28 MAR 2009 _______________________________________ *FAA to seal bird-strike records *FAA official warns agency of cyber security risks *Brussels poised to push for controversial halon replacement *American reaches new ASAP agreement with pilots *Honeywell sees opportunity to bolster technology in delayed narrowbody replacement *Honeywell readies EGPWS upgrades for 2010 *US Airways Names Industry Veteran VP Inflight Services *FAA Orders Audit Of American Airlines Maintenance Programs *FAA LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR SMS RULES *Pilots report another laser beam at Sea-Tac *Preliminary report to be issued in Butte plane crash **************************************** FAA to seal bird-strike records Flight 1549 was ditched in the Hudson River on Jan. 15 after it was disabled after hitting a flock of geese. By Alan Levin, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The federal government plans to block public access to its records of aircraft and bird collisions such as the one that forced a US Airways jet to splashdown in New York's Hudson River in January. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the information could mislead the public and its release could prompt some airports and others not to report incidents, but the proposal is drawing sharp criticism from bird safety experts and public records advocates. Two months after a flock of geese snuffed out an Airbus A320's engines and forced it to ditch in the Hudson, the FAA filed a little-noticed proposal that would bar release of its extensive record of bird collisions dating back to 1990. "I'm flabbergasted that they don't have to report this," said Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The FAA move runs counter to President Obama's efforts to encourage release of government records, said Dalglish, a frequent flier who wondered after the Hudson accident how often birds caused such problems. Paul Eschenfelder, an airline pilot who teaches a course in airport bird management, said a string of recent accidents suggests the risks from birds is increasing and the FAA has not done enough to address the problem. "Keeping (the data) secret is not helping at all," he said. FIND MORE STORIES IN: Barack Obama | New York | Federal Aviation Administration | National Transportation Safety Board | US Airways | Hudson River | Laura Brown | Airbus A320 | Federal Register | Reporters Committee for Freedom | Lucy Dalglish The FAA releases annual summaries of reported collisions with all kinds of wildlife. There were 7,439 collisions in 2007, mostly involving birds, up from 5,872 in 2000. In its proposed rule change, the FAA said that the wildlife collision reports should receive the same protections as other voluntary reporting systems designed to promote safety. If the data is released, some airports may hesitate to make reports, said spokeswoman Laura Brown. The data also could "produce an inaccurate perception" of the risks, the government filing in the Federal Register said. The government estimates that only 20% of incidents involving commercial aircraft are reported under the current system. In 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board urged the FAA to require that pilots report bird collisions to improve the data. The agency refused. The public has until April 20 to comment on the FAA proposal. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-26-faa-birds_N.htm?loc=interstit ialskip **************** FAA official warns agency of cyber security risks A top US FAA official has warned the agency that it needs to do more to safeguard its cyber security, saying its current way of working "is too dangerous and too expensive and we can't afford to be either". The agency's chief information officer Dave Bowen, during a no-holds-barred speech this week in Dallas, said there is "warning signs all around us" that the FAA's computer systems could get hacked. "The IG [inspector general] has pointed out vulnerabilities in our web infrastructure that's tied to our air traffic systems. The IG also spotted vulnerabilities in our medical information systems. We're still looking into that," he says. Furthermore, US President Barack Obama is getting involved, appointing a special group to meet and recommend improvements to the government's IT security and. Additionally, a group of government and commercial organizations also have gotten together to develop new ways of protecting the government's infrastructure. Specific to the FAA, however, the agency is aware that it has too many known - and unknown - access points, says Bowen. "We don't have consistent incident response from our lines of business (LOB). We have limited visibility and understanding of LOB network security. We only scan some websites now. As an agency, we need to put better controls in place to increase adherence to website development rules and architecture standards." A total 75% of the FAA's servers are outside its data centres. "FAA infrastructure in general is not set up or managed consistently. We have uncontrolled personal identification information everywhere. We have 149 external domain names here at the agency, and 323 internal ones. That's a lot of ground to cover," says Bowen. But it doesn't stop there, he says. "We have 55,000 laptops and desktops. We have one wide area network but hundreds of local area networks. Literally, we're an unlocked door and a whole lot of open windows, no pun intended." In response to this problem, the FAA needs to do "more of the basics - with architecture, with controls, with incident response, with software patching" and it needs to "do more things consistently", he says. "I'm talking about things like architecture, programming, infrastructure and procedures. And we need more toolsets, more skills and most of all, a cadre of talented, dedicated professionals to ensure that they're used correctly." The FAA executive says everyone at the agency must get involved and "get up to speed with new software, new procedures, new oversight, new responsibilities and new controls". Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Brussels poised to push for controversial halon replacement Brussels is making a fresh push to overturn international aviation safety standards by banning halon fire extinguishers. Halon is superior to carbon dioxide in firefighting, but its release is more damaging to the ozone layer. A review by European Commission environment directorate and member states' environment ministers of rules on substances that deplete the ozone layer could overturn exemptions that now allow halon-based aviation safety applications. "Halon remains the fire-extinguishing medium of choice - safe, proven and causing little environmental damage. Alternatives are either non-existent, less effective or disproportionate in terms of cost," says the Association of European Airlines (AEA). Brussels' proposals include the retrofit of portable fire extinguishers by 2021, of waste tanks by 2017 and all other halon-based systems such as cargo, engine nacelles, auxiliary power units and fuel tank inerting by 2031. Halon would also be banned in all portable fire extinguishers, waste tanks, fuel tank inerting, engine nacelles and APUs in new aircraft by 2012 and cargo compartments by 2017. Member states have been asked to submit their comments by 31 May, with a vote planned for October. The aviation industry, however, insists changes affecting global aviation safety are the prerogative of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and not subject to regional rulemaking. The issue of halon replacement has been the subject of heated recent debate and the end dates are considered as a mainly political objective to be imposed on industry to push for research and development of alternatives. According to the AEA, there is still no viable alternative to halon in APU, engine and cargo fire-suppressant systems, while hand-held fire extinguishers that do use alternatives are significantly less effective, require more firefighter training and are larger and heavier, increasing fuel burn and requiring expensive redesign for stowing. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** American reaches new ASAP agreement with pilots American Airlines has reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its pilots' union on a new Aviation Safety Action Programme (ASAP), ATI has learned. According to an internal memo circulated to members of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union and American's safety and flight department brokered the MOU after "a concerted effort to revive the programme began last week". The MOU provides "both the protections needed by the pilots and the programme fundamentals required by the airline". It has been signed by the APA and American and awaits final US FAA approval. Further details of the arrangement are expected to be made available via the APA web site shortly. "We are also pleased that, together, we were able to bring back a critical safety programme that has served our pilots, our airline and our industry so well for so many years. Not only that, but in the process, we improved upon and created a programme that once again sets the standard for our industry," says the APA. ASAP programmes covering pilots at both Delta Air Lines and US Airways were also previously suspended. Pilots and management of Delta in January agreed to re-launch the voluntary safety reporting scheme. Last week, US Airways and its pilots did the same. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Honeywell sees opportunity to bolster technology in delayed narrowbody replacement Systems supplier Honeywell believes estimates by Airbus and Boeing of a next generation narrowbody aircraft debuting in the next decade allows for the development of more advanced technology for the aircraft. Company VP Airlines Business Segment Michael Madsen tells ATI Honeywell along with airframers and engine designers are developing incremental technologies that are pushing the date of introduction of a new narrowbody "to the right". But the extension of an entry-into-service from the 2014-2016 timeframe to 2020 allows more time for the development of "leapfrog" technologies that otherwise would not be available in the original target date, says Madsen. The pushback also allows US and European regulators crafting the next generation air traffic control system and the Single European Sky co-ordination programme (SESAR) to make decisions regarding the framework and necessary equipage allows for the development of a higher technology aircraft, Madsen explains. As those regulators move forward in the development of next-generation air traffic control systems Madsen stresses the need for both common equipage and procedures standards for airspace in different regions around the globe. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Honeywell readies EGPWS upgrades for 2010 Honeywell is planning near-term enhancements for its enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) scheduled for availability next year. Company VP Airline Business Segment Michael Madsen today told ATI the hardware and software upgrades include enhancing the flexibility of Honeywell's Runway Awareness Advisory System (RAAS) to include visual messages. RAAS compares an aircraft's actual satellite-derived position with a regularly updated database of 1,700 runways. The system issues aural advisories to pilots during taxi, takeoff, final approach, landing and rollout to help aid in improving situational awareness and lower the risk of runway incursions. The current version of RAAS is a software upgrade to existing Mk V and Mk VII EGPWS. Another planned enhancement targets the approach phase of flight to avoid long landing. Honeywell's executive explains the company sought input from customers, including one major European customer using RAAS, in addition to airframers Airbus and Boeing in developing the upgrades. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** US Airways Names Industry Veteran VP Inflight Services US Airways has named Hector Adler VP of inflight services, a position that reports to Senior VP Flight Operations Ed Bular. Adler, who has worked in the airline business for 35 years, most recently was senior VP-guest experience for the now defunct all-business carrier Eos Airlines. Prior to Eos, Adler was VP-inflight services for Northwest Airlines, and he has held senior roles at United Airlines and Pan American World Airways. His new role is effective April 1, pending board approval. http://www.aviationweek.com *************** FAA Orders Audit Of American Airlines Maintenance Programs The FAA on March 25 ordered an Air Carrier Evaluation Program (ACEP) audit of American Airlines’ maintenance programs to determine if they meet regulatory standards. A team of 17 inspectors will conduct the American audit that is scheduled to start March 30 and run for three to four months, according to FAA official Les Dorr. The FAA has been performing ACEP audits for a number of years, and they are part of the agency’s normal practices under the Air Transportation Oversight System. It is a data analysis audit that is specific to a carrier and based on risk analysis tools used by the FAA. The agency performed an ACEP audit on Southwest Airlines in 2008 following congressional hearings into the airline’s alleged non-compliance with airworthiness directives as well as FAA’s safety oversight of carriers. http://www.aviationweek.com ************** FAA LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR SMS RULES FAA is targeting a June 30 release of an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) laying the groundwork for requiring aviation operators and businesses to implement a Safety Management System (SMS). FAA last month completed the initial ANPRM and sent it for Department of Transportation review. The ANPRM also must undergo Office of Management and Budget review. Don Arendt, manager of FAA’s Flight Standards SMS Program Office, called the ANPRM “basically a fishing expedition,” a survey that seeks industry input on requiring SMS. The ANPRM is the first step toward a more forward rulemaking that would mandate SMS. FAA defines SMS as “a management system for integrating safety activities into normal day-to-day business practices.” SMS is designed to help organizations integrate a systematic risk-based and process-oriented approach to managing safety. “The FAA is considering SMS rulemaking to further enhance the practice of managing safety and oversight of that management,” the agency said. “Such an approach stresses not only compliance with technical standards, but increases emphasis on those management systems.” Current regulations impose technical standards for industry products and services, the agency said. “However, they do not address the framework within which the safety of those products and services are to be managed.” Arendt stressed SMS is not a substitute for compliance nor oversight. SMS is not indicative of a “cozy relationship,” he added, but it is designed to establish a more cooperative, collaborative environment. “It’s about how to make safety decisions,” he said. The ANPRM is expected to cover all aspects of aviation – from operators to manufacturers, maintenance organizations and other service providers. The rulemaking would create a new “Part” within the Federal Aviation Regulations to accommodate SMS, but also would include elements that would fold in with the existing FARs that apply to the different aspects of aviation, Arendt said. The agency late last month convened a new Aviation Rulemaking Committee to develop recommendations for the comprehensive SMS rule (BA, March 9/105). The ARC initially is made up of 12 people from across the industry, but Russell Lawton, the director of safety management for the Air Charter Safety Foundation who was appointed to the ARC, said that the membership will grow as working groups form to consider the application of SMS to various aspects of industry. Chartered through February 2012, the ARC will review comments and develop recommendations for the rulemaking. FAA is under international directive to establish an SMS rule. The International Civil Aviation Organization established a January 2009 deadline for nations to adopt an SMS mandate. Most member nations – including the U.S. – have not yet met the requirement. Canada is one of the few nations to have an SMS rule in place. FAA filed a “difference” ICAO over the mandate. Arendt defined the difference as “merely a statement of noncompliance,” while the agency works toward full compliance. FAA, meanwhile, has established a pilot project to help organizations voluntarily implement SMS. The project, ongoing since 2007, currently has about 50 participants, and Arendt indicated that his office would be willing to work with other volunteers. But the agency currently has no guidance or procedures in place to formally approve SMS programs. The lack of ability to have a formally-approved SMS in place is worrying some international operators. Flight Safety Foundation President Bill Voss acknowledged those concerns at the 2009 Air Charter Safety Symposium held earlier this month. The concern isn’t so much that U.S. operators would not be in compliance with international law, Voss said, but one of liability protection, particularly with the growing trend of criminalizing accidents. “There’s some really big reasons [the SMS rule] has got to get done,” he said. http://www.aviationweek.com *************** Pilots report another laser beam at Sea-Tac Once again a laser reportedly has been shined into a plane landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. SEATAC, Wash. — Once again a laser reportedly has been shined into a plane landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Airport spokesman Terri Ann Betancourt tells KOMO Television the report comes from pilots on Alaska Airlines Flight 487 from San Diego. They say a laser was flashed into the cockpit shortly before a safe landing at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Betancourt says investigators believe it came from about 2 miles north and slightly west of the airport, near the source of previous laser reports. Pilots on five flights reported laser beams earlier this month, four on the same night. A dozen laser reports were filed on Feb. 22. On March 6, 24-year-old Christopher Charles Saunders of Burien was arrested in the laser case. He was later released and no charges have been filed. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008921534_apwaseataclasers1 stldwritethru.html ***************** Preliminary report to be issued in Butte plane crash Butte firefighters were among the first on the scene A preliminary report on the investigation into a deadly Butte plane crash could be released as early as the end of next week. The report will be a factual report only and will not include the cause of the crash, according to National Transportation Safety Board public information officer Keith Holloway. The report will be posted on the NTSB Web site. Seven children were among those killed when the Pilatus PC-12 plane crashed into in the Holy Cross Cemetery about ½ to ¾ miles west of the runway at the Bert Mooney Airport at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The plane's pilot and six other adults also died in the crash. Officials have recovered the bodies of all 14 people who died. The question of what caused the crash is still unanswered. Authorities are looking at a few possibilities, including weather conditions and the pilot's health, as well as other factors. The plane was carrying three California families who were traveling to the Yellowstone Club for a ski vacation. Bud Feldkamp, who leased the airplane that crashed Sunday in Butte, said he and his wife lost two daughters and their families, while club member Bob Ching and his wife lost a son and his family, according to the AP. Buddy Feldkamp said the victims included his sisters Amy Jacobson of St. Helena, Calif., and Vanessa Pullen of Lodi, Calif. Jacobson's husband, Erin, and their children Taylor, 4; Ava, 3; Jude, 1, also died in the crash as did Pullen's husband, Michael, and their children Sydney, 9, and Christopher, 7. Ching's son, Brent, of Durham, Calif., was killed in the crash along with his wife, Kristen and their children, Heyley, 5 and Caleb, 4. Investigators said pilot Buddy Summerfield, 65, was a former U.S. Air Force pilot with thousands of flight hours piloting civilian aircraft. The NTSB also said the pilot's decision to divert the flight to Butte from Bozeman should not have created problems, because that was the original backup plan. In the wake of the crash, investigators are working to find answers, while the community is recovering from the tragic crash. Two members of the NTSB team are still in Butte working at the site of the crash, while two others have gone to Bozeman to analyze the wreckage that is being housed in an airport hanger. Airport officials and police are still taking witness statements, Bert Mooney Airport manager Rick Griffith said. So far 15 to 20 witnesses have come forward with creditable stories, Griffith said. Meanwhile, a Butte man has offered to create a monument in honor of those who perished in the plane crash. Bernie Brophy of Butte Granite Works said the idea of placing a monument marking the site of the crash in the Holy Cross Cemetery is in the preliminary phase. The first step is to receive approval from the families of those who died, he said, adding that once approval is confirmed, he plans to donate the monument. A vigil service is being held at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Saint John Episcopal Church on North Idaho. The interfaith service is open to the public. (From March 25, 2009) Days after an airplane nose-dived into a Butte graveyard, the community is working to pick up the pieces in the wake of the fatal crash. Seven children were among those killed when the Pilatus PC-12 plane crashed into in the Holy Cross Cemetery about ½ to ¾ miles west of the runway at the Bert Mooney Airport at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The plane's pilot and six other adults also died in the crash. Officials have recovered the bodies of all 14 people who died. The question of what caused the crash is still unanswered. Authorities are looking at a few possibilities, including weather conditions and the pilot's health, as well as other factors. While authorities are working to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the crash, the Butte community is trying to return to normal life in the wake of the tragedy. A vigil service is being held Thursday. The public, interfaith service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Saint John's Episcopal Church on 15 North Idaho. Help is also being offered to Butte's first responders who were at the crash scene. A Wednesday night meeting was set for Butte's emergency responders and mental health professionals. The meeting is meant to help those who were on the scene deal with the stress brought on by the crash. Fire Services Director Jeff Miller said his men were disturbed by what they saw at Holy Cross Cemetery and he hopes the meeting will help. Miller also announced his appreciation for the services of those workers conducting the briefing. "Primarily, what they do is they give people pointers on how to decompress, how to deal with their emotions and move on and be healthy again with their day-to-day lives because aside from being first responders, they're also family members and members of this community," Miller said. Miller said he cannot imagine a time when this service for his crew has ever been needed more. Meanwhile, Butte Silver Bow Chief Executive Paul Babb praised local police, fire and rescue workers for outstanding efforts after the plane crash. Besides the first responders, his heart goes out to the friends and family members of the victims. He is also concerned about both emergency workers and citizens here in Butte. Help is available now or in the future for anyone traumatized by the crash, Babb said. "We do have people that are working right now to work with the first responders through the ministerial association and then we also have the Red Cross. But we know that it's going to be, it could be weeks, it could be months, you know, down the road where people that may be dealing with this fine at first find out that something could happen down the road. So, we're working with our disaster and emergency services so we can plan for that," he said. Babb said anyone needing help can contact his office in the courthouse. The Holy Cross Cemetery where the plane crash occurred remains closed to the public. Cemetery manager Kenny Martz hoped to tour the site sometime Wednesday or Thursday o get a closer look at the damage the crash caused to the cemetery. Overall it will be a long and slow process before repairs can be made, Martz said. The crash mostly damaged headstones. It also unearthed about a foot of soil in a small area approximately three to four feet in length, according to Martz. Martz said he doesn't believe any gravesites have been damaged. The wreckage from the 10-seat Pilatus turboprop airplane has been moved to a hangar in Bozeman. Meanwhile, officials worked among rows of granite headstones Tuesday as they cleaned up the wreckage. Smaller pieces of debris were picked up, logged and then placed in plastic bags. Larger pieces, including the wings and a piece of the plane's tail, were confined to an area of a few hundred square feet. Investigators said pilot Buddy Summerfield, 65, was a former U.S. Air Force pilot with thousands of flight hours piloting civilian aircraft. The NTSB also said the pilot's decision to divert the flight to Butte from Bozeman should not have created problems, because that was the original backup plan. The plane was in the air for nearly 2 ½ hours before going down. The Pilatus PC-12 initially took off in Redlands, California Sunday morning before touching down in Oroville, which is about 70 miles north of Sacramento. The flight plan from there showed its destination as Bozeman. The aircraft was initially tracked north out of Oakland, before switching to radar out of Salt Lake City for the rest of the flight. The plane was scheduled to land in Bozeman shortly after 3 p.m., but as it crossed the mountains south of Salmon, Idaho, it diverted northeast to Butte where it crashed in a cemetery, just 500 feet from the runway at Bert Mooney Airport. The plane was carrying three California families who were traveling to the Yellowstone Club for a ski vacation. http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10072777&nav=menu227_6 /Global/story.asp?S=6830551,menu227_2_2 *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC