Jan 1992

NEW FAA ADMINISTRATOR NAMED - Jerry Curry was named to replace James Busey as FAA Administrator. Curry, who was the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is a retired U.S. Army general, who flew helicopters and airplanes while in the service. Busey is to become the DOT deputy secretary.. Also within the FAA, Dr. Jon L. Jordan, a 22 year veteran of the agency's Office of Aviation Medicine, replaced Dr. Robert R. McMeekin as federal air surgeon.

AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE DETECTOR BEING DEVELOPED - a device that measures the lifting capability of wings that have accumulated snow, ice or slush is being developed by BFGoodrich's Jet Electronics and Technology unit. The company says its Aerodynamic Performance Monitor evaluates the "actual condition of airflow over the wing" even when the wing is contaminated, thus providing accurate stall warnings as well as guidance to the optimum attitude for an airspeed above stall during wind-shear encounters. The unit also provides data that will allow pilots to make early takeoff aborts. The FAA is currently in the certification process for the APM; costs are expected to be $15,000 to $20,000 per unit.

CLARIFYING TAXI CLEARANCES - the Safety Committee recently received the following report:

"Thursday I flew into TUL, runway 18L/36R was closed with runway 26 the active. After pushing from gate 55, called for taxi and cleared, 'taxi to runway 26 via 'A'. We taxied via 'A' onto runway 26. Tower told us, 'next time wait for clearance to cross the active.' I asked if he had cleared me to 26 via 'A' and he said yes, but that was not clearance to cross the active.

I departed and called back from my destination and Tulsa ATC people advised that there was no problem and it may be confusing, but I shouldn't have crossed the runway. They quoted the A.I.M. paragraph 4-68 that states that clearance to a runway is authorization to taxi across all runways which the taxi route intersects except the assigned takeoff runway.

I asked around the see what other pilots might have done and we all thought we were cleared to go to the takeoff end of 26. Maybe this could cause someone a greater problem if most of us are unaware of this 'gotcha'!"

Thank you sharing your experience with us, Captain, and hopefully this will save some of our fellow aviators a violation or worse.


WINTER OPS - DEICING/ANTI-ICING - It is the time of year now where deicing/anti-icing is an important part of our flying ritual. Besides our Ops Manual, the FAA has an Advisory Circular 20-117, Hazards Following Ground Deicing and Ground Operations in

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Conditions Conducive to Aircraft Icing. This AC discusses the "Clean Aircraft Concept" and puts the responsibility on the PIC and his crew to ensure that the aircraft is free of snow, frost or ice adhering to the "critical aircraft components and surfaces." The FAA further states that there seems to be no way to currently estimate the useful life of de-icing fluid because of the vagueness of the inclement weather situation and operational requirements. Therefore the only way to positively ascertain that an aircraft is clean prior to takeoff is by close inspection. Furthermore, Part 121 specifically requires the crew to ensure adherence to these concepts in icing conditions;

Part 121 - Certification and Operations

121.629 Operations in Icing Conditions

(a) No person may dispatch or release an aircraft, continue to operate an aircraft enroute, or land an aircraft when in the opinion of the pilot-in-command or aircraft dispatcher...icing conditions are expected or met that might adversely affect the safety of the flight, and

(b) No person may take off an aircraft when frost, snow, or ice is adhering to the wings, control surfaces,...of the aircraft.

In North America, there have been six major takeoff accidents/incidents involving air transport aircraft during the last 10 years which have been attributed to on-ground buildup of ice on the aircraft. Several of these have resulted in considerable loss of life and in all but one of these accidents, the aircraft was destroyed.

The following is a brief synopsis of these accidents:

01/13/82 Air Florida - Washington D.C. - B737

Moderate snow - temperature 24F, deiced 1510, takeoff 1558

Aircraft stalled shortly after takeoff - engine anti-ice not used.

02/05/85 Airborne Express - Philadelphia, Pa. - DC9-15

Light freezing drizzle, ice pellets, snow - temp. 25F

Not deiced - aircraft stalled shortly after liftoff

12/12/85 Arrow Air - Gander, Canada - DC8

Light freezing drizzle, snow grains - temp. 25F

Not deiced - aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff


11/15/87 Continental Airlines - DEN - DC9-10

Light to moderate snow - temperature 28F

Deiced 1352, takeoff 1414 - aircraft stalled shortly after takeoff

03/10/89 Air Ontario - Dryden, Canada - F-28

Moderate snow - not deiced - aircraft failed to climb after takeoff

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02/17/91 Ryan Intl. Airlines - CLE - DC9-15

Light snow - not deiced - aircraft failed to climb after takeoff

And recently in Europe:

12/27/91 SAS - Sweden - MD-81 - possibility that ice ingestion into the engines caused double engine failure shortly after takeoff. Aircraft had been deiced twice during its 45 minute delay awaiting takeoff clearance.

Your best defense against this hazard is to be very familiar with the winter ops section of the Ops Manual and to be aggressive in anticipating icing conditions and requirements. The holdover times for deicing fluids are defined as the interval between deicing application and takeoff when freezing precipitation is occurring and aircraft contamination should not occur. There are no guarantees, the holdover time may be less due to changing environmental situations, i.e. jet blast from an aircraft in front of you removing some of the deicing fluid from your wing. A visual inspection of the wing is essential in determining the airworthiness of your aircraft. Fortunately, most of our wing on the B737 is visible from the cockpit, but if in doubt, it would be prudent to enter the cabin for a closer inspection of the wing and leading edge. Remember also, that many of our passengers are aware of the preceding accidents and the ensuing publicity; they are apprehensive in these operating conditions and it is not unheard of to be questioned by an apprehensive passenger with the FAA's 1-800-hot line number in their possession. Do what you can to ensure these folks that you are doing everything possible to give them the safe flight that they deserve.


SPECIAL ASRS SURFACE INCIDENT PROJECT - the Safety Committee has received a request from NASA's ASRS, informing us of a project to analyze all reports of runway incursions and related airport surface incidents in a search for probable causes and possible preventative measures. They are asking for our help in this project. They are looking for reports of any safety related incidents which may occur on an airport movement area, especially runway incursions. Certain ASRS reports will be selected for detailed analysis and the reporter will receive a call from an ASRS analyst for a follow-up telephone interview. Be assured that, as with all ASRS reports, the confidentiality of the report and subsequent interview, and the de-identification of the reporter are always maintained by the ASRS staff.

PIGS IN SPACE? - we have received several pleas from first officers to request that offgoing crews clean-up their cockpits as they turn over the aircraft to other crews, i.e. empty that trash bag, remove weight slips from the area next to your left foot, and trash all glasses from cup holders. It only takes a second to clean your mess so that the oncoming crew has a good start to their day. It also might prevent you from getting some unwelcomed "mail" in your

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crew mailbox back in your domicile!

ENGINE SEPARATION ON DELTA 737 WAS NOT FIRST - separation of an engine on takeoff by a Delta B737-200 was the third total engine separation to have occurred on the aircraft type. The FAA has never adopted NTSB recommendations to deal with engine separation on 737s, preferring measures of its own to deal with the problem. All three previous events involved loss of the RIGHT engine. This does not include N86SW, which also had a failure of the aft support bolt occur to the right engine in l986. The flight landed safely at DAL with the right engine hanging loosely from the engine pylon.