30 OCT 2008 _______________________________________ *FAA Convenes Joint-Effort Runway Safety Council *Philippine Airlines jet safe after pilot stroke *SFO to test system that checks runway traffic *Foundation Recognizes Aviation Safety Accomplishments *European agency demands checks on DC-9s, MD-80s *Tail-scrape badly damages Cargo B 747-200F **************************************** FAA Convenes Joint-Effort Runway Safety Council Government, Industry Personnel Meet To Make Runways Safer This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) convened the Runway Safety Council, a joint government-industry body that will take a deeper, systemic approach to improving runway safety. The goal of the council is to fundamentally change the existing safety culture and move toward a proactive management strategy that involves different segments of the aviation industry. The FAA says the council will play a lead role in resolving critical surface safety issues. The participating entities will dedicate subject matter experts and analysts to a team that will examine the root causes of runway incursions. The Root Cause Analysis Team will investigate incidents from a systems perspective, getting input from airports, operators and air traffic. One focus will be on how human factors contribute to runway incursions and what can be done to reduce human errors. The Root Cause Analysis Team will analyze and attempt to resolve issues in a positive, non-punitive environment. The team will recommend to the council ways to resolve or mitigate system risks. If the council supports the recommendations, it will work with different parts of the FAA to address what needs to be done, and track progress toward a solution of the problem. A coordinated, systemic approach is necessary because serious runway incursions are seldom caused by a single factor. The current culture separates responsibility for incursions into different categories: operational errors by controllers, pilot deviations or vehicle or pedestrian deviations. Investigations into those incidents are conducted by different parts of the agency, depending on which category is responsible. The council includes officials from the FAA, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Air Transport Association, the American Association of Airport Executives, the Airports Council International, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the National Association of Flight Instructors, the National Business Aviation Association and the Air Taxi Association. aero-news.net ************** Philippine Airlines jet safe after pilot stroke MANILA, Philippines:(AP) Philippine Airlines says one of its pilots suffered a mild stroke just minutes before reaching his destination but was able to hand over control of the aircraft to his co-pilot who landed it safely. Airline Vice President Rolando Estabillo says the incident Wednesday happened on a flight to central Bacolod city. The Airbus A320 was carrying 79 passengers. He says pilot Alex Carvajal complained of pain in his nape and asked co-pilot Donato Cabigo to take over. According to Estabillo, Carvajal was lucid and continued to monitor the aircraft. No emergency was declared and the pilot was immediately taken to a hospital. Estabillo says pilots undergo regular medical checkups. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/30/asia/AS-Philippines-Pilot-Stroke.p hp *************** SFO to test system that checks runway traffic San Francisco International Airport, which is on a federal list of risky airports for near-collisions on runways or incidents in which pilots get confused when they're taxiing, will participate in an experimental safety program that uses high-tech gadgetry on the airfield and in cockpits. The Federal Aviation Administration picked SFO as one of 21 airports nationally for the pilot project, officials announced Wednesday. Seven airlines, most of which operate at the San Francisco airport, will participate in the voluntary program. The specially outfitted planes will be equipped with on-board, satellite-based tracking devices that will let pilots see exactly where they are on the airfield and the precise location of other aircraft and service vehicles. The cockpit systems include moving map displays and audible alerts that will let pilots know when they are entering, crossing or departing a runway. "This technology is on every pilot's wish list," said FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell. "It's going to be a big boost for runway safety." Currently, pilots must rely on what they can see from the cockpit and information from air traffic controllers. Now, the control tower is equipped with radar that pinpoints the location of planes on the airfield and controllers must relay that information to pilots. The new equipment "will add another layer of protection," said SFO spokesman Michael McCarron. San Francisco International Airport was tapped as a test site because it is one of the nation's busiest commercial airports and has intersecting runways, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. "The FAA believes that this technology could have prevented many of SFO's past runway incursions," meaning incidents that violate procedure and, in the worst case, could result in a collision between planes, Gregor said. It could be as minor as a plane rolling a few feet out of position while awaiting takeoff or having a service truck get too close to a plane on takeoff or landing. There were four runway incursions at SFO in the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007, including one considered serious. In that incident, on May 26, two passenger planes almost collided when an air traffic controller mistakenly cleared a jetliner for takeoff and a turboprop plane for landing on intersecting runways. The airliners may have come within 50 feet of each other, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. No injuries were reported. After the close call, the air traffic controller was decertified, had to undergo additional training and eventually was recertified. In part because of that incident, last year the FAA put San Francisco International Airport on a list of 20 risky airports due to runway incursions. Between 2000 and 2007, there were between two and five runway incursions each year reported at SFO. In the fiscal year that ended last month, there was a spike of 11 runway incursions, all considered minor with no potential for collisions, Gregor said. He said new procedures were put in place to reduce the risk of airplanes crossing paths on certain runaways. For example, airplanes now taxi around the end of the runway instead of crossing the middle. "These steps appear to have paid off. We have had zero runway incursions at SFO for the past two months, which is more typical of what we have seen historically," Gregor said. The onboard tracking devices will start being installed in May. Each of the participating airlines will receive between $510,000 and $600,000. Not all planes in their fleets will be equipped - 16 to 20 aircraft from each carrier will be included. Southwest Airlines, one of the participants, was already looking at the technology, but "this pilot program gives us an opportunity to go forward," said airline spokeswoman Marilee McInnis. The added cost is not something financially struggling airlines could easily afford without federal aid, industry representatives said. In addition to Southwest Airlines, the other carriers participating at SFO are US Airways, SkyWest Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and Atlas Air. In exchange for the federal funding, the airlines have agreed to provide the FAA with operational data and pilot observations to measure the effectiveness of the new technology. SFO is the only airport in Northern California included in the test. On the West Coast, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport will participate. Among the others are Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport and JFK International Airport in New York. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/30/BAKU13QL29.DTL ************** Foundation Recognizes Aviation Safety Accomplishments HONOLULU - In a morning awards ceremony at the International Air Safety Seminar (IASS), the Flight Safety Foundation recognized several notable achievements in aviation safety. More than 300 safety professionals from around the world were in attendance. Presidential Citation was presented to Evgeny Nikolaevich Lobachev, an advisor to the Russian Federation Minister of Transport. Lobachev was a permanent member of the Russian accident investigation groups and helped draft the Russian Air Code. In 1992, Lobachev developed certification and safety oversight procedures that have become an important instrument for efficient regulation of civil aviation that continue to be used in Russia. In addition, he worked from 2000-2003 to improve the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program. Presidential Citation was presented to Nicolas Sabatini, associate administrator of safety, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This citation recognizes Sabatini's efforts to encourage broad-based and cooperative safety initiatives. His efforts in the field of data-driven pre-emptive actions helped lead the United States to its safest period in aviation history. He also has encouraged the development of industry-wide safety management systems. Aviation Safety Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John O'Brien, formerly of the Air Line Pilots Association. Sponsored by Boeing, this award recognizes individuals for their lifelong dedication to aviation safety. O'Brien has touched on numerous aspects of aviation safety through his work on U.S. and international committees. His work has contributed to advances in accident investigation and prevention, pilot training, flight operations and the development of standard operating procedures. "These men have all demonstrated a commitment to safety that is unrivaled and deserves to be acknowledged," said William R. Voss, president and CEO, Flight Safety Foundation. "It gives me great pride to present Lobavech and Sabatini with a presidential citation, and to recognize O'Brien with the Aviation Safety Lifetime Achievement Award." In addition to these awards, the Foundation recognized excellence with two awards presented earlier this year. The Honeywell Bendix Trophy and the Aviation Week & Space Technology Distinguished Service award were presented in July 2008 at a special event in London co-sponsored by the Foundation and Honeywell. The Bendix Trophy was presented to NATS, the U.K. air navigation service provider, for developing innovative Mode S Radar Tools. The AWS&T Distinguished Service award was presented to Capt. Dave Carbaugh of Boeing. http://www.amtonline.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=6667 ************** European agency demands checks on DC-9s, MD-80s BERLIN (AP) - Europe's aviation safety authority has ordered airplane crews to make mandatory pre-flight checks on warning systems for flaps and slats on all DC-9 and MD-80 airplanes. The Cologne, Germany-based European Aviation Safety Agency says the directive is based on information from Spanish officials into what caused a SpanAir passenger jet to crash upon takeoff on Aug. 20. That crash in Madrid killed 154 people. In its directive Wednesday, the agency calls the check a "precautionary measure." Spanish authorities have not determined a cause for the SpanAir crash, but are focusing on the plane's wing flaps and the failure of a cockpit alarm to sound. ************** Tail-scrape badly damages Cargo B 747-200F Belgian freight operator Cargo B Airlines is performing a detailed inspection of one of its two Boeing 747-200 freighters, following an incident at Brussels Airport which badly damaged the jet. Brussels-based Cargo B, which began operations just over a year ago, operates a pair of 747-200 freighters, and is preparing to take delivery of a new 747-400 next month. Cargo B director for cargo Gerard Terbruggen confirms that one of the airline's 747-200s was involved in an incident on 27 October. Images of the aircraft show substantial damage to the rear fuselage, indicative of a serious tail strike, but Terbruggen declines to give any further details of the incident or the condition of the aircraft. He says: "At the moment [the aircraft] is under inspection. It is pending investigation and we will release details later on." He identifies the aircraft as OO-CBA, which was manufactured in 1988. According to Flight's ACAS database, OO-CBA is owned by Irish-based 3P Air Freighters, a company which was set up by Cargo B's biggest shareholder Peter Cam. Cargo B has a scheduled route, with stops in Sao Paulo, Ecuador and Columbia, and also performs charter missions to South America and Africa. Next month the carrier will kick off its fleet-renewal programme with the arrival of a new 747-400. Terbruggen says: "We will receive a 747-400 freighter by the end of November. It has been a bit delayed due to the strike at Boeing. We are taking the aircraft on dry-lease." He adds that the aircraft, which was originally due to arrive in mid-November, has already been completed and delivery timelines are being finalised. Although Terbruggen declines to comment on the identity of the lessor, a statement on the airline's website says a 747-400 freighter is being sourced from Nippon Cargo Airlines. The aircraft will be used to replace one of Cargo B's 747-200s, which will be withdrawn next year. Regarding the replacement of the second aircraft, Terbruggen says: "We are in discussions at the moment and expect to announce something in one or two weeks." Cargo B claims its business has been left relatively untouched by the global financial crisis. Terbruggen says: "Our load factors haven't really been affected by the current situation. In South America and Africa demand is still promising. For the moment we haven't seen any major impact from the financial crisis." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************