Graham Warwick/ATLANTA
US OPERATORS OF the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) MD-80 are gearing up for fleet-wide installation of systems designed to prevent the formation of over-wing icing.
Two systems have now been approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration as alternative means of compliance with an airworthiness directive requiring pre-flight inspections of the MD-80 wing upper-surfaces for ice which could be ingested by the rear-mounted engines.
American Airlines has equipped several MD-80s with TDG Aerospace's NOFOD over-wing ice-protection system and plans to begin large-scale installation of the composite heater-panels in March, modifying up to 30 aircraft a month until its 260-strong fleet is fully equipped.
Pleasanton, California-based TDG has an exclusive arrangement with MDC, under which it is shipping NOFOD components to the aircraft manufacturer for supply to the operators as kits. MDC is expected to issue a service bulletin in February, recommending installation of the kit.
Meanwhile, Continental Airlines is negotiating for the fleet-wide installation of AlliedSignal Aerospace Canada's competing electro-thermal ice-protection system (ETIPS), which received FAA "alternate-means" approval in December. The ETIPS fibre heater-mats were installed on three Continental MD-80s for flight testing during 1994.
Installation of over-wing ice-protection systems will allow MD-80 operators to return to the same operating procedures as those used with other types. Both companies report that they are negotiating sales to additional carriers and point out that Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) is close to announcing its choice of system. It was the crash of an SAS MD-80 in December 1991, which led to imposition of the requirement for wing inspections.
Source: Flight International
