Yemenia: A Year Later

George’s Point of View

Time flies, does it not? Though at times it seems the year has dragged by day by weary day, minute by weary minute, it hardly seems possible that it has already been a year since June 30, 2009. I debated whether or not to post this, because I wonder if it is not simply a reminder of pain. But then, it is also a chance to remember another life, when days were brighter.

Everyone at our office joins me in sending the families our kindest regards, wishing you what we hope has been a year of healing. You might ask how you could have healing without your loved one who perished this time last year.

From personal experience, I know that it has not been easy. I believe that when you lose a loved one, through a terrible tragedy like the Yemenia Crash or by any cause at all, our loved one would want us to continue living to the fullest. I’m certain that my grandson, whom we lost many years ago at age 15 in a motorcycle accident, wanted this for my daughter (his mother) and for the rest of the family. We still miss him. We still do a family birthday at the cemetery. Somehow we manage to carry on because he’s still in our lives, in our hearts, every day of every year.

I know you carry your loved ones in your heart too. Some days their presence feels very close. Those are the times, special times, that I believe they remain with us, out of sight perhaps, but never out of reach.

They say that living in the hearts we leave behind is not to die. If that is so, then let us all be a miser of our memories, for that is coin we will never spend, so we can always hold our loved ones and their memories close.

Blessings and memories to you.

GH

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  • Crash Victims

    When you imagine becoming a millionaire, you picture sitting on the stage of some television show and providing the winning answer; or winning the lottery; or Ed McMahon or maybe the latest HGTV dream home host knocking at the door. You never picture a phone call that your loved one has died in a plane crash. What is the point of a million dollar lawsuit when you win it by losing the reason you’d ever want money in the first place?

    But this is what is going to happen to the Buffalo Crash Victims. Talk about a pyrrhic victory.

    Are you familiar with the origin of the word pyrrhic? You probably learned this in high school English, or perhaps in history class. It all goes back to King Pyrrhus who was at war with the Romans. His problem was that even though the King won his battles, there was an inexhaustible supply of Roman soldiers. The Romans won the war–because the Romans always had more soldiers to replenish their ranks. It all comes down to a quote from Plutarch, Lives: “Another such victory over the Romans and we are undone.” Pyrrhic came to define any victory that costs more than it is worth.

    So that is the position survivors are in. Even if their lawyers win their cases for them, the survivors have still lost. Even when their lawyers file and win their settlements, the battle is still lost, because the lost are still lost, and money is no replacement.

    There will be financial problems now, because breadwinners are gone. Mortgages must still be paid; college educations must still be financed. Medical bills and household expenses do not stop simply because the one who paid them is gone. Or worse, the one who was going to college is gone in the flower of their potential life.

    So that will be the next move of the families of the victims of the crash: hiring attorneys to represent them. Really, the only question here is which attorneys will the survivors choose?

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    Wrongheaded Industry Reassessing Vulnerable Pitot Tubes vs Ice Procedures instead of Brainstorming Next Generation

    Pitot tubes use external air temperature and pressure to calculate changes in speed. Ice crystals that get caught in pitot tubes are considered a contributing factor in a dozen significant events, and the crash of Air France flight 447. As a result of ice crystal accumulation, air temp and pressure readings are false, autopilots shut off, pilots lose altitude readings and receive false warnings. In a fly by wire plane, this is disastrous. In Air France Flight 447, it killed everyone aboard the plane.

    Today’s news is full of aviation-safety experts looking for changes in procedures and more-precise checklists. There’s a lot of buzz out there about a new study. I hope that the study, as it has been explained, is not just about adapting to broken technology. I hope this is not the only study out there.

    Air France and Boeing are now examining how these ice crystals function (or more correctly, malfunction.) That seems wise.

    But one questions why the next step of the anti-icing drive will be to get consensus on how pilots should respond to pitot tube failure.

    George’s Point of View

    This is like figuring out the best way to drive on a flat tire, instead of making a tire that doesn’t go flat. Sure, pilots should have procedures, but shouldn’t a study be designed with the ultimate goal being to give the pilots a dependable speed sensor, not methods how to mitigate an oncoming disaster? Are designers afraid to trade a known quantity, even though it is flawed, for something unaffected by ice crystals? Even if it is cheaper for airlines to figure out how to muddle on with existing systems than to devise an alternative technology to pitot tubes, shouldn’t the focus of studies be on creating technology that is not disabled by ice crystals?

    Not being an engineer myself, I have no ideas on the subject—but somewhere there’s an aviation engineer with a brilliant idea of either a safe design of reconfigured pitot tubes or a completely different system. Let us hope that engineer is able to step up, and be recognized. But it may not be so simple. Apparently Airbus and Air France had been aware of chronic pitot tube problems for years and were content to continue using the same design anyway.

    Come on engineers. It’s time for a better mousetrap.

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    All In The Family

    George’s Point of View

    Maintenance abroad, no matter how good the mechanics are; monitoring; who does it; how good is it?

    • If something terrible should happen, our hands are tied in the courts.
    • If the person at fault is in, subject to, and adjudicated in a foreign country, the laws may be antiquated, inadequate, indefensible or unenforceable.
    • In the U.S., suing a company from a foreign country does not guarantee that a court here will hear the case. The injured or the victim families suffer unrequited consequences.

    Let’s keep our U.S. planes serviced right here in the U.S.

    Scene: Back to the future


    Doc Brown
    No wonder this circuit failed.
    It says “Made in China”.
    Marty McFly
    What do you mean, Doc?
    All the best stuff is made in Japan.
    Doc Brown
    Unbelievable.

    What is the quality of imported products? It all depends on the decade. The appetite, desire and need for imported spices impelled the development of trade, forced Columbus to hop in the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria and go looking for a trade route, and we all know that he found, instead, the American continent.

    Spices, fruits and veggies out of season, products are all imported.

    So should airlines based in the US be exporting their maintenance outside of the country? Aside from ridiculous logistics, I think the problem here is regulation. How can standards of regulation be upgraded to optimum levels if our maintenance is shipped out of the country? Aside from that, it is impractical and somewhat silly. Think about it–when our bathroom faucet springs a leak, do we send the house to China? Do we uproot the bathroom and send it to China? Do we even send the part? No, we have maintenance–the plumber, ubiquitous panty line notwithstanding–comes IN and with his expensive clock ticking away, replaces the part and saves the day.

    That’s not to say that Mohammed must always come to the mountain. But in the wake of proliferating engine shutdowns, defective parts, structural design issues and hull failure, maybe we need to rethink sending our maintenance out of the country. Maybe it is cheaper, but is it better?

    Let’s look at the big picture, where relying on non-US standards takes us: Look at the fiasco of Chinese drywall–where families across the country are suffering with degrading, stinking, sulphur infested drywall as their home values and quality of life plummets. Look at the ongoing stream toy recalls, as warnings of children’s toys covered by lead paint, or lead components are broadcast daily. Look at the massive pet food recall of 2007, where 17,000 complaints and over 2000 pet deaths were related to melamine in dog food with chinese rice components containing melamine.

    Until every outside resource is going to have the quality rating of Quantas, do we really want to export our maintenance? Not only does it not make sense…well face it, it just does not make sense. Maintenance and the maintainers should reside under the umbrella–and the sharp teeth–of our legal system. Under our own US regulatory system, we need to hone the edge of our own country’s in-house maintenance, exercise the craft that once made “Made in the USA” the top of the line INTERNATIONAL standard, and frankly, let our corporate dollars feed—not bleed—our own job-hungry nation.

    SEE: http://www.wbur.org/news/npr/113942431

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    The NTSB Sends Two Alerts on the 787 Post Flight Fire in Boston

    First, it does appear that there were two different 787 events at Logan. One was a fire that came about due to overheating and explosion of a battery in a lower bay. Both of the reports below refer to the same event, which grounded the plane. The second event was either a fuel leak or overfueling, which only delayed and did not cancel a different flight four hours while the problem was fixed.

    My criticism is that it APPEARS we are moving too quickly because what is surfacing are minor events that could lead to major events. A battery fire could cause a plane crash, especially on a transatlantic flight. I would like to feel confident that Boeing will easily handle any battery or electrical problem as one of those new plane new plane glitches that one might consider teething. And if this problem “dogs” Boeing shares (as one headline indicates), then better that it dog shares than kill 400 people.

    Here are the NTSB press releases regarding the Dreamliner Battery Fire. The first one…

    NTSB INVESTIGATORS LOOKING INTO BOEING 787 SMOKE EVENT IN BOSTON

    Jan. 7, 2013
    WASHINGTON– Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information regarding reports of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan Airport today.

    The Japan Airlines 787 was on the ground and empty of passengers at the time of the incident.

    The NTSB has dispatched an investigator to Boston. Based on a review of the factual information gathered, the NTSB will determine the extent of its investigation.

    and the second one…

    NTSB PROVIDES INVESTIGATIVE UPDATE ON BOEING 787 FIRE INCIDENT IN BOSTON

    Jan. 8, 2013
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today released an update on its formal investigation of Monday’s fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston. There were no passengers or crew on board at the time. One firefighter received minor injuries.

    In addition to an investigator already on scene who visually inspected the airplane last night, the NTSB has sent two additional investigators to Boston and formed investigative groups to look at airworthiness and fire and airport emergency response. Senior Air Safety Investigator David Helson has been designated as the investigator-in-charge.

    Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration and The Boeing Company. In addition, the Japan Transport Safety Board has appointed an accredited representative and Japan Airlines will assist the JTSB as technical advisors.

    Initial investigative findings include:

    • The NTSB investigator on scene found that the auxiliary power unit battery had severe fire damage. Thermal damage to the surrounding structure and components is confined to the area immediately near the APU battery rack (within about 20 inches) in the aft electronics bay.

    • Preliminary reports from Japan Airlines representatives indicate that airplane maintenance and cleaning personnel were on the airplane with the APU in operation just prior to the detection of smoke in the cabin and that Boston Logan Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting were contacted.

    • Rescue and fire personnel and equipment responded to the airplane and detected a fire in the electronics and equipment bay near the APU battery box. Initial reports indicate that the fire was extinguished about 40 minutes after arrival of the first rescue and fire personnel. One firefighter received minor injuries.

    Here is the 2nd NTSB Press Release:

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  • | | |

    The Delaminating 787: Causing Problems and Recalls


    The Boeing 787’s composite skin is under the eye now, with the carbon fiber structure deconstructing after improperly joined structural stiffeners fail. Longerons are installed on a wound carbon fibre barrel, frames and longerons are secured to the skin to strengthen the structure, and reinforced by shims. Without shims making a tight fit, damage incurs to the carbon fiber.

    The problem has been located on an All Nippon Airways (56), and two Qatar Airways airframes (57 and 58), all of which originate in Everett Washington.

    More 787s are expected to turn up with the same problem.

    The structural stiffeners are failing in the location of the Alenia Aeronotica-built horizontal stabiliser.

    Boeing confirms that the problem is a “straightforward repair that should cause no short-term safety concern.”

    Inspections are already underway, and strategic plans for repairs are on the drawing board. A 2010 problem involved the teardown and reinstallation of some Alenia Aeronautica-built horizontal stabilisers which had been assembled without adequate shims.

    In George’s Point of View

    updated


    According to a Reuters article, Boeing is saying publicly that this will not affect production.

    It SHOULD affect production.

    Boeing needs to slow down and get it right. Thousands of souls will fly in these “things.” Boeing’s got to have it right. Instead of ramping up, slow down production. What good is an ambitious target rate if the planes come out needing SAFOs (Safety Alerts for Operators)?

    Too fast reminds me of Airbus.

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  • |

    Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire. Where There’s Fire, Will There Be Passengers?

    George’s Point of View

    The biggest consequence in this Trent 900 engine brouhaha may be the Rolls Royce reputation.

    While the company’s engineering skills have not suddenly degraded overnight, confidence in Rolls Royce certainly has. If, as the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says, the internal fire in the notorious (Qantas owned) Trent 900 engine is the result of an internal engine oil leak at 1,000°C at high pressure, the endangerment of 440 passengers and 26 crew may have been preventible, given that there seems to have been fore-knowlege (by Rolls Royce) of a 1st generation manufacturing defect in a pipe coupling. As the 3rd generation versions of the engine no longer sport the same problem, the issue was recognized prior to the explosion, and dealt with.

    The failure to communicate a potential problem to Qantas before the engine fire, and for that matter, to owners of all affected 1st and 2nd generation products (Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa), goes beyond a communications failure and inches toward negligence. And the practical concern now is that irregardless of whether the specific factor was a manufacturing defect or fatigue, how swift and responsible will Rolls Royce be in corrective action, aggressive inspection schedules and reconfiguring a maintenance paradigm that gets A380s back on track?

    Time will tell. Also, only time will tell if this engine explosion will be contained within the auspices of Rolls Royce; Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. In fact, Rolls Royce is not alone in its sub-culture of secrecy and non-reportage and disclosure. Will the teetering public confidence in aviation safety will be irrevocably compromised in the days to come?

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