Flight Safety Information January 17, 2013 - No. 015 In This Issue London helicopter crash prompts safety questions Dreamliners grounded worldwide over safety Update:...Crash kills one; residents hail pilot as hero Turbulence injures three passengers on American Eagle flight Electronic Gadgets For Passengers, Not Pilots? PROS IOSA Audit Experts Jet Airways in Final Talks to Sell Stake to Etihad Aircraft landing gear maker to invest RM500m in Malaysia Beijing approves US$11.2 billion international airport LoBiondo to chair House Aviation Subcommittee London helicopter crash prompts safety questions Smoke pours from the burning debris of a helicopter which crashed in the Vauxhall area. The helicopter appeared to hit a crane attached to the nearby St Georges Wharf Tower before plunging into the road below during the morning rush hour. London (CNN) -- Questions have been raised over the safety of helicopter flights over London as authorities clean up Thursday from a horrific crash that left two people dead and sent fiery wreckage raining onto streets. Dozens of people evacuated from their homes are waiting to see when they can return after the helicopter smashed into a crane atop a luxury high-rise development by the Thames on Wednesday morning. Debris remains scattered across rooftops around the crash scene, police said. A cordon is in place, while authorities collect evidence and work to make the area safe. Transport is still disrupted, with several roads closed and bus services diverted. Horrified onlookers watched as the helicopter hit the crane amid low cloud and fog near Vauxhall station, south of the river and not far from landmarks such as the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament, and came plunging to the ground. The crash at the height of the rush hour sent thick smoke and flames billowing into the sky, with police saying it was a miracle there were not more casualties. Helicopter pilot Pete Barnes was one of the two people killed. His employers, RotorMotion, paid tribute to the married father of two as "one of the most highly qualified and highly skilled helicopter pilots in the UK." The other victim was a man on the ground, named by police as 39-year-old Matthew Wood. The crash left part of the crane dangling precariously over the edge of the 52-story building, the landmark St. George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower. Flaming wreckage also landed on at least two vehicles on the ground. Ambulance workers said 12 people were injured, five of whom needed hospital care. UK media reports said the crane operator had a lucky escape after arriving late for work. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch, part of the UK Department for Transport, is investigating the crash, for which no cause has yet been given. The accident has raised the issue of how to ensure helicopter flights over the capital are safe, particularly as high-rise developments mushroom near the Thames. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, lawmaker Kate Hoey, who represents Vauxhall, asked whether "given London's changing skyline ... not today, but at some stage, we will need to look much more closely at where, how and why helicopters fly through our central city?" Prime Minister David Cameron responded that the question of flights over the capital "is inevitably something that has to be carefully looked at" in light of the crash. Helicopter pilots in central London are instructed to follow the Thames, to avoid flying over built-up areas as far as possible. There is a heliport just along the river from Vauxhall at Battersea. But the surrounding area is set to be increasingly dominated by construction cranes. A hitherto largely industrial area between Vauxhall and Battersea has been earmarked as a major riverside regeneration site, with plans to create 16,000 new homes. A new U.S. Embassy building is also to set to open there. The Civil Aviation Authority said helicopters in London have only limited radar help and fly mostly using visual reference points on the ground. Nearly 170 flights followed the central London route along the Thames in December, its figures show. About 250 flights arrived and departed from the heliport at Battersea in the same month. Chris Yates, an aviation security expert, told CNN it was likely there would be questions about whether the helicopter that crashed should have been flying, given the poor visibility Wednesday morning. Under safety regulations, tall buildings must have navigation lights on top to make them visible to low-flying aircraft, he said. Helicopters are not supposed to fly within 500 feet of tall structures in central London, he said. Back to Top Dreamliners grounded worldwide over safety International airlines rushed to rearrange flight plans on Thursday as Europe, India and Japan joined the United States in grounding Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights pending an investigation into battery problems. Airlines scrambled on Thursday to rearrange flights as Europe, Japan and India joined the United States in grounding Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner passenger jets while battery- related problems are investigated. The lightweight, mainly carbon-composite plane has been plagued by recent mishaps - including an emergency landing of a Japanese domestic flight on Wednesday after warning lights indicated a battery problem - raising concerns over its use of new technology, such as lithium-ion batteries. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday temporarily grounded Boeing's newest commercial airliner, saying carriers would have to demonstrate the batteries were safe before the planes could resume flying. It gave no details on when that might happen. The European Aviation Safety Agency has confirmed that the US decision to ground Boeing 787s pending a safety review will apply to all Dreamliner jets worldwide. It is the first such action against a U.S.-made passenger plane since the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had its airworthiness certificate suspended following a deadly crash in Chicago in 1979, analysts said. Boeing has sold around 850 of the new planes, with 50 delivered to date. Around half of those have been in operation in Japan, but airlines in India, South America, Poland, Qatar and Ethiopia, as well as United Airlines in the United States, are also flying the aircraft, which has a list price of $207 million. With most of that Dreamliner fleet now effectively out of action as engineers and regulators make urgent checks - primarily to the plane's batteries and complex electronics - airlines are wrestling with gaps in their scheduling. Japan Airlines Co said on Thursday the 787 grounding would lead to three flight cancellations, affecting more than 500 passengers. A spokesman for Air India said no flights had been cancelled as the airline was using other planes. "We're working out a plan to handle the situation, and will hopefully know by this evening how we should go about it," G. Prasada Rao told Reuters. Motohisa Tachikawa, spokesman for JTB, a Tokyo-based travel services firm, said there had not yet been any direct impact on flight bookings. "I'm sure JAL and ANA are furiously trying to assign replacement planes for those that are grounded. How and when they will make that clear will impact our situation," he told Reuters. Cost of planes on ground Keeping the 787s on the ground could cost ANA alone more than $1.1 million a day, Mizuho Securities calculated, noting the Dreamliner was key to the airline's growth strategy. Regulators in Japan and India said it was unclear when the Dreamliner could be back in action. A spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency said the region would follow the FAA's grounding order. Poland's state-controlled LOT Airlines is the sole European airline currently operating the 787. LOT spokesman Marek Klucinski told Polish TVN24 channel that the airline had not encountered any similar problems with its two 787s, and was still taking delivery of the remaining three it had ordered from Boeing. Boeing said in a statement it was confident the 787 was safe and it stood by the plane's integrity. "Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible," CEO Jim McNerney said. "The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities." Passengers leaving United's flight 1426 in Houston - which had taken off from Los Angeles moments before the FAA announcement - reported an incident-free trip. "I fly over 100,000 miles a year," said Brett Boudreaux, a salesman from Lake Charles, Louisiana. "That was one of the most relaxing flights I've ever had. I hope they sort it out. It's a hell of a plane." Boeing shares fell 2 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday, to $72.75. "Ultimately, you can view it as a positive thing if they can resolve what the issues are and give people confidence in the safety of the aircraft," said Ken Herbert, analyst at Imperial Capital in San Francisco. "In the near-term, though, it's a negative. It's going to force the company to make significant investments." Scott Hamilton, an analyst at Leeham Co, an aerospace consulting firm in Seattle, said having a plane grounded "is about the worst thing that can happen to an airplane programme". "If this goes beyond just a bad design of a battery and you have to redesign some systems leading to the battery, and look at why didn't safeguards on this thing work, you get a ripple effect," he said. "They'll have more airplanes going out the door and they can't deliver them. So you build up inventory. Every day .. is an added day of delivery delays." Six new 787s, painted and apparently ready for delivery to various airlines, were parked on the apron at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, adjacent to Boeing's 787 plant on Thursday. Four more Dreamliners occupied the final assembly spots inside the factory. Smoke and soot Yoshitomo Tamaki, director general at the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), said checks on the ANA flight that made the emergency landing showed a bulge in the metal box that cases the main battery. The electric equipment bay, where the battery is located, had a strong smell of smoke and soot was found on the box and on two exterior valves used to regulate temperature in the plane. JTSB spokesman Takayuki Someya said the investigation would focus on whether this was battery-related. The use of new battery technology is among the cost-saving features of the 787, which Boeing says burns 20 percent less fuel than rival jetliners using older technology. Shares of GS Yuasa Corp, a Japanese firm that makes batteries for the Dreamliner, tumbled as much as 7.5 percent to a 2-month low. The stock has dropped 18 percent since Jan. 7 when one of its batteries caught fire in a parked JAL-operated 787 at Boston Logan International Airport. The 787 represents a leap in the way planes are designed and built, but the project has been plagued by cost overruns and years of delays. Some have suggested Boeing's rush to get planes built after those delays resulted in the recent problems, a charge the company denies. Based on how regulators usually handle air safety, experts say U.S. authorities and Boeing will discuss the criteria for inspections on the Dreamliner. They would also set what fixes, if any, are needed and a timetable for those. Analysts say it's unclear how long such a process could take or how much it could cost, but some question whether Boeing can stick to its target of doubling 787 output to 10 a month by the end of this year. "It guarantees some throttling back in production. It's clear one of the problems was building planes before fully understanding the rhythm of production," said Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia. Moody's said the 787 grounding was a negative credit development for Boeing, but ratings were not expected to be impacted for now. "This could pose new operating and financial pressures for Boeing, including further delay in delivery schedules and future order flow, as well as ongoing reputational risk," noted Russell Solomon, Senior Vice President. Barring a prolonged grounding or a severe crisis, aircraft industry sources say there was no immediate threat of plane cancellations. "You aren't going to see cancellations," said Leeham's Hamilton, noting airlines have no alternative as rival Airbus models are sold out and have years-long waiting lists. The Dreamliner's problems could sharpen competition with Airbus, which a year ago had its own crisis with wing crack problems on its A380 superjumbo. http://www.france24.com Back to Top Update: Crash kills one; residents hail pilot as hero The pilot was killed Wednesday morning when a single-engine LabCorp plane crashed into an empty field at the Mayco Bigelow Community Center on Sharpe Road in Burlington. Police said the pilot was David Gamble, 57, of Greensboro. No other injuries were reported. The cause of the crash, which happened shortly before 6 a.m. has not been determined. Federal investigators began combing the debris-ridden site Wednesday afternoon. Calls about the crash began pouring in to Alamance County Emergency Communications at 5:57 a.m. The plane apparently had just taken off from Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport. Residents described waking to a noise they first thought was the sound of drivers racing on Sharpe Road. "I heard a 'V-r-o-o-o-m! V-r-o-o-o-m!'" said Deloris Burrell, who lives across from the ballfield. "The first thing I thought was, 'Why is someone racing their car at 5:30 in the morning?' " She said she hurried from her bedroom to the living room and looked out the front door. Burrell said she saw the plane moments before it hit - appearing to struggle to gain altitude. She said she was initially confused - unable to tell if the aircraft was a plane or helicopter. Burrell said there was a mighty explosion as the plane hit and burst into flames. She said the explosion lit up the ballpark and surrounding neighborhood. Burrell and several neighbors quickly ran to the crash site to try and help survivors. There were none. Burrell said she saw no sign of the pilot. "It just burned," she said of the wreckage. "It just engulfed and burned." Burrell and others are hailing the pilot they'll never meet as a hero. They said they believe the plane was experiencing engine problems and the racing noise they heard was the sound of him revving the motor as he searched for an open place to set down the aircraft. There are numerous houses and apartments in the area. "I guess he was trying to find an open field," Burrell said. "I feel he saw that open space and he landed over there. He could very well have dropped any place." Chris Verdeck, an assistant chief with the Burlington Police Department, agreed. "I can't say he intentionally put down where he did, but it sure looks like he did," he said. Verdeck said the plane approached the ballfield from the northwest. It struck some of the fencing at the field, but appeared to hit nothing else. The aircraft was a single-engine turbo prop, a Pilatus PC12/45 IFR, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The smell of jet fuel was evident around the crash site, which littered much of the softball field east of the community center. A large area was roped off by police tape. Investigators said the plane may have been carrying as much as 400 gallons of aircraft fuel. Verdeck said investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were expected by mid-day. Burlington Police, Burlington Fire, Alamance EMS and rescue, and LabCorp representatives were at the site, as were a number of troopers from the N.C. Highway Patrol. Brothers Dylan and Elmore James live with their mother, Dorothy, across from the park. They were getting ready for work at the time of the crash and said much the same as Burrell - that the first thing they heard was the revving of a motor and assumed it was the sound of cars racing on Sharpe Road. Dylan described the crash as, "The loudest noise I ever heard. "It was crazy, man, just crazy," he continued. He and Elmore and their mother were among the first to run to the crash site. "We were hoping to pull survivors out of the rubble," Elmore said. What they found were flames and debris, but little else. The Jameses said had the crash happened at another time of year, there may have been more fatalities. There's a track around the park and they said it's not unusual for walkers to be out even that early. Elmore agreed the pilot likely saved lives. "I think he saw the houses and was trying to land somewhere else," he said. John Ransom lives about two blocks from the crash site. He described the sound that preceded the crash the same as others. "It sounded like the plane was in stress," Ransom said. "It sounded like he was circling, trying to find a place to land. The next thing I know, I heard a big crash." LabCorp released a statement pertaining to the crash. "This is a tragedy for the whole LabCorp family," it reads. "Our hearts are heavy today, and we are grieving along with the family and friends of this valued employee. We are reaching out to the family to offer our support, and will continue to do so." A recording of the calls pertaining to the crash placed to 911 can be heard on the Times- News website. Several of the early callers had trouble pinpointing the location of the crash. At least two of the first calls reported it appeared the plane had crashed in downtown Burlington. One caller reported the area as: "Between (U.S.) 70 and (Interstate) 40, in that area." Another caller said he, "Witnessed the plane start to circle, circle" before "the sky turned red. "I can't believe I just witnessed this," the caller continued. The plane belongs to Burlington-based LabCorp, one of the largest medical-testing companies in the United States. The aircraft left Alamance-Burlington Regional Airport and was headed to the MMU Airport in Morristown, N.J. The plane was carrying inter- office LabCorp mail. Verdeck said the plane's debris should be removed from the field by Thursday afternoon. http://www.thetimesnews.com/ Back to Top Turbulence injures three passengers on American Eagle flight Passengers on an American Eagle flight on Wednesday suffered injuries from turbulence, fire officials in Chicago said. Three passengers on board American Eagle Flight 3720 complained of head injuries and one was transported to the hospital, the Chicago Fire Department said on its official media Twitter account. The two other patients refused treatment, fire officials said. The flight, en route from New Orleans, had 26 passengers and four crew members onboard when it hit turbulence while descending from 31,000 feet to 29,000 feet, American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan told NBC News. The seatbelt sign was illuminated, the airline said. American Eagle is a regional carrier that operates flights for American Airlines. The jet, a Bombardier CRJ-700, landed without incident at Chicago's O'Hare International at 9:31 a.m. local time, the airline said. http://www.nbcnews.com/ Back to Top Electronic Gadgets For Passengers, Not Pilots? The FAA Tuesday published a proposed rule that would ban flight crews from using personal electronic devices in the cockpit (job-related tools excepted), but the same day a press release from industry representatives pushed for approval of use of the devices in the cabin. The panel, hosted by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), met at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10. On the whole, the group "largely favored the looser restrictions that exist in other regions in the world," according to a press release from APEX and CEA. They offered an opinion poll conducted by Amazon.com in support of their position. And noted that their interests also economically based. The Amazon poll asked customers about their feelings regarding FAA regulations. The results indicated to Amazon that customers were frustrated with the rules and skeptical about their benefits. Aside from the feelings of passengers, the APEX/CEA press release suggests potential economic benefits. "Airlines and vendor companies could benefit" from looser restrictions affecting use of personal electronic devices on airplanes. The panel meeting was attended by "more than 70 people," according to APEX/CEA, which said its panel proceeded to "pick apart" current U.S. policy restricting use of personal electronics. A video, "Taking Flight: New Approaches to the Use of Consumer Electronics on Airplanes," was presented at the meeting offering arguments in support of looser regulation and noting the potential for job creation if rules are loosened, allowing for entrepreneurial development of onboard services. http://www.avweb.com Back to Top Back to Top Jet Airways in Final Talks to Sell Stake to Etihad MUMBAI--Jet Airways (India) Ltd. is in final discussions to sell a stake to Abu Dhabi- based Etihad Airways, a person involved in the deal said late Tuesday. Etihad will buy a minority stake in the Indian carrier but will have an option to scale up the holding, the person, who didn't want to be named, told The Wall Street Journal. A Jet Airways aircraft prepares to land at the airport in Mumbai. Etihad may buy a minority stake in the Indian carrier. . He didn't disclose the size of the initial stake or how much money Etihad is likely to pay, but he added that Etihad's board approved the investment last week. An announcement is likely in the next two weeks, depending on agreements on tax and regulatory issues, the person added. Both Jet Airways and Etihad declined to comment. Earlier this month, Jet informed India's stock exchanges that it is in discussions to sell a stake to Etihad. Tuesday, a senior executive at Mumbai-based Jet Airways said senior managers at Jet and Etihad met in recent weeks in Abu Dhabi to discuss details of the deal. "Lots of plans have been drawn up on how the airlines will share their networks and flights," the Jet executive said, on condition of anonymity. If the deal goes through, it will be the first instance of a foreign airline buying a stake in an Indian carrier. In September, the Indian government changed investment rules to permit foreign airlines to own up to 49% in Indian carriers. Until then, foreign carriers had been barred from such investments because the Indian government feared that the foreign companies, with their stronger finances, would take control of the Indian carriers. Some Indian carriers, including Jet Airways, had also opposed stake purchases by foreign airlines, fearing that it would hurt their traffic and revenue. However, local carriers--hit by high fuel prices, rising interest rates and stiff competition from rival carriers--are now pushing for investments from foreign carriers. But with the Indian aviation industry mostly making losses, external investors have been reluctant to put in money, leaving the airlines to depend on high-cost debt to run operations. A few months ago, Jet Chief Executive Nikos Kardassis said that, because of changing industry conditions, Jet now supports investments from foreign airlines. A stake sale would provide Jet much-needed cash to cut its $2 billion debt, as well as fund its loss-making budget subsidiary JetLite. It will also give the airline access to global routes currently operated by Etihad, in which it has a limited presence. Meanwhile, Etihad is expected to benefit by getting a bigger foothold in India, a growing market. An investment in Jet will also allow it to tap into the large passenger base of Indians who travel to the Middle East, as well to North America and Europe as Indian laws restrict the number of flights that foreign carriers can operate into the country. Etihad currently owns stakes in Germany's Air Berlin, AB1.XE +6.70%Ireland's Aer Lingus, Virgin Australia and Air Seychelles. On Dec. 12, Jet said it would expand its codeshare agreement with Etihad. Under such an agreement, two airlines sell tickets on each other's flights. Another Indian carrier, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. has said it is in talks to sell a stake to Etihad. Budget carrier SpiceJet, too, is in stake sale talks with foreign carriers, a person close to the matter said recently. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323468604578244884211375630.html Back to Top Aircraft landing gear maker to invest RM500m in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: France-based Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft landing gear, is set to invest RM500mil in Malaysia. The investment is to set up an aeronautical carbon brake manufacturing plant. Its Director of Industrial Strategy, Herve Blanc said the plant in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, is expected to be operational in 2018. The initial production capacity is 300 tonnes of new carbon discs annually. The factory's refurbishment capacity is expected to be 10,000 brakes in the first year of operation, with the maximum capacity at 20,000 brakes per annum. "From 2012 to 2018, it will be the construction and ramp-up phase, with Malaysian companies being involved and benefiting from this high-technological project. "Technip Malaysia will be the main contractor of the project, while the construction package and construction material deals will be given only to Malaysian companies," Messier-Bugatti-Dowty was quoted in an official presentation during a business matching event, here. - Bernama http://biz.thestar.com.my/ Back to Top Beijing approves US$11.2 billion international airport Located in the capital's south, the airport will open in 2018 with six commercial runways The much-needed new airport will help service the expected 500 million trips taken by passengers in 2015.. (CNN) China's State Council has approved plans for a much-needed new airport in Beijing, official Chinese media reported this week. Officials also approved a rail line connecting the airport to the city center. Located in Daxing, a suburban district in southern Beijing, the airport will reportedly cost approximately RMB 70 billion (US$11.2 billion) and is scheduled to open in 2018. Six runways will be for commercial use, while one will be reserved for military use, China Daily reported, quoting CAAC News, a media outlet affiliated with the local aviation administration. Beijing Capital International Airport, the city's current airport, has long been criticized for lack of infrastructure and constant delays in the context of China's rapidly growing air travel demand. With 81.8 million passenger trips in 2012, it was ranked the world's second-busiest airport for three years running, right after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's 90 million (domestic and international passengers). "There are constant delays and the international terminal is awful," Jeff Lee, a Hong Kong-based 31-year-old frequent business traveler to Beijing, told CNN. "Literally, the best restaurant in the international terminal is Pizza Hut. I enjoy Pizza Hut as much as the next guy but not in the capital of China." In 2011, aviation officials in China announced plans to increase its total number of airports from 175 to 230 within five years, saying Beijing alone is expected to handle 450-500 million passenger trips by 2015. The new airport will have the capacity to handle 70 million passenger trips by 2025, reported local media. http://travel.cnn.com/beijing-approves-international-airport-477311 Back to Top LoBiondo to chair House Aviation Subcommittee U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-2) today was named Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) for the 113th Congress. "Congressman LoBiondo is a knowledgeable, proven leader on the Committee. I look forward to working with him to improve our aviation infrastructure and ensure the safety, efficiency and competitiveness of this critical component of our economy," said Shuster. Some of the issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Aviation Subcommittee include civil aviation policy, aviation labor, aviation commerce, safety and security, unmanned aircraft systems, and the majority of programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This chairmanship is of particular importance due to the aviation facilities that are located in the 2nd Congressional District including the FAA Tech Center, the TSA Security Lab, the Federal Air Marshal training facility, and the Atlantic City International Airport. "It is an honor to receive the vote of confidence from Chairman Shuster and my colleagues to lead the Aviation Subcommittee during this challenging time for the industry and our economy. The aviation industry is a tremendous generator for our local and national economy and directly employs millions of Americans while serving as a force multiplier across the nation. South Jersey intrinsically knows the critical role of the aviation sector with thousands of residents working at the FAA Technical Center and related security facilities on the Atlantic City International Airport campus," said LoBiondo. "My focus will be to increase the effectiveness of our aviation network, with a keen focus on improving the safety and security for all users." LoBiondo has been a member of the subcommittee since 1997. http://www.politickernj.com/62400/ Curt Lewis