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American Airlines eyes Boeing Engine Pylons

Cracks in the engine pylons of three American Airlines Boeing 767’s are prompting concerns over the need of more frequent inspections of Boeing 767’s. The FAA says American and Boeing are looking for the cause of the cracking, which was discovered during routine metallurgical tests. Boeing is preparing a service bulletin establishing new guidelines for inspecting this particular part, over and above the every “1500 flights” which stands now. The flight which originally caught American’s attention had developed the cracks during the last 500 flights since its last pylon inspection. Caution about underlying structural issues is being addressed.

The preliminary conclusion is that certain maintenance practices may play in the underlying cause of the cracking. A known issue is that some of the cracks arise from holes used to install bolts, implying that the bolt holes may compromise the structural integrity, or at least affect the pylon’s longevity; and may affect “fail-safe” design.

The FAA has not yet mandated inspection of 767 other jets operated by other carriers, nor have they determined if winglets are a contributing factor.

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    LATAM Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Chile

    LATAM Airlines flight LA-841 had to return and make an emergency landing in Santiago, Chile, on January 19th.

    The Boeing 787-900 plane took off for Easter Island, Chile, but had to turn back due to issues with the cabin pressure.

    The plane landed uneventfully. All passengers and crew members remained safe.

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    Controller Suspended by FAA

    The single-engine, four-seat Cirrus SR22 was on course for Kissimmee, Fla., and maintaining altitude at 11,000 feet, but had not responded to repeated contact attempts from controllers; at the same time, ten miles behind the Cirrus at 12,000 feet was Southwest Flight 821, a Boeing 737. Rather than following the protocol for unresponsive aircraft, the supervisor asked the Boeing to visually check the Cirrus cockpit. The Boeing did so, reporting 2 people in the cockpit. Both planes landed safely.

    But the planes violated proximity guidelines. The Boeing could have caused air turbulence upsetting the Cirrus. They flew too close. As a consequence, the FAA suspending the FAA controller, and they are reviewing procedures, and training practices.

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    Egyptair Flight MS804 Almost A Year Later

    Elements of this image are furnished by NASA

    Egyptair Flight MS804 (AKA EgyptAir Flight 804) was a Paris to Cairo flight that ended in the Mediterranean on May 19, 2016. Sixty-six people lost their lives: three security crew, fifty-six passengers, seven crew.

    Egyptian authorities published a progress report on 28/06/16 that the BEA repaired the recorders. On 17/06 that the Technical Investigation Committee of the A320 accident studied FDR data as well as performing time correlation between FDR and CVR data and cockpit voice recordings before the occurrence of the accident where the existence of a “fire” was mentioned. That report did not determine the reason or location where that fire occurred. Smoke was reported during the flight in the bathroom and the avionics bay.

    The investigation has been fraught with controversy. On 22 May, 2016, M6 (French TV) reported that a pilot told Cairo air traffic control about smoke in the cabin, and the pilot consequently made an emergency descent.

    On May 20th 2016 The Aviation Herald received information from three independent channels, that ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) messages with following content were received from the aircraft:

    • 00:26Z 3044 ANTI ICE R WINDOW
    • 00:26Z 561200 R SLIDING WINDOW SENSOR
    • 00:26Z 2600 SMOKE LAVATORY SMOKE
    • 00:27Z 2600 AVIONICS SMOKE
    • 00:28Z 561100 R FIXED WINDOW SENSOR
    • 00:29Z 2200 AUTO FLT FCU 2 FAULT
    • 00:29Z 2700 F/CTL SEC 3 FAULT
    • no further ACARS messages were received.

    No sooner did the report come out that the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry dismissed it as false.

    One truism I have found in accident investigation is that it takes time to find the truth. Another is that facts can be misleading. Reportage from official sources moves slowly; reportage from commercial, so-called “news,” or social sources is frequently speculative, unsourced, or purely imaginary. Sometimes it is actually correct. It is difficult to tell the difference. Contradictions are a frequent finding, such as this:

    • Le Figaro reported that no explosives were found on Egyptair flight MS804 French victims’ bodies. The flight crashed in the Mediterranean in 2016.
    • On Dec 15th 2016 Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that forensic examination on behalf of the Accident Investigation Commission found traces of explosives with some of the human remains recovered. In accordance with Egypt law, the states prosecutor was informed, and a technical commission formed by the prosecution office opened their investigation into the crime.

    How does a close reader respond to a statement that “traces of explosives were found WITH human remains?” A close reader finds more questions. With the remains is not ON the remains. But it could be either way since we are dealing with languages. In English, WITH the remains could mean a bomb was floating in the water near the bodies, or ashes, or gasoline or TNT residue. And what constitutes near? Inches? Miles? It all is relative. Or if the original report is loosely translated, did the original document use a preposition such as ON the remains? And then, there are the forensic questions. Were explosive remains washed off of bodies that were submerged in the ocean?

    If the case goes to court, the court will want to know if something failed on the plane, and if so, what it was. Manufacturers of failed components are considered responsible parties. No matter what the cause, international treaty determines carrier responsibility to the victims of the crash.

    The determination of failed components provides additional responsible parties. The discovery of a bomb would make airport security one of the potential responsible parties. In addition, international treaty provides guidelines for what carriers owe to the families. (Which treaty is involved depends on which treaty/treaties the involved country/countries are signatory to. If it sounds like it can get complicated, you are correct.)

    It has been nearly a year since the accident, and though some things may be believed in the court of public opinion to be one way or another, questions remain unanswered. How grievous and how difficult for the families that must wait so long to find out what brought about this tragedy that took their loved ones.

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    Ethiopia 409: Almost A Year Later


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

    Update:

    It has been 11 months since the crash, and families of the 90 people who died in the crash are fretting over delays in their insurance settlement. Families approaching the EIC (Ethiopian Insurance Corporation) plead for their compensation to no avail. At least the families who have hired foreign lawyers have some auxiliary power to help supplement their efforts.

    The cause of the delays have been attributed to the insurance companies trying to avoid “controversial” claims, time-consuming paperwork, and waiting for the final findings of the official accident report, which is slated to be released on Jan 25 2011, exactly a year after the tragedy.

    What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
    Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
    When: Jan 25 2010
    Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
    Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea.

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    Boeing PR: NewGen Tanker Win Would Bring 230 Jobs, $10 Million to Oklahoma

    OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 12, 2010 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that Oklahoma will benefit from an estimated 230 total jobs and generate an estimated $10 million in annual economic impact if the NewGen Tanker is selected as the U.S. Air Force’s next aerial refueling aircraft.

    Boeing submitted its proposal July 9 to replace 179 of the Air Force’s 400 Eisenhower-era KC-135 aircraft. The Air Force is expected to award a contract in the next few months.

    "We welcome the high-paying, skilled jobs that the Boeing tanker project will support," said Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry. "Oklahomans will be very proud to contribute to the mission of our country’s brave military men and women, who need just the kind of state-of-the-art, American-made tanker that Boeing has proposed."

    "Oklahoma’s aerospace workers will play an integral role on Boeing’s tanker team," said Mark DeVoss, Supplier Management director, Boeing Tanker Programs. "Along with the rest of the United States Tanker Team, our suppliers in Oklahoma will be focused on building a NewGen Tanker that best meets America’s military needs at the greatest value to American taxpayers."

    Oklahoma manufacturers ready to produce critical components on the NewGen Tanker include:

    • Boeing, Oklahoma City
    • Cinch Connectors, Vinita
    • Limco Manufacturing, Tulsa
    • Precise Machining & Manufacturing, Tulsa.

    Currently, Boeing has 964 employees in Oklahoma and works with nearly 247 suppliers/vendors, delivering a total $531 million in annual economic impact.

    The NewGen Tanker is a widebody, multi-mission aircraft based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial airplane and updated with the latest and most advanced technology. Capable of fulfilling the Air Force’s needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients, the combat-ready NewGen Tanker will meet or exceed the 372 mandatory requirements described in the service’s final KC-X Request for Proposal released Feb. 24.

    The NewGen Tanker will be made with a low-risk approach to manufacturing that relies on existing Boeing facilities in Washington state and Kansas as well as U.S. suppliers throughout the nation, with decades of experience delivering dependable military tanker and derivative aircraft. Nationwide, the NewGen Tanker program will support approximately 50,000 total U.S. jobs with Boeing and more than 800 suppliers in more than 40 states.

    The Boeing NewGen Tanker also will be more cost-effective to own and operate than a larger, heavier tanker. It will save American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs over its 40-year service life because it burns 24 percent less fuel than the competitor’s airplane.

    Boeing has been designing, building, modifying and supporting tankers for decades. These include the KC-135 that will be replaced in the KC-X competition, and the KC-10 fleet. The company also has delivered four KC-767Js to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and is on contract to deliver four KC-767As to the Italian Air Force.

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    Press Release – FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Breaks Ground on Recovery Act Funded Oakland Control Tower

    For Immediate Release
    October 15, 2010

    OAKLAND, Calif. – Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt helped break ground today for a new air traffic control tower at Oakland International Airport funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Oakland International Airport ARRA grant, totaling $33.2 million, is the FAA’s largest, single Recovery Act award.

    “This Recovery Act project will make a difference for the Oakland area economy,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “People will be put to work building an environmentally friendly tower that will better serve the airport and the community.”

    The Recovery Act grant will pay for construction of the 236-foot-tall tower and a 13,000 square-foot base building, as well as some equipment for the facility.

    “This brand new, modernized tower will give air traffic controllers a better view of the airfield and help improve airport efficiency,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “The Recovery Act is allowing us to make needed investments at airports around the country.”

    Two air traffic control towers currently serve Oakland International Airport. A 158-foot-tall tower on the southern portion of the airfield was built in 1962 as a part of a terminal expansion project. In 1972, construction of a large hangar blocked some views from the south tower, requiring the Port of Oakland to build a second tower to handle traffic on the north runways.

    Replacing both towers with a single one will improve air traffic operations and reduce operating costs. The FAA expects to start using the new tower in 2013.

    The new tower will feature a number of environmental benefits, including a covered parking structure with solar panels on the roof of the base building, which will provide power for the tower and its electrical systems. The tower also will have a geothermal heating system and a rainwater storage system.

    In addition to the Oakland tower funding, the FAA provided a total of $37 million in Recovery Act grants to Bay Area airports.

    Oakland International Airport received a $14.9 million ARRA grant to rebuild a large apron area used by airlines and cargo carriers and to reconfigure a taxiway. By replacing old apron pavement, the project will improve efficiency and allow larger aircraft to use the taxiway.

    San Francisco International Airport received ARRA grants totaling $14.5 million to resurface two runways. The projects leveled out the runways, which tend to settle over time because of ground conditions. The new asphalt concrete resurface also will prevent unexpected runway shutdowns due to pavement breakdown, and will guard against crumbling pavement debris that can damage aircraft.

    In San Jose, a $5.2 million Recovery Act grant is funding the extension of a taxiway at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. This project will improve safety by eliminating the need for private planes to cross a runway while taxiing to an engine run-up area.

    An additional $2.4 million in Recovery Act funds is modernizing and making safety upgrades at area facilities and airports.

    Nationwide, $1.3 billion in Recovery Act money has been made available for both airport improvement projects and air traffic control facility and system upgrades. These Recovery Act grants have been distributed to airports that serve commercial passengers, cargo and general aviation.

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