Flight Safety Information December 28, 2010 - No. 265 In This Issue HK adapts procedures after A340 taxiway take-off inciden 'Patriot Pilot' reveals identity weeks after video rips security JAL to ax about 170 pilots, cabin attendants No compromise on air safety: Aviation minister (India DGCA to no longer probe accidents (India) Increasing Penetration of Composites in Aircraft to Drive MRO Market NTSB Releases Final Report in Austin Plane Attack LATAM Merger to Close in 2011 Philippine CAA chief resigns CAL relocates flight training centre HK adapts procedures after A340 taxiway take-off incident Air traffic controllers at Hong Kong have put in place a temporary procedural change after a Finnair Airbus A340-300 accidentally attempted to take off from a taxiway at the airport last month. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department says the flight had been taxiing towards the western end of the airport's taxiway B, and turned right towards runway 07L, during the 26 November incident. But it then made a premature right turn and lined up instead on taxiway A, which runs between the runway and taxiway B. Controllers, assisted by surface-guidance systems, noticed that the aircraft started its take-off roll on taxiway A and instructed the jet to stop. It came to a halt abeam taxiway A5, around 1.4km from the beginning of taxiway A. Civil Aviation Department investigators state that, while the take-off was attempted in darkness, the lights on the runway and both taxiways, as well as the stop-bar lights, were all serviceable. Weather was not a contributing factor, adds the department. "Review of the air traffic control radio recording showed that communication between air traffic control and [the A340] was normal with pertinent information and instructions duly acknowledged by the pilot in accordance with proper radio communication procedures," it says. While the investigation is continuing, adds the department, Hong Kong controllers have imposed a temporary procedure which involves withholding take-off clearance on runway 07L until they have confirmed the aircraft has crossed taxiway A. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top 'Patriot Pilot' reveals identity weeks after video rips security (CNN) -- After referring to himself online only as "The Patriot Pilot," a California-based aviator revealed his identity Monday and explained his crusade to expose what he described as the nation's faulty airport security. Chris Liu, 50, who has worked as a pilot for American Airlines, said he took and broadcast a video online presenting his view of San Francisco International Airport security because he "saw a potential problem," but didn't foresee the resulting uproar. "Janet Napolitano did state that if you see something, say something," he said Monday night on CNN's "AC 360," referring to the nation's Homeland Security department chief. "I think (the public) already knows (about security issues) personally." His footage, posted in late November and later removed from the popular video-sharing website YouTube, detailed his view of San Francisco International Airport security. On it, he said, "As you can seem airport security is kind of farce." On Christmas, the airport fired back deriding what it described as the pilot's "misleading" information and like-minded critics who had rallied behind him. "San Francisco International Airport is proud to both an innovator and a trendsetter in aviation security," said a statement attributed to the airport, a division of the city and county of San Francisco. "SFO meets, and in many cases, exceeds every federal security requirement." Liu said Monday that the videos, which he narrated, aim to show the contrast between the passengers, who were heavily scrutinized, and airport employees who just passed through a single door. "I wanted to show the disparity between what was going on upstairs, with the body scans, and downstairs," he said, claiming that airline and airport crew could get through airports with minimal checks and supervision. "There should be balanced and effective screening." The airport, in its statement, claimed that the pilot "presents false and misleading information." Specifically, it says that one door that Liu focused on had a "card swipe" that led only to an "employee lunchroom" -- and not to the main airfield, as the pilot suggested. The controversy is Liu's latest brush with the headlines. In July, the Sacramento home he'd owned for a year with his wife Sandra exploded while he was away on the East Coast. Four firefighters investigating a gas leak there were injured, CNN affiliate KCRA reported. Video showed Liu arriving at the destroyed home, still wearing his American Airlines uniform. The suspect in the home blast, Robert Dunst, pleaded not guilty in November to various charges including arson and burglary, according to KCRA. The pilot insisted he had no intention of making more news, though, when he snapped the cell-phone video at the northern California airport and posted it online. But afterward, hesaid that the consequences were swift and significant. A few days after he posted the videos, Liu said, the Transportation Security Administration told him he was being suspended from the Federal Flight Deck Officer program. As an officer in that program, the federal agency had deputized him, among others, to carry a handgun in the cockpit. The pilot said four air marshals and two local deputies then showed up at his home near Sacramento to personally confiscate his weapon. The only answer he could get from the security agency as to why he was suspended from the program was that he may have violated a regulation, the pilot said. The TSA said that it holds those serving as federal flight deck officers to "the highest ethical standards," and said it took action because the pilot was in the program. "(Participants in the flight deck officer program) must be able to maintain sensitive security information," said the agency's spokeswoman Sarah Horowitz. "As the issuing authority of credentials and firearms, TSA reviews each possible violation of those standards and acts accordingly up to and including removing an individual from the assigned role." Liu spoke to CNN last week, on condition of anonymity, and also championed his cause on his website, http://www.patriotpilot.com/. On it, he singles out Napolitano for not directly addressing his complaints and and rhetorically asks, "How much better could we make the system if TSA actually worked with us and not against us?" "Punishing the Patriot Pilot only serves to remind each of us that we are not free to seek redress from our Government as provided for in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," he wrote online. In its statement Saturday, San Francisco's airport defended its practices, stressing that there are variances in the security system based on various factors and that many layers of protection cannot easily be seen. "Proper and effective security requires multiple layers of systems, procedures and policies that are interlaced and constantly monitored," the airport said. "The vast majority of the widespread layers of this security program are behind the scenes and transparent to casual observers." Back to Top JAL to ax about 170 pilots, cabin attendants TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan Airlines Corp. said Tuesday it will ax about 170 pilots and flight attendants Friday as its voluntary retirement program has failed to meet a job reduction target that forms part of its revival efforts. The figure consists of about 80 pilots, 60 flight attendants and 30 employees who are on leave, the company said. JAL is restructuring under court protection. Under its rehabilitation plan approved by the Tokyo District Court, JAL is aiming to cut its head count to 32,600 by the end of March, shedding roughly 16,000 jobs, or around 30 percent of its group workforce of 48,714 on March 31, 2010, the end of last fiscal year. "I feel very sorry for those who are subject to the dismissal and their families," company President Masaru Onishi said at a news conference. "We'll aim to stand on the starting line for reconstruction and revive the company as early as possible (to keep the airline alive)," he added. As part of its workforce reduction efforts, JAL announced Nov. 15 that it will terminate the employment contracts of up to 250 pilots and flight attendants. To reduce the number of forcible dismissals, JAL has since extended the deadline for its voluntary retirement program, soliciting applications from around 110 pilots and 90 flight attendants. As a result, about 80 employees have applied for the voluntary retirement program, JAL said. Back to Top No compromise on air safety: Aviation minister (India) Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today blamed the dense fog over the national capital for flight delays and credited the authorities for handling the situation well. He said dense fog decreased the visibility below 50 metres, as a result of which even state-of-the-art ILS CAT-III B wasn't effective. "Flights cannot operate if the visibility is less than 50 metres," Patel said, emphasising his ministry would not make any compromise on air safety. On Sunday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation imposed restrictions on aircraft not equipped to land in runway visibility as low as 50 metres. "No aircraft which is non-compliant with CAT-IIIB, will come to Delhi in low visibility conditions," civil aviation secretary Naseem Zaidi said. "These aircraft will be allowed to land only after 10 am." http://www.sify.com/ Back to Top DGCA to no longer probe accidents (India) MUMBAI: Finally, India will have an independent process to investigate air accidents and serious incidents with the Civil Aviation Ministry forming a Committee of Investigations in January next year. The formation of an independent body would, among other things, mean the DGCA would also come under the scanner during probe for its policies and decisions that may have played a part in an air crash or incident. 'The Committee will be headed by a director and four other officers. With a pool of independent experts from the aviation industry, the Committee would have 15-20 members," said civil aviation secretary Dr Nasim Zaidi. Currently, DGCA officials conduct probe into most of the accidents. "The same authority cannot be the prosecutor, investigator and the judge," said Zaidi, referring to the need to keep the DGCA away from probe into accidents. In case of accidents involving major loss of life, like the Mangalore aircrash, an independent Court of Inquiry was formed for the probe. "If a Court of Inquiry is needed to be formed, the committee of investigations will co-ordinate in the matter," said Zaidi. The ministry's approval for the formation of the Committee is pending. "It would be formed in a few weeks time," he said. Meanwhile, DGCA officials will continue to investigate incidents that are not serious in nature. In the last two months, the DGCA has been trying to make the investigation process transparent. For the first time in India, investigation reports of two serious incidents were made public. The first one was the November 2009 Kingfisher Airlines ATR aircraft runway overrun accident at Mumbai airport. The second involved the Air India Express Dubai-Pune flight, which plunged several feet after the commander left the cockpit and the first officer could not handle the flight controls. However within days of making the reports public, the DGCA had to pull them off its website after several technical questions about the quality of the probe were raised by air safety experts. For instance, the DGCA investigation report called the Kingfisher Airlines case a "serious incident". Going by International Civil Aviation Organisation's definition though it was clearly an "accident". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ Back to Top Increasing Penetration of Composites in Aircraft to Drive MRO Market for Composite Components: Lucintel Estimates Market to Reach $3,041 Million by 2016 Las Colinas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/27/2010 -- The aerospace MRO market for composite components is a developing market primarily driven by increasing acceptance of composites in airframes, especially in primary aero-structures such as fuselage, wing structure, and empennage. The increasing fleet of newly acquired aircraft across the globe and greater penetration of composites in aircraft such as the Airbus A350, Airbus A380, and Boeing B787 would further aid the market and the aerospace MRO market for composite components is expected to reach $3,041 million by 2016. Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm with over thousands of clients worldwide, has analyzed the global aerospace MRO market and has now published a comprehensive research report entitled "Global Opportunities for Composites in Aerospace MRO Market 2011-2016: Trends, Forecast and Opportunity Analysis". The MRO sector in the aerospace market is highly technology driven, with both in-house and increasingly outsourced services. It is characterized by materials and components, supported by a highly skilled labor force that performs MRO activities with rapid turnaround times. According to the study, opportunities for composites in aerospace MRO can be visualized in three segments such as primary aerostructures, secondary aerostructures and engine components. The use of these materials is continuously increasing in aerostructures as well as other components, supporting future growth and enhanced opportunities in the MRO Market for composites. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience significant growth momentum for composites in the global aerospace MRO market. Furthermore, escalating competition in the industry will drive airlines, especially the low-cost carriers (LCC), to depend heavily on third- party MRO service providers in order to efficiently reduce their overall costs. Lucintel's research report analyzes the global aerospace MRO industry, detailing its background and characteristics and market trends (2005-2010). The report also puts forth a six year market forecast (2011-2016), addressing factors that will shape this growing sector. The need for MRO services for aircraft composite components is discussed and growth opportunities in this market are identified. For a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely and insightful report, please contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel provides cutting edge decision support services that help you make critical decisions with greater speed, insight and cost-efficiency. Back to Top NTSB Releases Final Report in Austin Plane Attack AP/KVUE-TV The National Transportation Safety Board has released it's final report into the Feb., 2010 crash where Joe Stack crashed his plane into an office building in Austin. Stack was believed to have a grudge against the Internal Revenue Service, who had offices in the building. Stack allegedly set fire to his home and then flew his single-engine Piper airplane into the seven- story office building on the morning of Feb. 18. The crash killed two people, including Stack and IRS worker Vernon Hunter, and ultimately damaged the building to such a degree that it had to be completely gutted and rebuilt -- a process that is ongoing. After the attack, Stack's adult daughter, Samantha Bell, told ABC's "Good Morning America" the plane attack was "inappropriate," but she still praised his anti-government and anti-tax views. She said her father was not a hero for taking a life, but rather because of his actions "maybe people will listen." The NTSB's report is below: On February 18, 2010, approximately 0958 Central Standard Time, N2889D, a Piper PA-28-236 single-engine airplane, was destroyed after the pilot intentionally flew it into the side of an office building in Austin, Texas. The private pilot and an employee who worked in the building were killed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the Georgetown Municipal Airport (GTU), Georgetown, Texas, at 0944. Preliminary review of air traffic control communications and radar data revealed that after the pilot was cleared for take off from Georgetown Airport, he proceeded southbound and climbed to an altitude of 4,800 feet. During this time, a controller approved a radio frequency change and the pilot responded, "Eight niner delta thanks for your help have a great day." No further communications were made with the pilot. At 0954, the airplane was observed on radar descending out of 4,800 feet and making a turn toward the west. At 0957, the airplane was last observed on radar at an altitude of 1,000 feet on a southwesterly heading before the data ended. The airplane collided with the office building between the first and second floors, and exploded on impact. The airplane's engine, two (of three) propeller blades, and the right wing came to rest outside of the building. The empennage came to rest on the ledge of the building and was partially hanging over the edge. The left wing, portions of the fuselage, and a propeller blade, were found inside the building on the second floor. The flaps were found in the fully retracted position. The airplane was destroyed by impact and the post-impact fire. The weather at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin Texas, at 0953, was reported as calm wind, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 9 degrees Celsius, dew point 1 degree Celsius, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.24. As this event was an intentional act, the FBI has assumed jurisdiction and control of the investigation. Back to Top LATAM Merger to Close in 2011 The merger between LAN Airlines S.A. (LFL - Snapshot Report) and TAM S.A. (TAM - Analyst Report), announced on August 2010, is expected to close by the mid of fiscal 2011. The merger is christened as LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (LATAM). On conclusion of the merger, LAN will become the parent company with a 73% stake in TAM and shareholders of TAM will receive 0.9 shares of LATAM for each share of TAM. It will be an all-stock transaction of approximately $2.7 billion. The merger is expected to provide annual synergies of approximately $400 million, out of which approximately $133 million will be realized in the first year of the close of transaction and $267 million in the next two years. Passengers and cargo customers of both companies will benefit from the increase in the number of flights, destinations and connections. LAN will benefit from the geographical diversification. Moreover, LAN is well positioned to benefit from the global economic recovery, particularly from the emerging economies in Latin America. The economic growth in the emerging markets will be higher than the developed markets. These markets have considerably boosted passenger traffic both domestically and internationally, and would continue to do so in future. LAN's continuous fleet expansion and renewal program are also expected to fetch profitable returns in future. Recently, LAN signed a memorandum of understanding for buying 50 modern Airbus A320 family aircraft to be delivered between 2012 and 2016. It has also signed an agreement with The Boeing Co. (BA - Analyst Report) for five 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft in 2012 in addition to ten Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners announced in March 2010. During the third quarter of fiscal 2010, LAN recorded a 14.2% increase in passenger traffic and 19.0% in cargo traffic. The primary reason for this increase was the new routes to United States, Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean together with improving economic conditions. Traffic also increased in the first two months of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 with 16.0% in October 2010 and 11.2% in November 2010. During October, domestic traffic grew 11.9% and international traffic went up by 17.7% year over year. Cargo traffic shot up 18.5% year over year based on higher imports into Latin America and increased operations to Europe with the Boeing 777-200 freighter fleet. During November 2010, domestic and International traffic grew 7.4% and 12.9%, respectively, with 9.6% increase in cargo traffic. http://www.zacks.com/ Back to Top Philippine CAA chief resigns The head of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has quit less than a year after being appointed, in a move said to be ignited by political pressure. Alfonso Cusi has stepped down as director-general, and the Philippine government has appointed deputy director-general Ramon S. Gutierrez as officer-in-charge, say CAAP officials. It is not clear yet if Gutierrez will be promoted to director-general, they add. Attempts to contact Cusi were unsuccessful. Cusi, a former general manager of Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport, was appointed director-general of the CAAP in March. His appointment was made before Philippine president Benigno Aquino came into power. The Philippine government had reportedly wanted to replace Cusi for some time, following an earlier disagreement between him and the government over the appointment of new officials to the CAAP in November. Cusi and the government were also blaming each other for the country's poor aviation safety ratings in Europe and the USA, say reports. The Philippines is under pressure to improve its aviation safety, after Philippine carriers were banned from operating in the European Union in March, shortly after Cusi took over. Airlines from the country are also disallowed from expanding existing capacity in the USA, after the Philippines was downgraded to a Category Two safety rating by the FAA in 2007. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top CAL relocates flight training centre Taiwan's China Airlines (CAL) has completed the relocation of its flight training centre from Taipei's Songshan Airport to the airline's new headquarters at Taoyuan Airport. The carrier began the move eight months ago, where it began disassembling equipment and relocating them. CAL has moved six simulators and two flight training devices used for Boeing 747-400, 737-800, 747-400 freighter, Airbus A340/A330, A330-200 and A300- 600R freighter training, as well as several computers, workstations and related equipment. All of the equipment has resumed operation, says the carrier. The facility trains CAL pilots and is frequently used for training by other international carriers including EVA Air, Japan Airlines, Air Macau, Vietnam Airlines, and Federal Express. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC