10 NOV 2009 _______________________________________ *Beechcraft 1900 Accident (Kenya) *Beechcraft B200 King Air Accident (S. Carolina) *LA man gets prison for repackaging plane parts *Google's gift: Free WiFi in 47 airports *Woman Kicked Off Flight In H1N1 Scare *Blacklisted Kazakhstan blocks creation of new carriers *787 Late-Delivery Penalties Soar To $5.1 Billion *Simulators For American Eurocopter *************************************** Beechcraft 1900 Accident (Kenya) Status: Preliminary Date: 09 NOV 2009 Type: Beechcraft 1900 Operator: Blue Bird Aviation Registration: C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL) (Kenya) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW), Kenya Destination airport: Mogadishu International Airport (MGQ/HCMM), Somalia Narrative: A Beechcraft 1900 cargo plane, operated by Blue Bird Aviation, was destroyed when it crashed on approach to Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL), Kenya. The airplane deprarted Wilson Airport transporting a cargo of miraa to Quarrel airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. The crew decided to return to the airport when a problem developed in flight. The airplane struck the perimeter fence on landing, crashed and broke up. (aviation-safety.net) ***************** Date: 09-NOV-2009 Time: 10:15 am Type: Beechcraft B200 King Air Operator: MDTR Holdings LLC Registration: N337MT C/n / msn: BB-1628 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (KGSP), South Carolina - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Departure airport: Norfolk Virginia - KORF Destination airport: Greenville-Spartanburg - KGSP Narrative: The aircraft landed short of the runway. The three occupants were hospitalized with unspecified injuries. (aviation-safety.net) ************** LA man gets prison for repackaging plane parts LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Los Angeles businessman has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for selling uncertified aircraft manufacturing parts that were used to make Boeing 737 airplanes. Prosecutors say 74-year-old Duane Lepire was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty in April to fraud for selling commercial-grade rubber gaskets that were not approved for aviation manufacturing. The U.S. attorney's office says Lepire, the owner of Chatsworth Rubber and Gasket Company in Canoga Park, falsely claimed the parts were certified for use in aircraft manufacturing. Lepire painted and repackaged the cheaper parts with bogus "certificates of conformance." The nonconforming O-rings were used to make vibration dampeners that leaked hydraulic fluid, which was a safety hazard but didn't cause any accidents. *************** Google's gift: Free WiFi in 47 airports NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google is planning to foot the bill for WiFi at 47 of the nation's airports for the rest of the year, beginning Tuesday. With some travelers spending more time on the ground in airports than on planes during the busy flying season, now seemed an especially fitting time to offer up the perk, Google said. The list includes the international airports in Miami and Orlando, which are among the world's 30 busiest airports, as well as five others in Florida. Travelers through smaller airports, such as Montana's Billings and Bozeman, will also benefit. "This is one of our holiday gifts to our users, and when you connect, we also hope you'll take the opportunity to try some of the latest Google products," the company said in a statement. Upon signing in, users will be asked if they want to set Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) as their homepage or try the Google Chrome browser. The company is also running a charity campaign to raise money for three nonprofit groups: Engineers without Borders, One Economy Corporation and Climate Savers Computing Initiative. When Google WiFi users first log on, the landing page will offer them the option of donating to the organizations. Google will match donations of up to $250,000 per airport. Google has inked other free WiFi deals. It already offers free wireless Internet to its hometown of Mountain View, Calif., and last month it partnered with Virgin America to give the airline's customers free access to Gogo's Inflight Internet. Both the airport WiFi deal and the Virgin America arrangement will end Jan. 15, after the holiday rush subsides. **************** Woman Kicked Off Flight In H1N1 Scare United Airline Crew Told Woman They Feared She Had Swine Flu HONOLULU -- A Hawaii Kai woman got kicked off a United Airlines plane bound for Honolulu Monday when the flight crew accused her of having the flu. It happened in Tampa, Fla. as the plane was about to take off. The woman's husband said Monday the airline discriminated against his wife. The woman and her daughter were scheduled to arrive at the Honolulu Airport at about 4:30 p.m. Monday. Instead, they were left stranded in Tampa. United Airlines did not provide them with a hotel room, so they stayed with relatives, and thousands of miles away in Hawaii was very concerned husband and father. Bob Mostoufi said he didn't expect to spend the evening alone. His wife Mitra and daughter Pagie were in Tampa for a family wedding and were excited to come home, but they were kicked off their flight to Honolulu while still on the ground in Tampa. Mitra had an upset stomach and had just returned from the restroom when a flight crew member approached her. "'Get your stuff and let's go. Get your belongings.' And I said, 'Why? Because you're sick.' Right in front of everybody. And I said, 'I'm not sick and I'm not going to argue with anybody at that point,'" said Mitra Mostoufi. Mitra Mostoufi said she and her daughter left the plane embarrassed and humiliated. Mitra Mostoufi said asked another employee for further explanation and learned the crew believed she had the swine flu. "'The crew does not feel good about you flying because you might be sick.' I didn't know they were all physicians," said Mitra Mostoufi. She said she had flu shot and no one ever took her temperature. The pair missed United's only flight of the day from Tampa to Hawaii. Her husband said he learned of their plight a short time later. "I couldn't believe it, first time I heard that from her," said Bob Mostoufi. "I think this is discrimination for anybody who's sick." But the Mostoufi's said they agree in this age of the swine flu there must be a balance in protecting public health and respecting individual rights. "I appreciate their concern for other customers and guests. I don't have any problem with that. The only problem I have is the way they handled the situation," Mitra Mostoufi said. "We are human beings. Maybe I sneeze. It doesn't mean I have the flu. You cannot assume that and get me out of the airplane." United Airlines' policy allows the crew to determine if someone who appears visibly ill should be allowed to fly. Mitra and her daughter are now scheduled to return to Hawaii aboard the same United Airlines flight at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday http://www.kitv.com/news/21568579/detail.html *************** Blacklisted Kazakhstan blocks creation of new carriers Kazakhstan's Government has imposed a moratorium on registering new carriers until the country's air safety regulations are brought in line with stringent international requirements. Since July all Kazakh airlines, except flag-carrier Air Astana, have been banned from European Union operations, under the European Commission's 'blacklist' scheme. Speaking during a recent cabinet meeting in Astana, prime minister Karim Masimov said that granting of air operator's certificates could be resumed only after the blacklisting issue had been resolved. He says: "That does not bring honour to us. We need to make existing carriers fully compliant with international air safety standards rather than set up new ones." Kazakh regulators have introduced a draft law on the use of airspace and aviation activity aimed at meeting ICAO requirements. Transport minister Abelgazy Kusainov expects the bill to pass through the parliament before 2010, adding: "This legislation addresses many issues raised by the European Commission. We hope it will lift its ban in the first half of next year." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** 787 Late-Delivery Penalties Soar To $5.1 Billion Boeing's penalty payments to airlines for late deliveries of its 787 jet have reached $5.1 billion, estimates Macquarie Equities Research analyst Robert Stallard. But many carriers have agreed to accept interim 767s as "payments in kind" in lieu of cash, he points out. Deliveries of the 787 are now set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010, 2.5 years behind schedule. However, Stallard notes that the program has suffered only 83 cancellations and still has a robust backlog of 840 orders. "The global airline industry still wants the Boeing 787," he says. http://www.aviationweek.com ************** Simulators For American Eurocopter American Eurocopter is expanding its flight simulation offerings. The company's Grand Prairie, Tex., training program now uses an EC135/EC145 full-motion training device featuring day/night visuals; the company plans to upgrade the flight training device (FTD) to full flight simulator (FFS) status. The EC135 program recently received FAR Part 142 certification, which, along with approval by an operator's principal operations inspector, authorizes American Eurocopter to deliver FAR 135-approved training. The company plans to add its EC145 and AS350 programs to this certificate late this year and in the third quarter of 2010, respectively. The EC135 Part 142 certification, coupled with the EC135 FTD, enables operators to reduce and in some cases eliminate in-aircraft training requirements. Additionally, the company is developing a simulator for the single-engine AS350, which should be operational in the summer of 2010. The future AS350 training will include EMS, airborne law enforcement, offshore and business aviation mission profiles. The company plans to certify the AS350 as a Level B FFS. http://www.aviationweek.com *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC