Delta Air Lines planning to purchase hundreds of new aircraft

by B. N. Sullivan

Big news today: Delta Air Lines plans to acquire hundreds of new aircraft.  According to a Bloomberg article about the planned aircraft purchase, Delta "plans to order 100 to 200 narrow-body jets and seek options for 200 more, a possible record purchase."

Presumably the new planes will replace Delta's older DC-9, Boeing 757-200, and Airbus A320 aircraft.  The new planes would be used on domestic routes.

From the Bloomberg article:

Delta will consider “large, medium and small” narrow-body jets, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson said yesterday in a separate weekly recorded message to employees.

“It’s important we take a very long-term view of our fleet,” Anderson said.

Speculation is that Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier all may be asked to submit proposals for the order.  This could be the largest single aircraft purchase to date by any commercial airline.

Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen gets European and Canadian Aircraft Type Certificates

by B. N. Sullivan

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that its new aircraft, the CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet, has been awarded Aircraft Type Certificates by both Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The 100-seat aircraft is the largest in Bombardier's CRJ Series of regional jets.

According to a press statement issued by Bombardier:

The CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft’s flight test program was conducted from the Bombardier Flight Test Centre in Wichita, Kansas, and the flight test aircraft accumulated approximately 1,400 flight hours in 470 test missions. The prototype CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft, serial number 19991, successfully made its inaugural flight from Bombardier’s facility in Mirabel, Québec on September 3, 2008.

“I do not think anyone 20 years ago would have envisaged how the regional jet would transform the airline industry all over the world,” said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“We are proud to have introduced the regional jet and we are proud of our ability to read the market and have larger and more cost-effective regional jets as the market required them. This ability has culminated in the production of the magnificent CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet.”

[Photo Source]

ASA grounds 60 aircraft for GE CF34 engine re-inspections

Last night, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) grounded 60 of its CRJ200 aircraft for engine re-inspections. The Delta Connection carrier reportedly discovered through an internal audit that the General Electric CF34 turbofans on some of its aircraft may not have been inspected according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

ASA voluntarily reported the possible discrepancies to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Details about exactly what is entailed in the engine  inspections are not clear, but an airline spokesperson was quoted this morning as saying the inspections should be accomplished within 36 hours.

Coincidentally (perhaps),  aviation news website FlightGlobal.com reports that the FAA will publish a final rule tomorrow that will  mandate replacement of a certain seal inside GE CF34 turbofan engines. 

Specifically, says FlightGlobal.com, the new FAA rule "calls on US operators of some 2,450 CF34 engines to replace the original 4-step air balance piston seals with 8-step seals at the next life-limited parts replacement interval, a relatively inexpensive modification expected to take five hours per engine."

It has been found that excessive friction between the static and rotating portions of the seal can create an unsafe condition "under certain high-power, high-altitude engine shutdown events."

I'm not suggesting that the ASA re-inspection of their GE C34 engines is related to the seal problem, but the timing is interesting.

[Photo Source]

Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft makes inaugural flight

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that the prototype CRJ1000 NextGen jetliner, serial number 19991, made its successful inaugural flight from the Bombardier facility at Mirabel, Québec. The aircraft took off at 10:02 a.m. EDT and flight lasted three hours and 25 minutes. According to Bombardier, it reached an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 m) and a maximum speed of 260 knots (481 km/h).

On board the CRJ1000 were pilots Jacques Thibaudeau and Chuck Ellis and flight test engineer Eugene Lardizabal.

“We put the gear up, operated the flaps and slats and exercised our new ‘Fly-by-Wire’ rudder,” said Mr. Thibaudeau. “ All systems worked as they were designed to do. The aircraft handled similarly to the smaller CRJ900 airliner so flight crews will have no problem in transitioning to the 100-seat CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft.”

According to Bombardier, the prototype CRJ1000 NextGen jet will be flown to the Bombardier Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kansas after a few more flights from Mirabel. Next year, it will be joined in Wichita by the first production CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft to prepare for entry into service and review by the Flight Operations Evaluation Board composed of pilots from Transport Canada, the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Bombardier says that the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft program has attracted a total of 63 firm orders, conditional orders and options, from four airlines. Brit Air (a subsidiary of Air France) has ordered eight aircraft and holds options on an additional eight. Myair.com in Italy ordered 15 aircraft, converting an earlier order for 15 CRJ900 jets to the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft. Adria Airways of Slovenia has ordered one aircraft, and also holds one option. An undisclosed customer has ordered 15 CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft, with a conditional order for 15.


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NTSB concerned about defects in GE engines for regional jets

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transport Canada regarding safety concerns arising from engine failures on two separate Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200 aircraft. According to an NTSB news release issued yesterday, the NTSB has concluded that "a flaw during the manufacturing process for fan blades led to the two engine failures, and the Board wants procedures set up to remove these blades before another incident occurs."

Regarding the incidents which prompted the current recommendations, the NTSB says:

In both instances - a July 27, 2006 engine failure on an Air Nostrum CRJ shortly after takeoff from Barcelona, Spain, and a May 24, 2007 engine failure on an Atlantic Southeast airlines CRJ while in cruise flight from Syracuse to Atlanta - a fan blade on a General Electric CF34-3B1 turbofan engine fractured, causing a loud bang, severe vibration and in one case an engine fire. Both flight crews declared emergencies and landed safely with no injuries.

Examination of the blades showed that they failed due to a material defect introduced during the manufacturing process. The fan blades were manufactured by Teleflex Aerospace Manufacturing Group, located in Mexico. Teleflex has manufactured more than 28,000 of these blades.

"We are issuing this recommendation because we consider the safety risk associated with this condition to be unacceptably high," NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said.

The ASA fan blade failed very early in its service life -- after only 4,717 cycles and 5,845 hours. Among its recommendations, the NTSB has asked the FAA to require the following of GE Aviation, the manufacturer of the engines:

• to define a reasonable maximum time frame below 4,717 cycles since new for these Teleflex fan blades and require that the blades be removed from service before that limit is exceeded
• to include additional testing in the manufacturing process for those blades
• to make modifications in its CF34-1/-3 engine design to ensure that high engine vibrations (such as can happen when a fan blade fractures) will not cause the engine to catch fire

In its recommendations to Transport Canada, the NTSB requested that Bombardier, the manufacturer of the CRJ-200 aircraft, be required "to redesign the retention feature of the CRJ 100/-200 engine throttle gearbox to ensure that it can withstand the loads generated by a fan blade separation or similar event."

Here are links to the full-text versions of the NTSB's recommendations regarding GE engines for regional jets:

NTSB Safety Recommendations to the FAA, A-08-04 through -09 - March 5, 2008 (7-page 'pdf' file)

NTSB Safety Recommendation to Transport Canada, A-08-03 - March 5, 2008 (3-page 'pdf file)

SAS grounds all Q400 aircraft until further notice

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), the joint flag carrier of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, announced today that they are grounding their entire fleet of Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft "until further notice" following a third accident in less than two months.

The latest accident involving the Q400 (a.k.a. Dash-8 Q400) happened yesterday afternoon at Copenhagen when an aircraft slid down the runway on its belly after its main landing gear collapsed. Prior to landing, the crew reported problems with the main landing gear. Flight SK 2867, arriving at Copenhagen from Bergen, had 40 passengers and four crew on board. Everyone evacuated the aircraft, and no one was seriously injured.

In a public statement issued by the airline, SAS President and CEO Mats Jansson said, "Confidence in the Q400 has diminished considerably and our customers are becoming increasingly doubtful about flying in this type of aircraft. Accordingly, with the Board of Directors' approval, I have decided to immediately remove Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from service."

Jansson's deputy, John Dueholm, added, "The Dash 8 Q400 has given rise to repeated quality-related problems and we can now conclude that the aircraft does not match our passengers' requirements concerning punctuality and regularity. SAS's flight operations have always enjoyed an excellent reputation and there is a risk that use of the Dash 8 Q400 could eventually damage the SAS brand."

Last month all Bombardier Q400 with more than 10,000 cycles were grounded temporarily until their landing gear could be inspected. The action followed two accidents in Europe which entailed Q400 landing gear failures. Fortunately none of these accidents have resulted in serious injury.

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Grounded: All Bombardier Q400 aircraft with at least 10,000 cycles

Today Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier requested that all Q400 turboprop aircraft with at least 10,000 cycles be grounded for inspection. Bombardier officials say this is "a precautionary measure" until the cause of a series of recent accidents can be determined. The grounding order affects 60 of the 160 Q400 aircraft presently in service around the world.

This action has so far resulted in the cancellation of several hundred flights worldwide. The Associated Press reported today that SAS grounded its 27 Bombardier turboprops of the same make, and Austrian Airlines Group said it grounded eight planes. Horizon Air, the largest North American operator of the Q400, grounded 19 of its aircraft.

The Q400 has been involved in two similar accidents in the space of three days.

This past Sunday, the right main landing gear of a SAS Q400 collapsed shortly after the aircraft touched down at Aalborg, Denmark. An Associated Press article about the Aalborg accident reported these details:

The plane tilted to the right and the wing hit the ground, sending the aircraft spinning on the runway.

One propeller broke loose and sliced through the cabin, but did not hit any of the passengers, police said.

Firefighters quickly put out a fire in the right engine before the 69 passengers and four crew members were evacuated, SAS said. Five passengers received minor injuries while evacuating, the airline said.

The flight was arriving from Copenhagen.

Earlier today there was a similar accident involving another SAS Q400. Today's accident occurred at Vilnius, Lithuania. An International Herald Tribune article about the Vilnius accident says that the aircraft, with 52 people on board, "skidded off the runway, one wing smashing into the ground, after its right-side landing gear failed to lower during an emergency landing."

The crew made all passengers sit on the left side of the plane for fear that the right propeller might break into pieces and puncture the right side of the cabin, said Kestutis Auryla, head of the Lithuanian Civil Aviation Administration.

Though the right propeller was switched off 10 seconds before touchdown, the right wing still hit the ground, causing a shower of sparks but no fire, he said.

The Q400 turboprop eventually came to a stop in a patch of grass next to the airport's main landing strip after turning 90 degrees. All 48 passengers and four crew were evacuated safely, he said.

The aircraft had been en route from Copenhagen to Palanga, Lithuania when it diverted to Vilnius for an emergency landing.

An article about the Q400 in the Wall Street Journal notes that the aircraft has been one of Bombardier's best sellers in recent years, as its fuel efficiency has attracted airlines grappling with rising oil prices. The manufacturer now has 90 Q400s in its backlog and 126 on conditional orders or options.

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Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin for CRJ aircraft

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a 'Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin' (SAIB) for Bombardier Model CL 600-2B19 aircraft (CRJ 100/200/440).

The SAIB says that operators have reported numerous incidents of flap failures during cold weather operations, and that "water ingress into flap system components with subsequent freezing appears to be a significant factor."

Excerpt:

As previously reported in AOM 1020, a recent flaps failure occurrence resulted in a fuel shortage on landing. The crew executed a missed approach due to weather conditions at the destination airport. During the missed approach, the flaps could not be retracted from the 45-degree position.

The crew began a diversion to their alternate airport, and declared a fuel emergency due to fuel consumption calculations. An airport slightly closer than the alternate was selected, and the aircraft landed safely with approximately 500 lbs of fuel remaining.

There have also been a number of reported cases of flap system malfunctions where
the flaps either do not extend at all or fail to extend significantly out of the 0 degree position. Fleet data shows that the rate of occurrence of these events increases during operation in cold temperatures. The increased frequency of these events is the subject of a detailed Bombardier and system supplier investigation. In the interim, flight crews should be aware of the possibility of these kinds of events.

Operations to remote or runway limited airfields, or operations involving wet or
contaminated runways may have to be reviewed and guidance provided to the crews to ensure that the risks of flap failures have been mitigated.

Operators should verify that their flight crew members are provided with the appropriate information, such as that found in the Performance section of QRH Vol. 1 and associated training, with emphasis on decision-making and performance considerations for these situations. Issues such as night operations and/or early closure of some airports, due to reduced business volume, may reduce the availability of some potential diversion airports. [SAIB: NM-07-26]

In addition to fuel shortage and landing distance issues, there could potentially be obstacle clearance and climb performance issues.

Click here for a printable ('pdf') version of SAIB: NM-07-26.

Recent DHC-8 landing gear problems in Japan

News media are reporting that a Bombardier DHC-8-103 airplane operated by Japanese regional carrier Amakusa Airlines Co. made an emergency landing in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan because its landing gear failed to lower. A brief article on Bloomberg.com about the incident quotes officials of the Japanese Transport Ministry who said that the aircraft landed safely after the gear was lowered manually. There were no injuries to the 15 passengers and three crew aboard the aircraft.

This incident follows another a week ago when a similar aircraft operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) made a nose gear-up emergency landing at Kochi airport in western Japan after the gear failed to deploy. That aircraft, a DHC-8-400, was carrying 56 passengers and four crew. None were reported to be injured.

An article about last week's emergency landing on FlightGlobal.com includes photos of the damaged aircraft after it came to a rest on the runway. The article says that live television pictures of the emergency landing in Kochi showed sparks from the nose as it made contact with the runway on the landing roll.

ANA subsequently grounded its entire fleet of Bombardier planes and the Japanese Transport Ministry ordered emergency inspections for all 36 Bombardier DHC-8s in use in Japan, according to CBC News in Canada. After the inspection, the aircraft were returned to service.

CBC News quoted Bombardier spokesman Marc Holloran who said this was the first incident of its kind since the so-called Q400 series of aircraft was put into service in 2000.

World speed record for Lear 60

It happened in South Africa: A Learjet 60 has flown round-trip between Capetown and Johannesburg in less than three hours, a world speed record for its class. The flight is fully sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI).

The Learjet 60 aircraft is manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace.

From Bomardier's press release about the flight:

In customer service since June 2006, the Learjet 60 aircraft, owned by Skyros Properties of Cape Town, cruised at Mach 0.81 throughout the flight, until it clocked-in with the Cape Town International Airport tower at 13h35, where its 2,000-foot (610 m) flyover confirmed its impressive time and speed. The Learjet 60 aircraft then performed several fly passes as part of the flying display at the Africa Aerospace and Defence show, landing just in time to co-star with the high-speed Bombardier Global 5000 business jet at an exclusive reception.

The Aero-News Network reported this about the record flight:

"The aircraft performed superbly as expected," said Terry Redman, chief pilot and director for The Aviation Co., the aircraft's operator. "We took off from Cape Town at 10:00, local time, and quickly climbed to 37,000 feet) to avoid turbulence and traffic. The first leg to Johannesburg took just one hour, 24 minutes.

"The aircraft's performance was put to the test against the wind on the return leg to Cape Town, arriving only one hour and 35 minutes later," Redman added. "The aircraft handled beautifully throughout the flight and the roundtrip time easily establishes the benchmark speed standard for this trip."

Aero-News also reported that "National Aeronautical Association (NAA) official Frank Eckhart was on board the plane during the flight, and validated the speed record with the help of two GPS devices installed specifically for the record attempt. The NAA will submit the record to the FAI in Paris, France, for international ratification."

Sources: Bombardier Learjet 60 Sets World Speed Record in South Africa - Bombardier.com
Lear 60 Sets World Speed Record In South Africa - Aero-News.net

Technorati Tags: aircraft, aviation news, Bombardier Aerospace, Learjet 60

Frontier orders 10 turboprops

To quote the Aero-News Network (ANN), "In case you hadn't noticed... after the rush to replace turboprop airliners with regional jets a few years back, the propjets are making a comeback."

The comment is in response to the news that Frontier Airlines has ordered 10 Q400 74-seat turboprop airliners from Bombardier Aerospace, with options on 10 additional Q400 aircraft.

An article about the purchase on ANN says:

The Q400 aircraft is the airline's first turboprop. Frontier operates 280 flights a day to 57 destinations in the US, Canada and Mexico -- some of which are flown by Horizon Air as Frontier JetExpress, using Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets. (Horizon also flies Q400s on its own routes.)

"Only the Bombardier Q400 aircraft has the very low operating costs and operational characteristics that we require to develop new flying from our hub in Denver to points in Colorado and surrounding states," said Frontier President and CEO Jeff Potter. "The aircraft's high cruise speed and excellent passenger comfort complete an extremely attractive package. Judging from the experience of other Q400 operators, our passengers are going to enjoy flying in this aircraft."

Frontier Airlines becomes the 18th operator to order the Bombardier Q400. Firm orders stood at 185 aircraft as of July 31, 2006, with 125 having been delivered.

Source: Frontier Airlines Orders Its First Turboprops - Aero-News.net

Technorati Tags: air travel, aircraft, airliners, airlines, airline news, Bombardier Aerospace, Frontier Airlines, Q400, turboprop