Tag Archives: national transportation safety board

NTSB is on the scene at the Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (Washington) investigators arrived on the scene last evening of the crash of Asiana Airlines‘ (Seoul) Boeing 777-28E ER HL7742 (msn 29171) that crashed while attempting to land.

Meanwhile Asiana Airlines issued this statement:

Press Release for Incident Involving Asiana Flight OZ 214 (July 7, 2013 06:30 KOR.Time)

The following information has been confirmed.

Asiana Airlines flight OZ 214 (Aircraft Registration HL7742) departed Incheon International Airport on July 6, 2013 at 16:35 (Korea time) bound for San Francisco. On July 7, 2013 at 11:28 (Local time) an accident occurred as OZ 214 was making a landing on San Francisco International Airport’s runway 28 L.

There were a total of 291 passengers (19 business class, 272 travel class) and 16 cabin crew aboard. The majority of the passengers were comprised of 77 Korean citizens, 141 Chinese citizens, 61 US citizens, 1 Japanese citizen, etc. for a total of 291 people.

Asiana Airlines is currently investigating the specific cause of the incident as well as any injuries that may have been sustained to passengers as a result. Asiana Airlines will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation of all associated government agencies and to facilitate this cooperation has established an emergency response center at its headquarters.

At this point no additional information has been confirmed. New developments will be announced as more information becomes available.

For further information regarding OZ213/214, please contact 800-227-4262.

Additionally the CEO of Asiana has ruled out any engine problems with the aircraft.

All passengers and crew members have now been accounted for. The two dead passengers were Chinese teenagers who were found outside of the aircraft, probably dropping from the rear section when it broke up on impact with the seawall. More than 100 people were injured.

Read the full story from KGO Channel 7 in San Francisco: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: NTSB. NTSB investigators conduct first site assessment of #Asiana214 in San Francisco.

Asiana Airlines:

Bottom Copyright Photo: NTSB. Chairman Hersman and Investigator-in-Charge Bill English looking at interior damage to #Asiana214.

NTSB releases interim factual report on JAL 787 battery fire investigation and announces forum and investigative hearing

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (Washington) yesterday released an interim factual report and 499 pages of related documents in its ongoing investigation of the Japan Airlines 787 battery fire in Boston. Additionally, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman announced the NTSB will be holding both a forum and a hearing in April to provide additional information to advance the investigation.

“With the grounding of the 787 fleet, concurrent international incident investigations, redesign and re-certification activities taking place simultaneously, it is essential to provide the aviation community, policy makers and the public with the factual information we are developing,” said Hersman. “Releasing an interim report provides a window into the significant investigative work that has been accomplished so far.”

The forum, which will be held in mid-April, will explore lithium-ion battery technology and transportation safety. The investigative hearing, to be held later in April, will focus on the design and certification of the 787 battery system.

“The information developed through the upcoming forum and the hearing will help the NTSB and the entire transportation community better understand the risks and benefits associated with lithium batteries, and illuminate how manufacturers and regulators evaluate the safety of new technology,” Hersman said.

Both proceedings, which will be held at the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, will be webcast live and will be open to the public. Additional details about each event, including dates, times, agendas and participants, will be released in the coming weeks.

The 48-page interim factual report summarizes the NTSB’s initial findings on the JAL battery fire investigation. The report includes details on how the maintenance personal discovered the fire and how the firefighters responded and extinguished it, findings from the examination of the battery and test results of related components, initial reports on the flight recorder data, a description of the 787 electrical power system certification plan, and a list of ongoing and planned investigative activities.

The other documents released provide additional details on various aspects of the investigation. All of these documents are available in the NTSB’s JAL 787 public docket, which was opened today: http://go.usa.gov/2Dck.

As the investigation progresses, additional factual materials will be added to the docket. The analysis of the factual information already provided as well as that yet to be developed, will be completed at a later date.

Additional information related to the JAL 787 battery fire investigation is available on a web page dedicated to that incident: http://go.usa.gov/4K4J.

Read the analysis by the Seattle Times: CLICK HERE

NTSB is making progress on the JAL Boeing 787 battery fire investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (Washington) has issued this new interim report on the Boeing 787-8 fire at Boston:

The National Transportation Safety Board has released the seventh update on its investigation into the January 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

The auxiliary power unit battery, manufactured by GS Yuasa, was the original battery delivered with the airplane on December 20, 2012. It is comprised of eight individual cells. All eight cells came from the same manufacturing lot in July 2012. The battery was assembled in September 2012 and installed on the aircraft on October 15, 2012. It was first charged on October 19, 2012.

Examination and testing of an exemplar battery got underway earlier this week at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center laboratories in West Bethesda, MD. The tests consisted of electrical measurements, mass measurements, and infrared thermal imaging of each cell, with no anomalies noted. The cells are currently undergoing CT scanning to examine their internal condition. In addition, on Thursday, a battery expert from the Department of Energy joined the investigative team to lend his expertise to the ongoing testing and validation work.

In Seattle, NTSB investigators and Boeing engineers examine the type of lithium ion battery used on the Boeing 787 to start the auxiliary power unit and to provide backup power for flight critical systems.

In Seattle, NTSB investigators and Boeing engineers examine the type of lithium ion battery used on the Boeing 787 to start the auxillary power unit and to provide backup power for flight critical systems.

NTSB investigators were made aware of reports of prior battery replacements on aircraft in the 787 fleet, early in the investigation. As reported Tuesday, Boeing, a party to the investigation, is providing pertinent fleet information which investigators will review to determine if there is any relevance to the JAL investigation.

An investigative group continued to interpret data from the two digital flight data recorders on the aircraft, and is examining recorded signals to determine if they might yield additional information about the performance of the battery and the operation of the charging system.

Next week, the NTSB battery testing team will initiate a non-invasive “soft short” test of all cells of the exemplar battery. This test will reveal the presence of any high resistance, small or “soft” shorts within a cell. Also, an NTSB investigator will travel to France with the battery contactor from the JAL event battery, for examination at the manufacturer. The battery contactor connects a wiring bundle from the airplane to the battery.

Investigators are continuing their work in Washington and Japan and the team in Seattle continues to observe the FAA-led review of the certification process for the 787 battery system. The flow of information from these observations helps to inform NTSB investigative activity in the US and around the world.

Additional information on the NTSB’s investigation of the Japan Airlines B-787 battery fire in Boston is available at http://go.usa.gov/4K4J.

The NTSB will provide another factual update as developments warrant.

NTSB “very concerned”, 787 battery fire investigation continues, 787s remain grounded

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (Washington) investigation of the battery fire on board a Boeing 787-8 of JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) at Boston continues.

Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board briefed the media yesterday (January 24) and according to this report by Reuters made it clear that “investigators have found a series of “symptoms” in the battery damaged in a January 7 fire in Boston, but not the underlying cause of the problem. She also said the agency would be looking at the design of the battery compartment area of the plane and whether the certification standards had been strong enough.”

“This is an unprecedented event. We are very concerned. We do not expect to see fire events on board aircraft. This is a very serious air safety concern.” as stated by Hersman.

According to Reuters, “Hersman, talking to reporters after the news conference, confirmed that there is no fire suppression system in the area where the battery burned, nor any way to access it in-flight.”

Bottom line: the 787 could be grounded for a while. Fires on board aircraft should not be happening and this statement now raises concerns about the FAA certification process of the aircraft.

Meanwhile Boeing issued this statement:

Boeing (Chicago) welcomes the progress being made in the 787 investigation discussed today by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. The regulatory and investigative agencies in the U.S. and Japan have dedicated substantial resources to these investigations, and we appreciate their effort and leadership.

Boeing continues to assist the NTSB and the other government agencies in the U.S. and Japan responsible for investigating two recent 787 incidents. The company has formed teams consisting of hundreds of engineering and technical experts who are working around the clock with the sole focus of resolving the issue and returning the 787 fleet to flight status. We are working this issue tirelessly in cooperation with our customers and the appropriate regulatory and investigative authorities. The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

In order to ensure the integrity of the process and in adherence to international protocols that govern safety investigations, we are not permitted to comment directly on the ongoing investigations. Boeing is eager to see both investigative groups continue their work and determine the cause of these events, and we support their thorough resolution.

Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and their passengers.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Excess voltage of the 787 batteries is ruled out as the cause of the Boston JAL fire, NTSB now looking at the APU

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (Washington) has ruled out excess voltage as the cause of a battery fire this month on a Boeing 787 operated by Japan Airlines (Tokyo) according to Reuters (see reports below) and said they were expanding the probe to look at the battery’s charger and the jet’s auxiliary power unit.

According to the report, investigators will convene in Tucson, Arizona today to test and examine the charger for the battery, and download non-volatile memory from the APU controller, with similar tests planned at the Phoenix facility where the APUs are built.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

On January 14 the NTSB issued this preliminary report:

The National Transportation Safety Board today released a second update on its investigation into the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

The lithium-ion battery that powered the auxiliary power unit on the airplane was removed and transported back to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington on Jan. 10. The battery is currently being examined by NTSB investigators, who plan to disassemble it this week.

Click for Larger Image

NTSB photos of the burned auxiliary power unit battery from a JAL Boeing 787 that caught fire on Jan. 7 at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The dimensions of the battery are 19×13.2×10.2 inches and it weighs approximately 63 pounds (new).

In advance of that work, under the direction of the NTSB, radiographic examinations of the incident battery and an exemplar battery were conducted this past weekend at an independent test facility. The digital radiographs and computed tomography scans generated from this examination allowed the team to document the internal condition of the battery prior to disassembling it.

In addition, investigators took possession of burned wire bundles, the APU battery charger, and several memory modules. The maintenance and APU controller memory modules will be downloaded to obtain any available data. Investigators also documented the entire aft electronics bay including the APU battery and the nearby affected structure where components and wire bundles were located. The airplane was released back to Japan Airlines on Jan. 10.

The airplane’s two combined flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder units were transported to NTSB headquarters and have been successfully downloaded. The information is currently being analyzed by the investigative team.

The airport emergency response group documented the airport rescue and firefighting efforts to extinguish the fire, which included interviews with first responders. Fire and rescue personnel were able to contain the fire using a clean agent (Halotron), however, they reported experiencing difficulty accessing the battery for removal during extinguishing efforts. All fire and rescue personnel responding to the incident had previously received aircraft familiarization training on the Boeing 787. In accordance with international investigative treaties, the Japan Transport Safety Board and French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile have appointed accredited representatives to the investigation. The NTSB-led investigative team is comprised of subject matter groups in the areas of airplane systems, fire, airport emergency response, and data recorders and includes experts from the Federal Aviation Administration, The Boeing Company, US Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Carderock Division, Japan Airlines (aircraft operator), GS Yuasa (battery manufacturer), and Thales Avionics Electrical Systems (APU battery/charger system).

On January 20 the NTSB issued this on-going report:

The National Transportation Safety Board today released a third update on its investigation into the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

The lithium-ion battery that powered the auxiliary power unit has been examined in the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington. The battery was x-rayed and CT scans were generated of the assembled battery. The investigative team has disassembled the APU battery into its eight individual cells for detailed examination and documentation. Three of the cells were selected for more detailed radiographic examination to view the interior of the cells prior to their disassembly. These cells are in the process now of being disassembled and the cell’s internal components are being examined and documented.

Investigators have also examined several other components removed from the airplane, including wire bundles and battery management circuit boards. The team has developed test plans for the various components removed from the aircraft, including the battery management unit (for the APU battery), the APU controller, the battery charger and the start power unit. On Tuesday, the group will convene in Arizona to test and examine the battery charger and download nonvolatile memory from the APU controller. Several other components have been sent for download or examination to Boeing’s facility in Seattle and manufacturer’s facilities in Japan.

Finally, examination of the flight recorder data from the JAL B-787 airplane indicate that the APU battery did not exceed its designed voltage of 32 volts.

In accordance with international investigative treaties, the Japan Transport Safety Board and French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile have appointed accredited representatives to this investigation. Similarly, the NTSB has assigned an accredited representative to assist with the JTSB’s investigation of the Jan. 15 battery incident involving an All Nippon Airways B-787. Both investigations remain ongoing.

Spirit Airlines issues a statement for the ground collision with a parked US Airways Airbus A320 on December 31

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has conducted its own internal investigation and issued the following statement concerning the ground collision between a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 and a parked US Airways Airbus A320 on December 31 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport:

Spirit Airlines said yesterday (January 2) that it has completed its preliminary internal investigation into the incident on the night of December 31, 2012 involving Spirit Airlines flight 403 traveling from Atlanta and landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Following landing, air traffic control instructed the pilot to taxi to the gate using taxiway T. While taxiing, the Spirit Airbus A320 made contact with a parked US Airways A320 aircraft. Spirit was not advised by air traffic control of the presence of the other aircraft. As part of Spirit’s investigation, Spirit has been informed by officials that the control tower had also not been advised that the other A320 was parked in such close proximity to an active taxiway.

In addition, Spirit Airlines has advised the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and they will not be investigating given the minor nature of the incident.

Customers deplaned at the gate as normal and there were no injuries. There were 167 customers on board. Spirit’s aircraft was returned to service within hours following minor repairs.

Copyright Photo: Dave Campbell. Airbus A320-232 N601NK (msn 4206) taxies to runway 9L at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

Spirit Airlines: