23 JAN 2008 _______________________________________ *Ascend Worldwide Ltd Survey *Crash of popular Boeing 777 scrutinized *No airline casualties reported for 8 years (Korea) *Kalitta 747 knocks out runway lights at JFK *Helicopter Crash Kills 2 At Everglades Airstrip In Florida *Norway's Coast Air ceases operations *Senior Pilots Coalition plans to challenge new law *Laser menace targets aircraft (Australia) *Aon Aviation Opens Southeast Region Office **************************************** Ascend Worldwide Ltd is conducting a brief survey to obtain people's views on what they think may be the greatest threats and the greatest opportunities for the improvement of air safety in the medium term. The survey (see link below) should only take a couple of minutes to complete and everyone who takes part will be sent a free copy of our accident/insurance loss statistical report, 2007 Year End Special Bulletin, which we normally only provide to the airline insurance market. (If you have already taken part in this survey in Ascend's Fast Track newsletter please do not complete again). We thank you for your cooperation. http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB227C8FTN9K4 ************* Crash of popular Boeing 777 scrutinized By Alan Levin, USA TODAY British investigators are sifting through mounds of flight data to find out why a jet's engines suddenly refused to increase power, causing a Boeing 777 to crash just short of a runway at London's Heathrow Airport. Flight 038 from Beijing to London had 152 people aboard, 19 of whom suffered injuries. The jet slammed to the ground just past an airport fence on Thursday, ripping off the plane's landing gear and severely damaging the two engines and wings. The accident is drawing worldwide attention because the 777 is a popular jet. There are 687 of them in service around the world, 224 of which are operated by U.S. carriers, Boeing said. Before Thursday's crash, there had never been an accident that destroyed a 777, a long-range twin-engine jet introduced in 1995. The jets have logged 3.5 million hours, according to Boeing. "It's a mystery from what I see so far," said Dennis Lessard, chairman of the Aeronautical Science Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to assist in the investigation. Lessard, who is not involved in the investigation, said investigators typically will examine whether complex computers aboard the jet malfunctioned and gave the engines the wrong instructions. They will also pay close attention to the jet's fuel supply, which is suspected because the problem involved both engines, according to Lessard. At this early stage of the investigation, just about any potential cause - from an impact with birds to a previously unseen human error - will be under consideration. So far, the pilots appear to be heroes for guiding the plummeting jet to a field just short of a runway, but even their actions cannot be ruled out as a potential cause, he said. "The pilots really saved the day," he said. "Is there a possibility of human (error)? . There always is." The engines on the British Airways plane failed to respond for a demand to increase thrust about 2 miles from the runway at an altitude of about 600 feet, a preliminary report said Friday. The plane's autopilot sought more power twice. Then the pilots attempted to increase power manually, according to the report. The engines barely produced thrust, and the aircraft slowed and began to fall. The captain of the flight, Peter Burkill, praised other crewmembers. Burkill read a statement to reporters at British Airways' London headquarters. "Flying is about teamwork, and we had an outstanding team on board," Burkill said. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-01-22-heathrow_N.htm *************** No airline casualties reported for 8 years (Korea) Korean air carriers suffered no casualties between 1999 and last year. The Construction and Transportation Ministry said the country's airline safety has greatly improved thanks to government efforts to strengthen air security by raising regulations to international standards. In the 1990s, Korean airlines averaged one accident a year. To raise safety standards, the ministry started in May last year the Korea Aviation Safety System. The safety management system allowed each airline, the Korea Airports Corp. and the government's air traffic service to operate their own risk management systems. The International Civil Aviation Organization introduced the system and has advised every country to implement it by January 2009. The ministry will further boost air safety by building an early warning system. Information on domestic airlines' safety will be released to the public every six months, to expand passenger choice and improve safety. http://www.kois.go.kr/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20080123016&part=104& SearchDay= **************** Kalitta 747 knocks out runway lights at JFK A Kalitta Air Boeing 747 taking off on a repositioning flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to nearby Newark Airport Saturday evening destroyed 13 runway lights and damaged the pavement on JFK's Runway 31L. The crew of Flight 9713 continued the 7:15pm takeoff, landing at Newark at 7:35. An inspection after the landing revealed a blown tire and damage to the landing gear and the horizontal stabilizer, said a spokesman for FAA. FAA investigators plan to review the airport's surveillance radar data to determine the motion of the aircraft on the 150ft-wide (45m-wide) runway. The aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were unavailable for review because Kalitta dispatched the 747 to Europe before the agency had made its request to download the information, according to FAA. As of today, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not been called in to review the incident The runway excursion is preceded by at least two other significant incidents that are under investigation or have been closed, both involving the Pratt & Whitney engines on the Kalitta 747s. On July 4, 2005, fire erupted in a Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engine on a Kalitta 747-200B during a flight from Japan to Anchorage. The incident remains under investigation by the Japanese authorities. On October 24, 2004, A Kalitta 747 enroute from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to JFK lost one of its Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines while climbing through 15,000ft (4,536m). According to the NTSB, the JT9 separated from its pylon and fell into Lake Michigan. The aircraft then diverted to Detroit where it made a safe landing. The NTSB's probable cause for the incident, published late last year, revealed that the engine's "second stage turbine vanes contacted the second stage turbine disk due to the operator's inadequate inspection of the high pressure turbine module and the improper repair of the module by unknown maintenance personnel." According to Flight's ACAS database, Kalitta has 19 Boeing 747 aircraft and 5 Boeing 727s. Calls to the cargo carrier for comment were not immediately returned. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Helicopter Crash Kills 2 At Everglades Airstrip In Florida Miami, Florida (AHN) - Two people died when a helicopter crashed at the county line between Collier and Miami-Dade at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport Tuesday afternoon, said Miami-Dade Aviation. Number of people boarding the helicopter was not known. The names of victims were not yet identified. According to investigators, the 1999 Robinson 44 helicopter took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and was reported down at 12:37 p.m. by Miami-Dade officials. Eyewitnesses said that the chopper was used in practicing takeoffs and landings when it accidentally flipped on its back and exploded on impact, said the Collier County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's officials said that the private runway sits on the edge of the Florida Everglades, an hour east of Miami that can only be accessed by air. ************** Norway's Coast Air ceases operations Norwegian regional operator Coast Air has filed for bankruptcy and ceased all operations with immediate effect. In a statement issued today the carrier, owned by the Norwegian company Kystfly, says it has stopped all services. Its fleet, according to Flight's ACAS database, includes three ATR 42s and four British Aerospace Jetstream 32s. The aircraft are listed as being owned by the carrier or leased from the respective manufacturers' asset management divisions. Coast Air is based at Haugesund Airport on the southwest Norwegian coast and had been operating primarily domestic services and regional European connections. The carrier notably became involved in an anti-competition case against Scandinavian giant SAS Group in 2004. Coast Air also served a number of public-service obligation routes within Norway. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Senior Pilots Coalition plans to challenge new law A coalition of the nation's senior airline pilots says it will challenge a controversial new law that extends the retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65. The Senior Pilots Coalition -- a national organization formed to end what it says is age discrimination in the U.S. commercial airline industry -- will file to have the law declared null and void, said the group's attorney, Jonathan Turley. He serves as the J.B. and Maurice Shapiro professor of public interest law at the George Washington University Law School. The act has been roundly criticized by many pilots, including the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing 12,000 pilots at Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc. The Senior Pilots Coalition said it takes issue with a number of aspects of the act, including wording that decrees flights with a pilot in command older than age 60 must have a pilot who has not yet reached age 60 assigned to the flight-deck crew, and pilots who turned 60 prior to Dec. 13 cannot continue to serve in that role unless the carrier treats the person as a new hire. "The new law is poorly written and expressly denies carriers the right to treat older pilots fairly, even countermanding prior contractual positions between pilots and their companies," said a coalition statement. The Air Line Pilots Association International, a union representing 60,000 pilots in the U.S. and Canada, support the act, saying previously that "it will protect the piloting profession." http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/01/21/daily11.html *************** Laser menace targets aircraft (Australia) Police say a laser light was pointed at two domestic aircraft over western Sydney last night. At the same time, police were tipped off that a laser was being pointed at vehicles and aircraft from a silver Pulsar or Subaru at Pendle Hill. Police have seized a laser, and are asking witnesses to come forward. Last August, the pilot of a Qantas Boeing 767 from Sydney carrying 185 passengers to Darwin was targeted by a powerful laser beam, prompting an investigation by federal police and aviation authorities. The incident, just before midnight on August 3, resulted in the pilot having to fly the next day's return leg from Darwin to Sydney as a passenger. He was referred to a Qantas doctor for assessment. Late last year, police said there had been an increase in the number of such incidents, with lasers aimed mainly at aircraft coming in to land, including planes as far as 25 kilometres from Sydney Airport over areas such as Liverpool and Leppington. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/laser-menace-targeting-aircraft/2008/01/ 23/1201024957784.html *************** Aon Aviation Opens Southeast Region Office CHICAGO, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Aon Risk Services, the risk management and insurance brokerage unit of Aon Corporation , today announced Roger Maldonado and Christopher Barnes have joined the U.S. Aviation practice group to build a new southeast region office for Aon Aviation. Maldonado joins as southeast region practice leader; Barnes joins as assistant director. Both are based in Atlanta. Maldonado was previously with Marsh Inc. as senior vice president of the aviation practice, responsible for managing the general aviation portfolio. Prior to that role, he was responsible for managing the Atlanta and Charlotte aviation offices for Marsh. Before joining Marsh, Maldonado was director of international risk for AIG Aviation in Atlanta, with responsibility for underwriting risks in Latin America. He holds a master's degree in business administration from Georgia State University and a bachelor of science degree in aerospace studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. Barnes was most recently with Marsh Inc. in its national sales practice in Atlanta, concentrating on the U.S. aviation/aerospace industry. He also has extensive experience in executive benefits and compensation programs with professional services firms in Chicago, Kansas City and New York. Chris has a bachelor of science degree in business administration from William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. The team will report to Tracy Toro, managing director of Aon Aviation in New York. About Aon Aon Corporation is the leading global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital and management consulting, and specialty insurance underwriting. Through its 43,000 professionals worldwide, Aon readily delivers distinctive client value via innovative and effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions. Our industry-leading global resources, technical expertise and industry knowledge are delivered locally through more than 500 offices in more than 120 countries. Aon was ranked by A.M. Best as the number one global insurance brokerage in 2007 based on brokerage revenues, and voted best insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary, and best employee benefits consulting firm in 2007 by the readers of Business Insurance. For more information on Aon, log onto http://www.aon.com. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQTU19922012008-1.ht m **************