Monday, October 28, 2013

Lancair 235, N25DM: Accident occurred October 28, 2013 in McMinnville, Oregon

http://registry.faa.gov/N25DM

NTSB Identification: WPR14FA037 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 28, 2013 in McMinnville, OR
Aircraft: MUSICK LANCAIR O 235, registration: N25DM
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 28, 2013, about 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Musick Lancair O-235, N25DM, was conducting a low-level aerobatic maneuver and collided into a house in a residential neighborhood in McMinnville, Oregon. The pilot was the registered owner, and was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The local personal flight departed from McMinnville Municipal Airport, McMinnville, about 1215. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

A friend of the pilot, who was also a pilot and airplane owner based in McMinnville, stated that they had met at the airport that morning to conduct a business transaction. Around 1000 they finished, and the pilot stated that he was intending to fly the accident airplane. The pilot noted that he hadn't flown in for a while and asked the friend to accompany him on the flight. The friend declined due to previously planned engagements, and that was the last time they interacted.

The pilot purchased 9.2 gallons of 100LL avgas and departed about 20 minutes later. A helicopter certified flight instructor (CFI), was flying with a student in the traffic pattern around the same time as the pilot. He stated that the pilot was performing touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings on runway 04. The pilot was making wide patterns to the runway and would then leave the pattern for a short time and reappear. While the CFI was in a low hover, the pilot made a radio transmission on the common airport frequency (UNICOM). The pilot stated that he was having trouble with his landing position indicators and that only two of the airplane's three landing gear lights were illuminated. The pilot requested for the CFI to look at the landing gear's position while he performed a low-level pass over the runway.

The pilot maneuvered the airplane about 20 to 40 feet above ground level (agl) as he passed over runway 04. The CFI observed all the landing gear to be extended and told the pilot of his observation. The pilot communicated that the conflicting observation was confusing, because the landing gear lights indicated that the right gear was not in the down and lock position. The pilot further stated that he was going to gain some altitude and manually retract and extend his landing gear in an attempt to rest the lights. He made a departure from the traffic pattern to the northeast and made no further communications.

Numerous witnesses observed the airplane performing a loop and then diving toward the house in steep nose-low attitude. The witness that resides in the house stated that she heard a loud bang and ran outside uninjured.

The main wreckage was located in a garage, which was situated at the most easterly end of a single-family residence, and about 3.4 miles from the airport on a bearing of 304 degrees. The main wreckage consisted of the empennage, cockpit area, vertical stabilizer, and a majority of the rudder. Both wings, horizontal stabilizers, and elevator control surfaces were found in the debris field, which stretched about 100 feet and was primarily west of the garage.

The main wreckage came to rest on a wall dividing two rooms: an office (to the south) and a bedroom (to the north). The debris path from the main wreckage was on a bearing of 285° degrees. The garage's exterior impact damage consisted of a hole about 12 feet by 12 feet at its longest points. Inside the structural, 2 x 4 ceiling gussets were knocked free. The fuselage and area forward of the firewall came to rest in the bedroom, and the engine was about 15 feet to the west in the bathroom.

The airframe and engine were recovered to a facility for further examination.


 


MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – A pilot was killed when a plane crashed into a house in McMinnville on Monday afternoon, according to McMinnville police. 

The pilot was identified as 56-year-old Charles W. Yochelson of Sheridan, Ore.

The crash happened at about 1:15 p.m., witnesses said. The plane was lodged inside a garage at a house near N.W. 22nd St. and Elm St.

"There wasn't any smoke coming from it. I didn't hear any sputtering," said Dustin Lynch. "It was a loud 'whoosh' like you would hear before an explosion, like the big suction before a backdraft or something like that, which is what caused me to look up."

Bob Schaefer said he saw the plane crash into the house. He ran toward the crash with another man.

"We start running down there. I start running after him. He got into the house first, because in the back, there's a door open. He got to the pilot. He's feeling the pilot for pulse and what not. He didn't get any, so he figured he was dead," said Schaefer.

No one else was hurt in the crash. A woman who was inside the home during the crash escaped safely, along with her pets. She said she was working on her computer in another room when the plane crashed through the house.

Yochelson was flying a Lancair aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. He was the only person on board the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating what caused the crash.


Story, Photo Gallery, Video and Comments/Reaction: http://www.katu.com 

An airplane has crashed into a home in McMinnville, according to a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Allen Kenitzer said it is unknown at this time why the plane, a Lancair, crashed into the home. According to local authorities, the pilot died, possibly on impact when the single-engine plane plunged into the garage. The identity of the pilot is being withheld until family is notified.

The resident of the home, Katie Van Cleave was not injured and left the house with her three dogs, also unharmed. She said damage was extensive, although the crash did not trigger an explosion or a fire.

Van Cleave said she was doing homework when the plane crashed shortly after 1 pm. She said the plane missed her by about 7 feet.

She planned to stay with relatives tonight. "That is what families are for when a plane comes into your house," she said.

One of the roofers working on a neighbor's house told Van Cleave he took the pulse of the pilot, but none was detectable.

The plane came down in a residential neighborhood near McMinnville Adventist Christian School. Kyle Johnson, 9, said he saw the plane go down along with a teacher and another student.

"I thought he was doing tricks," he said. "And then I heard a boom."

The incident is under investigation by the FAA and by the National Transportation Safety Board. Kenitzer said it could take the NTSB months to come up with a probable cause for why the plane crashed.




Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N861MA, Mokulele Airlines: Accident occurred October 21, 2013 in Maui, Hawaii

NTSB Identification: WPR14FA024 
Scheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Monday, October 21, 2013 in Wailea, HI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/28/2015
Aircraft: CESSNA 208, registration: N861MA
Injuries: 10 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

According to the flight crew, as the airplane passed through about 8,000 ft mean sea level during climb over open ocean water, they heard a loud bang and a grinding sound, which was followed by a loss of engine power. Sparks were observed coming out of the engine's right exhaust. The flight crew initiated a turn back towards the departure airport, which was about 13 miles north of their position. The crew accomplished the emergency checklists and elected to perform an emergency landing on a highway. During the landing roll, the airplane struck two highway traffic signs, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. 

A postaccident examination of the airplane's engine revealed that all of the compressor turbine (CT) blades had separated near the blade platforms, and the remaining stubs were gouged and battered. The fracture surface of one of the blades displayed smooth features characteristic of fatigue fracture; all other blade fracture surfaces displayed course features characteristic of overload fracture. The fatigue-fractured blade's microstructure in the fracture area was normal, and the blade material and hardness met engineering drawing requirements. The CT hub displayed a frosted appearance over the entire front and aft surfaces, and glass beads and bead fragments were observed between the fir-tree joints of the blade platforms and the CT disc, consistent with the disc assembly having been cleaned by aggressive glass media blasting in the assembled condition. The engine manufacturer specifies that all media blast cleaning be performed with the CT disc and blades disassembled. The glass bead contamination of the fir-tree joints caused the CT blades to be unevenly restrained, and it altered the blades' designed vibration frequency, making them susceptible to the aerodynamic vibrations from the combustor gas flow. Therefore, the fatigue fracture of the blade was most likely due to the glass bead contamination. 

The CT disc assembly had been removed from the engine for repair about two months before the accident, and this was likely when the glass bead media cleaning occurred and the beads became embedded in the exposed fir tree joints. When the CT disc assembly is installed in the engine, the fir tree joints are protected from exposure; therefore, the glass bead contamination could not have occurred when the engine was installed on the airplane. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Improper maintenance that resulted in contamination of the engine's compressor turbine disc and blade assembly by glass bead remnants, which resulted in a blade failure. 

***This report was modified on October 27, 2015. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.***

On October 21, 2013, about 1845 Hawaii standard time, a Cessna 208B, N861MA, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing, about 13 miles south of the Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Hawaii. The airplane was registered to Mokulele Flight Service Inc., and operated by Mokulele Airlines as flight number 1770, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, and eight passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The scheduled domestic flight originated about 1830, from OGG with a planned destination of Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE), Kamuela, Hawaii.

According to the flight crew, during climb out, as the airplane passed through about 8,000 feet mean sea level, while over the ocean, a loud bang and grinding was heard followed by a loss of engine power. Sparks were observed coming out of the right side engine exhaust. The loss of engine power occurred about 5 miles southeast of the Harpo Intersection on the Beach Three Departure. No engine restart was attempted and the flight crew turned the airplane and proceeded back towards the island of Maui, about 9 miles north of their position. The flight crew accomplished emergency checklists and elected to perform an emergency landing on the Piilani highway (state route 31). During the landing roll out, the airplane struck two highway traffic signs which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing.

The airplane was recovered to a secure storage facility prior to the engine being shipped to the manufacturer for further examination.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION 

The captain, age 29, held an Airline Transport Pilot certificate with an airplane multi engine land, single-engine land, and instrument ratings. The pilot also had an instructor rating in airplane multiengine and single engine. The pilot was issued a second-class airman medical certificate on September 26, 2013, with no limitations stated. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 3,062 total flight hours and 281 hours within the preceding 90 days, 81 hours within the preceding 30 days, and 3 flight hours within the previous 24 hours. The total time logged in the accident make/model airplane was 411 hours.

The first officer, age 24, held a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane multi engine land, single-engine land, and instrument ratings. The pilot also had an instructor rating in airplane single engine. The pilot was issued a first-class airman medical certificate on February 4, 2013, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses stated. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 1,040 total flight hours and 115 hours within the preceding 90 days, 70 hours within the preceding 30 days, and 2 flight hours within the previous 24 hours. The total time logged in the accident make/model airplane was 890 hours.

According to the training records, the captain was current in his flight training. The captain's most recent proficiency/qualification check for the Cessna 208B airplane was satisfactory completed on June 10, 2013. The first officer was current in his flight training. The first officer's most recent proficiency/qualification check for the Cessna 208B airplane was satisfactory completed on August 13, 2013. 

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION 

The accident airplane was a 2000 Cessna model 208B airplane, serial number (S/N) 208B0825. The high wing, eleven seat, fixed landing gear airplane, had a maximum takeoff weight of 8,750 pounds. It was powered by a Pratt and Whitney PT-6A-114A engine, serial number PCE-PC-1213, rated at 675 horsepower. The airplane was also equipped with a McCauley model 3GFR34C703B, controllable pitch propeller. The approved inspection program (AAIP) showed an inspection was completed on October 10, 2013, at an airframe total time of 11,828 hours.

Maintenance service records established that the engine had accumulated 9,343.2 hours since new (TSN) and 19,316 cycles since new (CSN). The engine had accumulated 5,249.1 hours and 10,997 cycles since the last overhaul. The engine had accumulated 138 hours since the last hot section inspection.

At 9,162 total hours and 18,954 total cycles, 5,068 hours since overhaul and 10,997 total cycles, a hot section inspection was performed. Concurrent engine repairs included replacement of the 3rd stage compressor disc, compressor impeller, and the power turbine disc with overhauled units, due to cycle limitations. The power turbine blades were overhauled and reinstalled. The reduction gearbox 1st stage gears and bushings were visually inspected. This work was completed by Southwest Airmotive, Eloy Arizona on August 8, 2013. Previously, on August 2, 2013, the engine was functionally tested by Timkin Overhaul Services, Mesa, Arizona.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A review of recorded data from OGG automated weather observation station, located about 9 miles north of the accident site, revealed at 1854 conditions were wind from 020 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 26 degree Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury.

COMMUNICATIONS

According to air traffic control summaries obtained from the FAA, about 1840 the pilot reported that he lost power to his engine and turned back towards OGG, and was cleared to land on runway 02. The pilot then stated he could not make the runway and would try to make it to the old airport south of OGG. Subsequently, the pilot advised them that they could not make the airport and would execute a 360 degree turn to land northbound on the Piilani highway. Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised them that the airplane was safe on the ground and they were evacuating.

FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was not equipped; nor was it required to be equipped, with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), or flight data recorder (FDR).

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION 

Examination of the accident site by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector revealed that the airplane landed on a highway about 9 miles south of OGG. The airplane landed north bound and came to rest upright. Two highway signs were damaged and appeared to be struck by the airplane. The airplane's wings and engine remained attached to the fuselage. Substantial damage on the airplane's right wing was observed. The leading edge of the outer portion of the right wing was bent upwards and damage was observed on the top portion of the wing. Additional damage was observed at the top portion of the fuselage near the area where the right wing attaches, with multiple wrinkles.

The engine was examined prior to shipment to the manufacturer's facility. This initial inspection of the engine revealed that several 1st stage rotor blades had tears in the trailing edge in the compressor inlet area. Damage was also observed on the power turbine blades. The compressor was reported to be seized and the power turbine did not rotate.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

On December 3rd and 4th 2013, an examination of the PT6A-114A engine, serial number PCE-PC1213, was accomplished at the Pratt & Whitney facilities in St Hubert, Quebec. (See the Powerplant Group Chairman's Examination Report in the public docket for detailed information). The examination revealed no external indication of any engine distress, however when the engine was examined through the exhaust duct, the power turbine blades were observed to have sustained damage, with only about 20 percent to 60 percent of their spans remaining.

With the engine disassembled, the compressor turbine hub was observed to display a frosted appearance over the entire front and aft surfaces, consistent with glass media blasting. Additionally, glass-like beads and bead fragments were observed between the "fir-tree" joint of the blade platforms and the compressor turbine (CT) disc, consistent with the disc assembly having been cleaned by glass media blasting in the assembled condition. The manufacturer's PT6A-114A Overhaul Manual specifies that all media blast cleaning be performed with the disc and blades disassembled and cleaned before assembly.

A dimensional and chemical analysis of a sample of the glass-like beads was accomplished by the manufacturer's materials laboratory. The beads were revealed to be approximately 195 to 160 µm in size and were composed predominantly of silica with small quantities of sodium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, which were consistent with the chemical components of glass. 

A detailed examination of the CT blades revealed that all 58 blades were present but fractured. All the airfoil sections of the blades were fractured near the blade platform and the remaining stubs were gouged and battered. The fracture surface of blade number 57 however, had unique features which contrasted with all the other blade's fracture surfaces. The Pratt & Whitney Laboratory analysis of blade number 57 determined that the fracture was a result of a fatigue crack. The analysis also determined that blade number 57's material and hardness met manufacturer drawing requirements and was not affected by overheating.

The rotational speed of the CT disc assembly is approximately 40,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) and the temperature of the blades is approximately 750° degrees C. The radial loads from the blades are transferred into the disc rim through the "fir-tree" connection, a highly specialized joint, so-called because of its resemblance to the branches of a "fir tree." Its multiple lobes serve to gradually distribute the high tensile blade loads deep into the disc rim. The contact surfaces in the "fir-tree" must be of a very high precision and extremely smooth, so that the loads are evenly transferred along the entire length. When the CT assembly spins up to speed, the tensile loads of the blades cause the "fir-tree" surfaces to become highly loaded and if any hard contaminants are present in the slots, then the loads will not be evenly distributed and cause the blade to be unevenly restrained. Additionally, since the blade is not seated correctly, its designed natural vibration frequency will be altered. 

The postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence of a glass bead contamination in the compressor turbine portion of the engine between the "fir tree" joint of the blade platforms and the CT disc.

A review of the log books revealed that the last repair work on CT disc assembly had been performed on August 8, 2013 by Southwest Airmotive Corporation. The CT disc assembly was removed from the engine during this repair. 


NTSB Identification: WPR14FA024 
 Scheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Monday, October 21, 2013 in Maui, HI
Aircraft: CESSNA 208, registration: N861MA
Injuries: 10 Uninjured.


This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 21, 2013, at about 1845 Hawaii standard time, a Cessna 208B, N861MA, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing, about 13 miles south of the Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Hawaii. The airplane was registered to Mokulele Flight Service Inc., and operated by Mokulele Airlines as flight number 1770, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, and eight passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The scheduled domestic flight originated at about 1830, from OGG with a planned destination of Waimea-Kohala Airport (MUE) Hawaii.

According to the flight crew, during climb out, at about 8500 feet, mean sea level, a loud bang was heard followed by a loss of engine power. The flight crew turned the airplane and proceeded back towards the island of Maui, about 9 miles south of their position. Emergency checklists were accomplished and the pilots elected to perform an emergency landing on the Piilani highway (state route 31). During the landing roll out, the airplane struck two highway traffic signs that caused substantial damage to the wing.

The airplane is being recovered to a secure storage facility for further examination.



 



Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N861MA, Mokulele Airlines: Accident occurred October 21, 2013 on Piilani Highway, Kihei, Maui 

Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 

The Mokulele Airlines plane that made an emergency landing on Piilani Highway last week was transported Sunday morning by highway to Kahului Airport. Police officers and workers with Phoenix-based Air Transport escorted the plane, which was rolled to the airport on its own landing gear, while a flatbed trailer hauled pieces of the aircraft's wings and tail later. The single-engine Cessna Caravan experienced engine trouble after taking off from Kahului Airport on a flight to Kamuela on the Big Island on Oct. 21. Eight passengers and two pilots were uninjured. 

Source:  http://www.mauinews.com

Additional photos and video are posted in Maui Now report available at the following link. More photos are also available on MauiNow Facebook page.




   Air Transport manager Randall Jarman loosens wing bolts on a Mokulele Airlines plane Saturday morning. Jarman and another worker from Phoenix made quick work of dismantling the aircraft's wings and tail, stacking all removed parts onto a nearby flatbed trailer. 



 
 

Virgin Islands Port Authority scraps 4 planes

Captain Kirby Hodge




 Piper PA-23-250 Aztec B, Island Birds, N5553Y:  Accident occurred October 13, 2012 in Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands 



Tribute to Captain Hodge:
 
 "This a tribute to the late Capt. Cardigan Hodge, my cousin.   His greatest passion was flying the King Air (N467BW)! His legacy will continue on! R.I.P Capt. Hodge."


 ST. THOMAS - The V.I. Port Authority was starting to become a graveyard for run-down planes, until last week.

The authority has scrapped four planes after it was unable to sell the aircraft. The planes were rusted and dilapidated, according to port authority spokeswoman Monifa Marrero.

The planes have been sitting at King Airport for "years," Marrero said, though she was not sure how many years each had been there.

"We tried to sell the planes four times, but no one wanted them," Marrero said.

Two of the planes had owners that had passed away and since have been left to the authority, while the other two were planes abandoned after their owners discontinued payments.

One of the planes was the Piper Aztec flown by veteran pilot Kirby Hodge. The twin-engine plane went down Oct. 13, 2012, in waters about eight miles south of St. Thomas.

The plane was returning to St. Thomas from St. Croix with three passengers - Rachel Hamilton, Dawin Carr and Valerie Thompson. Thompson was the only survivor.

The three other planes included a DC-3, a Convair 560, and a Cessna, according to Marrero.

The DC-3 had been owned by Four Star Air Cargo, which went bankrupt in 2009. The airline was based in Puerto Rico and served both the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands.

The Cessna was owned by Levette Ruan, who ceased making payments to the airport.

The owner of the Convair 560 had passed away.

In the future, the authority is going to make more of an effort to sweep old planes off their property in a quicker fashion, Marrero said.

"We'll follow the same procedure, but get it done quicker next time," she said.

On Friday, the authority also purchased a private plane that marshals had confiscated from St. John's Andy Greaux after he stopped making payments for the plane in 2011, Marrero said.

The authority purchased it for $1,300 so that it could remove the plane from its property.

The authority hired Charlie's Trucking for the contract job, though Marrero did not know how much the authority paid. 

Source:  http://virginislandsdailynews.com


King Air 100 Tribute Fly-Over Capt. Kirby Hodge's House:

 
"King Air 100 Tribute Fly-over Capt. Kirby Hodge's House After Takeoff in Anguilla. Went Around Twice but is not shown in the video. Operated By Rainbow International Airlines and Anguilla Air Express. N467BW S/N sorry for the bad camera angle at times..." 

Boeing May Give South Carolina Plant a Bigger Role in Making New Jet: WSJ

 


The Wall Street Journal
By Jon Ostrower


Oct. 28, 2013 4:49 p.m. ET

Boeing Co. is evaluating whether to give its non-unionized South Carolina facility a bigger role in building the planned new version of its 777 long-range jet, according to industry officials briefed on the company's planning.

The plant, in the city of North Charleston, currently only builds sections and completes assembly for some Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Analysts have expected the site, which rolled its first finished plane off the line 18 months ago, would play a role in the 777X when that plane goes into production around 2017 or 2018, but that final assembly would be done at Boeing's huge facility in Everett, Wash.

However, Boeing is now evaluating using the South Carolina plant for both final assembly of the 777X and to build the jet's new carbon-fiber composite wings, according to two industry officials briefed on Boeing's development of the 777X. "South Carolina looks more and more promising," one of the officials said.

"We are studying our options," a Boeing spokesman said, adding that "777X production system decisions will be addressed at the appropriate time."

Boeing is nearing approval from its board of directors to formally launch the 777X, which is expected to start flying with airlines around 2020. The plane is expected to be a substantially updated version of its current 777—the company's best-selling large twin-engine jetliner—stretching its body and improving fuel efficiency by 20% over today's 777. The new plane is expected to hold 350 to 400 seats.

Assembling the 777X and its wings in North Charleston could mean the majority of Boeing's two most important twin-aisle manufacturing programs are in South Carolina, when combined with Boeing's plans to increase 787 production there by a further 40% by the end of the decade.

Assembly of the aircraft and the fabrication of its wings is one of the biggest aerospace industrial prizes in the U.S. since 2009, when Boeing selected North Charleston as its second final assembly line for the 787 Dreamliner, beating out its longtime manufacturing base in Washington state.

That expansion to South Carolina, a right-to-work state, triggered a row with its largest union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The National Labor Relations Board alleged that Boeing was retaliating for a 2008 strike. The dispute was settled in 2011 after Boeing secured wage concessions from the membership and a contract extension to 2016 that keeps 737 Max assembly operations in unionized facilities.

A spokesman for the IAM in Seattle didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

Boeing is nearing completion of a deal to acquire around 270 more acres of land at the North Charleston site for $13.8 million, earmarked for future, unspecified "aircraft manufacturing," said Paul Campbell, Director of airports for the Charleston County Aviation Authority. The deal would more than double the current 240-acre site.

Boeing has built the existing 777 at its Everett, Wash., plant since the early 1990s. Initial manufacturing plans for the 777X had intended to use a factory bay there that is used today for the Dreamliner, according to three people familiar with those plans. That Dreamliner program is expected to stop using that bay in 2016, leaving it and a planned facility on the northern part of the Everett campus to build 777X's wings.

Along with North Charleston, S.C., and Everett, Wash., a third site in the U.S. Southwest is also being considered for 777X work, say two people familiar with the deliberations. Exactly where couldn't be determined.

Jay Inslee, Washington's Democratic governor, has been aggressively courting Boeing to land the 777X with a package of incentives, most recently proposing to extend tax breaks through 2040 that were first granted for the Dreamliner last decade, should Boeing choose to put both the wing and final assembly in the state. Labor and political officials say Washington state also offers a broader value for Boeing with a deep pool of experienced labor.

The South Carolina plant has had some hitches. Boeing initially planned to be building three 787s a month by the end of this year, but the new site wasn't prepared to make that jump and the company now expects to build two to three 787s a month there by year-end. The Everett plant will build eight 787 a month by year's end, relying further on its twin assembly lines. Boeing announced Wednesday it would accelerate total 787 production to 12 a month in 2016 and 14 a month before the end of the decade.

Boeing's sales teams are negotiating deals for 777X, aiming to win enough commitments to persuade its board to proceed with the plane's launch. It secured its first commitment for the 777X in September when Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced it would buy 34 of the 400-seat jets. It has been in talks with Emirates Airline for years on a deal that could be announced at the Dubai air show in November.

Source:  http://online.wsj.com