Safety regulators have identified four European Union companies, which are facing operational restrictions following the latest discussions to update the European Commission's 'blacklist' of banned carriers.
While none features on the latest blacklist revision, three carriers from Portugal, Greece and Germany have - at least temporarily - stopped operating their own aircraft. The fourth, Spain's Bravo Airlines, has been banned by default because its operation, Bravo Air Congo, falls under the blanket ban on the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Greek carrier Hellenic Imperial Airways admits its air operator's certificate is on hold, but a spokesman claims the suspension is on a "day-to-day basis", for technical reasons. He adds that the Boeing 747-200 operator is leasing other aircraft, and maintaining services such as its Hajj flights while it addresses the issue.
Sources at the Commission, close to its air safety committee, have also identified Portuguese Lockheed L-1011 operator LuzAir and German MSR Flug-Charter, which uses business jets, as the other two restricted carriers.
LuzAir says it is not currently operating services but a source at the carrier states that its aircraft are on the ground for "scheduled maintenance". A spokesman for MSR Flug-Charter also says the company has stopped operations, but declines to elaborate.
A source close to the Commission's air safety committee, which draws up the list of carriers which are the subject of concern, points out that none of the four EU operators has had its AOC withdrawn by the relevant national authority. But the source adds that three AOCs and one operating license have been suspended.
Discussions over the current revision to the blacklist have drawn particular attention because restrictions have so far notably focused on carriers, which have limited operations in Europe, from areas such as Africa, Indonesia and Central Asia.
"It is difficult to say how many European airlines would have ended with a full ban or operating restrictions if their authorities had not taken measures on their AOCs or operating licenses," says the source, stressing that the blacklist is only a "measure of last resort", intended as a tool to encourage safety improvements.
Cambodia's Siem Reap Airways International and all carriers from Angola are subject to a complete ban on European operations following the latest blacklist update on 14 November.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
segunda-feira, 24 de novembro de 2008
Bird-strike risk high among open-rotor concerns
Bird-strike damage protection rules could emerge as a key design hurdle facing developers of a new generation of fuel-efficient open rotor engines, according to a specialist on propeller power plants.
Speaking at the 'Towards Sustainable Aviation Propulsion' event in Bristol, organized by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Dowty Propellers performance engineer Josef Trchalik said: "The bird-strike test represents a key certification requirement of any aircraft engine. It is not clear yet whether open-rotor blades would be certified according to rules that apply for propellers or if they will be certified as fan blades.
"If the latter is the case then the structure of the open rotor blades will have to be reinforced, which would result in heavier rotor blades and might also restrict the choice of material for the blade structure."
Current bird strike certification requirements differ for propellers and turbofan blades, with propeller blades required to withstand the impact of a significantly lighter bird than fan blades.
Trchalik says bird-strike is a more serious issue for a 'pusher' configuration, which has a similar intake arrangement to a regular turbofan, as there is no fan to shield the engine. Impact-resistance requirements are more easily met with a 'tractor' configuration as the air intakes of an unducted fan would be shielded by two rows of propellers.
Trchalik adds that locating the engines at the rear of the fuselage would increase the chance of debris hitting the blades. "On the other hand, wing-mounted engines are more likely to suck in debris from the runway surface as they are located closer to the ground," he says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Speaking at the 'Towards Sustainable Aviation Propulsion' event in Bristol, organized by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Dowty Propellers performance engineer Josef Trchalik said: "The bird-strike test represents a key certification requirement of any aircraft engine. It is not clear yet whether open-rotor blades would be certified according to rules that apply for propellers or if they will be certified as fan blades.
"If the latter is the case then the structure of the open rotor blades will have to be reinforced, which would result in heavier rotor blades and might also restrict the choice of material for the blade structure."
Current bird strike certification requirements differ for propellers and turbofan blades, with propeller blades required to withstand the impact of a significantly lighter bird than fan blades.
Trchalik says bird-strike is a more serious issue for a 'pusher' configuration, which has a similar intake arrangement to a regular turbofan, as there is no fan to shield the engine. Impact-resistance requirements are more easily met with a 'tractor' configuration as the air intakes of an unducted fan would be shielded by two rows of propellers.
Trchalik adds that locating the engines at the rear of the fuselage would increase the chance of debris hitting the blades. "On the other hand, wing-mounted engines are more likely to suck in debris from the runway surface as they are located closer to the ground," he says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Qantas takeoff aborted as damaged wing spotted
SYDNEY (AFP) — A Qantas jumbo jet carrying 213 passengers aborted a flight shortly before takeoff from Sydney Saturday when an engineer spotted that one of its wings was damaged, the airline said.
The New Zealand-bound Boeing 747-300 was taxiing towards the runway when damage to a right wing flap was noticed by an engineer on the ground and the pilot was alerted, Qantas said.
"It was a technical issue with the wing prior to departure," an airline spokeswoman told AFP.
All passengers on the plane had been provided with accommodation and booked on another flight on Sunday morning, she said, and the cause of the damage was being assessed.
The incident is the latest in a series of problems suffered by Australia's troubled national airline in recent months.
On Tuesday, two Qantas jumbos were damaged when they collided on the ground at a maintenance base.
In October, a computer glitch caused a Qantas plane to plunge into a 200-metre mid-air nosedive, injuring more than 70 people, with some suffering broken bones.
In July, a Qantas Boeing 747-400 made an emergency landing in Manila after a mid-air blast caused by an exploding oxygen bottle punched a hole in the fuselage during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 24/11/2008.
The New Zealand-bound Boeing 747-300 was taxiing towards the runway when damage to a right wing flap was noticed by an engineer on the ground and the pilot was alerted, Qantas said.
"It was a technical issue with the wing prior to departure," an airline spokeswoman told AFP.
All passengers on the plane had been provided with accommodation and booked on another flight on Sunday morning, she said, and the cause of the damage was being assessed.
The incident is the latest in a series of problems suffered by Australia's troubled national airline in recent months.
On Tuesday, two Qantas jumbos were damaged when they collided on the ground at a maintenance base.
In October, a computer glitch caused a Qantas plane to plunge into a 200-metre mid-air nosedive, injuring more than 70 people, with some suffering broken bones.
In July, a Qantas Boeing 747-400 made an emergency landing in Manila after a mid-air blast caused by an exploding oxygen bottle punched a hole in the fuselage during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 24/11/2008.
sexta-feira, 21 de novembro de 2008
NTSB ISSUES UPDATE ON NEAR COLLISION ON ALLENTOWN RUNWAY
In its continuing investigation of a runway incursion in Allentown, Pennsylvania, involving a general aviation aircraft and a Chicago-bound regional jet airliner, the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information:
On September 19, 2008, at 7:38 p.m. EDT, a runway incursion resulted in a near-collision on runway 6 at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mesa Air Shuttle flight 7138, a Canadair CRJ-700 (N506MJ) aborted takeoff at about 120 knots (138 mph), skidding around a Cessna R172K (N736GV) that had just landed and was still taxiing on the runway. The crew of the Mesa Air regional jet estimated the distance between the two aircraft as 10 feet when they passed.
The Mesa Air flight carried 56 passengers and a crew of four; the Cessna carried a pilot and two passengers. There was no damage to either aircraft and no reported injuries. The incident occurred in night meteorological conditions.
A timeline of the incident events is as follows: 7:29:28 - Cessna contacts Allentown tower while about 8 miles east of the airport.
7:33:30 - Cessna, in landing pattern for runway, is cleared to land on runway 6.
7:34:50 - Mesa Air regional jet contacts tower and reports ready for takeoff and holding short of runway 6. Controller instructs pilot to hold short of runway 6 for landing traffic.
7:36:15 - Cessna crosses threshold of runway 6 and lands.
7:36:27 - Mesa Air instructed by tower controller to taxi into position on runway 6 and hold.
7:36:36 - Tower controller asks pilot of Cessna where he intends to park. Following pilot response, controller provides taxi directions, instructing pilot to exit runway at taxiway A4.
7:37:11 - Mesa Air cleared for takeoff.
7:37:18 to 7:37:32 - Controller turns attention to an inbound aircraft and issues landing instructions.
7:37:34 - Cessna pilot informs tower controller that he had missed the A4 taxiway and asks for permission to exit at taxiway B.
7:37:42 - Controller replies, "...no delay, turn immediately," which Cessna pilot acknowledges.
7:38:16 - Mesa Air radios tower controller: "We got it, tower - we're going to need to go back to the gate."
Following the incident, both aircraft taxied to parking.
The Mesa Air crew elected to cancel the flight and have the aircraft inspected. The Cessna taxied to general aviation parking and concluded the flight.
Safety Board investigators have interviewed the pilots involved in the incident, and the air traffic controllers on duty at the time of the incident as well as the FAA tower managers.
The tire marks created by the Mesa Air regional jet as it veered around the Cessna can be seen on the left side of the centerline in the image at
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/images/Allentown.jpg
Fonte: NTSB Advisory 21/11/08.
On September 19, 2008, at 7:38 p.m. EDT, a runway incursion resulted in a near-collision on runway 6 at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mesa Air Shuttle flight 7138, a Canadair CRJ-700 (N506MJ) aborted takeoff at about 120 knots (138 mph), skidding around a Cessna R172K (N736GV) that had just landed and was still taxiing on the runway. The crew of the Mesa Air regional jet estimated the distance between the two aircraft as 10 feet when they passed.
The Mesa Air flight carried 56 passengers and a crew of four; the Cessna carried a pilot and two passengers. There was no damage to either aircraft and no reported injuries. The incident occurred in night meteorological conditions.
A timeline of the incident events is as follows: 7:29:28 - Cessna contacts Allentown tower while about 8 miles east of the airport.
7:33:30 - Cessna, in landing pattern for runway, is cleared to land on runway 6.
7:34:50 - Mesa Air regional jet contacts tower and reports ready for takeoff and holding short of runway 6. Controller instructs pilot to hold short of runway 6 for landing traffic.
7:36:15 - Cessna crosses threshold of runway 6 and lands.
7:36:27 - Mesa Air instructed by tower controller to taxi into position on runway 6 and hold.
7:36:36 - Tower controller asks pilot of Cessna where he intends to park. Following pilot response, controller provides taxi directions, instructing pilot to exit runway at taxiway A4.
7:37:11 - Mesa Air cleared for takeoff.
7:37:18 to 7:37:32 - Controller turns attention to an inbound aircraft and issues landing instructions.
7:37:34 - Cessna pilot informs tower controller that he had missed the A4 taxiway and asks for permission to exit at taxiway B.
7:37:42 - Controller replies, "...no delay, turn immediately," which Cessna pilot acknowledges.
7:38:16 - Mesa Air radios tower controller: "We got it, tower - we're going to need to go back to the gate."
Following the incident, both aircraft taxied to parking.
The Mesa Air crew elected to cancel the flight and have the aircraft inspected. The Cessna taxied to general aviation parking and concluded the flight.
Safety Board investigators have interviewed the pilots involved in the incident, and the air traffic controllers on duty at the time of the incident as well as the FAA tower managers.
The tire marks created by the Mesa Air regional jet as it veered around the Cessna can be seen on the left side of the centerline in the image at
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/images/Allentown.jpg
Fonte: NTSB Advisory 21/11/08.
Airbus to certify airbags in A320s
Airbus has been granted special certification conditions from the US FAA to allow the air framer to certify inflatable airbags in the passenger restraint systems on A320 family aircraft.
The company on 2 September asked the regulator to amend its A320 type certificate to allow the installation of Am Safe Aviation inflatable restraints for head injury protection (HIP) on passenger seats on the A319, A320 and A321.
First created for the automobile industry, the aviation version of the restraint is designed to limit passenger forward motion in the event of an accident, "thus reducing the potential for head injury and head entrapment," says FAA, adding that the airbag is similar to the automobile system except that it is integrated into the passenger restraint system and inflates away from the seated passengers. Other aircraft with amended certification requirements for the seatbelts include the Boeing 777.
Airframers traditionally meet HIP requirements in certain seats by requiring either a setback 35in from any bulkhead, front seat or "other rigid interior feature" or by placing padding in the collision area. While HIP is not required as part of the certification for the A320 series today, it will be included in new regulations set to go into effect on 27 October 2009, says FAA.
To meet the amended certification requirements, FAA will require Airbus to show that the airbags "perform properly under foreseeable operating conditions" and will not become a hazard to other passengers or the aircraft. Of particular concern is that the airbags do not deploy inadvertently due to the effect of electronic noise or lightning on the sensors to trigger the pyrotechnic charge.
Other considerations include the impacts of the belts on pregnant women and children held on a passenger's lap.
Airbus says the special condition application is routine as there are no formal standards for the restraints. "Postings such as this are used simply to permit compliance with head strike protection requirements on bulkhead seats," says the company.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
The company on 2 September asked the regulator to amend its A320 type certificate to allow the installation of Am Safe Aviation inflatable restraints for head injury protection (HIP) on passenger seats on the A319, A320 and A321.
First created for the automobile industry, the aviation version of the restraint is designed to limit passenger forward motion in the event of an accident, "thus reducing the potential for head injury and head entrapment," says FAA, adding that the airbag is similar to the automobile system except that it is integrated into the passenger restraint system and inflates away from the seated passengers. Other aircraft with amended certification requirements for the seatbelts include the Boeing 777.
Airframers traditionally meet HIP requirements in certain seats by requiring either a setback 35in from any bulkhead, front seat or "other rigid interior feature" or by placing padding in the collision area. While HIP is not required as part of the certification for the A320 series today, it will be included in new regulations set to go into effect on 27 October 2009, says FAA.
To meet the amended certification requirements, FAA will require Airbus to show that the airbags "perform properly under foreseeable operating conditions" and will not become a hazard to other passengers or the aircraft. Of particular concern is that the airbags do not deploy inadvertently due to the effect of electronic noise or lightning on the sensors to trigger the pyrotechnic charge.
Other considerations include the impacts of the belts on pregnant women and children held on a passenger's lap.
Airbus says the special condition application is routine as there are no formal standards for the restraints. "Postings such as this are used simply to permit compliance with head strike protection requirements on bulkhead seats," says the company.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
FAA issues emergency AD on Boeing 737 fuel pump wiring
The FAA issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) to certain owners and operators of Boeing 737-600,-700,-700C,-800, and -900 series airplanes.
Information indicates that, when the flight crew manually turns off the center wing tank (CWT) pump switches, that action turns off the right-hand pump, but re-energizes the left-hand pump due to incorrect wiring. The low-pressure lights turn off, incorrectly indicating to the flight crew that power to both pumps has been removed. The failure condition results in continual running of the left-hand fuel pump without indication to the flight crew, which could lead to localized overheating of parts inside the fuel pump, and which could produce an ignition source inside the fuel tank.
The FAA requires the operators of aircraft effected to carry out a wiring test as specified in the AD. (FAA)
Emergency AD 2008-24-51;
(aviation-safety.net)
Information indicates that, when the flight crew manually turns off the center wing tank (CWT) pump switches, that action turns off the right-hand pump, but re-energizes the left-hand pump due to incorrect wiring. The low-pressure lights turn off, incorrectly indicating to the flight crew that power to both pumps has been removed. The failure condition results in continual running of the left-hand fuel pump without indication to the flight crew, which could lead to localized overheating of parts inside the fuel pump, and which could produce an ignition source inside the fuel tank.
The FAA requires the operators of aircraft effected to carry out a wiring test as specified in the AD. (FAA)
Emergency AD 2008-24-51;
(aviation-safety.net)
Air hostess helped land passenger jet after co-pilot had 'breakdown' over the Atlantic
An air hostess helped land a jet carrying 146 passengers after the co-pilot had an apparent mental breakdown over the Atlantic Ocean, investigators revealed today.
The UK-bound plane made an emergency diversion to Shannon Airport, in Ireland, last January after the Air Canada flight officer began a ‘rambling and disjointed’ conversation, said an official report.
Another attendant suffered wrist injuries as the crew forcibly removed the co-pilot from the cockpit controls and restrained him in a seat in the cabin.
Mid-air drama: The air hostess helped out after the plane's captain asked if anyone could fly
The captain of the Boeing 767 from Toronto to Heathrow asked staff to seek out any trained pilots onboard.
One of the female cabin crew came forward saying she had a commercial pilot’s license and was asked to take over in the co-pilot’s seat.
The captain praised the attendant to investigators for helping him safely land the plane at Shannon, where the ill flight officer was removed and admitted to the acute psychiatric unit of Ennis Regional Hospital for 11 days.
He was later flown home to Canada by an air ambulance for further care, according to the investigation.
The official report into the incident by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) did not explicitly refer to the co-pilot’s medical condition.
But it recorded the views of two doctors onboard that he was in a ‘confused and disorientated state’.
The captain also reported that his colleague became uncharacteristically ‘belligerent and unco-operative’ and was ‘effectively incapacitated’.
One passenger at the time reported seeing the distraught co-pilot yelling for God as he was being restrained.
The AAIU praised the actions of both the captain and crew in diverting to the nearest airport and removing the co-pilot from the controls.
‘For his own well-being and the safety of the aircraft, the most appropriate course of action was to stand him down from duty and seek medical attention which was available on board,’ said the report.
‘The commander (captain) realizing he was faced with a difficult and serious situation used tact and understanding and kept control of the situation at all times.
‘The situation was dealt with in a professional manner... As such, the commander and flight attendants should be commended for their professionalism in the handling of this event.’
There were no safety recommendations from the investigation.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1087523/Air-hostess-helped-land-passenger-jet-pilot-breakdown-Atlantic.html
The UK-bound plane made an emergency diversion to Shannon Airport, in Ireland, last January after the Air Canada flight officer began a ‘rambling and disjointed’ conversation, said an official report.
Another attendant suffered wrist injuries as the crew forcibly removed the co-pilot from the cockpit controls and restrained him in a seat in the cabin.
Mid-air drama: The air hostess helped out after the plane's captain asked if anyone could fly
The captain of the Boeing 767 from Toronto to Heathrow asked staff to seek out any trained pilots onboard.
One of the female cabin crew came forward saying she had a commercial pilot’s license and was asked to take over in the co-pilot’s seat.
The captain praised the attendant to investigators for helping him safely land the plane at Shannon, where the ill flight officer was removed and admitted to the acute psychiatric unit of Ennis Regional Hospital for 11 days.
He was later flown home to Canada by an air ambulance for further care, according to the investigation.
The official report into the incident by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) did not explicitly refer to the co-pilot’s medical condition.
But it recorded the views of two doctors onboard that he was in a ‘confused and disorientated state’.
The captain also reported that his colleague became uncharacteristically ‘belligerent and unco-operative’ and was ‘effectively incapacitated’.
One passenger at the time reported seeing the distraught co-pilot yelling for God as he was being restrained.
The AAIU praised the actions of both the captain and crew in diverting to the nearest airport and removing the co-pilot from the controls.
‘For his own well-being and the safety of the aircraft, the most appropriate course of action was to stand him down from duty and seek medical attention which was available on board,’ said the report.
‘The commander (captain) realizing he was faced with a difficult and serious situation used tact and understanding and kept control of the situation at all times.
‘The situation was dealt with in a professional manner... As such, the commander and flight attendants should be commended for their professionalism in the handling of this event.’
There were no safety recommendations from the investigation.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1087523/Air-hostess-helped-land-passenger-jet-pilot-breakdown-Atlantic.html
First A380-related airworthiness directive orders Trent check
European safety regulators have drawn up the first airworthiness directive relating to the Airbus A380, mandating checks for cracking of vanes in Rolls-Royce Trent 900 high-pressure turbines.
The directive, issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, states that development testing and flight tests of the Trent 900 have revealed evidence of cracking on some nozzle guide vane surfaces.
EASA says that not all nozzle guide vane assemblies are affected and that the problem would become apparent on affected engines within 1,000 cycles.
"Analysis of test data and review of the manufacturing process has revealed compounding effects that may contribute to a shortfall in component life and an increased likelihood of premature cracking in this region," it states.
Excessive cracking on the vanes' convex surface could, it says, lead to possible fracture of high-pressure turbine blades - and subsequent engine damage - if vane material is released. Turbine gas flow could also be blocked, it adds.
EASA is instructing operators of Trent 900 engines to inspect the nozzle guide vane surfaces before 400 cycles, and to repeat these inspections at least every 100 cycles. If no damage is detected by 1,000 cycles, it adds, normal inspection maintenance can be resumed. The directive takes effect from 2 December.
Rolls-Royce states that the Trent 900 last month clocked up a year’s airline service, accumulating 8,000 cycles across seven aircraft.
Singapore Airlines and Qantas both operate Trent 900-powered A380 aircraft, while Emirates' A380s are fitted with Engine Alliance GP7200 power plants.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
The directive, issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, states that development testing and flight tests of the Trent 900 have revealed evidence of cracking on some nozzle guide vane surfaces.
EASA says that not all nozzle guide vane assemblies are affected and that the problem would become apparent on affected engines within 1,000 cycles.
"Analysis of test data and review of the manufacturing process has revealed compounding effects that may contribute to a shortfall in component life and an increased likelihood of premature cracking in this region," it states.
Excessive cracking on the vanes' convex surface could, it says, lead to possible fracture of high-pressure turbine blades - and subsequent engine damage - if vane material is released. Turbine gas flow could also be blocked, it adds.
EASA is instructing operators of Trent 900 engines to inspect the nozzle guide vane surfaces before 400 cycles, and to repeat these inspections at least every 100 cycles. If no damage is detected by 1,000 cycles, it adds, normal inspection maintenance can be resumed. The directive takes effect from 2 December.
Rolls-Royce states that the Trent 900 last month clocked up a year’s airline service, accumulating 8,000 cycles across seven aircraft.
Singapore Airlines and Qantas both operate Trent 900-powered A380 aircraft, while Emirates' A380s are fitted with Engine Alliance GP7200 power plants.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Pilot alerted officials jet had run out of runway
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Cockpit recordings have been released from the September crash of a Learjet that killed four people, including the pilots, and critically burned a musician and celebrity disc jockey.
The jet's co-pilot is heard telling the control tower at Columbia, South Carolina's main airport: "Roll the equipment, we're going off the end."
The plane shot off the end of the runway, ripped through a fence and crossed a highway before coming to rest in flames.
Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity disc jockey DJ AM were severely burned in the crash. Both men are expected to fully recover.
Aviation authorities have said cockpit recordings showed the jet's crew thought a tire had blown before takeoff.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 21/11/08.
The jet's co-pilot is heard telling the control tower at Columbia, South Carolina's main airport: "Roll the equipment, we're going off the end."
The plane shot off the end of the runway, ripped through a fence and crossed a highway before coming to rest in flames.
Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and celebrity disc jockey DJ AM were severely burned in the crash. Both men are expected to fully recover.
Aviation authorities have said cockpit recordings showed the jet's crew thought a tire had blown before takeoff.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 21/11/08.
terça-feira, 18 de novembro de 2008
Europe’s Environmental Challenge Single European Sky by 2012
Bordeaux -The International Air Transport Association (IATA) challenged Europe to deliver a Single European Sky (SES) by 2012.
“After decades of talks and little action, failure to implement an effective SES is Europe’s biggest environmental embarrassment. In 2007, this failure resulted in 21 million minutes of delays and 468 million kilometres of unnecessary flight. This wasted 16 million tonnes of CO2. This crisis that is gripping the airline industry highlights the fact that airlines cannot afford the EUR 5 billion cost that this brings. And neither can Europe afford the impact on its competitiveness. This must change fast,” said IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani in a keynote address to the European Air Transport Summit being held in Bordeaux.
IATA fully supports the European Commission’s performance-driven approach. This was proposed in the SES II Package proposed by Vice President Tajani in June. “We need binding performance targets at the national and community levels, functional airspace blocks (FABs) coordinated by a strong network manager with harmonised safety oversight through EASA, and the enabling SESAR technology to allow a Single European Sky to deliver its promised benefits,” said Bisignani.
FABs and SESAR are the critical building blocks for an SES. The plan to combine European airspace into 9 cross-national FABs will increase system capacity by 70%, reduce average delays to 1 minute or less, cut user costs by 50% and reduce the environmental impact per flight by 10% by 2020 while improving safety. “These 9 FABs cannot be kingdoms operating independently. We need a strong network manager to drive efficiencies and meet binding performance targets. And we need an EASA with sufficient resources to provide safety oversight for airports and air navigation service providers,” said Bisignani.
IATA linked SES to Europe’s proposal to include aviation into the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2012. “2012 is the year. We need 9 FABs in place, delivering benefits against binding performance targets with a strong network manager. This is the minimum requirement. Even if Europe chooses to overlook the major flaws of its ETS proposal - the unilateral approach is illegal and the regional scope is ineffective - the only credibility that is left is the SES. Airlines cannot accept to be charged for emissions in Europe when the inefficiency of the system forces them to waste 16 million tonnes of CO2 each year,” said Bisignani.
Bisignani attacked 2 persistent myths surrounding the SES. “First, job losses are a misplaced fear when there is a global shortage of air traffic controllers and SESAR (the technology component of SES) will generate 200,000 highly skilled jobs in Europe. Second, FABs don’t reduce sovereignty. Europe faces the same question with the Euro. Today nobody questions the sovereignty of the Euro-Zone states. SES is no different. Sovereignty is even institutionalised in the independent National Supervisory Authority. These are two myths which we must kill with facts,” said Bisignani.
IATA’s Four Pillar Strategy to Address Climate Change is delivering results. The strategy - endorsed by industry and government focuses on technology, operations, infrastructure and positive economic measures - including ETS. Since 2004, IATA efforts, including route shortening and working directly with airlines to implement best operational practices, has saved 59 million tonnes of CO2 with a cost saving of US$12 billion. An effective SES would be a key contributor to these efforts.
Europe must contribute to a global solution on economic measures addressing change. “While focusing technical efforts to deliver the SES by 2012, Europe must aim its political efforts on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Article 2 of the Kyoto Protocol gives ICAO the responsibility to find an effective global solution for aviation’s emissions that is global and voluntary for states. This summer the G8 affirmed this role in their Summit Declaration. With 44 European states among ICAO’s 189 contracting members and with three states on the 15 member ICAO Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC), Europe has a duty to ensure that ICAO delivers a global result and to harmonise its approach with the global solution,” said Bisignani.
Don’t make the ETS proposal any worse. In the meantime, Bisignani urged Europe not to include its misguided unilateral approach to aviation and ETS in the General Review process of the European ETS. “Don’t make a bad decision worse by including aviation in the ETS General Review. It makes absolutely no sense to review something that has not even started yet, let alone even consider raising auctioning levels beyond the current 15%,” said Bisignani.
Fonte: IATA 18/11/2008.
“After decades of talks and little action, failure to implement an effective SES is Europe’s biggest environmental embarrassment. In 2007, this failure resulted in 21 million minutes of delays and 468 million kilometres of unnecessary flight. This wasted 16 million tonnes of CO2. This crisis that is gripping the airline industry highlights the fact that airlines cannot afford the EUR 5 billion cost that this brings. And neither can Europe afford the impact on its competitiveness. This must change fast,” said IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani in a keynote address to the European Air Transport Summit being held in Bordeaux.
IATA fully supports the European Commission’s performance-driven approach. This was proposed in the SES II Package proposed by Vice President Tajani in June. “We need binding performance targets at the national and community levels, functional airspace blocks (FABs) coordinated by a strong network manager with harmonised safety oversight through EASA, and the enabling SESAR technology to allow a Single European Sky to deliver its promised benefits,” said Bisignani.
FABs and SESAR are the critical building blocks for an SES. The plan to combine European airspace into 9 cross-national FABs will increase system capacity by 70%, reduce average delays to 1 minute or less, cut user costs by 50% and reduce the environmental impact per flight by 10% by 2020 while improving safety. “These 9 FABs cannot be kingdoms operating independently. We need a strong network manager to drive efficiencies and meet binding performance targets. And we need an EASA with sufficient resources to provide safety oversight for airports and air navigation service providers,” said Bisignani.
IATA linked SES to Europe’s proposal to include aviation into the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2012. “2012 is the year. We need 9 FABs in place, delivering benefits against binding performance targets with a strong network manager. This is the minimum requirement. Even if Europe chooses to overlook the major flaws of its ETS proposal - the unilateral approach is illegal and the regional scope is ineffective - the only credibility that is left is the SES. Airlines cannot accept to be charged for emissions in Europe when the inefficiency of the system forces them to waste 16 million tonnes of CO2 each year,” said Bisignani.
Bisignani attacked 2 persistent myths surrounding the SES. “First, job losses are a misplaced fear when there is a global shortage of air traffic controllers and SESAR (the technology component of SES) will generate 200,000 highly skilled jobs in Europe. Second, FABs don’t reduce sovereignty. Europe faces the same question with the Euro. Today nobody questions the sovereignty of the Euro-Zone states. SES is no different. Sovereignty is even institutionalised in the independent National Supervisory Authority. These are two myths which we must kill with facts,” said Bisignani.
IATA’s Four Pillar Strategy to Address Climate Change is delivering results. The strategy - endorsed by industry and government focuses on technology, operations, infrastructure and positive economic measures - including ETS. Since 2004, IATA efforts, including route shortening and working directly with airlines to implement best operational practices, has saved 59 million tonnes of CO2 with a cost saving of US$12 billion. An effective SES would be a key contributor to these efforts.
Europe must contribute to a global solution on economic measures addressing change. “While focusing technical efforts to deliver the SES by 2012, Europe must aim its political efforts on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Article 2 of the Kyoto Protocol gives ICAO the responsibility to find an effective global solution for aviation’s emissions that is global and voluntary for states. This summer the G8 affirmed this role in their Summit Declaration. With 44 European states among ICAO’s 189 contracting members and with three states on the 15 member ICAO Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC), Europe has a duty to ensure that ICAO delivers a global result and to harmonise its approach with the global solution,” said Bisignani.
Don’t make the ETS proposal any worse. In the meantime, Bisignani urged Europe not to include its misguided unilateral approach to aviation and ETS in the General Review process of the European ETS. “Don’t make a bad decision worse by including aviation in the ETS General Review. It makes absolutely no sense to review something that has not even started yet, let alone even consider raising auctioning levels beyond the current 15%,” said Bisignani.
Fonte: IATA 18/11/2008.
The FAA needs to stop endless grandfathering of old systems
That the US Federal Aviation Administration has seen fit to write yet another airworthiness directive about the Boeing 737's cabin pressurization control system is a symptom of the fact that not only did insufficient thought go into designing the system in the first place, but also that nothing has been done to correct the design shortcomings since. This is by no means the only example of that syndrome at the FAA.
Readers could say of this comment that hindsight is a wonderful thing. Yes, it is, but the FAA has frequently failed to act according to the wisdom available from hindsight. It has issued two amendments to the 737 flightcrew operations manual so far to try to deal with repeated occurrences of crews failing to recognise that the system is wrongly set, and/or failing to respond correctly to the warning that the cabin is failing to pressurise. Both the directives papered over the cracks rather than eliminating them.
The 737 series is such a good basic aircraft design that it has survived in production longer than any other jet airliner in history. That is now becoming the nature of modern aircraft designs, so permitting indefinite "grandfather rights" for onboard systems that are, frankly, outdated is a more compelling issue than it ever was before. It is no longer good enough to change the manual when repeated evidence suggests the system needs improvement or change, especially when more modern systems have been proven in other types.
There are numerous options for change in this case. The first would be to change the audible warning from the same sound as the take-off configuration alert instead of a repeating horn, a voice repeating "cabin altitude"? Instead of requiring the crew to select the pressurisation control from manual to automatic when cabin altitude exceeds 10,000ft (3,050m), make the change automatic, with audio advice of its operation. Engineers could certainly come up with alternatives such as those.
There are other cases in which the FAA has still not acted on required changes years after the fatal events that flagged up the need for them - such as not requiring dry-running fuel pumps to switch off automatically in 737 centre-wing fuel tanks, or not requiring spoilers to retract automatically if the crews firewall the power levers. Or when the FAA allowed the 737 to have a rudder power control unit (PCU) that did not comply with the fundamental requirement that it should fail safe, and all on board a United 737-200 and a USAir 737-300 died because of it. In that case the body count was so high that the FAA and Boeing worked to redesign the rudder PCU for all 737s. But the world has moved beyond using body count to determine safety policy. Hasn't it?
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/18/318896/the-faa-needs-to-stop-endless-grandfathering-of-old.html
Readers could say of this comment that hindsight is a wonderful thing. Yes, it is, but the FAA has frequently failed to act according to the wisdom available from hindsight. It has issued two amendments to the 737 flightcrew operations manual so far to try to deal with repeated occurrences of crews failing to recognise that the system is wrongly set, and/or failing to respond correctly to the warning that the cabin is failing to pressurise. Both the directives papered over the cracks rather than eliminating them.
The 737 series is such a good basic aircraft design that it has survived in production longer than any other jet airliner in history. That is now becoming the nature of modern aircraft designs, so permitting indefinite "grandfather rights" for onboard systems that are, frankly, outdated is a more compelling issue than it ever was before. It is no longer good enough to change the manual when repeated evidence suggests the system needs improvement or change, especially when more modern systems have been proven in other types.
There are numerous options for change in this case. The first would be to change the audible warning from the same sound as the take-off configuration alert instead of a repeating horn, a voice repeating "cabin altitude"? Instead of requiring the crew to select the pressurisation control from manual to automatic when cabin altitude exceeds 10,000ft (3,050m), make the change automatic, with audio advice of its operation. Engineers could certainly come up with alternatives such as those.
There are other cases in which the FAA has still not acted on required changes years after the fatal events that flagged up the need for them - such as not requiring dry-running fuel pumps to switch off automatically in 737 centre-wing fuel tanks, or not requiring spoilers to retract automatically if the crews firewall the power levers. Or when the FAA allowed the 737 to have a rudder power control unit (PCU) that did not comply with the fundamental requirement that it should fail safe, and all on board a United 737-200 and a USAir 737-300 died because of it. In that case the body count was so high that the FAA and Boeing worked to redesign the rudder PCU for all 737s. But the world has moved beyond using body count to determine safety policy. Hasn't it?
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/18/318896/the-faa-needs-to-stop-endless-grandfathering-of-old.html
Air NZ flight in emergency landing
DISRUPTION: An Air New Zealand flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Palmerston North airport after an engine failed 10 minutes into a flight.
An Air New Zealand flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Palmerston North airport after an engine failed 10 minutes into a flight.
The Q300 plane, which had 33 passengers onboard, was flying from Napier to Wellington when one of the propeller engines malfunctioned just before midday.
The pilot shut the engine down and flew to Palmerston North with a single engine.
Passenger Mike Rodgers, of Gore, heard a bang when the engine shut down and saw oil seeping from the propeller.
No passengers were injured but a few were shaken by the experience, he said.
Fire fighters and St John ambulance crews were called to the airport but were not needed.
Palmerston North airport operations manager Roy Bodell said the passengers had alternative travel arrangements made by Air New Zealand.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4763862a11.html
An Air New Zealand flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Palmerston North airport after an engine failed 10 minutes into a flight.
The Q300 plane, which had 33 passengers onboard, was flying from Napier to Wellington when one of the propeller engines malfunctioned just before midday.
The pilot shut the engine down and flew to Palmerston North with a single engine.
Passenger Mike Rodgers, of Gore, heard a bang when the engine shut down and saw oil seeping from the propeller.
No passengers were injured but a few were shaken by the experience, he said.
Fire fighters and St John ambulance crews were called to the airport but were not needed.
Palmerston North airport operations manager Roy Bodell said the passengers had alternative travel arrangements made by Air New Zealand.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4763862a11.html
Canadian Air Crash Kills Seven
OTTAWA — A Grumman Goose amphibious aircraft crashed north of Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday, killing seven occupants, the Canadian Armed Forces said. One passenger survived.
The crash was the second of a Grumman Goose operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines since August, when another one went down, killing five.
News reports indicated that the plane apparently flew into a hillside on an island off the province’s rugged coastline.
The age of the aircraft was not known although Grumman discontinued production of the model during the 1940’s.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/world/americas/17canada.html?ref=world
The crash was the second of a Grumman Goose operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines since August, when another one went down, killing five.
News reports indicated that the plane apparently flew into a hillside on an island off the province’s rugged coastline.
The age of the aircraft was not known although Grumman discontinued production of the model during the 1940’s.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/world/americas/17canada.html?ref=world
US Airways jet makes emergency landing in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A US Airways Express flight made an emergency landing Sunday without its nose landing gear.
No injuries were reported.
The Philadelphia-bound deHavilland Dash-8 turboprop, operated by Piedmont Airlines, had taken off from Allentown at about 8:20 a.m. with 35 passengers and three crewmembers on board, according to officials of the airline and Philadelphia International Airport.
Before the scheduled landing at Philadelphia, the crew got an indication that the landing gear was not down and did a flyover to confirm that it had not deployed, airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said.
Fire crews spread foam on the runway as a precaution, but there was no smoke and no fire when the aircraft landed without its nose wheels at around 9:20 a.m., Lupica said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: US Airways Allentown Philadelphia International Airport Piedmont Airlines
Passengers were taken to the terminal by bus.
The cause of the problem remained was under investigation, said US Airways spokesman Morgan Durant.
Lupica said the airport had to be closed for about 25 minutes.
By midday, the plane was still on the runway. The three other runways were open but the airport reported some incoming flights delayed nearly three hours because of the disruption.
No injuries were reported.
The Philadelphia-bound deHavilland Dash-8 turboprop, operated by Piedmont Airlines, had taken off from Allentown at about 8:20 a.m. with 35 passengers and three crewmembers on board, according to officials of the airline and Philadelphia International Airport.
Before the scheduled landing at Philadelphia, the crew got an indication that the landing gear was not down and did a flyover to confirm that it had not deployed, airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said.
Fire crews spread foam on the runway as a precaution, but there was no smoke and no fire when the aircraft landed without its nose wheels at around 9:20 a.m., Lupica said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: US Airways Allentown Philadelphia International Airport Piedmont Airlines
Passengers were taken to the terminal by bus.
The cause of the problem remained was under investigation, said US Airways spokesman Morgan Durant.
Lupica said the airport had to be closed for about 25 minutes.
By midday, the plane was still on the runway. The three other runways were open but the airport reported some incoming flights delayed nearly three hours because of the disruption.
NTSB: Wake Turbulence From 767 Likely Caused Mexican Lear Crash
CVR Records Pilots' Last Statements
US and Mexican investigators speculate the downing of a Learjet 45 in Mexico City on November 4 was caused by the combination of wake turbulence from a landing airliner and the pilots’ unfamiliarity with the aircraft.
The plane’s cockpit data recorder, analyzed by the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, DC, revealed the pilots' last words – "Diosito" (My little God) – in their struggle to regain control of the aircraft as it encountered severe wake turbulence.
Theories of sabotage have been all but ruled out in the deaths of all nine persons on board, including Mexico's Interior Minister, Juan Camilo Mouriño, and José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, well known for his fight against drug cartels.
Pilot Martín Oliva, 39, and co-pilot Alvaro Sánchez, 58, have been defended by their families as responsible, serious professionals, the Dallas Morning News reported.
But at a news conference, Mexico's Communications and Transportation Minister Luis Telléz said, "The investigation revealed apparent deficiencies in the training and certification process of both [pilots]," and alleged the pilots failed to follow ATC instructions.
As the Learjet approached Mexico City, it was sequenced behind a Boeing 767-300 and given instructions to reduce airspeed in order to maintain proper spacing behind the airliner, Telléz said. But the pilots took over a minute to comply with the speed reduction, putting their plane just 4 nm behind the much larger 767.
Investigators said that wake turbulence from the 767 caused the Learjet to crash within 30 seconds, evidenced by the plane's Cockpit Voice Recorder:
Pilot: "That one's got some turbulence."
Co-pilot: "Hey man."
Pilot: "Hey [expletive]."
Later:
Pilot: "Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?"
Co-pilot: "Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me."
Pilot: "It's yours Alvaro."
Pilot: "[expletive]"
Pilot: "No, Alvaro."
Co-pilot: "Diosito."
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
aero-news.net
US and Mexican investigators speculate the downing of a Learjet 45 in Mexico City on November 4 was caused by the combination of wake turbulence from a landing airliner and the pilots’ unfamiliarity with the aircraft.
The plane’s cockpit data recorder, analyzed by the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, DC, revealed the pilots' last words – "Diosito" (My little God) – in their struggle to regain control of the aircraft as it encountered severe wake turbulence.
Theories of sabotage have been all but ruled out in the deaths of all nine persons on board, including Mexico's Interior Minister, Juan Camilo Mouriño, and José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, well known for his fight against drug cartels.
Pilot Martín Oliva, 39, and co-pilot Alvaro Sánchez, 58, have been defended by their families as responsible, serious professionals, the Dallas Morning News reported.
But at a news conference, Mexico's Communications and Transportation Minister Luis Telléz said, "The investigation revealed apparent deficiencies in the training and certification process of both [pilots]," and alleged the pilots failed to follow ATC instructions.
As the Learjet approached Mexico City, it was sequenced behind a Boeing 767-300 and given instructions to reduce airspeed in order to maintain proper spacing behind the airliner, Telléz said. But the pilots took over a minute to comply with the speed reduction, putting their plane just 4 nm behind the much larger 767.
Investigators said that wake turbulence from the 767 caused the Learjet to crash within 30 seconds, evidenced by the plane's Cockpit Voice Recorder:
Pilot: "That one's got some turbulence."
Co-pilot: "Hey man."
Pilot: "Hey [expletive]."
Later:
Pilot: "Alvaro, what do we do, Alvaro?"
Co-pilot: "Hand it over to me, hand it over to me, hand it over to me."
Pilot: "It's yours Alvaro."
Pilot: "[expletive]"
Pilot: "No, Alvaro."
Co-pilot: "Diosito."
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
aero-news.net
Officials say FAA covered up safety errors at Texas airport
WASHINGTON — A Transportation Department investigation has concluded that Federal Aviation Administration officials covered up safety errors at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the second such admonishment in the past three years.
A spokeswoman for the department's inspector general said a report of the investigation's findings should be released Friday. She confirmed the general findings as outlined in documents released late Thursday by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
The report was requested by the special counsel's office, which is tasked with protecting government whistle-blowers. That office said in a statement that between November 2005 and July 2007 FAA managers intentionally misclassified 62 events as safety errors by pilots in an attempt to shift blame away from air traffic controllers at the Texas airport.
The inspector general previously had confirmed a similar underreporting of safety errors at the airport in 2004. After that incident, FAA officials promised to take steps to fix the problem.
Acting Special Counsel William Reukauf, in a letter Thursday to President George W. Bush, said increased "scrutiny of FAA and its implementation of the corrective measures proposed to resolve the continued misconduct and mismanagement is critical."
According the special counsel, the inspector general's report recommends 10 corrective measures be taken in response to the coverup, including a reorganization of air traffic control management at Dallas-Fort Worth and a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of FAA's overall air traffic safety management.
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency already has implemented all of the inspector general's recommendations that don't relate to personnel matters, which she is prohibited from discussing.
"I can tell you we take them very seriously, and we're taking appropriate action on those as well," Brown said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said previously that safety errors by controllers increased because airport towers and other radar control facilities are understaffed and experienced controllers are leaving the FAA.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/reports/2008-11-13-faa-coverup_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
A spokeswoman for the department's inspector general said a report of the investigation's findings should be released Friday. She confirmed the general findings as outlined in documents released late Thursday by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
The report was requested by the special counsel's office, which is tasked with protecting government whistle-blowers. That office said in a statement that between November 2005 and July 2007 FAA managers intentionally misclassified 62 events as safety errors by pilots in an attempt to shift blame away from air traffic controllers at the Texas airport.
The inspector general previously had confirmed a similar underreporting of safety errors at the airport in 2004. After that incident, FAA officials promised to take steps to fix the problem.
Acting Special Counsel William Reukauf, in a letter Thursday to President George W. Bush, said increased "scrutiny of FAA and its implementation of the corrective measures proposed to resolve the continued misconduct and mismanagement is critical."
According the special counsel, the inspector general's report recommends 10 corrective measures be taken in response to the coverup, including a reorganization of air traffic control management at Dallas-Fort Worth and a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of FAA's overall air traffic safety management.
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency already has implemented all of the inspector general's recommendations that don't relate to personnel matters, which she is prohibited from discussing.
"I can tell you we take them very seriously, and we're taking appropriate action on those as well," Brown said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said previously that safety errors by controllers increased because airport towers and other radar control facilities are understaffed and experienced controllers are leaving the FAA.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/reports/2008-11-13-faa-coverup_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
Military: Civilian cargo plane crashes in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) — A cargo plane chartered by FedEx crashed Thursday west of Baghdad after reporting a malfunction, the U.S. military said. It ruled out hostile fire and said the crew was presumed dead.
The Russian-made An-12 plane with up to seven crewmembers — none of them American — was flying from al-Asad air base to Baghdad International Airport when it lost radio contact and crashed around 11:35 a.m., the military said.
The crash happened south of Fallujah, where insurgents once held sway. The military said mechanical failure or pilot error was the likely cause, but declined to elaborate. The military also secured the crash site.
"It looks like everybody was lost but I can't confirm that. The investigation will determine that," U.S. military spokesman Capt. Charles Calio said.
Iraqi police in Fallujah said no shooting was reported at the time of the crash.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Iraq Christianity Mosul Fallujah United Arab Emirates Dubai Baghdad International Airport FedEx Express Al-Asad Staffan de Mistura
In a statement, FedEx said it was aware that an aircraft operated by one of its contractors to carry FedEx Express cargo could not be located on radar and had been out of radio contact since 10:45 a.m.
"FedEx is closely monitoring the situation and is working with the contractor to investigate the situation," the statement said. "Our foremost priority is the safety and welfare of the pilot and crew."
The U.S. logistics company said the aircraft had originally come from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Also Thursday, the main U.N. envoy in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, in a statement condemned the killing of two Christian sisters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Iraqi police say the two women were killed Wednesday as they were waiting in front of their house for a ride to work. Their mother was wounded in the attack.
The U.S. military has confirmed the killings and says the Christian family's house was then destroyed by bombs planted inside.
The attack came after about 13,000 Christians fled Mosul last month in the face of threats and attacks from extremists.
De Mistura noted that the killings followed a report by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees that some recently displaced Christian families were starting to return as the security situation in Mosul showed signs of improvement.
He also called on Iraqi authorities at the national and local level to protect Christians and other minorities in Iraq and to ensure those behind the attacks "are swiftly brought to justice."
Tensions are running high in Mosul, where U.S. and Iraqi troops have been trying since last spring to rout insurgents from Iraq's third largest city.
On Wednesday, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on a group of U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi military base in Mosul, killing two of them and wounding six others before dying in a hail of bullets, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
The attack remained under investigation.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-11-13-iraq-thursday_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
The Russian-made An-12 plane with up to seven crewmembers — none of them American — was flying from al-Asad air base to Baghdad International Airport when it lost radio contact and crashed around 11:35 a.m., the military said.
The crash happened south of Fallujah, where insurgents once held sway. The military said mechanical failure or pilot error was the likely cause, but declined to elaborate. The military also secured the crash site.
"It looks like everybody was lost but I can't confirm that. The investigation will determine that," U.S. military spokesman Capt. Charles Calio said.
Iraqi police in Fallujah said no shooting was reported at the time of the crash.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Iraq Christianity Mosul Fallujah United Arab Emirates Dubai Baghdad International Airport FedEx Express Al-Asad Staffan de Mistura
In a statement, FedEx said it was aware that an aircraft operated by one of its contractors to carry FedEx Express cargo could not be located on radar and had been out of radio contact since 10:45 a.m.
"FedEx is closely monitoring the situation and is working with the contractor to investigate the situation," the statement said. "Our foremost priority is the safety and welfare of the pilot and crew."
The U.S. logistics company said the aircraft had originally come from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Also Thursday, the main U.N. envoy in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, in a statement condemned the killing of two Christian sisters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
Iraqi police say the two women were killed Wednesday as they were waiting in front of their house for a ride to work. Their mother was wounded in the attack.
The U.S. military has confirmed the killings and says the Christian family's house was then destroyed by bombs planted inside.
The attack came after about 13,000 Christians fled Mosul last month in the face of threats and attacks from extremists.
De Mistura noted that the killings followed a report by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees that some recently displaced Christian families were starting to return as the security situation in Mosul showed signs of improvement.
He also called on Iraqi authorities at the national and local level to protect Christians and other minorities in Iraq and to ensure those behind the attacks "are swiftly brought to justice."
Tensions are running high in Mosul, where U.S. and Iraqi troops have been trying since last spring to rout insurgents from Iraq's third largest city.
On Wednesday, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on a group of U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi military base in Mosul, killing two of them and wounding six others before dying in a hail of bullets, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
The attack remained under investigation.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-11-13-iraq-thursday_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
Civilian cargo aircraft crashes in western Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A civilian cargo aircraft with seven people on board crashed shortly after take-off in western Iraq on Thursday, the U.S. military said, adding that there was little hope of any survivors.
The ex-Soviet built AN-12 airplane, operated by a German firm, crashed shortly after take off, army Captain Charles Calio said. It had just left an air base near the western city of Falluja.
Earlier reports had described it as a U.S. civilian cargo plane. Calio said no American citizens or soldiers were on board. A damage assessment was being done, but it was unlikely that any of the six crew and one baggage handler had survived.
"It looks like everybody was lost," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AC54Y20081113
The ex-Soviet built AN-12 airplane, operated by a German firm, crashed shortly after take off, army Captain Charles Calio said. It had just left an air base near the western city of Falluja.
Earlier reports had described it as a U.S. civilian cargo plane. Calio said no American citizens or soldiers were on board. A damage assessment was being done, but it was unlikely that any of the six crew and one baggage handler had survived.
"It looks like everybody was lost," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AC54Y20081113
Civilian aircraft crashes in Iraq
A civilian cargo aircraft has crashed to the south of Falluja, in western Iraq, US officials have said.
The cargo plane was carrying four to six people, the US military said, when it crashed because of a "malfunction".
Witnesses said the plane took off from Habbaniya base in Anbar province but was seen in flames before crashing.
There was no word on whether the crew of the plane survived the crash. Their nationalities were also unknown, the US military said.
"It was a malfunction. It lost radio contact, then it crashed. We have no information on the fate of the crew," a US military spokeswoman said.
Iraqi police told the Associated Press that the plane, which took off near Falluja, crashed in the desert without causing Iraqi casualties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7727911.stm
The cargo plane was carrying four to six people, the US military said, when it crashed because of a "malfunction".
Witnesses said the plane took off from Habbaniya base in Anbar province but was seen in flames before crashing.
There was no word on whether the crew of the plane survived the crash. Their nationalities were also unknown, the US military said.
"It was a malfunction. It lost radio contact, then it crashed. We have no information on the fate of the crew," a US military spokeswoman said.
Iraqi police told the Associated Press that the plane, which took off near Falluja, crashed in the desert without causing Iraqi casualties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7727911.stm
Cargo plane crashes in Iraq (AN-12)
BAGHDAD, (CNN) — A civilian cargo plane carrying six crew members and a passenger crashed in Iraq on Thursday, a U.S. military spokesman said.
The military said mechanical failure or pilot error appears to have caused the accident. The status of the people on board is not yet known, the spokesman said. No coalition personnel were among them.
The fixed-wing aircraft was headed from Al Asad Airfield in Anbar province to the Baghdad International Airport. A quick reaction force was dispatched to the crash site to assist with security and relief efforts.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 18/11/2008.
The military said mechanical failure or pilot error appears to have caused the accident. The status of the people on board is not yet known, the spokesman said. No coalition personnel were among them.
The fixed-wing aircraft was headed from Al Asad Airfield in Anbar province to the Baghdad International Airport. A quick reaction force was dispatched to the crash site to assist with security and relief efforts.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 18/11/2008.
Fatal air crash report points finger at Transport Canada
Proper oversight by regulator found lacking
Transport Canada broke its own rules when it cancelled an audit program just months before a fatal plane crash during its transition to a self-policing civil aviation system.
The information was contained in a confidential draft report obtained by Canwest News Service.
The Transportation Safety Board's draft investigation report, dated Aug. 1, 2008, documents the events leading up to a Transwest Air (TWA) crash in Sandy Bay, Sask., on Jan. 7, 2007.
In addition to finding "repeated" and "routine" regulatory infractions on the part of King Air pilots at the regional airline -- to the point where crew were "likely unaware that many were actual policy and procedural deviations" -- the board found big gaps in Transport Canada's role as regulator.
"Although Transport Canada safety oversight processes identified the existence of supervisory deficiencies within TWA, the extent of the deficiencies was not fully appreciated because of the limitations of the current inspection/audit oversight system."
Two flight crew and two emergency medical technicians were aboard a King Air aircraft en route to pick up a patient from the Sandy Bay Health Centre when it crashed into trees near the runway after an aborted landing attempt. The 52-year-old pilot died of his injuries; the other three suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The board's findings, related to causes and contributing factors, focus on TWA's deficient supervision of the King Air operation and failures of the crew. But the board also identifies several "findings as to risk" concerning Transport Canada's deficiencies. It's one of three crash reports expected in the coming months to single out the department's failure to provide proper oversight during the implementation of the safety management system (SMS). The system is similar to changes being made to Canada's food inspection, where the onus shifts to companies to identify hazards and manage their own risks.
The pilot's widow, Debbie Wolsey, is challenging the findings. In her brief to the safety board, she places blame on Transport Canada's failure to properly regulate the company, to which her husband Rick Wolsey voiced concerns about his 24-year-old crew member.
"It all ties in to Transport Canada not fulfilling their responsibility in ensuring safety in the aviation industry," Wolsey said in an interview.
"I do not want Rick's death to have been worthless. If it has to prove a point in regards to the safety of the aviation industry, so be it," she said.
At the time of the crash, TWA was at Phase 2 of SMS implementation, championed for civil aviation under the previous Liberal government, which introduced SMS to the railway industry in 2001. The draft report said TWA was not yet in a position to identify hazards in any proactive way, and Transport Canada was not slated to conduct an on-site SMS assessment until April 2007.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b3f461b1-690f-4155-9199-6a402d4b520d
Transport Canada broke its own rules when it cancelled an audit program just months before a fatal plane crash during its transition to a self-policing civil aviation system.
The information was contained in a confidential draft report obtained by Canwest News Service.
The Transportation Safety Board's draft investigation report, dated Aug. 1, 2008, documents the events leading up to a Transwest Air (TWA) crash in Sandy Bay, Sask., on Jan. 7, 2007.
In addition to finding "repeated" and "routine" regulatory infractions on the part of King Air pilots at the regional airline -- to the point where crew were "likely unaware that many were actual policy and procedural deviations" -- the board found big gaps in Transport Canada's role as regulator.
"Although Transport Canada safety oversight processes identified the existence of supervisory deficiencies within TWA, the extent of the deficiencies was not fully appreciated because of the limitations of the current inspection/audit oversight system."
Two flight crew and two emergency medical technicians were aboard a King Air aircraft en route to pick up a patient from the Sandy Bay Health Centre when it crashed into trees near the runway after an aborted landing attempt. The 52-year-old pilot died of his injuries; the other three suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The board's findings, related to causes and contributing factors, focus on TWA's deficient supervision of the King Air operation and failures of the crew. But the board also identifies several "findings as to risk" concerning Transport Canada's deficiencies. It's one of three crash reports expected in the coming months to single out the department's failure to provide proper oversight during the implementation of the safety management system (SMS). The system is similar to changes being made to Canada's food inspection, where the onus shifts to companies to identify hazards and manage their own risks.
The pilot's widow, Debbie Wolsey, is challenging the findings. In her brief to the safety board, she places blame on Transport Canada's failure to properly regulate the company, to which her husband Rick Wolsey voiced concerns about his 24-year-old crew member.
"It all ties in to Transport Canada not fulfilling their responsibility in ensuring safety in the aviation industry," Wolsey said in an interview.
"I do not want Rick's death to have been worthless. If it has to prove a point in regards to the safety of the aviation industry, so be it," she said.
At the time of the crash, TWA was at Phase 2 of SMS implementation, championed for civil aviation under the previous Liberal government, which introduced SMS to the railway industry in 2001. The draft report said TWA was not yet in a position to identify hazards in any proactive way, and Transport Canada was not slated to conduct an on-site SMS assessment until April 2007.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=b3f461b1-690f-4155-9199-6a402d4b520d
US experts believe Mexico plane crash was accident
MEXICO CITY (AP) — U.S. investigators have found no evidence of foul play in a mysterious plane crash that killed Mexico's second-most powerful official, the American ambassador said Wednesday.
U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board experts say that, so far, nothing in the flight data recorder, cockpit recorder or other evidence indicates that "sabotage or criminal activity caused the crash," Tony Garza said in a statement.
"The preliminary evidence indicates the crash was a tragic accident," he added.
The NTSB team has been in Mexico for a week to help investigate the Nov. 4 crash that killed Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, who was the equivalent of Mexico's vice president and the closest confidant of President Felipe Calderon.
Five people on the ground and nine people on the plane were killed when the Learjet 45 suddenly plunged into an upscale Mexico City neighborhood. Also among those on board was former anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos.
From the start, Mexican investigators have said the crash appeared to be an accident. They ruled out a bomb last week, saying no trace of explosives was found at the crash scene.
Despite the lack of evidence, many Mexicans immediately suspected the crash was another attack by drug cartels, which have increasingly targeted security officials. Vasconcelos had been the target of at least one previous assassination plot.
Garza said the NTSB investigators would leave Mexico on Thursday but the agency would continue to help examine evidence and run simulations to determine what happened.
He gave no indication of whether investigators were close to determining the cause, saying only that "we must now all await the final conclusions" of Mexican aviation officials.
Mexican officials have offered a wide range of possibilities, from human error to turbulence from another plane. They ruled out engine failure last week.
The crash occurred in clear weather, and in their last recorded radio conversation, the plane's flight crew calmly discussed radio frequencies and speed with controllers. The tape went silent just as radar lost the plane's altitude reading.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 18/11/2008.
U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board experts say that, so far, nothing in the flight data recorder, cockpit recorder or other evidence indicates that "sabotage or criminal activity caused the crash," Tony Garza said in a statement.
"The preliminary evidence indicates the crash was a tragic accident," he added.
The NTSB team has been in Mexico for a week to help investigate the Nov. 4 crash that killed Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, who was the equivalent of Mexico's vice president and the closest confidant of President Felipe Calderon.
Five people on the ground and nine people on the plane were killed when the Learjet 45 suddenly plunged into an upscale Mexico City neighborhood. Also among those on board was former anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos.
From the start, Mexican investigators have said the crash appeared to be an accident. They ruled out a bomb last week, saying no trace of explosives was found at the crash scene.
Despite the lack of evidence, many Mexicans immediately suspected the crash was another attack by drug cartels, which have increasingly targeted security officials. Vasconcelos had been the target of at least one previous assassination plot.
Garza said the NTSB investigators would leave Mexico on Thursday but the agency would continue to help examine evidence and run simulations to determine what happened.
He gave no indication of whether investigators were close to determining the cause, saying only that "we must now all await the final conclusions" of Mexican aviation officials.
Mexican officials have offered a wide range of possibilities, from human error to turbulence from another plane. They ruled out engine failure last week.
The crash occurred in clear weather, and in their last recorded radio conversation, the plane's flight crew calmly discussed radio frequencies and speed with controllers. The tape went silent just as radar lost the plane's altitude reading.
Fonte: Flight Safety Information 18/11/2008.
quarta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2008
Research shows pilot training is the best investment against catastrophic accident risk
The latest global airline safety analysis by the UK Civil Aviation Authority indicates that, despite advancing technology and improved aircraft reliability, crew judgment and actions remain the most consistent causal factor in global catastrophic accidents. That situation will remain true for the foreseeable future, according to Dr Hazel Courteney, head of research and strategic analysis.
For that reason, she says, quality pilot training at all levels remains the critical factor in preventing really serious accidents.
Speaking at the recent Flight Safety Foundation International Aviation Safety Seminar in Honolulu, Courteney was presenting a study on prioritizing strategies with the highest potential to reduce the chances of catastrophic accidents, as well as less serious safety events.
Courteney revealed: "Crew-related issues dominate accident causal factors, featuring in 75% of fatal accidents." She qualified this statement, explaining: "It is important to note that this [statistic] does not imply that the pilot was at fault or to blame, because it is now well-established that 'pilot error' cannot continue to be the scapegoat for the many and various factors that can lead to the error occurring. However, it is important to include crew factors in this data [analysis] because it highlights the crucial importance of pilot performance in safety, and therefore reminds us to invest resources in anything that might support it - [for example] training and simulation facilities - and to minimize influences that might adversely contribute - time pressure, fatigue and distraction."
Courteney's study comments: "Improving safety is getting harder. The easy changes have been made and the obvious lessons have been learned. Accidents are getting rare and tend to involve multiple, unique circumstances." This fact predisposes to situations that test the crew's resourcefulness, technical knowledge and skills.
The CAA study has found that the three top catastrophic accident risks all involve loss of control (LOC) under different circumstances. One is LOC following a technical failure, another LOC "for non-technical reasons", and the final one is loss of control caused by icing. Following the LOC categories, Courteney says controlled flight into terrain remains the next most serious catastrophic risk, followed by post-crash fire and runway excursions and overruns.
The CAA's study is continuing, says Courteney.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/12/318697/research-shows-pilot-training-is-the-best-investment-against-catastrophic-accident.html
For that reason, she says, quality pilot training at all levels remains the critical factor in preventing really serious accidents.
Speaking at the recent Flight Safety Foundation International Aviation Safety Seminar in Honolulu, Courteney was presenting a study on prioritizing strategies with the highest potential to reduce the chances of catastrophic accidents, as well as less serious safety events.
Courteney revealed: "Crew-related issues dominate accident causal factors, featuring in 75% of fatal accidents." She qualified this statement, explaining: "It is important to note that this [statistic] does not imply that the pilot was at fault or to blame, because it is now well-established that 'pilot error' cannot continue to be the scapegoat for the many and various factors that can lead to the error occurring. However, it is important to include crew factors in this data [analysis] because it highlights the crucial importance of pilot performance in safety, and therefore reminds us to invest resources in anything that might support it - [for example] training and simulation facilities - and to minimize influences that might adversely contribute - time pressure, fatigue and distraction."
Courteney's study comments: "Improving safety is getting harder. The easy changes have been made and the obvious lessons have been learned. Accidents are getting rare and tend to involve multiple, unique circumstances." This fact predisposes to situations that test the crew's resourcefulness, technical knowledge and skills.
The CAA study has found that the three top catastrophic accident risks all involve loss of control (LOC) under different circumstances. One is LOC following a technical failure, another LOC "for non-technical reasons", and the final one is loss of control caused by icing. Following the LOC categories, Courteney says controlled flight into terrain remains the next most serious catastrophic risk, followed by post-crash fire and runway excursions and overruns.
The CAA's study is continuing, says Courteney.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/12/318697/research-shows-pilot-training-is-the-best-investment-against-catastrophic-accident.html
Fighter plane in training run near-miss with private jet
A FIGHTER plane came within 240ft of colliding with a private jet during a "most serious" near-miss.
The Eurofighter Typhoon was diving on a "high angle strafe" during a training run when it shot past the Hawker Siddeley 125 coming into land at an airport on Humberside.
The UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses between aircraft, graded the incident which happened at 8000ft as Category A, meaning "an actual risk of collision existed".
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Fighter-plane--in-training.4684730.jp
The Eurofighter Typhoon was diving on a "high angle strafe" during a training run when it shot past the Hawker Siddeley 125 coming into land at an airport on Humberside.
The UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses between aircraft, graded the incident which happened at 8000ft as Category A, meaning "an actual risk of collision existed".
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Fighter-plane--in-training.4684730.jp
Alaska Air jet makes emergency landing
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Alaska Airlines is investigating the cause of an engine problem that led to an emergency landing of one of the newer additions to its fleet.
Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren says one of the plane's two engines malfunctioned about 30 minutes after takeoff in Anchorage Tuesday morning. Boren says the crew of the Fairbanks-bound plane idled the engine, and declared an emergency landing as a precaution.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft landed normally in Anchorage 7:49 a.m. and passengers were put on a 10:05 a.m. flight to Fairbanks.
Boren says there were no injuries among the 61 passengers and five crew members.
She says the plane is among aircraft added to the airline's fleet in recent years.
Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren says one of the plane's two engines malfunctioned about 30 minutes after takeoff in Anchorage Tuesday morning. Boren says the crew of the Fairbanks-bound plane idled the engine, and declared an emergency landing as a precaution.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft landed normally in Anchorage 7:49 a.m. and passengers were put on a 10:05 a.m. flight to Fairbanks.
Boren says there were no injuries among the 61 passengers and five crew members.
She says the plane is among aircraft added to the airline's fleet in recent years.
Northwest regional jet makes emergency landing in Indy
A INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A Northwest Airlines regional flight landed safely at Indianapolis after a problem with cabin pressure.
The Bombardier CRJ200 was en route to Detroit from Little Rock, Ark. with 26 passengers on board when it was diverted to Indianapolis this morning, according to a report from WISH (Channel 8).
Indianapolis International Airport spokeswoman Susan Sullivan says fire crews were on standby as the jet landed. The jet taxied to a gate where the passengers disembarked.
No injuries were reported.
Sullivan says officials suspect a leak in a seal around the jet’s windshield may have caused the problem.
The Bombardier CRJ200 was en route to Detroit from Little Rock, Ark. with 26 passengers on board when it was diverted to Indianapolis this morning, according to a report from WISH (Channel 8).
Indianapolis International Airport spokeswoman Susan Sullivan says fire crews were on standby as the jet landed. The jet taxied to a gate where the passengers disembarked.
No injuries were reported.
Sullivan says officials suspect a leak in a seal around the jet’s windshield may have caused the problem.
Helicopter crash in Boynton Beach
BOYNTON BEACH, FL -- Two people were injured early this morning, including a local traffic reporter, after a helicopter crash in Boynton Beach. The helicopter is leased by West Palm Beach television station WPEC.
Boynton Beach police received calls of a helicopter down at 1000 W. Industrial Avenue at 6:11 a.m., Boynton Beach police spokesperson Stephanie Slater wrote in a press release.
The pilot is identified as Takayuki Tanaka, 51, of Boca Raton. The passenger was WPEC's traffic reporter, Paul Cavenaugh, 55, of Delray Beach. Tanaka and Cavenaugh were transported to the Bethesda Hospital. Their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, according to Slater.
Slater reports, witnesses told police it sounded like the chopper's engine did not have full power. When officers arrived, the pilot was out of the chopper, the passenger was getting out.
A section of the rear rotor assembly was cutoff at mid-shaft, according to Chopper 5 Captain Julie Stevens, who was over the scene.
The helicopter is a Bell Ranger III. The NTSB is investigating the accident, according to Slater.
http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=a91c83f3-0657-48b0-937b-45e912fd8fef
Boynton Beach police received calls of a helicopter down at 1000 W. Industrial Avenue at 6:11 a.m., Boynton Beach police spokesperson Stephanie Slater wrote in a press release.
The pilot is identified as Takayuki Tanaka, 51, of Boca Raton. The passenger was WPEC's traffic reporter, Paul Cavenaugh, 55, of Delray Beach. Tanaka and Cavenaugh were transported to the Bethesda Hospital. Their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, according to Slater.
Slater reports, witnesses told police it sounded like the chopper's engine did not have full power. When officers arrived, the pilot was out of the chopper, the passenger was getting out.
A section of the rear rotor assembly was cutoff at mid-shaft, according to Chopper 5 Captain Julie Stevens, who was over the scene.
The helicopter is a Bell Ranger III. The NTSB is investigating the accident, according to Slater.
http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=a91c83f3-0657-48b0-937b-45e912fd8fef
FAA acts to ensure 737 pilots respond to pressurization alerts
The US FAA has published an urgent airworthiness directive (AD) requiring a crew pre-flight briefing about the functioning of the cabin altitude warning system for all models of the Boeing 737.
Despite an FAA AD published two years ago, following the fatal crash near Athens on 14 August of a Helios Airways 737-400 caused by crew hypoxia when the cabin failed to pressurize, the directive acknowledges that there have been further incidents of pilot failure to recognize the activation of the cabin altitude warning system.
The latest AD becomes effective as a final rule on 25 November without a consultation period, but comment is invited, and a 120 day implementation period for operators is being allowed.
Each crew, says the AD, must carry out a briefing before the first flight of the day on what to expect from the cabin altitude warning system so they do not ignore its alert. The FAA says: "Because of the dual purpose of the intermittent cabin altitude/takeoff configuration warning horn, this briefing serves to remind flight crews that the sounding of the cabin altitude warning horn in flight requires immediate action, beginning with the immediate donning of oxygen masks."
Crew operations manuals must require the briefing to be used by crews "on aero planes in which the CABIN ALTITUDE and TAKEOFF CONFIG lights are not installed, or are installed but not activated." This, says the AD, "will be included as an additional item on the takeoff briefing before engine start for the first flight of the day, or following any change of either flight crew member".
The FAA requires that the pre-flight briefing must include the following verbal reminders:
"Whenever the intermittent warning horn sounds in flight:
1) Immediately, don oxygen masks and set regulators to 100%
2) Establish crew communications
3) Perform the CABIN ALTITUDE WARNING OR RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION checklist
It also requires that both pilots should verify, on the overhead cabin altitude panel, that the cabin altitude is stabilized at or below 10,000ft (3,000m) before removing oxygen masks.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Despite an FAA AD published two years ago, following the fatal crash near Athens on 14 August of a Helios Airways 737-400 caused by crew hypoxia when the cabin failed to pressurize, the directive acknowledges that there have been further incidents of pilot failure to recognize the activation of the cabin altitude warning system.
The latest AD becomes effective as a final rule on 25 November without a consultation period, but comment is invited, and a 120 day implementation period for operators is being allowed.
Each crew, says the AD, must carry out a briefing before the first flight of the day on what to expect from the cabin altitude warning system so they do not ignore its alert. The FAA says: "Because of the dual purpose of the intermittent cabin altitude/takeoff configuration warning horn, this briefing serves to remind flight crews that the sounding of the cabin altitude warning horn in flight requires immediate action, beginning with the immediate donning of oxygen masks."
Crew operations manuals must require the briefing to be used by crews "on aero planes in which the CABIN ALTITUDE and TAKEOFF CONFIG lights are not installed, or are installed but not activated." This, says the AD, "will be included as an additional item on the takeoff briefing before engine start for the first flight of the day, or following any change of either flight crew member".
The FAA requires that the pre-flight briefing must include the following verbal reminders:
"Whenever the intermittent warning horn sounds in flight:
1) Immediately, don oxygen masks and set regulators to 100%
2) Establish crew communications
3) Perform the CABIN ALTITUDE WARNING OR RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION checklist
It also requires that both pilots should verify, on the overhead cabin altitude panel, that the cabin altitude is stabilized at or below 10,000ft (3,000m) before removing oxygen masks.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Large flock of starlings hit Ryanair 737: investigators
Preliminary evidence from the scene of today's Ryanair Boeing 737-800 landing accident at Rome Ciampino supports the initial claim that the jet sustained a serious bird-strike.
Italian investigation bureau Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV) says the wing surfaces and engines were struck by a "large flock" of starlings.
ANSV has retrieved the flight recorders from the aircraft - which suffered damage to its left wing, undercarriage and fuselage - and is to interview the crew.
The aircraft, which had been approaching Ciampino's runway 15, came to rest on the threshold at the far end of the 2,200m (7,220ft) strip.
Ryanair says there were only a few minor injuries among the 172 occupants. Italian civil aviation administration ENAC expects the jet to be removed from the runway at 02:00 tomorrow.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Italian investigation bureau Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV) says the wing surfaces and engines were struck by a "large flock" of starlings.
ANSV has retrieved the flight recorders from the aircraft - which suffered damage to its left wing, undercarriage and fuselage - and is to interview the crew.
The aircraft, which had been approaching Ciampino's runway 15, came to rest on the threshold at the far end of the 2,200m (7,220ft) strip.
Ryanair says there were only a few minor injuries among the 172 occupants. Italian civil aviation administration ENAC expects the jet to be removed from the runway at 02:00 tomorrow.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
NTSB TO HOLD 3-DAY PUBLIC HEARING ON EMS OPERATIONS
Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public hearing on the safety of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operations. The three-day hearing will begin on February 3, 2009, at the NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C.
Helicopter EMS operations provide an important service to the public by transporting seriously ill patients or donor organs to emergency care facilities. The pressure to safely and quickly conduct these operations in various environmental conditions (for example, inclement weather, at night, and unfamiliar landing sites for helicopter operations) has the potential to make HEMS operations more at risk than normal passenger carrying operations.
"We have seen an alarming rise in the numbers of EMS accidents and the Safety Board believes some of these accidents could have been prevented if our recommendations were implemented," said Member Robert Sumwalt, Chairman of the Hearing. "This hearing will be extremely important because it can provide an opportunity to learn more about the industry so that possibly we can make further recommendations that can prevent these accidents and save lives."
The NTSB issued a Special Investigation Report on EMS Operations in January 2006. The report involved the analysis of all EMS-related aviation accidents that occurred from January 2002 through January 2005. There were a total of 55 accidents that occurred during this 3-year window; 41 helicopters and 14 airplanes. These accidents killed 54 people, and seriously injured 19. Analysis of the accidents indicated that 29 of 55 accidents could have been prevented with corrective actions identified in the report.
However, over the past 11 months the Safety Board has investigated nine fatal EMS Accidents with a total of 35 fatalities. In 2008 alone there have been 7 fatal accidents with 28 fatalities. This is a drastic increase in accidents since the Special Investigation Report and therefore has prompted the Safety Board to examine this issue in greater detail by holding this hearing.
There will be witnesses from all EMS communities including pilots, medical personnel, managers, and FAA. The issues that will be discussed during the hearing include:
* Operational Structure and Models * Flight Operations * Aircraft Safety Equipment * Training * Oversight
The hearing will be webcast. An agenda and webcast details will be posted on the Board's website, http://www.ntsb.gov, when available.
Fonte: NTSB 10/11/2008.
Helicopter EMS operations provide an important service to the public by transporting seriously ill patients or donor organs to emergency care facilities. The pressure to safely and quickly conduct these operations in various environmental conditions (for example, inclement weather, at night, and unfamiliar landing sites for helicopter operations) has the potential to make HEMS operations more at risk than normal passenger carrying operations.
"We have seen an alarming rise in the numbers of EMS accidents and the Safety Board believes some of these accidents could have been prevented if our recommendations were implemented," said Member Robert Sumwalt, Chairman of the Hearing. "This hearing will be extremely important because it can provide an opportunity to learn more about the industry so that possibly we can make further recommendations that can prevent these accidents and save lives."
The NTSB issued a Special Investigation Report on EMS Operations in January 2006. The report involved the analysis of all EMS-related aviation accidents that occurred from January 2002 through January 2005. There were a total of 55 accidents that occurred during this 3-year window; 41 helicopters and 14 airplanes. These accidents killed 54 people, and seriously injured 19. Analysis of the accidents indicated that 29 of 55 accidents could have been prevented with corrective actions identified in the report.
However, over the past 11 months the Safety Board has investigated nine fatal EMS Accidents with a total of 35 fatalities. In 2008 alone there have been 7 fatal accidents with 28 fatalities. This is a drastic increase in accidents since the Special Investigation Report and therefore has prompted the Safety Board to examine this issue in greater detail by holding this hearing.
There will be witnesses from all EMS communities including pilots, medical personnel, managers, and FAA. The issues that will be discussed during the hearing include:
* Operational Structure and Models * Flight Operations * Aircraft Safety Equipment * Training * Oversight
The hearing will be webcast. An agenda and webcast details will be posted on the Board's website, http://www.ntsb.gov, when available.
Fonte: NTSB 10/11/2008.
segunda-feira, 10 de novembro de 2008
Cessna-206 Accident (Tanzania)
Date: 08-NOV-2008
Time: ±11:00
Type: Cessna U206F
Operator: Luca Safaris Ltd
Registration: 5Y-AOO
C/n / msn: U20601710
Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Mawenzi Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro - Tanzania
Phase: En route
Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Kyulu Hills
Destination airport: Kyulu Hills
Narrative:
The Cessna 206, registered to a Nairobi based company, took off from one of the many tourist camps at Kyulu Hills on the Kenyan side of Mount Kilimanjaro on a sight-seeing trip. It then crashed on Mawnzi Peak at an altitude of 4,330m above sea level. Four Italian tourists died, but the pilot survived and was taken to hospital at Moshi, a town on the north-eastern foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.
(aviation-safety.net)
Time: ±11:00
Type: Cessna U206F
Operator: Luca Safaris Ltd
Registration: 5Y-AOO
C/n / msn: U20601710
Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Mawenzi Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro - Tanzania
Phase: En route
Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Kyulu Hills
Destination airport: Kyulu Hills
Narrative:
The Cessna 206, registered to a Nairobi based company, took off from one of the many tourist camps at Kyulu Hills on the Kenyan side of Mount Kilimanjaro on a sight-seeing trip. It then crashed on Mawnzi Peak at an altitude of 4,330m above sea level. Four Italian tourists died, but the pilot survived and was taken to hospital at Moshi, a town on the north-eastern foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.
(aviation-safety.net)
Woman Deplanes, Walks Into Moving Prop At FDK
Right Arm Partly Severed, Woman Taken To Specialists
A woman deplaning from a Cessna at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Maryland November 6 is lucky to be alive, after walking into the moving propeller of the airplane.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the Cessna 172 landed at FDK about 7 pm and proceeded to the ramp in front of the main terminal building, the Frederick News-Post reported.
Exiting from the left side of the plane and heading for the restaurant in the terminal building, the 19-year old woman walked around the front of the plane where the propeller struck and partly severed her right arm, according to Frederick Police Department reports.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Richard Hetherington said a Maryland State Police flight medic was on the scene when Frederick Police officers arrived about 7:10 pm. The woman was medevaced to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, where hand and arm specialists waited to treat her injury.
Hetherington did not release the name of the woman or the pilot, reportedly a flight instructor and also a friend of the injured woman.
Airport Manager Kevin Daugherty speculated the pilot was unfamiliar with the Frederick airport, because transient aircraft usually park on the flight line at Landmark Aviation, he said.
FAA registration lists the owner of the plane as 210 Centurion Group LLC of Laurel, MD, and Daugherty said the plane returned to its home base at Baltimore's Martin State Airport on Friday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, Peters said.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov
aero-news.net
A woman deplaning from a Cessna at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Maryland November 6 is lucky to be alive, after walking into the moving propeller of the airplane.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the Cessna 172 landed at FDK about 7 pm and proceeded to the ramp in front of the main terminal building, the Frederick News-Post reported.
Exiting from the left side of the plane and heading for the restaurant in the terminal building, the 19-year old woman walked around the front of the plane where the propeller struck and partly severed her right arm, according to Frederick Police Department reports.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Richard Hetherington said a Maryland State Police flight medic was on the scene when Frederick Police officers arrived about 7:10 pm. The woman was medevaced to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, where hand and arm specialists waited to treat her injury.
Hetherington did not release the name of the woman or the pilot, reportedly a flight instructor and also a friend of the injured woman.
Airport Manager Kevin Daugherty speculated the pilot was unfamiliar with the Frederick airport, because transient aircraft usually park on the flight line at Landmark Aviation, he said.
FAA registration lists the owner of the plane as 210 Centurion Group LLC of Laurel, MD, and Daugherty said the plane returned to its home base at Baltimore's Martin State Airport on Friday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, Peters said.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov
aero-news.net
Engine fell off Mexican plane before crash, official says
Jet's left engine fell off as plane traveled between 250 and 300 kmh, reports say
No traces of explosives found in wreckage; no foul play suspected, official says
Interior minister, former deputy attorney general among those who died Tuesday
Mexicans had speculated that drug lords were behind crash
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- An engine fell off a Mexican government jet before it crashed, killing the second-highest official in the nation, the Cabinet member in charge of the investigation said Saturday.
1 of 2 Officials also said they have ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by a bomb.
"There is no trace of explosives on the plane wreckage or the [crash] site," said Luis Tellez, Mexican secretary of communication and transportation.
Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former deputy attorney general Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others onboard were killed in the crash. At least five others on the ground died, and others were reported missing. Officials said 40 people were injured.
Camilo Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos had been instrumental in the war on drugs, leading to widespread speculation among Mexicans that drug lords orchestrated the crash. But Mexican authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was involved.
The government Learjet 45 was traveling at 500 kmh (310 mph) when it crashed in central Mexico City as it approached Benito Juarez International Airport.
Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's director of airports and auxiliary services, said the jet's left engine fell off when the plane was traveling between 250 and 300 kmh (150 to 186 mph), according to Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency.
An examination of the wreckage indicates that the engines were functioning at high speed, Lopez Meyer said.
Tallez said the day after the crash that the Learjet 45 did not explode in the air because when that happens, pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area. But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area, he said.
Tellez also said Wednesday that the pilot did not report an emergency, Notimex said.
A recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft.
Officials have vowed to make all aspects of the investigation public.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon inspected the crash site Saturday, Notimex said.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/08/mexico.crash/index.html
No traces of explosives found in wreckage; no foul play suspected, official says
Interior minister, former deputy attorney general among those who died Tuesday
Mexicans had speculated that drug lords were behind crash
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- An engine fell off a Mexican government jet before it crashed, killing the second-highest official in the nation, the Cabinet member in charge of the investigation said Saturday.
1 of 2 Officials also said they have ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by a bomb.
"There is no trace of explosives on the plane wreckage or the [crash] site," said Luis Tellez, Mexican secretary of communication and transportation.
Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former deputy attorney general Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others onboard were killed in the crash. At least five others on the ground died, and others were reported missing. Officials said 40 people were injured.
Camilo Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos had been instrumental in the war on drugs, leading to widespread speculation among Mexicans that drug lords orchestrated the crash. But Mexican authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was involved.
The government Learjet 45 was traveling at 500 kmh (310 mph) when it crashed in central Mexico City as it approached Benito Juarez International Airport.
Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's director of airports and auxiliary services, said the jet's left engine fell off when the plane was traveling between 250 and 300 kmh (150 to 186 mph), according to Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency.
An examination of the wreckage indicates that the engines were functioning at high speed, Lopez Meyer said.
Tallez said the day after the crash that the Learjet 45 did not explode in the air because when that happens, pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area. But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area, he said.
Tellez also said Wednesday that the pilot did not report an emergency, Notimex said.
A recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft.
Officials have vowed to make all aspects of the investigation public.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon inspected the crash site Saturday, Notimex said.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/08/mexico.crash/index.html
Mexico rules out bomb, failed engine in jet crash
MEXICO CITY: (AP) Mexican experts say they have ruled out a bomb or engine failure as the cause of a plane crash that killed Mexico's interior secretary.
The probe into the cause of Tuesday's crash continues, but officials of Mexico's Transportation Department said the findings reinforced their initial opinion that no foul play was involved.
"This reinforced the hypothesis that the crash was an accident," said Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez.
Tellez told a news conference on Friday that all parts of the plane necessary for flight had been found at the crash scene, proving that none had been lost in flight.
Investigators from the federal Attorney General's Office also said chemical tests revealed no trace of explosives.
Five people on the ground and nine people on the plane were killed in Tuesday's crash, including Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino and former anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos.
The 37-year-old Mourino, one of President Felipe Calderon's closest confidants, was Mexico's equivalent of vice president and domestic security chief. Santiago Vasconcelos had been the target of at least one previous assassination plot.
The crash occurred in clear weather, and in their last recorded radio conversation, the plane's flight crew calmly discussed radio frequencies and speed with controllers. The tape went silent just as radar lost the plane's altitude reading.
Two flight recorders from the Learjet 45 have been sent to the U.S. for examination. Tellez has said experts would need at least a week to analyze the plane's voice and data recorders for clues to what went wrong.
Experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Britain's Civil Aviation Authority are in Mexico helping with the investigation.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/07/news/LT-Mexico-Plane-Crash.php
The probe into the cause of Tuesday's crash continues, but officials of Mexico's Transportation Department said the findings reinforced their initial opinion that no foul play was involved.
"This reinforced the hypothesis that the crash was an accident," said Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez.
Tellez told a news conference on Friday that all parts of the plane necessary for flight had been found at the crash scene, proving that none had been lost in flight.
Investigators from the federal Attorney General's Office also said chemical tests revealed no trace of explosives.
Five people on the ground and nine people on the plane were killed in Tuesday's crash, including Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino and former anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos.
The 37-year-old Mourino, one of President Felipe Calderon's closest confidants, was Mexico's equivalent of vice president and domestic security chief. Santiago Vasconcelos had been the target of at least one previous assassination plot.
The crash occurred in clear weather, and in their last recorded radio conversation, the plane's flight crew calmly discussed radio frequencies and speed with controllers. The tape went silent just as radar lost the plane's altitude reading.
Two flight recorders from the Learjet 45 have been sent to the U.S. for examination. Tellez has said experts would need at least a week to analyze the plane's voice and data recorders for clues to what went wrong.
Experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Britain's Civil Aviation Authority are in Mexico helping with the investigation.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/07/news/LT-Mexico-Plane-Crash.php
"Airports Are Good Business"
Robert A. Sturgell,
Washington, D.C. November 7, 2008
Dulles Annual Gala
Good evening, and thank you, Jim [Bennett].Let me tell you a little something about this guy. He manages two major airports in the nation’s capital. He’s at the epicenter of the Dulles phenomenon. He increased the level and quality of air service for this region. And he’s on top of a major capital development program — the fourth runway. The Tower of Dulles award is going to the right person. A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Bennett.
Now to the matter at hand. I am indeed the acting administrator at the FAA, but you need to know things always seem to happen that help me keep my job in perspective. About month ago, when I was talking to my staff about this very speech, I said that I wanted to open it with a little humor. So one of them says, “I got it. I got it.”
I want you to listen to this first draft. I saved it. Here we go. “Thank you for that kind introduction, Jim. Two runways walk into a bar….” So I said, “This is a black tie event. I was hoping for something a little more classy.” Here’s draft number two. “Thank you for that kind introduction, Jim. Two runways walk into a classy bar….” It wasn’t like this at Top Gun.
You know, I often get asked about the difference between flying at Top Gun and challenges here in D.C., like testifying on the Hill. That’s an easy one. In the dogfights at Miramar, we didn’t use live ammo.
Kidding aside, I’m glad to be here tonight. It’s good to be in a room where people hear a plane overhead, and they think, “That’s the sound of commerce.” And indeed it is, which is why you’re here tonight.
Dulles and Reagan are money-makers, pure and simple. These two airports generate upwards of $18 billion in combined direct airport spending and what the visitors spend who come here. In terms of taxes at the state and local level alone, that’s better than $300 million. More than 28,000 jobs at the airports themselves, and more than 360,000 throughout the region.
This administration has done its part to help you get there. In the last eight years nationwide, we’ve invested 26.8 billion in aviation infrastructure, equipment and planning. A third of this — about 9 billion — has been directed to runway projects and another 2.2 billion for noise-related work.
Locally, MWAA deserves quite a bit of praise for its foresight in developing the airport system. International gateways don’t happen by themselves. Through sheer dint of hard work, you’ve got more than five million international passengers coming through here in a year. That infusion has sparked quite a bit economically for the region as well.
The communities who would rather fight airports than find a way to manage growth responsibly are missing the boat, or in this case, the plane. When you fight airport development, you wind up fighting jobs and your own economic wellbeing. The ironic thing is that there are solutions to the tough issues. We’ve made tremendous strides in reducing the environmental impact of aviation, from soundproofing schools to quieter engines, to a tremendous reduction in carbon emissions.
It’s time to recognize progress, to herald it, rather than throw up roadblocks.
Many of America’s busiest airports and metropolitan areas will require additional capacity in the next two decades if they want to keep up with the flood of traffic that’s headed their way. We conducted a study that demonstrated the importance of building and maintaining and upgrading an airport. By 2025 airports like Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Midway, Oakland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco are going to have to risk the lost revenue, lost business, lost travel options and lost appeal that comes with chronic airport delays, or they’re going to have to consider building new runways, or in some instances, new airports.
That’s pretty sobering. Nevertheless, there is good news here. This Administration’s been hard at it. Since 2000, we’ve opened 13 new runways at America’s busiest airports. That’s the potential to accommodate almost 1.6 million more aircraft operations a year. In two weeks, we’re going to make history by opening three more — on the same day — at Dulles, O’Hare and Sea-Tac. That’s another 330,000 operations at three major airports in the system.
We’re also pushing in the long term. We’re focused on implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen isn’t just about ATC. It’s about airports. It’s going to transform the entire system, especially the way our airports operate. NextGen will provide a safer operational environment on the airfield. Pilots, controllers and ground personnel will have a greater situational awareness. I expect that will chip away at runway incursions, which already are at an incredibly low rate. Last year, for example, we had 25 serious incursions out of 58 million operations. I’ll grant you that for safety’s sake, one is one too many, but we’re moving in the right direction.
NextGen will also help us make better use of existing runway capacity. We’ll be able to reduce lateral and in-trail separation standards for aircraft on approach, especially in bad weather.
Precision-based navigation means more direct, and more precise routes with existing infrastructure. That’s VFR in IMC. As a pilot, I can tell you, that kind of capability is huge.
Diversions are as costly as they are inconvenient. Precision brings us more dependability, and dependability cuts delays.
NextGen will also give us greater flexibility in airport design. In concept, runways could be spaced as close together as 750 feet, as opposed to 4,300 feet as they are today. That’s capacity without requiring any additional land.
Maybe best of all, NextGen is big-time green. Environmental impacts will be reduced. Better technology, enhanced procedures, low carbon fuels — all will translate to a smaller environmental footprint. Noise and emissions will be reduced. Because of optimal approaches, we’ll be able to descend with the shortest route at minimum power. Less fuel burn, less pollution, less delay, less money. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Let me close by getting back to economics. As someone who’s seen aviation from all angles — military pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, flight instructor, aviation lawyer, safety investigator, deputy administrator and now administrator, I can tell you that I’ve learned firsthand that if we as a group don’t step up to boost airports, it’s the local community that takes it on the chin. Not just because of delays, reduced travel options or higher prices for local residents and visitors, but access to the world economy demands that your goods move faster, more efficiently and cheaper. If you can’t offer commerce access to your business, your business — and the jobs it provides to the local economy — is the real loser.
As I said earlier, there are solutions and I understand the concern for the environment and the tough local issues, which is why we’re pushing the green aspects of NextGen. But make no mistake about this. If we don’t keep our airports vibrant, we can’t be surprised when our own economy and employment takes a hit.
Jim Bennett’s got the right idea here. Good things are also happening elsewhere around the country. And it needs to continue. Just the other day, Jim Oberstar and John Mica both said that as a nation, we can’t afford to give the slow-roll to airport infrastructure projects. They’re absolutely right. When you keep airports strong, you keep communities strong. Strong communities with access to global markets make for a stronger America. Thank you. And congratulations.
Fonte: FAA 10/11/2008.
Washington, D.C. November 7, 2008
Dulles Annual Gala
Good evening, and thank you, Jim [Bennett].Let me tell you a little something about this guy. He manages two major airports in the nation’s capital. He’s at the epicenter of the Dulles phenomenon. He increased the level and quality of air service for this region. And he’s on top of a major capital development program — the fourth runway. The Tower of Dulles award is going to the right person. A tip of the hat to you, Mr. Bennett.
Now to the matter at hand. I am indeed the acting administrator at the FAA, but you need to know things always seem to happen that help me keep my job in perspective. About month ago, when I was talking to my staff about this very speech, I said that I wanted to open it with a little humor. So one of them says, “I got it. I got it.”
I want you to listen to this first draft. I saved it. Here we go. “Thank you for that kind introduction, Jim. Two runways walk into a bar….” So I said, “This is a black tie event. I was hoping for something a little more classy.” Here’s draft number two. “Thank you for that kind introduction, Jim. Two runways walk into a classy bar….” It wasn’t like this at Top Gun.
You know, I often get asked about the difference between flying at Top Gun and challenges here in D.C., like testifying on the Hill. That’s an easy one. In the dogfights at Miramar, we didn’t use live ammo.
Kidding aside, I’m glad to be here tonight. It’s good to be in a room where people hear a plane overhead, and they think, “That’s the sound of commerce.” And indeed it is, which is why you’re here tonight.
Dulles and Reagan are money-makers, pure and simple. These two airports generate upwards of $18 billion in combined direct airport spending and what the visitors spend who come here. In terms of taxes at the state and local level alone, that’s better than $300 million. More than 28,000 jobs at the airports themselves, and more than 360,000 throughout the region.
This administration has done its part to help you get there. In the last eight years nationwide, we’ve invested 26.8 billion in aviation infrastructure, equipment and planning. A third of this — about 9 billion — has been directed to runway projects and another 2.2 billion for noise-related work.
Locally, MWAA deserves quite a bit of praise for its foresight in developing the airport system. International gateways don’t happen by themselves. Through sheer dint of hard work, you’ve got more than five million international passengers coming through here in a year. That infusion has sparked quite a bit economically for the region as well.
The communities who would rather fight airports than find a way to manage growth responsibly are missing the boat, or in this case, the plane. When you fight airport development, you wind up fighting jobs and your own economic wellbeing. The ironic thing is that there are solutions to the tough issues. We’ve made tremendous strides in reducing the environmental impact of aviation, from soundproofing schools to quieter engines, to a tremendous reduction in carbon emissions.
It’s time to recognize progress, to herald it, rather than throw up roadblocks.
Many of America’s busiest airports and metropolitan areas will require additional capacity in the next two decades if they want to keep up with the flood of traffic that’s headed their way. We conducted a study that demonstrated the importance of building and maintaining and upgrading an airport. By 2025 airports like Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Midway, Oakland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco are going to have to risk the lost revenue, lost business, lost travel options and lost appeal that comes with chronic airport delays, or they’re going to have to consider building new runways, or in some instances, new airports.
That’s pretty sobering. Nevertheless, there is good news here. This Administration’s been hard at it. Since 2000, we’ve opened 13 new runways at America’s busiest airports. That’s the potential to accommodate almost 1.6 million more aircraft operations a year. In two weeks, we’re going to make history by opening three more — on the same day — at Dulles, O’Hare and Sea-Tac. That’s another 330,000 operations at three major airports in the system.
We’re also pushing in the long term. We’re focused on implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen isn’t just about ATC. It’s about airports. It’s going to transform the entire system, especially the way our airports operate. NextGen will provide a safer operational environment on the airfield. Pilots, controllers and ground personnel will have a greater situational awareness. I expect that will chip away at runway incursions, which already are at an incredibly low rate. Last year, for example, we had 25 serious incursions out of 58 million operations. I’ll grant you that for safety’s sake, one is one too many, but we’re moving in the right direction.
NextGen will also help us make better use of existing runway capacity. We’ll be able to reduce lateral and in-trail separation standards for aircraft on approach, especially in bad weather.
Precision-based navigation means more direct, and more precise routes with existing infrastructure. That’s VFR in IMC. As a pilot, I can tell you, that kind of capability is huge.
Diversions are as costly as they are inconvenient. Precision brings us more dependability, and dependability cuts delays.
NextGen will also give us greater flexibility in airport design. In concept, runways could be spaced as close together as 750 feet, as opposed to 4,300 feet as they are today. That’s capacity without requiring any additional land.
Maybe best of all, NextGen is big-time green. Environmental impacts will be reduced. Better technology, enhanced procedures, low carbon fuels — all will translate to a smaller environmental footprint. Noise and emissions will be reduced. Because of optimal approaches, we’ll be able to descend with the shortest route at minimum power. Less fuel burn, less pollution, less delay, less money. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Let me close by getting back to economics. As someone who’s seen aviation from all angles — military pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, flight instructor, aviation lawyer, safety investigator, deputy administrator and now administrator, I can tell you that I’ve learned firsthand that if we as a group don’t step up to boost airports, it’s the local community that takes it on the chin. Not just because of delays, reduced travel options or higher prices for local residents and visitors, but access to the world economy demands that your goods move faster, more efficiently and cheaper. If you can’t offer commerce access to your business, your business — and the jobs it provides to the local economy — is the real loser.
As I said earlier, there are solutions and I understand the concern for the environment and the tough local issues, which is why we’re pushing the green aspects of NextGen. But make no mistake about this. If we don’t keep our airports vibrant, we can’t be surprised when our own economy and employment takes a hit.
Jim Bennett’s got the right idea here. Good things are also happening elsewhere around the country. And it needs to continue. Just the other day, Jim Oberstar and John Mica both said that as a nation, we can’t afford to give the slow-roll to airport infrastructure projects. They’re absolutely right. When you keep airports strong, you keep communities strong. Strong communities with access to global markets make for a stronger America. Thank you. And congratulations.
Fonte: FAA 10/11/2008.
sexta-feira, 7 de novembro de 2008
WAAS Instrument Approaches Now Outnumber Instrument Landing System Approaches
In September 2008, the FAA passed a key milestone in its transition from a ground-based navigation infrastructure to an infrastructure based on satellites. The FAA has now published 1,333 Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV) approach procedures which are based on the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), a space-based navigation system commissioned in 2003. This is significant as the number of approach procedures based on WAAS has now surpassed the number of approach procedures based on its ground-based predecessor, the Category-I Instrument Landing System (ILS). This is clearly a turning point for aviation and the way pilots navigate.
For the past 60 years, Category-I ILS has been used at airports throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) to guide aircraft to as low as 200 feet above the runway surface. WAAS, commissioned just five years ago, now provides this same capability, but at more runway ends. Today, WAAS LPVs can currently be found at 833 airports.
The number of WAAS LPVs will continue to grow. The FAA’s goal is to produce 500 new WAAS procedures each year until every qualified runway in the NAS has one. Additionally, WAAS has enabled a new approach capability which will be introduced in 2009.
The WAAS signal is provided from space so there is no need for the FAA to install and maintain navigation equipment at an airport, such as that needed for an ILS. Additionally, safety is improved as more aircraft are provided with vertically-guided approaches and improved flight planning options enabled by WAAS.
Background
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a navigational system representing an enormous leap forward in air navigation. By virtue of its extensive coverage area, WAAS provides vertically-guided approach capability at thousands of airports and airstrips where this capability had previously not been affordable. It is a core element in transitioning to the satellite-based air traffic control system of the future.
WAAS is designed to improve the accuracy and ensure the integrity of positioning and timing information from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
GPS alone does not meet FAA’s navigation requirements for accuracy, integrity and availability for all operations; nor does GPS provide the necessary guarantees that its signal will be accurate, available, and safe to use at all times.
WAAS corrects for the GPS satellite position errors, ionosphere delays, and other disturbances in the GPS signals, improving the accuracy and reliability of the users’ position solution.
More importantly, WAAS warns the pilot when the satellites are not functioning correctly and should not be used for navigation.
Although the WAAS was designed for aviation users, it supports a wide variety of non-aviation uses including agriculture, surveying, recreation, and surface transportation–just to name a few.
The WAAS signal has been available for non safety-of-life applications since August 2000, and numerous manufacturers have developed WAAS-enabled GPS receivers for the consumer market. Today, there are millions of non-aviation WAAS-enabled GPS receivers in use.
WAAS was developed for the FAA by Raytheon Corporation.
How WAAS Works
WAAS uses a network of precisely-located ground reference stations that monitor GPS satellite signals. These stations are located throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Canada and Mexico. The stations collect and process GPS information and send the information to WAAS master stations. The WAAS master stations develop a WAAS correction message that is sent to user receivers via navigation transponders on geostationary satellites. The WAAS message improves the accuracy, availability, and safety of GPS-derived position information.
Using WAAS, GPS signal accuracy is improved from 20 meters to approximately 1.5 – 2 meters in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. WAAS hardware consists of: 38 ground reference stations, 2 master stations, 2 geosynchronous satellites, 4 uplink stations, 2 operational control centers, and the WAAS terrestrial communications network.
Benefits
Two of the FAA’s top goals are increased safety and greater capacity. WAAS provides for both, along with additional significant benefits:
More vertically-guided approach procedures, which are proven to be safer than those without vertical-guidance.
More flexible approach and departure routings, which will cut arrival times as well as enhance safety and noise abatement.
More direct, fuel efficient and timely routings through the air traffic control system.
Navigation source for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). Using WAAS, ADS-B can report a more accurate position to controllers and other aircraft flying in the area than can be provided by GPS alone.
Navigation source for Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems, which warn pilots and controllers of proximity to the ground.
Significant government cost savings due to the elimination of maintenance costs associated with older, more expensive ground-based navigation aids.
WAAS is a pioneering technology. Currently, no other navigation technologies exist to meet FAA requirements and user needs for the expansion of vertically-guided landing capabilities at thousands of additional airports.
Milestones
July 2003 — WAAS is commissioned by the FAA for instrument flight use supporting minimums as low as 250’.
September 2003 — The first WAAS LPVs are published.
October 2004 — FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey announces that U.S. avionics manufacturers are building new WAAS receivers or upgrading existing GPS receivers to WAAS capability and urges aviation users to equip.
December 2004 — The FAA installs four additional WAAS reference stations in Barrow, Bethel, Fairbanks, and Kotzebue, AK as initial steps in a planned WAAS expansion.
March 2005 — The FAA finalizes a Geostationary Satellite Communications Control Segment contract with Lockheed Martin for WAAS geostationary satellite leased services through 2016.
June 2005 — The first international WAAS reference station is installed in Canada.
March 2006–Due to outstanding system performance, WAAS is approved to support lower minimums, as low as 200’.
August 2006 — WAAS service is expanded to cover all of Alaska.
November 2006 — A new WAAS GEO, the PanAmSat Galaxy XV, is integrated into WAAS, increasing WAAS availability throughout the U.S.
July 2007 — A second new WAAS GEO, the Telesat ANIK-F1R, is integrated into WAAS,
completing the implementation of enhanced WAAS GEO coverage. Later in the same year, the original WAAS Inmarsat GEOs are phased out.
September 2007 — WAAS service is expanded to cover large portions of Canada and Mexico.
June 2008 — The number of WAAS LPV-capable avionics passes the 35,000 mark and continues to climb steadily each month.
September 2008 — The number of runways served by WAAS LPVs surpasses the numbers of runways served by ILS.
Fonte: FAA 07/11/2008.
For the past 60 years, Category-I ILS has been used at airports throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) to guide aircraft to as low as 200 feet above the runway surface. WAAS, commissioned just five years ago, now provides this same capability, but at more runway ends. Today, WAAS LPVs can currently be found at 833 airports.
The number of WAAS LPVs will continue to grow. The FAA’s goal is to produce 500 new WAAS procedures each year until every qualified runway in the NAS has one. Additionally, WAAS has enabled a new approach capability which will be introduced in 2009.
The WAAS signal is provided from space so there is no need for the FAA to install and maintain navigation equipment at an airport, such as that needed for an ILS. Additionally, safety is improved as more aircraft are provided with vertically-guided approaches and improved flight planning options enabled by WAAS.
Background
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a navigational system representing an enormous leap forward in air navigation. By virtue of its extensive coverage area, WAAS provides vertically-guided approach capability at thousands of airports and airstrips where this capability had previously not been affordable. It is a core element in transitioning to the satellite-based air traffic control system of the future.
WAAS is designed to improve the accuracy and ensure the integrity of positioning and timing information from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
GPS alone does not meet FAA’s navigation requirements for accuracy, integrity and availability for all operations; nor does GPS provide the necessary guarantees that its signal will be accurate, available, and safe to use at all times.
WAAS corrects for the GPS satellite position errors, ionosphere delays, and other disturbances in the GPS signals, improving the accuracy and reliability of the users’ position solution.
More importantly, WAAS warns the pilot when the satellites are not functioning correctly and should not be used for navigation.
Although the WAAS was designed for aviation users, it supports a wide variety of non-aviation uses including agriculture, surveying, recreation, and surface transportation–just to name a few.
The WAAS signal has been available for non safety-of-life applications since August 2000, and numerous manufacturers have developed WAAS-enabled GPS receivers for the consumer market. Today, there are millions of non-aviation WAAS-enabled GPS receivers in use.
WAAS was developed for the FAA by Raytheon Corporation.
How WAAS Works
WAAS uses a network of precisely-located ground reference stations that monitor GPS satellite signals. These stations are located throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Canada and Mexico. The stations collect and process GPS information and send the information to WAAS master stations. The WAAS master stations develop a WAAS correction message that is sent to user receivers via navigation transponders on geostationary satellites. The WAAS message improves the accuracy, availability, and safety of GPS-derived position information.
Using WAAS, GPS signal accuracy is improved from 20 meters to approximately 1.5 – 2 meters in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. WAAS hardware consists of: 38 ground reference stations, 2 master stations, 2 geosynchronous satellites, 4 uplink stations, 2 operational control centers, and the WAAS terrestrial communications network.
Benefits
Two of the FAA’s top goals are increased safety and greater capacity. WAAS provides for both, along with additional significant benefits:
More vertically-guided approach procedures, which are proven to be safer than those without vertical-guidance.
More flexible approach and departure routings, which will cut arrival times as well as enhance safety and noise abatement.
More direct, fuel efficient and timely routings through the air traffic control system.
Navigation source for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). Using WAAS, ADS-B can report a more accurate position to controllers and other aircraft flying in the area than can be provided by GPS alone.
Navigation source for Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems, which warn pilots and controllers of proximity to the ground.
Significant government cost savings due to the elimination of maintenance costs associated with older, more expensive ground-based navigation aids.
WAAS is a pioneering technology. Currently, no other navigation technologies exist to meet FAA requirements and user needs for the expansion of vertically-guided landing capabilities at thousands of additional airports.
Milestones
July 2003 — WAAS is commissioned by the FAA for instrument flight use supporting minimums as low as 250’.
September 2003 — The first WAAS LPVs are published.
October 2004 — FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey announces that U.S. avionics manufacturers are building new WAAS receivers or upgrading existing GPS receivers to WAAS capability and urges aviation users to equip.
December 2004 — The FAA installs four additional WAAS reference stations in Barrow, Bethel, Fairbanks, and Kotzebue, AK as initial steps in a planned WAAS expansion.
March 2005 — The FAA finalizes a Geostationary Satellite Communications Control Segment contract with Lockheed Martin for WAAS geostationary satellite leased services through 2016.
June 2005 — The first international WAAS reference station is installed in Canada.
March 2006–Due to outstanding system performance, WAAS is approved to support lower minimums, as low as 200’.
August 2006 — WAAS service is expanded to cover all of Alaska.
November 2006 — A new WAAS GEO, the PanAmSat Galaxy XV, is integrated into WAAS, increasing WAAS availability throughout the U.S.
July 2007 — A second new WAAS GEO, the Telesat ANIK-F1R, is integrated into WAAS,
completing the implementation of enhanced WAAS GEO coverage. Later in the same year, the original WAAS Inmarsat GEOs are phased out.
September 2007 — WAAS service is expanded to cover large portions of Canada and Mexico.
June 2008 — The number of WAAS LPV-capable avionics passes the 35,000 mark and continues to climb steadily each month.
September 2008 — The number of runways served by WAAS LPVs surpasses the numbers of runways served by ILS.
Fonte: FAA 07/11/2008.
Rise in Collision Hazards for Planes Spurs Changes
By ANDY PASZTOR
Concerned about a rise in midair-collision hazards facing jetliners on both sides of the Atlantic, regulators, air-traffic controllers and aviation-parts suppliers are devising new procedures and systems to reduce such dangers.
Midair conflicts between planes in the U.S. have been most frequent in California and the Northeast, with the number of serious incidents in some of those areas nearly doubling since 2007, according to controllers. Just this week, a controller mistake put a Southwest Airlines jet and an Alaska Airlines jet on a collision course while both planes were maneuvering to land in San Diego. Onboard collision warning devices ordered the pilots to take evasive action, and both aircraft landed safely.
Safety experts believe that growth in air traffic is a major cause in the rise of midair hazards, but mistakes by air traffic controllers and other factors also contribute. The FAA doesn't keep detailed statistics on midair conflicts averted by onboard warnings. But an agency spokeswoman said Thursday that the overall number of serious controller errors nationwide rose to 357 in fiscal 2008 from 289 the previous year. In Southern California, controllers said there have been six serious midair incidents in the past year
An FAA spokeswoman said the agency takes midair-collision hazards "very seriously and is doing everything in its power to eliminate the risk."
To reduce midair threats in busy U.S. airspace, controllers at many of the largest air-traffic centers nationwide now routinely keep certain aircraft farther apart than they did barely a year ago. The goal, according to controllers, is to provide an extra cushion of separation between planes -- particularly jetliners relying on instruments and pilots of smaller private aircraft using visual flight rules.
"We have reacted to the increased number" of onboard collision-avoidance warnings in recent months "by increasing the vertical separation between aircraft," said Melvin Davis, a spokesman for the controller's union.
As part of broader U.S. air-traffic control improvements, the Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of upgrading software at more than a dozen existing radar facilities so the agency will be able to better identify and analyze close calls when they occur. And aircraft suppliers such as Honeywell International Inc. are voluntarily developing new software to enhance the performance of the onboard collision warning devices they manufacture.
In Europe, where some safety experts believe as many as eight serious midair near-collisions have occurred over the past five years, politicians and regulators are looking to mandate such software changes. Plane-maker Airbus has agreed to preliminary plans to start installing them on aircraft coming out of the factory by mid-2009. It's not clear how soon Boeing Co. would incorporate the changes in its production lines.
Most hazards associated with midair collisions were supposed to have been resolved years ago, after the latest-generation warning devices were installed on all commercial jets and smaller planes flying in controlled airspace. But the issue flared up publicly at an international safety conference in Florida in June, when a representative of European airlines said preliminary data indicated dramatic spikes in anti-collision warnings around international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Newark and elsewhere. The complaints prompted regulators and industry to take a closer look, but an FAA-sponsored study is still under way. The agency declined to comment.
In a letter to Canadian air-safety officials in late August, Vincent de Vroey, a top official with the Association of European Airlines, said "senior FAA management has now acknowledged potential safety concerns related to" escalating anti-collision warnings. The letter also said FAA and industry experts launched "a comprehensive study" to "analyze the problems and to propose recommendations to mitigate" safety concerns.
The safety debate comes at a time when FAA critics in Congress and elsewhere argue that the overall number of operational errors by U.S. controllers is climbing dramatically. In Southern and Northern California alone, according to unofficial figures provided by controllers, the total number of mistakes by controllers has doubled over the past year. The Southern California total rose to nearly 40 errors, though annual comparisons are difficult because the FAA earlier this year changed the way it categorizes controller slipups.
For example, in March, an American Airlines Boeing 757 arriving into Southern California from Mexico and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 taking off from John Wayne International Airport in Orange County were mistakenly put on a collision course by controllers over the Pacific Ocean. Three months later a wide-body jetliner flown by Air Tahiti, climbing past 10,000 feet after departing Los Angeles, had a close call with a twin-propeller aircraft following visual flight rules. In both instances, onboard warnings alerted pilots to take evasive action before controllers discovered the errors.
Other parts of the country have shown year-over year increases of roughly 30%, according to controllers. The totals include midair close calls as well as close calls between planes moving on the ground.
With the FAA and the controller's union locked in a bitter labor-management battle over wages and working conditions, controversy over controller fatigue and staffing levels is bound to confront the incoming Administration.
Despite the heightened focus on midair hazards, no big U.S. passenger jet has been involved in a midair collision since 1978. And no major midair collision has occurred in U.S. airspace since the late 1980s. But foreign carriers have had at least three major midair crashes since then, including a July 2002 collision over Germany between a DHL cargo aircraft and a Bashkirian Airlines jet, which killed dozens of children aboard the passenger plane.
Investigators determined that the pilots of the Russian-built Tupolev 154 failed to properly follow warnings from onboard collision-avoidance systems. The crash over Germany sparked controversy over how to improve the safety of air-traffic control management in Europe, and also prompted efforts to improve onboard warning devices.
In September 2006, a Boeing 737 passenger jet operated by the Brazilian carrier, Gol Transportes Aereos, crashed after colliding with a business jet over the Amazon, killing all 154 people aboard. Investigators determined that the collision-avoidance system of the smaller jet wasn't operating.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122600460761406097.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Concerned about a rise in midair-collision hazards facing jetliners on both sides of the Atlantic, regulators, air-traffic controllers and aviation-parts suppliers are devising new procedures and systems to reduce such dangers.
Midair conflicts between planes in the U.S. have been most frequent in California and the Northeast, with the number of serious incidents in some of those areas nearly doubling since 2007, according to controllers. Just this week, a controller mistake put a Southwest Airlines jet and an Alaska Airlines jet on a collision course while both planes were maneuvering to land in San Diego. Onboard collision warning devices ordered the pilots to take evasive action, and both aircraft landed safely.
Safety experts believe that growth in air traffic is a major cause in the rise of midair hazards, but mistakes by air traffic controllers and other factors also contribute. The FAA doesn't keep detailed statistics on midair conflicts averted by onboard warnings. But an agency spokeswoman said Thursday that the overall number of serious controller errors nationwide rose to 357 in fiscal 2008 from 289 the previous year. In Southern California, controllers said there have been six serious midair incidents in the past year
An FAA spokeswoman said the agency takes midair-collision hazards "very seriously and is doing everything in its power to eliminate the risk."
To reduce midair threats in busy U.S. airspace, controllers at many of the largest air-traffic centers nationwide now routinely keep certain aircraft farther apart than they did barely a year ago. The goal, according to controllers, is to provide an extra cushion of separation between planes -- particularly jetliners relying on instruments and pilots of smaller private aircraft using visual flight rules.
"We have reacted to the increased number" of onboard collision-avoidance warnings in recent months "by increasing the vertical separation between aircraft," said Melvin Davis, a spokesman for the controller's union.
As part of broader U.S. air-traffic control improvements, the Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of upgrading software at more than a dozen existing radar facilities so the agency will be able to better identify and analyze close calls when they occur. And aircraft suppliers such as Honeywell International Inc. are voluntarily developing new software to enhance the performance of the onboard collision warning devices they manufacture.
In Europe, where some safety experts believe as many as eight serious midair near-collisions have occurred over the past five years, politicians and regulators are looking to mandate such software changes. Plane-maker Airbus has agreed to preliminary plans to start installing them on aircraft coming out of the factory by mid-2009. It's not clear how soon Boeing Co. would incorporate the changes in its production lines.
Most hazards associated with midair collisions were supposed to have been resolved years ago, after the latest-generation warning devices were installed on all commercial jets and smaller planes flying in controlled airspace. But the issue flared up publicly at an international safety conference in Florida in June, when a representative of European airlines said preliminary data indicated dramatic spikes in anti-collision warnings around international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Newark and elsewhere. The complaints prompted regulators and industry to take a closer look, but an FAA-sponsored study is still under way. The agency declined to comment.
In a letter to Canadian air-safety officials in late August, Vincent de Vroey, a top official with the Association of European Airlines, said "senior FAA management has now acknowledged potential safety concerns related to" escalating anti-collision warnings. The letter also said FAA and industry experts launched "a comprehensive study" to "analyze the problems and to propose recommendations to mitigate" safety concerns.
The safety debate comes at a time when FAA critics in Congress and elsewhere argue that the overall number of operational errors by U.S. controllers is climbing dramatically. In Southern and Northern California alone, according to unofficial figures provided by controllers, the total number of mistakes by controllers has doubled over the past year. The Southern California total rose to nearly 40 errors, though annual comparisons are difficult because the FAA earlier this year changed the way it categorizes controller slipups.
For example, in March, an American Airlines Boeing 757 arriving into Southern California from Mexico and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 taking off from John Wayne International Airport in Orange County were mistakenly put on a collision course by controllers over the Pacific Ocean. Three months later a wide-body jetliner flown by Air Tahiti, climbing past 10,000 feet after departing Los Angeles, had a close call with a twin-propeller aircraft following visual flight rules. In both instances, onboard warnings alerted pilots to take evasive action before controllers discovered the errors.
Other parts of the country have shown year-over year increases of roughly 30%, according to controllers. The totals include midair close calls as well as close calls between planes moving on the ground.
With the FAA and the controller's union locked in a bitter labor-management battle over wages and working conditions, controversy over controller fatigue and staffing levels is bound to confront the incoming Administration.
Despite the heightened focus on midair hazards, no big U.S. passenger jet has been involved in a midair collision since 1978. And no major midair collision has occurred in U.S. airspace since the late 1980s. But foreign carriers have had at least three major midair crashes since then, including a July 2002 collision over Germany between a DHL cargo aircraft and a Bashkirian Airlines jet, which killed dozens of children aboard the passenger plane.
Investigators determined that the pilots of the Russian-built Tupolev 154 failed to properly follow warnings from onboard collision-avoidance systems. The crash over Germany sparked controversy over how to improve the safety of air-traffic control management in Europe, and also prompted efforts to improve onboard warning devices.
In September 2006, a Boeing 737 passenger jet operated by the Brazilian carrier, Gol Transportes Aereos, crashed after colliding with a business jet over the Amazon, killing all 154 people aboard. Investigators determined that the collision-avoidance system of the smaller jet wasn't operating.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122600460761406097.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Recorders Found in Mexico Jet Crash
MEXICO CITY - Two in-flight recorders retrieved from the wreckage of a small jet that crashed this week, killing Mexico’s interior minister, were being examined Thursday by specialists in a Washington lab, Mexican officials said.
The black boxes have voice recordings and data from the final minutes before the jet crashed Tuesday in a busy area of Mexico City.
The crash killed all nine people on board — including Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouriño, Mexico’s top security official — and five more on the ground.
The government has gone to unusual lengths to open its investigation to the news media, as it tries to play down speculation of sabotage.
A transportation official said information from the recordings should be available in a week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/world/americas/07mexico.html?ref=world
The black boxes have voice recordings and data from the final minutes before the jet crashed Tuesday in a busy area of Mexico City.
The crash killed all nine people on board — including Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouriño, Mexico’s top security official — and five more on the ground.
The government has gone to unusual lengths to open its investigation to the news media, as it tries to play down speculation of sabotage.
A transportation official said information from the recordings should be available in a week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/world/americas/07mexico.html?ref=world
AI plane tilts while landing on runway
MALAPPURAM (KERALA): Nearly 161 passengers and crew on board an Air India flight had a narrow escape on Friday when the aircraft's right wing grazed
the runway while landing at Karippur International Airport in Malapppuram.
According to airport sources, AI 962 from Jeddah to Karippur (Calicut), tilted while landing, resulting in the tip of its right wing rubbing the runway. However the pilot was able to stop the aircraft in time to avoid a major tragedy.
All passengers were safe and the aircraft did not suffer any damage except some paint on the wing getting scraped, the sources said.
A senior airport official said there was prima facie nothing wrong with landing parameters like weather, wind speed and visibility.
Only a detailed probe, including the examination of Flight Data Recorder, could bring out the reason for the aircraft tilting while landing, the official said.
The aircraft has been grounded and engineers from Mumbai were expected to arrive at the site for detailed check, he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/AI_plane_tilts_while_landing_on_runway/articleshow/3685363.cms
the runway while landing at Karippur International Airport in Malapppuram.
According to airport sources, AI 962 from Jeddah to Karippur (Calicut), tilted while landing, resulting in the tip of its right wing rubbing the runway. However the pilot was able to stop the aircraft in time to avoid a major tragedy.
All passengers were safe and the aircraft did not suffer any damage except some paint on the wing getting scraped, the sources said.
A senior airport official said there was prima facie nothing wrong with landing parameters like weather, wind speed and visibility.
Only a detailed probe, including the examination of Flight Data Recorder, could bring out the reason for the aircraft tilting while landing, the official said.
The aircraft has been grounded and engineers from Mumbai were expected to arrive at the site for detailed check, he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/AI_plane_tilts_while_landing_on_runway/articleshow/3685363.cms
Express Air plane crash-lands in Fakfak
An Express Air Dornier DO-328 slipped when touching down on the runway at Torea Airport in Fakfak, Papua, breaking its left wing and landing gears, a police officer said Thursday.
According to reports, the airplane touched down three meters from the runway's edge and collided with the tarmac, damaging the landing gears and breaking the left wing.
The twin-turbo aircraft then veered to the left before stopping on the right side of the runway.
The airplane, manned by pilot Josep and co-pilot Setia Darmawan, left from Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong regency at 9:58 a.m. local time (7:58 a.m. Jakarta time) carrying four crew and 32 passengers. It landed in Fakfak at 10:27 a.m. local time.
There were no fatalities in the accident but authorities closed the airport because the plane was blocking the runway.
"The airline is coordinating with its head office and reporting the accident to the National Transportation Safety Committee in Jakarta," Papua Provincial Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto told The Jakarta Post.
Police secured the area and assisted with the evacuation of passengers.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/07/express-air-plane-crashlands-fakfak.html
According to reports, the airplane touched down three meters from the runway's edge and collided with the tarmac, damaging the landing gears and breaking the left wing.
The twin-turbo aircraft then veered to the left before stopping on the right side of the runway.
The airplane, manned by pilot Josep and co-pilot Setia Darmawan, left from Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong regency at 9:58 a.m. local time (7:58 a.m. Jakarta time) carrying four crew and 32 passengers. It landed in Fakfak at 10:27 a.m. local time.
There were no fatalities in the accident but authorities closed the airport because the plane was blocking the runway.
"The airline is coordinating with its head office and reporting the accident to the National Transportation Safety Committee in Jakarta," Papua Provincial Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto told The Jakarta Post.
Police secured the area and assisted with the evacuation of passengers.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/07/express-air-plane-crashlands-fakfak.html
Lion Air plane skids off at Jalaluddin Airport
A Lion Air passenger aircraft carrying 167 passengers skidded off the runway before taking off at the Jalaluddin Airport, Gorontalo Province on Friday.
Nunung Triatmoko, Chief of the airport, confirmed of the accident while added that the aircraft, which was scheduled to depart for Makasar, South Sulawesi Province, was still being repaired following the accident.
"There is a team of mechanics provided to repair the aircraft. The aircraft is in a reasonably good condition." he said.
He also explained that all passengers had been evacuated safely from the plane and told to wait for the next departure for Makasar.
Nunung refuted accusations, which said that most accidents on the runway were because the runway was not long enough to accommodate more modern planes.
In the 2007, a Lion Air aircraft also experienced a similar accident at the airport. (anb)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/07/lion-air-plane-skids-jalaluddin-airport.html
Nunung Triatmoko, Chief of the airport, confirmed of the accident while added that the aircraft, which was scheduled to depart for Makasar, South Sulawesi Province, was still being repaired following the accident.
"There is a team of mechanics provided to repair the aircraft. The aircraft is in a reasonably good condition." he said.
He also explained that all passengers had been evacuated safely from the plane and told to wait for the next departure for Makasar.
Nunung refuted accusations, which said that most accidents on the runway were because the runway was not long enough to accommodate more modern planes.
In the 2007, a Lion Air aircraft also experienced a similar accident at the airport. (anb)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/07/lion-air-plane-skids-jalaluddin-airport.html
quinta-feira, 6 de novembro de 2008
Europe To Require ADS-B Avionics Five Years Sooner than FAA
With new mandate, Europeans press ahead with key aircraft surveillance tool
The European Commission is proposing that ADS-B “out” avionics be installed on airline aircraft and business jets five years earlier than the FAA’s plan. Full airborne coverage in Europe will let any nation there move ahead with ground infrastructure at will.
The directive on Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast—scheduled for release on Oct. 31—calls for aircraft to have the extended squitter feature on Mode S transponders for ADS‑B “out” transmission by 2015, says Alex Wandels, Eurocontrol’s manager of the Cascade program, which is leading the implementation of ADS-B.
This Thales ADS-B sensor is installed at the Diagoras Airport near Rhodes, Greece. Credit: EUROCONTROL
Europe already requires airliners to have Mode S, so most aircraft will need only a software upgrade. In contrast, the FAA’s proposed mandate for ADS-B “out” doesn’t require avionics until 2020.
In the U.S., an industry-government committee that reviewed the ADS-B mandate, and recommended 36 changes, did not take issue with the FAA’s 2020 target date (AW&ST Oct. 6, p. 62). The Air Transport Assn. says the U.S. requirement alone will cost its airline members nearly $700 million.
During the next three months, airlines and other operators will be able to comment on the proposed EC rule, says Wandels. The mandate is expected to call for all aircraft weighing more than 5,700 kg. (12,540 lb.) to have the extended squitter function so they can transmit ADS-B position data to ground controllers over 1090 MHz. The FAA’s mandate specifies that airliners and business jets use 1090 MHz., while general aviation aircraft would use the Universal Access Transceiver on 978 MHz. Ironically, U.S.-registered airliners and bizjets operating to Europe will have to have ADS-B “out” capability by 2015—a requirement that should accelerate the adoption rate in the U.S.
However, in terms of ADS-B ground infrastructure, the European ATC community has taken a less aggressive approach than the U.S., Canada or Australia. The FAA, for example, has set up in southern Florida the first prototype of a new nation-wide ground receiver network. Australia has rolled out ADS-B nationwide, while Canada is moving ahead with its ground-based network. Europe has no plan in effect yet to provide continental coverage with ADS-B systems on the ground, even by 2020, when the single-sky project to modernize ATC is due to be completed. But the EC wants the airborne equipment in place so construction of ground-based networks can proceed.
European nations have 13 ADS-B trials underway; several involve airports with no radar surveillance coverage. ADS-B ground networks have been built at these facilities to accommodate growing traffic from low-cost carriers. These include Trabzon Airport in Turkey, near the Black Sea, Alghero Airport in Sardinia, Italy’s Pescara International Airport and Kiruna Airport in northern Sweden. The Swedish project is using the VHF Mode 4 data link instead of 1090 MHz. as the ADS-B link.
In addition, an ADS-B network covers three Greek airfields close to one another: Diagoras, Karpathos Island National and Kos International airports.
As confidence grows with regard to using ADS-B at these airports that have no radar coverage, other air navigation service providers in Europe will likely start to look seriously at replacing radar with ADS-B, says Wandels. Other organizations involved in ADS-B projects include the U.K., German, Austrian, Spanish and French air navigation service providers.
Meanwhile, Eurocontrol is working with 18 aircraft operators and is providing seed money to help them install new avionics now, instead of waiting for the mandate to take effect. Three of these ADS-B “pioneers”—Air France, Air One and Volkswagen—have just received European Aviation Safety Agency approval to use ADS-B in airspace not covered by radar surveillance. Other carriers involved include SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Ryanair, Air Europa, British Airways, Lufthansa and United Airlines.
Air France has 50 A320 family aircraft in the program, according to Wandels. Air One has 20, and Volkswagen has two Falcon 2000s that it uses for executive transportation. Nav Canada also agreed to accept these EASA approvals as valid for aircraft flying over the Hudson Bay, where an ADS-B ground-based network will become operational this month.
http://www.aviationweek.com
The European Commission is proposing that ADS-B “out” avionics be installed on airline aircraft and business jets five years earlier than the FAA’s plan. Full airborne coverage in Europe will let any nation there move ahead with ground infrastructure at will.
The directive on Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast—scheduled for release on Oct. 31—calls for aircraft to have the extended squitter feature on Mode S transponders for ADS‑B “out” transmission by 2015, says Alex Wandels, Eurocontrol’s manager of the Cascade program, which is leading the implementation of ADS-B.
This Thales ADS-B sensor is installed at the Diagoras Airport near Rhodes, Greece. Credit: EUROCONTROL
Europe already requires airliners to have Mode S, so most aircraft will need only a software upgrade. In contrast, the FAA’s proposed mandate for ADS-B “out” doesn’t require avionics until 2020.
In the U.S., an industry-government committee that reviewed the ADS-B mandate, and recommended 36 changes, did not take issue with the FAA’s 2020 target date (AW&ST Oct. 6, p. 62). The Air Transport Assn. says the U.S. requirement alone will cost its airline members nearly $700 million.
During the next three months, airlines and other operators will be able to comment on the proposed EC rule, says Wandels. The mandate is expected to call for all aircraft weighing more than 5,700 kg. (12,540 lb.) to have the extended squitter function so they can transmit ADS-B position data to ground controllers over 1090 MHz. The FAA’s mandate specifies that airliners and business jets use 1090 MHz., while general aviation aircraft would use the Universal Access Transceiver on 978 MHz. Ironically, U.S.-registered airliners and bizjets operating to Europe will have to have ADS-B “out” capability by 2015—a requirement that should accelerate the adoption rate in the U.S.
However, in terms of ADS-B ground infrastructure, the European ATC community has taken a less aggressive approach than the U.S., Canada or Australia. The FAA, for example, has set up in southern Florida the first prototype of a new nation-wide ground receiver network. Australia has rolled out ADS-B nationwide, while Canada is moving ahead with its ground-based network. Europe has no plan in effect yet to provide continental coverage with ADS-B systems on the ground, even by 2020, when the single-sky project to modernize ATC is due to be completed. But the EC wants the airborne equipment in place so construction of ground-based networks can proceed.
European nations have 13 ADS-B trials underway; several involve airports with no radar surveillance coverage. ADS-B ground networks have been built at these facilities to accommodate growing traffic from low-cost carriers. These include Trabzon Airport in Turkey, near the Black Sea, Alghero Airport in Sardinia, Italy’s Pescara International Airport and Kiruna Airport in northern Sweden. The Swedish project is using the VHF Mode 4 data link instead of 1090 MHz. as the ADS-B link.
In addition, an ADS-B network covers three Greek airfields close to one another: Diagoras, Karpathos Island National and Kos International airports.
As confidence grows with regard to using ADS-B at these airports that have no radar coverage, other air navigation service providers in Europe will likely start to look seriously at replacing radar with ADS-B, says Wandels. Other organizations involved in ADS-B projects include the U.K., German, Austrian, Spanish and French air navigation service providers.
Meanwhile, Eurocontrol is working with 18 aircraft operators and is providing seed money to help them install new avionics now, instead of waiting for the mandate to take effect. Three of these ADS-B “pioneers”—Air France, Air One and Volkswagen—have just received European Aviation Safety Agency approval to use ADS-B in airspace not covered by radar surveillance. Other carriers involved include SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Ryanair, Air Europa, British Airways, Lufthansa and United Airlines.
Air France has 50 A320 family aircraft in the program, according to Wandels. Air One has 20, and Volkswagen has two Falcon 2000s that it uses for executive transportation. Nav Canada also agreed to accept these EASA approvals as valid for aircraft flying over the Hudson Bay, where an ADS-B ground-based network will become operational this month.
http://www.aviationweek.com
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