Flight Safety Information April 30, 2010 - No. 084 In This Issue NTSB Chairman Discusses Data Driven Systems To Improve Aviation Safety FAA Teams With Airport Executives For Safety Schools Kenya Airways Disagrees With Three Crash Conclusions Flight attendants forced to use toilet oxygen in emergency Coast Guard helicopter crew OK after crash at Arcata Airport United, Continental merger set for takeoff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB Chairman Discusses Data Driven Systems To Improve Aviation Safety April 30, 2010 - National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said on Thursday that the use of data to manage and improve safety in the aviation industry has had a positive effect on the world's improving aviation safety record but she cautioned against over-reliance on these systems to the neglect of forensic investigation. Addressing a conference of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators in Chantilly, Virginia, Hersman noted that "we have reached an era when aviation accidents are extremely rare..." One reason is the use of data - particularly, but not exclusively, Safety Management Systems (SMS) - in accident prevention and investigation. "The Board has been advocating the use of SMS for a decade, having issued 17 recommendations in favor of implementing SMS in the aviation industry. When implemented correctly, Hersman said, "SMS holds real promise in a variety of scenarios." She noted several instances where SMS helped eliminate potential unsafe conditions, notably a corporate flight operation that used flight data to determine that high bank angles occurred on repositioning flights, and a review of commercial aircraft approach data that indicated a high rate of TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) warnings at a particular airport. In these instances, she said, "data management adeptly identified a clearly measurable set of information and allowed for a relatively simple and effective solution." However, Hersman noted, SMS works well for companies that are already "getting it right," but may provide little more than false confidence for companies with less than robust safety cultures. Also, there are accidents caused by a combination of factors that SMS cannot possibly detect. As an example, Hersman mentioned the British Airways Boeing 777 crash at Heathrow Airport two years ago involving a dual engine failure on approach. It was not data analysis that solved the mystery, but detailed forensic analysis; the circumstances were so unusual that a data analysis system would not pick them up. Hersman said she hoped that with all the focus SMS will place on data collection and analysis, "let's not lose focus on outcomes. The success of SMS won't be measured by how much data we collect, but by how many lives we save." "I will enthusiastically support any approach that will make our nation safer," she said. "But I think we need a measured approach - one that acknowledges the potential benefits and limitations of SMS, and further, doesn't discount tried and true methods for identifying vulnerabilities, such as accident investigations." http://avstop.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103352256003&s=6053&e=001D3cMfIWTORikNE-nbkkPgq7DcWO2CeDRP4LqcHafNoh1XdMsGraT5BE53UeEy2AHQIyZFyrWDPzdvtWgOYvis5zdE_rS8W8u2ehSrOpKcM8=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA Teams With Airport Executives For Safety Schools Basic Airport Safety and Operations Specialist (ASOS) Programs Held In Chicago, Advanced In Memphis The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the FAA will present the Basic Airport Safety and Operations Specialist (ASOS) School June 27-30 in Chicago, Illinois. ASOS schools specifically are tailored for airport personnel responsible for conducting and maintaining the self-inspection programs of public-use and military shared-use airfields throughout the United States. They have become a regular/recurring training program for operations personnel. More than 8,000 public-use and DOD/military airport operations and safety personnel have attended these schools since 1990. Over the past 18 months, there have been several proposed or implemented changes to key FAA Advisory Circulars affecting compliance with FAR Part 139. Learn about these changes and discuss the rationale for them with FAA officials. The Basic ASOS School will outline how airports can take proactive steps to implement these new practices and clarify any issues during the transition. The faculty will include FAA headquarters and regional personnel, officials from the airport community, airline pilots and others knowledgeable of airport operations and safety matters. This school is one of several options available to airport operators to comply with 139.303 (c-e). These professional ASOS schools also provide a networking platform for airport operators to meet and exchange ideas to continue to make our nation's airports safer and operationally efficient. All sessions will take place at the Embassy Suites O'Hare/Rosemont. Sessions will begin each day at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 28, and end at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30. Registration fees include the welcome reception, three continental breakfasts, three lunches, coffee breaks and all handouts. Dress is business casual (no ties). Confirmation letters will be e-mailed to attendees. In addition, an Advanced ASOS School tentatively is scheduled for October 17-20, 2010, in Memphis, Tennessee. Once hotel details have been finalized, registration information for these schools will be available approximately three months prior to the meeting dates. The Basic ASOS Schools will last three full days, while the Advanced ASOS School will last two and one half days. FMI: www.faa.gov, www.aaae.org/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya Airways Disagrees With Three Crash Conclusions April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Kenya Airways Ltd. disagreed with investigators' conclusions that the airline has no safety oversight and had insufficiently trained a co-pilot in a report on the May 2007 crash in Douala, Cameroon that killed 114 people, Managing Director Titus Naikuni said. The airline "agrees" with the overall report, Naikuni told reporters in the capital, Nairobi, today. Kenya Airways' flight KQ 507 crashed on May 5, 2007 killing everyone on board. The Boeing 737-800 disappeared after takeoff from the port city of Douala on a flight to Nairobi. A report by the Kenyan government released yesterday said the crash was probably caused by pilot error. The airline disagrees with the finding that the engagement of the autopilot by the crew just before the crash didn't follow the procedure recommended by Boeing Co., the manufacturer of the aircraft, Alex Avedi, head of corporate quality, told reporters today. The conclusion that Kenya Airways has no safety is incorrect because a different section of the report commends the airline for its safety procedures, Avedi said. The finding that the co-pilot had not undergone training on crew resource management is also incorrect because a different section of the report even notes the dates that he underwent the training, he said. The airline has compensated 92 percent of the victims' families, with the remaining 8 percent negotiating with the airline's lawyers or are awaiting letters of administration, Naikuni said. Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline, owns 26 percent of Kenya Airways, the third-biggest carrier in sub-Saharan Africa. South African Airways is the largest. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flight attendants forced to use toilet oxygen in emergency Virgin Blue flight attendants had to use the oxygen masks in the rear toilets of a Boeing 737 during an emergency descent after they couldn't tell if their crew oxygen masks were working, an investigation has revealed. In the rush to get oxygen flowing during a rapid depressurisation, one attendant yanked on the tubing, ripping it from its connection and rendering it useless. The plane, which had departed Coolangatta for Melbourne with 145 passengers on board, experienced rapid cabin depressurisation after its two air supply systems failed. The pilots, distracted by the unfolding emergency, didn't immediately tell the cabin crew what was going on, the report said. The pilots also forgot to turn on engine and wing de-icing systems, which could have created difficulties in flight control had ice formed, air safety investigators have found. The investigators' final report into the November 17, 2007 incident was released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday, cataloguing multiple technical and procedural failings. A pressure valve fault triggered the shutdown of one of the two units pumping air into the cabin shortly after take-off. Then, cruising at 31,800 feet, the other air supply unit failed, triggering a rapid loss of cabin air pressure. Investigators found: The command pilot's decision to continue the take-off after the first air supply unit failed was contrary to the airline's procedures and increased the risk of in-flight technical problems; Pilots trying to resolve the first air supply fault were distracted during the critical phase of take-off; Pilots overlooked activating anti-ice systems in icy conditions on ascent and emergency descent; Pilots were too busy to warn meal-serving crew about the nature of the emergency; Crew had "inconsistent knowledge" of how emergency oxygen masks worked. Pilots landed the plane safely at Brisbane Airport with no injuries to people on board. In response to the report, the airline said: "Virgin Blue has rigorous operating procedures to which we expect all team members to adhere and we are also continuously reviewing and monitoring our operations. "Ours is not a culture of blame but of continuous learning, training and improvement. As outlined in the ATSB report, Virgin Blue has implemented a range of actions as a result of this incident." Investigators say the lessons learned from the incident have been incorporated in Virgin Blue's pilot, crew and technical training, manuals and procedures. Source: theage.com.au Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Coast Guard helicopter crew OK after crash at Arcata Airport An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay lays on its side after it crashed Thursday at the Arcata Airport. The helicopter had three crew members aboard when it went down during a training mission. The crew members were not injured. McKINLEYVILLE (AP)- Three Coast Guard helicopter crew members escaped injury after their helicopter crashed at Arcata Airport on Thursday. A Coast Guard spokesman says the crew on an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter was conducting a training mission when the helicopter went down at the airport around 10:55 a.m. All three crew members were able to walk away from the chopper. After the incident, the helicopter was left on its side on a runway at the airport. Arcata Airport is located in the Humboldt County community of McKinleyville, about 15 miles north of Eureka. Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103352256003&s=6053&e=001D3cMfIWTORhznaQx5sOYv8eK_GR89EXgbVZjNQoqXeXBZDgkttv79W7PQLryDtmWjpoewG-IWcEKULrZu5Xpwc0zEqxOkgGa] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United, Continental merger set for takeoff (AP) United Airlines and Continental have an agreement to merge and an announcement is expected Monday, the Wall Street Journal and Crain's Chicago Business reported Thursday evening citing unnamed sources. But the deal still requires board approval, which is not certain. United's board of directors was expected to review the proposed merger deal and vote on it today, and Continental's board was scheduled to do the same Sunday. United spokeswoman Jean Medina said late Thursday the airline does not comment on rumor. Two years ago, Continental's board voted down a similar plan to merge with United. But observers believe the Continental board is more likely to green-light the deal now because its intended merger partner is in much stronger shape -- financially and operationally -- than it was as recently as two years ago when a sharp economic downtown was starting to wreak havoc on the entire airline industry. If United and Continental do merge, it could prove a huge boost for Chicago and its status on the world business front. The newly merged carrier would be called United and would become the world's largest. It would be based in Chicago, where United has in the past several years invested in a significant amount of Loop office space at 77 W. Wacker and in the Willis Tower. United CEO Glenn Tilton, who has for some time been aggressively pushing for more airline consolidation, would become chairman of the new airline and Continental CEO Jeff Smisek would become the new airline's CEO. The new airline's customers in Chicago and around the world would benefit from the creation of an airline route system second to none. Domestically, United's route strength in the Midwest and West meshes well with Continental's strong presence in the Northeast and South. Internationally, Continental has strong European and South American routes, while United is a dominant player on trans-Pacific routes and in Asia, which is expected to only grow more important as a business hub in years to come. It's unclear just how smoothly labor relations will go as United and Continental start to work out particulars of joining the two carriers' large and largely unionized work forces. Tilton and his management team have angered many of the carrier's rank-and-file employees as he has cut pay and implemented new work rules in recent years to turn around United's fortunes. But the all-important United pilots union is on board as supporting a United-Continental merger. "I think it's a step in the right direction," said one United Boeing 767 captain late Thursday, when he was informed that United and Continental had agreed on the details of a merger deal. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC