07 OCT 2008 _______________________________________ *Up to 40 injured in Qantas mid-air jet 'upset' *Sun Country Parent Files For Bankruptcy Protection *Aviation Industry Veteran David N. Siegel Named CEO of XOJET *NASA Partners With Forest Service On Air Tanker Safety Study *Russian aviation authority chief Bachurin resigns **************************************** Up to 40 injured in Qantas mid-air jet 'upset' PERTH, Australia (AFP) - Up to 40 passengers and crew were injured, some seriously, in a mid-air incident that forced a Qantas jetliner to make an emergency landing, the Australian carrier and police said on Tuesday. The incident was the latest in a series that have tarnished the safety record of Qantas, which has long boasted a reputation of being one of the world's safest airlines. The Airbus A330-300 made an emergency touchdown at an airfield near the Western Australian town of Exmouth after issuing a mayday call when the plane suddenly changed altitude during a flight from Singapore to Perth, Qantas said. "A number of passengers and crew sustained injuries, including fractures and lacerations, on board QF72 this afternoon en route from Singapore to Perth following a sudden change in altitude," the airline said. "Emergency services, including medical attendants, met the aircraft on landing," a statement from the 90-year-old Australian airline said. Qantas could not immediately confirm the number of injured or whether it was turbulence or another factor that had caused the aircraft, which was carrying 303 passengers and 10 crew, to drop or rise suddenly during flight. A fleet of emergency vehicles was on standby at the Learmonth air base, about 1,100 kilometres (680 miles) northeast of the state capital Perth, when the plane landed, said Sergeant Greg Lambert of the West Australian Police. "It is understood up to 40 people were injured during a mid-air incident," he said. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said early reports indicated that around 30 passengers and crew had been hurt, 15 of them sustaining serious injuries, including broken bones and cuts. "While cruising in level flight, the aircraft experienced a sudden in-flight upset, resulting in injuries to a number of cabin crew and passengers, primarily in the rear of the aircraft," the bureau said in a statement. "The crew declared a mayday and diverted the aircraft to Learmonth ... where it landed without further incident," it said, adding that it was sending seven investigators to Learmonth to establish what happened to the jet. An emergency services worker said paramedics had boarded the Qantas aircraft and were tending to the injured after it touched down at around 1:35 pm (0535 GMT), 35 minutes before its scheduled landing time in Perth. Australia's famed Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) said it was poised to dispatch four of its flying ambulances to airlift six to eight of the fracture victims to Perth for treatment, but said none were in danger. "I don't believe that there are any in a life-threatening condition," said RFDS public affairs director Lesleigh Green. "But if people have had hits on the head or have been hit by flying objects, until you actually assess that, you don't know whether it could be a spinal or neurological issue." Qantas is sending two aircraft to Learmonth from Perth to collect passengers and crew stranded in the remote northwest of Australia. In July, an exploding oxygen bottle punched a huge hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400, forcing an emergency landing in the Philippines. No passengers were injured in the mid-air drama. The plane, which was carrying 365 people, was cruising at 29,000 feet (8,800 metres) en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne when the terrifying drama struck. Australian air safety investigators in August announced a safety review of Qantas after two other incidents occurred involving its aircraft within two weeks. On July 28, a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract. In early August a Boeing 767 bound for Manila turned back to Sydney after developing a hydraulic fluid leak. But the aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), said that despite the review there was no evidence to suggest any links between three mid-air emergencies on Qantas flights. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRwyTQv8kp88rBqymM-LJIPZzUyg *************** Sun Country Parent Files For Bankruptcy Protection Says "Recent Events" At Petters Forced Move For anyone following recent developments at Sun Country Airlines, and its embattled parent company, the following will likely come as little surprise. Petters Aviation, LLC -- which owns Sun Country -- filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday afternoon, but insists that passengers will not notice any difference in service. In a brief statement, the country stressed flights would operate normally. "We were forced to take this action as a result of recent events at Petters Group Worldwide. We do not anticipate any disruptions, and expect to operate business as usual," said Stan Gadek, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Country. "Customers can book their flights in confidence and know that they will continue to receive the great service that they are accustomed to on Sun Country." Gadek has had to reassure a lot of people of late. As ANN reported, federal agents raided the offices of Petters Group Worldwide in late September. Company founder Tom Petters resigned as chairman of Sun Country's board of directors soon afterward, under clouds of accusation and a strong whiff of corporate malfeasance. The airline then told workers they'd need to accept a 50 percent pay cut through the end of the year, saying the quagmire at Petters made it impossible for Sun Country to receive short-term loans to keep the airline going. Gadek has since warned employees of the possibility of furloughs, or outright layoffs... or, in the worst case scenario, the complete shutdown of Sun Country operations. FMI: www.suncountry.com aero-news.net ************** Aviation Industry Veteran David N. Siegel Named CEO of XOJET Former CEO of Gate Gourmet and US Airways Joins XOJET Founder and Executive Chairman Paul Touw to Lead One of the World's Fastest Growing Aviation Companies SAN CARLOS, Calif., Oct 06, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aviation industry veteran David N. Siegel, the former CEO of Gate Gourmet Group Inc. and US Airways Group, Inc., has been named president and CEO of XOJET, one of the world's fastest growing private aviation companies. Mr. Siegel has been a member of XOJET's board of directors since 2007. Having successfully led the company since its inception two years ago, Paul Touw, the company's founder and chief architect, will take on the role of executive chairman, strengthening the leadership team as the company enters an exciting new phase of growth. "We are enormously excited to have Dave Siegel join our team as chief executive," Mr. Touw said. "As a member of the XOJET board, Dave and I have become close friends and I have grown to admire the leadership skills that have made him one of the aviation industry's most well-respected executives. He is a world class CEO with a wealth of experience managing companies, from start-ups to multi-billion dollar commercial airlines to global transportation enterprises. We are both humbled and excited by his decision to join XOJET as we build on our significant accomplishments and look toward the great future ahead of us as we continue to change the way people fly private." "XOJET is at a unique inflection point in its short, but stunningly successful history," said Mr. Siegel. "The company is poised for dynamic growth in a market segment demanding air travel experiences distinguished by superior customer service and outstanding operations. I am excited to join Paul Touw and the rest of the team to execute on a strategic plan destined to secure XOJET's future as the nation's premier private aviation company." "Through our unique hybrid business model that combines private jet ownership, leasing and on-demand travel with a singular focus on providing outstanding customer service, XOJET has emerged as an industry leader in each of these categories," continued Mr. Touw. "More importantly, XOJET has set a new standard for what private jet travel should be -- an experience that is personal, seamless and stress-free. "Having recently secured $2.46 billion in financing, the company is now well-poised to execute our expansion strategy and capitalize on the rapidly growing demand for private jet travel," he added. Mr. Siegel, age 46, was named chairman and chief executive officer of Gate Gourmet Group Inc., the world's largest independent airline catering and logistics provider, in 2004. Under his leadership, the company underwent an operational and financial restructuring that tripled enterprise value. He also oversaw a strategic growth plan to build a best-in-class portfolio of in-flight products and services through acquisitions and investments resulting in the 2008 formation of gategroup, the umbrella brand for 11 aviation services companies. Prior to Gate Gourmet, he was president, chief executive and a member of the board of US Airways Group, Inc. and US Airways, Inc., the airline operating unit. Before that, he was chairman and CEO of Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Siegel served in various senior management roles at Continental Airlines and Continental Express. As CEO of Continental Express, he negotiated the largest aircraft order in regional airline industry history for 275 jets as the launch customer for the Embraer 145/135 regional jet program -- part of Continental Express' ambition growth plan that produced five-fold revenue growth from approximately $200 million to more than $1 billion within only a few years. He also previously served as director of corporate planning at Northwest Airlines. A magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, he earned a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. About XOJET Founded in 2006, XOJET has quickly become one of the world's fastest growing private aviation companies, built on a unique business model that combines private jet ownership, membership and on-demand travel and a singular focus on providing the highest level of customer service at every point of the client's experience. Backed by TPG, a leading global private investment firm with over $60 billion of capital under management, XOJET recently secured $2.46 billion for fleet expansion. XOJET operates an all-new fleet of Cessna Citation X planes -- the fastest civilian aircraft available, and took delivery of its first Bombardier Challenger 300 this month. The company has fewer members per jet in its Fleet Exchange Membership program than competitors, providing for increased program flexibility and unprecedented customer satisfaction. Its award-winning, in-house safety and maintenance program rivals the world's best commercial airlines, having earned the highest ranking in four key categories -- more than any other operator -- from Aviation Research Group. XOJET's fleet is expected to reach 128 aircraft worth $3.1 billion by 2012. XOJET has also been named a Robb Report "Best of Private Aviation" winner, one of Inc. Magazine's fastest growing companies and among the best places to work in the Bay Area. For more information, visit www.xojet.com or call 888-759-6538. SOURCE: XOJET ************** NASA Partners With Forest Service On Air Tanker Safety Study EDWARDS, Calif. - NASA is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service on a project to examine the mission suitability of Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fire retardant delivery aircraft. The aircraft under study are a DC-10 belonging to 10 Tanker Air Carrier LLC and a 747 owned by Evergreen International Aviation, Inc. The DC-10 tanker has already been successfully employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in past wildfire suppression missions. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is working with the Forest Service to help determine the safe flight envelope for these very large air tanker aircraft for both the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Additionally, NASA Dryden will recommend operational usage regimes, policies and procedures for the aircraft. The Forest Service and the Interior Department approached NASA for help because NASA provides a range and depth of necessary flight test planning skills to develop and conduct the assessment. Mark Dickerson, Dryden project manager, calls this important work. "The entire team is very excited about helping the forest service with this effort. It is a bit different from our typical research projects, but we all enjoy being able to help find new tools to fight wildfires," Dickerson said. As project lead, NASA Dryden is performing operational test and evaluation assessments. Project engineers will report findings and recommendations on these aircraft in cooperation with NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. NASA Ames' engineers are supporting the effort with pilot-in-the-loop simulations and are coordinating simulator models, flight profiles & data analysis with project staff at NASA Dryden. Engineers at NASA Dryden will also develop, implement, and direct an evaluation test plan for use in flight test and in simulation. The test plan will be designed to evaluate the suitability of large tanker aircraft for the firefighting mission environment. Based on this analysis, NASA will propose appropriate interim flight envelope limitations to enhance safety and operational utility in the fire retardant delivery mission. NASA Dryden personnel are working with the crews of the large tanker aircraft to capture flight validation data, assess the effectiveness of proposed procedures, and refine those as required. The final project report will include initial recommendations for such factors as flight over various terrain types, density altitude limits, turbulence, and horizontal wind shear limits. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=26626 ************** Russian aviation authority chief Bachurin resigns Russian federal air transport authority Rosaviatsia's chief, Yevgeny Bachurin, is to step down in the wake of the crisis over distressed carrier alliance AirUnion. Bachurin was appointed to lead the authority in April 2007. Russia's transport ministry says his resignation has been accepted with effect from 1 November. Speaking to Russian media, Bachurin admitted to being forced to step down. No successor has yet been identified. Speculation about Bachurin's possible departure have mounted over the past few weeks, following the turmoil in the domestic airline industry centred on AirUnion. AirUnion's operations were heavily disrupted during August-September, as intense financial pressure left its main carriers unable to purchase fuel, and the alliance has become the subject of a rescue deal. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***************