News
01 SEP - CASA: improvements needed after QANTAS maintenance review 03 SEP - South Korea gains highest USOAP safety standard compliance rating
04 SEP - AAIB: interim report and recommendations on B777 crash-landing
04 SEP - CIAIAC: final report on MD-83 contained engine failure
07 SEP - FAA AD audit: overall compliance rate of 98 percent
12 SEP - PNG gets Accident Investigation Commission
13 SEP - FAA agrees with Eclipse certification review recommendations
19 SEP - Orient Thai and One-Two-Go Airlines' grounding extended
19 SEP - Australian Senate Committee inquiry calls for CASA overhaul
22 SEP - NTSB investigating runway incursion in Allentown, PA
25 SEP - Australia: Regulations on alcohol and drug testing
25 SEP - FAA helps Southwest, Skywest, US Airways to install crash-avoidance equipment
25 SEP - FAA finds Croatia does not meet ICAO safety standards
26 SEP - FAA issues emergency AD for Rolls-Royce AE 3007A engines
01 SEP 2008 CASA: improvements needed after QANTAS maintenance review [to table of contents]
CASA wants Qantas to make a range of improvements to the way it manages and delivers aircraft maintenance following a special review carried out by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
CASA has told the airline to produce a plan to address deficiencies in meeting some of its own maintenance performance targets.
At the same time Qantas will examine whether the existing lines of authority and control over maintenance within the airline are delivering the best possible outcomes.
While these actions are under way CASA will be conducting two additional intensive audits of Qantas.
The first will be a full maintenance audit of one aircraft of each major aircraft type in the Qantas fleet – a 747-400, 737-400 and 767-300. This will involve checking all maintenance documentation for each of these aircraft to see it has been completed, as well as physically examining the aircraft on the ground.
The second audit will focus on the effectiveness of Qantas maintenance systems in managing and implementing airworthiness directives. This will identify any weaknesses in Qantas maintenance systems in relation to managing the ongoing airworthiness of its aircraft.
CASA has also called on Qantas to report on how the recent failures to fully comply with airworthiness directive requirements have been addressed. (CASA)
The South Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs reports that ICAO has finished their safety audit, resulting in a safety standard compliance rating of 98.82 percent. So far 108 member states have had an USOAP (Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program) audit. Korea tops the list of 108 countries that have so far undergone the audit. In the first evaluation conducted by ICAO in 2000, Korea ranked 53rd with a safety standard compliance rating of 79.79 percent among 162 members. According to the interim results, Armenia ranked second with 96.32 percent and Canada third with 95.38 percent. (Digital Chosun Ilbo) 04 SEP 2008 AAIB: interim report and recommendations on B777 crash-landing [to table of contents]
The U.K. AAIB released an interim report of their investigation into the Boeing 777 crash-landing at London-Heathrow, January 2008. The investigation has shown that both engines lost power in the final minute of flight because the fuel flow to each engine was restricted; most probably due to an accumulation of ice within the engine fuel feed system. The ice is likely to have formed from water - which exists naturally in the fuel - while the aircraft operated for a long period, with low fuel flows, in the cold environment associated with high-altitude flight. The AAIB recommends that: The FAA and the EASA in conjunction with Boeing and Rolls Royce, introduce interim measures for the Boeing 777, powered by Rolls Royce Trent 800 engines, to reduce the risk of ice formed from water in aviation turbine fuel causing a restriction in the fuel feed system (AAIB 2008-047), that The FAA and EASA should take immediate action to consider the implications of the findings of this investigation on other certificated airframe/engine combinations (AAIB 2008-048), and that The FAA and EASA review the current certification requirements to ensure that aircraft and engine fuel systems are tolerant to the potential build up and sudden release of ice in the fuel system (AAIB 2008-049). (AAIB)
AAIB Interim Report
04 SEP 2008 CIAIAC: final report on MD-83 contained engine failure [to table of contents] The Spanish CIAIAC released the final report of their investigation into the contained engine failure on an MD-83 in July 2004. The left engine failed at 5400 feet after takeoff. The pilot returned to Alicante where the airplane was evacuated, resulting in 19 passengers sustaining minor injuries. The probable cause was the simultaneous or near simultaneous breakage of two stator vanes in the 8th stage of the HPC resulting in general engine failure. (CIAIAC)
CIAIAC IN-045/2004
07 SEP 2008 FAA AD audit: overall compliance rate of 98 percent [to table of contents] U.S. FAA inspectors found an overall compliance rate of 98 percent in more than 5,600 audits of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) at U.S. air carriers, Acting Administrator Robert A. Sturgell announced today. In the remaining 2 percent of the audits, the carriers resolved the issues of noncompliance before the airplanes flew again. Alleged noncompliance in the audits fell into five categories: instances where the air carrier could not show compliance with the AD; cases where additional records were needed to prove compliance; cases where the air carrier did the work, but had to apply for an alternate means of compliance approval; situations where the AD work was not done, but the airplane was not flying; other minor discrepancies not involving ADs. All noncompliance issues were corrected before the airplanes flew again, and the FAA is investigating to determine if enforcement actions are warranted. (FAA)
press release
12 SEP 2008 PNG gets Accident Investigation Commission [to table of contents] The Papua New Guinean Transport Civil Aviation and Works Minister established an Accident Investigation Commission (AIC). The commission has been established in compliance with the Civil Aviation Act 2000 and ICAO Annex 13. There are 16 pending aircraft accidents that the commission will need to look into, starting in the first quarter of next year. The three-man commission will have a budget of K4.16 million set aside in the 2009 budget. (Post-Courier) 13 SEP 2008 FAA agrees with Eclipse certification review recommendations [to table of contents]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to act on the recommendations of a team that reviewed the agency’s certification of the Eclipse EA500, a new Very Light Jet (VLJ). The team found that the airplane was certificated in accordance with safety regulations but that the agency could improve policies and communication procedures used during the VLJ certification process. The lessons learned from one of the first certifications of this new type of aircraft will help the agency as it examines the approximately eight other VLJ certification applications pending before the FAA. The team focused on the certification of airplane trim, flaps, cockpit displays, and stall speeds. The team determined that, for the most part, in-service difficulties were not related to the certification of the aircraft. The team noted it is common for technical problems to be encountered during type certification of a new airplane, but that a lack of commonly used internal FAA documentation caused the perception that the aircraft might not have been properly certified. It also cited a lack of effective communication between Eclipse and the FAA, and between the responsible offices within the agency. The FAA agrees with all of the findings and recommendations in the report and is committed to taking the appropriate steps to ensure that increased communications and better procedures are put in place as the agency moves forward with the certification of this new category of aircraft. The review was prompted by concerns raised by FAA employees. The review team consisted of FAA experts with specialties such as flight testing, avionics and certification. (FAA) 19 SEP 2008 Orient Thai and One-Two-Go Airlines' grounding extended [to table of contents]
Orient Thai Airlines and its budget subsidiary One-Two-Go Airlines remain grounded. The Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) extended the suspension of Orient Thai's operating licence for another 15 days. One-Two-Go's licence was suspended for a further 30 days. DCA deputy director-general Wuthichai Singhamanee said the two privately owned airlines had still not complied with the changes they were ordered to make to their organisational structure, internal auditing and quality controls. The two airlines however have been able to meet the main hurdle, safety standards. (Bangkok Post) 19 SEP 2008 Australian Senate Committee inquiry calls for CASA overhaul [to table of contents]
An Australian Senate inquiry has produced a scathing report on the operations of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), calling for the Federal Government to install a management board to oversee the body and begin an immediate review of its funding. The report by the Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport found concerns with its management and expressed concern about the high level of staff turnover. It has also noted that there is a significant difference of opinion between some CASA staff and senior management about the appropriate direction of the organisation, and it is says there is potential for this to undermine safety objectives. (The Age, Australian Senate)
Report - Inquiry into the Administration of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and related matters
22 SEP 2008 NTSB investigating runway incursion in Allentown, PA [to table of contents] The NTSB is investigating a runway incursion in Allentown, PA involving a general aviation aircraft and a Chicago-bound regional jet airliner. At 19:45 on September 19, a Cessna R172K (N736GV) was on a landing roll on runway 6 at the Lehigh Valley International Airport when the pilot was instructed to exit the runway at taxiway A4. Mesa Airlines flight 7138, a CRJ-700 (N506MJ), already instructed to position and hold on the same runway, was then given clearance by the same controller to take off. During the takeoff roll, the Mesa crew heard the Cessna pilot say that he'd missed the taxiway A4 turnoff and ask to exit at taxiway B. The Mesa crew saw the Cessna ahead on the runway and aborted the takeoff at about 120 knots, swerving around the Cessna. The Mesa crew estimated that they missed colliding with the Cessna by about 10 feet. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and there were no reported injuries to the 60 persons aboard the jet or those aboard the Cessna. (NTSB) 25 SEP 2008 Australia: Regulations on alcohol and drug testing [to table of contents]
New regulations requiring random alcohol and drug testing of Australia’s 120,000 aviation workers comes into force today. The new regulations give aviation organisations, such as airlines and maintenance companies, six months to put in place detailed drug and alcohol management plans covering pre-employment testing, reasonable suspicion testing and post-accident testing, as well as education, training and rehabilitation. The regulations cover pilots, engineers, cabin crew, flight instructors, re-fuelers, dispatchers, load controllers, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers and even Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) staff that perform duties airside. Under the new regime, it is an offence for people working in aviation safety roles to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. CASA will administer the new program, with the aim of starting random testing before the end of the year. (CASA)
25 SEP 2008 FAA helps Southwest, Skywest, US Airways to install crash-avoidance equipment [to table of contents] Three airlines that operate at Los Angeles International Airport will install safety equipment on their airplanes, designed to reduce runway near misses. Skywest Airlines, US Airways and Southwest Airlines will get $600,000 each to help pay for systems. These systems show pilots their precise locations at airports and provide them with information about the runways they are entering, crossing or departing from. The $600,000 grants are part of a $5-million program by the FAA to help equip cargo and passenger carriers with the new technology, especially at major airports with runway safety issues. (LA Times) 25 SEP 2008 FAA finds Croatia does not meet ICAO safety standards [to table of contents]
The U.S. FAA announced that Croatia does not comply with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following an assessment of the country’s civil aviation authority in January. Croatia’s Category 2 safety rating means that the country’s civil aviation authority does not comply with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority — equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters — is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, recordkeeping or inspection procedures. With the IASA Category 2 rating, Croatian air carriers cannot establish service to the United States. The government of Croatia has informed the FAA that they are working diligently to correct all areas of concern as they move to establish a safety oversight system that will be fully compliant with international standards and recommended practices. (FAA)
press release
26 SEP 2008 FAA issues emergency AD for Rolls-Royce AE 3007A engines [to table of contents] The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on Rolls-Royce AE 3007A series turbofan engines. These engines are installed on, but not limited to Embraer EMB-135 and EMB-145 airplanes. The emergency AD results from reports of cracked high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 2 wheels. This condition, if not corrected, could result in a possible uncontained failure of the HPT stage 2 wheel, which could cause damage to the airplane. (FAA)
Emergency AD 2008-19-51
