Flight Safety Information July 6, 2010 - No. 132 In This Issue EU expands safety ban on Iran Air flights Romania military plane crash kills 10 Coalition Forms To Push for New York-area Airport Improvements Alitalia to Join Alliance of Air France-KLM and Delta Ailing Chicago flight diverts to Sioux Falls, SD Drunken passenger 'went berserk' on flight Aeroflot board approves acquisition of 11 A330s ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puzzle [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103544390744&s=6053&e=001GubjaTU6lGVulcRbMS5pYhd2xTvSZAZgH0u_hH8BxCLNmQv9ZDvCvoUoRBhp07rfQe1Dslxi6s_MT91xC60UD8Ldjw9igRtmsmTR9wtDelp5gwe_gfqzSA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EU expands safety ban on Iran Air flights BRUSSELS, July 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it was extending a flight ban to include more aircraft from Iran Air. "The European Commission has updated the list of airlines banned in the European Union to include one carrier from Surinam and to expand the operating restrictions on Iran Air," the EU executive said in a statement. "Based on the results of the visit to Iran ... the Air Safety Committee unanimously supported the expansion of the operating restrictions imposed on Iran Air to exclude from operations into the EU its fleet of Airbus A-320 and of Boeing B-727 and B-747," it added. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Romania military plane crash kills 10 (BBC) The plane caught fire after crashing near Tuzla airport A Romanian military aircraft has crashed near the Black Sea while on a training mission, killing 10 people. The defence ministry said the Antonov AN-2 plane was carrying paratroopers for training, but crashed close to Tuzla airport shortly after taking off. Three of the 13 people on board survived by jumping out of the aircraft before it came down, witnesses said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The aircraft, a single-engined biplane of Soviet design, burst into flames after hitting the ground, officials said. The three survivors were taken to hospital, where one is said to be in a serious condition. ***** Accident description Status: Preliminary Date: 05 JUL 2010 Time: 17:40 Type: Antonov 2 Operator: Fortele Aeriene Romāne Registration: C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 9 Total: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 13 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Tuzla Airfield (Romania) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Military Departure airport: Tuzla Airfield (LRTZ), Romania Destination airport: Tuzla Airfield (LRTZ), Romania Narrative: Crashed at the end of the runway and burned. The airplane carried nine paratroopers from the Romanian Navy. www.aviation-safety.net [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103544390744&s=6053&e=001GubjaTU6lGWNvLxqn7vdJ3Y78LCUUoqJtq78D7ydXZQCVZkSt1qf1VIo2luVjV3K-kTo5wHI2-MC9if_kfHn_XW1fX-OKuDIehoEN1PxBdgR7IqiVWmm9wsqpYDnn4OL] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Coalition Forms To Push for New York-area Airport Improvements More than two dozen business, civic, labor and environmental organizations have formed a coalition aimed at restoring, maintaining and expanding the New York metropolitan region's airports. Called the Better Airports Alliance, the group seeks to "educate residents on the problem of airport delays, provide fresh solutions to relieve congestion and build a consensus for major improvements. As part of the effort, the Regional Plan Association will undertake a comprehensive study of airport congestion. It expects to release a report on its findings this fall. Calling the current state of air travel in the region "grim," the Better Airports Alliance noted that JFK, Newark Liberty and La Guardia rank as the country's most congested airports and that three-fourths of U.S. air travel delays can be traced to problems in the New York region. Air traffic congestion costs the regional economy $2.6 billion annually, the coalition said. According to the Better Airports Alliance, many of its members are campaigning for immediate deployment of improved navigation systems, known collectively as NextGen, in the New York region. The Regional Plan Association study will consider other proposals, including expansion of the area's three major airports, greater use of peripheral airports, demand management actions and investment in intercity rail. http://www.ainonline.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103544390744&s=6053&e=001GubjaTU6lGUbAVj1YpL7G1hH9pr6IuLylLjGr5KqftwyoAHdGojKh2TjVgaSOVY6JVgzzoA2fHFGJL_l2mFd1ij_Q_awZJtX_org20AQMSM_seW4cipU_g==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alitalia to Join Alliance of Air France-KLM and Delta The Italian carrier Alitalia will join an alliance of Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines that shares revenue and costs on trans-Atlantic routes, giving the group access to Europe's third-biggest market, Reuters reported. In a statement on Monday, the airlines said the addition of Alitalia to the alliance meant that the venture represented about 26 percent of the total trans-Atlantic capacity, with annual revenue of more than $10 billion. Air France-KLM holds a 25 percent stake in Alitalia. The Italian carrier sought bankruptcy protection in 2008 after years of struggling with strikes and inefficiencies and was restarted as a private airline by Italian investors last year. It had a difficult rebirth, struggling with low passenger numbers and flight delays that prompted a barrage of complaints. But the airline's performance in the first half of the year showed strong improvement from a year earlier, with revenue rising 10 percent, the airline's chief executive, Rocco Sabelli, told a news conference. He played down speculation that the airline might be forced to raise capital again in the coming months, saying there were no plans to do so. He also denied speculation that Air France-KLM planned to buy the Italian airline. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103544390744&s=6053&e=001GubjaTU6lGW5rvqn16Re8_sblrZVYwIqk9aPWDTTq1OfXDBBiSjBhV34cJDhaf9BfsMQ4oKyXRc1uZ1GmE5oVC3EiEU6asl-4C5Vchlj5Q42BIlcQ1AJNrKAQa9whDhn] Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103544390744&s=6053&e=001GubjaTU6lGXqr8M2nzNeAFrcJEddNCP_lQwFiGKsu6JXiXHFf-xgxGzJYXXkEiMGQiidtHRwbLUifNGO5JNSRIeJY7apObjN] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ailing Chicago flight diverts to Sioux Falls, SD SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -A mechanical problem forced a United flight bound for Chicago to land at Sioux Falls Regional Airport. United Flight 158 from San Francisco landed without incident around 4 a.m. Monday. No injuries were reported. Passenger Claire Carmichael told station KDLT that fire was coming out of the left engine of the jet, a Boeing 757. United spokesman Mike Trevino says the pilot decided to divert to Sioux Falls because of a mechanical problem. Trevino says he had no information about any flames from an engine. Trevino says 182 passengers were aboard, but he didn't know how many were in the flight crew. He says a replacement aircraft was sent to Sioux Falls to take the passengers on to Chicago. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Drunken passenger 'went berserk' on flight A drunken passenger 'went berserk' on a long haul flight, trying to force open an aircraft door and spitting on passengers. The businessman started drinking as soon as the plane took off and three hours into the flight his blood alcohol level was as much as five and a half times the legal driving limit, a court heard. James Green, 31, a property developer, assaulted stewards after they refused to serve him alcohol on the Thai Air flight from Bangkok to Heathrow last November. He headbutted, punched and kicked stewards while repeatedly swearing after tearing off his shirt when he was denied alcohol after the flight took off about midnight on November 12. The businessman started drinking as soon as the plane took off and three hours into the flight his blood alcohol level was as much as five and a half times the legal driving limit, a court heard. Thirteen and a half hours later he was still over the legal drink/drive limit. When crew told him he could not have any more to drink he rushed to the lavatory and emptied the bins on the floor before repeatedly slamming the door. Staff went to warn the pilot and the noise woke one sleeping passenger who saw Green dash to the back of the plane and try to prise open the rear doors. The property developer tried to go back to his own seat but slumped onto a sleeping passenger in the row behind him, before swearing and spitting at the man when he woke up and asked what was happening. Green was handed a warning letter about his behaviour, which he ripped up before trying to enter first class, where he was confronted by three female crew members. He kicked and punched at anyone who came near, headbutting one steward, before being wrestled to the ground and handcuffed by stewards and a male passenger. His legs were restrained with plastic cords but he continued to shout for an hour before falling asleep. He told police, who met the plane as it landed, that he could not remember anything that had happened. When he was arrested he said: "But I've apologised." Edward Lewis, prosecuting, told Isleworth Crown Court: "The defendant is a property developer with interests in Thailand who caused mayhem at 30,000 feet three hours into a flight from Bangkok to Heathrow. "He became so intoxicated that he tore off his shirt and went berserk, punching and kicking out when attempts were made to restrain him. "Eventually he was handcuffed, then trussed up like a chicken in a straitjacket until he lapsed into what the Crown submits an alcoholic haze." Adrian Keeling, mitigating, said Green was embarrassed and had £60,000 available in cash to offer up in compensation for the incident. The barrister said: "He is a property developer in Thailand where he has been dealing successfully for the past seven years. He spends 90 per cent of his time there. "He has a Thai partner and supports her and her extended family in a way that is culturally the norm." Sentencing Green to 11 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordering him to pay £4,800 cost and compensation, Judge Andrew McDowall said: "The brutally simple fact is that you drank much more than you are capable of handling. "Violent and drunken behaviour under any circumstances is unpleasant in public houses and bars. People can be literally thrown out and I daresay there was a school of thought that that should be extended to aircraft as well. "But as it is, when you are travelling on a long distance flight there is no escape from the kind of behaviour that you have displayed." Green pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, interfering with the performance of an aircraft crew member and two counts of common assault. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aeroflot board approves acquisition of 11 A330s Russian flag-carrier Aeroflot's board has approved an agreement to acquire 11 Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The airline says the board of directors has approved purchase of the twin-jets and adds that they would be delivered in 2011-13. Aeroflot has not disclosed an engine selection for the aircraft. It already operates 10 A330s, a mix of -200s and -300, primarily leased from AerCap, which are fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700s. These aircraft were taken originally as an interim measure before delivery of Airbus A350s to the Russian carrier. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC