Flight Safety Information February 9, 2010 No.031 In This Issue Agencies to Fault American on Maintenance Air accident investigators demand repairs to aircraft televisions UPS to layoff pilots in cost-cutting move Airbus Banned From Using Koito Plane Seats After Safety Alert 747-8F lands after maiden sortie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Agencies to Fault American on Maintenance By ANDY PASZTOR American Airlines is about to come under sharp criticism from two separate federal agencies accusing it of serious maintenance lapses, according to government and industry officials familiar with the details. In the next few days, these officials said, the Department of Transportation's inspector general is slated to release a report outlining apparent failures by the AMR Corp. unit to identify and promptly resolve aircraft-maintenance problems in 2008. The alleged deficiencies range from multiple faulty repairs of engine-start systems to repeated deferrals of other repairs, as well as mechanics signing off on work without the necessary authority. Separately, senior Federal Aviation Administration officials are close to proposing a civil penalty against American, wrapping up an enforcement case stemming from different maintenance lapses dating back to roughly the same period. The penalty is likely to be the largest the agency has levied against an airline, the officials said. American spokesman Tim Wagner said, "It would be inappropriate for American to comment" until the report's release. "We have cooperated fully with the DOT's review, and our responses are included in the report," he said. He declined to discuss any possible FAA action. The proposed American penalty, government and industry officials said, is likely to top $10 million, and could be as much as $20 million, unless the agency changes course. It stems from repairs alleged to have been performed improperly on wiring near the landing gears of American's McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. In April 2008, those problems forced the temporary grounding of American's entire MD-80 fleet, causing flight cancellations affecting more than 300,000 passengers. A spokesman for the DOT's inspector general and spokeswoman for the FAA declined to comment. But FAA officials have indicated the agency and the airline have taken steps to resolve many of the issues covered by the inspector general's report. No final decision has been made on the size of the penalty, and no specific figure has been communicated to the airline, the officials said. In 2008, the FAA proposed what would have been a record penalty of $10.2 million against Southwest Airlines Co., but it was later negotiated down to $7.5 million. In the past, American officials have said the MD-80 wiring issues didn't pose an imminent safety hazard, and some have signaled the company most likely would challenge a large fine. Industry officials said outside consultants, brought in after American's MD-80 wiring snafus, found that a shortage of maintenance supervisors at American, vaguely worded engineering orders and the tendency of some line mechanics to improvise on certain repairs contributed to the problem. Since then, American has sharply increased the number of employees monitoring maintenance trends and changes in the reliability of aircraft systems. The FAA, meanwhile, has improved its capabilities to track deferred maintenance tasks and determine when to order corrective actions. American's mechanics union said it has "worked closely with the company to pinpoint maintenance problems and correct them." John Conley, a senior official of the Transport Workers Union, said in a statement that "most of what is included in the [inspector general's] report are issues that have already been addressed." Taken together, the government's expected actions reflect closer scrutiny of maintenance operations at the country's No. 2 carrier by passenger traffic, as well as the difficulty of resolving aircraft-maintenance disputes without prolonged wrangling. But while the inspector general's audit is critical of what it indicates were lapses by the airline, it primarily faults the FAA for lax oversight of American's maintenance practices, government and industry officials said. The audit alleges that the FAA failed to keep close track of safety and reliability trends at the airline. The auditors also criticize the FAA for failing to appropriately monitor repeated failures of forward landing gears on American's MD-80 jets. In addition, they criticized the FAA for its delay in issuing safety directives for potentially dangerous windshield heaters. Officials said the inspector general's office is expected to urge the FAA to step up verification of American's maintenance work, instead of relying on agency inspectors' reviews of the carrier's records. The report also is expected to call for high-level FAA reviews of whether the agency's weaknesses are systemic or limited to the office that keeps tabs on American. The inspector general's audit was prompted by safety complaints from American's pilots union, which remains locked in bitter labor negotiations with the carrier. The document, among other things, identifies engineering and process failures related to delays in changing out suspect parts that could cause short circuits, smoke and cracks in cockpit windshields on Boeing 757s and other models. Senior managers at American, which performs more repairs in-house than any other large U.S. airline, have been aware of nagging maintenance difficulties for years, industry officials said. They said that even though American's internal safety-oversight system flagged substandard repairs early on, airline management failed to understand or promptly act on such warnings. In recent years, American has tangled with FAA inspectors and government crash investigators over various maintenance matters, some outside the scope of the inspector general's audit and the pending FAA enforcement case. Congressional investigators also have been looking into some of the same issues. In September 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board criticized years of delays by the FAA and industry in replacing potentially hazardous cockpit windshields. The FAA eventually issued a series of safety directives calling for stepped-up inspections of windshields on Boeing 747, 757, 767 and 777 aircraft, and is now expected to issue still another directive dealing with the dangers of smoke or fire. America voluntarily began replacing suspect windshields some time ago, but late last year company officials said the process was only about half finished. According to Boeing Co., which issued its last maintenance bulletin on this topic two years ago, there have been 29 incidents of windshield smoke or fire on Boeing aircraft since the beginning of 2001. In August 2008, the FAA proposed a $7.1 million penalty against American for allegedly violating employee drug- and alcohol-testing procedures and knowingly flying airplanes that violated maintenance regulations. In May 2009, federal crash investigators said American's faulty maintenance, combined with a deficient internal safety-oversight system, contributed to an engine failure and subsequent fire on an MD-80 plane shortly after takeoff from St. Louis two years earlier. Despite hydraulic and electrical malfunctions, the crippled twin-engine jet managed to return safely to the airport. But the safety board faulted both American and the FAA for failing to realize, prior to the crash, the significance of certain maintenance data. Mechanics had repeatedly swapped out start valves on the same engine that quit leaving St Louis. Mechanics ended up replacing valves six separate times during a 12-day period leading up to the enmergency, but still failed to get to the bottom of the problem. Last summer, FAA inspectors launched an investigation to determine whether American failed to properly alert them about potential safety problems stemming from scratches on the aluminum skins of some Boeing 737 jets. The planes were damaged from contact with certain types of passenger bridges, or jetways, used at airports nationwide. http://online.wsj.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103021794548&s=6053&e=001vUD5HMa5CLsyxFWJkcDffpcwAv5Zyj01241_5AQC6jKZL74_XNEHs17MB7i5FrJOMxeuL9kqvTGt8IRH4pRZ0i9mc7HOELoDCUUQ_GOJUCD3VJOQg7FCZePoRIFIYX7r8tv0HoKYNCM2JzBQ-2FVlzMGJotJzRrhdtGsR3vq71hvYOYsi1nSzdqxUCnUQvfTOcrYkm067SIDnRoWVD-5R6-Uc1EP57ju] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Air accident investigators demand repairs to aircraft televisions Seat back television sets on Boeing 777s should be fixed more securely to prevent them injuring passengers following a crash landing, investigators have found. By David Millward, Transport Editor Published: 12:01AM GMT 09 Feb 2010 It was discovered that ice had accumulated at the face of the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger- where oil is cooled down and fuel warmed up. The danger was disclosed by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in its latest report into the British Airways Boeing 777 which crash landed at Heathrow in January 2008. Investigators confirmed their previous conclusions that the accumulation of ice in the fuel supply was responsible for the aircraft losing power on its descent to the airport. In this report they turned their attention to the crash worthiness of the plane itself, after examining the wreckage following the incident in which 34 passengers and 12 cabin crew suffered minor injuries. They discovered that nine out of 32 televisions in the premium economy cabin detached from the seat as a result of the impact when the plane, carrying 136 passengers, landed on the grass ahead of the runway having just cleared the perimeter fence. Although nobody was injured as a result of being hit by a television set, investigators concluded that they could cause head injuries and also obstruct passengers during an emergency evacuation. Investigators also called for modifications to the design on cabin lighting on the Boeing 777 - of which there are around 1,000 currently in service. This followed evidence from passengers who said that there was a fog of particles in the air after the lighting shattered. Testing showed that it was possible to break the tubes, leaving those on board running the risk of being injured by broken glass. The AAIB said Federal Aviation Administration in the United States and the European Aviation Safety Agency should order Boeing to take steps to avoid this by, for example, installing covers over the light tubes themselves. Investigators also voiced concern about the landing gear which failed to completely detach itself from the fuselage on impact as should have happened to prevent part of the equipment puncturing the fuel tank. They recommended Boeing redesign the landing gear to prevent it puncturing the fuel tank - which could lead to an explosion - in the event of another crash landing. In this case the pilot was unable to reach the runway at the end of a flight from Beijing because first the right and then the left engine failed, because of a blockage in the fuel system. It was discovered that ice had accumulated at the face of the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger - where oil is cooled down and fuel warmed up. The ice had accumulated from water which occurred naturally in the fuel during the flight. But, according to the AAIB, plane safety requirements at the time did not take into account the risk of ice accumulating in fuel was not considered. http://www.telegraph.co.uk [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103021794548&s=6053&e=001vUD5HMa5CLusZEsIgqnLlrZgq0SciVTqOgyMMmMu2qZIcWAydenKDk5PwGKa2s2F_hYfr98N2PYmyoz3cty5tI_aBRiHHcmZvlQbKUOa6yH5Hg9aRBKko5Ekfez6lM8BKLxbmDPjB-zZCDqFxKpPhKx7xThlgRdeOoJgEDmO8SR1loxlw7nU32RFbREhwHiMisE_JKh6-BVJmdI1JWUBZyEScsmCcvNXlzamOHi9GRNDRPvJAg4_4gUmnLBk1xcE] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPS to layoff pilots in cost-cutting move Posted: Feb 08, 2010 8:44 PM CST Posted by Charles Gazaway - email LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - More belt-tightening at UPS will mean hundreds of pilots will lose their jobs. UPS says it will layoff 300 pilots over the next couple years. The package shipping company is trying to cut costs by $244 million over the next five years. UPS is calling the layoff "temporary." The Independent Pilots Association, the union representing UPS pilots, says the first of those layoffs will start in May with about 54 pilots impacted. By the end of 2010, the number will be at 170. IPA president Bob Miller told us the union has offered up voluntary cost cutting programs which are comparable to the savings UPS wants. But he tells us the company indicates it wants contract negotiations. The company said its working with the union to avoid layoffs, but says cuts must be made. UPS employs about 2,800 pilots. http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11954398 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103021794548&s=6053&e=001vUD5HMa5CLv1Gc0izyTQ6lq1FV8e1mrozY9eywKAy-TlA0IgCGfsRb9T-YJTuygprSjkRrBkI23DjA-tbpJdAHfIDr9b5ZmOlBx-a6UpBMM6YZafcJPLCl8HfImZilH-BQ27AYG6DM0y-_xKSOARMD4o2xjvk4qa] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airbus Banned From Using Koito Plane Seats After Safety Alert February 08, 2010, 12:49 PM EST By Andrea Rothman Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Airbus SAS has been banned since September by European aerospace safety authorities from delivering commercial aircraft with seats made by a Japanese contractor embroiled in a probe of unauthorized design changes. The Cologne-based European Aviation Safety Agency withdrew its production organization approval for Koito Industries Ltd. last year, saying the Yokohama-based company was no longer a trustworthy manufacturer and wasn't sharing enough information with European clients, EASA spokesman Daniel Holtgen said. "Our withdrawal of the POA is what I would describe as an emergency measure," Holtgen said today in a telephone interview. EASA's directive applies to all Airbus planes, even if they are flown outside Europe, Holtgen said. Koito will have to fix about 150,000 passenger seats in some 1,000 commercial airliners owned by 32 airlines after the company falsified test results and made unauthorized design changes, Japan's transport ministry said today. Neither EASA nor U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have issued rulings directing airlines to take action. Japan's transport ministry doesn't have authority to order carriers in the U.S. or Europe to make changes to existing planes without airworthiness authorities in those regions backing up the order. Working With Japan The FAA is aware of the issue and is working closely with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to determine any impact on the U.S. fleet, spokeswoman Laura Brown said in an e-mail. Airbus said five aircraft set to be handed over have been affected by the EASA directive. Four are awaiting seats from manufacturers other than Koito. Singapore Airlines Ltd., which has an A380 held up, is waiting for resolution of the issue and hasn't sought seats from other makers, the airline said. Airbus informed customers last year whose delivery schedules were directly affected by the ban, and the Toulouse, France-based company is working with the carriers to find alternative solutions, spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said. Airline fleets worldwide include 130 Airbus aircraft with Koito seats, equal to just more than 2 percent of the manufacturer's entire fleet, according to the company. "We're working very closely with the JCAB and the FAA and our customers to make sure that seats are fully compliant to JCAB and FAA regulations," said Beverly Holland, a spokeswoman for manufacturing and quality at Boeing Co. Holland said she didn't immediately have available numbers on how many Boeing planes are flying today with seats furnished by Koito. Neither Airbus nor Boeing released names of airlines that fly with Koito seats or that have suffered delays. All Nippon Airways Co. was forced to push back introduction of new Boeing 777 aircraft on its Narita-New York route because of the Koito. Japan's transport ministry gave an oral warning to Koito last year after Japan Airlines Corp. received seats covered in a material that wasn't certified by the authorities. Seat material is important to help prevent the spread of fires in aircraft. EASA said in a statement yesterday that it is "concerned about irregularities" at Koito, and that it is evaluating evidence from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. http://www.businessweek.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103021794548&s=6053&e=001vUD5HMa5CLur1JvR5YYFNxfcgPLFEw_9K7Yg0ovAnEelR1fV2ohkKGjbPvTxpbu9Eclv33nnJm5xABRg4D9haBvVg92OCvFwXrdpQPHdOlrmE8Jux9vJIzsmKPt3ZQZewpx4h1YuHwe2yJYTcor1YZU4lnB2q4lbk6dtIFqygfGXamYJ3kq4XNywoYCf6RyE74vd2BFc9h2PTxwL1oozJqWkW0juI9Fr-ohCsAhXTYw=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 747-8F lands after maiden sortie Jon Ostrower, Seattle (09Feb10, 00:33 GMT, 90 words) Boeing's first 747-8F, the largest Western-built commercial freighter, has completed its maiden flight, kicking off a year-long flight test programme. The aircraft, RC501, touched down at 04:19pm PST at Paine Field, Boeing's Everett, Washington facility. Powered by General Electric GEnx-2B engines, the aircraft flew for 3hr 39min under the control of 747 chief project pilot Mark Feuerstein and test engineer Tom Immrich. Boeing's maiden sortie with the 747-8F marks the beginning of a 1,600hr flight-test programme. The aircraft's test regime will also include 2,100hr of ground work. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103021794548&s=6053&e=001vUD5HMa5CLtwzv-dK6b5L8p_1aFoJMQMw43PckBy_YyfvigW6P1M95P0clpbAAE8s66NVlUxopGciPnvBkHCEA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC