De: Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC [john@fsinfo.ccsend.com] de la part de Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC [curt@curt-lewis.com] Envoyé: samedi 8 janvier 2011 20:29 À: fgae@club-internet.fr Objet: Flight Safety Information [January 7, 2011] [No. 007] Having trouble viewing this email? Click here Flight Safety Information Flight Safety Information January 9, 2011 - No. 007 In This Issue Shift in the magnetic north pole forces airport runway closure FAA Proposes $330,000 Civil Penalty Against Heli-Dudes Air Force May Discipline Pilots In Football Flyover Regional jet with engine trouble lands safely in Madison US Airways Conn.-bound flight safely lands in NY Passengers overpower would-be hijacker on Turkish Airlines flight FAA Finalizes Enhanced Structural Checks of Boeing 737 and 757 Jets Shift in the magnetic north pole forces airport runway closure The magnetic north pole is currently drifting toward Russia at a rate of around 40 miles per year, which has forced Tampa International Airport to close its primary runway to adjust its signage. Pilots depend on the earth's magnetic fields to navigate, making the precise numbering of runways essential. "You want to be absolutely precise in your compass heading," Paul Takemoto, a spokesman for the FAA told Fox news. He added that, although the earth's magnetic poles are constantly in flux, it is rare for an airport to have to close its runways to adjust numbering. A pole shift of around 3 degrees is necessary for airport runway numbering to be effected and it is unclear how many other airport in the US or the world may have to make necessary changes. The magnetic poles are not constant and can even flip entirely, as they did around 780,000 years ago. Tampa International is due to have its main runway open again on January 13th. http://story.birminghamstar.com Back to Top FAA Proposes $330,000 Civil Penalty Against Heli-Dudes Helicopter Tour Company Allegedly Not Authorized For Sightseeing Trips The FAA has proposed a $330,000 civil penalty against Heli-Dudes LLC, of Salt Lake City, for allegedly operating sightseeing helicopter rides for hire when it was not authorized to do so, a violation of Federal Aviation Regulations. The FAA alleges that Heli-Dudes did not have an FAA operating certificate or letter of authorization when it conducted 30 sightseeing flights for hire between Feb. 6 and Feb 14, 2010, using a Robinson R- 22, a two-seat, piston engine-powered helicopter. The FAA denied two Heli-Dudes applications for a Letter of Authorization in January and March, 2010. The first denial was because the company submitted the wrong employee drug-testing certificate. The second denial came because Heli-Dudes conducted for- hire flights when it was not authorized to do so. Heli-Dudes has 30 days from receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency. FMI: www.faa.gov Back to Top Air Force May Discipline Pilots In Football Flyover Four Jets Took Part In Iowa/Ohio State Pre-Game Display The Air Force is still making a determination as to whether to discipline four pilots who participated in a pre-game flyover before the November 20th Iowa/Ohio State football game in Des Moines. An Air Force spokeswoman said that the incident is still under review. The Associated Press reports that the jets were observed flying at an altitude that appeared to be only slightly higher than the press box and score board, which is 137 feet tall. Air Force rules stipulate an altitude of 1,000 feet over the highest object a populated area that is within 2,000 feet of the aircraft. The flyover involved four T-38C Talons, according to a December report in the Des Moines Register. The Air Force does make allowances for a waiver of the 1,000 foot rule which lowers the floor to 500 feet. No waiver was reportedly issued for the Nov. 20 event. FMI: www.af.mil Back to Top Regional jet with engine trouble lands safely in Madison; was flying from Minneapolis to Ohio MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A twin-engine regional jet has landed safely at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison after reporting engine trouble. A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman says Mesaba Airlines flight 3637 being operated for Delta Air Lines Inc. was en route from Minneapolis to Dayton, Ohio, Friday afternoon when one of the plane's engines went out. None of the 40 passengers were injured. Airport spokeswoman Jennifer Miller says the plane was brought to a gate where the passengers disembarked normally. Back to Top US Airways Conn.-bound flight safely lands in NY NEW YORK (WSJ) - A passenger jet with 35 people aboard has landed safely at Long Island MacArthur Airport after being struck by lightning. The Federal Aviation Administration and an airline spokesman say U.S. Airways Express flight 4507 from Philadelphia to New Haven, Conn., was diverted to town of Islip (EYE'-slip) airport Friday afternoon as a precaution. FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac says the pilot reported electrical problems with the aircraft after the lightning strike. The plane had originally been scheduled to land at 2:30. It was unclear when it was diverted. U.S. Airways spokesman Andrew Christie says the Bombardier Dash 8 has been taken out of service and is being evaluated. Passengers were bused to New Haven. The flight was operated by Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of U.S. Airways. Back to Top Passengers overpower would-be hijacker on Turkish Airlines flight USA TODAY A man on a Turkish Airlines flight claimed to have a bomb and threatened to enter the cockpit as the plane approached Istanbul Wednesday, but was tackled and subdued by other passengers, according to reports. The would-be hijacker, identified as 40-year old Cuma Yasar, was wearing a ski mask and had demanded that the plane return to Oslo, Norway, says a report by CNN. He was arrested after the plane landed at Ataturk International Airport, and police found no explosives on him. "I was sitting at the front end of the plane and I heard voices at the back of the plane around 30 minutes before we landed," Lelya Kilic, one of 59 passengers aboard, told Reuters. "I saw a fight between passengers and a man with a mask, carrying a device that looked like a radio handset." Passengers Firat Faysal Ali and Dag Gjerstad tackled Yasar and kept him subdued, CNN says. Yasar had an identification card for the handicapped and suffers a mental illness, it says. Back to Top FAA Finalizes Enhanced Structural Checks of Boeing 737 and 757 Jets By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) Federal safety regulators, finalizing stepped-up structural inspections of more than 1,300 jetliners, on Friday released safety mandates covering many older Boeing 757 and 737 models. The separate rules, made public by the Federal Aviation Administration, had been expected for months in order to prevent hazardous fuselage cracks that could result in reduced structural integrity and even rapid aircraft decompression. But the documents contain new details about the extent of the dangers, including references to discovery of cracks that extended more than 10 inches on certain fuselage sections on a pair of older 757 jets. Boeing previously issued nonbinding safety bulletins covering both widely-used models. The mandatory FAA rules-slated go into effect in the next few weeks-cover more than 630 older 737 models and an additional 680 older 757s. The 757 rule was prompted by a sudden rupture and rapid decompression suffered by an American Airlines 757 in October, while it was cruising at 31,000 feet from Miami to Boston. Nobody was hurt and the AMR Corp. unit's plane returned safely to Miami, despite a one-foot tear in its aluminum skin above the left front cabin door. But the FAA's mandate, which the agency considers "interim action" pending further moves to resolve underlying safety issues, entails repetitive inspections ranging between 30 and 300 flights. The 737 rule calls for certain structural checks ranging from every 3,000 to 4,500 flights, and it also spells out a repair that would terminate such repetitive inspections. In finalizing the 737 requirements, the FAA specifically rejected a request by Southwest Airlines Co., which asked for an extended deadline for the initial round of inspections. Southwest told the agency that the rule is expected to result in "a significant burden" for the airline because a large portion of its 737 fleet would "require an out- of-sequence maintenance visit." The FAA said Southwest failed to provide data "proposing alternative inspection thresholds to maintain an adequate level of safety." Back to Top Quick Links Products Services Training Contact us... Contact Information "Flight Safety Information" is a free service of: Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC (Targeting Safety & Risk Management) curt@curt-lewis.com www.curt-lewis.com www.fsinfo.org PH: 817-303-9096 Cell: 817-845-3983 Fax: 682-292-0835 Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC is an international, multi-discipline technical and scientific consulting firm specializing in aviation and industrial safety. Our specialties are aviation litigation support, aviation/airport safety programs, accident investigation, safety & quality assessments/audits, system safety, human factors, Safety Management Systems (SMS) assessment/implementation & training, safety/quality training & risk management, IS-BAO Auditing, airfield/heliport lighting products and Technical Support. Forward email This email was sent to fgae@club-internet.fr by curt@curt-lewis.com | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. 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