28 NOV 2008 _______________________________________ *Official: Airbus A320 crashes into sea off France *Crashed A320 was on approach to Perpignan: investigators *ANZ A320 crashes off France during pre-delivery flight *Airbus A330 Incident (Norway) *US Airways Orders Sikh Musicians Off Flight *China-made regional jet completes first test flight *NASA Conducts Pilot Cognition Studies *Qantas Airways' Alan Joyce Ready to Tackle Safety, Scheduling *************************************** Official: Airbus A320 crashes into sea off France French official: Airbus A320 Air New Zealand jet crashes off southern French coast Rescue efforts launched, no immediate reports of survivors, floating debris found Passenger jet was on a training flight when it crashed at about 4 p.m. GMT PARIS, France (CNN) -- A plane with seven people aboard crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, a French regional government official told CNN. A New Zealand Airbus 320 flying into Auckland from France, from a file picture taken in 2003. The Airbus A320 jet was on a training flight when the crash occurred about 5 p.m. (4 p.m. GMT), said the official at the Maritime Prefecture in Toulon, France. There were no immediate reports of survivors, but rescue efforts involving French navy vessels and a helicopter were launched. Floating debris had been located, the official said. Airbus confirmed the crash in a written statement, saying the jet was owned by Air New Zealand and operated by XL Airways Germany. "The aircraft was operating a local technical flight from Perpignan, France," the company said. The Airbus statement did not say how many people were thought to be on board. See a map of where the flight originated > The twin-engine plane involved in the accident had accumulated about 7,000 flying hours, Airbus said. Learn more about the Airbus A320 > "At this time, no further factual information is available," Airbus said. "In line with international convention, Airbus will provide full technical assistance to the authorities of France, who will be responsible for the investigation into the accident. A team of five specialists from Airbus is being dispatched to the site." People in a civilian vessel saw the crash take place off the coast near Perpignan, the French government official said. "The investigation remains the entire responsibility of the relevant authorities, and it would be inappropriate for Airbus to enter into any form of speculation into the cause of the accident," the Airbus statement said. "The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident." http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/27/airbus.france.crash/index.html ************** Crashed A320 was on approach to Perpignan: investigators Preliminary information from French investigators shows that the Airbus A320 which crashed off the eastern French coast yesterday had been conducting an approach to Perpignan Airport. The aircraft had been due to conduct a redelivery flight to Air New Zealand after coming off lease from XL Airways' German division. France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses states that the aircraft had departed Perpignan about an hour before the accident for a "circular" flight. It says the aircraft crashed "during its approach" to Perpignan Rivesaltes Airport at 16:46. Meterological conditions at the time show winds coming from the northwest, which would suggest approaches would have been made from the east, to Perpignan's runway 33, although this has yet to be confirmed. Six French and two German investigators are participating in the inquiry, along with representatives of Airbus and the French directorate general of civil aviation. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************* ANZ A320 crashes off France during pre-delivery flight Seven people were on board an Airbus A320 aircraft, belonging to Air New Zealand's Freedom Air, which has crashed off the coast of France during a pre-delivery flight. A spokeswoman for the French coast guard Gendarmerie Maritime says the precise location of the twin-jet is unclear, but that the organisation believes it to be between 1km and 5km from the coast near Perpignan. She adds that the jet belonged to Air New Zealand and is lying 20-30m below the surface of the water. The condition of the seven occupants is unknown, she says. The aircraft came down at about 17:00. Sources familiar with the situation state that the aircraft is owned by ANZ's Freedom Air subsidiary, and registered D-AXLA, with serial number 2500. The three-year old jet is equipped with International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants. It had been leased to XL Airways' German division and was undergoing maintenance in Perpignan before being redelivered to Freedom Air in Frankfurt. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Airbus A330 Incident (Norway) Date: 27-NOV-2008 Time: Type: Airbus A330-343 Operator: Scandinavian Airlines Registration: SE-REF C/n / msn: 568 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 180 Airplane damage: None Location: Vaernes, Tronheim - Norway Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: ARN/ESSA Destination airport: Chicago (ORD/KORD) Narrative: SK945, a Scandinavian Airlines Airbus 330, made an emergency landing at Vaernes, Trondheim (Norway) today. Some sort of technical problem made the pilots turn one engine off. They landed safely using only one engine. Onboard were 180 pax except the crew. All were unhurt. An ACARS message from the flight indicated "ENG 2 FIRE LOOP B FAULT" (aviation-safety.net) ************** US Airways Orders Sikh Musicians Off Flight Organization Asks For Apology, Compensation There's a saying that history doesn't repeat itself... but it does rhyme. That seems appropriate here, for a couple of reasons. The Sacramento Bee reports the pilot of a US Airways flight ordered Gulbag Singh, Davinder Singh, and Iqbal Singh off their plane at Sacramento International Airport on November 15. The three men -- who belong to the Sikh faith, and were wearing turbans -- were on their way to a musical performance in Salt Lake City when they were told to get off Flight 493 to Phoenix. "The US Airways representatives were unable to give a clear explanation for why the pilot wouldn't fly with them," said the mens' attorney, Jaspreet Singh. "The interpreter finally told them, 'Just listen, don't do anything else. Just take the offer of a hotel overnight and they'll put you on a Delta flight in the morning to Salt Lake City.'" "They were very, very upset about this," added the attorney, who works for the international organization United Sikh. US Airways spokesman James Olsen confirmed the incident took place, saying the men were removed from the flight "based on some observations from passengers and airline personnel," who cited "potential security concerns." Olsen didn't give any details of the mens' alleged suspect behavior. "After resolving the concerns raised, US Airways provided overnight accommodations and rebooked these travelers on the next nonstop flight from Sacramento to their final destination." United Sikhs counters the incident raises the ominous specter of racial profiling, similar to that seen in the days following 9/11... when Sihks were the target of violence due to their outward similarities to practicing Muslims. "In the formal complaint letter to US Airways, United Sikhs stressed the severity of the racial profiling and discriminatory treatment, asked for an apology and compensation for the three Sikhs, and offered training for US Airways staff," reads a release from the organization. This isn't the first time US Airways has been at the center of a highly-publicized example of apparent discrimination. As ANN reported, six Islamic imams were removed from a US Airways flight in November 2006 for suspicious behavior, and allegedly making anti-American comments. The religious leaders were returning from a conference in Minneapolis-St. Paul when they were taken off the plane, handcuffed, and questioned by authorities. The men later sued for discrimination. Practitioners of Sikhism note their religion is not affiliated with -- and, in many ways, is fundamentally different from -- Islam. FMI: www.usairways.com, www.unitedsikhs.org aero-news.net *************** China-made regional jet completes first test flight SHANGHAI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - China's first domestically developed regional aircraft, the ARJ21-700, completed its maiden test flight on Friday, the Xinhua news agency said. The 90-seat jet, unveiled last December, landed safely at an airport in Shanghai after an hour's flight, Xinhua said on its website. China has secured 208 orders for the jet, due to start commercial delivery within 18 months, including five firm orders from General Electric's (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) aircraft leasing arm, GE Commercial Aviation Services. Production capacity for the jets is currently at 20 units a year, Xinhua said. China is also developing large passenger and cargo aircraft, hoping to compete eventually with Boeing (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). (Reporting by Fang Yan; Editing by Edmund Klamann) **************** NASA Conducts Pilot Cognition Studies CLEVELAND, Nov 26, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- NASA is investigating the best methods for monitoring brain activity as part of a study designed to help airplane pilots realize when they are operating under dangerous levels of stress, fatigue and distraction. Studies under way at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are employing functional near infrared spectroscopy, also know as fNIRS, and other imaging technology to measure blood flow in the brain's cortex and the concentration of oxygen in the blood. This emerging technology offers a non-invasive, safe, portable and inexpensive method for monitoring indicators of neural activity. Through the studies, researchers hope to find ways to improve the interaction between the increasingly sophisticated automation being used in aircraft and the humans who operate those aircraft. The goal is to aid pilot decision-making to improve aviation safety. Angela Harrivel, a NASA biomedical engineer who leads the research, and research associates are working on fNIRS at Glenn with 15 test subjects. "No matter how much training pilots have, conditions could occur when too much is going on in the cockpit," said Harrivel. "What we hope to achieve by this study is a way to sensitively -- and, ultimately, unobtrusively -- determine when pilots become mentally overloaded." Harrivel and the project are working with the test subjects, who don headgear fitted with optical or electrical sensors and sit in a moving cockpit simulator that creates the sensation of flying. The tests measure electrical activity in the brain to validate spectroscopic data obtained through the fNIRS sensors. The volunteers perform basic functional tasks and participate in more complex flight simulations. Future tests will challenge the subjects with stress-inducing conditions as they use a joystick and flight instruments to try to stay "airborne" in the simulator. "Flying an aircraft involves multitasking that potentially can push the limits of human performance," Harrivel said. "When we increase stress and difficulty we can see how the subject reacts, measuring brain activity during overload." The Aviation Safety Program of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington sponsored the research. It is overseen by the program's Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Project. Video of the testing will air on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For information about NASA's Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Project visit: http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/avsafe/iifd/index.htm For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov SOURCE NASA http://www.nasa.gov ************** Qantas Airways' Alan Joyce Ready to Tackle Safety, Scheduling Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- For James Xenidis, Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. isn't as good as it used to be. "We now have to factor a late arrival in when scheduling meetings because it happens so often," said Xenidis, 41, a lawyer at Inspector Compliance Pty in Melbourne who flies three times a week. "When we need to be at a meeting in the morning we often have to fly the night before to make sure we can make it." For Alan Joyce, who takes over as Qantas chief executive officer today, the 23 percent of flights that fail to arrive on time are just one of the challenges. Qantas's shares have fallen 57 percent since Jan. 1; Moody's Investors Service said this week that it may cut the airline's ratings; and the carrier's safety record has been hit by incidents including a mid-air plunge and an in-flight oxygen tank explosion. "It's an extraordinarily difficult job to take on at Qantas," said Saxon Nicholls, who manages the equivalent of more than $394 million at Herschel Asset Management Ltd. in Melbourne. "We are in a slowing economy and it is difficult to turn around perceptions when the business itself is so challenging to run." Joyce, who takes over from 69-year old Geoff Dixon, won the top job after turning Qantas's budget carrier, Jetstar, into the airline's fastest-growing unit, partly by targeting the carrier's less profitable routes with more fuel efficient aircraft and lower labor costs. The 42-year-old Irishman, who holds degrees in Management Science and mathematics from Trinity College at the University of Dublin, says he's up to his latest role. "In mathematics and physics it's all about problem solving," Joyce said yesterday in an interview at the 89-year- old company's Sydney headquarters. "That is the way I approach things." Industry Slowdown Qantas faces one of the toughest environments for travel in years. The airline industry is expected to report combined worldwide losses of about $5.2 billion this year, the widest since 2004, according to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA. As many as 28 airlines have gone out of business and a further 20 are at risk, according to IATA CEO Giovanni Bisignani. Aside from the task of running an airline amid the global economic crisis, the perception that the airline is either unsafe or chronically late must be tackled head-on, Joyce said. Qantas, known as the Flying Kangaroo for its red and white tail logo, is renowned for its safety record. The carrier hasn't had a fatal crash in the jet age, a milestone made famous in the 1988 movie "Rain Man." All the same, the airline has been beset by a series of incidents this year. In a survey published Oct. 7, 63 percent of Australians polled said they thought the airline's safety standards "have become worse over the last few years." No. 1 Priority "Safety is our number one priority and we spend a significant amount of resources, human and financial, on safety and maintaining that reputation," he said. "That is the key communication challenge we have." Sticking to a schedule also remains an issue -- particularly for investors who say the airline risks alienating customers. Qantas shares closed yesterday at A$2.35 after reaching a 10-year low last week, less than half the A$5.45 offered in a failed A$11.1 billion cash buyout in 2007. Almost 23 percent of Qantas planes failed to arrive on time in September, making it the worst performer among the nation's eight carriers, according to the latest government data. Joyce says the airline could, and has, been doing a better job of getting flights to arrive on time. As the company works through labor actions earlier this year, the record has been improving -- and will get better, he promised. On-Time Performance The airline's on-time performance is now above 80 percent and will get better following this week's decision to ground some aircraft, which Joyce says will allow the carrier to turn planes around faster. "Certainly we did have a problem with on-time performance and people's perceptions of that, which came from industrial relations disputes we had with the engineers," said Joyce. Joyce grew up in the industrial Dublin suburb of Tallaght. He worked for an Irish computer company before joining Irish carrier Aer Lingus. He joined Qantas in 2003, a year before a loss of market share to Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. prompted Qantas to introduce discount carrier Jetstar. While at Jetstar, Joyce cut expenses by selling snacks and beverages, rather than giving them away, and charging for extra leg room and inflight video entertainment. Since taking off in May 2004, Jetstar has built a fleet of 34 planes. It represented almost 10 percent of Qantas' profit of A$969.7 million last year. Pragmatism "He's a very pragmatic guy," said Chong Phit Lian, the chief executive officer of Singapore-based Jetstar Asia. "His experience and background with Qantas and Jetstar should help him steer the company in this current environment." The carrier this week said it will cut capacity by the equivalent of 10 aircraft and forecast a 64 percent drop in pretax profit to about A$500 million. Joyce may go further in removing more capacity should the need arise. "We are acting very fast and being aggressive," Joyce said. "Circumstances and the environment are tough but we are acting very fast and there are a lot of advantages we have." Back in Melbourne at Inspector Compliance, Joyce's actions may yet prove enough to retain the loyalty of James Xenidis. "My preference is always Qantas because their service is superior, even with the bad press they've been getting," the financial services lawyer says. "The mishaps don't help, but every airline seems to have mishaps." http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aZOiRl50y6Wg&refer=home ***************