Russian Civil Aviation: News #5

Rosaviatsia: crew errors led to the A320 landing in a wheat field
05.11.2023

The Federal Air Transport Agency has completed an investigation into the incident involving the landing of the Ural Airlines aircraft A320 RA-73805 on the morning of September 12 in a wheat field near the village of Kamenka, 180 kilometers from Novosibirsk. The plane was flying from Sochi to Omsk, but due to a technical malfunction during landing in Omsk, it turned around to Tolmachevo airport.

The cause of this incident was a lack of fuel to complete the flight to the alternate airport. The department came to the conclusion that after the failure of one of the three hydraulic systems – the “green” one – the crew was unable to correctly determine the actual position of the landing gear and made an unfounded decision to fly to Novosibirsk to an alternate airfield.

During the climb, the aircraft commander moved the landing gear selector to the “retracted” position, but in fact the landing gear was not retracted due to the lack of sufficient pressure in the hydraulic system. “When entering the Omsk airport, the hydraulic system pressure was enough to lower the landing gear and close the doors. The flight to Novosibirsk continued with the landing gear extended,” the Rosaviation document says.

When climbing on the way to Novosibirsk, the crew clarified the flight route and the choice of approach schemes, but did not pay due attention to the increased consumption and the current fuel balance, the report noted.

The PIC calculated the remaining fuel based on the fact that the landing gear was retracted and the doors remained open. According to his calculations, there was more than enough fuel for the flight. In fact, due to the extended landing gear, the fuel shortage for the flight to Novosibirsk was at least 1300 kg. The commander later explained that the decision to proceed to Tolmachevo was made based on safer landing conditions due to the presence of a large runway and favorable wind conditions.

However, as experts have established, the landing distance required to land an aircraft with such a failure is 1856 meters. At the same time, the length of the runway at the Omsk airport is 2500 meters, which ensured the plane a safe landing at the destination airport. Weather conditions also made it possible to land safely at Omsk airport.

A malfunction of the “green” hydraulic system leads to failure of the spoilers, automatic braking system, main braking system, reverse of one of the engines, and nose wheel control. Also, it becomes impossible to retract the landing gear after they are released and close the landing gear doors. In addition, information on fuel consumption and remaining fuel is displayed incorrectly.

Experts determined that the cause of the drop in pressure in the “green” hydraulic system was a violation of the integrity due to natural wear at the sealing point of the flexible hose of the drive cylinder of the right wing of the main landing gear niche.

Thus, several factors led to the emergency landing in the field. Firstly, the crew made an error in determining the actual position of the landing gear and doors after the failure of the “green” hydraulic system.

Secondly, an error in calculating the required amount of fuel without taking into account the extended landing gear led to its significant underestimation, and the PIC made an unfounded decision to proceed to the alternate airfield of Novosibirsk.

Thirdly, as noted in the report, the crew did not monitor fuel consumption and fuel balance, and there was also a non-optimal distribution of the workload among the crew as flight conditions became more difficult, which did not allow them to make an intelligent decision on further actions in the event of a drop in pressure in the “green” hydraulic system.

However, the Federal Air Transport Agency emphasized that in the conditions in which the crew found itself after a number of mistakes had been made, the decision to land in the field was the only correct and competent one.

Based on the results of the investigation, recommendations were made. In particular, airlines should re-study the requirements for the procedure for calculating fuel in flight and the features of calculating its balance in the event of various failures of aircraft systems and power plants.

https://aviation21.ru/rosaviaciya-k-posadke-a320-v-pshenichnom-pole-priveli-oshibki-ekipazha/

GarryB wrote:I am assuming they landed safely...  ??

Aeroflot says „ Njet “ to Ilyushin Il-96-400M
Russia's state-owned company Rostec celebrates the recent maiden flight of the Ilyushin Il-96-400M as a milestone – but nobody really wants the new aircraft. Aeroflot also waves thanks: the Flag Carrier instead demands a twinjet.

Patrick dwarf
11/13/2023

The Rostec press text for First flight of the Ilyushin Il-96-400M on the 1st. November was full of praise for the new jet. But that doesn't change the fact that Russia's aviation industry, apart from the PR bubbles, is more skeptical about the retreaded four-beam. Yes, it is true that there are very few companies in the world that are able to build their own wide-body passenger aircraft – namely Airbus and Boeing. Against this background, the Il-96-400M is proof of the "competence of domestic design offices and aircraft factories", as Russia's Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturow emphasized. But that's just one side of the coin.

Airplane without customers

The other side is that no one is seriously interested in the Il-96-400M in the airline executive floors, either in Russia or elsewhere. There are still no specific orders for the four-wheeler that it will ever be produced in large numbers, is currently not foreseeable. A niche existence as a technology carrier is more likely to be, which should pave the way for a better future for Russia's aircraft manufacturers. A few homeopathic orders for the state VIP transport fleet may be added, the highest of the feelings would be orders from cargo airlines. From today's point of view, it seems rather unlikely that passengers who ever pay will fly in an Il-96-400M.

Aeroflot wakes up

Russia's largest airline Aeroflot has already given the new Ilyushin a categorical rejection. In an interview with the Daily newspaper Wedemosti Aeroflot boss Sergei Alexandrowski emphasized some time ago that it was "irrational to integrate outdated technology into a commercially ineffective aircraft." In addition, the industry in Russia is unable to "produce the Il-96-400M in the required quantities" and the increase in production volumes to a suitable level is simple "too expensive". What Aeroflot needs instead is "a new twin-engine aircraft with advanced technology and good fuel efficiency," said Alexandrowski.

Steam cell for new things?

In fact, the Il-96-400M could prove to be a bridge builder on the way to such an aircraft after the CRAIC CR929 project, which was pursued together with China, was down due to sanctions. In Russia the voices are increasing, the one Reconstruction of the Il-96 from four to two engines. Rostec boss Sergei Chemesov himself heated the debate on this in October when he emphasized to the daily Izvestia that the topic was "on the agenda".

Core problems remain

However, a suitable Russian engine is missing for a twin-engine "Il-96neo" until further notice. The one under development Large turbofan PD-35 will be ready for series production at the earliest in 2030. In addition, the wings would have to be redesigned accordingly for the conversion. Above all, however, the bottleneck of the limited production capacities would also remain with an Il-96 two-beam –, especially since the industry will be fully equipped with the standard fuselage programs Sukhoi Superjet and Yakovlev MS-21 in the coming years will be busy, which are also not yet ready for series production.

Vedomosti” wrote:
August 13, 21:37 / Business / Interview

« Without Russian aircrafts, our civil aviation has no future »
General Director « Aeroflot »
about a firm contract for Russian aircraft and negotiations with foreign lessors

Over the past year and a half, the Russian aviation industry has undergone the most serious tests in its entire history: carriers not only lost the marginal western market, but also the ability to replenish their parks with foreign equipment and serve already received cars with foreign providers. The rest suffered more severely «Aeroflot», which built its work on the basis of transit passenger traffic between East Asia and Western countries, which has ceased since last spring. The company had to significantly restructure the route network and master new types of maintenance of foreign routes.

In an interview with « Vedomosti », the general director of the national carrier, Sergey Alexandrovsky, spoke about the first firm contract in the new conditions for the supply of Russian aircraft, about the promotion of negotiations with foreign lessors, salary increase for airline employees and connection « G1 » to the « Aeroflot bonus » program.

(...)

– And in terms of operation, what are you preparing for?
– New aircraft will certainly require increased attention. For this, a long period of controlled operation, joint work with the manufacturer to eliminate deficiencies – « childhood diseases », etc. is provided. Moreover, all this does not apply exclusively to Russian technology, any new type of aircraft, whether Airbus or Boeing, for the first time in operation, requires exactly the same increased attention.

– Aircraft that are being created in Russia today, – near and mid-main. But airlines clearly need long-haul aircraft, for example, for flights to the Far East. At some point, foreign long-haul aircraft will have to be withdrawn from the park. Are you getting ready for this?

– We have not only the Far East – there are a number of international directions. But it is clear that first of all we must ensure transport accessibility within the country. And if we start to face some kind of deficit – which we do not see yet, – then, of course, we will primarily concentrate on the needs within the country, we will ensure the transport accessibility of our regions. But I note that according to the operating statistics of the current long-haul fleet, it is clear that in some long-term period we will be able to operate it until at least 2030.

– Does industry think about long-haul aircraft?

– It is conceived, and we are discussing this with the manufacturer. The main thing that is necessary for the design of a long-haul aircraft, – is the engine. The project is already there, this is PD-35. Of course, « Aeroflot » expects a new long-haul aircraft from industry.

– Il-96-300 or Il-96-400 is already quite in the past?

– Unfortunately, industry is not able to produce them in the required quantity, and restoring production volumes is too expensive. In addition, raising obsolete technologies to a commercially inefficient – aircraft is irrational. Need a new two-engine aircraft using advanced technology and good fuel efficiency.

Operation and maintenance of SSJ100 aircraft were discussed in St. Petersburg
24.11.2023, 17:30

PJSC Yakovlev organized a symposium of operators of Superjet 100 aircraft in St. Petersburg, during which topical issues of maintaining airworthiness and import substitution were discussed. The event was co-organized by the largest operator of this type of aircraft, Rossiya Airlines.

Now in Russia, 80% of passenger traffic in the segment of regional jet aircraft is transported on Superjets. Since February 2022, more than 150 new routes have appeared on which the SSJ100 carries passengers. On foreign routes, Superjet can be found in Harbin, Astana, Dubai, Istanbul, Yerevan, Tashkent, Hurghada, Tel Aviv, and Bishkek. Since the start of operation, the SSJ100 fleet has accumulated more than 1.4 million flight hours, over 820 thousand flight cycles, and transported more than 40 million passengers.

In addition to PJSC Yakovlev and aircraft operators, the symposium was attended by manufacturers of aviation equipment, representatives of service organizations and aviation authorities. The main topic of the symposium was overcoming the consequences of sanctions imposed on the entire Russian air transport industry in 2022, the UAC reported.

Representatives of Yakovlev and equipment manufacturers made presentations on the localization and development of repairs of foreign components, as well as on the development of new domestic components to replace imported ones. As of February 2022, Russia has mastered the maintenance of 59 components of the SSJ100 aircraft; today there are 178 such components, and another 226 components are planned to be replaced with Russian analogues, which are being created as part of the project for an import-substituted version of the aircraft.

“Such meetings are important for continuing the high level of interaction, which has become the key to the uninterrupted operation of the Russian Superjet 100. The joint work of Yakovlev PJSC and domestic airlines ensures a consistently high level of serviceability of SSJ100 aircraft - in the third quarter of 2023 it not only did not decrease, but even increased compared to the same period last year. At the same time, we also manage to maintain the regularity of flights at a high level – about 98%. All this indicates that through joint efforts we managed to avoid a negative scenario,” said Andrey Boginsky, UAC Deputy General Director for Civil Aviation – General Director of Yakovlev PJSC.

Also during the event, the results of the operation of the park in 2022-2023 were summed up. The imposed sanctions have significantly changed the operating model of Superjet 100 aircraft by Russian airlines. Thus, according to the Transport Clearing House, in 2022, SSJ100 passenger traffic on international routes amounted to 4.8 million passenger-kilometers, which is 263 percent more than in pre-pandemic 2019.

• on the Kazan ansat (a twin engine helicopter in a classical configuration with conventional tail rotor) replacing the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207K, rated at 470 kW (630 shp) each,
  
  
• and on the Kamov Ka-226, twin engine Helicopter in the typical Kamov coaxial rotor configuration, which now mount 2 × Turbomeca Arrius 2G1, rated at 435 kW (580 hp) each