Flight Safety Information July 23, 2010 - No. 145 In This Issue Delta Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Atlanta Northwest Airlines found to violate FAA rules New supersonic passenger jet set for takeoff Cockpit technology aids aviation efficiency drive FAA: 2 killed in Okla. medical helicopter crash Mark R. Rosekind Sworn In as NTSB Member MWMO COMPANIES, INC FSI Journal - Safety Culture ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puzzle [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY2nd2H9R3ukgrxHh-jDOvSF6SZ7mqsNU8d22ZRRlidSfGwMuFn2jtcr_9D2_rRzqIs4QNyH42--xEeX6Lp3UGRuM2_d_m6vkfL4RIxMdixC0w==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Delta Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Atlanta Boeing 737 Headed to Portland Turned Around Because of Blown Tire; (CBS) A Delta flight has returned to Atlanta and made an emergency landing without incident because of a blown tire. Delta flight 1747 was bound for Portland, Ore. The Boeing 737-800 took off around noon and turned around because of the tire problem. It was in a holding pattern to burn off fuel for more than an hour before landing around 3 p.m. It was not immediately known how many people were on board the flight. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Northwest Airlines found to violate FAA rules A federal investigation finds Northwest Airlines violated FAA safety directives The investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel corroborates a whistleblower The whistleblower alleged the carrier did not have adequate policies and procedures (CNN) -- Northwest Airlines violated more than 1,000 Federal Aviation Administration safety directives, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has found, substantiating complaints of an FAA whistleblower. Northwest, now merged with Delta Airlines, engaged in "systemic non-compliance with FAA Airworthiness Directives," the investigation concluded, referring to government rules designed to remedy an unsafe or potentially unsafe condition. "Despite Northwest's history of Airworthiness Directive non-compliance," the Office of Special Counsel said, "FAA inspectors continued to work collaboratively with Northwest to resolve deficiencies, and closing enforcement cases primarily by issuing letters of correction rather than seeking civil penalties." Whistleblower Mark Lund of the FAA's former Northwest inspection office in Bloomington, Minnesota, alleged that the carrier did not have adequate policies and procedures in place in 2008 to ensure compliance with safety regulations. "The investigation substantiated Mr. Lund's allegations," wrote Associate Special Counsel William Reukauf in a letter to President Baracl Obama. In response to the findings, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has established a review team to oversee the carrier's compliance. The FAA also proposed disciplinary action against two Northwest managers. The FAA released a statement Thursday saying that the agency "has taken corrective action on the issues identified in the whistleblower complaint and is continuing to monitor compliance." Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New supersonic passenger jet set for takeoff Plane will help travelers break sound barrier for first time since 2003 Supersonic passenger travel was grounded in 2003 when British Airways and Air France cancelled their transatlantic Concorde service because of falling revenues and rising maintenance costs. The Aerion Supersonic Business Jet promises to help travelers break the sound barrier again. Named after a fleet-of-foot horse in Greek mythology, the Aerion Supersonic Business Jet will be able to carry a dozen passengers at speeds of up to Mach 1.5 for more than 4,000 miles. It is currently undergoing proof-of-concept aerodynamic testing of critical components in NASA wind tunnels and under the belly of a NASA F-15 supersonic jet. This Aerion SBJ will make it possible to fly from Paris to New York in four hours and 14 minutes, shaving three hours off the trip compared to conventional jets. And even in the United States, where supersonic flight is banned because of Federal Aviation Administration sonic boom restrictions, the jet will be able to fly at a high subsonic speed of Mach 0.98 because of its unique, patented wing design, reducing coast-to-coast travel by 41 minutes vs. conventional aircraft. Design breakthrough The Aerion SBJ's wing represents a breakthrough in supersonic design and is the key to why the jet will be able to avoid the fate of the Concorde. Drag - the resistance caused by air as an airplane flies though it - is the enemy of speed and the enemy of economical operation. The Aerion SBJ's magic sauce is the use of supersonic natural laminar flow (SNLF) technology in the design of the wing. SNLF reduces drag. "It is the enabling technology that enables the (Aerion) to economically fly at both high subsonic speeds as well as supersonic, "said Brian Barents, vice chairman of Aerion. "The effect is a substantially reduced drag on the airframe. It sets a new frontier of high speed flight with very economical performance." If you look at the straight wings of the new jet and those on the Lockheed F-104 "missile with a man in it" of the late '50s and early '60s you'll see a family resemblance. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY3fYEU3RCG9KbtyHs2C85ueGzmip40P5LW-kma4Bq41lzlQFcurXI4TzBAlUTvu5qHvTvQ-iC1YFMtOoOAcubr2lJVSIzRzjT5IHGY-NbUfzQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cockpit technology aids aviation efficiency drive ABOVE THE ENGLISH CHANNEL (AP) - Flying over the white cliffs of Dover, the two pilots of a Gulfstream 450 jet keep their eyes glued to a flight-deck display, ignoring the almost cloudless sky over the southern coast of England on their descent to a nearby runway. Honeywell International Inc. pilot John Tuten and his co-pilot Paul Mrocka are testing what the U.S. aviation company calls the "cockpit of the future" - designed not just to improve safety but to boost fuel efficiency as well. The new cockpit does that by aiding pilot vision, enabling a straighter, shorter path and less time burning fuel. Instead of conventional screens filled with technical data that pilots have to interpret, the company's Synthetic Vision System converts the data into a three-dimensional "virtual" view of what's outside. The graphical representation of the surrounding terrain, nearby aircraft and runway approaches means that even in zero visibility - in thick cloud, complete darkness or fog - the pilot should be able to see where he's going just as easily as if flying conditions were perfect. Combined with Honeywell's smart landing technology, which alerts crew if an approach is unstable or at a risky angle, that means faster landings and take-offs - getting planes in and out of the air quicker. The goal is simple, says Carl Esposito, Honeywell vice president for marketing and product development. "If you want to reduce emissions, what you need to do is fly less - so the faster you get to where you're going, the more direct you fly, the less emissions," Esposito says as the jet heads back to Farnborough airport, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of central London. Both the rising cost of fuel and demand for more environmentally-friendly flying are putting pressure on the aviation industry to come up with advances. Aircraft makers and technology companies are battling each other to bring ever more efficiency to the market after pledging last year to cut emissions to 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The issue has become so urgent that organizers at this week's Farnborough International Airshow - the industry's premier event - devoted one of its five days to environmental issues. And the star of the biennial show outside London was Boeing Co.'s 787 jetliner, a plane that the Chicago-based company says will use 20 percent less fuel when it enters service later this year, thanks to the lightweight composite materials that make up its frame instead of the traditional aluminium and titanium. "Airlines are saying to us, we want less noise, we want the same speed, we want the range, but we want the environmental performance," Boeing's chief technology officer John J. Tracy said when he updated the industry on the long-delayed 787's progress this week. In the next few years, both Boeing and arch rival Airbus expect to roll out new turbofan engines which promise 10-15 percent better performance, while Canadian plane maker Bombardier is marketing its C-Series single-aisle jet as a fuel-efficient alternative to the current duopoly's offerings. The spotlight is now turning to additions to the plane's frame - the technology that goes aboard the lightweight aircraft to streamline efficiency gain even further. Honeywell expects to roll out its cockpit technology, currently only available on business and executive jets, to commercial airlines over the next year. "It's just one of a number of products offered by technology providers in the aviation industry, and with all the implications that cockpit technology has for safety and cost efficiency, it's no surprise that providers are fighting for a share of the marketplace," says Aviation Week analyst Ed Hazelwood. "I think the new technology in all of the new aircraft helps the pilots a lot in terms of the amount of workload that they have to do when they're flying the aircraft," he adds. "So when the airplanes can give them the data and the information, and convert that data into information so that they can action on it, that's going to make it a lot easier for the pilot to fly the aircraft safely and efficiently." The Honeywell technology also aids attempts to integrate air traffic control systems in Europe and end the current criss-crossing - and fuel burning - routes that planes must currently fly over the Continent. It could also reduce the amount of time they spend in so-called "stacking," or holding patterns as they wait to land. Analysts say those two measures could improve efficiency on some routes by 10-20 percent. Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY2zHrrsn8YPdsmvWVcY7QngZVZ0Pszn4IeaxxM7yweRw8agKUwsOGCBmASSGIfeigCV8b_4GeYqzszy7C4kRq2R] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA: 2 killed in Okla. medical helicopter crash KINGFISHER, Okla. (AP) - Authorities say at least two people are dead after a medical helicopter crashed in a central Oklahoma field. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says the Eagle Med helicopter had left Oklahoma City's Integris Baptist Medical Center and was on its way to pick up a patient when it crashed about 8 p.m. Thursday. Lunsford didn't know the helicopter's destination. It crashed near Kingfisher, which is about 50 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. Lunsford says he doesn't know how many people were on board the aircraft but that another medical helicopter had been dispatched to the scene. ****** Date: 22-JUL-2010 Time: 8 pm Type: Eurocopter AS350 Operator: EagleMed Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Near Kingfisher, Oklahoma - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The helicopter was on itīs way to pick up a patient when it crashed. Two occupants were killed. The third occupant was hospitalized. www.aviation-safety.net [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY2iN3jvDkjjouzs2UWkXTPFaAv1e4TuM4VMuo9NR1NcSrzp8QbcItp4ZfQuXDiSq2yhgPjVEjZSA4OxEGKhBIl-GM9-Iwm4g6bAoh38gTX96XdGXkbu63un] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark R. Rosekind Sworn In as NTSB Member Mark R. Rosekind, PhD, took the oath of office as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Rosekind is an internationally recognized fatigue expert who has conducted research and implemented programs in diverse settings, including all modes of transportation, health care, law enforcement, and elite athlete and military groups. Prior to joining the board, Rosekind was president and chief scientist of Alertness Solutions, a scientific consulting firm in Cupertino, Calif, 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, Rosekind was the director of the Center for Human Sleep Research at the Stanford University Sleep Disorders and Research Center. His term as a member of the NTSB expires December 31, 2014. http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/news/2010-07-22_06.asp [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY0nKKskF5hEqqo9UyP2mCpRCxRfPrrzB_yL0SATL5JcQ0W04Ve_kFrV3383DhDDXeR_-1OBNH2F0ceIxl411pU3e05B4H5zfJYXbtm_e3xATGp0wd2zMIks33_2E-7Ezzl5Bji3Nudux3qAOMQa6NHF] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MWMO COMPANIES, INC. 7622 Overland Trail Delaware, Ohio 43015 Phone (614) 425-6679 Phone (614) 216-0616 info@mwmoco.com Press Release Contact: Michael Watkins Michael D. Orr Email: mlw@mwmoco.com [mailto:mlw@mwmoco.com] mdorr@mwmoco.com [mailto:mdorr@mwmoco.com] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1 P.M. EDT, July 22, 2010 aerospace CONSULTING services company formed DELAWARE, OH, JULY 20, 2010: MWMO Companies, Inc., providing service with exceptional integrity and talent based on experience within the aerospace industry was established January 20, 2010. "Our aim is promoting safety within the industry and helping improve internal oversight capability for aerospace organizations by partnering with companies, on a long term basis, to ensure proper safety, quality, compliance, and effective cost solutions", says co-owner Michael Watkins. MWMO Companies, Inc. services include: Aircraft pre-buy/pre-sale records review, oversight of aircraft while in maintenance, on-demand air carrier and repair station audits, and assistance with Safety Management System Program (SMS) implementation. Co-owner Michael Orr says, "We are committed within the aerospace industry to help improve quality, oversight and relationships while lowering the economic impact. Based on our combined expertise of 60 years, over two-thirds of that experience obtained from the world's largest fractional ownership company, we can help increase performance, safety and cost savings of companies utilizing our services." For more information, contact MWMO Companies at (614) 425-6679, or by email at info@mwmoco.com. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ culture [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103580191868&s=6053&e=001s4JgPtO_ZY1RKrQYVxGcwgukkXstaB0w1qNf0K6Ujt1XzxdK-a0FwGzCiB4ViprqdEwJqGU7KOTtP5_Ix5ZijqF72BqOgeLxgRaUwLNLRblv-wrXCDLQRPjt-EdnN2pHRutbCpd1umGzxjP-BFJPDw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC