Flight Safety Information July 13, 2010 - No. 137 In This Issue Jet makes emergency landing in Aleutians Jet makes emergency landing in Casper 400 Canada Geese Killed for Air Safety Reasons Arik Air (Nigeria)...gets certificate to operate direct flight to US SRA International unit awarded $57M FAA contract American Airlines' alliance may win antitrust OK from Europeans NTSB to declare likely cause of December 2008 crash off DIA runway Lockheed Martin introduces upgrades to enhance ADS-B data ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jet makes emergency landing in Aleutians ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - An American Airlines jet made an emergency landing on a remote island in Alaska's Aleutians after a fire warning light malfunctioned, the airline said Monday. Flight 175, traveling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Tokyo, landed safely at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, said Tim Smith, a spokesman for American. The island base has a 10,000-foot runway. It turned out there was no fire, despite the warning light from a cargo compartment of the Boeing 777. Smith said the 197 passengers were evacuated while cargo was removed. No injuries were reported. Once on the treeless, tundra-carpeted island, the mood among the passengers ranged from fear to the thrill of such an experience in the middle of nowhere, said Maj. Spencer T. Van Meter, 611th Air Support Squadron commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. He also described passengers as "very happy and appreciative." The jet later flew to Anchorage, arriving Monday. Smith said another jet will bring a new crew and depart Anchorage for Tokyo on Tuesday. The Coast Guard said it initially was told the plane was on fire. Petty Officer Chris Gauthier said a C-130 was on standby on Kodiak Island, but it was not used. American plans an internal investigation and has notified the Federal Aviation Administration. Smith said all signs point to a faulty indicator system. "This is extremely rare but not at all unprecedented," he said. The jet's fire suppression system was activated after the warning light went on in the cockpit, according to Smith. Since the system was used, the flight was prohibited from continuing to Tokyo with its cargo load without suppression chemicals on board. The luggage was left at Shemya, on the western tip of the Aleutians, and the jet flew about 1,500 miles to Anchorage instead of heading for Tokyo some 2,000 miles away. Passengers were placed in hotels, and the luggage was being retrieved. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jet makes emergency landing in Casper CASPER - An emergency landing of an American Airlines 767 jet brought in an extra 192 passengers to the Casper/Natrona County International Airport today. The jet was on its way from San Francisco to JFK Airport in New York City on a nonstop flight. But after the pilots experienced smoke in the cockpit, they decided they needed to land, according to Glenn Januska, airport manager. The plane landed without incident at about 11 a.m. It was kept at a distance from the terminal, so the passengers stayed on the plane until they were able to board a shuttle bus that could transport 20 people at a time to take them to the terminal. Janis Cooke Newman from San Francisco told the Wyoming Business Report that before the landing, the flight attendants taught the passengers how to assume the crash position and told them they would have to take off their glasses and high heels, in case they had to use the escape slide. Admitting she was nervous, Newman said she and her boyfriend, Chris Hardy, were sitting in the exit row and might have to take the appropriate actions. The pilots didn't say much about the emergency, which made some passengers more upset, making one woman hyperventilate, Hardy said. However, the landing was smooth and they didn't have to take the crash position. The previously quiet passengers gave a round of applause, Newman said. While they waited for emergency crews and public safety officers to allow them off the plane, she said passengers were given beverages. Once they got to the terminal, most were pretty relaxed and were served food brought in by The Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Food Bank of Wyoming. John Potter, part of The Salvation Army's disaster team, said the cooking unit that is fully equipped was on the scene and ready to serve a hot meal within an hour of the notice of need. Newman said, "Everyone was really nice; it was something we were not expecting." Hardy pointed out that The Salvation Army treated them better than the airlines because American wouldn't even provide them with lunch. "A smaller town/airport couldn't have handled this, and a larger city wouldn't even offer something like this," Januska said about the great response from the agencies bringing in and serving the food. In the meantime, since there is no American Airline operation in Casper, passengers didn't know or couldn't find out anything about making connections, rearranging their schedules, etc. At about 1 p.m., an announcement was made that the plane was safe for travel again. The plane eventually was taxied closer to the terminal. The 192 passengers, many of whom had never been to Wyoming, got back in line for what hopefully would be a nonstop flight to New York. http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=52489 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqhD9y0_9FA7uFMlcuQUelvVwK1BiAmPcAmkkYozQl1eBfDdkX4INbnQ7DHWsobuvtJSeBCZrmq17QuGiM3WOxx259moM_-yJF1WfdwANincSdUq1J8jfNnD_vRvdTmgo27nKpqgDulBCkouFElztpKC] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 400 Canada Geese Killed for Air Safety Reasons Mass Euthanization of Geese a Step in Goal of Clearing Geese Within 7 Miles of JFK and LaGuardia Airports (CBS/ AP) Parkgoers who spend a lot of time in Brooklyn's Prospect Park noticed something different in recent days: All the Canada Geese who live in the park are gone, according to a story in the New York Times. The Times reports that the geese, 400 in total, were rounded up Thursday and euthanized. The idea is to prevent the geese from flying into aircraft in the manner that forced US Airways flight 1549 to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009. A spokeswoman for the wildlife services division in the Department of Agriculture told the Times that the Canada goose population had quadrupled in 20 years and the removal and euthanization of the birds was completely necessary. http://www.cbsnews.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqgos9XTmwjXfQi3c4-IBX-wDoychNL8af_yKmV_FbfW8uQ0zs-w-WLMXTrY7xlgM6bNpSsIvwp7h9Rmb3ZKULVpw0ozCcNy4hYwqZAFK8pBlg==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arik Air (Nigeria) gets certificate to operate direct flight to US Arik Air yesterday became the first Nigerian airline to obtain United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (US-FAA) Air Operator's Certificate that will enable it operate direct flights between Nigeria and US. Before now, Nigerian airlines operating direct flights into the US used foreign registered aircraft, which oversight functions are done by the country of registration. This was because Nigerian airlines and Nigerian registered airplanes not certified by the US - FAA were deemed not safe by US aviation authorites. Presently, Arik flies direct to New York but with wet leased aircraft (aircraft with foreign registration and crew), an operation that carries with it huge financial implications. But with the new development, the airline will begin to use its own crew and aircraft registered in Nigeria when the country finally gets Category One. The certification also brings Nigeria closer to the Category One status which will enable the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) certified crew and airplane to fly into the US as well as an endorsement for Nigerian aviation safety, security and regulation. Harold Demuren, director general of the NCAA, in company of FAA officials while presenting the Air Operators Certification (AOC) to Arik Air on Monday in Lagos said in line with Federal Government's new safety reform agenda for the country's aviation, Arik Air has passed the safety audit while the country has passed the sixth stage of the FAA Category One out of the eight critical elements. He said the next stage, the seventh, which is the mock exercise will be conducted by the end of this month when the airline will fly one of its big aircraft to operate 50 hours flight to demonstrate that it has met all the requirements of the FAA. "This is a major achievement in the history of Nigeria's aviation. We have been on this journey for the past three years when we put before us a challenge that we will attain the Category One status. We are moving close to the end of the audit", he said. He said the airline has since submitted 58 safety manuals to the FAA to show the state of preparedness for the safety audit. "Every Nigerian airline will go through this process, we will not disappoint Nigeria. Our determination and commitment is total and we want Nigeria to join the premier league in aviation", the nation's chief aviation regulator said. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqir3E3P-mVKmgnMHf5oKe4uWDLb5B0IyVs4QVPymcJyvuX2AgBoyCLa8Hjio5DkAk8Sc7r5T4m_BYoAzR3UnZM59PWDXa9VzYsxdb07NFYP3LhmbCmvuyJO] http://www.businessdayonline.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqir3E3P-mVKmgnMHf5oKe4uWDLb5B0IyVs4QVPymcJyvuX2AgBoyCLa8Hjio5DkAk8Sc7r5T4m_BYoAzR3UnZM59PWDXa9VzYsxdb07NFYP3LhmbCmvuyJO] Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqiiqNQOe3s0ta_t1xL4g61x14ekAmLGtrBltsv1g0FSrRhXwHmxeGlzHcMOaDxTTc-N8WqW3aOZZsjSL_0IQoXd] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SRA International unit awarded $57M FAA contract FAIRFAX, Va.(AP) - SRA International Inc. on Monday said a subsidiary was awarded a $57 million contract by the Federal Aviation Administration. The company's Systems Research and Applications Corporation won the five-year deal to provide research and development services to the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. The work will involve the areas of airport pavement design and testing; aircraft rescue and fire fighting; wildlife hazards; bird strike mitigation, and runway surface technology. SRA will also provide services in airport capacity analysis and planning, visual guidance and lighting technologies and materials testing. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Airlines' alliance may win antitrust OK from Europeans this week American AirlinesInc. and its allies may finally win approval this week to form a closer partnership with exemption from antitrust laws. American and four of its partners in the Oneworld global airline alliance - British AirwaysPLC, Iberia, Finnair Oyj and Royal JordanianAirlines - are seeking antitrust immunity to work together more closely on operations and marketing. In addition, American, British Airways and Iberia are seeking permission to form a joint business arrangement that would allow them to jointly coordinate schedules, set pricing, market flights, offer frequent-flier benefits and otherwise collaborate. Reuters reported Friday that the European Commissionwas expected to take up the application today. The Wall Street Journal also reported that in its own story posted on its website Monday. An insider has told The Dallas Morning News that a decision is more likely to come Wednesday. An American Airlines spokesman declined to comment Monday afternoon. A decision on their separate application with the U.S. Department of Transportation is expected this month,, perhaps also this week. Since the parties filed their application with the Department of Transportation in August 2008, British Airways and Iberia have agreed to merge. That proposal is still before regulators. The applicants have argued that they need the ability to work together to put them on par with the other two major alliances - SkyTeam, led by Delta Air LinesInc. and Air FranceKLM, and the Star Alliance, led by United AirlinesInc. and LufthansaGerman Airlines. Both SkyTeam and Star have had antitrust immunity across the North Atlantic for years, and the Star Alliance recently added Continental Airlines Inc. to its lineup. But Virgin Atlantic AirwaysLtd., which is not a member of any of the three alliances, has vigorously fought the latest proposal, as it had two previous applications filed by American and British Airways. Virgin has warned that American and British Airways already control too much of London Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest airport for international passengers. Approving the alliance would increase their concentration and be anti-competitive, Virgin has argued in its filings on the case. In a preliminary decision Feb. 13, the DOT said the applicants would have to give up a few landing and takeoff slots at Heathrow to win final approval. Separately, the applicants had proposed some concessions on trans-Atlantic routes to the European Commission. http://www.dallasnews.com/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB to declare likely cause of December 2008 crash off DIA runway Continental Flight 1404 lies off a DIA runway on Dec. 21, 2008, after it crashed while trying to take off amid a reported 31 mph crosswind. All 110 passengers and five crew members survived. Continental Airlines passenger John Wilson recalled the moment at Denver International Airport 18 months ago when Flight 1404, a Boeing 737-500, went off the left side of runway 34 Right during takeoff and bounced over uneven terrain before coming to a rest with the fuselage cracked in half and the plane's right side on fire. "We launched off of the berm and lost the engine and landing gear. Pure chaos. Like a bad roller coaster with lots of screaming," Wilson said of the Dec. 20, 2008, crash. "My 8-year-old son had the window seat and the window popped out in his lap and the fan/light unit fell onto me and then him. He calmly asked if I could get the debris off of him and unbuckle his seat belt so he could get off the plane," said Wilson, who was traveling to Houston with his wife and son for a family gathering. On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board will identify the probable cause of the crash and make safety recommendations gleaned from the agency's 1 1/2-year investigation. All 110 passengers and five crew members escaped from the burning jet, but 37 were injured. Capt. David Butler, who was piloting the plane on takeoff, and at least five passengers were seriously hurt. Butler and First Officer Chad Levang were attempting a takeoff "in strong and gusty crosswind conditions," NTSB said, and wind could well be a factor as the agency identifies the accident's cause. Before they taxied to the runway, Butler and Levang had received data showing winds at DIA were "at 270 degrees and 11 knots" - that is, from the west at about 13 miles per hour. Yet as they approached 34 Right - a north-south runway - an air traffic controller in the tower at DIA told the flight crew "that winds were 270 degrees at 27 knots (31 mph) and cleared them for takeoff," according to a factual report on the accident that NTSB released last year. "The controller's wind report surprised the flight crew because it was higher than the wind reported" earlier, NTSB said. Both pilots "raised their ears" because of the discrepancy in wind reports, but for a dry runway, a 27-knot crosswind "was within limits" and they continued with takeoff preparations, according to NTSB interviews with the pilots. Investigators asked Butler to characterize the difficulty of taking off with "winds 270 at 27 knots." "He stated that on a scale of 1-10, the difficulty of handling it while performing a smooth takeoff so that people would not notice was 7 out of 10," the NTSB said. "Mr. Butler said that if he had been concerned about the safety of the takeoff, he would have changed runways." In describing the takeoff, Butler reported, "It was like someone had put their hand on the tail of the airplane and weathervaned it to the left," according to the interview. At Tuesday's meeting of NTSB's board, the agency is expected to review the performance of Butler and Levang as well as evacuation actions taken by flight attendants and two off-duty pilots who were traveling as passengers on Flight 1404. NTSB also will likely analyze the condition of the jet's mechanical systems and assess the actions of air traffic controllers and emergency personnel who responded to the crash. An accident in which all survive is especially useful to NTSB because post-crash interviews with crew members and passengers can help investigators prepare the "human performance" and "survival factors" portions of their report. Continental pilot Richard Lowe was in seat 8D on Flight 1404, hitching a ride back to the airline's Houston hub, and he told NTSB investigators that after the crash, "there was a tremendous confluence of passengers trying to exit through the overwing exit. Five people were trying to get out for every one that got out. No one wanted to be second." Also recalling the evacuation, Wilson said, "We all knew the plane was on fire. In fact, with the electricity off in the plane, we could only see by the orange glow of the fire. Every window on the right side was orange. Yet most people were calm and waited to exit." "There were a few yahoos, as a couple of people jumped over seats and cut in line and one guy clogged the aisle by trying to get his luggage from the overhead," Wilson added. "Some people screamed and folks pushed a bit, but no one got trampled. I was surprised people behaved as well as they did. Many helped others. "The wing was covered in jet fuel, so everyone was slipping on the wing. We helped many folks off of the ground who had slipped on the wing. Fortunately, the wing was close to the ground because the landing gear and engine were gone. Our situation would have been very different if the left wing had caught on fire as well." http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_15488059 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103560738034&s=6053&e=001Bx8pYIOCpqigzpktCD1Y3Si26VjizuFxSczJfEoA_H7PExP5Dn0xAees9LNbU0rDpP2Ixu116ovEc2d6wk9JwWSIpwNPkcCdWx4orNU9-Newci6a2mbUvpLaUTcI5I5dgiQ-6lw8reCkwVYRMRQ3vg==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lockheed Martin introduces upgrades to enhance ADS-B data Lockheed Martin has delivered enhancements to the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) navigational aid supporting the FAA's next generation air traffic control (NextGen) system. The upgrades are part of task orders defined in the ADS-B segment one schedule designed by FAA's surveillance and broadcast services office. Enhancements introduced by Lockheed Martin are the microprocessor en route automated tracking system (Micro-Earts) and the common automated radar terminal system (Arts). The FAA has also introduced its own upgrades to the host system in Houston that are helping to improve situational awareness between pilots and air traffic controllers in Alaska, Louisville, Kentucky and the Gulf of Mexico. Each upgraded system combines surveillance reports from multiple sensors that include traditional radars and ADS-B into a single track to provide air traffic controllers with improved aircraft position and velocity estimates. Beginning in April of this year controllers in Alaska started using ADS-B for traffic separation through Mirco-Earts to enhance ADS-B coverage in the region. At Louisville, an upgrade in November 2009 to common arts was part of a task work order that resulted in the airport becoming the first FAA facility to use fused ADS-B track data for aircraft surveillance in a fully operational air traffic control situation, says Lockheed Martin. "By completing these platform upgrades, our NextGen team is helping pilots and controllers gain better situational awareness in airspace over open water, such as the Gulf of Mexico, and mountainous terrain, such as Alaska, where weather conditions can change rapidly," says Mike Marsili, director of Terminal, Surface, Flight Services and Airline Solutions for Lockheed Martin. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC