08 OCT 2008 _______________________________________ *Twin Otter crash in Nepal reportedly kills 18 *Nepal's Yeti confirms 18 killed in Twin Otter crash *Six former Soviet states to co-ordinate air traffic control *Multiple bird-strike damages Estonian Air 737 *After flight delay, man accused of spraying powder in plane *U.S. says business jet forced down in Iran *EASA Says 2007 Was A Good Year For European Air Safety *NTSB Issues Preliminary Report On Columbia Lear 60 Accident *Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander Accident *Qantas passengers tell of horror plunge *Qantas probe focuses on flight control system 'irregularity' *************************************** Twin Otter crash in Nepal reportedly kills 18 A turboprop aircraft operated by privately owned Yeti Airlines has reportedly crashed while on a domestic flight in the mountainous Himalayan nation of Nepal, killing 18 of the 19 people on board. Reports from Nepal say the aircraft, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed while on approach to the eastern city of Lukla's airport at around 08:00. It was on a domestic flight from Kathmandu. The reports quote government officials as saying one person on board survived the crash while 18 people, 14 of them German and Australian nationals, were killed. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************* Nepal's Yeti confirms 18 killed in Twin Otter crash Nepal's Yeti Airlines has confirmed that 18 passengers and crew were killed this morning in a crash on landing of one of its de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. Senior manager Vinay Shakya confirms from Kathmandu that the crash occurred at Lukla airport in eastern Nepal. He says the Twin Otter was operating a domestic flight from the capital Kathmandu and 19 people were on board. Shakya says the aircraft's captain was the sole survivor of the crash, which killed the co-pilot and a flight attendant as well as all 16 passengers. He says 12 of the passengers were German, two were Australians and two were Nepalese. Shakya says the aircraft carried a registration of 9N-AFE. According to Flight's ACAS database it had a serial number of 720 and was built in 1980. Yeti is listed as the owner. ACAS says the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27-powered aircraft, a Series 300 variant, had been in service with Yeti since 1998. Lukla is in eastern Nepal and is where many visitors begin the trek to Mt Everest. Its airport, at more than 9,000ft (2,740m) above sea level and surrounded by mountains, is a challenging one for operations as it is on an incline and has a cliff at the lower end. It is only able to accommodate helicopters and short takeoff and landing fixed-wing aircraft. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Six former Soviet states to co-ordinate air traffic control Six former Soviet states have agreed to establish a joint aeronautical agency to enhance air traffic management and safety in their airspace. Signatories to the agreement, reached during a recent conference of air navigation chiefs in Sochi, include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The agreement mandates creation of a consortium, designated 'International Aeronautical Service Vostok', to increase co-ordination while regulating air traffic, developing international air routes, overseeing ground infrastructure and training personnel. "The overriding task is to improve flight safety by providing air corridors and strict intervals between flights," says Rosaeronavigatsia director Alexander Neradko. "Co-operation within the new framework will enable us to solve related issues at a planning stage." Consortium members cite a need to tackle an increasingly busy airspace over their respective states. "As a result of our concerted efforts, travel time should become shorter for passengers while carriers should be capable of slashing spending on fuel and aircraft maintenance," says Neradko. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Multiple bird-strike damages Estonian Air 737 Baltic carrier Estonian Air has withdrawn a Boeing 737-500 for examination and repair after it was damaged by multiple bird-strikes on approach to Tallinn. The incident, at 11:30 yesterday, occurred as the aircraft was arriving at the Estonian capital following a flight from Oslo. It struck a large flock of birds at a height of 900m (2,950ft) which resulted in impact to the CFM International CFM56 engines, the fuselage, radome, and stabilisers. "The aircraft was withdrawn from use for further inspection and necessary repair," says the airline. Estonian Air, which operates six 737s and a pair of Saab 340 turboprops, says the repair work could cause minor disruption to its flight schedule. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** After flight delay, man accused of spraying powder in plane A man whose original flight was delayed seven hours is facing disorderly conduct charges today because he allegedly sprayed fellow passengers with foot powder after landing in Boston. "This is what your airline gets for treating me bad," Arthur Nicolson allegedly yelled, according to a State Police report, as he shook a 7-ounce bottle of Dr. Scholl's Foot Powder on other travelers as he ran off the plane. The 42-year-old Framingham resident was arrested in Terminal A at Logan International Airport shortly after US Airways Flight 67 landed at 3:30 p.m. Nicolson had originally been booked the day before on a flight, which was delayed seven hours because of mechanical problems. After finally boarding the flight on Sunday at 7 p.m., Nicolson allegedly became irritated and told the crew he had pneumonia, according to the police report. Nicolson was removed from the aircraft and booked on the first flight Monday morning. Flight 67 left Las Vegas at 7:25 a.m. After landing in Boston, Nicolson allegedly sprayed the foot powder and then overran other passengers as he fled the plane. According to the police report, Nicolson told investigators that he sprayed the powder to get back at US Airways because he was "held hostage" at the Las Vegas airport for 10 hours, pulled off the plane without his bags, and was not given a voucher for food or a hotel. Nicolson was arraigned today in East Boston Municipal Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct, interfering with the operation of an aircraft, and disorderly conduct. He was released on personal recognizance. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/10/after_delay_man.html *************** U.S. says business jet forced down in Iran BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military coalition in Iraq confirmed Tuesday that a business jet -- not a U.S. military aircraft -- was recently forced down in Iran due to an airspace violation. "The airplane is now being confirmed as a light transport plane with no Americans onboard," Multi-National Forces-Iraq said in a statement issued Tuesday. "From what we have been seeing, it was a Falcon business jet. We have accounted for all our aircraft and none are missing." The U.S. coalition in Iraq had no information on who owned the aircraft, stressing that it was not a registered American plane. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency initially reported that five American military officials were on board the U.S. aircraft. But other Iranian media reports -- quoting Iranian officials -- said the aircraft was Hungarian and no Americans were on the plane. Iranian officials told Iran's state-run Arabic language channel Al-Alam that the incident happened a week ago and that the plane was carrying humanitarian workers. Fars later changed its Farsi language report, citing other Iranian and Arab media as saying the plane was not an American aircraft Fars also initially reported that aircraft, which it called a "Falcon fighter," entered Iranian airspace at a low altitude from Turkey to avoid radar detection, despite repeated warnings by the Islamic Republic Air Force. It said the plane also carried three civilians. Washington is monitoring the reports, but White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said "as far as we know (they are) totally bogus." U.S. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe also said there is no indication that the reports are accurate. "We're looking into the various and conflicting reports coming from the Iranian 'news' agencies, but do not have any information at this time that would lead us to believe they are correct," he said. Fars said the aircraft, which was en route to Afghanistan, was forced to land at an Iranian airport that it did not name. Fars reported that the eight people aboard were released "after daylong interrogations" that revealed the aircraft had "unintentionally" violated Iran's airspace. Fars said the aircraft was later allowed to continue on to Afghanistan. Two top U.S. military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr that no U.S. military aircraft has been forced down. The U.S. military has an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it is a one-seat jet fighter aircraft that is used by the U.S. Air Force for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The Dassault Falcon is a European-made private passenger business jet that resembles a Lear jet. It can seat a crew of two and as many as 10 passengers. It's used for passenger transport, but also has military uses. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/07/iran.jet/index.html *************** EASA Says 2007 Was A Good Year For European Air Safety But Adds Accidents Increased Among Outside Operators The European Aviation Safety Agency said Tuesday that 2007 was a good year overall for aviation safety in Europe... but adds that challenges still remain, lest anyone feel complacent. In its second-annual safety review, EASA says the number of fatal accidents involving aircraft registered in Member States performing commercial air transport operations dropped from six in 2006 to three in 2007. This accounts for only some five percent of all fatal accidents that year. Regarding aircraft registered in the rest of the world, the number of fatal accidents in the same type of operation increased from 36 in 2006 to 54 in 2007 and is above the decade average (52). "Nevertheless, and despite the tragic accident of a Spanair MD-82 on August 20, 2008 which caused 154 fatalities (not subject of the report), the trend for the decade still indicates that the number of accidents worldwide in commercial air transport is declining," EASA notes. "The report also includes data on accident rates for commercial helicopter operations, for aircraft involved in General Aviation and for light aircraft." The Annual Safety Review is compiled by EASA to inform the public of safety levels in civil aviation. The data used are provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute and the Agency's 31 members, which include the 27 Member States of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Maintaining and improving aviation safety in Europe and worldwide is the main priority for the Agency. Through specific certification, rulemaking and standardization activities, the Agency actively engages in accident prevention. It furthermore fosters cooperation between regulators and industry through the European Strategic Safety Initiative (EESI). Launched in 2006, ESSI aims at further enhancing safety for European citizens, through analysis of data and coordination with safety initiatives worldwide. The 2007 Annual Safety Review is available on the Agency's website. FMI: www.easa.eu aero-news.net **************** NTSB Issues Preliminary Report On Columbia Lear 60 Accident Notes Tire Debris, "Airplane Components" Found On Runway Editor's Note: Below is the unedited transcript of the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the September 19 takeoff downing of a chartered Lear 60 at Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in South Carolina. As ANN reported, the accident claimed the lives of both pilots and two passengers onboard; two others were able to escape with severe burns. In the report, the NTSB notes tire debris was found along the 8,600-foot runway at CAE, further supporting the Board's working theory the plane's flight crew may have attempted to abort takeoff due to a blown tire. Unspecified "airplane components" were found along the runway, as well. The NTSB also notes the aircraft was apparently on fire before it crossed a road across from the runway and impacted a berm. (The report does not mention whether the Board has also consulted with Paris Hilton, for her unique and expert analysis of the situation -- Ed.) NTSB Identification: DCA08MA098 Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter Accident occurred Friday, September 19, 2008 in Columbia, SC Aircraft: Learjet LR60, registration: N999LJ Injuries: 4 Fatal, 2 Serious. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. On September 19, 2008, at about 11:53 pm EDT, a Learjet Model 60 (N999LJ) operated by Global Exec Aviation as an on-demand passenger flight under 14 CFR Part 135 overran runway 11 while departing Columbia, South Carolina, enroute to Van Nuys, California. The 2 crewmembers and 2 of the 4 passengers were fatally injured, the other 2 passengers suffered serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by extensive post-crash fire. Weather was reported as clear with light winds. Tire debris and portions of airplane components were found along the 8,600 foot runway. According to witnesses and initial information, the beginning of the takeoff roll appeared normal, then sparks were observed as the airplane traveled along the runway. The airplane continued beyond the runway threshold, through the approximately 1,000 foot runway safety area and impacted airport lighting, navigation facilities, perimeter fence and concrete marker posts. The airplane then crossed a roadway, and came to rest on an embankment on the far side of the road. The fire began on the airport side of the roadway. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net ***************** Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander Accident Status: Preliminary Date: 05 OCT 2008 Type: Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander Operator: private Registration: ZS-OSD C/n / msn: 461 First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 Total: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Barberton (South Africa) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Nelspruit-Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP/FAKN), South Africa Destination airport: Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN/FABL), South Africa Narrative: Crashed in the Barberton mountain area. (aviation-safety.net) **************** Qantas passengers tell of horror plunge PERTH, Australia (AFP) - Passengers told Wednesday of their terror as a Qantas jet plunged dramatically in mid-flight, slamming them against the cabin roof, breaking bones and causing spinal injuries. Police said 36 passengers and crew were injured, 20 seriously, when the Australian Airbus A330-300 flying from Singapore to Perth suddenly dropped thousands of feet in just a few seconds on Tuesday, forcing an emergency landing. "It was horrendous, absolutely gruesome, terrible, the worst experience of my life," said Jim Ford, of Perth, who said he thought he was going to die when he saw his fellow passengers being flung around the cabin. Several passengers said the plane had fallen around 2,000 metres (yards) while cruising over the Indian Ocean, hurling people and objects around. Qantas described the incident as a "sudden change in altitude." "Passengers and crew not wearing seatbelts were flung around in the plane, some hit the ceiling," said Nigel Court, who was among the 303 passengers on board the jet. Video footage showed smashed ceiling panels in the plane that made an emergency landing at an air force base near Exmouth in remote Western Australia after the incident that reports said could have been caused by turbulence. News pictures showed passengers being taken off the jet by emergency services on stretchers and in wheelchairs. Around a dozen of the injured were flown to Perth for treatment, while Qantas planes were sent to pick up the remaining passengers. "Basically the plane just fell out of the sky," one passenger told Sky News. "It must have lasted 10 or 12 seconds, it just went straight down," he said. Perth resident Ben Cave said the plane dived twice. "We had a major fall and another fall shortly after. I hit the ceiling but I was OK, I only got a few bruises and strains. I just remember seeing the plane was a mess," he said. Qantas and air safety investigators said it was too early to speculate on what triggered the plunge, but Qantas's Perth regional manager Ian Gay said investigators would look at clear air turbulence as a possible cause. "When these sorts of things occur, one is never sure until you check everything as to what has actually happened," Gay said. Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators were in Exmouth, where the plane has been grounded, to examine the aircraft and its black box and cockpit voice recorders to establish the cause of the drama. The ATSB said the investigation into the incident could take up to six months, but a preliminary report could be completed within 30 days. The incident is the fourth involving Qantas planes in just two-and-a-half months and comes as a survey published late Tuesday showed that 63 percent of Australians believe the safety standards of their flag carrier have slipped. The poll of 1,000 people was conducted by UMR Omnibus, one of the country's leading research and polling companies, two weeks ago. On July 25, an exploding oxygen bottle punched a huge hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 during a flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne, forcing an emergency landing in the Philippines. No one was injured in the mid-air drama. Just three days later, a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract. And in early August a Boeing 767 bound for Manila turned back to Sydney after developing a hydraulic fluid leak. ***** Date: 07-OCT-2008 Time: 1:50pm Type: Aibus A330 Operator: Qantas Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 313 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Over ocean near Western Australia - Australia Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: wsss Destination airport: per Narrative: A Qantas Airbus A330 carrying 303 passengers and 10 crew was in flight from Singapore to Perth Australia, when it suffered a sudden drop. There are reports of up to 40 people injured and six out of the 40 people have spinal injuries. Some passengers have fractures and lacerations, and there are unconfirmed reports of holes in the internal ceiling of the aircraft. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Leahmonth airport in Western Austrlalia. Ten passengers have been taken to hospital in Exmouth. (aviation-safety.net) *************** Qantas probe focuses on flight control system 'irregularity' Investigators are focusing on a potential irregularity in the flight control system of a Qantas Airways Airbus A330-300 that yesterday experienced a sudden nose pitch down mid-flight resulting in around 74 people on board being injured. The pilots received centralised aircraft monitoring messages to say there was "some irregularity with the aircraft's elevator control system", the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)) says in a statement today. This statement is referring to an accident yesterday afternoon while the aircraft was at 37,000ft (11,280m) en route from Singapore to Perth. The aircraft "climbed approximately 300ft...during which time the crew had initiated non-normal check-list and response actions", says the ATSB. Then the aircraft "abruptly pitched nose-down, [and] during this sudden and significant nose-down pitch, a number of passengers, cabin crew and loose objects were thrown about the aircraft cabin, primarily in the rear of the aircraft". This resulted in "a range of injuries to some cabin crew and passengers" including broken bones. ATSB says the pilots first made a 'pan pan' emergency broadcast to air traffic control but a few minutes later called 'mayday' and requested clearance to land at Learmonth rather than continuing to Perth. "The aircraft landed at about 15:30 local time, about 40min after the start of the event." ATSB says the event has been classified as an aircraft accident because of the nature of the injuries. It says of the 303 passengers and 10 crew on board, 14 people had serious - but not life threatening - injuries. An additional group of up to 30 had serious enough injuries to receive medical treatment in hospital and up to a further 30 required first aid treatment, it adds. ATSB says it currently has seven investigators examining or about to examine the aircraft plus Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, France's Bureau Enquetes-Accidents and Airbus are involved in the investigation. It says it plans to issue a preliminary factual report within 30 days. Qantas says in a separate statement that the severely injured people on board the aircraft were airlifted from Learmonth to Perth by Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service. Other passengers were flown to Perth on Skywest Airlines, it adds. Learmonth is an airport and airbase south of Exmouth, a remote town near Western Australia's northwest coast. Qantas' A330-300 remains in Learmonth because the ATSB is inspecting it, says the airline. The airline's CEO, Geoff Dixon, says the carrier is assisting with the investigation and the aircraft's flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders have been removed and will undergo assessment. According to Flight's ACAS Daily Alert the A330-300 involved has local registration VH-QPA. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***************