Flight Safety Information January 28, 2013 - No. 022 In This Issue Dreamliner: Boeing 787 aircraft battery 'not faulty' Air Safety Group Urged Tougher Battery Tests Wreckage of Aircraft Located High in Antarctic Mountain Range Flight from Houston to London makes emergency landing Jet from John Wayne Airport makes emergency landing after bird strike Pilots manually lower gear for Nebraska landing PROS IOSA Audit Experts Aviation Alliance to Offer Turbo-prop C421 Rabbits gnawing away at cars in Colorado airport 58 new aircraft boost Saudia services FAA's deputy CIO Cooper to leave government Dreamliner: Boeing 787 aircraft battery 'not faulty' Safety inspectors are looking at a battery taken from an ANA Dreamliner earlier this week (BBC) Airline safety inspectors have found no faults with the battery used on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, Japan's transport ministry has said. The battery was initially considered the likely source of problems on 787s owned by two Japanese airlines. The world's entire fleet of 50 787s has been grounded while inspections are carried out. Attention has now shifted to the electrical system that monitors battery voltage, charging and temperature. Transport ministry official Shigeru Takano said "we have found no major quality or technical problem" with the lithium-ion batteries. Shares in GS Yuasa, which makes the batteries, jumped 5% on the news. "We are looking into affiliated parts makers," he said. "We are looking into possibilities." The safety investigation started after one of the 787s operated by All Nippon Airways made an emergency landing in Japan when its main battery overheated. Earlier, a battery in a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire while parked at Boston's Logan International Airport. Who owns Dreamliners? Air India: 6 All Nippon Airways (Japan): 17 Ethiopian Airlines: 4 Japan Airlines: 7 LAN Airlines (Chile): 3 Lot Polish Airlines: 2 Qatar Airways: 5 United Airlines (US): 6 Total: 50 Source: Boeing Two weeks ago the US Federal Aviation Administration said both batteries had leaked electrolyte fluid, and there had been smoke damage to parts of the aircraft. The FAA said airlines must demonstrate battery safety before flights could resume, a statement that effectively meant airlines had to ground their 787s. Boeing, which competes against Europe's Airbus, has halted 787 deliveries. Boeing has orders for more than 800 Dreamliners. The 787 is the first airliner made mostly from lightweight composite materials that boost fuel efficiency. It also relies on electronic systems rather than hydraulic or mechanical systems to a greater degree than any other airliner. Back to Top Air Safety Group Urged Tougher Battery Tests By ANDY PASZTOR Shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration issued safety rules in 2007 for using lithium-ion batteries on Boeing Co. BA -0.39%'s 787 Dreamliner jets, an industry standards-setting group called for stricter testing to prevent battery fires on aircraft. Boeing and FAA officials decided that since design and testing of the plane was so far along, mandating the tougher standards would disrupt years of joint safety work and unfairly delay production of the cutting-edge Dreamliners, said people familiar with the details. NTSB Materials Engineer Matt Fox examines the casing from the battery involved in the JAL Boeing 787 fire incident in Boston. Now, with all 787s grounded indefinitely due to two incidents of burning batteries earlier this month, Boeing and the FAA are analyzing what it would take for the planes to comply with the tougher standards, these people said. The reassessment is part of the FAA's review of the plane's design and assembly. No final decision has been made about running more tests, these people said. And experts agree it isn't clear whether the tougher tests would have prevented the battery fires on the 787. The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't identified the root cause of the fires after three weeks of investigation. The FAA reiterated Sunday that it was looking into the 787's "critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information." Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter on Sunday said the 787 had "the most rigorous test program in Boeing's history and the most robust certification program ever conducted" by the FAA. The statement also said the industry group's "standards were not designed for the 787" and didn't "take into account the robust Boeing requirements and specific 787 design features." The industrywide standards for lithium-ion batteries were approved in March 2008 by nearly two dozen members of a committee set up by RTCA Inc., a nonprofit organization that serves as the FAA's main adviser on certain technical issues. The tougher standards included testing to ensure that even if various backup circuits protecting the battery systems all failed, the batteries wouldn't explode, burn or rupture. The standards adopted by the FAA for Boeing's 787, by contrast, determined that the likelihood of such multiple failures on Dreamliners was "extremely remote" and therefore no such testing was necessary, according to FAA documents and people familiar with the details. Those standards were published in October 2007 in the Federal Register. Ms. Gunter, the Boeing spokeswoman, said Boeing "validated through extensive analysis and testing" that the likelihood of multiple failures of backup systems was extremely remote. RTCA, founded in 1935 as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, said that "until further details are known," it won't comment on the battery incidents. The differences between the RTCA's standards and those used for the 787 haven't previously been reported. The standards show that prominent government and industry experts were concerned years ago about "the worst case scenario" for large lithium-ion batteries. Such batteries, which are potentially flammable, had never been used in such a way in passenger jets before the 787. Global regulators this month grounded all 50 Dreamliners in service in the wake of fires in planes operated by Japan Airlines Co. 9201.TO +1.37%and All Nippon Airways Co. U.S. and Japanese investigators continue to look at whether an internal battery defect, external electrical problem or some combination of the two was responsible for the dangerous incidents. Experts agree it isn't clear whether stricter testing years ago could have prevented the recent incidents. But testing under the RTCA standards could have shown the potentially catastrophic result of battery problems in conjunction with such failures of safety systems. The RTCA standards were developed on a separate track and never intended specifically to cover the 787, although some of the same FAA and Boeing officials participated in both efforts and the industrywide group was co-chaired by a Boeing battery expert. The FAA and Boeing weren't obligated to adopt the tougher testing requirements for the 787, although the FAA eventually incorporated the RTCA battery-testing requirement into some of its safety documents and advisory circulars that could apply to models following the 787 family of lightweight, fuel-efficient jets. The Dreamliner was originally set for delivery in 2008. But a series of production snafus and other problems delayed the first commercial flight until late 2011. NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman told reporters Thursday "there are multiple systems [on 787s] to prevent against a battery event" like the one that occurred on the Japan Airlines aircraft at Boston's Logan International Airport. "Those systems didn't work as intended." On Sunday, the NTSB said its recent laboratory tests haven't produced any "significant findings"; it also said it was looking into the FAA's original battery-safety standards. Without a clear timeline from investigators, airlines are girding for uncertainty and flight disruptions from the Dreamliner's problems that could stretch weeks, or perhaps months. Stanley Whittingham, a chemistry professor at the State University of New York, Binghamton, who worked on some of the first lithium-ion batteries in the 1970s but isn't involved with the 787, said designers should consider what happens if redundant safety circuits don't do their jobs. For starters, he believes the batteries should be enclosed in a more robust container to limit fire damage. "I believe the batteries should have a container as a backstop against fire," he said. "This would seem to be an obvious step to take." The RTCA's 2008 move was intended to ensure uniform testing of all large lithium-ion batteries installed on future aircraft. The document spells out some testing methods when "all internal or external active protection circuits shall be disabled or bypassed." This test sequence, according to the document, "is designed to demonstrate the extent of a battery failure under a worst-case scenario" in order to help determine proper size of wiring and circuit breakers. The test also is intended to show if any flames shoot outside a faulty battery for a period of up to three hours, or if debris or toxic chemicals escape. Another test, also with protective circuits disabled or bypassed, is intended to mimic an internal short in the battery and show "the effects of the battery going into thermal runaway"-in which the temperature spikes dramatically and spreads to other cells. The NTSB has identified such a sequence of events aboard the Japan Airlines plane. The heading above that test reads: "WARNING: Attention is drawn to the possible risk of fire or explosion involved when performing this test." Back to Top Wreckage of Aircraft Located High in Antarctic Mountain Range Joint U.S., New Zealand search-and-rescue effort pinpoints aircraft at 13,000 feet A Twin Otter aircraft at NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is shown in a 2006 photograph. The wreckage of a Twin Otter aircraft that was reported missing earlier this week in Antarctica has been found in a remote and mountainous area of the continent. An initial assessment by Kenn Borek Air Ltd. of Calgary, Canada, the owner of the plane, deemed the crash "not survivable." Weather has prevented search-and-rescue personnel from landing at the site. The National Science Foundation (NSF), as manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), has been cooperating with the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, since the search-and-rescue effort to locate the missing aircraft--a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter--began earlier this week. Communication with the Twin Otter was lost on Wednesday night, New Zealand time, and search-and-rescue operations have been hampered by bad weather and poor visibility since that time. The plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The aircraft was enroute from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost. The three crew members were the only people aboard the plane at the time. On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 26, local time, a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft-- operated by the New York Air National Guard for the USAP and flying from NSF's McMurdo Station--overflew the last known position from the aircraft emergency beacon and spotted the aircraft tail at an elevation of about 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) on Mt. Elizabeth, a 4,480-meter (14,500-foot) summit in the Queen Alexandra Range of the Transantarctic Mountains. Subsequently, a Twin Otter carrying U.S. and New Zealand search-and-rescue personnel conducted an aerial survey of the site and determined that a landing by fixed-wing aircraft was not possible. Later, two helicopters--one under New Zealand charter and the other flown for the USAP by PHI, Inc. of Lafayette, Louisiana--arrived at a small camp established roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the crash location to support the operation. The rescue teams will attempt to reach the site, if conditions permit, before returning to McMurdo Station. http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=126711&org=NSF&from=news Back to Top Flight from Houston to London makes emergency landing HOUSTON -- A British Airways flight from Houston to London's Heathrow Airport made an emergency landing at an airport in Wales, The Daily Telegraph reported early Monday. Technical issues arose on the aircraft during its descent into London, the newspaper reported. None of the plane's 138 passengers were injured. The flight landed in Wales around 4:45 a.m. Houston time. British Airways technicians were called in to look over the aircraft, a Boeing 747. It wasn't immediately determined if the aircraft would be able to continue on to London, but passengers were asked to stay on-board while the plane was looked over. http://www.khou.com/news/local/Flight-from-Houston-to-London-makes-emergency- landing-188645841.html Back to Top Jet from John Wayne Airport makes emergency landing after bird strike LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An American Airlines jet departing from John Wayne airport made an unscheduled landing after a bird strike. Passenger Stacy Parry of Whittier sent in a photo of American flight 634. She told Eyewitness News that the left engine caught fire. The flight was headed to Dallas when it hit three birds shortly after takeoff Saturday morning. The plane diverted to Los Angeles International Airport and landed safely. Back to Top Pilots manually lower gear for Nebraska landing NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) - A plane carry 17 passengers from Denver to North Platte set down safely after some tense moments caused by trouble with the plane's landing gear. North Platte television station KNOP reports (http://bit.ly/YyYJSe ) that Great Lakes Flight 7252 couldn't land on its first approach Sunday afternoon because its landing gear wouldn't deploy. The Beechcraft 1900 circled the airfield while the pilots manually lowered the gear. Passenger Mallorie Hernandez, of Lexington, says the pilots told passengers to remain calm and brace themselves. The plane then landed about 3 p.m. without further incident as fire and medical crews waited. Back to Top Back to Top Aviation Alliance to Offer Turbo-prop C421 US company Aviation Alliance, under former Cessna CEO Jack Pelton, is to offer a Cessna 421 turbo-prop upgrade for the charter market. The company will fit a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle airframe with Pratt & Whitney PT6A- 135A turbo-props and other enhancements including winglets, a custom Garmin avionics suite, and vortex generators, calling the upgrade an Excalibur 421. "The Excalibur 421 is essentially a brand-new airplane," Pelton said. He added that the company is flying a prototype of the aircraft "proving that our aggressive performance goals are realistic and achievable. There's nothing flying that can come close to the value proposition and performance that we're offering." Projected performance will have the Excalibur 421 with a max speed of 327 knots with an IFR range of 1420 nm. By contrast, the original 421C had a max speed of 258 kt and a range of 1089 nm with standard fuel. The aircraft is expected to sell around US$2.5 million and be available at the end of 2013. http://www.australianflying.com.au/news/aviation-alliance-to-offer-turbo-prop-c421 Back to Top Rabbits gnawing away at cars in Colorado airport The rabbit problem is a bit, well, hare-raising. Rabbits living near the Denver International Airport in Colorado are crawling underneath parked cars and chewing away brake lines and wiring, CBS4 reports. The hungry hares' appetites are taking a big chunk out of people's wallets, as auto repair shops in the area say they can do damage worth thousands of dollars. The airport told CBS4 that agents from the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services patrol the parking lots and remove any rabbits they find, but few have complained about car problems. www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/27/rabbits-gnawing-away-at-cars-in-colorado- airport/#ixzz2JH9T1ezY Back to Top 58 new aircraft boost Saudia services (MENAFN - Arab News) Saudi Arabian Airlines has transported more than 24 million passengers in 2012, said Khaled Al-Molhem, its director general. "We have carried a record number of 24,328,157 passengers last year, with an increase of over 2.85 million or 13.28 percent compared to 2011," he said while explaining Saudia's achievements. Al-Molhem said Saudia transported 14,183,500 passengers on domestic flights covering 23 airports, with an increase of over two million or 17 percent against 2011. "On our international flights we carried 10,144,657 passengers with an increase of 8.43 percent or 788,499 compared to the previous year," he pointed out. "The increase in Saudia passengers by 2.85 million in a single year reflects the growing number of people who travel by air, especially between Saudi cities," the DG said. He attributed the increase in passengers to Saudia's strategy to make more seats available to people traveling between the Kingdom's different regions and to major international destinations. "We have received 58 new Airbus (A320, A321, and A330) and Boeing (777-300ER) aircraft during the past two years and this has helped us operate more flights with required number of seats and meet market requirements, especially during the peak Haj & Umrah and summer seasons," he pointed out. Al-Molhem said Saudia was able to achieve the highest operation rate in 2012 in its 70 year history. It operated 171,341 domestic and international flights in 2012 compared to 158,449 flights in 2011, with an increase of 12,892 flights or eight percent. In the domestic sector, Saudia operated 112,319 flights against 100,963 flights in 2011 with an increase of 11,356 flights or 11 percent. On time performance reached 90.12 percent in the domestic sector. "We operated 46,889 flights on the international sector against 43,759 flights in 2011 with an increase of 3,310 flights or seven percent, showing a 88.21 percent on-time performance," the DG said. During the peak summer, Umrah and vacation seasons, Saudia transported 6.84 million passengers against 6.23 million in 2011, with an increase of about 600,000 passengers or 8.27 percent. "We have been transporting an average of 65,000 passengers daily," he added. Back to Top FAA's deputy CIO Cooper to leave government Steve Cooper, the Federal Aviation Administration's deputy chief information officer, is retiring from federal service Jan. 31. Cooper confirmed his decision to Federal News Radio, saying he was taking an early buyout from the FAA. "I'll probably take the weekend and move back into the private sector," he said. "One of the things I will do is go back into the Strativest group. I had to take a leave of absence from that when I came to the FAA. The other thing I want to explore further, which I enjoy, but don't know if I can make a lot of money at, is teaching. I've been doing it as an adjunct professor or guest lecturer." Cooper said Tina Amereihn, who has been the FAA's CIO since last summer, may not appoint a new deputy CIO as she is reorganizing the agency's technology management infrastructure. He's been the FAA deputy CIO since October 2011 and has been with the agency since September 2009 when he joined as the CIO of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Cooper has been in and out of government since 2002 when President George W. Bush appointed him as a special adviser in the White House and then the first CIO for the Homeland Security Department. During his tenure at the FAA, Cooper promoted mobile computing, including testing tablet computers and moving to a virtualized desktop. "I loved working for the FAA," Cooper said. "I believe I've appreciated the opportunity to serve or give back now more than if it was earlier in my career," he said. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it and if I had a few less unmarried daughters I'd stick around, but I have to make some money. FAA was very different than service at DHS and White House. The reason I took job was this was a frontline organization. ATO was an opportunity to be up-close and personal with the only organization that manages nation's air system." Once back in the private sector, Cooper will help small and medium-sized companies work with the federal government. "We want to help small companies with their business or go-to-market strategies, or help them team with larger businesses who already are doing business with federal agencies," he said. "Cracking the federal environment can be tough to win your first few contracts. Oftentimes the best way is to team with a company already doing business or has the past performance so we will help companies figure out who is the best to team with." http://www.federalnewsradio.com/530/3207072/FAAs-deputy-CIO-Cooper-to-leave- government Curt Lewis