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FAA, Europe Sign NextGen Research Agreement

March 3–The FAA and the European Union formally signed an agreement today to work together on research aimed at providing seamless air traffic service to aircraft flying between the United States and Europe.

The agreement, signed in Budapest, calls for both sides to research the interoperability of avionics, communication protocols and procedures, as well as operational methods under NextGen and its European counterpart, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR). Carey Fagan, the FAA’s executive director for international affairs, signed for the U.S. Pal Volner, state secretary for transport for Hungary, and Siim Kallas, EU vice president and commissioner for transport and mobility, signed on behalf of the EU.

The agreement encourages industry participation on both sides of the Atlantic, ensuring the development, harmonization and use of the best technologies available. The collaborative arrangement will lay the foundation for expanding air traffic modernization around the world.

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    Boeing Statement Regarding USDA-FAA Partnership on Aviation Biofuels

    CHICAGO, Oct. 21 Boeing Vice President, Environment and Aviation Policy, Billy M Glover, issued the following statement in the wake of today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Aviation Administration that the two agencies have agreed to work together to bring sustainable biofuels into production for the aviation industry.

    “Today’s announcement is welcome news for the commercial aviation industry, which sees sustainable biofuels as a key element of its plan to lower its carbon emissions. Through test flights with a number of our customers, we have proven that fuels made from plant matter and algae can power jet aircraft safely and efficiently, and we look forward in the months ahead to the approval of these fuels for commercial use. The challenge then will be to prime the production pump, and bring biofuels to an attractive price point for airlines.

    Boeing is currently working with the USDA and the Air Transport Association on the Farm-to-Fly initiative, which seeks to encourage the production of sustainable aviation biofuels through U.S. agricultural policy. The USDA-FAA partnership will further help in that regard. We applaud their efforts and look forward to working with them to commercialize biofuels that can help the aviation industry meet its aggressive carbon reduction goals.”

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    CASA: Pilots urged to keep Hay skies safe; Pilots urged to keep Griffith skies safe

    Hay pilots are being urged to attend an important air safety workshop next week.

    The workshop will give local pilots special training to improve their flying and safety skills.

    The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is holding the workshop to help make the skies over Hay even safer.

    Safety issues to be covered at the workshop include recent changes to procedures at local aerodromes. There will also be the opportunity for pilots to ask questions and raise issues about local flying.

    CASA’s Peter Gibson says the workshop is part of a national regional air safety campaign.

    “Giving pilots from Hay extra training will lift their safety skills to even higher levels,” Mr Gibson says.

    “All pilots receive comprehensive training but this workshop means they will be even better equipped to fly safely at all times and deal with emergencies.

    “Hay has a good air safety record but accidents do happen and everyone in aviation must work hard to keep local skies safe.”

    The workshop is being held at the Hay Golf Club on Wednesday 23 February 2011, starting at 6:00pm.

    CASA is providing free refreshments for everyone on the night.
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    Pilots urged to keep Griffith skies safe

    Griffith pilots are being urged to attend an important air safety workshop next week.

    The workshop will give local pilots special training to improve their flying and safety skills.

    The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is holding the workshop to help make the skies over Griffith even safer.

    Safety issues to be covered at the workshop include recent changes to procedures at local aerodromes. There will also be the opportunity for pilots to ask questions and raise issues about local flying.

    CASA’s Peter Gibson says the workshop is part of a national regional air safety campaign.

    “Giving pilots from Griffith extra training will lift their safety skills to even higher levels,” Mr Gibson says.

    “All pilots receive comprehensive training but this workshop means they will be even better equipped to fly safely at all times and deal with emergencies.

    “Griffith has a good air safety record but accidents do happen and everyone in aviation must work hard to keep local skies safe.”

    The workshop is being held at the Griffith Aero Club on Tuesday 22 February 2011, starting at 6:00pm.

    CASA is providing free refreshments for everyone on the night.

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  • Alternative Aviation Fuels Efforts Lauded


    January 14 – The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI), a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sponsored effort to develop environmentally-sound, sustainable-alternative jet fuels, has received “one of the most coveted and valued honors” by a leading aviation-industry publication. Air Transport World’s Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award is given to an individual or an organization that has performed outstanding service benefiting air travel.

    “This recognition is a strong endorsement of CAAFI’s innovative public-private partnership and recognizes the tremendous joint effort leading to significant advancements for alternative jet fuels this past year,” said FAA Acting Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning and Environment Nancy LoBue. “Environmentally sound alternative jet fuel is a key priority for the FAA and it is rapidly becoming a reality.”

    CAAFI seeks to enhance energy security and environmental sustainability for aviation through alternative jet fuels. The initiative is a coalition of the U.S. commercial aviation community that acts as a focal point for engaging the emerging alternative fuels industry. It enables its diverse stakeholders to build relationships, share and collect needed data, identify resources, and direct research, development and deployment of alternative fuels. The initiative is fostering efforts to ensure critical issues in fuel safety, research and development, environmental impacts, and business and economic viability are addressed.

    CAAFI’s sponsors include the FAA Office of Environment and Energy and three trade associations: Airports Council International of North America (ACI-NA) representing commercial airports, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) representing U.S. manufacturers, and the Air Transport Association (ATA) representing U.S. airlines. CAAFI stakeholders are drawn from all elements of the international commercial aviation industry, fuel suppliers, universities, and multiple U.S. government agencies.

    The industry awards program was created in 1974 to recognize excellence. Originally a modest program, over intervening decades it has become of the most valued recognition a company or person in the airline community can receive. CAAFI will receive the award at a ceremony in Singapore on February 1.

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    NTSB investigative update on SC GEnx-1B engine failure


    September 27, 2012
    WASHINGTON – This is an update on the NTSB’s investigation into a July 28, 2012 incident involving a Boeing 787-8 airplane that experienced a loss of thrust in the right engine—a General Electric (GE) GEnx-1B turbofan – during a pre-first flight, low-speed taxi test at Charleston International Airport in Charleston, South Carolina. As reported in an earlier update, the investigation found that the forward end of the fan midshaft (FMS) fractured and separated. Examination of other pre-delivery engines revealed a second GEnx-1B engine with a cracked FMS that was installed on a 787-8 airplane that had not yet flown.

    The investigation is ongoing, and an initial inspection of all in-service GEnx engines has been completed. Most recently, on September 11, 2012, a Boeing 747-8F with GE GEnx-2B turbofan engines experienced a loss of power in the No. 1 engine during the takeoff roll at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, China. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is investigating this incident, and the NTSB is participating as the state of design and manufacture of the engine and aircraft. Any investigative updates regarding this incident will be provided by the CAAC.

    As part the CAAC’s investigation and in relation to the NTSB’s ongoing investigation of the July 28th engine failure, preliminary findings from the examination of the Shanghai incident engine revealed that the FMS was intact and showed no indications of cracking. The examination and teardown of that engine is continuing under the direction of the CAAC.

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    NTSB STUDY SHOWS THAT AIRBAGS CAN PROVIDE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN GENERAL AVIATION ACCIDENTS

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2011
    SB-11-03

    Today the National Transportation Safety Board adopted a study that concluded that general aviation (GA) airplanes equipped with airbags provide additional protection to occupants in accidents involving survivable forward impacts.

    Airbags are designed to mitigate head and upper body injuries and are installed in the lap belt or shoulder harness portions of the restraint system. They were first approved for use in the pilot and co-pilot seats in GA aircraft in 2003. Currently, there are nearly 18,000 airbag- equipped seats in over 7,000 of the 224,000 GA aircraft in the United States.

    “Although airbags have been mandated in automobiles for over a decade, the aviation industry has no such requirement for small aircraft,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “The good news is that over 30 manufacturers have stepped up to the plate and offer airbags as standard or optional equipment.”

    The study, which examined 88 accidents involving airbag- equipped airplanes that occurred between 2006 and 2009, found no instances where the airbag caused harm in properly restrained occupants. In addition, the study found 10 survivable accidents in which the crash forces were severe enough to cause injury and/or to deploy the airbag.

    Within the group of 10 accidents, 12 occupants experienced airbag deployments, and the study found that the airbag likely mitigated injuries for two of the occupants.

    The study also noted that there were no negative consequences as a result of airbag deployments. For instance, there were no cases in which the airbags were expected to deploy but did not. Nor were there any cases that involved airbags deploying under unexpected circumstances, hindering egress, fueling post-crash fires or interfering with rescue attempts. Yet investigators did uncover some safety issues with restraint systems.

    One such issue involved the incorrect usage or adjustment of seat belts. In certain aircraft types, the seat belts in the left and right seats can become reversed, which could result in the wrong airbag being activated if only one of the seats is occupied.

    There were also concerns with optimal airbag protection for occupants whose body mass indexes (BMI) classified them as either overweight or obese (BMIs of 25 or higher). The NTSB questions whether the airbag-equipped restraints were designed and tested with the high-BMI population in mind.

    An additional finding of this study was the strong affirmation that correctly installed shoulder harness/lap belt combinations provide significantly greater protection in GA accidents than that offered by a lap belt alone. Based on an analysis of over 37,000 GA accidents, the Board concluded that the risk of fatal or serious injury was 50 percent higher when an occupant was only restrained by a lap belt as compared to the combination lap belt and shoulder harness.

    “The simplest and cheapest improvement to the safety of general aviation aircraft occupants is the mandatory installation of shoulder harnesses,” said Hersman.

    The five-Member Board voted to adopt six safety recommendations, all directed to the Federal Aviation Administration:

    1. Require manufacturers to modify restraint systems vulnerable to being used incorrectly in newly built GA airplanes and to modify restraints in existing airplanes.

    2. Revise the guidance and certification standards for restraint systems to reduce the likelihood of misuse.

    3. Modify the guidance to GA airbag manufacturers as to how they should demonstrate that an airbag design provides adequate protection for a greater range of body sizes, including very small and very large individuals.

    4. Require the retrofitting of shoulder harnesses on all general aviation airplanes that are not currently equipped with such restraints.

    5. Evaluate the feasibility of requiring airbag-equipped aircraft to capture and record crash dynamics data to determine whether the system performed as designed.

    6. Develop a system to track safety equipment, such as restraint systems, airbags, and aircraft parachutes, designed to improve crash outcomes.

    The complete safety study will be available at www.ntsb.gov in several weeks.

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    FAA Proposes $275,000 Civil Penalty Against Continental Airlines

    For Immediate Release
    December 22, 2010

    SEATTLE– The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $275,000 civil penalty against Continental Airlines Inc., of Houston, for operating two Boeing 737-900ER (extended range) aircraft on 73 flights when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

    The FAA alleges Continental mechanics failed to follow the 737 Airplane Maintenance Manual when they installed incorrect main landing gear wheel-tire assemblies on two aircraft and released them for service on Nov. 7 and 19, 2009.

    The manual contains specific instructions to mechanics not to use wheel-tire assemblies intended for the B-737-700, -800 and -900 on the heavier B-737-900ER. The manual says using the incorrect assemblies on the heavier version of the B-737 might lead to damage to the aircraft or injury to people working on and around the aircraft.

    Continental has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency

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