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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 3113.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT SAFETY VLADIMIR KARNOZOV AND PAUL DUFFY / MOSCOW Overloading caused 11-76 fatal accident Investigations into second major civil air disaster of the year in Russia highlight incidence of rule-breaking Investigations into Russia's second serious air transport crash of the year have revealed the extent of illegal practices in the country. Overloading by up to 13t was the principal cause of the 14 July crash involving a Rus Aviation Ilyushin 11-76 freighter at Chalovksky air force base near Moscow, according to the GSGA, the Russian state service of civil aviation (Flight International, 24-30 July). Extensive falsification of air craft logs was also discovered. The crew had reported a ramp weight of 188.5t but crash investi gators believe the actual weight was over 200t. After investigating the accident, in which all ten peo ple on board died when the aircraft (RA76588) ploughed into trees just after take-off, the authorities are set to tighten control over operators of 11-76 freighters. GSGA chief Aleksandr Neradko says there will be a complete audit of the 11-76 fleet, including those in the Russian air force. This will result in a comprehensive database of the aircraft, its engines and auxiliary power units. Neradko says inspections of air frame and engine technical logs to check their authenticity will be among other measures taken. The crash was caused by a com bination of piloting errors and freight overload, say the investiga tors. Errors included late retraction of the landing gear and early change of the stabiliser trim set ting. The aircraft crossed the aero drome fence at an altitude of only 72ft (22m) and hit trees. Late gear retraction was due to intercom noise which made the captain's command indecipherable, while the stabiliser trim change is a typi cal action by crews practising take- offs in overloaded Il-76s. The crew had rotated at 140kt (260km/h) instead of the 127kt correct speed for the 190t maxi mum take-off weight (MTOW). The investigation also found that one of the D-30KP engines was operated illegally, having been withdrawn from military service. The engine was restored to working condition at a repair station in Staraya Russia, and technical logs were falsified. The airline has previ ously been found using "question able engines". Shortly after the crash, the GSGA withdrew Rus Aviation's operating licence. Meanwhile, following recent revelations of the falsification of pilot qualifications, Russian civil aviation leaders are to have talks with president Vladimir Putin (Flight International, 28 August - 3 September). Topics on the agenda include leasing, fleet renewal, and whether the GSGA should remain a section of the transport ministry. TECHNOLOGY Qantas tests cellular flight data service Qantas is testing Teledyne Controls' Wireless GroundLink, which allows flight data informa tion to be downloaded from an aircraft to an airline's base using cellular networks. The Australian carrier is testing Wireless GroundLink on a Boeing 747-400 on services to New York, with flight operations information such as perfor mance data downloaded at New York via Sprint Communications' cellular network to Qantas' Sydney base. Next month, the Teledyne radios will be upgraded to allow transmissions world wide, says Tamas Iglpi, marketing director of Teledyne's flight data services. Flight data information is usu ally transferred by disks, tapes or PC cards. Using existing cel lular networks eliminates risks and delays involved in traditional transfer methods, says Teledyne, adding that a dedi cated infrastructure at the airport is not required. Teledyne is close to securing a USJrial airline, says Igloi, while an uplink capa bility is under development. MODIFICATIONS APB steps up winglet retrofits and considers offering on new 737-700s Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) obtained US Federal Aviation Administration certification of its blended winglet retrofit for the Boeing 73.7-700 at the end of August following the installation of an initial shipset on the first of four aircraft destined for Kenya Airways. APB says a final decision has yet to be made on whether the winglet will be offered by Boeing as a pro duction line option, as with the -800, though the higher costs asso ciated with the structurally differ ent -700 wing are expected to weigh against the move. APB vice president programmes Jay Inman says: "They're still assessing whether to go on the production line or not. It basically comes down to the cost to redesign the wing, and customer demand." Unlike the heavier -800 wing, designed for the higher maximum take-off weights of the longer ver sion, the -700 wing requires upper and lower skin strengthening to take the winglets, and modifica tions to the spars and stringers. As a result, APB has focused on a relatively fast retrofit package for the -700 which, in the case of the Launch customer Hapag Lloyd has already retrofitted 12 737-800s first Kenya aircraft, took nine days at AMS in Phoenix, Arizona. "We expect to get it down to six days or less," says Inman. Reducing aircraft down time is a critical "make or break" factor in selling the retrofit. The joint venture says agreements have also been reached with CSA in the Czech Republic and for FLS in the UK to offer the modification. Other than the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), the 737-800 is the only new-build 737 model offered with forward fit or retrofit winglets from APB. The launch customer, German charter airline Hapag Lloyd, has retrofitted 12 -800s to- date, while other users include South African Airways and American Trans Air - the latter two having assembly line winglets installed on new -800s. Polynesian Airlines has also opted for the mod ification. APB, meanwhile, plans certifica tion flight tests of a winglet- equipped 737-300 early in 2002. A proof-of-concept test programme was completed on a leased aircraft earlier this year, and a production- standard retrofit design is being readied for the certification effort in 2002. Tests have indicated the need to increase span, as well as add the basic winglets, says Inman. The proposed 737 Classic blended winglets are expected to cut cruise specific fuel consumption by between 6% and 7%, almost dou ble the savings gained on the -800. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11-17 SEPTEMBER 2001 13
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