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NTSB RELEASES 2009 ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

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    Boeing Projects Steady Growth for Commercial Airplanes Market in Africa

    More than 700 airplanes, worth $80 billion, needed in region over 20 years

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sept. 21 — Boeing forecasts that air carriers in Africa will experience steady growth over the next 20 years as air travel in Africa continues to grow with the economy.

    The African economy is projected to grow 4.8 percent in 2010 following 2.9 percent growth in 2009. This strong growth results from worldwide recovery stimulating demand for African exports as well as imports into the continent. West Africa shows the strongest growth with foreign interest in petroleum development.

    “As the demand for African commodities grows and foreign development and tourism increase, African carriers will require a modernized fleet in order to compete on routes historically dominated by foreign carriers,” said Mike Warner, senior market analyst for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, today at a media briefing in Cape Town.

    “Africa’s current fleet is nearly 20 years old on average in a market that demands newer, more fuel-efficient airplanes to help offset the rising cost of fuel.”

    Boeing’s forecast calls for the delivery of more than 700 airplanes with a value of approximately $80 billion for the African airplane market over the next 20 years.

    Growth in the airline market, along with the demand to replace older, less fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes and regional jets with new-generation, more fuel-efficient models, will drive new airplane deliveries.

    Strong demand exists to support increased non-stop routes between Africa and Europe, the United States, the Middle East, India, and China. Twin-aisle fleets will evolve in the region as airlines continue to expand international services. Boeing forecasts that twin-aisle airplanes will account for 32 percent of new airplanes delivered to African carriers over the next 20 years compared to 23 percent worldwide. Single-aisle airplanes will represent 60 percent of the African new-airplane market, compared to 69 percent worldwide.

    Newer airplane types such as the Next-Generation 737 and 787 Dreamliner offer significant advantages in environmental performance as well as improved capabilities, fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.
    Today’s market update was part of a series of briefings that highlight Boeing’s airplane capabilities and advantages as well as discuss the African aviation market for the next 20 years. Boeing kicked off the effort at last month’s Aviation & Allied Business Leaders conference in Gaborone, Botswana. Later this year, Boeing will participate in the Airlines Association of South Africa Annual General Meeting in Manzini, Swaziland, in October and the African Airlines Association General Assembly and conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November.

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    NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

    The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration:

    Require that the hover performance charts published by helicopter manufacturers reflect the true performance of the helicopter in all conditions for which the charts are applicable, including light and variable wind conditions. (A-10-148)

    Develop and implement a surveillance program specifically for 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 operators with aircraft that can operate both as public aircraft and as civil aircraft to maintain continual oversight ensuring compliance with 14 CFR Part 135 requirements. (A-10-149)

    Take appropriate actions to clarify Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authority over public aircraft, as well as identify and document where such oversight responsibilities reside in the absence of FAA authority. (A-10-150)

    Require the installation of fuel tanks that meet the requirements of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.952 on S-61 helicopters that are used for passenger transport. (A-10-151) Require that S-61 helicopters that are used for passenger transport be equipped with passenger seats and seat mounting structures that provide substantial improvement over the requirements of Civil Air Regulations 7.260, such as complying with portions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.561 and 29.562. (A-10-152)

    Require operators of transport-category helicopters to equip all passenger seats with restraints that have an appropriate release mechanism that can be released with minimal difficulty under emergency conditions. (A-10-153)

    Require that Advisory Circular 21-34 be used to evaluate all shoulder harness retrofit installations and to determine that the installations reduce the risk of occupant injury. (A-10-154)

    Require operators of Sikorsky S-61 helicopters with General Electric model CT58-140 engines to install 10-micron airframe fuel filters. (A-10-155)

    Require Carson Helicopters, Inc., to put a conspicuous notification on the title page of the Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness that accompany its supplemental type certificate for installing side-mounted seats indicating that the installation does not provide enhanced occupant protection over that provided by the originally installed seats and meets Civil Air Regulations 7.260 standards. (A-10-156)

    Require all applicants for supplemental type certificate (STC) seat installations in any type of aircraft to put a conspicuous notification on the title page of the Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness that accompany the STC indicating whether the installation provides enhanced occupant protection over that provided by the originally installed seats and the certification standard level met by the seating system. (A-10-157)

    Require supplemental type certificate (STC) applicants to improve the crashworthiness design of the seating system, such as complying with portions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.561 and 29.562, when granting STC approval for older transport-category rotorcraft certificated to Civil Air Regulations 7.260 standards. (A-10-158)

    Also, the National Transportation Safety Board reiterates the following previously issued recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration:

    Do not permit exemptions or exceptions to the flight recorder regulations that allow transport-category rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders, and withdraw the current exemptions and exceptions that allow transport-category rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders. (A-06-18)

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    NTSB Sends Investigators to Paraguay

    February 4, 2013
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to assist in the investigation of a Robinson R44 II helicopter that crashed about 80 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay. Initial reports indicate that the pilot and two passengers were fatally injured.
    The investigation is being led by the Paraguay Civil Aviation Authority (CIPAA). The NTSB has designated senior investigator Paul Cox as the U. S. accredited representative to the CIPAA’s investigation and he will be accompanied by representatives from NTSB, the FAA, Robinson Helicopters, and Lycoming Engines. The U.S. team is expected to arrive Wednesday morning. Further information regarding the investigation will be released by the CIPAA.

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    Boeing Providing Facebook Fan With the ‘Opportunity of a Lifetime’

    CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — “I’m amazed that Boeing is doing this for me just because of some pictures I posted to the Boeing Store’s Facebook page.”

    This weekend, Dr. Jeremy Hampton, an aviation enthusiast and amateur photographer who is also an emergency medicine specialist at Kansas City’s Truman Medical Center and assistant professor at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Pharmacy, will be Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) guest at the debut of the newest 747 passenger plane, the 747-8 Intercontinental.

    Dr. Hampton came to Boeing’s attention when he posted his photos on The Boeing Store’s Facebook page (http://facebook.com/boeingstore), where he was twice recognized for submitting the “Photo of the Week.”

    “We are trying to find a few unique opportunities during each year for some of the more than 73,000 fans we have on our Facebook page to engage with Boeing,” said Director of Brand Management & Advertising Jim Newcomb. “Dr. Hampton’s enthusiasm for aviation is obvious in every photo and comment he has posted. It didn’t take us long to realize we had an opportunity with the roll out that was too good to pass up.”

    Dr. Hampton’s trip will include stops at several Seattle-area locations at which he can photograph Boeing airplanes, a visit to the Future of Flight Museum in Everett, which is near the facility where Boeing builds the new 747-8, as well as the 787 Dreamliner and the 747, 767 and 777 airplanes, and access to the Feb. 13 roll-out event.

    “There aren’t too many things that really can be called the opportunity of a lifetime but this is one of them,” Hampton said. “My heart has always been with aviation. I attend as many air shows as I can and I always bring my camera. It’s amazing. I have been thinking about it and talking about it since I got the call last week.”

    Dr. Hampton’s “Photo of the Week” images can be seen at http://facebook.com/boeingstore and at http://finalapproachphotography.zenfolio.com/

    The 747-8 Intercontinental is the newest member of the world’s favorite airplane family. It offers the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger airplane, while providing enhanced environmental performance. More information can be found at www.boeing.com/newairplane/747/. The 747-8 Intercontinental roll-out event will be unveiled in a live webcast on the site at 11 a.m. PST, Feb. 13.
    The Boeing Store is Boeing’s retail subsidiary. It provides top-quality Boeing and aerospace-related gifts, toys and apparel to fans and employees around the world. In addition to Facebook it can be found at www.boeingstore.com.

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    FAA Forecast Predicts Air Travel to Double in Two Decades

    “NextGen” Investments Necessary to Meet Airspace Demands

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its annual forecast today predicting that air travel will more than double in the next 20 years. This report underscores the need to keep the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) on track to accommodate future growth.

    “We need to invest in aviation today to make sure America’s economy remains competitive,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “Innovative NextGen technology will help meet the demands of the future by getting passengers to their destinations safely and more quickly.”

    Today’s release of the FAA Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2011-2031 predicts that U.S. airlines will reach the one billion passengers-per-year mark by 2021, two years earlier than last year’s prediction of 2023.

    Through NextGen, the FAA is transforming the U.S. aviation system from radar- to satellite-based systems that will help passengers reach their destinations more quickly and will increase capacity and safety. New, more precise routes will also reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and noise.

    “We are already seeing the tangible safety and efficiency benefits of NextGen,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Only a modernized air transportation system will be able to keep up with our forecasted demand.”

    The aviation standard to measure air travel volume is Revenue Passenger Miles (RPM) or one paying passenger traveling one mile. According to the forecast, RPMs are projected to more than double over the next two decades, from 787 billion in 2010 to 1.7 trillion in 2031.

    The FAA 20-year forecast predicts the number of passengers traveling on U.S. airlines will increase by 3.5 percent from last year to 737.4 million passengers in 2011. That figure is projected to grow an average of 2.8 percent each year during the remaining forecast period to 1.3 billion by 2031.

    Total landings and takeoffs at FAA towered airports are forecast to slightly decrease in 2011, and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.6 percent each year, reaching 69.4 million in 2031.

    Additional details on the forecast, including a detailed breakdown on general or private aviation, cargo demand, and landing and takeoff operations at airports and FAA facilities can be found in the FAA Forecast Fact Sheet Fiscal Years 2011-31 .

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    Hainan Airlines Wins Prestigious 5-Star Rating From SKYTRAX

    BEIJING, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Hainan Airlines was awarded the honor of a “SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline” at a gala awards ceremony in Beijing. The award was presented by SKYTRAX President Edward Plaisted to Hainan Airlines President Wang Yingming. With this award, Hainan Airlines officially becomes the world’s seventh five-star airline.

    London-based SKYTRAX, a research and certification organization for the air transportation industry founded in 1989, evaluates more than 200 airlines around the world each year in regards to their service quality. The star rankings reflect the customer experience – not just the platform of product standards offered by an airline such as cabin seating, in-flight entertainment and catering, but the assessment of service quality – using a rating system made up of more than 800 different areas of product and service delivery for each airline. As a global leader in the industry, SKYTRAX offers the most professional evaluation and rating services. Star ratings for the airline industry can vary from one to five stars, with “five stars” being the highest rating.

    Founded in 1993, Hainan Airlines has grown into a successful international airline offering personalized and gracious service. It was the first mainland Chinese airline to be awarded SKYTRAX four-star status in 2009. In accordance with SKYTRAX’s rigorous evaluation standards and the airlines’ own Chinese-style service concept, Hainan Airlines built an international brand through its superior service programs that encompass “convenience, hospitality and surpassing expectations” as its core values. Hainan provides its customers with unique and premium ground and cabin service, in-flight catering and entertainment based on diversified customer needs. As a result of its exceptional brand values and service, Hainan Airlines transitioned from four-star to five-star status in just one year, a significant achievement. Hainan Airlines is one of the airlines in the HNA Group of companies.

    At the SKYTRAX award ceremony, HNA Group Chairman Mr. Chen Feng said, “By winning the ‘SKYTRAX five-star award’, Hainan Airlines now becomes one of the most successful brands in the industry.”

    SKYTRAX also rated Hainan the best airline in China in 2008 and 2010, and the company has earned numerous awards including the “Customer Satisfaction Award” in the Chinese civil aviation industry repeatedly since 1998. In 2008, it received CCTV’s “60 Years- 60 Brands Award”, the only airline to be so honored.

    Hainan has a large network in China and also throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. Beginning January 19, Hainan spreads its wings “down under” to Sydney, Australia.

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