With a British Airways B777 starting on fire to Aero Contractors using a ladder to de-board a plane, it's been an eventful couple of weeks. Watch the video, it's not funny. Okay, yes it is.
Moving on down, we've been hit with a lot of ADs in December. We included the most significant ones in the aircraft maintenance section.
Enjoy!
Never Forget Your: Components
Fire-damaged BA 777 to be repaired
"British Airways is to repair and return to service the Boeing 777-200ER badly damaged during an engine fire in Las Vegas. The aircraft is to undergo repairs at McCarran airport following the 8 September fire in the left-hand General Electric GE90 powerplant."
Routine Manual Deviations Can Have Major Safety Consequences
"The just-released accident report on the Airbus A319 that lost both doors on one engine’s fan cowl on takeoff from London Heathrow Airport in May 2013 is a must-read for anyone involved in aviation safety, whether at a major airline or manufacturer, at an air taxi or just flying or maintaining GA aircraft."
Never Forget Your: Experts
"Have you ever tried juggling multiple things at once? You secretly whisper yes while you think of the dreadful memories. The good news is you're not alone. I worked with an aircraft maintenance customer who seemed to be living large under the umbrella of a large commercial airline."
"As 2015 is coming to an end, 2016 is shaping up to be a year of big announcements and changes in the aviation and airline businesses. To predict just what these will be, our contributors, industry experts, analysts and staff have assembled their own educated guesses about the forthcoming year."
Never Forget Your: Tips, tricks & trends
"Nigeria’s government says it has launched an investigation after a few dozen passengers used a builder’s ladder instead of airstairs to exit a chartered plane – putting them ‘at high risk’ of serious injury."
Airbus And Qatar Airways Debut A Carbon Fiber Plane That Curbs Jet Lag
"From labyrinthine security checkpoints to cramped seats and scant overhead storage space, air travel ranks among the most grueling experiences out there (unless you're one of the rarefied few who spring for first class). With its A350 XWB jet, Airbus integrates the latest design and engineering tricks to quell many of the headaches for flyers, carriers, and pilots. Chief among them? Jet lag."
Dazzling new airplane patent offers seats on top of aircraft
"At last, a new airplane seating patent that doesn't try to squeeze more humans into a smaller space."
Never Forget Your: Aircraft Maintenance
B767 Series Airworthiness Directive 2014-NM-196-AD
"We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 767-200, -300, and -300F series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a finding that certain barrel nuts installed at the vertical fin may be subject to stress corrosion and cracking. This AD requires either repetitive inspections of vertical fin barrel nuts for corrosion or a magnetic check to identify certain barrel nuts, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct corroded and loose barrel nuts that attach the vertical fin to body section 48; this condition could result in reduced structural integrity of the vertical fin attachment joint, loss of the vertical fin, and consequent loss of controllability of the airplane."
Estimated cost = $482,661 per inspection cycle
A300 Series Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2010-06-04
"We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2010-06-04, for certain Airbus Model A300 B2-1C, B2-203, B2K-3C, B4-103, B4-203, B4-2C airplanes; Model A310 series airplanes; Model A300 B4-600 series airplanes; and Model A300 B4-600R series airplanes. AD 2010-06-04 required repetitive inspections to detect cracks of the pylon side panels (upper section) at rib 8; and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD continues to require repetitive inspections for cracking of the pylons 1 and 2 side panels (upper section) at rib 8 with reduced compliance times, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also requires repetitive post-repair and post-modification inspections and repair if necessary. This AD also removes certain airplanes having a certain modification from the applicability. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks found on pylon side panels at rib 8 and a fleet survey and updated fatigue and damage tolerance analyses. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of pylon side panels (upper section) at rib 8, which could lead to reduced structural integrity of the pylon primary structure, which could cause detachment of the engine from the fuselage"
Estimated cost = $2,300 - $8,840 per inspection cycle
CRJ Series Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-NM-044-AD
"We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-2A12 (CL-601) and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, and CL-604 Variants) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of an aft equipment bay fire due to chafing and subsequent arcing of the integrated drive generator (IDG) power cables. Additionally, we have received several reports of broken support brackets of the hydraulic line. This AD requires a one-time inspection of the IDG power cables for chafing, and for any cracked or broken support bracket of the hydraulic line; and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct broken support brackets of the hydraulic lines, which could result in inadequate clearance between the IDG power cables and hydraulic lines and chafing of the IDG power cables, and consequent high energy arcing and an uncontrolled fire in the aft equipment bay."
B747 Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2013-23-03
"We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2013-23-03, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, and 747SR series airplanes. AD 2013-23-03 required a detailed inspection of certain attach fittings for a cylindrical defect, and replacement if necessary. For certain airplanes, this new AD requires new inspections of the inboard actuator attach fittings for machining defects, and overhaul or replacement if necessary. This new AD also limits the compliance time for doing the replacement for certain other airplanes. This AD was prompted by a
report that a machining defect was also found on some of the actuator assemblies inspected during manufacture. This defect could lead to fatigue cracking and subsequent fracture. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct defective inboard actuator attach fittings which, combined with loss of the outboard actuator load path, could result in uncontrolled retraction of the outboard flap, damage to flight control systems, and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane."
Estimated cost = $600 - $15,000 per inspection cycle
B747 Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2011-NM-163-AD
"We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 757-200, 757-200CB, and 757-200PF airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that a forward-most cam latch of the forward center cam latch pair on a main cargo door (MCD) broke during flight. This AD requires doing a general visual inspection for broken or missing cam latches, latch pins, and latch pin cross bolts; torqueing the cross bolts in the latch pins; measuring the extension of the latch pins; replacing all alloy steel cross bolts through the latch pins with corrosion resistant steel (CRES) cross bolts; doing a general visual inspection of all cam latches for lip deformation; doing an inspection of cam latch 1 and cam latch 2 for cracks and replacing all cracked or broken parts; checking the rig of the MCD and re-rigging as applicable; and doing related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary. This AD also requires doing certain repetitive
inspections until MCD rigging is done. This AD also requires repetitive MCD post-rigging inspections and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct discrepancies of the cam latches, latch pins, and latch pin cross bolts, which could reduce the structural integrity of the MCD, and result in potential loss of the cargo door and rapid."
Estimated cost = $300 - $4,500 per inspection cycle