-
AAIB issues report on landing difficulties due to runway friction problems at Br
08 JAN 2009
The AAIB released the final report on their investigation of several incidents at Bristol International Airport.
Resurfacing and re-profiling work was taking place on parts of the runway at BIA as part of a major project to resurface the manoeuvring area pavements, and sections of the runway surface were ungrooved ‘base course’ asphalt. From 14 November 2006, there were reports from flight crew of a variety of problems related to the friction characteristics of the temporary runway surface, though no serious incidents occurred until 29 December 2006. On that day, the flight crew of G-XLAC (a Boeing 737-81Q) experienced poor stopping performance during landing. Later that day, the flight crew of G-BWDA (an ATR-72-202) experienced stopping and lateral control difficulties during landing, and the aircraft departed the runway surface and came to rest on the grass area at the side of the runway. Later still, the flight crew of G-EMBO (an EMB-145EU) experienced lateral control difficulties during landing, and the aircraft partially left and then regained the runway. On 3 January 2007, another flight crew, also operating G-XLAC, experienced poor stopping performance. The airport was subsequently closed whilst grooves were cut in the base course. After it re-opened there were no further incidents.
The investigation identified the following causal factors:
1. Reduced friction on the wet ungrooved base course sections of the runway caused flight crews to experience reduced braking action and reduced lateral controllability on landing in strong crosswinds;
2. The Flight Operations Department Communication (FODCOM) advice published by the CAA regarding operations on runways notified ‘slippery when wet’, in wet conditions, was not communicated by operators to flight crews;
3. The passing, by ATC, of braking action reports based on Mu-meter friction assessments, gave flight crews a false confidence in the braking action available on the wet runway.
The investigation identified the following contributory factor:
1. G-BWDA landed in a crosswind outside the operator’s published limits and the subsequent use of reverse thrust was contrary to the advice contained in the company’s Operations Manual.
The AAIB has made five Safety Recommendations. (AAIB)
-
BEA: icing cause of Fokker 100 crash at Pau, 2007
01 JAN 2009
The French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) released the final report on their investigation into the accident involving a Fokker 100 at Pau Airport, Jan. 25, 2007. The airplane overshot the runway after an aborted takeoff. It struck a vehicle, killing the driver. All on board the F100 survived. The investigators concluded that the accident was caused by a loss of control caused by the presence of ice contamination of the surface of the wings associated with insufficient consideration of the weather during the stopover, and by the rapid rotation pitch, a reflex reaction to a flight of birds. (BEA)
-
AAC El Salvador releases preliminary report on A320 runway excursion
29 DEC 2008
The Autoridad de Aviación Civil of El Salvador released a preliminary report of their investigation into the runway excursion involving a TACA Airbus A320 at Tegucigalpa Airport, Honduras. The airplane landed with a tailwind on a wet runway, touching down 400m from the displaced threshold, leaving 1249 m of runway available. The A320 overran and went down an embankment. The landing performance analysis confirms that the landing performances are consistent with runway condition and crew actions. (AAC El Salvador)
-
FAA changes Israel’s aviation safety rating to Category 2
20 DEC 2008
The U.S. FAA changed Israel’s aviation safety standard rating to Category 2 following an assessment made last July of the country’s civil aviation authority. The rating is not related to security issues.
With a Category 2 rating given by the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, Israeli air carriers will not be allowed to establish new service to the United States. The civil aviation authority of Israel is addressing the items identified, including working with the FAA on an aggressive action plan to correct all areas of concern so that their safety oversight system fully complies with standards and practices set by the ICAO. (FAA)
-
Indonesia passes new aviation safety bill
18 DEC 2008
Indonesia's parliament passed an amendment to the 1992 law on aviation to improve air safety, meeting some of the demands of the European Commission which banned Indonesian carriers from its airspace.
Under the new law, Indonesia must set up an independent national commission that will report to the President and carry out investigations into aviation accidents.
At least 18 findings of a recent ICAO audit have been answered in this bill, according yo Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal. (ABC News, The Jakarta Post )
-
NTSB issues safety alert on operating aircraft in icing conditions
18 DEC 2008
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a Safety Alert titled "Activate Leading-Edge Deice Boots As Soon As Airplanes Enter Icing Conditions."
The Safety Alert reminds pilots that
* noting that as little as 1/4 inch of ice can be deadly;
* as little as 1/4 inch of leading edge ice can increase the stall speed 25 to 40 knots; and
* early activation of the deice boots limits the effects of leading-edge ice and improves the operating safety margin.
The Safety Alert states that leading-edge deice boots should be activated as soon as icing is encountered, unless the aircraft flight manual or the pilot's operating handbook specifically directs not to activate them. (NTSB)
-
Tanzania CAA suspends Air Tanzania´s AOC over safety issues
17 DEC 2008
Tanzanian Civic Aviation Authority (TCAA) suspended Air Tanzania´s AOC after an IATA IOSA audit revealed more than 500 operational gaps. It was a "precautionary but very necessary action to avoid the possibility of the airline compromising flight safety," according to the TCAA (News24, TCAA)
-
Brazil concludes investigation into B737 - Legacy midair collision
11 DEC 2008
The Brazilian Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos (CENIPA) released their report of the investigation into the mid-air collision between a GOL B737-800 and an Embraer Legacy jet in September 2006. The 737 crashed, killing all 154 on board.
The CENIPA report describes the causal factors in detail. Conslusions were drawn pertaining to the flight crew of the Legacy jet and the air traffic controllers.
The report -amongst others- states the following active failures of the Legacy crew: "lack of an adequate planning of the flight, and insufficient knowledge of the flight plan prepared by the Embraer operator; non-execution of a briefing prior to departure; unintentional change of the transponder setting, failure in prioritizing attention; failure in perceiving that the transponder was not transmitting; delay in recognizing the problem of communication with the air traffic control unit; and non-compliance with the procedures prescribed for communications failure.
On the part of air traffic control the report a.o. states that "By failing to perform the prescribed procedures for the loss of Transponder and radar contact, as well as for communications failure, the ATCO ... allowed N600XL to maintain the incorrect flight level (FL370)... Deviations from the procedures regarding the prescribed phraseology were observed, in various situations of the air traffic control activity and in the various control units involved in the accident."
Commenting the CENIPA report, the NTSB proposes the following probable cause: "The evidence collected during this investigation strongly supports the conclusion that this accident was caused by N600XL and GLO1907 following ATC clearances which directed them to operate in opposite directions on the same airway at the same altitude resulting in a midair collision.
The loss of effective air traffic control was not the result of a single error, but of a combination of numerous individual and institutional ATC factors, which reflected systemic shortcomings in emphasis on positive air traffic control concepts.
Contributing to this accident was the undetected loss of functionality of the airborne collision avoidance system technology as a result of the inadvertent inactivation of the transponder on board N600XL. Further contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between ATC and the N600XL flight crew." (CENIPA)
-
French BEA releases final report on A340 engine test accident at Toulouse
09 DEC 2008
The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses published the final report of their investigation into the Airbus A340-600 accident at Toulouse Airport in November 2007. A ground crew was conducting pre-delivery engine and brake tests when the airplane ran into a concrete containment wall.
The accident was occurred because the tests were carried out without chocks and the engine power reached the limits of the parking brake.
When the aircraft moved forward the engineer was caught by surprise and he focused on the braking system instead of reducing engine thrust. (BEA)
-
FAA amends Boeing 737 DFDR parameter regulations
04 DEC 2008
The FAA issued a final rule, amending the regulations governing flight data recorders to increase the number of digital flight data recorder parameters for all Boeing 737 series airplanes manufactured after August 18, 2000.
This change is based on safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board following its investigations of two accidents and several incidents involving 737s. The rule also adopts a prohibition on
deviations from flight recorder requirements for all airplanes operated under part 125. (FAA)
-
BEA: jet blast factor in failure of Moorea Twin Otter elevator control cable
04 DEC 2008
The French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses published the final report of their investigation into the Air Moorea DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 accident near Moorea, French Polynesia in August 2007. The airplane crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff because of a loss of airplane pitch control following the failure of the elevator pitch-up control cable at the time the flaps were retracted. BEA concluded that the cable was already worn when several strains ruptured, probably as a result of jet blast on the ground. The last strains failed on takeoff from Moorea when the elevator was used. (BEA)
-
Police inquiry: Officials blamed for Brazil crash
20 NOV 2008
The Brazilian Policia Civil charged 10 people for their role in the accident of a TAM Airbus A320 at Sao Paulo, which killed 199 people last year.
Those criminally charged include the former head of the national aviation authority (ANAC) as well as officials at TAM and at the airport authority Infraero. They are all accused of violating national aviation security and could face prison terms of up to 6 years. (Reuters)
-
FAA issues emergency AD on Boeing 737 fuel pump wiring
19 NOV 2008
The FAA issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) to certain owners and operators of Boeing 737-600,-700,-700C,-800, and -900 series airplanes.
Information indicates that, when the flightcrew manually turns off the center wing tank (CWT) pump switches, that action turns off the right-hand pump, but re-energizes the left-hand pump due to incorrect wiring. The low-pressure lights turn off, incorrectly indicating to the flightcrew that power to both pumps has been removed. The failure condition results in continual running of the left-hand fuel pump without indication to the flightcrew, which could lead to localized
overheating of parts inside the fuel pump, and which could produce an ignition source inside the fuel tank.
The FAA requires the operators of aircraft effected to carry out a wiring test as specified in the AD. (FAA)
-
Fast Air surrenders AOC during Transport Canada investigation
19 NOV 2008
Winnipeg-based Fast Air voluntarily surrendered its air operator certificate. Although Transport Canada had already been conducting an investigation into the airline before the surrender -- and still is -- Fast Air has not been charged with violating any regulations. (Winnipeg Sun)
|
