Pictured: Airbus similar to the one in the incident
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Ruud Brinks

What: Air France Airbus A320-200 en route from Paris Orly to Toulouse
Where: Paris
When: Jul 3rd 2009
Who: not available
Why: Prior to takeoff, during engine acceleration, the left engine failed. The flight was cancelled, and a replacement aircraft was required.
No more details were available.

George’s Point of View

At least THIS one wasn’t the Pitot tubes.

Boeing owned by Venezolana similar to the one in the reported incident
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Art Brett

What: Venezolana Rutas Aéreas de Venezuela RAV Boeing 737-200 en route from Maracaibo Venezuela to Aruba
Where: Maracaibo
When: Jul 2nd 2009
Who: 54 passengers and 4 crew
Why: After takeoff, the flight experienced the failure of the left hand engine, initiated by an “explosion” or backfire. The flight returned to Maracaibo, and landed safely.

View from an airbus similar to the one in the incident
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Nitin Sarin

What: Air India Airbus A321-200 en route from Kochi to New Delhi
Where: Nagpur
When: Jul 3rd 2009
Who: 151 passengers and 6 crew
Why: When the engine shut down amid-flight, the plane diverted to Nagpur where it made an emergency landing without any known injuries. Technical details regarding the engine problem have not been released.

What: Air Arabia flight from Chittagong to Sharjah
Where: emergency landing at the Kolkata airport
When: 10.20 pm
Who: 159 passengers and eight crew
Why: When one of the plane’s two engines quit, the crew requested an emergency landing at Kolkata.

No injuries were reported.

Bahia Bakari of Airbus A310 flight, ejected from the aircraft, clung to the Airbus 310 debris for more than 13 hours before she was rescued.

Bahia boarded a Yemenia Airlines flight in France, but then she and her fellow Comoros-bound passengers were switched to a sub-standard Yemenia Airlines plane, one which had been forbidden to fly in European airspace. That plane failed on its second approach, and impacted the Indian Ocean in bad weather and rough seas. Although others appear to have survived the crash, they did not survive the 13 hours it took rescuers to reach the wreckage. The dead include Bahia’s mother.

Bahia is the only survivor.

IF the European Aviation Safety Agency is going to uphold its own mission “to promote the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation,” it must take strong action when it receives the French Accident Investigators first results.

There’s so much speculation out there regarding what this account will be that it just seems better to wait and see what it says before second-guessing it. Regardless of the details, you know the report is going to talk about 1. lightning and weather 2. pitot tubes; they may also talk about computer issues, composites and the stabilizer/tail fin/rudder also. I doubt they’ll tackle Airbus’s fly-by-wire technology.

The only thing I don’t understand is why Airbus 330’s have not already been grounded pending the results of the investigation. With several recorded incidents of Airbus 330’s suffering near-disasterous incidents and generating data similar to what was received from the AF447 flight, it makes more sense to ground these planes now before another accident occurs. Why are they letting people fly around in a plane that is an accident waiting to happen?

Or are paying passengers the world over just guinea pigs for Airbus to test their craft on until they get it right?

Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact Photographer Art Brett

What: FREEDOM AIR FLIGHT 274 EMBRAER 145LR en route from Norfolk to Covington KY
Where: Covington KY
When: 6/30/2009
Who: 50 passengers 3 crew
Why: FREEDOM AIR FLIGHT 274 EMBRAER 145LR AIRCRAFT LANDED AND BLEW A TIRE, DAMAGE REPORTED TO BE MINOR, NO INJURIES, COVINGTON, Ky

Airworthiness Directive

Federal Register Information

Header Information
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0121; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-36-AD;
Amendment 39-15958; AD 2009-14-08]

RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company (GE) CF6- 80C2B5F Turbofan Engines

Preamble Information
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for GE CF6-80C2B5F turbofan engines. This AD requires removing certain part number (P/N) high-pressure compressor rotor (HPCR) stages 11-14 spool/ shafts before they exceed a new, reduced life limit. This AD results from an internal GE audit that compared the life limited parts certification documentation to the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the instructions for continuing airworthiness (ICA). We are issuing this AD to prevent HPCR stages 11-14 spool/shaft fatigue cracks caused by exceeding the life limit, which could result in a possible uncontained failure of the HPCR spool/shaft and damage to the airplane.

DATES: This AD becomes effective August 5, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The Docket Operations office is located at Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590- 0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Green, Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Part, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: robert.green@faa.gov; telephone (781) 238-7754; fax (781) 238-7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39 with a proposed AD. The proposed AD applies to GE CF6-80C2B5F turbofan engines. We published the proposed AD in the Federal Register on February 20, 2009 (74 FR 7831). That action proposed to require removing certain P/N HPCR stages 11-14 spool/shafts before they exceed a new, reduced life limit.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http:// www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is provided in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

Comments

We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the development of this AD. We have considered the comment received. The commenter supports the proposal.

Conclusion

We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the comment received, and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD will affect one engine installed on an airplane of U.S. registry. We also estimate that the actions would require no work-hours per engine. No parts are required. Based on these figures, we estimate there is no cost of this AD to U.S. operators.

Authority for This Rulemaking

Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA’s authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, Section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the Agency’s authority.

We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701, “General requirements.” Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

We have determined that this AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:

(1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866;

(2) Is not a “significant rule” under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and

(3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

We prepared a summary of the costs to comply with this AD and placed it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary at the address listed under ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39–AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

Sec. 39.13 [Amended]

2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive:

Regulatory Information

2009-14-08 General Electric Company: Amendment 39-15958. Docket No. FAA-2009-0121; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-36-AD.

Effective Date

(a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective August 5, 2009.

Affected ADs

(b) None.

Applicability

(c) This AD applies to General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80C2B5F turbofan engines with a high-pressure compressor rotor (HPCR) stages 11-14 spool/shaft, part number (P/N) 1703M74G03, installed. These engines are installed on, but not limited to, Boeing 747 series airplanes.

Unsafe Condition

(d) This AD results from an internal GE audit that compared the life limited parts certification documentation to the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the instructions for continuing airworthiness (ICA). We are issuing this AD to prevent HPCR stages 11-14 spool/shaft fatigue cracks caused by exceeding the life limit, which could result in a possible uncontained failure of the HPCR spool/shaft and damage to the airplane.

Compliance

(e) You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD performed within the compliance times specified unless the actions have already been done.

New Reduced Life Limit for the HPCR Stages 11-14 Spool/Shaft

(f) Remove any CF6-80C2B5F turbofan engine that has an HPCR stages 11-14 spool/shaft, P/N 1703M74G03, before the spool/shaft meets or exceeds the new, reduced life cycle limit of 19,500 cycles.

Installation Prohibition

(g) After the effective date of this AD, do not install any CF6- 80C2B5F turbofan engine that has an HPCR stages 11-14 spool/shaft, P/N 1703M74G03, that meets or exceeds 19,500 cycles.

Alternative Methods of Compliance

(h) The Manager, Engine Certification Office, has the authority to approve alternative methods of compliance for this AD if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Special Flight Permits

(i) Under 14 CFR part 39.23, we are prohibiting special flight permits for this AD.

Related Information

(j) Robert Green, Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Part, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: robert.green@faa.gov; telephone (781) 238-7754; fax (781) 238-7199.

Material Incorporated by Reference

(k) None.

Footer Information
Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on June 25, 2009.
Peter A. White,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. E9-15513 Filed 6-30-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

What: Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Los Angeles,CA to Honolulu
Where: Hilo Hawaii
When: Jun 30th 2009
Who: 237 passengers
Why: En route to Hawaii, an engine indicator light indicated a problem with an engine oil filter. After the engine was “idled” down, the plane diverted to Hilo and made a low speed approach, landing safely at 11:30 am.

Passengers were flown to Oahu on alternate transportation.

According to Hawaiin Airlines public report, examination of the plane revealed that the indicator was faulty.

New plane safety requirements: Plane seats will be required to stay in place when subjected to stresses up to 16 times the force of gravity.

John and Jane Q Crash dummy will need to scoot over now, to let in some new blood.

And airbags are coming.

Two new mandates are on order: sturdier seats and airbags.

Date of compliance is Oct. 27 for new airplanes certified prior to 1988. Older planes with an older seat style aren’t required to be compliant, under the assumption that age will naturally phase them out.

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-13093.htm