17 SEP 2009 _______________________________________ * FAA failures cited in air charter crashes * Call for helicopter safety summit * Regulatory Abuse by Airlines Threatens Aviation Safety * Embraer Service Centers In The U.S. Receive EASA Certification * FAA Issues Crew Fatigue SAFO * TSA Issues Rule To Achieve 9/11 Act Air Cargo Screening Mandate * NBAA Offers New Electronic APIS Compliance Resource For Members **************************************** FAA failures cited in air charter crashes WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Failures in oversight by U.S. aviation regulators have been highlighted in at least six recent charter jet and small airliner crashes, documents indicate. Official records show the Federal Aviation Administration failed to identify illegal charter flights, didn't spot egregious pilot training violations and did not ground unairworthy aircraft, USA Today reported Wednesday. Accident files and investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board cite FAA oversight failures present in the accidents between 2003 and 2008 involving for-hire air carriers, the newspaper said, noting that the flights accounted for 249 deaths. Only 107 people died aboard large commercial airliners during the same period. "We've got serious violations of the public trust," former NTSB board member Kitty Higgins told USA Today. FAA Flight Standards Service director John Allen would not address the specific accidents with the newspaper, but asserted the agency's inspections of charter operators is "thorough," adding that it's hard to cite such carriers unless agency inspectors see illegal acts. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/09/16/FAA-failures-cited-in-air-charter-cra shes/UPI-69041253108216/ ************** Call for helicopter safety summit Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:14 UK A pilots' union is calling for a ministerial summit to discuss the possible dangers faced by its members in the North Sea oil and gas industry. The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) has tabled a motion at the TUC conference asking politicians to meet a wide range of interested parties. A task group was set up after April's Super Puma tragedy which left 16 dead. Bob Keiller, chairman of the Helicopter Task Group, said they were keen to listen to anyone who could help safety. Mr Keiller said: "The UK oil and gas industry takes the safety of all those flying offshore very seriously indeed which is why my first action as chairman of the Helicopter Task Group was to invite workforce safety representatives, the trade unions, and the regulatory authorities to join. "We are making good progress in the task group and have visited both Westminster and Holyrood to update MPs and MSPs on our activities. "We are keen to listen to anyone that can help us to improve helicopter safety and are happy to participate in any discussion set up by others." A surveillance system that can pinpoint the positions of North Sea helicopters was recently launched in Aberdeen. The system could help avoid "near miss" incidents and aid in locating aircraft in the event of an emergency. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8258931.stm ************** Regulatory Abuse by Airlines Threatens Aviation Safety Communiqué Aircraft Engineers International publié le 17/09/2009 à 09:24 HOOFDDORP, The Netherlands, September 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest single cause accelerating the downward trend of aviation safety is the increase in the number of regulatory breaches by airlines remaining uncorrected. This startling fact is difficult to comprehend, particularly as recent aircraft accident reports have cited weak regulatory oversight being a major contributory factor. With recent safety related events in the United States leading to an admission by the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) that its oversight of airlines had not been to the required standard, AEI must, due to similar European incidents, pose the question whether EASA, the European Agency tasked with implementing the highest common standards, is actually "fit for purpose". This is just one of the serious issues on the agenda when engineers from all over the world meet in Varna, Bulgaria, from the 23rd until the 26th September for Aircraft Engineers International’s 37th Annual Congress. Investigations by AEI affiliates revealed that airlines are deliberately abusing aviation regulations in order to reduce costs. Recently AEI raised the issue of pilots not reporting aircraft defects as they occurred, but rather when convenient for the airline. These concerns were confirmed by both EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and SAFA (Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft programme), yet despite this, affiliates continue to observe malpractice. This arrogant behaviour highlights both a total disregard for passenger safety and a belief by the operator that such dangerous behaviour generally carries no risk of any consequence. AEI’s Secretary General commented that "it is an extremely worrying time. With everybody currently suffering the effects of a global financial meltdown, investment in maintenance and safety has also been targeted for savings and this is completely unacceptable." AEI are also concerned about the rapid increase in the widespread abuse of the Aircraft Minimum Equipment List. This list contains information on which aircraft systems may be unserviceable for flight and which ones may not. It is becoming evident that to save money airlines are cutting corners and taking risks by allowing continued operation of aircraft with improperly diagnosed faults. AEI are convinced that such behaviour was a causal factor in both the recent Spanair and Turkish Airlines accidents. AEI further believes that national aviation regulators must start to act instead of maintaining their current stand-off attitude. This would require an immediate halt to the current regulatory trend of appeasing operator’s demands for lighter regulation. National airworthiness authorities if genuine about safety being paramount must move away from paper auditing and become more hands on. AEI’s annual congress will be taking a closer look at these issues in order to find ways of ensuring this negligence will not go unpunished. AEI’s intention at congress is to increase awareness of this downward trend in passenger safety then pressurize national airworthiness authorities and EASA into acting quickly where airlines are clearly failing to meet their basic safety targets. A press conference will be held at 11:00 on the 26th September in the Golden Tulip Hotel in Varna. http://www.aerocontact.com/actualite_aeronautique_spatiale/cp-regulatory-abu se-by-airlines-threatens-aviation-safety~02345.html ************** Embraer Service Centers In The U.S. Receive EASA Certification Wed, 16 Sep '09 European Aviation Safety Agency Certifies Fort Lauderdale, FL, And Mesa, AZ Operations Embraer’s European Executive Jets customers have two company-owned service centers in the United States certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): one in Mesa, AZ, and the other in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The two facilities were inaugurated last year – September 15 and October 27, respectively – and are able to perform non-routine maintenance services on the Phenom 100 and Legacy 600 jets registered in Europe. “EASA’s Part 145 certification of two Embraer wholly owned-and-operated service centers enhances our capacity to better respond to our European customers, giving them more flexibility when flying in the United States,” says Scott Kalister, Embraer Vice President, Customer Support USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean – Executive Jets. In addition to supporting existing Legacy 600 and Phenom 100 customers based in Europe, Embraer stands ready to support Phenom 100 deliveries en route from Brazil to their new European bases. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida operation is a 55,500-square-foot facility providing full-service care for Embraer’s Phenom 100, Legacy 600 and, in the future, Phenom 300, Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 executive jets. The 45,000 square-foot facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, in Mesa, Arizona, is authorized to service the same aircraft. The two company owned-and-operated executive jet service centers consist of a hangar, workshops and office space. http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=611727a7-dc47-4f23- aea6-d8efc31c1d98 &Dynamic=1 ************** FAA Issues Crew Fatigue SAFO Thu, 17 Sep '09 Safety Alert Focuses On Short-Haul Operators FAA-logo-new-1006a_tnThe FAA has issues a 'Safety Alert For Operators'(SAFO) in light of frequent reports of crew fatigue, particularly among short-haul pilots and crew. The SAFO indicates short-haul pilots commonly identify sleep deprivation and high workload as the main factors contributing to their fatigue. Long-haul pilots, however, generally attribute sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disruption caused by multiple time-zone crossings as the main causes of fatigue. Both short-haul and long-haul flight crewmembers report fatigue resulting from multiple flight legs, early wake times, consecutive duty days, insufficient recovery sleep periods, time demands and high workloads resulting from high density air traffic environments. The SAFO concludes fatigue is a hazard that if not properly mitigated or countermeasures enacted, can elevate the risk of these flight operations, and says certificate holders must recognize the potential for elevated risk and be proactive in minimizing exposure to fatigue-related incidents or accidents. The report says that, typically, short-haul (domestic) pilots are engaged in “hub and spoke” operations with some limited point-to-point flying. Short-haul crews are challenged by schedules that involve short turn-around times between multiple flights. Pilots conducting these types of operations report their schedules typically consist of four to five segments, averaging approximately six hours of flight time. Thirteen to fifteen hour duty days typify this type of operation. The result is an increased workload due to the multiple take-offs and landings and time constraints of meeting schedule deadlines over the course of the long day. It goes on to say that scheduling factors have a major impact on a crewmember’s ability to sleep and maintain a proper level of alertness. Sleep loss is one of the primary contributors to fatigue in flightcrew and is directly related to a variety of scheduling factors. In short-haul operations, pilots normally fly a round trip out of a hub and then may sit for several hours before their next flight. This type of scheduling has the potential for a latent condition that contributes to the cumulative effects of fatigue. The document says that both operators and individual pilots are responsible for assuring they have ample sleep opportunities. as a critical countermeasure to fatigue. Certificate holders should consider providing crew rest facilities that have rooms away from the general traffic for quiet, comfortable and uninterrupted sleep as well as expedited transportation to and from the airport in the layover city. Individual pilots must understand the importance of sleep opportunities and ensure they are properly rested prior to the next flight day. The FAA concludes that part 121 Directors of Operations and Safety and part 135 Directors of Operations should review their current policies and procedures addressing flight crewmember fatigue countermeasures. This review should address at minimum: * Current scheduling practices; * Scheduled or assigned rest periods; * Establish effective rest enhancing prerequisites for layover city hotels; and * Encourage the use of flightcrew rest facilities between flights to counter the effects of cumulative fatigue. * Educate their pilots and crew on the importance of proper rest and encourage them to take advantage of rest facilities. It further recommends that pilots in part 121 or 135 operations should understand their responsibility with regard to ensuring that they achieve the required rest so they are properly rested and fit for each assigned or scheduled flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will continue to research the subject of fatigue, evaluate the relevant data and inform the commercial operations community of effective methods for reducing flightcrew fatigue. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=68d60060-a84f-48c4-bba2-96 823326408f & ************** TSA Issues Rule To Achieve 9/11 Act Air Cargo Screening Mandate Thu, 17 Sep '09 System Has Been In Operation As A Pilot Program Since February TSA-Logo-0809a_tnThe TSA announced an Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) on Tuesday. TSA will use the system to fulfill the air cargo security requirements of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (9/11 Act) that mandates screening of 50 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft by February 2009 and 100 percent by August 2010. "We developed a common-sense solution that will greatly enhance air cargo security by using valuable data from pilot programs and engaging thousands of stakeholders," said TSA Assistant Administrator John Sammon. "This program is a critical step toward meeting the mandate of the 9/11 Act in an efficient and effective manner that facilitates the flow of commerce." CCSP has operated as a pilot program since February 2009, assisting aircraft operators in meeting the 50 percent screening milestone and allowing entities in the air cargo supply chain to screen cargo offsite and transport it to the airport securely without the need for rescreening. Aircraft operators must verify that the chain of custody is intact upon acceptance of screened cargo from a CCSP participant. Under the rule, industry entities may apply to TSA to become a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF). CCSFs must carry out a TSA-approved security program and adhere to strict chain-of-custody requirements to secure cargo from the time it is screened until it is loaded onto a passenger aircraft. They also must implement a multi-layered security program that includes appointing security coordinators, strict access controls and vetting of key personnel. TSA will conduct routine inspections to determine whether CCSFs are complying with requirements. The IFR will be effective 60 days from the date it is published in the Federal Register. http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=a28239f7-be3b-435b- a56a-3783fe0e5f6c &Dynamic=1 ************** NBAA Offers New Electronic APIS Compliance Resource For Members Wed, 16 Sep '09 System Has Been Approved By CBP Officials nbaalogo1b_tnNational Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Tuesday unveiled a new resource to help Members comply with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) requirements. The Association has partnered with ARINC Direct Business Aviation Solutions to offer this tool exclusively to NBAA Member Companies. CBP requires all general aviation and commercial aircraft to provide passenger manifest and aircraft information prior to departure for all international flights to or from the United States. "NBAA is proud to partner with ARINC Direct Business Aviation Solutions in bringing this low-cost, high-value product to NBAA Members," said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. "APIS requirements are not always easy to meet, and we want to assist our Members ease the stress of doing business in other countries." CBP-logo-0509a_tnThe electronic APIS transmission service meets all applicable regulatory requirements and has been fully approved by CBP officials. This online tool will allow Members to quickly and easily submit, modify and store APIS data for future use, and includes several time-saving features: * All crew, passenger and aircraft information is stored on secure ARINC servers for use in future transmissions. * Users have access to real-time CBP approval of all APIS transmissions * Members have access to technical support 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Members can make APIS transmissions for flights operated under both Part 91 and Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Access the new resource is available for a $25 fee per flight, which covers the above benefits and more. http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=ddfc46ee-f01d-49c5- b648-3ac8b26efdff &Dynamic=1 ************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC