06 SEP 2008 _______________________________________ *FAA: US Airlines Comply With ADs 98 Percent Of Time *At Least Three Lost In Coast Guard HH-65 Downing In Hawaii *Final Settlements Reached In 1996 Palwaukee Accident *Firebug Flight Attendant No-Show For Court Appearance *FAA to Get High Marks in Report *11 Air Carriers Violated Safety Rules, F.A.A. Says *Indian Aviation Industry - Airport infrastructure news *************************************** FAA: US Airlines Comply With ADs 98 Percent Of Time And They're Working On That Other Two Percent The results are in following an FAA audit of US airline compliance with Airworthiness Directives, announced in April... and the agency says the results are encouraging. Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell said Friday FAA inspectors found an overall compliance rate of 98 percent in more than 5,600 audits of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) at US air carriers. In the remaining two percent of the audits, the carriers resolved the issues of noncompliance before the airplanes flew again. "This audit gives us confidence that, overall, the system is safe and in almost every instance the airlines are complying with our safety directives," Sturgell said. As ANN reported, the agency's reinvigorated pursuit of airline safety came after two inspectors blew the whistle on the too-friendly relationship between FAA officials tasked to oversee maintenance compliance at Southwest Airlines, and that carrier's management. Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar, who has spearheaded Congressional hearings on the matter, termed that relationship "a culture of coziness," which resulted in FAA inspectors allowing Southwest to skirt mandatory fuselage fatigue inspections on its older Boeing 737 models. In March, the FAA hit the Dallas-based low-cost carrier with a record $10.2 million fine, that the airline has yet to pay. Inspectors also found discrepancies with compliance at Delta, United, and American. Two FAA employees remain on administrative leave related to the alleged glad-handing at Southwest, pending the results of investigations by the DOT Inspector General. A third employee under investigation opted to retire. A management official in the Southwest Airlines CMO was transferred from that office to the Southwest region. A fifth employee, also a management official, has received a letter of proposed action. Alleged noncompliance in the audits fell into five categories: instances where the air carrier could not show compliance with the AD; cases where additional records were needed to prove compliance; cases where the air carrier did the work, but had to apply for an alternate means of compliance approval; situations where the AD work was not done, but the airplane was not flying; other minor discrepancies not involving ADs. The FAA stressed all noncompliance issues were corrected before the airplanes flew again, and the FAA is investigating to determine if enforcement actions are warranted. "Even with this tremendous level of safety and compliance, we have work to do," Sturgell added. "We're focusing on the language of our directives to make sure they are clear, concise and unambiguous, and we're working with industry to approve work in progress before the compliance date." Sturgell also gave a progress report on new safety initiatives announced in April: Safety Issues Reporting System - Complete Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program Approvals - Complete Ethics Policy Enhancement - In progress; proposed rule expected next summer Aviation Safety and Analysis Sharing Program expansion - In progress Independent Review Team - Complete; with Secretary Peters for review Airworthiness Directive Review - In progress aero-news.net *************** At Least Three Lost In Coast Guard HH-65 Downing In Hawaii Search Continues For Fourth Crewmember Search efforts are underway following the fatal downing of a US Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter during a training exercise Thursday night south of Honolulu, HI. USCG Rear Admiral Manson Brown told the Honolulu Advertiser three of the Dolphin's four-man crew were killed when the helo impacted the water six miles off Sand Island, during a "routine" mock search-and-rescue exercise. The accident occurred at approximately 8:15 pm. Three crewmembers were recovered from the water by the Honolulu Fire Department, and transported to Queens Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. A fourth crewmember remains missing as of Friday morning. "This is a very difficult case because rescuers are being rescued," said Brown, 14th Coast Guard District commander. The helicopter was based at USCG Air Station Barbers Point. The Coast Guard says its the first major downing of one of its rescue helicopters in over 25 years. Crews onboard a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and Coast Guard lifeboat were in the area at the time of the accident, and saw the Dolphin go down. The Coast Guard dispatched a C-130 rescue plane to the accident site. Personnel with the fire and police departments, as well as US Navy officials, are assisting in search efforts. IDENTIFICATION Regis#: UNK Make/Model: S65C Description: SA-365C DAUPHIN 2 Date: 09/04/2008 Time: 0615 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N Damage: Destroyed LOCATION City: HONOLULU State: HI Country: US DESCRIPTION HELICOPTER CRASHED DURING TRAINING MANEUVERS, HONOLULU, HI INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 3 # Crew: 4 Fat: 3 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: 1 # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: WEATHER: UNK OTHER DATA Activity: Training Phase: Maneuver Operation: OTHER FAA FSDO: HONOLULU, HI (WP13) Entry date: 09/05/2008 FMI: www.uscg.mil/d14/airstaBarbersPoint/ aero-news.net *************** Final Settlements Reached In 1996 Palwaukee Accident No Further Suits May Be Filed The participants have finally tired of a marathon lawsuit in Chicago which started more than a decade ago. The Chicago Tribune reports it all started October 30, 1996, when four people died in the fiery crash of a twin-engine Gulfstream IV jet, following a botched takeoff from what is now known as Chicago Executive Airport (PWK). The pilot, 53-year-old Martin Koppie, 54-year-old Aon Risk Services CEO Arthur Quern, 33-year-old flight attendant Christine Mio Anderson, and 50-year-old co-pilot Robert Hampton Whitener were leaving on a two-day round trip to Burbank, CA. The NTSB ruled that Koppie failed to maintain control in gusty crosswinds, and didn't abort the takeoff in time, and that Whitener failed to "adequately monitor and/or take sufficient remedial action." According to cockpit tapes recovered at the accident site, one of the pilots called for "reverse," but the other urgently said, "No, no, no, go, go, go, go, go." The jet's landing gear hit a ditch, the plane began shedding parts, and slid and burned just beyond the airport's north fence. The plane was owned by cosmetics giant Alberto-Culver, which had a cooperative arrangement with Aon Risk Services to share each others' aircraft when needed. The NTSB said the two companies did a poor job of address takeoff procedural differences between their aircraft. The airport got some blame for the ditch, which is no longer there. The families of all four victims got lawyers, and reached settlements or won jury verdicts in lawsuits against the companies, and against the airport, which is co-owned by the communities of Wheeling and Prospect Heights. In order to end the legal battle royale, the airport's insurance company agreed to pay $6 million to cover a portion of the loss of the jet, which was valued at over $27 million. Wednesday's settlement means the crash can spawn no more lawsuits. Chicago Executive Airport manager Dennis Rouleau said the settlement would have no financial impact on the airport. "I feel badly for the loss of life," Rouleau said. "It was an unfortunate accident. I'm just glad finally it's over." aero-news.net *************** Firebug Flight Attendant No-Show For Court Appearance Arrest Warrant Issued For Eder Rojas The former Compass Airlines flight attendant charged with starting a fire in an aircraft lavatory in May, to show his displeasure for having to work a run out of Minneapolis to Regina, Saskatchewan, failed to show up for a mandatory court appearance in Fargo, ND Friday. The Associated Press reports US District Judge Rodney Webb was not amused... and issued an arrest warrant for Eder Rojas, who was reportedly last seen at a halfway house about 3:30 am Friday morning. Rojas' tale is one of a troubled young man. As ANN reported in June, the 19-year-old confessed he deliberately started a fire in the rear lavatory of the Embraer 175 during the May 7 flight, because he was upset the airline made him work that route. He stuffed an extra packet of paper towels in the lav's dispenser just before the flight left Minneapolis, and later reached into the lav and lit the towels on fire before starting beverage service. The flames forced Flight 2040 to divert to Fargo, where it made an uneventful emergency landing. None of the 72 passengers and four crewmembers onboard were injured, though they were questioned by FBI agents and police upon arrival. A federal prosecutor later said Rojas was also crewing a flight whose bathroom caught fire about five weeks earlier. The prosecutor said in both cases, Rojas helped put out the blaze. Despite his confession, Rojas pleaded not guilty in June to the charges. Throughout this time, Rojas maintained an active account on the popular social networking site MySpace... boldly proclaiming "iM BaCK iNoCeNt UnTiL pRoVeN GuiLty!!! (sic... and Good Lord -- Ed.) His last login was September 1. Initially, Rojas was remanded to his father's custody... but was later ordered to the halfway house, for unspecified reasons. On Friday, Defense attorney Steven Light told Webb his client has been "incredibly unreceptive," and won't speak to him. FMI: www.compassairlines.com, www.ndd.uscourts.gov aero-news.net ************** FAA to Get High Marks in Report Safety Review Gives A Boost to Agency With Many Critics WASHINGTON -- An independent review team is expected to laud the Federal Aviation Administration's approach to ensuring airline safety, a big boost for an agency criticized after a string of oversight lapses. But the FAA still confronts several challenges, including how to get airlines to fully comply with its safety directives. The agency said Friday that it is investigating 17 new cases of noncompliance among 11 U.S. carriers. Overall, the agency is investigating about 24 instances of maintenance slipups stemming from about 5,600 reviews of safety compliance this year. In the most controversial case, Southwest Airlines Co. is contesting a $10.2 million penalty levied by the FAA after the airline operated flights using jets that were overdue for safety inspections. Multiple instances of noncompliance by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines also are under investigation, including wiring slipups that led to thousands of flight cancellations in April. The agency may propose a significantly larger penalty against American than the one pending against Southwest, according to people familiar with the matter. An American spokesman said "nobody has told us of the proposed dollar amount" for a possible fine. "It's very speculative at this point," he said. The report from the independent board of safety experts appointed by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is due Wednesday. It is expected to give the FAA high marks for its safety-enforcement efforts, and generally support the trend toward more voluntary compliance and working in partnership with airlines, according to people familiar with the details. There will be some recommendations to change existing programs, but the thrust of the findings will largely vindicate the agency's approach, management and independence, according to these people. The report comes after months of criticism from lawmakers and others, spurred by the Southwest incident, that the FAA has become too cozy with the airlines it regulates. FAA officials announced changes in recent months to reduce the chance of similar missteps. But the agency has maintained that its approach to ensuring airline safety is correct. The FAA repeated that view Friday in announcing findings from a second phase of safety audits over the summer that found a 98% compliance rate. Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell said the results validate the FAA's risk-based strategy, which depends mostly on analyzing maintenance records and other data given by airlines. "This audit gives us confidence that, overall, the system is safe and in almost every instance the airlines are complying with safety directives," Mr. Sturgell said. Some Democratic lawmakers disagreed. "This audit suggests that 98% compliance is satisfactory...There should be 100% compliance," said Jim Berard, spokesman for Rep. James Oberstar (D., Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "We saw the true scope of this problem when hundreds of planes were grounded, flights canceled and passengers stranded as airlines scrambled to bring their fleets into compliance earlier this year." Despite the summer audit results, and the positive report expected from the independent review team, safety compliance will continue to occupy the agency in coming months. At least three of the pending compliance cases are focused on AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and the wiring issues that led to the grounding of its MD-80 fleet in April. No fine against American has been decided. But there is growing concern inside the company that the proposed fine is likely to be significantly higher than the record $10.2 million fine that Southwest is now contesting. Separate analyses prepared for the company and the FAA indicate the eventual fine proposed could be as much as $30 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The local FAA office responsible for overseeing American is still reviewing flight and maintenance records, according to people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, the agency is still being pressed by the Department of Transportation's inspector general, and many in Congress, to adopt more changes. The panel's report isn't expected to call for FAA inspectors to have a significantly greater hands-on role with airlines, something many Democratic lawmakers and the union representing FAA inspectors have demanded. The independent panel is chaired by Edward Stimpson, a former U.S. representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. He couldn't be reached for comment. Brian Turmail, a spokesman for Ms. Peters, said the secretary "is appreciative of the work...and expects their recommendations will serve as an effective roadmap in helping the FAA build on the already unprecedented safety record we've experienced these past years." The independent review team's report is expected to strongly endorse voluntary compliance programs, which can allow airlines to sidestep penalties by self-reporting compliance violations, calling them essential to improving safety and finding incipient hazards before they cause fatalities. It is also expected to urge continued use of the agency's risk-based inspection approach, though it will call for better training for inspectors using the computerized system. An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment on pending investigations, and said she wasn't aware of the review's conclusions. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122066261502905989.html?mod=googlenews_wsj ************* 11 Air Carriers Violated Safety Rules, F.A.A. Says WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal aviation officials said Friday they are investigating 17 cases in which 11 air carriers did not comply with government safety directives. The cases were uncovered during a major Federal Aviation Administration effort to verify whether air carriers follow the agency's safety orders as required. The first phase of the inquiry this spring found seven instances in which four carriers had not complied with safety orders. F.A.A. officials declined to identify the carriers and said they did not know if some of the new cases involved carriers already under investigation. The inquiries were announced by Robert Sturgell, the F.A.A. administrator, who said 98 percent of the 5,600 safety directives audited by the agency had been followed by the carriers. He said the relatively few cases in which safety directives were not followed indicates there is a high level of safety in the air traffic system. He noted that the United States has not experienced a major airline accident in over two years. "These kinds of numbers are not an accident, it's not a miracle, it's not luck," Mr. Sturgell said. "It's the result of an entire team effort - the government, the industry, Congress, everybody involved in the aviation system - producing the safety net we have today." David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents the airline industry, said the association is pleased with the audit findings. Besides the 17 cases, most of the discrepancies uncovered by the audits "were generally technical and did not impact safety," Castelveter said. Nevertheless, they "serve as a useful reminder that we can always do better," he said. The audit inquiries covered about 10 percent of FAA's safety directives. *************** Indian Aviation Industry - Airport infrastructure news China and India are trying to out do each other by creating a massive aviation infrastructure, even as the industry itself struggles to survive, By Dhruv Tanwar As the global aviation industry charters a course through possibly the worst crisis in its history, China and India are trying to out do each other by creating a massive aviation infrastructure, even as the industry itself struggles to survive. India vs China China has laid out ambitious plans to develop 43 new airports by the end of 2010, that would increase to 244 by 2020. India is even more aggressive with its own plans. The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry has set itself a target of getting around 500 airports operational by 2020, which would include the redevelopment of currently unused airports. It would develop Greenfield airports, and also establish 'merchant' airports dedicated to the movement of cargo and logistics. As of March 2006, India had only 60 airports handling scheduled services. The country has a total of 448 airports currently, including small landing strips, of which around 80 are in active service handling scheduled services. Of the 448, 136 belong to India's defence establishment, 156 to its various state governments, and 63 to its fledgling private sector. That is an edge India has over China. In China, just about 60 per cent of the population lives within 100 km of an airport. On the other hand, in India, virtually every district has an airport or landing strip. That means every district in India, theoretically, can be connected by air. This was a mouth - watering prospect for low cost carriers when they went about their due diligence exercise prior to setting up commercial operations in India. Advantage India India's advantages over its larger neighbour also include the number of airport sites in existence, and the presence of an active investor community within the country. Moreover, the state government system is very familiar with airport management than that of China, as China's airports were transferred into the jurisdiction of local governments from central control just four years ago. For now, both China and India have their air traffic concentrated at a few key airports. In India, there are 24 international and customs airports collectively accounting for around 94 per cent of traffic, with the remaining six per cent spread over three dozen smaller airports. If the milestone of 500 airports needs to be achieved in just under 13 years from now, India would need to liberalise its aviation policy, and embark upon an aggressive programme to upgrade its existing smaller airports. Going forward, India's various state governments are expected pursue airport development programmes during the coming years, given the opportunities presented by the development of air services. Consequently, the role of the currently predominant Airports Authority of India (AAI) in airport development would diminish, and would be evident from the changes in the new aviation policy of the central government. Infusion of investment Investment in India's aviation infrastructure is set to get a massive infusion of investment over the coming five year period. Between now and 2020, the development activity around Greenfield airports, including the development of cargo and logistics terminals, is expected to gather pace. Also, a number of the undeveloped airports in the country will evolve into low cost terminals, a lot of them working under the public - private partnership model, and even with the involvement of the low cost carriers themselves. Examples of the upcoming partnerships are starting to be visible on the horizon. For starters, the Andhra Pradesh government has already issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the development of airports at Tadepallegudam, Ramagundam, Kurnool, Ongole, Bobbili, Nellore, Kothagudam, Nizamabad in the state. Other governments who have identified airports for development include Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to earmark around Rs12,434 crore for the process of upgrading and modernisation a number of airports in the country, with 43 per cent of its planned outlay being allocated towards the three metro airports in Kolkata, Chennai and Trivandrum. A large chunk of the remaining funds are reported to be allocated for the upgrading of other non-metro airports and the modernisation of existing aeronautical facilities. The AAI is in the process of spending around Rs5,332.13 crore for the three metro airports, with Chennai getting the lion's share of Rs2,462 crore. Kolkata airport will see an investment of RsRs2,417 crore in its modernisation programme. Trivandrum airport will get a relatively smaller amount of Rs452 crore for its upgraded version. The AAI has floated tenders for the modernisation of these metro projects, and once completed, these airports are said to be at part with India's busiest air-hubs of Mumbai and Delhi. Both Delhi and Mumbai airports are getting their own makeovers at the hands of major private players. Kolkata and Chennai are two of India's most profitable airports, and a major portion of the funds for their modernisation would be spent on starting new facilities such as integrated passenger terminals, constructing new runways and launching hi-tech communication services. These services would be marked to global standards, and would be developed with the assistance of several foreign partners who would help in construction on turn-key basis. ATC finally comes up to speed India's two largest airports - Delhi and Mumbai - have been faced with a severe shortfall of ATC staff. Just about 100 air traffic controllers guide almost 500 planes a day, representing an almost 50 per cent shortfall in ATC staff. Of the 87 domestic airports, an inadequate 1,000 air traffic controllers guide air traffic across India's booming aviation sector. Against the 2,500 flights per day currently witnessed in the sector, India needs a minimum of 2,500 ATCs. Yet, an official from the Airport Authority India (AAI) admits that no new ATCs have been recruited during the last five years. However, hope is at hand. The AAI would also spend a large part of the Rs1,743 crore into modernising aeronautical communication systems at over 125 airports managed by it. The money would go towards installing new communication and navigational systems for the air traffic control (ATC) in inland and oceanic areas, using satellite mode of communication at these airports for faster transfer of aircraft and cargo. Flexible Airspace use to drive down costs With congestion growing in India's airspace, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have decided to lend a helping hand to each other across the country for facilitating more flexible usage of airspace. The defence and civil aviation bodies have set up the Joint Regional Air Traffic Coordination Centre (JRATCC) at Chennai airport, and the Indian Air Force now plans to replicate this to other parts of the country. Earlier this year, the Ajay Prasad Committee had recommended flexible use of airspace as a measure to optimise both military and civil aviation needs. This was after major lobbying by the civil aviation community, which insisted that the policy change could help them save at least 15 per cent of the operational costs of the airlines if air routes are straightened and civil aircraft are provided more air space. The committee had been established to come up with a master plan for the next generation of futuristic air navigation services, and both the defence ministry and the IAF had accepted the committee's recommendation pertaining to flexible use of airspace. Air cargo plans firm despite industry slowdown Erstwhile Deccan Aviation chief Capt GR Gopinath has started a separate cargo airline company, Deccan Cargo. He has also outlined plans to acquire a large version of cargo airplane from Boeing's European rival Airbus. Flyington Freighters, the Hyderabad based air freighter is also reported to be mulling a fleet of around half a dozen cargo planes to start international freighter operations. National carrier Air India is reported to be evaluating conversion of the older planes in its fleet into cargo haulers. Air India has a separate cargo division, and has leased some cargo planes to logistics provider Gati. Tier II expansion, feeders airlines, airport cities, and job opportunities Following real estate, automobiles and organised retail, the aviation sector is the latest to draw up expansion plans to tier two cities in India. Low-cost airlines are eyeing the at tier two cities to for possible expansion of its operational network, proposing connectivity with Mumbai and Delhi from cities like Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Pune. Airports infrastructure player GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd, too planned to launch a new airline in association with a domestic carrier, as a new feeder service that would focus on 35 tier-II city airports. Bengaluru International Airport is looking to grow an ''Airport City'' in its vicinity that will create one lakh jobs for qualified people. Aviation experts say that airports of the 21st century will shape business location and urban development, just as sea-ports did in the 18th century, railroads did in the 19th century, and highways in the 20th century. The economic landscape is set to change with the developing aviation infrastructure. Once the air connectivity though India's 500 airports becomes a reality, it would lay the foundations for truly inclusive grown, rendering geographical distances meaningless. Besides reducing passenger and freight travel times, the economic benefits of the industry's ability to move inland and leverage lower cost land and labour would not only ensure higher profitability and return on capital, but also ensure that the benefits of industrialisation trickle down to the interior of India. The likes of Infosys would not need to hinge their businesses around metros anymore, and would have better access to the Indian workforce. Levelling this playing field, aviation infrastructure would also have multiple benefits for India's manufacturing sector, as goods would move faster via the cargo and logistics hubs to domestic and international destinations. Investment would no longer be concentrated near highways and ports, and the interior of the country would also see rapid industrialisation. Only then, would India be able to attain its double digit economic growth potential. http://www.domain-b.com/aero/20080905_airport_infrastructure.html ***************