Exhibit 99
PRESS RELEASE October 9, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Butler National Corporation (OTCBB - BUKS) - FAA APPROVES BUTLER TSD FOR
HONEYWELL EQUIPPED BOEING AIRCRAFT AS METHOD OF COMPLIANCE WITH AD 98-20-40
FOR CLASSIC BOEING 747
[OLATHE, KANSAS], October 9, 2000 - On October 6, 2000, the Federal Aviation
Administration issued Butler National Corporation a Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) number ST00846SE. The STC approves the installation of
its Transient Suppression Device (TSD) on Boeing 747 Classic Airplanes
fitted with Honeywell Analog Fuel Quantity Indication Systems (FQIS). The
STC is approved as an Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) for
Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-20-40, which requires protection for fuel
tank wiring. Patent is pending for the TSD.
Honeywell has provided key technical support to this project. Butler
National is especially grateful for the technical support and hard work
provided by many Honeywell personnel. Cooperation and assistance by
Honeywell was essential for success because the FQIS was initially designed
and manufactured by Honeywell to Boeing specifications and has been
maintained by Honeywell in the field for some thirty years.
The FAA issued AD 98-20-40 requiring all 747 aircraft to have such
protective devices installed prior to November 2001. This mandatory safety
device is in response primarily to the investigation into the tragic July 17,
1996 explosion of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island, New York
losing all 230 passengers and crew. It is believed that installation of
such devices in the future may increase the safety of air travel for not
only the Boeing 747 but other aircraft as well.
Installation of the new Butler National TSD is FAA approved for approximately
413 Boeing 747 aircraft with the Honeywell FQIS (Series 747-100,-200,-300,
-SP,and -SR). This Transient Suppression Device is designed to prevent
potentially dangerous electrical energy from entering any of the fuel tanks
of the protected 747 aircraft.
The Butler TSD is designed to interface transparently to the original
equipment including on-going upgrades and enhancements. Butler National is
the only manufacturer that was been granted complete access to the Honeywell
FQIS proprietary product information.
All current Honeywell FQIS components remain in place and are not affected
by the TSD. Flight Crew will not notice any operational difference. Minimum
maintenance training will be required to install and support the Butler TSD.
Installation of the three plug-in TSDs required per aircraft may be completed
in about four hours. The TSD is designed to be incredibly robust with
failure analysis predicting reliability well in excess of any previous
aircraft component standards. The units use all passive components and have
multiple concurrent redundant circuits to ensure the highest protective
reliability. The service life is 30,000 flight hours or approximately six
years. Suppliers of suppression devices to the airline industry are
currently limited to Butler National Corporation, Smiths Industries of the
UK and B.F. Goodrich Aerospace. Butler National has been approved for
Boeing 747 aircraft equipped with the Honeywell analog FQIS and Smiths has
been approved for Boeing 747 aircraft equipped with the Smiths digital FQIS.
Goodrich offers a replacement digital system for all Boeing 747 aircraft.
Both Smiths and Goodrich systems require replacement of the Honeywell FQIS
components and require much longer installation times. The cost of the
basic TSD kit is $55,000 per aircraft. Consequently, the Butler National
transient suppression system appears to be the lowest cost and easiest to
install of the available solutions.
Management Comments:
"The issuance of this STC is especially important to Butler National because
it marks the first major result of our determination to focus Butler National
Corporation on Classic aircraft products that are consistent with our long
and significant heritage as a manufacturer of airline avionics equipment.
It is our intention to provide products that will support and promote
continued safe commercial and general aviation.
As aircraft have proven to have much longer useful lives than originally
envisioned, there is a growing need for quality support systems for these
Classic aircraft. Our corporate goal is to provide replacement part
manufacturing capabilities that produce aviation products to strict original
equipment specifications under current certification authorities.
Our Transient Suppression Device for the Honeywell equipped aircraft is our
first product applying improved technology to older aircraft to increase
operating efficiencies, prolong the lives of useful aircraft, and to increase
passenger safety. We consider it both a responsibility and an opportunity
for Butler National to translate each painful aviation lesson into better
and safer products for classic aircraft.
The FAA, the NTSB, Honeywell, TWA, Polar Air Cargo, Cinch Connectors, AES,
AAR, United States Navy, a number of FAA designated professionals and many
others helped us complete this design, engineering, testing and certification
task in record time. We thank each one for their hard work and their
cooperation as a team. As a result of the team effort, we fully expect that
Butler National will be the product of choice for many operators", commented
Clark D. Stewart, President.
Our Business:
Butler National Corporation operates in the Aerospace and Services business
segments. The Aerospace segment focuses on the manufacture of support
systems for Classic aircraft including the Boeing 747 TSD for the
Honeywell FQIS, switching equipment for Boeing/Douglas Aircraft, weapon
control systems for Boeing Helicopter and performance enhancement structural
modifications for Learjet, Cessna, Dassault and Raytheon business aircraft.
Services include electronic monitoring of water pumping stations and
temporary employee services.
Forward-Looking Information:
The information set forth above may include "forward-looking" information as
outlined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The
Cautionary Statements, filed by the Company as Exhibit 99 to the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K, are incorporated herein by reference and
investors are specifically referred to such Cautionary Statements for a
discussion of factors which could affect the Company's operations and
forward-looking statements contained herein.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
William A. Griffith, Investor Relations Ph (913) 780-9595
Butler National Corporation Fax (913) 780-5088
19920 W. 161st Street
Olathe, KS 66062
