15 OCT 2008 _______________________________________ *4 killed in helicopter crash in Chicago suburb *American Airlines Discloses Plans To Purchase Boeing 787-9s *Report: NTSB Finds Preliminary Evidence Of Engine Issues In TX Helo Downing *Boeing 737 Runway Overrun (Turkey) *U.S. FAA confirms Category 1 safety rating for South Africa *CAA UK publishes State Safety Programme for the United Kingdom *Indonesia suspends AOC of four airlines and reinstates AOC of four others *Mechanics In Jet Crash Death Quiz *Airbus returns to Perth airport with burning smell *CASA to probe Emirates incident *U.S. to have permanent aviation official in India *************************************** 4 killed in helicopter crash in Chicago suburb AURORA, Ill. - A medical helicopter crashed in a Chicago suburb, killing three crew members and a 13-month-old patient, authorities said early Thursday. The helicopter was headed to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago from Valley West Hospital in Sandwich when it went down minutes before midnight, said Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Robb Wallers. Children's Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Julie Pesch initially said the child, a girl, was being transported to the hospital because of epileptic seizures. She later said the child's symptoms were not clear. The helicopter may have clipped a wire before it crashed and burned, according to authorities. The guide-wire came from a 750-foot tall radio tower, said assistant Fire Chief John Lehman, who added there is some concern about the tower's structural integrity and engineers are evaluating it. Wallers said the helicopter belonged to Air Angels Inc., an emergency medical transport service based at Clow Airport in suburban Bolingbrook. Telephone calls to the Air Angels offices were not answered early Thursday. However, Air Angels CEO Jim Adams told the Chicago Tribune that the helicopter's crew included the pilot, nurse and a paramedic employed by the company. He added the helicopter's pilot did not report mechanical problems, and weather was not an issue. According to Wallers, the helicopter crashed in a field near a residential area in east Aurora and was engulfed in flames. No one on the ground was hurt. The Aurora crash is the third involving Air Angels helicopters. In January 2003, an Air Angels helicopter crashed killing the pilot. Investigators determined pilot error and weather caused the accident. Mechanical problems was blamed for an August 2007 crash in which there were no injuries. It was at least the ninth fatal crash in the past 12 months across the country involving medical transport helicopters. Observers say the accident demonstrates a disturbing rise in the number of emergency air transport crashes, and wonder if a system designed to save lives may be costing them. On the Net: http://www.airangels.com http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081016/ap_on_re_us/medical_helicopter_crash ************** American Airlines Discloses Plans To Purchase Boeing 787-9s Carrier Finally Commits To Big Dreamliner Deal... Sort Of A long-expected order announcement from American Airlines, stating the carrier plans to purchase as many as 100 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, came to fruition Wednesday... but the order is far from a done deal. Under terms of the agreement, American would take delivery of its first 787 in 2012, against a 42-plane initial order. Those deliveries would run through 2018; American also has purchase rights for another 58 planes as needed, with those deliveries starting in 2015 and ending in 2020. Gerard Arpey, CEO of American parent AMR Corp, said the Dreamliners would be used to bolster the airline's widebody replacement efforts and add to its international fleet, particularly as the airline looks to significantly increase its trans-Atlantic traffic should a planned joint agreement between American, British Airways, and Iberia achieve antitrust immunity. The 787-9 is designed to carry up to 290 passengers. With a range capability of up to 8,500 nautical miles, American expects the 787-9 could theoretically operate on every route the airline serves today, while offering potential to support new routes if business conditions warrant. Addressing the somewhat curious timing of the order announcement -- it came on the same day American posted a $360 million loss, excluding special items, in the third quarter of 2008 -- Arpey said the airline must still plan for the future. "Even as we battle the challenges of volatile and historically high fuel prices and serious economic uncertainty, we must continue to prudently invest in our Company for the long-term benefit of our shareholders, customers, employees and the communities we serve," Arpey said. "The 787 will help reduce our fuel and maintenance costs, lessen our environmental impact, and support our goal of providing industry-leading products and services over the long haul. Fortunately, our agreement with Boeing, our long-time partner, allows for significant flexibility to manage our fleet replacement and growth plans in the way that best meets all of our stakeholders’ interests." Flexibility does appear to be key to American's planned purchase... as the agreement contains provisions that would allow the airline to opt out of all or part of the initial 42-plane deal, "if it has not reached a satisfactory agreement with its pilots union to operate the aircraft," according to a statement from the airline. As such, the orders have not been placed firmly into Boeing's production schedule; a caveat states American must notify Boeing of its intent to purchase a 787 at least 18 months prior to its scheduled delivery date, with the first scheduled delivery date occurring in September 2012. American also has yet to decide on a specific cabin configuration, or even an engine type for its 787s. In that sense, even the initial "firm" orders appear to be little more than a highly-glorified letter of intent... but Boeing, perhaps looking for any good news it can report as the manufacturer's production lines sit idle due to a protracted machinists strike, offered measured enthusiasm for American's announcement. "American Airlines' endorsement of the 787 Dreamliner, after American's many years of study, attests to the airplane's technological advances and ability to contribute to a carrier's bottom line," said Ray Conner, vice president of Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to working with American Airlines to bring these newest airplanes into American's growing fleet of Boeing airplanes." FMI: www.aa.com, www.boeing.com aero-news.net **************** Report: NTSB Finds Preliminary Evidence Of Engine Issues In TX Helo Downing Powerplant To Be Shipped To Rolls-Royce For Analysis The National Transportation Safety Board is sharing a few clues into what may have caused the crash of a TV news helicopter in a wooded area of a Houston suburb Monday morning. The pilot, 43-year-old John Downhower, was an employee of Helicopters, Incorporated, which provided the Bell 206L-4 (type shown above) which TV viewers knew as "SkyEye 13 HD." The reporter and photographer along as his passenger, 36-year-old Dave Garrett, was an employee of Metro Networks, a national chain which provides pooled news and traffic coverage to TV stations in many cities. As ANN reported, the two were on their way to cover a shooting incident for a local ABC affiliate when the chopper went down. That station, KTRK-13, reports there was a gap of about two minutes from the loss of the uplink signal from the aircraft, and the 911 call that summoned responders to the crash. As the wreckage was removed from the scene Tuesday for further testing, NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Arnold Scott told the station, "We've examined the helicopter, and we're satisfied that the helicopter was intact at impact when it started hitting the trees." Investigators added they also found what on first glance appeared to be possible issues within the helicopter's engine, although they stressed nothing concrete has been determined as of yet. "We've examined the servos and the pitch and collective linkages. They are all attached, so we don't, at this point, see a flight control problem," Scott said. "We're having the engine manufacturer, Rolls Royce, ship down a shipping container, and we'll ship the engine back to Indianapolis, where it will be disassembled and examined." The tragedy has touched a nerve among local reporters, law enforcement personnel, and others. Visitors have brought flowers and words of condolence to both the crash site and the KTRK studios. Further investigation of the wreckage will be conducted at a salvage yard in Fort Worth. IDENTIFICATION Regis#: 6ZV Make/Model: B206 Description: BELL 206B HELICOPTER Date: 10/13/2008 Time: 1615 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N Damage: Destroyed LOCATION City: HOUSTON State: TX Country: US DESCRIPTION N6ZV, A BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, NEAR HOUSTON, TX INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2 # Crew: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: WEATHER: KIAH 131648Z SPECI 13007KT 10SM SCT026 27/22 A3012 OTHER DATA Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER FAA FSDO: HOUSTON, TX (SW09) Entry date: 10/14/2008 FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net *************** Boeing 737 Runway Overrun (Turkey) Date: 15-OCT-2008 Time: Type: Boeing 737-78J Operator: Tarom Registration: YR-BGH C/n / msn: 28438/1394 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 94 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Istanbul-Atatürk Airport (IST) - Turkey Phase: Landing Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Bucharest/Otopeni (OTP) Destination airport: Istanbul-Atatürk Airport (IST) Narrative: Overran the runway. (aviation-safety.net) ************** U.S. FAA confirms Category 1 safety rating for South Africa The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) announced that South Africa’s Category 1 status has been reconfirmed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This follows the visit by the FAA on July 30, 2008, to review the work accomplished by the SACAA since the re-audit conducted on the Authority in December 2007. A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. (SACAA) (aviation-safety.net) ************* CAA UK publishes State Safety Programme for the United Kingdom The U.K. CAA published the State Safety Programme for the United Kingdom (SSP). The SSP is an ICAO requirement in order to achieve an Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS). The SSP highlights the structure of aviation regulation in the UK, which consists of multiple authorities (DfT, CAA, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)) working together to achieve aviation safety. The SSP also highlights that the UK has differing relationships with its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. The UK’s partnership with EASA and the European Commission (EC) through the Single European Sky (SES) initiative continues to develop. (CAA) (aviation-safety.net) ************** Indonesia suspends AOC of four airlines and reinstates AOC of four others Indonesia has suspended the Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) of four airlines after a safety audit found that they failed to meet minimum standards in several safety categories. The airlines involved are Pura Wisata Baruna, Sampoerna Air Nusantara, Dabi Air Nusantara and Atlas Deltasatya. They have three months to comply with regulations. Four out of five airlines that had their AOCs suspended in July 2008 have now been allowed to operate again since they now meet safety standards. These four airlines are: SMAC, Asco Nusa Air, Tri-MG Intra Asia Airlines and Dirgantara Air Service. The fifth airline, Helizona, had its AOC revoked. (Channel News Asia) (aviation-safety.net) ************** Mechanics In Jet Crash Death Quiz A Spanish judge is to question three mechanics on suspicion of manslaughter over a jet crash that killed 154 people. A total of 154 people lost their lives in the disaster Judge Juan Javier Perez of Madrid's Superior Court has subpoenaed two mechanics who checked the plane before it crashed while taking off, causing what was Spain's worst air disaster in 25 years. Spanair's head of maintenance at Madrid's Barajas airport is also to be quizzed. None of them has been charged. The MD-82 plane abandoned a first attempt at take-off because of a faulty air temperature gauge outside the cockpit. The plane crashed about an hour later during its second take-off attempt. Earlier this month, the first official report into the tragedy said investigators were focusing on a problem with the plane's wing flaps and the failure of a cockpit alarm to sound. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Spain-Air-Crash-Mechanics-To-Be-Quizzed-On- Suspicion-Of-Manslaughter/Article/200810315122146?lpos=Home_Top_Stories_Head er_1&lid=ARTICLE_15122146_Spain_Air_Crash%3A_Mechanics_To_Be_Quizzed_On_Susp icion_Of_Manslaughter *************** Airbus returns to Perth airport with burning smell PASSENGERS have told of fumes in the cabin of an Emirates Airbus that returned to Perth for an emergency landing nearly three hours after it took off. Perth Airport was on high alert this morning when the Air Emirates plane made an emergency landing with reports of smoke or a burning smell in the cabin. Passengers said this afternoon there had been a strong smell of fumes in the cabin of the plane. WA businessman Michael Chaney, who was on board, said there was 'a bit of smoke in the cabin' before the pilot announced the plane was returning to Perth. Read more accounts here from passengers on the plane. The flight, EK425, left Perth International Airport bound for Dubai at 6.01am but turned back after 90 minutes with the pilot apparently reporting smoke in the plane. The pilot told air traffic control at 7.50am that there was a technical issue with the Airbus A340. The plane was met by emergency personnel after it made a textbook emergency landing about 8.45am. It was parked away from the terminal, which is standard procedure. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24505324-2761,00.html *************** CASA to probe Emirates incident The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will investigate a midair incident on an Emirates flight out of Perth this morning. Flight EK425 left Perth International Airport about 6:00am AWST, but was forced to turn around near Exmouth. The flight and its 121 passengers landed safely back in Perth about 9:00am. Passengers say a cabin crew member smelled smoke towards the back of the plane. Ambulance authorities had been put on standby at Perth airport and asked to prepare to treat people suffering from smoke inhalation. Passenger Mick Speed says he did not smell any smoke, but the pilot made the right decision to turn the plane around. "What's the alternative? He's got to make a call and if he decides to go on it could be disastrous," he said. "I think he made the right choice and I think everyone's a bit out, but what can you do about it?" Emirates says the flight was turned around as a precautionary measure. Passenger Sunny Chopra was sitting at the rear of the plane and says oxygen masks were not deployed at any stage. "I thought it could be a bomb scare or it could be something else," he said. "Something was burning, but I never smelled any smoke. Honestly." Passengers have been rescheduled on another flight later today. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/16/2393199.htm?section=australia ************* U.S. to have permanent aviation official in India HYDERABAD: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the US, will have a permanent representative i n India, it said here Wednesday. FAA Administrator Robert A. Sturgell made the announced at the inaugural function of India Aviation-2008, India's first international conference and exhibition on civil aviation. The move is aimed at promoting aviation partnership with India. He said the official appointed as permanent representative to India brings with him a decade of air traffic operation experience, including recent work in China during the Beijing Olympics. Sturgell said the FAA was working to promote partnership and cooperation in air traffic management, aircraft certification, airport safety and environment. "Through partnerships in these area we want to learn from each other. Safety and efficiency solutions will benefit every one," he said. Sturgell said as countries were developing new aviation systems, there was a need to ensure that they are harmonised. He pointed out that the FAA had already set up working groups to address safety and efficiency issues. "You face many challenges including infrastructure challenges but you are not alone. Others are also facing the same challenges," he said while referring to the growth of Indian civil aviation over the last seven decades. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/US_ to_have_permanent_aviation_official_in_India/articleshow/3599575.cms ***************