Flight Safety Information February 25, 2013 - No. 043 In This Issue ANA grounds Dreamliner fleet until May Half-inch crack blamed for F-35 fighter jet grounding Coast Guard Pilots Weary of Laser Strikes NTSB Investigators Search For Clues In OKC Helicopter Crash Supreme Court pulls up aviation regulator over implementation of safety norms (India) Man makes romantic fake airline bomb threat to get his girlfriend back PROS IOSA Audit Experts Singapore Air Plans to Buy More Aircraft Electric jet engines on the horizon in aviation TWITTER ANA grounds Dreamliner fleet until May (AFP) - Japan's All Nippon Airways said it was grounding its fleet of Dreamliners until at least the end of May, with no end in sight to woes for Boeing's next generation plane. The airline is cancelling 1,714 flights in April and May, a period that includes Japan's busy Golden Week holidays, taking the total affected to more than 3,600 since the Dreamliner was ordered out of the skies in January. Of the newly-announced cancellations, 1,250 are domestic and 464 are international flights, including those bound for Seoul, Seattle and Frankfurt. "Unfortunately, it includes Golden Week, but we have decided to inform our customers in advance as the prospect for their resumption is still unseen," a company spokeswoman said. ANA is Boeing's biggest Dreamliner customer so far, with 17 of the world's 50 operational 787s. The next-generation aircraft has suffered a series of glitches culminating in a global alert from the US Federal Aviation Administration after two incidents involving the battery packs. All operational 787s were grounded in January after smoke was detected mid-air on a flight in Japan. That incident came just days after the lithium-ion battery caught fire on a Japan Airlines-operated plane parked at a US airport. ANA's announcement is a further setback for Boeing, which has bet heavily on the 787, hoping its lightweight carbon fibre body would appeal to airlines desperate to clamp down on spiralling fuel costs. Last week US operator United Airlines said it was taking its six Boeing 787s out of service through June 5, except for the launch a Denver-Tokyo route on May 12 if circumstances allowed. That came as Boeing said it had proposed a fix for the battery issues, but had not yet convinced US safety regulators it has a sufficient handle on the problem. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was reviewing a plan by the aircraft manufacturer after meeting with senior executives. "The safety of the flying public is our top priority and we won't allow the 787 to return to commercial service until we're confident that any proposed solution has addressed the battery failure risks," the FAA said. Boeing had earlier said it was "encouraged by the progress" being made in the battery probe, which it hopes will allow it to get its plane back in the skies. However, the extent of the problems and the potential complexity in addressing them remains unknown, triggering mounting speculation on how long the groundings will last. Aviation expert Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group said that if the FAA accepted the Boeing fix, the 787 could be flying again in April, but he added: "There's a very good chance that they won't." "We don't know to what extent it is a temporary fix and if it is accompanied by a broader solution that's not going to work as a long-term fix," he said. Boeing said it was working around the clock with teams of hundreds of experts on the issue, and working closely with the FAA and other authorities. The New York Times reported last week that Boeing had zeroed in on how lithium-ion batteries could fail and concluded they would be safe to use after making changes, such as adding insulation between the cells. Japanese engineers said Friday they had identified the cause of fuel leaks the plane had suffered, but were still working on the battery problems. The nation's transport ministry said the leaks were caused by defective paintwork and impurities getting into a fuel valve, adding that it had already ordered the airline to take measures to remedy the problem. Boeing halted 787 deliveries shortly after the planes were grounded on January 16 but continued to produce 787s at a rate of five per month. Last week, Boeing's European arch-rival Airbus said it decided to drop lithium-ion batteries planned for the new A350 aircraft it is developing and use heavier nickel-cadmium batteries instead. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display- 1.asp?xfile=data/international/2013/February/international_February1021.xml§ion=international Back to Top Half-inch crack blamed for F-35 fighter jet grounding: sources WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The engine blade crack that prompted the U.S. military to ground all 51 F- 35 fighter jets was over half an inch long, according to three sources familiar with the matter, but it remained unclear if the crack was caused by a manufacturing anomaly or some larger design issue. Engineers at Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, will conduct a detailed examination of the turbine blade as soon as it arrives at the company's Middletown, Connecticut, site, said spokesman Matthew Bates. "Pilot safety is our absolute top priority," Bates said, noting that the F135 engine that powers the new radar-evading fighter jet had a readiness rate of over 98 percent. "We are in a testing phase of the program and discoveries such as this are part of the process," he added. Initial results may come on Wednesday, although it could take up to 10 days to complete the analysis, said the three sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The Pentagon announced the grounding of all F-35 warplanes on Friday after an inspection revealed a crack on a turbine blade in the Pratt-built jet engine of an F-35 jet being tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California. It was the second engine-related grounding of the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in two months, and came on the eve of a big air show in Australia, which is considering reducing its planned purchase of 100 F-35 jets. The Pentagon's top F-35 official and executives from prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp are attending the air show in hopes of convincing Australia that the F-35 program is on track after three restructurings, and Australia does not need to buy 24 more Boeing Co F/A-18 Super Hornets. Australia is expected to make a decision within the next three to six weeks, said a fourth source familiar with the matter. The program is also bracing for reductions in U.S. orders if Congress fails to avert across-the-board cuts due to take effect on March 1. Inspectors found an anomaly on February 19 during an inspection that is conducted on every F-35 engine after 50 flight hours, but the crack on the blade was not confirmed until early Thursday after electromagnetic testing that began Wednesday and continued through the night, said one of the sources. The crack was described as 0.6 inches long, the sources said. F-35 test and training flights continued until Thursday evening, when the Pentagon's F-35 program office, the U.S. Navy and Air Force decided to suspend all flights and ban use of the engines on the ground until the blade crack was better understood. In fact, two jets were airborne at air bases in Maryland and Arizona and had to be recalled, said one of the sources. Officials decided that they had to assume a "worst case scenario" until they could rule out a high- duty cycle fatigue crack, an extremely rare occurrence that could result in a complete blade failure in just 90 minutes, the source said. Engineers did not believe that this case involved such a devastating crack, but officials opted to take a conservative approach to ensure safety, the source said. Colonel Kevin Killea, who oversees aviation acquisition for the Marine Corps, said that while the grounding was frustrating for test pilots and trainers, it was prudent. He added that finding problems was an expected part of developing any aircraft. Back to Top Coast Guard Pilots Weary of Laser Strikes Strikes on aircraft in the United States haven't abated, according to an article by Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Lehmann. U.S. Coast Guard pilots across the country have been targeted by laser pointers, with more Coast Guard flights interrupted by laser strikes last year than in any other year, Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Lehmann reported last week. He cited the Federal Aviation Administration as the source of data indicating laser strikes rose from 283 to 3,591 between 2005 and 2011 and exceeded 3,700 last year. His article mentions Lt. j.g. Ryan McCue, a pilot with Coast Guard Air Station Houston who has been targeted twice. "It can be a big drain on the unit if we're constantly being lasered," McCue told Lehmann. "When a crew gets lasered, they can't fly again for 24 hours or until they can get in to see an eye doctor for an examination and are medically cleared. Meanwhile, another crew has to be woken up in the middle of the night to fill in. With only 17 people at our air station that can fly, it can take a serious toll on our mission effectiveness." "If it flies, it's been targeted," said Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokesperson. "Hardly a night goes by in the U.S. that we don't have three to five laser incidents, if not more, in all the major metropolitan areas. I saw several laser reports just last night. It's something that happens every night somewhere in the country." Those who use laser pointers to target pilots can be sentenced to as much as five years in prison and fined up to $11,000. http://ohsonline.com/articles/2013/02/25/coast-guard-pilots-weary-of-laser- strikes.aspx?admgarea=news Back to Top NTSB Investigators Search For Clues In OKC Helicopter Crash NTSB investigators are on the scene of the crash Saturday afternoon, and have started the process to remove the helicopter wreckage. OKLAHOMA CITY - Because of the approaching storm, crews scrambled to get the wreckage from Friday's EagleMed helicopter crash loaded up and taken away on Saturday. Investigators will now examine the parts closely as they try to piece together what caused the deadly crash and explosion. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board did release new information Saturday. Investigators wrapped up their on-site investigation and hauled the charred wreckage of the Euro- copter to a secure location where they'll continue combing over it for more evidence of what went wrong. Investigators told News 9 they're looking at all the equipment in the chopper, interviewing eye- witnesses, and looking at if the weather played a part in it. The NTSB team will examine everything from the engine to the fuel tanks to the integrity of the seats inside the chopper, looking for any clues that might answer what went wrong Friday morning. At least one witness tells investigators the helicopter went down after he saw a flash come out of it. The crash killed the pilot and an on-board nurse. Nurses at a nearby retirement center and others on the ground ran toward the helicopter and pulled out medic Billy Wynne before it exploded. At last check he was in critical care, and unable to talk with the NTSB. The NTSB lead investigator told News 9 it will be days if not weeks before we know what happened. His team arrived late Saturday night and will work through Sunday, trying to search for clues. http://www.newson6.com/story/21315128/investigators-preparing-to-remove-helicopter-wreckage- from-crash-site-in-okc Back to Top Supreme Court pulls up aviation regulator over implementation of safety norms (India) New Delhi: The Supreme Court today issued a contempt notice to the Director General of Civil Aviation or DGCA for failing to comply with its orders to implement flight safety norms effectively. The top court had directed the DGCA in May 2011 to expedite the process of bringing new Civil Aviation Regulations or CAR to minimise accidents caused by pilot fatigue. The DGCA notified new regulations effective February 2012, but has been accused of not ensuring their implementation by all airline operators. The new rules mandated that airlines must take into account a pilot's 'duty time' as against just 'flight time'. This means that a pilot's duty hours would include flight time spent as a passenger to report to a port of duty. The need for reviewing Flight Duty Timing Limitation or FDTL was brought into focus after the Mangalore plane crash of 2010 in which 158 people died. Investigation reports suggested that the pilot was asleep during part of the flight. The Society for Welfare of Indian pilots had approached the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the regulator. The petitioner's lawyer told the court that the DGCA is selectively relaxing rules for a few private airlines, putting passenger safety at risk. It also argued that the aviation regulator has failed to take action against those airlines flouting the rules. The top court said it is issuing the contempt notice to get clarifications from the DGCA, but has not mandated its representatives to personally appear in court. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/supreme-court-pulls-up-aviation-regulator-over-implementation- of-safety-norms-335160 Back to Top Man makes romantic fake airline bomb threat to get his girlfriend back An airliner bound for Shenzhen made an emergency landing midflight last Thursday after a man called in a fake bomb threat in order to keep his girlfriend from leaving onboard, the Shanghai Daily reports. The caller, identified by the surname Chen, 32, gave himself up to Anhui police at 2:50am and admitted he didn't want his girlfriend to go after they quarreled on Wednesday and the woman got on the flight, the airport police said. Hoax calls have become more frequent this year with more than 10 affecting domestic carriers. A Shandong Airlines flight SC1170 from Guangzhou to Jinan was diverted in the Hefei Airport after receiving a threatening call on February 8 that proved to be false. A 28 year old woman was sentenced to three years in prison last month after claiming she had a bomb on board a China United Airlines flight to Urumqi on October 13, 2012. Only two days later, a man said to be mentally ill called in two bomb threats on flights traveling to Lhasa and Nanchang. http://shanghaiist.com/2013/02/25/man_makes_fake_airline_bomb_threat.php Back to Top Back to Top Singapore Air Plans to Buy More Aircraft, Airbus's Leahy Says Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SIA), Southeast Asia's biggest carrier, plans to buy more aircraft, Airbus SAS said, as the region's economic growth spurs air travel demand. Airbus will suggest its A350 model to Singapore Air, John Leahy, the planemaker's chief operating officer, said in an interview in Singapore today. "We're in discussions with them," Leahy said. "They are also looking at other aircraft. They issued a request for proposal on that to Airbus, to Boeing, to engine manufacturers. Anything else, I can't comment." Singapore Air, the first carrier to fly the Airbus A380, in October agreed to order five more of the superjumbos and 20 A350-900s as it adds fuel-efficient planes amid competition from Gulf airlines. Asia-Pacific will lead the demand for new aircraft as economic growth helps boost the number of middle class population by almost five-times in 20 years, Leahy said. "We discuss fleet requirements with manufacturers on a regular basis, in line with our longstanding policy to maintain a young and modern fleet," said Nicholas Ionides, a spokesman for the carrier. He declined to elaborate, saying discussions are confidential. The A350 is Airbus's biggest twin-engine model, with seating for about 314 passengers on the A350- 900 variant, which has a list price of $287.7 million. The larger A350-1000 can hold 350 passengers and has a published price of $332.1 million. Buyers typically get a discount from list prices. Maiden Flight The A350 is set for its maiden flight in the middle of this year. The aircraft's small and mid-sized variants compete with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, while the large model is positioned against the popular 777. Airbus would acquire Singapore Air's five A340-500s as part of the October order. These planes will leave the carrier's fleet in the fourth quarter of this year, forcing the end of non-stop services to Los Angeles as well as Newark, the world's longest commercial flight. The carrier transferred its 20 on-order Boeing (BA) 787s, due to start arriving in 2014, to low-cost arm Scoot from the main Singapore Air unit. Scoot began services using 777s in June. Singapore Air's regional unit SilkAir separately signed a provisional agreement for 54 Boeing 737 planes in August. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-25/singapore-air-plans-to-buy-more-aircraft-airbus-s- leahy-says.html Back to Top Electric jet engines on the horizon in aviation The concept of a plane powered entirely by electricity is considered one of the most promising lines of development in modern aircraft manufacturing. In the Russian aviation industry, the development of "totally electric aircraft" is a high priority task for the future. Russia hopes to create electric aircraft to further the development of its aviation industries. Source: PhotoXPress Prospects for the creation of electric aircraft are opening new horizons for the development of both the civil and military aviation industries. The totally electric aircraft is one of the most promising directions for aircraft assembly; the new aircraft is designed to be equipped with a centralized power supply system that will meet all of the plane's energy needs. In Russia, this kind of aircraft is being developed by the company Aviatsionnoe Oborudovannie (Avia-Equipment), which has already presented its most recent electric and hydrostatic engines. Compared to motors using other kinds of energy, these increase the efficiency of the plane's electrical power unit by 10-15 percent, and they boost the reliability and performance of both the power system and the entire machine. Aviatsionnoe Oborudovannie general director Maksim Kuzyuk says: "Our aim with the fully electric aircraft concept is to reduce fuel consumption by 8-10 percent, cut operational costs by 4-6 percent, increase the plane's life cycle by 3-5 percent and reduce takeoff weight by 6-9 percent." "The preliminary result is the fusion of two areas - hydraulics and electrical engineering. The cooperation and joint efforts of companies working in related fields will lead us to our objective," says Alexander Levin, research and development director of the company's Yakor design bureau. Fully electric aircraft will use electricity to feed the systems that consume the most energy, which have traditionally used hydraulic and pneumatic energy. These systems include: the controls for aerodynamic surfaces and landing gears, the takeoff and landing controls, the air conditioning, the anti-icing system and the engine-starting system. Since Soviet times, the Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute has been the main Russian research facility working on totally electric aircraft. The institute has developed principles for building groups of electric and hydrostatic engines with combined throttling-and-displacement regulation. The results will be incorporated into the MS-21 prospective long-haul aircraft. The on-board systems of the MS-21 will have a high degree of electrification, which will require powerful electrical power units to be installed. Due to significant increase in the capacity of the power units, it is vital that an adequate type of electric power generated by primary sources be chosen. Still, there is a long way to go before the first totally electric aircraft is built. In the meantime, Samara-based Aviaagregat is working on an electric aircraft chassis motor as part of the project to create "more-electric" aircraft, which will make airfield maneuvers cheaper, more environmentally friendly and virtually noiseless. "In addition, we are raising funds for the More-Electric Aircraft program, and there is the Electric Wheel Drive subprogram. We have financing, and development is underway," Kuzyuk says. A new approach is being developed as part of the project. When taxiing on an airfield, the aircraft will use special electric motors on the wheels, rather than standard jet engines or propeller turbines, and so on. The introduction of electric engines will reduce the noise level and cut fuel consumption. "It is a breakthrough technology... I hope that this project will result in a new product and new orders for the company," Kuzyuk says. http://rbth.ru/society/2013/02/25/electric_jet_engines_on_the_horizon_in_aviation_23213.html Curt Lewis