12 DEC 2008 _______________________________________ *3 die in helicopter crash in Gulf of Mexico *Boeing Shuffles Management To Address Dreamliner Problems *ANA Mulling Seeking Compensation On Boeing 787 Delay *Magazine's Release Of ATC Tapes Infuriates Pilot Group *Report of smoke in cabin sends plane back to JFK *Jet makes emergency landing at GSP *Avianca B757 Taxiway Excursion (Colombia) *Pilots May Face Greater Cancer Risk *Firefighting foam fills a Long Beach airport hangar *Haggling with your safety in the balance *Up To 20 IATA Members May Fail Safety Standard *************************************** 3 die in helicopter crash in Gulf of Mexico SABINE PASS, Texas (AP) - Three people died Thursday when their helicopter crashed in the Gulf of Mexico on the way to an oil rig, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The search continued for two others who were on the helicopter. Coast Guard Petty Officer Renee Aiello said Jefferson County authorities had pronounced the three dead. She said a Coast Guard cutter would remain in the crash area overnight and aerial searches will resume Friday morning. Aiello said the Coast Guard was alerted at 9:47 a.m. by a call from the helicopter leasing company Rotorcraft Leasing Co. LLC of Broussard, La., which reported that the pilot had not checked in as scheduled. A rescue helicopter crew found the three men and debris in the water about two miles off the Texas coast. The helicopter was headed toward an unmanned oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico about 18 miles offshore, Aiello said. The air temperature was about 36 degrees, with water temperatures at 62 degrees around the time of the crash, said Donovan Landreneau, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La. Wind was blowing from the west at 23 knots, and there was a small craft advisory in effect. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington said investigators would work with the Federal Aviation Administration to determine the cause of the crash. Sabine Pass is about 90 miles east of Houston. ************* Boeing Shuffles Management To Address Dreamliner Problems Commercial Airplanes Reorganized; Airplane Programs Revamped With mounting troubles for its 787 Dreamliner program and continued difficulties in returning to full production after a crippling labor strike, it's apparent Boeing currently finds itself in need of some assistance, and perhaps a clearer focus. What it got, for better or worse, was a management reorganization. The planemaker announced Thursday a series of executive leadership changes and a restructuring within Boeing Commercial Airplanes to "better align resources across its development and production programs and strengthen oversight of its global supply chain." Effective immediately, Commercial Airplanes Supplier Management, Fabrication, Propulsion Systems and the Manufacturing and Quality functional organization are part of a new organization, called Supply Chain Management and Operations, led by Ray Conner. Conner, 53, has extensive experience in program leadership and manufacturing and supply chain management. He most recently was vice president of Sales for Commercial Airplanes. All current production and development programs, including the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8, are being brought together in a new Airplane Programs organization reporting to Pat Shanahan, formerly vice president and general manager of the 787 program. Shanahan was brought in last year to revamp what was then a mildly-troubled 787 program. In his expanded role, Shanahan (below) will continue to have direct oversight and accountability for the 787, with Scott Fancher becoming that program's vice president and general manager. Fancher, 50, who has extensive program management, systems engineering and advanced design experience, previously led the company's missile defense business. "The steps we are taking today will sharpen our management focus and bring our organizational structure to bear to improve execution in our supply chain, as well as on our development programs," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "These moves will help drive results through our entire development and production system, deliver value to our customers and enhance our overall competitiveness." Carson said Shanahan's outstanding program management skills and leadership will "ensure complete focus on execution and the efficient, seamless use of resources, talent and best practices across all our programs, while he continues driving results on the 787." Carson also said Conner's depth of experience "will be applied to improve supplier performance and ensure that the supply chain provides the best value to our organization and ultimately our customers." Conner's prior positions include leadership of the 777 and 747 programs as well as the Propulsion Systems Division. He also has held a number of positions in supplier management during his 30-year Boeing career. "Together, Pat and Ray will work in strong partnership to drive results from our entire production system and supply chain," Carson said. Carolyn Corvi, who led the previous Airplane Programs organization, has announced she will retire at year's end after a 34-year career at Boeing. "On behalf of everyone at Commercial Airplanes and the entire Boeing enterprise, I want to thank Carolyn for her outstanding vision and leadership in transforming our production system and dramatically improving our productivity throughout her career," Carson said. Marlin Dailey succeeds Conner as vice president of Sales. Dailey, 52, is a 28-year Boeing veteran who most recently led Commercial Airplanes sales efforts in Europe, Russia and Central Asia. FMI: www.boeing.com aero-news.net **************** ANA Mulling Seeking Compensation On Boeing 787 Delay TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- All Nippon Airways (9202.TO) said Friday that it is still considering seeking compensation from Boeing Co. (BA) after the aircraft maker Thursday announced another delay in the delivery of its 787 Dreamliner jets. Despite the postponement, ANA - the first customer for the new aircraft - and some other Asian airlines said they are sticking to their current order plans for the new fuel-efficient plane, which carriers hope will reduce their jet fuel costs. Boeing said Thursday it is pushing back the schedule of the 787 Dreamliner program by about six months as it unravels delays caused by a recent union- machinists strike and by problems of improperly installed fasteners on the first few planes. The delay puts the high-profile program roughly two years behind schedule, possibly forcing those waiting for the new plane - 20% more fuel efficient than existing equivalent jets - to review their strategy of the retirement and introduction of fleets in the future. The delay comes as airlines are suffering from tumbling profits due to fluctuations in jet fuel price and the global economic slowdown. Cost costs through steps such as the introduction of fuel-efficient aircraft like 787 are vital for carriers to improve their profitability. The latest move is "extremely regrettable," an ANA spokesman said. The company, which was supposed to receive the first aircraft in May this year, has used its existing and newly purchased 767 jets to make up for the delayed delivery. Japan's second biggest airline by revenue after Japan Airlines Corp. (9205.TO) will probably reexamine its fleet strategy once it receives details of exactly how long deliveries will be put off, the ANA spokesman said. The Japanese carrier is also still assessing how large of an impact the delays will have on its business, the spokesman added. Boeing said it is moving the airplane's maiden flight to sometime in the second quarter of 2009, with the first delivery to ANA occurring sometime "into the first quarter of 2010." The latest postponement doesn't mean that ANA will change its total orders for 50 planes, the ANA spokesman said. Other airlines in Asia have also said there is no change in their orders for the 787 jet. Singapore Airlines Ltd. (C6L.SG) said that it remains committed to the delivery of the Dreamliner planes with its orders for 20 planes while Air China Ltd. (0753.HK) still has its current orders for 15. Japan Airlines said it is sticking to its orders for 35 B787 planes, while Air India (AIN.YY) said its order for 27 787 Dreamliners is unchanged. *************** Magazine's Release Of ATC Tapes Infuriates Pilot Group Laments Use Of Recordings As 'Voyeuristic Entertainment' Over the past decade, we've become accustomed to ubiquitous camera-phones, security and police dash-cam footage used on TV newscasts, and even TV shows based on dramatic video of car crashes and other catastrophic events. But Vanity Fair editors are discovering they've touched a raw nerve by releasing actual cockpit voice recordings of an airliner crew's last few moments alive. Actual black-box audio was used in Vanity Fair's coverage of a story titled, "The Devil at 37,000 Feet," about the midair collision between an Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet and a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 over Brazil in 2006. That's the infamous case in which two American pilots and four Brazilian Air Force controllers stand charged with the equivalent of involuntary manslaughter in Brazil's courts. The January 2009 issue of Vanity Fair includes a transcript, and the entire audio recording itself is featured on the magazine's website. In the US, public release of the actual audio recordings would be illegal. As we've come to learn, Brazilian aviation law can be considerable different from US conventions. The magazine defends its use of the recordings. Spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the magazine chose to make the recordings available, "...because they are newsworthy and serve as documentation..." But Gideon Ewers of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations is outraged that the last few moments of a pilot's life could become a public novelty. "They should never be used ... as a means to provide what can only be described as voyeuristic entertainment to the public at large." On Tuesday, a Brazilian federal judge dismissed negligence charges against ExcelAire pilots Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino, who were flying the Embraer, but let stand the involuntary manslaughter charges, for which they could face criminal prosecution if they ever return to Brazil. FMI: www.ifalpa.org aero-news.net ************** Report of smoke in cabin sends plane back to JFK NEW YORK (AP) - American Airlines says a plane returned to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly after takeoff because there was smoke or haze in the cabin. Spokesman Tim Smith says American Airlines Flight 85 landed without incident around 4 p.m. Thursday, about a half-hour after leaving for San Francisco. No one was hurt. The Boeing 767-300 jet has been taken out of service. The 110 passengers were to depart on another plane. Smith says it's unclear what caused the smokiness in the cockpit and cabin, but such incidents sometimes are traced to electrical glitches. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey says the airport's operations weren't disrupted. ***** Date: 11-DEC-2008 Time: ca 15:30 Type: Boeing 767-323(ER) Operator: American Airlines Registration: N360AA C/n / msn: 24041 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 110 Airplane damage: None Location: New York John F. Kennedy Intl (JFK) - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: JFK Destination airport: SFO Narrative: "Returned to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly after takeoff because there was smoke or haze in the cabin." Sources: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-161901 (aviation-safety.net) ************* Jet makes emergency landing at GSP 140 passengers, 5 crew on Delta flight from Washington to Atlanta unhurtA Delta Air Lines jetliner with 145 passengers and crew members landed safely late Thursday afternoon at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport after crew members reported a "smoky odor" in the cockpit, airline and airport officials said. No one was injured among the 140 passengers and five crew members on Flight 1102 bound from Washington Dulles to Atlanta, said Delta spokesman Kent Landers. The jet was a twin-engine MD-88. "The crew reported a smoky odor in the cockpit en route from Washington Dulles to Atlanta," Landers said. "As a precaution, the crew chose to divert to the Greenville-Spartanburg airport." After landing at GSP just after 5 p.m., "the aircraft was immobilized on a taxiway due to blown tires," he said. Passengers deplaned using emergency slides, Landers said. They were bused to the terminal and were to be rebooked on the next flight to Atlanta, he said. "Delta maintenance personnel will be inspecting the airplane to determine Krutchikthe cause of the incident," he said. Ann Krutchik, an Orlando, Fla., businesswoman who has flown more than 1 million miles on Delta, said the apparent problem occurred about 30 minutes before the scheduled landing in Atlanta. She was sitting in an exit row and said the flight, which left Dulles at 3:20 p.m., had proceeded smoothly. "You could smell smoke," Krutchik said. No one on board panicked and "the crew was very professional," she said. Upon exiting the plane, "I closed my eyes and these big guys caught me at the bottom," Krutchik said. "I hope I never have to do that again." She and a business colleague planned to rent a car and drive to Atlanta. GSP spokeswoman Rosylin Weston said the National Transportation Safety Board will be at the airport this morning to investigate. Weston said the airport runway was closed to all other aircraft at 4:59 p.m. The Delta jet landed at 5:02. The runway was reopened at 6:15, she said. ***** Date: 11-DEC-2008 Time: ca 16:30 Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Operator: Delta Air Lines Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 145 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: IAD Destination airport: ATL Narrative: "The crew reported a smoky odor in the cockpit (...) As a precaution, the crew chose to divert to the Greenville-Spartanburg airport." After landing at GSP, "the aircraft was immobilized on a taxiway due to blown tires". (DL1102) Sources: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20081211/NEWS01/81211023/1001/NEWS http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1102/history/20081211/2034Z/KIAD/KGSP (aviation-safety.net) ************** Avianca B757 Taxiway Excursion (Colombia) Date: 11-DEC-2008 Time: ca 06:45 Type: Boeing 757-200 Operator: Avianca Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 170 Airplane damage: None Location: Cali Alfonso B. Aragon Airport (CLO) - Colombia Phase: Taxi Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: CLO Destination airport: BOG Narrative: left the taxiway and main gear stuck in the ground Sources: http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/notas/Diciembre112008/avion.html (aviation-safety.net) *************** Pilots May Face Greater Cancer Risk Radiation might cause damage to DNA, study says (HealthDay News) -- Highly experienced pilots may be at risk of DNA damage from prolonged exposure to cosmic ionizing radiation, according to a study that compared 83 airline pilots to 50 university faculty members from the same U.S. city. Blood samples from the participants were analyzed for DNA abnormalities, specifically the number of times pairs of chromosomes had changed places -- called translocations. Since translocations aren't eliminated from the blood like other forms of chromosomal abnormalities, they serve as a reliable indicator of cumulative DNA damage associated with radiation exposure, according to the study authors. The researchers found that pilots had a higher average frequency of translocation than the university faculty members -- 0.39 per 100 cell equivalents vs. 0.32 per 100 cell equivalents. However, after the researchers adjusted for age, smoking and other risk factors for DNA damage, there was no difference between the two groups. But, differences did emerge when the researchers focused on how long the pilots had been flying. Those who'd flown the most had twice the frequency of translocations as those who'd flown the least. The findings suggest that experienced pilots may be exposed to biologically significant doses of ionizing radiation, said the researchers, who noted that chromosomal abnormalities have been linked with an increased risk of cancer. The study was published in the Dec. 11 online issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/11/pilots-may-fac e-greater-cancer-risk.html *************** Firefighting foam fills a Long Beach airport hangar (AP) A police helicopter and other vehicles were caught in the fizzy mess. Thousands of gallons of firefighting foam were accidentally released Thursday in a Long Beach airport hangar, covering a police helicopter and other vehicles with fizzy bubbles. A technician inadvertently set off the firefighting system, and minutes later the hangar was filled to the ceiling with foam, Long Beach Fire Battalion Chief Frank Hayes said. Firefighters and cleanup crews used high-powered vacuums to remove some of the lather; the rest was draining into a catch basin underneath the airport, Hayes said. Hayes did not know if the vehicles were still working. The foam was expected to be completely removed by early today. ************** Haggling with your safety in the balance Airline passengers have enough to worry about these days without being concerned that their safety has become a negotiating tool. That's why it is ill-advised for three airlines - Delta, American and Comair - to drop the Aviation Safety Action Program. The program, which has uncovered potentially dangerous situations and allowed for fixes since its inception 14 years ago, basically encourages pilots to report their own mistakes. Pilots are supposed to do this without fear of retribution, with the information used to help make the entire flying experience safer. Unfortunately, contract haggling has gotten in the way of all this. According to published reports, union leaders have claimed the airlines haven't always kept their word, and some pilots who disclosed problems or errors were unfairly punished. The airlines say that isn't so. And thus, the airlines and the unions toss accusations, while safety advocates bemoan that bickering is getting in the way of another safety tool. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Flight Safety Foundation have decried the way labor-management politics have become involved. None of this means that flying suddenly becomes more dangerous. But it sure doesn't hurt to have an extra safety program in place. Whether the airlines or the unions are more to blame for the situation really isn't the primary concern of passengers. Safety is. The airline industry has had enough public relations problems without this - or haven't you noticed the ridiculous add-on fees for everything except fresh air? The safety program should be restored, rather than have it being used as a bargaining chip. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsplanespndec12,0,4700635.s tory *************** Up To 20 IATA Members May Fail Safety Standard The International Air Transport Association may be forced to dismiss 20 airlines from its ranks next year for not meeting safety criteria. The association requires all members to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), and Gunther Matschnigg, the organization's senior VP for safety, operations and infrastructure. The likely dismissals are spread around the world, with Africa dominating slightly, but Asian, Middle East, former Soviet states, and Latin America also at risk. IATA already had to dismiss six airlines which didn't meet a 2006 requirement to commit to IOSA, with another six departing the association for not performing an audit last year. Overall, IATA notes that safety statistics for the year so far are much better than last year. Overall, world hull losses of western-built jet losses have falled to 0.77 accidents per million flight hours, from a rate of 0.82 for last year. IATA members outperformed the average, with a rate of 0.47, compared with 0.71 of last year. Four Hull Losses The poorest-performing region was Russia and other former Soviet states, with four hull losses on a small base driving the rate to 7.92 from no such losses last year. The rate for the Middle East and North Africa was up to 2.22 from 1.18 and Latin America also saw a jump to 2.77 from 1.76. Europe and North America saw a slight increase in accidents to 0.45 and 0.48 respectively. The best performance was in northern Asia, with no hull losses (last year's rate was 0.97). The Asia/Pacific rate has fallen to 0.32 from 3.01. IATA says it's working in particular with Indonesia to improve performance in this region, says Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general. IATA also plans to further tighten IOSA requirements, to help further improve safety performance, says Matschnigg. Meanwhile, IATA is putting the finishing touches on an runway safety toolkit it plans to roll out in the first quarter of next year. Matschnigg notes that 48% of accidents this year took place during landing, and runway excursions dominated. The toolkit is being developed in conjunction with the Flight Safety Foundation. Additionally, IATA is ramping up its IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations to reduce the $4 billion in annual costs to the industry from damaged done. So far, 28 audits have been conducted with 43 targeted by yearend. Auditing started only in May. Next year, IATA plans to conduct 80 audits. A few airports, including Amsterdam Schiphol, Calgary and Seattle have made the audit mandatory for handlers at their facility, IATA says. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=mro&id=news /iata12118.xml&headline=Up%20To%2020%20IATA%20Members%20May%20Fail%20Safety% 20Standard ***************