Lightning strike reportedly downed Ethiopian Airlines jet

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after taking off from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport. The plane took off during a severe thunderstorm and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in the early hours of Monday morning, January 25. It has been suggested that the plane was struck by lightning.  
 
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, however, pending further investigations.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is a modern jet aircraft. The plane, built in 2002, had completed more than 25,000 flight hours. Ethiopian Airlines had leased the plane since September 2009. The aircraft’s previous owner was Ryanair.

Lightning striking aircraft during flights is not a rare occurrence: approximately 1 in every 2500 flights is struck by lightning. While lightning strikes can occur at any point during a flight, they usually (96% of reported cases) occur at altitudes lower than 25,000 feet (approximately 7.5km), during the descent and approach to landing, or when the plane is climbing after take-off.

In 40% of the reported cases of lightning strikes, the aircraft are undamaged, while in the other 60% of cases the lightning strikes damage some part of the aircraft, such as the onboard electronics or the aircraft’s skin and radar nose.  

Fatal accidents in which lightning is a factor are rare, however. Since 1963 only 5 fatal accidents have been reported involving aircraft heavier than 5.7 tons. In each case the aircraft involved were older models, and in three of the 5 crashes the planes involved were smaller, twin-engine turbo planes. To date there are no proven fatal accidents involving modern jet aircraft. 
 
Lightning strikes therefore are not considered a very serious problem for flight safety. Nevertheless, airline companies and aircraft manufacturers do focus attention on lightning strikes, because every aircraft that is struck by lightning must subsequently undergo comprehensive maintenance checks. These checks are time-consuming and therefore costly. For this reason, NLR, in collaboration with various European partners, researched the possibilities of equipping aircraft with devices that record the data about the nature and extent of the lightning strikes (the ILDAS project). Based on this recorded information, maintenance checks can then be performed much more efficiently.
In addition, substantial research is currently being conducted into protecting modern jet aircraft, which are increasingly constructed of composite materials, from lightning strikes.

The following is a list of the fatal crashes since 1963 involving lightning strikes on aircraft weighing more than 5.7 tons:

• 27/02/2002, Let 410 (twin-engine turbo prop), Comoros Islands, following a lightning strike, the artificial horizons and gyro compasses malfunctioned. The pilot lost control of the aircraft, one person onboard died.
• 10/1/2001, Merlin IV (twin-engine turbo prop), Mediterranean Sea, total failure of the electrical systems, all 10 people onboard died.
• 08/02/1988, Metro III (twin-engine turbo prop), Germany (Kettwig), total failure of the electrical systems, all 21 people onboard died.
• 24/12/1971, Lockheed L-188A Electra, combination of lightning and severe turbulence, all 9 people onboard died.
• 08/12/1963, B707, Philadelphia (USA), fuel tank explodes after a lightning strike, all 81 people onboard died.
  

Blikseminslag genoemd als oorzaak ongeval Ethiopian Airlines

Een Boeing 737-800 van Ethiopian Airlines is in de nacht van zondag op maandag 25 januari, kort na de start vanaf de luchthaven van Beiroet, in zwaar weer neergestort in de Middellandse Zee. Er wordt gesuggereerd dat het vliegtuig door bliksem getroffen zou zijn.

Wat er precies is gebeurd is onbekend. Het is te vroeg om een oorzaak vast te stellen.

De Boeing 737-800 van Ethiopian Airlines is een modern straalverkeersvliegtuig. Het werd gebouwd in 2002 en heeft iets meer dan 25,000 vlieguren gemaakt. Ethiopian Airlines least het vliegtuig sinds september 2009, de vorige eigenaar was Ryanair.

Blikseminslagen op vliegtuigen tijdens de vlucht zijn niet zeldzaam, in ongeveer 1 op de 2500 vluchten wordt een vliegtuig getroffen door de bliksem. Blikseminslagen komen voor in alle fasen van de vlucht, maar veruit het meest (96% van de gerapporteerde gevallen) gebeurt dit beneden de 25,000 voet ( ongeveer 7,5 km), tijdens de daalvlucht en nadering voor de landing, of tijdens de klim na de start.

In 40% van de gerapporteerde gevallen van blikseminslag is er geen sprake van schade aan het vliegtuig. In 60% van de gerapporteerde gevallen van blikseminslag is er schade aan delen van het vliegtuig zoals de elektronica aan boord, de radarneus van het vliegtuig, en de vliegtuighuid.

Fatale ongevallen waarin bliksem inslag een factor was zijn zeldzaam. Sinds 1963 zijn slechts 5 fatale ongevallen bekend met vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5,7 ton. In alle gevallen ging het om oudere vliegtuigtypen en in drie van de gevallen ging het om kleinere turboprops. Er zijn geen fatale ongevallen door blikseminslag bekend met moderne straalverkeersvliegtuigen.

Blikseminslagen zijn dus niet zozeer een probleem voor de veiligheid. Dat neemt niet weg dat inslagen wel een punt van aandacht zijn van luchtvaartmaatschappijen en vliegtuig fabrikanten, vanwege de onderhoudscontroles die moeten worden uitgevoerd na een gerapporteerde inslag. Die controles kunnen veel tijd in beslag nemen en zijn daardoor kostbaar. Er is daarom door het NLR, samen met een aantal Europese partners, onderzoek gedaan naar mogelijkheden om vliegtuigen uit te rusten met apparatuur waarmee gegevens over de aard en omvang van een inslag kunnen worden vastgelegd (het ILDAS project). Op basis van die informatie kan het onderhoud efficiënter worden gemaakt. Daarnaast vindt op dit moment veel onderzoek plaats naar het beschermen tegen blikseminslag van de kunststof constructie van moderne vliegtuigen.

Dit zijn alle dodelijke ongevallen als gevolg van bliksem sinds 1963, met vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5,7 ton:

• 27/02/2002, Let 410 (twee-motorige turbo prop), Comoros, na bliksem inslag waren er geen artificial horizons en gyro compasses meer beschikbaar. Piloot verloor controle over het vliegtuig, één inzittende overleed na de crash.
• 10/1/2001, Merlin IV (twee-motorige turbo prop), Middellandse zee, volledig uitvallen van alle elektrische systemen, alle 10 inzittenden omgekomen.
• 08/02/1988, Metro III (twee-motorige turbo prop), Duitsland (Kettwig), volledig uitvallen van alle elektrische systemen, alle 21 inzittenden omgekomen. 
• 24/12/1971 , Lockheed L-188A Electra, combinatie bliksem inslag en extreem zware turbulentie, alle 92 inzittenden omgekomen. 
• 08/12/1963, B707, Philadelphia (USA), brandstof tank ontploft na bliksem inslag, alle 81 inzittenden omgekomen.

2009 a good year for aviation safety

In 2009, a total of 719 people worldwide lost their lives in accidents involving aircraft, which is a slightly lower number than the annual average of 830 deaths, according to preliminary figures compiled by the NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

2009 was a good year regarding aviation safety, with 111 accidents involving commercial aircraft reported worldwide, of which 20 of these accidents had fatal consequences for passengers. Over the past ten years there has been an average of 135 accidents per year, of which 28 resulted in fatalities. The aforementioned figures perIn 2009, a total of 719 people worldwide lost their lives in accidents involving aircraft, which is a slightly lower number than the annual average of 830 deaths, according to preliminary figures compiled by the NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

2009 was a good year regarding aviation safety, with 111 accidents involving commercial aircraft reported worldwide, of which 20 of these accidents had fatal consequences for passengers. Over the past ten years there has been an average of 135 accidents per year, of which 28 resulted in fatalities. The aforementioned figures pertain to commercial aircraft that weigh more than 5.7 tons.

When the previous three years are compared, the likelihood of a fatal crash occurring in 2009 was equal to that in previous years (circa 1 fatal crash per 1.7 million flights).

Although aviation safety has gradually improved over the past decade, a discernable stagnation in the improvement of aviation safety over the past few years has been noted, and this was also apparent in 2009.

In 2009, the largest aviation disaster was that of the Air France plane that - for unknown reasons - crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people onboard. The United States, the world’s leading aviation nation, was also stunned by a major crash involving a propeller-driven airplane, in which 49 people lost their lives. This aircraft crashed just prior to landing, and one person on the ground also died as a result.

In 2009, cargo planes were once again involved in numerous accidents. Of the 20 fatal accidents worldwide, nine of these involved cargo planes. The odds that a cargo plane would crash were more than 10 times greater than for a passenger plane.

When viewed over the long term, approximately one in every seven aircraft accidents were incidents in which an aircraft overshot the runway during take-off or landing. This type of crash has become increasingly common in recent years: in 2009 nearly one in five accidents was of this type. Recently (22 December 2009) an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway during a landing at an airport in Kingston, Jamaica, injuring 44 people onboard and seriously damaging the aircraft. Theses types of accidents were also relatively numerous in 2008.

tain to commercial aircraft that weigh more than 5.7 tons.

When the previous three years are compared, the likelihood of a fatal crash occurring in 2009 was equal to that in previous years (circa 1 fatal crash per 1.7 million flights).

Although aviation safety has gradually improved over the past decade, a discernable stagnation in the improvement of aviation safety over the past few years has been noted, and this was also apparent in 2009.

In 2009, the largest aviation disaster was that of the Air France plane that - for unknown reasons - crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people onboard. The United States, the world’s leading aviation nation, was also stunned by a major crash involving a propeller-driven airplane, in which 49 people lost their lives. This aircraft crashed just prior to landing, and one person on the ground also died as a result.

In 2009, cargo planes were once again involved in numerous accidents. Of the 20 fatal accidents worldwide, nine of these involved cargo planes. The odds that a cargo plane would crash were more than 10 times greater than for a passenger plane.

When viewed over the long term, approximately one in every seven aircraft accidents were incidents in which an aircraft overshot the runway during take-off or landing. This type of crash has become increasingly common in recent years: in 2009 nearly one in five accidents was of this type. Recently (22 December 2009) an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 overshot the runway during a landing at an airport in Kingston, Jamaica, injuring 44 people onboard and seriously damaging the aircraft. Theses types of accidents were also relatively numerous in 2008.

For more information, contact Michel Piers (+316-26502620)

NLR-ATSI Newsletter 03: Barrier on the strip a sound idea?

The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) has published its third newsletter. The newsletter will appear twice per year and will contain relevant information on safety in air transport and the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

If you did not receive the newsletter, but you would like to, please subscribe on our website.

Turkish airlines accident again an undershoot

Today, a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 landed short of runway 18R of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The cause of the accident is yet unknown. It is clear however, that this is a so-called undershoot accident, according to NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

From historical data it is known that undershoots usually are the result of one of three main causes:

• unstable approaches (e.g. too fast or too high/low)
• system/engine failure
• unfavourable wind conditions near the runway.

Data from the safety database of NLR-ATSI show that in the period between 2003 and 2007, a total of 45 accidents* related to undershoots/overshoots has been reported in commercial aviation worldwide (on average 9 each year or once in 3.9 million fligh ts). Comparison with the preceding 5-year period shows a rise of 45% in accidents related to undershoots/overshoots. In 73% of the undershoot/overshoot accidents the aircraft touched down short of the runway. In the other accidents the aircraft overran t he runway or ran off the side of the runway due to an overshoot, or landed beside the runway. All accidents caused damage to the aircraft and in 22% passengers, crew, or people on the ground were injured. 9% of the injuries had fatal consequences. In the last 20 years, a total number of 115 runway undershoot accidents have been reported for passenger flights.

The most recent accident of this airline:
In the last 20 years, Turkish Airlines has suffered 11 accidents, including the latest accident at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The previous accident of Turkish Airlines occurred on August 21st, 2005 with an Airbus 340 at Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand. During landing, the A340 was damaged when its tail struck the runway.
The worst accident of Turkish Airlines during the last 20 years occurred with a BAE SYSTEMS RJ Avroliner on January 8th, 2003. The aircraft undershot during the final stage of an approach to Diyarbakir, impacting the ground slightly to the side of the ex tended centreline of the runway, about 500m short of the runway threshold and 100ft below the airfield elevation. The aircraft broke up during the crash sequence and was destroyed by fire after eventually coming to rest. While this was also an undershoot accident, the circumstances were very different (darkness and poor visibility) from those of the accident today. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service (TK634) from Istanbul. Only 5 of the 80 persons on board survived the accident.

The most recent accident in this category:
A well-known case of an undershoot occurred on January 17th, 2008 at London Heathrow. During the approach of a Boeing 777 to the airport, both engines lost power and the aircraft landed short of the runway. The landing gear separated and the aircraft came to rest at the threshold of the runway. All 152 occupants evacuated safely, but the aircraft was substantially damaged.

AIRLINE / FLEET INFO

Turkish Airlines operates a fleet of Airbus (A310, A319, A320, A321 and A340) and Boeing (737-400, 737-800 and 777-300) aircraft. Turkish Airlines operates 49 aircraft of the type of the accident aircraft (Boeing 737-800). The accident aircraft was bu ilt in 2002 and is equipped with CFM56 engines.

Vogels mogelijk oorzaak waterlanding US Airways Flight 1549

In de afgelopen 10 jaar zijn er acht ongevallen gemeld waarin een noodlanding werd gemaakt op water. Dat blijkt uit cijfers van de Air Safety Database van het Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI)

Op donderdag 15 januari 2009 heeft een Airbus A320 van US Airways na de start een noodlanding gemaakt in het water van de Hudson River, New York. Alle inzittenden hebben het ongeval overleefd. Vlucht 1549 was net opgestegen van LaGuardia Airport, New York met als bestemming Charlotte Airport toen beide motoren uitvielen. De A320 met registratie N106US is 10 jaar oud, heeft meer dan 24.000 vlieguren gemaakt en is uitgerust met CFM56 motoren.

Ongevallen waarin een noodlanding wordt gemaakt op water komen zelden voor. In de afgelopen 10 jaar zijn er acht ongevallen gemeld waarin een noodlanding werd gemaakt op water. Zeven daarvan waren gerelateerd aan het uitvallen van een of meerdere motoren. Drie van deze ongevallen hadden fatale gevolgen voor een aantal van de inzittenden. Voor inzittenden ligt de overlevingskans bij een noodlanding op water rond de 60%.

Voordat vliegtuigen mogen worden ingezet voor passagiers- of vrachtvervoer, worden deze ondermeer gecertificeerd voor noodlandingen op water (‘ditching’). De certificatie vindt plaats op basis van bestaande vergelijkbare ontwerpen, proeven met schaalmodellen en eerdere ongevallen van vergelijkbare vliegtuigontwerpen. Elke vliegtuigfabrikant publiceert vliegprocedures die moeten worden gevolgd om de overlevingskans bij een ditching zo groot mogelijk te maken.

“Op papier kan een vliegtuig op water landen. Ook de piloot is daarvoor getraind, maar hij moet het nog wel doen”, laat een woordvoerder van ATSI weten. Uit de radargegevens die wij van de vlucht in bezit hebben, blijkt dat de piloot uiterst koelbloedig en kordaat heeft gehandeld.”

Voorlopige rapporten vermelden dat het uitvallen van de motoren van de A320 is veroorzaakt door een aanvaring met vogels. Vogelaanvaringen zijn in de luchtvaart niet ongewoon. Elk jaar worden er wereldwijd meer dan 21.000 vogelaanvaringen gerapporteerd met commerciële vluchten. Ondanks dit relatief hoge aantal aanvaringen leiden botsingen met vogels zelden tot ongevallen. Gegevens uit de Air Safety Database van het Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) laten zien dat er in de civiele luchtvaart wereldwijd, met vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5.700 kg, in de afgelopen 10 jaar 35 ongevallen zijn geweest die gerelateerd zijn aan vogelaanvaringen. Negentien van deze ongevallen vonden plaats tijdens, of net na de start, en in vijftien gevallen leidde de vogelaanvaring tot een geheel of gedeeltelijk verlies van het motorvermogen.

Verlies van motorvermogen op alle motoren, ongeacht de oorzaak, komt in de commerciële luchtvaart wereldwijd ongeveer 5 keer per jaar voor. In 69% van deze gevallen kon een landing worden gemaakt zonder slachtoffers in het vliegtuig of op de grond.

Toch kunnen vogelaanvaringen ernstige gevolgen hebben. Een recent voorbeeld daarvan was het ongeval met een Ryanair 737-800 tijdens de nadering van Rome Ciampino Airport op 10 november 2008. Vanwege een grote groep vogels brak de bemanning de landing af, waarbij meerdere vogels in beide motoren werden gezogen. Beide motoren verloren vermogen, wat resulteerde in een harde landing waarbij het landingsgestel en de romp werden beschadigd.

Een ernstig ongeval in Nederland door een aanvaring met een zwerm vogels was de Hercules ramp op 15 juli 1996 op vliegveld Eindhoven. Hierbij kwamen 34 van de 41 inzittenden om het leven.

2008 redelijk veilig jaar voor de luchtvaart

In 2008 zijn er 504 mensen omgekomen bij vliegtuigongevallen. Dat is minder dan het jaarlijks gemiddelde dat op 830 doden ligt. Dit blijkt uit de voorlopige cijfers van het NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

Wat betreft de vliegveiligheid was 2008 een redelijk goed jaar. Wereldwijd zijn er 126 ongevallen met commerciële vluchten gemeld, waarvan 22 met fatale gevolgen voor de inzittenden. De laatste tien jaar waren er jaarlijks gemiddeld 154 ongevallen waarvan 28 vluchten met fatale gevolgen. Deze cijfers gelden voor commerciële vluchten van vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5,7 ton.

Toch was de kans op een fataal ongeval in 2008 ongeveer even groot als de laatste twee jaar (circa 1 fataal ongeval per 1,6 miljoen vluchten). Internationaal zijn er al zorgen geuit over deze stagnatie in de verbetering van de vliegveiligheid. Het is nog niet geheel duidelijk waardoor deze stagnatie wordt veroorzaakt.

Het veiligst was het in de Verenigde Staten, maar ook in Europa was de kans op een ongeval vrij klein. Toch viel in Europa (Madrid) het grootste ongeval van 2008 te betreuren met een MD-80 van Spanair. Hierbij kwamen 154 inzittenden om het leven.

Net als voorgaande jaren zijn er in 2008 relatief veel ongevallen geweest in Afrika en met luchtvaartmaatschappijen die op de zwarte lijst van de EU staan. Van de 126 ongevallen waren er 16 met luchtvaartmaatschappijen die op de zwarte lijst staan. Deze maatschappijen hebben maar een betrekkelijk klein aandeel in het totale luchtverkeer. Opmerkelijk was dat de helft van deze maatschappijen uit Indonesië afkomstig was. Ook zijn er opnieuw veel ongevallen geweest met vrachtvluchten. De kans op een ongeval met een vrachtvlucht was in 2008 meer dan tien keer hoger dan met een passagiersvlucht. In 2008 waren er ook uitzonderlijk veel ongevallen waarbij het vliegtuig van de baan reed tijdens de start of landing. Normaal ligt dat aandeel rond de 14 procent van alle ongevallen maar in 2008 was dit 23 procent. Het NLR-ATSI werkt mee aan een international initiatief om dit type ongevallen terug te dringen.

NLR-ATSI organises workshop on risk assessment methods

07 March 2008

On March 4-5, 2008 a workshop on risk assessment methods was organised by NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) in cooperation with AIRBUS. This workshop was attended by flight safety specialists from a number aircraft operators ranging from low cost carriers, business jet operators as well as large airlines. During the workshop several methods for risk classification and assessment were reviewed and tested. The workshop gave valuable results into new ideas and methods for day to day risk assessments conducted within an aircraft operator.

First NLR-ATSI newsletter

19 February 2008

 The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) has published its first newsletter. The newsletter will appear twice per year and will contain relevant information on safety in air transport and the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

If you did not receive the newsletter, but you would like to, please subscribe on our website. If you have received the newsletter

NLR-ATSI officially launched by prof. mr. van Vollenhoven

31 October 2007

NLR officially opened the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) on October 31, 2007. This institute conducts research to improve the safety and efficiency of air transport. The institute was officially opened by Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven. In his opening speech, Prof. van Vollenhoven stressed the importance of independent expertise in improving safety, and the importance of a clear distribution of responsibilities between government and industry. He went on to add that a great deal of progress could still be made in this area.

From left to right: mr. Kraaijeveld, prof. van Vollenhoven, mr. Abbink and mr. Piers.

Safety issues are becoming increasingly complex and demanding the attention of experts from multiple disciplines. The new institute clusterd NLR’s existing expertise and experience in the field of air safety, bringing together specialists from various fields, including aircraft operations, human factors, aviation technology, air traffic management, legislation, and incident investigation.

NLR-ATSI advises on issues such as safety management, ascertaining how safety policy is embedded in an organization, whether all procedures are properly aligned, and whether "catch-nets" are in place.
The institute conducts accident investigations in the Netherlands and abroad, and has access to large databases containing information on accidents and incidents.
In addition, NLR-ATSI conducts safety assessments of proposed changes in aviation systems. For instance, when air traffic control duties are to be reshuffled or landing procedures are to be altered.

With its workforce of 30 experts, NLR-ATSI is the largest safety institute of its kind in Europe. The institute's international client base includes airports, air traffic control bodies, airlines, authorities, and regulatory and supervisory bodies, including Eurocontrol and the European Union.

Panel discussion
To mark the opening of NLR-ATSI, a panel discussion was held between representatives from the aviation sector, government and political parties, under the banner "Safety for Growth - Inner Drive or Outside Pressure?"

The aim was to consider whether new safety solutions could facilitate, rather than restrict, further growth. The discussion offered insight into areas in which government, industry and research institutes could engage in strategic cooperation in the coming years. The participants concluded, among other things, that to achieve the required progressive improvement of safety, the parties would have to work on "softer" factors such safety management and safety culture, but that this would be insufficient. Technological and operational innovations, such as taxi displays (a kind of road navigation system for commercial airliners), were also vital for the further improvement of safety.

NLR-ATSI hosts SAM Task Force

06 June 2007

From 22 to 24 May 2007, NLR-ATSI hosted the SAM Task Force, under the inspiring lead of Patrick Mana of Eurocontrol. Over 25 users of SAM attended these sessions, including representatives of about 15 European ANSPs.

Main issue on the agenda of this May 2007 meeting was the review and further development of the definition of a 'change' in air transport operations. The relevance of this definition is to obtain insight whether and to which extent safety assessment activities are needed for a given event or modification in the air traffic operations.

The SAM Task Force is a podium for users of Eurocontrol EATMP's Safety Assessment Methodology (SAM) for Air Navigation Systems. It is dedicated to the exchange of experiences between users of SAM, and to the further development of SAM. By contributing to the SAM Task Force, NLR-ATSI aims to continue making its knowledge and experience available to a broad European public. This is done both via attending to the SAM Task Force meetings, and via contribution to new SAM material. The objective behind this is to improve the quality of safety assessment activities all over Europe.

NLR-ATSI computes Civil Aviation Statistics for Dutch CAA

11 April 2007

The NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute supports the Dutch CAA (IVW) in the publication of their brochure on the Civil Aviation Safety Data as they have also done in the previous versions. The lastest published version concerns safety data from 1991 to 2005.

The data show a decrease in fatal accidents in commercial air transport. Aviation safety is an international issue. Safety is the highest in Western Europe, North America and Australia. Most fatal accidents occur during the landing or take-off. The human factor plays an important role in many accidents, sometimes as a primary factor and sometimes as a secondary one. Compared to 1980, the number of comercial flights has nearly doubles. Between 2001 and 2003 there was a temporary decrease in the number of flights due to a reduction in the economic growth the terrorist atacks of September 11th, 2001. Due to the low number of accidents and incidents in the Netherlands in combination with the number of flights, it is not possible to derive a statistical reliable accident ratio.

Links

• News item (in Dutch) at the website of the Dutch CAA (IVW).
• Civil Aviation Safety Data 1991-2005 brochure.

Member of Parliament (D66) visits ATSI

Sophie in 't Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) visits the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute Member of Parliament (D66) visits ATSI. On 23 March Sophie in 't Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) and the ALDE group spokesperson on airline passenger data visited the NLR Air Transport Division and the Air Transport Safety Institute (ATSI). She met with the head of the Air Transport division and the Director of the Safety Institute Michel Piers and visited various research facilities of NLR.

As member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs, mrs in 't Veld has asked the European Commission to clarify the purpose and intention of ongoing research into use of intelligent cameras and microphones on board airplanes. Such matters are investigated in the research programme (SAFEE) part financed by the 6th RTD Framework Programme and involving industrial and technical institutes across Europe.

ATSI plays a leading role in that programme, where 31 countries are involved in investigating ways to strengthen surveillance of potential terrorist attacks on board aircraft. The visit to NLR and the Institute was at our invitation, with the purpose ofs explaining the work of ATSI and the Air Transport division and to exchange views on how to deal with personal data and civil liberties in security research.

Flight Safety Foundation visits ATSI 

13 March 2007

On 12 March 2007 Bill Voss - President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation (image left), Bob Vandell - Executive Vice-President of the Flight Safety Foundation, and Earl Weener - Fellow of the Foundation visited the Air Transport Safety Institute (ATSI) and NLR in Amsterdam. They met with Prof. Fred Abbink, General Director of NLR and Michel Piers, Director of ATSI. The purpose of the meeting was to allow the new President of FSF to get a first hand overview of the activities of ATSI and NLR and to explore possibilities to further strengthen the cooperation between FSF and ATSI.

The ties between FSF and ATSI are old and strong. ATSI has been a corporate member of FSF for several decades and ATSI is an active participant in the various bodies and activities of the foundation. ATSI is a regular contributor to the safety seminars of the foundation and ATSI research findings are regularly presented on FSF publications. The ties between FSF and ATSI are important because both organisation have global interests in the improvement of airsafety, and ATSI provides important contributions to the international safety initiatives lead and facilitated by FSF. Several new areas of work were identified in which the Foundation and the Air Transport Safety Institute will make an effort to align their strategies and activities to achieve global progress.

Flight Safety Foundation website

Insight into factors related to aircraft weight and balance safety occurrences.

A study by NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute into accidents and incidents related to weight and balance indicates that the risk with cargo flights is 8.5 times higher than with passenger flights.

The study shows that there are various factors involved in weight and balance accidents and incidents such as errors in the load sheet, shifting of cargo, incorrect loading etc. Typically root causes to weight and balance related occurrences are poor communication, time pressure, poor quality assurance within the ground agents' organisation, lack of training of flight/cabin crew, lack of training of ground agents' personnel and poor loading procedures.

The study shows that there are large regional differences in the weight and balance related accident rate. The African region showed the highest accident rate and the North American region the lowest.

These findings appear in Analysis of aircraft weight and balance related safety occurrences, a paper presented by Gerard van Es, a senior consultant with NLR Air Transport Safety Institute, at Flight Safety Foundation's 19th annual European Aviation Safety Seminar (EASS), held March 13-14, 2007, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. If you want to receive a copy, please contact the author Gerard van Es.

Links
The magazine Flight has refered this announcement in the article Safety: Airlines caught off balance.

Aircraft accident in Indonesia (in Dutch)

Indonesië is recentelijk opgeschrikt door een aantal catastrofale ongevallen met passagiersvliegtuigen. Vandaag (7 maart 2007) vond opnieuw een ongeval plaats. Een Boeing 737-400 van Garuda Indonesia met 140 inzittenden schoot door tijdens de landing op de luchthaven van Yogyakarta. Het vliegtuig vloog in brand en volgens de laatste berichten zijn daarbij 49 inzittenden omgekomen. Dit is het tweede fatale ongeval met Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappij in 2007. In totaal waren daarbij meer dan 150 slachtoffers te betreuren. Gegevens afkomstig uit de NLR-ATSI vliegveiligheidsdatabase laten zien dat er sinds 1997 in totaal 44 ongevallen zijn geweest met commerciele Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappijen waarbij meer dan 700 passagiers omkwamen.

De gegevens uit de NLR-ATSI database laten verder zien dat de kans op een ongeval met een Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappij circa 3 maal hoger is dan het wereldwijde gemiddelde. Een opmerkelijk feit is dat in bijna 40% van de 44 ongevallen met Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappijen het vliegtuig tijdens de start of landing van de baan af reed. Wereldwijd gebeurt dit maar in 18% van alle ongevallen. Hoewel nader onderzoek noodzakelijk is naar dit verschil, lijken lokale weersomstandigheden een belangrijke factor te zijn geweest. Uit eerder onderzoek van NLR-ATSI blijkt dat o.a. regen en wind een grote invloed hebben op het risico van doorschieten tijdens de landing. In slechts 10% van alle gevallen dat een vliegtuig doorschiet tijdens de start of landing zijn er slachtoffers te betreuren.

Sinds de jaren negentig is het aantal commerciële luchtmaatschappijen in Indonesië verdrievoudigd. Deze groei komt voornamelijk van 'low cost' maatschappijen.

De Boeing 737-400 van Garuda Indonesia was gebouwd in 1992 en wordt sinds oktober 2002 door Garuda Indonesia geleased. Het vliegtuig heeft meer dan 33.000 vlieguren gemaakt.

A safe year for Dutch aviation

Increased risk of accidents with blacklisted airlines

10 January 2007

Preliminary figures for the past year indicate that worldwide 86 accidents occurred involving commercial aircraft weighing more than 5.5 tonnes. Remarkably, these accidents involved 12 airlines blacklisted by the EU. This is evident from database analysis by the new NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

Statistics for 2006 also show that only 8 operators from the EU were involved in aircraft accidents. None of the EU operators were involved in any fatal accident. The year 2006 was another safe year also for the Dutch airline industry. While airlines currently blacklisted by the EU account for approximately 0.3% of total air traffic in 2006, they are involved in 14% of the accidents. The chance of an EU-blacklisted airline becoming involved in a serious accident is more than 50 times greater than for all other airlines. Compared to airlines from the EU, this chance is even more than 100 times greater.

Michel Piers, director of the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute: "Although the high safety level of aviation is undisputed, the statistics for 2006 clearly demonstrate that the blacklist is there for good reason. The fact that the blacklist is public puts market pressure on the "weak performers" to put their house in order. As the Air Transport Safety Institute we conduct ongoing research into the causes of accidents and primary safety risks in aviation. The findings are used to further improve safety if possible and necessary."

Veilig jaar voor Nederlandse luchtvaart

Voorlopige cijfers van het afgelopen jaar laten zien dat er wereldwijd 86 ongevallen met commerciële vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5,5 ton plaatsvonden. Opvallend was dat er bij dit aantal ongevallen 12 luchtvaartmaatschappijen betrokken waren die op de zwarte lijst van de EU staan. Dit blijkt uit de database analyse van het nieuwe ’NLR Air Transport Safety Institute’.

Gegevens uit 2006 laten bovendien zien dat er maar 8 operators uit de EU betrokken waren bij de vliegongevallen. Geen van de EU operators was betrokken bij een fataal ongeval. Ook voor de Nederlandse luchtvaartmaatschappijen was 2006 wederom een veilig jaar. De luchtvaartmaatschappijen die nu op de zwarte lijst staan van de EU nemen circa 0,3 % van het totale luchtverkeer van 2006 voor hun rekening maar zijn betrokken bij 14% van de ongevallen. De kans dat een luchtvaartmaatschappij die op de zwarte lijst van de EU staat bij een ernstig ongeval betrokken raakt is meer dan 50 keer hoger dan voor alle andere luchtvaartmaatschappijen. In vergelijking tot luchtvaartmaatschappijen uit de EU is deze kans zelfs meer dan 100 keer hoger.

Michel Piers, Director van het NLR Air Transport Safety Institute: “Alhoewel het hoge veiligheidsniveau van de luchtvaart onbetwist is, laten de cijfers van 2006 duidelijk zien dat de zwarte lijst er niet voor niets is. Doordat de zwarte lijst openbaar is, worden de ‘zwakke broeders’ middels marktdruk aangemoedigd om orde op zaken te stellen. Als Air Transport Safety Institute doen wij voortdurend onderzoek naar de oorzaken van ongevallen en de belangrijkste veiligheidsrisico’s in de luchtvaart. De bevindingen worden gebruikt om de veiligheid waar mogelijk en nodig verder te verbeteren.

NLR Establishes Air Transport Safety Institute

01 June 2006

The National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) of the Netherlands has decided to cluster its knowledge and expertise in the field of air transport safety in a single institute. The broader objective of the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) will be to further improve the safety of air traffic. One of the key questions it will tackle is how the growing need for airspace and airport capacity can be accommodated without jeopardizing safety on board and on the ground. Based on research and analysis, NLR-ATSI will put forward solutions to make air transport safer and more efficient. NLR-ATSI’s international client base will include airports, air traffic control bodies, authorities, and regulatory and supervisory bodies.

One of the institute’s key characteristics is its integrated approach to safety issues. This coincides closely with the multidisciplinary setup of the NLR, where the institute is housed. The institute thus has access to NLR’s high-grade expertise and facilities. NLR has already conducted many studies in the field of air transport safety. This includes the mapping of safety management in the Swiss aviation industry, and safety assessments of new flight procedures at airports such as Schiphol, Zurich, Reykjavik.

NLR-ATSI will apply its extensive expertise and experience in the field of air safety, supported by advanced simulation programs and databases, to research and advise on air transport safety issues. The institute’s core activities will include safety cases and aeronautical studies, advice on safety management, support in regulation and supervision, advice on safety processes and procedures, and the provision of safety training.

The institutional format will ensure flexibility and efficiency, while the excellent staff and professional facilities will ensure adequate answers to questions from the aviation industry. The institute’s international orientation and integrated vision on safety issues is another key characteristic. This will help fulfill NLR-ATSI’s ambition to become Europe’s leading institute on safety issues in the aviation industry. This leading international role will have significant benefits for the institute in terms of supporting the Dutch government and the broader aviation industry. For instance, with regard to policy decisions relating to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

NLR start veiligheidsinstituut voor de luchtvaart

01 juni 2006

Het Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium (NLR) heeft besloten haar opgebouwde kennis en expertise op het gebied van de luchtvaartveiligheid te bundelen in het NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI). Dit instituut gaat zich bezighouden met het verder verbeteren van de veiligheid van het vliegverkeer. Daarbij staat de vraag centraal hoe je tegemoet kunt komen aan de behoefte aan steeds meer capaciteit in de lucht en op de luchthavens en tegelijkertijd de veiligheid aan boord en op de grond kunt waarborgen. NLR-ATSI kan op basis van onderzoek en analyses oplossingen aandragen die efficiënter en veiliger vliegen mogelijk maken. De internationale klantenkring van NLR-ATSI zal o.a. bestaan uit luchthavens, luchtverkeersleiding, overheden, regelgevers en toezichthouders.

Het instituut kenmerkt zich door een integrale aanpak van het veiligheidsvraagstuk. Het sluit direct aan bij de multidisciplinaire werkwijze van het NLR, waar het is ondergebracht. Daardoor kan het instituut optimaal gebruik maken van de hoogwaardige kennis en faciliteiten van het NLR. Het NLR heeft al veel opdrachten uitgevoerd op het gebied van veilig vliegverkeer, zoals het in kaart brengen van het safety management van de luchtvaartspelers in Zwitserland en het vaststellen van de veiligheid van nieuwe vliegprocedures voor vliegvelden als Schiphol, Zürich en Reykjavik.

NLR-ATSI zal haar uitgebreide kennis en ervaring in luchtvaartveiligheid en haar geavanceerde simulatieprogramma’s en gegevensbestanden inzetten voor onderzoek en advisering op het gebied van vliegveiligheidsvraagstukken. Tot de kernactiviteiten van het instituut zullen behoren: het uitvoeren van safety cases en ''aeronautical studies'', advisering over safety management, het ondersteunen van regelgeving en toezicht, het geven van adviezen op het gebied van veiligheidsprocessen en procedures en het verzorgen van safety trainingen.

De instituutsvorm maakt het mogelijk flexibel en slagvaardig te opereren. Een excellente staf en een professionele omgeving staan er garant voor dat vragen uit de luchtvaartsector adequaat kunnen worden beantwoord. De internationale en integrale visie op het veiligheidsvraagstuk is een ander essentieel kenmerk van het instituut. Daarmee kan invulling gegeven worden aan de ambitie van het NLR-ATSI om het toonaangevende instituut in Europa te worden op het gebied van veiligheidsvraagstukken in de luchtvaart. Een internationale koppositie voor het instituut levert belangrijke voordelen bij de ondersteuning door het instituut van de Nederlandse overheid en de sector, bijvoorbeeld ten aanzien van de besluitvorming rondom Schiphol.

First in Europe: TÜV NORD CERT is the First Recognised Organisation in Europe for Certification of Air Navigation Service Providers

NLR becomes partner in European organisation for certification of Air Navigation Service Providers.

17 may 2006

BERLIN and ESSEN, Germany, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Today (Wednesday, May 17) at the ILA, TÜV NORD CERT received the accreditation for the certification of air navigation service providers from the Federal Ministry for Traffic, Construction and Urban Development.

State secretary Dr. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, a representative of the Federal Ministry, handed Volker Klosowski the accreditation certificate; Mr. Klosowski is a board member of the TUV NORD Group and is responsible for certification and international affairs. TÜV NORD CERT is the first company in Europe holding an accreditation of this kind. It will enable TUV NORD CERT to certify air navigation service providers throughout Europe, according to the regulation for air navigation service providers (EG Nr. 550/2004).

TÜV NORD CERT will be allowed to certify all organisations involved in air navigation service provision. These services include: air controllers, meteorological services, briefing services as well as communication and support services.

"We are very proud that we were able to prove our capabilities to the Federal Ministry,", said Volker Klosowski and added further: "We are especially pleased that we are the first to provide this service in Europe."

TÜV NORD CERT (www.tuev-nord-cert.de) is the accreditation authority leading an international consortium with the AFI Flight Inspection (www.afi.aero), the Aviation Institute of the Braunschweig Technical University (www.tu-braunschweig.de/iff), OECON Association of Engineers for Industry Consulting and Project Management (www.oecon-line.de) and NLR (www.nlr.nl) as the other members.

About the TÜV NORD Group

"We make the world a safer place": The TÜV NORD Group (www.tuev-nord.de) is one of the leading technical service providers in Germany and Northern Europe with more than 6,600 employees, of whom more than 5,000 have a technical/scientific educational background. In addition, the group is also represented in more than 30 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas with their own team of representatives and associations. The leading market position of the group is based on its technical competency and a broad array of consultation and test services in the areas of academia, energy and system technology, international, mobility, systems and certification services.

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of TÜV

NLR-ATSI Studying Airport Options for Reykjavik

01 March 2006

The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute has been commissioned by the Reykjavik Airport Consultative Committee to design and evaluate options for the airport's future. Drawing on the latest airport technology, the safety institute will focus on noise and safety considerations like cross wind and obstacles.

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, has grown rapidly in recent years, while space for homes and jobs has become scarcer. The airport is located in one of the few areas where the city can still expand. But the airport is also a vital hub in the country's transport infrastructure. The question is whether to shrink the airport, releasing some land for housing and industry, or do away with it altogether? In the latter case, what would be the consequences?

The RATIO (Reykjavik Airport Trade-off Investigation into Future Operational Concepts) project will explore all the options. If Reykjavik airport closes, aircraft will no longer be diverted there from Keflavik, Iceland's only international airport. Aircraft will then have to carry more fuel, and carriers may have to discontinue freight services.

The RATIO project team completed its pre-design stage in January 2006 and expects to complete the final stage in May 2006. The NLR-ATSI’s partner in the project is Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO).