Flight Safety Information February 4, 2011 - No. 026 In This Issue FAA, JetBlue Agreement to Bring NextGen Precision to East Coast, Caribbean Jet taxi taxies into deep snow in Springfield Smell forces jet to land in Omaha Pilots Report Increase In Denver Laser Pranks Rand Paul Attacks Flight Attendants' Safety Iranian Carrier Seeks to Buy Used Airbus Jets as Sanctions Bite U of Ill. officials says aviation program needs to be closes D/FW Airport could add charter flights to Cuba Park Service proposes flight limits over Grand Canyon Bristow lost $1m to bird strikes (Nigeria) Airbus To Increase A330 Production Rate To Ten Per Month Union accuses Qantas of safety breaches FAA, JetBlue Agreement to Bring NextGen Precision to East Coast, Caribbean The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the FAA and JetBlue have signed a NextGen agreement that will allow the airline to fly more precise, satellite-based flights from Boston and New York to Florida and the Caribbean beginning in 2012. NextGen is the transformation of the U.S. national airspace system from a ground-based system of air traffic control to one based on satellites, which will enhance safety and reduce aviation congestion. Today's NextGen announcement follows President Obama's State of the Union Address last week, in which he stressed the importance of targeted investments to foster American innovation that will make our nation more competitive globally and strengthen our economy here at home. "In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for targeted investments that harness American innovation to strengthen our nation," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "NextGen is a critical investment in the future of our transportation system, one that uses the latest technology to transform our airspace to make aviation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly." Under the agreement, as many as 35 of JetBlue's A320 aircraft will be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics over the next two years, enabling them to fly in two major routes off the East Coast even if traditional radar coverage is not available. The improved accuracy, integrity and reliability of aircraft surveillance under ADS-B will allow JetBlue to take advantage of these routes at all times since the satellite-based system tracks the precise position of aircraft. The agreement will also allow JetBlue to fly a new route to the Caribbean, and could lead to the development of two new, shorter ADS-B-only routes to the Caribbean from Boston, New York and Washington. The FAA will collect valuable NextGen data by observing and conducting real-time operational evaluations of ADS-B on revenue flights. "NextGen will help improve the travel experience for passengers and give airlines more flexibility to find the most efficient way to reach their destinations," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "This agreement will allow us to collect important data to further demonstrate the benefits of NextGen." "As the youngest major airline in the United States, with a majority of our operations in the Northeast - arguably the most airspace in the world - JetBlue enthusiastically joins the FAA in this effort to begin rebuilding the skyways," said JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger. "Our investment today will yield dividends far into the future, not just for JetBlue but for all airlines. Our customers and crewmembers deserve our best efforts." The FAA has agreed to pay $4.2 million for the ADS-B avionics. JetBlue will provide flight operations, pilots, and aircraft maintenance and will pay for the cost of aircraft downtime while the ADS-B avionics are installed. JetBlue will also fund the necessary training for dispatchers and flight crews, including simulator time. The airline will demonstrate the cost savings of ADS-B technology and potentially equip the rest of its A320 fleet at its own expense with ADS-B avionics. http://ftnnews.com/aviation/11432-faa-jetblue-agreement-to-bring-nextgen- precision-to-east-coast-caribbean.html Back to Top Jet taxi taxies into deep snow in Springfield SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Authorities say there were no injuries when a commuter jet from Chicago got stuck in the snow after landing at Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. But the more than 30 passengers aboard the United Express spent about 90 minutes Thursday night waiting for airport employees to clear away the snow and ferry them to the terminal in a number of vehicles - including a snowplow. Among the snowplow passengers were Clearwater, Fla., clarinetist Bob Draga and his wife, Diane, who were on their way to a jazz festival in Decatur. Bob Draga tells the (Springfield) State Journal-Register the landing was perfectly smooth, but the pilot apparently took the plane onto a runway turnoff that hadn't been plowed. A United Express spokesman says the flight was operated by SkyWest. www.miamiherald.com/ Back to Top Smell forces jet to land in Omaha A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Philadelphia made an unscheduled stop in Omaha on Thursday afternoon when its crew noticed a strange odor in the cockpit. Marilee McInnis, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, said the non-stop flight from Denver to Philadelphia with 99 passengers landed safely at Eppley Airfield at 3:35 p.m. Mechanics then began checking the Boeing 737 for mechanical problems. "The crew smelled something but there was no smoke or fire," McInnis said. "They decided - out of an abundance of caution - to have the plane checked out." McInnis said the passengers were allowed to disembark during the inspection. http://www.omaha.com/article/20110203/NEWS01/110209898 Back to Top Pilots Report Increase In Denver Laser Pranks Incidents On The Rise, But Police Say It's Tough To Stop DENVER, Colo.(AP) -- Investigators say they check out every report of a laser aimed at aircraft near Denver International Airport, but it's almost impossible to find the culprits. Denver Police Capt. Brian Gallagher likens it to finding a needle in a haystack. He says investigators almost have to catch someone in the act. The Federal Aviation Administration said last month that pilots reported 38 laser incidents around DIA in 2010, ranging from within a mile of the airport to 37 miles away. No injuries or accidents were reported as a result of the Colorado incidents, but the FAA says lasers can temporarily blind pilots or permanently damage their eyes. The FBI identified two suspects in one Colorado incident last year, but no charges were filed. The U.S. attorney's office didn't immediately return calls seeking comment. PrintEmailReport a typo, inaccuracy Back to Top Rand Paul Attacks Flight Attendants' Safety With some 280,000 jobs at stake in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, you'd think Senate lawmakers would be working together to get those jobs in the pipeline as soon as possible. Not. First Republicans used the bill as vehicle for their near pathological obsession to repeal health care reform. Now, with the support of most of his Republican colleagues, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to use the bill to take away workplace safety and health rights for flight attendants-and in effect put passengers at risk as well. The bill extends Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protection to flight attendants and other air crew, something air crew workers have been seeking for decades. Paul's amendment would cut those protections from the FAA bill. Currently, workplace safety standards and enforcement falls to the FAA. Flight Attendants (AFA/CWA) President Veda Shook says: To date, OSHA has been kept out of the aircraft cabin and that means Flight Attendants and passengers are subject to an environment absent sanitation standards, temperature standards and proper procedures for clean up of bio hazards. This is inexcusable. AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President (TTD) Edward Wytkind says Paul's action shows that "he seems to believe that flight attendants, of all people, are undeserving of basic safety and health protections." Sanitation, air quality, temperature and humidity levels, noise and blood borne pathogens on airplanes are just a few of the hazards that have gone unchecked for too long. Flight attendants have an on-the-job injury rate that is far higher than the national average. And remember, flight attendants aren't the only ones on aircraft-millions of Americans fly every day and they will benefit as well from enforcement of safety standards http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/02/03/rand-paul-attacks-flight-attendants-safety/ Back to Top Iranian Carrier Seeks to Buy Used Airbus Jets as Sanctions Bite Iran Aseman Airlines said it's in negotiations to buy six used Airbus SAS A320 jetliners from an undisclosed seller to renew its fleet and improve safety in a country where sanctions prohibit the purchase of new aircraft. The 150-seat planes will replace aging Fokker 100s, Ahmad Khalili, general director of support at the airline's technical department, said in an interview, adding that details are confidential because of the "sensitivity" of the issue. "It's not easy," Khalili said at an aerospace industry show in Dubai. "The Americans will not allow aircraft exports directly to Iran, so we always have to find ways around it." Carriers including Iran Air have struggled to keep planes flying amid international sanctions outlawing the purchase of spare parts and new jetliners from Airbus and Boeing Co. The cost of buying planes is high in the absence of access to foreign banks and export credit agencies, so that Iran Aseman will be forced to pay for the A320s in cash, Khalili said. Iran Aseman, which operates 30 domestic routes and seven international ones, has 19 Dutch-built Fokker 100s manufactured between 1990 and 1995, according to aviation consultant Ascend. Western Planes The fleet also includes four Boeing 727s, six ATR-72 turboprops from Toulouse, France-based Avions de Transport Regional and two Falcon 20 jets built by Dassault Aviation SA, which is also French, according to the carrier's website. Repair and overhaul is performed at the company's own facility in Iran, and it also has approval for maintenance of Boeing 727 planes registered in the United Arab Emirates from that country's civil aviation authority, the website says. Sanctions, imposed by the United Nations Security Council over Iran's nuclear program, may be contributing to crashes, said Paul Hayes, director of safety at London-based Ascend, which estimates that carriers from the country suffered six fatal incidents from 1.2 million flights in the past decade. On Jan. 10, a Boeing 727 belonging to national carrier Iran Air crashed near the northern city of Orumiyeh, killing at least 77 people. Iran's parliament dismissed Roads and Transportation Minister Hamid Behbahani Feb. 1 after blaming him for failing to improve road and air safety, state-run news agencies reported. "The accident rate in Iran is poor compared with other developed countries," Hayes said. "I assume sanctions are causing problems with maintaining and replacing aircraft." The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons under cover of a nuclear-power program. Iran rejects the charge and says it needs the technology to secure energy for its growing population. American measures were intensified in July to target foreign suppliers of aviation fuel and other refined oil products to Iran and block access to the U.S. financial system for banks doing business with the country. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/ Back to Top U of Ill. officials says aviation program needs to be closes in cost savings push CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - A University of Illinois official is recommending the closing of the school's aviation program in an effort to save money. Robert Easter is interim chancellor. He said in a letter dated Thursday that a review of the program found it to be expendable as the school looks for ways to save money and refine its focus. Easter last year estimated the university could save up to $750,000 a year by closing the program. At that point Easter held out the possibility of creating a non-degree aviation program. He said in Thursday's letter there wasn't enough demand to make that financially viable. The letter calls for a yet-to-be-set public hearing on the recommendation. The aviation program review was part of an effort look at all school programs for cost savings. Back to Top D/FW Airport could add charter flights to Cuba Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is in talks with government officials and airlines to become a designated gateway to Cuba. Only airports in Miami, Los Angeles and New York have the designation to allow some flights to Cuba, which still faces a variety of trade restrictions. The Obama administration has loosened some of the rules, opening the chance for more airports to serve as gateways to Cuba. The move wouldn't mean commercial service initially; only government- approved, educational and religious groups can charter the flights from approved gateways. Most tourists access Cuba by flying first to Mexico and then flying from there. The initial talks about the gateway designation, aided by Fort Worth-based American Airlines Inc., could help some of the estimated 190,000 Cuban- Americans living in North Texas get to Cuba. If the charter flying is allowed and becomes successful, it could pave the way for commercial flying down the road, D/FW staff told the board Thursday. Also Thursday, the airport nominated and elected Francisco Hernandez of Fort Worth as chairman of the board. Hernandez, a lawyer, was previously the vice chair to Ben Muro, whose term as chairman expired. D/FW Airport is owned by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. http://www.dallasnews.com/business/ Back to Top Park Service proposes flight limits over Grand Canyon A bird's-eye view of the Grand Canyon from a flight-seeing plane. The National Park Service is proposing limits on flights over the canyon in order to restore 'natural quiet'.CAPTIONBy BOB RIHA, JR., USA TODAYIn an attempt to restore natural peace and quiet to the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service has proposed limits on "flight-seeing" and other aircraft over the canyon. The proposal raises height limits for aircraft flying over the area, suggests no- fly zones and calls for phasing in quieter aircraft. Air tours currently carry about 400,000 passengers annually over the canyon. And while "they play an important role in visitor enjoyment ... without more thoughtful management, air-tour flights can interfere with the enjoyment of visitors on the ground," the park service said in a statement. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the National Parks Conservation Association, applauded the proposed limits, which are part of an environmental impact statement that has been pending since 1987. "Over time, the Grand Canyon has become increasingly noisy due to helicopter and fixed-wing air tours piercing the natural quiet of this incredible natural landscape and diminishing the special experience for many visitors who are enjoying the park from trails and overlooks," the NPCA said in a statement. Last month, the park service reduced from 40 to 10 the number of daily mule riders allowed on the South Rim's Bright Angel Trail, the canyon's most popular hiking route. They cited trail erosion and annoyance to hikers wrought by the animals' inevitable deposits along the path. The park service defines "natural quiet" as reducing noise from aircraft operations below 17,999 feet, resulting in at least 50% of the 1,902-square- mile park being free of aircraft sounds for at least 75% of the day. It also calls for at least an hour of quiet before sunset and after sunrise. Acting park superintendent Palma Wilson put it more eloquently. "In the litany of the park's attributes, natural quiet is perhaps one of the most important. Without its natural soundscape -- a canyon wren's descending trill, wind rustling through the pines, the roar of the Colorado River and silence -- Grand Canyon would still be amazing to look at, but it would lack something essential and vital to its remote and wild character," she said in a statement. The park service will hold a series of public meetings on the issue and the public can weigh in online through June 6. http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/ Back to Top Bristow lost $1m to bird strikes (Nigeria) Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, the leading company operating commercial helicopter business in the country, has lamented that it lost about $1million to the menace of bird strikes. This was made known by the Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters, Capt Akin Oni, briefing journalists on efforts at repositioning the company and the aviation safety conference tagged, "Target Zero," in Lagos recently. He added that the menace of bird strikes is one of the company's biggest challenges, adding that the strikes damaged the airframe of one of its helicopters which very seriously. On the aviation safety conference with the theme, "Fostering a Safety Culture," on December 8 and 9, 2011, Oni, said that it is aimed at bringing together senior executives from aviation companies , oil and gas sectors, regulatory authorities and government officials to discuss the latest innovations and trends in aviation safety. According to Capt Oni, "The aim of the event is to promote and share ideas and best practice to ensure safer air travel for all stakeholders. There will also be ample opportunity for delegates and guests to network in order to build valuable contacts with like-minded safety conscious individuals." The Bristow Helicopters boss said that the aviation conference will not just talk about safety, but it will also be devoted to highlighting the safety culture. Oni contended that "if we must address the issue of safety in the Nigeria aviation industry, the human factor issue must also be looked into," adding that the target in Bristow Helicopters is "Zero accident, zero harm to people and zero harm to the environment." Safety in the aviation sector, he said, requires a lot of training and re-training, stressing that everything the companies do is safety-assessed. To ensure that staff report activities that could threaten the safety of lives in the company, Capt. Oni said the company introduced what he called, "Speak Up," adding that it also helps them to entrench the culture of safety. Bristow Helicopters, he added, has also introduced a reward system, where any staff that speaks up on another staff - be he a senior or junior staff - is rewarded, adding that it is not done to punish people, but to ensure that they do not only imbibe the culture of safety, but that they also practise safety. Speaking on the relationship between the management and the workers, he said that since he became the managing director of the company, it has been cordial, adding that the management knows the value of the workers and as a result, could not afford not to have good relations with them. On the allegation that the management does not allow workers of the company to belong to aviation unions, Oni said the allegation is not true, adding that the organisation relates with the workers well and that he is ready to engage the unions in constructive dialogue. According to him, "We don't have any problem with the unions. They are not only there for the workers, they are also there to keep jobs for their people. I want to engage them in constructive dialogue." http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=2825 5 Back to Top Airbus To Increase A330 Production Rate To Ten Per Month Planemaker Cites "Unprecedented Demand" For Its Long Range Aircraft Family Airbus has decided to raise the production rate for its A330 Family to ten aircraft a month from the second quarter of 2013. Currently Airbus turns out eight A330 Family aircraft each month. This monthly rate will increase to nine in early 2012, before reaching rate ten in the second quarter of 2013. "We are increasing the production rate for the A330 Family due to the strong market demand for the aircraft," said Tom Williams, Airbus' Executive Vice President Programs. "In the long-range, mid-size category, the A330 is the right aircraft for airlines worldwide". The A330 can be configured as a passenger airliner, as a Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, as a VIP aircraft, and also as a freighter. The A330 MRTT achieved civil and military certification in 2010. Currently five are flying with a further four undergoing conversion. Delivery of the first two aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is in the final stages. It is planned to deliver five A330 MRTTs to three customers in the course of this year. 2010 has also seen five deliveries of the brand new freighter variant to three customers as a first step towards satisfying a market of some 400 new build mid-size freighters over the next 20 years. FMI: www.airbus.com Back to Top Union accuses Qantas of safety breaches The Transport Workers' Union has asked authorities to investigate alleged Qantas safety breaches at Brisbane Airport. The dispute was filed on Thursday with Fair Work Australia after employees raised safety concerns about the trucks used by Qantas' catering arm. The union says a lift hydraulic failure led to two near-misses with aircraft wings, and that faulty demisters caused a recent collision with a baggage trolley when the driver's view was obscured by fogging. Advertisement: Story continues below Other alleged faults relate to truck brakes, seats and speedometers. A complaint has also been made to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority about these issues. Qantas said in a statement that ground vehicles must meet operational and safety requirements. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC