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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 0729.PDF
FAA seeks clarification on NTSB 737 rudder recommendations RAMON LOPEZ/WASHINGTON DC T HE US National Trans portation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that the US Federal Aviation Admini stration require all Boeing 737s to have a "reliably redundant" rudder system, following its investigation of the September 1994 fatal crash of a US Airways Boeing 737-300 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The US Airways crash occurred because of an uncommanded rud der hard-over that was "most like ly" caused by a jam of the main rudder power control unit (PCU) servo valve secondary slide, according to the NTSB. The NTSB says the same rudder failure was the probable cause of the March 1991 crash of a United Airlines 737-200 near Colorado Springs and the June 1996 yaw/roll incident involving an Eastwind Airlines 737-200 on approach to Richmond, Virginia. FAA and Boeing officials say changes ordered since 1997, including a PCU redesign, yaw damper modifications, the addi tion of a rudder limiter and improved flightcrew training, have eliminated the problem. The NTSB, however, says the dual, concentric servo valve on 737s is not reliably redundant and that the system design enhance ments ordered by the EAA do not go far enough. Tom McSweeny, the EAAs asso ciate administrator for regulation and certification, says he needs to talk to the NTSB to establish what it means by the term "reliably redundant". McSweeny asks: "Do they mean two independent power control units? If so, then we must decide whether we agree and how we will go down that path." The NTSB also recommends the creation of a government and industry engineering test group to continue research on the rudder safety issue. Charles Higgins, Boeing's vice- president for airplane safety and airworthiness, says: "What we've done to date takes care of all the problems we know about. "We welcome an independent look at the rudder system. If they make recommendations that improve it, we will be happy to con sider them." • Eurocontrol pushes users on 8.33kHz EMMA KELLY/PALMA E UROCONTROL IS stress ing that no further delay is possible in the implementation of 8.33 kHz channel-spacing in Euro pean airspace, despite concerns over the low level of equipment installation by operators. The introduction of 8.33kHz channel-spacing, which will free additional radio frequencies to meet increasing air traffic manage ment demands, is scheduled for 7 October, 1999. Only aircraft carrying radio equipment meeting the 8.33kHz channel-spacing requirement will be permitted to operate above flight level 245 in the International Civil Aviation Organisation European region. Non-equipped aircraft will not be permitted above this level. Implementation was originally planned for 1 January, 1998, but then moved to 1 January, 1999. The October deadline was set last year when it became clear that air lines were moving slowly in equip ping their aircraft. Any further delay would threaten the ability of air traffic service providers to increase capacity and ease die flight delay problem in European air space, says Eurocontrol. "We will not postpone imple mentation again," Christophe Hamel, Eurocontrol's 8.33kHz programme manager told airlines at the AlliedSignal Solutions to European Airspace Mandates Workshop in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 2 3-24 March. Eurocontrol is closely monitor ing the speed at which airlines are equipping. Late in February, responses from carriers indicated that 43.1% of operators had installed the necessary equipment. Eurocontrol is expecting "a rapid increase" as the October deadline approaches and believes that air transport operators will meet the date. The general aviation commu nity, however, remains a "big prob lem", Hamel concedes. Despite Eurocontrol's assur ances that no further delay is possi ble, airlines attending the workshop expressed doubts that the October deadline will remain. More than 95% of airspace users must be equipped before 8.33kHZ channel spacing can be implement ed. A number of operators predict a further delay could be announced just weeks before the October deadline. European airspace is suffering the effects from this year's deadline slippage, says Hamel. Switzerland has been hardest hit, with no air traffic capacity increase likely this year, resulting in an "inevitable growth" in delays. France was forced to introduce a revised and less effective new sectorisation at the end of February, because of the delay in moving to 8.3 3 kHz. The 8.33 kHz implementation is a major component, along with the mandatory carriage of airborne collision avoidance systems (ACAS II), Mode S transponders and reduced vertical separation mini ma implementation, of Euro- control's European Air Traffic Management Programme (EATMP). The EATMP is aimed at improving safety, capacity and efficiency of operations in European airspace. J Ghana is growing in southern Africa SAA widens alliance with Ghana Airways SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS and Ghana Airways are to extend their codeshare ties into a wider long-term commercial alliance. Signing the memorandum of understanding on the deal in Johannesburg, SAA chief executive Coleman Andrews said Ghana Airways will become a key partner in the South African airline's net working plans in Africa. The air lines intend to operate daily or near daily services between most west ern African and southern African destinations, by operating jointly through each others' hubs in Accra and Johannesburg. SAA has suspended flights to Dakar, in favour of codeshares with Ghana Airways via Accra. The plan is to link western and eastern African services, offer faster con nections between western, eastern and southern Africa to the USA, and improve Africa's access to South America and Asia. Ghana Airways chief executive Emmanuel L Quartey Jnr says the alliance will allow the carrier to fur ther develop its western African network and connect it to more services to the USA. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 31 March - 6 April 1999 9
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