16 DEC 2008 _______________________________________ *US Airways Pilots Halt Voluntary Data-Sharing Program *Black Box’ as Safety Device *Pilot Lost In Texas King Air Downing *FAA To Make Washington ADIZ Permanent *Budget Airline Makes Its Debut in Brazil **************************************** US Airways Pilots Halt Voluntary Data-Sharing Program By ANDY PASZTOR LOS ANGELES – In the latest setback for pilot-airline cooperation on safety initiatives, US Airways became the third mainline U.S. airline to discontinue voluntary programs for reporting operational incidents. Following similar disputes affecting Delta Air Lines Inc. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the collapse of the US Airways program underscores the difficulties of pursuing voluntary data-sharing in the face of the airline industry's rancorous labor-management relations. The move not only does away with a powerful tool for the airline and its pilots to spot all types of budding safety hazards, it also could slow the spread of such voluntary incident-reporting systems at some foreign carriers, safety experts say. The US Airways program, which had been active for more than 10 years, ran into trouble over pilot complaints that the company was seeking to use voluntary reports to punish individual pilots. The pilot union said the program was scheduled to lapse in early 2008, but had been extended repeatedly by pilot representatives "in an attempt to reconcile disagreements" over immunity provisions. Pilot union leaders of American and Delta had basically the same complaints when those long-standing voluntary data-sharing programs were allowed to lapse. The Federal Aviation Administration views such programs as the cornerstone of proactive safety monitoring and enforcement. Under the concept, pilots report in-flight mistakes, incipient safety threats and other subtle problems before they create accidents. Then pilot representatives, airline officials and federal regulators jointly analyze the incident, assess the dangers and recommend safety fixes to prevent a repeat. With some exceptions, pilots expect to avoid punishment for making mistakes. Senior FAA officials for years have touted such voluntary programs as one of the big reasons for steadily dropping accident rates in the U.S. and elsewhere. The labor-management flare-ups come at a time when "data collection systems are fragile" and "safety systems don't belong on the bargaining table," said William Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation, at a recent industry safety conference. Other air-safety experts have argued that with traditional safety enforcement strategies stalling, voluntary data-sharing and compliance are the keys to further improvements. The FAA, for example, is hoping to persuade mechanics and air-traffic controllers to step up voluntary reporting programs. Longer term, the agency's safety agenda envisions private pilots, engine manufacturers and even helicopter manufacturers voluntarily feeding data into a centralized safety data base. One potential bright spot, according to pilots and industry officials, is that the merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines is expected to produce an ambitious voluntary data-sharing program. Despite the recent problems, Continental Airlines and its pilots recently agreed to reauthorize their voluntary incident-reporting system. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122939040059509171.html?mod=googlenews_wsj ************** Black Box’ as Safety Device By CHRISTINE NEGRONI The black box, more than any other piece of aircraft equipment, is a potent symbol of disaster. But last month, in a sharp departure from industry practice, Japan Airlines began showing an in-flight video focusing its passengers’ attention on that equipment. Japanese Airline Looks Back at Doomed Flight For most of their history, the bright orange flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — referred to inaccurately as black boxes — have served one function: recording the last information from a doomed flight. Recent technology, though, has allowed airlines to make flight data — previously retrievable only after a crash — more easily accessible. As a result, hundreds of details on routine flights can be collected. Data analysis and a companion program that encourages pilots to report their own errors are based on the idea that mistakes are lessons waiting to be learned. But getting pilots to confess mistakes has proved too difficult for two large American carriers. So it is all the more notable that not only has Japan Airlines been successful with both programs, it is using in-flight videos to make passengers aware of its shortcomings. “No one in the world is doing this,” says Michael Poole, managing partner of CAE Flightscape, whose company, based in Quebec, provides the technology to Japan Airlines and other airlines. “Here’s an excellent way to communicate they are serious about safety.” In the three-minute video, passengers learn what kinds of errors the airline is looking for and what happens when they are found. They see pilots working in the cockpit and hear terms like “anomalies” and “potential hazards.” “Through this program we want to be as open as we can and show our customers how we are improving safety in our everyday business activities,” said Akeo Misumi, director of the flight data monitoring office. Even when potential hazards are not spotted, the information can be beneficial. Mr. Poole said subtle irregularities in piloting or maintenance could, for example, burn more fuel. “I don’t care what business you’re in, if you have a device measuring the performance of your business, you should look at the data proactively to run a better business.” In the United States, more than 70 airlines have signed agreements with the Federal Aviation Administration to participate in the Aviation Safety Action Program, known by the acronym ASAP. The pilots receive immunity from disciplinary action if they report their mistakes. But some airlines have dropped out of the program, which Robert A. Sturgell, the acting administrator of the F.A.A., has called “disheartening.” American Airlines, withdrew six weeks ago, joining Delta Air Lines and Comair, a regional carrier owned by Delta. Disagreements between the union and management prompted American’s decision. At issue is whether pilots can be punished if their errors would have been detected outside of ASAP. Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines, blamed the pilots’ union. “This is something we feel is in the best interests of our pilots and we want it back,” he said. But Scott Shankland, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, said, “ASAP at American is a victim of the poor relationship between pilots and management.” In light of the difficulties that airlines in the United States are having, Japan Airlines stands out, said Kevin Humphreys, director of safety regulation for the Irish Aviation Authority. “For some cultures, punishment for error was considered part of a regulatory process. So for an organization to publicly acknowledge it makes errors is a positive paradigmatic shift,” he said. “The aviation industry has been a leader in learning from its mistakes, but first you have to acknowledge you make mistakes.” Japan Airlines has also opened a safety promotion center at Tokyo International Airport where the public is invited to view the wreckage and personal effects of the victims of the most deadly single aviation accident ever. Five hundred and twenty people died when Japan Airlines Flight 123 flew into a mountain in 1985. That accident and a series of smaller safety events prompted the creation of the center. When it comes to making a statement about the importance of vigilance to mishap-free operations, displaying airplane wreckage is a pretty bold one. “Anybody who has ever pushed back from the gate is fully aware that we have passengers who are nervous fliers, and we do what we can to keep them from having sweaty palms,” said John Gadzinski, a 737 captain with Southwest Airlines and the safety chairman of the Southwest Airline Pilots Association. “This may be another way to soothe passengers’ nerves, but I sure wouldn’t do it this way.” The Air Transportation Association of America, a trade organization representing air carriers, said in an e-mail message, “Raising the issue of safety as passengers get ready to depart (even if you’re touting your programs) doesn’t make sense.” It is not just passengers who may get skittish. This summer, Judge Karl S. Forester of United States District Court in Lexington, Ky., gave airlines a reason to worry when he upheld a decision in the lawsuit against Comair for the 2006 crash of Flight 5191, which killed 49 people, that gave lawyers for the victims’ families access to the airline’s confidential ASAP records. Comair argued unsuccessfully that airline self-reporting should be protected from civil lawsuits. Japan Airlines reports that passengers have had little to say about the new video. But not since the early days of air travel, when flight attendants were also registered nurses, has safety been presented to passengers in so forthright a manner. Many in the industry are waiting to see if explaining that errors can make air travel safer can make air travelers feel safer, too. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/business/16box.html?ref=business *************** Pilot Lost In Texas King Air Downing Reported Autopilot Problems Before Loss Of Contact The pilot of a Beechcraft King Air C90A was killed when his plane crashed in central Texas Sunday. The Roseburg (OR) News-Review reports George Anthony "Tony" Kuhn, 66, told air traffic controllers the plane's autopilot failed and he was having difficulties controlling the aircraft. The plane deviated from its planned route of flight between Hondo, TX and Arizona's Phoenix Goodyear Airport, and controllers lost radio contact shortly before the plane crashed about 30 miles west of Rocksprings. Kuhn had traveled to Texas with Bill Woods, president of Roseburg-based aircraft broker Western Wings, which owned the accident plane. Woods was to return in another plane to Roseburg... but instead, spent Monday at the wreckage site. "Tony was probably the most organized person I have ever been around," said Douglas County Commissioner Doug Robertson, who told the News-Review he'd known Kuhn for 35 years and said he was "meticulous as a pilot." The FAA and NTSB are investigating. IDENTIFICATION Regis#: 43KM Make/Model: BE9L Description: 90, A90 to E90 King Air (T-44, VC-6) Date: 12/14/2008 Time: 2058 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N Damage: Destroyed LOCATION City: ROCKSPRINGS State: TX Country: US DESCRIPTION AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, 20 MILES FROM ROCKSPRINGS, TX INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1 # Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: WEATHER: KDRT 142053Z AUTO 13007KT 10SM CLR 26/07 A2968 OTHER DATA Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER FAA FSDO: SAN ANTONIO, TX (SW17) Entry date: 12/15/2008 FMI: www.westernwingsaircraft.com, www.faa.gov aero-news.net ************** FAA To Make Washington ADIZ Permanent AOPA: Change Extremely Disappointing and Unjustified The Federal Aviation Administration has released its final rule making the Washington, DC Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) -- the only such zone within the borders of the United States -- a permanent fixture in American airspace. The change will come despite congressional inquiries, economic studies, more than 22,000 written comments from pilot in opposition to the rule, and an all-out effort by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to convince officials that the ADIZ is an unreasonable, burdensome security restriction. "It's extremely disappointing that the ADIZ -- something that was hastily implemented as a temporary measure -- has become federal regulation," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "We have never given up trying to eliminate the ADIZ, working with security officials, members of Congress, the White House, and the FAA." The ADIZ, which was imposed in February 2003, in the weeks leading up to the Iraq War, will become the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Special Flight Rules Area starting in mid- to late February. A similar ADIZ was imposed over New York City at the same time, but was rescinded in April 2003 as no longer necessary. The dimensions and operational rules for the Special Flight Rules Area will remain the same as the current 30-nautical-mile-radius ADIZ remains the same, which extends from the surface up to 18,000 feet, and includes an outer ring extending to 60-nm in which pilots must observe an airspeed limit. Anyone who willfully violates the ADIZ will still be subject to criminal penalties. Current special procedures that allow easier access to Leesburg Executive Airport in Leesburg, VA will not be part of the final rule, but will remain in effect by separate FAA action. "Operationally, nothing changes for pilots," Cebula said. "But issuing an ADIZ final rule is a concern because a temporary flight restriction was imposed without consulting airspace users, and later made 'permanent' with no documented justification." FAA and security officials have never provided a specific, intelligence-based threat assessment to justify to Congress or the pilot community the design of and procedures required in the ADIZ. Congress had called on security officials numerous times to testify about the ADIZ, whether it was necessary, and the economic impact it was having on airports in the area. AOPA commissioned an economic study in 2005 that showed that 10 of the 13 airports analyzed inside the ADIZ were losing about $43 million in annually in wages, revenue, taxes, and local spending. The association was successful in getting the size of the ADIZ reduced from its original "Mickey Mouse" shape that encompassed the Baltimore-Washington, DC Class B airspace to its current 30-nm radius. However, AOPA had also lobbied that it be further reduced to a 20-nm radius or outright eliminated because the government has never provided evidence that the ADIZ has resulted in any measurable increase in security. "While this is a final rule," Cebula said, "circumstances and conditions evolve, and rules can be changed." FMI: www.faa.gov, www.aopa.org aero-news.net **************** Budget Airline Makes Its Debut in Brazil JetBlue's Founder Starts Azul, His Fourth Low-Cost Carrier, Despite Frozen Credit Markets David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways Corp., launched his fourth low-cost airline -- this time in Brazil -- defying poor markets for aircraft financing. Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras SA started service Monday with four jetliners and plans to acquire four more by next month. It had originally planned to start operations in January but moved up its debut to capitalize on the peak holiday season. The carrier's first flight left Monday from Campinas, about 45 minutes northwest of São Paulo, and landed in Salvador de Bahia. Planning for Azul, which means "blue" in Portuguese, began early this year with $150 million from investors in the U.S. and Brazil and firm orders valued at $1.4 billion for 36 118-seat E-195 jetliners from Brazil's Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, or Embraer. Mr. Neeleman said frozen credit markets make this "the worst time ever to finance a plane." But he said Azul is leasing six aircraft, all directly or indirectly from JetBlue, another Embraer operator, and managed to get financing from the Brazilian Development Bank and a German bank for a few more aircraft. "We have five more to go," he said in a telephone interview from Salvador de Bahia. "We'll get it worked." The 49-year-old airline executive, who speaks fluent Portuguese and holds both U.S. and Brazilian citizenship, is Azul's chairman and holds a 20% equity stake and 80% voting control in the venture. A Brazilian retailing executive was recruited as president. Azul looks a lot like JetBlue, the Forest Hills, N.Y., carrier that took off in 2000 and now is the seventh-largest U.S. airline by traffic. Azul offers low fares, has two-by-two leather seats in all-economy cabins, and coming late next year will offer LiveTV on seatback monitors. JetBlue ex-CEO David Neeleman, center, in São Paulo in May, holds a 20% equity stake in budget carrier Azul. Mr. Neeleman was ousted as chief executive of JetBlue, his third airline start-up, in 2007 after its board decided the fast-growing U.S. carrier needed a leader who was more managerial than entrepreneurial. "I miss JetBlue a lot," Mr. Neeleman said Monday. "But it's good for me to be down here." He said planning Azul was fun, but "now is the hard part. You've got to operate it and make money." One target market is Brazilians who don't travel at all, as well as those who take about 250 million trips a year on long-distance buses. As a result, Azul's cheapest fares, purchased 21 days in advance, are similar in price to bus tickets. Its lowest one-way fare from Campinas to Salvador de Bahia is 209 reals, or roughly $87, for a two-hour flight. The bus takes 33 hours. The new entrant is going up against two leading local carriers, TAM Linhas Aéreas SA and Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA, which together command 90% of the local market. It also faces challenges in Brazil's airport and air-traffic control infrastructure, which need improvement. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122936524255807509.html?mod=googlenews_wsj ***************