Flight Safety Information September 23, 2016 - No. 188 In This Issue Qantas plane evacuated in Perth Samsung Galaxy Note 2 catches fire in...aircraft in Chennai Boeing 737-700 Smoke in the Cockpit (Germany) Airbus A320 Engine Failure, Smoke in Cabin (Australia) Woman revived three times after developing clot on flight to Seattle Bell Unveils Pilotless Tiltrotor Aircraft Model China Experimenting With Catapult Launched Carrier Aircraft They feel the need - the need for supersonic jet speed ERAU Crisis Communication & Media Qantas plane evacuated in Perth Qantas was operating the flight from Newman to Perth on Friday. (CNN)Australia's Perth airport was at the center of a dramatic airplane evacuation Friday after the cockpit and passenger cabin began to fill with fumes and smoke. The Qantas Link Fokker 100 flight was traveling from Newman to Perth with 97 passengers and five crew on board. Emergency services were on the scene when the plane touched down at 11:36 a.m. local time. "At 11:50 a.m. local time this morning the Western Australia (WA) Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) received a call from Perth Airport's fire service that a Qantas Link Fokker 100 had declared an emergency, with 102 people on board," a WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson told CNN. Perth Airport confirms that Qantas QF1623, an F100 aircraft with 102 passengers on board, has landed safely. "The Airport declared a full emergency and DFES responded for assistance with 10 crew," the spokesperson said. "All 102 people on the plane were evacuated safely after reports of fumes in the cockpit and the cabin filling with smoke. No dangerous goods were detected on board." http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/23/asia/perth-airplane-emergency-landing/index.html Back to Top Samsung Galaxy Note 2 catches fire in aircraft in Chennai NEW DELHI: A Samsung Note 2 led to a sparks and smoke in an IndiGo flight flying between Singapore and Chennai on Friday morning, said a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official. Confirming the incident, IndiGo said that 'a few passengers travelling on 6E054 flight from Singapore to Chennai noticed the smoke smell in the cabin this morning (September 23, 2016) and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board.' "The crew quickly identified minor smoke coming from the hatrack of seat 23 C. Taking the precautionary measure, the cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers on other seats, and further observed smoke being emitted from a Samsung Note 2, which was placed in the baggage (of a passenger) in the overhead bin. There was no fire observed but sparks were observed," the airline said in a statement. The statement adds that the crew discharged the fire extinguisher which is as per the Standard Operating Procedures prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer, 'and quickly transferred the Samsung note 2 into a container filled with water in lavatory. The aircraft made a normal landing at Chennai airport, and all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure. This equipment (Samsung mobile) will be further examined by the concerned departments.' The DGCA is likely to meet Samsung officials on Monday. "We had called Samsung to discuss the issue on Monday," said a senior DGCA official. A statement from Samsung is awaited. The smoke and Sparks from Samsung Note 2 has been reported at a time when the Indian aviation regulator has put restrictions on using Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on flights. The Indian regulator's action was after a growing list of nations that have taken similar steps citing potential fire hazard. The DGCA, in an order issued on September 9, 2016, had banned passengers from carrying Galaxy 7 in 'switch on' mode on flights or stowing them in any checked in baggage. Passenger can, however, carry such phone in 'switch off' mode and in cabin baggage, it said in Friday's order. The warning followed a global recall of the phones after reports of the devices exploding or catching fire. Samsung investigated the problem and found that the rechargeable batteries inside the phones were at fault. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/samsung-galaxy-note-2- catches-fire-in-aircraft-in-chennai/articleshow/54481530.cms Back to Top Boeing 737-700 Smoke in the Cockpit (Germany) Date: 22-SEP-2016 Time: ca 15:00 Type: Boeing 737-75B (WL) Owner/operator: Germania Registration: D-AGEQ C/n / msn: 28103/23 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 119 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Location: Erfurt Weimar Airport (ERF/EDDE) - Germany Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Erfurt Weimar Airport (ERF/EDDE) Destination airport: Tenerife-Sur Reina Sofia Airport (TFS/GCTS) Narrative: Germania flight ST3356, a Boeing 737-700, returned to land at Erfurt Weimar Airport, Germany after smoke developed in the cockpit immediately after departure. The aircraft took off from runway 10 at 14:57 hours local time. The aircraft climbed straight ahead to 4750 feet before turning back at 15:03. A safe landing was made at 15:12 on runway 28, the opposite direction of the departure runway. About the time of landing wind was 220 degrees (varying between 190 and 260) at 6 knots. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190310 Back to Top Airbus A320 Engine Failure, Smoke in Cabin (Australia) Date: 22-SEP-2016 Time: 16:47 Type: Airbus A320-232 (WL) Owner/operator: Jetstar Airways Registration: VH-VFY C/n / msn: 6362 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Category: Incident Location: Brisbane Airport (YBBN), Brisbane, QLD - Australia Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: YSSY Destination airport: YBCS Investigating agency: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) - Australia Narrative: Flight JQ956, whilst en route from Sydney to Cairns, experienced a failure to the #2 engine, causing smoke to enter into the cabin. The flight crew shut down the engine and diverted to Brisbane Airport. No injuries were reported. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190314 Back to Top Woman revived three times after developing clot on flight to Seattle Brianna Cheever on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 met the emergency workers who saved her life. KOMO News photo SEATAC, Wash. -- Brianna Cheever remembers her whirlwind trip to Asia, the memories made, and the arduous journey back -- but it was the flight home that nearly cost the 25-year old her life. The Whidbey Island resident slept from Seoul to Sea-Tac and remembers waking up with no one on the airplane. As she walked down the aisle to the front of the plane, she collapsed. "I just blacked out at that point, and that's when the medics and the first responders came. I could hear them talking, but I couldn't visually see anything," remembers Cheever. "I can't remember what happened between there and waking up in the hospital." Doctors now know that Cheever went into cardiac arrest three times. They believe Cheever developed a blood clot while asleep on the nine-hour journey home. The clot traveled from her legs to her lungs. "You could just see in her face that she was headed downhill and wasn't going to come back without more intervention," said Demarco Robinson, one of the firefighter/EMTs who treated Cheever. "We were able to get to her as fast someone needed to, especially in the situation." Flights lasting longer than eight hours pose the greatest risk for blood clots, according to the American Society of Hematology. Older people, women taking birth control pills, and obese travelers are among the passengers who have an increased risk of developing clots. Cheever and her family credit the emergency crews at Sea-Tac Airport with saving her life. They also know that had she gone into cardiac arrest in the air her story could have ended differently. "Everything went our way. Just one little missed slip and we could've lost her," said Traci Cheever, Brianna's mom. "They did a wonderful job of taking care of her and we couldn't have asked for a better outcome." On Thursday, Cheever reunited with her rescuers at Sea-Tac. She hugged each of them, learned their names, and handed them gifts. "That's the ultimate reward out of this entire job - at least for me," said Robinson, "seeing that patient, that person." "With long flights, people think you can just get on an airplane and fall asleep -- it's going to be fun, you'll wake up in a new place," Cheever said. "That's not really the case." "This can happen to younger people," she continued. "If it can happen to me, it can surely happen to anybody." http://komonews.com/news/local/woman-revived-three-times-after-developing-clot-on-flight-to-seattle Back to Top Bell Unveils Pilotless Tiltrotor Aircraft Model WASHINGTON -- Bell Helicopter is taking its legacy developing tiltrotor technology into the unmanned world with a new aircraft it is calling the V-247 "Vigilant." The company unveiled a model of the aircraft Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington, complete with a motorized demonstration of how the unmanned aircraft system can fold its wings and rotors for optimal storage. Now is as good a time as any to invest in the effort, the company figures, as the military services look for unmanned aircraft that are runway-independent, less expensive to operate, offer more persistence and require less space to store and transport Bell Helicopter is particularly targeting the Marine Corps as a possible customer because it appears closest to establishing a requirement, Vince Tobin, the company's vice president of advanced tiltrotor systems, said Thursday. The company believes Vigilant meets "the comprehensive spectrum of capabilities outlined in the 2016 Marine Corps Aviation Plan," a company statement said. The V-247 can cruise long-range at 240 knots but can exceed a cruise speed of 300 knots. The aircraft can support an internal mission payload of 2,000 lbs and can sling-load 9,000 lbs. The aircraft is capable of flying 11 hours with 600 lbs of mission payload, but has a 1,400 nautical mile mission radius, which equates to 17 hours of flight time. Some of the missions envisioned for the aircraft are as escorts for the Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey or the future V-280 Valor the Army is assessing for a possible Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft. Other missions could be delivering persistent fires, electronic warfare or early warning as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to Tobin. Bell assigned the number "247" to the aircraft because of its 24-hour persistent ISR capability when used in a two-aircraft team, Tobin said. The aircraft is also designed with a large amount of flexibility through an open-architecture, modular payload system. Additionally, Vigilant is DDG shipboard compatible and, when folded up, has the footprint of a Bell Helicopter UH-1 Yankee. It has a 37-foot-long fuselage. Two can fit on a C-17. The V-247 is designed to optimally fire MK-50 Torpedos, Hellfire missiles or the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The aircraft will have aerial-refueling capability and a retractable tricycle landing gear. Drawing from technology developed in the V-22 and V-280 programs, Bell is using the same wing concept as the V-280. While the V-22 has two separate wings, the wing is one long piece mated to the top of the fuselage in the V-280. One big difference is the power source. While the V-280 and V-22's dual-engines are located within the tiltrotor pylons, Vigilant will have a single engine housed in the fuselage, according to Tobin. The tiltrotor's advantage over a fixed-wing aircraft is "it collocates with the maneuver force because it isn't reliant on a runway somewhere else, so it doesn't have to be based at some far-off point. ... It can take off from right next to where you are," Tobin said. While Bell sees the Marine Corps as the most near-term possibility for a runway-independent drone program, the Army has been very vocal this year that it desires for its future unmanned aircraft to be runway-independent as well. Tobin told Defense News following the unveiling that the Army has signaled "nothing specific" in terms of when it might want to start looking at such an aircraft. But, said Tobin, "We think when we build this, and the Army sees it and they see the capability they have, they will either want this or something like it." While the current design is larger than a Gray Eagle, Vigilant is easily scalable and could be designed smaller, Tobin said. And he added Vigilant could be easily incorporated into manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) arrangements with the Army's AH-64E attack helicopters, where pilots have the ability to control nearby drones from the cockpit using a tactical common data link, because its open architecture would allow for it to connect seamlessly. Tobin said the company anticipates the same could go for MUM-T operations with a future medium-sized vertical lift aircraft for which the V-280 is being developed. And an unmanned aircraft like Vigilant might even have a place as the Army's future vertical lift helicopter in the light-attack or reconnaissance category. Bell responded to an Army request for information on designs for such an aircraft with an unmanned aircraft offering, according to Tobin. In order to take the aircraft from a design phase to a development phase, Bell is waiting for a green light when the Marine Corps writes a formal requirement. Once there's a "formal requirement, the application of funding and initiation of an engineering and manufacturing development phase of acquisition," Bell will be ready to "assist as necessary," Tobin said. And while he didn't want to speak for the Marine Corps, Tobin added, based on questions from the service on how quickly they can build the V-247, "we interpret that as, potentially, for there to be a near-term need so we are making sure we are ready for that." http://www.defensenews.com/articles/bell-takes-tiltrotor-technology-into-unmanned-realm Back to Top China Experimenting With Catapult Launched Carrier Aircraft Shenyeng J-15 Flying Shark on the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning. PLAN Photo China has stepped up development of Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) operations for its carriers, with the appearance of a Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-borne fighter with CATOBAR apparatus and continued construction of supporting land-based infrastructure. In mid-September photos surfaced online of a J-15 with what appears to be a catapult launch bar on its nose wheel. These are used to couple the aircraft to the catapult of the carrier during the launch sequence, and would be the latest indication that China's rumored third aircraft carrier will utilize the CATOBAR system of aircraft launch and recovery. It is not clear whether this aircraft is a new-build prototype for the CATOBAR J-15, or one of the six original J-15 prototypes modified with a new nose wheel. Also noteworthy is that this J-15 is powered by the indigenous Shenyang-Liming WS-10 Taihang turbofan. Although already in widespread use with China's land-based J-11 fighters, the Chinese engine has never gone to sea during trials and operations on China's current sole aircraft carrier, Liaoning. A photo from the Chinese language Internet showing the nose gear of a J-15 Shenyang thought to be designed for carrier operations. A photo from the Chinese language Internet showing the nose gear of a J-15 Shenyang thought to be designed for carrier operations. All production J-15s have so far been powered with the Russian AL-31 turbofans, and although some of the six J-15 prototypes have been seen flying with the WS-10, these aircraft were re-engined with AL-31s when they took part in the shipboard trials since they began in 2012. This new aircraft is likely to be the first of a small number of prototypes that will be used to test China's CATOBAR infrastructure, which has been undergoing construction at Huangdicun Airbase in Liaoning Province since late 2014 or early 2015, according to satellite imagery. The airbase is also home to the People's Liberation Army - Navy's (PLAN) sole regiment of operational J-15s. These show what appear to be two catapult tracks, each measuring around 140 meters (460 feet) long, being built at the north-eastern corner of the base, along with a number of support buildings, a new runway and taxiway leading to the area. The tracks appear to be for a steam catapult and an equivalent to the US Navy's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS). China is currently building its first locally-constructed aircraft carrier at a shipyard in nearby Dalian. This second carrier, like the Liaoning, will utilize the Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) method of aircraft operations, with a sloping ski-jump to assist aircraft in taking off under their own power. Undated photo of Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning. PLA Photo While STOBAR is just about sufficient for the powerful J-15 to conduct carrier operations with minimal take-off weight restrictions, it nevertheless precludes China's carriers from operating heavier or less powerful fixed-wing carrier-borne aircraft, which prevents the PLAN's carriers from realizing their full military potential. Developing its own CATOBAR system, and fitting it on China's future aircraft carriers will enable the PLAN to operate a well-rounded carrier air wing that includes force multipliers such as Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, which tend to be heavier and use less-powerful, but more efficient engines. https://news.usni.org/2016/09/22/china-experimenting-catapult-launched-carrier-aircraft Back to Top They feel the need - the need for supersonic jet speed Spike Aerospace's S-512 supersonic jet is being developed and marketed by the Boston-based company for use in business aviation and by commercial airlines. A model of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet and its interior was displayed at the company's booth at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association's Convention in Las Vegas. Aerion is one of three companies developing the next generation of supersonic jets. A model of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet was on display at the company's booth at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association's Convention in Las Vegas. Aerion is one of three companies developing the next generation of supersonic jets. Spike Aerospace's S- 512 supersonic jet is being developed and marketed by the Boston-based company for use in business aviation and by commercial airlines. A model of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet and its interior was displayed at the company's booth at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association's Convention in Las Vegas. Aerion is one of three companies developing the next generation of supersonic jets. A model of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet and its interior was displayed at the company's booth at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association's Convention in Las Vegas. Aerion is one of three companies developing the next generation of supersonic jets. Jerry Siebenmark File photo Supersonic flight for commercial and business travel is in the midst of a revival - at least on paper. It has been 13 years since the retirement of the last supersonic jet, the Concorde. In 2003, Air France - followed by British Airways - retired their Concordes from 27 years of service because of high fuel prices and maintenance costs and a $9,000 or more ticket price for passengers. But in the past few years, three companies have emerged with plans to develop more efficient supersonic jets, with two of them aimed at business aviation: Aerion Corp. and Spike Aerospace. This year, a third start-up, Colorado-based Boom, has proposed a supersonic airliner. None of the three has yet to produce a full-scale jet. Advances in scientific processes and materials used to build sound-barrier-breaking aircraft have made this second wave of supersonic civil aircraft possible, the companies and experts said. And while advancements in technology have made designing more fuel-efficient and less costly supersonic jets possible, translating those concepts from paper to certified jets still poses a significant challenge. Desire to go fast Aerion is probably the most familiar supersonic jet developer to Wichitans, in part because of co-chairman Brian Barents, a former senior vice president of sales at Cessna Aircraft and former president and CEO of Learjet. Reno, Nev.-based Aerion is aiming to bring to market its $120 million AS2 supersonic business jet. Barents said the company's top priority now is selecting the right engine for the AS2. "That will be the pacing item for development of the airplane," he said. "We are narrowing down the engine candidates ... but I will tell you they are existing engine cores that are widely used in commercial airline industry." Barents said whatever engine Aerion goes with will likely have to be adapted to comply with engine noise takeoff requirements. But "we're very close to a solution," he said. Also in the process of engine selection for its $100 million S-512 jet is Boston-based Spike, said CEO Vik Kachoria. "We're going through our analysis of what makes sense," he said. Kachoria said Spike is aiming for a late 2018 first flight of an S-512 prototype "to give people a sense of what can be done." Aerion, on the other hand, expects first flight of the AS2 in 2021 followed by entry into service in 2023. Both executives said advancements in aircraft design processes and materials such as composites in the past decade have made it possible to bring to market a more cost-efficient supersonic jet. "The technology has just exploded in the last 10 years," Kachoria said. "Rapid iterations and modeling (can be done) in days rather than weeks or months. You can do almost all of it on computers before you bend metal." They said they are confident demand for their jets is there. The world is smaller, they said, and many companies have operations or do business in multiple countries that require face-to-face interaction. Supersonic flight allows those companies and its leaders to reach those operations and customers more quickly. For instance, Aerion says its AS2 will fly from Washington, D.C., to Paris in four hours and 48 minutes, compared with seven hours and 48 minutes on a conventional, subsonic commercial flight. Spike says its S-512 can fly from New York to London in 3.3 hours compared with six hours on a conventional airliner. "I think the attention brought to the segment is the desire for the consumers, the users of airplanes, to go fast," Barents said. "If there weren't a market ... there would be no incentive for us to take the risk." 'Fishing in a new lake' Scott Miller, professor and chairman of aerospace engineering at Wichita State University, said that improvements in aircraft materials - such as lighter-weight carbon fiber, or composites - will make supersonic flight less costly than the days of the Concorde. "Historically, we've always known how to do (supersonic)," he said. "From the commercial perspective ... costs were really the big drivers. It was just so expensive." Miller said one of the biggest advances in aerospace that could lead to more affordable supersonic flight is in jet engines. "Really the technology side, especially on the propulsion, has just made huge strides," he said. "The fuel economy on (new) engines is just spectacular." Jim Ladesic, associate dean of the College of Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said he thinks improvements in computational skills and capabilities in aerospace engineering have contributed much to the plausibility of cost-efficient supersonic flight. But turning that design into a real-life aircraft and then getting it type-certified by a government regulator such as the Federal Aviation Administration will be a big challenge. That's largely because it's never been done before, at least on a jet aimed at the business user. "That's going to be the long pole in the tent," Ladesic said. "That's, I think, the largest single challenge any air framer is going to face." Miller agreed that type-certification will be a hurdle because of the unknowns associated with a first supersonic jet aimed at the business market. "You're fishing in a new lake, and you don't know where all the snags are," he said. "There will just be a variety of new things that will have to be addressed." http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article103371957.html#storylink=cpy Curt Lewis