14 JAN 2009 _______________________________________ *Flight from San Jose makes emergency landing at San Francisco airport *NTSB, AAIB Investigate Uncommanded easyJet 737 Descent *Safety board probes EMS helicopter crashes *Retired USAF General Reportedly Tapped To Lead NASA *Lawsuit Filed In April 2008 Cessna 310 Accident *BA Ground Workers Charged In A321 Hit-And-Run *Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Announces Expansion of Partnership With Continental Airlines *Perth International Airport Opens After Smoke Forced Evacuation *Executive AirShare names new safety director *Indian flights to US score low on safety *FAA orders flight reductions at LaGuardia *************************************** Flight from San Jose makes emergency landing at San Francisco airport A Boeing 737 airplane carrying 93 passengers leaving San Jose this morning made an emergency landing in San Francisco after a cockpit warning light signaled a problem. Shortly after Delta flight 1652 left Mineta San Jose International Airport for Atlanta at 6:25 a.m. today, pilots spotted a flashing light in the cockpit, which was later determined to be stemming from the fuel system, according Delta Airlines spokesman Anthony Black. Officials thought it best to divert the plane to San Francisco International Airport, where Delta has a maintenance crew. Black said mechanics discovered that the fuel system was fine, but the warning system had malfunctioned. As mechanics were trying to uncover the problem, Delta rebooked the passengers on other flights. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11452295?source=most_viewed ************** NTSB, AAIB Investigate Uncommanded easyJet 737 Descent Plane Lost At Least 10,000 Feet Before Control Regained The National Transportation Safety Board has joined with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the United Kingdom to investigate a curious, and disconcerting, incident onboard a Boeing 737-700 over East Anglia Monday. According to the NTSB's Preliminary Report, the easyJet 737 was on a routine non-revenue checkout flight, flying circuits over Southend at 41,000 feet when the aircraft entered an uncommanded, violent nose-down pitch attitude. "Vmo was exceeded by 100 knots, and a 10,000 foot loss of altitude occurred," the Prelim notes. Other reports indicate the plane actually lost 26,000 feet in altitude over the span of about two minutes... which, doing the math, is a scary descent rate indeed. The aircraft's flight crew was able to recover from the maneuver, and the jet landed safely in Southend. None of the four people onboard were injured; at this time, there's no word about damage to the airliner. The incident aircraft carries the registration G-EZJK, and first entered service in 2002. FMI: www.dft.gov.uk, www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net *************** Safety board probes EMS helicopter crashes WASHINGTON (AP) - Three years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended warning systems be installed on emergency medical helicopters to prevent crashes. Since then, accidents have killed more than three dozen people and installation of the equipment still is not required. On Thursday, the safety board was to disclose new information on the nine most recent fatal crashes, including the probable cause of four of the accidents. The board has also scheduled a four-day hearing in early February to give the issue greater visibility and urgency. "It is a big issue and the safety board is very concerned about the alarming increase we've seen over the last 14 months," said board member Robert Sumwalt, who will chair the hearings. "The recent accident record is totally unacceptable." EMS helicopter accidents are not a new issue for the board. Between January 2002 and January 2005, there were 55 crashes of EMS helicopters and planes, killing 54 and seriously injuring 19. Seventeen of those crashes might have been avoided if the helicopters had had Terrain Awareness Warning Systems onboard, according to the safety board. The technology, which is used aboard commercial jetliners, warns pilots when the aircraft is on course to fly into the ground - usually in bad weather with limited visibility. In January 2006, the safety board recommended four steps the Federal Aviation Administration should take to prevent future crashes, such as requiring the installation of terrain warning systems. For two years after the board made its recommendations, EMS helicopter-accident fatalities dropped significantly. There were two helicopter accidents with four fatalities in 2006, and two accidents with seven fatalities in 2007. But in the first 10 months of last year, there was a dramatic increase - seven accidents resulting in 28 fatalities. And none of the safety board's four recommendations had yet been fully implemented. The board responded by adding the four recommendations to its "most wanted list" of safety improvements, red-flagging the FAA's progress on three of them as "unacceptable," and scheduling the upcoming hearing. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said federal rulemaking can be a lengthy process, but in the meantime the agency has taken steps to encourage the industry to voluntarily adopt safety improvements. "The main goal is to get the technology and procedures into the cockpit," Dorr said. "Rulemaking is one way, but it is not the only way." The EMS industry "acknowledges that the current accident rate is not acceptable," said Sandy Kinkade, president of the Association of Air Medical Services in Alexandria, Va. She blamed the holdup in adding terrain-warning systems to helicopters on a combination of technology hurdles and delays in the FAA's issuance of a technical standards for warning systems designed for helicopters. When NTSB made its recommendation there was no warning system for helicopters, and the systems designed for airplanes - which fly at much higher altitudes than helicopters - were "constantly pinging" when tried on helicopters, Kinkade said. EMS companies were also wary of installing new systems that have since been designed for helicopters until FAA had issued technical standards, fearing they'd invest in systems that might later fail to meet FAA regulations, said Dawn Mancuso, the association's executive director. The FAA finally issued the technical standards last month, but the agency has yet to propose a rule requiring installation of the warning systems. A final rule and time for implementation makes it likely that a date for requiring EMS helicopters to have the equipment onboard is still years away, Sumwalt said. On the Net: National Transportation Safety Board: http://www.ntsb.gov/ ************** Retired USAF General Reportedly Tapped To Lead NASA Choice Of Jonathan Scott Gration Draws Criticism From Florida Senator Recent reports of comments attributed to NASA Administrator Michael Griffin have made it clear he doesn't expect to hold the post after Inauguration Day. The former rocket scientist has been criticized by some, called a genius by others... but has certainly been unafraid to ruffle feathers and has, at times, eloquently skewered his critics in public statements. Now, MSNBC reports President-elect Obama, who campaigned on a promise to make space exploration a lower priority, has chosen a replacement for the sometimes colorful Griffin. Retired Air Force Major General Jonathan Scott Gration is a decorated jet fighter pilot reared by missionary parents in Africa, and who reportedly spoke Swahili before he did English. He'll reportedly be Obama's choice to head NASA. Mention of Gration's name is already drawing fire, even from within the Democratic Party. Former astronaut and current Florida senior Senator Bill Nelson, who actively campaigned with Obama, apparently takes a dim view of Gration's lack of space-program experience. The expected nominee's only role with NASA came in 1982 as a White House Fellow for NASA's deputy administrator Hans Mark. Senator Nelson's comment upon hearing of Gration's likely nomination was, "I think President Bush made a mistake when he appointed someone without NASA experience in Sean O'Keefe to head the agency." O'Keefe was the NASA Administrator who ended up resigning after the Columbia disaster. If the new president hopes for a smooth confirmation process for Gration, he'd do well to get the Florida senator on board. Nelson is the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences, which will be charged with evaluating Gration's credentials before the full Senate is asked to confirm. FMI: www.nasa.gov aero-news.net ************** Lawsuit Filed In April 2008 Cessna 310 Accident Plane Impacted Home In Compton, CA The law firm of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC announced Wednesday three clients have filed a personal injury lawsuit against pilot Charles Reece and Eureka International, Inc., the owner of the Cessna that crashed into their home in Compton, CA on April 12, 2008. The firm asserts Regina Hosley-Wright was in her kitchen when the plane impacted her home, crashing through the roof and forcing her through the outside wall of her home and onto the neighbors front lawn. The lawsuit claims Hosley-Wright "was seriously injured and her health will remain at risk for the rest of her life." The suit further claims her boyfriend, Darryl Levin, also suffered physical injuries... while her daughter, who was able to get out of the house, suffered mental distress. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages against the pilot and owner of the Cessna, which appears to be a real estate holdings company. "My clients want accountability," said attorney John Greaves. "Planes aren't supposed to crash into houses. This pilot and company need to take care of the people injured on the ground." According to the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the accident, the Cessna 310Q (similar to type shown below) experienced a loss of engine power on final approach to the Compton Airport. During the forced landing, the airplane descended into residential homes about a half mile east of the airport. The commercial certificated pilot and passenger were also injured. A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff reported that he observed and heard the airplane's engine's rev up during the approach. The NTSB has yet to issue a probable cause report on the cause of this crash. The Cessna had taken off from the Hawthorne Airport and flown to Montgomery Field in San Diego. The plane was headed back to Hawthorne when the pilot apparently tried to make an emergency landing at the Compton Airport, according to officials. The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, South Central District, Compton Branch. aero-news.net *************** BA Ground Workers Charged In A321 Hit-And-Run Two Workers Free On Bail, But Suspended Two now-suspended British Airways ground workers are free on bail after being arrested for hitting a parked jet with a baggage truck at London Heathrow Airport, then leaving without reporting the incident. London's Daily Mail reports the men, ages 49 and 54, were operating an electric vehicle used to move baggage when they hit the side of an Airbus A321. The resulting damage wasn't noticed until it was spotted by ground crew near the airport's Terminal 5, after the plane had already taken on 80 passengers and was waiting to taxi for departure to Aberdeen about 8:30 pm Friday. The passengers were taken off the plane, which was taken out of service for repairs. A report in The Mirror stated the men have jeopardized careers which total 40 years between them. Damage to the hull of an airliner is much more than a cosmetic nuisance. In the US in 2007, a Northwest Airlines DC-9 and an Alaska Airlines MD-80 both suffered rapid depressurization incidents, at 19,000 and 26,000 feet respectively, when their fuselages ruptured at spots damaged by ground vehicle strikes which had gone unreported. Both men in the Heathrow incident have court dates in about six weeks. British Airways declined to discuss further details with reporters. FMI: www.britishairways.com aero-news.net *************** Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Announces Expansion of Partnership With Continental Airlines Exercises Options on 15 Q400 NextGen Aircraft Pinnacle Airlines Corp. announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Continental Airlines to increase the number of Q400 aircraft operated by Colgan Air, Inc. ("Colgan"), PNCL's wholly owned subsidiary, as a Continental Connection carrier. Colgan will purchase and take delivery of 15 additional Q400 aircraft to be operated under the capacity purchase agreement (the "CPA") between Continental Airlines and Colgan. The aircraft will be delivered between August 2010 and April 2011. "We are grateful for the confidence Continental Airlines places in our People and the Q400," said Philip H. Trenary, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. "The Q400 is a perfect addition for Continental and a financially sound move for Colgan as we grow our fleet to compete in a cost-conscious environment." Each aircraft will be operated for a period of ten years under the CPA subject to the existing rates, terms and conditions of the CPA, provided that certain rates paid to Colgan will increase commensurate with the increase in the purchase price of the aircraft. Upon delivery of these aircraft, Colgan will operate 30 Q400 aircraft under its CPA as a Continental Connection carrier. In connection with this transaction, PNCL has arranged for a financing commitment from a lender to finance up to 85% of the purchase price of each aircraft and to finance most predelivery payments required to be made to the manufacturer between now and the time of delivery. All cash payments that are required to be made to the manufacturer prior to the second quarter of 2010 will be financed subject to this financing commitment. The financing commitment contains standard provisions related to PNCL's financial condition that must be met prior to requesting draws. In addition, PNCL expects to pursue lease financing to reduce its capital requirements associated with the acquisition of these aircraft. PNCL also obtained 15 optional delivery slots exclusively for Continental for Q400 aircraft delivering in 2013, subject to PNCL obtaining commercially reasonable financing for the option aircraft. PNCL still retains 15 options for Q400 aircraft delivering in 2011 that it may market to other major U.S. airlines. The Q400 seats 74 passengers, but consumes about 25 percent less fuel than a 76-seat jet, making it more environmentally friendly. The noise and vibration canceling technology make this turboprop ride more like a jet. Its capabilities provide real advantages in congested areas such as Newark and LaGuardia airports. These 15 aircraft will be configured with the Q400 NextGen cabin interior, which includes larger overhead storage bins, improved lighting, and modifications to increase the size of the cabin to enhance passenger comfort. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0466241.htm ************** Perth International Airport Opens After Smoke Forced Evacuation Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Perth International Airport was declared safe and opened to the public after smoke caused the terminal building to be evacuated today. Normal operations resumed at 11:30 a.m. local time and passengers on delayed flights were being processed, according to a statement on the airport's Web site. "The source of the smoke has now been established," Malcolm Bradshaw, the airport's general manager for corporate and legal affairs, said in the statement, without elaborating. About 500 passengers and workers were evacuated from the terminal, he said. An electrical fault may have caused the smoke, which engulfed the customs hall at about 7 a.m. Perth time, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. The airport advised passengers due to depart later today to contact their airlines for updated flight information. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aEPpS_3WaMKg&refer=austr alia *************** Executive AirShare names new safety director Executive AirShare announced Wednesday that Chris Morris has been named the company's new director of safety. Morris, who has been a pilot for Executive AirShare since 2007, will now work closely with the company's chief pilots and directors of training and compliance to oversee it's fleet current fleet of 15 late-model jet and turboprop aircraft. "Over the past 24 months, Executive AirShare's flight department has doubled in size and we have dramatically increased our maintenance staff to ensure the highest levels of safety and service for our owners," said Executive AirShare President and CEO Keith D. Plumb in a written statement. "Chris' experience and education uniquely qualify him to oversee our safety and emergency management programs well into the future." Morris earned a master's degree in aviation safety from the University of Central Missouri. In addition to his new role, Morris will continue to work as a pilot for the company. Based in Kansas City, Mo., Executive AirShare is a fractional aircraft ownership company that also operates out of Wichita and four other markets throughout Oklahoma and Texas. http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2009/01/12/daily30.html ************** Indian flights to US score low on safety MUMBAI: India faces the threat of being downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for consistently not adhering to the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The result of the downgrade will mean that airlines like Jet Airways and Air India, which operate to and from the US, will face stringent security checks when planes land there. "The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is lobbying hard with the FAA to buy six months' time to fall in line with the ICAO norms and prevent India from being downgraded from Category 1 to Category 2," said a source, adding that the FAA team was in Delhi last week as part of its international aviation safety assessment programme. Category 2 nations are those that violate ICAO norms. As a Category 2 nation, India will join the ranks of Serbia, the Ukraine, Indonesia, Guyana and the like. Pakistan and China are in Category 1. If downgraded, Air India and Jet will not be able to change or expand their US schedules. Also, other airlines will be unable to start operations there. If there are violations in the case of any Air India or Jet plane, the aircraft can be impounded and a heavy fine levied. Capt A Ranganathan, an air safety consultant, said, "It's not surprising that the FAA wants to downgrade India. For the last four years, we have not been conforming to ICAO standards and the DGCA has not been functioning as a regulator. For instance, Indian carriers have done three wrong runway landings in the past one-and-a-half years. This could have been prevented had the DGCA carried out proper safety audits." DGCA Nazim Zaidi, who took over recently from Kanu Gohain, was unavailable for comment despite several attempts to contact him. In 2006, the ICAO itself had conducted a safety audit of India and found several violations. "India got two out of ten for technical personnel qualification and training, while the global average was four. In safety oversight functions, it got four out of ten while the global average was six," said a source. Ranganathan said, "Falling below the global average means that India has not been carrying out safety audits at the required time and with the required frequency." A safety audit confirms if the airline conforms to rules on cockpit crew flying hours, the validity of licences, proficiency checks, updated flight manuals and documents, periodic maintenance and aircraft schedules. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indian_flights_to_US_score_low_on_safety/ articleshow/3970269.cms ************** FAA orders flight reductions at LaGuardia WASHINGTON - US airlines must eliminate four flights an hour at New York's LaGuardia Airport to help reduce delays that were the worst in the country the last two years, the Transportation Department said. Carriers have to say which trips they're willing to give up voluntarily by Feb. 2, the department ordered yesterday. The changes take effect by May 31 and remain through Oct. 24. The agency disclosed the plan last month to pare flights to 71 an hour from 75. The number in place since 2001 is being lowered because it exceeds the airport's capacity to keep traffic moving during foul weather, leading to backups that can persist through the day. LaGuardia ranked last among the 32 major US airports in on-time arrival performance in 2007 and the first 11 months of last year, the department said. As the closest airport to Manhattan, LaGuardia draws business travelers willing to pay top-tier fares to fly on short notice. Expansion possibilities at the site are limited by Bowering and Flushing bays. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, Delta Air Lines Inc., and US Airways Group are the airlines that carry the most passengers at LaGuardia, according to the airport's operator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The facility has had flight limits since the late 1960s. Delays surged in 2000 after Congress allowed some carriers to exceed the ceiling. The FAA in 2001 cut about half of the 300 added flights and set the cap at 75. The Air Transport Association, the trade group for major US carriers, called the lower cap expected, and said the solution should be new technology that expands airport capacity. LaGuardia was the most congested US airport in 2008, with just 62.9 percent of flights arriving on time. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/01/15/faa_orders_flight_reducti ons_at_laguardia/ ***************