Flight Safety Information October 3, 2013 - No. 204 In This Issue Southwest fires pilot of jet that landed on nose gear at LaGuardia Plane carrying 27 crashes in Nigeria's Lagos, five dead GCAA boss commends African governments for enhancing aviation safety (Ghana) Turkey and Nicaragua sign aviation agreement Exclusive: Unruly passenger taken off Los Angeles-to-JFK flight Boeing Dreamliner problems continue, flight diverted after antenna snafu Subject: NOTICE - Next GFSC Meeting 06 November 2013 ISASI NERC Meeting (19OCT2013) Think ARGUS PROS Boeing Warns of Possible Jet-Delivery Delays From Government Shutdown Delayed take-off: China cautious on large aircraft program Watch for: AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Southwest fires pilot of jet that landed on nose gear at LaGuardia (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines said on Wednesday it fired the pilot of a plane that crashed at New York's LaGuardia Airport in July after it touched down on its front landing gear. "Upon completion of our internal review of the Flight 345 accident, last week the captain was terminated and the first officer is being required to undergo additional training," Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said in a statement. The carrier added that it was cooperating in the National Transportation Safety Board probe of the incident. The NTSB said in August that it found the jet's two pilots exchanged control of the Boeing 737 plane shortly before the landing on July 22. The airplane was less than 400 feet off the ground when the pilots switched duties, with the captain taking the controls and the first officer monitoring the instruments, the NTSB said. The plane, heading to New York from Nashville, Tennessee, touched down at LaGuardia on its front landing gear, which is not designed to take such weight, according to industry experts. The nose gear collapsed and the plane's electronics were damaged. Nine people had minor injuries. Shortly after the incident, Southwest said landing on the nose gear before the main landing gear touched down was not in line with its normal procedures. The captain had worked at Southwest for more than 10 years, with six years as captain and more than 12,000 flight hours, including more than 7,900 hours in a 737, the NTSB said in August. The first officer had logged 18 months with the airline and had about 5,200 flight hours, according to the U.S. safety agency. Southwest did not disclose the identity of the pilots. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-southwest-pilot- idUSBRE9911AH20131002 Back to Top Plane carrying 27 crashes in Nigeria's Lagos, five dead (Reuters) - A small chartered passenger plane (Embraer 120)with 27 people onboard crashed shortly after take-off at Lagos airport's domestic terminal on Thursday and at least five people were killed, authorities said. Aviation Ministry spokesman Joe Obi said there were some survivors from the Associated Airlines plane, which was flying from Nigeria's commercial capital to Akure, a southwestern town about 140 miles away, with seven crew and 20 passengers. "The plane couldn't lift properly so it just came down," Obi said. "Some persons are being rushed to hospital. A few dead bodies have been recovered, but there are survivors." Yakubu Dati, coordinating general manager of Nigeria's airports authority, told Reuters on the scene that at least five passengers had been killed. Several local radio stations and Channels TV reported that the plane was carrying a family and the body of former governor of Ondo state Olusegun Agagu to his funeral. "There's a lot of smoke coming from the runway. There are fire-fighters rushing to the scene," Rasaki Rhakod, who runs a car service around the airport, told Reuters. Air crashes are relatively common in Nigeria, which despite having Africa's second- biggest economy has a poor safety record. In June last year, 163 people died when a Dana Air plane crashed into a Lagos apartment block in the country's worst airline disaster in two decades. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/03/us-nigeria-plane-idUSBRE99209T20131003 ********** Status: Preliminary Date: Thursday 3 October 2013 Time: 09:20 Type: Embraer 120RT Brasilia Operator: Associated Aviation Registration: 5N-BJY C/n / msn: 120174 First flight: 1990 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118 Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) (Nigeria) Phase: Initial climb (ICL) Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM), Nigeria Destination airport: Akure Airport (AKR/DNAK), Nigeria Narrative: An Embraer 120 reportedly crashed close to Lagos Airport, Nigeria. Photos from the scene show the airplane broke up and on fire. Local sources suggest the airplane was carrying the body of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, for burial in Akure, Nigeria. Channels Television quoted National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reports that so far, nine bodies and five survivors have been recovered from the site. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top GCAA boss commends African governments for enhancing aviation safety (Ghana) The Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey has commended African governments for demonstrating positive progress in enhancing aviation safety on the continent. In view of this he has made a passionate appeal to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to continue to play its leadership role to assist in reducing the remaining deficiencies in the Africa-Indian Ocean (AFI) region, which are detrimental to the functioning and further development of international civil aviation. Air Commodore Mamphey, who is also the President of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), made the remarks at the International Civil Aviation Organization conference underway in Montreal, Canada. He reiterated the commitment of his Commission to providing a harmonized regulatory and institutional framework for managing African aviation activities. According to Air Commodore Mamphey, the Africa Union in collaboration with AFCAC has developed the African Civil Aviation Policy which has been endorsed by African governments. The policy is aimed at providing a set of common rules and principles on the formulation, collaboration and integration of national initiatives in various aspects of civil aviation. Air Commodore Mamphey is attending this year's ICAO meeting as a member of a high- powered delegation from Ghana headed by the Minister of Transport Dzifa Aku Attivor. ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations Organization tasked with the responsibility of ensuring safety in the aviation industry across the globe. http://www.citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.1542926 Back to Top Turkey and Nicaragua sign aviation agreement Turkey signs an aviation agreement with the Nicaragua civil aviation authority to initiate flights between the two countries An aviation agreement has been signed between the Turkish Ministry of Transportation, Maritime and Communication (SHGM) and Nicaragua to initiate flights between the two countries. The first step sought to arrange scheduled flights between Nicaraguan capital Managua and Istanbul with an agreement reached in civil aviation negotiations held in Montreal, Canada on September 30, according to a statement released by SHGM. During the signature ceremony, the agreement was also initialed by permanent representative of the International Civil Aviation Organization Cagatay Erciyes, Assistant General Director of Civil Aviation Bahri Kesici and Nicaraguan General Director of Civil Aviation Carlos Salazar. Nicaragua has become the 155th country to sign this air transport agreement across the world. http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=119658 Back to Top Exclusive: Unruly passenger taken off Los Angeles-to-JFK flight NEW YORK (WABC) -- An unruly passenger was taken off a Los Angeles-to-New York City Virgin America flight after passengers say he caused quite a scene on the plane. That man is in police custody Thursday, and Eyewitness News obtained exclusive video of the disturbance, which began roughly two hours into the flight. According to eyewitnesses, the man took a bottle of wine off the flight attendant's cart and screamed at her when she told him she couldn't accept cash. An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer got involved and sat with the man for the rest of the flight after attendants cleared out the man's row and the one behind it. He says the man drank the wine and admitted he was drunk and smoked pot before getting on the plane. The flight continued as scheduled, with the man talking loud and antagonizing other passengers throughout the trip, including the landing. Upon touchdown, the passenger was reportedly talking to himself, saying he had been arrested and jailed in New York City before. A flight attendant also told the officers that the man was taking pictures of female passengers' breasts. Four police officers took the man into custody when the flight landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport just after 11 p.m. Wednesday. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9272037 Back to Top Boeing Dreamliner problems continue, flight diverted after antenna snafu Boeing Dreamliner: The plane was traveling from Toronto to Poland when it was diverted to Reykjavik, about 1,700 miles short of its destination. NEW YORK - A Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by Poland's LOT airline, has made an unscheduled landing in Reykjavik, Iceland, because of a malfunctioning antenna. The plane was travelling from Toronto to Poland when it was diverted to the Icelandic capital about 1,700 miles short of its destination. The plane's antenna is used to transmit airplane identification information. LOT sent parts and personnel to Iceland to fix the problem, Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said in an emailed statement. The airplane maker was ready to help if needed, he said. Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, the world's first commercial plane made mostly of lighter- weight composite materials, has been plagued by a series of problems since its introduction in September 2011. Even before Sunday's incident LOT had reported technical problems and demanded that Boeing try to solve a potential safety threat. The LOT problem comes a day after Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA on Saturday grounded a Boeing 787 so that officials from the Chicago-based company can examine what appears to be a technical problem. The worldwide fleet of 787 planes was grounded in January after lithium-ion batteries that overheated or caught fire following an incident on a flight by the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways. Flights resumed four months later after a revamped battery system was installed. In July, a Boeing 787 operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire while parked at London's Heathrow airport. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2013/1002/Boeing-Dreamliner- problems-continue-flight-diverted-after-antenna-snafu Back to Top Subject: NOTICE - Next GFSC Meeting 06 November 2013 To: "GFSC Membership" Dear GFSC Members, The GFSC Executive Committee is please to announce the details of the next Gulf Flight Safety Council meeting. The details are as follows: Date: Wednesday 06 November 2013 Venue: Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies, Al Bateen Airport, Abu Dhabi Time: 0830 - 1600 We would like to once again thank GCAS for their generous support in sponsoring the venue for this meeting. Thanks and kind regards, Mark Captain Mark Trotter Secretary - Gulf Flight Safety Council membership@gfsc.aero www.gfsc.aero Mobile: +971 50 120 9503 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Boeing Warns of Possible Jet-Delivery Delays From Government Shutdown Boeing Co. BA warned Wednesday that deliveries of some of its jets could be delayed as a result of the partial government shutdown, a day after rival Airbus had to reschedule delivery of one of its planes. The potential delays for Boeing involve 787 Dreamliners built at its factory in South Carolina. Completed planes require final authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration before they can be handed over to customers. The FAA officials who provide that for the South Carolina facility have been furloughed, a Boeing spokesman said. At Boeing's facilities in Washington state, where it makes most of its planes, the FAA delegates that responsibility to Boeing staffers, but the South Carolina plant, which opened in 2011, doesn't have such authority in-house. The U.S. air-travel system has operated uninterrupted since the partial U.S. government shutdown began Tuesday, with air-traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers remaining on the job. However, the aerospace and airline industries in the U.S. are reliant on regulators at some facilities for pre-delivery signoffs and paperwork processing. The impact of any delayed deliveries for Boeing would be limited, but come at a time when the company is accelerating production. The South Carolina plant produces only one to two 787s a month, a small share of the 635 to 645 total aircraft Boeing has said it expects to deliver this year. Boeing's statement came after Airbus on Tuesday was forced to halt a delivery of a new A321 jetliner to JetBlue Airways Corp. after the closure of an office used to process the delivery and U.S. registration of the German-built jetliner. Boeing said it is investigating contingencies should the furlough stretch on. A spokesman for Airbus on Wednesday said the aircraft was still stuck in limbo without a way to complete the transfer of the jet's title to JetBlue and was looking for a way to complete the handover. As a result, the airline cancelled a Thursday ceremony for employees in the U.S. to celebrate the jet's arrival. JetBlue said Tuesday the delayed delivery won't impact its operations in the near-term because the new Airbus jet wasn't scheduled to enter revenue service until December. Airbus is a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. U.S. Airways Group Inc. LCC is expecting delivery of a new A330 jetliner before the end of this week. A spokesman said Wednesday there had been no change yet to its schedule. Aircraft registrations are processed through the FAA's Flight Standards District Office in Oklahoma City, which, according to industry officials, remained open during the last shutdown in 1995. A recorded message for the office relayed to callers how to notify officials in the event of an aircraft accident, but said "we are on furlough" due to the shutdown. An FAA spokeswoman said the furloughs at the Oklahoma City office "resulted in a hold on all U.S. aircraft registrations" and added that "aircraft registrations will resume when the government shutdown ends." Boeing also faces a challenge in transferring the titles and registrations of the jets built at its Everett and Renton, Wash., factories that will be handed over to U.S. customers in the near future. A Boeing spokesman said the company was investigating if it could file paperwork by mail to generate a temporary 90-day approval that allowed transfer of titles to the airline, part of an exemption that exists if the FAA's registration office was closed. The plane maker was still exploring whether it would be sufficient for its U.S. customers who would only be operating its aircraft domestically. Such temporary approval was likely to place a restriction on operating the aircraft outside U.S. airspace. Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier Inc. didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, and a spokeswoman for Brazilian plane maker Embraer SA, said it didn't "foresee any impact at the moment." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906704579112092155187028.htm Back to Top Delayed take-off: China cautious on large aircraft program A model of the Comac C919 passenger plane, which is built by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is displayed on the first day of the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai in this November 13, 2012 file photo. (Reuters) - China's largest domestically produced aircraft may not enter service until early next decade, a delay that gives dominant rivals Boeing Co and Airbus time to launch their upgraded single-aisle planes first. The Comac C919, which will compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 family of aircraft, was scheduled for its first flight next year, but that has now been delayed until 2015, which pushes the first delivery to around 2017 or 2018, local media have reported. Officials from The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (Comac) told Reuters there was a new timeline, but declined to give details. Sources from the state-owned firm and its Western suppliers of systems said the Chinese company is still getting to grips with the complex project. China is keen to develop a successful commercial aircraft to prove it can match the United States and Europe, and to help transform its economy into one that has high-tech industries such as aerospace. But it has been held back by inexperience, a shortage of local aerospace design and engineering talent, and a lack of home-grown companies with the technology to help drive the project. Aerospace industry executives and Comac's competitors expect the company to eventually threaten the Airbus/Boeing duopoly, with the C919 competing in the 150-200- seat single-aisle aircraft category that accounts for 64 percent of global fleets. But a delay means the C919 will arrive several years after the upgraded and re-engined A320neo and Boeing 737 Max enter the market. While a C919 may cost less to buy, the fuel efficiencies and lower maintenance costs of the Airbus and Boeing planes should make them cheaper to operate. "The C919 will not be as technologically advanced as the A320 and 737, but that's not China's aim for now. It wants to learn how to build a viable and safe aircraft, and become more competitive in the long-term. It's learning from what Airbus did to Boeing in the 1970s," said a person at a Western supplier who meets senior Comac officials regularly. Luo Ronghuai, a vice-president at Comac, said the C919 program could suffer "setbacks", and noted that experienced companies including Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier all delayed the first flight of their recent jets. "We have an internal plan, but it is too early to announce it," Luo said at the Aviation Expo show in Beijing last week, when asked about the timeline and the reasons for the delays. "We want the best products and technologies from our suppliers, and that has caused some delay. We've used new technologies. As such, it's hard to say whether there will be some setbacks." INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS Comac has received commitments to buy 380 of the C919 planes, mostly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies backed by banks such as Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Bank of Communications. The company is deliberately proceeding cautiously in the development stage so the C919 can meet rigorous international testing and certification standards, said people familiar with Comac's strategy. It is working with Western aviation suppliers including engine manufacturer CFM, a joint venture between GE Aviation and French firm Snecma; Honeywell; United Technologies subsidiary Goodrich; Rockwell Collins; Liebherr; Zodiac Aerospace; Meggitt, Eaton; and Parker Aerospace, those people said. The suppliers are sending components to be integrated on to a C919 "iron bird", a ground-based engineering test-bed meant to check systems and flight controls and identify any abnormalities early in the development phase. Once these tests are completed next year, that should add some clarity on the timeline for the plane's entry into service. Comac has hired dozens of young Chinese aerospace engineering graduates - many of whom attended U.S. or European universities - and is trying to attract Western aerospace professionals, said those familiar with the firm's strategy. "Comac simply doesn't have the expertise or the number of engineers and designers that Boeing or Airbus have. It is really trying to overcome that challenge," said an executive of one of the suppliers who has visited Comac's Shanghai offices. The company is also learning from the problems faced by its ARJ-21 regional jet program. The first ARJ-21 was rolled out in December 2007 and had its first flight a year later, but the certification process has taken more than five years. The plane is now scheduled to be delivered late next year. Officials from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting a parallel certification of the ARJ-21, and that internationally recognized certification will go a long way towards helping the aircraft be accepted more widely and sold to more airlines globally. The C919 is likely to have a parallel FAA certification, too, but Luo said it will not take as long as the ARJ-21. Last week, Comac predicted industry sales of 4,346 regional aircraft and 21,200 single- aisle aircraft globally over the next 20 years. It did not say how many of these would be ARJ-21s and C919s. Airbus last month nudged up its forecast for global demand for short- and medium-haul jets - like the A320 and Boeing 737 - to 20,242 over the next 20 years. With Chinese passenger traffic expected to grow at 7 percent a year over that period, Comac projects China could take delivery of 3,602 single aisle-aircraft. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/02/us-china-aerospace-comac- idUSBRE99117I20131002 Back to Top AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Published weekly on Wednesday. Curt Lewis