Flight Safety Information January 23, 2013 - No. 019 In This Issue Boeing telling airlines it expects 787 fix soon Senate to scrutinize FAA's approval of battery for Dreamliner Industry delivers runway excursion action plan Co-pilot briefly faints on flight to Las Vegas Flight Safety Foundation warns against use of illegal airport in occupied Cyprus Aircraft's landing gear collapsed before January crash at North Las Vegas Airport Plane's parachute deploys before crash (Video) PROS IOSA Audit Experts Expat Pilots Pruned as SpiceJet Seeks Profit AMR Corp. seeks court permission to buy 400 aircraft worth $38 billion Turkey unveils plan for world's biggest airport DC-8 WRONG AIRFIELD IN VIET NAM - April 1969 Video Boeing telling airlines it expects 787 fix soon (Reuters) Boeing has told airlines it is confident of fixing battery problems on the 787 Dreamliner soon, the chief executive of Norwegian Air Shuttle said on Tuesday. Despite a pause in deliveries while U.S. authorities review the 787's design, Boeing has told the Scandinavian budget carrier to expect its first 787 Dreamliner in April in line with the latest delivery schedule, Chief Executive Bjorn Kjos said. "They will definitiely fix the battery problems long before then," he told Reuters. "They say it is going to be fixed soon; they have a plan. They say it will be delivered according to the schedule," he added on the sidelines of an Airline Economics conference in Dublin. Norwegian is looking at buying more 787s, he added. Separately, Henri Courpron, chief executive of AIG unit International Lease Finance Corp, which technically owns the leased passenger jet, told Reuters there was no indication of any delay in the first 787 earmarked for April delivery. Back to Top Senate to scrutinize FAA's approval of battery for Dreamliner A key U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing in coming weeks to examine U.S. aviation safety oversight and the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to allow Boeing Co. to use highly flammable lithium-ion batteries on board its new 787 Dreamliner, a congressional aide said on Tuesday. U.S., Japanese and French authorities are investigating two separate cases in which lithium-ion batteries on board the new airliner failed. One of the batteries sparked a fire in a parked plane in Boston, while the other forced an emergency landing in Japan. As a result, authorities around the world last week grounded all 50 Boeing 787s. The Dreamliner, with a list price of $207 million, is the world's newest airliner, a lightweight, advanced carbon-composite design that has more electrical power than any other aircraft and uses 20 percent less fuel. "Certainly the issues of FAA certification will be a key component of the aviation safety oversight hearing we're planning," an aide to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee told Reuters in an email. The aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said committee chairman Senator John Rockefeller was "following the situation surrounding the Dreamliner and FAA's task force closely and he thinks the FAA and (Department of Transportation)are examining the issue carefully." The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is also keeping a close eye on the 787 investigations and the issue of FAA oversight, congressional aides said, although no formal hearings were planned at this point. Boeing officials have briefed both oversight committees and other key lawmakers about the matter, a Boeing spokesman said. The Senate committee had already been planning to conduct "substantial and aggressive oversight" of aviation safety during the first quarter, but would now look closely at the 787 incidents and FAA oversight as part of that process, the committee aide said. Problems with the 787's lithium-ion battery have sparked questions about why the FAA in 2007 granted Boeing a "special condition" to allow use of the batteries on the plane, despite the fact that they are highly flammable and hard to extinguish if they catch fire. Boeing designed a special system that was supposed to contain any such fire and vent toxic gasses outside the plane, but the two recent incidents have raised questions about whether that was a good decision. It remains unclear what caused the batteries to fail, but when it announced plans to ground U.S.-based 787s, the FAA said both battery failures released flammable chemicals, heat damage and smoke - all of which could affect critical systems on the plane and spark a fire in the electrical compartment. The FAA has said it will keep the 787s grounded until airlines demonstrate that the battery system is safe and complies with safety regulations. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-senate-to-scrutinize-faas-approval-of-battery-for- dreamliner-20130123,0,7668554.story Back to Top Industry delivers runway excursion action plan European air navigation safety agency Eurocontrol has issued its European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions. According to ICAO, runway excursions are a persistent problem and their numbers have not decreased in more than 20 years. The Flight Safety Foundation have said that runway excursions are the most common type of aviation accident, accounting for up to 33% of accidents over the last 16 years. This European Action Plan, directed to all providers and users of European aerodromes and all European aircraft operators, is the result of the combined and sustained efforts of organisations(*) involved in all areas of runway operations and is a deliverable of the European Aviation Safety Plan (EASp). Although the focus of this work has been on preventing runway excursions in the European region, it is acknowledged that runway excursions are a global problem and therefore, the content of the Action Plan reinforces the need to comply with ICAO provisions for the safety of global aviation. The commitment of these organisations and of all operational staff is to prevent runway excursions using all practicable means available ranging from the design of the aircraft to airspace, procedures and technologies. Their intention is to enhance runway safety by advocating the implementation of the recommendations it contains. Central to the recommendations is the uniform and consistent application of ICAO provisions. Whilst technology is undoubtedly part of the solution, training on unfamiliar situations that may lead to runway excursions is key to their prevention. "Rigorous and realistic training scenarios will better prepare operational staff to cope with decisions to Go Around or reject a takeoff and lead to the execution of the correct and safe manoeuvres," said Tony Licu, Head of Eurocontrol's Safety Unit. There is an obvious need to reach a wide audience with the information contained in this action plan and each organisation conducting runway operations is invited to review and prioritise the proposed recommendations. "This action plan is the perfect example of a joint European effort to develop a common and coordinated response to a well-known problem. It is now time that we conclude the planning and start the implementation. We will save no effort in getting the risk properly reduced," emphasised Jacques Dopagne, Director Network Management at Eurocontrol. (*) The contributing organisations include, but are not limited to, Aerodrome Operators, Air Navigation Service Providers, Aeronautical Information Service Providers, Aircraft Operators, Aircraft Manufacturers, Professional Associations, the European Commercial Aviation Safety Team (ECAST), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and National Aviation Authorities. http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2013/01/industry-delivers-response-on-runway-excursions/ Back to Top Co-pilot briefly faints on flight to Las Vegas The pilot of an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas requested emergency landing priority Tuesday evening after the co-pilot fainted briefly. (AP) The pilot of an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas requested emergency landing priority Tuesday evening after the co-pilot fainted briefly. Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan says Flight 606, with 146 passengers on board, landed safely at about 5:26 p.m. at Las Vegas International Airport. The male co-pilot was taken to a hospital to be evaluated. Egan says he earlier was checked by a doctor who had been aboard the flight. She said she did not know whether he was admitted to the hospital and declined to release any more information about him. The spokeswoman says the co-pilot was current on his required yearly medical evaluation. KOMO-TV reports the incident happened about a half-hour before landing while the plane was on auto-pilot. Egan says the pilot requested emergency landing priority as a safety precaution, to get priority handling for the medical issue. She says the pilot landed the plane. Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation warns against use of illegal airport in occupied Cyprus The illegal airport in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus is not an internationally recognized airport and therefore it is unknown whether it fulfills the necessary provisions of international regulations and safety standards. This is underlined in a press release issued by the Flight Safety Foundation SE Europe-Middle East - Cyprus. The Foundation warns against the use of the illegal airport by an increasing number of Greek Cypriots and states that passengers may be at serious risk since the illegal airport is not supervised by any responsible international body like International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL. "It is therefore obvious that, as the illegal pseudostate in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus is not recognized internationally, the airport and Control Center of the illegal airport are not supervised by any responsible body and it is unknown whether it fulfills the provisions of international regulations and safety standards," the press release notes. The Flight Safety Foundation points out that it is questionable whether those who use the illegal airport have any insurance coverage in case of an accident, since no serious international insurance company would cover any illegal flights. "But apart from safety issues, Greek Cypriots traveling from the illegal airport contribute indirectly and unwillingly to Turkey`s efforts to upgrade the pseudostate", the press release concludes. The illegal airport is a closed airport situated in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus, which the Government of Cyprus, as the sole legitimate and internationally recognized authority on the island, has declared since 1974 as an illegal point of entry into and exit from the Republic of Cyprus, for the reason of not being able to exercise control over the occupied part of its territory, as a result of the continuing Turkish military occupation. Under International law the Republic of Cyprus is the sole sovereign authority with exclusive jurisdiction to determine which of its airports on its territory are open and functioning, as well as the terms of their operation. It is not recognized by ICAO, which is the highest international authority on legal issues relating to civil aviation in general. ICAO's policy on matters relating to Cyprus is in conformity with that of the United Nations and the international community. Consequently, ICAO recognizes only the Republic of Cyprus and its Government as the sole representative of the whole island. It should also be stressed that according to ICAO decisions of 1974, 1975 and 1977, a country not exercising temporarily effective control over its territory by reason of military occupation, does not lose its sovereign rights over such territory and the airspace above it. The Republic of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and since then occupy 37% of its territory. http://www.financialmirror.com/news-details.php?nid=28641 Back to Top Aircraft's landing gear collapsed before January crash at North Las Vegas Airport A main landing gear collapsed on Norman B. Ivans' twin-engine Piper Aerostar airplane as he was touching down under supervision of a flight instructor Jan. 2 at the North Las Vegas Airport, a preliminary report posted Monday on the National Transportation Safety Board's website said. "During landing, a main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway into the infield. The pilot and (flight instructor) egressed, and then the airplane caught fire," investigators said in the one-page report. The report, dated Thursday, doesn't give a probable cause for the crash or state why the landing gear failed. Final aircraft accident investigation reports can take up to a year or more to complete, depending on the lead investigator's workload. It was the second time in less than a year that Ivans, 72, crash-landed an Aerostar at the same airport. He was flying a different twin-engine Piper Aerostar when it crash-landed at North Las Vegas on Jan. 5, 2012 - 363 days from one crash to the next. In an interview after the most recent crash landing, Ivans confirmed he was at the controls with flight instructor Gary A. Marsh on board. After the Aerostar skidded off the runway, the two managed to escape without injury before flames engulfed the cabin of the $425,000 aircraft. Ivans, who said he has been flying "close to 40 years," attributed the Jan. 2 crash to "a mechanical failure." He declined to comment further about that, saying he is "involved with litigation." According to the preliminary report, Ivans didn't file a flight plan when he left the North Las Vegas Airport on Jan. 2. "The pilot was practicing simulated single-engine landings with the CFI (certified flight instructor) on board," the report reads. Federal Aviation Administration records show Ivans held a private pilot certificate issued in 2006 for single- and multiengine aircraft over land, with required corrective lenses. Ivans has said he kept his private pilot's license after last year's crash, but it was restricted to student pilot privileges, meaning he isn't allowed to carry passengers other than a certified flight instructor. But an FAA spokesman said that Ivans physically turned in his private pilot certificate to the Las Vegas Flight Standards Office and that he was issued a temporary, student certificate. http://www.lvrj.com/news/aircraft-s-landing-gear-collapsed-before-january-crash-at-north-las-vegas- airport-187814011.html?ref=011 Back to Top Plane's parachute deploys before crash (Video) Plane's Parachute Deploys Before Crash Three people on board a small plane escaped serious injuries when the pilot deployed the aircraft's parachute. The plane went down in Danbury, Connecticut on Tuesday. January 23, 2013 (WPVI) -- Three people walked away from a small plane crash in Connecticut, thanks to an aircraft parachute. The pilot deployed the safety net when the plane experienced engine trouble, and the parachute was able to bring it down slowly. The Cirrus SR-20 hit some power lines along the way down, which caused one thousand area households to lose electricity. Back to Top Back to Top Expat Pilots Pruned as SpiceJet Seeks Profit: Corporate India SpiceJet Ltd. (SJET), India's only listed budget airline, plans to cut costs by keeping fewer expatriate pilots on its payroll and changing flight crew schedules to help end two years of losses. Starting this month, the New Delhi-based company is operating all of its Boeing Co. 737 aircraft using local pilots, Chief Executive Officer Neil Mills said in an interview. Overseas nationals typically get paid 40 percent more than their local peers in India's aviation industry, including tax liabilities. A weaker rupee added to the expenses, Mills said. The airline will retain foreign pilots needed to operate its 15 Bombardier Inc. Q400 turbo-propeller planes, he said. "They supported us very well and they really helped us grow, but their cost has become very huge, particularly with the exchange rate having gone up adversely," Mills, a South African, said on the telephone from his office. SpiceJet, controlled by billionaire Kalanithi Maran, is joining rivals including Jet Airways (India) Ltd. (JETIN) and state- owned Air India Ltd. in trimming expenditure as competition, fuel prices and government levies weigh on earnings. SpiceJet shares more than doubled last year, the best performance since 2009, amid speculation Maran will sell a stake to an overseas partner after the government relaxed foreign investment rules. Employee Costs Spending on workers at SpiceJet, which had hired 60 expatriate pilots for its Boeing fleet, rose 66 percent to 4 billion rupees ($74 million) in the year ended March 31 after the carrier added the Bombardier turboprops. Jet Airways, the nation's largest publicly traded carrier, spent 18 percent more on salaries during the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Indian currency weakened 12.4 percent against the dollar in the same period, making it more expensive for employers paying salaries denominated in greenback. New duty rosters for attendants will also ensure they return to their home base by the end of the day, eliminating hotel expenses, SpiceJet's Chief Financial Officer R. Neelakantan said in an interview separately. "Irrespective of the volume of savings, a good organization won't pass up an opportunity to save even a single rupee," said Harsh Vardhan, chairman of Starair Consulting, a New Delhi-based company that advises airlines. "Pilot costs are a major expense for airlines." Saving Money Air India too is switching to a new flight duty assignment system by March to ensure crew return to their home base, according to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Mumbai- based Jet Airways, which has planes worth $2 billion available for sale and leaseback transactions, will be able to unlock $500 million after discounting aircraft loans of about $1.5 billion, K.G. Vishwanath, vice president of commercial strategy, said in a Nov. 5 conference call. SpiceJet, which operates 36 Boeing aircraft and plans to add seven more this year, forecasts it will end the financial year without losses after reporting profit in the first and third fiscal quarters, CEO Mills said. A net income of 1.02 billion rupees in the three months to Dec. 31 exceeded the median 212 million rupees predicted by six analysts in a Bloomberg survey, compared with a loss of 392.6 million rupees a year earlier. Net loss at SpiceJet may narrow to 610 million rupees in the 12 months through March 31, from 6 billion rupees a year ago, according to the median estimate of 11 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. It may report a profit of 1.05 billion rupees next year, the estimates show. Fuel Prices Shares of SpiceJet have risen 4.9 percent this year, lagging behind a 7.1 percent rally in Jet Airways stock. The shares fell 1 percent to 46.15 rupees in Mumbai today. Seven of 11 analysts recommend buying SpiceJet shares. Still, airline finances are strained because of high jet fuel prices and airport charges. "The biggest challenge we continue to have is jet-fuel pricing in India, particularly around the taxes and the mechanism," SpiceJet's Mills said. "It continues to be so for the entire industry." India last year ended a ban on airlines directly importing jet fuel to help them save on local taxes that average about 25 percent. The petroleum ministry agreed to allow airlines to use refiners' infrastructure at airports when they import the fuel, Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in a Dec. 4 interview. Kingfisher Troubles SpiceJet has reached as many as nine agreements with suppliers and vendors to import the fuel, Mills said. The airline will receive its first consignment of imported jet fuel by March 31. The nation's carriers have also benefited from capacity cuts after cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. (KAIR) reduced services through last year and eventually halted flights in October. Kingfisher's operating permit lapsed Jan. 1 after Chairman Vijay Mallya failed to show authorities the funds to restart and maintain operations. "Airlines are gaining from improved yields due to Kingfisher," said Sharan Lillaney, a Mumbai- based analyst at Angel Broking Ltd., who rates SpiceJet stock a buy. "This profit is going to be sustainable over a long period of time now," he said, referring to SpiceJet. SpiceJet isn't desperate to raise cash from a stake sale unless the deal is attractive, Mills said. Owner Maran's holdings in the airline and Sun TV Network Ltd. (SUNTV) are worth about $2.4 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The carrier was in talks with AirAsia Bhd., an Indian government official said on Nov. 26, a claim denied the same day in an e-mail statement by the Sepang Selangor, Malaysia-based airline's group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes. "Where we're going is really dependent on what deal is available, but we are not desperate," Mills said. "I am the only CEO in India today that has any issue with fixed deposit rates because I have money in the bank." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-23/expat-pilots-pruned-as-spicejet-seeks-profit- corporate-india.html Back to Top AMR Corp. seeks court permission to buy 400 aircraft worth $38 billion Lawyers for bankrupt American Airlines parent AMR Corp. will ask a bankruptcy judge on Wednesday to approve restructured purchase agreements with Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS for more than 400 aircraft and engines worth an estimated $38 billion. Originally negotiated in July 2011, four months before AMR filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, the purchase agreements for 260 Airbus A320 aircraft and 200 Boeing 737s are the largest commercial aircraft order in history and the key to American's restructuring, company officials said. AMR also will ask the court to approve its entry into a purchase agreement with Boeing for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, certain financing commitments for Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, Boeing 737-8 aircraft and the assumption of other aircraft spare parts, support and services agreements. "The restructured aircraft purchase agreements will provide for certain concessions and savings to American in connection with the acquisition by American of the 737 aircraft, the 787 aircraft and aircraft spare parts," AMR said in a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "The restructured aircraft purchase agreements will also provide for the substitution of up to 20 787-8 aircraft for 787-9 aircraft, an accelerated delivery schedule for the 787 aircraft with deliveries scheduled to commence in November 2014 and to continue in each calendar year through September 2018, and the confirmation of the purchase of the 787 aircraft, which previously had been subject to certain reconfirmation rights." Under the restructured purchase agreements as of Jan. 31, American will have firm orders for 111 Boeing 737 jets, 18 Boeing 777s and 42 Boeing 787s, with the option to purchase 40 737s, 13 777s and 58 787s, SEC documents say. Company officials said American is not deterred by the rash of overheating batteries on Boeing 787s that has caused the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the plane. "First (787) delivery is scheduled for late 2014," a company official said. "We have time." Today, American's fleet averages 15 years old, one of the oldest in the industry. By acquiring new planes, American executives hope to reduce the airline's 2012 jet fuel costs of $8.7 billion, 26 percent more than the company spent for wages, salaries and benefits last year, as well as increasing its appeal to business and leisure travelers. By 2017, American's mainline fleet is expected to be the youngest among U.S. network carriers, 35 percent more fuel efficient than its present fleet and capable of matching aircraft size to demand in its various markets, company executives said. The Boeing and Airbus deals include $13 billion in financing through lease transactions that AMR said would cover the cost of the first 230 deliveries, beginning this year. AMR's proposed assumption of the restructured purchase agreements and related contracts include settlements of claims against AMR by Boeing and its affiliates, court documents show. AMR executives said the agreements will be valid regardless if AMR merges with another airline before or after it emerges from bankruptcy, court documents say. "New, fuel-efficient aircraft will allow the debtors to lower costs and enable them to fully compete for their share of "high value" (business) customers and maximize their revenues, thereby assuring their long-term viability and profitability," AMR said in court documents. "The debtor's fleet plan is a fundamental element of their business plan and their successful emergence from Chapter 11. "Further, the debtors' plans for the purchase of aircraft over the next several years would not be altered in any material respect by any potential strategic alternatives, whether pursued as part of these reorganization cases or thereafter." AMR's four motions before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane are supported by the aircraft and engine manufacturers Boeing, Airbus, General Electric, Rolls-Royce and IAE, court document show. http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=45&articleid=20130123_45_E1_Lawyer775729 Back to Top Turkey unveils plan for world's biggest airport ANKARA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Turkey plans to build what it said would be the largest airport in the world in Istanbul, eventually able to handle 150 million passengers per year, in a project seen costing more than 7 billion euros ($9.3 billion). Transport Minister Binali Yildirim said on Wednesday the deadline for bids to build the airport, which will be Istanbul's third and have a total of six runways, would be May 3. It was not clear when the contract would be awarded. The airport will add vital capacity in the region and enhance the role of Istanbul, the hub for flag carrier Turkish Airlines. "At full capacity the new airport will be the largest in the world in terms of passengers," Yildirim told a news conference in Ankara. "We calculate the whole project will cost more than 7 billion euros excluding financing costs." Turkey's economy, the fastest-growing in Europe, has advanced rapidly over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and become a major trading partner with Europe and the Middle East. The tender will be for a 25-year lease in a four-stage project, with annual capacity of 90 million passengers planned for the first stage, Yildirim said. "The final annual capacity of the airport will be 150 million. The first stage will be operational in 2017," he said. The tender advertisement will be published in Turkey's Official Gazette on Thursday. Prime Minister Erdogan said on Tuesday the tender would be launched on Thursday with the first stage of construction to be completed in 3-4 years. Turkish airport operator and builder TAV and construction company Limak are among the companies that have expressed interest in bidding for the contract. TAV also has the operating rights for Istanbul's Ataturk airport, the country's largest, until 2021. It said the Turkish airports authority would compensate it for any losses if the third airport opened while it was still running Ataturk. Back to Top DC-8 WRONG AIRFIELD IN VIET NAM - April 1969 Video Seaboard World DC-8 lands at Marble Mountain- Vietnam.m4v During the Vietnam War, a contractor-operated DC-8 landed on the wrong airfield in South Vietnam. The control tower cleared the DC-8 to land at Da Nang Air Base, and by mistake the co-pilot landed the plane at Marble Mountain Airfield a remote operating location near Da Nang with a 3200 foot runway. This event is pretty well-known history among the "Non-Sched" flight crews flying the MAC charters in and out of Viet Nam. When Seaboard World Flight Operations got the word on what happened, they contacted Douglas Aircraft Corp for advice. Douglas said "take the aircraft apart and ship it home". FAA said the same thing. Instead, the pilot and co-pilot elected to try and get airborne on a less than adequate length runway and succeeded, getting in the air about 300 feet from the end of the runway. For safety concerns, the flight hostesses were left behind at the remote airstrip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bvK6enoQDg Curt Lewis