25 MAR 2008 _______________________________________ *Investigation Into Montana PC-12 Downing Continues *Onboard Device Could Offer Clue to Montana Crash *Investigators look at wind shear in FedEx MD-11 crash *Former Pilot-Union Chief Set to Take Helm of FAA *Airline pilots begin NASA-funded upset recovery study *Southwest works with FAA on RNP development *Qantas axes 90 senior management jobs *Crandall highlights "problem" of US outsourcing to foreign repair shops *Tuninter Employees Convicted In ATR-72 Crash *U.S. FAA Grounds Sikorsky Helicopter After Newfoundland Crash *************************************** Investigation Into Montana PC-12 Downing Continues ASF Cautions Against "Jumping To Conclusions" ANN REALTIME UPDATE 03.24.09 0001 EDT: Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board recovered a piece of evidence Tuesday they hope might shed new light on why a Pilatus PC-12/45 crashed near an airport in Butte, MT this weekend: the engine performance recorder. The device, reports The New York Times, measures engine data once every minute, and might disclose whether the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B turboprop powerplant suffered any problems that might have led to the accident. Such a discovery would appear to be a longshot, but with little other information to go on -- like many small corporate planes, the PC-12 was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders -- investigators hope to catch a break. Acting NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said the Board will consider numerous possible scenarios in working to determine why the aircraft crashed, claiming the lives of the 14 people onboard. Among the many questions is why the plane's pilot opted to divert to Butte when the aircraft was within 20 minutes of its planned destination of Bozeman. "There are some interesting attributes to this [investigation]. One is the question of the 25,000-foot request for diversion to come to Butte," Rosenker said. "There are a lot of questions, but it begins with that question. That's where we believe -- that's where we're beginning to look at things." The Los Angeles Times reports investigators also want to know why the plane impacted where it did: about 500 feet away from its intended landing point, nearly abeam midfield. Further, the aircraft wasn't fully configured for landing -- investigators say the landing gear was down, but flaps were not deployed. Though this -- like nearly every theory at this point -- is pure speculation, the NTSB says the impact point might indicate the pilot was attempting to turn a very tight downwind for Runway 33 at Bert Mooney Airport (BTM). That turn may have been complicated by the weight of the passengers and baggage onboard the plane... or possibly ice accumulated on the airframe from descending through a freezing layer on approach to the airport. The NTSB also noted Tuesday that an airworthiness directive was issued by the FAA two weeks ago, requiring PC-12 operators to check whether the rear stick-pusher cable clamp had shifted forward on the elevator cable, a condition that could hamper pitch control authority. It's not clear whether that AD had been complied with on the accident aircraft, as the directive doesn't go into effect until March 30, and gives operators 150 flight hours to comply. However, NTSB Investigator-In-Charge Dennis Hogenson told the Associated Press investigators were able to establish control continuity at the crash site, and at this point it's unlikely that issue was a factor in Sunday's crash. Original Report 03.24.09 1000 EDT: As investigators worked Monday to identify the victims of Sunday's downing of a Pilatus PC-12/45 near Bert Mooney Airport (BTM), speculation about possible causes for the crash continued to run the gamut -- including theories the aircraft (type shown below) was overweight and/or out of CG range, that it may have suffered some kind of mechanical failure, or that the plane picked up severe airframe icing on its descent into Butte, MT. Such speculation is the norm when dealing with a high-profile aviation accident... particularly when the crash attracts the attention of the general media, and involves the loss of families or children. Whether that's right or wrong is a discussion for another time -- though the AOPA Air Safety Foundation cautioned Tuesday against anyone jumping to conclusions regarding causes, when the investigation has barely started. "It's important to remember that except for the extremely rare single-point catastrophic failure, aviation accidents are almost invariably the result of a chain of events and decisions," said Air Safety Foundation President Bruce Landsberg. "The National Transportation Safety Board is extremely good at accident reconstruction, but it will take them months to find and then unravel all the links in this accident's chain." Landsberg's comments followed statements made by a number of aviation analysts Monday. John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board official, told The Associated Press icing may very well emerge as a leading theory among investigators, given weather conditions at the time and witness accounts the plane nosedived into the ground. "It's Buffalo all over again, or it could be," Goglia said, referring to last month's downing of a Bombardier Q400 regional aircraft as it approached Buffalo, NY, that many believe was at least partly due to significant airframe icing. (Of course, it's also worth noting THAT investigation is still underway, as well -- Ed.) Officials have confirmed the PC-12 had 14 individuals onboard, seven adults and seven children. Those children ranged in age from 1 to 9... meaning that despite having more persons onboard the plane than number of seats available -- the accident aircraft was in a commuter configuration with either 10 or 11 pilot and passenger seats, according to reports -- it's likely some of those youths were seated on adult passengers' laps, which FAA regs allow up to the age of 2. It's still too soon to determine whether the aircraft was operating within its specified weight range. Investigators may also never know whether the aircraft was within its accepted center-of-gravity range, particularly as fuel burned off during the flight. "I'm convinced, even at this early stage, that one of the areas they need to look at the closest is weight and balance," said ABC News aviation consultant John Nance, adding it's possible the adults or children onboard were moving about the cabin during the approach to BTM, possibly throwing off the aircraft's weight balance at a critical moment. "The fact that you've got children onboard, they may see something out of the airplane at the last minute," Nance said. "People unstrap their seat belts, get up and move, and your center of gravity could shift." Officials have identified the plane's pilot, as well as the owner of the PC-12. Buddy Summerfield, 65, was a former military pilot with 2,000 hours in the PC-12, according to authorities. Summerfield was apparently flying three families on a skiing trip, for the plane's owner, Dr. Bud Feldkamp. Feldkamp was not onboard the aircraft... but he said two of his daughters, their husbands and five of his grandchildren were onboard the plane. Investigators also aren't sure why Summerfield opted to divert to Butte over the plane's intended destination of Bozeman. No emergency call was made; Nance said it's possible Summerfield opted to land sooner to give his passengers a bathroom break... a plausible theory, given the plane was airborne for 2 1/2 hours prior to the crash, and the commuter-configured PC-12 was likely not equipped with a lavatory. During press conferences Monday, acting NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker stressed the investigation was only just beginning. "This will be a long and tedious investigation, extremely thorough," he said. "We will look at every factor which could affect the performance of this aircraft." "To say that icing is becoming the lead focus is not true at this point," NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway told The Associated Press. "We're looking at mechanical issues. We're looking at weather. We're looking at the structure of the aircraft. We're looking at human performance, weight and balance issues." Those sentiments were echoed Tuesday by ASF's Landsberg (shown above). "The briefings and the preliminary report are nothing more -- or less -- than a listing of the facts collected," said Landsberg. "They give no relative weight to any of the facts, nor do they draw any conclusions about possible causes." FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.aopa.org/asf aero-news.net *************** Onboard Device Could Offer Clue to Montana Crash BUTTE, Mont. - Federal investigators said Tuesday that they had recovered an onboard device that they hoped would shed light on whatever caused a plane crash just short of the airport here Sunday that killed all 14 people aboard. The recovered instrument, called an engine performance recorder, captures performance data from the engine once a minute, among other monitoring. Its discovery could be significant, because the plane had no cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder and was not operating on radar at the time of the crash. Still, Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, sought to tamp down any big expectations resulting from the find. "It will tell us about the engine and how it's doing," Mr. Rosenker said at a news conference here, but "it is not designed for accident investigation." Several communications with the pilot before the plane plunged to the ground and burst into flames included no mention of any problems, and his voice revealed no signs of stress, Mr. Rosenker said. He said investigators were considering subpoenas for the cellphone records of the adult passengers to see if they could shed any light on why, when the plane was at about 25,000 feet, the pilot, Ellison Summerfield, first requested that he be allowed to divert from the intended destination, Bozeman, and land instead about 75 miles away at Bert Mooney Airport on the outskirts of Butte. That request came about a half-hour before the crash, and Mr. Rosenker said the phone records might help determine if the fatal problem emerged well in advance. Among the potential causes the investigators will examine are overload and weather. The Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine propeller plane, was configured for 10 people but was carrying 14, although seven of them were children ranging in age from 1 to 9. As for the weather, Mr. Rosenker said that although skies were clear, "when you are flying in winter conditions there is always the potential for icing." Still, "this plane is certified to fly into known icing conditions." He also said investigators had examined a cable and clamps that controlled the plane's pitch and that were the subject of a Federal Aviation Administration inspection order issued this month for that model of aircraft. That equipment was found to function properly, he said. Cleanup at the wreckage site is expected to be completed by Wednesday. The plane's wreckage was being transported to a hangar in Bozeman for analysis, and the remains of the victims were moved to Missoula for identification and, in the case of the pilot, an autopsy. In California, where all the victims lived, friends, relatives and colleagues - an overlapping network that had become deeply intertwined over many years - struggled to make sense of the loss. That was particularly true in Loma Linda, Calif., and at the university that bears its name, which was established by Seventh-day Adventists, the religion practiced by all the passengers. The three couples who died had all studied for medical-related degrees there. Dr. Roger Hadley, the dean of the medical school at Loma Linda, described the local medical and university communities as bound by a religious and familial glue. Those three couples had become close friends, as had their parents, siblings and children. Dr. Hadley had flown on earlier trips with some of them on the same plane that crashed and had joined them on the ski slopes in Big Sky, Mont., where they were headed Sunday. "I'm trying to work, but everything seems trivial," he said Tuesday. Mr. Summerfield, 65, was a very conscientious aviator, Dr. Hadley said. "What they're saying about the plane being overloaded, it's clear to me that this pilot would not have done that," he said. "He was the consummate pilot, systematic in his approach and compulsive in weight distribution and total weight. He was very serious at all times. Even if we wanted to switch seats in the cockpit, someone switching into the passenger seat to ride up there, he was very careful, wouldn't let us touch anything." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/us/25crash.html?ref=us **************** Investigators look at wind shear in FedEx MD-11 crash An aircraft reported wind shear above Narita airport a few minutes before yesterday's fatal crash landing of a FedEx Boeing MD-11 freighter. "About 4min before another aircraft captain told the control tower that wind shear occurred at 2,000ft above the runway," says an aircraft accident investigator at Japan's Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission in Tokyo. "The information was reported to the aircraft around the airport." Yesterday's accident occurred at around 07:00 and footage taken at the time shows it was a clear and cloudless day. But the investigator says the Japan Meteorological Agency has reported that just prior to the accident there was a northwesterly wind of 29kt (54km/h) with a maximum of 36kt and a minimum of 17kt. He says the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been recovered. Investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are due to arrive in Tokyo later today and Japanese investigators are due to meet with them this evening to discuss how to do the CVR and FDR analysis, he says. "We will investigate all factors" including wind shear, says the investigator. He also confirms the commission will "check other MD-11 accidents and speak to other aircraft accident investigating bodies". Video footage of yesterday's accident shows the FedEx MD-11F crash landed on runway 34L, before bursting into flames and its wreckage coming to a rest upside down. The two pilots on board died. There have been other accidents involving MD-11s that have crashed on landing. In 1999, China Airlines MD-11 crashed on landing in strong winds at Hong Kong airport. Also in 1997 a FedEx MD-11 freighter crash landed at Newark airport, New Jersey and burst into flames. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Former Pilot-Union Chief Set to Take Helm of FAA Randy Babbitt, a prominent aviation consultant and former head of the largest U.S. commercial-pilot union, is expected to be nominated as the next head of the Federal Aviation Administration, according to industry officials and others familiar with the matter. Mr. Babbitt served as president of the Air Line Pilots Association during much of the 1990s, set up his own advisory firm and then merged it with the larger consulting firm Oliver Wyman. Emerging as a compromise FAA administrator candidate acceptable to both labor leaders and airline officials, Mr. Babbitt's toughest challenges are likely to be negotiating a new pact with the nation's air-traffic controllers, and finding ways to finance a new satellite-based navigation system designed to increase capacity and safety for airliners and other aircraft. Other difficult issues on his desk will be restoring congressional and public trust in a sprawling agency that was embroiled in controversy last year over maintenance lapses by a number of carriers and improperly close ties between some FAA inspectors and airline managers. An announcement could come later Tuesday. The White House initially offered Mr. Babbitt the job weeks ago, according to people familiar with the details, pending background and financial checks. An announcement had been tentatively scheduled for next week, but the recent spate of high-profile aircraft accidents apparently prompted the Obama administration to speed up the timing. The FAA has been run by an acting administrator since September 2007, when Senate Democrats blocked the nomination of then-President George W. Bush's choice for a permanent head. The expected nomination comes amid increasing frustration by lawmakers, including some veteran House Democrats, over delays in picking the next FAA head. Persistent labor-management problems have sapped morale and, according to some FAA critics, reduced safety margins in the nation's air-traffic-control system. At the same time, pilot-union leaders continue to prod the FAA to issue updated rules to reduce cockpit fatigue, particularly on long international routes. But these and other issues have basically stalled as White House officials mulled whether to nominate Mr. Babbitt. Mr. Babbitt is currently a partner in the aviation practice at Oliver Wyman Group, a management-consulting firm owned by New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. An Oliver Wyman spokesman declined to comment. Given the FAA's continuing efforts to strike the right balance between cooperating with airlines and regulating them, Mr. Babbitt's list of former clients could prompt questions on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. Mr. Babbitt was a registered lobbyist for Phoenix's aviation department, which runs Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, from 2003 to 2007. That may raise questions because the Obama administration has stated a preference for avoiding lobbyists in staffing key agencies. Mr. Babbitt, however, has emphasized that he never advocated for policy or legislative goals on behalf of industry clients. "I was only registered as a lobbyist just 'to be on the safe side,' " Mr. Babbitt said in an email last month. "I have not lobbied nor did we ever have any clients that even suggested we lobby on their behalf." Mr. Babbitt cancelled his lobbying registration in April 2007. In a letter attached to his final lobbying-disclosure form, an office manager in Mr. Babbitt's office said: "We have done no lobbying for this period, and have not done any lobbying for the several periods before it." Mr. Babbitt also served on a blue-ribbon government commission last year that generally praised the FAA's oversight of airline maintenance but recommended some procedural changes to streamline the system and avoid confusion. If confirmed, Mr. Babbitt's first priority is likely to be settling a long-running battle between the FAA and its air-traffic controllers that has poisoned the atmosphere in many towers. The two sides have been at odds over pay scales and work rules since 2006, when the FAA imposed pay cuts on new hires, dress codes and other workplace restrictions following a period of acrimonious negotiations. The friction also has complicated legislation that would boost funding for the FAA. Many Democrats want to force the two sides into arbitration if they can't settle their differences at the negotiating table. The second priority will be to accelerate the transition to the next-generation traffic control system, touted as the best cure for the chronic delays plaguing air travel. The new system -- dubbed NextGen -- isn't currently scheduled to be fully operational before 2020. Such a long transition concerns lawmakers and industry. But airlines have balked at making expensive technology upgrades to cockpits, saying they need more proof of future benefits. The first major rulemaking effort in this area has faced difficulties amid uncertainty over who will run the agency. In an interview earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said his FAA chief should try to "resolve the dispute between the FAA and controllers, No. 1, and we want to get to next-generation.those are the two big things we want the FAA administrator to do." A spokeswoman for the Transportation Department declined to comment. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123790805538625971.html?mod=googlenews_wsj *************** Airline pilots begin NASA-funded upset recovery study The first of 20 airline pilots taking part in a NASA-funded large transport upset recovery human factors analysis program have begun physiological testing in a sustained-G simulator at the Philadelphia headquarters of flight training provider Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC). ETC, which won the NASA Langley Research Centre grant in 2006, yesterday tested the first five airline pilots in a full-motion spinning simulator, measuring the pilots' physiological responses to a series of 14 pre-programmed upset scenarios defined by US National Transportation Safety Board accident reports. The pilots had no prior formal upset recovery training in an aircraft or sustained-G simulator. The sustained-G device provides flight simulation as well as actual G-forces using a cockpit module outfitted with Boeing 767 components attached to a three-axis cradle that spins to generate the forces that a pilot experiences in an actual aircraft. Lack of G-force cues for upset recovery in ground-based full-motion simulators has become the topic of much debate due to several recent high visibility handling related airline accidents, including the crash of Pinnacle Airlines CRJ200 in 2004. ETC has been developing an in-house ground-based sustained G-force upset recovery course for the ranks of civilian pilots, many of whom have never had the training other than in book work. After physiological testing of the four groups of pilots, five pilots per group, ETC will then bring a separate group of 20 pilots through its 2-day upset recovery training curriculum, comparing and contrasting the performance of pilots. The company expects to finish the study by September. Participants were selected by the Air Line Pilots Association union. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Southwest works with FAA on RNP development (clarifies fuel savings) As Southwest Airlines moves closer to its target of launching required navigation performance (RNP) operations during the fourth quarter, the carrier is working with FAA on a pilot project to build area navigation (RNAV)/RNP routes between its headquarters at Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby airport. The carrier plans to spend $175 million to develop its RNP programme starting this year to feature the technology system-wide by 2013. During recent testimony before the US Congress FAA VP for operations planning services Victoria Cox said Southwest believes that investment can be recouped "within the next three-to-five years because of the operational efficiencies RNP offers". RNP is designed to allow equipped aircraft to fly more direct and precise paths to cut flight time and fuel consumption. RNP also allows for the use of localizer performance with vertical guidance procedures requiring fewer ground-based instrument landing aids, which allows for increased access to airports, particularly in low visibility conditions. Cox outlined the plans by FAA and Southwest for the development of RNAV/RNP routes from Dallas to Houston as the carrier recently completed a demo RNP flight between the two cities. Using some preliminary data from the flight Southwest estimates estimated fuel savings of 162.755 litres (43 gallons) on the flight. Alaska Airlines started using RNP in Juneau in 1996, and in 2003 San Francisco became the first airport in the 48 contiguous states to feature a RNP approach. Cox of the FAA says currently more than three-quarters of commercial aircraft are equipped for RNAV, and also half of those aircraft are capable of conducing RNP precision procedures. She says FAA published more than 600 performance-based navigation procedures and routes in 2008, and plans to keep that pace each year for the next four years. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Qantas axes 90 senior management jobs Qantas Airways has confirmed it is axing senior management jobs, changing its management structure and maintaining a salary freeze. The Oneworld carrier says in a statement today it will be "removing 90 current senior management positions, maintaining a salary freeze and making a number of role changes for remaining managers". This is part of "a fundamental review of the company's organisational structure to ensure it is better equipped to respond to commercial challenges, including the impact of the current global financial situation", Qantas' CEO, Alan Joyce, says in the statement. Qantas will become "a leaner, more fast-moving organisation" and "the ongoing management team are being asked to take on new tasks", he says. "The ability to make hard changes earlier than others distinguishes Qantas from its competitors," adds Joyce. ATI reported two days ago that Qantas was planning to axe up to 100 management jobs and that Boston Consulting Group had been employed to look at ways to restructure Qantas management. Some Australian news organisations have interpreted the changes as Joyce putting his stamp on the carrier following his appointment as CEO last November. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************* Crandall highlights "problem" of US outsourcing to foreign repair shops Former American Airlines chief Robert Crandall is calling on US lawmakers to take a more protectionist stance in addressing the increasing amount of aircraft maintenance work being farmed out to foreign repair stations. If US airlines "send their aircraft to China for maintenance" to lower air fares and that "costs us 100,000 blue collar maintenance jobs, is that an appropriate trade-off", asked Crandall during a speech last week at the ISTAT conference in Phoenix. Speaking to ATI on the sidelines of the conference, Crandall said an associated "problem" is the FAA's current oversight of overseas maintenance shops. Crandall has been outspoken about this issue in the past, supporting an effort by the Business Travel Coalition and the Teamsters union to crack down on US carriers' increased outsourcing of work to foreign repair stations. The Teamsters argue that foreign repair stations are not subject to the same high FAA regulations that air carriers are. "While mechanics employed by US carriers are required to hold an FAA license to fix an aircraft, foreign workers are not. There are no regulations that make background checks, or drug and alcohol screenings, mandatory for workers at foreign repair stations," says the union in an update to members. "This situation represents a clear risk to both passenger safety and national security. Until the FAA can negotiate and enforce a single high regulatory standard that governs all repair facilities working on US aircraft worldwide, Congress should impose a moratorium on further foreign outsourcing." Current FAA Reauthorization draft legislation would increase the FAA's oversight of overseas maintenance shops. However, the European Union (EU) has warned the White House that it risks jeopardizing the June 2008 EU-US Aviation Safety Agreement if this legislation is passed. "The FAA Reauthorization bill in its current version requires that maintenance organizations outside the US should be inspected by the FAA twice a year. This provision contradicts the EU-US Aviation Safety Agreement and would impede its implementation," says EU ambassador to the US John Bruton. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Tuninter Employees Convicted In ATR-72 Crash Seven Tuninter pilots, technicians and managers have been convicted by an Italian tribunal for a crash in which 23 passengers survived and 16 were killed in August 2005. The crash involved an ATR-72 that took off from Bari, Italy, and was headed to Djerba, Tunisia, and was forced to ditch in the sea just along the Sicilian coast. The incident was caused because the aircraft fuel gauges and indicators had been incorrectly replaced by the maintenance personnel with those of the ATR-42. The instruments indicated there was enough fuel on board when the aircraft took off, while there was not actually enough fuel to carry out the intended flight. The two pilots have been charged with multiple counts of manslaughter and air disaster, and sentenced to a term of 10 years because, in theory, they had the opportunity to reach the Palermo Airport for an emergency landing if they had followed proper procedure. Another five technicians and managers have been found guilty, with the chief operating officer and the maintenance chief sentenced to nine years each, while three technicians have been sentenced eight years each. Two others defendants were not found guilty. None of those indicted were present at the tribunal, and Tuninter lawyers have announced they will appeal the verdict. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=new s/CONVICT032409.xml&headline=Tuninter%20Employees%20Convicted%20In%20ATR-72% 20Crash *************** U.S. FAA Grounds Sikorsky Helicopter After Newfoundland Crash March 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators said a type of helicopter made by United Technologies Corp.'s Sikorsky unit is grounded until owners fix a part that may have contributed to a fatal crash this month off the coast of Newfoundland. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said titanium mounting studs, found broken during the investigation into the accident that killed 17 people, must be replaced with steel studs before the crafts can fly again. The FAA made the announcement on its Web site. "This unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of the same type design," the FAA said in the notice, issued yesterday. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Connecticut, has already replaced the part in 59 of the 91 S-92 helicopters in operation, said Paul Jackson, a spokesman. "We're still expecting to have virtually the entire fleet retrofitted by the end of the week," he said. Sikorsky is paying for the repairs. ****************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC