Flight Safety Information February 2, 2011 - No. 024 In This Issue Homeland Security plane lands on Route 80 (New Jersey) NTSB Makes Recommendations About Airbags In Cessna, Other Aircraft Residents of Newport Beach to get relief from John Wayne Airport jet noise Federal court invalidates city's jet ban at Santa Monica Airport OnAir to bring connectivity to 26 TAM aircraft DFW Airport closes due to ice storm Egypt unrest could impact aviation in region NTSB Holding Family Assistance Symposium Boeing poised for crucial phase in 747-8 test effort Boeing returns last 787 test aircraft to flight status Spanair insists it is "not on the brink of collapse" Homeland Security plane lands on Route 80 (New Jersey) If it isn't some guy riding his brake or drifting across lanes, it's a small plane tying up Route 80's express lanes. A media report from a local newspaper incorrectly cited a "crash landing." However, no one was hurt after a surveillance plane operated by a pilot working with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office touched down on the eastbound interstate, unable to make it to Teterboro. The small, single-engine craft was "operated by a certified flight instructor and flight safety officer who is a retired commercial airline pilot and currently assists the BCPO in its homeland security and safety efforts in conjunction with the US Department of Justice, which owns the plane," Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said. "The DOJ program with the BCPO has been operating successfully for two years." Molinelli wouldn't say what Homeland Security agents have been looking at in Bergen County. However, law enforcement officials told CLIFFVIEW PILOT it's been mostly an aid in trailing carjackers and violent criminals out of Newark. Molinelli, the prosecutor, said a problem with the fuel line kept the pilot from making it to Teterboro Airport, a short distance away. He also told CLIFFVIEW PILOT that the plane costs $50 an hour to operate, and is paid for by his office's collection of assets seized from criminal defendants, among others. http://www.cliffviewpilot.com/bergen/2084-homeland-security-plane- lands-on-route-80 Back to Top NTSB Makes Recommendations About Airbags In Cessna, Other Aircraft Study Found Some Potential Safety Issues With Airbag Restraint Systems After adopting the safety study Airbag Performance in General Aviation Restraint Systems on January 11 the NTSB is issuing six safety recommendations to the FAA to address issues concerning airbag restraint systems, and shoulder harnesses, as well as capturing and recording crash dynamics information relating to airbag deployment, and tracking aircraft safety equipment installations. Information supporting these recommendations is discussed in this letter and in the safety study. In 2003, airbags were first certificated for pilot and copilot seats on general aviation (GA) aircraft, and as of January 2011, they have been installed in nearly 19,000 seats in over 9,000 GA airplanes. Airbags in GA aircraft are installed in the lap belt or shoulder harness portions of the restraint system and are designed to deploy outward from the pilot or occupant. Sled tests conducted under controlled conditions have suggested that aviation airbags may increase survivability and reduce injury in actual aviation accidents; however, no systematic evaluations had been conducted to evaluate their efficacy in real-world scenarios. Therefore, in 2006, the NTSB initiated an exploratory case series study to assess airbag performance in GA accidents. Two goals of the study were to examine the effectiveness of airbags in mitigating occupant injury in GA accidents, and to identify any unintended consequences of airbag deployments. During the course of its investigations, the study team discovered two potential safety issues associated with the misuse or incorrect adjustment of restraint systems. One issue involves occupants reversing restraints in Cessna airplanes. After the February 27, 2007, Cessna T182T accident in Athens, Texas,3 the accident pilot stated that at the beginning of the flight, the left front seat passenger had attempted to use the restraint for the right seat. In the Cessna T182T, both of the front seatbelts hang from the ceiling between the two seats. The pilot, who was also a certified flight instructor, noted that there had been other occasions when his students had inadvertently used the wrong restraint in either the Cessna 172 or Cessna 182. The NTSB concludes that the 3-point restraint systems in certain Cessna airplanes can be reversed in such a way that the airbag and restraint systems are not used as designed and certified. For example, if a left-seated occupant fastened the right seat shoulder harness to his or her outboard buckle, the airbag system in the unused restraint would be active while the airbag in the buckled restraint would be inactive. The NTSB is recommending that the FAA require Cessna Aircraft Company and other manufacturers whose restraint system designs permit an occupant to use an inactive airbag restraint system not intended for use in his or her seat to modify their restraint system designs to eliminate that possibility, and require them to modify restraint systems in existing airplanes to eliminate the possibility of misuse. They further recommend revision of the guidance and certification standards concerning restraint systems to recognize and prevent potential misuse scenarios, including those documented in this safety study, and modification of the special conditions for the installation of inflatable restraints on general aviation airplanes (at Federal Register, vol. 73, no. 217 [November 7, 2008], p. 66163) to provide specific guidance to manufacturers as to how they should demonstrate that the protection is effective for occupants that range from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male. Other recommendations include requiring the retrofitting of shoulder harnesses on all general aviation airplanes that are not currently equipped with such restraints in accordance with Advisory Circular (AC) 21-34, issued June 4, 1993, evaluation of the potential safety benefits and feasibility of requiring airbag-equipped aircraft to have the capability to capture and record, at a minimum, data concerning crash dynamics and airbag deployment criteria that can be reviewedafter a crash to determine whether the system performed as designed, and development of a system to track individual aircraft information about aircraft safety equipment, such as restraint systems, airbags, aircraft parachutes, and other specific aircraft equipment, designed to improve crash outcomes. FMI: www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Residents of Newport Beach to get relief from John Wayne Airport jet noise Modified flight paths over the Newport Beach area will take effect this month, the FAA announces. After a navigation system change in 2009, residents complained of increased jet noise. The Federal Aviation Administration has successfully completed tests for a new John Wayne Airport flight path, and planes will start flying the new route this month. The procedure is the result of a nearly one-year tussle between Newport Beach residents and FAA officials, who agreed to modify a new satellite-based navigation system after residents complained about jet engine noise in the skies above some homes. The new route, called STREL, replaces two others that had raised the ire of residents on the east side of upper Newport Bay and in the Irvine Terrace neighborhood. They said that when planes started using the new system in 2009, more aircraft flew over their homes. The FAA modified the route. But the adjustment didn't go far enough, so the agency decided to tweak the flight path some more, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. To test the new path, the FAA asked Southwest Airlines to fly 36 flights over a three-day period in January. Gregor said the planes flew farther to the west, away from the Bluffs community, and in a "tight track that runs approximately equidistant from communities on the west and east sides." "Based on the results," Gregor said, "we think this procedure will address the concerns that the residents around the airport have expressed." The new flight procedure will affect about 90 planes departing each day, including commercial aircraft and private planes equipped with the new GPS equipment. It applies only to planes flying to points east of Las Vegas. Before pilots start using STREL, the FAA will brief air traffic controllers and verify that airlines have loaded the program into their onboard computers. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-john-wayne-airport- 20110202,0,5254484.story Back to Top Federal court invalidates city's jet ban at Santa Monica Airport On Jan. 21 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied Santa Monica's appeal of a 2009 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decision that the City could not ban Category C and D jets from using Santa Monica Airport (SMO) for safety reasons. Santa Monica's City Council enacted the jet ban on March 25, 2008 because the airport has no runway safety areas to act as buffer zones from nearby homes should an aircraft overrun the runway. However, the FAA decided the City could not ban Category C and D jets in 2009 because the ordinance "violates Santa Monica's obligations under grant assurance 22" and is unnecessary for safety. Between 1985 and 2003 the City of Santa Monica received $10.2 million in federal grant funds under the FAA's Airport Improvement Program which required that the airport be available according to the grant agreement "for public use on fair and reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination to all types, kinds, and classes of aeronautical uses with the exception that the petitioner (Santa Monica) may prohibit certain types of aircraft if such action is necessary for the safe operation for the airport." The court upheld the 2009 decision in a 19-page ruling despite the City's claim that the "FAA acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it concluded that the ordinance violates grant assurance 22 because the FAA ignored evidence on the record, acted inconsistently with its own policies and prior decisions, and failed to state a rational connection between the evidence and its conclusion." The U.S. Court of Appeals found that the "FAA's conclusion that the Ordinance is unjustly discriminatory" was logically derived from the findings supported by substantial evidence in the administrative record. Therefore, the FAA did not "act arbitrarily or capriciously when it concluded that the" ordinance violated grant assurance 22 and offered reasonable explanations why the ordinance "was not necessary for the safe operation of the airport." Deputy City Attorney Ivan Campbell told the Mirror his office is "still meeting to review the ruling and explore what options to take." In an e-mail to the Mirror, Council member Kevin McKeown stated, "We continue to value residents' safety over the somewhat different interests of the federal bureaucracy, and our attorneys and consultants made the strongest possible case to the court. We must now move forward toward 2015 even more mindful of the FAA's power, and the system's tendency to favor federal agencies." "The FAA won. Santa Monica lost. The decision was based on contract obligations the City assumed when it accepted Airport Improvement Program grant money from the federal government. It was not based on Constitutional preemption grounds. This somewhat narrow ground for the Court's decision could be significant in the long run, because the contract in question will expire, either in 2015 or 2023 (there's a dispute about that too)," wrote Lionel Sobel, a professor at Southwestern Law School and a Santa Monica resident in an e-mail to the Mirror. Sobel said that the grant contract used to make the legal decisions was entered into in 1994 and would last 20 years but there are questions because the last grant contract began in 2003 and if in effect for 20 years it would end in 2023. Therefore, the court decision now may have opened the door for another decision having to be made in four years. "We still have the same runway configuration, the same fleet mix, and no runway safety areas," said Bob Trimborn, SMO's director. If a new airport was being built today with a 5,000 foot runway like the one at SMO the FAA would require it to have runway safety areas of 1,000 feet. SMO was grandfathered in because it "doesn't meet the current design standards." http://www.charterx.com/resources/article.aspx?id=7803 Back to Top OnAir to bring connectivity to 26 TAM aircraft OnAir, under an expanded contract, will install its on-board connectivity system in 26 TAM aircraft following a "successful pilot project" with the Brazilian carrier. Passengers will have access to voice, SMS, and Internet on their BlackBerrys and Smartphones, making TAM the first airline in the Americas to offer onboard mobile calling services. The aircraft, Airbus A319s, A320s and A321s, are expected to begin flying in the second half of this year, on domestic routes. The system will be installed at TAM's Technological Center in Sao Carlos, State of Sao Paulo. "The high use of on-board connectivity by our passengers has encouraged us to invest further," TAM Airlines' Marketing Officer Manoela Amaro said. "We noted our clients want and need to be connected while flying." Since October 2010, one A321 has been equipped with the OnAir system, which allows up to eight TAM passengers to make and receive calls simultaneously on a flight, with no limits on data and text messaging. TAM has technical approval from the Brazilian National Agency of Civil Aviation; the system has also been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency and approved by the European Union. http://atwonline.com/it-distribution/news/onair-bring-connectivity-26- tam-aircraft-0201 Back to Top DFW Airport closes due to ice storm Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has closed due to an ice storm that has shut schools, snarled ground traffic and left much of North Texas in a winter freeze. DFW Airport spokesman David Magana says the runways are glazed with ice but that crews are working to clear the area. He says the facility expects to reopen within a couple of hours. The airport, one of the largest in the country, is the American Airlines hub. Earlier Tuesday, hundreds of incoming flights were cancelled due to the massive snow storm across the Midwest. Dallas Area Rapid Transit suspended rail service because of the storm. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9L40MSG0.htm Back to Top Egypt unrest could impact aviation in region BRUSSELS (AP) - An aviation think tank warned Tuesday that the unrest in Egypt and other countries could have a profound impact on air travel in the region. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation said the political instability engulfing Egypt and Tunisia could spread to other states in the Middle East, one of the fastest-growing parts of the world in terms of air travel. A total of 79 carriers serve Egypt, "meaning many airlines will be touched by this crisis," said a report from the Sydney-based center. Egyptair, which carries accounts for 37 percent of passengers to and from Egypt, will be worst hit as tourism drops and as business travel is cut back. Saudi Arabian Airlines is the next most exposed to the Egyptian market, with a six percent share, followed by Britain's charter carrier Thomson Airways, Russia's Transaero and the low-cost Air Arabia. The Middle East's major aviation hubs, such as Dubai, also could be affected if foreign travelers stay away due to fears over the unrest, the report said. It noted, however, that budget carriers such as Air Arabia, based in the United Arab Emirates, could be the first to profit if the situation stabilizes. "Typically, following a crisis, it has been the low-cost carriers which lead the return to the market, offering very low ... fares and helping maintain the tourist flows," it said. Back to Top NTSB Holding Family Assistance Symposium Panel discussions during the March 28-29 event will help the transportation industry, the media, and investigative agencies learn how families are helped after accidents around the world. The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a two-day conference March 28-29 for family members, transportation accident investigation agencies, transportation industry representatives, government agencies, and the media to discuss family assistance after transportation accidents in an international context. The event coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act and the 10th anniversary of ICAO Circular 285 and will give those who attend the chance to learn firsthand from those involved worldwide in family assistance, according to NTSB. Day one features four panel discussions and will be webcast. Day two includes training by the NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance staff, who will give an overview of the NTSB model for family assistance operations. The tentative agenda shows the panel discussions will be: * Family Members: Perspectives from those affected by accidents, a discussion of their needs, and how those needs are met through family assistance programs. * Transportation industry, vendors, and non-governmental organizations: Responsibilities of the industry, their vendors, and non-governmental organizations. * Government transportation accident investigation agencies: How investigative agencies provide information about accident investigations and their role in family assistance. * Media: How the media report on family members following accidents and how family assistance has affected such reporting. The event will take place at the NTSB Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20594. Registration is free and is being conducted separately for each day. Visit this page to register and for links to transportation family assistance resources. www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Boeing poised for crucial phase in 747-8 test effort Boeing is approaching a crucial phase in the 747-8 flight-test effort as it prepares to begin trials of the -8I passenger variant and undertakes the dramatic maximum brake energy demonstration on the freighter version. It is also awaiting the analysis of back-to-back wake vortex testing which will determine whether the stretched 747 will be approved in the same separation category as the smaller 747-400. Four 747-8Fs are currently engaged in the flight-test programme, which began a year ago on 9 February 2010. "We've flown over 600 flights and 1,600h so far," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief test pilot Capt Frank Santoni when addressing the Royal Aeronautical Society in London this week. "We'll start to fly the [-8I] Intercontinental test airplanes in the next couple of months." Santoni says that Boeing will be able to leverage much of the testing carried out with the -8F for the -8I effort, in areas such as the engines and brakes. 747-8F certification is due later this year, and a key test that has been completed is the Vmu (minimum unstick speed) trial which involves take-offs where a wooden block is attached to the tail which is deliberately dragged along the ground to determine the slowest flying speed. Close to 1,000 stalls have also been flown, adds Santoni. This test will not need to be re-run with the -8I. Stall tests are now being flown with artificial ice shapes installed on the leading edges of the wing, tailplane and fin. "We're also doing the flight-loads survey - this is a big test where we put a lot of 'gs' on the airplane in different flap configurations to ensure the wing loads are correct," he adds. The US Federal Aviation Administration is now "on board" 747-8 flights for certification tests, and within the next month the maximum brake energy test is due to be carried out. "This will be done at the highest maximum take-off weight - 975,000lb [442,650kg] - with the take-off rejected at a yet-to-be-determined speed but it will be in the 180-185kt [333-342km/h] region," says Santoni. To determine whether the 747-8's wake vortex is significantly different to a 747-400, back-to-back trials have been flown at Fresno, California using a lidar (light detection and ranging) system that measured the strength of the vortex as each aircraft passed down the glideslope, says Santoni. "The data is still being analysed, but the hope is that there will not be a significant difference so the 747-8 will be approved for the same separation requirements that we have today for the 747-400." Airbus has flown a series of similar back-to-back trials comparing the A380 with other large widebody types, including the 747-400, to help determine the double-decker's separation requirements, which currently has its own wake category. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Boeing returns last 787 test aircraft to flight status Boeing's full complement of 787 test aircraft have returned to flight status, after aircraft three re-joined the flight test programme on 29 January. The airframer has a total of six aircraft dedicated to flight testing. ZA003 departed from Boeing Field where it had been in ground testing since its last flight on 28 November when it was ferried from the company's Everett, Washington facility north of Seattle. The airframer resumed its own test operations on 23 December with its fourth flight test aircraft, and US Federal Aviation Administration certification flights on 16 January following a six-week stoppage after 9 November electrical fire aboard its second test aircraft in Laredo, Texas. Boeing aims to deliver the first 787 aircraft to All Nippon Airways in the third quarter followed by 11 to 20 aircraft this year to an undisclosed number of customers. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Spanair insists it is "not on the brink of collapse" Loss-making Spanair insists it is not on the brink of collapse, despite receiving an additional €20 million ($27.5 million) injection from the Catalonian government amid widespread reports that without this investment the carrier could not survive. The Catalonian government through investment fund ICF agreed last week to grant €20 million to Spanair shareholders to invest in the carrier. One shareholder - Fira de Barcelona - has since ploughed €10.5 million of that capital into Spanair. The remaining €9.5 million investment "is expected soon", Spanair strategic planning director Jim Paton tells ATI. Reports in the Spanish press quote the Catalonian government's main spokesman as saying that without the capital injection, Spanair would "have fallen". However, Paton says the local government's investment is part of a €40 million capital increase agreed on by Spanair's shareholders last summer and upon which the carrier has been building its activities and growth plan. The first half of that investment was made in November by Cimalsa, the infrastructure arm of the Catalonian government, drawing an accusation from the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) that Spanair was in breach of European Union state aid regulations. "Spanair is enjoying a remarkable recovery and is not on the brink of collapse," says Paton. "We were the airline with the highest percentage growth in passenger numbers of all established airlines operating from Barcelona El Prat in 2010. "The outlook for 2011 is even more promising and will see further international route development." The latest capital injection has drawn scathing criticism from fellow Barcelona-based carrier Vueling. "I think it's very unfair in competitive terms to artificially continue with a project which has so many challenges," says Vueling chief executive Alex Cruz. The carrier's president, Josep Pique, adds in a statement that the use of public funds to support Spanair is "unjustifiable". "It is obvious that Spanair is overlapping on routes that already exist and that any pretension on its part of creating a hub in Barcelona is only believable to those who believe in promises that have nothing to do with the reality of the air transport sector," says Pique. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC