US Federal Aviation Administration gives Santa One a go for launch

By BA Staff

The US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Santa Claus, his elfin crew and the Santa One sleigh are GO for the annual round-the-world flight that will deliver presents to good boys and girls everywhere.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said:

“This is my first holiday season as Secretary of Transportation, and I feel a special responsibility to make sure Santa’s flight goes off without a hitch,” 

While there were no external changes to Santa One this year, FAA inspectors put in many hours ensuring that the sleigh’s systems – and especially its crew – met all applicable regulations. The agency approved installation of a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi system so Santa’s helpers can use their Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) to connect with the internet. Thanks to the FAA’s policy change in late October, the elves may now use their PEDs from take-off to landing to keep in touch with the North Pole.

The Jolly Old Elf himself will employ modern computer technology in the sleigh’s captain’s seat. After an evaluation period, FAA inspectors gave Santa a thumbs-up to use a tablet computer instead of paper documents to store his flight plan, chimney approach charts and Naughty-or-Nice checklist.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said:

“We’re helping Santa fly smarter and faster while making sure he has a safe and successful mission”

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FAA issues final rule on pilot training

By BA Staff

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule on the training of commercial air carrier pilots.  

The final rule stems in part from the crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009 near Buffalo, NY, and addresses a Congressional mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 to ensure enhanced pilot training. This rule is one of several rulemakings required by the Act, including the requirements to prevent pilot fatigue that were finalized in December 2011, and the increased qualification requirements for first officers who fly U.S. passenger and cargo planes that were issued  in July 2013.
The final rule requires:

• ground and flight training that enables pilots to prevent and recover from aircraft stalls and upsets.  These new training standards will impact future simulator standards as well;
• air carriers to use data to track remedial training for pilots with performance deficiencies, such as failing a proficiency check or unsatisfactory performance during flight training;
• training for more effective pilot monitoring;
• enhanced runway safety procedures; and
• expanded crosswind training, including training for wind gusts.

In addition, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta is inviting the nation’s commercial aviation safety leaders to Washington, D.C. on November 21, to discuss additional voluntary steps that can be taken to further boost safety during airline operations, including pilot training.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said:

“Today’s rule is a significant advancement for aviation safety and U.S. pilot training. One of my first meetings as Transportation Secretary was with the Colgan Flight 3407 families, and today, I am proud to announce that with their help, the FAA has now added improved pilot training to its many other efforts to strengthen aviation safety.”

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said:

"This pivotal rule will give our nation’s pilots the most advanced training available. While the rule marks a major step toward addressing the greatest known risk areas in pilot training, I’m also calling on the commercial aviation industry to continue to move forward with voluntary initiatives to make air carrier training programs as robust as possible.”

The FAA proposed to revise the training rules for pilots in 2009, one month prior to the Colgan Flight 3407 accident. The FAA issued a supplemental proposal on May 20, 2011, to address many of the NTSB’s recommendations resulting from the accident, and incorporate congressional mandates for stick pusher, stall recovery and remedial training.  A stick pusher is a safety system that applies downward elevator pressure to prevent an airplane from exceeding a predetermined angle of attack in order to avoid, identify, or assist in the recovery of a stall.

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Expect to use some portable electronic devices during the entire flight very soon

by Devesh Agarwal

The United States' aviation regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has today allowed airlines to relax rules regarding the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) on-board flights below 10,000 feet. In a release the FAA said

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled – i.e., no signal bars displayed—and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.

Passengers can soon expect US airlines to start allowing use of e-readers and games and some other devices in the "airplane" mode throughout all phases of a flight i.e. from gate to gate. However, connecting to the internet below 10,000 feet, will continue to be disallowed, and using a cell phone for voice phone calls during a flight is prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said

“We believe today’s decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumer’s increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights,” “These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers, and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future.”

Due to the wide variety of gadgets and types of aircraft and equipment, the FAA expects airlines to take some time to prove their safe operation together, but expects wide scale implementation of the new rules by end of this year.

US major, Delta Air Lines has already announced it is ready to roll out new rules by November 1. In a statement the airline said

Delta Air Lines is ready to allow its customers to be the first to use their portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet as early as Nov. 1, 2013 pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. All Delta aircraft have completed carrier-defined PED tolerance testing to ensure the safe operation of passenger portable electronic devices during all phases of flight and Delta's plan has been submitted to the FAA for approval.

In support of the FAA's call for expanded PED usage in flight, more than 570 mainline domestic aircraft stand ready to allow customer use of e-readers, tablets, and smartphones, all in airplane mode, during taxi, takeoff and landing on domestic flights. Delta Connection's more than 550 regional aircraft will be ready by the end of the year. In-flight Wi-Fi will continue to be available for customers above 10,000 feet.

Top things passengers should know about expanded use of PEDs on airplanes:

• Make safety your first priority.
• Changes to PED policies will not happen immediately and will vary by airline. Check with your airline to see if and when you can use your PED.
• Current PED policies remain in effect until an airline completes a safety assessment, gets FAA approval, and changes its PED policy.
• Cell phones may not be used for voice communications.
• Devices must be used in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled. You may use the WiFi connection on your device if the plane has an installed WiFi system and the airline allows its use. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.
• Properly stow heavier devices under seats or in the overhead bins during take-off and landing. These items could impede evacuation of an aircraft or may injure you or someone else in the event of turbulence or an accident.
• During the safety briefing, put down electronic devices, books and newspapers and listen to the crew-member’s instructions.
• It only takes a few minutes to secure items according to the crew’s instructions during take-off and landing.
• In some instances of low visibility – about one percent of flights – some landing systems may not be proved PED tolerant, so you may be asked to turn off your device.
• Always follow crew instructions and immediately turn off your device if asked.

To read the fact sheet about the PED Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) click here. The read the full PED ARC report in PDF format click here.

Given the influence of the FAA on global aviation standards, what are your views on how soon we can expect changes in other parts of the world? Share your thoughts via a comment.

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FAA significantly enhances pilot qualification standards

by Devesh Agarwal

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that it is increasing the qualification requirements for first officers who fly for U.S. passenger and cargo airlines.

The rule requires first officers – also known as co-pilots – to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requiring 1,500 hours total time as a pilot. Previously, first officers were required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours of flight time.

The rule also requires first officers to have an aircraft type rating, which involves additional training and testing specific to the airplanes they fly.

The new regulations stem in part from the tragic crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009 near Buffalo, New York, and address a Congressional mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 to ensure that both pilots and co-pilots receive the ATP certification. Today’s rule is one of several rulemakings required by the Act, including the new flight duty and rest requirements for pilots that were finalized in December 2011, and new training requirements expected this fall for air carrier training programs to ensure pilots know how to react properly in difficult operating environments.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said

"The rule gives first officers a stronger foundation of aeronautical knowledge and experience before they fly for an air carrier,” “With this rule and our efforts to address pilot fatigue – both initiatives championed by the families of Colgan flight 3407 – we're making a safe system even safer."

Other highlights of the rule include:

• A requirement for a pilot to have a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as a co-pilot in air carrier operations prior to serving as a captain for a U.S. airline.
• Enhanced training requirements for an ATP certificate, including 50 hours of multi-engine flight experience and completion of a new FAA-approved training program.
• An allowance for pilots with fewer than 1,500 hours of flight time or who have not reached the minimum age of 23 to obtain a “restricted privileges” ATP certificate. A restricted privileges ATP certificate allows a pilot to serve as a co-pilot until he or she obtains the necessary 1,500 hours. The options are:
• Military pilots with 750 hours total time as a pilot;
• Graduates holding a Bachelor’s degree with an aviation major with 1,000 hours total time as a pilot;
• Graduates holding an Associate’s degree with an aviation major with 1,250 hours;

• Pilots who are at least 21 years old with 1,500 flight hours.


The rule is consistent with the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. The rule addresses recommendations from an Aviation Rulemaking Committee, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the FAA’s Call to Action to improve airline safety.

The rule can be viewed at: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/media/2120-AJ67.pdf 


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Boeing to begin modifying 787s for return to service

Boeing image

Today's approval of battery system improvements for the 787 Dreamliner by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clears the way for Boeing and its customers to install the approved modifications and will lead to a return to service and resumption of new production deliveries.

The FAA's action will permit the return to service of 787s in the United States upon installation of the improvements. For 787s based and modified outside the United States, local regulatory authorities provide the final approval on return to service, but it is expected the local bodies will follow the FAA's lead.

Approval of the improved 787 battery system was granted by the FAA after the agency conducted an extensive review of certification tests. The tests were designed to validate that individual components of the battery, as well as its integration with the charging system and a new enclosure, all performed as expected during normal operation and under failure conditions. Testing was conducted under the supervision of the FAA over a month-long period beginning in early March.

Boeing, in collaboration with its supplier partners and in support of the investigations of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Japan Transport Safety Board, conducted extensive engineering analysis and testing to develop a thorough understanding of the factors that could have caused the 787's batteries to fail and overheat in two incidents last January. The team spent more than 100,000 hours developing test plans, building test rigs, conducting tests and analyzing the results to ensure the proposed solutions met all requirements.

Boeing also engaged a team of more than a dozen battery experts from across multiple industries, government, academia and consumer safety to review and validate the company's assumptions, findings, proposed solution and test plan.

The improved battery system includes design changes to both prevent and isolate a fault should it occur. In addition, improved production, operating and testing processes have been implemented. The new steel enclosure system is designed to keep any level of battery overheating from affecting the airplane or even being noticed by passengers.

Boeing has deployed teams to locations around the world to begin installing improved battery systems on 787s. Kits with the parts needed for the new battery systems are staged for shipment and new batteries also will be shipped immediately. Teams have been assigned to customer locations to install the new systems. Airplanes will be modified in approximately the order they were delivered.

Boeing will also begin installing the changes on new airplanes at the company's two 787 final-assembly plants, with deliveries expected to resume in the weeks ahead. Despite the disruption in deliveries that began in January, Boeing expects to complete all planned 2013 deliveries by the end of the year. Boeing further expects that the 787 battery issue will have no significant impact to its 2013 financial guidance.

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FAA Approves Boeing 787 Battery System Design Changes

The long grounded Boeing 787 fleet across the world are expected to soon return to the skies, as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today took the next step in returning the Boeing 787 to flight by approving Boeing's design for modifications to the 787 battery system. The changes are designed to address risks at the battery cell level, the battery level and the aircraft level.

Next week, the FAA will issue instructions to operators for making changes to the aircraft and will publish in the Federal Register the final directive that will allow the 787 to return to service with the battery system modifications. The directive will take effect upon publication. The FAA will require airlines that operate the 787 to install containment and venting systems for the main and auxiliary system batteries, and to replace the batteries and their chargers with modified components.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said

“Safety of the traveling public is our number one priority. These changes to the 787 battery will ensure the safety of the aircraft and its passengers,”

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said

“A team of FAA certification specialists observed rigorous tests we required Boeing to perform and devoted weeks to reviewing detailed analysis of the design changes to reach this decision,”

To assure proper installation of the new design, the FAA will closely monitor modifications of the aircraft in the U.S. fleet. The FAA will stage teams of inspectors at the modification locations. Any return to service of the modified 787 will only take place after the FAA accepts the work.

As the certifying authority, the FAA will continue to support other authorities around the world as they finalize their own acceptance procedures.

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United States NTSB identifies origin of Japan Airlines' Boeing 787 battery fire - Update 1

by Devesh Agarwal

Updated Feb 8, 2013, 0100 GMT, 0630 IST

At a news conference today, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman identified the origin of the Jan. 7 battery fire that occurred on a Japan Airlines 787 parked at Boston Logan Airport, and said that a focus of the investigation will be on the design and certification requirements of the battery system.

Ms. Hersman's presentation and the video of her briefing the media is at the end of this story.

Hersman said

“U.S. airlines carry about two million people through the skies safely every day, which has been achieved in large part through design redundancy and layers of defense,” “Our task now is to see if enough – and appropriate – layers of defense and adequate checks were built into the design, certification and manufacturing of this battery.”

After an exhaustive examination of the JAL lithium-ion battery, which was comprised of eight individual cells, investigators determined that the majority of evidence from the flight data recorder and both thermal and mechanical damage pointed to an initiating event in a single cell. That cell showed multiple signs of short circuiting, leading to a thermal runaway condition, which then cascaded to other cells. Charred battery components indicated that the temperature inside the battery case exceeded 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

As investigators work to find the cause of the initiating short circuit, they ruled out both mechanical impact damage to the battery and external short circuiting. It was determined that signs of deformation and electrical arcing on the battery case occurred as a result of the battery malfunction and were not related to its cause.

Chairman Hersman said that potential causes of the initiating short circuit currently being evaluated include battery charging, the design and construction of the battery, and the possibility of defects introduced during the manufacturing process.

During the 787 certification process, Boeing studied possible failures that could occur within the battery. Those assessments included the likelihood of particular types of failures occurring, as well as the effects they could have on the battery. In tests to validate these assessments, Boeing found no evidence of cell-to-cell propagation or fire, both of which occurred in the JAL event.

The NTSB learned that as part of the risk assessment Boeing conducted during the certification process, it determined that the likelihood of a smoke emission event from a 787 battery would occur less than once in every 10 million flight hours. Noting that there have been two critical battery events on the 787 fleet with fewer than 100,000 flight hours, Hersman said that “the failure rate was higher than predicted as part of the certification process and the possibility that a short circuit in a single cell could propagate to adjacent cells and result in smoke and fire must be reconsidered.”

As the investigation continues, which will include testing on some of the batteries that had been replaced after being in service in the 787 fleet, the NTSB will continue to share its findings in real time with the FAA, Boeing, the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the French investigative agency, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA).

“The decision to return the fleet to flight will be made by the FAA, which underscores the importance of cooperation and coordination between our agencies,” Hersman said.

She also announced that the NTSB would release an interim report of factual findings within 30 days.

NTSB Presentation. Download it here.


Video of briefing


FAA’s Special Conditions for the B-787 battery system. Download it here.


Airframer Boeing issued this statement

Boeing welcomes the progress reported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the 787 investigation, including that the NTSB has identified the origin of the event as having been within the battery. The findings discussed today demonstrated a narrowing of the focus of the investigation to short circuiting observed in the battery, while providing the public with a better understanding of the nature of the investigation.

The company remains committed to working with the NTSB, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our customers to maintain the high level of safety the traveling public expects and that the air transport system has delivered. We continue to provide support to the investigative groups as they work to further understand these events and as we work to prevent such incidents in the future. The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

The 787 was certified following a rigorous Boeing test program and an extensive certification program conducted by the FAA. We provided testing and analysis in support of the requirements of the FAA special conditions associated with the use of lithium ion batteries. We are working collaboratively to address questions about our testing and compliance with certification standards, and we will not hesitate to make changes that lead to improved testing processes and products.

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Update 1: Air India grounds its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, after FAA emergency directive

by Devesh Agarwal

The fleet of six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners of state-owned national carrier Air India has been grounded by the country's aviation regulator the DGCA, which took this decision following the issue of an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the regulator in the country of manufacture, and also the certifying body of the aircraft. The EAD concerns risks of fire in the aircraft's Lithium-ion batteries.

(Read the FAA Press Release here).

(You can read the FAA Emergency AD at the end of this article, or download it here).

Air India operates three international routes (Dubai, Frankfurt and Paris Roissy), and three domestic services (Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata), all from its base in New Delhi. One aircraft is used as a stand-by.

An Air India spokesperson informed Bangalore Aviation the airline is making "alternate arrangements" including changing of aircraft type on some routes, and "arrangements" for affected passengers, but refused to elaborate. The airline has also not issued any statement on the 787.

The FAA EAD comes after multiple incidents which afflicted Boeing's newest generation aircraft in the last few weeks. A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 was diverted near New Orleans on December 4, 2012. On December 8, a Qatar Airways 787 reported a generator failure. On January 7, a Japan Airlines 787 suffered an APU battery fire at Boston. On January 11, another ANA Dreamliner suffered a cracked wind-shield while on a domestic flight. Air India's debut flights were marred by air-conditioning pack failures. The other three operators Chile's LAN, Ethiopian Airlines, and LOT Polish Airlines have not reported any incidents with the 787.

In addition to United Airlines, and Air India, the two Japanese carriers, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL), the first two operators of the 787, who operate almost 50% of the global 787 fleet (24 out of 50), grounded their fleets yesterday. LAN confirmed it is suspending 787 flights on advice of Chile's aviation regulator. The airline issued a statement

“In compliance with the recommendation of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and in coordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority (DGAC), LAN announces that we will temporarily suspend the operation of our three Boeing 787 aircraft.

“Flights that were scheduled to be operated by the 787 will be temporarily replaced with other aircraft in our fleet to mitigate any potential impact that this situation could cause our passengers and cargo clients. The safety of our operation and our passengers is our top priority and we lament any inconvenience that this may cause.”

LOT have cancelled their launch event for their Warsaw Chicago service. The decisions of Qatar and Ethiopian are awaited, though it is expected they will follow suit.

Boeing reimposed faith in the safety of its aircraft. Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement following the FAA's EAD.

"The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.

"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.

"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers."

A DC-10-40 modified to perform as a tanker.

The Federal Aviation Administration does not enjoy the same reputation of independence as the NTSB, due to its contradicting roles of a regulator and a promoter of aviation. One has to go back 34 years to 1979, to find the last time the FAA issued an EAD on an aircraft. That was the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, following the horrific crash at Chicago of an American Airlines DC-10. In an ironic twist of history, the travelling public lost faith in the DC-10, and McDonnell Douglas never recovered from this disaster. It eventually went bankrupt, and was acquired by Boeing.

In no way do we imply the 787 is an unsafe aircraft, and we are confident the efforts of Boeing and its vendors will find a solution; but, speed is of the essence. Through its EAD the FAA and by extension other regulators will require operators (airlines) to prove that the batteries on their 787s are safe.

Unlike earlier generation aircraft, the 787 relies on greater electrical power to perform aircraft functions traditionally performed by hydraulic means. As a result it has a greater usage of batteries. While Lithium-ion batteries similar to the type used in the 787 are fairly common in the aerospace industry, the groundings will put tremendous pressure on both Boeing, and the battery manufacturer GS Yuasa of Japan, to examine their entire value chain, from design, to manufacturing, to quality control, determine reasons for the failures and find solutions, quickly.

Boeing has not indicated it will stop or suspend production of the 787. In fact the 100th 787 just entered the production line recently. However, while Boeing can assemble 787s it cannot fly them and therefore cannot conduct any test flights. The flight lines at both the Everett and Charleston plants will start filling up soon.

While the seriousness of the battery problems are not fully known, and therefore a time-frame for implementing a solution is elusive right now, Boeing has to keep history in mind. The DC-10 grounding in 1979 lasted over a month. In today's day and age neither Boeing nor Yuasa can afford this, especially after over three years of delay plaguing this fine aircraft.

Share your thoughts via a comment.

Update 1: 787 Interim Replacement Plan

Through January 22nd, Air India has implemented the following replacement plan for segments previously scheduled to be operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Delhi - Chennai/Bangalore will be operated with the Airbus A330-200. Since the A330s are already based in Chennai to fly Chennai-Singapore, the aircraft which operates the night flight to Chennai will be rotated through Delhi for domestic flights during the day.

Delhi - Kolkata/Dubai will be operated by Boeing 747-400s which are currently used as spare aircraft for maintenance substitutions and charters.

Delhi - Paris Charles de Gaulle will be operated by a spare Boeing 777-200LR.

Delhi - Frankfurt will be operated by a spare Boeing 777-300ER.



US Federal Aviation Administration Emergency AD # 2103-02-51 787 Battery

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FAA grounds the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier today, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the United States due to the recent issues with the Lithium-Ion batteries on-board several different 787s, which are attributed as the cause for the recent fire of the engine of a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston as well as several other incidents around the globe. Japan Airlines and ANA have already each grounded their fleet of 787s, and while the FAA’s action only affects United Airlines’ fleet of six Dreamliners, aviation regulators around the world typically follow the lead of the FAA in safety actions.

Here is the full press release from the FAA:

“As a result of an in-flight, Boeing 787 battery incident earlier today in Japan, the FAA will issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) to address a potential battery fire risk in the 787 and require operators to temporarily cease operations. Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the batteries are safe.

“The FAA will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the U.S. 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013. The AD is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery.

“The battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes. The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment.Last Friday, the FAA announced a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information.

“In addition to the continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly, the agency also will validate that 787 batteries and the battery system on the aircraft are in compliance with the special condition the agency issued as part of the aircraft’s certification.

“United Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes in service. When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community to the action so other civil aviation authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their own countries.”

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Air India stands by its Boeing 787 Dreamliners as Japan grounds almost 50% of the global fleet

by Devesh Agarwal

National carrier Air India has stood by the six Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, even as safety concerns grounded the 787 fleet at the first two operators of the aircraft, both from Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). Between the two of them, ANA and JAL operate almost 50% of the global 787 fleet, 24 of the 50 delivered till date. 

Early yesterday, an ANA Boeing 787-8 performing a domestic flight NH 692 from Ube to Tokyo Haneda was forced to make an emergency diversion to Takamatsu when there were indications of battery problems and a burning smell developed on board.

This incident is only the latest in a series of problems to affect the new generation airliner. Many of the problems that plague the Dreamliner seem to be electrical in nature and are affecting airline operators across the world. A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 was diverted near New Orleans on December 4, 2012. On December 8, a Qatar Airways 787 reported a generator failure. On January 7, a Japan Airlines 787 suffered an APU battery fire at Boston. On January 11, another ANA Dreamliner suffered a cracked wind-shield while on a domestic flight.

Air India's debut flight to Bangalore was marred by snags in the air conditioning system.

Japan Airlines the first operator of the 787 with GEnx engines, the same as Air India issued a statement

"In view of the incident encountered by another airline involving the 787-8 aircraft today, Japan Airlines has decided to cancel the operations of its 787-8 aircraft scheduled for flights today and tomorrow, January 17, 2013, to ensure complete safety." "Operations of JAL’s 787-8 aircraft from January 18, 2013 will be decided after further assessment of the situation with the investigations."

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has already launched an investigation in to the Boston incident, and now the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has launched an investigation in to flight NH692.

The spate of incidents surrounding Boeing's newest aircraft has prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a review in to the design, manufacturing, and quality control and assurance processes at Boeing.

A spokesperson for Air India re-affirmed the airline's faith in the aircraft and confirmed the airline was in touch with the airframer, Boeing, and in close contact with India's aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline will follow the guidelines prescribed by the regulator.

The DGCA has decided to take a wait and watch approach to the situation. It awaits reports and findings from the United States agencies, NTSB and FAA.

In news reports, Mr. Mihir Mishra, the DGCA, points out that globally no regulator has grounded the aircraft. The decision to ground 787s, has been taken by individual airlines.

While we respect the views of Mr. Mishra, and also have faith in Boeing and its products, we do point out, airlines are in the business of making a profit, and no airline will take the decision to ground their latest state of the art aircraft lightly.

It costs them tremendously. Whether it is loss of income by cancelled flights, costs incurred to accommodate the thousands of passengers whose travel is disrupted, costs incurred to inspect their fleet, and the incalculable losses should their passengers start doubting their Dreamliners and shun the aircraft.

Share your thoughts via a comment.

A special hat tip to Simon Hradecky at Aviation Herald for the incident reports.

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US FAA and EASA issue Emergency Airworthiness Directive on Airbus A320 family aircraft

DATE: December 17, 2012
AD #: 2012-26-51

Emergency airworthiness directive (AD) 2012-26-51 is sent to owners and operators of
Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes.

Background
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2012-0264-E, dated December 17, 2012 (referred to after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information or “the MCAI”), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products.

EASA has advised that an Airbus Model A330 airplane equipped with Angle of Attack (AoA) sensors installed with conic plates recently experienced blockage of all sensors during climb, leading to autopilot disconnection and activation of the alpha protection (Alpha Prot) when Mach number was increased. Based on the results of subsequent analysis, it is suspected that these conic plates may have contributed to the event. Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the blockage of these AoA sensors.

Blockage of two or three AoA sensors at the same angle may cause the Alpha Prot of the
normal law to activate. Under normal flight conditions (in normal law), if the Alpha Prot activates and Mach number increases, the flight control laws order a pitch down of the airplane that the flight crew might not be able to counteract with a side stick deflection, even in the full backward position.

This condition, if not corrected, could result in reduced control of the airplane. EASA also issued Emergency AD 2012-0258-E, dated December 4, 2012, for Airbus Model A330 and A340 airplanes to require an amendment of the AFM to ensure that flight crews apply the applicable emergency procedure.

AoA sensor conic plates of similar design are also installed on Model A320 series airplanes. Installation of these AoA sensor conic plates was required for Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes by EASA AD 2012-0236, dated November 9, 2012 (corrected November 12, 2012).

Subsequently, EASA issued AD 2012-0236R1, dated December 17, 2012, to remove the requirement to install AoA sensor conic plates.

Read the full Emergency AD here.

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IndiGo responds to DGCA's charges on "unsafe airlines"

The on-going spat between India's aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the airlines has been raging for the last few days, which has seen some pretty serious charges come forth from the regulator.

IndiGo, which is believed to be India's only profitable airline at present, has responded to the charges of the DGCA in a statement.

IndiGo response to findings during Financial Surveillance Audit

This is with regards to the recent stories that have been reported in the press based on DGCA’s findings during financial surveillance audit where issues were raised about IndiGo’s safety norms. Safety is a key concern at IndiGo, and as an airline we always cooperate with the DGCA and comply with the regulator’s instructions. IndiGo is the first airline in India to proactively start to implement a Safety Management System (SMS), we follow our training, monitoring and safety procedures meticulously with no exceptions. Also, since its launch IndiGo practices 100% Flight Data Monitoring and follow - up action is immediately taken where required.

Specific to the financial audit and safety review by the DGCA report on airlines, the following is IndiGo’s stance to each of the issues that have been raised:

[DGCA observation]

1) A total of 11 premature engine removals were carried out till October, 2011, out of which three were due to bird hits, which is considered to a large number.

INDIGO’s STANCE
Seven of the above engine removals were in compliance of FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] Airworthiness Directive (AD)*. The deadline to comply with the FAA AD is January, 2013. In fact, IndiGo has pro-actively complied with the FAA AD well ahead of time. Three engines were removed due to discrepancy found post bird hit inspections. One engine was removed due to fracture of lug on Gearbox casing.

*{There is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2010-20-07 issued by FAA on the HPC 3-8 drum for IAE V2500-A5 engines. Subsequently DGCA has issued Mandatory Mod DGCA/V2500/12 for complying with this FAA AD. This essentially requires the change of a “Silver coated” nuts between the HPC 3-8 Drum and the 9-12 HPC Drum inside the engine to a “Non-Silver Coated” nut. This AD states that this should be complied on all affected engines by January, 2013. In order to comply with this, the engine has to be removed and sent to the shop. In the IndiGo fleet, this FAA AD was applicable to 45 Engines. IndiGo took a pro-active approach and has complied with this AD on 43 Engines as per FAA AD. Therefore, IndiGo is complying with this Directive well-ahead of the deadline.}

In view of the same, it is noted that the above mentioned engine removals were not because of any performance degradation of propulsion system but for pertinently complying with the AD or damage due to bird hits. Hence, this query stands answered and closed.

2) Scrutiny of the “Snag Reporting Form” of the period Jan-Oct, 2011 reveals that large number of engineering snags have occurred, which are on an average about 250 on monthly basis. In the month of Oct. 2011 itself, a total of 261 snags have been reported for a fleet of 46 aircraft. However, the airline has reported only two incidents to DGCA. Preliminary examinations of the snags reveal that few of the snags are reportable incidents, which have not been reported by the airline.

INDIGO’s STANCE
IndiGo submits a “Daily Defect Report” to the Airworthiness department of DGCA and therefore, there is 100 % reporting of all maintenance actions. Incident reporting at present is being done as per the guidelines of DGCA Air Safety Circular (ASC) 5 of 82. A meeting was held between IndiGo’s and DGCA Air Safety officials on 30th December, 2011, wherein all 261 pilot reported defects were jointly reviewed and following was agreed upon:

a. PIB to be carried out within next 10 working days on following three Pilot reported defects:

• VT – IEH: ENG # 2 FADEC Alternator, OVSPD protection fault, ENG # FADEC B Fault of 7th October, 2011
• VT – INE: Engine Vibration of October 22nd, 2011
• VT – IEC: ADR Disagree of October 25th, 2011

b. IndiGo will constitute an internal committee and prepare case studies for commonly occurring snags such as Vent Avionics Fault, Brake, LGCIU Fault, Door Warnings and Nose wheel vibration. Findings from the case studies shall be submitted by the middle of February, 2012.

In view of the above, the open issue is adequately addressed and closed.

3) As envisaged in Aviation Environmental Circular 1 of 2009, the airline does not have Environmental Cell.

INDIGO’s STANCE

IndiGo has constituted an environmental cell. The members of the Environmental Cell are S.C Gupta, Vice President – Engineering, (Nodal Office), Mukesh, Dy. Chief of Flight Safety, M.S Ahluwalia, Director – Power plant and Contracts, Mr. Aakash Bhatnagar, DGM – Flight Operations.

4) A total of 60 incidents have been reported in 2011(up to Oct.). Out of 60 incidents, investigations of 30 incidents was carried which include 26 Single Page Investigations, which were conducted by the airlines itself without appropriate approval from DGCA. Seven of the Precautionary Landings have also been investigated through single page report.

INDIGO’s STANCE
IndiGo carries out detailed investigations into each incident case. PIB reports for minor incidents were prepared in a DGCA approved Single Page format. However this practice has been since discontinued. In this regard, we treat the issue closed.

5) FOQA record of 100% monitoring could not be verified due to non-availability of proper data.

INDIGO’s STANCE
It is submitted that IndiGo has 100% FOQA records available. This can be checked at any time. In this regard, we treat the issue closed.

6)There were total 35 FDTL exceedances from January to 20th November, 2011, out of which eight were due to midnight landing.

INDIGO’s STANCE
These FDTL’s exceedances occur due to unavoidable circumstances such as weather, traffic congestion and flight diversions. Whenever such instances occur, we provide additional rest to the crew to prevent fatigue and the same have been reported to DGCA on regular basis. None of these were planned FDTL exceedances. The open query stands answered and closed.

7) Shortage of pilot Instructor/Examiners and backlog of trainings

INDIGO’s STANCE
We have consciously “over hired’ pilots, especially highly trained and experienced pilots and Training Captains more than the normal hiring ratios. IndiGo presently has strength of 50 Training Captains, and have an additional 44 number of Training Captains are in process of being hired or qualified as trainers.

In addition to the above 50 Training Captains, IndiGo is presently using DGCA authorized Indian and Expats Training Captains on FAT, Airbus Training captains as part of the support team. Training Captains at location outside India with CAE under exclusive agreement, Training Captains of CTC, UK (DGCA authorized).

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India and USA to enter into a bilateral aviation safety agreement

The Governments of India and the United States are in the process of entering into bilateral aviation safety agreement. As the aviation vendor base of both Boeing and Airbus increase in India, the eventual goal is for this agreement to lead to an agreement allowing for the mutual acceptance of aeronautical products and parts developed in either country.

A six member team of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently visited the New Delhi head-quarters and completed a technical assessment review of the aircraft certification system of India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in eleven defined areas, which, the DGCA, is reported to have passed with flying colours.

Subsequently, the FAA team carried out review of a shadow certification project where the DGCA carried out actual work as per procedures and standards of the FAA. The project was the development of a 4-seat general aviation life-raft by US aviation vendor Goodrich Corp., at Bangalore (where else, but the hub of aviation manufacturing in India).

After complete evaluation, the DGCA has already awarded an India Technical Standard Order Authorization (ITSOA) to Goodrich.

Consequent to these two actions, the FAA will send a final assessment report to the DGCA and commence the process to exchange documents for signing of an Executive Agreement. This will be the first agreement of its type for the DGCA.

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India passes FAA IASA audit; hopes for Jet Airways United Airlines codeshare improve

A herculean effort mounted by Secretary Civil Aviation Nambiar and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Nasim Zaidi helped India pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program audit of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

During its 2006 audits, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had found several violations of 300 guidelines. Shortage of skilled manpower was the biggest problem.

Earlier this year, the FAA came for an audit and gave India five months before downgrading it, something that would have meant no new flights by Indian airlines to America and strict checks for their planes on US soil.

In this short time Nambiar and Zaidi strengthened the regulatory mechanism by getting almost 600 technical posts sanctioned for effective implementation of much needed rules for safe flying that were also put in place.

Now as a result, Indian carriers like Jet Airways and Air India will be able to able to expand their service in the US through more flights and new access points.

They will also be able to enter into code share agreements with US carriers like the still pending May 2008 one between Jet Airways United Airlines. The delay in FAA approval has even resulted in a diplomatic protest by India.

Its a pity that it took an external threat to goad India's regulators in to much needed action, but due credit to Mr. Nambiar and Mr. Zaidi and their teams. They day belongs to you!!!

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EASA proposes Airworthiness Directive on Airbus A330/A340 Thales pitot probes

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has released a Proposal for an Airworthiness Directive (PAD) requiring all Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft currently equipped with Thales pitot probes should be equipped with Goodrich pitot probes on position 1 (Captain) and 3 (Standby) instead, while pitot probe 2 (first officer) should be upgraded to the enhanced Thales pitot probe type BA or to the Goodrich pitot probe.

The PAD reasons

Occurrences have been reported on A330/340 family aeroplanes of airspeed indication discrepancies while flying at high altitudes in inclement weather conditions. Investigation results indicate that A330/A340 aeroplanes equipped with Thales Avionics pitot probes appear to have a greater susceptibility to adverse environmental conditions than aeroplanes equipped with Goodrich pitot probes.

A new Thales Pitot probe Part Number (P/N) C16195BA has been designed which improves A320 aeroplane airspeed indication behaviour in heavy rain conditions. This same pitot probe standard has been made available as optional installation on A330/A340 aeroplanes, and although this has shown an improvement over the previous P/N C16195AA standard, it has not yet demonstrated the same level of robustness to withstand high-altitude ice crystals as the Goodrich P/N 0851HL probe. At this time, no other pitot probes are approved for installation on the A330/A340 family of aeroplanes.

Airspeed discrepancies may lead in particular to disconnection of the autopilot and/or auto-thrust functions, and reversion to Flight Control Alternate law, which would cause an increase of pilot workload. Depending on the prevailing aeroplane altitude and weather, this condition, if not corrected, could result in reduced control of the aeroplane.

For the reasons described above, this AD is a precautionary measure and requires the removal from service of all Thales Avionics P/N C16195AA pitot probes, the replacement of Thales Avionics P/N C16195BA pitot probes at positions 1 (Captain) and 3 (Stand by) with Goodrich P/N 0851HL probes and the installation at position 2 (First Officer) of a Thales Avionics pitot probe P/N C16195BA. This AD is considered to be an interim measure and further AD action cannot be excluded.

The upgrade is to be accomplished within 4 months after the Airworthiness Directive (AD) becomes effective. EASA is open for consultation on this proposal until September 7 2009.

Readers will observe the Aero-Instruments 0851HL-AI Pitot Probe , recently approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration for use on all Airbus A320/A330/A340 families of aircraft, is not mentioned in the EASA PAD.

Hat tip to Simon Hradecky at AVHerald for the story.

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Video: How to fight laptop computer lithium ion battery fires

In recent years, we have heard about a number fires and subsequent safety recalls on cell phone and laptop batteries most notably of Dell and Apple, but also of Toshiba, Hewlett Packard. Sony, Lenovo/IBM, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Sharp, and Nokia.

On February 7, 2006, about 23:59 eastern standard time (06:59Z), a United Parcel Service
Company (UPS) McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71F, registration N748UP, performing flight 1307, from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, landed at its destination, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Pennsylvania, after a cargo smoke indication in the cockpit. The captain, first officer, and flight engineer evacuated the airplane after landing. The flight crew sustained minor injuries, but the airplane and most of the cargo were destroyed by fire after landing. The probable cause of the fire was suspected to be a load of laptop computers and lithium ion batteries. Download the NTSB report here.

In fighting battery fires, it is key for everyone to recognise the following :

• The typical laptop battery pack contains six or nine Lithium ion cells.
  
• The critical temperature of the cell is about 177 degrees celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
  
• Fires and explosion occur in one cell and then spread to the other cells with the heat of the first causing thermal runaway reactions in the adjacent cells.
  
• It is important to immediately extinguish the fire using either a water or Halon 1211 fire extinguisher, do not use powder or foam extinguishers
  
• It is critical to cool the battery pack down using water, or any non-alcoholic, non-flammable liquid -- soft drinks, soda, juices will suffice which will slow down and eventually stop the thermal runaway reaction.
  
• Do not use ice as this will smother the battery and trap the heat. This will continue to fuel the runaway thermal reaction and cause secondary fires and explosions. This is also why foam and powder extinguishers are a strict no-no.
  
• Do not attempt to pick up and move a smoking or burning device or remove the battery pack from the device!!! There are chances of a secondary explosion and serious bodily injury may result.
  

The US Federal Aviation Administration released a training video along with a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) about fighting laptop battery fires. This FAA training video might help.

You can download the video from the FAA website. Click on the “Training Videos” link on the lower right of the page. I forewarn that the site is painfully slow.

Hat tip to Simon Hradecky at Aviation Herald for the idea.

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Airlines in India face higher penalties for violations as India ratifies ICAO Montreal Convention 1999

Airlines flouting rules relating to safety and passenger comfort will now have to pay higher penalties with new laws coming into effect. The penalties will be imposed on an airlines if it violates safety aspects like airworthiness of the aircraft, security and issues relating to passenger comfort.

The rules raise the penalty limit from Rs 1,000 to up to Rs one million and imprisonment of up to two years instead of a month earlier.

Parliament had last year passed amendments to the 1934 Aircraft Act, which among other things also raised the penalties for violation of various provisions of the law. The legislation took into account liberalisation in the aviation industry and consequent opening up of the domestic air services, the massive growth in passenger traffic and the associated challenges.

While the new rules have been made harsh for the defaulters, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which brought out the new rules, has already created teams comprising its own officials, airport and airline staffers at major airports to look into lapses and violation of safety and security issues.

Part of this new effort is due to the pressures brought on India by both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The other part is due to the fact that India became 91st country to have ratified Montreal Convention 1999 which has been incorporated into the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Act, 2009 in India. On May 1, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) deposited the Instrument of Accession by India to the Convention for Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air done at Montreal on May 28, 1999 with ICAO. The Convention will become effective for India on June 30, 2009

The DGCA will also take steps to encourage self-regulation by airlines. Under the amended law, the DGCA has been granted supervisory control over several matters, including maintaining of standards of Communication, Navigation, Surveillance (CNS), Air Traffic Management (ATM), and operation of foreign registered planes in the Indian skies.

The new law also provides for exercising control over manufacture, possession, use, operation and sale of civil aircraft and also enables licensing of the personnel engaged in air traffic control and cover security aspects of aircraft operations.

Currently in case of death of a passenger, Indian carrier operating to international destinations provide a measly Rs 750,000 (US$ 15,000) as compensation. The new rules will raise this up to US$ 66,500. The hike will be similar in case of compensation for loss, damage or delay in baggage. As per industry experts, the limit of compensation for passenger delay will rise to US$ 2,760 per passenger. For delay, loss or destruction of baggage, the carrier's liability will rise to a limit of US$ 665 per passenger and for cargo to US$ 11.30 per kg from the present Rs 450 per kg.

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World's largest Boeing 777 operator confident in Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine

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On March 12th, I had written about the "urgent" safety recommendations by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the Rolls Royce Trent 800 RB211 engines which are used by many Boeing 777 operators. It is estimated that there are currently about 220 Boeing 777s powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines in operation with 11 airlines around the world.

The list includes Air New Zealand, British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta Airlines, El Al, Emirates, Kenya Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.

Image courtesy Singapore Airlines

I was concerned about the impact on my favourite, Singapore Airlines (SIA), who with 77 aircraft, happens to be the world largest operator of Boeing 777s. The 777 makes up more than 75 per cent of Singapore Airlines' fleet (77 777s out of a fleet of 101 aircraft), and this will only grow as more join their fleet, and the 14 venerable Megatop Boeing 747-400s are retired from service by next year.

SIA has 58 Boeing 777s, that are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines. These are the 31 Boeing 777-200 (Trent 884), 15 777-200ER (Extended Range), and 12 777-300 (both Trent 892) models. 19 are 777-300ER (also called 77W) powered by General Electric GE90-115B engines, and which are used primarily in long haul flights.

I wrote to Stephen Forshaw the spokesperson for Singapore Airlines with my concerns. He has assured me and all passengers of Singapore Airlines of the airline's confidence in the Rolls Royce Trent 800 engines powering their fleet, and the short-term fix addressed by the NTSB, with training and procedures mandated the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) minimise the risk while engine manufacturer Rolls Royce rolls out the re-designed Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger (FOHE) as a longer term and more permanent solution.

He also clarified in depth about the routes that Singapore Airlines flies which are more tropical in nature when compared to the extended polar routes flown by some other airlines.

I posed to him that even Singapore Airlines flights flies polar routes. and "with the -40 Deg and colder temperatures experienced at high altitude the route really does not have an impact on the potential for icing. i.e. whether it is a polar or tropical route."?

Stephen Forshaw explains

You are correct that temperatures can reach -40 or lower at cruise altitude, whether in the tropics or the polar region. That is not really the concern. As you would be aware, jet fuel has a very low freezing point - the variety used for commercial aircraft is Jet A1 and has a freezing point of -47 degrees Celsius. Sometimes, the temperature outside the aircraft will reach below that point, but the fuel tank ambient temperature is always higher than the outside temperature, and this prevents fuel from freezing.

Where icing potentially occurs is where the fuel has prolonged exposure to temperatures outside the aircraft at the more extreme end. [In] the BA [British Airways] case, outside temperatures for much of the polar journey reportedly reached as low as -70 degrees. The concern is the prolonged exposure to excessively low temperatures.

What is meant by my comment on the tropical nature of our operations is that, while the aircraft is on the ground, the ambient temperature very quickly warms up to a point well above zero degrees and will quickly melt any ice particles that may form. The difficulty in the BA case was that the ground temperature in Beijing was still well below zero for the entire time the aircraft was in transit. With a small number of exceptions, our RR [Rolls Royce] powered 777s tend not to operate to points where they are likely to face prolonged exposure to extreme cold conditions, both in cruise and on ground.

It would seem, from the available reports, that there were a set of circumstances that contributed to this accident; not merely that the temperature was low. Low temperatures are nothing new for jet fuel systems; it is the prolonged exposure and lack of understanding at that time of the remedial actions that we know are now necessary that are learning points. These points have all been incorporated into our procedures and pilot training, and our pilots are well aware of the issues.

In response to my query "has any SQ B777 flight experienced an in-flight un-commanded engine roll back ?" He said

We have not experienced any similar incident, and this is possibly because, as I said, our RR-powered 777s tend not to be operating in the prolonged extreme cold conditions that the BA flight experienced. Those of our aircraft operations with prolonged exposure to polar routes are only using the B777-300ER (GE-powered) and A340-500 (RR powered but with a different fuel flow system).

To clarify, the A340-500 series used on the non-stop Singapore Los Angeles and Singapore New York service are powered by the Rolls Royce Trent 553 engines. Having flown these flights right from their inaugural, I can attest to their reliability.


In response to my queries "on the "mood" of the airline about the Boeing 777 powered by the Rolls Royce Trent 800 RB211 engines, the fix that is being planned, and whether the recent developments will have any impact on SQs decisions on the engines for future B777 purchases ?" Stephen replied

The 777 will remain an integral part of our fleet operations for many years to come. It is an exceptionally good aircraft with a high level of reliability and customer appeal. We don't see that changing as a result of this finding, because (a) the fix developed has already been rolled out through training and procedures, and (b) RR is engaged on a longer-term redesign. I want to be clear on your question about 18 months as a time to fly with these "risks"- if there were no other mitigation measures, that would be a concern, but the procedures jointly developed and approved by the FAA and EASA provide a solution in the meantime to minimise the risk while the longer-term R&D work is done by RR.

Stephen Forshaw also confirmed that the recent developments will have no impact on the plans of Singapore Airlines to phase-out of the Boeing 744-400s by early next year.

This issue will not affect our plans to retire the B744s from service - that is a wholly different question and contingent on deliveries of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the A380 and B777-300ER.

It is clear that while the short-term training and procedural fix recommended by the NTSB, FAA and EASA is acceptable for now, it is surely not acceptable for the long term. By then Rolls Royce will have implemented the re-designed FOHE.

Would I fly aboard a Rolls Royce Trent 800 powered Boeing 777 of Singapore Airlines -- ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!

On a side note, with the phase-out of the B744s, Singapore Airlines' long association with US engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney will come to an end, as their entire fleet from the mighty Airbus A380 to the Boeing 777s to the Airbus A330 will be powered by Rolls Royce and General Electric engines. At one point about 10 years ago, Singapore Airlines was PWs largest customer in Asia. Singapore Airlines Cargo though, will continue using the PW4056 powered B744s.

and finally .... Stephen Forshaw is leaving Singapore Airlines for other career prospects. I wish him all success. His successor Nicholas Ionides who takes over as Vice President Public Affairs, with effect from 4 May 2009 is well known in the blogosphere. Mr Ionides, 37, is currently the Singapore-based Managing Editor (Asia) at Reed Business Information, publishers of Flight International and Airline Business Magazines and the Air Transport Intelligence and Flightglobal news websites

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India risks downgrade by US FAA under IASA program

An audit team of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is meeting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Delhi today. The team will check if India is following the international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) under the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program.

During its 2006 audits, ICAO had found several violations of 300 guidelines. Shortage of skilled manpower was the biggest problem, and neither the DGCA, nor its master, the Ministry of Civil Aviation have taken any substantive steps to correct the short-comings. The DGCA reportedly faces a shortfall of 700 adequately qualified staff, one of the pre-requisites to be assessed by the FAA team, and one the FAA has already wanted the DGCA about more than six months ago.

As per reports, in the 2006 ICAO audit, for technical personnel qualification and training, India scored only two out of ten, against a global average of four; for safety oversight functions, India scored four out of ten against the global average of six.

This is going to be a tough time for Naseem Zaidi, India's Director General of Civil Aviation. Failing this assessment will result in a downgrade of India from its Category 1 to a Category 2 status, which will place severe restrictions on Indian carriers operating to the United States; currently Air India and Jet Airways.

Lest India thinks that its special new found friendship with the United States will help, one should look at one of the United States' closest allies, Israel, who was recently downgraded to Category 2.

As per the FAA guidelines

While in Category 2 status, carriers from these countries will be permitted to continue operations at current levels under heightened FAA surveillance. Expansion or changes in services to the United States by such carriers are not permitted while in category 2, although new services will be permitted if operated using aircraft wet-leased from a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. carrier or a foreign air carrier from a category 1 country that is authorized to serve the United States using its own aircraft.

Facing the imminent threat of the downgrade the DGCA is desperately trying to recruit more staff, and preparing a roadmap to separate the tasks of safety inspections and accident investigations from its regulatory functions. It has even finally come to its senses and mooted a proposal for the formation of an independent agency vested with the responsibility of accident investigations.

The question now remains whether (a) Will the mandarins at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, finally come to their senses and give up their powers? and (b) Is it too little, too late. Will the FAA give India more time and accept India's improvement roadmap plan?

I am very doubtful on both.

Read more about the FAA IASA program.

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NTSB issues urgent safety recommendation on Rolls Royce RB211 Trent 800 Boeing 777s

Following two engine thrust rollback events on Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce engines, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent safety recommendation today calling for the redesign of a Rolls- Royce engine component.

The Safety Board also recommended that, after the redesign is completed, the new system be installed on all affected Boeing 777 airplanes at the next maintenance check or within six months.

These recommendations are being issued in response to the findings in two investigations, one accident and one incident, involving engine thrust rollbacks on Boeing 777-200ER airplanes powered by the Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 800 Series engines.

In both cases a build-up of ice (from water normally present in all jet fuel) on the fuel/oil heat exchanger (FOHE) restricted the flow of fuel to the engine, resulting in an un-commanded engine rollback.

The first event, which is still being investigated by the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), occurred on January 17, 2008, when a British Airways Boeing 777 experienced a dual engine rollback on final approach and crashed short of the runway at London's Heathrow International Airport. One passenger was seriously injured, eight passengers and four of the flight crew sustained minor injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged.

The second event occurred on November 26, 2008, when a Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 experienced a single engine rollback during cruise flight over Montana while en route from Shanghai to Atlanta. Normal operations resumed after the flight crew followed Boeing's published procedure to recover engine performance; the airplane landed safely in Atlanta.

Testing in support of the UK accident investigation led Boeing to develop procedures to help prevent ice accumulation, and to recover thrust in cases of ice blockage. As more information from the Delta rollback event was developed, Boeing modified the procedures, which became the basis of an airworthiness directive issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

While the procedures may reduce the risk of a rollback in one or both engines due to FOHE ice blockage, they add complexity to flight crew operations, and the level of risk reduction is not well established. And because the recovery procedure requires a descent, the aircraft may be exposed to other risks such as rising terrain or hazardous weather, or the inability to achieve maximum thrust during a critical phase of flight, such as during a missed approach.

Because of these hazards, the Safety Board has determined that the only acceptable solution to this safety vulnerability is a redesigned FOHE that would eliminate the potential of ice build-up. On February 23, 2009, Rolls-Royce indicated that a redesign of the FOHE was underway, and that they anticipated the redesign to be tested, certified and ready for installation within 12 months.

NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said

"With two of these rollback events occurring within a year, we believe that there is a high probability of something similar happening again," "We are encouraged to see that Rolls-Royce is already working on a redesign, and we are confident that with the FAA and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) overseeing the process, this flight safety issue - even one as complex as this - will be successfully and expeditiously resolved."

The NTSB has made the following two recommendations to both the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency:

• Require that Rolls-Royce redesign the RB211 Trent 800 series engine fuel/oil heat exchanger (FOHE) such that ice accumulation on the face of the FOHE will not restrict fuel flow to the extent that the ability to achieve commanded thrust is reduced.
• Once the fuel/oil heat exchanger (FOHE) is redesigned and approved by certification authorities, require that operators of Boeing 777-200 airplanes powered by Rolls Royce RB211 Trent 800 series engines install the redesigned FOHE at the next scheduled maintenance opportunity or within 6 months after the revised FOHE design has been certificated, whichever comes first.

Download copies of the safety recommendation letter :

• to the Federal Aviation Administration
• European Aviation Safety Agency

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