23 OCT 2007 _______________________________________ *Garuda Investigation Finds Singing Pilot Was Fixated On Landing *Nanotubes offer self-mending aircraft wings, golf clubs *Retired professor wins airplane design award *FAA lists of risky airports includes SFO, San Jose *Midwest Airlines Names Brophy Vice President of Corporate Communications *NTSB Issues Recommendations for Gulf of Mexico Helicopter Operations *Sentient Flight to Buy TAG Unit **************************************** Garuda Investigation Finds Singing Pilot Was Fixated On Landing Copilot Also Ignored Procedures, Did Not Take Control The singing pilot of an ill-fated Garuda flight that crashed in Indonesia, killing 21 people, ignored as many as 15 inflight alarms on the descent to landing. Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) reported details of the flight, and has made a series of recommendations following its investigation of the March 7 crash. The report says the pilot continued with his unstable landing approach at excessively high speed and steep descent. As ANN reported, the plane overran the runway in Yogyakarta, central Java, exploded into flames in a rice paddy field over 800 feet from the runway. The report is based on data obtained through analysis of the plane's flight data recorders. It found the pilot was "singing" during the approach, below 10,000 feet and prior to reaching 4,000 feet, which was "not in accordance with the Garuda Basic Operations Manual policy for a sterile cockpit below 10,000 feet," according to Theage.com. "The pilot was probably emotionally aroused because his conscious awareness moved from the relaxed mode "singing" to the heightened stressfulness of the desire to reach the runway by making an excessively steep and fast, unstable approach," the report said. The pilot, who was uninjured, later "fixated" on landing the aircraft, ignoring loud alarms in the cockpit and two calls from his copilot to abort the landing, the report said. The pilot acknowledged there was emergency by saying, "Oh, there is something not right", the report said. The pilot also earlier indicated there was a need to conserve fuel, as ANN reported. "The pilot in command's intention to continue to land the aircraft, from an excessively high and fast approach, was a sign that his attention was channeled during a stressful time," the report said, adding the copilot failed to take the aircraft's controls when the pilot ignored the warnings. Airlines records showed no evidence the company provided simulator training for flight crews covering required responses to the warning sirens. The report also said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's surveillance of Garuda had failed to identify safety deficiencies and that authorities had only checked the plane's safety and airworthiness twice in the past ten years. Additionally the airport did not meet international runway standards, and its rescue and firefighting vehicles were ill-equipped and unable to reach the crash site, which may have "significantly reduced survivability," according to the report. The resulting fire was not fully extinguished for over two hours, the report stated. FMI: www.garuda-indonesia.com/, www.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_home/ntsc.htm aero-news.net *************** Nanotubes offer self-mending aircraft wings, golf clubs Teeny pipes. Is there anything they can't do? By Lewis Page ? More by this authorPublished Monday 22nd October 2007 16:08 GMTDownload free whitepaper - Optimize Your Business Applications with a Server-to-Storage Virtualized Infrastructure Aerospace boffins in America have come up with yet another use for carbon nanotubes - to build a self-healing layer into composite structures such as aircraft wings. Structural components made out of polymer composites are just great, as everyone knows. They can be lighter and tougher than metal alloys, allowing aircraft - or bicycles, or whatever - to carry more or be stronger for the same weight. This allows comfier or faster bikes, nonmetallic airliners which potentially carry people using less fuel, advanced fighter jets which can perform amazing manoeuvres and not crack up, better golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc etc. Free Whitepaper DownloadBuilding a Virtual Infrastructure from Servers to Storage Network Appliance and VMware ESX Server 3.0 Just like metal, however, composites can be subject to tiny surface cracks which can rob them of their strength and lead to catastrophic failures if they aren't sorted out. But researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York state think they have the answer. The idea is to embed a fine grid of wires in a given composite surface, covered in an epoxy matrix full of nanotubes. By sending pulses down wires, it becomes possible to know as soon as a crack appears because the electrical resistance of the nanotube-laden epoxy will have changed. The fact that the wires are in a transverse grid also furnishes an exact location. That's good, because finding small cracks is a big maintenance issue. "The beauty of this method is that the carbon nanotubes are everywhere. The sensors are actually an integral part of the structure, which allows you to monitor any part of the structure," according to Rensselaer assistant prof Mikhil Koratkar. Unlike existing ultrasonic testing, Koratkar's coating can also test materials while they are in use; as when a plane is in flight. But it gets better. The Rensselaer guys think you should then be able to send a higher-energy current down the wires. This will cause the nanotubes to heat up, melting ingredients in the epoxy so as to fill up and re-bond the crack automatically, as soon as it appears. This process could occur automatically, as soon as a crack was detected, controlled perhaps by an aircraft's computers. "What's novel about this application is that we're using carbon nanotubes not just to detect the crack, but also to heal the crack," says Koratkar. He reckons that 70 per cent of the material's original strength can be recovered/retained, preventing catastrophic failures. The self-repair coating - in the Rensselaer tests - weighed only one per cent of what the uncoated structure did. This could be good news for Boeing's new composite Dreamliner, which has had doubts cast on its safety lately. Thus far, even the best metallic aircraft haven't offered the ability to make structural repairs automatically in mid-air. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/22/nano_coating_for_self_healing_aircra ft_wings_golf_clubs/ ****************** Retired professor wins airplane design award A retired KU professor is the winner of a prestigious airplane design award, given by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Jan Roskam was given the award in recognition of a lifetime of achievement in airplane design, education, configuration design and the writing of 11 textbooks having to do with airplane performance and design. The award was given to him last week in Wichita. Roskam retired in 2003. Previous winners of the honor include Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Lockheed’s Skunk Works group, responsible for such planes as the F-117 Nighthawk, which was the original stealth fighter, and the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance plane. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/oct/23/retired_professor_wins_airplane_des ign_award/?city_local ***************** FAA lists of risky airports includes SFO, San Jose Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer The San Francisco and San Jose airports are two of the nation's riskiest when it comes to near-collisions on runways or incidents in which pilots get confused while taxiing around the airfields, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. Each airport had four reported runway incursions in the past year, defined as an incident that violates procedures and could lead to a collision between planes, the agency said. One of those incidents was a near-collision in May at San Francisco International between a jetliner and a turboprop plane that was caused by an air traffic controller's mistake. SFO and San Jose were each on a list of 20 U.S. airports that the FAA studied because they had a high number of runway incursions or high number of incidents in which pilots were confused while taxiing around the airfield. The agency selected the airports based on the number and severity of incidents. Nationwide, there were fewer reports of near-collisions and other dangerous incidents over the past year from a year earlier - the total dropped to 330 between October 2006 and September 2007, compared with 378 the previous year, the FAA said. But San Francisco and San Jose, which had no such incidents two years ago, had eight between them in the past year. "When it comes to runway safety, we can't afford to overlook anything," Bobby Sturgell, acting administrator for the FAA, said during a news conference at which the agency released the numbers and general recommendations for changes at the airports. "Our runways are safe, and this call to action ratcheted that up a notch." At the top of the list nationally was Nevada's North Las Vegas Airport, which reported 11 incursions during the year ending Sept. 30, or more than five for every 100,000 flights out of the airfield. The totals at San Francisco and San Jose each amounted to between 1 and 2 incursions for every 100,000 flights in 2007. Oakland International Airport avoided the FAA's list, logging just one incursion in the past year. The FAA study was released the same day the Associated Press reported that NASA had withheld results of a survey in which airline pilots reported at least twice as many runway incursions and other dangerous situations, such as near-midair collisions and bird strikes, as government monitoring systems show. Runway incursions range from incidents in which a collision is imminent, or two planes actually collide, to technical violations such as when a pilot rolls a few feet past a designated holding point on a runway while waiting to take off. Another factor that landed airports on the study list was whether pilots reported confusion over where they were on an airfield or which runway they were supposed to use - both situations that carry the potential for causing a collision, the FAA says. "San Francisco was on that list because we have had a number of runway incursions there ... including one especially nasty one in May," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor, referring to the incident in which two passenger planes almost collided because of an air traffic controller's mistake. In that instance, the pilot of a Republic Airlines jetliner took off earlier than planned when he noticed the smaller SkyWest Airlines turboprop converging on his path from an intersecting runway. The incursion occurred because an air traffic controller forgot he or she had cleared the SkyWest plan for landing. The 19-year veteran controller was decertified, required to complete additional training and then recertified. Mineta San Jose International Airport also reported four runway incursions during the past year, all of them considered technical violations, the FAA said. There were also two instances in the past two years in which pilots got confused about where they were on the runway. FAA officials did not detail any systematic problems at either San Francisco or San Jose. Before releasing its report Monday, the FAA spent two months talking with airlines, airports, commercial and private pilots, air traffic controllers, mechanics and others at each of the 20 airports. The idea was to solicit suggestions for improving safety, part of a push by the FAA to improve runway safety at all U.S. airports. "We do have runway safety meetings at least annually at big airports, but these were more intensive brainstorming sessions," Gregor said. "People were really encouraged to think outside the box, and throw out any idea no matter how unusual it might seem." The FAA said Monday that in general, the airports need to improve runway signage, come up with more explicit taxiing instructions for pilots, and provide more training for aviation workers, particularly those who drive any vehicles on runways. Gregor and San Francisco International spokesman Mike McCarron said airport officials are updating a training video for people who drive on the SFO airfield. San Jose has agreed to put new lights at the end of one runway where pilots have been confused in the past, Gregor said. McCarron said San Francisco airport officials realized even before the federal report was issued that they face safety challenges. "It is what it is," he said. "We're not at all surprised." Because SFO has intersecting runways, McCarron said, airport officials are always "very diligent" about addressing incursions and other potential dangers. McCarron cited an incident a few years ago in which an airline mechanic was taxiing a plane to a gate and crossed a runway he did not have permission to enter. The airport instituted a mandatory refresher training course for all airline mechanics, McCarron said. It also recently realigned one of the taxiways so it no longer crosses a runway. http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2007/10/22/chronicle/archive/2007/10/22/M NT1SU7UI.html ***************** Midwest Airlines Names Brophy Vice President of Corporate Communications MILWAUKEE, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Midwest Airlines has announced the appointment of Michael J. Brophy as vice president of corporate communications. He will join Milwaukee's hometown airline on November 5. In his new role, Brophy will oversee the company's corporate communications, including media relations, news and financial communications, employee communications, public affairs, and crisis management communications. He will also be responsible for the airline's community relations efforts, building on its reputation as a valued corporate citizen in the communities it serves. A corporate affairs professional with more than 25 years of experience, Brophy currently serves as communications director for Aurora Health Care's Milwaukee Metro and Kettle Moraine regions. Prior to joining Aurora in 2005, he spent 13 years with Miller Brewing Company in leadership positions of increasing responsibility, including director of corporate communications, director of regional state affairs and director of public affairs. He has also worked in marketing communications and advertising/public relations agencies, in state government and has managed political campaigns. Brophy holds bachelor's degrees in journalism, French and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He serves on the boards of Penfield Children's Center, Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and Divine Savior Holy Angels High School. "We're looking forward to welcoming Mike aboard 'The best care in the air,'" said Timothy E. Hoeksema, chairman and chief executive officer. "Midwest Airlines is certainly fortunate to have someone with his knowledge and experience to join our team during this pivotal time in our history." Readers of Travel+Leisure named Midwest Airlines "Best Domestic Airline" in the magazine's 2007 World's Best Awards competition. The airline features jet service throughout the United States, including Milwaukee's most daily nonstop flights and best schedule to major destinations. Catering to business travelers and discerning leisure travelers, the airline earned its reputation as "The best care in the air" by providing passengers with impeccable service and onboard amenities at competitive fares. Both Skyway Airlines, Inc. -- a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwest Airlines -- and SkyWest Airlines, Inc. operate as Midwest Connect and offer service to and connections through Midwest Airlines' hubs. Together, the airlines offer service to 52 cities. More information is available at http://www.midwestairlines.com. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQM23522102007-1.htm **************** NTSB Issues Recommendations for Gulf of Mexico Helicopter Operations On October 19, 2007 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued Safety Recommendations A-07-87 and A-07-88 that would require that all existing and new turbine-powered helicopters operating in the Gulf of Mexico and certificated with five or more seats be equipped with externally mounted life rafts large enough to accommodate all occupants. The recommendations would also require that all offshore helicopter operators in the Gulf of Mexico provide their flight crews with personal flotation devices equipped with a waterproof, global-positioning-system-enabled 406 megahertz personal locator beacon, as well as one other signaling device, such as a signalingmirror or a strobe light. Safety Recommendations are issued by the NTSB as a result of the investigation of transportation accidents and other safety problems. Recommendations usually identify a specific problem uncovered during an investigation or study and specify how to correct the situation. http://www.verticalmag.com/control/news/templates/?a=5763&z=6 ***************** Sentient Flight to Buy TAG Unit A closely held flight services company agreed to acquire TAG Aviation Holding SA's U.S. aircraft-management unit, likely ending a dispute with federal officials that marked increased regulatory scrutiny over chartered business jets. Sentient Flight Group LLC of Weymouth, Mass., said the purchase of TAG Aviation's TAG Aviation USA unit will enhance its position as a leading private operator of business jets. The U.S. unit of TAG Aviation, which is based in Switzerland, declined to respond to questions about the tentative agreement. Terms weren't disclosed. The combined entity would manage more than 230 jet aircraft, according to industry officials, including a large number of top-of-the-line Gulfstream, Falcon and other large corporate jets. The agreement comes in the wake of last week's decision by the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an order stripping AMI Jet Charter Inc., which is 49%-owned by TAG Aviation USA, of authority to charter out dozens of large business jets. In its order, the FAA said that TAG's U.S. unit and AMI used "deceptive practice" to get around federal rules concerning which companies have control of chartered business jets and have direct responsibility for flight safety. As a foreign-owned company, TAG's U.S. unit can't operate such charter flights itself. FAA officials concluded that TAG officers controlled AMI's spending and held the insurance policy for AMI's fleet of aircraft. TAG Aviation Holding is one of the largest handlers of business aircraft. By selling its U.S.unit, TAG is expected to transfer existing personnel, including customer service teams, so that aircraft owners will continue to receive management and other services from the new corporate entity. AMI is currently barred from operating any charter flights. Owners of affected aircraft wishing to continue chartering out their planes will be able to do that by relying on Sentient's existing FAA operating authority. FAA officials have in recent months been focusing on which companies control aircraft during charter flights and whether appropriate pilot training and scheduling, maintenance and dispatching procedures are being followed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119307868981367390.html?mod=googlenews_wsj ******************* Curt Lewis, PE, CSP WEB: www.fsinfo.org