F_I_2015_02_17_23_

AIR TRANSPORT

14 | Flight International | 17-23 February 2015 flightglobal.com

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S

afety authorities are urging
ATR pilots to be cautious with
their airspeed during descent
after highlighting a risk of severe
propeller mechanism damage.
The advisory centres on sud-
den vibrations occurring during
descent at speeds close to the
maximum operating limit, with
the power levers in the flight-
idle position.
In a bulletin, EASA describes
the phenomenon as an “airwor-
thiness concern”, although it has
not taken the step of producing a
formal directive.
Onset of the vibrations has been
linked to damage to the propeller
pitch-change mechanism. EASA
wants to improve pilot awareness
of such events to prompt adoption
of “conservative measures”.

SPECIFICS
Issued on 30 January, the bulletin
covers ATR 72-600s and ATR 42-
500s fitted with Hamilton Sund-
strand propellers.
EASA says pilots should fol-
low closely the airframer’s rec-
ommendation for a standard de-
scent speed at a maximum of
240kt (440km/h). If the speed ap-
proaches the maximum operat-

ing limit – known as VMO – then

any reduction of throttle to flight-

idle should involve a “smooth

and progressive” retardation of

the power levers, it adds.

If the pilots should nevertheless

encounter the vibration phenom-

enon during descent, they should

try to identify, and shut down, the

affected engine.

The crew should avoid using

“reverse” mode on the engines if

discrimination and shutdown

proves difficult.

EASA says there is evidence

that the mechanism damage was

preceded by crews’ experiencing

unusual vibrations when retard-

ing throttles to flight-idle during

high-speed descent, and that pi-

lots should report such phenom-

ena to their operator’s mainte-

nance organisation. ■

See News Focus P

A

merican Airlines has taken

delivery of its first owned

Embraer 175 aircraft, the first of

60 aircraft it will add to its region-

al fleet between now and 2017.

The 76-seat E175s are replac-

ing small regional aircraft in the

Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier’s

feeder fleet.

American plans to replace one

Bombardier Dash 8-100 and 21

Embraer ERJ-140s with 21 Bom-

bardier CRJ900s and 29 E175s

this year.

This comes after American re-

moved two Dash 8-100s and 40

ERJ-140s from and added 25

CRJ900s and 24 E175s to its re-

gional fleet in 2014.

The carrier is also updating its

mainline fleet, which includes

replacing older Boeing 767s and

Boeing MD-80s with new Airbus

A321s and 787s.

American will place the first

20 E175s with Minneapolis-

based unit Compass. The remain-

ing 40 will go to its Envoy sub-

sidiary, with deliveries beginning

in November.

At a ceremony in São José dos

Campos on 11 February, Embraer

Commercial Aviation president

Paulo Cesar da Silva highlighted

the nearly two-decade relation-

ship between American and Em-

braer, citing the order for 50 Em-

braer ERJ-145s that the carrier

placed in 1997 as having helped

to rejuvenate what he says was

then a “broken company”.

“We would not be here now if

it was not for American in 1997,”

he says.

Meanwhile, American has ex-

ercised options for 24 Bombardier

CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, deliver-

ies of which are scheduled to

begin in November of this year.

The 76-seat regional jets will be

operated by the mainline carrier’s

subsidiary PSA Airlines and take

the regional carrier’s fleet of the

type to 54 aircraft when deliveries

are complete in August 2016.

The aircraft are part of an order

for 30 CRJ900s and 40 options

that American placed in Decem-

ber 2013. PSA took delivery of

the first aircraft in June 2014. ■

K

orean Air has ordered five

Boeing 777-200 Freighters,

which are likely to replace some

of its 747-400Fs, the average age

of which is 15 years.

Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets

database shows that Korean Air

operates 26 freighters. The fleet

comprises eight 747-400ERFs,

nine 747-400Fs, five 747-8Fs, and

four 777Fs.

The order brings its backlog of

freighters to eight aircraft, as it

awaits delivery of two additional

747-8Fs and one additional 777F

from previous orders. ■

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

EASA tells ATR

pilots to take it

easy on approach

European safety authority calls for added care on high-speed
descents to avoid potential damage to propeller mechanism

DELIVERY EDWARD RUSSELL SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS

First E175 for airline that

saved Embraer in 1997

The E175 is the first of 60 set to be delivered to American Airlines

ORDER

Korean Air loads on five 777Fs

The advisory relates to sudden vibrations at high speeds

EASA says pilots

should follow closely

ATR’s recommendation

for a standard descent

speed at up to 240kt

AirTeamImages

Embraer