Flight Safety Information April 22, 2013 - No. 082 In This Issue Boeing Fix for Battery Is Approved by F.A.A United Airlines jet hits aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport Two Iranian Pilots Reported Dead In Fighter Jet Crash PROS IOSA Audit Experts Boeing scales down 747-8 airplane production PIA fears foreign airlines may assert hold on int'l routes Graduate Research Request Boeing Fix for Battery Is Approved by F.A.A. Boeing's 787s could be flying again within weeks, a major milestone for the innovative passenger jets that have been grounded since January because of battery problems. A 787 after a test flight in April. The F.A.A.'s decision frees Boeing to resume deliveries of the planes in the next two months. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday approved Boeing's plans to fix the plane's lithium-ion batteries after two erupted in smoke and fire on separate planes. Boeing has deployed teams of technicians around the world to quickly install the modified batteries on the 50 jets that have been delivered so far and return them to service as soon as possible. More important, the F.A.A.'s decision frees Boeing to resume deliveries of 787s in the next two months, a critical step for the plane maker and for airlines that have been eagerly awaiting the new, more fuel-efficient jets. Boeing said Friday that it would deliver all 787s that were planned this year. The battery problems have probably cost Boeing hundreds of millions of dollars, and airlines are likely to seek financial compensation for the delays. Still, Boeing has not seen an impact on the 800 orders it has booked for the plane, which promises fuel cost savings of 20 percent. The 787 is the first commercial aircraft built largely from lighter carbon-composite materials, and it uses more electrical systems than conventional airplanes. Investors appeared to have shrugged off the issue as well, possibly out of confidence that Boeing would fix the problem. The company's shares rose 2.14 percent, to $87.96, on Friday, and the stock is up $10 since the fleet was grounded. Investigators in the United States and Japan have still not been able to identify precisely what caused the batteries to overheat, and, in one case, ignite. Boeing's fixes include better insulation for the batteries' eight cells, and a stainless steel box designed to encase the batteries and contain fire and vent possible smoke or hazardous gases out of the planes. Mike Sinnett, Boeing's chief engineer for the 787, said that the tests performed in the last month showed the batteries were now much less likely to overheat. Boeing engineers have also made modifications to the plane's power panels and generators, including replacing some parts and bringing components "up to the latest standards," Mr. Sinnett said. Those changes were not linked to the battery system, and were not required by the F.A.A., he said, but they had failed in the past and caused problems before the planes were grounded. The F.A.A. administrator, Michael P. Huerta, and the transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, said they were satisfied that the proposed changes would eliminate concerns that batteries could erupt in smoke or fire. The changes "will ensure the safety of the aircraft and its passengers," Mr. LaHood said Friday. The F.A.A. will issue a final directive to effectively lift the grounding order and allow each plane operated by an American carrier to return to service as soon as it is modified. So far, United Airlines is the only airline in the United States with 787s in its fleet. Boeing said it takes just five days for the new system to be installed and has dispatched 300 mechanics around the world to perform the work. Aviation regulators in Japan and other countries must also weigh in and approve the system. Japan, in particular, is a critical market for Boeing. About half of all 787s delivered until now are operated by two Japanese airlines - All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines - and Japanese companies manufactured about a third of the plane's components, including its wings. A Japanese company, GS Yuasa, built the battery. The Japanese transportation minister, Akihiro Ota, said Friday in Tokyo that Japan's own assessment of the safety of Boeing's battery changes was "in its final stages." "We're doing our best to ensure a safe and speedy return to service," he said. But Japanese regulators could ask Boeing for additional safeguards, the Nikkei business newspaper reported Friday. Those could include adding devices to transmit voltage and other vital data to controllers on the ground so the batteries can be routinely monitored for irregularities, according to the Nikkei report. To demonstrate their autonomy from their American counterparts, and to temper passenger fears of flying on a 787, Japanese officials could also require test flights of each plane fitted with the altered battery, the Nikkei said. Regulators in Tokyo could also ask the airlines to conduct more frequent battery checks and retire the batteries after a set period, even if they do not show signs of wear. Still, airlines are eager for the planes to fly again. All Nippon Airways and United Airlines had both included the 787 on domestic and international routes in flight schedules that start on May 31, provided that aviation authorities lifted the plane's grounding. Another operator, Qatar Airlines, had suggested it would seek an even more aggressive schedule and wanted to get the planes back in the air before the end of April. The government's decision to approve the fixes was not a surprise. The F.A.A.'s engineers oversaw Boeing's design of the changes as well as more than 20 types of tests conducted on them over the last month. Boeing had said that it had successfully wrapped up the tests in a flight by a 787 on April 5. The F.A.A. approval also came before the National Transportation Safety Board hearings next week on why a battery ignited while a plane was parked in Boston on Jan. 7. The board is also examining how Boeing and the F.A.A. underestimated any risks in approving the original battery design in 2007. By approving the fixes ahead of the safety board's hearings, the F.A.A. - and Boeing - presumably hopes to deflect any criticism about how it originally certified the plane. The agency could argue that, if the risks were underestimated initially, the new battery system should prevent that from happening again. Boeing said it had spent more than 100,000 hours on developing its test plans and analyzing results for the new design and brought in more than a dozen battery experts from other industries, government and universities to review its findings. Mr. Sinnett, the 787 engineer, said the new system was "permanent and comprehensive" and would be used on a longer version of the 787, known as the Dash-9. "We don't see a need to change course at all," Mr. Sinnett said. Aviation experts said Boeing had acquired valuable knowledge about the lithium-ion batteries, a technology that is being used for the first time so extensively in commercial jets, and might yet refine it when the company builds newer versions of the 787. Boeing has defended its decision to use these batteries because they can pack more energy than more conventional types of batteries. "I think they have got as much done in three months as three years of experience could have told us," said Hans J. Weber, the president of Tecop International, an aviation consulting firm. "The battery in four years may look very different." http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/business/faa-endorses-boeing-remedy-for-787- battery.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Back to Top United Airlines jet hits aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport The accident happened as the plane tried to pull into a loading bay. A UNITED Airlines plane has clipped an aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport, leaving its wing with significant damage. The plane was arriving from Los Angeles, via Sydney, when the accident happened, stunning passengers. In a brief statement to the Herald Sun a United Airlines spokesman said the crash happened as the plane was trying to pull into the loading bay. "There were no injuries reported. The passengers and crew deplaned via stairs and our maintenance team is inspecting the Boeing 747 aircraft," the spokesman said. Were you on the plane? Contact our newsroom on 03 9292 1226 or email our reporter Melbourne Airport spokeswoman Anna Gillett said the jet way was now inoperable. "The aircraft overshot the parking bay," she said. "We are investigating the cause of the crash." Monash University Professor Michael Asten saw the incident unfold from his seat and said passengers were left stranded on the plane for 50 minutes with little information coming through. "The plane landed and it continued to roll at a slow speed for a few seconds and then crashed into the jet way," he told the Herald Sun today. "There was this loud distinctive crash that you would get in a decent size car park bingle." He said the plane was about 4m away from the jet way with a hole in the wing measuring about 40cm. Mr Asten said there was little information coming from the cabin crew and many passengers had no idea why they were not getting off the plane. United Airlines flight UA840 has been cancelled http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/united-airlines-jet-hits-aerobridge-while-parking- at-melbourne-airport/story-e6frfq80-1226625848428 Back to Top Two Iranian Pilots Reported Dead In Fighter Jet Crash The F-5 aircraft was part of Iran's aging fleet of planes. Two Iranian pilots have been killed after their U.S.-made F-5 fighter jet crashed near the country's border with Iraq. Officials said they are investigating the cause of the crash, which happened on April 21 in Abdanan Province. The flight originated from a military air base in Dezful, about 460 kilometers southwest of Tehran. The F-5 aircraft was part of Iran's aging fleet of U.S.-made planes purchased before the Iranian Revolution in 1979. In January 2012, a U.S.-made F-14 crashed after takeoff, also killing two crew members. http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-two-pilots-dead-plane-crash/24964023.html Back to Top Back to Top Boeing scales down 747-8 airplane production NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Boeing Co. reported softening demand for its 747-8 passenger and freighter planes, prompting the aircraft manufacturer to reduce production to 1.75 airplanes per month from 2. Nonetheless, the company says it expects air cargo market growth to resume in 2014. Boeing has filled 46 of 110 orders for the planes, which it touts as quieter and more fuel efficient than other models. Back to Top PIA fears foreign airlines may assert hold on int'l routes LAHORE - PIA management fears foreign airlines could assert a hold on certain international routes due to delay in procurement of A-320 planes, sources in the national flag carrier said on Sunday. According to the business plan prepared by the PIA chairman, five A-320 planes were to be purchased by March, but this schedule got changed and now arrival of planes is expected in this June or July. Sources said PIA had to postpone its plan of procurement of A-320 planes due to financial constraints. They said PIA management had also called back its pilots undergoing an A-320 simulation course in Sri Lanka. Mashood Tajwar, spokesman for PIA, meanwhile said no pilot was sent to Sri Lanka, adding that the simulation course was scheduled for June. Sources said PIA management might now purchase four to five planes since the government had not included cash injection in the bailout plan for the national flag carrier. They however added that PIA took loan from National Bank of Pakistan and paid a chunk of it to leasing company for delivery of four A-320 planes. Sources claimed that belated procurement of planes might damage the passenger market for PIA since foreign airlines were occupying international routes to enhance their business. A PIA senior officer seeking anonymity said PIA would have to engage its planes in next Hajj operation that would lead to curtailment of the flights on international routes. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/editors- picks/22-Apr-2013/pia-fears-foreign-airlines-may-assert-hold-on-int-l-routes Back to Top Graduate Research Request Asking for your Participation in an Online Questionnaire regarding Air Rage during Commercial Air Transportation My name is Peter Kneer. I am a retired German Air Force jet pilot currently working at the German military aviation test center at Manching, Bavaria. I am also working on my Capstone Project at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The intent is to look into Air Rage / Unruly Passengers in order to get a more thorough understanding of the phenomena, to see and predict trends, and to possibly provide recommendations. With this in mind I would kindly ask airline representatives engaged with this topic to participate in this online survey. All responses you provide for this study will remain confidential. The questionnaire itself will also just be accessible via a coded online link. With this in mind I would like to ask interested participants to send me an email to my ERAU address, kneerp@my.erau.edu. Please make sure to send your message from an official company email account since I will not hand out access links to private email accounts. In return you will receive a personal link to the survey. Please also provide additional contact information to allow me to ask follow on questions or clarifications. Thank you very much for your participation in this research project. Kind regards Peter Kneer Curt Lewis