Received from John King

FOIA REQUEST

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL RECEIPT

# 7000 1670 0011 7416 3767

National Transportation Safety Board

FOIA Officer

490 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20594-2000 March 11, 2002

Dear FOIA Officer:

It is my understanding that in accordance with NTSB Rules, §830.5(a), the Board requires airlines to notify the NTSB Field Office, immediately after an incident involving a malfunction of flight controls.

My FOIA questions becomes this;

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act may I have all of the Part 121 carrier notifications on file for the year 1990 to the present for the A-300 and A-300 series family aircraft (A-310. A-320, A-330, A-340 and A-380) ?

Lastly, may I have a complete copy of this Rule §830.5(a) ? I will assume any costs associated with this request.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

John D. King

End-------

THAT NTSB RESPONSE .............

They have responded with a list of 26 such incidents reportable under Rule §830.5(a) from the dates "1990 to Present". The latest date listed was Nov 28, 2001.

The copy of the Rule §830.5(a) provided specifically REQUIRES the carrier... "shall immediately, and by the most expeditious means available, notify the nearest NTSB field office..when .... (any) Flight control system malfunction or failure".

That FOIA release Only lists Two rudder Events...

Only two (May 11, 1999 , "a contaminant in the engagement valve solenoid" and the Nov 28, 2001, .....which still lays some 14 months ago without a reason) rudder incidents events are among those listed in this FOIA release. See the NTSB Monthly database listings (search) by these dates.

Another NTSB Report appears to have been removed...

However, the NTSB 10/3/99 report # DCA99SA090 can no longer be found at the NTSB Monthly database. My searches usiing their search engines also produce no hits. This Report is significant because it claims that "RUDDER SYSTEM INVESTIGATED BY NTSB. ".

See the text to that Report Below..........

NTSB AVIATION ACCIDENT/INCIDENT DATABASE

Report Number: DCA99SA090

Local Date: 10/03/1999

Local Time: 15:00 EST

State: NY

City: NEW YORK

Event Type: INCIDENT

Report Status: PRELIM

Operations Information

Category of Operation: SCHEDULED, PART 121

Aircraft Type: AIRPLANE

Aircraft Damage: NONE

Phase of Flight: 000 NOT REPORTED

Aircraft Make/Model: AIRBUS A-300-XXX

Operator Name: AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC

Narrative DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, PILOTS EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT DESCRIBED AS A "RUDDER JOLT." RUDDER SYSTEM INVESTIGATED BY NTSB.

Probable Cause (none given)

Source; NTSB Accident/Incident Database at this link

OR http://www.asy.faa.gov/asp/asy_ntsb.asp Search “DCA99SA090”.

End report-----

No others from this 'Pilot's letter' are found in this NTSB's FOIA release !

It looks like the NTSB is ignoring the SDR data !

AND NONE of the SDR listed events on the following dates are listed; 6/27/00, 12/22/00, 8/7/99 in this NTSB response regarding Rule §830.5(a) filings.

AND It looks like the NTSB is ignoring Both the AAIB and ASRS Reports !

BOTH the AAIB report of 6/27/00 (also listed as an SDR above) and the ASRS report (#347914) of 9/96 are NOT listed in this NTSB response regarding Rule §830.5(a) filings.

So when Lauber says in Aviation Week that "There is no record of a history of substantial numbers of extreme pilot rudder swings or uncommanded rudder reversals on the A300-600. The AA587 movements could not have been uncommanded." He may be right..... IF you ignore the SDRs, ASRS and the AAIB Reports.

The FOIA release, some fifty pages, is available but I suggest that you do a 'blind study' by requesting the same. Ought to be able to walk right in there and walk out with it !