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NTSB reports severe fire damage to 787’s APU battery

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began its investigation into the Japan Airlines Boeing 787 fire that occurred Monday in Boston. Meanwhile, another Japan Airlines 787 had to return to the gate at Boston Logan Airport on Tuesday after taxiing for takeoff owing to a fuel leak, according to multiple media reports and statements made by the Massachusetts Port Authority. Regarding the fire, NTSB said in an initial statement on its investigation that the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU) battery “had severe fire damage.” The fire is believed to have erupted in the APU battery, Massachusetts Port Authority officials said.
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Two Boeing 787 Incidents Raise Concerns

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner suffered its second mishap in two days at the same airport with the same airline, extending a series of problems that have dogged the jet for more than a month and notched up concern about the plane. A fuel leak on Tuesday forced a 787 operated by Japan Airlines to cancel takeoff at Boston's Logan Airport. On Monday, an electrical fire erupted in a different 787 also operated by Japan Airlines at the Boston airport. No passengers or crew were injured, but both incidents brought out firefighters, and the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday bulked up the team investigating the fire.
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United Finds Wiring Problem On 787: Paper

United Airlines has found a wiring problem on one of its Boeing 787 jets, an issue that affects the same system that caused a fire aboard a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a source. The airline found improperly installed wiring in electrical components associated with the auxiliary power unit, the Journal reported. United examined the components after the fire on Monday, which took the Japan Airlines jet out of service.
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CAAC delays 787 certification in China
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has not yet cleared the Boeing 787 to fly in China because of safety concerns and delivery delays. Chinese carriers have ordered 41 787s, comprising 15 for Air China, 10 for China Southern Airlines, 10 for Hainan Airlines and six for Xiamen Airlines. Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines is expected to become the first Chinese carrier to take delivery of the 787, which was originally scheduled to be delivered last year. It plans to operate the aircraft on international routes to Europe and the US. Three 787s are off the final assembly line and are waiting for the airworthiness certification from CAAC.
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P&W eclipses GE's once-dominant lead in 70-120-seat segment
With its landmark selection by Embraer to power the second-generation E-Jet, Pratt & Whitney has nearly eliminated General Electric's once dominant position as a propulsion supplier in the large regional jet segment. P&W will supply the PW1700G geared turbofan for the 76-seat E-175 and the PW1900G for the 90-120 seat E-190/E-195 family, with deliveries starting in late 2015, says Bob Saia, P&W vice president for the next-generation production family.
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Embraer to revamp E-Jet with geared turbofans, new wings, fly-by-wire

Embraer has decided to switch engine suppliers, design two new sets of wings and integrate a closed-loop fly-by-wire system as it moves closer to launching a "second-generation" E-Jet later this year. In a coup for engine maker Pratt & Whitney, the next version of the E-170 and E-190 family will be powered by the PW1700G and PW1900G geared turbofans, respectively, replacing General Electric CF34s on first-generation E-Jets, says Paolo Cesar Silva, president of Embraer commercial aviation. GE lost a bid to re-engine the E-Jet with the NG34, a turbofan derived from the same core as the larger CFM International Leap-X.
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Craig Kreeger named Virgin Atlantic’s new CEO

Virgin Atlantic Airways has confirmed the appointment of Craig Kreeger as its new chief executive, replacing outgoing CEO Steve Ridgway. Kreeger will join Sir Richard Branson's airline on 1 February after a 27-year career at American Airlines, which included several senior vice-president roles. His immediate priorities will centre on the implementation of Virgin's joint venture with Delta Air Lines, as well as rolling out its new domestic services at London Heathrow airport.
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Raisbeck and Hartzell develop new swept turbofan propeller
Raisbeck Engineering and Hartzell Propeller have developed a new swept turbofan propeller for the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200/B200/B200GT following three years of development. Deliveries of the new prop - touted by its designers as the first business aviation turbine propeller that uses practical swept-wing theory as an integral part of its design - are scheduled to begin on 1 March.
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Iran Warns Airlines: Pay Debt Or Face Grounding

Airlines in Iran have seven days to repay more than USD$200 million in debts they owe to the oil ministry for fuel or face being grounded, a senior official was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Several airlines have amassed large debts due to the pressure of successive fuel price increases and the loss of access to government-subsidized foreign currency exchange rates which has resulted in a sharp rise in spare parts costs. The demand for payment comes amid continued economic pressure from sanctions over Iran's disputed nuclear program which has more than halved its revenue from crude oil sales.
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Russia’s UTair, Transaero ink agreement with Moscow Vnukovo Airport

Russia’s Transaero Airlines and UTair Aviation have signed a multilateral agreement with Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport to establish interline connections and through rates. The agreement will allow passengers to transfer between UTair’s domestic and Transaero’s international flights. Approximately 87% of UTair’s network is domestic. Transaero began cooperating with Vnukovo in 2012. During the year, it transferred several flights from its base at Moscow Domodedovo Airport to Vnukovo and launched service to new destinations.
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USAF to field F-22 life support mods this January

The US Air Force expects to start fielding life support systems modifications for its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air superiority fighters this January. "UPG [upper pressure garment] valves are being shipped now, and the vests will be modified locally," says the USAF's Air Combat Command (ACC). "We expect units will start flying with the modified vests later this month, which alleviates the current restriction that has them flying without the vests at altitudes below 44,000 feet unless otherwise directed."
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Israeli air force to host major multinational exercise
The Israeli air force is planning to stage its largest ever multinational exercise, with at least five foreign air forces due to participate. To be mounted from Uvda air base, the manoeuvres are expected to involve "dozens" of different types of combat aircraft, local sources says. In recent years, the Israeli air force has trained in several different countries in Europe, but this will be the first time that full squadrons from foreign nations will go to Israel to perform such a major exercise.
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AA boosts amenities on international first- and business-class flights

American Airlines has rolled out upgrades on its services for first- and business-class passengers on international flights. Fliers will see new amenity kits and have more options for meals and snacks, and meals will be accompanied by finer tableware and cutlery.
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Other News

Air Malta is facing an industrial dispute with its pilots, represented by the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), over the company’s new training facilities. ALPA, which registered the dispute soon after Air Malta inaugurated its new head office in the SkyParks Business Center, claims “the new training facilities situated in Air Malta’s new offices are not up to standard.”

NovoAir is scheduled to launch domestic service Jan. 9 in Bangladesh, with two pre-owned Embraer ERJ-145s. They will be used on scheduled passenger flights on domestic routes between Dhaka and Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Jessore and Sylhet, according to NovoAir’s Facebook page. Embraer said the airline may expand its network to include select regional and international routes from the second year of operations.

Air France has unveiled the latest stage in its Transform 2015 program as it seeks to counter increasing competition. Its “New Economy Offer,” branded as MiNi, will make a new package available to 58 destinations on its short- and medium-haul network. The move comes after a series of moves designed to cut costs and improve the French flag-carrier’s product. Like many European legacy carriers, Air France is under pressure from fast-growing Gulf airlines on long-haul services, while low-cost carriers are increasingly eating into the short-haul European market. As part of the cost-cutting initiative, Air France has pledged several hundred million euros to revamp its first- and business-class long-haul cabins, an initiative to move its medium-haul product up-market and the merging of three regional subsidiaries into a single entity, details of which are due later this month.

Air India has taken delivery of its sixth Boeing 787. The airline has 27 of the planes on order, each with 18 business and 238 economy seats. Delivery of the aircraft, manufactured at Boeing’s South Carolina facility, was delayed because it was the same type that had encountered an engine failure during pre-flight taxi checks in July, airline sources said in Mumbai. The airline has been testing the aircraft following the incident. Air India has reported a marked improved operational performance in the past six months, though it is not yet profitable. Its market share on domestic routes has gradually increased and it is now the third largest carrier in India, with a 20.7% market share in November. Low-cost carrier IndiGo, with a 27.3% share, and the Jet Airways group, with 25.2%, lead the market.

The US FAA is proposing a $275,000 civil penalty against Memphis-Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines. The regulator has alleged Pinnacle operated a Bombardier CRJ on 11 flights after Pinnacle mechanics “failed to follow instructions in the approved aircraft maintenance manual when they removed and replaced the aircraft’s right engine. Specifically, they did not install a required part.” The FAA said the 11 flights took place on Oct. 25, 26 and 27, 2010. “Because Pinnacle is under reorganization in Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code, the notice of proposed civil penalty is not a demand for payment. The FAA filed the document as part of its proof of claim in the case,” it said.

Air Baltic will launch Riga service to Larnaca (weekly, April 6, Boeing 737), Rijeka (weekly, June 6, 737-300), Olbia (2X-weekly, May 4, 737-300) and Malta (weekly, May 11, 737-300).

Air Berlin will launch a daily Berlin-Madrid Boeing 737-800 service Feb. 25.

Transavia France will launch service from Lyon to Marrakech (2X-weekly), Oujda (weekly), Monastir (2X-weekly), Tunis (3X-weekly) and Seville (weekly) April 20.

American Airlines plans to operate Dallas Fort Worth-Bogota service beginning in late 2013 as well as Miami service to Curitiba and Porto Alegre in late 2013.

Aviation Quote

Standard checklist philosophy requires that pilots read to each other the actions they perform every flight, and recite from memory those they need every three years.

Anonymous

On This Date

---In 1793... Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard in Philadelphia makes the first manned free balloon ascent in America in a hydrogen balloon.

---In 1839…South African Thomas Henderson first measures the distance to a star (Alpha Centauri) other than the Sun.

---In 1923... The first flight of a practical gyroplane or rotocraft is made by Juan de la Cierva’s C-3 Autogiro, which is flown by Spenser Gomes in Madrid, Spain.

---In 1941…The first flight of the Avro Lancaster.

---In 1943…First flight of the Lockheed Constellation prototype NX67900.

---In 1955…The Vickers Valiant enters operational service with No. 138 Squadron RAF.

---In 1958…In his state-of-the-Union message, President Eisenhower reported: "In recognition of the need for single control in some of our most advanced development projects, the Secretary of Defense has already decided to concentrate into one organization all antimissile and satellite technology undertaken within the Department of Defense."

---In 1962…First flight of the Hawker Siddeley Trident.

---In 1963…First flight of the Yakovlev Yak-36.

---In 1975…Golden West Airlines Flight 261, a De Havilland Twin Otter DHC-6 (registered N6383) collides in mid-air with a Cessna 150 (N11421) over Whittier, California, killing a total of 26 people between the two aircraft. It is suspected that the pilot of the Twin Otter was blinded by the late, low sun.

---In 1997…Comair Flight 3272 crashes 18 miles away from its destination of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (registered N265CA) experienced ice on the wings, which sent the aircraft into an uncontrolled dive, killing all 29 on-board.

---In 1986…the UK Defense Secretary, Michael Heseltine, resigns amidst a political furor over the future of Westland Helicopters. Two weeks later, Leon Brittan, the Trade and Industry Secretary, will also resign.

---In 1990…64th U.S. manned space mission STS 32 (Columbia 10) launches into orbit.

---In 2007…An AerianTur-M Antonov An-26 (ER-26068) operating into Balad Air Base in Iraq crashes a mile and a half short of the runway, with one survivor among the 35 people aboard. Though visibility was poor and it was already their second landing attempt, some eyewitnesses report seeing the aircraft being shot down by a missile.

---In 2011…Iran Air Flight 277, crashes while performing a go-around at Urmia Airport killing 77 of the 106 people aboard, and injuring 26 people. A total of 28 people survived. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 727-286Adv.

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Humor

ATC

Pilot: Good morning, Frankfurt ground, KLM 242 request start up and push back, please.

Tower: KLM 242 expect start up in two hours.

Pilot: Please confirm: two hours delay?

Tower: Affirmative.

Pilot: In that case, cancel the good morning!

Trivia

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