04 AUG 2008 _______________________________________ *NTSB: Accident Hawker 800 Crashed During Botched Landing Attempt *Qantas jet makes emergency landing in Sydney *Flight attendants ask Qantas to explain incidents *Report: Comair Civil Trial Called Off *Private jet's wing clips tractor at Pa. airport *Airline fined for flying faulty jet *Plane crash survivor guides rescuers with text messages *Australia Forms Special Team to Investigate Qantas Airlines *Faulty landing gear forces UA flight back to Beijing *FAA Shuts Down Juneau Charter Operator, Citing Safety Concerns *Engine problem forces flight to return to KC *************************************** NTSB: Accident Hawker 800 Crashed During Botched Landing Attempt Investigators Recover CVR, Ground Warning System Investigators released new information this weekend regarding Thursday's fatal crash of a Hawker 800 at a Minnesota airport. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the business jet's right wing struck a localizer antenna about 1,000 feet off the departure end of the runway, as the pilot apparently attempted to perform a botched landing. "The antenna stands about 8 feet high and straddles the width of the runway," said National Transportation Safety Board member Steven Chealander. "We have witness accounts that it did touch down and [the pilot] was trying to land and during the landing roll out, for some reason they made a decision to try to take off and get airborne again. "The airplane was still on the ground when it hit that antenna, and the accident sequence began at that point and [the plane] ended up in that cornfield," Chealander added. As ANN reported, East Coast Jets 81, inbound from Atlantic City, NJ, crashed Thursday morning on landing at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport (OWA), overrunning the end of the runway. Out of the two pilots and six passengers onboard, seven were confirmed lost at the scene; the eighth later died after being transported to an area hospital. For the moment, investigators still aren't certain why the Hawker 800 crashed. Lingering winds off a strong weather system that passed through the area shortly before the jet's fateful arrival at OWA may have been a factor, though Chealander cautioned against jumping to conclusions. "We are looking at all aspects of the flight, not just focusing on any one thing," he said. Of help to investigators will be the three flight data recorders onboard the Hawker, including a cockpit voice recorder and a Honeywell enhanced ground proximity warning system. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net ************** Qantas jet makes emergency landing in Sydney SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Australia's aviation agency launched a review of Qantas Airways' safety standards Sunday after a Manila-bound jetliner spraying hydraulic fuel made the airline's third high-profile emergency landing in eight days. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority announced the review after a Boeing 767 with 200 passengers on board returned to Sydney airport soon after take-off Saturday because air traffic controllers saw fluid streaming from a wing. "We have no evidence to suggest there are problems within Qantas, but we think it's prudent and wise to go in with a new special team and take an additional look at a range of operational issues within Qantas," Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson said Sunday. On July 25, an explosion on board a Qantas Boeing 747 en route from London to Australia blew a hole in the fuselage and caused rapid decompression in the passenger cabin. The jet landed safely in Manila despite damaged navigational instruments. Last Tuesday, an Australian domestic flight was forced to return to the southern city of Adelaide after a wheel bay door failed to close. FIND MORE STORIES IN: London | Australia | Sydney | Adelaide | Qantas Airways | Peter Gibson | Civil Aviation Safety Authority | David Cox | Qantas Boeing Qantas head of engineering David Cox welcomed the CASA review, which will take place over the next two weeks, and said the airline's maintenance and safety procedures remain first class. "We have no issue with this latest review and CASA says it has no evidence to suggest that safety standards at Qantas have fallen," Cox said in a statement. *************** Flight attendants ask Qantas to explain incidents Qantas flight attendants want assurances from management that the Australian carrier's planes are safe after a third mid-air incident in two weeks, a union official said Sunday. Attendants are concerned about media reports about maintenance practices at Qantas and do not have the specialised knowledge to assess the incidents, said Steven Reed, president of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia. "We want some assurances from the company that these are isolated incidents," Reed said. "We need to meet with the company at a senior level to have these assurances." The latest trouble came on Saturday, when a Qantas Boeing 767 bound for Manila was forced to turn back to Sydney after developing a leak of hydraulic fluid while in the air. On July 25, a Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route to Melbourne from Hong Kong made an emergency landing in Manila after a blast believed to have been caused by an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a large hole in its fuselage. Then last Monday, a Qantas 737-800 was forced to return to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080803034151.ll2gornc&show_article=1 ************** Report: Comair Civil Trial Called Off Most Cases Resolved In Settlements It's over. A federal judge called off the planned Monday hearing into lawsuits stemming from the August 2006 takeoff crash of a Comair regional jet in Lexington, KY. The Associated Press reports US District Court official Mark Armstrong confirmed the trial has been cancelled, as family members have settled most cases against the airline out of court. "Since the day of the accident, Comair has committed itself to treating the passenger families fairly and respectfully," Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx said. "It is comforting to come so far in this process and know we've honored our initial commitment." As ANN reported, Comair Flight 5191, a CRJ100 regional jet, crashed on takeoff from the shorter of two available runways at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport. The airliner was cleared to depart on the 7,000-foot Runway 22, but instead lined up to depart from the unlighted, 3500-ft. Runway 26. First officer James Polehinke, who was the flying pilot at the time of the accident, was the sole survivor out of 50 persons onboard. Two outstanding cases against the federal government and other parties -- but not involving Comair -- remain unresolved, said court clerk Susan Baker. A third case, this one filed against the Delta Air Lines subsidiary, remains open but has not had a trial date set due to a change in attorneys. Comair has also sued the FAA, to force the agency to share in compensation costs to victims of the crash. A number of lawsuits involving Polehinke also remain open. Still, for families who lost their loved ones on the morning of August 27, 2006, the settlements should finally bring them some peace. "It's an end of a long and horrible event for this community," said attorney Joe Savage, whose client settled her case against the airline for the loss of her parents. "I'm frankly glad everything is over and we can all get on with our lives." FMI: www.comair.com aero-news.net **************** Private jet's wing clips tractor at Pa. airport READING, Pa.—A private business jet's wing clipped a mowing tractor at Reading Regional Airport, and officials are trying to determine whose fault it was. The mishap occurred about 3:30 p.m. Sunday and closed one runway at the airport for several hours. Only the pilot and co-pilot were aboard the aircraft. No injuries were reported. Authorities say the twin-engine airplane, a Cessna Citation, was taxiing on the runway when it collided with the tractor which was crossing the airstrip. Airport manager Terry Sroka says the left wing of the plane was damaged, and fuel spilled on the runway. Airport officials told WFMZ-TV that both the pilot and tractor operator believed they had clearance to be on the runway. The plane was towed to a hanger, where the FAA will begin its investigation. *************** Airline fined for flying faulty jet A budget airline which flew a faulty jet 3,000 miles across the Atlantic after it had been struck by lightning has been fined £5,000. Despite knowing two engine pressure radio indicators (EPRs) were out of action, Globespan Airways Limited used some "optimistic interpretation" of the rules to allow the Boeing 757 to take off with 20 passengers. As a result the crew were forced to manually adjust the throttle with the help of another gauge. http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5igFS9Xi2G0iwx9QX76_LMSmGJ8Bg **************** Plane crash survivor guides rescuers with text messages VICTORIA -- For several desperate hours yesterday, the two survivors of a plane crash in a remote section of Vancouver Island watched as search aircraft flew overhead, the rescue crews unable to spot the wreckage hidden in the mountainous terrain. The Grumman Goose crashed a little after 7 a.m. yesterday, leaving five dead - including four members of the same tugboat crew. The pilot of the Pacific Coastal Airlines flight had been taking six passengers from Port Hardy for what was to be a short flight to a remote logging camp on the other side of the island. One survivor, with his cell-phone battery low and reception weak, was able to call and text-message a friend, trying to guide his rescuers. His descriptions were frightening - the plane had been consumed by fire - but with the emergency beacon destroyed, search crews were hampered by the thick forest that seemed to swallow the aircraft. It would be 10 hours before the worst of their ordeal ended, with helicopter crews arriving to airlift them to hospital. One survivor was injured, the other was not, said a spokesman for Pacific Coastal. "This was very unusual, an amazing frustrating search," said Lieutenant-Commander Gerry Pash of the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre. The information from the survivor, passed on by a third party, was cryptic but lent the search urgency. The plane was taking a Seaspan International Ltd. crew to the Interfor logging camp at Chamiss Bay, near the village of Kyuquot. It was a routine trip and a spokesman for Pacific Coastal said the pilot was experienced with the area. "We can confirm it did not make it to its final destination," said Spencer Smith, vice-president for customer relations. He would not identify the pilot. "He's been flying with us for a few years in that area." He said the company makes 75 to 100 flights a day. "Our hearts go out to the families involved, and that's our priority now," Mr. Smith said. Kelly Francis, a spokeswoman for Seaspan International, would not identify the crew. However she did confirm they were travelling on a routine trip to meet the tugboat Seaspan King to load logs from the camp to be hauled down the coast. There were six Seaspan employees on the flight. Late last night, Seaspan said in a statement that four of its employees died in the crash. "We offer our deepest sympathies to the families and will be working with them and the two Seaspan survivors to provide grief and trauma counselling," said the Vancouver-based tugboat company, a subsidiary of the Washington Marine Group. Lt-Cmdr. Pash said search-and-rescue crews weren't called in until 10 a.m. when Pacific Coastal officials, having failed to find the aircraft on their own, asked for assistance. The search was conducted by 442 Squadron out of the nearby Comox airforce base, using fixed-wing Buffalos and Cormorant helicopters. Local loggers turned up to try to search on the ground, and RCMP and the airline also contributed to the search. The amphibious aircraft was taking an overland route, almost due south from the northeast coast of Vancouver Island to the west coast, covering high mountain peaks. Lt.-Cmdr. Pash estimated the plane went down just 10 minutes after it took off, based on the crash location roughly mid-island. He said the 50-year-old, second-growth trees were perfect for hiding even an aircraft with a 15-metre wingspan, tall but still flexible enough to spring back and cover the wreckage. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080804.CRASH04/TPStory/Na tional *************** Australia Forms Special Team to Investigate Qantas Airlines Australia's aviation authorities have formed a special team to investigate Qantas airlines after three mid-air dramas in recent weeks. The decision comes after a Qantas flight to the Philippine capital, Manila, made an emergency landing at Sydney Airport Saturday after leaking hydraulic fluid. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports. Damaged right wing fuselage of a Qantas Airways Boeing 747-400 passenger plane at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines, 25 Jul 2008 Safety officials have stressed that there is no need for Qantas passengers to panic despite recent emergencies. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority - known as CASA - has said it has no evidence to suggest that standards at Qantas have slipped, but has ordered an immediate investigation as a precaution. A spokesman said it was "prudent and wise" to do so. A specialist team will look at the airline's maintenance systems and emergency procedures. The review has been prompted by three mid-air dramas. This weekend a Qantas Boeing 767 bound for Manila had to turn back to Sydney after leaking hydraulic fluid. Last Monday problems with landing gear forced a domestic flight to return to Adelaide. In July, an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a large hole in the fuselage of a Qantas jet en route from London to Melbourne. It had to be diverted to the Philippines and all passengers and crew escaped unharmed. Despite the recent emergencies, Qantas' executive general manager of engineering, David Cox, says the company has nothing to hide from investigators. "I think we're a bit of a victim of our own success," he said. "Qantas' safety standards are so high and so well recognized that when we do have an accident like the other day with OJK, the aircraft in Manila; it's big news. And look we're not afraid of the scrutiny that you know, that's what the business is about, that's what CASA's there for; we're not afraid of that scrutiny." Although Australia's national carrier does have a good safety record its proud reputation has been dented. Trade unions have insisted that the outsourcing of maintenance contracts overseas has affected standards, allegations that senior managers at Qantas have strongly rejected. The investigation into safety standards at Qantas will be carried out by senior aviation engineers and independent maintenance experts. The review will be take place over the next two weeks. Qantas has agreed to cooperate fully with the inquiry. http://voanews.com/english/2008-08-04-voa9.cfm *************** FAA Shuts Down Juneau Charter Operator, Citing Safety Concerns An Alaskan charter and commuter service based in Juneau that has been in operation since 1956 has been shut down by the FAA by an emergency order citing safety concerns. L.A.B. Flying Service ran a fleet of small aircraft including several Cherokee Sixes, a Britten-Norman Islander, and a Piper Navajo Chieftain. The FAA alleges that in 2002 and '03, there were five instances when things broke or fell off L.A.B. airplanes in flight. Since 2004, the company has committed an "astounding number" of maintenance-related violations, the FAA said. Then, in May of this year, the company took an engine out of an airplane that had been destroyed in a fire and bolted it to another airframe, without making any effort to check for heat damage, showing a "callous disregard" for safety, and "an appalling lack of the care, judgment and responsibility required of a certificate holder," according to the FAA. A brief statement posted at the company Web site reads, "Unfortunately we have temporarily suspended our flights. We've enjoyed serving SE Alaska for the last 52 years and look forward to serving you again. Thank you for your support." Christine Klein, deputy commissioner of Aviation for the State of Alaska Department of Transportation, told the Alaska Journal of Commerce that losing a carrier in Southeast Alaska means there will be a definite shortage of air service there. "This is devastating news to the passengers and travelers," she said. The FAA order took effect on July 24. A copy of the 28-page report is posted online. The company has 10 days to appeal. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAAShutsDownJuneauCharterOperator_Citin gSafetyConcerns_198524-1.html ************** Faulty landing gear forces UA flight back to Beijing airport shortly after take-off BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The UA888 flight of the United Airlines (UA) returned to Beijing Capital Airport after hovering about two hours in the sky, due to landing gear problem. No casualties were reported. The flight took off at 12 a.m. and landed again on the airport at 14:10 p.m. The cabin crew found the problem about one hour after the take-off and soon informed the 281 passengers on board. The UA arranged another aircraft to fly to San Francisco at 5:20 p.m. after loading all passengers and baggage. United Airlines (UA) of the United States launched the daily direct flight between Beijing to San Francisco in 2004. Flight UA888 undertaken by Boeing 777-200 starts from Beijing at 12:00 a.m. (Beijing Time) and is due to arrive in San Francisco at 8:35 a.m. local time the next day. *************** Engine problem forces flight to return to KC KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A United Airlines flight from Kansas City to Denver is forced to turn back soon after takeoff Sunday with engine problems. The Kansas City Star reports that United flight 505 left Kansas City International Airport around 7 p.m., but had to turn back and land about a half hour later. Airport spokesman Joe McBride says the Boeing 737 was carrying 133 passengers and crew members. United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski says the captain shut down the engine after a "check compressor" light came on. Urbanski says turning off the engine caused a loud noise, but there was no emergency. ***************