NTSB determines probable cause of ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter fire at San Francisco

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its investigation into a fire that erupted on an ABX Air Boeing 767-200 aircraft (registration N799AX) on January 28, 2008 while the cargo aircraft was parked at San Francisco International Airport. The report issued today summarizes the findings, probable cause, and safety recommendations arising from the investigation.

Today's NTSB report states that the probable cause "was due to the design of oxygen system hoses and the lack of positive separation between electrical wiring and electrically conductive oxygen system components. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) failure to require the installation of new oxygen system hoses to remedy a safety issue previously identified by Boeing was cited as a
contributing factor."

Excerpt from the press release announcing the NTSB's findings (re-paragraphed for easier reading):

At 10:15 PM PT, on June 28, 2008, at San Francisco
International Airport, an ABX Air Boeing 767 cargo airplane experienced a ground fire just aft of the cockpit area before engine startup.

The cargo airplane was operating as flight 1611 and was destined for Wilmington, Ohio.

Airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) personnel extinguished the fire, which had burned holes through the crown of the aircraft in the forward galley area, in a timely manner. The captain and first officer, the only two aboard the aircraft
at the time of the fire, evacuated the airplane through the cockpit windows and were not injured.

The fire started in the supernumerary compartment, which is located between the cockpit and the main deck cargo compartment.

Crew descriptions about what was heard when the fire started, combined with Safety Board testing, revealed that the ignition source had to be within the oxygen hose. The Safety Board's investigation determined that a short circuit to the supplemental oxygen system reached the oxygen hose.

The design of the hose included an internal spring, which could be heated by the inadvertent application of electrical current, causing the plastic hose to ignite. Safety Board testing found that the hose design brought together the three elements for a fire: the coil acting as an ignition source, the hose material acting as a fuel, and the oxygen to promote burning.

Boeing had previously identified safety issues involving conductive hoses and had issued a service bulletin instructing operators of aircraft with these hoses in the cockpit to replace them with nonconductive ones. The FAA approved the bulletin but did not issue an airworthiness directive to make compliance with the bulletin mandatory.

The Safety Board also found that other ABX 767 aircraft's supplemental oxygen system did not include positive separation between electrical wiring and oxygen system tubing. Electrical wiring that is near or in contact with oxygen system tubing creates the potential for electrical short circuits to reach the oxygen system hoses. The involvement of oxygen in a fire can significantly expedite its growth and severity.

Prior to the accident, ABX maintenance personnel performed numerous instances of oxygen system servicing on the accident aircraft, indicating a chronic problem on the airplane. However, ABX did not develop a specific action plan to resolve the identified discrepancies.

The lack of further action was not stipulated by ABX's continuing analysis and surveillance program (CASP). The Safety Board determined that ABX's CASP did not properly address and correct the oxygen leaks. However, these previous oxygen leaks did not directly cause the fire.

"The hose design issue, which was one factor that gave rise to this accident, should have provided the FAA with plenty of warning that, if left unaddressed, could result in a serious accident, as we have seen here," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.

"Had the fire started when the plane was in the air, the result would very likely have been catastrophic."

As a result of the investigation, the Safety Board voted to recommend that the FAA:

• require operators to replace electrically conductive hoses with electrically nonconductive hoses and prohibit further use of conductive hoses unless the conductivity is an approved design element
• formalize the airworthiness directive (AD) process so it addresses all possible uses of an appliance affected by an AD
• require positive separation between electrical wiring and oxygen system tubing; ensure that oxygen system tubing in proximity to electrical wiring is made of, sleeved with, or coated with nonconductive material or is isolated from
  potential electrical sources
• develop and implement electrical grounding requirements for oxygen system components for all transport-category aircraft
• develop inspection criteria or service life limits for flexible oxygen hoses to ensure that they meet current certification and design standards and require that airplane operators replace hoses that do not meet these criteria or life limits
• and require operators of transport-category cargo airplanes to install smoke detectors in the supernumerary or similar airplane compartments

During its investigation, the Safety Board determined that reading lights located in passenger service units (PSU) could become a potential source of ignition to nearby combustible materials. Because of this, the Board recommended that the FAA require transport-category airplane operators to ensure that all reading lights in PSUs be installed with rubber boots or use other means to provide a greater level of electrical protection.

The Safety Board also voted to recommend that ABX Air modify its CASP so that all chronic discrepancies are effectively resolved. And the Board reiterated a previous recommendation to the FAA about training on an emergency response firefighting device.

Here is a link to the synopsis of the NTSB report on this accident: NTSB ID AAR-09-04.

The full report will be available in several weeks.

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RELATED:

• Bad week for freight carrier ABX Air - June 30, 2008
• Update: ABX Air B767 freighter fire at SFO - July 3, 2008
• NTSB to meet on ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter fire at San Francisco - June 24, 2009

NTSB to meet on ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter fire at San Francisco

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will meet next week to discuss the investigation of a fire aboard a cargo plane at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) last year. The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place on June 30, 2009 in Washington, DC.

The sole topic of discussion at the NTSB meeting will be the Board's final report on the fire that erupted on an ABX Air Boeing 767-200 aircraft (registration N799AX) on January 28, 2008, at about 10:15 pm local time. The aircraft, painted in DHL livery, was parked at SFO at the time of the accident.

The captain and first officer were on board, and were preparing to start the engines when the fire broke out. Both crew members evacuated the airplane through the cockpit windows and were not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged.

According to the NTSB, a summary of the Board's final report, which will include findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of next week's meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.

The NTSB meeting will convene on June 30, 2009 at 09:30 am in the NTSB Board Room and
Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the NTSB website at www.ntsb.gov.

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Update: ABX Air B767 freighter fire at SFO

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a press advisory concerning the investigation of a fire aboard an ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter that occurred on June 28, 2008. The fire broke out while the aircraft was parked at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and burned a hole through the top of the plane's fuselage.

The NTSB press advisory reports the following factual information:

The primary location of the fire was outside the cargo hold in an area just aft of the cockpit. The fire was extinguished by San Francisco Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting, but not before causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The flight crew of two, who were preparing to start the engines when the fire broke out, escaped from the aircraft without injury.

The NTSB dispatched a team of five investigators to the accident scene. Joining them were representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Transportation Security Administration; the Federal Aviation Administration; the San Francisco Fire Department; and Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting. NTSB investigators have worked closely with all of these groups throughout the process of examining and documenting the fire damage to the aircraft.

After the NTSB was notified of the fire, it was reported that within a week prior to the accident, the cargo carrier had received a threat against an unspecified aircraft. Preliminary examinations have not revealed any indication of an explosive or incendiary device.

The 21-year-old aircraft was originally configured for passenger operations and modified in 2004 to a cargo configuration by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The Israel Ministry of Transport has designated an accredited representative to the investigation under the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13. IAI will serve as a technical adviser to the accredited representative.

NTSB investigators interviewed both members of the flight crew yesterday. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are at NTSB headquarters in Washington where data from each is being analyzed.

The NTSB accident investigation team expects to complete the on-scene phase of the investigation by Sunday, July 6.

Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, ABX Air, the San Francisco Fire Department, the San Francisco Airport Authority, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

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Related:

• Bad week for freight carrier ABX Air - June 30, 2008
• NTSB to meet on ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter fire at San Francisco - June 24, 2009
• NTSB determines probable cause of ABX Air Boeing 767 freighter fire at San Francisco - June 30, 2009

Bad week for freight carrier ABX Air

Last week was not a good one for ABX Air. On June 26, 2008 the Air Transport Services Group, parent company of ABX Air, announced in a press release that its principal business partner in the U.S., DHL, would release 23 ABX Air DC-9 aircraft from service between June 30, 2008 through December 31, 2008. This announcement reflects the first phase of DHL's intention, stated in May of this year, "to remove from service over next 12 to 18 months, 39 of 55 DC-9 aircraft that ABX Air has dedicated to DHL’s U.S. network."

In addition, DHL notified ABX Air that it had commenced negotiations with UPS that could lead to the assumption by UPS of substantially all of the services that ABX Air currently provides to DHL.

ABX Air says it also provides 31 Boeing 767 aircraft and related flight crews to DHL, however that number is likely reduced by one aircraft since Saturday, June 28. On the evening of that date, an ABX Air B767 in DHL livery caught fire on the ground at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and appears to be substantially damaged, judging from post-fire photos posted on PBase.com.

According to a press advisory issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) about the a fire that erupted aboard the parked B-767 cargo jet, this is what happened:

About 10:00 p.m. PDT, the flightcrew of a Boeing B-767 (N799AX), operated by Airborne Express as cargo flight 1611, reported smoke and fire just aft of cockpit while preparing to start the engines. The airplane was parked at the time, and all cargo had been loaded. Both flightcrew members exited the airplane safely via cockpit window. The airport rescue and fire fighting unit extinguished the fire; however, a hole had been burned through the crown of the aircraft above the forward galley area.

The FAA preliminary report about the fire also stated that no injuries occurred.

Various news articles reported that the fire and smoke caused more than 100 people to be evacuated from a nearby building. Roads into the SFO airport were closed temporarily while emergency crews responded to the scene. Radio station KCBS reported on its website that it took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze.

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ABX Air pilots reject contract proposal

Pilots at cargo airline ABX Air, Inc. have overwhelmingly rejected the company's latest contract proposal, according to a news release about the ballot issued by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1224, the union representing the ABX pilots.

The union reports that nearly 90% of the 578 eligible crew members participated in the balloting. Of those, 98.8% voted to reject the contract.

"We took this vote to demonstrate to ABX Air management that what they are offering is unacceptable to the crewmembers and does not adequately fulfill the quality-of-life needs of our members and their families," said Capt. Dave Ross, president of Local 1224.

Among the major deficiencies in the ABX offer are compensation, retirement, management flying, and staffing and assignment issues. The offer included a side letter regarding operations in Asia for All Nippon Airways.

Tensions are high at the cargo carrier as the company has failed to adequately staff the airline, resulting in management's abuse of an emergency staffing system used to staff regularly scheduled flights.

"The scheduling abuses have multiplied over the last year," said Ross. "The results of today's vote make clear that our members demand a contract that will allow them to provide for their families and not be subjected to the abuse of emergency staffing for non-emergency situations."

Last spring, All Nippon outsourced some cargo operations to ABX Air.

Mediated negotiations between ABX Air and Local 1224 will begin next week under the auspices of the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C.

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All Nippon to outsource cargo to ABX Air

In order to expand its capacity All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest domestic airline, will outsource some air cargo flights within Asia to ABX Air Inc. The deal marks the first such agreement between a Japanese air cargo carrier and an overseas airline on outsourcing flight and crew operations.

Beginning on May 15, 2007 ABX will operate 22 round-trip flights a week for ANA, according to a Bloomberg News item about the new agreement. ABX Air will fly two B767-200 aircraft for All Nippon in the Asian market, including Japan, China and Thailand. Reuters reports that most of the flights will be between Kansai International Airport in Osaka and a handful of major cities including Beijing, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

An article on MSN Money quotes ABX president and CEO Joe Hete, who said, "The Asian economy is the fastest-growing market in the world, and this agreement underscores ABX's commitment to grow its presence as an international provider of aircraft and aircraft-related services."

ABX has been trying to broaden its business beyond serving its major client, DHL, which accounted for 98% of ABX sales in 2005. The new deal with ANA is expected to generate about $22 million a year for ABX.

According to a Business Wire release, the agreement is for an initial period of two years, with an option for annual renewals thereafter. This is the first time the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has approved a foreign carrier to conduct cargo aircraft operations on behalf of a Japanese airline.

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