AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*The FAA is proposing a $425,000 civil penalty against ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES (ASA), of Atlanta, for allegedly operating 2 Bombardier CRJ 200 regional jet airliners when they were not in compliance with FAA regulations. The FAA alleges that ASA, a subsidiary of SKYWEST and flying as DELTA CONNECTION flights, failed to complete required inspections of the 2 aircraft after they were struck by lightning. One strike took place on July 21, 2008 and the other on July 23, 2008. The FAA alleges that ASA operated the 2 aircraft on a total of 13 revenue passenger flights between July 22 and 24 when they were not in compliance with regulations. FAA regulations require the carrier to conduct and document the detailed check for lightning strike damage mandated in the airline’s aircraft maintenance manual. An FAA air safety inspector discovered both alleged violations. Atlantic Southeast has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.

*Boeing has increased its 20 year demand projection for commercial aircraft, identifying a $4 trillion market requiring 33,500 new aircraft deliveries between 2011 and 2030. The figure is up 8.4% and $400 billion in value from the 30,900 aircraft forecast in 2010, and up $1.4 trillion in the past 5 years. Of the 33,500 aircraft, 60% will be for worldwide growth, while 40% will be for replacement, creating a total fleet of 39,530 aircraft, including 6,030 retained aircraft. Today's fleet stands at 19,410 aircraft, said Boeing.

*Boeing will fly its 747-8 freighter to the Paris Air Ahow on a biofuel blend sourced from camelina, marking the 1st transatlantic flight of a commercial airliner using alternative aviation jet fuel. Each of the aircraft's General Electric GEnx-2B engines will run on a blend of 15% biofuel derived from camelina and 85% kerosene. The flight from Seattle is scheduled to land at Le Bourget at 5:00pm, local time, on June 20. It will depart Le Bourget to visit launch customer CARGOLUX later that week.

*The Transport Minister of Jamaica said yestereday that all outstanding matters relating to REDJET's application to fly to Jamaica and Trinidad will be speedily addressed by the civil aviation authorities in both countries. The decision followed a meeting between the Minister and his Barbadian and Trinidadian counterparts yesterday over the delay in the granting of approval for the Barbados-based low-cost carrier to operate in both countries. The meeting came less than a week after the Prime Minister said that he intended to hold talks with his counterparts in the 2 Caribbean countries to sort out the issues confronting the Airline, which has since been adopted as the national carrier for Barbados. REDjet's announcement in April that it would start flights between Jamaica and Barbados and Trinidad in May has been beset by a series of administrative problems and government roadblocks. While awaiting the go-head, REDjet has been offering service between Barbados and Guyana.

*Airbus Military is set to launch a new campaign of icing trials using A400M "Grizzly One", with the activity to come as its development fleet has also cleared its 1st 1000 takeoffs and landings. The aircraft has recently been equipped with a distinctive orange housing on its upper fuselage. This contains a camera that will observe the leading edge of its all-composite wing during natural icing trials. "Grizzly One" was recently captured in Toulouse, France, in the photo above by Commercial Aviation.

*Indian low-cost carrier GOAIR has placed a firm order for 72 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth $7.2 billion at list prices. The Airline expects to take delivery of them from 2015 and complete it by end-2020. An engine selection between the CFM International Leap-X and Pratt & Whitney PW1100G has not been made. Another 10 options for regular A320s have been firmed up, and these will be delivered over the next 18-24 months. GoAir's existing fleet comprises 10 A320s, and the orders will significantly boost its presence in the growing Indian domestic low-cost market.

*The government of Hong Kong has begun soliciting public opinion on proposed additions to the International Airport, including the addition of a 3rd parallel runway. At is present rate of growth, HKIA is projected to be at full capacity in about 4 years, with an additional 200 aircraft on order for Hong Kong carriers. The proposal, pictured above, also includes an additional terminal.

*AIR NEW ZEALAND had resumed its services into and out of Queenstown today, as plumes from a volcano eruption in Chile move out of New Zealand. The carrier also confirmed that all its domestic and international services are operating normally.  Airservices Australia, the national air traffic management agency, saidhat the ash cloud is not expected to affect any Australian cities, with ash having cleared from Perth and Tasmania.

*Officials for the NTSB and FAA continue to investigate the crash of the LIBERTY FOUNDATION Boeing B17 Flying Fortress in suburban Chicago on Monday. All 7 people onboard escaped without injury, when the vintage aircraft went down in a field due to an engine fire, shortly after takeoff from Aurora, Illinois. The plane’s wreckage has been removed. The NTSB said a Preliminary Report will be issued in about a week, but that a Final Report could take from 12-18 months to complete. The owners of the aircraft said the group had completed a 25 hour inspection on the B17 and that maintenance issues could not have played a part in the accident. They categorized the accident as a forced landing rather than a crash and lauded the work of the plane’s crew. The B17 went down in a corn field, which made it difficult for firefighters to reach the aircraft. Although the engine was on fire when the aircraft went down, it is believed the aircraft could have been potentially saved, had it not been so difficult to reach the area where it went down. By the time firefighters did reach the scene, the B17 was almost fully engulfed in flames.

*Denmark's Havarikommission has released a brief Report on an incident involving a SAS CRJ900 on January 13, 2011, at Copenhagen. On that date, Flight 742 received takeoff clearance and departed from the runway 22R, despite an OLT Saab 2000 being still in the runway safety area. The OLT Saab had stopped inside the stop bars on taxiway A9, after taxing off the runway. In their Report, the Danish agency said that there was no danger of collision during the incident. The investigation has been closed.

*Denmark's Havarikommission has released a brief Report on an incident involving a SAS A321 on July 2, 2010, while enroute from London Heathrow to Copenhagen, Denmark. While Flight 502 was enroute, the smell of smoke was reported briefly in the passenger cabin. A SAS mechanic who happened to be onboard, found no trace of fire. The Airbus continued on to Copenhagen for a safe arrival. In their Report, the Danish agency said after landing, a fire extinguisher was found in a lavatory waste bin and it had been discharged. The agency was not able to determine why the extinguisher had been discharged, but did report that similar incidents had occurred when passengers smoked in the lavatory. The investigation has been closed.

*DELTA AIRLINES Flight 121, a Boeing 757, had to make an emergency diversion to Las Vegas, Nevada, yesterday, June 16, after the cockpit windshield cracked. The 757 safely landed and was then removed from service for repairs. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to continue the flight from Los Angeles, California, to New York JFK.

*FEDEX Flight 1140, a Boeing Cargo 727, had to make an emergency landing in San Antonio, Texas, yesterday, June 16, due to a hydraulic failure that affected a number of systems. The 727, which was inbound from Laredo, Texas, landed safely and was later removed from service for inspection and repairs.

*US AIRWAYS Flight 1864, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency diversion to Norfolk, Virginia, yesterday, June 16, due to an electrical smell in the rear of the passenger cabin. The aircraft, which had been enroute from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Providence, Rhode Island, landed safely and was then removed from service for inspection. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to complete the flight to Providence.

*AIR MEDITERRANEE Flight 8230, an A321, had to make an emergency landing in Shannon, Ireland, yesterday, June 16, due to the failure of the nose gear steering. The Airbus safely landed with Emergency Services in attendance. After inspection, the A321 was cleared to depart on its return, Flight 8231 to Nantes, France.

*JET AIRWAYS Flight 229, an A330, had to return to Brussels, Belgium, yesterday, June 16, due to an unruly passenger. While on their initial climb, the crew reported a "violent passenger" and requested return. They leveled off at 20000 feet and landed back in Brussels, about 30 minutes after their initial departure. The passenger was taken into police custody. After about an hour on the ground, the A330 departed once again for Delhi, India. No details were released about the incident that triggered the return.

*AIR EUROPA Flight 9073, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency landing Lanzarote, CI, Spain, yesterday, June 16. The crew abandoned their 1st approach into Lanzarote, reporting flaps problems. They then entered into a holding pattern to troubleshoot, before declaring an emergency and stating they were going to make a flaps up landing. The 737, which was inbound from Madrid, Spain, safely landed, about 20 minutes after abandoning its 1st approach. The aircraft was then inspected and cleared by maintenance for its next flight. About 2 hours after this incident, the aircraft departed Lanzarote as Flight 7029 to Bilbao, Spain. However, the crew had to abandon their approach into Bilbao, due to the return of the flaps problem. The aircraft was the diverted to Madrid, where it safely landed at a higher than normal speed about 40 minutes later. The aircraft was then removed from service for a full inspection.

*EMIRATES Flight 413, an A380, had to make an emergency medical diversion to Hyderabad, India, yesterday, June 16, after a male passenger suffered a heart attack. The passenger was transported to hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. Flight 413, which had been enroute from Sydney, Ausrtralia, to Dubai, UAE, departed Hyderabad about 2 hours later and arrived in Dubai without further incident.

*VIRGIN AUSTRALIA Flight 9262, a Boeing 737, had to make an emergency diversion to Hobart, Australia, yesterday, June 16. The crew abandoned their approach into Launceston, Australia, due to flaps asymmetry and requested diversion to Hobart. The crew circled to burn off fuel, before making a safe landing at a higher than normal speed. The aircraft was then removed from service for inspection and repairs. Flgiht 9262 was on Charter Service from Brisbane to Launceston and was carrying the Gold Coast Sun Football team to Launceston, for a match scheduled for tomorrow. The team was later bussed to Launceston.

*US AIRWAYS Flight 630, an A319, had to make an emergency landing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, June 15. While on approach to Pittsburgh, the crew declared an emergency, reporting they had their O2 masks on, due to smoke in the cockpit. They then requested that Emergency Services meet the Airbus at the gate. The aircraft, which was inbound from Phoenix, Arizona, landed safely about 7 minutes later. While on taxi to the gate, the crew requested paramedics meet them at the gate. They reported they were still on O2 and that there were "burning fumes" in the cockpit, with some odor in the passenger cabin. The flight crew reported burning eyes and burning nostrils. Emergency Services and Paramedics met the aircraft and the gate and transported 1 of the Pilots to hospital for treatment. The aircraft was removed from service for a full inspection. In a brief statement, US Airways said they have yet to identify the source of the fumes.

*DELTA AIRLINES Flight 1789, an MD88, had to make an emergency return to Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, June 15. While on their initial climb, the crew declared an emergency, reporting a compressor stall on the left hand engine. The crew also reported the engine had emitted a loud bang on rotation. They then leveled off at 3000 feet and requested that Emergency Services meet the aircraft on the runway, upon their return. The MD88 landed safely back in Jacksonville and came to a stop on the runway for an Emergency Services inspection. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection. The flight to Atlanta, Georgia, was canceled and the passengers placed on other flights later that day.