Flight Safety Information September 1, 2016 - No. 172 In This Issue 5 passengers killed in Alaska mid-air plane crash Japanese airline ANA to replace 100 Rolls engines on 787s Pilot's training raised 'red flags' Japan approves Rs1.51b grant to boost air safety (for Nepal) Jet pilot benched for violating safety norms (India) Pakistani pilot sisters make history by flying Boeing 777 aircraft at the same time TSA arrests man carrying shotgun at BWI Airport NTSB Investigates CFM56 Failure On Southwest Boeing 737 Asiana A330 damaged in ground accident Pilots press for simpler oceanic waypoint convention Acting CASA chief appointed (Australia) USAIG Unveils Safety Program for Small Drone Operators Osprey Mission Set Grows As Safety Concerns Linger Frank E. Petersen, First Black General in Marines, Dies at 83 Ukraine to launch serial production of world's biggest aircraft together with China How GE Makes Filthy Aircraft Engine Parts Look Good as New Revealed: How the U.S. Air Force Almost Brought Back the P-51 Mustang 5 passengers killed in Alaska mid-air plane crash Two small planes carrying a total of five passengers collided in mid-air in Alaska Wednesday morning, authorities said. All five people are dead, according to Alaska State Troopers. The crash happened around 11 a.m. local time about 60 miles north of the city of Bethel, Alaska National Guard spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Candis Olmstead said in a statement. "The aircraft involved were a Hageland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan with three individuals on board and a Renfro's Alaska Adventures Piper PA-18 Super Cub with two individuals on board," Olmstead said. Olmstead said the crash occurred about 6 miles northwest of Russian Mission, a remote community in the southwest of the state along the Yukon River. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Hageland did not immediately respond to a request for information. An Alaska Army National Guard helicopter ferrying medics was arriving at the crash site, Olmstead said. Alaska State Troopers were also en route. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-two-planes-carrying-five-people-collide-mid-air-in-alaska-media-2016-8 ***************** Date: 31-AUG-2016 Time: -11:00 Type: Cessna 208 Caravan Owner/operator: Hageland Aviation Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 2 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: WNW of Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, AK - United States of America Phase: Unknown Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A midair collision occurred between a Cessna 208 Caravan and a Piper PA-18 Super Cub west-northwest of Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, Alaska. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the two occupants onboard received fatal injuries. The two occupants onboard the Piper PA-18 Super Cub were fatally injured. www.aviation-safety.com Back to Top Japanese airline ANA to replace 100 Rolls engines on 787s SEATTLE (Reuters) - ANA Holdings Inc, Japan's largest airline, said on Wednesday it will replace all 100 Rolls-Royce engines on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following three engine failures this year caused by corrosion and cracking of turbine blades. In response to questions from Reuters, ANA, the world's largest 787 operator, said all 50 of its 787s will receive engines fitted with new blades, a process that could take up to three years. ANA has five engines that currently need repairs, "but we will replace all the 100 engines for enhanced safety measures," the company said, adding that it had already repaired three engines. A Rolls-Royce spokesman said the engine maker would swap out existing blades for new ones on ANA's planes in the short term. Rolls has started production of a new blade design that will be ready by year end, he said. "We are working very closely with ANA," Rolls spokesman Richard Wray said in an email. The new blade will be incorporated next year into engines going onto new 787s, Wray said, adding that other airlines are managing the issue with "ongoing maintenance." Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Warren East said on Tuesday that ANA's problem was a "manageable issue." He added that ANA's "intensive" use of the engines had caused the blades to wear more quickly than usual. ANA said the first engine failure happened on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in February. A second flight in March and a third in August had similar problems. On Wednesday, ANA said four 787s remained grounded and that it had canceled 18 domestic flights due to the engine problem. The airline said it expected no further cancellations through mid-September. Beyond that its schedule had not been finalized. The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, one of two engines for the Boeing 787 jetliner, costs about $20 million at list price. General Electric Co (GE.N) makes the other 787 engine, known as the GEnx. Boeing's 787, built with lightweight carbon-fiber wings and fuselage, is a technological leap forward and burns 20 percent less fuel than the jets it replaces. But it was three years late coming to market and regulators grounded the fleet in 2013 after its lithium batteries overheated and burned. Boeing has delivered about 445 of the planes, which seat 242 to 290 passengers and cost $225 million to $265 million at list price. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/japanese-airline-ana-replace-100-184642692.html Back to Top Pilot's training raised 'red flags' As co-pilot he deliberately flew his airliner into a mountainside last year killing all on board. WASHINGTON - The German pilot who deliberately flew his airliner into a mountainside last year had struggled with learning to fly and had failed a key test of his skills during training in the U.S., according to FBI interviews with his flight instructors. Andreas Lubitz was promoted anyway. But his training difficulties were one more "red flag" that should have caused Lufthansa and the airline's Arizona flight school to take a closer look and discover his history of depression, asserted attorneys representing families of crash victims. Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, in a Facebook picture, struggled with learning to fly and had failed a key test Lubitz was a co-pilot for Germanwings, a regional airline owned by Lufthansa, when he locked Flight 9524's captain out of the cockpit and set the plane on a collision course with a mountain in the French Alps last year. All 144 passengers and six crew members, including Lubitz, were killed. One instructor described Lubitz as "not an ace pilot," and said he failed one flight test because of a "situational awareness issue." In aviation, loss of situational awareness usually means a pilot becomes absorbed in something and loses track of what else is happening with the plane. Another instructor said that Lubitz lacked "procedural knowledge" and had trouble with splitting his attention between instruments inside the plane and watching what was happening outside. But while Lubitz struggled with training, he would achieve passing scores. http://www.pressherald.com/2016/08/30/pilots-training-raised-red-flags/ Back to Top Japan approves Rs1.51b grant to boost air safety (for Nepal) The scheme will improve safety at eight airports across Nepal-five short take-off and landing airstrips, two regional airports and Tribhuvan International Airport Sep 1, 2016- Japan on Wednesday decided to extend a grant assistance of a record Rs1.51 billion to enhance safety and efficiency of air transport in Nepal. The largest assistance so far from Japan in the civil aviation sector will be used to implement the Project for Improvement of Aviation Safety Facilities. The scheme will improve safety at eight airports across Nepal-five short take-off and landing (STOL) airstrips, two regional airports and Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). The project will install a localizer with terminal distance measuring equipment at TIA which provides horizontal guidance to aircraft during the landing approach. "After the completion of this project, it is expected that the number of flights that can land with precision by using the technology at TIA will be increased," the Embassy of Japan said in a statement. "The number of flights that can fly to designated airports by utilizing VHF Omni-directional Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) will be increased, and the runway usability factor for big aircraft at TIA will be improved." Likewise, VOR/DME will be installed at airports in Chandragadhi in the east and Dhangadhi in the west. Other plans include installing VOR/DME Test Rack at the Navigation Aid Main-tenance Section at Sinamangal and supply and replace equipment to enhance capacity at the Civil Aviation Academy, Sano Thimi. The project will also install equipment such as Runway Threshold Identification Lights, Runway Threshold and End Lights, Runway Edge Lights and Solar Power Supply Systems at Lukla, Jomsom, Jumla, Rara and Simikot airports based on the plan and design envisaged by the project. The grant assistance was pledged on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Nepal. Sanjiv Gautam, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan), said that the three-year project would begin in 2017. "After the completion of the project, air safety will be significantly enhanced." In March 2013, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided Rs906 million in grant to install two new radars at TIA and Bhatte Danda in Lalitpur to the south of the airport. The installation of second generation Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) systems at TIA and Bhatte Danda under a TIA modernization project, which is expected to make Nepali skies safer, has been completed. The radar is slated to come into operation by November this year after tests are completed. The MSSR will replace the existing airport surveillance/secondary surveillance radar system to enhance and strengthen the existing surveillance system installed under the Japanese official development assistance extended in 1994. http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-09-01/japan-approves-rs151b-grant-to-boost-air- safety.html Back to Top Jet pilot benched for violating safety norms (India) Captain Manoj Airon is facing charges of occupying the co-pilot's seat on a Delhi-Bengaluru flight when he was booked to travel as a passenger. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has benched an examiner-rank Jet Airways pilot for a series of safety violations last week. Captain Manoj Airon is facing charges of occupying the co-pilot's seat on a Delhi-Bengaluru flight when he was booked to travel as a passenger, said sources in the aviation safety regulator. To save himself from getting caught, he allegedly deleted the flight's record from the airline's rostering system. But a parallel entry in the tech-log book signed by pilots before takeoffs exposed the alleged violation, sources added. "We found evidence on the violations during a surprise inspection," said a senior air safety official from the DGCA requesting anonymity, who added that the inspection was conducted on an anonymous complaint against the pilot. A Jet Airways spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the charge. "As this matter is currently under investigation, we cannot comment on the details. We are extending full co-operation to DGCA for the investigation. At Jet Airways, the safety of our guests and staff is of paramount importance," read a statement issued by the airline. The safety regulator's probe also found that Captain Airon pilot's proficiency check, a mandatory by-yearly test, was pending and he had also operated some flights in violation of the Flight Duty Timing Limitations (FDTL) rules. Flight rosters for pilots and cabin crew are made based on scientific studies that link flying hours with travel fatigue. Pilots violating these limits indirectly put passengers at risk, added the DGCA official. Last month, the regulator had taken action against about three dozen SpiceJet pilots, five Air Pegasus pilots and some Jet Airways pilots for operating flights beyond the permissible safety limit in a day. For the lucrative overtime allowances, pilots bend rules and airlines often turn a blind eye towards such violations owing to industry-wide shortage of commanders, said an independent air safety experts. "A pilot gets overtime of Rs10,000 per hour. That explains the surge in FDTL lapses," said a former member of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC), a government appointed independent air safety panel set up after the Air India Express crash in Mangalore that killed 158 people in 2010. Captain Airon's examiner status was withdrawn citing a similar charge a few years ago. Examiners are senior most pilots chosen from an airline by the DGCA to double up as in-house watchdogs. http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/jet-pilot-benched-for-violating-safety-norms/story- wwAoVRZtP4gcdWmsYCH2CO.html Back to Top Pakistani pilot sisters make history by flying Boeing 777 aircraft at the same time Maryam and Erum Masood, pilots at Pakistan International Airlines, became the first sisters to pilot 777s simultaneously Maryam and Erum Masood have become the first sisters to fly Boeing 777 airliners at the same time Danyal Gilani Two sisters working as pilots have become the first pair to concurrently fly Boeing 777 aircraft. Maryam Masood and younger sister Erum Masood, who work as pilots for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), have both flown various planes for the airline, but following a promotion for one of the sisters, they became the first such pair to fly the passenger aircraft at the same time. PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani said: "There is no known record of two real sisters having flown the same weight category aircraft concurrently." Mr Gilani said the sisters are both first officers and normally fly different aircraft, but have now flown separate 777s at the same time as one another on multiple occasions. The Boeing 777 is the largest twinjet passenger airliner and can carry up to 450 passengers. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistani-pilot-sisters-flying-boeing-777-aircraft-same- time-maryam-erum-masood-a7219466.html Back to Top TSA arrests man carrying shotgun at BWI Airport BALTIMORE -A man was arrested Tuesday at Baltimore Washington International-Thurgood Marshall Airport after Transportation Security Administration officers caught him trying to carry a shotgun past the security checkpoint, officials said. TSA officials said the 12-gauge shotgun was not loaded. The man, a resident of Mt. Airy, Maryland., was carrying the gun inside a locked, hard-sided firearm case as he entered the checkpoint, the TSA said. TSA officers contacted Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm and arrested the man on state weapons charges. http://www.wbaltv.com/news/tsa-arrests-man-carrying-shotgun-at-bwi-airport/41452832 Back to Top NTSB Investigates CFM56 Failure On Southwest Boeing 737 LOS ANGELES-Investigators delving into the highly unusual Aug. 27 failure of the left CFM56-7B engine on a Southwest AirlinesBoeing 737-700 are hoping for some quick answers as to why the powerplant's inlet cowl detached in midair, causing the engine to be shut down as well as significantly damaging the airframe. Images taken from inside the aircraft-which diverted after the No.1 engine malfunction to Pensacola, Florida, while enroute from New Orleans to Orlando, Florida-appear to show the fan and centrally located spinner intact after the cowl separated. There is no apparent indication that the cowl loss was associated with either a fan-blade failure or the release of a blade. Passengers reported a loud noise accompanied the event, which occurred around 13 min. after takeoff at around 31,000 ft. over the Gulf of Mexico. Aside from the remnants of acoustic panels that line the interior of the inlet to help partially absorb the sound generated by the fan, the cowl appears to have separated relatively cleanly from the engine fan case, the forward flange of which is seen in photos exposed to the airflow. The cowl is normally attached to the fan case by bolts and two alignment pints located at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions around the inlet. Mostly consisting of a hollow, lightweight structure designed to smooth airflow into the engine and prevent ice build close to the fan, the inlet cowl also incorporates a ram air inlet for cooling air to the engine electronic control (EEC) unit and a thermal anti-ice (TAI) duct within the nose lip. The cowl also contains an access door for the fan inlet temperature (T12) sensor which also provides a pressure relief outlet for heated anti-ice air inside the cowl. Images of the engine show the truncated duct for the EEC ram air inlet and, slightly above it, the bent duct for the T12 sensor protruding from the forward flange of the fan duct. Damage visible to the airframe includes significant buckling of the leading-edge wing root fairing, indicative of a heavy impact from part of the inlet assembly, as well as a puncture of the fuselage skin below the window belt above the leading edge. This latter damage is likely the main cause of the cabin depressurization which occurred on separation of the inlet. Photographs also show dents to the midspan of the horizontal-stabilizer leading edge and, perhaps surprisingly, the leading edge of the left winglet. Given the absence of evidence of damage to the fan stage and the intact fan case flange, it is likely the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation will focus initially on the inlet cowl mounting structure and potential failures of the few systems that are located within it. Prime suspects are likely to include an overpressure of the inlet anti-ice system, possibly due to a TAI valve failure, a duct or vent failure in the pressurization system itself, or a mechanical failure of the fasteners. However the root cause and failure sequence could also be difficult to identify given the impact of air loads on the structure and the accelerated break-up this force would cause. Neither CFM, a joint venture of General Electric and Safran, nor Southwest are commenting on the event while it remains an open NTSB investigation. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Asiana A330 damaged in ground accident An Asiana Airlines Airbus A330-300 has received significant damage to its tail after making contact with a hangar door. FlightGlobal understands that the aircraft, registered HL8258, was being towed out of a hangar at Incheon International airport on 28 August when the left-hand horizontal stabiliser hit the hangar door. Sources indicate that the aircraft received substantial damage to its tailcone and horizontal stabilisers. It is unclear if the auxiliary power unit was also damaged. FlightGlobal approached Asiana for comment but no response had been received at the time of publishing. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that the 2012-build aircraft is owned by Blackbird Capital and is managed by Air Lease Corporation. Asiana has been the sole operator of the aircraft. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Pilots press for simpler oceanic waypoint convention Cockpit crew representatives have outlined measures they believe should be taken to mitigate safety risks presented by reducing lateral separation to 25nm on North Atlantic tracks. Initial trials of the reduced-separation scheme - known as 'RLatSM' - commenced last December, introducing the option to assign transoceanic aircraft to fly a route which is offset by 0.5° from core tracks. But the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations is striving to change the naming convention of waypoints to avoid possible navigation errors. Canada's Gander and Ireland's Shanwick oceanic centres, which handle traffic over the North Atlantic, do not have the capability to uplink full routes to aircraft flight-management systems, requiring crews to enter the waypoints manually. Entering full 13-character latitude-longitude waypoints is prone to mistyping errors, says IFALPA, which claims this "routinely" occurs some 10-12 times annually. IFALPA adds that a simpler five-character naming convention - designed to eliminate the need to type all 13 characters - uses identities for the 0.5° track waypoints which are similar to those for the regular tracks. This requires the crew to distinguish between waypoints identified, for example, as 'N5020', '50N20' and '5020N'. IFALPA argues that incorrect entry could result in a gross navigation error of some 30nm - less of a concern under the previous lateral separation of 60nm but a greater problem with the reduced separation of 25nm. The association says it has "always strongly advocated" for alternative methods of waypoint data entry, and is backing the use of a five-character naming convention which uses 'H' - standing for 'half-degree' - on the new tracks. "Unfortunately, few operators have adopted [this] format, requiring flight crews to manually enter the full 13-character [latitude-longitude] waypoint," it states. It is looking to "encourage" operators to support the format ahead of planned expansion of the trial, and is seeking development of a "more logical" naming convention in the medium term. IFALPA is also pressing for modification of contingency procedures for turnback, given that an aircraft needs 23-32nm to reverse course and, in reduced-separation oceanic airspace, will impinge on adjacent tracks. While the initial trial has concentrated on cruise altitudes between 35,000ft and 39,000ft, the expansion will extend the scheme to all North Atlantic oceanic tracks. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Acting CASA chief appointed (Australia) Shane Carmody has been appointed as acting chief executive and director of air safety at Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Carmody comes to the role of deputy secretary at the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, and is also a former deputy chief executive at CASA. "Mr Carmody joins CASA at a time when the organisation has undergone a period of significant change with the major restructure of the organisation and a renewed focus on stakeholder engagement and collaboration to deliver improved aviation safety outcomes," says CASA chairman Jeff Boyd. "A number of improvements including the development and implementation of CASA's new regulatory philosophy and just culture throughout the organisation will continue to be delivered." Carmody will take over from Mark Skidmore, who announced his resignation on 26 August. Skidmore will stay with the organisation until October to ensure an effective hand-over. CASA adds that a search to select a new chief executive is underway. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top USAIG Unveils Safety Program for Small Drone Operators Aircraft insurance provider USAIG is offering a new safety program for policyholders who insure small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the company announced yesterday. The initial offering under its new Performance Vector Unmanned program is an online small-UAS ground school course provided by Argus Unmanned, a new division of aviation data services company Argus International of Cincinnati. The course covers the aeronautical information the FAA will require for the unmanned aircraft general examination. Under the agency's Part 107 regulation, which takes effect on August 29, the operator of a small drone weighing less than 55 pounds must have a remote pilot certificate with a small-UAS rating. Certificate holders must pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test or have an existing non-student Part 61 pilot certificate. USAIG's program builds on Performance Vector, a safety program started in 2011 for policyholders who insure turbine-powered manned aircraft. "This new initiative addresses a vital need by including one remote pilot's ground school with any UAS policy," said Paul Ratté, USAIG director of aviation safety programs. "Another plus is that discounted rates are available for additional trainees." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-08-25/usaig-unveils-safety-program- small-drone-operators Back to Top Osprey Mission Set Grows As Safety Concerns Linger ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON-U.S. Marine Capt. Aaron "Fingers" Okun carefully hovered his MV-22B Osprey over the USS Carl Vinson's pitching deck, trying to get a feel for its unfamiliar angles. Okun was used to flying the tiltrotor on and off Navy amphibious ships, but the Nimitz-class Vinson was an entirely different animal. While it would be easier to land the Osprey in its helicopter mode on the ship than to perform a tail-hook landing with a C-2 Greyhound-the Navy's traditional platform for carrier onboard delivery (COD) operations, which Okun was trying to demonstrate-the Osprey presents its own unique safety concerns. The Osprey creates such strong downwash that pilots will gradually tilt the aircraft's nacelles back and forth to spread the force over the surface below. On the carrier deck, the hurricane-force downwash nearly blew over one observer, who had to be supported by one of the deckhands. Downwash worries are nothing new for the Osprey, and will continue to be a problem as the tiltrotor expands into new missions such as COD. During the past decade of operations, V-22 pilots have been finding ways to cope with the destructive and dangerous "brownout" dirt clouds that the aircraft's downwash creates. The Osprey gained notoriety in its early development years for fatal accidents-there have been at least 39 deaths related to the development, deployment or operation of the V-22, according to government reports and Aviation Week's analysis of Naval Safety Center data dating back to 2009. Nonetheless, pilots maintain the Osprey is one of the safest aircraft to fly, provided they follow its procedures. Marine Capt. Nathaniel Ross, an Osprey test pilot, says "I stick to the book." Marine officials note that the Ospreys have had fewer fatal accidents than most other combat aircraft. However, certain types of mishaps have proved consistently troublesome through the years and remain a cause for concern. The Ospreys' $4,006-per-mishap cost ranked it 12th among Navy aircraft, according to the analysis of Naval Safety Center data. For perspective, total costs for Navy and Marine aircraft mishaps reached $4.4 billion during that time, with an average per-mishap cost of $3,123. Pinpointing the precise cause for mishaps involving machinery as complex as the Osprey has proven difficult-investigators probing V-22 mishaps can't rely on the tried-and-true explanations related to pure fixed-wing airplanes or helicopters. "Any time you have an incident it's something to be concerned about," says Marine Col. Dan Robinson, V- 22 Joint Program Office director. "In any incident we look at opportunities to make improvements, whether that's through tactics, techniques and procedures, or a material change." Finding and fixing the technical, mechanical and operational problems with the Osprey is an overriding imperative for the Marines. No other aircraft program is as important to the service. It is the linchpin for aviation operations during amphibious missions, which are the Corps' raison d'etre. MV-22s represent the future of Marine survival-not only on distant shores but also in the halls of the Pentagon and Congress. The most vexing and infamous of Osprey flight mishaps continues to be the blinding "brownout" conditions resulting from the massive dust clouds that can be created by downwash from the aircraft's dual rotors. The Naval Safety Center clearly identifies six cases in which brownout and whiteout conditions caused mishaps between fiscal 2009 and the spring of this year. But rotor wash was the culprit in at least another dozen cases listed as "general hazard" or other mishaps by the center. In 2012, for example, V-22 downwash damaged UH-1Y parts on the ground, at a cost of about $246,000. A similar incident occurred this fiscal year when an Osprey took off from an amphibious ship and its downwash damaged folded A/UH- 1 rotor blades, costing about $92,000. Two of the "general hazards" involved injuries either getting in or out of the aircraft-one passenger fractured his fibula in 2012 when he fell onto the aircraft ramp and another broke his ankle in 2013 getting out in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. In another general hazard incident, "suspended Marines" were injured during a 2011 special patrol insertion. Multiple incidents suggest the Marines need to take a hard look at their procedures and equipment design to ensure safety, especially during brownout landings and other reduced visibility conditions, often caused by the dust clouds stirred up by the powerful downwash. Osprey pilots regard brownouts as an occupational hazard-one best overcome by continual practice in those conditions. But they also note that such training involves risk. "If you spend too much time in the dust cloud, it can degrade the engines," Capt. Ross says. One tragic mishap occurred May 17, 2015, in Hawaii. It killed two Marines and injured 20 aboard. The official Naval Safety Center narrative reports the MV-22 "experienced a compressor stall resulting in hard landing and fire." Marine and Navy officials will not discuss details of the investigation because its findings have not been fully released. But the initial Marine Command Investigative Report obtained by Aviation Week highlights the series of seemingly minor miscues and missteps that led to the crash. The report raises questions about the mission-from the choice of landing site to the Navy's guidance for operating in a brownout to the ability of the V-22's equipment in such conditions. In this case, the Marines "had ample time and opportunities to conduct a site survey and complete detailed planning prior to execution, but failed to do so," the report says. That failure led to a "poor understanding of the conditions of the landing zone," which could have alerted them to the potential for the presence of dust clouds, the report adds. The folly of the insufficient assessment became apparent as soon as the MV-22B, call sign Mayhem 11, angled in for a landing near Kaneohe Bay. The crew had planned for a reduced visibility landing (RVL) of 1 or 2, the lower end of the spectrum, but the Osprey's downwash kicked up a much greater and more dangerous dust cloud. "The pilots did not anticipate and did not plan for RVL level 4 brownout conditions," the report says. "Had the advance party conducted an on-site survey of landing zones, instead of relying on the off-hand estimations of a pilot who landed in the same LZ during the previous year, someone may have discovered and briefed higher RVL levels. Even if LZ Gull remained the LZ, the pilots would have at least been in a better position to prepare for the brownout conditions." Naval Air Training and Operations Procedures (Natops) called for Osprey pilots to limit brownout-condition hovering to 60 sec. per attempt. "The first attempt to land subjected the mishap aircraft to 35 seconds and the second attempt was 45 sec.," the report says. "Both attempts were within the 60-second warning," which, the report notes, "is not intended to prevent multiple attempts. In essence the 60-second clock commences on each attempt and is not cumulative." In fact, the report contends, "Natops does not adequately explain whether a single reattempt of a landing following a wave-off in brownout conditions is appropriate or fits the definition of 'repeated.' It may appear that the crew of Mayhem 11 failed to adhere to a Natops warning by exposing the aircraft to brownout conditions for a 'prolonged period of time.' However, the term 'prolonged' is not clearly defined. The pilots did not violate the Natops warning." Stuck in a downwash dust storm for their second landing attempt, the pilots tried to ascend to a higher hover to better deal with the conditions. "It is the opinion of the IO (investigating officer) that it was not prudent to bring the aircraft into a 110-foot hover in an attempt to salvage the approach instead of executing another wave-off. This appears to demonstrate poor judgment. However, it would be unfair to hold [the pilots] to a standard that is not clearly defined and vaguely written." Nonetheless, the report questions the pilots' decision to use the same flight path a second time. "Use of the same approach profile guaranteed the same brownout severity during the second attempt to land," the report says. "After the first approach, the crew should have recognized the RVL Level briefed and expected was not the reality of the conditions experienced." Natops limits the amount of time in a brownout to make it easier for the Osprey's engine air particle separator (EAPS) to extract dirt and dust from the air entering the aircraft's Rolls-Royce AE1107 engines. Particles are separated centrifugally, then scavenged and dumped overboard by a blower. The longer the aircraft is exposed, the greater the risk the system will be overloaded. And that, the report says, appears to be what happened on that day in Hawaii. "Successive attempts to land in brownout conditions exceeded the capabilities of the EAPS, which led to a compressor stall that was caused by the aircraft's engines' ingestion of sand and dirt," the investigative report says. As a result, the left engine abruptly lost power at an altitude of less than 150 ft., according to a Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) status report. The V-22's cross-shafting system and pilot inputs kept the aircraft in level flight, but the pilots were unable to control the rate of descent, and it struck the ground and broke apart. Many of the Marines in the back had unbuckled themselves to hit the ground running when the Osprey landed, a safety violation that increased their chances of injury. The likely cause of the power loss was that the engine ingested reactive sand. Calcium, magnesium, aluminum and silicon compounds melted in the combustor and solidified on the fixed first-stage turbine van, which restricted airflow and reduced surge margin. Unfortunately, cockpit indicators of these conditions to the aircrew "are not sufficient," the report says. With little or no warning, throttle movement can trigger a "surge," or the reverse flow of high-pressure gas from the rear of the engine forward, which can sometimes result from a compressor stall. The V-22 cannot maintain altitude unless the rotors are tilted forward to increase airspeed, and therefore lift, from its wing, but this maneuver requires substantial altitude. Also, unlike a helicopter, if it loses engine power the V-22 cannot autorotate to slow its descent close to the ground. While Marine and Navair officials deflect questions about the Hawaii crash, saying the full investigative findings have not yet been cleared for public release, they acknowledge more should be done to manage brownout conditions. Soon after the accident, for example, naval aviation officials cut the hover limit in brownout almost by half, to 35 sec. "That's plenty of time if you are flying the Osprey correctly," Okun says. The investigative report also suggests Osprey pilots should consider a more-vertical landing. But while that would limit the amount of time the aircraft spends inside a dust cloud, it also could place more stress on landing gear. Complicating matters is the fact that the rate at which the Osprey can descend in helicopter mode-when the nacelles are tilted up by 80 deg. or more and forward airspeed is low-is limited, to avoid entering "vortex ring state" (VRS), or what Navy and Marine pilots call "power settling." In this condition, the rotor descends too quickly into its own vortex, cannot generate the thrust it needs, and adding power does not increase lift. All rotorcraft are susceptible to VRS, but with its side-by-side rotors, the V-22 is uniquely at risk of asymmetric power settling, which can cause the aircraft to invert. After any incident, the Marines review tactics, techniques and procedures to mitigate challenges and risks, Robinson says. "If we get to a point where we need to make changes in the aircraft, software, hardware and material, we'll certainly look at that. A lot of that is based on funding and priorities as well." Naval investigators have been seeking to find out how the Hawaii incident may be related to others. Information on hand shows worrisome trends. There have now been at least four "mishap events for this failure mode," Navair says. That may be due to increasing operations into landing zones that, unbeknownst to the Marines, could feature reactive sand. The risk of such accidents, the command hints, could grow. There are six "additional documented aircraft/engine(s) rapid power loss events in areas of operation that exhibit reactive sand," Navair says. More undocumented cases may exist, and the command is reviewing historical data to find them. While the investigation and reviews continue, the Navy and Marines are seeking ways to keep dust, dirt and other material from clogging up the Osprey's engines. Some studies have focused on the EAPS, with various modifications being proposed to the hydraulically powered centrifugal system. Because of the V-22's high cruising speed, it cannot use the same type of barrier filters or multi-tube inertial particle separators used on other helicopters, and its dual rotors and high disk loading create an intense airflow pattern that exposes the EAPS to heavy dust flows and overloads it. The latest attempted fix is to replace the EAPS with an improved inlet. Following a demonstration program in 2013, including 55 hr. of flight testing, the Bell-Boeing V-22 team was awarded a $70 million contract in July 2014 to develop and flight-test a new inlet system using oil-wetted, cotton-media barrier filters, and which features a bypass door that opens in cruise. The program is due to be completed in fall 2017, after which "a decision will be made as to when and how the retrofit will occur," according to Navair.Pilots say they have seen prototypes for the fixes being reviewed, but actual fleet hardware will take some time to develop. As demonstrated in Hawaii, pilots may need a better picture of the environment around the aircraft. "Software changes can give you better indications of what the aircraft is doing," Robinson says. The Army is working on anti-brownout technology that could help with sensing conditions below the aircraft in degraded visibility that could be adapted for the Osprey, Robinson says. He adds, "We're always looking for opportunities to improve situational awareness for the air crew." But as the Hawaii mishap shows, it is what those aboard do with the situational awareness that can make the difference. The Marines' investigative report on that accident says "excessive intake of sand and dirt caused the engine to fail," but also notes pilots must "fully appreciate the circumstances of the landing and adjust their actions accordingly." www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Frank E. Petersen, First Black General in Marines, Dies at 83 Frank E. Petersen of the Marine Corps with an F-4 Phantom, about 1968. He was the Marines' first black aviator. Credit Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images Frank E. Petersen Jr., who suffered bruising racial indignities as a military enlistee in the 1950s and was even arrested at an officers' club on suspicion of impersonating a lieutenant, but who endured to become the first black aviator and the first black general in the Marine Corps, died on Tuesday at his home in Stevensville, Md., near Annapolis. He was 83. The cause was lung cancer, his wife, Alicia, said. The son of a former sugar-cane plantation worker from St. Croix, the Virgin Islands, General Petersen grew up in Topeka, Kan., when schools were still segregated. He was told to retake a Navy entrance exam by a recruiter who suspected he had cheated the first time; steered to naval training as a mess steward because of his race; and ejected from a public bus while training in Florida for refusing to sit with the other black passengers in the back. In 1950, only two years after President Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces, he enlisted in the Navy. The Marines had begun admitting blacks during World War II, but mostly as longshoremen, laborers and stewards. By 1951, he recalled, the Marine Corps had only three black officers. But in 1952, Mr. Petersen, by then a Marine, was commissioned as a second lieutenant and the Marines' first black aviator. He would go on to fly 350 combat missions during two tours, in Korea and Vietnam (he safely bailed out after his F-4 Phantom was shot down in 1968), and to become the first of his race in the corps to command a fighter squadron (the famous Black Knights), an air group and a major base. Less confident men might not have persevered. An instructor flunked him in training and predicted he would never fly. On his first day at the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro, Calif., a captain claimed he was masquerading as a lieutenant and had him arrested. In Hawaii, a landlord refused to rent a house to him and his wife, and admitted to a subsequent prospect that he did so because they were black. Racial discrimination was not all that General Petersen had to overcome. He discovered while training that he was afflicted with acrophobia - fear of heights. And while he longed to be a general, he was happier wielding a joystick than working as a desk jockey. After 38 years, he retired from the corps in 1988 as a three-star lieutenant general. He was the senior ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and the Navy, commander of the Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., and special assistant to the chief of staff. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Much had changed in America since 1950, he recalled in his autobiography (written with J. Alfred Phelps), "Into the Tiger's Jaw" (1998) - and the military, originally recalcitrant, had led the charge. Promotions, job assignments and disproportionate punishments "were the three areas where racism was most likely to rear its ugly head for blacks then and, to some extent, still does today," he wrote. Appointed a special assistant to the commandant for minority affairs in 1969, he recalled, he sought to eradicate barriers among recruits from different backgrounds, with palpable improvement. "The signs of it are subtle," he wrote. "As you go off a base, look around. If you see a white kid and a black kid going off together to drink a beer, you know that you've achieved a degree of success." Obviously there has been progress, he said, and the military has been a model for integration. Had there been enough progress? "Never." Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr. was born in Topeka on March 2, 1932. His father, who was born in the American Virgin Islands, was a radio repairman and a General Electric salesman. His mother, the former Edythe Southard, was a teacher. Young Frank experienced the world beyond Kansas largely through radio, and his perspective was frequently refracted through race. Naturally, the family rooted for Joe Louis, he said, because "where else but in the ring could a black man kick a white man's ass with impunity and walk away smiling with a pocket full of money?" He was 9 when Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, and while he was unsure what war was, he knew the Japanese had done America wrong. "I was scared," he recalled, "but happy that it hadn't been black people who'd done it." He enrolled in Washburn University in Topeka, but when he turned 18 and no longer needed his parents' permission (his mother had opposed him joining the military), he enlisted in the Navy. He began as a seaman apprentice and electronics technician and in 1951 entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. He graduated in 1967 from George Washington University and later received his master's degree, both while in the Marines. General Petersen's marriage to the former Eleanor Burton ended in divorce. Survivors include their children, Gayle, Dana, Lindsey and Frank III; his second wife, the former Alicia Downes, and their daughter, Monique; a grandson; and three great-grandchildren. After leaving the military, General Petersen became a vice president for corporate aviation at Dupont de Nemours. He retired in 1997. In a video interview for the National Visionary Leadership Project, he reflected on becoming the first black Marine Corps general and the only one for nearly a decade until he retired. "Just to be able to say you kicked down another door was such a great satisfaction," he said, but it was also a challenge. "Whereas you thought you could perform before, now you must perform." http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/us/frank-e-petersen-first-black-general-in-marines-dies-at- 83.html?_r=0 Back to Top Ukraine to launch serial production of world's biggest aircraft together with China Antonov An-225 Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov and China's Aerospace Industry Corporation have signed a deal which will facilitate the serial production of the world's largest aircraft, the AN-225 Mriya ('Dream'), in China. Negotiations between the two enterprises have been held since May 2016 and the deal was signed on August 30 in Beijing. "On August 30, Antonov [Company] and Aerospace Industry Corporation of China (AICC) signed an agreement on cooperation on the AN-225 project," Antonov's press service said in a statement, UNIAN news agency reported. The company added that cooperation between the two companies include the projected construction of the second aircraft of its kind in Ukraine and its handover to China at the first stage of the project, as well as the creation of an aircraft production line under a Ukrainian license in China at the second stage. Representatives of Antonov Company told UNIAN that each stage of the project will be implemented under a separate contract. The two companies did not reveal any further details about the agreement and said nothing about the project deadlines or the planned numbers of the AN-225 aircraft set to be built in China. Earlier, China's CCTV Channel said on its Facebook page that Antonov Company sold all manufacturing rights and technological documents for the super-heavy air freighter AN-225 Mriya to the China Aerospace company. It added that the first AN-225 could be produced in China as early as in 2019. Antonov's press service dismissed these reports as untrue. In May, Antonov's deputy head said that Ukraine had been considering launching joint manufacturing production with China and was planning to invite Chinese investors to the project. On Wednesday, Antonov refused to make any comments on the deal and said that it will publish additional information about the negotiations with the Chinese company later, after its delegation returns from Beijing. AN-225 is currently the biggest aircraft in the world, with a takeoff mass amounting to 640 tons and a working load of 250 tons. It was developed in the former Soviet Union in the 1980s and was initially designed as a carrier for the Soviet Buran (Snowstorm) space shuttle. The only existing AN-225 aircraft took its first flight in 1988 and is now operated by Antonov Airlines, which is a part of the Antonov Company. https://www.rt.com/business/357815-ukraine-china-aircraft-production/ Back to Top How GE Makes Filthy Aircraft Engine Parts Look Good as New The parts of the engine that contains the combustion needs to be kept in tip-top shape. Gas turbine engines on airliners need to handle some serious power outputs. The General Electric CF6 high-bypass turbofan engine, which powers Boeing 747s and Airbus 300s, puts out as much as 41,500 pounds of thrust during takeoff. The part of the engine that contains the combustion-called a combustor, combustion chamber, burner, or flame holder-gets particularly scorched after constant use. A new timelapse video from GE Aviation follows a combustor as it is disassembled, cleaned, repaired and restored to like-new condition. If that's just not enough aircraft engine maintenance for you, you can also check out a new GE Maintenance Minute video that walks you through the proper removal and installation of an oil heat exchanger. Or get a look at this amazing cutaway of GE's new turboprop. We could watch engine maintenance all day. http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a22650/ge-restore-aircraft-combustor/ Back to Top Revealed: How the U.S. Air Force Almost Brought Back the P-51 Mustang Piper PA-48 Enforcer. Wikimedia Commons/USAF Museum The legendary WWII warbird got a Vietnam-era reboot. The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the greatest fighters of World War II. Had life worked out differently, the Mustang could also have fought in Vietnam and flown against a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. In fact, it might even have replaced the A-10 Warthog. The Piper PA-48 Enforcer was a modernized version of the P-51. It was the brainchild of David Lindsay, founder of manufacturer Cavalier Aircraft, who bought the rights to the Mustang in 1956. The P-51 eventually became the Turbo Mustang III. But in 1968, in response to an Air Force search for a counterinsurgency (COIN) aircraft to fight in Southeast Asia, Lindsay moved the Turbo Mustang III and himself over to Piper Aircraft, maker of popular aircraft such as the Piper Cub. What emerged in 1971 was the PA-48 Enforcer, Piper's bid for the COIN contract. While fast combat jets are sexier, the idea of a propeller-driven aircraft for COIN work makes sense: their slower speed allows them to loiter over jungle to provide air support or spot guerrillas. Prop jobs are also cheaper and require less maintenance. A P-51 cost $51,000 in 1945, or about $675,000 today. The Enforcer would probably have cost around a million dollars. The A-10 Warthog cost almost $19 million apiece. Nonetheless, a modernized Mustang was a curious choice. The P-51 had made its reputation in 1944-45 as an air-superiority fighter that was fast, maneuverable and, most importantly, long-ranged enough to escort B-17 and B-24 bombers deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. But with its lighter frame and liquid-cooled engine that would seize up if hit, it was not the ideal ground-attack aircraft; that honor was reserved for the heavier, clunkier but remarkably tough P-47 Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, the Air Force junked the Thunderbolt after World War II, which meant the more fragile Mustangs were used for ground attack in Korea, and took heavy losses in the process. Re-engined with the Lycoming T55, which powered the CH-47 helicopter, as well as an ejection seat and other upgrades, the PA-48 may have looked like a Mustang, but most of its components were new. It had a maximum speed of 345 miles per hour, almost a hundred miles per hour slower than P-51. Then again, it would have been strafing Viet Cong, not dogfighting Messerschmitts over Berlin. While the P-51 had a bomb load of a thousand pounds, the PA-48 could carry a respectable six thousand pounds of bombs or rockets, which is more than some modern fighter jets carry. Incredibly, through the 1970s, Lindsay and Piper pitched the Enforcer not just as a COIN aircraft, but also as America's primary ground-attack plane. That role happened to be fulfilled by the A-10. It's one thing to offer a prop job for a niche role like bush wars, but quite another to suggest it should replace a jet as a primary ground-attack aircraft. Not surprisingly, the Air Force said no thanks. But Lindsay, who had been a newspaper publisher, persistently lobbied Congress until the Air Force awarded Piper an $11.9 million contract in 1981 to build two prototype PA-48s for evaluation. War is Boring's Joseph Trevithick obtained a copy of the Air Force test report through the Freedom of Information Act. While the testers found the Enforcer easy to operate and maintain, they also concluded it was underpowered, lacked maneuverability with a full bomb load and was too fragile. On the other hand, compared to a heavily armored A-10, almost any aircraft would look fragile. But the air defense environment has become only more hostile since World War II. Not only are nations like Russia deploying more sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, like the S-400, but even irregular armies and terrorists groups like ISIS and Hezbollah are well equipped with antiaircraft missiles and guns. Combat missions for the F-35 will be challenging enough, even with stealth. The skies would be absolutely lethal for a 1945 aircraft. True, the PA-48 would have been cheaper, but this virtue is rooted in a time when human life was cheaper. America lost almost forty-four thousand Army Air Force (the precursor to the U.S. Air Force) aircraft overseas during the Second World War, plus another fourteen thousand in training accidents in the United States. More than forty thousand airmen were killed in combat theaters, and that figure was even worse for the Germans and Japanese. The P-51 was considered high-tech for its time. But World War II aircraft and their pilots were essentially flying bullets, to be expended like so much ammunition in a massive war of attrition. Even Operation Rolling Thunder in Vietnam cost more than nine hundred aircraft. Today's pilots are expensively trained and politically expensive to lose. A pilot lost over Serbia or Syria has major diplomatic repercussions, which is why drones are becoming the aircraft of choice. The Air Force does like its high-priced jets, and cost is a lingering issue for hundred-million-dollar aircraft like the F-35. But while a propeller-driven aircraft might be useful to organizations like Special Operations Command that fight small wars in remote locations, America is not about to send upgraded Second World War aircraft against China or Russia. In fact, the U.S. Air Force did eventually buy a propeller-driven counterinsurgency plane. Brazil's A-29 Tucano was selected in 2011 for the new Light Air Support contract. There are twenty aircraft on order. But Americans won't be flying them into combat. The planes are for the Afghan Air Force. Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook. Image: Piper PA-48 Enforcer. Wikimedia Commons/USAF Museum http://nationalinterest.org/feature/revealed-how-the-us-air-force-almost-brought-back-the-p-51- 17525?page=show Curt Lewis