients Back to Top Indonesia Predicts Slow Probe of Crashed Jetliner Indonesia says it could take as long as a year to analyze equipment and flight data recovered from the crash site of a Russian jetliner that slammed into the side of a volcano last week near Jakarta, killing all 45 people on board. Aviation authorities, quoted in Indonesian media Wednesday, said the crash probe will at a minimum take four months - in part to ensure reliable results. National Transportation Safety Committee chief Tatang Kurniadi also told the Jakarta Globe newspaper that Russia's role in the probe will be limited to potential problems that require explanation from Moscow. The reports said Russia had previously asked that the "black box" containing flight data, which was recovered from the crash site, be sent for analysis to Moscow. The data normally includes cockpit conversations and communications with air traffic controllers. But the reports said Indonesia turned down the Russian request. Separately, the Jakarta Post newspaper quoted aviation officials Wednesday who said they suspect the Sukhoi Superjet 100 had departed from its planned flight path before striking the side of Mount Salak at nearly 500 kilometers an hour. The doomed jetliner, which was on a promotional sales tour, took off from Jakarta's Halim Airport on May 9 with an entourage of prospective buyers, journalists and crew. It was expected to return in less than an hour. But the plane dropped in altitude from 3,000 to 1,800 meters and lost contact with air traffic control. Mount Salak is 2,200 meters high. http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/05/16/indonesia-predicts-slow-probe-of- crashed-jetliner/ Back to Top Rollout Of ADS-B Network Gathers Momentum In U.S. ITT Exelis is making rapid progress in deploying the satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) network in the U.S., with more than 60% of the required ground stations now completed. In an update provided to Aviation Week, the manufacturer says it has built 428 ADS-B radio stations. The current plan is for 700 stations to be deployed: 647 in the continental U.S., 41 in Alaska, nine in Hawaii and one each in Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. ADS-B is a vital component of the NextGen air traffic modernization effort. The FAA initially plans to use the network to provide ADS-B "in" data to its air traffic control facilities. This means ADS-B eventually can replace radar as a surveillance source for controllers. Aircraft operators must equip for ADS-B in by 2020. ADS-B "out" service, which provides surveillance and other data to aircraft cockpits, will come later. ITT Exelis has been contracted by the FAA to install the ADS-B network , and provide the service to the agency. The company is on track to complete the deployment by the end of 2013. The contract is worth more than $1.8 billion. In addition to the 428 ADS-B radio stations already completed, 115 are under construction or in final design stage, says ITT Exelis . The company also has finished 56% of the required 225 ADS-B interfaces at the FAA 's ATC facilities. The FAA has been using ADS-B for traffic control at four initial sites and this year plans to begin using the ADS-B feed at up to a dozen additional facilities . http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Ignition of oxygen bottle forces OLT A320 to divert An OLT Express Airbus A320 made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria on 17 May after suffering cabin decompression and, subsequently, a fire in the cabin. All 147 and eight crew members evacuated the aircraft safely with no injuries, according to the Polish carrier. The aircraft was en route from Warsaw to Hurghada, Egypt, as flight YAP7107 when cabin pressure was lost at cruising altitude and the oxygen masks deployed. The cause of the decompression has not yet been determined, the airline says. The captain decided to make an emergency landing in Sofia. The fire was caused by a short-circuit in an oxygen generator, which then fell onto the cabin carpet during the oxygen mask deployment. It ignited the carpet, but this was "immediately extinguished" by the cabin crew, says OLT. The aircraft landed around noon, and passengers and crew evacuated the twinjet via the escape slides. A replacement A320 by Air Via Bulgarian Airlines took off at 19:05 for the remaining part the flight to Hurghada. OLT says that all passengers decided to continue the journey. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/ Back to Top Bird strike caused Marine helicopter crash CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - A bird strike caused a deadly helicopter crash at Camp Pendleton last year that killed two Marines, according to a Marine Corps investigation. The AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter collided Sept. 19 with a red-tailed hawk that had a wing span of about 4 feet and probably weighed about 3 pounds, according to a report obtained by U-T San Diego (http://bit.ly/KxrFT1 ). Both pilots onboard, Capt. Jeffrey Bland, 37, and 1st Lt. Thomas Heitmann, 27, were killed in the crash. The hawk hit the top of the helicopter and damaged the pitch change link, according to the report. Almost immediately after impact, vibrations in the main rotor caused the rotor and top of the transmission to separate from the aircraft. The helicopter fell in three pieces to the ground, and the wreckage ignited a brush fire that burned more than 120 acres. The event was "unavoidable," and after it occurred, the helicopter "was not recoverable," according to the report. Bland's mother told the newspaper that the family is shocked to hear about the bird strike. "We know it happens to jets, with birds getting into the engines. But we never thought about a bird bringing down a helicopter," said Janet Bland. The report recommends studying a redesign of the copter's transmission fairings and pitch change links to make the aircraft less vulnerable to bird strikes. Back to Top FAA pushes tougher punishment for aiming lasers at aircraft $11,000 fine, jail possible for violations Point your lasers elsewhere or face hefty penalties. That's the message from Federal Aviation Administration officials, who this week announced they'll pursue tougher punishment for anyone who points a laser at an aircraft. The FAA has seen an increase in reported laser incidents nationally since 2005, officials said, with some 3,592 reports in 2011, compared with 2,836 a year earlier. "It can go from as little as being a distraction to the crew, to a glare, to providing a flash blindness to the crew," said Sgt. Steve Youngs of the California Highway Patrol, one of two supervisors of the Northern Division Air Operations Unit at Benton Field in Redding. Since June, the FAA has started enforcement action against about 28 people, officials said. The FAA also will seek civil penalties against those who point lasers at aircraft, said agency spokeswoman Laura Brown. A single laser strike has an $11,000 maximum penalty. Locally, law enforcement officers have reported at least two cases in the past decade involving lasers pointed at a California Highway Patrol helicopter. Youngs said crews try to catch those pointing lasers either to punish those doing it maliciously or provide education when someone hits an aircraft accidentally. Early last year Shasta County Sheriff's deputies arrested Kevin Foster after a CHP pilot reported he was temporarily blinded by a laser while flying above a Shasta Lake neighborhood. Foster, who said at the time he didn't purposely point the laser at the helicopter, was sentenced to three years probation, according to electronic court records. Ramsey Novello spent 90 days in jail in 2004 and was sentenced to three years probation after he was arrested for pointing a laser at a CHP helicopter off Browning Street in Redding. Youngs also said an Orland man recently wound up with a year in prison and the potential for thousands in fines after pointing a laser at helicopter. "I think many of these people don't understand what they're getting themselves into when they think they innocently go out and shine a light in the sky," Youngs said. http://www.redding.com/news/2012/may/17/faa-pushes-tougher-punishment-for-aiming- lasers/ Back to Top FAA Grants APB Blended Winglets Approval for 767 Boeing Converted Freighter SEATTLE, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced today that it has received approval from the FAA demonstrating compatibility for installing Blended Winglets on the Boeing 767 Converted Freighter (767-BCF). This development assures that Boeing 767-300ERs with Blended Winglets are viable candidate for future conversion to freighters by Boeing. Blended Winglet technology installed on a Boeing 767-300ER/F/BCF reduces fuel burn by up to 500,000 gallons per aircraft per year while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 5,000 tons per year. Blended Winglets can also extend the range of a Boeing 767-300ER/F/BCF by as much as 320 nautical miles, or increase the payload of the aircraft by as much as 16,000 pounds. APB estimates that Blended Winglets have saved airlines worldwide more than 3.1 billion gallons of jet fuel to-date. Boeing and APB, in addition to collaboration and data sharing, separately invested in design changes for the blended winglet and the 767-300ER BCF, respectively, to assure compatibility and bring the unique solution to market. Over 4,400 Blended Winglet Systems are now in service on Boeing 737's, 757's, and 767's with more than 160 airlines in over 80 countries. Since certification in 2009, APB has taken orders (firm and options) for 379 Boeing 767-300ER/F/BCF Blended Winglet systems. Aviation Partners Boeing is a Seattle based joint venture of Aviation Partners, Inc. and The Boeing Company. www.aviationpartnersboeing.com SOURCE Aviation Partners Boeing Back to Top Back to Top Alligator Airways stays on the ground after court ruling WEST Australian sight-seeing and charter operator Alligator Airways will remain grounded after the federal court today backed the air safety regulator's decision to suspend its maintenance and flying licences for safety reasons. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the court granted its application to keep Kununurra- based Alligator on the ground until June 4. "The order was made after the Court found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Alligator had engaged in, was engaging in, or was likely to engage in conduct which caused, contributed to or resulted in a serious and imminent risk to air safety," CASA said. The regulator said the order would give it sufficient time to complete its investigation into the conduct giving rise to its to its decision to suspend Alligator's aviation activities with immediate effect on May 3. It said at the time it had served a number of show cause notices on the airline since last year as a result of aircraft incidents, concerns about aircraft maintenance, failure to report incidents, a deficient safety culture and an inability of key personnel to carry out their safety obligations. Key positions at the airline were unoccupied or not functional. "Since the last show cause notice there have been further incidents raising concerns about Alligator Airways' ability to continue to conduct operations safely," it said. "These incidents involved forced landings where CASA believes employees of Alligator Airways were aware of significant defects affecting the safety of aircraft prior to flight." Alligator's lawyer, John Maitland, has accused the regulator of being heavy-handed and overstepping the mark. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/alligator-airways-stays-on-the-ground- after-court-ruling/story-e6frg95x-1226360565264 Back to Top Caffeinated gum keeps Israeli pilots, commandos alert Jerusalem : The Israeli army is supplying aviators and special operations forces a caffeine- charged chewing gum that dramatically enhances their ability to cope with fatigue on long missions, the Yediot Aharonot daily reported. The "Stay Alert" gum, a food supplement, was developed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in conjunction with the Wrigley's company, as part of ongoing efforts to curb fatigue- related injuries and deaths, said Xinhua. The US military in recent years integrated the gum into the "First Strike Rations" it issued to field units on high-intensity combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside other foodstuffs designed to increase vigilance and endurance. Prior to the gum's introduction, soldiers made it a habit to chew on freeze-dried coffee to stay awake during night operations. Ever since the Israelis started chewing it a year ago, the gum has been regularly issued to pilots and members of elite units tasked with missions that last more than 48 consecutive hours, according to Yediot. A standard pack holds five cinnamon-flavoured pieces that contain 100 milligram of caffeine each, an amount equivalent to a tall espresso cup, though the gum version absorbs in the circulatory system five times faster. "There are no side effects, except for the disgusting taste. It improves the soldiers' alertness and their cognitive performance. The pilots are amazed to discover that it simply works," a senior Israel Air Force officer told Yediot. Despite their satisfaction with the gum's performance, the Israelis are not taking a chance. Troops sent on 72-hour missions are issued Modafinil, a prescription drug for treating an assortment of sleep disorders. While the gum was originally developed for military applications, it has since made its way into the civilian market, and is particularly popular among athletes, clubgoers and people working graveyard shifts. http://twocircles.net/2012may18/caffeinated_gum_keeps_israeli_pilots_commandos_alert.html Back to Top Boeing tweaks design of 737 MAX engine The jet-maker has decided to increase the crucial engine fan diameter from 68 to 69 inches. The size of the fan on the new jet has been a matter of contention because Airbus is able to offer a much bigger fan on the coming update to its rival single-aisle family, the A320neo. Boeing is continuing to tweak the design of its coming 737 MAX, the update to its workhorse single-aisle jet due in 2017, and has decided to increase the crucial engine-fan diameter from 68 to 69 inches. Boeing spokeswoman Lauren Penning said the change stemmed from wind-tunnel testing that was completed last week and continuing work with engine-maker CFM International, a joint venture between GE and Snecma of France. Despite the size increase, the nose landing gear won't need to be raised for ground clearance beyond the 8 inches previously announced, she said. The size of the fan on the new jet has been a matter of contention because Airbus is able to offer a much bigger fan on the coming update to its rival single-aisle family, the A320neo. A bigger fan produces more efficient propulsion. On the negative side, it also adds weight and drag. Engineers must come up with the optimal engine size to produce the greatest overall benefit to the airplane. Penning said 69 inches is "looking like the best balance of weight, drag and performance." However, on fan size, Airbus insists that bigger is better. Its executives argue that Boeing simply can't make the 737 MAX fan as big as it would like because the jet sits lower to the ground than the Airbus A320 and there isn't enough clearance to fit a bigger fan. On the MAX, Boeing is offering just one engine: CFM's LEAP-1B. Airbus is offering a choice between a variant of CFM's LEAP with a 78-inch fan and a Pratt & Whitney geared engine with an 81-inch fan. In April, Boeing announced a series of design changes to the MAX, including the 8-inch lift to the nose gear, a change in shape of the tail cone and the introduction of fly-by-wire spoilers on the wings. Then earlier this month, it revealed a new type of winglet for the MAX. Some in the industry have speculated that, because of the ground-clearance limitation on fan size, Boeing is struggling to come up with a design that will match the fuel efficiency of the Airbus neo. But in a note to clients Wednesday, Richard Safran, aerospace analyst with Buckingham Research Group, wrote that "the revised engine fan size has more to do with optimizing the engine than a means to overcome performance deficiencies." And Scott Hamilton, industry analyst with Leeham.net, said that with the MAX still five years away from entry into service, "Boeing is doing what it ought to be doing in trying to get every little advantage out of its redesign." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018232657_boeing18.html Back to Top Safety experts, celebrities want aviation-like agency to protect patients Patient safety experts and celebrities are calling for an independent agency modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to better protect patients, American Medical News reported. Having an NTSB-type entity to look into medical errors and submit deidentified reports to physicians, hospitals and the public could improve safety and save lives and money, according to an article in the Journal of Patient Safety co-authored by Charles R. Denham, founder and chairman of the Texas Medical Institute of Technology; US Airways Flight 1549 pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger; actor Dennis Quaid; and aviation safety expert John J. Nance. The agency would directly link accident investigation and preventive action, as NTSB "Blue Cover Reports" of aviation problems usually lead to direct changes in federal regulations, airline policies and in the cockpit, noted amednews. A similar approach would not only curb medical harm but also the associated healthcare costs. For example, healthcare losses are equivalent to 20 Boeing 757 planes crashing each week, with $10 million in each cargo hold, according to the article research announcement. Yet critics note that accident reports in healthcare significantly outnumber those in aviation, making it hard to duplicate the NTSB's success. "Some aspects of safety in health care ... are fundamentally different," HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Carolyn Clancy told amednews. However, the concept reinforces a Commonwealth Fund-supported study last year that identified 15 aviation safety measures not regularly used in healthcare that could improve the quality of care and save lives. They included the "sterile cockpit rule," which reduces unnecessary distractions during critical activities, and the "first-name-only rule," which promotes a work environment where healthcare workers feel comfortable questioning one another. http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/safety-experts-celebrities-want-aviation-agency- protect-patients/2012-05-17 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC