January 26, 2010 No. 021 In This Issue Crew on Ethiopian flight ET409 'ignored warning and flew into storm NTSB ASSISTS GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON IN AVIATION ACCIDENT Preliminary Accident Information; Ethiopian (Update) Embraer EMB-110c Accident (Brazil) Bomb-sniffing dogs search Detroit-bound plane TSA Worker Terminated Over White Substance In Baggy New safety checks ordered on North Sea helicopters CAE Flightscape to deliver flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for Kingdom of Saudi Ara ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crew on Ethiopian flight ET409 'ignored warning and flew into storm' The crew of an Ethiopian airliner that crashed off Lebanon yesterday apparently flew into violent storms after failing to follow controllers' instructions to avoid them, it emerged today. "A traffic control recording shows that the tower told the pilot to turn to avoid the storm, but the plane went in the opposite direction," Elias Murr, the Lebanese Defence Minister, said. "We do not know what happened or whether it was beyond the pilot's control." All 90 on board the Ethiopian Airways Boeing 737 died when the aircraft hit the Mediterranean shortly after taking off from Beirut airport at 2am. Initial reports talked of a possible mid-air explosion and a possible engine fire before the aircraft took off, but the nearby thunderstorms were seen as a more likely explanation. Violent cumulonimbus, or thunder, clouds can lead to the destruction of even the biggest aircraft. Airliners fly around them, guided by their own weather radar and sometimes by ground controllers as well. When flight ET409 took off, controllers gave it vectors - compass headings - to steer around a line of powerful storms that crossed its path over the Mediterranean. Such instructions from departure control are common in the first minutes of flight when bad weather is near by. Flight ET409 disappeared from radar after five minutes of flight after apparently flying straight into the line of storms. Ghazi Aridi, the Lebanese Transport Minister, said that the pilot at the controls flew in the opposite direction to that advised by the controllers. They "asked him to correct his path but he did a very fast and strange turn before disappearing completely from the radar," he said. There was no indication over what caused the crew to follow the wrong heading. Severe weather has been blamed for many airliners disasters, most recently the crash of a Kenyan Airways Boeing 737 in Cameroon in 2007. A line of violent thunderstorms is also believed to have been a major factor in the crash of Air France flight 447 that came down off Brazil last June 1. The causes have not yet been determined, but the sequence that led to the crash began when the Airbus A330 flew into violent storm cells, then, in heavy turbulence and rain, its speed-reading probes were blocked by water or ice. The explosive vertical columns of wind in the heart of mature cumulonimbus clouds can quickly send aircraft out of control and even rip off their wings and tails. There is speculation among airline pilots today that the pilots of the Ethiopian Boeing may have lost control in such violent weather. Without correct recovery by the pilots, this could have led to a stall or spin and a crash, or even a mid-air break-up. The aircraft was only at about 8,000ft altitude as it climbed away from Beirut. This would have given the crew very little time to regain control. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7002780.ece [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102965225921&s=6053&e=001fCm8s-4l3ZnQ3RDGDjp4yfny5Qb1KUTvBQjIKkP3hu11CxyDbccEZiy_1FcNtMRK9-ck89f9vG_BZ2PMbbwjlJPEp7jnJxaHEP6H58tNatVYradbn5Vc2IQ-692rc0SVO8r5oQOMZiGMXbr7oE7K69f2AjhbyAfSbyeODN6NseLxQmqimMsWQRnU5jAiG8Zs] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB ASSISTS GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON IN AVIATION ACCIDENT The National Transportation Safety Board will dispatch an aviation investigator to assist the government of Lebanon in its investigation of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines B- 737-800 (ET-ANB) off the coast of Lebanon. At approximately 2:30 a.m. local time on January 25, the aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has designated senior investigator Dennis Jones as the U.S. Accredited Representative. His team will include technical advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. The investigation is being conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Government of Lebanon, which will release all information on the progress of the investigation. The agency's phone number in Lebanon is (961) 1 628195 and the agency's email address is: http://dgca@beirutairport.gov.lb [mailto:dgca@beirutairport.gov.lb] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preliminary Accident Information (Update) Status: Preliminary Date: 25 JAN 2010 Time: ca 02:35 Type: Boeing 737-8AS(WL) Operator: Ethiopian Airlines Registration: ET-ANB C/n / msn: 29935/1061 First flight: 2002-01-18 (8 years ) Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-7B24 Crew: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 Passengers: Fatalities: 82 / Occupants: 82 Total: Fatalities: 90 / Occupants: 90 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 6 km (3.8 mls) SW off Beirut International Airport (BEY) (Lebanon) Phase: Initial climb (ICL) Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Beirut International Airport (BEY/OLBA), Lebanon Destination airport: Addis Ababa-Bole Airport (ADD/HAAB), Ethiopia Flightnumber: 409 Narrative: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, registered ET-ANB, was destroyed when it crashed into the sea, shortly after takeoff from Beirut International Airport (BEY), Lebanon. At least 24 bodies have been pulled from the sea. Rescuers are continuing to search for bodies and wreckage, but officials say it is very unlikely that any of the 90 people on board will be found alive. Ethiopian flight ET409 took off at 02:35 on a flight to Addis Ababa-Bole Airport (ADD), Ethiopia. It crashed into the sea, about 6 km past the end of runway 21, some 3,5 km offshore from the village of Naameh. Weather reported about the time of the accident (00:35 UTC) was: OLBA 250000Z 31008KT 280V340 8000 VCTS FEW020CB SCT026 13/06 Q1014 NOSIG= [00:00 UTC; wind 310 degrees at 8 knots, variable from 280° to 340°; visibility 8km; thunderstorms in the vicinity; few clouds with cumulonimbus at 2,000 ft; scattered clouds at 2,600 ft; temperature 13 degrees C, dew point 6 degrees C, pressure 1014 hPa] OLBA 250100Z VRB03KT 4000 SHRA FEW020CB BKN026 12/07 Q1014 NOSIG= (aviation-safety.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Embraer EMB-110c Accident (Brazil) Date: 25-JAN-2010 Time: ca 16:00 Type: Embraer EMB-110C Bandeirante Operator: Piquiatuba Taxi Aereo Registration: PT-TAF C/n / msn: 110103 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 10 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: near Senador José Porfírio, Pará - Brazil Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Belém/Val-de-Cães International Airport , PA (BEL/SBBE) Destination airport: Senador José Porfírio Airport (SNWR) Narrative: The EMB-110 departed Belém at 12:51 on a domestic flight to Senador José Porfírio. The airplane crew reportedly attempted to land twice. It crashed in a wooded area while on the third attempt to land. (aviation-safety.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bomb-sniffing dogs search Detroit-bound plane Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Detroit were removed from an airplane at Midway Airport today and searched, while federal authorities brought bomb-sniffing dogs aboard, a traveler told The Detroit News. Southwest Flight No. 2534 was to leave Midway Airport at 1:23 p.m. Detroit time and arrive in Detroit at 2 p.m. However, passenger Mark Rebilas said he and the other passengers aboard the Boeing 737-700 were removed from the airplane just as it was about to take off. "They said they found something suspicious," said Rebilas, a Phoenix-based freelance photographer who was traveling to Detroit on business. "They brought in the dogs, and gave everybody a full-body patdown." The passengers were allowed back on the airplane just before 3 p.m. Rebilas spoke to The News on his cell phone at 3:01, when he said the plane was about to take off. The flight was delayed about an hour and 45 minutes, and was rescheduled to arrive in Detroit at about 4 p.m., according to the website http://www.flightstats.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102965225921&s=6053&e=001fCm8s-4l3ZmQbf6xKyHrNUXFU2AhemVZqiobHpoxQJhX6OKwFVv80ioaTVBGULbKIkC8WFz_jbu86ZH_uG1QvW7kuNWWuv6xj9nSC8RSqTevMbyrHQbg9w==]. From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100125/METRO/1250420/Bomb-sniffing-dogs-search-Detroit-bound-plane#ixzz0digGxXt6 [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102965225921&s=6053&e=001fCm8s-4l3Zm4jAdFjGy0fBhXglfElk9HzYIc4qw128wCq4QKG99a02qGGBFQ7Gud82kvpU54f0U7WSXrLNaCFbX05Hgtloi2z7xvOsY4cAxHrjuWfsFRVKbv1mYCWs1_25h7uJFs2oHNjJ0iM4g2DgTLpK4NiICvH-mW8X65kqDpk_LMTcC3n1_CXM3KcbuHi1w0nHZIit8BTNQnZ8l-bn66R6UQ4vXdG1hmnJcRh5_KJyIgDRpwSw==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TSA Worker Terminated Over White Substance In Baggy While going through airport screening at Philadelphia International Airport, on January 5, 2010, Rebecca Solomon, age 22, a student at University of Michigan who was on her way back to school from winter break became a victim of a joke played on her by a Transportation Security Administration worker. "He let me stutter through an explanation for the longest minute of my life," said Solomon. As Solomon was going through screening for a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit, she passed her personal belongs onto the conveyor to be x-rayed. As her belongings began coming out of the x-ray machine, Solomon was confronted by a TSA worker who questioned her regarding a plastic bag containing a white powder he had pulled from her laptop computer bag. The TSA worker requested from Solomon to give an explanation of what the white substance was in the plastic bag. Solomon stunned by this discovery stated "it's not mine". Within seconds she franticly tried to process the events in her head in order to come up with a logical answer to give the TSA worker. Several thoughts began to surface within Solomon's thinking as to how this white powder may have gotten in her bag. She began to think maybe the substance was drugs and that maybe it was placed their by a drug dealer, then she considered the substance maybe a bomb making material placed by a terrorist. Tears began flowing down her face as she searched for answers and while other passengers who were standing inline were to seeking answers as well. Solomon began pleading with the TSA work "I've never seen this baggie before." The TSA worker turned to a coworker, paused, and then turned back to Solomon. In hand, the TSA worker waved the baggie of the white substance in Solomon's face and stated, with a smile on his face he was kidding and that the bag belonged to him. The TSA worker paused and then stated you should see the look on your face and then told Solomon she was free to go. Passengers who witnessed the events became mortified. Fearing a reprisal, many passengers kept to themselves fearing an act of vengeance by the TSA workers continued through screening without discussion. Solomon angered by the events sought out a supervisor along with a consoling passenger. Solomon and one other passenger filled out a complaint form. "I had been terrified and disrespected by an airport employee he'd joked about the least funny thing in air travel." While filling out the form, Solomon was told that the TSA worker she was filing the complaint against was training another TSA worker at the time on detecting contraband. TSA initiated an investigation into Solomon's complaint and upon review determined the employees actions were inappropriate and unprofessional, TSA terminated this employee. Solomon was notified of the employee's dismissal. http://avstop.com/news_jan_2010/tsa_worker_terminated_over_white_substance_in_baggy.htm [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102965225921&s=6053&e=001fCm8s-4l3Zlt0PIwyfVTnQLY-c-df2JX_0no4PO4__AmNAWKATDkc1hOxyeHfZM_km0iS-mO96PQxfddiraVtKyqlEl1Pt-GUs8WpsEyZ4ELXBMNaMtqez5LKUCtmMU_ZFh8XBhZwtXtsKtWQZ8e4a2QzAtePOUK7uJO_ne97MheUczzUSzNSrDlUnAnvX5PKd5w6-E5ziY=] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New safety checks ordered on North Sea helicopters Gearboxes to be checked for cracks every day. North Sea helicopters are to undergo more regular safety checks following orders from Europe's aviation body. Operators of Sikorsky S-92 helicopters must now check for cracks on gearbox feet on a daily basis. In October, The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered Sikorsky S-92 helicopters to be checked after every 10 hours flying time. Sikorsky director Brian Young wrote to all S-92 operators last year to inform them of faults found on the gearboxes of helicopters operating in the North Sea. The fault affects bolts that fix one of the four feet that attaches the gearbox to the helicopter. EASA has now wants the checks to be carried out before the first flight of each day in order to be safe. Bristow and CHC operate the aircraft in the North Sea. Coastguards in the Western Isles and Shetland also use them. Every Sikorsky in the world was withdrawn from service when 17 people were killed in Canada last year when an S-92A crashed into the Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland. One passenger survived. An investigation into the tragedy revealed the gearbox was at fault - though it was an oil problem rather than a structural defect. Offshore helicopters have undergone a series of safety checks following the North Sea Flight 85N disaster in April last year. All 16 men onboard the Super Puma helicopter died when the aircraft fell out of the sky around 14 miles from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. An investigation into the tragedy concluded that a "catastrophic failure" of the helicopter's gearbox caused the accident. http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/153034-new-checks-ordered-on-north-sea-helicopters/ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102965225921&s=6053&e=001fCm8s-4l3ZlpV0Ggk3gKgPNSt7HIChYEeVB6QhXL3nXQeX1sKTBS6LXvAdtUzPBxT3XOln0B0p3Szfjwl5FNVUrvuiis0_Wu2YCIWvrSDPBbr4oZfgQB5IJUY0FVWJ3tGtoN6huaeEMBwanqXrELS2BiXoM8B5gTs_QaNUzIIpqBhphrVMJH6n-IJyWAp0vx1f3POxHUAwY=] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAE Flightscape to deliver flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia CAE today announced that CAE Flightscape has been awarded a contract to deliver a comprehensive flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The heart of the laboratory is CAE Flightscape's Insight software suite, which is used by the majority of air safety investigators at aircraft manufacturers and investigation authorities around the world and greatly facilitates collaboration during complex international investigations. The GACA laboratory will provide the capability to readout and analyze information from aircraft flight data and cockpit voice recorders, a key component of any accident investigation today. The laboratory will fall under the responsibility of Captain Mohammed Ali Jamjoom, Vice President of Safety & Economic Regulation (S&ER) within GACA. "We investigate every civil aviation accident in the KSA, and we issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents by determining the probable cause. The addition of a flight recorder lab will significantly improve our ability and timeliness to fulfill this primary mandate," said Captain Jamjoom. GACA's S&ER is also responsible for maintaining the government's database of civil aviation accidents and also conducts special studies of aviation safety issues of national significance. The S&ER provides investigators to serve as KSA-accredited representatives as specified in international treaties for accidents outside the Kingdom involving Saudi-registered aircraft. The S&ER is also responsible for airport certification and for the implementation and monitoring of Air Navigation Systems safety. The laboratory being supplied by CAE Flightscape is based on technology and processes originally developed at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the federal agency responsible for accident investigation in Canada. CAE Flightscape staff have built or augmented flight recorder laboratories for agencies in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and North America. Modern aircraft record significant amounts of flight data and technology advances have made flight data analysis and playback a widely accepted, necessary, and practical activity for all authorities charged with investigation responsibilities. "More and more countries are realizing the importance of in-house capabilities when it comes to flight data analysis, not only to investigate major accidents but also to investigate serious incidents in order to improve safety, as recently mandated by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)," said Mike Poole, CAE Flightscape Executive Director and Chief Investigator. CAE Flightscape is a world leader in the science of flight safety, specializing in flight data analysis. CAE Flightscape develops software and provides services that enable the effective study and understanding of recorded flight data from aircraft and flight simulators to improve safety, training, maintenance, and flight operations. About CAE CAE (TSX:CAE)(NYSE:CAE) is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.6 billion, CAE employs more than 6,500 people at more than 90 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 29 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and, through CAE's professional services division, we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC