DFlight Safety Information February 26, 2011 - No. 046 In This Issue Phoenix-area news helicopter crews hit with laser beam Major airline safety improves in 2010 Airplane groper gets 2 years in prison American Airlines shows caution after gunmen incident at Guadalajara Istanbul to host 23rd annual European Aviation Safety Seminar USC wants $5 million to create aviation centers Tailwind caught out Fokker 50 overrun crew Southern Air to take next two 777Fs in March 2012 Proper Response Management and Cost Controls Phoenix-area news helicopter crews hit with laser beam Police are searching for the person who shot a bright laser beam at several news aircraft early Friday morning. At about 6:30 a.m., police received reports from pilots that a laser beam was being shone into the cockpits of their aircraft, said Sgt. Tommy Thompson of the Phoenix Police Department. Among the aircrafts affected was a helicopter that shoots footage for Channel 5, Channel 3 and 12 News. Lasers pointed at planes spurs FAA warning | 4 laser incidents at Scottsdale Airport The area where the laser beam was seen is about 8 miles northwest of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Police searched door to door in the area of 20th and West Orangewood avenues, north of Glendale Avenue, to locate the person responsible for the laser beam, Thompson said. Police were not successful in finding the individual, Thompson said. The investigation is ongoing, Thompson said. Sky Harbor Airport is ranked third in the country for laser beam incidents, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration. Los Angeles International Airport recorded the highest number, followed by Chicago O'Hare International Airport, according to a report issued by the FAA. In 2010, Sky Harbor reported 80 laser beam incidents, FAA officials said. Sixteen additional reports occurred at other Phoenix-area airports: five at Deer Valley; four at Scottsdale; four at Chandler; two at Falcon Field; and one at Goodyear. So far this year, pilots have reported 18 laser incidents around Sky Harbor, including the incident reported Friday morning, Gregor said. In a statement released in January 2010, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called such incidents "a serious safety issue." That year, the number of reports of lasers pointed at aircraft rose to more than 2,800, almost double the 2009 total. "Lasers can distract and harm pilots who are working to get passengers safely to their destinations," LaHood said. In that same statement, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said the agency was "actively warning people not to point high-powered lasers at aircraft because they can damage a pilot's eyes or cause temporary blindness." Some cities and states have laws making it illegal to shine lasers at aircraft, FAA officials said. "The message here is that if you want to engage in this kind of dangerous and irresponsible behavior, you can get arrested," Gregor said. "And if you're convicted, you can face stiff local and, in some instances, federal penalties." http://www.azcentral.com/news/ Back to Top Major airline safety improves in 2010 Last year marked the safest year ever for major airlines, with the lowest accident rate for Western-built jets in aviation history. There was one accident for every 1.6 million flights, an improvement over the one per 1.4 million flights recorded in 2009, according to the International Air Transport Association. The lowest previous accident rate was in 2006. Perhaps most interestingly, the accident rate is down 42 percent from the rate recorded 10 years ago. The IATA, a trade group representing 230 airlines, reported that 2.4 billion people flew safely on 36.8 million flights last year. There were 17 hull loss accidents - in which the aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond repair - involving Western-built jets, compared with 19 the previous year. There were more accidents among both Eastern- and Western-built jets: 94 in 2010 compared with 90 the previous year. Twenty-three of those were fatal, up from 18 in 2009. And there were 786 fatalities, compared with 685 in 2009. There were also regional differences in the accident rates for Western-built jets. North America, Europe, North Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet republics) had the best rates. Africa had the worst. Runway excursions, when an aircraft goes off the runway during takeoff or landing, were the most common cause of accidents, accounting for 21 percent of all accidents in 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022503310.html Back to Top Airplane groper gets 2 years in prison A former banker who groped two flight attendants and a passenger aboard a Denver-bound flight was sentenced today in federal court to two years and three months in prison. The sentence came after family members for the man, Alan Houston Johnson, pleaded tearfully with the judge to sentence Johnson only to the time he has already served so that Johnson could go straight into specialized mental health treatment. "Please allow our brother to be released so he can receive the type of treatment he needs," Jane Johnson VanderWerf, one of Johnson's sisters, told U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer today. The prosecutor, though, argued that Johnson needed to be locked up, both as punishment for the crimes he committed and as a way to keep the public safe. "He has stolen a sense of security that these women had prior to their inadvertent contact with the defendant," federal prosecutor James Allison said. "...He is not ready to be released. This defendant, in the government's opinion, is a dangerous man." The incident that landed Johnson, 45, in trouble occurred last February on a flight from Chicago to Denver. Two flight attendants on the plane reported that Johnson grabbed their buttocks during the flight. A passenger also reported that Johnson had grinded his crotch against her buttocks. During an interview with investigators, Johnson denied the actions, but a jury convicted him of the charges in November. Investigators soon learned of other accusations against Johnson, including cases in his native North Carolina where women said Johnson forcibly kissed and unwantedly touched them, according to a complaint in Johnson's federal case. Johnson also has two pending state court cases in Colorado, stemming from sex crimes he is accused of committing while being held in the Jefferson County jail on his federal charges, Allison said. In total, Allison said, 13 women have alleged some type of sexual assault by Johnson. Brimmer said those actions show Johnson should go to prison. "Mr. Johnson knew what he was doing, planned what he was doing and tried to cover up what he was doing," Brimmer said. But Brimmer also acknowledged that mental health issues likely played a major role in Johnson's behavior. Brimmer said Johnson "basically started falling apart" after losing his banking job three years ago, before which Johnson was happily married with two kids, a sizeable income and no criminal history. Brimmer noted that Johnson began keeping a bizarre journal and going on wild spending sprees. At least one mental health professional has said Johnson is bi-polar, though Brimmer said there is no consensus on the diagnosis. Lisa Wayne, Johnson's attorney, said that mental collapse shows Johnson needs treatment, not prison. "Alan Johnson has a mental health problem," Wayne said. "Nobody wants Alan Johnson to re-offend. The truth is, he will re-offend unless there is treatment for his mental health issue." In a brief statement to Brimmer, Johnson said he is working to get better and apologized to his victims. "I would say to each of them," Johnson said, "that I am truly sorry for my actions." In addition to his prison term, Johnson must serve three years probation and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_17483252 Back to Top American Airlines shows caution after gunmen incident at Guadalajara hotel American Airlines flight crews won't be making any overnight stays in Guadalajara for the time being, thanks to an unnerving incident at the crew hotel there on Thursday. An American spokesman described it thusly: "There was some type of 'police chase' in the area of our crew hotel and there were some shots were fired around the hotel (not sure exactly where). "Thankfully, none of our crew was injured, though one flight attendant was close enough to the events that she observed portions of it. That was unnerving, to say the least. "We flew the crewmembers back to DFW on other flights in which they were not working." He added that "until further notice our flights to and from GDL [Guadalajara] will be done as same-day turns with no overnight stays by crew or aircraft." Someone shared with us an American pilot's description of the incident, involving three armed men, on the Allied Pilots Association website. For that tale, keep reading. From the APA web site: "I was there on a layover today when the shooting incident happened. Sometime around noon a vehicle pulled up to the Hampton Inn gate/guard shack. Three armed individuals exited and ran away from the road towards the back of the hotel. One entered the hotel lobby with a gun lodged under his belt and turned right and ran down the hallway towards the outdoor pool. Exited the hotel, ran thru the pool deck area, hopped the fence and then continued further back towards the neighborhood behind the hotel, where the other two had gone. Many people at the pool were startled as this went down, as you might imagine. "Heavy police response in pickups and by motorcycle, estimated by some at 25- 30 policia, responded and searched the area for quite some time. They were looking everywhere with machine guns raised. Even entered the attached Chili's restaurant and cleared the restaurant where several crewmembers from other airlines and civilians were having lunch. After about 2 hours it was over. Couldn't tell if they caught any of them. "About an hour into the ordeal, got a call from SOC saying thay were pulling all AA crew from the hotel and that they would DH back to DFW on our 1545 departure to DFW. One DFW FA did not make the trip back as she was shopping in the downtown area and could not be reached." http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/american-airlines-shows- cautio.html Back to Top Istanbul to host 23rd annual European Aviation Safety Seminar Organized by the Flight Safety Foundation, the seminar will bring together more than 300 aviation safety experts from 28 countries. Turkey's north-western province of Istanbul will host the 23rd annual European Aviation Safety Seminar (EASS), under the sponsorship of Turkish Airlines (THY), between March 1 and 3. Organized by the Flight Safety Foundation, the seminar will bring together more than 300 aviation safety experts from 28 countries. The seminar will provide an opportunity to enhance aviation safety and will take place at the Conrad Hotel. http://flightsafety.org/aviation-safety-seminars/european-aviation-safety- seminar Back to Top USC wants $5 million to create aviation centers COLUMBIA -- The University of South Carolina is one step closer to creating a pair of research centers and establishing a degree program designed to play roles in the state's budding aviation industry. If a $5 million request is approved by the General Assembly - it received House Ways and Means Committee approval Wednesday - USC will move to create centers for Multiphysics of Multi-Functional Heterogeneous Materials, and In- Process Nondestructive Monitoring of Structural Composites. The centers will focus on the creation and testing of materials used in the construction of modern aircraft. USC also plans to establish an aerospace engineering degree program, whose graduates could one day find themselves working for Boeing, the aerospace giant that is building some of its 787 Dreamliners in Charleston. Luanne Lawrence, USC vice president for communications, said the school has had "broad conversations with Boeing and other aerospace companies across the state" about developing its research and academic programming. "Based on these conversations and the expertise we have currently and know make strategic sense to develop, we focused on those three mentioned areas - materials/composites, electrical and supply chain management," Lawrence said. Boeing is touting the 787 as revolutionary for its use of light-weight composites, rather than metals, in its fuselage and wings. If the $5 million is approved, USC will use it to buy research and training equipment, and to support scientists, technicians and students. The goal, according to a USC summary, is to connect the university to aviation and aerospace firms in a way that benefits the state. "A partnership of this kind will create a vital link between industry and higher education to ensure a trained work force that will find ready employment that will help boost our state's economy," the summary states. http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/02/25/2863387/usc-wants-5-million-to- create.html#ixzz1F0vkoH7K Back to Top Tailwind caught out Fokker 50 overrun crew Lack of awareness of strong tailwinds resulted in a Fokker 50 crew attempting a late, steep descent into Groningen airport which resulted in the turboprop overrunning the runway by 60m. While the 1,800m (5,900ft) Runway 23 had been in use, the VLM aircraft, arriving from Amsterdam, was positioned such that the opposite-direction Runway 05 was more convenient. Meteorological information showed a variable surface wind of 10kt (18km/h), the maximum tailwind component for the type. But evidence from the Dutch Safety Board shows the Fokker was actually affected by a 40kt component. This left the crew attempting an approach without having stabilised the aircraft. Although the flight began its descent 30nm (55km) from the airport, it reached its cleared level of 2,000ft just 5nm from the runway - half the distance normally expected - and had already passed the point for starting a 3° final glidepath. By the time the aircraft began its final descent, its proximity to the runway required a glidepath of 10°. The board says the pilots' familiarity with London City airport's steep approach may have dulled their perception of the situation. The aircraft touched down on its nose-wheel at 118kt, 890m from the far end of the runway, leaving it unable to brake until the main gear made initial contact 400m further on during the 18 May 2007 incident. None of the 11 passengers and three crew was injured. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Southern Air to take next two 777Fs in March 2012 Southern Air expects to take delivery of its third and fourth Boeing 777 freighter in the first quarter of next year and the final two 777Fs from its original six-aircraft order in mid 2013. The US cargo carrier took its first two 777Fs one year ago and placed them on a two-year wet-lease contract with Thai Airways International. Southern CEO Daniel McHugh tells ATI the initial 777F operation has done very well with Southern having at one point last year the highest on-time rating of all 777 operators as ranked by Boeing. He says Southern's next two 777Fs are now scheduled for delivery in March 2012 and the final two are slated to be delivered in mid 2013. The Thai aircraft, which are based in Bangkok, are due to come off contract about the same time Southern takes its next two 777s. But Thai is considering renewing its contract and regardless of what happens with these two aircraft Southern is confident it will find customers to wet-lease all four 777Fs. "There's a high degree of interest," McHugh says. "We're right on our marketing plan in terms of our next four aircraft." He points out Southern is the only airline currently offering the 777F on the wet-lease market. While the 777F is more expensive to wet-lease than other widebody freighters and requires higher utilisation - the minimum commitment is about 400hr per month - it has superior range and fuel efficiency. "The 777 is a more expensive aircraft but provides airlines much more marketability in cost per kilo and in reliability," McHugh explains. About 70% of Southern's operation is wet-lease or ACMI while the remaining 30% is charters, including for the US military. In addition to the 777Fs, Southern now operates a fleet of 14 747-200/300s which are due to be replaced with 747-400 converted freighters starting later this year. Southern is confident it can find customers for its growing 777 fleet and new 747-400SFs as it has seen a dramatic improvement in its business over the last year, coinciding with the recovery in the overall cargo market. McHugh says in 2010 revenues at Southern were up 44% over 2009 and block hours were up 35%. "In the last year we've really been repositioning Southern Air. We have a different book of business. We've signed some fairly large customers like Malaysia Airlines to a multi aircraft deal," McHugh says, adding Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency also was secured as a customer in 2010 and several existing customers opted to renew their contracts. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Proper Response Management and Cost Controls: The Do's and Don'ts and the Growing Issues March 24, 2011 Council on Litigation Management Annual Conference 2011 - New Orleans, LA Husch Blackwell Partner Christa Hinckley and her co-presenters examine the growing need in the insurance market for coordination of emergency response initiatives to handle fire, flood, hurricanes and other disasters. She discusses the risks, rewards and challenges found by the insurance community including when to respond, how to respond, and the coverage implications that arise as balanced against the cost mitigation. For more information to register, please visit the conference website. Related practices: Litigation Aviation Aviation Litigation Related professionals: Christa Hinckley Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC