FAAST Blast — Week of July 14 – July 20, 2014
Biweekly
FAA Safety Briefing
News Update
New Efforts Focus on Wildlife Strike Reporting
Earlier this month, the FAA began a new poster outreach campaign to encourage the GA community to report wildlife strikes. Copies of the poster, featuring a bird on top of a stop sign, will target pilots, mechanics, students at aviation schools, and aviation organizations. The FAA hopes that this continued and concentrated educational outreach, now in its third year, will help improve the strike reporting gap at more than 2,000 GA airports and commercial service airports.
A strike information report helps inform airport sponsors and the FAA what types of wildlife are involved, the amount of damage to the aircraft, and how many strikes occur at GA airports annually. This information will allow the FAA to help airport sponsors develop wildlife mitigation plans to reduce wildlife strikes.
Be on the lookout for a copy of the new poster in future issues of FAA Safety Briefing, which includes a Quick Response (QR) code to the wildlife strike database (wildlife.faa.gov).
Two New Airworthiness Bulletins Issued for Piper Aircraft
The FAA issued two Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins in July (CE-14-22 and CE-13-09R1) that affect select Piper PA-28 and PA-46 models respectively. CE-14-22 alerts owners and operators of an issue with the fuel selector valve on certain PA-28 models that may switch off and/or bind when switching tanks. The SAIB recommends using a selector valve cover that helps prevent an inadvertent “off” selection and performing maintenance that will help prevent binding.
CE-13-09R1 revises a previous SAIB that warns owners and operators of select PA-46 models of possible cracks in the engine mount where both the nose landing gear (NLG) trunnion and the NLG actuator attach. Among the revisions in the SAIB are updated service information and a revised recommendation to use a new engine mount that relieves the need for repetitive inspections. These and other SAIB notices can be in the FAA’s SAIB library.
GA Activity Survey Underway
The data collection period for the 36th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) for reporting on calendar year 2013 is underway. If you were selected to participate in this year’s survey, you should have received a postcard invitation in the mail. If you have not yet completed the survey, paper copies of the survey will be sent out soon. Contact Tetra Tech with any questions at 800-826-1797 or email infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com.
New FAA Safety Briefing Focuses on Flying Companions
The July/August 2014 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on flying companions. In this issue we look to provide a basic guide for friends and loved ones who join us in the air or might have an interest in doing so. Current pilots may learn something too! Check it out here: www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2014/media/JulAug2014.pdf
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/
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