News
04 DEC - FAA amends Boeing 737 DFDR parameter regulations 04 DEC - BEA: jet blast factor in failure of Moorea Twin Otter elevator control cable
09 DEC - French BEA releases final report on A340 engine test accident at Toulouse
11 DEC - Brazil concludes investigation into B737 - Legacy midair collision
17 DEC - Tanzania CAA suspends Air Tanzania´s AOC over safety issues
18 DEC - Indonesia passes new aviation safety bill
18 DEC - NTSB issues safety alert on operating aircraft in icing conditions
20 DEC - FAA changes Israel’s aviation safety rating to Category 2
29 DEC - AAC El Salvador releases preliminary report on A320 runway excursion
04 DEC 2008 FAA amends Boeing 737 DFDR parameter regulations [to table of contents]
The FAA issued a final rule, amending the regulations governing flight data recorders to increase the number of digital flight data recorder parameters for all Boeing 737 series airplanes manufactured after August 18, 2000.
This change is based on safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board following its investigations of two accidents and several incidents involving 737s. The rule also adopts a prohibition on
deviations from flight recorder requirements for all airplanes operated under part 125. (FAA)
Docket No. FAA–1999–6482;
The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses published the final report of their investigation into the Air Moorea DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 accident near Moorea, French Polynesia in August 2007. The airplane crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff because of a loss of airplane pitch control following the failure of the elevator pitch-up control cable at the time the flaps were retracted. BEA concluded that the cable was already worn when several strains ruptured, probably as a result of jet blast on the ground. The last strains failed on takeoff from Moorea when the elevator was used. (BEA)
BEA f-qi070809
09 DEC 2008 French BEA releases final report on A340 engine test accident at Toulouse [to table of contents] The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses published the final report of their investigation into the Airbus A340-600 accident at Toulouse Airport in November 2007. A ground crew was conducting pre-delivery engine and brake tests when the airplane ran into a concrete containment wall. The accident was occurred because the tests were carried out without chocks and the engine power reached the limits of the parking brake. When the aircraft moved forward the engineer was caught by surprise and he focused on the braking system instead of reducing engine thrust. (BEA)
BEA f-cj071115
11 DEC 2008 Brazil concludes investigation into B737 - Legacy midair collision [to table of contents] The Brazilian Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos (CENIPA) released their report of the investigation into the mid-air collision between a GOL B737-800 and an Embraer Legacy jet in September 2006. The 737 crashed, killing all 154 on board. The CENIPA report describes the causal factors in detail. Conslusions were drawn pertaining to the flight crew of the Legacy jet and the air traffic controllers. The report -amongst others- states the following active failures of the Legacy crew: "lack of an adequate planning of the flight, and insufficient knowledge of the flight plan prepared by the Embraer operator; non-execution of a briefing prior to departure; unintentional change of the transponder setting, failure in prioritizing attention; failure in perceiving that the transponder was not transmitting; delay in recognizing the problem of communication with the air traffic control unit; and non-compliance with the procedures prescribed for communications failure. On the part of air traffic control the report a.o. states that "By failing to perform the prescribed procedures for the loss of Transponder and radar contact, as well as for communications failure, the ATCO ... allowed N600XL to maintain the incorrect flight level (FL370)... Deviations from the procedures regarding the prescribed phraseology were observed, in various situations of the air traffic control activity and in the various control units involved in the accident." Commenting the CENIPA report, the NTSB proposes the following probable cause: "The evidence collected during this investigation strongly supports the conclusion that this accident was caused by N600XL and GLO1907 following ATC clearances which directed them to operate in opposite directions on the same airway at the same altitude resulting in a midair collision. The loss of effective air traffic control was not the result of a single error, but of a combination of numerous individual and institutional ATC factors, which reflected systemic shortcomings in emphasis on positive air traffic control concepts. Contributing to this accident was the undetected loss of functionality of the airborne collision avoidance system technology as a result of the inadvertent inactivation of the transponder on board N600XL. Further contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between ATC and the N600XL flight crew." (CENIPA)
A-00X/CENIPA/2008
17 DEC 2008 Tanzania CAA suspends Air Tanzania´s AOC over safety issues [to table of contents] Tanzanian Civic Aviation Authority (TCAA) suspended Air Tanzania´s AOC after an IATA IOSA audit revealed more than 500 operational gaps. It was a "precautionary but very necessary action to avoid the possibility of the airline compromising flight safety," according to the TCAA (News24, TCAA)
TCAA press release
18 DEC 2008 Indonesia passes new aviation safety bill [to table of contents] Indonesia's parliament passed an amendment to the 1992 law on aviation to improve air safety, meeting some of the demands of the European Commission which banned Indonesian carriers from its airspace. Under the new law, Indonesia must set up an independent national commission that will report to the President and carry out investigations into aviation accidents. At least 18 findings of a recent ICAO audit have been answered in this bill, according yo Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal. (ABC News, The Jakarta Post ) 18 DEC 2008 NTSB issues safety alert on operating aircraft in icing conditions [to table of contents]
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a Safety Alert titled "Activate Leading-Edge Deice Boots As Soon As Airplanes Enter Icing Conditions." The Safety Alert reminds pilots that * noting that as little as 1/4 inch of ice can be deadly; * as little as 1/4 inch of leading edge ice can increase the stall speed 25 to 40 knots; and * early activation of the deice boots limits the effects of leading-edge ice and improves the operating safety margin. The Safety Alert states that leading-edge deice boots should be activated as soon as icing is encountered, unless the aircraft flight manual or the pilot's operating handbook specifically directs not to activate them. (NTSB)
NTSB Safety Alert
20 DEC 2008 FAA changes Israel’s aviation safety rating to Category 2 [to table of contents] The U.S. FAA changed Israel’s aviation safety standard rating to Category 2 following an assessment made last July of the country’s civil aviation authority. The rating is not related to security issues. With a Category 2 rating given by the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, Israeli air carriers will not be allowed to establish new service to the United States. The civil aviation authority of Israel is addressing the items identified, including working with the FAA on an aggressive action plan to correct all areas of concern so that their safety oversight system fully complies with standards and practices set by the ICAO. (FAA)
press release
29 DEC 2008 AAC El Salvador releases preliminary report on A320 runway excursion [to table of contents] The Autoridad de Aviación Civil of El Salvador released a preliminary report of their investigation into the runway excursion involving a TACA Airbus A320 at Tegucigalpa Airport, Honduras. The airplane landed with a tailwind on a wet runway, touching down 400m from the displaced threshold, leaving 1249 m of runway available. The A320 overran and went down an embankment. The landing performance analysis confirms that the landing performances are consistent with runway condition and crew actions. (AAC El Salvador)
prelim. report
