10 NOV 2008 _______________________________________ *Engine fell off Mexican plane before crash *Updated blacklist: Inclusion of EU carriers unconfirmed *Las Vegas runway closes for repaving *India's Jet Airways Planning To Phase Out Foreign Pilots *Woman Deplanes, Walks Into Moving Prop At FDK *Cessna-206 Accident (Tanzania) *Laser Shined at Several Aircraft over San Diego *************************************** Engine fell off Mexican plane before crash, official says Jet's left engine fell off as plane traveled between 250 and 300 kmh, reports say No traces of explosives found in wreckage; no foul play suspected, official says Interior minister, former deputy attorney general among those who died Tuesday Mexicans had speculated that drug lords were behind crash MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- An engine fell off a Mexican government jet before it crashed, killing the second-highest official in the nation, the Cabinet member in charge of the investigation said Saturday. 1 of 2 Officials also said they have ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by a bomb. "There is no trace of explosives on the plane wreckage or the [crash] site," said Luis Tellez, Mexican secretary of communication and transportation. Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino, former deputy attorney general Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others onboard were killed in the crash. At least five others on the ground died, and others were reported missing. Officials said 40 people were injured. Camilo Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos had been instrumental in the war on drugs, leading to widespread speculation among Mexicans that drug lords orchestrated the crash. But Mexican authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was involved. The government Learjet 45 was traveling at 500 kmh (310 mph) when it crashed in central Mexico City as it approached Benito Juarez International Airport. Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Mexico's director of airports and auxiliary services, said the jet's left engine fell off when the plane was traveling between 250 and 300 kmh (150 to 186 mph), according to Mexico's state-run Notimex news agency. An examination of the wreckage indicates that the engines were functioning at high speed, Lopez Meyer said. Tallez said the day after the crash that the Learjet 45 did not explode in the air because when that happens, pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area. But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area, he said. Tellez also said Wednesday that the pilot did not report an emergency, Notimex said. A recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft. Officials have vowed to make all aspects of the investigation public. Mexican President Felipe Calderon inspected the crash site Saturday, Notimex said. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/08/mexico.crash/index.html ************** Updated blacklist: Inclusion of EU carriers unconfirmed Safety regulators are preparing to finalise an update to the 'blacklist' of airlines banned from European Union operations, as early indications suggest EU carriers might be included for the first time. Ukrainian operators feature on the current blacklist and other states on the continent - notably Bulgaria - have worked to avoid a carrier ban. Operators from EU countries have so far avoided restrictions. But there are indications from within the European Commission that the Air Safety Committee, which identifies airlines of concern, has been considering carriers from inside its own borders. Air Safety Committee representatives unanimously supported a draft Commission proposal regarding an update to the blacklist on 5 November. While the Commission acknowledges speculation over the possible inclusion of four operators from EU countries, it points out that the draft proposal does not only list banned airlines. The discussions, it says, also cover enforcement measures taken by some member states' civil aviation authorities towards certain operators. "This does not constitute a ban of these airlines," says the Commission. Finalising of the blacklist update, and its adoption, will take place in about a week's time. Alongside restrictions on EU operations aimed at specific carriers, blanket bans remain in place on several states in Africa as well as such countries as Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Las Vegas runway closes for repaving Airport operations at Las Vegas McCarran International airport may be reduced as one of four runways is closed for paving between November and May. The asphalt on one of the airport's east-west runways is being resurfaced with concrete, which will extend the life of the runway and require less routine maintenance, an airport spokesman says. Ideally the runway will reopen earlier than the current May target, he adds. Depending on which runway configuration is used during construction, operations can drop to as low as 32 to 36 arrivals per hour, down between 46.7% and 40% from the maximum of 60 arrivals per hour possible with all runways in use, an FAA spokesman says. The optimal configuration during construction allows for 48 arrivals per hour, a 20% drop from the non-construction maximum of 60, the administration spokesman says. Modelling has shown that between November 2007 and April 2008, weather conditions in Las Vegas would have allowed for use of the ideal construction configuration 60% of the time, he adds. Since closing on 1 November 2008, the airport has experienced delays, but it is impossible to tell which delays are caused by the runway closure and which delays are due to weather, the FAA spokesman says. "Yes, there will at times be an impact [from the runway closure] and sometimes the impact will be substantial, but we see delays because demand outstrips capacity due to weather conditions," he explains. McCarran airline tenants do not appear concerned over the runway closure. "We are expecting some delays if weather is an issue, but we have not made any significant changes to our flight schedule," a Southwest spokeswoman says. Further runway closures are not likely in the near term. The facility's two north-south runways are made of concrete and the other east-west runway has both concrete and asphalt. The center is made of asphalt, but extensions on both ends are made of concrete. Repair work is not needed on the second east-west runway and it will not be resurfaced until at least 2014, the airport spokesman says. Elsewhere at the airport, site work is ongoing for the forthcoming Terminal 3. Part of the building infrastructure is now in place, the spokesman says. Construction began in August despite concerns by airline tenants such as Southwest about the cost and need for 14 more gates as airlines cut capacity because of fuel expenses. The new terminal is expected to open in mid 2012. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** India's Jet Airways Planning To Phase Out Foreign Pilots Will Hire More Indian Pilots In Cost-Cutting Initiative Employing nearly 780 Indian and 260 foreign pilots, Jet Airways has developed a plan to reduce operational expenses by hiring more Indian pilots and gradually phasing out foreign pilots. Foreign pilots working for Jet currently earn almost twice as much as Indian pilots. In addition to 32 pilots laid off last week, Jet is considering terminating 50 more foreign pilots by next month, while hiring 20 more Indian pilots. A senior Jet official confirmed the cost-cutting moves, saying, "We will gradually replace foreign pilots with Indian talent," especially on budget-sensitive non-metro routes, the Economic Times said. "We are already in talks with Turkish Airlines" for subleasing four Boeing 777 aircraft with cabin and cockpit crew, the official said. "If the agreement materializes, these foreign pilots will continue with the company. Otherwise, they will be phased out." "Foreign pilots charge a huge salary premium over Indian pilots. The whole model of ATR demands cost control," an airline industry analyst said, adding that the proposed replacement of the foreign pilots makes sense on ATR routes, the money makers for Jet. The operational costs for the 50- to 74-seat ATRs are 40% lower than the larger Boeing and Airbus planes in their fleet. Last month's announcement by Jet of an operational alliance with Kingfisher Airlines would further reduce operating costs, and could lead to a 40 percent reduction of capacity, further reducing the number of needed pilots. FMI: www.jetairways.com aero-news.net *************** Woman Deplanes, Walks Into Moving Prop At FDK Right Arm Partly Severed, Woman Taken To Specialists A woman deplaning from a Cessna at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Maryland November 6 is lucky to be alive, after walking into the moving propeller of the airplane. FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the Cessna 172 landed at FDK about 7 pm and proceeded to the ramp in front of the main terminal building, the Frederick News-Post reported. Exiting from the left side of the plane and heading for the restaurant in the terminal building, the 19-year old woman walked around the front of the plane where the propeller struck and partly severed her right arm, according to Frederick Police Department reports. Police spokesman Lieutenant Richard Hetherington said a Maryland State Police flight medic was on the scene when Frederick Police officers arrived about 7:10 pm. The woman was medevaced to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, where hand and arm specialists waited to treat her injury. Hetherington did not release the name of the woman or the pilot, reportedly a flight instructor and also a friend of the injured woman. Airport Manager Kevin Daugherty speculated the pilot was unfamiliar with the Frederick airport, because transient aircraft usually park on the flight line at Landmark Aviation, he said. FAA registration lists the owner of the plane as 210 Centurion Group LLC of Laurel, MD, and Daugherty said the plane returned to its home base at Baltimore's Martin State Airport on Friday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident, Peters said. FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov aero-news.net *************** Cessna-206 Accident (Tanzania) Date: 08-NOV-2008 Time: ±11:00 Type: Cessna U206F Operator: Luca Safaris Ltd Registration: 5Y-AOO C/n / msn: U20601710 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Mawenzi Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro - Tanzania Phase: En route Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Kyulu Hills Destination airport: Kyulu Hills Narrative: The Cessna 206, registered to a Nairobi based company, took off from one of the many tourist camps at Kyulu Hills on the Kenyan side of Mount Kilimanjaro on a sight-seeing trip. It then crashed on Mawnzi Peak at an altitude of 4,330m above sea level. Four Italian tourists died, but the pilot survived and was taken to hospital at Moshi, a town on the north-eastern foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. (aviation-safety.net) ************** Laser Shined at Several Aircraft over San Diego A search is underway for the source of a laser that hit several aircraft over San Diego. The sheriff's department said control tower officials at Palomar Airport reported the beam hitting several commercial aircraft flying over Encinitas Friday night. Investigators think the beam may have come from east on Interstate 5, about three or four miles north of the Del Mar Fairgrounds. A sheriff's helicopter investigating the incident was also hit at least twice. Shining a laser at any aircraft is a state and federal felony. http://www.cbs8.com/stories/story.145759.html ***************