14 JAN 2009 _______________________________________ *Alaska Airlines jet grounded in Kodiak *MD-82 Loss of Navigation (Brazil) *FAA Publication Highlights Aeromedical Issues for Pilots *Jet fuel spills at Seattle airport *Congressmen hopeful anti-business jet language will be stripped from bill *American Airlines to recall 24 pilots in February *Namibia air safety warning *China starts using drug-sniffing dogs on airplanes *Three more Lexington, Ky., airport officials resign *FAA modifies 'ineffective' directive on CRJ flap problems *Int'l ATC Group Sides with NTSB on Brazil Midair *Report: United to add in-flight Wi-Fi *************************************** Alaska Airlines jet grounded in Kodiak KODIAK, Alaska (AP) - An Alaska Airlines jet has been grounded to check for damage after its pilots maxed out the engines to get it stopped on an extremely icy runway. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren tells radio station KXMT the flight crew found the runway far slicker on Tuesday than the airport had led them to expect. Boren says the pilots were able to get the plane stopped by the time they reached the end of runway 36 by using maximum power on the engines' reverse thrusters. The runway ends on the bank of the Buskin River. The plane, a 737-400 with 34 passengers and five crewmembers aboard, taxied under its own power to the terminal. There were no reported injuries. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-14-alaska-air-jet-kodiak_N.ht m **************** MD-82 Loss of Navigation (Brazil) Date: 12-JAN-2009 Time: 13:00Z Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 Operator: Andes Lineas Aereas Registration: LV-BHF C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 84 Airplane damage: None Location: Ponta Pora (PMG/SBPP) - Brazil Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: AEP Destination airport: SLA Narrative: The flight OY-856 landed in Ponta Pora after it had to fly around severe thunderstorms in the destination area. The federal police in Ponta Pora reported, that the crew lost all navigation instruments and were navigating just via their magnetic compass, but lost situational awareness completely and thought, they'd be around Paraguay. With just one hour fuel left the Brasilian radar station of Cindacta de Curitiba was able to locate the airplane via their transponder signal and guided the airplane to a safe landing. (aviation-safety.net) ************** FAA Publication Highlights Aeromedical Issues for Pilots The January/February 2009 issue of FAA Aviation News -- "FIT TO FLY: Pilot's Guide to Aeromedical Issues" -- focuses on medical issues relevant to the general aviation community, with special emphasis on the FAA's aeromedical staff, services, and resources. Articles include: "Getting Your Special Issuance Medical," "Truth or Consequences: Honesty Is the Only Policy in Medical Certification," as well as a profile of Warren Silberman, manager of FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division. The magazine is posted online at: www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news/. A bimonthly publication, FAA Aviation News is designed to make the non-commercial general aviation community aware of FAA resources, help readers understand safety and regulatory issues, and encourage them to focus on continued training and skills development. The editorial content capitalizes on the magazine's unique ability to be the policy voice of FAA, as well as provide safety information to the non-commercial general aviation community. ************* Jet fuel spills at Seattle airport SEATAC, Wash. (AP) - About 1,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled from a plane at Sea-Tac Airport when a fuel line ruptured during maintenance. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper says mechanics were working on a Hawaiian Airlines jet at Gate B-5 when they had a problem about 2 a.m. Tuesday with a valve on the left wing. The two mechanics were checked by Port of Seattle fire department medics and were unharmed. Cooper says firefighters used hoses to flush the fuel into the airport's drainage system that goes through filtering and treatment ponds. The spill was cleaned up in about an hour. There were no delays in airport operations. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-13-seattle-jet-fuel_N.htm *************** Congressmen hopeful anti-business jet language will be stripped from bill Tiahrt wants anti-business jet language stripped from bill The House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on whether to pass a bailout bill, but it's too soon to say whether language requiring that companies getting rescue divest of their business jets will be stripped from it. But several Congressional sources say they are hopeful that will be the case. Sen. Sam Brownback's office erroneously issued a statement this afternoon saying the language had been successfully removed from the bill, but the office later said it had jumped the gun. The House Committee on Rules will hear debate Wednesday on which amendments to allow to be considered by the House on the Troubled Asset Relief Program Reform and Accountability Act of 2009. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, has introduced an amendment to strike the language from the bill. The House is expected to vote on the rules committee's decision and the full bill on Thursday. The language that would require companies getting relief to divest of their business jets or leases had been introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, on Friday. The proposal is troublesome to local aviation manufacturers, industry trade groups and Kansas government leaders who said it would lead to fewer orders and more job losses in the already-troubled general aviation industry. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Overland Park, said Tuesday that he has been working with Frank to strengthen the accountability and oversight provisions of the bill. Moore said in a statement that he raised concerns about the unintended consequences of the language of losing jobs. Moore said he received word Tuesday that Frank had removed the specific provision but left in the bill a continued ban on automakers' use of private jets. Tiahrt is holding a telephone news conference on Wednesday to discuss the issue. http://www.kansas.com/197/story/661675.html *************** American Airlines to recall 24 pilots in February (AP) AMR Corp.'s American Airlines said Tuesday it would recall 24 pilots in February, the first new pilot hires at the airline in eight months. Airline spokeswoman Tami McLallen said the additional pilots were needed to replace pilots who retired, including some who opted to quit early, and to fly new planes coming into the fleet. Pilots at American have part of their retirement benefits tied to the stock market. When the market drops, as it did last year, they can retroactively lock in better returns by retiring. The new hires will come from a list of about 2,000 pilots who were furloughed in recent years. The airline has about 8,000 active pilots. American added small numbers of new pilots for several months last year, but none after June, McLallen said. American and other U.S. carriers reduced flights and cut jobs last fall as they faced large financial losses. *************** Namibia air safety warning (AFP) Officials from the Africa Civil Aviation Agency (AFRO-ACCA) have expressed serious concern about the shortcomings in aviation in Namibia, the country's New Era newspaper said today. Flight safety risk a CAA priority "I am very worried about the aviation industry and if we are not careful, there will be a big accident. We have to do something, otherwise our safety is going down," the newspaper quoted chief operations officer of AFRO-ACCA Captain Harry Eggerschwiler as saying. Such concerns came at a time when countries in Southern Africa were sprucing up their images for the 2010 World Cup, the newspaper said. It added that the aviation industry in Namibia was currently grappling with serious shortages of staff, lack of mandatory recurrence training for air traffic controllers, lack of effective allocation of financial resources, human and technical systems, as well as surveillance equipment. The newspaper said that according to the Namibian Air Traffic Controller's Association (NAMATCA), there were only 22 air traffic controllers in the country while in normal circumstances, Namibia was supposed to have a minimum of 60 controllers. Furthermore, the industry lacked proper surveillance systems such as radar. "The Namibian Aviation Industry is in dire need of a Radar System. The government remains responsible by international law for the Namibian airspace and radar will save our government from embarrassment should congestion occur," the newspaper quoted president of the NAMATCA Harold Hange as saying. http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=918179 **************** China starts using drug-sniffing dogs on airplanes BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- China has for the first time started using dogs to sniff for drugs on flights to Beijing. The dogs were put to work at Terminal 3 of Beijing's Capital International Airport. Wearing uniforms and leather shoes, two golden Labrador retrievers, Weite and Haige, boarded a plane from the United Arab Emirates Monday. Traffickers hiding drugs leave a distinct smell on their seats that is detectable for up to two hours. The dogs can detect the smell with 100 percent accuracy, said Yan Haiqun, vice head of the Beijing Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau. "Labrador retrievers are friendly to people. Their noses are enormously accurate," he said. Once the dogs detect a suspicious scent, officials can check the suspect before they leave the airport. This helps police get information about the suspect's nationality, name and age in time, he said. The check starts after all the passengers get off and usually lasts only 10 minutes. Passengers can leave the airport without having to wait for the results, Yan said. "We dress the dogs to prevent their hair falling on the seats or the carpet. Their shoes help protect the seat covers and other objects from claw damage," he said. "I have not heard of any other countries using drug-sniffer dogs on planes." Beijing Customs has trained 15 sniffing dogs since 1996 to patrol airports, railway stations and post offices, and seized 31 kilograms of drugs. Drug-trafficking through human bodies and luggage in Beijing's airports have been increasing over recent years, Yi said. China used more than 200 explosive-sniffing dogs during the Beijing Olympics to help security. The dogs were also trained for anti-drug and rescue missions for fires and anti-terrorist operations. ************** Three more Lexington, Ky., airport officials resign LEXINGTON, Ky. - Three top officers at Blue Grass Airport abruptly resigned Tuesday amid an ongoing investigation into questionable spending by airport employees. During an airport board meeting, Robert Owens was elected as the new chairman to replace Bernard Lovely, who will remain on the panel. Lovely's resignation had been demanded by some elected officials in Lexington, but he said he had no plans to step down. After the board met in closed session for nearly three hours to discuss personnel matters, Owens announced it had accepted the resignation of finance director John Rhodes, operations director John Coon and planning and development director John Slone. "We're trying to build the trust and confidence of the citizens of Lexington back in the airport," Owens said. "The action that occurred this morning is a strong step toward accomplishing that goal." Former airport executive director Michael Gobb resigned this month amid questions about his expenses. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Gobb spent more than $200,000 for travel in more than two years. The credit card use of other top officials also is being probed. FIND MORE STORIES IN: Texas | Kentucky | Hannah Montana | Lexington Herald-Leader | Blue Grass Airport | John Coon | John Rhodes | Robert Owens The paper reported four officials at the airport charged a combined $332,000 to their airport-issued credit cards for expenses ranging from Hannah Montana tickets to video games and golf lessons. Gobb and two others also ran up a $4,500 tab one night at a Texas strip club. Vice Mayor Jim Gray is among those who have called on Lovely to resign his spot on the board because of lax oversight of the apparent runaway spending. Lovely said Tuesday he has no intention of stepping down. "I have no reaction to the vice mayor," he said. "He's done what he thinks is right and I've done what I think is right."' Owens said after the meeting that Lovely could provide valuable insight as the board attempts to move past the episode. "Bernie has a lot of institutional knowledge here," Owens said. "He's represented the board well over the year. I'd like to see him stay on." http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-13-lexington-airport-probe_N. htm ************** FAA modifies 'ineffective' directive on CRJ flap problems US regulators are proposing to expand an airworthiness directive for Bombardier CRJ100/200s to reduce the risk of flap failure, after finding the original directive was ineffective in addressing the problem. The original US Federal Aviation Administration directive, issued in January last year, was intended to deal with stuck-flap incidents in cold-weather operations. It required pressure tests of drive shafts in the flap mechanism and torque tests on flap actuators. But the FAA is proposing a new directive to supersede the earlier one, and is calling for comments by 20 January. "Since we issued [the original directive] we received a report that it was not effective in reducing the number of flap failures [on CRJs]," it says. The new FAA directive will be largely in line with one issued by Canada's civil aviation authority on 18 August. It will retain the requirements of the previous directive, but add several corrective actions, including checking, repairing or replacing flap components after a flap failure and installing cockpit placards specifying new flap operating limitations. It also allows installation of modified flap actuators. The directive requires revising the aircraft flight manual with a temporary revision clarifying maximum flaps extended speeds and incorporating maximum flap operating speed data. It also modifies operational limitations and requirements for zero-flap landing simulator training. Meanwhile, two CRJ left main landing gear failures in December are being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board. The incidents, that left the aircraft damaged but did not cause any injuries, involved an Air Wisconsin CRJ200 that landed with its left main gear retracted at Philadelphia International airport and a Mesa Airlines CRJ700 that suffered a left main gear collapse on roll-out after landing at Chicago O'Hare. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/01/14/321006/faa-modifies-ineffect ive-directive-on-crj-flap-problems.html ************** Int'l ATC Group Sides with NTSB on Brazil Midair The official Brazilian report on the September 2006 midair between an Embraer Legacy and a Boeing 737 is a "missed opportunity for the Brazilian aviation authorities to restore trust and safety in the national aviation system," according to a statement by the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (Ifatca). The accident report was released by Brazilian safety agency Cenipa a month ago, including an appendix with a sharp divergence by the NTSB. Ifatca concurs with the NTSB about "the inherent deficiencies of the Brazilian ATC system" and the association further noted that while "events in the cockpit of the Legacy private jet received a lot of attention and were investigated with rather detailed care.the same cannot be said for investigations of the ATC system and operation. Just two months after the midair, the international federation issued a statement saying that both pilots and controllers "fell victim to unacceptable system traps.of air traffic control and flight equipment. Even after the Cenipa accident report was released, "The deeply rooted structural and organizational problems of the Brazilian ATC system continue to exist," Ifatca said, while expressing hope that the problems can be fixed. http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/intl-atc-group-sides- with-ntsb-on-brazil-midair/ **************** Report: United to add in-flight Wi-Fi United today is expected to become the latest carrier to announce plans for in-flight Wi-Fi. The Chicago Tribune writes "passengers on selected transcontinental United Airlines flights soon will be able to check e-mail and surf the Web via their Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, BlackBerries and iPhones." The paper reports United will make the announcement today that it will begin offering the service "during the second half of this year." The Tribune says "the project will involve 13 Boeing 757 jets used for p.s., the Chicago-based carrier's premium service for business travelers who trek from New York City to Los Angeles and San Francisco." The service will cost up to $12.95 per flight. If it's popular with customers on the cross-country p.s. flights, then United will consider expanding it to other flights in its network, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski tells the Tribune. The paper adds that "while onboard Wi-Fi seems a likely hit with passengers on long flights, carriers don't know if it will have appeal on short hops. Like United, American plans to test the service only on cross-country flights." Aviation consultant Robert Mann tells the Tribune he thinks that's "a smart move. If it isn't popular there, then don't knock yourself out trying to put it everywhere on your fleet." Still, the nation's biggest carrier -- Delta -- is pushing ahead with plans to install Wi-Fi throughout its mainline fleet. That's partially because Delta is concerned customers could become frustrated if Wi-Fi is available on some flights but not others, Chris Babb -- the airline's product manager for in-flight entertainment -- tells the Tribune. As for United, it plans to use AirCell's GoGo service, which beams its service into the air from ground-based towers. AirCell CEO Jack Blumenstein describes the advent of in-flight Wi-Fi to the Tribune as "just an extraordinary change in the life of the passengers in the air." http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=61322826.blog **************