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FAA Proposes Safety Management Systems for Airlines

For Immediate Release
November 4, 2010

WASHINGTON – In a continuing effort to take the U.S. aviation system to the next level of safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed to require Safety Management Systems (SMS) for most commercial airlines.
Safety management systems give operators a set of business processes and management tools to examine data from everyday operations, isolate trends that may be precursors to incidents or accidents, and develop and carry out appropriate risk mitigation strategies. They are a formal approach to managing an organization’s safety through four key components – safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion.

“Safety is our top priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This program can help airlines identify possible safety problems and correct them before they lead to accidents.”

“We need a holistic approach to safety that allows us to spot trends in aviation and make necessary changes to help avoid incidents and accidents,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety Management Systems are a critical piece of a successful safety culture.”

The requirements of the SMS proposal would define “what” is expected rather than “how” the requirement is to be met. This allows for development and implementation of an SMS that matches the size, complexity and business models of diverse organizations in ways appropriate to their unique systems and operating environments.

Under the proposed rule, scheduled air carriers and a few others operating under Part 121 of federal aviation regulations would be required to implement an SMS within three years. The carriers would have to submit their SMS implementation plans to the FAA within six months of the final rule’s effective date. The plan would be required to show how the airline intends to comply with the rule within the three-year implementation period. An SMS would not take the place of regular FAA oversight, inspection and audits to ensure compliance with existing regulations

The FAA began exploring system safety-based oversight concepts in the mid- to late- 1990s. During that time, the agency concluded system safety has to be practiced by operators, repair stations, flight schools, other aviation service providers and the agency itself. In 2006, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) required that all member countries implement SMS standards for operators and approved maintenance organizations.

The FAA’s own Air Traffic Organization has already begun implementing an SMS, and the agency recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require FAA-certified airports to establish SMS for all airfield and ramp areas.

The estimated cost of this proposed rule for U.S. air carriers is $390 million, with estimated benefits of $470 million. The proposal conforms to ICAO SMS provisions.

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    Rita Report: Long Tarmac Delays in September Down From Last Year

    Tuesday, November 9, 2010 – The
    nation’s largest airlines reported four flights in September with tarmac delays
    of more than three hours, down from six flights in September 2009, with only a
    slight increase in the rate of canceled flights, according to the Air Travel
    Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation
    (DOT).

    Data filed with
    the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) showed the only tarmac delays
    longer than three hours reported in September by the 18 airlines that file
    on-time performance data with DOT involved delays caused by weather in New York
    and Philadelphia on Sept. 22. September was the fifth full month of data
    since the new aviation consumer rule went into effect on April 29. There have
    been only 12 total tarmac delays of more than three hours reported from May
    through September this year, compared to 535 during the same five-month period
    of 2009. BTS is a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology
    Administration (RITA).

    The largest
    carriers canceled 0.9 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in September,
    up from the 0.6 percent cancellation rate of September 2009. They posted
    a 1.0 percent cancellation rate in August 2010.

    The new tarmac
    delay rule prohibits U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from permitting
    an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning
    passengers, with exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air
    traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal
    would disrupt airport operations. The Department will investigate tarmac
    delays that exceed this limit.

    The monthly
    report also includes data on on-time performance, chronically delayed flights,
    flight cancellations and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department
    by the reporting carriers. In addition, it has information on airline
    bumping, reports of mishandled baggage filed by consumers with the carriers,
    and consumer service, disability and discrimination complaints received by
    DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. This report also includes
    reports of incidents involving pets traveling by air, as required to be filed
    by U.S. carriers.

    On-Time Performance

    The reporting carriers recorded an overall on-time arrival
    rate of 85.1 percent in September, down from the 86.2 percent on-time rate of September
    2009 but up from August 2010’s 81.7 percent.

    Tarmac Delays

    In September, the carriers filing
    on-time performance data reported that .0600 percent of their scheduled flights
    had tarmac delays of two hours or more, up from .0400 percent in August.
    There were four flights with tarmac delays of more than three hours in September.

    Chronically Delayed Flights

    At the end of September, there was only one flight that was
    chronically delayed – more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the
    time – for two consecutive months. There were no chronically delayed
    flights for three consecutive months or more. A list of flights that were
    chronically delayed for a single month is available from BTS (www.bts.gov).

    Causes of Flight Delays

    In September, the carriers filing
    on-time performance data reported that 4.81 percent of their flights were
    delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 5.07 percent in August; 4.60
    percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 6.42 percent in August, 3.99 percent
    by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared
    to 5.16 percent in August; 0.41 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.46 percent
    in August; and 0.02 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.04 percent in August. Weather is a factor in both the
    extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This includes delays
    due to the re-routing of flights by DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration in
    consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft,
    although airlines do not report specific causes in that category.

    Data collected by BTS also show the
    percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in
    either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System
    delays. In September, 34.53 percent of late flights were delayed by weather,
    down 0.17 percent from September 2009, when 34.59 percent of late flights were
    delayed by weather, and down 1.54 percent from August when 35.07 percent of
    late flights were delayed by weather.

    Detailed information on flight
    delays and their causes is available on the BTS site on the World Wide Web at http://www.bts.gov.

    Mishandled Baggage

    The U.S.
    carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a
    mishandled baggage rate of 2.89 reports per 1,000 passengers in September, an
    improvement over both September 2009’s rate of 3.06 and August 2010’s 3.50 rate. For the first nine months of this year, the
    carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.59 reports per 1,000 passengers,
    down from the 4.02 rate recorded during the first nine months of 2009.

    Bumping

    The
    report also includes reports of involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, for
    the third quarter and first nine months of this year from
    U.S. carriers
    who also report flight delay information. These carriers posted a bumping
    rate of 0.87 per 10,000 passengers for the quarter, down from the 1.01 rate for
    the third quarter of 2009. For the first
    nine months of this year, the carriers had a bumping rate of 1.19 per 10,000
    passengers, down from the rate of 1.26 rate posted during the first nine months
    of 2009.

    Incidents Involving Pets

    In September, carriers reported four incidents
    involving the loss, death or injury of pets while traveling by air, equal to
    the four reports filed in September 2009, but up from the one in August 2010. September’s incidents involved the death of
    three pets and the injury of one pet.

    Complaints
    About Airline Service

    In September, the Department received 755
    complaints about airline service from consumers, up 25.2 percent from the 603
    complaints filed in September 2009 but down 37.1 percent from the 1,200 received
    in August 2010. For the first
    nine months of this year, the Department received 8,811 consumer complaints, up
    32.0 percent from the total of 6,676 filed during the first nine months of
    2009.

    Complaints About Treatment of Disabled
    Passengers

    The report also
    contains a tabulation of complaints filed with DOT in September against airlines
    regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities. The Department received a total of 41
    disability-related complaints in September, up from the total of 28 filed in September
    2009 but down from the 71 complaints received in August 2010. For the first nine months of this year, the
    Department received 440 disability-related complaints, up 13.7 percent from the
    total of 387 filed during the first nine months of 2009.

    Complaints
    About Discrimination

    In
    September, the Department received 10 complaints alleging discrimination by
    airlines due to factors other than disability – such as race, religion,
    national origin or sex – down from both the total of 11 recorded in September 2009
    and 17 recorded in August 2010. For the
    first nine months of this year, the Department received 111 complaints about
    discrimination, up 12.1 percent from the total of 99 filed during the first
    nine months of 2009.

    Consumers may
    file their complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection
    Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590;
    by voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511; or on the web at http://airconsumer.dot.gov.

    Consumers who
    want on-time performance data for specific flights should call their airline’s reservation
    number or their travel agent. This
    information is available on the computerized reservation systems used by these
    agents. The information is also
    available on the appropriate carrier’s website.

    The Air Travel
    Consumer Report can be found on DOT’s World Wide Web site at http://airconsumer.dot.gov. It is available in “pdf” and Microsoft Word format.

    Air Travel Consumer Report September 2010
    Key On-Time Performance and Flight Cancellation Statistics

    Based on Data Filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics by the 18 Reporting Carriers

    Overall

    85.1 percent on-time arrivals

    Highest On-Time Arrival Rates

    1. Hawaiian Airlines – 95.8 percent

    2. AirTran Airways – 90.7 percent

    3. Alaska Airlines – 90.5 percent

    Lowest On-Time
    Arrival Rates

    1. Comair – 78.2 percent

    2. JetBlue
    Airways – 78.8 percent

    3. Delta Air Lines – 81.5 percent

    Flights with Longest Tarmac
    Delays

    1. Southwest
    Airlines flight 337 from Philadelphia to St. Louis, 9/22/10 – delayed on
    tarmac 199 minutes

    2. US
    Airways flight 373 from New York JFK to Charlotte, 9/22/10 – delayed on
    tarmac 197 minutes

    3. Pinnacle
    Airlines flight 3968 from New York JFK to Chicago O’Hare, 9/22/10 –
    delayed on tarmac 185 minutes

    4. Delta
    Air Lines flight 2189 from Philadelphia to Detroit, 9/22/10 – delayed on
    tarmac 183 minutes

    (There were only four flights with tarmac delays of more
    than three hours in September)

    Highest Rates of
    Canceled Flights

    1. Comair – 2.0 percent

    2. Pinnacle Airlines – 2.0 percent

    3. American Eagle Airlines – 1.7 percent

    Lowest Rates of Canceled Flights

    1. Hawaiian Airlines – 0.0 percent*

    2. Frontier Airlines – 0.2 percent

    3. AirTran Airways – 0.2 percent

    *Hawaiian Airlines had two canceled flights in September.

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    Press Release: FAA Installs Equipment for NextGen Aircraft Tracking System


    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today announced the completion of a nationwide infrastructure upgrade that will enable air traffic controllers to track aircraft with greater accuracy and reliability, while giving pilots more information in the cockpit. This upgrade is a key improvement in the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

    “This upgrade is an important step in laying the foundation for the NextGen system, which provides controllers a much more precise view of the airspace, gives pilots much more awareness and information, and as a result strengthens the safety and efficiency of our system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This state-of-the-art satellite system is already providing controllers with visibility in places not previously covered by radar.”

    The nationwide installation of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) radio network supports a satellite-based surveillance system that tracks aircraft with the help of GPS. This provides more accurate aircraft location information than the current radar system.

    NextGen refers to a set of initiatives being implemented by the FAA in collaboration with the aviation community to ensure that the United States has the safest, most efficient airspace possible for decades to come. In addition to ADS-B, NextGen improvements are already delivering benefits that include more efficient air traffic procedures that save time and fuel and reduce emissions.

    “The installation of this radio network clears the way for air traffic controllers to begin using ADS-B to separate equipped aircraft nationwide,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. “It will also provide pilots flying aircraft equipped with the proper avionics with traffic information, weather data and other flight information.”

    Of the 230 air traffic facilities across the country, 100 are currently using this system to separate traffic. It is expected to be connected and operating at all 230 facilities by 2019. All aircraft operating in controlled airspace must be equipped with ADS-B Out avionics that broadcast the plane’s location, by Jan. 1, 2020.

    With the upgraded surveillance and broadcast system and aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out transponders, aircraft positions on controller screens update almost continuously, compared to every 4.7 seconds or longer with radar.
    ADS-B also enables more accurate tracking of airplanes and airport vehicles on runways and taxiways, increasing safety and efficiency. The new system significantly improves surveillance capability in areas with geographic challenges like mountains or over water. Airplanes equipped with ADS-B In, which is not currently mandated, will give pilots information through cockpit displays about location in relation to other aircraft, bad weather and terrain, and temporary flight restrictions.

    In addition to the operational benefits of ADS-B, each one of the 634 ground stations installed by Exelis of McLean, Va., is substantially smaller than a radar installation – resulting in less impact to the environment and less cost to maintain.

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    FAA Press Release: Continental Airlines

    FAA Proposes $230,000 Civil Penalty against Continental Airlines

    FORT WORTH, Texas — The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a civil penalty of $230,000 against Continental Airlines Inc., of Houston for allegedly operating a Boeing 767 on 22 revenue flights when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

    The FAA alleges that on Aug. 12, 2008, Continental replaced the nose landing gear wheel and tire assembly on a B-767, but failed to install the required axle washer despite warnings in the maintenance manual and on the tire assembly itself. The warning said failing to install the washer could lead to failure of the wheel bearing.

    FAA inspectors discovered the violation during a records check and noted three identical earlier violations.

    Continental has 30 days from receipt of the civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.

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    Boeing Fabricará 3 Satélites para el Gobierno de México

    EL SEGUNDO, California, 20 de diciembre de 2010 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] anunció hoy la adjudicación de un contrato por aproximadamente US$1,000 millones de parte del gobierno mexicano para la entrega de un sistema integral de comunicaciones satelitales. El sistema, denominado MEXSAT, consta de tres satélites, dos estaciones terrenas, los sistemas de operaciones de red correspondientes y terminales de usuario de referencia. MEXSAT proveerá comunicaciones seguras para las necesidades de seguridad nacional de México, así como una cobertura mejorada para las telecomunicaciones civiles.

    “MEXSAT es la cuarta generación de satélites que Boeing ha suministrado a México para comunicaciones satelitales gubernamentales y civiles,” dijo Craig Cooning, director general ejecutivo (CEO) de Boeing Satellite Systems International. “MEXSAT ha sido desarrollado con base en 13 años de experiencia de parte de Boeing en el diseño y la fabricación de avanzados sistemas de satélites geoestacionarios para servicios móviles.”

    Conforme a los términos del contrato, Boeing entregará un sistema llave en mano completo que se compone de dos satélites geoestacionarios para servicios móviles (o “GEO-Mobile”) Boeing 702HP denominados MEXSAT 1 y MEXSAT 2, así como un satélite para banda C extendida y banda Ku, llamado MEXSAT 3, que proveerá servicios satelitales fijos (FSS) desde una órbita geosíncrona. El primer lanzamiento programado es el de MEXSAT 3, a finales de 2012.

    Cada satélite Boeing suministrará 14 kilowatts de potencia mediante alas de arreglos de cinco paneles solares dotadas de celdas fotovoltaicas de arseniuro de galio de triple unión de alta eficiencia. Cada una de las naves transportará un reflector de banda L de 22 metros para servicios satelitales móviles (MSS), complementado por una antena de banda Ku de 2 metros.
    Boeing subcontratará la fabricación del satélite MEXSAT 3 y de un centro de operaciones a su empresa asociada Orbital Sciences Corporation [NYSE: ORB]. MEXSAT 3, un satélite Orbital Star 2.4, brindará cobertura total al territorio mexicano y sus aguas patrimoniales, y transmitirá comunicaciones civiles a fin de coadyuvar al desarrollo socioeconómico del país.

    Asimismo, Boeing desarrollará dos estaciones terrenas equipadas con avanzada tecnología de flexibilidad de conformación del haz para dirigir haces puntuales de usuario móvil a dependencias gubernamentales que operan en México y sus aguas patrimoniales, tanto en el litoral del Pacífico como en el Golfo de México.

    Con anterioridad, Boeing suministró cinco satélites para el gobierno mexicano: los satélites Morelos 1 y Morelos 2, ambos puestos en órbita en 1985; los satélites Solidaridad 1 y Solidaridad 2, lanzados en 1993 y 1994; y el Satmex 5, lanzado en 1998. Solidaridad 2, que ya ha rebasado la vida útil estipulada en el contrato, aún continúa en servicio, y se espera que el satélite Satmex 5 deje de operar en 2012.

    Boeing Defense, Space & Security, una unidad de The Boeing Company, es una de las mayores empresas del mundo en el sector de defensa, espacio y seguridad. Se especializa en ofrecer a sus clientes soluciones innovadoras desarrolladas a partir de capacidades operacionales y es el fabricante más grande y versátil de aeronaves militares en el mundo. Con sede en St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security es una empresa de US$34,000 millones con una plantilla de 68,000 trabajadores en todo el mundo.

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    FAA Orders Inspections of Honeywell Emergency Locator Transmitters


    The FAA is issuing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) identical to the August 26 Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) directive which requires airlines to inspect Honeywell emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) by January 14, 2014 to prevent an electrical short and possible ignition source. The FAA AD has the same deadline for the U.S. fleet and will impact approximately 4,000 airplanes at a total cost of approximately $325,720. The investigation of the July 12, 2013 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 fire at Heathrow Airport continues under the leadership of the United Kingdom Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

    In George’s Point of View

    Good for Transport Canada Civil Aviation beating us to the punch. Too bad that the deadline is January 14, 2014. Seems like they could behave with a bit more urgency with a potential fire hazard. Does this mean that–if one of these Honeywell emergency locator transmitters happens to cause a fire between now and January 14, 2014, the TCCA and the FAA are responsible? By setting a date months away, aren’t these agencies downplaying the hazard potential?

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    Seventh update on JAL Boeing 787 battery fire investigation


    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today released the seventh update on its investigation into the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

    The auxiliary power unit battery, manufactured by GS Yuasa, was the original battery delivered with the airplane on December 20, 2012. It is comprised of eight individual cells. All eight cells came from the same manufacturing lot in July 2012. The battery was assembled in September 2012 and installed on the aircraft on October 15, 2012. It was first charged on October 19, 2012.

    Examination and testing of an exemplar battery got underway earlier this week at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center laboratories in West Bethesda, MD. The tests consisted of electrical measurements, mass measurements, and infrared thermal imaging of each cell, with no anomalies noted. The cells are currently undergoing CT scanning to examine their internal condition. In addition, on Thursday, a battery expert from the Department of Energy joined the investigative team to lend his expertise to the ongoing testing and validation work.

    In Seattle, NTSB investigators and Boeing engineers examine the type of lithium ion battery used on the Boeing 787 to start the auxillary power unit and to provide backup power for flight critical systems.
    NTSB investigators were made aware of reports of prior battery replacements on aircraft in the 787 fleet, early in the investigation. As reported Tuesday, Boeing, a party to the investigation, is providing pertinent fleet information which investigators will review to determine if there is any relevance to the JAL investigation.
    An investigative group continued to interpret data from the two digital flight data recorders on the aircraft, and is examining recorded signals to determine if they might yield additional information about the performance of the battery and the operation of the charging system.

    Next week, the NTSB battery testing team will initiate a non-invasive “soft short“ test of all cells of the exemplar battery. This test will reveal the presence of any high resistance, small or “soft” shorts within a cell. Also, an NTSB investigator will travel to France with the battery contactor from the JAL event battery, for examination at the manufacturer. The battery contactor connects a wiring bundle from the airplane to the battery.

    Investigators are continuing their work in Washington and Japan and the team in Seattle continues to observe the FAA-led review of the certification process for the 787 battery system. The flow of information from these observations helps to inform NTSB investigative activity in the US and around the world.

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