Flight Safety Information December 28, 2017 - No. 258 In This Issue Incident: KLM B739 at Amsterdam on Dec 26th 2017, flaps up landing Accident: Frontier A20N near Miami on Dec 27th 2017, flight attendant injured in flight Accident: Everts DC93 near Bethel on Dec 23rd 2017, loss of cabin pressure, structural damage Incident: Saudia A333 at Lucknow on Dec 27th 2017, nose wheel divorced Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Sofia on Dec 26th 2017, electrical smoke in aft galley EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Maroochydore on Dec 26th 2017, hard touch down during go around 27-DEC-2017 - Van E Aviation LLC Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 accident rivate jet reportedly owned by Lord Ashcroft crashes into office block in Malta Court refers Dh73.5m compensation case against flydubai to aviation expert LEVIL BRINGS BOM TO MARKET...DATA MODULE ENHANCES SAFETY Oklahoma first to have Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day KDOT names new interim director of aviation Royal Air Maroc orders four 787-9 aircraft Pilot shortage: Australia to relax visa laws to attract foreign flyers Boeing helps Morocco expand airline service with new jet orders Electric passenger jet revolution looms as E-Fan X project takes off Incident: KLM B739 at Amsterdam on Dec 26th 2017, flaps up landing A KLM Boeing 737-900, registration PH-BXR performing flight KL-1576 from Athens (Greece) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 178 people on board, was on approach to Amsterdam when the crew stopped the descent at 3500 feet reporting a problem with the flaps. The crew subsequently advised they'd need to land without flaps, their landing speed would be 195 KIAS, due to the high speed landing emergency services were requested on standby to check the brakes after landing. The aircraft positioned for an approach to runway 18R and landed safely at a higher than normal speed (about 175 knots over ground). The crew decided to taxi directly to the apron with emergency services in trail. The aircraft returned to service after about 12 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2e192a&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Frontier A20N near Miami on Dec 27th 2017, flight attendant injured in flight A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N309FR performing flight F9-1795 (dep Dec 26th) from Islip,NY to Miami,FL (USA), was on approach to Miami's runway 09 when a flight attendant fell and received a shoulder injury. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 09 maintaining routine communication and taxied to the apron. The FAA reported the flight attendant fell during the approach to Miami as result of the flight and sustained an unknown shoulder injury. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FFT1795/history/20171227/0120Z/KISP/KMIA Metars: KMIA 270753Z 05004KT 10SM FEW026 23/18 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP222 T02280183= KMIA 270653Z 03003KT 10SM FEW026 23/19 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP227 T02280189= KMIA 270553Z 05005KT 10SM FEW025 23/19 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP230 T02280189 10244 20228 58014= KMIA 270453Z 04004KT 10SM FEW025 FEW090 23/19 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP236 T02330189 402830211= KMIA 270353Z 06006KT 10SM FEW020 FEW090 23/19 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP241 T02330189= KMIA 270253Z 05006KT 10SM FEW020 FEW090 24/19 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP243 T02390189 51009= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2dfe7c&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Everts DC93 near Bethel on Dec 23rd 2017, loss of cabin pressure, structural damage due to unsecured cargo jack An Everts Air Cargo Douglas DC-9-30, registration N935CE performing flight 5V-960 from Bethel,AK to Anchorage,AK (USA) with 3 crew, was climbing out of Bethel above 13,000 feet when the crew reported problems with the cabin pressure, descended the aircraft to 10,000 feet and decided to return to Bethel. The aircraft landed safely back in Bethel about 35 minutes after departure. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The FAA reported a post flight examination revealed structural damage as result of an unsecured cargo jack. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, the occurrence was rated an accident. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VTS960/history/20171223/1630Z/PABE/PANC http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2dfb7a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Saudia A333 at Lucknow on Dec 27th 2017, nose wheel divorced A Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration HZ-AQC performing flight SV-895 from Lucknow (India) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) with about 300 people on board, had backtracked runway 27 and was turning around to line up for departure when the left nose wheel had enough and divorced from the airframe. The crew stopped the aircraft, emergency services responded. The runway was closed for about 6 hours until the aircraft was towed off the runway. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Lucknow about 6 hours after stopping. Related NOTAMs: A1277/17 NOTAMR A1276/17 (editorial note: cancelled prior to 18:30Z) Q) VIDF/QMRXX/IV/NBO/A/000/999/ A) VILK B) 1712271620 C) 1712271830 EST E) RWY 09/27 NOT AVBL DUE DISABLED ACFT ON RWY. A1276/17 NOTAMR A1275/17 Q) VIDF/QMRXX/IV/NBO/A/000/999/ A) VILK B) 1712271435 C) 1712271630 EST E) RWY 09/27 NOT AVBL DUE DISABLE ACFT ON RWY. A1275/17 NOTAMN Q) VIDF/QMRXX/IV/NBO/A/000/999/ A) VILK B) 1712271245 C) 1712271445 EST E) RWY 09/27 NOT AVBL DUE DISABLE ACFT ON RWY. The aircraft without its left nose wheel (Photo: Aneesh Phadnis): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2df954&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Sofia on Dec 26th 2017, electrical smoke in aft galley A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIDB performing flight LH-689 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Munich (Germany) with 81 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 110nm northwest of Sofia (Bulgaria) in Serbian Airspace when the crew reported an electrical smoke in the aft galley and decided to divert to Sofia. The crew requested the shortest possible track and landed safely on Sofia's runway 27 about 20 minutes after leaving FL360. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 16 hours, then flew to Munich as flight LH-9927 but has not yet returned to service about 6 hours after landing in Munich. The airline reported the passengers were provided with accomodation until they were able to board another flight in the morning of the following day. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2df513&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Maroochydore on Dec 26th 2017, hard touch down during go around A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUX performing flight VA-1507 from Melbourne,VI to Maroochydore,QL (Australia), was on final approach to Maroochydore's runway 36 when the crew initiated a go around, the aircraft touched down before climbing out again. The aircraft entered a hold at 4000 feet while the crew assessed the situation. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Brisbane, where the aircraft landed on runway 19 without further incident about 40 minutes after the go around. Passengers reported the aircraft hit the runway hard with loud noise. The airline reported: "The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority. VA1507 was not able to safely land at Maroochydore Airport yesterday morning so the Captain made the decision to divert to Brisbane Airport, where guests were taken by bus to Maroochydore Airport. We apologise for any inconvenience caused" in response to our inquiry asking: "Is the narrative by the passengers correct, that there was a hard touchdown associated with noise? Did this indeed result in a tail strike? What can you say preliminarily about the damage - would the damage need to be rated substantial or minor? How many passengers and crew were on board?" The ATSB indicated their offices are closed until Jan 2nd 2018, no inquiries would be answered until then. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Brisbane about 26 hours after landing in Brisbane before returning to service. No weather data are available for Maroochydore. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2df2b9&opt=0 Back to Top 27-DEC-2017 - Van E Aviation LLC Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 accident Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 27 December 2017 Time: 06:45 Type: Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 Operator: Van E Aviation LLC Registration: N525KT C/n / msn: 525A-0058 First flight: 2002 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Substantial Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Michigan City Airport, IN (MGC) ( United States of America) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Chicago-Dupage County Airport, IL (DPA/KDPA), United States of America Destination airport: Michigan City Airport, IN (MGC/KMGC), United States of America Narrative: A Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 suffered substantial damage when it suffered a runway excursion after landing on runway 20 at Michigan City Airport, Indiana, USA. The aircraft travelled 75 meters across the grass after leaving the 1250 m long asphalt runway and crossed a road. It went through a guardrail, ripping off the left hand wing. The aircraft come to a halt in a field. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20171227-0 Back to Top Private jet reportedly owned by Lord Ashcroft crashes into office block in Malta after veering off runway Private jet of Tory peer Lord Ashcroft 'taxies' off Malta runway into Polidano offices A private jet reportedly belonging to the Tory grandee Lord Ashcroft crashed into a block of offices in Malta last night after it was reportedly blown across a runway by strong winds. According to local media reports, the aircraft veered into offices belonging to the Polidano Group, a construction company with offices located close to Malta International Airport. Pictures uploaded onto social media show the cockpit of the plane protruding from the wall of the building, after it was seen moving off the runway and down a slope. It is thought that strong winds on the runway may have dislodged the wheel chock holding the aircraft in place. Last night officers from Malta police and members of the Armed Forces were seen attending to the incident, while roads were closed to oncoming traffic. The plane, a Dassault Falcon 7X (VP-BZE) is understood to be registered in Bermuda in Lord Ashcroft's name. Listed as one of Britain's wealthiest billionaires, he is a high-profile political donor and the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/28/private-jet-reportedly-owned-lord-ashcroft-crashes-office-block/ ************** Date: 27-DEC-2017 Time: Night Type: Dassault Falcon 7X Owner/operator: Unknown Registration: VP-BZE C/n / msn: 14 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Hal-Farrug, Luqa Airport - Malta Phase: Standing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: - Destination airport: - Narrative: Blown of apron whilst parked through fence into building. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=203481 Back to Top Court refers Dh73.5m compensation case against flydubai to aviation expert A representative from the General Civil Aviation Authority will be assigned to investigate the case Crash site of FlyDubai's Flight FZ981 at Rostov-on-Don in Russia in March 2016. Reuters A $20 million (Dh73.5m) compensation case filed against flydubai following the crash of its passenger jet in Russia last year was referred to the General Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday. The case was filed by a Russian brother and sister whose parents were among the 62 passengers and crew members killed in the plane crash on March 19 last year. In September this year, the siblings filed the case - which is the first of its kind in the UAE - against the airline seeking $20 million in compensation for the loss of their parents on flight FZ981. On Wednesday, Dubai Civil Court ordered the case be referred to a civil aviation expert to review documents presented by both parties and investigate whether or not the siblings are entitled to compensation. The court ordered the GCAA expert to review flight data to ensure the identities of the two passengers the plaintiffs' claim were their parents. Similarly, the expert is tasked with investigating if flydubai had an insurance policy in place for the flight and if so, to check the amount of money insured to each passenger. The expert will also check if the plaintiffs are eligible for compensation according to this policy. The court also ordered the GCAA official to indicate whether the amount claimed by the siblings for material and moral damages exceed those included in the Montreal Convention - a treaty signed by more than 140 countries in 1999 related to compensation for victims of air disasters - and to deduce the party obliged to pay compensation. The accident's primary report will also be reviewed to deduce the cause and who was deemed responsible for the crash. Court records did not disclose when the expert will begin investigations, but the ruling indicated that the expert nominated by the GCAA must attend court to take an oath within one week of nomination. On March 19, 2016, the Boeing 737-800 passenger jet, travelling from Dubai to the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don was reported circling the Russian airport for up to two hours after an initial landing attempt was aborted due to high winds in the area at the time. In its second landing attempt, the plane plunged to the ground and burst into flames inside the airport's perimeter, about 250 metres short of the runway. All 62 on board were killed. The investigation into the cause of the crash remains active. https://www.thenational.ae/uae/court-refers-dh73-5m-compensation-case-against-flydubai-to-aviation-expert-1.690882 Back to Top LEVIL BRINGS BOM TO MARKET DATA MODULE ENHANCES SAFETY Levil Aviation has begun work to fill preorders following FAA approval of an external data module that gives any general aviation aircraft a self-powered, wireless source of backup data on position, attitude, and angle of attack, along with traffic and weather information. The Broadcasting Outer Module, or BOM, looks a bit like a bomb, but it's designed to stay attached under the wing, and offer a fully independent source of critical data with no wires required. Levil Aviation's BOM (broadcasting outer module) is installed here on a Van's RV-9. The unit is 10 inches long, 2 inches wide, and weighs just under one pound. The mount puts it 4 inches from the bottom of the wing. Photo courtesy of Levil Aviation. The Florida-based company that offers a range of devices and aircraft retrofits capable of collecting and recording GPS, attitude heading and reference system (AHRS), angle of attack, and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data has combined these functions (including ADS-B In) into a self-powered, fully automated module that mounts under the wing near the leading edge, and feeds data to a mobile device in the cockpit via Wi-Fi. The BOM retails online for $1,295 without an ADS-B receiver, and $1,595 with ADS-B In capability. The instrument pod is 10 inches long and weighs just under a pound. It is powered by the aircraft slipstream, which turns on an integrated wind turbine on the tail of the device, in much the same way that auxiliary power units used on transport aircraft provide emergency backup power. The company reported in a press release that it will begin filling preorders by the end of December, and commence general sales at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in April 2018. "We are super excited about this product, we have worked very hard to make this as innovative and forward thinking as possible," said Levil Aviation General Manager Ananda Leon, in the news release. "I can't wait to see what this product does to the world of aviation." The BOM turns on and off automatically, triggered by the presence or absence of engine vibration, and provides fully independent measurements of position, attitude, and angle of attack, with a heated pitot static source built in. It also records the data, and allows real-time access during flight using a mobile device. Levil's BOM was approved by the FAA for installation on certified aircraft under the Non-Required Safety Enhancing Equipment (NORSEE) policy enacted in 2016, with strong support from AOPA, and joins a growing list of devices and equipment credited with contributing to the increased safety of general aviation noted by the NTSB, and others. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/december/20/levil-brings-bom-to-market Back to Top Oklahoma first to have Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day Sen. Paul Scott joined many other Oklahomans on Dec. 9 to celebrate the first annual Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day at the Atlantic Aviation Hangar at Wiley Post Airport. Pictured L-R: Captain Christine Durham, Sen. Scott and Lieutenant Colonel Deirdre Gurry. OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma became the first state in the nation to recognize Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day when legislation was approved this spring. Sen. Paul Scott was the author of Senate Bill 230 creating the day to commemorate one of the state's most popular industries. "Oklahoma has a long, colorful history in aviation and women have played a major role in shaping that history," said Scott, R-Duncan. "Women's role in aviation needs to be celebrated and our young women today need to be introduced to this exciting industry and career opportunity." The bill declares December 9 of each year as Oklahoma Women in Aviation and Aerospace Day to commemorate their achievements, past and present, in the industry. It will provide an opportunity for communities to host events highlighting local airports, women's contributions to the industry and to educate the public, especially young women, about advances in aerospace exploration. The date was picked in honor of famous Oklahoma female aviator Eula "Pearl" Carter Scott's birthday. Pearl was born in 1915 in Marlow and became the youngest pilot in the U.S. with her first sole flight on September 12, 1929 at the age of 14. She learned to fly from Wiley Post and later became a stunt pilot. Scott was a member of the Chickasaw Tribe and was elected to the Chickasaw legislature in 1983 where she served three terms. Oklahoma boasts several famous female aviators including Shannon Lucid, Jerrie Cobb, Bessie Coleman and others. Shannon grew up in Bethany and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor's in chemistry as well as a Master's and Ph.D in biochemistry. She was selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1978. Of the six women in the first class of female astronauts, Shannon was the only one who was a mother at the time of being selected. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American, as well as by a woman. Shannon has flown in space five times including a prolonged mission aboard the Mir space station in 1996. She is the only American woman to serve aboard Mir. Geraldyn "Jerri" Cobb was born in Norman in 1931. At 19, she was teaching men to fly and by 21, she was delivering military fighters and four-engine bombers to foreign Air Forces worldwide. She was the first woman to fly in the Paris Air Show, the world's largest air exposition. Jerrie was named Pilot of the Year and received the Amelia Earhart Gold Medal of Achievement. Life Magazine named Cobb one of the nine women of the "100 most important young people in the United States. By age 29, she held three world aviation records: the 1959 world record for nonstop long-distance flight, the 1959 world light-plane speed record, and a 1960 world altitude record for lightweight aircraft of 37,010 ft. She was part of the "Mercury 13," a group of women selected to undergo physiological screening tests at the same time as the original Mercury Seven astronauts, as part of a private, non-NASA program. She was unable to rally support in Congress for adding women to the astronaut program based solely on their gender. Bessie Coleman, born in 1892, was the first woman of African-American descent as well as of Native American descent, to hold a pilot license. She attended the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University (now known as Langston University) before going to France to attend flight-school and get her pilot's license. "Queen Bess" returned to the U.S. where she was a media sensation flying in stunt shows around the country. Before she passed away, she dreamed of opening a school for young black aviators. "I enjoyed celebrating the first commemorate day earlier this month, and I hope to see more communities celebrating this important day in the future," said Scott. http://www.normantranscript.com/news/government/oklahoma-first-to-have-women-in-aviation-and-aerospace-day/article_e28316ac-5272-5c1c-8988-f24bc50bb4f0..html Back to Top KDOT names new interim director of aviation TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - The Kansas Department of Transportation has selected Robert Brock to take on the role of interim director of aviation. Brock served over 22 years in the Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, according to KDOT. "We are so fortunate at KDOT to have such a talented and passionate person like Bob Brock to take over aviation," said Secretary of Transportation Richard Carlson. "After already serving the state and the agency in opening new doors for UAS, Brock is in the best possible position to make great strides for aviation in Kansas." KDOT says Brock will continue to work closely with the FAA and aviation stakeholders across the nation to support Kansas aviation. He will also oversee the Kansas Airport Improvement Program, Unmanned Systems Program, and Science, Technology, and Aviation Resource (STAR) program. "I look forward to my continued service to KDOT and the State of Kansas," said Brock. "We will continue to work with legislators, stakeholders, and communities to increase aviation safety and promote the growth of the aviation industry in Kansas." http://ksnt.com/2017/12/27/kdot-names-new-interim-director-of-aviation/ Back to Top Royal Air Maroc orders four 787-9 aircraft Royal Air Maroc and Boeing announced (27-Dec-2017) orders for four 787-9 aircraft, valued at USD1.1 billion at list prices. Two aircraft were purchased in Dec-2016 and two in Dec-2017. The orders were previously listed as unidentified. Royal Air Maroc selected GEnx-1B engines to power the two aircraft purchased in Dec-2017, with the engine order valued at more than USD100 million at list price. The airline already operates five 787-8s and plans to use the four new aircraft to expand Europe, Middle East, North America and South America services. https://centreforaviation.com/news/boeing-and-royal-air-maroc-announce-orders-for-four-787-dreamliners-752761 Back to Top Pilot shortage: Australia to relax visa laws to attract foreign flyers Regional Aviation Association says immigration minister Peter Dutton's office has confirmed the change A plane over Sydney airport The aviation industry has warned that services will be cut if Australia's pilot shortage continues. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images Foreign pilots will once again be allowed into Australia on working visas to help address a shortage that threatens to ground planes and cancel flights. The occupations eligible for foreign worker visas were slashed during a government shake-up in April but from next month pilots will once again be granted access after concerns about the national shortage. The Regional Aviation Association of Australia says the office of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has confirmed the change to the organisation, which is now lobbying for a four-year visa period rather than two. "In order to attract suitably senior pilots, who more than likely have a family growing up and so forth, we need to make it attractive enough for them to come across and uproot their family," its chief executive, Mike Higgins, said on Thursday. "A four-year period seems to be a sweet spot." Higgins said there had been a "trickle-down effect", with large international carriers, such as Etihad and Emirates, recruiting from Australian carriers, who then had to hire from smaller regional airlines. The foreign pilots would serve in a training and mentoring role to their Australian counterparts, he added. He said if the current situation continued services would need to be cut. The opposition transport spokesman, Anthony Albanese, said the skills shortages were an "indictment of the failure" of the government's handling of Australia's aviation industry. "The current government has dropped the ball," Albanese said in Sydney. "Australia should not only be able to produce enough skilled pilots to service our domestic industry, we should also have the capacity to train pilots for all around the world as an export industry to benefit our national economy." Albanese also raised concern about potential foreign ownership of Australian airports and ports after reports that half of a regional Western Australian airport is now Chinese owned. "I think there should be very close scrutiny of facilities, be they ports or airports, to ensure that there is majority Australian ownership and therefore majority Australian control of these facilities," Albanese said. "I think there is a national interest test when it comes to ports or airports." The federal Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells acknowledged the pilot shortage but said the previous Labor government also had to take some blame for the longstanding problem. "Clearly there have been shortages, there have been issues that have been accumulating in recent years," Fierravanti-Wells told Sky News. Dutton declined to comment. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/28/pilot-shortage-australia-to-relax-visa-laws-to-attract-foreign-flyers Back to Top Boeing helps Morocco expand airline service with new jet orders SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. top aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced Wednesday that it has finalized an order to sell four state-of-the-art passenger airplanes to Morocco to help expand its international service. Boeing said in a statement that the order includes four 787-9 Dreamliners sold to Morocco's flag carrier, Royal Air Maroc, at a cost of 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. The new purchase will bring Morocco's fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft to a total of nine. Royal Air Maroc has operated direct flights from Casablanca to 80 international destinations, including in North America, South America, the Middle East and Europe. "With more than 850 flights per month to Africa, Royal Air Maroc has the broadest presence across the continent of any airline," said Abdelhamid Addou, CEO and chairman of Royal Air Maroc. "Ordering new-generation planes such as the Dreamliner puts our airline on the right track to fulfill our vision" to become the leading airline in Africa, Addou said. The Casablanca-based Royal Air Maroc has a fleet of more than 56 Boeing airplanes, including 737s, 767-300ERs, 787s and a 747-400 jet. Boeing is ready to enhance its 50-year-long relationship with Morocco and support its Royal Air Maroc in growing its market shares in Africa and beyond, said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the most advanced next-generation, super-efficient airplane produced by the Seattle-based aircraft company of the United States. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/28/c_136857440.htm Back to Top Electric passenger jet revolution looms as E-Fan X project takes off Battery-powered air taxis and bigger hybrid planes poised to change aviation Airbus's E-Fan 2.0 electric protoype plane flying over Farnborough.. The E-Fan X will be larger and is being developed by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens jointly. Trains, ships and automobiles have all been swept along in recent years by the electric power revolution - and planes are next. Passenger jets are poised for an electric makeover that could fundamentally change the economics and environmental outlook of the aviation industry. Up until now the fact that the necessary batteries weigh two tonnes each has limited the switch from fossil fuels to a totally electric-powered future. However, last month a consortium comprising Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens said they had found a way to use hybrid electric jet engines to conquer gravity. They are converting a regional jet into a demonstration plane - called the Passenger jet revolution looms as electric power prepares for takeoff- which will be ready by 2020. Paul Stein, chief technology officer at Rolls-Royce, said: "It is a two-tonne battery pack - the batteries are still fairly heavy. Beating gravity into submission is a huge challenge, so weight is a big issue." The BAE 146 demo aircraft, a jet that seats up to 100 people, will at first have one of its four gas turbine engines replaced with the hybrid engine. This engine will be powered by batteries and an onboard generator using jet fuel. If successful, the team will then move to two electric engines. Siemens is designing the 2MW electric motor, Rolls is building the generator that powers the engine and Airbus will integrate the system into the plane and link it to flight controls. They are developing the hybrid motor because fully electric commercial flights are currently out of reach. Pound for pound, fossil fuels contain around 100 times as much energy as a lithium-ion battery, the most common electric power pack at present. In a car, which has its wheels planted firmly on the ground, engineering boffins can design a vehicle to offset that weight disadvantage. But in a machine that must lift itself off the ground and propel upwards this is a much harder problem to solve. This tricky dilemma is a challenge that has been embraced with renewed gusto in the aviation sector. "Aviation has always eluded electrification largely because of the size and weight of components involved," Stein said. "But technology has moved on apace. Electrification is now poised to make a significant impact." Stein said three classes of aviation are potentially within reach of an electric engine revolution. "The smallest is air taxis, which can take 1 to 4 people up to 75 miles. For small air taxis, the battery technology is almost ready now," he said. Some of these air taxis look like flying cars, such as those backed by Larry Page, one of Google's founders. Chinese-owned Terrafugia's "roadable aircraft" drives like a typical car on the ground and fits in a standard single-car garage and can be pre-ordered for $300,000 (£224,000). Pipistrel, a Slovenian company, already makes a two-seater electric training plane. Airbus has also developed a two-seater, the E Fan, which flew across the Channel in 2015. The second market is the small, regional jet that can carry between 10 and 100 passengers. "Our target end game is a fixed wing, regional hybrid design," Stein said of the E-Fan X project. The third market - the short-haul commercial market, dominated by Airbus's A320 and Boeing's 737 - is still some way off. Bjorn Fehrm, an aeronautical analyst at aviation Leeham News and Comment, said: "For ultra short range, it can be fully electric. For the range of today's thousands of single aisle [A320, 737] planes, it will have to be hybrid for at least another 30 years. For long range, it's unrealistic. There would have to be a breakthrough in fuel cells, or similar." Airlines are watching the evolution of electric battery technology with interest. EasyJet wants electric planes to fly passengers on its short-haul routes within 10 to 20 years. It has signed a deal with Wright Electric, a US engineering company, to develop electric-powered aircraft that could reach Paris and Amsterdam from London. The attractions for airlines are clear; depending on the oil price, jet fuel had accounted for between 17% and 36% of their running costs over the last few years. Stein reckons the E-Fan X could produce fuel savings of 15%. The rush to electric battery technology in the automobile sector and a renewed push by aviation is likely to lead to scientific breakthroughs in what is possible over the coming years. Samsung Electronics recently declared it increased the energy capacity of a lithium-ion battery by 45%, and decreased the time needed for a recharge, by incorporating graphene - an ultra-thin form of carbon - into the power pack. Lithium-ion battery chemistry is notoriously unstable, prone to overheating and catching fire - not ideal when cruising at 35,000 feet. "For us, safety is paramount. The burden of proof to ensure we maintain that safety margin is very high," Stein said. "We cannot have a battery chemistry that risks a fire." So, lots of big hitters are ploughing huge investment and brain-power into developing alternative battery chemistries. One promising option is a solid-state lithium battery, which replaces the liquid electrolyte of current cells with a solid substitute. Such batteries offer much higher energy densities and should also be cheap to mass produce. Huge riches await those that can crack the problem and produce a next generation power source that is cheaper and greener. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/28/electric-passenger-jet-revolution-looms-e-fan-x-air-taxis-hybrid-planes Curt Lewis