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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 0014.PDF
fJiAttZPUjiT No failures revealed on 767, says NTSB RAMON LOPEZ/WASHINGTON DC ANALYSIS of sounds on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the crashed EgyptAir flight 990 has yielded no evidence of an explo sion or mechanical failure, says the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators are unable to pro vide an explanation for what appears to have been a pilot- induced steep descent in the early stages of the accident. Egyptian officials suggest that an explosion caused the Boeing 767 to crash into the Atlantic (Flight International, 24-30 November, PI 6). The NTSB continues to lead the investigation, saying that more evi dence is needed before deciding whether this is a criminal matter. If it were, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation would take over lead ership, with the NTSB continuing its technical investigation. NTSB chairman Jim Hall says routine air traffic control (ATC) communications are heard throughout the 32min recording. "At no time did a member of the flightcrew... advise ATC of either an emergency or a mechanical fail ure or concern," says Hall. Hall says the final flight data recorder (FDR) data has been fed into a Boeing 767 simulator to re run the critical part of the flight, allowing investigators to see the control deflections and flight dis play readouts that the crew are like ly to have seen. The FDR does not record the flight instrument dis plays, so the assumption is made that they would reflect precisely what die aircraft did. Because the simulator's con struction does not allow a demon stration of the 7° split elevator con dition shown on the EgyptAir FDR (port deflected up, starboard deflected down), diis was tried in a Boeing 767 on the ground. Hall says CVR transcripts in English and Arabic have been pro duced, but adds: "Furdier refine ments are possible before they are considered complete." Responding to concerns over speculation over what CVR details have revealed, Hall says: "The public would be better served by waiting for the release of the transcript in conjunc tion with other factual reports." • Irish lessor Pembroke confirms its deal to boost 717 orders PEMBROKE has placed orders for 15 more Boeing 717-200s and taken a further 15 options, rais ing its total commitment for the 100-seater to 50 aircraft, of which half are firm orders. The Irish lessor's plans for the follow-on order have been revealed exclusively by Flight International in September (1-7 September, P6). Dublin-based Pembroke is 50% owned by Rolls-Royce, parent of the 717's exclusive engine supplier, R-R Deutschland. The lessor will take delivery of its latest batch of BR715-powered twinjets between August 2000 and the third quarter of2003. The Pembroke deal takes the 717 orderbook to 130 aircraft on firm order, plus 130 options, says Boeing. Deliveries of the 100-seater stand at six aircraft, all of which are with launch customer AirTran Airways. Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group president Alan Mulallv says the 717 is "17,0001b (7.7t) lighter that the Airbus A318 - the equiva lent of 90 passengers and bags-and its trip costs are 10% lower". Since it was launched, the heavier, but longer-range, A318 has outsold the 717, partly because of its commonality with other A320 family models. • Bad weather blamed for Air Azores ATP crash in Azores BAD WEATHER appears to have played a part in a SATA Air Acores accident in the Azores Islands on 11 December. The British Aerospace ATP (CS-TGM) crashed into the steep- sided Pico de Esperanca at about 1,100ft (330m) altitude on the island of Sao Jorge, killing all 31 passengers and four crew. At about 09:30 local time, the aircraft was en route from Ponta Resetters had to use mountaineering equipment to reach the ATP Boeing's third milestone BOEING WAS planning to deliver the last MD-80 series twinjet from Long Beach, California, on 21 December, mark ing the third major milestone in as many weeks for the company's nar- rowbodied aircraft. The final MD-83 is the 1,191st in the -80 series, and the last of 26 aircraft delivered to TWA in 1999. Production of the MD-80A, a major derivative of the DC-9, began in 1979. Added to 976 DC-9s already delivered and 114 MD-90s - the last of which is scheduled for handover in February - the delivery of the last TWA aircraft brings production of "heritage" Douglas T-tail twinjets to 2,281 aircraft, plus four test air craft that were not delivered. The family will live on through die DC-9-derived 717-200, which will remain as the only ex-MDC type in production when MD-11 deliveries end early in 2000. Meanwhile, Boeing rolled out the last "Classic" 737 - a -400 - on 9 December, marking the end of a production run spanning 15 years and 1,988 aircraft. The aircraft, due for delivery to CSA of the Czech Republic in February, is also the 3,132nd "first generation" 737 and Classic aircraft built since deliveries began in 1967. Completing the line-up of mile stones, Boeing also delivered the 900th 757 during December to Iberia of Spain. • Delgada, on the island of Sao Miguel, to Horta, on the island of Faial, but it crashed just over 50km (27nm) away on San Jorge. The crew's last communication reported that they had sighted on- track landmarks, so it would appear they had begun a descent early with the intention of breaking cloud, and were preparing for a visual approach at Horta, which was about lOmin flying time away. The weather was reported as varying between slight and very heavy rain. • NEWS IN BRIEF • CF34-8C1 APPROVAL General Electric has received US Federal Aviation Admini stration certification for the CF34-8C1, marking the end of a three-year test effort. The engine is in flight test on 70-seat Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 700, for which it is rated at 56.4kN (12,6791b) and 61.3kN at maximum take-off auxiliary power reserve con ditions. CRJ700 flight testing began in May, and deliveries should begin early in 2001. Other CF34-8 series power- plants in development include the -8D for the Fairchild 728JET, and the EmbraerERJ-170's-8E. 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 22 December 1999 - 3 January 2000
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