18 DEC 2009 _______________________________________ *Computer typo caused Emirates jet's tail-strike *Faulty sensors one factor in Air France crash *Sixty-day search planned to locate AF447 wreckage *AF447 probe: Pitot certification needs better ice-cloud data *AF447 inquiry seeks measures to aid recorder recovery at sea *Qantas denies reports of jet engine fire *Qantas 747 turned back after engine shutdown *NTSB: Multiple data sources lost in Northwest A320 over-flight *Trolley hits plane, PM's flight delayed (India) *Business Jet Demand Should Rebound In 2011 *Northern carrier says new safety system hurting business *Teen arrested for shining pointer on helicopter *China gives go-ahead for A380 to operate *************************************** Computer typo caused Emirates jet's tail-strike The damaged tail section of the Emirates A340. The damaged tail section of the Emirates A340. Photo: pprune.org A simple keystroke error by a pilot on a laptop computer put the lives of 275 people at risk by causing an Emirates jet to scrape its tail along a runway at Melbourne Airport during take-off. The Airbus A340's first officer mistakenly entered the plane's take-off weight as 262.9 tonnes, when in fact it weighed 362.9 tonnes, the latest report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The plane's captain, who cross-checked the first officer's figures, did not detect the error in the data entered. The mistake meant the jet's engines were programmed with insufficient thrust to achieve take-off. That fact became apparent as the plane started to run out of runway without having left the ground. When the captain realised the plane was not lifting off, he ordered maximum engine thrust and extra elevation, exceeding the maximum take off angle of 13.5 degrees by 0.2 degrees, scraping the tail along the runway and clouting antennas and a light fixture at the end of the runway as tried to climb into the air. When flight attendants alerted the pilots that there was smoke in the cabin shortly after take-off, the pilots requested an emergency landing, dumped excess fuel over Port Philip Bay and touched down. Transport safety investigators say they do not believe fatigue was a factor in the mistake. The captain and first officer both had a 30 hour break since their previous flight, but an earlier report said the captain had only slept for 3 1/2 out of the previous 24 hours. "We have not at this stage seen anything that would lead us to the view that fatigue is a significant contributor to this," Mr Dolan told reporters in Canberra this morning. Mr Dolan said the regulator had not found any broader explanation for the incident, agreeing with the description of it as "an unfortunate error". "Based on what we know, (that's) a reasonable summary of where we stand, but it's the sort of error we want to avoid a repetition of." The regulator said the captain and first officer were no longer employed by the Emirates, but it did not know if they were working elsewhere as pilots. The safety bureau will now look at 17 similar incidents around the world since 1982, but the regulator's Director of Aviation Safety Investigations Ian Sangston said there was no apparent patten to the incidents. "It's not type-specific, it's not airline-specific, it's not operator- or location-specific," he said. In a statement released after the interim report was made public, Emirates said the safety bureau's investigation was in line with its own internal investigation into the incident. "Safety is of paramount importance to Emirates," the statement said. "Since this incident nine months ago we have established working groups to examine aircraft procedure across out fleet, and have introduced a number of additional safety measures that exceed standard international airline practice." Procedures have been developed for better cross-checking, with both pilots required to independently enter the data on separate laptops to spot anomalies. But what is still under development is a real-time runway length calculator that tells pilots how much tarmac is left, where the plane is on the length of the runway, and systems that check take-off speed and engine power settings. http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/computer-typo-caused-emirates-je ts-tailstrike-20091218-l1e8.html *************** Faulty sensors one factor in Air France crash FRENCH INVESTIGATORS have been unable to explain why Air France flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic last June, but have cast doubt on the reliability of the plane’s air-speed gauges. In its latest interim report, France’s air crash investigation bureau confirmed yesterday that faulty speed sensors were one factor in a sequence of events that led to the crash, but that the failure to retrieve the aircraft’s “black boxes” meant a full explanation had not yet been found. Air France flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic while en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro on June 1st. Some 228 passengers and crew – including three Irish women – lost their lives in the crash, making it the worst disaster in the airline’s 75-year history. The report said study of the debris found at the site suggested that passengers had little warning of the crash, as life jackets were still in their wrappers and the aircraft had not lost cabin pressure. The inquiry believes the aircraft hit the sea belly-down and in one piece. “At this stage, despite the extensive analyses carried out by the [bureau] on the basis of the available information, it is still not possible to understand the causes and the circumstances of the accident,” the latest report said. However, it suggested that current industry tests of the speed sensors did not appear to replicate the conditions of actual flights, because not enough was known about the composition of cloud masses at high altitude. Only small parts of the Airbus A330 were found. However, a string of automated messages just before the crash showed there were inconsistencies in data from the speed probes. Investigators said it was difficult to know what impact the weather conditions could have had on these sensors. The report identified turbulence, and said the accident area experienced rain and icy conditions, but also stated that there was no lightning in the area where the aircraft came down. “The certification criteria [for probes] are not representative of the conditions that are really encountered at high altitude, for example with regard to temperatures,” it said. “In addition, it appears that some elements, such as the size of the ice crystals within cloud masses, are little-known.” The inquiry recommended that black boxes should be adapted to emit signals for longer, to make it easier to find flight recorders after crashes at sea. Moreover, passenger aircraft flying over the sea should be equipped with an additional beacon transmitting at a different frequency, in order to increase the chances of finding wreckage. A new search for the black boxes from flight 447 is due to take place in February. The operation, which will focus on an area some 1,000km off Brazil’s northeast coast, will take up to three months and involve sonar and robot submarines. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/1218/1224260900522.html *************** Sixty-day search planned to locate AF447 wreckage French investigators are planning a 60-day renewed search for flight recorders from the crashed Air France Airbus A330, with preparatory work set to be completed next month. In an update to the inquiry into the loss of flight AF447 on 1 June the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses says it is working to define the search zone and select the means to carry out the search. The search zone work involves enhancing the data available regarding the aircraft's last known position and refining the modelling of currents in the area on the date of the crash. BEA says the search team will estimate the drift of debris and put forward a probability distribution in a bid to find the most likely location of the wreckage. "As regards the selection of the means to be employed, a review of equipment that allows work to be carried out down to a depth of 6,000m is under way," it adds. The international group planning the search - the third co-ordinated attempt to locate the A330 - includes representatives from air accident investigation agencies in Germany, the UK, the USA, Russia and Brazil. It also features the US Navy and the French Government's maritime agency Secretariat General a la Mer, plus specialised oceanographic, meteorological and mathematical institutes. BEA says it wants to complete preparatory work in January and deploy resources in the search zone from February 2010. "If the wreckage is localised, a campaign of undersea observation, cartography, raising some part of the equipment from the wreckage and - if need be - the recovery of any human remains will follow the searches," it says. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** AF447 probe: Pitot certification needs better ice-cloud data Investigators probing the Air France Airbus A330 crash in June are advising studying the composition of high-altitude clouds with a view to amending icing certification criteria. French investigation agency Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses' main lead in the inquiry has been evidence of unreliable airspeed readings during the final moments of flight AF447. BEA's recommendation follows an examination of other unreliable airspeed events in cruise. It says it analysed 13 "significant" events involving five carriers using Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, and BEA says it also had incomplete data on some 40 other instances. These events showed certain similarities, it states. They occurred in highly-unstable air masses in the vicinity of deep convective weather phenomena. In each case the autopilot disengaged. The aircraft experienced uncommanded altitude variations within a range of 1,000ft - although they stayed within their flight envelope - and the unreliable airspeed information persisted to a maximum of 3min 20s. BEA says the analysis shows that most of the reported events occurred outside of European certification criteria which define the supercooled water-icing conditions against which pitot tubes must be protected. These criteria include two icing envelopes: continuous cloud with low water concentration, rising to 22,000ft with temperatures down to minus 30°C, and intermittent cloud rising to 30,000ft with temperatures down to minus 40°C. "The certification criteria are not representative of the conditions that are really encountered at high altitude - for example, with regard to temperatures," says BEA. "In addition it appears that some elements, such as the size of the ice crystals within cloud masses, are little-known and that it is consequently difficult to evaluate the effect that they may have on some equipment, in particular the pitot probes." BEA is recommending that the European Aviation Safety Agency conducts studies to determine high-altitude cloud composition more precisely and, with these results, modify the certification criteria. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** AF447 inquiry seeks measures to aid recorder recovery at sea French investigators are recommending that the transmission time of flight-recorder locator beacons be increased to at least 90 days, to improve the chances of quickly recovering data following an air accident at sea. Investigators want aircraft operating over the sea to be fitted with an additional underwater locator beacon - possibly transmitting on frequencies around 8.5-9.5kHz - and for studies to determine the practicality of mandatory regular transmission of basic flight parameters. France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses is also asking ICAO to look closely at the possibility of implementing deployable recorders. The recommendations are contained in an update to the inquiry into the loss of the Air France Airbus A330-200, operating flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, over the South Atlantic on 1 June. No firm conclusions have been established as to the cause of the accident, partly because neither the flight-data nor cockpit-voice recorder has been found. In its update the French investigation agency Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses states: "The investigation into the accident to AF447 confirms the importance of data from the flight recorders in order to establish the circumstances and causes of an accident, and to propose safety measures that are substantiated by the facts. "As in other investigations it also brings to light the difficulties that can be encountered in localising, recovering and reading out the recorders after an accident in the sea. "These difficulties raise questions about the adequacy of the means currently in use on civil transport aircraft for the protection of flight data with the technological possibilities and the challenges that some accidents represent." BEA says that a working group aimed at addressing these concerns has found that underwater locator beacons - which currently need to transmit for 30 days - should have their transmission time, and range, extended. The group, which presented its findings to an ICAO panel last month, has also looked at transmission of data and installation of deployable recorders. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Qantas denies reports of jet engine fire AAP - A Qantas jumbo jet was forced to return to Singapore when one of its engines surged but the airline has denied reports of a fire. Flight QF10 was less than two hours into a journey from Singapore to Melbourne when the engine surged and had to be shut down about 9.20pm (AEDT) on Thursday. Passengers reportedly described seeing "tongues of fire" shooting from the engine and feeling the plane convulse and lose power. But a Qantas spokeswoman said there was no fire and passengers were never at risk. "At approximately 31,000 feet the engine surged and the flight crew followed procedure and shut down the engine and then they returned back to Singapore and the safety of the passengers was not threatened in any way," the spokeswoman said. "According to official reports there was no fire and there was no smoke. What they could have seen might have been a flare from the engine but definitely no fire." The plane, carrying 354 passengers and 19 crew, returned to Singapore's Changi Airport powered by three of its four engines. Emergency services were waiting but the plane landed without incident. Passengers were accommodated overnight and were expected to experience a 23-hour delay before departing for Melbourne. The Qantas spokeswoman said the jumbo would be grounded while the number four engine was replaced. The cause of the incident is being investigated. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/qantas-denies-reports-of-jet-e ngine-fire-20091218-l1rs.html **************** Qantas 747 turned back after engine shutdown A Qantas Airways Boeing 747 bound for Melbourne had to turn back to Singapore on 17 December after one of its engines shut down. The aircraft's fourth engine shut down shortly after take-off due to a "mechanical fault", says a Qantas spokeswoman. There were 354 passengers on board. Australian media reports quoted passengers as saying there were "flames" coming from the engine, but the spokeswoman says there was no fire. "The aircraft landed safely in Singapore, and passengers were accommodated for the night," she adds. They will leave for Melbourne today on a different aircraft, she says. The 747 is still in Singapore awaiting the arrival of parts so its engine can be replaced, she adds. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** NTSB: Multiple data sources lost in Northwest A320 over-flight New information released by the US National Transportation Safey Board (NTSB) yesterday regarding a Northwest Airlines Airbus A320 that was out of radio communication for more than an hour and overflew its destination shows that three independent sources of data on the event were lost or mishandled. After the event pilots told investigators they were using personal laptops on the 21 October flight from San Diego to Minneapolis. Missing were 17 of the 30 minutes captured by the Flight 188's cockpit voice recorder (CVR). According to the NTSB, the CVR was activated three additional times after the aircraft's engines were shut down in Minneapolis at 2120h that evening. Investigators say the aircraft was powered up at 2154h, 2305h and again at 0203h the next morning. When power is turned on, the CVRs begin recording at the start of the 30 minute window. The recorders will power down automatically five minutes later if the engines are not started, which was the case that evening. "It appears the airplane's electrical network was re-energized three separate times after the engine was shutdown, before the CVR was removed or deactivated," said the NTSB's cockpit voice recorder specialist in a factual report issued 16 December. "Each time, the CVR started and recorded 5 minutes, causing more than half of the recording to be overwritten." Airline officials will typically deactivate the CVR circuit breaker as soon as possible to preserve data. Northwest Airlines assistant chief pilot, Todd Luebke, the first airline official to board the plane when it landed in Minneapolis, recalled a complicated scenario in the cockpit as FBI, federal air marshals and TSA officials boarded the aircraft first to evaluate potential criminal or terrorist activity. "While we never want to interfere with the duties of other agencies, this delay prevents the CVR circuit breakers from being pulled in a timely fashion and in this case, it was at least a causal factor in the flight documents being gathered," writes Luebke in his 6 November statement. The extra 17 minutes of data would have included discussions held from the time the aircraft had descended below 11,000ft on approach to the airport. In the remaining 13 minutues, which began when the aircraft was below 1,000ft for landing, investigators noted that "discernable" conversations were "related to the operation the airplane" and did not include a discussion of the communications blackout. As to the missing flight documents, which include the flight plan, the pilots in their statements mentioned that they thought that Luebke had gathered the paperwork when he entered the cockpit or that it was discarded. However, Luebke reported that he did not "see any signs of the flight paperwork which would have been my reminder" to retain the documents. "To my surprise (the pilots) had nearly completed their post-flight duties including flight bags packed", Luebke says of his entry to the cockpit. "I don't know if the crew retained (the paperwork) or due to their distraught state discarded them as we normally do on domestic, uneventful flights." Luebke notes that, per regulation, the documents only need to be kept for international flights or for accident flights. Earlier in the flight, the first officer had deleted the eight ACARS messages that dispatchers had sent to the crew in an attempt to get them to contact air traffic controllers. "After they were back in radio contact, the (first officer) said he went to 'pull up' (automatic terminal information service) info and noticed there were several messages on the lower screen," the NTSB states in its documentation of the first officer interview. "All he saw were the headings of the messages which said 'contact ATC' or 'ATC is looking for you'. The (first officer) said he inadvertently pushed the 'delete all' button which erased all the messages." ACARS messages are retained by service provider, Arinc, however. Northwest in its response to the incident began "targeted discussions" of the events emphasizing corrective messages, according to the carrier's submission to the NTSB. The effort does not appear to include address errors in retaining the data.- Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Trolley hits plane, PM's flight delayed (India) New Delhi: In yet another low for aviation safety in the country, a hydraulic trolley carrying food items hit the prime minister's special aircraft on Thursday, a couple of hours before he was scheduled to take off for Copenhagen for the climate meet. The accident caused minor damage to the aircraft, forcing Manmohan Singh and his entourage to delay departure. The flight was originally scheduled to take off at 2.45pm, but finally left at 5.30 pm. The prime minister had not yet boarded the aircraft at the time, but that the mishap occurred even amidst elaborate security is a reflection of the slipping security standards in Indian aviation. Consider this: Hours before any prime ministerial trip, a Boeing 747 aircraft is modified and isolated at a special secure zone of the Delhi airport. Thereafter, the aircraft's security and movements around it are controlled by the special protection group. Over the past few months, there have been a series of mishaps involving high-profile aircraft; president Pratibha Patil's special chopper has had two close shaves, the latest when its blades hit a shed in Bhubaneswar. "A technical team is looking into the matter. It is a minor accident but they want to take extra precaution, "said a PMO official. Originally, Singh was scheduled to leave in a smaller aircraft along with his official team to send a message on improving India's carbon footprint. However, after the mishap, the prime minister left on the regular Air India flight. Experts feel that the increasing amount of accidents involving VVIP aircraft is disturbing. "Such incidents point to problems in safety standards. This proves that a proper selection process is not being followed at airports. All the drivers and suppliers, including other ground staff, should be properly trained and then selected to avoid worse mishaps," said Captain A Raghunathan, aviation safety consultant. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_trolley-hits-plane-pm-s-flight-delayed_ 1324840 ***** Date: 17-DEC-2009 Time: ~ 2:30 pm Type: Boeing 747-437 Operator: Air India Registration: VT-EVA C/n / msn: 28094/1089 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Indira Gandhi International Airport (VIDP), Delhi - India Phase: Standing Nature: Executive Departure airport: VIDP Destination airport: EKCH Narrative: The Indian Prime Minister´s Boeing 747 "Agra" /VT-EVA was hit on the tarmac by a food delivery trolley shortly before it was scheduled for takeoff, destination Copenhagen. The driver has been suspended from duty. The Prime Minister left Delhi on a substitute aircraft after a delay of some 3 hours. (aviation-safety.net) **************** Business Jet Demand Should Rebound In 2011 "The fall is over, we hope. That's not the same as a recovery and the great years that we enjoyed in 2007 and 2008," -- Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia. Business jet demand is beginning to stabilise and should rebound in 2011 after a turbulent time in which the industry's products became an emblem of American corporate excess. Aviation industry officials and other experts told the annual Reuters Aerospace and Defence Summit this week that deliveries of corporate jets would likely fall in 2010, then bounce back in 2011 and beyond. The business jet market had a hard landing in 2009. Demand tumbled after five years of annual delivery increases. Shipments of business jets stood at 615 this year to the third quarter. That was down about 38 percent from 988 delivered in the nine months a year earlier, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which tracks non-commercial aviation. Small business jets generally have seen a steeper fall in deliveries than larger-cabin models, but jet manufacturers across the spectrum are seeing increased flying hours, fewer cancellations and modest new orders. "Utilisation is up, if you look at the business jets," Pratt & Whitney President David Hess told the summit. "I think some of the used inventory is starting to stabilise and maybe shrink a little bit." General Dynamics forecast last week that 2011 would be a "growth year" for its Gulfstream jet division. Textron said in late October that while it expected demand for corporate jets to be softer in 2010 than 2009, recovery could arrive in 2011. "We think orders are going to pick up in the 2011-2012 timeframe," Marion Blakey, chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association, told the summit. "That means there will be some lag of business jets behind the rest of the commercial picture." Some said a recovery could take even longer to play out. "The fall is over, we hope," said Teal Group aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia. "That's not the same as a recovery and the great years that we enjoyed in 2007 and 2008." Aboulafia said growth might not return to the business jet market until after 2012. UNFAIRLY ATTACKED Business-jet demand fell this year as the recession forced cuts in corporate spending. Frozen credit markets also made purchases by people and smaller companies more difficult. Blakey and other Summit speakers said US politicians deserve some of the blame for an estimated 19,000 job cuts as American jet makers pared production. "General aviation aircraft has taken an unnecessary pummelling by the negative political rhetoric that was out there," Blakey said. "That has depressed sales more than we would expect in a normal downturn." Some US lawmakers last year criticised auto executives, calling them arrogant for using their jets to fly to Washington to seek taxpayer money to help their businesses. The furore extended to banking and other executives whose companies received federal bailouts. Some companies such as Citigroup cancelled orders for new jets, while others grounded the perk. At the summit, aerospace industry executives defended their use of corporate jets, calling them a necessary business tool. "It's a way to get a whole lot more hours out of the day, which for busy people is very efficient," said Goodrich Chief Financial Officer Scott Kuechle. Some large companies make senior executives use company planes instead of flying commercial, arguing that it is a safety requirement for prominent business leaders. In coming years, rising demand in China and elsewhere in Asia might serve as a catalyst for business jets. More airports in China are becoming accessible for them and the government has cut the required time for pilots to file flight plans. "There is expected to be -- because of the wealth creation in China -- an explosion of business jet orders there over the next 10 years," said Tom Captain, global and US aerospace and defence leader at Deloitte. (Reuters) **************** Northern carrier says new safety system hurting business YELLOWKNIFE - One Northern aviator says the way Transport Canada monitors aviation safety practices at his company is crippling business and focuses on paperwork instead of safety. Joe McBryan says Transport Canada's new safety management system focuses too much on paperwork and interferes with business. - NNSL file photo Joe McBryan, owner and operator of Buffalo Airways, doesn't take issue with the theory behind a new safety-regulation system, which allows carriers to develop their own safety management system that is then monitored by the federal department, but he says the way Transport Canada deals with violations doesn't account for the challenges of operating small, Northern airlines. "There's nothing more disruptive in bringing Northern aviation to a halt," said McBryan of the controversial Safety Management System (SMS), implemented in 2005. McBryan estimated he's spent more than $1 million since 2005 on courses, consultants and wages fitting SMS standards. He said the system relies too much on putting companies on the defensive by threatening to shut down operations if they don't comply. McBryan said every time there is a compliance issue, the airline has 30 days to meet Transport's standards. He said the notices haven't been issued for safety violations, but for shortcomings in documentation, an issue he said could be resolved better through direct communication. "It destroys your reputation because you have to advise your financing, your contractors of a general notice of suspension," he said. McBryan said Transport Canada's approach to safety monitoring is bogged down by red tape and puts too much focus on how safety practices are documented, as opposed to the safety practices themselves. "The aviation industry in the North is inherently safety conscious, we would not have survived 40 years of flying if safety wasn't paramount. They give us no credit for that. Documentation has taken over," he said. McBryan said if it wants to improve safety, Transport Canada should consider using experienced inspectors to monitor operations instead of panels of bureaucrats who rely on subjective reports. Previous to 2005, Transport Canada performed compliance inspections. Now, the SMS website says inspectors will identify safety hazards before they become a safety risk and audit the way a company monitors operations. The department did not return calls by press time. Not all Northern airlines are critical of the safety practices. Teri Arychuk, vice president of operations at Air Tindi said the transition to SMS has been positive. Arychuk said an online reporting system makes it easier for employees to report problems and said the new system offered some flexibility, which she said would benefit the airline in the long run. "You can design your own system and what works best for your company," she said. "They're still accountable." But criticism of the system has been heated in Ottawa, where members of the aviation community gave the department feedback at a Transport Committee meeting last month. The department also announced it was delaying the transition to the system for air taxis and commuter operations one year, until at least January 2011, citing concerns within the department. NDP Transport critic, Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said he's concerned about Transport's shift away from monitoring by cutting the number of inspectors. "The inspectors they've had working for them in the past three or fours years have been engaged mostly in paper exercises and not out doing random inspections," he said. He said that particularly for smaller operations, inspectors can add another professional opinion and assist with operations, adding aviation inspectors should be professionals experienced in the field. In addition to the pilots and mechanics who testified at the hearing, Bevington said he's heard specific concerns from Northern companies about the challenges of operating under the same regulations as larger companies. "Northern carriers could have one person who is in charge of an SMS implementation and if that person leaves, then they are back to square one," said Bevington. "It is a problem." "They're not all big companies but they have big planes and they have to apply SMS," said John McKenna, president and CEO of the Air Transport Association of Canada. He said his organization has been working with Transport Canada to recognize the challenges smaller airlines face. "You can't expect from a small operator what you expected from AirTransat or WestJet," he said. "It's a bit of a shared responsibility. Transport Canada can't put things out there that aren't clear. But once that's done, it is the responsibility of carriers to adapt, to conform. What we've been saying is that what (Transport Canada) has been asking of them is not in their language, in their environment." Bevington said there needs to be more consultation with Transport Canada to ensure safety remains a priority. "People shouldn't be scared of flying, the point is not to have a system that could lead us in the wrong direction," he said. http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/dec16_09tr.html **************** Teen arrested for shining pointer on helicopter PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) -- A Palm Harbor teenager who allegedly shined a laser pointer on an airborne Pinellas County Sheriff's Office helicopter has been arrested. According to an arrest affidavit, Beau Richard Wallace is charged with misuse of laser lighting devices, a felony offense. Online jail records indicate that he was released on his own recognizance on Thursday morning. The affidavit states that Wallace told investigators he used the laser pointer because the helicopter was keeping him awake. He said he was "just being stupid." A telephone message left for Wallace was not immediately returned. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1388478.html **************** China gives go-ahead for A380 to operate The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given the go-ahead for the Airbus A380 aircraft to be operated in China. It presented a "validation type certificate" for the A380 to Airbus in a ceremony in Beijing today. "The A380 has received the validation type certificate, which is a symbol of its airworthiness in China. This will pave the way for Chinese carriers to operate the aircraft," says CAAC. China Southern Airlines is the only Chinese carrier to have ordered the A380. It expects to receive the first of its five A380s in 2011, says the CAAC. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC