Reporting Significant Turbulence Events Operations and Airworthiness Presented to: NARAST By: David M. Smith, Manager, Oakland Flight Standards District Office Date:
Purpose Airbus, Boeing and FAA to gather information on both operation and airworthiness issues/procedures related to reporting significant turbulence events 2
Flight Turbulence Events May 10, 1980 Indian Airlines, B-737-200 near Rampur Hat, India October 7 1981 NLM City Hopper, F-28-4000, Moerdijk, Netherlands October 3, 1990 Eastern Airlines, DC 31, Florida, USA September 5, 1996 Air France B-747-400 near Ouagadougan, Burkin Faso December 28. 1997 United Airlines, B-747-100, over the Pacific Ocean near Japan 3
References in FAR 121 To Turbulence 121.101 Weather Reporting Facilities 121.135 - Manual Requirements 121.201 Nontransport category airplanes: En Route limitations: One engine inoperative 121.285 Carriage of Cargo in the Passenger Compartment 121.419 Pilot and Flight Engineer: Initial, Transition, and Upgrade Ground Training 121.601 Aircraft dispatcher information to pilot in command: Domestic and Flag Operations 4
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.101 Weather reporting facilities (d) Each certificate holder conducting domestic or flag operations shall adopt and put into use an approved system for obtaining forecasts and reports of adverse weather phenomena, such as clear air turbulence, thunderstorms, and low altitude wind shear, that may affect safety of flight on each route to be flown and at each airport to be used. 5
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.135 Manual Requirements (b)(14) Procedures for operating in periods of ice, hail, thunderstorms, turbulence, or any potentially hazardous meteorological condition. 6
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.201 Nontransport category airplanes: En route limitations: One engine inoperative (b) Before approving such a procedure, the Administrator considers the following for the route, route segment, or area concerned: (3) The prevailing weather conditions, particularly the frequency and amount of turbulence normally encountered. 7
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.285 Carriage of cargo in passenger compartments (d) Cargo, including carry-on baggage, may be carried anywhere in the passenger compartment or if it is carried in accordance with each of the following: (1) For cargo, it is properly secured by a safety belt of other tie-down having enough strength to eliminate the possibility of shifting under all normally anticipated flight and ground conditions, or for carry-on baggage it is restrained so as to prevent its movement during air turbulence. 8
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.419 Pilots and flight engineers: Initial, transition, and upgrade ground training (a)(2)(vi) Procedures for- (c) Operating in or near thunderstorms (including best penetrating altitudes), turbulent air (including clear air turbulence), icing, hail, and other potentially hazardous meteorological conditions; 9
FAR Part 121 referring to Turbulence 121.601 Aircraft Dispatcher information to pilot in command: Domestic and flag operations. (b) Before beginning a flight, the aircraft dispatcher shall provide the pilot in command with all available weather reports and forecasts of weather phenomena that may affect the safety of flight, including adverse weather phenomena, such as clear air turbulence, thunderstorms, and low altitude wind shear, for each route to be flown and each airport to be used. (C) During a flight, the aircraft dispatcher shall provide the pilot in command any additional available information of meteorological conditions (including adverse weather phenomena, such as clear air turbulence, thunderstorms, and low altitude wind shear), and irregularities of facilities and services that may affect the safety of the flight. 10
FAA Advisory Circulars AC 00-3B Atmospheric Turbulence Avoidance AC 00-6a Aviation Weather AC 00-45 Aviation weather Services AC-61-23 Pilot s handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge AC 120-88A Preventing Injuries Caused by Turbulence 11
NTSB Data Accident an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time a person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which a person suffers death or a serious injury, or in which an aircraft receives substantial damage Serious Injury any injury that (1) requires the individual to be hospitalized for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date the injury was received, (2), (3), (4), (5). From 1980 2003, only 4 people received serious injuries during turbulence who were seated with seatbelts fastened (excludes cases of other people falling onto or injuring properly secured occupants). 12
NTSB Accident Reports Relating to Turbulence 13
NTSB Accident Reports Relating to Turbulence 14
Conclusion There is not a Regulation in Part 121 that requires the reporting of significant turbulent event. There is no doubt that there is a problem but a Part 121 regulatory resolution is not available THANK YOU 15