28 APR 2009 _______________________________________ *NTSB asks for Boeing 757 manual revisions *B737-200 Gear Up Landing (Mexico) *Recriminations fly after NYC jet flyover photo op *Pilot arrested in U.K. on alcohol charges *Delta, other airlines plan for swine flu pandemic *U.S. and Japan Sign Aviation Safety Agreement *Dubai airport diverts 5 flights, closes runway *Latest US government analysis highlights US carrier financial uncertainty **************************************** NTSB asks for Boeing 757 manual revisions The US NTSB is asking the FAA to require Boeing to make changes to 757 and 767 procedures and training materials based on a 22 September incident involving multiple systems failures during a flight. Pilots of an American Airlines 757 enroute from Seattle to New York received a "standby power bus off" indication in the cockpit due to a failed electrical relay. Using the aircraft's quick reference handbook, written by American but based on Boeing procedures, the crew reconfigured several key functions of the aircraft to use battery power as recommended, but failed to set a switch that would have kept the battery charged as the procedure did not specify to do so. The resulting series of failures ultimately caused the pilots to experience aircraft control problems, and to exit the side of the runway onto the grass at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport after diverting and declaring an emergency. None of the 185 passengers and seven crew members were injured. The aircraft (N197AN) received minor damage to its landing gear. Though the FAA issued a safety alert for operators (SAFO) on 13 January alerting operators to the potential issues, NTSB says more must be done. "The Board does not consider these improvements to be sufficient because SAFOs are not mandatory nor do they necessarily have a long-term impact," the NTSB states in the 24 April letter. "Improved procedures should be specified and required because of the potential severity of loss of battery power." As such, the NSTB is asking that the FAA require Boeing to revise its 757 and 767 procedures and training for dealing with an illuminated standby power bus off light, "to include specific steps to take so that complete loss of battery power is avoided." Once the changes are made, the NTSB is asking the FAA to require that all operators of the aircraft to adopt the new procedures. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** B737-200 Gear Up Landing (Mexico) Status: Preliminary Date: 27 APR 2009 Time: ca 18:00 Type: Boeign 737-2K9 Operator: Magnicharters Registration: XA-MAF ? C/n / msn: 22505/815 First flight: 1981 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 108 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 116 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Guadalajara-Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL) (Mexico) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Cancún Airport (CUN/MMUN), Mexico Destination airport: Guadalajara-Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL/MMGL), Mexico Flightnumber: 585 Narrative: Magnicharters Flight 585 is a regular flight from Cancún (CUN) to Guadalajara (GDL). The crew selected the undercarriage down on finals to Guadalajara but did not get a down and locked indication. They performed a fly past so the tower controllers could establish the position of the landing gear. They confirmed that the undercarriage was not fully down and locked. The flight crew then decided to carry out a belly landing on runway 28. The identity of the aircraft had not been positively established yet. XA-MAF and XA-MAS have both been reported. XA-MAS as reported by Mexican media is no longer current though. (aviation-safety.net) *************** Recriminations fly after NYC jet flyover photo op NEW YORK (AP) — It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands other to ask, "What were they thinking?" Just before the workday began on Monday, an airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept. 11. For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty and the Financial District near the World Trade Center site. Offices evacuated. Dispatchers were inundated with calls. Witnesses thought the planes were flying dangerously low. But the flyover was nothing but a photo op, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks. It was carried out by the Defense Department with little warning, infuriating New York officials and putting the White House on the defense. Even Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't know about it, and he later called it "insensitive" to fly so near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The director of the White House military office, Louis Caldera, took the blame a few hours later. One of the planes was a 747 that is called Air Force One when used by the president. "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," Caldera said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused." When told of the flight, President Barack Obama was furious, a White House official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Still, federal officials provided few details and wouldn't say why the public and area building security managers weren't notified. They also wouldn't address why someone thought it was a wise decision to send two jets into New York City, all for a few photos with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. An administration official said the purpose of the photo op was to update file photos of the president's plane near the Lady Liberty. This official said the White House military office told the Federal Aviation Administration that it was updating file photos of Air Force One near national landmarks. The official requested anonymity to give more details than the official White House announcement. An Air Force combat photographer took pictures from one of the fighter jets, administration officials said. The photo op was combined with a training exercise to save money, according to another administration official who also spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the behind-the-scenes discussions about the flight. The FAA notified the New York Police Department of the flyover, telling them photos of the Air Force One jet would be taken about 1,500 feet above the Statue of Liberty around 10 a.m. Monday. It had a classified footnote that said, "Information in this document shall not be released to the public or the media." "Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe defies the imagination," Bloomberg said. "Poor judgment would be a nice way to phrase it. ... Had I known about it, I would have called them right away and asked them not to." NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said typically a flight like this would be publicized to avoid causing a panic, but they were under orders not to in this case. They regularly get requests for flyovers, but without secrecy restrictions. The FAA also alerted an official in the mayor's office, but he didn't tell Bloomberg, who said he first learned about it when his "BlackBerry went off crazy with people complaining about it." The Bloomberg official who was notified was Marc Mugnos, director of operations for the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management. Mugnos didn't immediately respond to questions about why he didn't tell the mayor; Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser issued a statement saying: "He has been reprimanded and a disciplinary letter will be placed in his file." Workers in lower Manhattan were stunned by what they saw. John Leitner, a floor trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange Building, said about 1,000 people "went into a total panic" and ran out of the building around 10 a.m. after seeing the planes whiz by. "We were informed after we cleared out of there," Leitner said. "I kind of think heads should roll a little bit on that." Employees of the Wall Street Journal also left their desks to see what was going on. Kathleen Seagriff, a staff assistant, said workers heard the roar of the engines and then saw the planes from their windows. "They went down the Hudson, turned around and came back by the building," she said. "It was a scary scene, especially for those of us who were there on 9/11." Air Force spokesman Vince King said the "photo mission" involved one of two VC-25 aircraft. The aircraft is part of the Presidential Airlift Wing, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The F-16 jet that flew alongside came from the D.C. National Guard's 113th fighter wing. "This was a photo shoot. There was no need for surprise," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "There was no need to scare thousands of New Yorkers who still have the vivid memory of 9/11." ****************** Pilot arrested in U.K. on alcohol charges MONTREAL, April 27 (UPI) -- An Air Canada backup pilot was arrested and removed from an aircraft at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion he had been drinking. The airline confirmed reports of the April 16 incident, which made British headlines Monday, the Canwest News Service reported. The unidentified 45-year man was booked to serve as a relief pilot for the 9-hour flight from London to Calgary, Alberta, the report said. In Montreal, Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told Canwest a Heathrow security guard "reported that they thought they detected an odor of alcohol on the pilot as he was passing through airport security." He said Air Canada's rules about crew alcohol use before working are more stringent than federal standards. "The Transport Canada rule is eight hours, but we have that additional buffer for safety reasons," said Fitzpatrick. "The bottom line is that pilots are not supposed to have a drink for 12 hours before they operate an aircraft. " The pilot was released on bail and must return to the Heathrow police detachment on June 12, the report said. ***************** Delta, other airlines plan for swine flu pandemic (AP) Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and other major carriers have contingency plans for how to manage their operations in the outbreak of a pandemic, but industry observers are closely watching to see what impact swine flu could have on carriers’ finances. Before this week, Delta and other carriers had already seen a significant drop in international travel because of the recession. Six years ago, the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, contributed to an 18.5 percent drop in global passenger traffic in April 2003, along with declines in later months. “What we saw in the SARS episode is it took several weeks of flying empty before airlines started to cancel [flights] in advance,” said Port Washington, N.Y.-based airline consultant Robert Mann. It’s too early to tell what impact swine flu could have on the airline industry. Investors reacted to news of the outbreak Monday, with Delta shares falling 14.3 percent and AirTran shares falling 6.6 percent. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services in a statement said the outbreak of swine flu raises the risk that airlines could suffer a steep drop in international traffic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Monday recommended no nonessential travel to Mexico, while Delta, AirTran and other carriers have offered to waive fees for travelers who want to change their travel plans to Mexico. Delta flies to Mexico City and other destinations in Mexico, though it is not one of the largest carriers to the country. AirTran Airways started flying to Cancun in February, and it said at this point it is continuing the flights. “We evaluate every market on a daily basis, and we have to make decisions that are best for the airline,” said AirTran spokesman Christopher White. If the situation worsens, airlines may waive broader flight cancellation fees, Mann said, which could have a more significant impact on airlines’ finances. A European Union health commissioner’s comment urging Europeans to postpone nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico could have an effect on carriers, including Delta. The International Air Transport Association, which developed guidelines for managing communicable diseases, has recommended that airlines review their preparedness plans. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2006 ran through a drill on how to handle an avian flu outbreak. The airport has a special area for incoming flights that need to be handled away from the main terminal and a CDC quarantine facility on Concourse E. “We feel that we are well-prepared at the airport, because we do have a comprehensive pandemic plan should we need it,” said airport spokesman John Kennedy. **************** U.S. and Japan Sign Aviation Safety Agreement The U.S. and Japanese governments signed a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) and associated implementation procedures today in Tokyo that will allow for the reciprocal certification of aircraft and aviation products. The agreement addresses areas such as airworthiness certification, environmental testing and approvals, and technical assistance. U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affairs ad interim James P. Zumwalt signed the agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Hirofumi Nakasone signed on behalf of the Japanese Government. Signing the BASA Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness were U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Assistant Administrator for International Aviation Dorothy Reimold and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) Engineering Department Director-General Toru Miyashita. The FAA and JCAB have worked closely for several years to ensure our respective technical expertise and procedures for airworthiness certification meet the high standards we each set for aviation safety. It is important because under the scope of this new agreement, the FAA will be able to accept standard aircraft parts and certain aircraft designs from Japanese manufacturers and JCAB will be able to do the same from U.S. manufacturers. http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20090427-71.html ***************** Dubai airport diverts 5 flights, closes runway Five flights were diverted from Dubai International Airport and a runway was temporarily closed Tuesday after an Emirates flight had to return back to the airport after takeoff, officials said. Emirates said flight EK087 bound for Zurich, Switzerland turned back shortly after takeoff "due to a warning indication from the forward cargo hold." The Boeing 777-300ER landed normally and was inspected by emergency services, the airline said. Passengers were rebooked on a later flight. Dubai Airports said customer safety was never compromised, and flights were rerouted to nearby Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The runway was later reopened. The airline and airport each attributed statements to unnamed officials in line with company policy. **************** Latest US government analysis highlights US carrier financial uncertainty A report released today by the US government examining the current state of the country's airline industry concludes that previous forecasts of profitability for 2009 are no longer a foregone conclusion. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) was tasked by the Congress to examine how airlines during the last year have dealt with volatile oil prices and the global economic downturn. GAO also scrutinized how carrier responses to those challenges are affecting airports, passengers and funding of FAA capital programmes. One portion of the GAO analysis highlights the difficulty of predicting with any certainty the financial fortunes of US carriers in 2009. At the beginning of the year GAO explains two industry analysts predicted a rebound from losses incurred in 2008 to estimated profits of $4 billion to $10 billion based on estimated fuel prices of $55 to $62 per barrel. Those falling fuel prices would mitigate the 4.5% to 7% declines in revenues, explains GAO. "One Wall Street analyst estimated that at current fuel prices airline revenues would have to fall over 12% before the airlines would incur losses - a revenue decline that would constitute a worse revenue environment than immediately existed after September 11, 2001," GAO explains in its report. But that optimism is being tempered as bookings and revenues for the first two quarters of 2009 suggest weaker than expected demand. Sluggish demand from the most lucrative customers for airlines - business and international travellers - is diminishing that optimism. A decline in both fares and load factors is also challenging industry profitability this year. Even if carriers meet those obstacles and achieve operating profits this year, labour costs are pressuring their financial health. GAO estimates nearly every US major carrier has open contracts or agreements that are amendable by year-end. Its current estimates show 83 open labour contracts at 34 legacy, low-cost and other carriers. A large number of those contracts were negotiated in the 2003-2005 time period either through formal Chapter 11 restructuring or the threat of bankruptcy protection. Many labour groups during that period agreed to concessions that they are now seeking to recoup. Carriers also face pressure on their cash balances from mounting debt maturities. GAO cites estimates by Fitch Ratings that the seven largest US carriers face $4.4 billion in debt and capital lease maturities this year, followed by $6 billion in 2010. Yet, the in its report the GAO cites the belief of some airline analysts that if fuel prices remain steady, an improvement in the cash flow of airlines should cover those obligations. Both Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines expect pension funding requirements in 2010 to exceed obligations for this year. But GAO says those levels for the next two years are dependent on a variety of factors including changes enacted in 2006 governing pension funding requirements, and returns on corporate interest rates used to measure liabilities. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC