26 SEP 2008 _______________________________________ *Russia Grounds 737 Flights Following Perm Crash *FAA finds Croatia does not meet ICAO safety standards *Australia: Regulations on alcohol and drug testing *German police seize terror suspects on KLM flight *GAO: Risk of runway collision still high *Computer glitch disrupts flights at airports *Boeing sees fresh orders for its 767s *FAA: Two controllers not fully certified *Virgin Nigeria begins introducing Embraer 190s *Qantas poaches Virgin Atlantic COO, Jetstar appoints CEO *************************************** Russia Grounds 737 Flights Following Perm Crash Says Pilots Need Additional Training Immediately Russia's aviation authority has called for the immediate grounding of all passenger flights on Boeing 737 airliners, following the September 14 downing of an Aeroflot-Nord aircraft that claimed the lives of 88 passengers and crewmembers. It was not clear whether the ruling applies to all 107 Boeing 737s in service in Russia, or only older Classic models similar to the -500 that crashed on approach to land in Perm, in the Ural Mountains. It's also unclear how long the suspension will last. Citing statements by RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported Thursday that Federal Agency of Air Transport spokesman Sergei Samoshin said pilots need additional training on the differences between Russian attitude indicators, and the Western-style AIs used in Boeing planes. Though investigators have not yet determined a cause of the accident, officials note the captain of the Aeroflot-Nord flight has relatively little experience in the 737, having flown Soviet-made planes for most of his career. As ANN reported, the focus of the accident investigation has shifted from earlier witness reports of an engine fire, to an air traffic controller's claims the 737's pilot acted strangely in the moments leading up to the crash. Irek Bikbov told Russia's Channel One network last week the pilot disobeyed instructions as the plane was on final approach to land in Perm. Bikbov says the 737 climbed after he told the pilot to descend, and that the aircraft turn in the wrong direction after going missed on the first approach. The jet crashed shortly after. The pilot, whose name has not been released, reportedly told Bikbov all was normal onboard the plane. Investigators hope the plane's cockpit voice and data recorders -- both heavily damaged in the fiery crash -- may still shed light on what was happening in the cockpit during the flight's final moments. FMI: www.mak.ru/english/english.html, www.aeroflot-nord.ru/english/ aero-news.net *************** FAA finds Croatia does not meet ICAO safety standards The U.S. FAA announced that Croatia does not comply with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following an assessment of the country's civil aviation authority in January. Croatia's Category 2 safety rating means that the country's civil aviation authority does not comply with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority - equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, recordkeeping or inspection procedures. With the IASA Category 2 rating, Croatian air carriers cannot establish service to the United States. The government of Croatia has informed the FAA that they are working diligently to correct all areas of concern as they move to establish a safety oversight system that will be fully compliant with international standards and recommended practices. (aviation-safety.net) ***************** Australia: Regulations on alcohol and drug testing New regulations requiring random alcohol and drug testing of Australia's 120,000 aviation workers comes into force today. The new regulations give aviation organisations, such as airlines and maintenance companies, six months to put in place detailed drug and alcohol management plans covering pre-employment testing, reasonable suspicion testing and post-accident testing, as well as education, training and rehabilitation. The regulations cover pilots, engineers, cabin crew, flight instructors, re-fuelers, dispatchers, load controllers, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers and even Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) staff that perform duties airside. Under the new regime, it is an offence for people working in aviation safety roles to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. CASA will administer the new program, with the aim of starting random testing before the end of the year. (aviation-safety.net) ******************* German police seize terror suspects on KLM flight German newspaper says police stormed KLM flight in Cologne early Friday Two terrorist suspects arrested on flight for Amsterdam Two men said to be Somali man, 23 and German born in Somalia, 24 BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- German police commandos grabbed two terrorist suspects from an Amsterdam-bound flight early Friday before the plane took off from Cologne, police said. The arrests were made at Cologne's airport. A 23-year-old Somali man and a 24-year-old German born in Somalia were arrested before the KLM flight left the airport, North Rhine-Westphalia state police said. A KLM spokeswoman said on NOS news in the Netherlands that police boarded the plane when it was at its "point of departure" and grabbed the two suspects. Everyone was then forced to leave the plane, and there was a "baggage parade" to see whose bags belonged to whom, she said. No further details were immediately available. Germany's top-selling Bild newspaper, citing police sources, said the two had been under observation for months and a suicide note was found in their apartment saying that they wanted to die for the "jihad" or "holy war." ***************** GAO: Risk of runway collision still high WASHINGTON - The rate of close calls on airport runways is up over last year and the risk of a collision is high, a government investigator said Thursday. Gerald Dillingham, the General Accountability Office's top expert on aviation safety, told a House panel that even though the Federal Aviation Administration "has given a higher priority to runway safety" there were 24 of the most serious kinds of runway incursions - defined as an event in which any aircraft, vehicle or person intrudes in space reserved for takeoff or landing - in fiscal 2008. That's the same number of serious runway incursions as last year. But since air traffic operations have declined this year, the rate of serious incidents - measured by number of incidents per 1 million takeoffs and landings - increased 5 percent in the first three quarters of fiscal 2008, Dillingham told the House transportation committee's aviation subcommittee. The rate of all types of runway incursions - ranging from near collisions to minor incidents in which there was no threat to safety - was 6.72 in the first three quarters of 2008, up 10 percent compared to the same three quarters in 2007 and 2001, when the rate was at its previous peak of 6.11, Dillingham said. "We all agree ... that FAA has given a higher priority to runway safety," including following several GAO recommendations, Dillingham said. "Despite these actions the risk of runway collisions is still high." FAA Chief Operating Officer Hank Krakowski said the agency has made "solid progress" this year. He noted that the 24 serious incidents in 2007 were down from a high of 53 incidents in 2001. Runway incursions are a top safety concern internationally and among U.S. air safety officials. The deadliest disaster in commercial aviation history was a runway incursion in 1977, when 582 were killed in the ground collision of two Boeing 747s operated by Pan American and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at the Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands. Since 1990, 112 people have died in seven U.S. runway incursions, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Among the initiatives FAA is taking to boost runway safety: Installation of electronic mapping equipment in the cockpits of 80 airliners, belonging to four airlines, that will provide the position of the aircraft while on the ground. Installation of runway status lights over the next three years at 21 airports to signal pilots when a runway is safe to enter or cross. In the long term, FAA plans for a satellite-based map system on all commercial airliners that will show pilots the location of their aircraft in the air and on the ground, as well as the positions of other planes. In December, GAO warned that air travelers face a high risk of a catastrophic collision on U.S. airport runways because of faltering federal leadership, malfunctioning technology and overworked air traffic controllers. Dillingham and Krakowski agreed that mistakes by pilots and controllers rather than technology problems were key factors in many incursions. The most recent serious runway incursion occurred last week at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa. A United Express flight with 60 passengers had to brake and swerve at 140 mph to avoid by about 10 feet a small plane on the same runway. The flight crew of the Chicago-bound regional jet spotted the Cessna four-seat propeller plane just ahead of it and aborted takeoff. The Cessna had just landed on the same runway but missed its exit. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said a controller training to work in the Allentown airport's tower mistakenly thought the Cessna had left the runway and cleared the United Express flight for takeoff. The association's president, Patrick Forrey, complained that the FAA doesn't have enough controllers to adequately staff some facilities. FAA officials said the Allentown tower had the number of controllers required by regulatons. NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker told The Associated Press he applauds the steps the FAA has taken to reduce runway accidents but worries they may not be enough to head off a disaster. "The runway incursion issue is the thing that keeps me up at night," Rosenker said. "We have been very close in recent years to seeing a terrible collision." http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20080925-1314-runwaysafety.html *************** Computer glitch disrupts flights at airports LONDON (Reuters) - Flights from some of Britain's busiest airports are being delayed due to a computer problem at the country's main air traffic control centre at Swanwick, London's Heathrow and Luton airports said on Thursday. "Passengers are advised that arriving and departing flights from all south-east airports are currently experiencing delays due to a problem with air traffic control systems operated by NATS," Heathrow Airport said on its website. "Engineers from NATS are investigating the cause of the fault and are working to restore the system as soon as possible." Luton Airport reported similar delays. NATS, which provides air traffic control services at 15 of the UK's biggest airports, was not immediately available for comment. ************* Boeing sees fresh orders for its 767s Planes will sub for delayed Dreamliner Even if it never builds 767 tankers for the Air Force, The Boeing Co. is finally seeing fresh orders for that plane -- from 787 customers whose Dreamliners are late. Among 24 new jetliner orders that Boeing announced Thursday were nine 767s from an unidentified customer. And that doesn't include nine more 767s that All Nippon Airways of Japan announced it will buy to sub for some of its late 787s. Boeing would not comment, but sources said the nine planes for the unidentified customer are 767-300ER passenger models for Japan Airlines, which has ordered 35 787s. ANA, the launch customer for the 787, said Thursday its board had decided to order nine 767-300ERs to help it with lift capacity because the 50 Dreamliners it has ordered will be 14 to 36 months late. The JAL and ANA 767s are part of a compensation deal that Boeing and the airlines have been working on for several months. Boeing is expected to end up paying several billion dollars in late penalty fees to the more than 50 customers who have ordered some 900 Dreamliners. But those penalty payments are likely to include, where possible, cut-rate deals on other jets like the 767. Sources said Boeing will add more 767s to its order book in the coming months as additional deals are reached with 787 customers. Airbus is also hoping to sell its A330 to some of those 787 customers. Boeing has won 11 firm orders for its 767 this year. The other two planes were ordered by Azerbaijan Airlines as part of a compensation package that Boeing negotiated with the airline to make up for the 787 delays. Among the 24 new orders Boeing won are four 777s and 11 737s, one of which is a business jet. Boeing now has 612 orders in 2008. It trails Airbus, however, and appears unlikely to overtake its rival before the end of the year. Boeing beat Airbus in orders in 2007 for the first time since 2000. As of Thursday, Boeing had a backlog of 55 767s that have not yet been built or delivered. The number includes the latest nine listed for the unidentified customer. The 787 is some 14 months behind schedule, mainly because Boeing's global partners fell behind with the new production system being used for the Dreamliner. Rather than focusing on final assembly, the delays have meant Boeing workers at the Everett plant must complete the work that should have been done by the partners. First flight of the Dreamliner was originally set for late August or September of last year. After a series of delays, Boeing had hoped to get that first flight accomplished by the end of this year. But that goal was set before the Machinists union struck the company Sept. 6. The strike, which enters its third week Saturday, has shut down Boeing's jetliner production and may push back first flight of the 787 into at least early 2009. All Nippon Airways said its first Dreamliner will be delivered in August of next year. The timing of the airline's announcement on Thursday is curious, given the Boeing strike. A delay in first flight will trigger delays in the 787 flight test schedule. And eventually the strike, depending on how long it lasts, could affect Boeing's plans to deliver 25 787s by the end of 2009. Boeing will continue to build 787s for customers once it has completed work on the six test flight planes. But it would have to make modifications to any customer planes before delivery, depending on what problems are found during the test flight program. An ANA spokesman could not explain why the airline is confident it will get its first Dreamliner in August despite the ongoing strike. In other Boeing news, Goldman Sachs lowered its target price for Boeing's stock Thursday because of the ongoing credit crisis, which means Boeing may have to finance more planes. "We believe that the amount of funding from traditional aircraft financing sources is shrinking and that Boeing's customers may face near-term challenges financing aircraft purchases," Goldman analyst Richard Safran wrote in a note to investors. He cut his 12-month projection for Boeing's stock price to $56 from $60 and kept his "sell" rating on the shares. In trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, Boeing shares gained 6 cents to close at $57.42. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/380673_dreamliner26.html **************** FAA: Two controllers not fully certified Pair was unsupervised in tower when two planes nearly collided, top official testifies. WASHINGTON - A top official at the Federal Aviation Administration told lawmakers Thursday he's concerned that two relatively inexperienced air traffic controllers were alone on duty in the tower -- while other controllers were on break -- when two planes narrowly missed colliding last week at Lehigh Valley International Airport. A regional jet carrying 39 passengers had to swerve on takeoff last Friday night to avoid a small plane that was taxiing on the runway. They missed one another by about 10 feet. Testifying before a U.S. House aviation panel, Hank Krakowski, chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, said neither of the two controllers in the LVIA tower was fully certified. Of the six other controllers on duty, three were on break and the others were handling radar. Krakowski said the controller who cleared the Chicago-bound United Express flight for take-off completed his training a month ago, but has been decertified and must undergo more training, as is normal procedure after a near-collision. The controller in charge at the time had been at LVIA for 10 months and had five years of experience. Though neither was fully certified to handle every controller position, both had the proper training to handle traffic, Krakowski said. ''There is a concern here how we ended up in that configuration,'' Krakowski told lawmakers. Still, he said he doesn't believe it was a violation of FAA rules that neither controller was fully certified, and he emphasized that the controller in charge ''was no amateur.'' The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. ''I need to understand why the complement of people who were on break were on break, what was the decision making around having those two controllers up there at that time of day with that traffic level,'' Krakowski said after the hearing, which focused on runway safety. ''I've got questions. I'd like to understand this.'' Among those on break at the time was the supervisor of all the controllers. There was one other plane ''in the pattern'' at the time, he said. Including Friday's close call at LVIA, there have been 24 ''serious runway incursions'' -- as near-collisions are described by the FAA -- in the fiscal year that ends Tuesday, matching the total from last year. But because overall airport traffic is down this year, the rate has increased by about 10 percent, according to the Government Accountability Office, whose top aviation expert testified before the panel Thursday. At the same time, the rate of ''unauthorized intrusions'' on runways -- regardless of whether there was a potential for a collision -- is up 12 percent from 2007. Runway safety has been listed annually on the NTSB's ''most wanted list of transportation improvements.'' ''We cannot become complacent about our safety,'' said U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, the Democratic chairman of the Transportation Committee's aviation panel. ''One accident or one near-accident is one too many.'' The FAA, responding to pressure to improve safety, has made several technological upgrades this year -- from enhanced surveillance to improved runway lighting -- but has so far rolled out the changes at only the nation's largest airports. ''We can do everything right, but we still have human factor issues to tackle,'' Krakowski said. Much of Thursday's hearing focused on the chain of events that led up to Friday's near-collision at LVIA. Around 7:45 p.m., shortly after a Cessna landed but before it had cleared the runway, an LVIA air traffic controller gave the United Express jet the go-ahead to take off. But the four-seat propeller plane had missed its turn while taxiing, and the jet going 138 mph had to brake and swerve to avoid it. Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, questioned an FAA policy that would allow two controllers who weren't fully certified to man an airport tower. ''I think that is a bad policy that had people sitting in a tower all by themselves who weren't fully certified,'' he told lawmakers. Pressed on who was to blame for the incident, Krakowski said the evidence points toward error by the air traffic controller, but ''we'll let the NTSB do the work.'' ''This is normal stuff you do after an event like this,'' he said afterward. ''Did we make good management decisions? Yes or no? So we are going to find out as the NTSB works through this.'' U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, R-15th District, a member of the aviation subcommittee, also attended the hearing. ''Obviously, we need to have a thorough investigation,'' he said. ''It's pretty clear the jet was cleared for take-off when it shouldn't have been.'' http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5faa.6604459sep26,0,6468385.story *************** Virgin Nigeria begins introducing Embraer 190s African carrier Virgin Nigeria has taken delivery of its first Embraer 190, one of 10 regional jets ordered by the airline last year. The aircraft is configured with 96 seats in two classes: Embraer says 12 are first-class seats and 84 are 'Elite' seats. Virgin Nigeria's aircraft also features a Thales Avionics in-flight entertainment system in individual seats. It will use the twin-jet on domestic and local services, feeding the carrier's international flights from Lagos. Virgin Nigeria's regional jet order comprised three Embraer 190s and seven 170s, plus options and purchase rights for 14 further aircraft. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Qantas poaches Virgin Atlantic COO, Jetstar appoints CEO Virgin Atlantic Airways' chief operating officer Lyell Strambi will be joining Qantas Airways in the newly created position of executive general manager operations and Qantas' low-cost carrier Jetstar has promoted Bruce Buchanan to be its CEO. Qantas says in a statement Strambi will be joining on 1 December in the newly created position of executive general manager operations responsible for overseeing engineering, pilots, airports, catering and flight training. Strambi is currently chief operating officer of UK carrier Virgin Atlantic. Qantas' designated CEO, Alan Joyce, is familiar with him because the two worked together at Ansett Australia, it says. Joyce was recently designated as CEO and will officially take over on 28 November, replacing Geoff Dixon who is leaving the Oneworld carrier. Buchanan, who is Jetstar group general manager of commercial, is being promoted on 1 October to be CEO of Jetstar, Qantas' low-cost carrier says in a separate statement. "Bruce managed the development of Jetstar's value-based long-haul international model which successfully launched in November 2006." He was also involved in the "establishment of the Jetstar brand through a commercial partnership with Jetstar Pacific based in Vietnam", it adds. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************