De: Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC de la part de Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC Envoyé: mardi 13 novembre 2012 15:48 À: fgae@club-internet.fr Objet: Flight Safety Information [November 13, 2012] [No. 228] Flight Safety Information Flight Safety Information November 13, 2012 - No. 228 In This Issue FAA Seeks Tighter Oversight Of Outside Maintenance On Commercial Aircraft Airplane comes dangerously close to chopper at Lucknow airport (India) FAA seeks $205,250 civil penalty against Circor Aerospace, Inc First look at the Airbus A350 XWB. What's all the fuss about? Aircraft wheel catches fire at OR Tambo (South Africa) PROS IOSA Audit Experts Take the HAI Rotor Safety Challenge at HELI-EXPO 2013 China sells jets, dabbles in Eastern Air revival Qatar Air Wants to Be First Buyer for Boeing 787-10 ISASI - 2013 - Call For Papers Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC - Services FAA Seeks Tighter Oversight Of Outside Maintenance On Commercial Aircraft By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) Federal regulators, seeking to plug nagging safety loopholes, are proposing tighter rules for industry and government oversight of outside contractors that maintain airliners and a broad array of other commercial aircraft. Slated to be formally unveiled Tuesday, the proposed package requires passenger airlines, charter carriers and cargo operators to ensure that independent maintenance firms working on their planes comply with the same procedures and quality-control provisions that apply to in-house mechanics. The proposal aims to spell out more precisely the technical details of what outside contractors should do when they overhaul planes, and to make it easier for regulators to track whether they did the work appropriately. Under the Federal Aviation Administration's proposal, outside maintenance outfits would have to receive the same specific instructions and detailed manuals routinely provided to mechanics working directly for airlines and other commercial operators. That often doesn't happen now, according to the FAA, because carriers are reluctant to share what could be proprietary or confidential data with outsiders. The FAA, for its part, would have to be given more-precise information about the extent and location of work performed by contract maintenance providers. The sweeping proposal, which applies to commercial planes carrying 10 or more passengers, comes after years of criticism of the FAA for failing to adequately oversee outside maintenance. Since 2003, the Transportation Department's inspector has issued three separate reports criticizing allegedly lax FAA oversight in this area. The last report, according to the FAA document posted on the Federal Register Website, was issued in 2008. The proposed rule says it aims to "ensure consistency between contract and in-house air carrier maintenance." It also seeks to comply with inspector general recommendations to assure that FAA inspectors have the benefit of "a readily available list in an acceptable format" listing maintenance contractors working for individual airlines. Many of the same general requirements are included in current regulations, but the latest version aims to make them tighter and more pointed. Airline maintenance manuals, for instance, often date back to an era when outsourced maintenance was not a major factor. In recent years air carriers together outsourced more than 70 percent of their most extensive maintenance jobs to so-called third party providers, according to the FAA, about double what it was in 2003. That trend has been partly fueled by the precarious financial condition of the country's biggest airlines, which can save money by moving maintenance visits to foreign hangars where labor rates and other operating costs are lower than in the U.S. Acknowledging the crux of the regulatory problem, the agency's proposal notes that the current lack of clarity and standardization makes it difficult for both airlines and the FAA "to provide meaningful oversight to ensure proper maintenance that is vital for the public's continued safety." Back to Top Airplane comes dangerously close to chopper at Lucknow airport (India) Lucknow: An Indigo Airlines plane with more than 180 people on-board aborted landing after it came "dangerously close" to a chopper at an airport in Lucknow, an official said on Tuesday. A probe has been ordered into the incident. Officials said that the chopper was within 500 feet to the airplane when it was spotted on Monday. Airport Director S.C. Hota confirmed the incident and said the Indigo pilot decided to abort the landing and was told to "go around". "Procedures were being followed but yes the two came very scaringly close," conceded an airport official. The Airports Authority of India on Tuesday ordered the probe into the Monday evening's incident, the official said. The Indigo Airbus 320 with 180 passengers and eight crew members on-board was coming from Mumbai and was to land at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, when the pilot spotted the Uttar Pradesh government's helicopter, which was also trying to land. http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/airplane-comes-dangerously-close-to-chopper-at- lucknow-airport-292022 Back to Top FAA seeks $205,250 civil penalty against Circor Aerospace, Inc. FAA is proposing a civil penalty of $205,250 against Circor Aerospace, Inc., a Sylmar, CA-based aircraft repair station, for allegedly violating FAA drug and alcohol testing regulations. FAA alleges Circor failed to conduct required pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative drug test results before hiring 29 people to perform safety- sensitive aircraft maintenance work. FAA also alleges the company failed to include two individuals in its random drug and alcohol testing pool. http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/FAA-seeks-205-250-civil-penalty-against- Circor-Aerospace-Inc-623967 Back to Top First look at the Airbus A350 XWB. What's all the fuss about? Images, the specs and the troubled history of Airbus' super lightweight plane. Can it take on Boeing and importantly, what does it mean for travelers? By Karla Cripps 13 November, 2012 The vertical tail plane of the first A350 XWB that will fly, fresh out of the paint hall in Toulouse, France. Airbus recently opened the final assembly line for its A350 XWB family of aircraft, giving aviation fanatics a closer look at the family of super efficient passenger planes designed to go head-to-head against rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 777s. But what exactly is this plane going to offer travelers? And why did it take Airbus so long to get it right? First, the specs. The XWB in the name means "wide bodied aircraft." There are three members in the 350 family: the A350-800, the A350-900 and the A350-1000, which seat 270, 314 and 350 passengers, respectively, in three-class seating. To date, Airbus says it has received 558 firm orders from 34 customers; 118 are for the A350-800, 352 for the A350-900 and 88 for the A350-1000. Qatar Air will become the first operator of the A350 in the second half of 2014. The largest model of the A350 family is the A350-1000. The smallest, the 60.54-meter A350-800, is priced at US$245.5 million and seats 270. The smallest in the family, the 60.54-meter A350-800, is priced at US$245.5 million, while the popular mid-sized A250- 900, 66.89 meters in length, is $277.7 million. The largest of the three lightweight carbon-composite aircraft, the A350-1000, is 73.88 meters long and has a range of approximately 8,400 nautical miles, or 15,600 kilometers. The catalog price is US$320.6 million and Airbus says this model is in high demand, with no slots available until 2018. It will offer airlines a nine-abreast configuration in economy and eight-abreast in premium economy, while 10-abreast seating is available for high-density layouts, which would allow the airline to accommodate up to 440 passengers in high-density -- a.k.a. cramped -- three-class seating. On the technical side, the big appeal for airlines is that over 70 percent of the A350 XWB's airframe is made from advanced materials that combine composites (53 percent), titanium and advanced aluminum alloys. "A350 in its technology is kind of like a smaller A380," says Bob Lange, Airbus VP of marketing. "A lot of the technology we're putting into the A350 we pioneered on the A380 first. The big difference is that we're using a lot more carbon composite material in the A350 than we are in the A380. It's a steady evolution rather than revolution. It's focused on efficiency." The A350 is the first Airbus passenger jet to use both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, resulting in lower fuel burn as well as easier maintenance. This is where the comparison to the 787 Dreamliner becomes apt. The 787, one of the most advanced launches into the airline industry in recent years, uses 20 percent less fuel than other aircraft in the same category thanks to a lighter composite fuselage. It also has bigger, dimmable windows and roomier cabins than its predecessors. The A350's advanced technologies will give airlines up to 25 percent better fuel efficiency and operating costs against today's aircraft of the same size, says Airbus. Also of note are the airplane's intriguing looking "winglets" -- wing extensions that play a role in improving the aircraft's efficiency by increasing the aspect ratio of a wing and thus the lift generated at the wingtip. For travelers A graphic rendering of the A350 suited up in Singapore Airline's livery. The Asian carrier recently added 20 more A350 XWB jetliners to its order. With the Airbus A350 being touted as a more efficient plane, many travelers might be hoping airlines will pass those savings onto customers. Aviation journalist David Kaminski-Morrow, air transport editor of Flightglobal.com, acknowledges that fuel efficiency is the main feature driving airline interest in the A350, "but while that might reduce the airlines' cost margins, it's hard to say how much of that saving will ultimately be passed to the passenger in the form of lower fares, given the elevated expenditure on fuel." In terms of the inflight experience, Airbus promises the A350 XWB's wide fuselage cross- section will offer passengers an optimum travel experience in all classes of service. "Passengers will enjoy more headroom, wider panoramic windows and larger overhead storage space," says the company. The cabin cross-section is 220 inches from armrest to armrest, so the jetliner's cabin does provide the widest seats in its category, being five inches larger than its nearest competitor. Kaminski-Morrow doesn't think the difference in fuselage width compared with the Boeing 787 is very much. "It's debatable whether economy-class passengers will notice a marginally wider seat," he says. "The modern engines may appear quieter, something which passengers on the current A380 have tended to notice." He also adds passengers expecting a groundbreaking plane with futuristic bells and whistles will likely be disappointed. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, given airlines' tendency to ding fliers extra for new experiences. "When the A380 came in to service, incidentally, airlines were actually able to charge passengers higher fares for the novelty of flying on the new aircraft, but I suspect this won't be repeated -- at least not to the same extent -- on the A350 because it's a more conventional design." Airbus vs. Boeing Inside the A350 assembly plant in Toulouse, southern France, Airbus is now putting together the first flyable A350. Airbus' decision to develop a single aircraft family to challenge both the 787 and the larger 777 was a risky move, say aviation analysts. "That's a tall order for a single design, and Airbus has particularly struggled with adapting the A350's largest version (the -1000) to compete with the 777 -- a very efficient, high-capacity aircraft." says Kaminski-Morrow. "Airbus has already had to rethink the design of the A350-1000, which has resulted in a delay in its entry into airline service, but it has also forced Boeing to consider modernizing the 777 in order to stay ahead of the competition." Indeed, the pressure is now on Boeing to speed up development of its 777 replacement, but the United States company isn't releasing many details on the revamped aircraft, for now dubbed the 777X. Major components and sections of the A350 XWB are manufactured at Airbus facilities in Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, then shipped to the final assembly line in Toulouse, France."Boeing is developing options to improve on the 777's popularity by working with our customers on their requirements and we feel very comfortable with where we are in that process," says Wilson Chow of Boeing International's communications department. "We continue to invest all the necessary time and resources to ensure we produce a significantly superior airplane when our customers require it." Chow points out that three of the four A350-1000 customers have even placed incremental orders for the 777. "These are clear signs that our customers understand the value the 777 provides relative to our competitor," he says. "The 777 has a record of continuous improvements. It will benefit from years of additional refinements based on customer input before the A350-1000 is scheduled to enter service." Airbus interprets those orders somewhat differently, chalking it up to the fact their A350- 1000 is just too popular. "We're ahead of the game with the A350-1000, slots aren't available before 2018 and people want planes earlier and this is why we are seeing some orders for the 777," says a communications representative for Airbus. As for the Dreamliner 787, Boeing currently has 838 orders from 58 customers. To date, they've delivered 33 787s to seven customers. Though it would appear Airbus now has an advantage over Boeing in the race to develop lightweight mid-sized aircraft, getting its A350 program in line with airlines' expectations was not without embarrassment or expense. Aviation followers have been ogling developments with a mixture of fascination and disbelief since the A350's initial launch in 2007. "Airbus's initial A350 design wasn't an entirely new aircraft, but a knee-jerk reaction to the 787," explains Kaminski-Morrow. "The company, which was hip-deep in sorting out A380 development, simply hadn't foreseen the huge pent-up demand for a more efficient 250-seat airliner, and tried to take the easy way out by offering a re-engined version of its A330." While the A330 is incredibly popular, the airlines were more interested in the potential efficiency offered by a clean-sheet design, he adds. Being publicly lambasted by some of its largest customers -- one exec called it a band- aid reaction to the 787 Dreamliner, the CEO of Singapore Air said the plane just didn't go far enough -- the pressure was on for Airbus to come up with a plane that would genuinely advance the global aviation scene. And even earlier this year there were cancellations. Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad Airways axed seven orders for A350-1000s, saying they still weren't happy with the design, criticizing its range, performance and fuel burn. "Airbus belatedly woke up and countered with a completely new version of the A350, and managed to tap into the market," says Kaminski-Morrow. Following up on the preliminary structural and systems tests on an assembled but grounded aircraft, Airbus is now assembling its first flyable A350, which it expects to start testing next year. Back to Top Aircraft wheel catches fire at OR Tambo (South Africa) A Global Aviation charter plane carrying 120 passengers and seven crew members aborted takeoff at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday morning after discovering one of its wheels had caught fire. There were no injuries. The plane had taken off at 7.15am this morning but immediately aborted we had emergency rescue and fire teams at the scene at 718am to extinguish the fire for the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) spokeswoman Unathi Hills said. Hills said a runway had been closed due as workers were still clearing it from debris but it should resume functioning after 10am. The biggest delay we have had today due to the incident was approximately five minutes she said. An investigation will take place to determine the causes of the incident. http://www.iol.co.za/business/companies/aircraft-wheel-catches-fire-at-or-tambo- 1.1422438 Back to Top Back to Top Take the HAI Rotor Safety Challenge at HELI-EXPO 2013 In March, at HELI-EXPO 2013 in Las Vegas, Helicopter Association International (HAI) will premiere a new safety education initiative called the HAI Rotor Safety Challenge. This program, developed in coordination with the HAI Safety Committee, will include safety events, forums, and education sessions, conveniently scheduled on show days March 5 through 6. HAI created the Rotor Safety Challenge as part of the association's continued efforts to enhance safety performance in worldwide helicopter operations. In addition to the main safety events HAI offers each year at HELI-EXPO, including the Safety Symposium, Safety Committee Town Hall, Safety Directors Forum, and International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) workshops, the Rotor Safety Challenge will include more than 30 education sessions on different safety topics that are free and open to all HELI-EXPO attendees. At each HAI Rotor Safety Challenge session, attendees will have the opportunity to learn important safety concepts and skills and discuss safety challenges facing the international helicopter community. Whether a pilot, maintenance technician, safety officer, manager or serving in any role in the helicopter industry, this program will provide you with safety tools, techniques and practical applications specific to your job. 60-minute education sessions will be offered in four different safety tracks: * Flight Operations * Maintenance/Technical Issues * Safety Culture/Leadership * Safety Management Rotor Safety Challenge highlights for 2013 include Understanding TFR's and NextGen, Human Factors: Your Role in Accident Prevention, Strategies for Fatigue Management, Why SMS in Maintenance? Workshop, SMS for Small Fleet or Private Operators, The Business Case for Safety, and Scenario Based Training for Pilot Decision Making. HELI-EXPO attendees can choose to attend the HAI Rotor Safety Challenge sessions a la carte or "take the challenge" and attend at least six sessions. Those who successfully "take the challenge" will receive a certificate of completion. Professional development credit toward the FAA's Wings or AMT programs will also be offered for each session for those who register in advance. Start planning to take the HAI Rotor Safety Challenge at HELI-EXPO 2013 now! For more information visit rotor.com or contact HAI at 703.683.4646 or at education@rotor.com. Back to Top China sells jets, dabbles in Eastern Air revival A model of the Comac C919 passenger plane, which is built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is being displayed on the first day of the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai November 13, 2012. ZHUHAI, China (Reuters) - China unveiled 50 new orders for its COMAC C919 passenger jet at the opening of the country's main air show and promised to assist in the rebirth of one of the most famous names in aviation -- defunct U.S. carrier Eastern Air Lines. Potentially worth several billion dollars, the orders for China's first commercial passenger jet dominated the first day of the China Airshow, held every two years in the southern city of Zhuhai, along with fresh evidence of China's military ambitions. The C919 is designed to challenge Airbus (EAD.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) in the largest segment of the $100 billion annual jetliner market. Tuesday's orders for the 150-seat jet boosted the official tally to 380, reaching the state- owned manufacturer's declared breakeven point of 300-400 orders. However, Western analysts say it will be some time before the aircraft, due to make its maiden flight in 2014, proves both its technical worth and its financial viability. "You can always build a jet -- you can practically Google it, in fact," said Virginia-based aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia. "But the real skill is creating something the market wants and then selling and financing it." Confirming a Reuters report, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) announced orders for 20 aircraft each from local carriers Joy Air and Hebei Aviation Group. Its only foreign customer GECAS, the leasing and financing unit of General Electric (GE.N) which co-produces the engines, agreed to buy 10 more, taking its total order for the plane to 20. Others that have expressed interest include Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair (RYA.I) and British Airways IVAG.L, according to COMAC. Separately, COMAC forecast the global passenger fleet would double in size over the next 20 years, thanks mainly to a sharp increase in demand from China where annual passenger traffic would grow an average 7.2 percent each year to 2031. In its 2012-2031 Market Forecast report, COMAC predicted 31,739 new planes, valued at $3.9 trillion, would be needed worldwide over the next two decades to meet demand. China alone would need nearly 5,000 new planes in that time. EASTERN REBORN? In a surprise move, the state manufacturer also announced tentative purchase plans by investors said to be planning to resurrect U.S.-based Eastern Air Lines, which went bankrupt in 1991. There have been sporadic reports of efforts to relaunch the airline, whose forked logo was seen on display as a backdrop to Tuesday's signing ceremony. The announcement puzzled several delegates, including some who had done business with the original Eastern, who said little had been heard about the re-invented airline's plans or its leadership. "We do not comment on our customers," a COMAC spokesman said. Once led by former World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker and later by former Apollo astronaut Frank Borman, Miami-based Eastern Air Lines rose to become one of the largest airlines in the world before losing a battle against low-cost competition. "We are still a young company. The start-up investment has not been finalised yet," Jack Shi, senior vice president for commercial development of Eastern Air Lines, told Reuters. Shi addressed a packed hall of Chinese airline executives and media, but there were no other top executives present from the U.S. carrier which Shi said had been reconstituted in 2008 in Miami, the original hub of Eastern. He said the airline, which included some previous employees of the bankrupted group, was shopping for planes to start services late next year from Miami to unspecified destinations in Latin America. "Eastern used to be the largest U.S. airline to serve the Latin America market," he said. "A lot of preparation work needs to be done, such as applying for an air route." Shi told his Chinese audience that once reborn, Eastern wanted to be the first operator to fly COMAC jets in the United States just as it had introduced the European Airbus there. CONGRESS STEALS SPOTLIGHT This week's air show is being attended by a record 650 exhibitors including dozens of foreign companies drawn to China by the growth of its aviation sector, projected to displace the United States as the world's largest aviation market soon. But there was a notably low-key official presence as top regional representatives and government leaders congregated in Beijing for the ruling Communist Party's 18th Congress, marking a transitional period in Chinese leadership which has slowed the pace of business across many strategic sectors. The exhibition featured prototypes of a new Chinese business aircraft and a model of a new stealth fighter that China apparently hopes to build for export. Industry publication Aviation Week noted the model bore a "striking resemblance" to an aircraft recently photographed flying from the Shenyang Aircraft factory, which captured worldwide interest from military analysts and publications. Back to Top Qatar Air Wants to Be First Buyer for Boeing 787-10 Qatar Airways Ltd. said it's interested in being the first customer for the 787-10, a larger version of the Dreamliner being considered by Boeing Co. (BA) "Why not, when you have an aircraft that has the best seat-mile costs," Qatar Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said in an interview last night in Seattle, where he was picking up the Middle Eastern carrier's first 787-8 jet. . The Chicago-based planemaker is in talks with Qatar and other carriers amid interest in a stretched version of the jet built of composite plastics rather than traditional aluminum, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Ray Conner said. Board approval to begin selling the plane may be sought "in the near future," he said in an interview, declining to be more specific. . Qatar is the first Middle Eastern carrier to fly the 787, which entered service last year with All Nippon Airways Co. (9202) The jet was more than three years late as Chicago- based Boeing struggled with the new composite materials and new manufacturing processes. . Doha-based Qatar Air expects to get a total of 30 787s by 2017, including another four this year. It also has the flexibility to convert some orders into larger versions, it said. . "Boeing has given us a program of deliveries and they're sticking to that," Al Baker said. . Separately, the planemaker is also running about three weeks ahead of schedule in engineering the 787-9, Pat Shanahan, vice president for airplane programs, told reporters at the Qatar Air delivery event. That plane is scheduled to fly next year and to enter service in 2014. . http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-13/qatar-air-wants-to-be-first-buyer-for- boeing-787-10-jet.html Back to Top INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS ISASI 2013 44TH ANNUAL SEMINAR CALL FOR PAPERS "Preparing the Next Generation of Investigators" August 19 - 22, 2013 The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC Canada ISASI, the world's premier organization for professional aircraft accident investigators and analysts, with individual and corporate members from 60 countries, announces the 44 th annual seminar will be held in Vancouver, BC, from August 19, 2013 through August 22, 2013. Papers are invited which address the theme of the seminar or timely matters of air safety. The seminar theme is "Preparing the Next Generation of Investigators" February 4, 2013 - Authors' who wish to present a paper should email an expression of interest to isasi2013@msn.com. March 4, 2013 - Deadline for submission of abstracts of the paper to isasi2013@msn.com. Please include a title, name(s), brief resume, affiliation and position(s).Please limit the abstract to 300 words. April 4, 2013- The Technical Program committee will make the final decision of the papers offered and notify authors. An Authors Guidelines for submission of papers will be included. July 19, 2013 - Deadline for submission of the final paper (email attachment of file that can be opened in MS Word) toisasi2013@msn.com. Back to Top Back to Top Quick Links Products Services Training Contact us... Contact Information "Flight Safety Information" is a free service of: Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC (Targeting Safety & Risk Management) curt@curt-lewis.com www.curt-lewis.com www.fsinfo.org PH: 817-303-9096 Cell: 817-845-3983 Fax: 682-292-0835 Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC is an international, multi-discipline technical and scientific consulting firm specializing in aviation and industrial safety. Our specialties are aviation litigation support, aviation/airport safety programs, accident investigation, safety & quality assessments/audits, system safety (PRA), human factors, Safety Management Systems (SMS) assessment/implementation & training, safety/quality training & risk management, IS-BAO Auditing, airfield/heliport lighting products and Technical Support. Forward email This email was sent to fgae@club-internet.fr by curt@curt-lewis.com | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. 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