Flight Safety Information March 1, 2010 No.045 In This Issue Flight canceled after flight attendant argument Business jet charters take flight to recovery FAA probes how much pilots sleep JetBlue Resumes Flights After Glitch Delta flight returns to Detroit after engine warning NTSB Bears Down on Pilot Fatigue, Icing Complexity of AF447 crash probe to dominate ICAO discussion EASA revokes BAC One Eleven type certificate Aeroflot A320 takes off from Oslo taxiway POSITION WANTED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flight canceled after flight attendant argument Flight Attendants Fist Fight on Atlanta-Bound Flight ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - An argument between two female flight attendants forced the cancellation of an Atlanta-bound flight at an airport in upstate New York. A Pinnacle Airlines spokesman in Memphis,Joe Williams, says the spat erupted just as Delta Connection Flight 887 returned to the gate Thursday morning after a passenger became ill. Passenger Corey Minton tells cable news station YNN in Rochester he and others aboard were told they had to "get off the plane because stewardesses were fighting." Williams says there was no physical contact and doesn't know the reason for what he termed a "verbal disagreement." The women were removed from duty pending an airline investigation. Williams says Delta found alternate travel plans for passengers. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84hulvvsJrsMmcxpg28osTgJZXLfzk_hGTneEIlMtjFft2n9KFGQCcVDt4eQ8lr2YWiSgpFe9F6WpS-K8JaO4fCj9iIquGOWPWHVl0d8ZsOoFFWADPz-F27GnCTgVEjS9ZKi6ACyGi0xymROjHld3lDqA-bm07jBUoo=] http://www.breitbart.com/article.phpid=D9E3VPH82&show_article=1 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84hulvvsJrsMmcxpg28osTgJZXLfzk_hGTneEIlMtjFft2n9KFGQCcVDt4eQ8lr2YWiSgpFe9F6WpS-K8JaO4fCj9iIquGOWPWHVl0d8ZsOoFFWADPz-F27GnCTgVEjS9ZKi6ACyGi0xymROjHld3lDqA-bm07jBUoo=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Business jet charters take flight to recovery Business charters in the region are seeing more inquiries for block hours from corporate clients. (GETTY IMAGES) The regional market for business jet charters is witnessing strong recovery, according to a leading operator that recorded 11 per cent rise in charter sales in January. Empire Aviation Group (EAG) that manages and operates the Middle East's largest mixed fleet of 21 business aircraft, yesterday said the January performance follows strong recovery achieved in the fourth quarter of 2009. Bookings had dropped around 40 per cent in the first half of last year, an official release said. The statement quoted Paras Dhamecha, Executive Director, Empire Aviation Group, as saying enquiries for "block hours" from corporate clients have been on the rise this year. Corporate clients block flying hours on routes frequently flown to benefit from early purchase. In January, the operator chartered flights to destinations in the Far East, CIS countries, Africa, Maldives, South America, Afghanistan and Iraq. The statement added the Middle East continues to dominate the charter market as the favoured point of departure to global destinations and also as a favourite destination. Charter demand is a good indicator of the health of the overall private aviation sector. "This segment of our business allows us to showcase our aircraft and the benefits of business jet ownership," Dhamecha said. Another factor that brings relief to charter operators is that aircraft finance is becoming easier again to obtain, he said. Hence, the buying option is becoming realistic, and with aircraft values still depressed, there is an increasingly attractive opportunity for those seriously considering purchase. There are around 45 private business jets operating out of Dubai and more than 500 in the Middle East - mostly in Saudi Arabia - under private ownership for personal use. There is no official charter market value for the Middle East. http://www.business24-7.ae/companies-markets/aviation/business-jet-charters-take-flight-to-recovery-2010-03-01-1.62718 Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA probes how much pilots sleep BLOOMBERG NEWS The Federal Aviation Administration will seek data from airlines on how many pilots skip sleep the night before a flight, after a 2009 crash near Buffalo, N.Y., raised fatigue concerns. The crash by Colgan Air Flight 3407 killed 50 after the captain's faulty response to a cockpit warning put the aircraft into a stall, the National Transportation Safety Board found this month. The captain, Marvin Renslow, 47, commuted from Tampa, Fla., to Newark, N.J., and spent two of the three nights before the crash in a crew lounge with no beds, the NTSB found. Renslow "had experienced chronic sleep loss" during the 24 hours before the accident, the NTSB found. "We don't think that Colgan is unique," NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman said. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), chairman of an aviation subcommittee, said the industry may be boosting the risk of fatigue by increasingly using low-paid pilots who can't afford motel rooms. http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2074968,CST-NWS-sleep28.article Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JetBlue Resumes Flights After Glitch JetBlue Airways [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84gIIqMu-hWzyk_i-PgMPLU_EpdSTzSNATD3q757f7W7eLGONyvbgG0QkcwuMwsTKEPeJT9w664DomY6BQd7NLZM4CMCnAMV2bbQCE0D3SBXFewEOQKUM9wHEzYqbs1hyQ_8BhZ2yvzRaMQy1RJGavO54nouwAspoXBZF7NTaWCeHgJSn6Mh_1P_] Corp. said it had to put its fleet on ground stop for an hour Friday afternoon after a glitch disrupted its centralized flight information system. But the discount airline said it fixed the problem affecting its flight status and dispatch technology system used by its operations center, and was able to get the temporarily halted flights back in the air. While there were delays, JetBlue said no flights were canceled. The problem wasn't related to a new passenger reservations system JetBlue switched to in late January, said the carrier. Winter weather in the Northeast was another matter, however. The Forest Hills, N.Y., company, the No. 7 U.S. airline by traffic, said it canceled 80 of its 669 flights scheduled for Friday due to the storm. JetBlue in late January transferred to a new reservations system that also handles customer check-in and boarding and travel changes customers make on its Web site. In order to ensure a smooth transition, the airline thinned its schedule for the weekend of the change and sold only a fraction of the normal seats on the rest of its flights. It also asked passengers to come to the airport early. For more than a day, according to plan, travelers weren't able to book travel at all on line. While some passengers still are complaining about quirks in the new system, JetBlue has said the transition went well. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84hgB04nX_YsYGWCmVozSo3fCeJ19QJ-HEsTPAFhf1z-PItDRJ3YLNfCFiUcKdcBvxqbkOh0DyGZISMWZpE7-BT9vr87cGm6LCrP10pT7i1krbvMsJD5jwimVJay8TkqwM19dEdM0F5tWEnRXuspktAl_g1AvfeSyDS4Qyt29rPxmHAxfxp60mrF3DCbt0NRDS2Cnvl4UaUHA7C4897nlIDl] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575090600767128476.html?mod=googlenews_wsj [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84hgB04nX_YsYGWCmVozSo3fCeJ19QJ-HEsTPAFhf1z-PItDRJ3YLNfCFiUcKdcBvxqbkOh0DyGZISMWZpE7-BT9vr87cGm6LCrP10pT7i1krbvMsJD5jwimVJay8TkqwM19dEdM0F5tWEnRXuspktAl_g1AvfeSyDS4Qyt29rPxmHAxfxp60mrF3DCbt0NRDS2Cnvl4UaUHA7C4897nlIDl] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Delta flight returns to Detroit after engine warning light goes off A Denver-bound Delta flight that departed from Detroit Metro Airport Sunday returned to the tarmac after an indication light on one engine lit up, airline officials said Sunday night. "The captain elected to return to Detroit out of an abundance of caution," Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said in a written statement. Flight 2339 landed at DTW without incident and passengers were moved to a different plane. http://www.freep.com/article/20100228/NEWS05/100228029/1320/Flight-returns-to-DTW-for-warning-light Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103115270492&s=6053&e=001aDzMy0IX84iQQTsWKS_e92rGONARqpVfaFxuI2B-YR1QF-Q1rk1_QHjscgdnckv78Qn3JVH1gIAGTNH8B3WhpYIOg-qj_Xnh] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB Bears Down on Pilot Fatigue, Icing Flying in icing conditions remains a "most wanted" safety improvement on the agency's list with a "red" classification indicating an unacceptable FAA response. NTSB investigated 69 accidents involving U.S.-registered aircraft and runway or surface icing in 1998-2007. The National Transportation Safety Board's chairman, Deborah A.P. Hersman, told Congress Feb. 25 that "we must establish a system that minimizes pilot fatigue and ensures that flight crews report to work rested and fit for duty." A week earlier, the board kept flying in icing conditions as a "most wanted" safety improvement on its list with a "red" classification indicating an unacceptable FAA response. The topic has been on the list since 1997. Hersman discussed both topics while testifying before U.S. House and Senate aviation subcommittees. Her Feb. 25 testimony before a House panel concerned the state of U.S. aviation safety since the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, N.Y., in which pilot performance and training were important factors. She noted the board's final report on the crash contained 25 new recommendations for FAA and reiterated three previous recommendations. "If we are serious about aviation safety, we must establish a system that minimizes pilot fatigue and ensures that flight crews report to work rested and fit for duty," she said. "We must also have a system in which we are steadfastly confident that all of our commercial pilots are proficient and well trained." A 1981 NTSB report, "Aircraft Icing Avoidance and Protection," urged FAA to review icing certification criteria, and the board in the 1990s decided the icing certification process was still inadequate. FAA has addressed some of the recommendations, but 11 of them have not been satisfactorily addressed, according to her testimony. From 1998 through 2007, NTSB investigated 200 accidents involving aircraft icing and 68 involving runway or surface icing that involved U.S.-registered aircraft, she said. http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/03/01/ntsb-bears-down-on-pilot-fatigue.aspx?admgarea=news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Complexity of AF447 crash probe to dominate ICAO discussion Complications with the investigation into the destruction of Air France flight AF447 are set to dominate discussions on flight-data retrieval, aircraft communications and tracking at a high-level ICAO safety conference this month. The gathering in Montreal comes a few weeks after France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses published a technical analysis of several potential options to avoid loss of crucial flight-recorder information in the event of an aircraft accident at sea. European representatives are to present a paper at the conference highlighting the "exceptional challenge" posed by the loss of AF447, which crashed into the South Atlantic on 1 June last year. Two attempts to find the Airbus A330's flight recorders have failed and preparations are under way for a third. "Due to the lack of data, the precise circumstances and causes of the accident may remain unknown," says the paper. It adds that the crash of a Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands in the same month presented similar recovery problems, after locator beacons separated from the flight recorders' memory modules and delayed their recovery by eight days. Owing to damage to the modules another two weeks' work was needed to retrieve data. In the wake of AF447's loss, BEA created a flight-data recover working group which assessed three areas - flight-data transmission, new flight-recorder technology and improved wreckage-localisation technology - on the basis of technical maturity, cost and current equipage levels. The working group recently published its findings. Installation of a lightweight recorder in aircraft vertical fins was among the options considered. But while the fin of AF447 was retrieved, tail debris was recovered in only 20% of 26 similar underwater recovery operations studied. Deployable, free-floating recorders were also examined but while the analysis accepted development of such devices as credible they are still viewed as a longer-term solution. BEA says deployable recorders could be "difficult to install" on aircraft whose initial design did not account for such modification. In the medium term an emergency situation could trigger a satcom-equipped aircraft to transmit a package of essential flight data. But the working group says that while related testing has already been carried out for several years, such trigger conditions are "not mature yet by industry standards". Use of ACARS operational communications for regular relay of flight parameters is also seen as a possibility. BEA has already formally recommended that underwater locator beacons be required to transmit for 90 days, rather than 30, and that aircraft carry a beacon which transmits on a lower frequency of 8.5-9.5kHz rather than 37.5kHz. The lower frequency would extend the range of transmission from 1nm to 4nm for the same output power, increasing the possibility of detection by military vessels. Other ideas explored but less favoured included the use of beacons responsive to interrogation, and transmission of full flight-recorder parameters, cockpit-voice audio or cockpit images. The ICAO conference will also hear from the European delegation that AF447 has shown that "unreliable, non-permanent" air-ground communication and "suboptimal" oceanic surveillance can "adversely impact the timely launching of search and rescue phases, and aircraft wreckage recovery". It will request that ICAO undertakes a comprehensive review of short- and long-term methods of enhancing oceanic communications and surveillance capabilities, and look at ways of reducing reliability problems with high-frequency radio. Despite the increasing use of datalink position-reporting in oceanic regions, the delegation will state that progress towards minimum levels of permanent flight-tracking and route-conformance monitoring is "slow", partly as a result of differing regional practices. Cost of satellite communications "seems to be a deterrent" to aircraft operators, it will add, with data suggesting that only 40% of aircraft in the North Atlantic area are logged-in with air traffic ground systems at any given time: "That may be explained by users' uncertainty that they will secure a sufficient return on their investment, in operational and financial terms, from such applications." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EASA revokes BAC One Eleven type certificate European regulators have revoked the type certificate of the BAC One Eleven twin-jet after the holder, Airbus, requested to surrender it. Surrender of the certificate means that the European Aviation Safety Agency no longer provides any support for the type, and the aircraft is no longer eligible for a certificate of airworthiness under European regulations. EASA says that One Eleven operators outside the European Union must contact their state of registry for a decision on continuing validity of any issued certificates. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aeroflot A320 takes off from Oslo taxiway Norwegian investigators have opened an inquiry after an Aeroflot Airbus A320 bound for Moscow Sheremetyevo took off from a taxiway at Oslo Gardermoen yesterday. The aircraft, operating flight SU212 at 14:55, had been intending to depart from runway 01L. But a spokesman for Gardermoen says that, at around 15:10, the aircraft turned right onto taxiway M, which runs parallel and immediately to the right of the runway, and took off. While runway 01L is 3,600m (11,800ft) long, taxiway M is truncated with a length of about 2,400m. A source familiar with the incident also indicates to ATI that the aircraft departed from the A3 intersection which would have reduced the available take-off distance to the north to just 1,650m. Gardermoen's weather information at the time shows good visibility. Norway's air accidents investigation commission has started an inquiry into the incident, which comes just two weeks after a KLM Boeing 737 took off from a taxiway at Amsterdam Schiphol on 10 February. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POSITION WANTED: - Capt B777 for 5 years,. - Total hrs : 17,000hrs; 4.300 hrs B777, 3.300h A330, 12.000 hrs airlines and 4.700hrs in the military - Current with NATS/ETOPS/Winter Ops . World wide experience . - English ICAO level 6 - ICAO ATPL ; Brazil & Singapore license . - Fluent; English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. - Male, 55y, married. - Brazilian passport & citizen. - Available - April 6, 2010 Reply to: curt@curt-lewis.com [mailto:curt@curt-lewis.com] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC