28 DEC 2009 _______________________________________ *Inquiry as Cathay Pacific, Virgin Blue jets take evasive action *Cathay A330, Virgin Blue 737 in separation incident *Black box from plane being analyzed in US *Airlink ERJ overrun probe to examine resurfaced runway *Fresh security scare on Northwest flight to Detroit *Obama orders air-safety review after bomb threat *FAA targets less separation between ADS-B equipped aircraft *Nepal pledges more safety at airport *TSA: 2 passengers detained after flight to Phoenix *Alcohol Testing Mandatory for Pilots on Flights to and from India *Tests start on lighter turbine case for A380 engines *Boeing wins NASA contract for new aircraft monitoring system *Airbus submits patent for airspeed error monitoring **************************************** Inquiry as Cathay Pacific, Virgin Blue jets take evasive action Air traffic controllers failed to notice the two jets heading towards each other at the same altitude. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which has labelled the incident serious, said Cathay Pacific A330 was southbound and Virgin Blue Boeing 737 was heading north on a reciprocal track at 37,000ft when they took evasive action last Tuesday. "When the crew of the A330 questioned the controller, the controller instructed the A330 crew to climb to FL380 (38,000ft) and cleared the aircraft to divert right of track," it said. "The crew of the 737 then advised the controller they were diverting 10 nautical miles right of track. There was a breakdown of separation standards." Virgin Blue said it was inaccurate to say a near miss occurred given that the aircraft were 20 nautical miles apart when they both altered course. "The Cathay aircraft also changed altitude to ensure that a safe distance was maintained," Virgin spokesman Colin Lippiatt said. "Obviously, that was done in consultation with the air traffic controllers and at all times the flight crew of both aircraft knew exactly where the other aircraft was." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/inquiry-as-jets-take-evasi ve-action-over-north-territory/story-e6frg95x-1225814182200 *************** Cathay A330, Virgin Blue 737 in separation incident The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating a separation incident between aircraft operated by Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific and Australia's Virgin Blue over Australia's Northern Territories on 22 December. At 0252 CST (Central Standard Time), a southbound Cathay Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the Hong Kong-Melbourne route and a northbound Virgin Blue Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the Melbourne-Darwin route were on "the reciprocal track also at non-standard FL370", says the ATSB. The ASTB has classified the incident as serious. "When the crew of the A330 questioned the controller, the controller instructed the A330 crew to climb to FL380 and cleared the aircraft to divert to right of track," says ATSB. "The crew of the 737 then advised the controller they were diverting 10NM right of track. There was a breakdown of separation standards. The investigation is continuing." Cathay Pacific confirms that the incident took place and the "appropriate avoidance action was taken by the Cathay Pacific crew." It has filed a report with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department. An investigation report has yet to be released, says ATSB. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Black box from plane being analyzed in US http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091228/lead/images/Layout1_1_PEAT5C rashPlaAM.jpg An investigator continues his work yesterday at the wreckage site of American Airlines Flight 331 after the removal of the tail of the plane on Saturday night. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer The voice and data recordings from the black box of American Airlines Flight 331, which overshot the runway at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston last Tuesday, are now being analyzed in the United States. According to director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Derby, local investigators will have transcripts from these recordings "sometime this week". Derby told The Gleaner yesterday that investigators have also established how much flying the pilot, Brian Cole, has done in the last 28 days and how much rest he had before getting into the cockpit of Flight 331. He refused to divulge what investigators know, but said this information would assist in determining whether fatigue was a factor. Fact-finding stage The JCAA head made it clear that the probe is still in the fact-finding stage, during which investigators will comb through the crash site, inspect the damaged plane and interview witnesses and passengers. "We will be looking into all the contributory causes ... we will leave no stone unturned ... but what we are focusing on is the direct cause," he said. Confirming reports that the pilot and the other five members of his crew have left the island, Derby said they were interviewed by investigators who are satisfied with the information they provided. " ... And if we need them again, we know where to find them," he added. In what has been called a Christmas miracle, the Boeing 737-800 airliner, heading from Miami to Kingston, careened off the runway of the Norman Manley Airport and came to a stop just metres from the sea. Up to yesterday, Derby said much of the wreckage had been moved to the Air Jamaica hangar. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091228/lead/lead3.html *************** Airlink ERJ overrun probe to examine resurfaced runway Airlink accident George South African investigators are to examine whether a new runway surface at George Airport played any role in the overrun of an Airlink Embraer ERJ-135LR earlier this month. After conducting an instrument landing system approach to runway 11, the jet touched down around the fourth landing marker. While the landing appeared normal to the tower controller, says the South African Civil Aviation Authority, the jet failed to stop within the remaining runway length. It struck 11 runway approach lamps and broke through the airport perimeter fence before coming to rest. Although the jet suffered substantial damage, none of the 33 occupants was badly injured. The inquiry has determined that the runway was resurfaced in November and, given the light rain at the time of the landing, investigators are to look at whether the aircraft's braking was affected. In a preliminary report into the overrun, the CAA states: "It is proposed that an independent runway surface specialist company conduct a detailed audit on the George aerodrome runway surface. "Special emphasis should be on water drainage, proper grooving, and friction measurement." No distress signal or other communication indicating a problem was received during the landing roll. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Fresh security scare on Northwest flight to Detroit The plane was taken to a remote part of the airport There has been a security scare on board a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit - two days after an alleged attack failed on board the same flight. The pilot of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 requested emergency help when a passenger was described as disruptive as the plane landed on Sunday. However hours later the FBI said it was a "non-serious incident". It came a day after a Nigerian man was charged with attempting to destroy a plane on a flight on 25 December. In Sunday's incident, flight crew became concerned when the passenger- who was also described as a Nigerian - became sick and spent about an hour locked in the toilet, officials said. "This raised concerns so an alert was raised," FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold. "The investigation shows that this was a non-serious incident." The man was taken into custody after the plane landed and no explosives were found on him. Airport alertness US President Barack Obama was told about the latest incident during his holiday in Hawaii. The White House said in a statement: "The president stressed the importance of maintaining heightened security measures for all air travel." The US and international airports were already on alert after the 25 December failed attack, in which Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to detonate an explosive device. Fellow passengers reported seeing flames coming from Mr Abdulmutallab's lap. He was treated for burns after his arrest. The FBI said he had explosives on his body. He is due to appear in court on Monday. Watch-list review White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president wanted to know how a man carrying dangerous substance PETN had managed to board a flight in Amsterdam. The US system of watch-lists would also be examined after it emerged that the suspect was listed and known to US officials. The lists include a watch-list, with some 550,000 names on it, a "selectee" list with 18,000 people within the higher-risk category, and a "no-fly" list with 4,000 names of people who are not permitted to board planes. Speaking on Sunday talk shows before the latest incident, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said air passengers were safe. "This was one individual literally of thousands that fly and thousands of flights every year," Ms Napolitano said. "And he was stopped before any damage could be done. I think the important thing to recognise here is that once this incident occurred, everything happened that should have." US airlines especially have tightened security after the attempt, increasing screenings and body searches and, in some cases, confining passengers to their seats without pillows or blankets for the last hour of their flight. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8432050.stm ************** Obama orders air-safety review after bomb threat U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered two air-travel safety reviews in the wake of an apparent attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airplane on Christmas Day, his spokesperson said Sunday. White House spokesperson and adviser Robert Gibbs said the president wants a review of how officials compile data for the so-called "no-fly list," and if government agencies are following the right procedures to use that data effectively. Gibbs said the president has also asked the Department of Homeland Security to review its passenger screening capabilities to ensure travellers cannot get on aircraft with banned or restricted chemicals. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, was charged Saturday with willful attempt to destroy an aircraft and with placing a destructive device on an aircraft in connection with Friday's incident. The flight, which originated in Nigeria and had stopped in Amsterdam, was beginning its decent into the Detroit area just before noon when passengers noticed a man attempting to use an explosive device made up of a powdery substance and liquid. The device failed, but the man suffered burns. A passenger and members of the flight crew worked together to subdue the man. According to an affidavit, Abdulmutallab had an explosive device attached to his body, and a preliminary investigation determined the device contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol. It was the same chemical used by the attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid in a 2001 attempt to blow up an airplane. "The president has asked the Department of Homeland Security to, quite frankly, answer the very real question about how somebody with something as dangerous as PETN could have gotten onto a plane in Amsterdam," Gibbs told ABC's This Week. Suspect was flagged by his father U.S. officials have admitted that they learned of Abdulmutallab in November when his father went to the U.S. embassy in Nigeria and said he was concerned that his son had become radicalized. Abdulmutallab is in the U.S.'s Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database, which contains some 550,000 names. The database includes people known to be terrorists, or those suspected of having ties to a terrorist organization. However, Abdulmutallab was not placed on the "no-fly list," nor was his visa to visit the U.S. revoked. It was granted in June 2008 and valid for two years. Officials are now investigating claims that Abdulmutallab was given the explosive device and instructions by radicals in Yemen, an unstable country south of Saudi Arabia that experts consider a safe haven for al Qaeda. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano defended current passenger-screening guidelines Sunday and said that investigators did not have enough information to keep Abdulmutallab from boarding the flight. "There (was) simply, throughout the law enforcement community, never information that would put this individual on a no-fly list or a selectee list. So that's number one," Napolitano told This Week. "Number two, I think the important thing to recognize here is that once this incident occurred, everything happened that should have. The passengers reacted correctly, the crew reacted correctly." Napolitano also pointed out that within 90 minutes, all 128 flights in the air at the time had been notified to ensure there were no other similar threats. She said her department will be doing a "minute-by-minute, day-by-day" investigation into whether the information from Abdulmutallab's father was passed on from the embassy to other relevant agencies. Abdulmutallab appeared Saturday before a judge in a conference room at a hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was treated for burns. An attorney appointed for Abdulmutallab said he was released from hospital Sunday and transferred to a federal prison about 80 km from Detroit. A hearing will be held Monday to discuss the government's request for a DNA sample. Abdulmutallab won't be present at that hearing. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091227/air_travel_0912 27/20091227?hub=TopStoriesV2 **************** FAA targets less separation between ADS-B equipped aircraft The FAA is studying the potential application of en route aircraft spacing as close as 5.6km (3nm) in some instances for operators equipped with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) technology. The agency aims to use reduced separation and its potential to decrease trip length and delays as an incentive for airlines to purchase ADS-B avionics earlier than the expected 2020 deadline for equipage. An aircraft equipped with ADS-B can broadcast its GPS-based position to ground stations and other aircraft with similar tools. Currently the minimum separation standard for equipped aircraft is 9.3km, but this year the agency received $6.8 million from the US Congress to evaluate spacing that is between 5.5km and 9.3km. FAA surveillance and broadcast services director Vincent Capezzuto says the agency is developing safety criteria to govern the reduced separation for the applicable airspace. FAA expects to issue its final rule in April 2010 to mandate ADS-B equipage by 2020. The agency published a technical standard order (TSO) for ADS-B avionics units earlier this month. The FAA's Surveillance and Broadcast Services Office, which is tasked with deploying ADS-B across the national airspace, plans to begin rolling out incentives for equipped operators between 2010 and 2013 after the final ADS-B rule is published, Capezzuto says. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***************** Nepal pledges more safety at airport Recovering from the trauma of the sensational hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft 10 years ago, Nepal's civil aviation authorities say they have learnt from the past experience and strengthened security measures at the country's only international airport. The hijacking had ended with the brutal killing of a passenger and the release of three terrorists by India in exchange for the safe release of the remaining passengers. "We regret the incident 10 years ago," said Dinesh Prasad Shrestha, general manager at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. "We have learnt from it and today, security measures have been enhanced at the airport to prevent a repetition." According to the official, Nepal Police are now entrusted with security measures inside the airport while Nepali Army looks after security on the periphery of the airport. Security provisions at the former sleepy airport have been beefed up in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation guidelines that include X-raying of baggage at the antry point and body searches of passengers. For additional security, the airport has also introduced random checks of hand baggage for 50% of outgoing passengers while it is enforced for the remaining 50%. In addition, passengers bound for India, Pakistan and the Middle East states are thoroughly examined, which includes their hand baggage. On December 24, 1999, New Delhi-bound flight IC-814 of India's national carrier Indian Airlines was hijacked by five Pakistanis with links to terrorist organisation Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, and flown to Kandahar after refuelling stops in Lahore and Dubai. The hijack motive was to secure the release of Islamic militants held in Indian prisons and after negotiations, New Delhi released three for the safe release of the remaining passengers. A decade after the nightmare, the Indian Airlines authorities say they have also initiated safety measures on their own and are confident of averting a similar attempt. IANS http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=334094&ver sion=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24 ***************** TSA: 2 passengers detained after flight to Phoenix PHOENIX -- Two men thought to have been acting suspicious aboard a flight bound for Phoenix were detained and questioned by federal anti-terrorism authorities before they were released, the FBI said Sunday. Transportation Security Administration officials said passengers aboard U.S. Airways Flight 192 from Orlando, Fla., on Saturday night reported that two men, described as Middle Eastern, were acting strangely and talking loudly to each other in a foreign language. A nearby passenger also observed one of men watching what appeared to be footage of a suicide bombing, but was actually a scene from the 2007 movie "The Kingdom." The man also got up from his seat while the seat belt warning sign was still lit, FBI spokesman Manuel Johnson said. "The totality of those three occurrences led this passenger to believe this was suspicious," he said. The flight crew called for law enforcement and TSA officers to meet them when the plane landed at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport at about 8 p.m. Authorities said the two men were met by Phoenix police and TSA officials at the flight's airport gate and later interviewed by FBI agents. Nothing dangerous was found during a search of the plane and passengers' luggage, police said. The men were released after questioning and allowed to continue on to California, Phoenix Johnson said. The flight's final destination was San Diego. Authorities did not release the men's names, ages or hometowns. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/27/AR2009122701 422.html ***************** Alcohol Testing Mandatory for Pilots on Flights to and from India At the end of March this year, we ran a post regarding two Indian pilots who failed random breath analyzer tests prior to flying on scheduled commercial flights. Early this month, a story revealed that a total of 24 pilots failed in pre-flight medical examinations as of end of November, proof that pilots are still taking a drink or two and ending up positive for alcohol prior to a scheduled flight. With the Yuletide season and the expected increase in number of international travelers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has put its foot down and implemented a no-exception 100% alcohol testing for all pilots who will be flying internationally from India. Alcohol tests are thus mandatory for all pilots of Air India, Jet and Kingfisher. The same directive holds true for all flights that are coming home to India from a foreign airport; the cockpit crew will be required to pass breath analyzer tests prior to a flight. If an Indian airliner medico is not stationed at a foreign airport, then an international flight is required to have a doctor on board to perform the testing prior to the flight home, following Indian aviation safety laws and not the foreign country's local rules. Such a zero-tolerance policy is important. History has proven, after all, how vulnerable the aviation industry is to irresponsible internal acts of the people who are involved in it as well as to external attacks from those with the intention of spreading terror, as evidenced by the repeated use of commercial airliners in attempted and completed acts of terrorism. And the sad thing about it is that innocent civilian lives are caught in the middle of it all. At present, Indian safety laws only call for random pre-flight breath tests, but that may become more stringent in 2010. http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=5671 ************** Tests start on lighter turbine case for A380 engines Sweden's Volvo Aero has delivered the first test example of a lighter-weight turbine exhaust case for the Engine Alliance GP7000 powerplant. It has submitted the first section to Pratt & Whitney in November and the component, having been fitted to an engine, is undergoing testing at German powerplant specialist MTU. Volvo Aero will deliver a second test piece in January. "The case is a fabricated structure and contains technology and various technical solutions developed by Volvo Aero in recent years," says the manufacturer. Volvo Aero, which has been working on the new engine case for the past two years, expects to start delivering production parts next year. Engine Alliance GP7000s are fitted to the Airbus A380. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Boeing wins NASA contract for new aircraft monitoring system NASA has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $2.1 million to design, implement and demonstrate an aircraft health evaluation system that will monitor in real-time propulsion, flight control, airframe and software systems to identify an "adverse event". After detecting an anomaly, the vehicle level reasoning system (VLRS) will then diagnose the cause, predict the effect on the remaining useful life of the vehicle and take appropriate steps to mitigate the event, according to the contract award published 17 December. Included in the adverse effects the system is meant to identify and correct are "system, subsystem or component faults or failures due to damage, degradation or environmental hazards such as turbulence, electromagnetic fields and lightning", says NASA. The system will potentially help to cut maintenance costs by providing information that will allow more maintenance items to be inspected or replaced "on-condition" as opposed to by flight hours. "VLRS technologies will produce a significant amount of data that can be used to enable condition-based maintenance (CBM) for aircraft," the agency notes. "With CBM, maintenance actions are performed only when there is an anticipated need, as opposed to regularly scheduled maintenance." NASA says deliverables under the contract, which includes a $600,000 initial contract plus two one-year options valued at $1.5 million, must be adaptable to legacy and next generation civil and military aircraft, and must include a business case and architectural trade studies. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Airbus submits patent for airspeed error monitoring Airbus has submitted a US patent application for an independent means of monitoring an aircraft's pressure-based airspeed measurement for errors. While the process is mainly geared at determining pitot system errors on the takeoff roll, giving pilots the ability to abort a takeoff before flight speeds are attained, Airbus in the 3 December filing also notes that "failure to detect these erroneous measurements can have unfortunate consequences during flight". Airspeed data has been a key focus in the unexplained crash of an Air France Airbus A330 off the coast of Brazil on 1 June. According to French investigators, 10 of the 24 automated messages transmitted by the aircraft in its final 5min of communication have been attributed to an inconsistency of speed measurements. Both Europe and the US have issued airworthiness directives on certain Thales-built pitot tubes that are used on the A330 and A340 in the aftermath of the crash. "Depending on the prevailing airplane altitude and weather, this condition, if not corrected, could result in reduced control of the airplane," said the FAA in its 3 September mandate. Pitot tubes, also known as pitot sondes, provide air pressure data used for to compute airspeed. Investigators have not tied potential problems with the devices to the Air France disaster at this point however. Airbus in its patent application notes that "pitot sondes are easily blocked by dust, insects or any other matter foreign thereto. An error in speed measurement results therefrom. This type of error can have catastrophic consequences if it is not detected". Of particular concern to the airframer is warning pilots of an airspeed inaccuracy while the aircraft remains on the ground during the critical takeoff phase, though the technology would also aid crews in understanding related anomalies in cruise. The proposed airspeed monitoring system would compare changes in measured airspeed over a short period of time with changes in ground speed as computed by the accelerometers and gyros in the aircraft's air data and inertial reference unit (ADIRU). Airbus says the ADIRU has a "storage zone" available where the computations can be performed. While airspeed and ground speed cannot be compared directly, Airbus notes that over a "very short period", normally significant factors like wind speed, changes in altitude, air temperature and angle of attack will be negligible, allowing for a direct comparison of changes in speed rather than speed itself. Once the speed differences exceed a pre-set threshold, the ADIRU system would alert the pilots with visual and/or aural warnings. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC