Flight Safety Information January 11, 2013 - No. 009 In This Issue Boeing Dreamliner hit by two more mishaps in Japan NTSB: No Radio Contact in Ala. Crash That Killed 3 Boeing 777 Emergency Landing - South Atlantic Laser pens 'threaten Gatwick passenger safety' Kizimen Volcano poses danger to aircraft (Russia) Snake on a plane: Python trapped under wing of Qantas jet PROS IOSA Audit Experts Another Lawmaker To Join Effort To Include Cargo Pilots In New Rest Rules FSF Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award - Call for Nominations International System Safety Society - Conference "CALL FOR PAPERS" American Airlines commuter partner to end service at San Juan airport Boeing Dreamliner hit by two more mishaps in Japan All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner plane with a crack cockpit window is seen at Matuyama airport in Matsuyama, western Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo January 11, 2013. TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jet suffered a cracked cockpit window and an oil leak on separate flights in Japan on Friday - the latest in a series of incidents to test confidence in the sophisticated new aircraft. All Nippon Airways Co (9201.T) said a domestic flight from Tokyo landed safely at Matsuyama airport in western Japan after a crack developed on the cockpit windscreen, and the plane's return to Tokyo was cancelled. The same airline later said oil was found leaking from an engine of a 787 Dreamliner after the plane landed at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan. An airline spokeswoman said that return flight to Tokyo's Haneda airport was also cancelled while the leak was investigated. No one was injured in either incident. The Dreamliner, the world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of $207 million, has been beset by problems this week. U.S. transportation officials will hold a press conference in Washington at 0930 EDT (1430 GMT) to discuss issues related to recent electrical problems on the new plane, one person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Bloomberg News said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration would announce a review into the jet's power system at that news conference. U.S. regulators have raised questions about the plane's reliability on long transocean routes, the Wall Street Journal reported. The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late-2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule. By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49. Earlier this week, a battery fire caused damage to an empty 787 jet operated by Japan Airlines (9201.T) while it was on the ground at Boston airport. The next day, another JAL 787 spilled 40 gallons of fuel onto the taxiway at the same airport after a problem that caused a valve to open, forcing the plane to delay its departure. On Wednesday, ANA cancelled a domestic Dreamliner flight due to a brake-control computer glitch. Boeing's top Dreamliner engineer, Mike Sinnett, was rolled out midweek to defend the 787, saying the plane's problem rates were no higher than with Boeing's successful 777 jet. SPIDER WEB CRACK ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination. "Cracks appear a few times every year in other planes. We don't see this as a sign of a fundamental problem" with Boeing aircraft, a spokesman for the airline said. On the later flight, the ANA spokeswoman said she could not specify how much oil leaked from the engine. The latest incidents came just hours before ANA was due to launch its maiden service between Tokyo and San Jose, California with the Dreamliner. That flight was due to leave Tokyo at 0830 GMT, returning to Japan after an around 90-minute turnaround in the United States. ANA and JAL together fly 24 of the 49 Dreamliners delivered to end-December. In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliner jets and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of Dreamliner glitches. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has not ordered any Dreamliner checks for now, but is waiting for a safety report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the official said. Air India spokesman K. Swaminathan told Reuters that the airline's debut Dreamliner flight from India to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch. FUEL SAVINGS One of Boeing's chief innovations with the 787 is its use of electrical power to run on- board functions such as hydraulics and air conditioning, instead of relying on heavier pneumatic systems used on other planes. The weight savings make the 787 more fuel efficient, a big advantage for airlines battling high jet fuel costs. To power the electrical system, the 787 uses generators attached to the plane's engines, which produce about 1.5 megawatts of power, enough to power about 300 hot water heaters. The system uses high-voltage distribution panels and powerful batteries, such as the one that caught fire in Boston on Monday. Makoto Yoda, president of Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp (6674.T), which makes the Dreamliner batteries, said his company was looking into Monday's fire, and was sending a team of engineers to cooperate with the U.S. investigation. Back to Top NTSB: No Radio Contact in Ala. Crash That Killed 3 JASPER, Ala. January 10, 2013 (AP) -Federal investigators say the teenage pilot of a small airplane didn't have any radio contact before the aircraft crashed in Alabama on New Year's Day, killing the 17-year-old and two friends who were on board. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Thursday. It says authorities learned of the crash in Walker County after witnesses called 911. The report doesn't say what caused the crash. The report backs up authorities who say the pilot took the twin-engine Piper airplane on a joyride and crashed. While the pilot's mother denies he stole the plane, the NTSB report says the airplane's owner didn't give the youth keys to the plane and didn't let him fly it. The teen pilot, Jordan Ryan Smith, had worked at the Jasper airport, cleaning the facility Back to Top Boeing 777 Emergency Landing - South Atlantic Date: 10-JAN-2013 Type: Boeing 777-232LR Operator: Delta Airlines Registration: N708DN C/n / msn: 39254 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: South Atlantic Ocean - Atlantic Ocean Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: jnb Destination airport: atl Narrative: N708DN operating flight DL201 from Johannesburg to Atlanta suffered unspecified engine problems in the starboard engine approximately 5 hours into the flight over the South Atlantic and was forced to dump fuel and make a precautionary landing on the island of St Helena. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Laser pens 'threaten Gatwick passenger safety' (BBC) Hundreds of lives are being put at risk by people shining laser pens in the eyes of pilots flying at Gatwick Airport, says a Sussex MP. Henry Smith, the Tory MP for Crawley, said the government should consider classing the pens as offensive weapons. Between January and September 2011 there were 18 reported cases of lasers being shone at aircraft at the airport. Home Office minister James Brokenshire said there were no plans to reclassify lasers as offensive weapons. Pilots dazzled Laser pens are sold as office equipment used to point out details on presentations. The high-intensity light can dazzle pilots during take-off and landing when shone at aircraft. Mr Smith said: "[The pens] can potentially endanger hundreds of lives in the air and on the ground." Between 1 January and 30 September 2012 there were 18 reported incidents against aircraft approaching Gatwick Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. Insp Mark Callaghan, of Sussex Police at Gatwick Airport, said: "Directing laser devices towards aircraft in flight to dazzle or distract the pilot is a criminal offence as it represents a considerable threat to the lives of the people on board and on the ground. "We have brought a number of successful prosecutions to court which have resulted in significant sanctions for the offender, including jail terms." On 3 January, Paul Bennett, of King George Avenue, East Grinstead, pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates' Court to shining a light at an aircraft, and was fined £350. Back to Top Kizimen Volcano poses danger to aircraft (Russia) The Kizimen Volcano on Russia' Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has been awarded the "orange" aviation alert code, warning that volcanic dust could pose a threat to aircraft flying above. On Thursday the volcano spewed ash to a height of four kilometers above the sea level. Kizimen, a stratovolcano with a small lava dome at its top located 265 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, was in a dormant state until April 2009. http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_11/Kizimen-Volcano-poses-danger-to-aircraft/ Back to Top Snake on a plane: Python trapped under wing of Qantas jet as video captures life-and-death struggle Snake clings to plane wing on Australian flight A scrub python clings to the side of a plane engine Thursday on a Qantas flight from Cairns, Australia, to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, taken by passenger Robert Weber. The animal survived the journey but died soon after from injuries sustained during the flight. A three-metre scrub python was trapped under the wing of a Qantas jet during mid- flight, and the life-and-death struggle was caught on camera. The snake held on for the one hour and 50-minute flight between the Australian town of Cairns and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea Thursday. "The snake was seen by passengers while the aircraft was cruising," Qantas spokesperson Thomas Woodward told the Star. "The most likely scenario is that the snake had taken refuge on the exterior of the aircraft overnight." Passengers became aware of the snake about 10 minutes after takeoff. A woman found a head pop up, and the cabin crew came out to have a look. The python appeared to fight against the stiff wind as it tried to tuck itself under the wing for cover, but much of its body was exposed. The wind speed was 400 km/h and the temperature was minus-12C during the flight. When the plane touched down, the snake was still clinging to the wing, but it was dead. "On arrival the snake carcass was handed to local authorities and the aircraft was inspected by engineers before being cleared to fly," Woodward said. One passenger, Robert Weber, a website designer in Cairns who videotaped the struggle, told the Sydney Morning Herald that there was no panic. "At no time did anyone stop to consider that there might be others on board." Scrub pythons feed on rodents and often conceal themselves to ambush their prey. Qantas spokesperson Woodward said there was no effect on the operation of the aircraft and the "captain made the right decision in continuing to Port Moresby." http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1313329--snake-on-a-plane-python- trapped-under-wing-of-qantas-jet-as-video-captures-life-and-death-struggle Back to Top Back to Top Another Lawmaker To Join Effort To Include Cargo Pilots In New Rest Rules Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) intends to reintroduce legislation applying pilot rest rules to cargo pilots, buttressing bipartisan efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives for uniform fatigue standards across all sectors of the aviation industry. Boxer, a senior member on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has not yet decided when she will offer the bill, her spokesman tells Aviation Week. Nevertheless, Boxer remains committed to ending an exemption for cargo pilots from the FAA's flight time limits, minimum rest periods and other standards set to go into effect for their counterparts at passenger airlines in 2014. Boxer called that exemption a loophole when she and former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced a version of the Safe Skies Act last June. "This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that pilots of cargo planes are well-rested before they get in the cockpit," she said at the time. Reps. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) earlier this week introduced their own Safe Skies Act (Aviation Daily, Jan. 8). They say all pilots should be subject to the rules, whether they are charged with transporting passengers or cargo. FedEx and UPS, however, will continue to fight the renewed push on Capitol Hill. Airfreight operations should not be subject to the rules, UPS has said, because their cargo pilots already fly far fewer hours per month than pilots at passenger airlines and have greater opportunities for rest. The FAA intends to move forward with the carve-out. A challenge from the Independent Pilots Association, which represents UPS pilots, is pending in federal court. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/avd_01_10_2013_p03-02- 535074.xml Back to Top Call for Nominations! Nominations Being Sought FSF Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award Nominations for the FSF Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award must be received by April 19, 2013. First presented in 1968 as the FSF Publication Award, the award was renamed in 1988 in memory of Cecil A. Brownlow, a veteran newspaper, wire service and magazine journalist who was the FSF editor of publications from 1981 until shortly before his death in 1988 at age 61. The award recognizes significant contributions by journalists to aviation safety awareness. Candidates for the prestigious award may be individuals, publications or organizations. Nominations may be for long-term achievement or for outstanding articles, books or works in electronic media published or broadcast in a 12-month period. The recipient of the award, sponsored by IHS Aviation Information, will receive $1,000; a hand-lettered citation; and transportation to the 2013 Aerospace Media Dinner, the award venue. Nominations of individuals or organizations, including a detailed description (400 words or fewer) of the nominee's achievements, may be made using the online nomination form (link below) or sent to Rick Darby, associate editor, Flight Safety Foundation, 801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-1774 USA. Nominations, both online or delivered, must be accompanied by representative hard- copy, videocassette, CD or DVD samples of the nominee's work (not Internet links), sent to the address above. An independent board will consider the nominations that in its judgment meet the award criteria. The nominating deadline is April 19, 2013. The award will be presented at the 2013 Aerospace Media Dinner, incorporating the 2013 Aerospace Media Awards, which will take place in Paris on June 16, 2013, the eve of the Paris Airshow. Please consider submitting a nomination for this important award. If you would like to learn more about the award or its past recipients and download a nomination form, click on the links below: FSF Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award Download the 2013 Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award Nomination Form[MSWord 29 KB] Back to Top American Airlines commuter partner to end service at San Juan airport Executive Airlines Inc., flying as American Eagle, will end its service out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 1 as the commuter partner of American Airlines Inc. grounds its fleet of turboprop aircraft. American spokeswoman Martha Pantin said that all of the ATR-72 aircraft operated by Executive Airlines are being returned to their lessors, a decision tied to the bankruptcy case involving American, Executive and parent AMR Corp. "The return of the ATR aircraft will result in the removal of all Executive Airlines flight operations in San Juan beyond April 1, 2013," Pantin said. "American is still evaluating several replacement solutions to continue providing service to the region." She said that with the exception of Tortola and Dominica, all Executive Airlines destinations out of San Juan will still be served from American's Miami hub. On Wednesday, the website Airlineroute.net reported the San Juan cutbacks, with Executive Airlines ending four daily flights to Tortola and two flights each to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and to St. Croix and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Executive will also end its one daily flight to Dominica; St. Kitts; Antigua; Martinique; and Santiago, Dominican Republic. With Executive Airlines, American has historically dominated the San Juan market. It established a connecting hub at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in 1986, part of the carrier's rapid expansion in the 1980s. San Juan-based Executive Air Charter Inc. contracted with American to feed passengers through the hub under the American Eagle brand. In 1989, American bought the carrier and renamed it Executive Airlines. American added hubs at Nashville, Tenn., in 1986; at Raleigh-Durham, N.C., in 1987; and at San Jose, Calif., in 1988. Operations at the other three hubs were scaled back in the 1990s and no longer operate as connecting hubs. American downgraded San Juan from hub status several years ago. Meanwhile, rival JetBlue Airways Corp. has supplanted American as the largest operator in San Juan. In 2010, American carried 32.2 percent of San Juan's passengers, compared with 18 percent for JetBlue, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. But JetBlue, which has rapidly expanded its service to Puerto Rico from New York and Boston, passed American in passengers by early 2012. For the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, JetBlue carried 30.7 percent of that airport's passengers; American dropped to 23.6 percent. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/airline-industry/20130110-american-airlines- commuter-partner-to-end-service-at-san-juan-airport.ece Back to Top International System Safety Society - Conference "CALL FOR PAPERS" The 31st ISSC will be held in Boston at the Marriott Copley Square August 12-16, 2013. This year's theme is "Safety for the Long Run." Deadlines for the technical program are: * Abstract Submission Deadline: March 29, 2012 * Tutorial, Workshop, and Panel/Roundtable Proposals: April 5, 2013 * Draft Paper Submission Deadline: May 10, 2013 * Final Paper Submission Deadline: June 28, 2013 * Technical Paper Presentation Slides: July 26, 2013 Any other information on the conference, including links for registration, can be found at our website: http://www.system-safety.org/issc2013/ Curt Lewis