Flight Safety Information January 18, 2013 - No. 016 In This Issue Boeing reportedly proposing 'complete check' of Dreamliner batteries amid probe Jet Clips Another at Miami Airport Gate, None Hurt Safety first priority of CAA on Dreamliners (New Zealand) Military jets escort Alaska flight into Sea-Tac; FBI questions passenger U.S. Military Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing Cessna 208B Accident (Michigan) PROS IOSA Audit Experts Airbus says its new jet will avoid problems plaguing Boeing 787 Dubai Airport Nearly Refused To Hang This Photo Of Female Co-Pilots Airbus nabs 914 aircraft orders in 2012, fueling 7-year, $638 billion backlog Boeing reportedly proposing 'complete check' of Dreamliner batteries amid probe Jan. 17, 2013: The distorted main lithium-ion battery and its lid, left, of the All Nippon Airways' Boeing 787 which made an emergency landing. Boeing is reportedly proposing a "complete health check" on the batteries in its 787 Dreamliner jets amid an investigation by Japanese and U.S. authorities into its troubled, technologically advanced aircraft. The Seattle Times reports Boeing suggested the battery check and procedural changes for pilots as possible interim ways to get the planes flying again in intensive talks with FAA officials. The Dreamliner has been grounded by multiple countries' aviation authorities, including the FAA. However, sources tell the Times the options proposed by Boeing may not be enough to convince officials the Dreamliner should fly again after the plane's several reported woes, including an emergency landing of a Japanese airline's 787 Wednesday. A Japanese investigator said Friday the burned insides of a battery in that plane indicate it operated at a voltage above its design limit. The All Nippon Airways plane made an emergency landing in western Japan after its pilots smelled something burning and received a cockpit warning of battery problems. Nearly all 50 of the 787s in use around the world have since been grounded. Photos provided by the Japan Transport Safety Board of the lithium ion battery that was located beneath the 787's cockpit show a blackened mass of wires and other components within a distorted blue casing. Japan transport ministry investigator Hideyo Kosugi said the state of the battery indicated "voltage exceeding the design limit was applied" to it. He said the similarity of the burned insides of the battery from the ANA flight to the battery in a Japan Airlines 787 that caught fire Jan. 7 while the jet was parked at Boston's Logan International Airport suggested a common cause. "If we compare data from the latest case here and that in the U.S., we can pretty much figure out what happened," Kosugi said. The 787 relies more than any other modern airliner on electrical signals to help power nearly everything the plane does. It's also the first Boeing plane to use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for its main electrical system. Such batteries are prone to overheating and have additional safeguards installed that are meant to control the problem and prevent fires. GS Yuasa Corp., the maker of the lithium-ion batteries used in the 787s, said Thursday it was helping with the investigation but that the cause of the problem was unclear. It said the problem could be the battery, the power source or the electronics system. U.S. safety officials and Boeing inspectors joined the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation Friday. The American investigators -- one each from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board and two from Boeing Co. -- inspected the ANA jet on the tarmac at Takamatsu airport in western Japan. An initial inspection by Japanese officials of the 787 found that a flammable battery fluid known as electrolyte had leaked from the plane's main lithium-ion battery beneath the cockpit. It also found burn marks around the battery. Aviation authorities in Japan have directed ANA, which owns 17 of the planes, and Japan Airlines, with seven, not to fly the jets until questions over their safety have been resolved. The 787, known as the Dreamliner, is Boeing's newest jet, and the company is counting heavily on its success. Since its launch after delays of more than three years, the plane has been plagued by a series of problems. The FAA has required U.S. carriers to stop flying 787s until the batteries are demonstrated to be safe. United Airlines has six of the jets and is the only U.S. carrier flying the model. Aviation authorities in other countries usually follow the lead of the country where the manufacturer is based. www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/18/us-investigators-boeing-staff-arrive-in-western- japan-to-inspect-troubled-787/#ixzz2IKYjE7Sa Back to Top Jet Clips Another at Miami Airport Gate, None Hurt MIAMI January 18, 2013 (AP) - Authorities say a commercial airliner clipped another on the ground near a gate at Miami International Airport, but no one was injured among hundreds aboard the two aircraft. Airport spokesman Marc Henderson told The Miami Herald both planes were damaged, one on the wingtip and the other on the tail section. Officials say an Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus that arrived with 240 passengers apparently struck an Air France 777-300 plane still at the gate and preparing to depart with 350 passengers for Paris. Passengers arriving from Argentina disembarked. It wasn't clear if the Paris-bound passengers would be put on another flight. Several flights were delayed. The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating. Last month, two commercial aircraft were damaged in a small collision at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Back to Top Safety first priority of CAA on Dreamliners (New Zealand) The Civil Aviation Authority says Boeing's 787 Dreamliners will not fly in New Zealand's airspace unless safety problems have been resolved first. The fleet of next-generation passenger aircraft - 10 of which have been ordered by Air New Zealand - has been temporarily grounded by United States aviation authorities after reports of several incidents, including malfunctioning lithium ion batteries causing smoke and fire aboard the jets. The emergency landing of an All Nippon Airways flight on Wednesday was the last straw for that airline, which grounded its fleet of 787-8 craft. Japan Airlines followed suit, and the grounding was subsequently extended by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to all US-registered Dreamliners. New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority director Graeme Harris said other national aviation authorities were likely to follow the FAA's lead. The Civil Aviation Authority was "watching the actions and responses to the electrical problems on some 787 aircraft closely". The authority had been working with Boeing, the FAA and Air New Zealand in the past few years on developing systems to provide safety oversight of Dreamliners once they were flying in New Zealand, he said. Air New Zealand is set to take delivery of 10 Boeing 787-9 jets in the second half of 2014, but has refused to comment beyond saying it was proceeding with its order. "Once the Air New Zealand 787s are due to come to New Zealand the CAA will need to be satisfied that any problems have been resolved," Harris said. The FAA said yesterday that it required carriers using 787s to temporarily cease flying. "Before further flight, operators of US-registered Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the FAA that the batteries are safe. "The FAA will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the US 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible." Harris said foreign-registered 787s coming into New Zealand would be subject to safety oversight and approvals issued by their home nation. "It is likely all operators will follow the FAA action to suspend flying the 787s until they are satisfied that the current problems have been fixed," he said. The 787, which has a list price of US$207 million (NZ$246 m), 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 caused the recent problems, a charge the company denies. The use of new battery technology is among the cost-saving features of the 787, which Boeing says burns 20 per cent less fuel than rival jetliners using older technology. It was that efficiency and greater range that attracted Air New Zealand to the aircraft and any doubts about its ability to fly long-haul, out of range of emergency landing airports, could hurt the national carrier's plans to use the Dreamliner. Fairfax NZ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8192416/Safety-first-priority-of-CAA-on- Dreamliners Back to Top Military jets escort Alaska flight into Sea-Tac; FBI questions passenger UPDATE 10:20 P.M.| The FBI has finished interviewing the man they questioned this evening and have not found him to be a threat. "We're not anticipating any subsequent detention," said FBI spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich. EARLIER POST Two F-15 jets guided an Alaska Airlines flight from Hawaii into Sea-Tac International Airport tonight after someone told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that a passenger was a possible hijacker. According to the Port of Seattle, the FBI questioned one man after Flight 819 from Kona, Hawaii, landed safely around 7 p.m. with no one injured. K-9 units checked the plane after landing, according to Port spokesman Perry Cooper. Cooper also said no situation during the flight prompted the elevated security landing. The passenger questioned by agents was named as a security threat by someone who called the FBI this afternoon, according Honolulu-based FBI agent Tom Simon. National Guard North American Aerospace Defense Command directed two F-15 fighter jets from the Oregon Air National Guard to escort the flight into Seattle around 6:15 p.m., according to a NORAD release. Simon said the passenger is being interviewed by FBI agents in Seattle to see if he was indeed a security threat. If not, the FBI will turn its investigation toward the person who called in to say the passenger was a threat. "Making a prank call like that is a federal crime," Simon said. "If this turns out to be a hoax, this will be turned into evidence against that person." Alaska crew members observed no unusual behavior from the passenger, who was asleep for much of the flight, according to airline spokesman Paul McElroy. Passengers were not made aware of the investigation until after the landing, when FBI agents entered the rear of the plane to detain the man. As of 8:50 p.m., FBI agents in Seattle had detected no security threat, according to bureau spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich. "We made contact with the individual with no incident," Dietrich said. "He was cooperative and, from what we could determine on-scene, there's no information suggesting a public safety threat yet." http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/01/military-jets-escort-alaska-flight-to-sea- tac-fbi-detains-passenger/ Back to Top U.S. Military Aircraft Makes Emergency Friday , January 18 2013 - An American military aircraft arrived safely after an emergency landing at St. John's International Airport (NewFoundland) The C-130 plane was coming from Shannon, Ireland yesterday afternoon with 38 people on board. Airport spokesperson Marie Manning says there was an engine problem. The city, Eastern Health, and the fire department joined the airport's own emergency team to await the aircraft, which landed without incident. The C-130 has four engines. http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=29964&latest=1 Back to Top Cessna 208B Accident (Michigan) Status: Preliminary Date: 15 JAN 2013 Time: ca 22:00 Type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster Operator: Martinaire Registration: N1120N C/n / msn: 208B-0386 First flight: 1994 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 2, 5 km W of Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN) (United States of America) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN) (PLN/KPLN), United States of America Destination airport: Lansing-Capital City Airport, MI (LAN) (LAN/KLAN), United States of America Flightnumber: 605 Narrative: A Cessna 208B Cargomaster crashed shortly after takeoff from Pellston Regional Airport, MI (PLN). It came down in a wooded area, killing the pilot. The automatic weather observations at Pellston Airport about the time of the accident (about 22:00 LT / 02:00 UTC] were: KPLN 160254Z AUTO 18007KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP199 T10331083 58022 [22:54 LT: Wind 180 degrees at 7 knots; Visibility: 10 or more miles; overcast cloud deck at 5000 feet AGL; Temperature: -3°C; Dewpoint: -8°C; Pressure 1018.4 mb] KPLN 160154Z AUTO 21012G17KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP207 T10331083 KPLN 152354Z AUTO 21010G16KT 10SM BKN036 BKN048 OVC055 M03/M09 A3014 RMK AO2 SNE2257 SLP223 P0000 60000 T10331094 11033 21044 56020 www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Back to Top Airbus says its new jet will avoid problems plaguing Boeing 787 Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier, speaks during the annual press conference for commercial results in Toulouse, southwestern France. BLAGNAC, France (AP) - Airbus said it was confident it would not run into the same problems afflicting Boeing Co.'s Dreamliner, related to a type of battery both companies use, but lost the crown as the world's largest plane maker to its archrival despite record deliveries. Boeing's 787 Dreamliners have been grounded by aviation organizations around the world, including in the U.S. and Europe, following concerns about the safety of the airplane's lithium ion battery system. The batteries in some cases swelled and leaked, creating a fire hazard under the cockpit, where they are stored. Airbus's new A350 wide-body jet, a rival to Boeing's 787 that will make its first flight around the middle of the year, also uses lithium ion batteries, but in a different setup. As a result, the company said the plane was unlikely to face the same problems. Speaking to reporters at the company's annual commercial results presentation Thursday, Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Bregier said "we are confident our design is robust" and "don't see any reason to change." He noted the A350 requires only half the battery power of a plane like the 787, which is the first commercial aircraft to make extensive use of batteries to drive its electrical systems and be fuel-efficient. "There are some architectural differences and the suppliers are different," said Bregier. "As Boeing said, the battery is not the issue, it's the way you integrate it to the power system." Airbus has had its own share of technical problems that have delayed the rollout of a key military aircraft, costing billions in extra costs, as well as security issues concerning the wing ribs of its superjumbo A380 jets. Despite those concerns and a weak global economy, Airbus booked a record 588 deliveries in 2012 while taking in 914 new orders for jets. For 2013, it plans to increase production to deliver more than 600 aircraft and expects orders for at least 700 jets. The results were not enough to match Boeing, which for all its current troubles, regained the crown of biggest airplane manufacturer in 2012. The company delivered 601 last year, the most since 1999. The two companies have been competing neck and neck for years, rushing to roll out new models that might appeal most to global airlines. Among commercial planes, Boeing bet big on the Dreamliner and its appeal as a high- tech and fuel efficient model. At a time of high oil prices, that was a big selling point with airlines, many of which were trying to cut costs. Airbus is focusing instead on size - the new A380 is a double-decker that seats 525 people and is so large some airports have to be adjusted to accommodate it. The two companies are also challenging each other in legal arenas. They are locked in an international trade dispute with the World Trade Organization in Geneva, each claiming that the other receives illegal state subsidies. Airbus' fortunes have been mixed in recent years. Until 2012 it was selling more planes than Boeing but it has also ran into more technical problems, notably with the A380. It sold only nine of those superjumbos last year. Bregier and his fellow officials at Airbus avoided any smug remarks over their rival's current troubles. "It's not our place to give Boeing lessons, we've had our own problems in the past," Bregier said. "I honestly wish all the best to my colleagues at Boeing to put this aircraft back in flight. I don't bet on the difficulties of a competitor in order to build Airbus' success." Industry experts warned against assuming that Boeing's troubles could help Airbus, even though shares in its parent company, EADS NV, have been rising this week as Boeing's have been falling. That's not just because airlines are unlikely to cancel orders en masse without yet knowing the cause of the error, but also because an investigation in what caused Boeing's battery problems may throw up new regulatory hurdles for Airbus. Sandy Morris, an aerospace analyst with Jefferies in London, noted that the Dreamliner had been flight tested for thousands of hours. That it reveals problems now may lead authorities to conclude that the certification process had not been tough enough. "If the authorities get more stringent and take more time to certify planes, the first to be affected is going to be Airbus, which happens to be the next major company launching a plane, (the A350)," Morris said. Airbus expects the A350's inaugural flight to be just before or after the Paris air show in June. Looking ahead, chief salesman John Leahy pledged he'd get at least 25 orders for the massive A380 jets this year and expects to deliver 25. Airbus sold only nine and delivered 30 last year. Bregier said the cause of the technical problems affecting the A380 had been found and a solution was being put in place for the nine airlines currently flying the giant aircraft. Back to Top Dubai Airport Nearly Refused To Hang This Photo Of Female Co-Pilots Girl Power: The Photo of Female Pilots That Nearly Caused an Airport Controversy When was the last time you flew in a plane piloted by a woman? What about two women, both pilot and co-pilot? It's possible to not even know since passengers rarely see their flight crews much anymore, but they are up there. Trust us. Starting this week, travelers on Lufthansa will get to see the very rare occurrence of two women in the cockpit...before even stepping onboard a plane. Famous Berlin-based photographer Kiki Kausch has installed her triptych, titled "A380 Female Cockpit," at the JFK Business Class lounge. The three images capture two normal Lufthansa pilots, Fleur and Karin, at work in their office, which just happens to be the cockpit of one of the airline's A380 superjumbos en route from Frankfurt to Singapore (LH 778). The photos were actually taken as the plane cruised high above Afghanistan, the ethereal light of sunrise over the Hindukush illuminating the women. Kausch's subjects are typically famous men-Karl Lagerfeld, Pierce Brosnan and Leo DiCaprio to name a few-but photographing Fleur and Karin to dispel the usual stigma of a male-led flight deck proved a welcome challenge. We chatted with Kiki about this very modern image, and she divulged that not only did she pop into the cockpit for this photoshoot, but also traveled all the way back from Singapore to Frankfurt in the jumpseat. "The flight was full and I'd rather be up front watching these dynamic women work," Kiki explains. Fun fact: the female captain here is married to another Lufthansa A380 captain. Together they are the only husband and wife team in the world flying A380s, though they regularly alternate work months in order to care for their two young children. You can view the massive, original images in this lounge if you're flying in Business or First Class, or if you have Star Alliance Gold or HON Circle status. Eventually the triptych will tour to other Lufthansa flagship lounges around the world. This brings us to another fun tidbit, as Kiki admitted that Dubai International Airport was on the brink of withholding approval for the photo (women in positions of authority not exactly being the norm there), but after a few weeks of thinking it over DXB came through with a yes. Bonus history! Lufthansa first welcomed a woman to the flight deck way, way back in the 1920s. That woman, Marga von Etzdorf, piloted a commercial Junkers F13 for the airline. In the modern jet age, however, it took a little longer for a woman to take the controls; Nicola Lisy co-piloted Boeing 737 and 747s from 1988 until 2000, when she finally added her captain's stripe and took the left seat. There are currently 27 female captains in Lufthansa's roster, and many more co-pilots. http://www.businessinsider.com/photo-of-two-female-pilots-2013-1#ixzz2IKdTC1EK Back to Top Airbus nabs 914 aircraft orders in 2012, fueling 7-year, $638 billion backlog Airbus President Fabrice Bregier announces that the company is planning to construct a $600 million aircraft assembly plant at Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex. Airbus, national, state and local officials celebrate after the July 2, 2012, announcement with a model of the Airbus A320neo in the foregound. TOULOUSE, France - Airbus exceeded its gross order target for 2012 by nearly 41 percent, closing out the year with a seven-year backlog of 4,682 aircraft valued at $638 billion. The company won 914 gross orders for the year, shattering the target of 650 and delivered a company-record 588 aircraft to 89 customers, including 17 new customers. The 2012 deliveries represent a 10 percent increase compared with the previous record of 534 delivered in 2011. The results also mark the 11th consecutive year Airbus has increased production. "Looking back over 2012, we can proudly say it was a fantastic year. We delivered a record number of aircraft which highlights our increasing efficiency, and the market again demonstrated its confidence in all our products," said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus president and chief executive officer, in a press release. A few highlights from the planemaker's year-end results are as follows: *Airbus set a new record of 455 deliveries for single-aisle aircraft, compared with 431 in 2011. *Widebody deliveries hit a record 103 aircraft, compared with 87 in 2011. The trend is expected to continue with production of the A330 family increasing from the current production rate of 9.5 per month to 10 in spring 2013. *Thirty A380 deliveries hit, compared with 26 in 2011, hit Airbus 2012 target and set a new company record. *Airbus' 2012 share of total 100-plus-seat aircraft sales by value is 41 per cent gross (41.5 per cent net). *Net orders reached 833 aircraft worth $96 billion, including 739 A320 family aircraft. *Of the 739 net A320 family orders recorded in 2012, 478 are new engine option models, or NEOs. *Net widebody orders included 58 A330s and 27 A350 XWB aircraft. *In the very large aircraft segment, Airbus' A380 won nine out of 10 orders. Airbus unveiled plans in July to construct a $600 million final assembly plant at Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex dedicated solely to production of the popular A320 family aircraft. The facility, slated to deliver its first planes in 2016, is already being heralded by company officials as the future "epicenter of commercial activity" for Airbus' North American operations. "In 2012, we delivered the first Sharklet aircraft, and with a commanding lead in the single aisle market, the dividends from our strategic decision to invest in the kind of innovation which generates value for our customers, is paying off," Bregier said in the release. In addition, Airbus recruited 5,000 employees in 2012, bringing its global workforce to 59,000. The company expects to recruit an additional 3,000 employees in 2013. ""We are keeping our production rates at a manageable pace, which is good for our supply chain, and bodes well for our long term profitability and bright future," Bregier said. http://blog.al.com/live/2013/01/airbus_nabs_914_aircraft_order.html Curt Lewis