29 OCT 2007 _______________________________________ *Northwest A320 Lands With Nose Gear Out-Of-Whack *FBI Investigates ANOTHER Laser Incident *Boeing Names New Leader for Middle East and Africa Commercial Airplane Sales *Birds posing a serious threat to new airport (Thailand) *FAA: Mission mostly accomplished on key runway incursion preventatives **************************************** Northwest A320 Lands With Nose Gear Out-Of-Whack Type Has History Of Nosewheel-Askew Landings Officials from the NTSB are investigating why a Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 recently landed in Minneapolis with its nose gear pointed in the wrong direction. Witnesses said the landing gear caught fire as the jet slid to a stop October 20 with its front gear twisted at a 90-degree angle. No one was hurt. The plane carried 134 passengers and a crew of four from Minneapolis to Fargo, according to the Associated Press. Damage to the aircraft was limited to the nose gear, which has been removed and replaced, according to Northwest officials. The airline said the plane is expected to return to service in the coming days and will return to Minneapolis-St. Paul "on a non-revenue flight first to ensure that all systems are operational." "The crew had some indications of some faults during the flight and they went through their troubleshooting procedures, did what they could do," said Pam Sullivan, of the National Transportation Safety Board office in Chicago. It was not the first such nose gear incident involving that type of aircraft, Sullivan said. "We're still trying to determine exactly what the reasoning was behind this one," she said. "There have been several of them, but there hasn't been a single cause of all the other ones, so we're trying to find out exactly what went wrong in this case." Twisted nosegears seem to be a curious mechanical quirk of the A320 family; there have been approximately seven reported incidents of A320-family planes landing with nosewheels askew, including the dramatic (some would say over-hyped -- Ed.) televised emergency landing of JetBlue Flight 292 at LAX in September 2005. As ANN reported, that incident led the FAA and CASA to issue airworthiness directives on A320 nosegear assemblies. Northwest said the NTSB investigation is ongoing and it is "premature to speculate on what caused the landing gear to fail" in this latest incident. FMI: www.nwa.com, www.ntsb.com aero-news.net *************** FBI Investigates ANOTHER Laser Incident United Express Flight Gets Tagged After Takeoff From MHT A United Airlines commuter flight got the green light minutes after its departure from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) last Wednesday, but it wasn't from the tower. A green laser beam illuminated the right side of the Embraer 145's cockpit as the plane was about 3,000 feet off the ground and four miles north of the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration reported Saturday night, according to The Manchester Union-Leader. There were no injuries, and the United Airlines Flight 7914 continued to its destination at Washington, DC, said FAA spokesperson Holly Baker. The Transportation Security Administration contacted the Manchester police about the incident. Police and the FBI are investigating to find the origin of the easy to purchase laser as similar incidents like this increase, as reported in ANN. "We're just trying to find people who may have information or may have observed anything," said FBI spokesman Gail Marcinkiewicz. "Certainly it's concerning enough to have law enforcement respond to it." Manchester police said the incident occurred about 1905 EDT. There is no indication that the beam was intended as a threat or an effort to disrupt air travel. They said the light illuminated the aircraft briefly. Police indicated the laser most likely came from somewhere in an area bordered by Maple, Pine, Valley and Spruce streets. The 18-square block neighborhood is home to Gill Stadium, Beech Street School, corner stores and a few churches. The area also has many apartment complexes with decks that have a few of the flight path. "I never thought a laser would go that far," said a clerk at Off the Hook Clothing, a small clothing store in Manchester. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 472-2224, Manchester police at 603-668-8711 or Manchester Crimeline at 603- 624-4040. FMI: www.flymanchester.com, www.fbi.gov/ aero-news.net **************** Boeing Names New Leader for Middle East and Africa Commercial Airplane Sales SEATTLE, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing today announced that Martin (Marty) Bentrott has been named vice president-Middle East and Africa Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, reporting to Larry Dickenson, vice president, Commercial Airplanes Sales. Bentrott will replace Lee Monson, who recently announced his decision to take a leave of absence. Bentrott and Monson will work together in transition effective immediately until January 2008. "The Boeing Company's relationship with the Middle East goes back more than 60 years," said Dickenson. "Today, the region is one of the world's fastest-growing commercial airplane markets. Boeing is committed to further developing its solid relationship with airlines and governments as we aim to contribute to the long-term growth and economic development in the Middle East and Africa. Marty is a proven leader with a broad range of experience with global airlines. He is well suited to lead our efforts in this strategically important and dynamic region." Prior to this assignment Bentrott serviced as vice president-Sales & Marketing Operations for Commercial Airplanes. In that role, he led a team responsible for ensuring that sales commitments were aligned with production capabilities for the full line of Boeing commercial jetliners. This included managing Commercial Airplanes production planning, managing cross-functional activities, and management of the system supporting Commercial Airplanes Sales and Marketing activities. He was named to that position in May 2006. Previously, Bentrott served as vice president of Sales, Marketing and In-Service Support for the 787 Dreamliner. He was responsible for working with 787 customers to define and develop associated services for the Dreamliner. Additionally, Bentrott served as Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) vice president of Sales and Marketing from August 2003 to April 2005. He was responsible for leading efforts in the sales and product marketing of CAS products and services. Prior to that, Bentrott was vice president of Customer Support where he worked closely with airline customers in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and South Asia-Pacific regions to ensure their post-delivery technical, support and solutions were met. Bentrott joined Boeing in 1987 in the Commercial Airplanes Contracts organization. In 1995 he joined the Commercial Airplanes Sales team and held positions in Sales Operations and in Sales and Marketing Programs. Prior to Boeing, he spent two years with Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas, as an engineer. Bentrott graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in engineering. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQSU00228102007-1.ht m ***************** Birds posing a serious threat to new airport (Thailand) Danger to aircraft with 44 strikes already Samut Prakan _ Birds in their thousands are returning to their former habitat, Suvarnabhumi, posing a serious aviation hazard to the country's busiest airport. Forty-four bird collisions with aircraft, or bird strikes, were reported over the past 12 months, with four major incidents in the last two months. The number is expected to rise. Migratory birds, mainly open-billed storks, arrived early this year in the Suvarnabhumi area in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district. Birds rising from a runway or surrounding area and colliding with aircraft have caused expensive structural and mechanical damage to the planes. No crashes and injuries to passengers or crew have been reported, but the potential for a more serious incident is there. Several areas inside the airport perimeter provide suitable habitats for birds with food, water and cover. The airport is located on the migratory routes of several bird species, and unlike nearby residents, these winged creatures are not disturbed by screaming jet engines. Trying to scare them off has not worked. All efforts have proven ineffective. Migratory open-billed storks that flock to Suvarnabhumi airport in their thousands are giving pilots a headache. There’s a danger that the big birds can be sucked into aircraft engines and cause serious damage. A water drainage canal running along the runway is attracting a lot of birds, increasing the threat of bird strikes to aircraft taking off and landing at the airport. Wat Utai Tammaram, only six kilometres east of Suvarnabhumi, is under the Airports of Thailand’s close watch for providing shelter and breeding grounds for many bird species, including open-billed storks. Birds remain undisturbed by aircraft noise and other activities at Suvarnabhumi airport. Lawn mowers are being blamed for causing soil erosion and areas where water can collect — creating food sources for birds.Airports of Thailand (AoT) began taking the issue seriously after the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations and the Thai Pilots' Association aired their concerns about bird strikes at the airport on Oct 10. The pilots said the danger depended on the size of the birds and the speed of the aircraft. The leg bones of large birds sucked into an aircraft engine could damage the turbine. When AoT monitored the eastern runway, several bird species were seen flying in and out of the airport. The birds at the head of the flock would check out the ground and if there were no firecrackers or other efforts to deter them the rest of the flock would follow. The birds were feeding in flooded areas at the end of the eastern and western runways and in the drainage canals along the runways. The AoT survey found the deserted area north of the eastern runway, opposite Thai Airways International's aircraft maintenance facility, is a source of abundant food for several flocks of open-billed storks. Each flock comprises 500-700 birds. The grassy areas along the eastern runway are frequented by small birds, which can be seen perching on the barb wire fences. Food is also abundant there due to frequent flooding and soil erosion caused by mowing. The area south of the airport being developed for construction of the third runway has big trees and water ponds _ another ideal food source and habitat for birds. Fish and crop farms within a 10km radius also attract birds. The AoT is keeping a close eye on Wat Utai Tammaram, only 6km east of Suvarnabhumi airport. The temple's large fish pond and trees provide shelter and breeding grounds for many bird species, including open-billed storks, pelicans, waterfowls and little cormorants. The AoT survey of the bird population, conducted from September last year to September this year, identified open-billed storks as the most serious threat. This large, white bird with black or grey wings and a heavy bill stands about 81 centimetres tall. It thrives in swamps and flooded areas. The storks were mostly seen in June and July, with about 3,000 of the birds spotted near the western runway. About 1,200 storks were seen in August, mostly at the end of the eastern runway. A flock of more than 70 olive-backed pipits can be seen flying low and across the runway in the rainy season. Other commonly-sighted birds include oriental pratincole waders, red-wattled lapwings and black-winged stilts. Besides monitoring bird activities and scaring away the birds that enter flight paths, the AoT is stepping up measures to control food sources, such as garbage disposal areas, drainage canals and fruit trees. Many bird-scaring techniques have been used _ such as firecrackers, bird nets and chemicals. Mowers are not used during the rainy season to avoid causing soil erosion. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the aviation safety committee would meet on Nov 14 to discuss solutions to the problem. http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/29Oct2007_news04.php ***************** FAA: Mission mostly accomplished on key runway incursion preventatives Sixty days after launching its "Runway Safety Call to Action", the US Federal Aviation Administration says "significant" short-term actions to improve safety at US airports are complete or under way. The improvements come amid an already decreasing number of serious incursions. According to the FAA, the fiscal year 2007 tally for category A and B incursions, the most serious events, decreased to 24 from 31 in 2006. To counter a spate of serious runway incursions, including an incident on 11 July in which a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 came close to colliding with a United Airlines Airbus A320 at Fort Lauderdale airport, the agency on 21 August announced five short-term strategies it planned to pursue with industry. Two of the efforts, a review of 20 airports with problematic runway incursion and "wrong runway" incidents and a review of air traffic controller-issued clearances to pilots, have been completed and the others are well under way, says Bobby Sturgell, the interim FAA Administrator. As part of the airport review, an FAA-industry team "looked at everything we could" to identify "subtle risks" like confusing or missing signage, says Hank Krakowski, the FAA's newly appointed Chief Operating Officer. Krakowski, formerly a pilot and vice president of flight operations for United, said airports are currently addressing the issues uncovered during the reviews. Results of the controller clearance study were to be presented to stakeholders late last week, indicating that results showed that pilots needed "more explicit" taxi instructions from controllers. Safety advocates, including the US National Transportation Safety Board, have asked that the FAA require controllers to clear an aircraft to cross each runway it passes en route to its take-off position or terminal gate point, rather than issue a blanket approval for an entire taxi route, as is the practice today. Sturgell also says the FAA has sent the National Air Traffic Controllers Association a proposed agreement to set up a non-punitive reporting system for controllers similar to the FAA's Aviation Safety Action Program for pilots, mechanics and others. "We're waiting for the signature," he says. Another near term intervention - painting of new high-contrast taxiway centrelines in the vicinity of runway intersections, where a low-tech solution has proven effective in tests - is partially complete. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/10/29/218886/faa-mission-mostly-ac complished-on-key-runway-incursion.html ******************* Curt Lewis, PE, CSP WEB: www.fsinfo.org