Flight Safety Information February 7, 2013 - No. 030 In This Issue Crew-Only 787 Flight Is Approved by F.A.A Two on small plane die in fiery crash at airport in Casa Grande Airlines expecting flight interruptions due to storm Russian MPs seeking ways to improve aviation safety Sources: American Airlines, US Airways on verge of merging No volcanos, fewer tower blocks - Ecuador lands a 'safer' airport for Quito PROS IOSA Audit Experts Boeing and SilkAir sign exclusive pilot training agreement 2013 ESASI Seminar in Madrid, April 18 & 19, 2013 Nigeria: Private Jet Makers Target Nigeria's Super Rich Crew-Only 787 Flight Is Approved by F.A.A. Federal regulators said on Wednesday that they had approved one flight of a Boeing 787, with a flight crew but no passengers, as the company's engineers study possible changes to the plane's electrical systems that could reduce the risk of another battery fire. The flight would be the first for a 787 since aviation authorities grounded the innovative aircraft last month after two incidents with its lithium-ion batteries. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would let Boeing return one 787 from a painting plant in Fort Worth to its plant near Seattle. It has not yet approved flights to conduct tests on the batteries. The flight, scheduled for Thursday, will come as the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to raise questions about how the F.A.A. certified the 787's battery before it began flying passengers in 2011. The safety board, which has been performing tests of its own as part of its investigation into the battery problems, is seeking to find out why weaknesses with the batteries were not picked up in Boeing's original testing program. The safety board is looking at whether the F.A.A. fully understood any potential issues with the volatile new batteries before it approved their use under special conditions. Deborah Hersman, the safety board's chairman, told reporters on Wednesday that it would probably take investigators several more weeks to determine what had happened with the Boeing batteries. Boeing engineers are working on a range of possible technical overhauls. These include making the battery cells more resistant to shocks to keep excess heat from spreading from one cell to another, causing the kind of thermal runaway that occurred in the two recent events. Boeing officials have said they are also working on building more solid containment cases and better venting mechanisms in the event of overheating. None of this has been tested or approved yet, a process that could take months. And until more is known about the cause of the recent incidents, the grounding order is unlikely to be lifted soon. The 787 is the first commercial airplane to use large lithium-ion batteries for major flight functions. All 50 of Boeing's 787s that were delivered to airlines have been grounded since mid-January. "I would not want to categorically say that these batteries are not safe," Ms. Hersman said during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday. "Any new technology, any new design, there are going to be some inherent risks. The important thing is to mitigate them." Boeing officials said that they were exploring numerous ways to strengthen the batteries and that it was premature to think any of those would be approved by regulators without more information. Boeing officials said they remained confident that they could keep using the lithium-ion batteries, and they hoped that finding a way to strengthen the batteries might allow them to do so. But officials said the company also had a team of engineers working on alternatives involving more conventional batteries in case regulators banned them. Boeing picked the new lithium-ion technology because it provided more power than traditional batteries of the same size. But battery experts have questioned their use because, under certain conditions, they can overheat and ignite. The F.A.A.'s decision to certify the batteries has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. While the federal regulator is stretched thin with too few inspectors, and typically relies on testing data from Boeing, lithium batteries are an area where the agency has some expertise. It has had to deal for years with fires involving lithium-ion batteries shipped as cargo or carried by passengers in their computers or cellphones. Ms. Hersman will provide an update on Thursday on the investigation's process. But while she said the safety board was in a position to rule out some problems, it was unlikely to be able to say what happened for some time. She said that she would not rule out the use of lithium batteries "categorically," but insisted that the safeguards Boeing had put in place failed when a Japan Airlines plane experienced a fire while parked at Logan Airport in Boston. "Obviously what we saw in the 787 battery fire in Boston shows us there were some risks that were not mitigated, that were not addressed," she said. She added that the fire was "not what we would have expected to see in a brand-new battery in a brand- new airplane." The safety board, she said, was also examining the special conditions the F.A.A. ordered Boeing to follow in using the batteries and whether they should have been updated later. The F.A.A.'s conditions were fairly general, and they required Boeing to create the means to contain any fire or vent any smoke to keep it from spreading into the cabin and putting the plane at risk if a battery failed. "What happens is that when an aircraft is certified it basically gets locked into the standards that were in existence at the time," Ms. Hersman said. The fleet's grounding is not affected by the one-time F.A.A. permit and no one except crew members will be allowed on board the plane from Fort Worth. The plane, which still belongs to Boeing, was scheduled to be delivered to China Southern Airlines. The F.A.A. said that before takeoff, the Boeing crew should perform a number of inspections to verify that the batteries and cables showed no signs of damage. While airborne, the crew must also "continuously monitor the flight computer for battery- related messages, and land immediately if one occurs," the F.A.A. said. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/business/faa-to-allow-a-787-flight-with-crew- only.html?_r=0 Back to Top Two on small plane die in fiery crash at airport in Casa Grande Casa Grande police Sgt. Francisco Lujan investigates the site of a plane crash that killed two people. The crash occurred about 11:35 Wednesday. Two people are dead after a small plane registered to a Tucson company crashed and burst into flames at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport, authorities say. The twin-engine Beechcraft Air King (E-90) went down about 11:35 a.m. Wednesday as it was landing, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. The plane exploded and burned after crashing just north of a runway, and both people aboard were killed, authorities said. The names of the victims are being withheld until relatives have been notified, Casa Grande police and fire officials said. The name of the company it's registered to also was not released. The cause of the crash is unclear, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. A witness saw the plane try to land on the runway when it kicked up and flipped over, The Arizona Republic said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. http://azstarnet.com/news/ *********** Date: 06-FEB-2013 Time: 11:35 a.m. Type: Beechcraft King Air E-90 Operator: Private Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Casa Grande Municipal Airport, AZ (CGZ) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Destination airport: Casa Grande Municipal Airport, AZ (CGZ) Narrative: Upon landing the plane crashed and was destroyed by fire. Both occupants were killed. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Airlines expecting flight interruptions due to storm ALBANY - With a major winter storm bearing down on the Northeast, several airlines are warning travelers to prepare for the possibility of flight cancellations, diversions, and delays Friday at Albany International Airport. Matt Deford, who flew into Albany late Wednesday for a business meeting in Voorheesville, was hoping the weather would not keep him from flying home to Texas. "Not a whole lot I can do," Deford said while waiting for his luggage. "If I have to, I'll enjoy it. I brought warm clothes. I might go play in the snow, which I rarely ever get to do." Delta and Southwest Airlines had already issued a storm warning Wednesday for Albany International and numerous other airports in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Additional airlines may issue a warning as the storm approaches. Some parts of the Northeast were bracing for up to 30 inches of snow. http://www.fox23news.com/news/ Back to Top Russian MPs seeking ways to improve aviation safety There has been a rise of incidents involving drunk and disorderly passengers in Russia, often forcing airplanes to land mid-flight. The latest chain of events lead Russian State Duma deputies to start debating aviation safety legislation. Russian lawmakers are looking into ways to improve aviation safety in the country. Some of them include a ban on passengers carrying alcohol purchased in duty-free shops. It follows a number of incidents when drunk Russian travelers caused a disruption to flight with aggressive behaviour. The 54-year old Russian businessman, Sergei Kabalov, was caught smoking in a toilet on a plane travelling from Moscow to Egypt and tried to enter the pilot's cabin. In another case, a Russian plane bound for Thailand made a forced landing in Uzbekistan when a 29-year-old drunk man attacked other passengers. Some of the proposed measures include creating 'black lists' of trouble-makers, and making it a criminal offence to disrupt a flight. But bad behaviour is not the only issue. Russian aviation has a poor safety record, with a number of major plane crashes claiming dozens of lives over the past few years. The most recent plane crash in Russia was in December last year. Five people died when their plane crashed into a highway outside Moscow's international airport. Lack of adequate legislation is the biggest problem in Russian aviation sector. Those who jeopardize the safety of fellow passengers with inappropriate behaviour often get off too lightly. The problem must be addressed at the highest level to make Russian skies as safe as possible. http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/02/07/287732/russian-mps-seeking-ways-to- improve-aviation-safety/ Back to Top Sources: American Airlines, US Airways on verge of merging Tails of American Airlines, US Airways jetliners FORT WORTH, Texas A deal for American Airlines and US Airways to merge is likely to be agreed on early next week, sources tell CBS News.. The board of directors of Fort Worth-based American's parent company, AMR Corp., is slated to meet Monday to consider the agreement, and an announcement could be made the next day, CBS Dallas station KTVT-TV says. Mark Drusch, a former executive at Delta and Continental Airlines and now the chief supply relations officer with Fareportal.com, says months of confidential discussions point to a deal. "It looks like it's really pretty close. But never say it's a done deal 'til it's done," he told KTVT. The station has learned that American's CEO, Tom Horton, is likely to move out of the day-to-day managing of the new combined carrier, and instead get a seat on the new board. US Airways CEO Douglas Parker will probably run the new airline, which would be named American Airlines and is seen as likely to stay headquartered in Fort Worth. Sources have said there were concerns that, if Horton stayed on as CEO, there could be more of the operational problems like the ones American had last fall, such as delayed and cancelled flights. "You're looking at what's best for the combined company, and right now it looks like the US Airways management taking charge is what unions and creditors want," says Drusch. Airline analysts predict US Airways and its shareholders may get about 30 percent of the new airline, with AMR creditors getting about 70 percent. Drusch says US Airways' strong 4th quarter profits can't be ignored in this deal. "At the end of the day," he told KTVT, "the US Airways shareholders are going to get more now than they would have one year ago, six months ago, three months ago." Both the American and US Airways boards have to give the green light for the merger to occur. The judge overseeing AMR's bankruptcy also has to sign off on any agreement. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500395_162-57568103/sources-american-airlines-us- airways-on-verge-of-merging/ Back to Top No volcanos, fewer tower blocks - Ecuador lands a 'safer' airport for Quito (Ecuador) Scary flights at Mariscal Sucre end next week as airport transfers out of town but pilots dispute take-offs or landings will be less hairy Boys play football at school as a plane lands at Mariscal Sucre in Quito, Ecuador One of the world's most spectacular and stomach-churning aircraft descents will be consigned to history next week when Quito closes an airport wedged between volcanoes and tower blocks high in the windswept Andes. The Mariscal Sucre international airport, which serves the Ecuadorean capital, has long been notorious for difficult flight paths and treacherous weather that have together contributed to nine fatal accidents in the past 30 years. To land, pilots have to bank around heavily populated mountain slopes and then dip down onto a 2 mile (3km) airstrip that is boxed inside the city centre. To clear the ridges after take-off, they have to pull up sharply which strains engines that cannot run at full capacity because of the thin air at this 2,800 metres (9,100ft) altitude. COCKPIT VIEW OF LANDING AT QUITO MARISCAL SUCRE Since it opened in 1960, such challenges have become familiar to airline crews in Latin America that serve this busy airport, which has an average of 220 flights a day and about 10m passenger movements a year. But as the city has grown to surround it, neighbouring residents have to endure the roar of jets from 5.30am to 2am, as well as the risk of accidents. Aircraft have clipped or crashed into nearby buildings four times since 1984, killing 135 people. Other disasters have been caused by navigation errors that led planes to plunge into the sides of volcanoes. However, the closure has as much to do with business as safety. Having grown to maximum capacity, the operators will expand by moving to a new airport at Tababela, 12 miles outside the city centre. But this too has been bedeviled by controversy. It has been built to handle 290 flights a day despite road links being poor; with congestion, the journey from the city centre can take 90 minutes. It is situated in cropland and will have a runway that is more than 1,000 metres longer than the old airport, which should reduce the problem of over-runs which have been a major cause of accidents. It is also 400 metres lower, which will slightly improve engine performance. City officials say this will allow the new airport to handle transcontinental flights, which is not currently possible. "These two factors will make aeronautic operations easier and enable Quito to serve long-range flights," said Freddy Equez Rivera, general manager of municipal aviation services. He said an easier approach would make for safer flights, but this has been disputed by many pilots who doubt the new facility will bring significant safety benefits. "Pilots don't approve. The microclimate in the valley where the airport is located is very complicated and there is low visibility for 80% of the year," said Stephano Rota, a corporate pilot. "The current airport is probably among the five most difficult airports to fly into in Latin America. The new one could be even more challenging." The shift is part of a global trend to move major airports out of city centres. Among the famous white-knuckle landings that no longer exist is that of Kai Tak, in Hong Kong. But thrill-seekers and flight simulators who want to experience difficult landings can still fly into airports at Cuzco, Innsbruck, Kathmandu, St Barts and elsewhere. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/07/volcanos-ecuador-airport-quito Back to Top Back to Top Boeing and SilkAir sign exclusive pilot training agreement SEATTLE, Wash. - Boeing and Singapore-based SilkAir announced a five-year exclusive pilot training agreement today. The training agreement will support SilkAir's fleet transition to Boeing airplanes. "SilkAir pilots will soon train with the most experienced 737 instructors," said Leslie Thng, SilkAir Chief Executive. "The experience and expertise at Boeing will ensure a smooth transition when we take delivery of our first new 737 next year." In November 2012, SilkAir finalized an order for 23 Next-Generation 737-800s and 31 737 MAX 8s, the largest order in the airline's history. Under the agreement, Boeing Flight Services, a unit of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, will provide flight training at Boeing's Singapore training campus for the airline's new 737 fleet. The 2012 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook, a respected industry forecast of required aviation personnel, cites a demand for 185,600 new commercial airline pilots and 243,500 new technicians in the Asia Pacific region through 2030. The South East Asia region, which includes Singapore, will require 51,500 pilots and 67,400 technicians. "We are pleased to provide training to SilkAir, and through the knowledge and expertise of our team, provide this important customer with the Boeing Edge in their markets," said Sherry Carbary, vice president, Boeing Flight Services. "We are very proud to support SilkAir as they launch their new Boeing 737 fleet." SilkAir is a full-service airline and the regional wing of Singapore Airlines. SilkAir currently flies more than 300 flights a week to 42 destinations across 12 countries http://www.eturbonews.com/33372/boeing-and-silkair-sign-exclusive-pilot-training- agreement Back to Top Back to Top Nigeria: Private Jet Makers Target Nigeria's Super Rich Brazilian executive jet manufacturers, Embraer have set its sight on the Nigeria market with its new offering, the Lineage 1000. The company staged a two-day road show at the Abuja airport during the week, displaying its latest model, 19 seater-Lineage 1000. The company officials told Daily Trust in Abuja they are targeting the high net worth individuals and oil corporations in the country for patronage. Sales Director of Skyjet Aviation Services Ltd, the sales representative of Embraer in West Africa, Mr. Bruce Fullerton said the Embraer's Lineage 1000 goes for $50 million, (N8billion). He was confident to find patronage in Nigeria saying "I am confident, very confident." When asked if he was concerned that the dwindling fortune of the Nigeria economy could affect their patronage, he said "I am not an economist. I can't answer that question." Lynton Van Aswegen is the regional sale director of Embraer Jets in Africa. He said Embraer is the third largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, based in Sao Polo, Brazil with 18, 000 employees. He said their target was for oil corporations, banks and other business executives. Daily Trust learnt that top business executives and politicians visited the airport to have a look at the aircraft for possible purchase. Reports said private jet ownership in Nigeria has increased from 20 jets in 2007 to over 150 jets in 2012. The development means that wealthy Nigerians acquired at least 130 private jets with about N1.02 trillion ($6.5 billionn) within the last five years. This put the private jets aviation market in Nigeria (the monetary value of all private jets in the country) at N1.18 trillion ($7.5 billion), using $50 million as the average cost of each brand new private jet. A private jet goes for between $40 million and $65 million, according to the websites of major private jets manufacturers, like Bombardier of Canada; GulfStream and Hawker Siddley of United States; and Embraer of Brazil. Some of the common brands of private jets in Nigeria are Gulfstream 450, 550 and 650; Bombardier Challenger 604, 605; Global Express; Embraer Legacy and Falcons; and Hawker Siddley 125-800 and 900XP. http://allafrica.com/stories/201302070950.html Curt Lewis