22 AUG 2009 _______________________________________ *Dallas-bound jet makes emergency landing at LAX *FAA Revises CFR Parts 61, 91, And 141 *Boeing Tells Qantas 787 Will Fly This Year *Noose Incident At NTSB Sparks Investigation Of Two Top Managers *China pilots to open low sky for general aviation *Air France sued over plane crash investigation *Alaska-tested Capstone system improves state's air traffic safety *Germany and Singapore committed to enhancing air safety in Afghanistan *Southwest's massive 737 fleet to be equipped with Row 44 Wi-Fi *************************************** Dallas-bound jet makes emergency landing at LAX Emergency Landing August 21st, 2009Jet in hangar after landing More WFAA Latest News video View larger E-mail clip More video Related links: American Airlines Search Video: LOS ANGELES — A Dallas-bound American Airlines jetliner was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles Friday night after passengers said they saw parts of the right wing falling off. Flight 414 had taken off from San Diego when passengers said they heard an unusual noise as the aircraft flew higher. The jet was diverted to Los Angeles International Airport and landed without incident. American Airlines says maintenance crews found missing "lamination" on the right wing, but there was no hole. The 188 passengers on Flight 414 were transferred to another plane and were expected to arrive at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport around midnight. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090821_wz_ aaemergency.10332927a.html *************** FAA Revises CFR Parts 61, 91, And 141 Changes Touch Nearly Every Aspect Of Pilot Certification, Training, And Ground Operations Extensive revisions to 102 regulations concerning training, qualification, certification, and operating requirements for pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and pilot schools were published Friday in the Federal Register, and nearly everyone who flies, or is considering learning to fly, is potentially affected. "This final rule is a result of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued in early 2007," said John D. Lynch, of FAA's Certification and General Aviation Operations Branch. "These changes have been in the works since we issued the previous final rule changes to parts 61 and 141 in August 1997." Lynch reports the majority of the rule changes in parts 61, 91, and 141 are to "further FAA's safety mission, incorporate international flight standards, and respond to recent technological advances in aviation. Many of the changes reflect and incorporate comments and suggestions made by trade organizations, flight schools, manufacturers, individual pilots, and others." FAA received nearly 2,000 comments from across a wide range of the aviation community in response to the NPRM issued in February 2007. "One of the more significant changes establishes training and qualification requirements for pilots and flight instructors who use night vision goggles," Lynch said. Another significant change is clarification on the use of aviation training devices, flight training devices, and flight simulators for maintaining recent instrument experience. In addition, the revisions address U.S. military pilots qualifying for flight instructor certificates based on their military instructors pilot qualifications as well as refines and clarifies provisions for current and former U.S. military pilots to qualify for FAA pilot certificates and ratings. Modifications have also been made in certification requirements for Sport Pilot Certificates, Private Pilot licenses, as well as training and proficiency for instrument, commercial and transport ratings. Some aspects of issuance of medical certificates are also addressed. The FAA says in its executive summary that it received considerable public response to the NPRM. 1,970 different comments were received from 231 commenters representing a diverse ``cross-section' of the aviation community including: Commenters who identified themselves as actively serving in the United States Armed Forces or Armed Forces Reserves; flight schools (commercial and educational), flight training facilities, or other organizations associated with flight training; aircraft manufacturers or aircraft manufacturer associations, pilot, aircraft, and helicopter owner associations; civil aviation associations; and law enforcement agencies or organizations associated with NVG operations. The changes will go into effect October 20th. FAA says the updated regulations will be available online in "a few days". FMI: http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=RuAi8b/0/1/0 &WAISaction=retrieve aero-news.net **************** Boeing Tells Qantas 787 Will Fly This Year Australian Airline Still Has 50 Dreamliners On Order Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said this week he has been told by Boeing that the troubled 787 Dreamliner will fly this year, despite problems with delamination in the wing area and new problems with the composite skin in the fuselage sections being built in Italy. The newspaper "The Australian" reports that Joyce was told by Boeing these latest problems were not expected to extend delays of the aircraft, which is already two years behind schedule. "One of the reasons why we delayed and cancelled some of the aircraft was to ensure that we had enough time to plan and manage the introduction of the aircraft without having this uncertainty around when the aircraft could be here," Joyce said. Qantas still has some 50 of the all-composite aircraft on order, one of Boeing's biggest customers for the Dreamliner. Boeing says a simple patch it has already designed will remedy the problems with the fuselage. It is still working on the delamination issues where the wings join the fuselage that cropped up during ground stress tests last month. FMI: www.qantas.com, www.boeing.com aero-news.net *************** Noose Incident At NTSB Sparks Investigation Of Two Top Managers One GS-15, One SES Employee Relieved Of Managerial Duties Pending Investigation This is certainly not the type of investigation normally conducted by the NTSB. Two top managers for the board are under investigation for allegedly wrapping a noose around the nameplate of a former career NTSB executive and hanging it from a wall fixture following a meeting at the agency. Neither the two managers, one a GS-15, the other a Senior Executive Service (SES) employee, nor the former employee have been identified, though The Washington Post reports all are white. The incident occurred at the end of a meeting August 6th. The noose was fashioned out of soft cord used for crowd control. It was discovered by an employee and turned over to a supervisor. NTSB Chair Debora Hersman was not present at the meeting. She later sent an e-mail to all employees at the agency, saying the display was very disturbing. "At a minimum, this behavior exhibited insensitivity and lack of judgment, and has no place in our organization," she said in the e-mail. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson told the Post "According to the individuals, it was an attempt at a joke. They indicated they had no racial or ethnic intent in the action. Clearly, they were not sensitive to the symbolism of the noose." He said the two men were cooperating with the inquiry. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net **************** China pilots to open low sky for general aviation XI'AN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's aviation regulator has approved a pilot scheme for the country's first general aviation industrial park in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, local sources said Friday. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has given approval for the Pucheng industrial park in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, to open low-altitude airspace for general aviation between an airport and more than five scenic spots. Aircraft will carry visitors to tour the scenic spots in 2010, said Jin Qiansheng, head of Xi'an Yanliang national aviation hi-tech industrial base. But he gave no exact timetable. The park will also pilot management policies for general aviation airports, and also pilot their subsidies. Jin said the pilot grogram could spark policy changes for flying at low altitudes and give a strong boost to the general aviation market in China. Low altitude usually refers to airspace below 3,000 meters. General aviation refers to flights other than military and scheduled airline flights. China had only 898 registered utility aircraft by the end of 2008 while the number in the United States is more than 220,000, according to Sun Cong, former head of Shenyang aircraft design and research institute. Sun advised in March that the government gradually open the low-altitude airspace to meet rising demand for general aviation in fields like disaster relief, exploration and business trips. China only allows civilian aircraft to fly at certain levels within an altitude of 8,400 to 12,500 meters. *************** Air France sued over plane crash investigation PARIS (AP) — A lawyer says the family of a French flight attendant who perished in an Air France plane crash on June 1 over the Atlantic Ocean is suing the airline to force it to release information on what caused the tragedy. The Airbus jet went down while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 228 people aboard were killed. The lawyer for Clara Amado's family says they have filed a civil suit against the airline. Jean-Claude Guidicelli says the family wants the company to disclose information on whether the plane's speed sensors were to blame for the crash. Investigators believe the speed monitors could have contributed to the accident, and airlines around the world have been ordered to replace them. Air France declined to comment. *************** Alaska-tested Capstone system improves state's air traffic safety Alaska Journal of Commerce A midair collision over New York City's Hudson River that killed nine people could likely have been avoided had both aircraft been equipped with Alaska-tested Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast equipment, say Federal Aviation Administration officials. "I believe that this (ADS-B) would have improved awareness in the cockpit that very likely would have prevented this situation," said Jere Hayslett, FAA manager Surveillance and Broadcast Services, Western Service Area. Hayslett was speaking in the aftermath of the deadly Aug. 9 mid-air collision of a sightseeing helicopter and a Piper PA-32 Saratoga over New York City. ADS-B, developed by the Capstone Safety Project, is a situational awareness technology that displays other aircraft on a cockpit screen, as well as the terrain, in the area in real time. It offers a moving map display, weather and terrain avoidance features, as well as in-flight messaging capability. According to Hayslett, Southeast Alaska will be one of the nation's first areas to receive improved service and coverage under the system next April as part of a national program to roll out in Alaska what FAA officials describe as next-generation air traffic and situational equipment. "Juneau is the next area on the national schedule to receive NexGen equipage that will be installed by ITT (formally International Telephone and Telegraph) by April 2010," said Hayslett. The Juneau area will receive four ground-based transceivers. Other areas will receive nine ground-based stations to cover the panhandle region, according to Hayslett. ITT received a $1.8 billion contract in Aug. 2007 to build and install the national air traffic control system. Alaska is set to receive $306 million in ADS-B coverage by 2035. The cost of the new system nationwide is said to cost as much as $15 billion in the next two decades, according to the Washington Post. A recent FAA 89-page report about air safety in southeast Alaska credits ADS-B for improving southeast's aircraft accident rate by 36 percent. In southwest Alaska, in the Bethel area where the Capstone Phase I, the first use of ADS-B, was tested and implemented, safety has improved by 48 percent, according to the University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation and Technology Division. Capstone Phase II, covering Southeast Alaska, focused on the region that borders British Columbia, spanning approximately 600 miles from Ketchikan to Cordova. This is a region of glacier-cut fjords, steep mountainous terrain, and islands covered with dense rainforest, with few roads, where travel is primarily by boat and float plane. During Capstone Phase II, the FAA provided avionics for 180 Air Taxi (Part 135) aircraft that representing, at the time, 88 percent of the Air Taxi operations in Southeast Alaska, said the report. The Alaska Avionics Loan Program, sponsored by former Gov. Sarah Palin in early 2008, was created and funded by the Legislature to encourage both commercial and General Aviation to install ADS-B equipment in Alaska aircraft. While Hayslett said most of the commercial Part 135 (less than 10 passenger) carriers in southeast, are ADS-B equipped, and the the FAA is now targeting general aviation aircraft equipage. "Where we can, we are doing briefings and presentations to pilots and groups," said Hayslett. "We are still trying to get the State equipage loan program (Alaska Avionics Loan Program) used to get more aircraft equipped." On the statewide front, additional ADS-B services are operating in the Fairbanks and Nome areas, which offer coverage for both commercial and general aviation aircraft that are equipped. "We are encouraging our members to equip, and have all the information about both the state loan program and all of the program agreements," said Dee Hanson, executive director of the 2,000 member Alaska Airmen's Association. http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/082109/loc_img8_003.shtml *************** Germany and Singapore committed to enhancing air safety in Afghanistan Singapore’s Ambassador Jacky Foo and the German Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bernd Mützelburg, signed an agreement in Berlin today on cooperation between the two countries on air safety in Afghanistan. Afghan airport personnel are to receive basic and further training. The aim of the joint initiative is to improve safety in Afghanistan’s civil aviation sector. Along with missing or outdated technical equipment, another reason for safety problems is poorly trained staff. In an initial measure, 40 members of the Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation are to attend special courses on airport management in 2009. Germany and Singapore will each provide half of the 180,000 euro budget for these seminars, which will take place at the Singapore Aviation Academy. If this proves to be a success, the initiative will be continued next year. These training measures are part of Germany’s wide-ranging engagement in improving air safety in Afghanistan. The Federal Foreign Office will make available around 40 million euro for this end until 2011. The German Government is, for example, cooperating with the United Arab Emirates on upgrading the airport in Mazar-e-Sharif, the seat of ISAF Regional Command North, which is led by Germany. In collaboration with the Netherlands, Tarin Kowt airfield in the south of the country is being rebuilt. Another project planned is the installation of a multilateration system to improve air traffic control. http://www.isria.com/pages/21_August_2009_54.php *************** Southwest's massive 737 fleet to be equipped with Row 44 Wi-Fi US low-cost giant Southwest Airlines has opted to equip its entire Boeing 737 fleet with Row 44's high-speed, Ku-band-based Internet solution, in a move that will step up competition in the US in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFE&C) sector and gives added credibility to startup Row 44. The announcement comes less than two weeks after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted permanent authority to Row 44, a crucial award achieved by the California-based firm after a lengthy battle with a would-be rival played out in FCC documents. Row 44's system is currently installed on four Southwest 737s. In a statement this morning Southwest says it will this fall "be moving to the next step of certifying Southwest's full fleet". It plans to begin to rollout of the in-flight Wi-Fi solution on the rest of its fleet starting in the first quarter of 2010. According to Flightglobal's ACAS database, Southwest operates a total 545 737s, a mixture of -300s, -500s and -700s. It also holds orders for a further 91 737-700s. Pricing for in-flight Wi-Fi has not yet been announced by Southwest. The carrier has been testing a variety of price points for the service and says it will continue to do so through the end of 2009. "We have concluded our testing for inflight Wi-Fi and are very happy with both the technical performance of the system and the response of customers who have used it," says Southwest senior vice president of marketing and revenue management Dave Ridley. "We are pleased to be continuing with our plans to offer satellite-enabled broadband access through California-based Row 44." Row 44 CEO John Guidon says the company "is thrilled to be the in-flight Wi-Fi service of choice for one of the most customer-focused airlines in the world". Alaska Airlines is currently trialling Row 44. The carrier has previously said it intends to go fleet-wide with the satellite-based solution, which is able to operate on over-water flights. Row 44 is getting a later start in the US in-flight connectivity market than Aircell, whose air-to-ground (ATG)-based broadband system Gogo has been installed on over 500 aircraft in the US fleet, including on the entire fleets of AirTran Airways and Virgin America. Delta Air Lines is in the process of equipping its entire fleet with Gogo, and American Airlines has earmarked a large portion of its domestic fleet for installation. Other Gogo customers include Air Canada, Northwest Airlines (whose fleet will be equipped after merger partner Delta is finished), US Airways and United Airlines. Aircell's system cannot support overseas connectivity. However, the company is working on a hybrid solution that would allow carriers to offer the ATG-based service on domestic flights, but transition to a Ku-band service on over-water flights. Richard Owen, former executive director of the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA), believes there is a high probability that Aircell and Row 44 are exploring how they might cooperate on a hybrid offering. "I have no doubt that those conversations are probably already happening not only between those two major players in the marketplace, but also among other players who kind of operate in this area who may offer some other solutions that could make the Internet access as seamless as possible across the water, across other countries," says Owen. "And I'm sure there is direct competition between those two that you named where necessary but also certainly cooperation where it makes sense for them to be able to team up and offer the best solution for airlines or a particular airline where necessary. So yes, I think there are a number of players out there in the marketplace that can provide different solutions and I'm sure they're already talking to position themselves for success as to however this might shake out." Row 44 also faces competition in the Ku-band space from Panasonic Avionics, which is offering its own high-speed Internet service under the brand eXConnect. Panasonic is understood to be working with Lufthansa to reignite the German carrier's high-speed Internet service, which was previously provided by now-commercially-defunct Connexion by Boeing. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC