Flight Safety Information April 24, 2013 - No. 083 In This Issue Boeing 787 battery meltdown cause still unclear: NTSB SIA plane makes emergency landing in Bangkok after smoke detected Air safety watchdog savages 'unsafe' clearances (Australia) DOT IG: FAA Needs Better Safety Data Sources Owner of South African game reserve and 3 others die in helicopter crash WWII-era jet aborts takeoff when canopy comes off PROS IOSA Audit Experts India's Jet Airways to sell $379M stake to Etihad BA orders 18 new Airbus A350 aircraft Real-Time, In-Flight Safety Data Analysis...Now a reality Position Wanted: Pilot Position (Airline/Cargo) Boeing 787 battery meltdown cause still unclear: NTSB WASHINGTON (AFP) - US safety officials investigating burned batteries on two Boeing 787s said Tuesday they are not certain what caused the incidents, even as aviation regulators approve Boeing's fix for the problem. Four days after the Federal Aviation Administration cleared the 787 to return to flight, the National Transportation Safety Board opened a two-day public hearing to examine how the pioneering lithium-ion battery system was designed and approved for use. At the end of the first day, Debbie Hersman, chairwoman of the safety board, said they heard new information on the problems. But she said they still do not know for certain what caused the battery problems in January, which resulted in a fire in one 787 flight and smoke in another. "We really have not reached a point where it's appropriate to say we've determined cause," Hersman told journalists. "We have identified the origin of the event and our teams are still working right now" to find what caused the short-circuit that led to a series of uncontrolled temperature increases in multiple battery cells. "When we determine cause, that will be when we issue our final report," she said. The NTSB hearings were examining not only the incidents but how the battery electrical system introduced in the 787 was tested and approved for flight by the FAA. Hersman said it was clear from the hearings that the original testing -- in which the FAA relied heavily on Boeing itself -- was inadequate. "We also heard today that their assumptions and the testing that they did were not as conservative as they could have been," she said. "They acknowledged that the test conditions were not as severe as they saw in service." The problems first surfaced publicly when a fire erupted in the battery area of a Japan Air lines 787 parked at a Boston airport on January 7. Then on January 16 battery fumes forced an emergency landing of an All Nippon Airways 787 in Japan, forcing the grounding of all 50 of the aircraft in service worldwide. Last Friday the FAA approved Boeing's new design to make the battery safer, and flights will be allowed after each aircraft is modified with the fix. On Tuesday, the European Aviation Safety Agency announced its approval of the Boeing battery system modifications. Japanese regulators said Tuesday that they would make a final decision on allowing the 787 to fly after this week's NTSB hearings. Asked whether she agreed with the FAA decision even before the NTSB hearings, Hersman said it was not the NTSB's role to decide on air safety -- the board is an accident investigator, she stressed. "The NTSB was not involved in the redesign process. We were not privy to the plan or the testing." She said Boeing's tests to devise safety modifications to the batteries, which included flight tests, may have reproduced the original problem. "They have created conditions where we have seen a very significant event" that included the cell-to-cell meltdown of the batteries as occurred in the two aircraft. http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/article/16861038/us-safety-board-probes-boeing- 787-battery-approval/ Back to Top SIA plane makes emergency landing in Bangkok after smoke detected A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight that took off from Singapore and was heading to Dhaka, Bangladesh on Monday was diverted to Bangkok after "indications of smoke" from the aircraft's rear cargo hold. Here is a statement from Singapore Airlines' spokesman, Nicholas Ionides: "Flight SQ446 operating between Singapore and Dhaka on April 22 diverted to Bangkok as a result of indications of smoke from the aircraft's rear cargo hold. Extinguishing agents were discharged in the cargo hold and the aircraft landed uneventfully shortly after 8pm, Bangkok time. Passengers and crew disembarked safely from the aircraft using stairs and emergency services tended to the rear cargo hold. Passengers were provided hotel accommodation and meals. They were transferred to another airline Tuesday morning to continue their travel to Dhaka. Singapore Airlines is providing full co-operation to the investigating authorities. Singapore Airlines is also carrying out our own investigations. The aircraft, an Airbus A330, will be flown back to Singapore once checks have been carried out and the Thai authorities have given clearance for it to depart Bangkok." SQ 446 was carrying 105 passengers and 12 crew on board. The Straits Times reported that they were unhurt during the emergency landing. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Relax/Story/A1Story20130424- 418098.html Back to Top Air safety watchdog savages 'unsafe' clearances (Australia) The pilot of an Australian Customs and Border Protection Dash 8 surveillance plane feared a possible collision with a Super Puma helicopter. An aviation safety investigation has revealed that an unsafe clearance was given for a helicopter to take off at Darwin airport. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reported that an Australian Customs and Border Protection Dash 8 surveillance plane was cleared for take-off at the airport in September last year. Minutes later, a Super Puma helicopter doing flying training was cleared to use an adjacent runway. The Dash 8 pilot heard the helicopter being cleared and delayed his departure because he thought there would be a risk of collision if he took off. The ATSB report into the incident found an unsafe clearance had been issued to the helicopter, and that the Aerodrome Controller had failed to monitor both aircraft during the take-off, a critical phase of operation. The investigation also found the Controller did not remember the incident. The ATSB also reported that, in February last year, a single-engine, six-seater Cessna pilot was given permission to cross a runway at Darwin airport. A few seconds later, a second aircraft, a twin-engine Cessna, was cleared for take-off on the same runway. The second plane took off and flew over the first one, missing it by between 45 metres and 150 metres. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-23/air-safety-watchdog-on-darwin-airport- incidents/4646268?section=nt Back to Top DOT IG: FAA Needs Better Safety Data Sources Although the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General (IG) believes the FAA has made progress on safety issues, it says the agency must expand and enhance the reliability of its key data sources. A DOT report issued last week says, for example, that the FAA faces challenges with establishing an effective risk-based oversight system for repair stations and aircraft manufacturers. To target its surveillance to the highest-risk areas, the FAA needs to determine more accurately the number of inspectors it needs and where to place them, and ensure risk assessments are performed. Also, despite progress on implementing some elements of the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010, the FAA continues to be challenged with meeting provisions for improved pilot training, qualification and screening requirements, as well as advancing safety initiatives at smaller carriers. The IG report points to the air traffic safety analysis program (Atsap) as another example. Atsap is a controller-focused version of the more general Aviation Safety Reporting System reports pilots use. By the end of last year, the Atsap program had gathered 58,000 reports system-wide. But the agency's data analysis provided answers that were too general, according to the IG, to be of much use to identify any causes, much less develop specific actions to mitigate the problems identified. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2013-04-22/dot-ig-faa-needs-better- safety-data-sources Back to Top Owner of South African game reserve and 3 others die in helicopter crash; probe underway JOHANNESBURG (AP) - A South African hotel group says Nicholas More, co-owner and CEO of a game reserve in South Africa's northeast, has died in a helicopter crash (R44). The family-owned More Hotels says two other men and a woman also died in the accident on Tuesday morning. The hotel group says in a statement that More was piloting the aircraft and on his way to a business meeting in Johannesburg when the aircraft crashed. *********** Date: 23-APR-2013 Time: 07:00 LT Type: Robinson R44 II Raven Operator: Bellrest 104 (PTY) Ltd Registration: ZS-HLS C/n / msn: 13184 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: In the vicinity of Schoemanskloof outside Nelspruit - South Africa Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Casterbridge, White River Destination airport: Grand Central - GCJ/FAGC Narrative: Crashed under unknown circumstances. There are unconfirmed reports about heavy mist. All four occupants were killed in the accident. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top WWII-era jet aborts takeoff when canopy comes off A replica WWII jet fighter aborted its takeoff Tuesday morning from Midland International Airport when the cockpit canopy above a rear passenger came loose. The passenger and the pilot escaped injury, according to a news release from the City of Midland, and there was only minor damage to the plane, primarily to the canopy. Midland police and firefighters responded to a report of an "Alert 3 crash call" at 11:11 a.m. Despite initial reports of a plane crash, an investigator with the Federal Aviation Administration classified it as "an incident," according to Lynn Lunsford, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane, a Messerschmitt Me 262, never left the ground but veered into the grass and back onto the pavement while it was stopping, Lunsford said. The Commemorative Air Force Museum is nearby, but the airplane was not a CAF aircraft. Instead the plane is registered to Collings Foundation in Massachusetts. Executive Director Rob Collings said the plane had stopped for fuel en route to Houston from Tucson, where it was traveling for an exhibition. http://www.oaoa.com/news/local/article_4029b3ca-ac37-11e2-86e1-0019bb30f31a.html Back to Top Back to Top India's Jet Airways to sell $379M stake to Etihad MUMBAI, India (AP) -- India's Jet Airways on Wednesday approved the sale of a 24 percent stake to Etihad Airways for $379 million, the first foreign investment in an Indian airline since the South Asian country eased restrictions on aviation deals last year. Jet Airways said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange that is selling 27.3 million new shares to Etihad at 754.7 rupees ($13.90) a share, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. Mumbai-based Jet, founded in 1993, has struggled to make a profit and will benefit from Etihad's cash infusion. Fast-growing Etihad was set up in the United Arab Emirates in 2003 and recently has been building partnerships and other alliances around the world as part of its fierce competition with Gulf rivals Qatar Airways and Dubai-based Emirates. In June, Etihad announced it bought a nearly 4 percent stake in Virgin Australia. Jet and Etihad had no immediate comment Wednesday. Etihad is paying a 32 percent premium to Jet's closing share price Tuesday of 573.85 rupees. India's airline industry has expanded enormously in recent years, but only one airline, Indigo, has been able to turn a consistent profit, while others suffered from labor strife and mismanagement. Last year, the Indian government decided to ease restrictions on foreign investment in airlines and other industries as part of reforms to help revive a slowing economy. AirAsia, Southeast Asia's top budget carrier, last month said it will set up a Chennai- based airline with India's Tata conglomerate to serve the domestic Indian market. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/24/3361624/indias-jet-airways-to-sell- 379m.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top BA orders 18 new Airbus A350 aircraft British Airways has ordered 18 new Airbus A350 aircraft as part of a move to phase out a fleet of 30 Boeing aircraft over the next 10 years. The order, announced by BA's parent company International Airlines Group (IAG), allows for an option of a further 18 A350 aeroplanes. As well as its new Airbus aircraft, IAG plans to place firm orders on 18 Boeing 787s, which together will be used to replace BA's fleet of 30 Boeing 747-400 planes between 2017 and 2023. IAG also said it was talking to Airbus and Boeing about supplying aircraft for its Spanish arm, Iberia. The order for the Airbus A350s will be a welcome boost to Britain's aviation industry. The aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, and the deal is worth 1.6 billion US dollars (£1.04 billion), the company said. Willie Walsh, IAG's chief executive, said: "The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably. "This will not only bring greater flexibility to our network but also more choice for our customers. "This order will also secure jobs in Britain and Spain. The A350's wings are made in Britain while its horizontal tail plane, horizontal tail plane boxes and lower wing covers are made in Spain. Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are assembled in Britain." The order for the A350 aircraft follows BA's decision in 2007 to buy 12 Airbus A380s, the first of which will be delivered this summer. "This is an important announcement from one of the world's most respected and influential airline brands," said John Leahy, Airbus's chief operating officer. "The A380 and the A350 are perfectly matched for greener long-haul operations and demonstrate environmental leadership. "We are simply delighted that British Airways has chosen the A350 to spread its global wings and its iconic livery." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ba-orders-18-new-airbus-a350- aircraft-8584126.html Back to Top Real-Time, In-Flight Safety Data Analysis Now a reality, Snecma set to revolutionize aircraft engine health monitoring with IDBS E- WorkBook. Aircraft engine safety and reliability around the world will be enhanced by new tools, which enable real-time in-flight engine health monitoring (EHM). Snecma, the aircraft and rocket specialist whose commercial engines are used within most civil commercial jets, is using fault detection and condition monitoring data analysis algorithms with validation enabled by a software tool from IDBS, a global provider of innovative data management, analytics and modeling software. Traditionally, aircraft engines are monitored within a ground-based scheduled maintenance program. A Snecma proprietary research platform, Samanta, which is shared among all companies within the Safran group, drastically shortened EHM product development by creating prototype algorithms. Samanta comes with a database capitalizing operational data for test and validation purposes. The IDBS E-WorkBook application is linked to Samanta and is used to maintain a history of the algorithms' maturation process. Once a prototype algorithm is matured and validated, the code is sent for compilation and execution within real-time fault detection and condition monitoring applications in Snecma's aircraft engines. E-WorkBook provides a single collaborative platform for the capture, analysis, searching and reporting of all research and development (R&D) data within a fully compliant, validated environment. The algorithm takes inputs from the engine of the aircraft, analyzes behavior, and identifies abnormality. E-WorkBook links datasets with the algorithm hence ensuring persistence of experiments. Its rich functionality improves information analysis by ensuring that validation scenarios and key performance experiments can be carried out in real-time. Neil Kipling, CEO and Founder of IDBS states, "Snecma uses good data management to create better, higher value, safer products for its market. This is the essence of innovation in R&D, and it is exactly what we create our software to support. We are delighted that Snecma has demonstrated just how versatile a product E-WorkBook has become." E-WorkBook provides a collaborative environment, which structures the workflow process to ensure algorithms are developed and tested in a timely, efficient manner. A variety of academic partners, all involved in the algorithmic maturation process, benefitted from its standardized platform, which stores and quantifies all experimentation within a single, secure location. http://www.onlineamd.com/aerospace-snecma-real-time-flight-safety-042413.aspx Back to Top Position Wanted: Pilot Position (Airline/Cargo) Experienced international airline aviator with 8,000+ total flying hours; in excess 2000 hours of B777, 2200 hours of B737, and 1800 hours of A310 experience. Verifiable record of no violations. Solid training record- has passed all commercial airline and check rights on first attempt. Continuous employment in aviation. Dependable employee- 0 no. - Shows throughout career. Facilitate open communication and mutual respect among all work groups. Committed to Safety First. Firm Advocate of Crew Resource Management. Contact: jahanzeb737@yahoo.com Curt Lewis