Flight Safety Information 25 FEB 2010 ___________________________________________ *NTSB Chair Hersman Testifies On Aircraft Icing *NTSB Proposes To Monitor Cockpit Conversations *Airline to introduce women-only lavatories *Swissair jet makes emergency LAX landing *Southwest Airlines pilots don't want cockpit conversations monitored ******************************************* NTSB Chair Hersman Testifies On Aircraft Icing Chides FAA For Not Completely Addressing The Issue NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman (pictured, right), in testimony Wednesday before the House Aviation Subcommittee, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, discussed the dangers of aircraft flying in icing conditions and highlighted longstanding Safety Board recommendations that have yet to be adopted by the FAA to address the issue. Reducing the dangers of flying in icing conditions has been on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since 1997. Last week, the NTSB voted to keep the issue area, along with its four open recommendations to the FAA, on the 2010 Most Wanted List with a "red" classification. The red classification indicates an unacceptable response by the FAA. "Although the NTSB relies on others to implement these recommendations, we have worked to educate the pilot community about some of the hazards associated with icing conditions through our Safety Alerts," Hersman said. In 1981, the NTSB published a report titled "Aircraft Icing Avoidance and Protection" and recommended the FAA review icing certification criteria. The special study followed a series of icing-related accidents where aircraft operating in icing conditions and the varying consequences that ice accretion had on different types of aircraft raised concern. In the 1990s the NTSB re-examined the issue of airframe structural icing and concluded that the icing certification process continues to be inadequate. The Board also became concerned about airplanes that fly in supercooled large droplet conditions and that used pneumatic boots to deice the aircraft in flight. In the last decade, the Board has investigated more than 50 accidents involving aircraft icing, resulting in over 200 fatalities and it continues to investigate accidents where icing is a factor. In the last few years, the FAA has addressed some of the recommendations related to icing by issuing a number of final and proposed regulations. however, not all of the NTSB's recommendations on icing have been addressed. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net **************** NTSB Proposes To Monitor Cockpit Conversations Recommends Idea To FAA For Regulatory Action The NTSB says airlines and pilot's unions should use cockpit voice recorders to routinely monitor what goes on in the cockpit, and not just for accident investigations ... a suggestion that has received a cold reception from pilots and unions. While CVRs currently make only the last 30 minutes of cockpit audio available, the devices will be required to save two hours of data beginning April 7th, 2012. Two high-profile incidents have led the NTSB down this road: The disclosure of non-flight-related crew conversations leading up to the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo last year, which were said to be violation of federal regulations, and the Northwest flight which overshot its destination by 150 miles. In the latter incident, the pilots said they were "distracted" by a discussion of company policies, but the CVR did not retain a recording for that portion of the flight. USA Today reports that some regional airlines have endorsed the monitoring, and the chair of the House Transportation Committee, David Oberstar (D-MN) is a strong supporter of legislation. During a recent hearing, Oberstar said "This is the next frontier of safety that we must not put off." But pilot's unions and pilots themselves call the proposal little more than an invasion of privacy. "It's the wrong way to go safety-wise," said Mike Michaelis, chairman of safety at the Allied Pilots Association, the American Airlines union. Some have said that monitoring the conversations would make pilots less likely to talk about safety issues during flights. But at least one NTSB member, Robert Sumwalt said "This is not a case of Big Brother spying on pilots." Bill Voss, the president of Flight Safety, weighs in on the side of the pilots. He says there are other safety initiatives that should be implemented before resorting to monitoring cockpit conversations. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net *************** Airline to introduce women-only lavatories (CNN) -- Airplane lavatories are among the few unisex bathrooms most people encounter, but that's about to change for some air travelers. The Japanese airline All Nippon Airways will introduce women-only lavatories on its international routes starting Monday. The move comes in response to "numerous requests from passengers for this service," the company said in a statement. Many women called for the airline to give them their own lavatories in a 2007 survey of customers, said ANA spokesman Justin C. Massey. "They didn't list any specific complaints. ... It was just more a matter of general preference," Massey added. One women-only lavatory will be designated in the rear section of the passenger cabin and will display a pink version of the universal sign for a ladies' room as a way to let male travelers know to look for another option. Women can still use any other lavatory. While restricting men from using the women-only bathroom, the airline has spelled out exceptions to the rule, such when required for safety reasons or when a passenger is not feeling well or "when there are very few female passengers and the women-only designation has been lifted for the flight." There are no plans to designate men-only lavatories, Massey said. There was mixed reaction to the announcement on FlyerTalk, an online community for frequent fliers. "The lavatories are scarce enough already. The last thing we need is more restriction of choice," one poster wrote. "I've never understood gender segregation of single-person bathrooms," another said. "Cleanliness is probably the main reason," countered a third poster. ANA also made news last fall when it encouraged passengers to use restrooms before boarding to reduce the weight of planes as part of its "ecological travel on the ground and in the sky" campaign. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/02/24/women.only.lavatory.ana/index.html?hpt= T2 *************** Swissair jet makes emergency LAX landing LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KABC) -- A Swissair jetliner reported limited nose-wheel steering as it approached Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday afternoon. A Swissair jetliner reported limited nose-wheel steering as it approached Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday afternoon. The plane landed at 4:38 p.m. without incident. The plane was followed down the runway as it landed by L.A. City Fire Department engines. The plane, an Airbus 330, was reportedly carrying 223 people onboard. The plane was holding approximately 11,000 pounds of fuel. The incident will be investigated. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7296279 **************** Southwest Airlines pilots don't want cockpit conversations monitored The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association went on record Wednesday opposing any legislation that would let airlines and the federal government listen to cockpit voice recordings at will. SWAPA said it couldn't support the National Transportation Safety Board's idea to let the Federal Aviation Administration use "de-identified aggregate date" gleaned from the recordings, even thought the NTSB has said such recordings couldn't be used to punish pilots. But the Southwest union really can't support a proposal from Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., to let airlines review cockpit voice recordings for possible discipline, SWAPA president Carl Kuwitzky said. "The NTSB recommendation for CVR usage might be an honest attempt to promote safety, but the DeMint proposal is a perfect example of a good intention to increase safety that has the exact opposite effect," Kuwitzky said. "This proposal and, unfortunately, the NTSB recommendation, are misdirected attempts at promoting safety that will surely backfire," he said. The NTSB removes, listens to and transcribes the cockpit voice recorders from airplanes involved in crashes and safety-related incidents. However, at present, the CVRs can't be used for other purposes. SWAPA said its pilots "fear the NTSB recommendation would jeopardize voluntary reporting program integrity that has been successful in increasing airline safety." Those programs generally provide that pilots won't be punished for reporting errors or safety problems that otherwise would not have become known, with the idea that aviation safety is best promoted by fixing problems, not fixing blame. DeMint and others raised the idea of monitoring what's going on in the cockpit following the October 2009 incident in which the two Northwest Airlines pilots overflew Minneapolis-St. Paul. They told investigators they were discussing new owner Delta Air Lines' scheduling software and lost track of time. By the time they landed in MSP more than an hour late, the cockpit voice recorder's 30-minute continuous recording had overwritten conversations from earlier parts of their flight that would substantiate or contradict their version. Investigators have criticized non-germane conversations that went on in the cockpit of a Colgan Air regional aircraft that crashed in February 2009 as it approached Buffalo, NY. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/southwest-airlines-pilot s-dont.html Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC