Flight Safety Information April 8, 2010 - No. 071 In This Issue Los Angeles Airport Criticized for Persistent Runway Officials: Jet restroom smoker caused bomb scare Security alerts divert more flights in 2010 Report states United and US Airways are holding merger talks Boeing declares 787 structural tests successful ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Los Angeles Airport Criticized for Persistent Runway By ANDY PASZTOR LOS ANGELES-Stepping up demands for safety improvements at one of the country's busiest airports, federal aviation regulators criticized Los Angeles International Airport's management for balking at proposed fixes to reduce runway collision risks. In a letter released Tuesday, Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt warned Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that "it would be a serious mistake" to once again put off redesigning portions of the airfield to improve runway safety. Many city and airport officials continue to resist the proposed changes, which have been under consideration for years and are designed to increase the separation between a pair of parallel runways. The two runways located on the north side of the airport are spaced closer together than current federal standards permit for new strips, and since 1998 there have been 46 instances of planes straying onto the wrong runway while moving around that side of the airport. In February, a group of safety experts hired by the airport issued a report concluding that runway relocation wasn't required. Though the report found that such a solution would enhance safety, it concluded that because the level of collision risk already "is so low," reducing that hazard "by a substantial percentage is of limited practical importance." But the FAA's letter and a companion technical report strongly refutes those findings. "The status quo is not good enough for the FAA," the letter says, "and the city of Los Angeles should not view it as good enough for the traveling public." A number of previous independent studies urged runway relocation. The FAA's communication revealed that since early March, there have been two instances of so-called runway incursions at LAX, as the airport is called, including a Boeing 747 whose pilots failed to get their jumbo jet to completely exit one of northern runways before an aircraft landing behind the plane touched down on the same runway. Nobody was hurt in that incident, or other recent runway incidents at LAX. The FAA's report, however, argues that between 2000 and 2009, the frequency of runway safety incidents at LAX was almost twice as high as the rates at Dallas/Forth Worth international Airport and Atlanta's international airport. In his letter, the FAA chief said the recent Los Angeles close calls highlight that "the only complete solution for LAX's safety and efficiency needs" must include changing the configuration of the two northern runways. For many years, the FAA and other safety experts have urged shifting one of the northern runways hundreds of feet further away from the other, and then constructing a new taxiway running between them. Landing planes would be able to turn onto that taxiway and stop there, reducing the hazards of mistakenly crossing the parallel runway Such a makeover was previously completed on the south side of LAX, and it "has eliminated the most serious" runway near-misses" there and "reduced all types of [runway] incursions by nearly 80 percent" on that side of the airport, according to the FAA's letter. Responding to the letter, Mayor Villaraigosa reiterated that he opposes relocating one of the northern runways "absent a clear demonstration that such a change is necessary to ensure the safety of passengers," workers or others. But in a shift from his previous position, the mayor also said that the latest FAA response "has raised serious safety questions that cannot be ignored," and he instructed airport managers and policy makers to take another look at the issue. The ongoing debate is being closely watched by aviation-safety experts around the U.S., partly because a number of previous FAA chiefs also had been outspoken in pushing for runway redesign. The FAA report released Tuesday emphasizes, among other things, that air-traffic controllers at LAX currently handle some aircraft using special procedures that aren't consistent with those used at other large U.S. airports. The report also says the airport's most recent safety assessment failed to adequately consider the implications of projected traffic growth, or the anticipated impact of Airbus A380 super-jumbo flights on LAX operations. Initially, Mr. Villaraigosa and many of his appointees favored runway relocation. But since 2006, he has become the leader of a large faction of local politicians opposed to using limited airport funds for additional runway relocation. This group also worries that a decision to redesign the runways would prompt some community groups to end their support for a multibillion dollar airport upgrade and modernization effort already underway. http://online.wsj.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103283317709&s=6053&e=001F31pW2DgJyIuahzADE0kUktkDpp8h0CJckKqiNXrwSJDtdEqMYLGMBPFR4U35ukQmecBdkZdbWIprWbEizmj932taunC58z5XTr8D4CT-IoyrQi9L_YHIQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Officials: Jet restroom smoker caused bomb scare DENVER (AP) -- A Mideast diplomat who grabbed a surreptitious smoke in a jetliner's bathroom sparked a bomb scare and widespread alert that sent jet fighters scrambling to intercept the Denver-bound flight, officials said. But no explosives were found and authorities speaking on condition of anonymity said they don't think he was trying to hurt anyone and he will not be criminally charged. Qatar's U.S. ambassador, Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri, defended the envoy in a statement on his Washington embassy's Web site. "This diplomat was traveling to Denver on official embassy business on my instructions, and he was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity. The facts will reveal that this was a mistake," the ambassador said, without identifying the envoy by name. An Arab envoy briefed on the matter identified the diplomat as Mohammed Al-Madadi of Qatar, an oil-rich Middle East nation and close U.S. ally. Wednesday's scare came three months after the attempted terror attack on Christmas Day when a Nigerian man tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner. Since then, law enforcement, flight crews and passengers have been on high alert for suspicious activity on airplanes. The scare exposed major holes in the country's national security and prompted immediate changes in terror-screening policies. Two law enforcement officials said investigators were told the man was asked about the smell of smoke in the bathroom and he made a joke that he had been trying to light his shoes -- an apparent reference to the 2001 so-called "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. The authorities asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Officials said air marshals aboard the flight restrained the man and he was questioned. The plane landed safely as military jets were scrambled. The man was interviewed for several hours by investigators. But authorities delcined to provide any details about him and his status or whereabouts were unclear early Thursday. The Boeing 757 was carrying 157 passengers and six crew members, United Airlines spokesman Michael Trevino said. It left Reagan National Airport at 5:19 p.m. EDT and landed at Denver International Airport at 7 p.m. MDT. The flight crew radioed air traffic control to ask that the flight be met on the ground by law enforcement, Trevino said. Passengers say they were kept on the plane for nearly an hour after it landed and then were questioned by officials. many were still trickling into the baggage area five hours after the plane landed. Melissa Nitsch of Washington, D.C., said everyone aboard was questioned by the FBI before being released. Agents asked if they'd witnessed anything and for basic personal information. "Everyone is pretty happy this situation is over," Nitsch said. "If you have to be stuck in a situation like this, it pretty much went perfectly." The Transportation Security Administration confirmed that federal air marshals responded to a passenger "causing a disturbance onboard the aircraft," but didn't elaborate. "Law enforcement and TSA responded to the scene and the passenger is currently being interviewed by law enforcement," TSA said late Wednesday in a statement. "All steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the traveling public." Passenger Mei Turcotte, 26, of Kalispell, Mont., told The Associated Press she smelled smoke about an hour into the flight. She said she later looked out the window and saw two jets flying alongside the plane. "I'm in the sky a lot, and I was thinking that might not be so normal," she said. She was angry about having to stay at the airport to be questioned over something so minor. "He went quietly. There was not a scene," Turcotte said. "They made this into something that was ridiculous." Dave Klaversma, 55, of Parker, Colo., said his wife, Laura, was sitting behind the man in the first-class section of the plane. She said she saw the man go into the bathroom and that moments later he said something to the flight crew. After that, two U.S. marshals in first class apprehended the man and sat next to him for the remainder of the flight. Klaversma said his wife told him it all happened very quietly and that "there was no hysteria, no struggle, nothing." She said she noticed nothing unusual about the man before the incident. Another passenger, 61-year-old Scott Smith of Laramie, Wyo., said he was seated toward the middle of the plane and didn't notice any disturbance during the flight. However, he said the approach into Denver was "unusual." "We came in rather fast, and we were flying low for a long period of time," Smith, a computer programmer, told reporters by cell phone. "I've never seen a jetliner do that. There were no announcements, nothing about your carryon bags or tray tables." Once on the ground, Smith said, the pilot eventually announced that "we have a situation here on the plane." DIA spokesman Jeff Green said the airport remained open during the incident, and no flights were delayed or canceled. Inside the terminal, passengers from other flights went through security and picked up their luggage at baggage carriers, apparently unaware of any emergency. Erin Montroy, who was passing through the airport on her way from Kansas City to Las Vegas, said she hadn't heard anything about the incident and wasn't alarmed. "I don't really ever feel as threatened as they think we should," she said. President Barack Obama was briefed about the incident aboard Air Force One by National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones and National Security Chief of Staff Denis McDonough shortly before 9 p.m. EDT, said a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The president is traveling to Prague, where he'll sign a nuclear arms treaty with Russia Thursday. A senior State Department official said the agency was aware of the tentative identification of the man as a Qatari diplomat and that there would be "consequences, diplomatic and otherwise" if he had committed a crime. The latest edition of department's Diplomatic List, a registry of foreign diplomats working in the United States, identifies a man named Mohammed Yaaqob Y.M. Al-Madadi as the third secretary for the Qatari Embassy in Washington. Third secretary is a relatively low-ranking position at any diplomatic post and it was not immediately clear what his responsibilities would have been. Foreign diplomats in the United States, like American diplomats posted abroad, have broad immunity from prosecution. The official said if the man's identity as a Qatari diplomat was confirmed and if it was found that he may have committed a crime, U.S. authorities would have to decide whether to ask Qatar to waive his diplomatic immunity so he could be charged and tried. Qatar could decline, the official said, and the man would likely be expelled from the United States. An online biography on the business networking site LinkedIn shows that a Mohammed Al-Madadi has been in Washington since at least 2007, when he began studying at George Washington University's business school. The job title listed on the site is database administrator at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar, about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined with a population of about 1.4 million people, is situation on the Arabian peninsula and surrounded by three sides by the Persian Gulf and to the south by Saudi Arabia. The country hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which runs the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and is major supporter of operations deemed critical to both campaigns. It also played a prime role in the 1991 Gulf War, which drove Saddam Hussein's Iraq out of Kuwait. B ack to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Security alerts divert more flights in 2010 The number of flights forced to land prematurely because of security alerts doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2009, federal figures show. Thirty-five U.S. flights were diverted from their destination to a different airport from Jan. 1 through March 31 for security reasons, according to figures the Transportation Security Administration gave USA TODAY. There were 17 security diversions in the first three months last year, the TSA said. The diversions represent a tiny fraction of the 550,000 monthly commercial flights. But the growing number reflects a more tense atmosphere in airplanes since a passenger tried to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day. The plane landed safely, and no one was hurt. "People are quick to react to anything that's not normal," said Gary Boettcher, an American Airlines pilot and former president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association, a pilots' group focused on security and safety. "Any assault on everyday procedures is taken as a threat right away, so it can be nipped as soon as possible." Airlines are concerned about the growing number of security diversions, which can cost them tens of thousands of dollars if passengers must be put on new flights to reach their destinations. "Diversions are expensive," said David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association, an airline trade group. "Any time the safety of the passengers and crew are at risk, a diversion is justified. But we have to continue to work closely with the Homeland Security Department to enhance our security processes and to reduce the number of diversions." Diversions can be ordered by pilots concerned about an unruly passenger, or by federal authorities checking passenger backgrounds. Some background information on international flights is checked while a plane is in the air. On Jan. 29, the TSA diverted a Newark-to-Bogota flight to Jacksonville after learning a "potential person of interest" was on board, the agency said at the time. The FBI cleared the passenger and the flight continued to Bogota. "All security-related incidents are treated as genuine until verified otherwise," TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee said. Decisions about diversions are made "as an incident is unfolding." Flight crews also have overestimated passenger threats. On Jan. 21, a US Airways Express captain landed a Louisville-bound flight in Philadelphia after a flight attendant saw a passenger take out a set of small boxes and begin odd-looking rituals. The passenger, a 17-year-old Orthodox Jew, was engaged in prayer using holy scrolls. A 2007 government report said that two-thirds of in-flight security incidents involved unruly passengers. Many diversions this year were caused by intoxicated passengers making threats, according to news reports of the incidents. In 2009, a total of 15,500 flights were diverted, mostly to avoid bad weather, federal statistics show. About 85% of those flights continued to their destination after the stop. Aviation-security consultant Glen Winn said he used to doze off on flights. After the thwarted bombing attempt, Winn said, "I pay attention." http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-04-07-diverted-flights_N.htm [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103283317709&s=6053&e=001F31pW2DgJyLMlwFx1oGM8gvo6ossN8pbMl-95SOKnUgk6fxlSUCb4K0w28V_fR3Z9OBa3nAagceBHrT8pjcISQhMDwGh01K-JLcCqD4AibMlix_rqHOT881nC-CElElF-GXYKfOWxj1u8vzWwh4IP4bozRJ6ugI7R03q5iL6SmuW9UP0MZMp9A==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Report states United and US Airways are holding merger talks The New York Times is reporting that US majors United and US Airways are "deep" in merger talks. The report states the deal could be announced in the coming weeks, but also cites sources that warn the discussions could also collapse. One potential hurdle could be labour opposition, says the paper. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boeing declares 787 structural tests successful Boeing has concluded structural tests to validate the strength of the 787's wings and fuselage. After completing wing ultimate load testing on 28 March that saw the aircraft's composite wings flexed to a height of 7.6m (25ft), Boeing analysed its test data and has determined that the "airframe performed as designed and retained the required structural integrity," says Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 programme. During the test on its static test airframe - dubbed ZY997 - the fuselage was also pressurized to 150% of its maximum normal operating condition while applying loads of 150% to the wings, 1.5 times what will ever be seen in service. Additionally, the test validates the modification made to the 787's side-of-body join that prompted a further six month delay in June 2009, after it was found that the wing's composite stringers were separating from the upper skin of the wing. Fancher called the successful completion of these tests a "critical step" on the road toward certifying the 787 in the fourth quarter of this year, followed by first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103283317709&s=6053&e=001F31pW2DgJyJUONee5x1vXYo0Yp_P3ag2Ld5spnohTFpl_-H8oichn9TCEJJT9fl5rfFWTd8gT-I9FVuBUupVSZ6rKuKYPefa] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC