Flight Safety Information September 22, 2010 - No. 197 In This Issue Tu-204 crash probe finds catalogue of operational deficiencies New EU law to take judicial pressure off accident inquiries Mandatory drink tests on pilots (India)... The Nall Report ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tu-204 crash probe finds catalogue of operational deficiencies Russian investigators have attributed the crash of a Tupolev Tu-204 at Moscow Domodedovo to the crew's failure to abort an unstable approach despite evidence that the aircraft was not on the correct course. But the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) has also catalogued a series of deficiencies at the carrier which, following the accident, was banned from operating passenger services. The aircraft had been conducting the approach in darkness and poor weather on 22 March. MAK states in its final inquiry report that the crew failed to execute a go-around at the decision height, and continued to descend "in the absence of visual contact with landmarks". Operated by Aviastar-Tu, the twin-jet was tracking some 700m (2,300ft) left of the extended centreline for much of its approach to runway 14R, before it crossed the centreline about 2km from the threshold at a height of just 45m. At a point 1.6km from the runway, and 60m to the right of the centreline, the Tu-204 hit 20m-high trees carved its way through an area of forest before coming to rest. All eight crew members, the only occupants, survived. Tests on the runway's navigation and lighting systems showed there was no technical problem. But the investigators found that the pilots had needed to cope with a failure of the flight-control computer. MAK says the crew had inadequate training to carry out an approach in the difficult conditions, and demonstrated poor management of their resources. It says that aspects of Aviastar-Tu's operations, such as planning for possible diversion due to weather, were poorly organised. MAK also discovered "serious deficiencies" with the carrier's pilot training capabilities, including simulators which did not match the characteristics of the aircraft. MAK adds that it analysed the carrier's rosters and turned up "serious violations" relating to duty times, including excessive working hours and failure to provide full rest periods at proper intervals. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=gqvqzbdab&et=1103706380419&s=6053&e=001dhaLXHA_DmYJ0kiYl3ubOwTgCz9y_5j9GhbIej3Yc55rEzVFaQUmjh8hveejJU-6U9qUALMIq1yUcj2PiI34kiTipRUfs80s] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New EU law to take judicial pressure off accident inquiries Members of the European Parliament have overwhelmingly approved new legislation on air accident investigation which aims to separate the interests of judicial authorities from those of the safety inquiry. The new law, approved by 604 votes in favour to 11 against, will ensure that the safety investigation is carried out "free of pressure" from regulatory and other authorities, says the Parliament. Statements taken from individuals by a safety investigator, as well as voice and image recordings inside cockpits and air traffic control units, will be used only for safety investigation, unless there is an "overriding reason" for judicial disclosure. "This will ensure that people can testify without fear to the safety investigators," says the Parliament. In a statement the European Commission says the passing of the legislation will "reconfirm the principle" that investigations have the "sole objective" of preventing future accidents. "While the regulation will not affect the prerogatives of the national courts and competent judicial authorities of member states, it will ensure that accident investigators have immediate access to evidence material and information which may be relevant for the improvement of aviation safety," it adds. "It will require that member states guarantee co-ordination between accident investigations and judicial proceedings." Separation of these interests is one of several changes enshrined in the new law. It requires airlines to produce a list of those on board an aircraft within two hours of an accident. Passengers will be entitled to name an individual to be informed in such an event. A list of any dangerous goods on board the aircraft will also have to be released by the airline immediately after the accident. Each member state will be required to have a civil aviation accident emergency plan and ensure that all airlines based on its territory have a plan to assist victims and relatives. European representatives are also to set up a network of civil aviation safety investigation agencies to advise European Union institutions and make safety recommendations, while the Commission will need to draft an update to air safety occurrence reporting directives by the end of next year. "New rules will allow us to improve investigations, but most importantly, better prevent accidents from happening," says European transport commissioner Siim Kallas, adding that the Commission is seeking "swift adoption" of the legislation by the European Council. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mandatory drink tests on pilots (India) New Delhi, Sept. 21: Pre-flight checks for alcohol will be mandatory for pilots and cabin crew of all flights, according to new rules framed by the aviation regulator after increasing cases of such staff reporting drunk for duty. Pilots found drunk the first time will be suspended for three months. Those who repeat the offence will lose their licence "permanently". At present, such checks are random, covering about 50-60 per cent of the domestic flights, but they are mandatory for pilots on international routes. A post-flight check on the crew, which should be done during duty hours after the passengers have disembarked, has also been proposed by the regulator, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The new rules have been notified through revisions in the Civil Aviation Requirement, 2009. If a crew member refuses to undergo the pre-flight test, he or she will be considered alcohol-positive. "Any member attempting to evade the procedure by leaving (the) airport premises before undergoing the complete test will be considered to have tested positive," the new regulations say. Last year, 42 cases of pilots reporting drunk were reported, most of them from Delhi and Mumbai airports. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC