19 MAY 2009 _______________________________________ *Federal report criticizes aviation-safety program (ASAP) *Smoke prompts emergency landing at McCarran *Sheikh Saud opens aviation safety seminar *CASA launches new aviation safety board (Australia) *Lawsuit filed in Ind. medical helicopter crash *First Flight: Chinese Assembled A320 *International Air Transport Section (ARTEX) - National Safety Council **************************************** Federal report criticizes aviation-safety program (ASAP) WASHINGTON - Federal regulators have allowed "inconsistent use" and "potential abuse" of a key aviation-safety program, according to a report from independent investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration allows pilots, flight attendants and mechanics to report safety violations in exchange for immunity from punishment. However, the FAA hasn't analyzed that data to identify safety risks, nor has it ensured that bias doesn't affect the decision to accept reports into the program, known as ASAP. "As a result of these issues, ASAP, as currently implemented, is a missed opportunity for FAA to enhance the national margin of safety," Lou E. Dixon, the Department of Transportation's assistant inspector general for aviation, wrote in a report made public Monday. Most mainline carriers participate in ASAP programs, including Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc. and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. The inspector general's investigation grew out of a complaint made two years ago by a former FAA safety inspector who oversaw Continental Airlines. The inspector, Phil Thrash of Lufkin, questioned why the FAA granted immunity to Continental pilots involved in a fatal accident in El Paso in January 2006. A separate investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board mostly blamed contract mechanics for mistakes that led to one mechanic being sucked into a jet engine. Thrash said he questioned the crew's decision-making and wanted to question them. However, he wasn't allowed to interview the pilots because they were given immunity. The inspector general's investigation largely supported Thrash's complaints. It found that an FAA inspector who reviewed the crew's application for immunity had a conflict of interests - he previously worked for Continental - and later shared confidential information with the airline. Continental didn't comment directly about the report but suggested the decision to grant immunity to the pilots was appropriate. "The FAA and NTSB investigated this event," Continental spokeswoman Julie King said. "A committee including representatives of the FAA, ALPA [pilots union] and Continental reviewed the pilot's report and accepted it into the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)." The report also found: .FAA inspectors who review immunity applications don't have "timely access" to the reports, while airline and union officials generally get the reports as soon as they are made. .Many aviation officials regard the program as "amnesty," limiting the agency's leverage to require changes to airline policies. .The FAA has accepted "repetitive reports of the same problem" into ASAP without following up to make sure corrective action is taken. The FAA concurred with most of the report's findings. Regulators noted they are developing a data tool to examine ASAP reports for safety trends. "That is definitely in our plans and something we plan on doing," said Alison Duquette, an FAA spokeswoman. The FAA didn't agree with a recommendation to exclude accidents from consideration for immunity. The inspector general said accepting accidents "undermines ASAP's fundamental purpose - to gain information that might otherwise remain unknown." Duquette said ASAP helps "us to get accurate information after an event quickly ... rather than waiting for an accident investigation to get taken care of." http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/051909dnbusfaa.3bec2 f0.html **************** Smoke prompts emergency landing at McCarran No injuries reported as Allegiant airliner makes safe landing McCarran International Airport An Allegiant Air flight on its way from Los Angeles to Grand Junction, Colo., made an emergency landing in Las Vegas this afternoon after reporting smoke in the cockpit, Clark County Department of Aviation spokesman Chris Jones said. The alert came to McCarran International Airport at 2:22 p.m. and Flight No. 394 landed shortly thereafter, he said. Fire crews met the plane on the runway, which Jones said is standard procedure. Jones said there were no reports of injuries on the flight and he is not yet aware of what may have cause the smoke. The 130 passengers were being moved to a different aircraft but it was unclear when that plane would be leaving, Allegiant spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said. "It was a safety procedure -- the flight landed without incident," she said. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/18/smoky-cockpit-prompts-emergency- airplane-landing-m/ **************** Sheikh Saud opens aviation safety seminar H.H. Sheikh Saud speaking at the `State Safety Programme for Air Operations'.19 May 2009 Ras Al Khaimah: H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, today opened the four- day `State Safety Programme for Air Operations' organised by the United Nations World Food Programme in cooperation with UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and RAK Department of Civil Aviation at Hotel Hilton here. In his inaugural address, Sheikh Saud said, "The tremendous progress achieved by the UAE and the region in the civil aviation sector calls for sustained and collective focus on effective implementation of aviation safety initiatives." Sheikh Saud lauded the United Nations World Food Programme and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for organising the seminar and said that Ras Al Khaimah was glad to host the event which would provide a platform for all stakeholders in the aviation sector to discuss issues and share expertise on enhancing aviation safety. Aviation experts and civil aviation authorities from across GCC and countries like South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and delegations from Italy and Canada are participating in the programme which will discuss global aviation safety and security issues and explore the future of humanitarian air operations. H.E. Engr. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman, Department of RAK Civil Aviation, said that UAE, and particularly the General Civil Aviation Authority, have always been at the forefront in providing support and trust to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in their efforts to enhance aviation safety and security. He added that the establishment of two centers- the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) in the UAE and the Global Aviation Security Training Network, which serves as a regional institution for aviation security awareness, training and research, are crowning achievements which are testimony to the successful partnership between ICAO and the General Civil Aviation Authority. H.E. Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority said, "Aviation safety cannot be fully achieved just by having newly bought aircrafts and new runways. Safety in aviation is essentially a state of mind that must penetrate everyone and every section in the industry." Suwaidi added that the country is committed to the full implementation of safety management systems across all service providers and in the General Civil Aviation Authority. Amer Daoudi, Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Logistics Division, said, "Increased attention to better aviation safety measures is a priority for the WFP which is operating in 82 countries and works in the most challenging conditions around the world as UN's frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. More than 100 aircraft, operated by registered carriers on behalf of WFP Aviation, transport in excess of 300,000 passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo every year for both WFP and other humanitarian organisations, flying over 80,000 hours. "The growing emphasis and support shown by both government and commercial aviation leaders highlight their commitment in offering the highest safety standards across the humanitarian aviation community," concluded Daoudi. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090519082213 *************** CASA launches new aviation safety board (Australia) The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has received funding in the 2009-10 Budget to allow it to establish a new board of experts to oversee the safety of Australia's aviation industry. The Federal Government has provided CASA with $600,000 to establish the Board, which is expected to be operational by July 2009. Experts to oversee industry The five-member Board is to provide direction to CASA in its regulatory and safety oversight role and strengthen its position as an independent aviation safety regulator. The Board is expected to improve links with other Government Agencies and allow more meaningful and constructive input from industry and other stakeholders into aviation safety strategy. The new Chief Executive Officer of CASA, John McCormick is to be an ex-officio member of the board. Other board appointments, including the Chair and Deputy Chair are to be announced by the Government in the coming months. The Government said while establishing the Board was a "significant reform", there was still more to be done in the industry. Further measures to strengthen the safety and reliability of air travel are to be outlined in the nation's first Aviation White Paper, which is expected to be released after July 2009. Legislation establishing the expert board was passed by Parliament in March 2009. http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_psn1694.html *************** Lawsuit filed in Ind. medical helicopter crash INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The family of a flight nurse killed with two other people when a medical helicopter crashed last summer has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the woman's two children. The lawsuit, which seeks compensation for the death of Sandra Pearson, 38, maintains that the helicopter's main rotor blade either contacted unmarked power lines or "spontaneously separated without contact," causing the deadly crash. Pearson died Aug. 31 along with pilot Roger Warren, 43, and paramedic and base manager Wade Weston, 38, when the rotor came off their Bell 206 Longranger before it crashed in a field outside Burney, about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Attorneys hired by National Bank of Indianapolis filed the lawsuit in Marion Superior Court last week on behalf of Pearson's two children, Gabrielle, 8, and Garrett, 10. "These helicopter crashes have real human life consequences," said Gary Robb, a Kansas City, Mo., attorney representing the plaintiffs. "I'm going to make sure these children do not have any kind of financial hardship over the death of their mother." The lawsuit names as defendants Rolls-Royce, the helicopter's engine maker; Decatur County REMC, the utility responsible for maintaining power lines in the area; Rush Memorial Hospital, which dispatched the helicopter; and Bell Helicopter Textron, the rotor manufacturer. Rush Memorial Hospital contracted with Missouri-based Air Evac EMS, which owned and operated the helicopter, to provide air ambulance services. The National Traffic Safety Board is still investigating what caused the rotor blades to break in the crash. According to the NTSB's interim factual report, the crew had left a fundraising event at a fire station in Burney, destined for the aircraft's base in Rushville. Witnesses said they saw helicopter parts separate from the craft in flight before it crashed about a mile from the fire station. The rotor blades were found broken on the ground about 200 yards from the helicopter's wreckage. Maintenance records show the helicopter was inspected 10 days before the crash, the same day a low rumble and vibration from the rear of the aircraft was detected. The lawsuit alleges that engine maker Rolls-Royce failed to properly warn operators that a rumbling noise or vibration "was not engine-related but could signify an impending fatigue fracture of the main rotor blade." The suit accuses Bell Helicopter of selling the helicopter's rotor blades in defective condition. It also alleges that Rush Memorial Hospital dispatched the helicopter on an unsafe flight path, sending it on a non-emergency mission and failing to develop flight-risk evaluation programs. Greg Hubbard, a spokesman for Bell Helicopter, said Monday the Texas-based company is cooperating with the NTSB and will not comment until the agency issues its crash findings. Rolls Royce also declined to comment Monday, citing the ongoing investigation. Rush Memorial Hospital officials declined to comment, saying they had not yet received a copy of the lawsuit. The suit also states that Decatur County REMC failed to properly mark the overhead power lines for air traffic. Robb, the Kansas City lawyer, said contact with the lines could have caused the rotor to break, but according to the factual report, one witness said the helicopter cleared a set of power lines just before the crash. Don Schilling, president and general manager of Decatur County REMC, said the member-owned electric cooperative believes it is not the owner of the power lines mentioned in the lawsuit. "It's obviously a tragic situation -- people lost their lives in this accident. However, we believe those lines are not owned by us. We believe it's owned by another utility," he said. Schilling also said the REMC had no reports of damage to lines or outages on the day of the crash. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-helicoptercrash-l,0,5429373.sto ry *************** First Flight: Chinese Assembled A320 Four-Hour Maiden Flight Goes Well The first A320 aircraft assembled outside Europe in the Airbus Final Assembly Line China (FALC) successfully completed its first flight today. The aircraft took off from Tianjin International Airport at 10:42 am and landed at 14:56. The four hour and fourteen minute test flight was jointly captained by Harry Nelson, Vice President Production Flight Tests and by Experimental Test Pilot Philippe Pellerin. The other crew members were Senior Vice President Flight & Integration Tests Fernando Alonso and Zidan Ren, the first Chinese Flight Test Engineer trained by Airbus as well as Cabin Engineer Eric Garcia "The flight was a complete success thanks to excellent teamwork," said Fernando Alonso, Senior Vice President Flight & Integration Tests, Airbus. "I was delighted to participate in this historic flight. This A320 assembled in China unquestionably demonstrated the same quality and performance as those assembled and delivered in Hamburg or Toulouse." "I would like to congratulate and sincerely thank all those in China and in Europe who, through their dedication and hard work, have made the first Airbus Final Assembly Line outside of Europe a reality," says Laurence Barron, President of Airbus China. "Our commitment is to provide the very best aircraft and services to our customers and operators in China, while applying the same rules, procedures and quality standards as for any other Airbus aircraft produced in Europe. It highlights our commitment to the development of a long-term strategic partnership with the Chinese aviation industry." This first aircraft will be delivered to Dragon Aviation Leasing in June from the Airbus Delivery Centre in Tianjin and will be operated by Sichuan Airlines. Chinese customers have ordered more than 700 aircraft from Airbus, the majority of which are from the A320 Family. Eleven A319/A320 (file photo, below) aircraft are scheduled for delivery in Tianjin in 2009 and the FALC production rate will be ramped up to four aircraft per month by the end of 2011. The A320 FALC is a joint-venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). Airbus China holds 51 per cent of the shares, while the Chinese Consortium holds 49 per cent. The FALC in Tianjin is based on the latest state-of-the-art Airbus single-aisle Final Assembly Line in Hamburg, Germany. FALC started work in August 2008. FMI: www.airbus.com aero-news.net *************** International Air Transport Section (ARTEX) - National Safety Council The International Air Transport Section of the National Safety Council will be in Bournemouth, England June 9-11, 2009 to attend the Aviation Ground Safety Seminar (and Section Meeting). We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet with our colleagues from the UK, Europe and other parts of the world at this Seminar. Mick Paice (British Airways - Ret) has worked diligently to organize the venue and put together a blockbuster agenda. If you have not already done so, please complete the attached registration form and send it to judy.bernardi@nsc.org. Please note, that hotel room reservations are the responsibility of each attendee and must be made directly with the Marsham Court Hotel by contacting Nicki Allan, Conference Office at the Marsham Court Hotel, Russell Cotes Road, East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3AB, Tel. 01202 446644, Fax: 01202 446645 email: nicki.allan@marshamcourt.net. *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC