04 MAR 2008 _______________________________________ *American Pulls One 777 From Fleet Following Autothrottle Issue *American Airlines jet in emergency landing in Britain *Lufthansa A320 Avoids Landing Mishap In Strong -- STRONG! -- Crosswind *NTSB To Hold Safety Forum On UAVs *Arroyo signs civil aviation bill into law *David A. Prewitt Joins iJET's Transportation Intelligence Advisory Board **************************************** American Pulls One 777 From Fleet Following Autothrottle Issue Says Problem Unrelated To British Airways Incident American Airlines grounded one of its 777-200s following a reported autothrottle problem last week, as the aircraft approached to land at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report in Air Business Travel News, Flight 299 from Miami to LAX experienced slow engine response to autothrottle inputs February 28, as the aircraft descended through 2,000 feet. The scenario appears to be similar to that encountered by a British Airways 777 in January, when both engines failed to respond to throttle inputs moments before landing at London Heathrow Airport. That aircraft, operating as Flight 38 from Beijing, China, landed short of the runway January 17, injuring some of the 152 persons onboard. While the investigation is ongoing, officials have all-but ruled out a mechanical issue in that accident, as ANN reported. There was some damage to the fuel pumps, investigators noted, and what were termed small items of debris found in the BA plane's fuel tanks. Despite the apparent similarities, however, American Airlines officials stressed the two incidents appear to be unrelated. The aircraft has been taken out of service and an internal investigation is underway," the airline stated. "A preliminary analysis by Rolls-Royce of the information recorded of the incident by the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) indicates that this was a very different event to that experienced by BA038." The Allied Pilots Association (APA) represents pilots at American. In a media statement issued last week, the union noted the aircraft's right engine continued to function normally, unlike the British Airways incident -- in which the right engine failed initially, followed approximately eight seconds later by the left. "AA Flight 229 had the left engine hang up on approach to LAX at approximately 2,000ft," the union stated. "The auto throttles were on and the left engine hung at approach idle as the right engine accelerated normally. "It is believed that the left engine would not respond to throttle inputs for 10-15 seconds before finally responding and accelerating to the commanded thrust. The right engine performed normally." FMI: www.boeing.com, www.faa.gov aero-news.net *************** American Airlines jet in emergency landing in Britain London - An American Airlines passenger jet made an emergency landing at Glasgow airport in Scotland Monday after reporting a fire on board which was later treated as a 'false alarm,' the British Airport Authority (BAA) said. The Los Angeles-bound Boeing 777-200, carrying 207 passengers, had taken off from London's Heathrow airport but was diverted to Glasgow when a light in the cockpit indicated there was a fire in the hold. Fire services were on the scene but were not required and as no fire was discovered in what was being treated as a false alarm. The BAA spokesman said American Airlines was sending an engineer to Glasgow to check out the problem. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/uk/news/article_1393756.php/American_Airl ines_jet_in_emergency_landing_in_Britain__Roundup_ *************** Lufthansa A320 Avoids Landing Mishap In Strong -- STRONG! -- Crosswind Chances are good your friends have already swamped your email Inbox with the images of a Lufthansa A320 scrapping its left wing along the concrete at Fuhlsbuettel Airport in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday -- evidence, caught on tape by a planespotter, of a go-around that very nearly wasn't. The video shows the Airbus narrowbody, inbound from Munich, crabbing its way against a strong quartering headwind towards the runway. The wind came courtesy of a winter storm that brought Category 3 winds to the area, and closed several other airports. Things turned wonky when the pilot attempted to transition out of the crab to land. Even as the right, upwind wing lowered, the aircraft continued to be pushed to the left. As the pilot attempted to straighten things out with the rudder, the airliner smacked the runway hard on its left maingear... and then things really got interesting, as a gust of wind lifted the right wing, tipping the aircraft until its left wingtip hit the pavement. It's just after that point the video shows the engines spooling up, and the aircraft taking flight once again... narrowly avoiding a similar strike to its right wing in the process. A spokesman for Lufthansa praised the flight crew's handling of what he described as a sudden "155 mph" wind gust. "It was a dicey situation. People were quite shaken," Wolfgang Weber told CNN. He added the pilots performed an "absolutely professional maneuver." The pilot, said to be a 17-year Lufthansa veteran, reportedly requested an alternate runway... and the aircraft landed uneventfully about 10 minutes later. After repairs to the plane's left wing fence, the A320 was back in service Sunday. Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation will examine whether the airport erred in keeping the runway active. While some will question the crew's decision to continue the approach in such horrendous conditions -- at one point prior to touchdown, the aircraft appears to be crabbing at a nearly-45-degree angle to the runway, and the airliner was buffeted by strong winds throughout its approach -- Axel Raab, spokesman for Deutsche Flugsicherung, which handles air traffic control operations in Germany, said neither the flight crew nor the tower appeared to be at fault. "I don’t want to anticipate the results of the investigation, but at first sight no one has anything to answer for," Raab said. No matter what the investigation uncovers... we suspect this is one video that's going to be recommended viewing for all pilots for years to come. FMI: www.lufthansa.com, www.dfs-ais.de/pilotservice/ Aero-news.net *************** NTSB To Hold Safety Forum On UAVs Event Comes Following April 2006 Predator Downing In Arizona The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a three-day forum on the safety of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The forum will be convened April 29 to May 1 in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington. The agency says the forum will provide an opportunity for the Board and interested parties to understand the safety implications presented by the growing use of UAS in the National Airspace System. Issues addressed will include: - Regulatory standards, - Integration with the National Airspace System, - Perspectives of current UAS operators, - Design, certification and airworthiness, - Human factors, - Future UAS applications and perspectives of current users of the National Airspace System. The forum is a result of the Safety Board's investigation into a Predator B unmanned aircraft that crashed near Nogales, AZ in April 2006. As ANN reported, the Board's October 2007 meeting on this accident resulted in 22 safety recommendations to address deficiencies associated with the civilian use of unmanned aircraft. "The Nogales accident surfaced a number of important questions that need to be addressed if UAS's are to operate safely in the National Air Space," said Board Member Kitty Higgins, who will chair the forum. "We are very interested in the military's experience with UAS's, training of pilots, maintenance of the aircraft, communication with Air Traffic Control and oversight of UAS operations by public use agencies and other operators." The forum will include representatives from the military, industry, the FAA, and government agencies involved in UAS operations. Interested members of the aviation community and general public are encouraged to attend. A forum agenda will be announced in mid-April. Representatives from the UAS industry also are invited to set up display booths and unmanned aircraft vehicle scale models that demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems and technologies. Display space is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net **************** Arroyo signs civil aviation bill into law MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Act of 2008 to upgrade the country's airports. In her speech ahead of the signing, Arroyo thanked Congress for approving the Civil Aviation Authority Act. “This is a good reminder for the country and the world that this administration continues to serve its people and is committed to pursue reforms for better governance,” Arroyo said in Filipino in her speech before the signing at the Malacañang Heroes Hall. She also said that with the new Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Act, air transport would be much safer and there would be no obstacle to the growth of tourism and investments that would create hundreds of jobs in the country or perhaps millions more,” she said. Vice President Noli de Castro, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Speaker Prospero Nograles and other lawmakers including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Edgardo Angara witnessed the signing Tuesday. In January, the United States’ Federal Aviation Authority had found Philippines to be an unsafe port of origin, downgrading the country's rating in its international air safety assessment. The FAA included the Philippines in a list of 21 countries that failed to “provide safety oversight of its air carrier operators in accordance with the minimum safety oversight standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).” In its new Flight Standards Service-International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) released January 8, the FAA downgraded the country’s rating from category 1 to category 2. Countries that fall under category 1 are those which comply with ICAO aviation safety standards, while those that fall under category 2 do not, the FAA said on its website. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080304-122652/UPDATE -2-Arroyo-signs-civil-aviation-bill-into-law ***************** David A. Prewitt Joins iJET's Transportation Intelligence Advisory Board FedEx Air Safety Director Adds Aviation Expertise to iJET Transportation Board ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today announced the addition of aviation safety professional David A. Prewitt to the iJET Transportation Intelligence Advisory Board. Prewitt's air safety knowledge complements the Transportation Board's existing industry expertise in advising iJET's initiatives to strengthen and protect corporate and government facilities, supply chain assets and transportation channels against threats around the world. Prewitt currently serves as Managing Director, Air Safety and Regulatory Compliance for FedEx Express. Prewitt has managed all aspects of the FedEx Flight Safety Program, including maintenance and ground safety worldwide, since August 2006. He also manages the emergency response plan for FedEx Express and is responsible for the development of the airline's Safety Management System. Prewitt has a long history of dedication to the air safety industry, having worked with both freight and passenger airlines. Prewitt served as Vice President of Safety for Alaska Airlines, overseeing all of its safety and security functions. Prior to his tenure at Alaska Airlines, Prewitt was Staff Vice President of Corporate Safety and Security at Trans World Airlines (TWA), where he managed all safety and security activities worldwide, developed an internal audit system for TWA operating departments, was involved in the Flight Operations Quality Assurance Program with the Federal Aviation Administration, and developed TWA's accident and incident reporting system and a safety information system and database. Prewitt developed his aviation expertise during his 28 years in the U.S. Army Aviation, retiring as Chief Warrant Officer Five. Prewitt has served on the Board of Directors for the Medallion Foundation in 2002 and was Chairman of the Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN) until 2006. Prewitt received an MS in Education from Troy State University and a BS in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle. He holds current Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Ground Instructor Certificates. "Dave's extensive background and knowledge has made him an authority in the industry and we look forward his contributions to the board," said iJET CEO Steve Hoffman. "His career-long focus on aviation safety and security will further enhance the Transportation Board's mission of providing sound analysis on the transportation-related demands and issues our clients face today." Transportation Intelligence Advisory Board members are appointed by iJET to identify current trends in transportation security for global trade and to offer advice around iJET's risk management services. Formed in 2006, the board focuses on threats to supply chain networks and corporate assets in all modes of transportation due to disasters, globalization, and unstable corporate operating strategies. Board members also provide analysis and recommendations for iJET's Worldcue Airline Monitor service, an extension of its Worldcue Travel Risk Management solution. The Worldcue Airline Monitor allows companies to further minimize their travelers' exposure to risk by notifying travel managers of trips booked on airline carriers that do not meet minimum standards of operational safety. iJET's intelligence team and transportation experts monitor and analyze information on more than 350 airlines, including large commercial scheduled passenger airlines and a number of smaller and charter passenger carriers, to determine risk ratings. The Transportation Intelligence Board is comprised of industry leaders in NATO programs, naval intelligence, transportation consulting, global security enforcement, law and risk management. The Transportation Board joins the Security Intelligence Advisory and Health Intelligence Advisory Boards to support iJET's corporate risk management and resiliency services. Additional iJET Transportation Intelligence Board members include: -- Andrew Chester -- Vice President of Global Information Services for iJET (Chair of Transportation Board) -- Henry DeGeneste -- Former Director of Public Safety and Superintendent of Police for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey -- Luke Ritter -- Founder and CEO of Trident Global Partners -- Captain David M. Swain RN -- Retired from the UK Royal Navy after 34 years service worldwide. About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems iJET Intelligent Risk Systems is a leader in business resiliency, helping multinational corporations and government organizations monitor, protect against and respond to global threats. Integrating world-class open source intelligence with patented technology, iJET's award-winning Worldcue(R) solutions help clients monitor and assess global threats relative to their key people, facilities and supply chain assets; automatically track and communicate with travelers and expatriates; and deploy emergency response services throughout the world at a moment's notice. Providing a unified view of threats to assets, iJET enables clients to mitigate risks, reduce corporate liability and prepare for and respond to crises. For more information about iJET, please visit http://www.ijet.com/. *****************