B737 Burns

[Kip Powick]

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Taiwanese jetliner burst into flames Monday morning shortly after landing at the Naha airport on the Japanese island of Okinawa, but 165 passengers and crew got off the plane safely, authorities said.

The China Airlines jetliner caught fire at Naha airport on Monday.

The Japanese Transport Ministry and the Naha Fire Department said the passengers included 155 adults and two toddlers. The crew was made up of 2 pilots and six flight attendants.

According to the ministry, there was "some sort of explosion" on board the China Airlines Boeing 737, but no other details were immediate available. Japanese media reported that a passenger saw a fire in one of the engines before the blast.

The Transport Ministry said the plane arrived in Okinawa from Taipei at 10:31 a.m. local time and stopped on the tarmac three minutes later to evacuate passengers. At 10:35 a.m., the fire department was called to the scene.

This incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving China Airlines. Jetliners for the air carrier crashed in 2002, 1999, 1998 and 1994, killing more than 1,000 people.

[Guest rattler]

Link to the BBC story containing the video. Aircraft looks intact at the start of the video (nothing appears to be bent) just smoke and some fire, then an explosion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6954397.stm

[Canus Chinookus]

it looks like it's burning in the wheel well.

[Kip Powick]

Could be that the FO forgot to open the cowl gills after landing ??

[dagger]

Could be that the FO forgot to open the cowl gills after landing ??

Suspicion seems to be a fuel leak on one of the engines.

[groundeffect]

Kip, either that or the carb heat was left on during non -icing conditions

[W5]

What about the mixture?? Stuck in Auto Rich?

Anyways:

FAA records: 4 similar incidents to China Air fire

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Boeing aircraft and its engine co-produced by a unit

of General Electric were involved in a handful of fires on U.S. flights

before today's China Airlines explosion.

Minutes after all 165 people aboard evacuated, the China Airlines plane

burst into a fireball on the tarmac at the airport in Okinawa, Japan.

The 737-800 had CFM 56 engines, made by CFM International, a joint venture

between GE Aviation and France's Snecma.

A preliminary search of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's

accident/incident database found four cases involving fires with similar

Boeing planes or engines between July 1998 and July 2005.

3 of the incidents involved 737-800s. The other was on a 737-700, but with a

similar engine.

FAA records indicate some of those incidents required emergency reroutes and

evacuations.

Yet aviation analysts say the planes and engines are the safest in the

world.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at Teal Group, says the four FAA

incidents dating back to 1998 are "statistically insignificant" considering

the thousands of Boeing 737s and CFM 56 engines in use around the world.

[Guest rattler]

Interesting video re the tech improvements for this engine.

http://www.cfm56.com/index.php?level2=engi...056&level5=1108

[Specs]

From watching the passengers running it seems they used Fwd and aft slides on both sides of the aircraft. Kudos to the inflight crew. Wonder what what the crew encountered that they left through the windows. The first guy had a good drop to the ground that must have hurt something good but the poor second fella looks almost like he was ejected through the window just as the CTR TK (?) popped.

[dagger]

This China Airlines plan wasn't going to burn.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2007/08/22/4438047-ap.html

[Kip Powick]

Maybe the one that burned had this guys fuel on board......... ergo too much.... thus it expanded and leaked out upon landing in the hot climate

[Guest rattler]

This China Airlines plan wasn't going to burn.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2007/08/22/4438047-ap.html

but like all news items, there is always more to be said. Here is the latest update from the BBC:

Taiwan jet in emergency landing

A Taiwanese China Airlines plane has been forced to make an emergency landing at an airport in Japan, airport officials say.

The jet was on its way from Taipei to Nagoya when its pilots requested a landing at Kansai, in western Japan.

There were no reports of injuries to passengers or crew.

The incident comes two days after a China Airlines plane exploded in a fireball shortly after landing on Japan's southern island of Okinawa.

A spokesman for China Airlines, Johnson Sun, told the BBC News website that the main reason the plane had to make an unscheduled stop at Kansai airport was that it had been told that the runway at Nagoya had been closed.

He said the plane waited until the pilots were told that the runway was open and then continued on to Nagoya.

Earlier reports said the plane had been forced to land because it had run out of fuel.

[Guest rattler]

And now we get the "Rest of the Story"

China Airlines jet diverted to Osaka by birds

(DPA)

22 August 2007

TAIPEI - A China Airlines (CAL) passenger jet flying from Taipei to the central Japanese city Nagoya was diverted to Osaka airport on Wednesday due to birds on the runway at the Nagoya airport, CAL said, refuting a Japanese account of the incident.

Japanese TV had reported that the Airbus A330, Flight No. CI-150, made an emergency landing at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport at about 7 pm as it was running out of fuel.

The jet took off after refueling and flew to Nagoya later on, and no one was injured, Japan’s NHK TV channel reported.

But CAL, Taiwan’s largest airline, refuted Japanese press report.

“This plane carried enough fuel. When it was about to land at the Nagoya airport at 8:05 pm local time, the pilot was told that the runway was closed because there were wild birds on the runway. So the plane flew to Kansai airport and flew back to Nagoya airport later on,” CAL Spokesman Johnson Sun told reporters.

“Several flights from other foreign airlines were also diverted to other airports,” he added.

CAL plane’s diversion to the Osaka airport comes two days after a CAL Boeing 737-800 jet caught fire and exploded into three parts after landing at the Naha airport on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa.

The plane’s 167 passengers and 8 crew were evacuated a few minutes before it exploded in a ball of fire. Taiwan media reported that a cracked pylon may have caused a fuel leak that led to the fire and explosion of the plane.

[Canus Chinookus]

"Taiwan media reported that a cracked pylon may have caused a fuel leak that led to the fire and explosion of the plane."

those pylons are tough, what could cause it to crack?

[dagger]

"Taiwan media reported that a cracked pylon may have caused a fuel leak that led to the fire and explosion of the plane."

those pylons are tough, what could cause it to crack?

Bolt cracked a hole in the fuel tank.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/23/ap4048225.html

[W5]

Washer eyed in jet fuel leak / Bolt reinstallation error may have triggered

events leading to explosion

The bolt that came loose and damaged the fuel tank of the China Airlines jet

that burst into flames at Naha Airport last Monday likely was incorrectly

installed, as a washer and other parts that should have been installed with

it have not been found, officials of a government commission investigating

the accident said.

The Construction and Transport Ministry's Aircraft and Railway Accidents

Investigation Commission has learned that the Boeing 737-800 jet underwent a

scheduled periodical checkup in July.

As part of this checkup, the bolt in question--part of a slat in the plane's

right wing--was removed for examination before being reinstalled and passing

the maintenance check, the officials said.

The commission assumes the bolt was incorrectly reinstalled during the

checkup, and subsequent checks did not discover the problem. The commission

said it will continue its investigation while considering the possibility of

a maintenance error on the part of the airline.

The commission finished its inspection of the plane Saturday.

Though the commission initially suspected fuel pipes inside an engine mount

beneath the right wing caused the fuel leak, no problems were found with

these parts.

The commission concluded that the bolt dislodged and pierced the wall of the

fuel tank, resulting in the leak, according to the officials. The two

millimeter-thick wall of the tank sustained a hole 41 millimeters long and

23 millimeters wide.

According to the officials, the plane underwent the annual checkup July 6,

and parts of the rear end of the slat pillars were removed for checks and

reinstalled.

A set of such parts comprises a 42-millimeter-long bolt, a nut with an

external diameter of 10.4 millimeters, and six other components placed

between them. They were installed through a bolt hole measuring 14

millimeters in diameter at the rear end of the slat pillars.

The set also contains two washers, with an external diameter of 15.9

millimeters, to prevent the bolt from coming loose.

The plane's maintenance record showed work to replace the parts was done in

line with Boeing's instructions.

When maintenance is carried out on aircraft, after one mechanic has

completed a process, another mechanic checks whether the work has been done

properly and has followed procedure. A final check is made after all

processes are completed.

When individual maintenance steps are completed, the head mechanic signs a

record sheet. Each plane's record carries signatures for each stage of the

maintenance process, such as checks and the replacement of parts.

Although the nut was still attached to the dislodged bolt--a washer and two

other parts are missing--it came loose and pierced the wall of the fuel

tank.

Consequently, the commission suspects a mistake occurred when the bolt was

removed and reinstalled.

One possibility is that a mechanic forgot to install one of the washers and

the bolt dropped off due to flight vibrations. Another is that a mechanic

forgot to install the complete set of parts, with the parts being left

inside a section of the wing that accommodates the fuel tank.

A Japanese airline mechanic said: "During maintenance, we sometimes place

all the parts together and tighten the nut to prevent small parts from

becoming scattered and lost. It's possible that a mechanic forgot to install

the set while carrying out another task at the same time."

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070827TDY02005.htm

[JL]

FAA issues emergency AD in wake of China Airlines fire

Initial investigation reveals that following retraction of the slats after

landing, loose parts of the main slat track

downstop assembly punctured the slat can of the China Airlines 737-800,

which resulted in a fuel leak and a fire. A similar slat problem was

reported by another operator. This prompted the FAA to issue an emergency

AD. This AD requires a detailed inspection and test on of each main slat

track downstop assembly on to all Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900,

and -900ER series airplanes. (FAA)

FAA AD 2007-18-51

(aviation-safety.net)

[Guest rattler]

Last updated August 29, 2007 7:40 p.m. PT

FAA orders faster 737 checks

Second directive comes after problems found in slats

P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Federal regulators ordered airlines to speed up inspections of the wing slats on newer Boeing 737 jetliners after more problems that could lead to a fire were found in initial inspections this week.

In the second emergency airworthiness directive in four days, the Federal Aviation Administration reduced the time allowed for inspecting the slat downstop assembly from 24 days to 10.

Both last Saturday's directive and the superseding one issued late Tuesday were based on findings about the fire that destroyed a China Airlines 737 in Japan last week.

FAA spokesman Les Dorr said the initial inspections this week had found two planes in which parts had come off the slat downstop assembly and were lying loose in the housing, including one in which the housing wall was damaged.

Last Thursday, investigators in Japan found that a bolt from a right wing slat had pierced the fuel tank of the Taiwanese jetliner that caught fire after landing on the Japanese island of Okinawa. All 165 people aboard evacuated seconds before the plane exploded.

A fuel leak through that hole likely caused the fire on the China Airlines Boeing 737-800, said Kazushige Daiki, chief investigator at Japan's Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission.

Slats slide out the front edge of the main wings during takeoff and landing to stabilize the aircraft, along with flaps that come out of the wings' rear edge. The downstop limits how far the slats can slide out.

The new directive said owners and operators could do either the detailed inspection ordered initially or use a borescope, an imaging device that can get into closed areas.

Dorr said the goal was to ensure all parts were in place, particularly a washer crucial to holding a nut on the bolt. If no repairs were needed, airlines could take the full 24 days to retighten the nut and bolt to specifications, the order said.

The orders apply to 783 U.S. airplanes but likely will be imposed by other countries on the entire worldwide fleet of 2,287 newer 737s, Dorr said.

The order covers all 737-600, -700, -800, -900 and -900ER series planes, the first of which entered service in January 1998 with Southwest Airlines, which flies only 737s.

In addition to Southwest, 737 models covered by the inspection in the U.S. are operated by Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines, AirTran, Alaska Air Group , ATA and Aloha Airlines, the FAA said.

As of Wednesday morning, Alaska Airlines said it had inspected 18 of the 55 newer 737s in its fleet covered by the FAA directive and no problems were found, an Alaska Airlines spokeswoman said.

The inspection of each jet is taking about six hours, Alaska Airlines said. Airlines have 10 days to make a visual inspection.

If the wing parts are properly assembled, airlines then have 24 days to use a torque wrench to tighten nuts and bolts.

Alaska Airlines said its mechanics are tightening the nuts and bolts in the wing at the same time they make the visual inspection. There have been no schedule disruptions, it said.

Southwest, which has more than a third of the planes covered by the FAA order, finished inspections Tuesday night and found no loose parts, spokeswoman Beth Harbin said.

Flight schedules weren't affected, she said. Southwest has 280 of the covered 737s.

Delta Air Lines will finish the inspections of its 71 737-800s ahead of the 10-day requirement without any schedule disruptions, spokeswoman Betsy Talton said.

AirTran, based in Orlando, Fla., also will meet the FAA deadline "well in advance," spokesman Dave Hirschman said.

AirTran has 50 737s.

This report includes information from P-I reporter James Wallace, The Associated Press and Bloomberg News.

[W5]

CAL Boeing 737 fire may point to wider safety issue

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/...fety-issue.html

[Guest rattler]

WestJet

TSX: WJA

Sep 05, 2007 15:56 ET

WestJet Announces Completion of FAA Airworthiness Directive

Airline among the first in the world to complete both elements of directive

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sept. 5, 2007) - WestJet (TSX:WJA) today announced it has completed the Airworthiness Directive issued by the Federal Aviation Authority (AD 2007-18-52) as of Tuesday, September 4, 2007. This directive required that all operators of Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft conduct both a visual inspection as well as a torque test for the main slat track downstop assemblies. Operators were given 10 days from August 28 for visual inspection and 24 days beginning August 25 for the torque test. WestJet has completed both of these directives for its entire fleet of 67 aircraft within 10 days.

[Mitch Cronin]

WestJet

TSX: WJA

 

Sep 05, 2007 15:56 ET

WestJet Announces Completion of FAA Airworthiness Directive

Airline among the first in the world to complete both elements of directive

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sept. 5, 2007) - WestJet (TSX:WJA) today announced it has completed the Airworthiness Directive issued by the Federal Aviation Authority (AD 2007-18-52) as of Tuesday, September 4, 2007. This directive required that all operators of Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft conduct both a visual inspection as well as a torque test for the main slat track downstop assemblies. Operators were given 10 days from August 28 for visual inspection and 24 days beginning August 25 for the torque test. WestJet has completed both of these directives for its entire fleet of 67 aircraft within 10 days.

I know a company whose managers would take that to mean their AME's don't have enough work, or they're overstaffed.

...the way I see it... that's a really good statement about WJ maintenance!

If an AD is worth doing, surely it's worth doing sooner than later.

Good on ya's!

[Don Hudson]

I know a company whose managers would take that to mean their AME's don't have enough work, or they're overstaffed.

[dagger]

China Airlines again!

They are either snakebit or an airline I might wish to avoid

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2007/09/21/4513962-ap.html