Flight Safety Information July 1, 2010 - No. 129 In This Issue Turbulence-hit Qantas A330 had degraded weather radar NTSB Names Probable Cause In 2008 NC Crash Drs. Mark R. Rosekind, Earl F. Weener Sworn In As NTSB Members New Zealand's Aviation Authority Told To 'Shape Up' Maggot scare on US Airways jet in Atlanta FAA proposes fining regional carriers $2.5M Expert to help Congo air crash probe Aircraft lands safely at O'Hare after passenger disrupts flight Cathay 747's engine shut down before landing at Amsterdam Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Acquires Mesaba Aviation, Inc ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Turbulence-hit Qantas A330 had degraded weather radar Investigators have determined that an Airbus A330's weather radar capabilities had been degraded before the jet encountered severe turbulence last year, after failing to detect a region of convective crystallising ice. Seven occupants of the A330-300, operated by Qantas Airways, were injured as it met turbulence at flight level 380 while approaching the northern coast of Malaysia. During the 20s disturbance the aircraft was subjected to vertical forces ranging from 1.59g to minus 0.48g, and strong changes in the wind speed and direction. "The cloud associated with the convective activity consisted of ice crystals, a form of water that has minimal detectability by aircraft weather radar," says the Australian Transport Safety Bureau in its final report into the incident. "Consequently the convective activity itself was not detectable by [the A330's] radar. As the event occurred at night, with no moon, there was little opportunity for the crew to see the weather." While the twin-jet was fitted with a serviceable hybrid weather radar, including a Rockwell Collins WRT-2100 'MultiScan' transceiver, the investigators point out that the radar had several features disabled at the time. The control panel, for example, did not allow selection of the MultiScan mode - an automatic scanning configuration designed to improve detection of convective turbulence - and this meant the crew had to adjust the antenna tilt manually. Algorithms associated with the MultiScan function had been deactivated. Owing to "issues" with weather-detection algorithms, says the incident report, the carrier had also reverted to an earlier software release for the equipment. The Qantas incident occurred on 22 June last year, just three weeks after the loss of another A330, operated by Air France, in a region of convective weather over the South Atlantic. Investigators examining the destruction of the French A330, flight AF447, on 1 June have queried the reasons why the crew continued heading towards the weather cell while other aircraft on similar courses diverted around it. On the Qantas jet the flying pilot was the second co-pilot, supported by the commander, while the first officer was in the crew rest area. The crew was unable to provide an early warning to passengers before the turbulence struck. "The report by the crew that the radar did not detect any reflectivity in the cloud prior to the occurrence would suggest that the cloud did not extend into the lower levels where radar was able to detect the cloud at range," says the ATSB. Although the ATSB says it "could not be determined" whether a fully-capable radar would have prevented the encounter, Qantas has since opted to modify radars of this type to operate in full MultiScan mode and incorporate the latest software. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB Names Probable Cause In 2008 NC Crash Pilot Did Not Maintain Control In Instrument Conditions The NTSB has issued a probable cause report in the February 1st, 2008 crash of a Raytheon C90A King Air in which six people were fatally injured. The board determined that the probable cause(s) of the accident to be the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's improper decision to descend below the minimum descent altitude, and failure to follow the published missed approach procedure. NTSB Identification: NYC08MA090 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation Accident occurred Friday, February 01, 2008 in Mount Airy, NC Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/22/2010 Aircraft: RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY C90A, registration: N57WR Injuries: 6 Fatal. While flying a nonprecision approach, the pilot deliberately descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) and attempted to execute a circle to land below the published circling minimums instead of executing the published missed approach procedure. During the circle to land, visual contact with the airport environment was lost and engine power was never increased after the airplane had leveled off. The airplane decelerated and entered an aerodynamic stall, followed by an uncontrolled descent which continued until ground impact. Weather at the time consisted of rain, with ceilings ranging from 300 to 600 feet, and visibility remaining relatively constant at 2.5 miles in fog. Review of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) audio revealed that the pilot had displayed some non professional behavior prior to initiating the approach. Also contained on the CVR were comments by the pilot indicating he planned to descend below the MDA prior to acquiring the airport visually, and would have to execute a circling approach. Moments after stating a circling approach would be needed, the pilot received a sink rate aural warning from the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). After several seconds, a series of stall warnings was recorded prior to the airplane impacting terrain. EGPWS data revealed, the airplane had decelerated approximately 75 knots in the last 20 seconds of the flight. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact failures or malfunctions with the airplane or any of its systems. Toxicology testing detected sertraline in the pilot's kidney and liver. Sertraline is a prescription antidepressant medication used for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social phobia. The pilot's personal medical records indicated that he had been treated previously with two other antidepressant medications for "anxiety and depression" and a history of "impatience" and "compulsiveness." The records also documented a diagnosis of diabetes without any indication of medications for the condition, and further noted three episodes of kidney stones, most recently experiencing "severe and profound discomfort" from a kidney stone while flying in 2005. None of these conditions or medications had been noted by the pilot on prior applications for an airman medical certificate. It is not clear whether any of the pilot's medical conditions could account for his behavior or may have contributed to the accident. FMI: www.ntsb.gov Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drs. Mark R. Rosekind, Earl F. Weener Sworn In As NTSB Members Both Were Confirmed Unanimously By The Senate Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D., and Earl F. Weener, Ph.D., took the oath of office Wednesday as a Members of the NTSB. Member Rosekind is an internationally recognized fatigue expert who has conducted research and implemented programs in diverse settings, including all modes of transportation, healthcare, law enforcement, elite athlete and military groups. Prior to joining the Board, Member Rosekind was President and Chief Scientist of Alertness Solutions, a scientific consulting firm in Cupertino, California that specializes in fatigue management. Before founding Alertness Solutions, he directed the Fatigue Countermeasures Program and was Chief of the Aviation Operations Branch in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division at the NASA Ames Research Center. Prior to his work at NASA, Member Rosekind was the Director of the Center for Human Sleep Research at the Stanford University Sleep Disorders and Research Center. Dr. Rosekind Member Rosekind is an internationally recognized fatigue expert who has conducted research and implemented programs in diverse settings, including all modes of transportation. He has published 150 scientific, technical, and industry papers and provided hundreds of presentations to operational, general, and scientific audiences. His contributions have been acknowledged through numerous honors and awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, six other NASA Group/Team Awards, two Flight Safety Foundation honors (Presidential Citation for Outstanding Safety Leadership, Business Aviation Meritorious Award), and as a Fellow of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Member Rosekind earned his B.A. with Honors at Stanford University, his Ph.D. at Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Medical School. His term as a Member of the NTSB expires December 31, 2014. Dr. Weener is a licensed pilot who has dedicated his entire career to the field of aviation safety. He most recently has been a consultant and fellow for the Flight Safety Foundation, where he worked to reduce accidents through coordinated industry programs. From 1984 to 1999, Dr. Weener held a series of positions with The Boeing Company, including three Chief Engineer positions, in Airworthiness, reliability and Maintainability, and Safety; in System Engineering; and in Safety Technology Development. He also served four years as Boeing's Manager of Government Affairs. Dr. Weener He has served as a general aviation flight instructor and Part 135 pilot. Dr. Weener earned all three of his academic degrees in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan - his bachelor's, master's and doctorate. Among his awards are a 1994 Laurel Award from Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine and, in 2005, the Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety. Dr. Weener's term as a Member of the NTSB expires December 31, 2015. FMI: www.ntsb.gov [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531962669&s=6053&e=001VFkeMTt6OiZ2MS8zemn2yW8DxurYJ7i2Z-fAL8MzEEx74qtC859pN91SOD95-ZdGss9GgzdMGwcGPSHD_UNEn3AmTyj3dAndfUU6cMBVYj4=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Zealand's Aviation Authority Told To 'Shape Up' Government Audit Gives The Agency Three Months To Address Safety Concerns An audit conducted by the New Zealand government has found that country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) lacking when it comes to addressing safety concerns, and it has been given until September to report on steps taken to improve the situation. Auditor General Lyn Provost issued the scathing report to Parliament on Tuesday, which spurred Transport Minister Steven Joyce to order the CAA to produce a report on improvements in the certification and surveillance of small aircraft. Another very critical audit in 2005 prompted 10 safety recommendations designed to improve safety checks on aircraft with fewer than nine seats as well as agricultural aircraft. Provost found in her investigation that only one of those had been fully implemented, eight had been partially addressed, and one had not been dealt with at all. The New Zealand Herald reports that the audit lists 12 additional recommendations to help the CAA "address the reasons for its inadequate progress." Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who's job is reportedly in jeopardy because of the lack of action, said "Continuing to not act on these reports is not an option." CAA Chairman Rick Bettle told the paper "A program (sic) of fixes has already been put in place. The work will be carried through to completion." He noted that New Zealand has a reputation for having a very safe civil aviation system, but that "(t)he report points to areas where the CAA can improve its performance, in order to make flying even safer." FMI: www.oag.govt.nz, www.caa.govt.nz Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531962669&s=6053&e=001VFkeMTt6OiaRMhx0ABhDe7GM2mTw971YZ-GqL8e0XBRXLpACxkCfLZ4-bU6alZ_zOCkEF-qjl3etlldgo2uftY39g0b0hfQw] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maggot scare on US Airways jet in Atlanta The pilot of a US Airways plane had to declare a "minor emergency" on Monday after maggots began falling onto passengers from an overhead luggage bin. Flight 1537 was taxiing down the runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport on Monday when the incident occurred, prompting commotion among those on board. Passenger Barb Develli was quoted by Sky News as saying that the larvae poured out of the compartment rapidly onto the person sitting in the seat beside her. "They were all over her, and then we looked in the seats. They were all over the seat," she recalled. "That's when I got up. They were in my seat. In her seat." Fellow passenger Desiree Harrell added: "Bugs just began to fall out of the overhead compartment. And they tried to get us to sit there but it was evident they were right behind us in our seat. "We were just asked to get up and walk to the back of the place, because I refused to sit back in the seat." The pilot declared a "minor emergency" after hearing the disturbance and was given clearance to return the aircraft to the gate. An airport cleaning crew later discovered that the maggots had escaped from a container of rotting meat which was being carried in someone's hand luggage. The plane was then allowed to continue on its journey to Charlotte, before US Airways temporarily took it out of service for fumigation "out of an abundance of caution". http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/2010/07/maggot-scare-on-us-airways-jet-in-atlanta/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531962669&s=6053&e=001VFkeMTt6OibsbzqPosi3oCaU0CbULG675Q0MoFH2CN6shU4gkDvBfysriiz9RxcK9DfrMAMAw_ukL-hM9jSkEkm_1bjVjs8c6zYE6NVtmyg2RIU8p5TixOON18uEGjfFNll7wlLMeHIsxHuLV4IyY33gXbHdtmjWMgkHDp3j1Fl0tWMNL9W3mu6K0kjwY6IEZAlbefdyzzs=] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA proposes fining regional carriers $2.5M WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators have proposed fines of nearly $2.5 million for safety violations against two regional air carriers that operate commuter flights for United Airlines and US Airways. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Wednesday that it wants to fine sister carriers Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines for violating maintenance procedures and operating nine jets on 320 flights when the planes were not in compliance with safety regulations. The carriers are owned by Trans States Holdings of Bridgeton, Mo. They fly commuter flights for United Airlines under the name United Express. Trans States also flies for US Airways under the name US Airways Express. The FAA said Trans States and GoJet violated several maintenance regulations and procedures, including use of outdated manufacturers' maintenance instructions to perform repairs. In one instance, a wing flap part wasn't connected, making the flaps inoperable, the agency said. In several cases, workers didn't document repairs or inspections. There were also improper repairs of an oil leak and of malfunctioning aircraft warning systems. "Air carriers cannot ignore maintenance requirements or allow employees to take a pass on following regulations," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement. "Safety depends not only on maintenance work being done correctly, but also being recorded properly." Trans States and GoJet have 30 days to respond to the agency. The regional carriers said in statements that they were puzzled by FAA's announcement since the violations occurred in 2008 or earlier. The airlines said they have requested conferences with FAA to dispute the violations, but no conference has yet been held. "We are confident that when those conferences are finally held that we will be able to show the FAA was incorrect in their allegations," the statements said. On June 16, a Trans States jet ran off a runway in Ottawa, Canada. In May, Trans States employees left a woman passenger sleeping on a locked plane for three hours after the flight landed in Philadelphia. Police unlocked the door and demanded identification, she said later, after she had paced the aisle for about 15 minutes. On the Net: Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov Trans States: http://www.transstates.net/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Expert to help Congo air crash probe AN Australian Transport Safety Bureau expert has been appointed to the Republic of Congo's investigation into the Sundance Resources plane crash. The air safety expert will provide information and support for the victims' families. All six board members of the Perth-based company, including mining billionaire Ken Talbot and company chairman Geoff Wedlock, died when the Aero Services Casa C212 crashed in remote jungle in northern Congo 12 days ago. Their bodies and those of five others on board have been taken to the capital Brazzaville, where Australian Federal Police officers are assisting in the identification process. Australia has exercised its right under an International Civil Aviation Organisation agreement, to which both Congo and Australia are signatories, to appoint the expert. Ian Sangston, director of Aviation Safety Investigation at the ATSB, said the person appointed had the right to visit the scene of the incident, access relevant factual information, participate in the identification process and request a copy of the final investigation report. "We are really a conduit for information to Australia," Mr Sangston said. "And our part is to support next of kin should they need it. We can ask for the final report, and so on." Mr Sangston said at this stage the expert would not be travelling to Congo. Sundance said it was working with specialist repatriation contractor NetCare to bring the deceased back home. As well as the six Australians, five others died in the crash, including Mr Talbot's personal assistant, a French national, Natasha Flason; a US citizen, a French pilot, a British pilot and another British national. Sundance said the current plans were for the bodies to be transported from Brazzaville to Paris, then on to their respective home countries, probably in the middle of the month. A memorial service for the West Australians lost in the crash will be held in Perth next week. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/expert-to-help-congo-air-crash-probe/story-e6frg6n6-1225886423730 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531962669&s=6053&e=001VFkeMTt6OiYryT0RDiegRAqUzjmktXoUk2kkFeBReRKn2nWZoFPchvWkNbZowQu9X3utUZDpwPSFWiRdgJMKBZER2ZZ5BUY0mxKIHNLAxpes_VzpgNkcvCjpcn4AM3Wa1M8Lv8AkwcwXOiC2gozsqyGRo7Tqe-ECrKIT3lwY5x_d2gX2fYbIYJDZc5FIjTWYegf6S5O0ubT6JShcjoxru63H8R4gO9dM] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aircraft lands safely at O'Hare after passenger disrupts flight A passenger who was being disruptive with others passengers and the crew on a flight bound for Chicago Tuesday night had to be diverted to Denver, CO where that person was met with local and federal authorities. United Flight 428 originated in Las Vegas, NV and was supposed to land at O'Hare Airport Tuesday night, but a disruptive passenger caused the pilot to make the decision to land in Denver, CO, according to United spokesman Mike Trevino. The flight landed at 8:49 p.m. Denver time and the person, who caused "a disruption with other passengers and the crew'' was taken off the plane there and met by representatives for the Denver Police and the FBI, Trevino said. Trevino said the other passengers disembarked temporarily but they got back on board after the incident and the flight landed safely in Chicago at 2:26 a.m. No one was injured and there was no fire, smoke or explosions, according to Trevino who said he did not know immediately what the person was doing to cause the ruckus. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2449984,ohare-landing-disruptive-passenger-063010.article Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cathay 747's engine shut down before landing at Amsterdam One of four engines on a Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-400 aircraft was shut down before it landed at Amsterdam on 27 June after its flight crew detected a problem with the engine. The flight from Hong Kong landed safely at Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, says Cathay, which has informed Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department about the incident. Cathay's flight crew detected a problem with the 747's no. 3 engine about 50 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land at Amsterdam and "shut down the relevant engine as a precautionary measure", says the Oneworld carrier. "At no time was the safety of the 377 passengers onboard in question," it adds. The aircraft's engine was changed, after Cathay flew six engineers and a replacement engine to Amsterdam on 28 June. As a result, passengers scheduled to travel on the aircraft from Amsterdam to Hong Kong on 27 June had to be accommodated on other airlines, says Cathay. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Acquires Mesaba Aviation, Inc. Combined Organization 'Well Positioned to Be a Major Competitive Player for the Long Term' MEMPHIS, TN, Jul 01, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Pinnacle Airlines Corp. /quotes/comstock/15*!pncl/quotes/nls/pncl (PNCL 5.44, +0.33, +6.46%) (the "Company") announced today that it has acquired Mesaba Aviation, Inc. from Delta Air Lines /quotes/comstock/13*!dal/quotes/nls/dal (DAL 11.75, +0.44, +3.89%) , for $62 million. Previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta, Mesaba operates a fleet of 92 regional aircraft as a Delta Connection carrier, and is one of the largest operators of Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft in the world. The acquisition enhances the Company's position as one of the nation's pre-eminent independent regional airline companies. "This transaction brings together very strong and very similar organizations," said Phil Trenary, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Together, we will be even stronger, well positioned to be a major competitive player for the long term." Trenary added, "Even as long-time competitors, Pinnacle and Mesaba have always had tremendous respect for one another. We have comparable values and goals, built around safety, respect for our people, customer service and operational excellence. We have very similar fleets of regional jets and turboprops, and we fly complementary routes with schedules that are already integrated as part of Delta Connection." Founded in 1944, Mesaba is the longest-flying regional airline in the United States. It will remain headquartered in Eagan, Minn., under its current management team. "We at Mesaba are excited about this partnership and the opportunities that it can provide," said Mesaba President John Spanjers. "Pinnacle is no longer a competitor but a partner that shares our common goal of success and offers growth opportunities with other major carriers." Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. ("Pinnacle"), the Company's regional jet operating subsidiary, also operates as a Delta Connection carrier. In addition, the Company's Colgan Air subsidiary operates turboprop regional service for Continental Airlines, United Air Lines and US Airways, minimizing the Company's dependence on any single partner. The total fleet consists of 202 regional jets -- 57 76-passenger Bombardier CRJ-900 and 145 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ-200 -- and 80 turboprops, consisting of 14 74-passenger Bombardier Q400 and 66 34-passenger Saab SF340. The Company also has 15 firm orders for new Q400 NextGen aircraft, with deliveries starting in August, and purchase options for an additional 30. Under the terms of the transaction, the Company and Delta established a new, 12-year capacity purchase agreement effective July 1, 2010, for the operation of Mesaba's CRJ-900 fleet. This new CRJ-900 agreement is structured similarly to Pinnacle's existing agreements with Delta, providing for targeted levels of performance and profitability. Mesaba will continue to sublease its fleet of CRJ-900 aircraft from Delta for the 12-year term of the related capacity purchase agreement. Mesaba's CRJ-200 operations will be governed under Pinnacle's current Airline Services Agreement with Delta, which runs through 2017. In addition, the Company and Delta entered into a separate, short-term capacity purchase agreement providing for the operation of Mesaba's Saab 340B+ fleet until they are removed from Delta Connection service in late 2011 under Delta's previously announced retirement program. "We have further solidified our future with Delta, which has previously signaled its desire to work with a smaller number of strong regional partners," said Trenary. "We also have additional opportunities to grow with the 'right' product offering -- a full spectrum of regional jets and turboprops. As we grow, our emphasis will be on expanding our existing fleets of CRJ-900 and Q400 aircraft, the most cost-effective and fuel-efficient aircraft types within their respective classes -- and what our airline partners are demanding." With total employment of approximately 7,700, the Company will continue to operate three subsidiaries -- Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., Colgan Air, Inc. and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. "Over the longer term, we anticipate that we can enhance efficiency and growth opportunities for our airlines and our people by reorganizing around two operating airlines," said Trenary. "Our intent is to combine the regional jets under Pinnacle Airlines and the turboprops under Mesaba Aviation. However, there are many complex issues to be addressed, and this will take time." The Company will hold a webcast for investors today at 9 a.m. CT to provide additional details about the transaction. Interested parties may access the webcast at www.PNCL.com, the Company's Web site. "As the industry continues to consolidate at both the major and regional carrier levels, we have solidly established ourselves as a strong, independent regional airline corporation," said Trenary. "We are well positioned to succeed and grow, which will provide growth in jobs, growth opportunities for our people and increased value for our shareholders." About Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Pinnacle Airlines Corp. /quotes/comstock/15*!pncl/quotes/nls/pncl (PNCL 5.44, +0.33, +6.46%) , an airline holding company, is the parent company of Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.; Colgan Air, Inc.; and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. operates a fleet of 142 regional jets under Delta brands in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, Mexico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Colgan Air, Inc. operates a fleet of 48 regional turboprops as Continental Connection, United Express and US Airways Express. Mesaba, also a Delta Connection carrier, operates an advanced fleet of regional jet and jet-prop aircraft. The corporate headquarters is located in Memphis, Tenn. Airport hub operations are located in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Newark, Washington Dulles, Houston, Memphis, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. Visit www.pncl.com for more information. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC