Flight Safety Information May 24, 2012 - No. 104 In This Issue RCAF C-130 Fire in Florida Likely Caused By Broken Hydraulic Line FAA: American Airlines, Delta planes diverted to Phoenix airport because of separate issues Lingering in airplane bathroom leads to questions from FBI for Orlando-bound Muslims Pilots, crew not always required to go through security checkpoints PRISM CERTIFICATION CONSULTANTS GULF FLIGHT SAFETY COMMITTEE AGM - DUBAI 6 JUNE 2012-05-21 ISASI regional meeting in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) China suffers further delays on first passenger jet Solar Plane Begins 1st Transcontinental Flight Ministry of Civil Aviation to Share Perspective on the Future of Indian MRO RCAF C-130 Fire in Florida Likely Caused By Broken Hydraulic Line Colin Perkel of The Canadian Press is reporting that the fire that erupted aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft as it was taking off in Florida was likely caused by a hydraulic line that broke next to an electrical power cable. Here is more from his article: The harrowing incident involving the CC-130 Hercules three months ago forced the nine crew members to scramble to safety and left the $35-million plane badly damaged. An interim report from the directorate of flight safety says the malfunctioning equipment in the rear of the plane was related to an auxiliary hydraulic system. "The investigation team identified that a stainless steel braided flexible hydraulic line associated with the auxiliary hydraulic-system pump was breached where it routed next to an electrical power cable," the report states. "The ongoing investigation is focused on the maintenance history of the auxiliary hydraulic system." The mishap - involving the aircraft and crew from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron of 17 Wing Winnipeg - occurred in February during a touch-and-go training exercise at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Fla. The interim report describes how the plane was rumbling down the runway when the loadmaster in the cargo compartment at the back of the plane was all but engulfed in a fireball just as the plane became airborne. The loadmaster heard an "electrical buzzing sound" and saw an orange "jet-like flame" shoot across the cargo ramp at floor level. "He then unbuckled his harness and was reaching for the fire extinguisher when an expansive orange fireball erupted, causing him to protect his head with his jacket," the report says. "Once the fireball receded, he proceeded forward and alerted the crew to the fire while calling for the takeoff to be aborted." With the aircraft just a few metres above the runway, the pilot was able to put the plane back down on the ground and "aggressively" bring the aircraft to a stop. With the engines shut down, the nine crew members aboard were able to scramble from the plane and get away while emergency services responded and put out the fire. Only one crew member was slightly hurt - apparently after tripping as he ran from the burning aircraft. Photographs of the plane's interior showed extensive fire damage. No one with the military was immediately available to comment on the report. The four-engine turboprop Hercules is a transport mainstay for the Canadian Forces, ferrying soldiers and cargo to war zones such as Afghanistan. http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/05/23/rcaf-c-130-fire-in-florida-likely-caused-by- broken-hydraulic-line/ Back to Top FAA: American Airlines, Delta planes diverted to Phoenix airport because of separate issues PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say two commercial flights were diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport within 45 minutes of each other. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman says both planes landed without incident Wednesday afternoon. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says American Airlines flight 510 was headed for Chicago but returned to Phoenix after an indicator light began to flash. Gregor says that flight landed at 2:30 p.m. at Sky Harbor and the cause of the flashing indicator light still is unknown. He says Delta Airlines flight 2267 was headed from San Diego to Atlanta and landed at Sky Harbor around 3:15 p.m. because of a mechanical issue. Additional details aren't immediately available. Back to Top Lingering in airplane bathroom leads to questions from FBI for Orlando-bound Muslims A group of Muslims was detained Wednesday at Orlando Sanford International Airport, apparently because of a misunderstanding over an Islamic cleanliness ritual, authorities said. The captain of Allegiant flight No.625 from Allentown, Pa., radioed ahead and asked airport police to meet the plane when it landed about 8:30p.m., said Larry Dale, airport director and commander of its 11-member police force. Members of the group were lingering in the lavatory and asked for a cup, arousing suspicion, Dale said. An FBI agent was interviewing three men late Wednesday, but it appeared that the travelers were detained because of a religious custom dictating cleanliness and that they would be released. "In today's world, we'd rather be cautious," Dale said. About half a dozen people and one child - at least some members of the same family - were traveling from Pennsylvania to Central Florida for a volleyball and badminton tournament, Dale said. The travelers are of Middle Eastern descent, and at least one of the women wore a head scarf, he said. Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said devout Muslims customarily clean their private parts with water after using the restroom, and that is likely what members of the group were doing. The procedure is known as istinja. "They [the airplane crew] didn't understand it, probably," Musri said. "If you didn't know the reason, you'd say, 'Why do you need the cup? Why are you taking it with you into the bathroom?'" There was no disruption on the flight, Dale said. "I'm glad they didn't have to divert the plane to another airport," Musri said. "Sometimes we overreact." http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-05-23/news/os-muslim-islam-sanford-orlando- airport-20120523_1_head-scarf-muhammad-musri-allegiant Back to Top Pilots, crew not always required to go through security checkpoints RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - A Virginia-based pilot is facing serious charges after TSA officials say he took a loaded gun onboard an airplane. The Barboursville pilot was reportedly able to board several flights carrying a .357 firearm in a bag that was not x-rayed until he passed through a security checkpoint in a New York airport. 52-year-old Brett Dieter was arrested last Friday, however TSA officials believe he had been traveling for a few days with the gun. We wanted to learn more about the screening policies for pilots and crew at airports across the country. CBS 6 learned that there is no federal uniform policy when it comes to screening crew members. Kawika Riley, a spokesperson for the TSA, said pilots are able to reach their aircraft through access points other than checkpoints in many airports. However, the access points vary from airport to airport. Riley said pilots are prohibited from taking firearms onto airplanes. "The only exception is for pilots who are members of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program. The pilot arrested Friday was not a member of this program," explained Riley. When advised that some pilots and airline crew members are not always scanned, some people were critical of the policy. "I'm not real comfortable with the fact that not everybody is being scanned," said Lex Appel. "I do think pilots should go through screening. You never know who might be posing as a pilot. I just assumed they went through some type of screening or precautions. We go through so much, I would have thought they go through something," Appel was just picking up her daughter and granddaughter from Richmond International Airport when she heard about the news. Her daughter, Christy Potter, said she'd like to see an across the board federal policy for the screening of all pilots and crew members. "I have mixed emotions about that because I do think they should go through the same process that we all go through. I'd rather not have an unauthorized gun on a flight that I'm on," added Potter. CBS 6 News contacted the offices for Senator Mark Warner and Congressmen Bobby Scott, Robert Hurt and Eric Cantor to see if they think a mandatory policy of screening all pilots is necessary in U.S. airports. CBS 6 is awaiting their responses. Dieter is now faces a federal charge of attempting to carry a weapon or explosive on an aircraft. http://wtvr.com/2012/05/23/pilots-crew-not-always-required-to-go-through-security- checkpoints/ Back to Top Back to Top GULF FLIGHT SAFETY COMMITTEE AGM - DUBAI 6 JUNE 2012-05-21 The Gulf Flight Safety Committee, the regional aviation safety forum for the Gulf, will hold its annual general meeting at the Emirates Training Centre in Dubai from 0830 to 1630 on 6 June 2012. In addition to the annual appointment of the executive committee and other GFSC business, there will be the usual mix of incident reviews and industry debate, followed by some informative safety presentations. All existing members are urged to attend and take part in shaping the next steps for the GFSC, and others with an interest in regional safety matters and perhaps thinking of joining are welcome to attend on this occasion. Further information is available on the website www.gfsc.aero and queries should be directed to chair@gfsc.aero or to the current chairman Jo Gillespie jgillespie@gatesaviation.com . Sponsored by NEXUS Flight Operations Services in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Back to Top Back to Top China suffers further delays on first passenger jet BEIJING May 24 (Reuters) - China's first passenger jetliner, the 90-seat ARJ21, is unlikely to get regulatory approval before 2013, an executive of its producer said on Thursday, putting the programme about five years behind its makers' original schedule to win certification. The delay could also disrupt the completion of a more ambitious effort to develop a 168- seat C919 jetliner aimed at breaking the global dominance of similar-sized aircraft by Boeing Corp. and European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co.'s Airbus. Tian Min, chief financial officer of the state-controlled Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, or Comac, which is developing both aircraft, said a final certification of the ARJ21 by Chinese regulators has been pushed back to 2013 from an original schedule for completion by 2008. Tian, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Beijing, declined to go into details when asked the reason for the delay, simply saying: "It is a process." The ARJ21 is a so-called regional jet, a smaller commercial plane with a range of about 2,000 miles aimed at midsize markets. Industry insiders - including executives of technology suppliers to Comac - said any delay in the ARJ21 would likely disrupt the C919 programme as well. But Tian said the bigger aircraft was on track for a 2014 maiden flight and should get airworthiness approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC, as scheduled by 2016. Tian's comments follow an announcement by Comac in February of a new round of airworthiness tests for the ARJ21, which Comac designed to compete with Canada's Bombardier Inc and Embraer SA of Brazil. Comac said on Feb. 29 that the first CAAC certification flight test took place that day. It said a version of the jet, the ARJ21-700, "piloted jointly by a COMAC pilot and a CAAC pilot, successfully landed after nearly two-hour flight". The successful test flight "indicates that the CAAC certification flight tests for the first indigenously developed jet have formally kicked off, and the ARJ21-700 aircraft certification process also entered into a new phase", it said. The ARJ21 is key to China's bid to develop an aerospace industry that can compete globally. By starting with a smaller jet, China will stay out of the competitive sights of Boeing and Airbus for now, but will enter a market crowded with established players as well as recent entrants from Russia and Japan. According to Chinese media reports, Comac got at least 240 orders for the ARJ21. Back to Top Solar Plane Begins 1st Transcontinental Flight (AP) An experimental solar-powered airplane took off from Switzerland on its first transcontinental flight Thursday, aiming to reach North Africa next week. Pilot Andre Borschberg planned to take the jumbo jet-size Solar Impulse plane on its first leg to Madrid, Spain, by Friday. His colleague Bertrand Piccard will take the helm of the aircraft for the second stretch of its 2,500-kilometer (1,554-mile) journey to the Moroccan capital Rabat. Fog on the runaway at its home base in Payerne, Switzerland, delayed the take off by two hours, demonstrating how susceptible the prototype single-seater aircraft is to adverse weather. "We can't fly into clouds because it was not designed for that," Borschberg said as he piloted the lumbering plane with its 63-meter (207-foot) wingspan toward the eastern French city of Lyon at a cruising speed of just 70 kilometers an hour (43.5 mph). Before landing in Madrid in the early hours of Friday, Borschberg will face other challenges, including having to overfly the Pyrenees mountains that separate France and Spain. Just in case things go disastrously wrong, Borschberg has a parachute inside his tiny cabin that he hopes never to use. "When you take an umbrella it never rains," he joked in a satellite call with The Associated Press. Piccard - the son of undersea explorer Jacques Piccard and grandson of balloonist Auguste Piccard - will have to cross the windy Straits of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa. The team has been invited to Morocco by the country's King Mohammed VI to showcase the cutting edge of solar technology. Morocco is about to start construction on a massive solar energy plant at Ouarzazate. The plant will form part of a country-wide solar energy grid with a capacity of 2000 megawatts by 2020. The mission is described as the final dress rehearsal for a round-the-world flight with a new and improved aircraft in 2014. That trip will include stops in the United States, said Borschberg. In 2010, the Swiss flew non-stop for 26-hour to demonstrate that the 12,000 solar cells attached to the aircraft can soak up enough sunlight to keep the plane airborne through the night. A year later, he took Solar Impulse on its first international flight to Belgium and France. The project began in 2003 and is estimated to cost about $100 million over 10 years. Back to Top Ministry of Civil Aviation to Share Perspective on the Future of Indian MRO at Airline Engineering and Maintenance Conference MUMBAI, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation will share his perspective on the future of Indian MRO and also on the recent FDI policy at the UBM Aviation's Airline E&M - India Conference, 29 May - 1 June in Mumbai. This four-day event will consist of a two-day conference, one exclusive site visit to the Jet Airways MRO Hangar and one interactive workshop on MRO selection and price negotiation. India's leading airline engineering and maintenance heads will come together for this conference to provide practical cost-reduction techniques to minimise engineering and maintenance costs. Some of the eminent speakers are R K Khanna, Deputy Director General, Civil Aviation Department, Government of India, Kapil Kaul, CEO South Asia, CAPA, B.S. Baliga, Executive Director Engineering, Air India, Babu Peter, Executive Vice President Engineering, GoAir, Sitham Nadarajah, Executive Vice President Technical, Jet Airways and C.S. Tomar, Vice President Engineering and Maintenance, Jet Airways, among many more. This two-day interactive conference will address business critical challenges surrounding MRO set up, complex regulatory and tax hurdles, ambiguous leasing trends and inefficient supply chain. Over 150 people from the airline, MRO, spare parts and other ancillary units have registered for the 4-day event. The event is sponsored by Gold Partner myTechnic, and conference supporters include Willis Lease, Regio Lease and AeroDEC. Visit www.airlineengineering-india.com for more information. Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1cF0T) Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC