From Plane Talking:
In some ways the NTSB relationship to the FAA resembles the way the ATSB used to be a fiercely independent body in relation to CASA until it suited government to neuter it with a pact under which it can no longer embarrass our Civil Aviation Safety Authority or confront Ministers with unpalatable realities about the misdeeds of vested interests in air services in Australia.
(An unfinished Senate committee inquiry into the final report the ATSB released into the Pel-Air ditching at Norfolk Island in 2009 has taken evidence as to how CASA persuaded the ATSB to completely change its mind about the safety issues in the crash, and to state that a suppressed CASA audit that found Pel-Air in serious breach of numerous safety obligations relevant to the incident had no bearing on the accident. Stay tuned.)
Burned 787 battery underlines seriousness of incident | Plane Talking
As Ben Sandilands aptly points out there is perhaps no better example of how much the ATSB has been nobbled in recent years (the Beaker years) by Fort Fumble exploiting the 2010 MOU and the recommendations/findings of the Miller review. Just compare the handling by the NTSB Boeing 787 Japan Airlines onboard fire at Logan Airport Boston to that of the Pel-Air Norfolk Island ditching.
Here was the first NTSB press release upon being notified:
NTSB investigators looking into Boeing 787 smoke event in Boston
January 07
WASHINGTON - Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information regarding reports of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston's Logan Airport today. The Japan Airlines 787 was on the ground and empty of passengers at the time of the incident. The NTSB has dispatched an investigator to Boston. Based on a review of the factual information gathered, the NTSB will determine the extent of its investigation.
Here was the second:
NTSB provides investigative update on Boeing 787 fire incident in Boston
January 08
WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board today released an update on its formal investigation of Monday's fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston. There were no passengers or crew on board at the time. One firefighter received minor injuries.
In addition to an investigator already on scene who visually inspected the airplane last night, the NTSB has sent two additional investigators to Boston and formed investigative groups to look at airworthiness and fire and airport emergency response. Senior Air Safety Investigator David Helson has been designated as the investigator-in-charge.
Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration and The Boeing Company. In addition, the Japan Transport Safety Board has appointed an accredited representative and Japan Airlines will assist the JTSB as technical advisors.
Initial investigative findings include:
· The NTSB investigator on scene found that the auxiliary power unit battery had severe fire damage. Thermal damage to the surrounding structure and components is confined to the area immediately near the APU battery rack (within about 20 inches) in the aft electronics bay.
· Preliminary reports from Japan Airlines representatives indicate that airplane maintenance and cleaning personnel were on the airplane with the APU in operation just prior to the detection of smoke in the cabin and that Boston Logan Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting were contacted.
· Rescue and fire personnel and equipment responded to the airplane and detected a fire in the electronics and equipment bay near the APU battery box. Initial reports indicate that the fire was extinguished about 40 minutes after arrival of the first rescue and fire personnel. One firefighter received minor injuries.
In between we had the FAA announcing a review of the 787 certification and proving process that the FAA had conducted on the 787, which was followed by a joint FAA and Boeing media statement about how outstandingly safe the 787 is.
But the NTSB weren’t going to swallow any of that baloney and put out this further secondary investigative update:
NTSB Provides Second Investigative Update on Boeing 787 Battery Fire in Boston
January 14
WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board today released a second update on its investigation into the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.
The lithium-ion battery that powered the auxiliary power unit on the airplane was removed and transported back to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington on Jan. 10. The battery is currently being examined by NTSB investigators, who plan to disassemble it this week.
In advance of that work, under the direction of the NTSB, radiographic examinations of the incident battery and an exemplar battery were conducted this past weekend at an independent test facility. The digital radiographs and computed tomography scans generated from this examination allowed the team to document the internal condition of the battery prior to disassembling it.
In addition, investigators took possession of burned wire bundles, the APU battery charger, and several memory modules. The maintenance and APU controller memory modules will be downloaded to obtain any available data. Investigators also documented the entire aft electronics bay including the APU battery and the nearby affected structure where components and wire bundles were located. The airplane was released back to Japan Airlines on Jan. 10.
The airplane's two combined flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder units were transported to NTSB headquarters and have been successfully downloaded. The information is currently being analyzed by the investigative team.
The airport emergency response group documented the airport rescue and firefighting efforts to extinguish the fire, which included interviews with first responders. Fire and rescue personnel were able to contain the fire using a clean agent (Halotron), however, they reported experiencing difficulty accessing the battery for removal during extinguishing efforts. All fire and rescue personnel responding to the incident had previously received aircraft familiarization training on the Boeing 787. In accordance with international investigative treaties, the Japan Transport Safety Board and French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile have appointed accredited representatives to the investigation. The NTSB-led investigative team is comprised of subject matter groups in the areas of airplane systems, fire, airport emergency response, and data recorders and includes experts from the Federal Aviation Administration, The Boeing Company, US Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock Division, Japan Airlines (aircraft operator), GS Yuasa (battery manufacturer), and Thales Avionics Electrical Systems (APU battery/charger system).
Further investigative updates will be issued as events warrant. To be alerted to any updates or developments, please follow the NTSB on Twitter at twitter.com/ntsb.
Press Release January 14, 2013
It could be argued that our safety watchdog would have handled this incident in much the same way but given the handling of the Pel-Air Norfolk ditching investigation, the CSI and subsequent Final Report I’d say there would be no guarantee that the ATSB wouldn’t have been swayed by the regulator’s rhetoric and proposed safety actions.
It will be interesting to see the NTSB safety recommendations generated from this incident and I bet it won’t take them over 32 months to produce a Final Report.