Flight Safety Information February 6, 2013 - No. 029 In This Issue Boeing asks FAA to conduct 787 test flights "Thermal Runaway" in 787 Dreamliner Batteries Must Be Stopped Italian air accident pilots under investigation Autopilots making airline pilots rusty Rise in laser pen attacks on airline pilots over London FAA opposes airline regulation requiring toddler safety seats Business Aviation Safety Report Shows Ups and Downs Pilots to Blame for An-28 Plane Crash in Kamchatka, Aviation Committee Says NTSB Chairman to Address Reporters PROS IOSA Audit Experts World's Ugliest Airplane Retires: Where's It Going? Korea commission says female cabin crew at Asiana Airlines should be allowed to wear trousers Boeing asks FAA to conduct 787 test flights WASHINGTON U.S. regulators say they are evaluating a Boeing request to conduct test flights of its 787 Dreamliners, which were grounded nearly three weeks ago after a battery fire in one plane and smoke in another. "Boeing has submitted an application to conduct 787 test flights and it is currently under evaluation by the FAA," the airplane maker said. It declined to elaborate. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the request, but officials there also declined to elaborate. Boeing's request to the FAA was first reported by The Seattle Times. A lithium ion battery in a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire on Jan. 7 while the plane was parked at Logan International Airport in Boston. Nine days later battery problems forced an emergency landing by an All Nippon Airways 787 in Japan. CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reported last week even more batteries had gone bad on the 787 Dreamliner since it began flying over a year ago. United Airlines had to replace multiple batteries on its fleet of six Dreamliners, and Japan's All Nippon Airways had 10 cases of battery replacement due to "technical issues" in 2012. All 50 of the planes are grounded worldwide while investigations continue in the U.S. and Japan. http://www.cbsnews.com/ Back to Top "Thermal Runaway" in 787 Dreamliner Batteries Must Be Stopped Boeing (BA) is certainly eager to get its 787 Dreamliner back into service. Unfortunately, all 50 of the 500,000 pound, $207 million aircraft that it's shipped - years late after at least seven missed delivery deadlines - have been grounded. And in a test of how much regulatory capture has taken place in the airline industry, there is a war going on now between the needs of Boeing and airline shareholders and those of people who fly on 787s. The good news is that war could end shortly - all Boeing needs to do is to change the two batteries that power the 787 so they don't burn up in a process dubbed 'thermal runaway" - a chemical reaction in which a rising temperature causes progressively hotter temperatures, according to AP. In January, the 787s lithium-ion batteries overheated on Boeing 787 flights in Japan and Boston. AP reports that investigators in Japan found evidence of the same type of thermal runaway in the Japan battery-burn-up as was found in the Boston one. While Japan Transportation Safety Board investigators said they did not find evidence of quality problems at GS Yuasa, that makes the 787 batteries, their CT scans and other analysis found damage to all eight cells in the battery that overheated on the All Nippon Airways 787 on January 16 that prompted an emergency landing. They also found signs of short-circuiting and thermal runaway. As MIT professor, Donald Sadoway, explained to me in a January interview, the photos of the batteries suggest that such thermal runaway is practically designed into the 787 batteries. That's because the eight notebook-sized lithium-ion batteries are packed next to each other in a sealed metal box. Those batteries are prone to heat up and the 787 battery design makes it difficult to vent that heat. Boeing told regulators that it had implemented a computer controlled system to stop such overheating. Moreover, if that system failed, Boeing's system would channel the resulting smoke and flames outside of the aircraft without getting into the passenger cabin. Needless to say, this system did not work with the flights that prompted regulators to ground all 50 aircraft. But one thing seems to be emerging from the efforts of U.S. and Japanese investigators - thermal runaway was found on all the 787 batteries that burned up. And if Sadoway is right, the two ways to make sure it does not happen again are to change the design of the lithium-ion battery or replace it with a safer, but less-powerful battery technology. Weeks ago, the cost to Boeing of reimbursing airlines for the lost revenue resulting from the grounding of the 50 787s was estimated at about $550 million. The longer those aircraft are grounded and the other roughly 800 orders for 787s are not shipped, the more it costs Boeing shareholders. It's up to regulators in the U.S. and Japan to resist the pressure from Boeing to pretend that the problem of self-immolating lithium-ion batteries due to thermal runaway - and who knows what eles - won't happen again. Otherwise, the people who are flying on the next 787 that goes up in the air may not be as lucky as the ones in Boston and Japan. http://www.forbes.com/ Back to Top Italian air accident pilots under investigation The Romanian pilot and co-pilot of a plane that veered off a runway after landing in strong winds at Rome airport are under investigation for causing the accident, Italian media reported on Tuesday. Two people were seriously injured when the ATR 72 turboprop from Romania's Carpatair, which was flying on behalf of Italy's Alitalia, veered into the grass with damaged landing gear on Saturday. Prosecutors are investigating whether the accident, which triggered scenes of panic and screaming in the cabin, was caused by the weather or pilot error. The charges being considered are for involuntarily causing an accident and injury, the reports said. The plane was flying from Pisa in central Italy. Italian media reported two previous incidents involving Carpatair planes last month. The airline last year signed a flight-sharing deal with Alitalia that was controversial with unions. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130205/italian-air-accident-pilots-under- investigation ************ Status: Preliminary Date: 02 FEB 2013 Time: ca 20:15 Type: ATR 72-212A Operating for: Alitalia Leased from: Carpatair Registration: YR-ATS C/n / msn: 533 First flight: 1997-11-05 (15 years 3 months) Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127F Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 46 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 50 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) (Italy) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Pisa-Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) (PSA/LIRP), Italy Destination airport: Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) (FCO/LIRF), Italy Flightnumber: 1670 Narrative: An ATR-72 passenger plane, YR-ATS, was involved in a landing accident at Roma- Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Italy. The airplane landed in strong cross wind conditions and came to rest in the grass off the side of the runway. The right hand main gear had collapsed and the airplane sustained damage to the fuselage and nr. 2 engine propeller blades. There are reports that four occupants were injured, two of them seriously. Alitalia flight AZ1670 had departed Pisa-Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) on a domestic flight to Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO). This flight was operated by Carpatair on behalf of Alitalia. According to Italian media reports the accident happened about 20:15 at the scheduled time of arrival. The airport web site reports the airplane landed at 20:40. Tweets from passengers at Rome-Fiumicino suggest the accident may have happened about 21:15. The airplane landed in strong winds from 250 degrees on runway 16L or 16R. Runway 25 at Fiumicino was Notamed not available for landings due to work in progress. According to Italian media the airplane landed on runway 16L. The Fiumicino Notam reports limitations of the ILS: - LOCALIZER AT 17NM MRA 3000FT AND AT 25NM MRA 4000FT - GLIDE PATH COVERAGE REDUCED AT 8.5NM Weather about the time of the accident: LIRF 021920Z 25028G41KT 9999 SCT023 SCT040 11/04 Q0992 WS RWY 16L NOSIG [19:20 UTC / 20:20 LT: Wind 250 degrees at 28 knots, gusting to 41 knots; Visibility: 10+ km; Scattered clouds at 2200 feet AGL and 4000 feet AGL; Temperature: 11°C; Dewpoint: 4°C; Pressure: 992 mb; Windshear at runway 16L] LIRF 021950Z 25023KT 9999 SCT023 SCT040 11/03 Q0992 NOSIG LIRF 022020Z 25022G32KT 9999 SCT022 BKN040 11/03 Q0992 NOSIG The ATR 72-212 has a demonstrated maximum crosswind component of 35 kts on a dry runway. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Autopilots making airline pilots rusty, Transport Canada and U.S. agency warn Airline pilots are being urged to switch off the autopilot and occasionally fly their jets by hand to avoid getting rusty. Investigators in part blamed poor airmanship for the crash of a Bombardier Dash 8-400 during its approach to Buffalo airport on Feb. 12, 2009, killing 50 people. Workers are seen here sorting through debris the following day. OTTAWA-Airline pilots are being urged to switch off the autopilot and occasionally fly their jets by hand to avoid getting rusty. In an era of cockpit automation, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is worried that some pilots are losing their flying skills and might be unprepared to take over in an emergency. The agency has issued a warning to airlines urging pilots to occasionally turn off the automation and practice flying their aircraft by hand. Frequent use of autoflight systems could lead to "degradation of the pilots' ability to quickly recover the aircraft from an undesired state," the agency said in its bulletin. Transport Canada has echoed that warning, distributing the FAA's bulletin to its own network of inspectors and operators to alert them to the issue and the suggested remedies. The American agency says an analysis of flight operations has revealed an increase in "manual handling errors" and says that maintaining flying skills is essential for safe operations. Today, most modern jets are flown using sophisticated autopilots and autothrottles that be can be engaged just minutes after takeoff to guide a plane along its route and then down to a safe landing without the pilots ever touching the controls. Indeed, airlines encourage the use of the automated systems to help ensure smooth and safe flights, especially during times when pilot workload is high, such as flying into busy airports. The problem is exacerbated for pilots flying long-haul routes. Because of their length, they may fly only three or four round-trip flights month, reducing their time at the controls. But now the U.S. regulatory agency is warning that those sophisticated systems have a downside - that pilots aren't getting enough stick time to stay sharp. "Unfortunately, continuous use of those systems does not reinforce a pilot's knowledge and skills in manual flight operations," the bulletin says. It urges airlines to develop policies to ensure pilots get the chance during day-to-day flying to practice their manual flying skills. The concerns have been driven home by several prominent accidents in recent years. Investigators in part blamed poor airmanship for the crash of a Bombardier Dash 8-400 during its approach to Buffalo airport on Feb. 12, 2009. The crash killed all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. The captain put the aircraft into an aerodynamic stall - meaning it lost lift - and was too low to recover. Later than year, Air France flight 447 - an Airbus A330-200 - vanished over the Atlantic Ocean while en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro. An exhaustive report revealed that when the jet's autopilot abruptly switched off the flight crew made "inappropriate" inputs on the controls, failed to recognize their jet was in a stall and never recovered from the resulting rapid descent into the ocean. Al 228 passengers and crew were killed. "Manual aeroplane handling cannot be improvised and requires precision and measured inputs on the flight controls," said the report from French investigators, citing "weaknesses" by the two co-pilots who were at the controls at the time. Daniel Slunder, national chair of the Canadian Federal Pilots Association, which represents pilots employed by the federal government, said the autopilots are often engaged soon after takeoff. "You hold on to the airplane, lift the nose up and at barely 400 feet, you press the autopilot and watch the magic occur," he said in an interview. Pilots for Canada's two major airlines get frequent opportunities to keep their skills sharp, both in the air and in sophisticated simulators where they train for every conceivable emergency. Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said technology combined with well-trained pilots is one reason air travel is safer now than ever before. "Air Canada pilots regularly receive recurrent training and testing on all aspects of flying to maintain their manual flying skills and their qualifications for their pilot licence," Fitzpatrick said. "In the course of simulator training, any type of scenario can be replicated to ensure pilots will respond correctly to any given situation." "You could see our pilots doing up to six legs in a day and that gives them the hands-on flying that allows them to hone their skills on a regular basis," said Richard Bartrem, the airline's vice-president of communications and community relations. "It's certainly in their DNA to want to fly and hone their skills," he said. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/ Back to Top Rise in laser pen attacks on airline pilots over London (BBC) Help There has been a rise in the number of incidents in which handheld lasers are being used to distract airline pilots flying over London, police have said. The Met said in 2010 there were 145 reported incidents. In 2012 the number rose to 252. Officers say lives are being put at risk and have released new images to show just how dangerous the crime can be. BBC London's Guy Smith speaks to Dr Rob Hunter from the British Airline Pilots Association and Sgt Richard Brandon from the Met Police's Air Support Unit. Back to Top FAA opposes airline regulation requiring toddler safety seats OAKLAND, Calif. - A battle brewing between the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA over whether to create a rule requiring that children under the age of two fly in child safety seats could soon affect how your kids fly. While the NTSB is recommending the requirement, the FAA is not on board. One of the people behind the new push is Jan Brown Lohr. She was the lead flight attendant on United Flight 232 when it crashed in Sioux City, Iowa in July of 1989. She was unconscious during the actual crash, but remembers trying to block a distraught mother from running back in the wreckage for her toddler son. The boy was one of the 111 passengers killed in the crash. "I can still have the visual image of it," said Brown Lohr. Now Lohr is supporting a proposal that would require all children under the age of two to be strapped into a safety seat -- essentially a car seat -- while on an airplane. Right now, children under the age of two can fly for free if they sit on an adult's lap. At the Oakland International Airport, KTVU found many parents who support the change. "I was always nervous on takeoff and landing," said Catherine Naysmith of Orinda. "It didn't feel like you could hold your little guy close enough." But almost all parents had concerns about the cost. "I think for our family, that additional cost certainly comes into play when we plan a trip," said traveler Rachel Anderson. "I understand the reasoning behind it, but if we do have to buy a seat for her, it will limit the number of trips we can take," said San Diego resident Michelle Caissie. Through the Freedom of Information Act, KTVU obtained many e-mails to the FAA from parents and safety groups pushing for the change. Some of the comments found in those emails included "We secure children in cars; why not in the air?" and "Shame on you and your predecessors for not fixing this." For four months, the FAA has refused to sit down and talk about the proposal with KTVU. At least one flight attendant said the NTSB recommendation is common sense. "The only thing that I'm not required to stow securely is a two-year-old on the lap of an adult. That's inconsistent," Candace Kolander of the Air Safety Association of Flight Attendants said. Even parents who are concerned about the cost said if it's safer, they will find a way to make it work. One concern about a saftey seat requirement is that it will force those families who can't afford another airplane ticket to drive to their destinations. Statistically, driving is more dangerous than flying. http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/special-reports/ Back to Top Business Aviation Safety Report Shows Ups and Downs There's good news and bad news about general aviation safety. An analysis by Robert E. Breiling & Associates notes that last year there were a total of 19 business jet accidents, including five fatal accidents that killed a total of 21. This represents an increase of five accidents compared with the 14 in 2011, when no one died in a business jet crash. Last year, nine of the 19 accidents - and three of the five fatal accidents - involved on-demand operations. Company founder Bob Breiling reports that last year was the fourth in a row in which there were no fatal accidents in which the crew was employed full-time. Among turboprops, there were 29 accidents last year involving U.S.-registered aircraft, seven of which were fatal with 15 victims. That compares favorably with 2011, when there were 43 accidents, 13 fatal accidents and 32 deaths. Of the accidents recorded over the last five years, Breiling notes that more than 40 percent involved the landing phase - more than 50 percent when considering jets flown by professional crews. http://www.flyingmag.com/news/business-aviation-safety-report-shows-ups-and-downs Back to Top Pilots to Blame for An-28 Plane Crash in Kamchatka, Aviation Committee Says The Interstate Aviation Committee on Wednesday confirmed that pilot error was to blame for the An-28 crash in Kamchatka that killed 10 people in September. Anton Artemenko, the head of the committee's transportation investigations department, said the pilots violated landing procedures, gave flight traffic controllers false information on the flight's execution and had alcohol in their blood, RIA-Novosti reported Wednesday. The committee did not find any technical malfunctions. Medical examiners announced earlier that alcohol was found in the pilots' blood. The blood alcohol level of one pilot was low, while the other was categorized as a "medium level of inebriation," Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported. Artemenko also cited the "low level of discipline of airline personnel and lack of control over the crew's pre-flight preparations" as factors contributing to the catastrophe. He said the criminal investigation opened by the Investigative Committee on charges of violating air traffic rules is ongoing. The charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. The An-28 plane was carrying 14 people when it crashed on Sept. 12. Four people on board survived. The plane was later found by rescuers on the side of the 500-meter-high Pyatibratka Mountain near the town of Palana, to the west of the far eastern peninsula. The management of the airline's flight personnel was fired over the incident at the request of the Federal Air Transportation Agency. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/ ************ Status: Preliminary - official Date: 12 SEP 2012 Time: 12:28 Type: Antonov 28 Operator: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise Registration: RA-28715 C/n / msn: 25-1AJ006 First flight: 1989 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 12 Total: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 14 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 10 km (6.3 mls) from Palana Airport (Russia) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (PKC) (PKC/UHPP), Russia Destination airport: Palana Airport (UHPL), Russia Flightnumber: 251 Narrative: An Antonov 28 passenger plane, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, was damaged beyond repair in an accident near Palana Airport, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia. Flight 251 was operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. Weather at the desination airport Palana included a visibility of 6000 m and a cloud base at 470 m. This was within limits for an approach and landing at Palana. The crew were cleared for an approach to runway 11. The approach to Palana consists of a flight to the NDB beacon above the minimum safe altitude of 2150 m, followed entering a holding pattern, and a descent for the approach. Preliminary investigation results indicate that the crew did not fly to the NDB. The flight was 22 km from the NDB when the crew reported being overhead. Descent was initiated until the airplane struck trees at 320 m above sea level on the wooded slope of Mount Pyatibratka. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top NTSB Chairman to Address Reporters Washington, DC - Wednesday, February 6, 2013 National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman will appear at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. She is expected to take questions on the ongoing investigation into the high-profile Boeing 787 incidents that included fuel leaks, a battery fire, a wiring problem and a brake computer glitch. She will also discuss reducing driver distraction and the use of in-vehicle technology to decrease highway deaths. Chairman Hersman is on the short list to replace Ray LaHodd as transportation secretary and is likely to field questions regarding her interest in the cabinet seat. According to The Hill, "Hersman said prior to LaHood's announcement that she is not interested in the Transportation secretary job, saying she is focused on her current position." http://www.c-span.org/Events/NTSB-Chairman-to-Address-Reporters/10737437833/ Back to Top Back to Top World's Ugliest Airplane Retires: Where's It Going? Rockwell Collins has decided to bid adieu to its well traveled and much beloved North American Sabreliner 50 avionics test bed, an airplane the company has owned since 1976. The airplane has been used over the decades for testing a variety of groundbreaking avionics developments, including early satellite communications, radio altimeters, the first Mode-S transponder, the company's cutting-edge Pro Line 4 avionics system, as well as various FMS, radar, autopilot and approach system hardware. The test airplane was a body double for the Beech Starship during development of that innovative airplane's equally cutting-edge avionics system. Considering its significance in aviation history, the Sabreliner's final destination is a fitting one. A one-of-a-kind model, the airplane was originally purchased in 1964 by another company, which used it for more than 20 years and put more than a thousand hours on it before Collins adopted it. The callsign N50CR stands for the model number, the Sabreliner 50, and the "CR" is for both "Collins Radio," and "Cedar Rapids," the home of the company now known as Rockwell Collins. Soon N50CR will call McMinnville, Oregon, home. There it will reside in the world class Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home of, among many remarkable airplanes, the Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known, of course, as the Spruce Goose. www.flyingmag.com/news/ Back to Top SKorea commission says female cabin crew at Asiana Airlines should be allowed to wear trousers SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's human rights commission has recommended that the country's second-largest airline allow its female cabin crew to wear trousers. The non-binding recommendation is a small victory for the 3,400 female flight attendants at Asiana Airlines Inc. who have been fighting to ease strict dress rules that range from how many hairpins they can wear to the length of their earrings. Asiana's labor union chief says she hopes the decision will help change discriminatory rules that govern how female workers in South Korea's service industries dress and do their hair and makeup. Asiana Airlines says it will review trouser options in future uniform redesigns. It does not say when the next one is scheduled. Asiana is the only South Korean airline with a no-trouser rule for its female flight attendants. Back to Top CAAS Hosts World Forum On Aviation's Future (Singapore) From 4 to 6 February 2013, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will host more than 100 aviation leaders from all over the world, gathered here in Singapore for the 4th World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum (WCACEF). Held at the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA), this exclusive Forum, themed "Aviation's Future: Embracing Change, Strengthening Partnership", will discuss how aviation stakeholders can embrace change, strengthen partnership and enable growth for more robust and sustainable international civil aviation. Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Singapore's Minister for Transport, and Mr Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will deliver the keynote speeches addressing the outlook for global aviation, challenges faced by the industry, as well as priorities and efforts required to ensure a viable future for international civil aviation. Since its inception in 2003, the Forum has served as a nexus for knowledge-sharing, bringing the international aviation community together in Singapore. This year's Forum will see aviation leaders and experts discuss key issues such as upholding a high standard of aviation safety through strengthened partnership, enabling growth and building capacity to meet rising consumer demand, and how airlines can adapt to an increasingly complex operating environment. Speakers at the Forum include top officials from international and regional civil aviation organisations that are integral players in the aviation community. In addition to the main Forum agenda, Singapore's Group President of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and former Head of Civil Service, Mr Lim Siong Guan, will share Singapore's experience in cultivating and investing in thought leadership during a breakfast talk on leadership and governance on the third day of the Forum. Reaffirming Singapore's commitment to meeting the human resource development needs of the international aviation community, Minister Lui and Mr Roberto Kobeh González will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Singapore and ICAO on the Developing Country Training Programme (DCTP), increasing the number of fellowships for aviation training, offered by Singapore to developing ICAO Contracting States, from 180 to 250 over three years from 2013 to 2015. The increase in fellowships will better cater to the demand for aviation training from developing countries. In addition, six new Civil Aviation Scholarships for a seven-week long SAA Diploma programme in Civil Aviation Management will also be offered under the ICAO-Singapore DCTP, to help groom the next generation of aviation leaders and professionals, and provide them with the opportunity to acquire more in-depth knowledge in aviation management. The fellowships and scholarships are collectively estimated to be valued at US$2.2 million. http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article/89124/caas-hosts-world-forum-on- aviations-future Curt Lewis