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FAA Studies Aim To Boost Airliner Wiring Safety

Self-repair technologies and new regulations bloom from FAA-sponsored research
Increased inspections of wire bundles in airliners that resulted in recent flight cancellations are an outgrowth of more than a decade’s worth of FAA research into the safe transmission of electrical power and new technology developments such as self-repairing wire.

This work has led to stricter regulations for airlines to maintain and inspect wires. The FAA offers a variety of technologies that can be used to meet the new obligations. Hardware from the research includes innovative circuit breakers, connectors and wiring bundle clamps and new methods to mitigate potential hazards.

The FAA has designed a set of tools for carriers to assess risks of operating older aircraft. In the aging process, wiring becomes vulnerable to insulation cracking and chafing, which can lead to electrical shorts and a fire hazard. A risk assessment model is available through the William J. Hughes Technical Center near Atlantic City, N.J., where a wiring testbed is offered to airlines without cost.

“No one technology solves all problems,” says Michael Walz, the FAA’s aircraft electrical systems program manager for research and development at the Hughes center. “We’ve done extensive research into how wires fail and the reasons why they fail, and we have gotten beyond that into tough insulation, self-healing wires and repair techniques.”

Mechanic Dies In Engine Accident On Tenerife; Ingested Into A320 Turbofan

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

An aircraft mechanic working on the engine of an Airbus A320 in the Canary Islands died when he was ingested into the turbofan during a run-up exercise Monday night.

News Canarias reports the mechanic, whose name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, died moments after being drawn into the airliner's engine.

The aircraft, operated by Spanish charter carrier LTE International Airways, was about to depart from Tenerife South Airport for Warsaw, Poland when the accident occurred.

The airliner was grounded following the accident, and arrangements were made to transport passengers on another plane. Police are investigating the accident, though foul play is not suspected.

Such incidents, though rare, aren't unprecedented. As ANN reported in January 2006, a contract mechanic for Continental Airlines was ingested into the engine of a Boeing 737 during a run-up test at a gate at El Paso (TX) International Airport.

FMI: LTE International
Aero-News Network

U.S. Labor Department's OSHA cites United Airlines at O'Hare International Airport for numerous workplace safety violations

Federal action proposes $215,500 in penalties
CHICAGO -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $215,500 in fines against United Airlines Inc. in Chicago for alleged multiple serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety standards.

OSHA selected United Airlines for inspection after reviewing occupational injury and illness data, which included ramp services, customer service areas, air freight, aircraft and ground equipment maintenance, building/facility maintenance, business operations, strategic procurement, medical facilities and flight attendant operations. As a result of its inspection, OSHA issued 43 serious violations and four repeat violations.

The serious violations address hazards associated with fall protection, hazardous energy control procedures and training, storage of oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders, platform load ratings and electrical hazards. The four repeat violations, based on citations issued and affirmed in 2006 and 2007, cover machine guarding and electrical issues. Proposed penalties for the repeat violations alone total $57,500.

"Falls, electrical hazards and machine guarding issues, as well as energy lockout/tagout procedures, which are intended to prevent accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance, are problems that should not exist at any worksite," said Diane Turek, director of OSHA's Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines, Ill. "They are problems that can be avoided if an employer is dedicated to protecting employees. Employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful, or face close scrutiny by this agency."

Since 2004, OSHA has inspected United Airlines 22 times at various locations nationwide. United Airlines operations at O'Hare International Airport have been inspected eight times since 2000 with only three of those inspections resulting in citations.

FMI: OSHA

FAA Issues AD for Eclipse 500® Very Light Jet

AD Requires Eclipse 500 Pilot Inspections; Eclipse 500 Fleet Remains Airborne
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — June 13, 2008 — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the Eclipse 500 fleet of aircraft manufactured by Eclipse Aviation. The AD, released late Thursday evening, was issued following an emergency landing performed by an Eclipse 500 pilot on June 5, 2008 at Chicago Midway International Airport. Download 20081351_emergency_ad_eclipse.pdf

The two pilots and two passengers aboard the aircraft were not injured and the aircraft did not sustain any damage. In advance of the premature National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) recommendation and the FAA’s issuance of the AD, Eclipse Aviation issued two communications proactively informing all Eclipse Aviation customers and Eclipse 500 operators of the occurrence in Chicago. As of this morning, all fleet operators using the Eclipse 500 already have complied with the AD inspection requirement, and their aircraft are in the air operating normally.

The AD requires a pilot inspection of the thrust quadrant assembly on each Eclipse 500 in advance of the aircraft’s next flight. Contrary to early erroneous reports, the AD does not require that any plane in the Eclipse 500 fleet be grounded. The required inspection of the thrust quadrant assembly can be performed by any licensed pilot and noted in an aircraft logbook. This inspection can be completed in less than 10 minutes. The isolated occurrence stems from an exceedance of certified design limits and Eclipse has instituted a procedure that deals with this condition.

NTSB ISSUES URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO FAA TO INSPECT ALL ECLIPSE 500 THROTTLE QUADRANTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2008 SB-08-27

Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued two urgent recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration to address a safety issue concerning a failure that resulted in uncontrollable engine thrust in an Eclipse 500 airplane and the lack of emergency procedures developed for that failure.

The Safety Board recommended that the FAA should require immediate inspection of all Eclipse 500 airplane throttle quadrants to ensure that pushing the throttle levers against the maximum power stops will not result in an engine control failure, and that the FAA should further require that all units that fail inspection be replaced and replacement parts be similarly inspected.

The Board also recommended that the FAA require Eclipse to immediately develop for the Eclipse 500 airplane an emergency procedure for a dual engine control failure and incorporate the procedure into the airplane flight manual and quick reference handbook via an airworthiness directive.

ATSB urges review of accident procedures - Hazards of Composites cited

Emergency services need to review procedures for dealing with crashes of aircraft made from the new generation of composites, Australia's national transport safety watchdog has warned.

In a report released on Monday, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said these materials could pose long-term and even fatal health hazards if not handled correctly.

It said fire, ambulance and other emergency services needed to have the correct equipment and their members had to be trained in the proper response methods and be aware of the risks unique to accidents involving aircraft with composite materials.

"It would be timely for first responders to review their aircraft emergency and hazardous material handling guidelines, and training in handling fibre composite debris for a number of reasons," it said.

"Fibre composite materials are heavily used in general aviation and amateur-built aircraft, which are the most common aircraft accidents that state emergency services respond to.

"Fibre composite usage in airliners will continue to increase in the next decade, especially with the introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner."

Maintenance industry needs professional standards

By John Goglia
June 1, 2008
Aviation International News
Training, Maintenance and Modifications

Almost everywhere I go, the subject of mechanics being recognized as professionals filters into the conversation. Often there is a mild tone of bitterness, as people lament the fact that mechanics are somehow not considered professionals. What decides whether a trade or skill is considered a profession? According to one measurement, if a third party pays you for your knowledge and ability you are a professional. If you pass a test administrated by a recognized organization, you are considered a professional. Aircraft mechanics meet both of these standards.

Two types of professional–certified public accountants and registered nurses–operate within a structure similar to that occupied by aircraft mechanics. In both cases, participants must pass a test administered by a government agency after completing the required education. They must also receive recurrent training. Certified public accountants, for example, are required to prove they have undergone 40 hours of training every two years. Most aircraft mechanics receive this amount of training, so I don’t see this as a difficult task to accomplish.

In almost every discussion about this subject, someone points out that the U.S. government classifies an aircraft mechanic as semi-skilled. At one time that was true, but the U.S. government stopped classifying employee groups in the mid-1980s and these classifications are no longer used or maintained.

In about 1996, while I was an NTSB member, I researched these classifications within government in an effort to correct the semi-skilled label assigned to aircraft mechanics. After much effort, I discovered that the “semi-skilled” designation was used within the Department of Commerce. I was told that I was the first person to inquire about these determinations in many years.

FAA willing to improve oversight of manufacturer-supplier relationships

After a scathing review released by a US government watchdog in February, the US FAA concedes that while it does not agree with all the findings, it does admit some changes in its oversight of manufacturer-supplier relationships could be necessary.

The report released by DOT’s inspector general (IG), who examined quality control of domestic and foreign suppliers to US aerospace product manufacturers, indicated three out of five of those manufacturers had no standard procedure to visit their critical suppliers and sub-tier suppliers.

IG’s also concluded that substandard parts entered into the aviation supply chain.

Today during the US/Europe International Aviation Safety Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida an IG representative explained that most of the deficiencies found at 21 supplier facilities examined by the agency were not categorized as “stop production” type issues, rather they centered more on areas such as training.

Still, FAA manager, airworthiness and production division Frank Paskiewicz, one of the agency officials who worked with IG after its assessment, says of the deficiencies uncovered, “I don’t think we can ignore that”, even if they were minor or isolated, he notes.

ICAO members agree to transparency in safety audits

A majority of the member states of ICAO have agreed to full transparency for the results of the organization’s safety review – the universal safety oversight audit program (USOAP).

ICAO director, air navigation bureau Nancy Graham earlier this week at the US/Europe International Aviation Safety Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida explained that 188 of 190 member states have agreed to make their audit results available, with six states so far being identified as having immediate safety concerns.

Graham supplied those statistics in a larger discussion regarding worldwide implementation of safety management systems, which is a standard ICAO is pushing for by 1 January 2009 that requires operators as part of their safety programs to identify safety hazards and remedial actions to maintain a continuous level of safety.

In addition, operators should also continually monitor safety levels and have regular assessments of safety levels achieved. ICAO is continuing its efforts to aid member states in SMS training. Graham says by yearned two fully trained SMS instructors should be in place at each IACO regional office.

Singapore started its SMS process about three-to-four years ago, said Wong Chew Wah of the country’s civil aviation authority. Wah explained one of the main elements in implementing SMS in Singapore is identifying hazards based on human and organizational practice.

FMI: FlightGlobal