18 JAN 2010 _________________________________________ *Dozen sickened on flight from Virgin Islands to USA *Passenger Questioned After Suspicious Activity During Flight to Michigan *Delta Jet Makes Unscheduled Indianapolis Landing *Boeing 737 Nose Gear Collapse (Russia) *Departing Iran Air A300 comes off Stockholm runway *Certified: Elliott Aviation Digital Flight Data Recorder *2nd safety probe at Winnipeg airline *Many Caribbean, Latin America airports lack safety zones *Indonesia Puts the Brakes on Request for EU To Lift Ban on Four Additional Airlines *Boeing completes 787 initial airworthiness milestone *NTSB plans to reveal probable cause of Colgan crash on 2 Feb ****************************************** Dozen sickened on flight from Virgin Islands to USA CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) — Emergency and fire crews responded to a major North Carolina airport after about a dozen passengers and crewmembers on a flight from the U.S. Virgin Islands complained of sickness. WCNC-TV reported that seven US Airways crewmembers were taken from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Saturday night after they complained of headaches and nausea. The crewmembers had been onboard a plane that had just arrived from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Five passengers from that flight were treated on the scene. Shortly after the plane took off from St. Thomas, crewmembers noticed a slight odor on board and alerted authorities in Charlotte. Investigators are working to determine what caused the odor, and the plane has been taken out of service. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-01-17-plane-sickness_N.htm *************** Passenger Questioned After Suspicious Activity During Flight to Michigan TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Police have questioned a passenger on a small commercial plane to a Michigan resort town after the crew reported he was acting suspiciously. Police say crew members aboard the United Airlines flight from Chicago reported that the 28-year-old man had taken something into the bathroom, then left without it. Police say the crew also found a panel inside the bathroom had been tampered with. They requested help from law enforcement on the approach to Traverse City airport. There was also a report that the passenger had made a bomb threat, but a police official denied that. He also said a bomb-sniffing dog checked the plane and found nothing. The passenger has been questioned by police and the FBI, but had not been arrested or charged Friday. Another passenger aboard the jet calls the incident a complete misunderstanding. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583176,00.html *************** Delta Jet Makes Unscheduled Indianapolis Landing INDIANAPOLIS, (AP) ? Officials say a Delta Air Lines passenger jet with engine problems made an unscheduled landing at Indianapolis International Airport. Airport spokeswoman Susan Sullivan says the Boeing 737 landed safely about 8 a.m. Friday and that no injuries were reported among the 160 people on board. She says the flight originated in Minneapolis and was bound for Atlanta. Sullivan said mechanics were making repairs to the jet and that the passengers boarded a replacement aircraft at midday to complete their flight. http://wcco.com/wireapnewsmn/Delta.flight.from.2.1428500.html ************** Boeing 737 Nose Gear Collapse (Russia) The nose gear of Boeing 737-524 VQ-BAC of UTair collapses at Moscow UTair's (Russia) (Khanty Mansysk) Boeing 737-524 VQ-BAC (msn 27321) nose gear collapsed while parked at the General Aviation terminal at Moscow (Vnukovo) on January 15. The airliner had been delayed in departing as flight UT 367 to Rostov. There were no reported injuries. http://blog.seattlepi.com/worldairlinenews/archives/191336.asp?from=blog_last3 ***** Date: 16-JAN-2010 Time: 09:19 local Type: Boeing 737-524(WL) Operator: UTair Aviation Registration: VQ-BAC C/n / msn: 27321/2597 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Moscow - Vnukovo (VKO / UUWW) - Russia Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: KJA Destination airport: VKO Narrative: Plane suffered nose gear collapse probably as a result of skidding off the runway, in yet unknown phase of operation. No fatalities suspected. Info via photo on Airliners.net (aviation-safety.net) *************** Departing Iran Air A300 comes off Stockholm runway http://www.planespotting.nl/newphotos/ams/EP-IBB.JPG Sweden's capital airport, Stockholm Arlanda, has closed one of its runways after an Iranian aircraft veered off during departure. The Iran Air Airbus A300 came to a halt around 100m off the runway surface. Arlanda's operator states that the aircraft appears undamaged following the incident which occurred "at lunchtime". Iran Air's timetable shows it is scheduled to operate a service from Stockholm to Tehran, flight IR762, departing at 12:15. "The aircraft, which is parked in the snow alongside the runway, is in good condition," says the airport operator. "No-one on board is reported to be injured." It says it has closed 'Runway 1' which is the designation it uses for runway 01L/19R, and a NOTAM issued for the airport confirms the decision. The aircraft reportedly left the runway at low speed shortly after beginning its take-off roll. It is said to have been carrying 149 passengers. Meteorological data for Arlanda at the time of the incident indicates the presence of light snow. Passengers have been returned to the terminal building, says the airport operator. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ***** Date: 16-JAN-2010 Time: 1245 Type: Airbus A300B4-605R Operator: Iran Air Registration: EP-IBB C/n / msn: 727 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 172 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN/ESSA) - Sweden Phase: Take off Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN/ESSA) Destination airport: Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE) Narrative: Slidded off runway 150m after started rolling. (aviation-safety.net) **************** Certified: Elliott Aviation Digital Flight Data Recorder http://www.aero-news.net/images/content/general/2010/elliot-aviation-logo-0110_tn.jpg Installation Approved In Beechjet 400/400A/Hawker 400XP Aircraft Elliott Aviation today announced that the Moline, Ill.-based business aviation services company has received supplemental type certification (STC) from the FAA for the installation of a Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) in a Beechjet 400/400A and Hawker 400XP aircraft. The certification aircraft, a Beechjet 400, also received a new Hawker 400XP interior and fresh paint at Elliott Aviation's aircraft refurbishment center at Quad Cities International Airport (MLI). Elliott Aviation is pursuing STC approval from the European Aviation Safety Association (EASA) for the DFDR installation, and hopes to secure certification in time for the European Business Aviation Convention & Exposition (EBACE) in May. A digital flight data recorder receives information in serial data format in successive data frames, and first circulates the information in a first-in first-out (FIFO) sequence through a minor memory. That preserves the data received over a most recent real time interval. The data is then compressed to a smaller data base including periodic slow interval samples and intermediate exceedance parameter samples which are stored in a major memory for later retrieval. "Our DFDR solution is another example of how we are applying our in-house engineering and avionics expertise to create customer-focused solutions," said Mark Wilken, Elliott Aviation director of avionics sales and product development. "We are able to install the DFDR quickly and efficiently and with minimal lead time, which helps both buyers and sellers of these aircraft complete the transaction in a timely manner." FMI: http://elliottaviation.com aero-news.net *************** 2nd safety probe at Winnipeg airline Winnipeg-based airline Fast Air was searched by Transport Canada and police investigators on Monday. (CBC)A Winnipeg-based airline offering air ambulance and chartered flight services is being investigated by Transport Canada for the second time in a little more than a year. Winnipeg police, accompanied by Transport Canada investigators, executed a search warrant at the head office of Fast Air on Monday, CBC News has learned. The federal regulator wants to find out whether Fast Air is breaking any Canadian flight-safety laws, an agency spokesperson confirmed. The company, which operates 13 aircraft and employs about 65 people, has retained its licence to operate. Monday's search was part of a "new and ongoing" investigation, the spokesperson said. Transport Canada said it last inspected Fast Air in March 2009 and found nothing that would affect flight safety, the spokesperson said. However, about four months later, the agency ordered Fast Air to pay more than $200,000 in fines for 22 counts of violating federal safety regulations. The company failed on 11 occasions to enter defects into aircraft journey logs and failed 11 other times to operate aircraft in compliance with the company's own maintenance control system, Transport Canada said. The company is appealing the ruling. Dylan Fast, the company's owner and president, was also charged with wilfully omitting entries in records. His case remains before Manitoba's provincial court. His next court date is Jan. 18. The maximum penalty for the charge against him is $5,000, a year in prison or both, Transport Canada said. Company surprised Fast Air general manager Ray Snaith said Wednesday that the latest visit by investigators to the company's office on Hangar Line Road was a complete surprise. Snaith could say little about the Transport Canada probe. "It's difficult to speak about the allegations without getting into a more in-depth conversation with [them]," he said. "We do believe that a good relationship between the regulator and the operator is essential and we are committed to that." Snaith defended Fast Air's safety record, saying the company has had no injuries or in-flight accidents in 15 years. "Our safety record speaks for itself," he said. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/01/13/man-fast-air-investigation.html *************** Many Caribbean, Latin America airports lack safety zones By Alan Levin, USA TODAY Many of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and Latin America lack basic safety features that could have prevented the recent crash of an American Airlines jet in Jamaica, according to pilots, aviation safety experts and public documents. No one died when the American Boeing 737-800 slid off a wet runway and slammed onto an adjacent rocky beach on Dec. 22, but dozens were hurt and the jet's fuselage was torn open in several places. It was the most serious accident involving a U.S. carrier since 50 people died in a commuter plane crash near Buffalo on Feb. 12. As a result of a string of similar crashes in this country, Congress and U.S. regulators have required airports to install safety zones at the end of each runway by 2015 to minimize the chances of damage when a jet skids off the pavement. However, despite years of pressure from the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), few airports south of the border have built safety zones. Each year, 23.6 million people travel from the U.S. to these destinations, according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "The problem has been there for a long time and it cuts into the margin of safety," said Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 50,000 pilots, has long called for safety enhancements at these airports. "It's a huge concern that these (accidents) continue to occur, and we want to do what we can to mitigate that," said union safety chief Rory Kay. Like many airports in island resorts, Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport was built in a harbor and is hemmed in by water. After leaving the runway, the American jet dropped off an embankment, sped across a roadway and plopped onto the adjacent rocky beach. At least 29 commercial airports in the Caribbean and Latin America lack adequate safety zones at the end of runways, according to a Sept. 29, 2009, report by the ICAO. The organization, which has been pushing for safety upgrades for years, wrote that the list of deficient airports "is still very extensive." Airports on the list include some of the Western Hemisphere's most-visited vacation destinations, such as Cancun in Mexico and St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. They also include such South American capitals as Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Guatemala City. Manley airport's runways also do not have grooved pavement, according to Oscar Derby, director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. The grooves allow rainwater to flow off more quickly, giving aircraft tires more traction when pilots apply the brakes. Virtually all large U.S. airports have grooved runways. After the accident, American's pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association, posted a list of airports without grooved runways where the carrier lands. Out of 53 airports the union listed in the region, 45 lack grooved runways, according to the posting. The Airports Council International branch representing Latin American and Caribbean airports did not respond to requests for comment. As in most runway accidents, the actions of the American pilots will be closely scrutinized. The pilots touched down 4,000 feet from the start of the runway, well past the optimal landing zone, the Jamaican authority said. Several serious accidents have occurred at airports in this region in recent years. On July 17, 2007, 187 passengers and crew aboard a Brazilian domestic flight died along with 12 people on the ground when it skidded off a runway at Săo Paulo-Congonhas Airport, slamming into a warehouse and bursting into flames. The airport has no safety zones, and its runway was not grooved. Five people were killed on May 30, 2008, when a TACA Airlines jet skidded off a runway in Tegucigalpa. The jet struck cars on a road just off the airport. Because many older urban U.S. airports, such as Chicago's Midway, are hemmed in by development, airports have turned to new technology to improve safety. Zodiac Aerospace ESCO makes a foam bed that can be placed at the end of a runway that safely stops planes that skid too far. The firm has installed 50 of the foam devices around the world, but none in the Caribbean or Latin America, said Kent Thompson, vice president for airport sales. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-01-12-airport_N.htm **************** Indonesia Puts the Brakes on Request for EU To Lift Ban on Four Additional Airlines The government has postponed a request to the European Union to lift its ban on four more Indonesian airlines pending the resolution of internal problems and a thorough evaluation, a civil aviation chief said over the weekend. Herry Bhakti Singayuda, director general of civil aviation at the Ministry of Transportation, said that of the four airlines scheduled to be proposed to the EU’s aviation commission, one still had not met the government’s requirements. “Possibly we will submit their reports in March,” he said. The government had originally planned to submit a request to the EU in January asking that it lift its ban on Lion Air, Batavia Air, Indonesia AirAsia and charter company Travira Air. However, Herry said Jakarta-based Travira Air had still not met all of the requirements set out by officials. “We are reviewing the airline because it has not installed some flight equipment [required by the International Civil Aviation Organization],” he said. The EU imposed a blanket ban on all Indonesian airlines in 2007, based on their failure to meet ICAO safety requirements. In July, the EU removed restrictions on flagship carrier Garuda Indonesia, Mandala Airlines, Airfast and PrimeAir. The move was in response to what the European Commission, the EU’s regulatory arm, deemed “significant improvements” by the Indonesian civil aviation authorities. Travira Air, Herry said, could be dropped from the submission if it failed to install the required equipment by February. According to ICAO Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, every aircraft must be equipped with four sensor systems that allow it to detect nearby objects such as mountains, steep terrain or other aircraft. Airlines must also install a bulletproof cockpit door on each jumbo jet. Herry said the ministry would hold a teleconference with the EU next week, to review and evaluate the first four airlines on which the ban had been lifted. “After that, we will ground any aircraft that still do not have the [required] safety equipment,” he said. Edward Sirait, a spokesman for Lion Air, said that even though it had no plans to fly to Europe, it was important for the ban to be removed. “It proves that our airline complies with safety regulations,” he said. Emirsyah Satar, chairman of the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association and the CEO of Garuda Indonesia, said the government should allow more time for airlines to meet the equipment requirements. “We will ask for a dispensation to give our member more time to install the safety equipment,” he said. He added that there should be no further excuses for the EU not to remove the ban on other Indonesian airlines. http://thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-puts-the-brakes-on-request-for-eu-to-lift-ban-on-four-additional-airlines/353257 *************** Boeing completes 787 initial airworthiness milestone One month into its flight test campaign, Boeing has completed initial airworthiness trials on its long-range twin-engine 787. ZA001 and ZA002, which first flew on 15 December and 22 December, respectively, have accumulated just shy of 60h of flight testing. The overwhelming majority of initial flight hours during the first month of testing have been flown by ZA001, Boeing's first 787, which has accumulated an estimated 57h and 51min, according to programme tracking by Flightglobal. "The pilots have told me the results we are seeing in flight match their expectations and the simulations we've run," says Scott Fancher vice president and general manager of the 787 programme. Boeing says the 787 has reached an altitude of 30,000ft (9,144m) and a speed of MO.65. The company says that initial stall tests at various centres of gravity and other dynamic manoeuvres have been run, including flight control sweeps, in-flight speedbrake extensions and retractions, tight turns, wind up turns and dutch rolls. With the initial airworthiness trials now complete, additional flight test crews beyond the current two pilots will be permitted to fly onboard the aircraft ushering in the next phase of testing that will take the aircraft to a speed of MO.85 and 40,000ft altitude. Subsequent testing will push the aircraft beyond expected operational conditions. Six project pilots have had an opportunity to fly the 787. ZA002, which is currently undergoing an aqueous wash at the company's Everett, Washington, facility following discovery of foreign object debris (FOD) inside its fuel tanks, is expected to rejoin the flight test fleet once the cleaning is complete. ZA004, the next aircraft to fly, is expected to make its maiden flight in early February followed by ZA003 later that month. ZA005 and ZA006, 787s powered by the General Electric GEnx, will join in March and April, respectively. Boeing has targeted the end of September for first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways, but has provided itself an additional three months of margin, officially saying delivery will occur in the fourth quarter of this year. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** NTSB plans to reveal probable cause of Colgan crash on 2 Feb The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a public meeting on 2 February to release its probable cause and safety recommendations related to the 12 February 2009 crash of a Colgan Air Bombardier Q400 (N200WQ) on approach to Buffalo, New York. The accident killed all 49 onboard as well as one person on the ground. The NTSB in May held a public hearing to review evidence of safety issues collected to date, including the effects of icing on the Q400's performance, cold weather operations, sterile cockpit rules, crew experience, fatigue management and stall recovery training. Based on that hearing and action in the US Congress, a wide range of initiatives have been created in advance of the final report, including fresh looks at crew rest rules, pilot training, pilot minimum experience levels and the impact of icing on commuter aircraft. Colgan Air, in a submission to the NTSB's accident docket, singles out the pilots of the aircraft, saying the pair did not follow company procedures, lost situational awareness and subsequently, control of the aircraft. The carrier says the captain, "rather than releasing back-pressure as he was trained to do", pulled back on the control yoke when the stickshaker stall warning occurred as the aircraft slowed during approach. However, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) in its submission noted that Colgan's training was inadequate, and that additional low-speed warning alerts on the Q400 would have helped the crew notice the aircraft's rapid deceleration in advance of the stickshaker activation. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC