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    New FAA Center of Excellence for General Aviation

    Press Release – FAA Establishes New Center of Excellence for General Aviation

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected a team of universities to lead a new Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for general aviation. The COE will focus research and testing efforts on safety, accessibility and sustainability to enhance the future of general aviation.
    “The United States has the largest and most diverse general aviation community in the world, with more than 300,000 aircraft registered to fly through American skies,” said Secretary LaHood. “This innovative partnership with academia and industry will help us take general aviation safety to the next level.”

    The selected group is called the FAA Center of Excellence Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS), and will be led by Purdue University, The Ohio State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The core team also will include the Florida Institute of Technology, Iowa State University and Texas A&M University. Affiliate members include: Arizona State University, Florida A&M, Hampton University, Kent State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Oklahoma State University, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale), Tufts University, Western Michigan University and University of Minnesota, Duluth.

    The FAA’s COE program is a cost-sharing research partnership between academia, industry and the federal government. Research and development efforts by PEGASAS will cover a broad spectrum of general aviation safety issues, including airport technology, propulsion and structures, airworthiness, flight safety, fire safety, human factors, system safety management and weather.
    The PEGASAS university members all have nationally recognized collegiate flight education programs, and three of the core members (Purdue, Ohio State and Texas A&M) also own and operate their own airports. Research projects will be performed through a partnership of principal investigators from the different universities. PEGASAS will engage both graduate-level and undergraduate students in its research activities.

    “The FAA continues its goal of working to reduce general aviation fatalities by 10 percent over a 10-year period, from 2009 to 2018,” said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “The Center of Excellence program is a valuable tool in providing the critical data we need to reduce those accidents.”

    PEGASAS industry and organizational partners are GE Aviation; Battelle Memorial Institute; NetJets Inc.; Cessna; Gulfstream; Piper; Raytheon; Rockwell Collins; Cirrus; Flight Safety Foundation; Guardian Mobility; Harris Corporation; Jet Aviva; NextGen AeroSciences; Nelson
    Consulting; Rolls-Royce; The Spectrum Group; Take Flight Solutions; Woolpert; the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory at NASA Ames; Columbus Regional, South Bend and Fort Wayne Airports; Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Indiana Departments of Transportation; the National Business Aviation Association; the National Intercollegiate Flying Association; and Ohio Aerospace Institute. These non-federal affiliates will provide matching contributions to help offset the FAA’s investment in the COE’s general aviation research initiatives.

    The FAA established the first Center of Excellence for General Aviation in 2001 through a 10-year agreement to conduct general aviation research in airport and aircraft safety areas. The research topics included pilot training, human factors, weather, Automatic Dependent Surveillance/Broadcast (ADS-B), remote airport lighting systems and other matters.

    As the first Center of Excellence for General Aviation research concludes, the new team will continue critical research, testing and education efforts. The FAA intends to invest a minimum of $500,000 per year during the first five years of the new, 10-year agreement with PEGASAS.
    Congress authorized Air Transportation Centers of Excellence under the Federal Aviation Administration Research, Engineering and Development Authorization Act of 1990. This legislation enables the FAA to work with university partners and industry affiliates to conduct research in airspace and airport planning and design, environment and aviation safety, as well as to engage in other activities to assure a safe and efficient air transportation system.

    The FAA has established Centers of Excellence in eight other topic areas, focusing on commercial space transportation, airliner cabin environment and intermodal research, aircraft noise and aviation emissions mitigation, computational modeling of aircraft structures, advanced materials, airport pavement and airport technology, operations research and airworthiness assurance.

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    Airline Teamsters Outreach

    United Airlines (UA) mechanics represented by the Teamsters Union are joining Teamster organizers and American Airlines (AA) mechanics in Tulsa today for an outreach program in support of a campaign by AA mechanics to change their current union representation.

    Dozens of mechanics and related employees from both airlines gathered at a local hotel this morning near Tulsa International Airport where American Airlines has its largest maintenance facility. The workers are meeting with Teamster representatives in preparation for an afternoon of door-to-door outreach to AA mechanics throughout the Tulsa area.

    “This is part of a major push by AA mechanics and related workers who are unhappy with their current union representation and want to reach out to their coworkers to build support for a new union,” said Chris Moore, a representative of the Teamsters Airline Division. “With all the difficulties that American is going through right now, we believe these workers want the strong representative that the Teamsters provide to thousands of other aviation mechanics throughout the industry.”

    Teamster organizers conducting house visits with AA workers will be accompanied by UA mechanics who organized with the Teamsters back in 2008 and ratified a strong contract last year.

    “Becoming Teamsters was the best choice we made at United and I think we have a lot to share with AA mechanics,” said Rich Petrovsky, a UA mechanic in San Francisco, Calif. and a business agent with Teamsters Local 986. “American Airlines is threatening mass layoffs and outsourcing maintenance work so it can get out of bankruptcy and, as we saw first hand at United, the Teamsters are the only union with a proven record when it comes to fighting outsourcing.”

    Read more at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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    ENHANCING SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND REDUCing AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS Over Florida

    ORLANDO, Fl. – Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta today announced a collaborative NextGen effort that will increase safety and efficiency while reducing aircraft emissions for the passengers, air traffic controllers and airlines flying into and out of many of Florida’s major airports.

    The announcement was made at JetBlue University, the carrier’s training center, where simulators demonstrated examples of NextGen procedures and routes. CEO and president of JetBlue Airways Dave Barger joined Acting Administrator Huerta for the announcement, and is chair of the NextGen Advisory Committee, an industry advisory group that works with the FAA as part of NextGen.

    “The NextGen Metroplex initiative demonstrates the progress that can be made when the public and private sectors collaborate to deliver benefits for the flying public, the aviation community and the national economy,” said Huerta. “We’re excited about the improvements NextGen is bringing to Florida. The end result for travelers will be fewer delays, quicker flights and an even safer, greener flying experience.”

    As part of the FAA’s NextGen modernization program, the Metroplex initiative will improve the flow of air traffic into and out of airports in the Miami, Orlando and Tampa metropolitan areas. A metroplex is a region with several airports serving major metropolitan areas where heavy airport activity and environmental constraints combine to hinder the efficient movement of air traffic. Metroplex initiatives are underway or planned in numerous metropolitan areas across the country and will help airlines improve on-time performance and reduce emissions generated by aircraft.

    The Metroplex initiative is based on satellite navigation, which the FAA calls Performance-Based Navigation (PBN), also a key component of NextGen. PBN enables pilots to fly aircraft using satellite coverage or by utilizing the on-board flight management system.

    PBN allows shorter, more direct routes that reduce flight time and fuel consumption, and result in fewer carbon emissions.

    “As the largest domestic airline based in New York, the busiest airspace in the world, JetBlue will continue to take an active leadership role in advancing the next generation of airspace management in partnership with the FAA,” said Dave Barger, CEO and president of JetBlue Airways. “These new procedures will increase traffic flow predictability while reducing our environmental impact, allowing us to provide more efficient travel for customers.”

    The FAA estimates that more direct routings and more efficient aircraft descents into the Florida Metroplex will save eight million gallons of fuel annually, which equates to a reduction in carbon emissions by nearly 80,000 metric tons and an estimated $23.0 million saved in fuel costs. In addition, the FAA estimates that 5.4 million fewer nautical miles will be flown in and out of Florida based on current flight plan miles filed.
    This collaborative partnership includes the FAA, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, US Airways, NetJets and other aviation stakeholders including business and general aviation interests. The Florida Metroplex study area includes six airports: Orlando International, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers. Satellite airports, including Boca Raton, Daytona Beach, Kissimmee, Marco Island, Naples, Orlando Executive, Orlando Sanford, Sarasota Bradenton and Stuart (Witham Field), are also part of this NextGen initiative.

    The Florida Metroplex work teams will explore and develop proposed strategies to streamline airspace to help reduce airspace complexity for air traffic controllers and flight crews. The strategies include:

    • Creating separate flight tracks for departures and arrivals to allow aircraft to climb and descend more efficiently.
    • Expanding the development of Optimized Profile Descent (OPD) procedures into the airports. OPDs allow pilots to almost idle the engines while the aircraft descends, using the on-board Flight Management System to fly a continuous, descending path without leveling off. OPDs reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise.
    • Shortening flight tracks by making them more direct.
    • Designing new satellite-based procedures for reliever airports.
    • Developing routes that will enable general aviation traffic to fly more efficient routes through congested airspace.

    NextGen is the transformation of the radar-based air traffic control system of today to a satellite-based system of the future. New procedures and technologies will significantly improve safety, capacity and efficiency and will reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and environmental impacts.

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    FAA Achieves Major NextGen Milestone

    FAA Achieves Major NextGen Milestone with Contract for Digital Communications in Aircraft

    Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a significant step forward in its Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) programs, awarding a contract that will supplement the voice communications currently used in commercial aviation with a digital system for clearer, more efficient communication between air traffic controllers, the flight deck and pilots.
    The FAA selected Harris Corporation Government Communications Systems to provide Data Communications Integrated Services (DCIS), with a subcontracting team that includes ARINC Inc., GE Aviation and Thales.
    “The FAA’s commitment to Data Communications is a critical next step for improving air safety, reducing delays, increasing fuel savings and improving the environment,” said Acting Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “When fully implemented, DataComm will make work safer and more efficient for both the air traffic controller and the pilot.”
    Voice communication is currently the primary means of relaying information in air traffic management. However, voice communication is not the most effective way for air traffic controllers and pilots to communicate because it can be time-consuming and limiting. DataComm supplements today’s analog voice-only air-to-ground communications system with a digital system, and it will become the primary mode of communication in air traffic in the future.
    DataComm will provide a two-way data exchange between controllers and flight crews for clearances, instructions, advisories, flight crew requests and reports. It will enhance air traffic safety by allowing controllers to give more timely and effective clearances, and more reliable messages to reduce the risk of incidents associated with voice communications. It will also help air traffic controllers safely handle more traffic by reducing congestion on radio frequencies and related errors.
    The FAA will deploy data communications in air traffic control towers by 2016 and in air traffic facilities that manage high altitude traffic beginning in 2019. The $331 million contract covers seven years, with 10 additional one-year options. Harris Corporation will also be responsible for contracting directly with communication service providers to establish Data Communications Network Services.

  • What’s Wrong with the EU Ban?

    International Air Transport Association’s Tony Tyler is clear and constructive in his criticism of the EU Ban as he holds the floor during IATA Aviation Day in Kazakhstan. (13 September 2012)
    “Let me be clear: the banned list is a misguided approach. It does little if anything to improve safety. There is no transparency—no clarity on why some carriers are put on the list and no clear indication on what is required to get off the list. And some aspects of how the list is administered are absolutely absurd. For example, Air Astana’s exemption to fly to Europe is restricted to aircraft that it had when Kazakhstan was put on the European banned list. So it cannot fly its newest aircraft to Europe. How could that possibly improve safety?”

    Read the full speech on the IATA’s website

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    Release: NTSB Urges Changes

    The National Transportation Safety Board today issued two urgent safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding two recent occurrences in which the fan midshaft on General Electric GEnx-1B engines fractured or exhibited crack indications; and a GEnx -2B incident that appears similar in nature. The recommendations are: (1) Issue an airworthiness directive to require, before further flight, the immediate ultrasonic inspection of the fan midshaft in all GEnx-1B and -2B engines that have not undergone inspection, and (2) Require repetitive inspections of the fan midshaft at a sufficiently short interval that would permit multiple inspections and detection of a crack before it could reach critical length and the fan midshaft fractures.

    On July 28, 2012, the NTSB initiated an investigation of an engine failure that occurred on a Boeing 787 during a pre-delivery taxi test in Charleston, South Carolina. This investigation is ongoing.

    “The parties to our investigation — the FAA, GE and Boeing — have taken many important steps and additional efforts are in progress to ensure that the fleet is inspected properly,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “We are issuing this recommendation today because of the potential for multiple engine failures on a single aircraft and the urgent need for the FAA to act immediately.”

    In addition, on August 31, 2012, a GEnx-1B engine installed on a Boeing 787 that had not yet flown was found to have an indication of a similar crack on the fan midshaft. The fan midshaft was removed from the engine for further inspection and examination. As a result of the investigative work to date, the NTSB has determined that the fan midshafts on the GEnx engines fractured or cracked at the forward end of the shaft where the retaining nut is installed.

    GE developed a field ultrasonic inspection method to inspect the fan midshaft in the area where the fracture and crack occurred that can be accomplished with the engine still installed on the airplane. To date, all in-service and spare GEnx-1B engines have been inspected. In addition, all GEnx-2B engines on passenger airplanes have been inspected. However, the NTSB is aware of approximately 43 GEnx-2B engines on 747-8F cargo airplanes that have not yet been inspected and is concerned that they are potentially susceptible to a fan midshaft failure.

    More recently, a Boeing 747-8F cargo flight, operated by Air Bridge Cargo, equipped with General Electric GEnx-2B turbofan engines, experienced a loss of power in one of the engines during the takeoff roll in Shanghai, China. The airplane had accelerated through 50 knots when the engine’s low pressure rotor speed dropped. The pilot rejected the takeoff and returned to the ramp. Photographs of the low pressure turbine show damage similar to the GEnx-1B engine from the Charleston incident. The NTSB will continue to coordinate with our investigative counterparts in China.

    Read the Recommendation Letter:

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    NTSB PR: Jim Cash Awarded Sammie

    National Transportation Safety Board’s James Cash has been awarded a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals for career achievement in public service.

    “Jim Cash is a humble and soft-spoken gentleman. But underneath that demeanor, there is a lion-hearted intellectual dedicated to investigation and committed to safety,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “Through his decades of work, his dogged determination and expertise, Jim has made significant contributions to accident investigations that have yielded the clues that led to important safety improvements. Because of that work, he has long been recognized by his colleagues around the world as a pre-eminent technical expert in accident investigation. He truly exemplifies the best of our NTSB staff and of public service overall. I am honored to work along-side him, to learn from him, and to share his passion and commitment to transportation safety.”

    Cash is the NTSB’s Chief Technical Advisor in the Office of Research and Engineering. He has spent nearly three decades deciphering information from electronic recording devices to help determine the causes of major aviation and other transportation accidents that, in turn, led to recommendations to advance transportation safety for the traveling public. Cash is one of world’s leading experts on cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, which help determine the system failures and human errors that cause airplane crashes.

    The Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, or “Sammies,” honor outstanding federal employees. The winners were nominated by colleagues familiar with their work and selected by a committee that includes nearly 20 leaders in government, academia, the private sector, media and philanthropy. More than 400 nominations were submitted for medal consideration this year.

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    American Eagle Emergency Landing

    What: American Eagle Flight 2829 Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Gerald Ford International Airport to Dallas
    Where: Cascade Township airport, Michigan
    When: Sept 13 2012
    Who: 53 aboard
    Why: The flight boarded at 6:30, took off at 7.a.m.from Gerald Ford International Airport, but nineteen minutes into the flight, the panel’s engine emergency light lit up, indicating a problem.

    Passengers were told the right engine overheated. They saw no smoke, but say they smelled it after they landed, which runs counter to some news reports which say that the problem was a faulty indicator. About ten fire trucks were on standby. Passengers were provided alternative transportation.

    ATC recommended diverting to Grand Rapids, where the pilot made a safe landing at 7:25.

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    NTSB RECOMMENDS SYSTEM FOR LARGE AIRPLANES TO PREVENT COLLISIONS WHILE TAXING


    WASHINGTON – Today the NTSB recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration require that large airplanes be equipped with an anti-ground collision aid, such as an on-board external-mounted camera system, to provide pilots a clear view of the plane’s wingtips while taxing to ensure clearance from other aircraft, vehicles and obstacles.

    On large airplanes (such as the Boeing 747, 757, 767, and 777; the Airbus A380; and the McDonnell Douglas MD-10 and MD-11), the pilot cannot see the airplane’s wingtips from the cockpit unless the pilot opens the cockpit window and extends his or her head out of the window, which is often impractical.

    The NTSB said that the anti-collision aids should be installed on newly manufactured and certificated airplanes and that existing large airplanes should be retrofitted with the equipment.

    “A system that can provide real-time information on wingtip clearance in relation to other obstacles will give pilots of large airplanes an essential tool when taxiing,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “While collision warning systems are now common in highway vehicles, it is important for the aviation industry to consider their application in large aircraft.”

    The recommendations follow three recent ground collision accidents (all currently under investigation) in which large airplanes collided with another aircraft while taxing:

    • May 30, 2012: The right wingtip of an EVA Air Boeing 747-400 struck the rudder and vertical stabilizer of an American Eagle Embraer 135 while taxing at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (Preliminary Report: http://go.usa.gov/rPFh).

    • July 14, 2011: A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 was taxing for departure when its left winglet struck the horizontal stabilizer of an Atlantic Southeast Airlines Bombardier CRJ900 (Preliminary Report: http://go.usa.gov/rnzC).

    • April 11, 2011: During a taxi for departure, the left wingtip of an Air France A380 struck the horizontal stabilizer and rudder of a Comair Bombardier CRJ701 (Preliminary Report: http://go.usa.gov/rnzW).

    The NTSB made the same recommendation to the European Aviation Safety Agency, which sets standards for aircraft manufacturers in Europe.

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    FAA Announces $10 Million Grant to Danville Regional Airport

    Washington, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a $10 million grant for a runway project at Danville Regional Airport in Danville, Va.

    “One of our key priorities is to ensure that our nation’s airports are properly maintained,” U.S. Transportation Ray LaHood said. “This grant will ensure that the Danville Regional Airport continues to operate safely.”

    The grant will fund the rehabilitation of Runway 2/20. Additional safety benefits include new runway markings and signage for better pilot awareness, grooves in the runway to give aircraft greater traction in wet conditions, new runway edge lighting, and improvements to the runway safety area.
    Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said, “The Danville Regional Airport and its users will benefit from these important safety enhancements for years to come.”

    Aircraft will use the crosswind runway, Runway13/31, during the reconstruction of Runway 2/20. Project construction is expected to begin in September 2012 and completed in November 2013.

    The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides $3.35 billion in annual funding for projects that are vital to maintaining the safety, capacity, and environmental stewardship of our airports. More than 3,300 airports are eligible for AIP grants benefiting commercial passengers, cargo operations, and general aviation activities throughout the nation.

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    FAA Selects Harris Corporation As Voice System Provider

    August 27- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected Harris Corp. of Melborne, Fla., to support an essential element of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The NextGen-enabling program is called the National Airspace System (NAS) Voice System (NVS).

    NVS replaces the 40-year-old, legacy voice switches with a modern and flexible operational voice capability. NVS supports ground-to-ground voice communications between air traffic controllers and air-to-ground voice communications between controllers and aircraft. The FAA will deploy NVS in air traffic control towers, terminal and en route facilities, and future NextGen air traffic control facilities.
    “This system is another example of the critical role that interconnecting technologies serve as part of NextGen,” said FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta. “NVS will help ensure more efficient and reliable voice communications between our air traffic facilities as we maintain the world’s safest aviation system.”

    NVS will take advantage of modern router-based telecommunications technologies that enable the FAA to transition to a NAS-wide networked system. The current legacy voice switches operate independently at individual facilities and some have been in place since the early 1980s. NVS is a major modernization initiative that will enable the FAA to route, monitor and share information from one facility to another. It also offers the flexibility to allow the FAA to shift controller workload between facilities as needed.

    NVS will support airspace redesign, dynamic re-sectorization and offloading, and business continuity planning to protect against a loss of communications at air traffic control facilities. With the implementation of NVS, the FAA will have enhanced visibility and control over communications resources and will be able to manage them as a unified system versus individual platforms.
    The NVS contract has a five-year base and five two-year options, with a potential total value of $291.6 million.

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    DETERIORATED PARTS ALLOWED FLUTTER WHICH LED TO FATAL CRASH AT 2011 RENO AIR RACES


    August 27, 2012
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that deteriorated locknut inserts found in the highly modified North American P-51D airplane that crashed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose, and even initiated fatigue cracking in one screw. This condition, which resulted in reduced stiffness in the elevator trim system, ultimately led to aerodynamic flutter at racing speed that broke the trim tab linkages, resulting in a loss of controllability and the eventual crash.

    On September 16, 2011, as the experimental single-seat P-51D airplane “The Galloping Ghost,” traveling about 445 knots, or 512 mph, in the third lap of the six-lap race, passed pylon 8, it experienced a left-roll upset and high-G pitch up. During the upset sequence, the airplane’s vertical acceleration peaked at 17.3 G, causing incapacitation of the pilot. Seconds later, a section of the left elevator trim tab separated in flight. The airplane descended and impacted the ramp in the spectator box seating area, killing the pilot and 10 spectators and injuring more than 60 others.

    “In Reno, the fine line between observing risk and being impacted by the consequences when something goes wrong was crossed,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. “The pilots understood the risks they assumed; the spectators assumed their safety had been assessed and addressed.”

    Contributing to the accident were the undocumented and untested major modifications made to the airplane, as well as the pilot’s operation of the airplane in the unique air racing environment without adequate flight testing.

    The nearly 70-year-old airplane had undergone numerous undocumented modifications. The modifications, designed to increase speed, included shortening of the wings, installation of a boil-off cooling system for the engine, increasing the elevator counterweights, modification of the pitch trim system, and changing the incidence of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers.

    Although the Federal Aviation Administration required that a flight standards district office be notified in writing of any major changes made to The Galloping Ghost before it could be flown, investigators could find no records that such notifications were made except for the installation of the boil-off cooling system. The undocumented major modifications were identified through wreckage examinations, photographic evidence, and interviews with ground crewmembers.

    In April, while the investigation was ongoing and after the NTSB’s investigative hearing in January on air race and air show safety, the NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations to the Reno Air Racing Association, the National Air racing Group Unlimited Division, and the FAA. These recommendations addressed:

    • requiring engineering evaluations for aircraft with major modifications;
    • raising the level of safety for spectators and personnel near the race course;
    • improving FAA guidance for air race and course design;
    • providing race pilots with high-G training and evaluating the feasibility of G-suit requirements for race pilots; and
    • tracking the resolution of race aircraft discrepancies identified during prerace technical inspections.

    Although no additional safety recommendations were issued today, the Board reclassified nine existing recommendations as described below:

    • Eligibility Requirements for Aircraft with Major Modifications – recommendations A 12 9 and A-12-13 classified “Open—Acceptable Response”
    • Prerace Technical Inspection Discrepancy Tracking – recommendation A 12 10, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”
    • Spectator Safety – recommendations A 12 14 and 15, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”
    • High G Training, G-Suit Feasibility for Pilots – recommendations A 12 11, -12, -16, and -17, classified “Closed—Acceptable Action”

    A tenth safety recommendation, issued to the FAA, which addressed air race and course design guidance was reclassified as “Open—Acceptable Response” on July 25, 2012.

    “It’s good news for the air races that so many of our recommendations have been addressed,” said Chairman Hersman. “We will continue to push for the full implementation of all of our safety recommendations.”

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    Isaac Weather Alert

    From the National Weather Service:
    Tropical Storm Isaac is currently just off the coast of northeastern Cuba, moving toward the northwest at 20 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph and strengthening is forecast over the next 48 hours, with Isaac expected to be at or near hurricane strength as it reaches the Florida Keys late Sunday. Hurricane & Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings are in effect for much of the Florida coast.

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    ICAO Assists Blacklisted Airlines

    After an ICAO audit that put Kazakhstan’s airlines on the EU Blacklist, the ICAO has just signed an agreement to assist Kazakhstan’s Informational-Managerial Services

    The agreement promises to:

    • Create an operational structure
    • Train qualified technical personnel
    • Detail certification
    • Monitor
    • Render technical assistance

    Kazakhstan Treaty Status

    Kazaeronavigatsia, the Republic of Kazakhstan’s National Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP), intends to render safe service over Kazakhstan’s airspace, and is planning three consolidated ATC centers in Astana, Aktobe and Almaty; and 15 remote control towers which will be a part of ATC Centers, forming seamless airspace over entire Kazakhstan territory on a single hardware and software.

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    Final Report on Helicopter Crash

    What: DAVCRON PTY LTD Bell 206
    Where: South Turramurra near the Canoon Rd netball courts
    When: July 20121
    Who: 2 fatalities
    Why: The pilot had picked his passenger to take him to Sydney Adventist Hospital apparently without checking weather reports which resulted in the Bell helicopter crashing in a cliff. Inclement weather and hazardous conditions in Lane Cove National Park led to the decision to call off the recovery operation on July 22, 2012, the same inclement conditions which caused the accident. Businessman Bruce Campbell, 65, and freelance pilot Colin Greenwood died in the crash at the foot of 15m cliff in Lane Cove National Park.

    Read More

  • National Hurricane Center Weather Investigations

    One focus of study for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an annual field program of flights aboard research aircraft (two WP-3D turboprops and a Gulfstream IV-SP jet) flown by NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center. The Gulfstream flies at 45,000 feet and drops a dropsonde which sends back data as they parachute down through the weather.

    These aircraft feature on-board instrumentation such as radars, fixed probes to measure cloud and aerosol particles, expendable probes to measure wind speed temperature and pressure, as well as instruments that are able to remotely determine wave height and sea surface temperature.

    The first mission of the The National Hurricane Center’s high altitude Gulfstream IV jet will be flying into a tropical storm so that all the above-mentioned tools (radars, fixed probes, expendable probes etc…) can send back data. Improving the model of of a storm’s trajectory will help predict the location and intensity of winds, surf conditions, and weather.

    Links to the Hurricane Research Division’s Twitter feed with details of the flights flown by NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center is below: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/

  • Press Release: NTSB Opens Docket on Reno Air Race Crash


    AUGUST 21, 2012
    WASHINGTON – As part of its continuing investigation into the September 2011 crash of a highly modified P-51D airplane at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, the National Transportation Safety Board has opened the public docket.

    On September 16, 2011, the pilot of the Galloping Ghost experienced an upset while turning between pylons 8 and 9 on the race course. The airplane crashed on the ramp in the box seat spectator area. The pilot and 10 spectators were killed and more than 60 others were injured.

    The information being released today is factual in nature and does not provide any analysis. Included in the docket are photographs, a video, 47 documents and more than 900 pages, including interview summaries, maintenance records and other documents.

    Additional material may be added to the docket as it becomes available. Analysis of the accident, along with a determination of probable cause, will come later this month when the final report on the investigation is completed.

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    Press: FAA Issues Cape Wind Determination

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today issued a “Does Not Exceed (DNE)” determination for the proposed construction of 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound.
    The FAA completed an aeronautical study and has determined that the proposed construction of the 130 wind turbines, individually and as a group, has no effect on aeronautical operations. Therefore, the FAA concludes that the project, if constructed as proposed, poses no hazard to air navigation.
    The FAA makes obstruction evaluations based on safety considerations and the available solutions to mitigate potential risks.

    Form 7460-1 for ASN: 2012-WTE-322-OE

  • UPDATE ON BOEING 787 ENGINE FAILURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA


    August 8, 2012
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation of the July 28, 2012 contained engine failure that occurred on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during a pre-delivery taxi test in Charleston, South Carolina. A contained engine failure is a specific engine design feature in which components might separate inside the engine but either remain within the engine’s cases or exit the engine through the tail pipe. This design feature generally does not pose immediate safety risks.

    Last week, the NTSB sent an investigator to the scene to gather information on the incident and subsequently launched a full investigation into the cause of the failure, led by NTSB Investigator-in-Charge, Mr. David Helson.

    On August 1, 2012, a team of experts from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and GE Aviation specializing in engine systems and metallurgy traveled to a GE facility in Cincinnati, OH to disassemble and examine the failed GEnx engine. GE is the manufacturer of the GEnx engine. The parties to the investigation have been extremely cooperative in assisting NTSB personnel in its review and assessment.

    As a result of the investigative work to date, the NTSB has determined that a fan mid-shaft on the failed GEnx engine fractured at the forward end of the shaft, rear of the threads where the retaining nut is installed. The fan mid-shaft is undergoing several detailed examinations including dimensional and metallurgical inspections.

    The GEnx engine is a newly designed aircraft engine. It is a “dual shaft” engine, meaning that one shaft connects the compressor spool at one end to the high pressure turbine spool at the other end. A longer “fan shaft” connects the fan and booster in the front of the engine to the low pressure turbine in the back.

    The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which is a combined unit on the 787 Dreamliner, was transported to the agency’s Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for processing and readout. Both recordings captured the event and analysis is ongoing.

    Moving forward, investigators will continue the detailed examination of the engine and metallurgical analysis of its components. The investigators have also begun reviewing the engine manufacturing and assembly records.

    This investigation is ongoing. The information released today is factual in nature and does not include any analysis. Additional factual information may be released as it is developed.

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    Just Released: Investigation Boeing 787 engine failure


    July 31, 2012
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an engine failure that occurred on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during a taxi test in Charleston, South Carolina.

    On Saturday, July 28, 2012, Boeing and General Electric, the engine manufacturer, notified the NTSB that a Boeing 787 experienced an engine failure during a pre-delivery taxi test. As a result of the failure, it has been reported that the engine left debris on the active runway at Charleston International Airport and caused a brush fire. There were no passengers aboard the aircraft nor were there any fatalities or injuries.

    Upon the notification of the incident, the NTSB sent an aviation investigator with extensive expertise in aircraft powerplants, to the scene on Sunday to gather information to better understand the circumstances of the event.

    As a result, the NTSB decided to conduct an investigation and has named David Helson as the Investigator in Charge. In the next few days, an NTSB aircraft powerplants expert and a metallurgist from the NTSB Materials Lab will travel to a General Electric facility in Cincinnati, OH, to lead and coordinate the disassembly and examination of the engine in question.

    The Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric are parties to the investigation.

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    Just Released: NTSB Welcomes Administrative Law Judge


    Washington – Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has announced the appointment of Stephen R. Woody as an Administrative Law Judge for the agency.

    Since July 2009, Judge Woody has served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration. Prior to becoming an ALJ, he was a military trial judge in the U.S. Air Force, presiding over all judicial proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He also served as a Staff Judge Advocate, and retired from the Air Force with the grade of Colonel.

    The Administrative Law Judges conduct formal hearings and issue initial decisions on appeals filed with the Safety Board relating to air safety enforcement actions by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) against pilots and other FAA certificate holders. Administrative Law Judges’ initial decisions can be appealed to the NTSB. The Board, in turn, takes final administrative action on appeals and issues decisions affirming, modifying or reversing judges’ decisions, or remanding cases to the judge for further proceedings.

    Judge Woody will primarily be responsible for hearing cases in the Office of Administrative Law Judges’ Northeast Circuit (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia). Judge Woody is a graduate of West Virginia University and earned his law degree at the West Virginia University College of Law.

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    AOPA Places Blame on Holes in System Not Flight Schools

    Update to Should Illegal Aliens Attend Flight School Owned by Illegal Alien?

    The AOPA believes it is a breakdown in government communication that is why foreign students in the United States were able to receive flight training and some even earn their pilot certificate though they had entered the country illegally or had overstayed their authorized period.

    Flight training providers were in compliance, but government was suffering from a lack of communication, in AOPA opinion.

    Only that’s an oxymoron, isn’t it? Government Communication?

    The report says “As of January 2012, inspection results show that the rate of compliance with AFSP requirements increased from 89 percent in fiscal year 2005 to 96 percent in fiscal year 2011,”

    Currently the TSA has limited ability to get information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to determine whether someone is in the country legally. This is a situation which should obviously be corrected. When this vetting process is transparent, the problem will cease to exist.

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    NASA, PARTNERS LAUNCH: BEYOND WASTE INNOVATORS

    PASADENA, Calif. — NASA and partners from the LAUNCH: Beyond Waste forum will discuss innovative ideas for waste management during a 3-day forum July 20-22. Waste management is important for planning long-duration human spaceflight missions to an asteroid, Mars or beyond.

    Reporters are invited to attend the forum at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Reporters must register in advance by contacting Joshua Buck at jbuck@nasa.gov by 2 p.m. PDT (5 p.m. EDT) July 19.

    LAUNCH: Beyond Waste is part of an initiative to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to sustainability challenges through a series of forums. It is the fourth forum in the series.

    LAUNCH allows NASA to propel innovative solutions that help those outside the agency make the connection between our lives on Earth and how we live and work in space. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s involvement, LAUNCH places a special emphasis on accelerating innovations poised for large-scale impact in improving the lives of people in the developing world.

    During the forum, nine international participants will showcase new innovations that could address waste management problems on Earth and may be used to solve problems for long-duration spaceflight.

    NASA, USAID, Nike Inc. and the U.S. State Department are LAUNCH founding partners. The Office of Naval Research; Vestergaard Frandsen; IDEO, a design and innovation consulting firm; and Architecture for Humanity are partners for LAUNCH: Beyond Waste.

    The partners all contributed to planning the forum, selecting innovators and recruiting other event participants. A list of the innovators and innovations will be available online before the forum at:

    http://www.launch.org

    The public may access and engage in the Launch: Beyond Waste conversation online through MindMapr at:

    http://mindmapr.nasa.gov

    A link to live video of the conference will be on UStream at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) July 20 at:

    http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-educational