26 MAR 2008 _______________________________________ *Source: Wrong move possibly made before Buffalo plane crash *'Black Box' Casts Doubt on Buffalo Crash Theory *Hearing called on Buffalo air crash *Air Force F-22 jet crashes in California *Officials Confirm Pilot Lost In F-22A Downing Near Edwards *Report: Babbitt To Be Named FAA Administrator *FAA may mirror EASA with aircraft exit rule *************************************** Source: Wrong move possibly made before Buffalo plane crash WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The crew of a commuter plane that crashed outside Buffalo, New York, in February may have responded improperly to signs the plane was stalling, according to details of the investigation released Wednesday. Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash. 1 of 2 more photos > The crew of Continental Connection Flight 3407 pulled back on the plane's control column when it received a stall warning, pulling the plane upward, an update released by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed. That would have aggravated the situation rather than improving it, according to a veteran pilot contacted by CNN. But investigators are far from determining the exact cause of the crash, the NTSB said. And Colgan Air, the plane's operator, urged the public not to jump to conclusions. The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed into a house about six miles from Buffalo-Niagara International Airport the night of February 12. All 49 people on the plane and one man who was in the house were killed. The pilot and first officer discussed "significant" ice buildup on the aircraft's windshield and wings before the crash, the cockpit voice recorder revealed. But in an update on the investigation, the NTSB said there is no indication that aircraft's systems failed, or that ice had a significant impact on the plane. The NTSB said a stall warning device known as a "stick shaker" appears to have behaved properly, activating when the plane's speed dropped to 130 knots (150 mph). At that point, however, "there was a 25-pound pull force on the control column," pulling the plane upward, and data suggests there was a "likely separation of the airflow over the wing" -- meaning the plane had stalled. "The circumstances of the crash have raised several issues that go well beyond the widely discussed matter of airframe icing," the NTSB's acting chairman, Mark Rosenker, said in a statement on the findings. In general, when a stick shaker activates, pilots are taught to apply full power and maintain the plane's altitude or lower the nose, a captain for a major airline told CNN. "What you don't want to do is aggravate the situation," said the pilot, who would not be named because he had not sought approval from his airline. "By pulling it up without adding power, you're aggravating the situation." The safety board said it intends to investigate "stall recovery training" among other issues at a three-day public hearing it will offer on the crash in mid-May. Doug Moss, a United Air Lines pilot and aerospace consultant, said that appears to be what the NTSB "is really looking at." "It's easy to build a lot of experience in airline flying without ever getting close to the edges of the envelope," he said. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Colgan Air said the NTSB data does not pinpoint a cause, and its crews "are prepared to handle emergency situations they might face." "We stand by our FAA-certified crew training programs which meet or exceed the regulatory requirements for all major airlines and include training on emergency situations," the Virginia-based carrier said. Colgan Air said it is "cooperating thoroughly" with the investigation. "The only absolute fact is that we do not know the cause of this accident," it said. Information released Wednesday appears to count out one possibility that was the subject of speculation after the crash: a stall induced by ice on the aircraft's tail. Pilots say those stalls are particularly insidious because pilots cannot see the tail wings and because the recovery procedure is the opposite of a main-wing stall -- tail-wing stalls generally are overcome by raising the plane's nose. The NTSB said that toxicology tests of the flight crew were negative for alcohol or illicit substances. The captain tested positive for diltiazem, a prescription blood pressure medication the Federal Aviation Administration had permitted him to use. At the board's hearing in May, the NTSB will look into a number of topics, including the effect of ice on the aircraft's performance, cold weather operations, the crew's experience and sleep issues. The board also will investigate "sterile cockpit rules," or requirements that crews discuss only aircraft issues during critical phases of flight, such as take-offs and landings. **************** 'Black Box' Casts Doubt on Buffalo Crash Theory What caused the worst air crash in the United States in more than seven years? The thinking has changed a bit today. The initial theory about the Feb. 12 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo was that icing on the airframe sent the plane out of control. The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed into a house, killing all 49 people aboard and one man in the house. Icing also has been cited as a possible cause of Sunday's crash of a chartered single-engine plane in Montana, which killed 14 people heading for a skiing vacation. But information from the Buffalo plane's data recorders casts doubt on the icing theory in that case. The National Transportation Safety Board said today that the ice didn't appear to hamper the functioning of the aircraft. Moreoever, the data box shows that someone pulled back on the control stick after the plane's stall warning system activated -- which officials said could have increased the chance of a stall. "The circumstances of the crash have raised several issues that go well beyond the widely discussed matter of airframe icing," NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker says in a statement. The NTSB has scheduled an unusual three-day public hearing on the crash beginning May 12. All five board members are scheduled to attend. After a banner two years of safe air travel -- with no U.S. air fatalities in 2007 or 2008, the best years since the advent of jet travel -- there have now been three major plane crashes in the United States in 2009. (Besides Buffalo and Montana, there was the US Airways jetliner that landed in the Hudson River in New York City after a flock of geese hit the engines.) According to the British insurance company Lloyd's, there have been five major air crashes worldwide with 92 fatalities so far this year. [See list from the Aviation Safety Network.] That still falls below the average rate of the last 10 years. Lloyd's says that some authorities believe that safety risks could grow internationally, particularly in developing countries, due to increasing congestion, the economic downturn and the prospect that airlines may cut back on investments. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2009/03/black_ box_provides_new_theory.html?wprss=washingtonpostinvestigations *************** Hearing called on Buffalo air crash The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a public hearing as part of its continuing investigation into the Feb. 12 crash of Continental flight 3407. The hearing is scheduled for May 12-14 in Washington, D.C. The fatal crash claimed a total of 50 lives - 49 aboard the plane, and a resident inside a home in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence while en route to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The plane, which took off from Liberty International Airport Newark, N.J., was preparing to land at BNIA before falling from the sky into the home about five miles from the airport. The crash occurred just after 10 p.m. The aircraft was operated by Colgan Air Inc., and constructed by Bombardier Inc. The NTSB hearing will be held at the agency's center in Washington, D.C. Officials said in a statement Wednesday that the session will cover a wide range of safety issues including: icing effect on the airplane's performance, cold weather operations, sterile cockpit rules, crew experience, fatigue management, and stall recovery training. "The tragedy of flight 3407 is the deadliest transportation accident in the United States in more than 7 years," said Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker, who will chair the hearing. "The circumstances of the crash have raised several issues that go well beyond the widely discussed matter of airframe icing, and we will explore these issues in our investigative fact-finding hearing." The aircraft wreckage has been moved from the accident site to a secure location for follow-on inspections as may be needed. NTSB also said a preliminary examination of the airplane's systems has revealed no indication of pre-impact system failures or anomalies. Investigators will perform additional examinations on the dual distribution valves installed in the airplane's de-ice system, which removes ice accumulation from the leading edges of the wings, horizontal tail, and vertical tail through the use of pneumatic boots. The airplane maintenance records have been reviewed and no significant findings have been identified at this time. http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/03/23/daily28.html ************** Air Force F-22 jet crashes in California F-22A fighter jet crashed 35 miles northeast of Edwards AFB around 10:30 a.m. The one-seater was on a test mission when it crashed; status of pilot unknown At $150 million apiece, the F-22A is the most expensive Air Force fighter WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Air Force F-22A fighter jet crashed Wednesday near Edwards Air Force Base in California, Air Force officials said. An F-22A fighter jet similar to this one crashed Wednesday during a test mission in California. The single-seater crashed about 10:30 a.m. for unknown reasons, the officials said. The status of the pilot was unknown. At $150 million apiece, the F-22A is the most expensive Air Force fighter. The fighter was on a test mission when it crashed about 35 miles northeast of Edwards AFB, where it was stationed, the Air Force said in a news release. In 2004, an F-22 Raptor crashed on a training mission in the Nevada desert. The pilot ejected and was not hurt, though the jet was destroyed. The plane was designed in the 1980s to provide a stealthy method to enter Soviet air space and strike Soviet bombers if the USSR attempted a nuclear strike. Once the Cold War ended, the Air Force found a new mission for the F-22 as a long-range fighter with a sophisticated stealth design and state-of-the-art equipment that no other plane could rival. However, the rising cost of the plane and numerous design and software problems threatened the program, which was almost killed by Congress. In the end, the aircraft survived, and most of the problems were fixed, except for the price tag, which forced the Air Force to buy fewer aircraft. ***************** Officials Confirm Pilot Lost In F-22A Downing Near Edwards David Cooley Was Test Pilot For Lockheed Martin Officials have identified the pilot killed when a Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor crashed near Edwards Air Force Base Wednesday morning. David Cooley, 49, was a 21-year Air Force veteran who joined Lockheed Martin in 2003. He was stationed at Edwards as part of a Lockheed contingent involved with testing the advanced fighter aircraft. "This is a very difficult day for Edwards and those who knew and respected Dave as a warrior, test pilot and friend," Maj. Gen. David Eichhorn, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center, told The Associated Press. Few details are available regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash, which occurred at approximately 10:00 am PDT. Authorities did not state whether Cooley ejected from the aircraft. The stricken Raptor impacted about 35 miles northeast of Edwards, in a dry lake bed near Hinkley, CA. Original Reports 03.25.09 1500 EDT (UPDATED 1600 EDT): Aero-News has learned an F-22A Raptor has crashed near Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ann Stefanek confirmed the accident to The Associated Press. A second USAF spokesman, Maj. David Small, said the jet was assigned to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, and was on an unspecified test mission when it went down. There are conflicting reports as to the location of the accident, reports the Barstow Desert Dispatch. The California Highway Patrol said the plane came down in the Harper Dry Lake region near Hinkley, almost directly due east of Edwards, while Air Force sources say the crash site is further north. At this time, there is no information about the status of the single-seat fighter's pilot. To date, there has been just one F-22 accident that resulted in the loss of the airframe -- a December 2004 takeoff crash, later attributed to the unprecedented failure of the test aircraft's advanced electronic control systems. The pilot was able to safely eject from that stricken plane. Thursday's accident comes at a delicate time for the F-22 program, as manufacturer Lockheed Martin awaits word from the Obama White House on whether more funding will be allocated to continue production of the $140 million fighters, past the 183 planes currently budgeted. Of those, about 135 have been delivered. The USAF originally planned to buy 750 of the stealthy aircraft, but Air Force leaders have met stiff resistance to that plan from the Pentagon. Many military leaders would prefer the USAF instead purchase greater quantities of the less capable -- but also much less expensive, at around $80 million apiece -- F-35 Lightning II, which is still in testing. "The timing isn't great for the aircraft's advocates, but I can't imagine one crash being an effective argument against additional procurement," Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia told Bloomberg. "I can't think of a modern-generation fighter that hasn't crashed either in operational use or in testing." This is a breaking news story. ANN will have more information as it becomes available. FMI: www.af.mil aero-news.net *************** Report: Babbitt To Be Named FAA Administrator Former ALPA President Offered Job Weeks Ago, Sources Say It appears we're close to learning who the next person to lead the Federal Aviation Administration will be. Citing unidentified industry officials and others close to the matter, the Wall Street Journal reports former pilots union leader Randy Babbitt has been tapped to lead the agency. Babbitt served as president of the Air Line Pilots Association for much of the 1990s, and most recently served as an industry consultant -- first independently, then as part of the larger firm Oliver Wyman. He was first rumored to be a top candidate for the FAA job last month, as ANN reported. Reports indicate the Obama administration formally offered Babbitt the job weeks ago, pending a detailed background and financial disclosure vetting process. That timeframe has reportedly been moved up, however... as the lack of a full-time FAA Administrator has looked increasingly conspicuous in the face of a recent series of high-profile aviation accidents. Acting Administrator Lynne A. Osmus has filled the post since January; before that, Bobby Sturgell was the Bush administration's choice to succeed Marion Blakey, but his confirmation was shot down by the Senate... leaving Sturgell to fill the job in a lame duck capacity until a new presidential administration came to town. The WSJ indicated an announcement was expected as early as Tuesday evening... but that time came and went with no formal confirmation. If selected, Babbitt faces the daunting task of finding a compromise agreement between agency interests and labor groups, chief among those being the air traffic controllers union. For months, analysts have believed a former union leader would be tapped for the top job at FAA, specifically for their experience in dealing with labor negotiations... though early speculation had Duane Woerth, also a former ALPA President, as Obama's pick for the job. Babbitt will also be the agency's pointman on the contentious issue of how to fund the FAA, as well as how to proceed with the agency's oft-touted "NextGen" air traffic control system. If Babbitt is selected, his confirmation is likely, though not guaranteed. The WSJ notes Babbitt's past status as a registered lobbyist might raise eyebrows on Capitol Hill, particularly in light of Obama's (ill-realized) campaign promise to keep lobbyists out of key government positions. Babbitt was a registered lobbyist for the Phoenix aviation department from 2003-2007... though he claims he never lobbied on behalf of his clients when it came to legislative matters, and says he only registered as a lobbyist "to be on the safe side." More recently, Babbitt served on the government commission last year that investigated the FAA's oversight of airline maintenance practices. FMI: www.faa.gov aero-news.net ************** FAA may mirror EASA with aircraft exit rule US FAA officials will consider adopting a new requirement concerning self-help aircraft exits if and when the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) moves on a final rule. "EASA is working on a final rule that, among other things, would require Type III exits [to] have a fixed stowage point, similar to other types of exits," says a FAA spokesman. "This means that the Type III exits could not be removable hatches that require a person to find somewhere to place them (for example, on seats or on the wing)." Often located over the wing, a Type III exit is defined by the FAA as "a rectangular opening of not less than 20in (50.8cm) wide by 36in high with corner radii not greater than 7in, and with a step-up inside the airplane of not more than 20in". If located over the wing, the step-down outside the aircraft "may not exceed 27in". At present, a removable hatch is the typical Type III exit, except on Boeing 737NGs, which have a top-hinged hatch. "The FAA has provided input to EASA on their proposal" to disallow removable hatches for Type III exits, says the FAA spokesman. "If [and] when the EASA rule becomes final, FAA will consider whether to adopt a similar requirement." In advance of this rulemaking, Bombardier has decided to implement automatic, outward popping over-wing exit doors on its new CSeries twinjet, which is expected to enter into service in the latter part of 2013. Safety regulators in Europe and the USA "are proposing that all new designs have automatic ones so we've just made that baseline on the airplane, kind of thinking ahead", says CSeries programme management director Benjamin Boehm. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC