12 OCT 2009 _______________________________________ *U.S. Runway Near-Misses Fell by Half, FAA Data Show *FAA Administrator shows interest in expanding ASDE-X *11 Lost Onboard UN Aircraft In Haiti *Emirates Urges Boeing To Improve 777, Develop New Jet *Pilot whose gun discharged on plane is rehired *Latest Air-Safety Idea: Naps in the Cockpit *TAM CEO resigns **************************************** U.S. Runway Near-Misses Fell by Half, FAA Data Show Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Aircraft near-collisions on U.S. runways fell by half in the year ended Sept. 30, following a Federal Aviation Administration effort that included better markings at busy airports. The number of the most serious types of near-misses dropped to 12, from 25 in fiscal 2008, the FAA said today in Washington. The agency recorded 24 or more in each of the past nine fiscal years, with a high of 67 in 2000. Curtailing such incidents has been a priority for regulators and safety advocates. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt credited initiatives from the past two years including improvements to runway signs, changes in taxiing routes that keep aircraft from crossing runways and more explicit instructions to pilots from controllers. “As trends go, that is a remarkable reduction,” Babbitt told reporters. “This is the safest year we’ve ever had.” Only two of the 12 near misses in the past year involved commercial airliners, down from nine in fiscal 2008 and 34 in 2000. The FAA said in 2007 it was sending design-review teams to the 20 largest airports and to those where wrong-runway departures were a concern. The teams examined runway layouts, operating procedures, lights and markings. The agency announced last year it would spend $400 million for runway warning lights at 20 more locations, including the New York area’s three airports and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The lights are being tested at sites in Dallas, San Francisco and San Diego. Urging More Action The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates accidents and recommends safety improvements, has for years urged the FAA to do more to avert incidents such as one in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2008, when a Mesa Air Group Inc. plane came as close as 10 feet (3 meters) to colliding with a Cessna. In 2007, a Delta Air Lines Inc. plane came within 100 feet of a flight by UAL Corp.’s United Airlines in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after the United crew said it missed a turn onto a taxiway, the NTSB said that year. Pilots for Delta’s Comair unit used the wrong runway for a flight that killed 49 people in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006 because they failed to use lights, signs and other aids to identify their location, the NTSB concluded in 2007. **************** FAA Administrator shows interest in expanding ASDE-X US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt today said the agency would be interested in deploying airport surface detection equipment model X (ASDE-X) beyond the 35 airports originally included in the programme. ASDE-X is a runway safety tool that captures data from a variety of sources that enable air traffic controllers to detect potential safety conflicts. ASDE-X uses surface movement radar located in air traffic control towers and remote towers, multilateration sensors, automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B), terminal automation systems and aircraft transponders. All this allows ASDE-X to determine the position and identification of aircraft and transponder-equipped vehicles on the airport surface, and aircraft flying within five miles of an airport. Nationwide deployment of ASDE-X began in 2003 and currently about 24 airports in the US utilise the technology. In June FAA said it had accelerated deployment by one year, which would result in all 35 airports being equipped by autumn 2010. Today during a media briefing Babbitt highlighted that ASDE-X technology was well beyond the prototype stage, and therefore less expensive to produce. Babbitt says the goal is to continue the system's expansion, which means deploying ASDE-X beyond the 35 airports now scheduled to receive the technology. But he gave no timeframe for expansion. Sensis is under contract to the FAA to develop and deploy ASDE-X. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***************** 11 Lost Onboard UN Aircraft In Haiti Surveillance Plane Impacted A Mountain Near The Dominican Border Eleven UN military personnel were lost Friday when their surveillance aircraft impacted a mountain near the Dominican Border. It was not known why they were conducting surveillance in that area. The Associated Press reports that all those on board were Uruguayan and Jordanian military personnel. They were part of a 9,000 person U.N. peacekeeping force that has been in Haiti since President Jean-Bertrand Aristidea was ousted in a rebellion in 2004. U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas in New York said the aircraft, a Uruguayan CASA212, went down in rugged terrain west of Fonds-Verrettes. Rescuers were forced to approach the crash site on foot because no roads lead into the area. A statement from the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti said all the bodies had been recovered, and would be taken back to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Montas said the UN has opened an investigation into the incident. FMI: www.un.org aero-news.net ***** Status: Preliminary Date: 09 OCT 2009 Type: CASA C-212 Aviocar 200 Operating for: United Nations - UN Leased from: Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya Registration: FAU-531 C/n / msn: 187 First flight: 1981-07-03 (28 years 4 months) Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 Total: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 20 km (12.5 mls) W of Fonds-Verrettes (Haiti) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Military Departure airport: Port-au-Prince Airport (PAP/MTPP), Haiti Destination airport: Port-au-Prince Airport (PAP/MTPP), Haiti Narrative: Crashed in mountainous terrain during a border patrol mission along the Haiti/Dominican Republic border. The Aviocar was used for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, or MINUSTAH. (aviation-safety.net) ************** Emirates Urges Boeing To Improve 777, Develop New Jet DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Emirates Airline, the Middle East's largest carrier, is pressing U.S. planemaker Boeing Co. (BA) to improve its 777 aircraft or develop a new long-range jet that can be used on its Dubai to Los Angeles route, the airline's president said Sunday. "We've been in dialogue with Boeing for almost four years about this, but recently we felt that the impetus from Boeing to improve the 777 extended range had slowed," Tim Clark told Zawya Dow Jones in a telephone interview. "We continue to remind them that we want an improvement to the extended range per se, or a new airplane." A spokesperson for Boeing in the Middle East couldn't immediately be reached for comment Sunday. Emirates, which will be the biggest user of Boeing's 777 widebody jet, currently operates a Boeing 777-200 LR (long range) nonstop from Dubai to L.A., but says that the aircraft is inefficient. Clark thinks that Boeing may be working on something "privately", but said that delays to the planemaker's 787 program have hampered efforts. "The problem has been the financial commitment because of the 787 program," he said. "Once the Dreamliner has made its first flight, I think we'll see a huge release of funds and resources, and the plane maker will be able to focus on other programs." In June, Clark told Zawya Dow Jones that he wasn't too impressed with Boeing's decision to put a larger wing on its wide-bodied jet. Clark said that he wasn't interested in buying Boeing's 747-8, a larger plane than earlier versions. The airline isn't likely to make any aircraft orders at the Dubai airshow next month, Clark said, but added that there were some "very good deals" for aircraft at the moment. "If the opportunities are right, then we'll take them," he said. Clark said Emirates' traffic was "holding up" and that load factors were good. "It's a difficult time, but we're keeping our head above water," he said. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091011-701553.html ************* Pilot whose gun discharged on plane is rehired DALLAS — A pilot who was fired after his gun discharged in the cockpit is back at work after an arbitrator ordered him reinstated. US Airways said Friday that Jim Langenhahn resumed training on Monday after an 18-month disciplinary suspension. The airline said as part of the federal arbitrator's decision to reinstate Langenhahn, he will be barred from carrying a gun in the cockpit. After the 2001 terror attacks in which hijackers armed with knives seized four jetliners, pilots lobbied for the right to carry guns in the cockpit. A 2002 federal law allowed pilots to carry handguns on board if they took part in a program run by the Transportation Security Administration, which includes a week of weapons training. Langenhahn's gun fired shortly before landing on a March 2008 flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C. Langenhahn, a former Air Force pilot, said he was putting his .40-caliber pistol away when it discharged. The bullet ripped through the cockpit wall and fuselage. None of the passengers or crew members were hurt. After US Airways fired him, Langenhahn took the case to arbitration, backed by his union, the US Airways Pilots Association. Through the union, Langenhahn declined to comment. In a letter to the union president, he thanked the union members and attorney who lobbied for his reinstatement and helped him financially. He called it a "long and painful ordeal." "We are happy to have him back," said union spokesman James Ray. "The company overreacted. Capt. Langenhahn has had a distinguished and untarnished record in his time at US Airways." Langenhahn's case was strengthened when the Department of Homeland Security faulted the design of holsters used by pilots who carry their weapons on board planes. The department's inspector general said the design increased the chance of accidental discharge when pilots inserted their guns in the holsters. The inspector general recommended that the TSA halt use of the locking holster and consider other methods for armed pilots to stow their weapons. The holsters have been in use since 2006. TSA spokesman Nelson Minerly defended the holster design, saying they have been used "millions of times by thousands of (pilots) without incident." "The system has been very reliable," he said. Langenhahn began pilot training Monday at US Airlines' flight training center in Charlotte, the carrier said in a brief statement. The reinstatement does not include back pay. *************** Latest Air-Safety Idea: Naps in the Cockpit Airlines, Unions Urge FAA to Allow Pilots to Sleep Midflight to Alleviate Fatigue; a Tough Sell for Passengers.ArticleComments (14)more in Business ».EmailPrinter By ANDY PASZTOR U.S. airlines and their unions have joined forces to push the Federal Aviation Administration to let pilots do what was once unthinkable: sleep on the job. Though the practice of nodding off midflight in the cockpit is now strictly forbidden by the FAA, U.S. airlines and pilot unions say there is reputable research supporting the notion that so-called controlled napping can enhance safety by making crews more alert during critical, often hectic descents and landings. For years, several large foreign airlines, including British Airways, Qantas and some Asian carriers, have allowed one pilot at a time to catch a few minutes of shut-eye during routine cruise portions of certain flights, when crews sometimes have relatively little to do for hours. Such rest strategies have been most relevant to long-range international or transcontinental flights, though it isn't clear whether the FAA also might consider their use for certain short-haul schedules. Either way, the idea is a tough sell for passengers who might have trouble relaxing if they think their captain may be asleep at the controls. "It may seem counterintuitive to folks in the back of the plane, but it's the right thing to do" for safer skies, said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, an international safety group that has studied ways to combat fatigue in the cockpit. Fatigue particularly afflicts pilots who cross multiple time zones, work successive late-night and early-morning shifts and commute long distances to report to work. Napping is "an excellent fatigue-mitigation measure" and "there's no question it produces better pilot performance at the critical phases of flight," said Gregory Belenky, a sleep scientist at Washington State University. He briefed airline and union representatives before they submitted their recommendations to regulators. Pilots say naps not only make sense, but that they also already take them. To avoid incriminating comments that could be captured on cockpit voice recorders, they sometimes use code with their onboard colleagues. "I think I'm going to meditate now" is one signal, according to pilots. A recent study reported that a majority of commuter pilots in a survey revealed that they had fallen asleep at least once behind the controls. It's not unusual for some commuter crews to work 14-hour days flying multiple short hops requiring as many as five or six landings. More broadly, safety experts around the world have long recognized the dangers of overworked or sleep-deprived pilots in dozens of fatal crashes and hundreds of close calls. In the U.S., aviation-accident investigators list tired pilots as one of their top 10 safety concerns, linking them to at least 10 U.S. airliner accidents and 260 fatalities since 1990. In February 2008, both pilots of a regional jet en route from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii, operated by commuter carrier Go!, fell asleep while cruising at 21,000 feet. For about 18 minutes, they failed to respond to frantic calls from air-traffic controllers. The flight eventually landed safely at its destination, but after an investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board in August urged the FAA to identify ways to reduce pilot fatigue during such short-haul flights. In the past, fears about how pilot naps would play with the public doomed similar proposals. In the mid-1990s, the FAA and the Air Line Pilots Association agreed to the idea of controlled napping in a broader revision of fatigue rules. But high-ranking political appointees at the Department of Transportation stripped out the language over fears of negative political fallout and ridicule, according to people familiar with the matter. The entire proposal later stalled in squabbles among airlines and unions. Safety experts have since stepped up their support. Last year, participants in an FAA fatigue symposium agreed that naps should be made legal. "The excuse that "it doesn't pass the Jay Leno test" [for fear of ridicule] is no longer valid," Curt Graeber, a former government and industry sleep expert who did some of the earliest studies on the topic, told a House transportation panel this summer. U.S. airlines that shied away from taking a public position in the past now seem convinced. Research provides "overwhelming evidence that controlled napping provides significant" ways to reduce fatigue risk and "other regulatory agencies have endorsed it for many years with no adverse consequences," according to a recent letter to the FAA from industry groups representing U.S. passenger and cargo carriers. The letter was first reported last month by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A position paper adopted by the Aerospace Medical Association, which represents flight surgeons and aviation sleep specialists, concluded that in-seat naps of 40 or 45 minutes—taken when pilot stress and workloads are low—can "significantly improve alertness" during later phases of a flight. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines is one of three major U.S. carriers gearing up to collect real-time fatigue data from pilots before, during and after long-haul international runs. The findings are expected to influence FAA decisions. Deliberations about napping come as part of a comprehensive review of federal rules covering pilot fatigue. A joint industry-labor committee recently submitted a package of proposed changes to help the FAA rewrite decades-old pilot-scheduling regulations to reflect the latest findings about the causes of fatigue. The recommendations, which could bring sweeping changes to airline operations, also call for limiting flying time and duty periods based on the time of day, the number of takeoffs during a trip and the internal body clocks of pilots. Under these principles, the FAA would jettison rigid, one-size-fits-all fatigue rules covering all types of airline operations. Some passenger advocates are likely to balk at the napping clause. "Both pilots in the cockpit need to be well-rested," said Kate Hanni, head of FlyersRights.org, which has clashed with the FAA previously over safety and passenger rights. "If the FAA decides to let one of them nap during any part of a trip" without requiring a replacement to sit behind the controls, "I have a huge problem with that," she said. FAA chief Randy Babbitt has pledged to quickly finalize new rules, though he and other agency officials haven't yet expressed opinions about pilot napping. Airline trade groups and pilot union leaders also have declined to comment. As financially strapped airlines seek to increase efficiency by squeezing pilots to fly more hours per month, pilots say secret naps behind the controls are becoming more widespread. Safety experts caution that cockpit snoozing shouldn't be used to extend pilot workdays or to replace planned sleep in aircraft rest areas. On long-range international flights, which can stretch well beyond 16 hours, there are up to two replacement pilots aboard. Various foreign regulators years ago approved catnaps in the cockpit at 40,000 feet—though some Asian aviation authorities stopped short of explicitly sanctioning the practice. In Europe, where controversy is brewing over whether to reduce maximum daily and weekly work hours, pilots representing 36 countries demonstrated outside the European Parliament in Brussels to complain that current rules put passengers at risk If in-flight naps gain the imprimatur of the FAA, they could become a formal part of everyday airline procedures, "even if they may not be politically correct," said Mr. Voss. The latest industry-government effort to find common ground on nagging fatigue disputes, Dr. Belenky said, shows both sides have decided: "Let's do what the science recommends." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125504526670974763.html ************** TAM CEO resigns TAM has issued a short statement confirming the resignation of its CEO David Barioni Neto. Current VP of Finance, Management and IT Libano Miranda Barroso is assuming the CEO position temporarily. Neto was named CEO in November 2007, and has 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC