Flight Safety Information March 21, 2011 - No. 058 In This Issue New Boeing jumbo jet completes first flight Cessna will stop production Citation CJ1+ light jet later this year DGCA to bring over 10,000 commercial pilot license holders under scanner Omni Air International Receives IOSA Registration Airplane Air: Does It Really Make You Sick? Continental Airlines Passenger Was Angry; She Didn't Like Her Food Aviation's Criminal Cases May Discourage Voluntary Disclosure Helicopter crash kills six firemen in Spain New Boeing jumbo jet completes first flight The Boeing Co.'s newest and largest passenger plane has completed its first flight, taking off from Everett and landing about 4 1/2 hours later in Seattle. The 747-8 Intercontinental left Paine Field at 9:58 a.m. PDT Sunday, rousing cheers from Boeing workers. The two pilots flew across Washington state and landed around 2:25 p.m. at Boeing Field. Chief test pilot Capt. Mark Feuerstein says the flight was clean and that the airplane is "ready to go fly right now." Boeing's Elizabeth Lund says the company expects to deliver the jet by the end of the year. The new plane can carry up to 467 passengers with a range of nearly 7,000 miles. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9M384U80.htm Back to Top Cessna will stop production Citation CJ1+ light jet later this year WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Cessna Aircraft officials say the company will stop producing the Citation CJ1+ light jet later this year. The company says it delivered only three of the aircraft last year. It delivered 14 CJ1+ jets in 2009 and 20 in 2008. Company spokesman Bob Stangarone told The Wichita Eagle in an email that the final CJ1+ is scheduled for delivery in September. The $5.15 million CJ1+ fills the gap between Cessna's Citation Mustang and the CJ2+. It has a speed of 448 mph and can carry eight people. Back to Top DGCA to bring over 10,000 commercial pilot license holders under scanner (INDIA) NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator DGCA plans to bring under the scanner over 10,000 commercial pilot license (CPL) holders and conduct third-party audit of all flying schools in the country in the wake of cases of forgery behind securing of licences coming to light. As the forgery cases have given rise to fears that travellers' life is being endangered by incompetent pilots, the regulator is planning a slew of steps to check the malaise. Apart from this, the regulator is also worried about the problems faced by a large number of Indian youths, who go abroad for training and return with fake or invalid licenses, after spending lakhs of rupees. Besides the six cases of pilots using forged documents to get their licenses, "we have got some more suspicious cases, but there is nothing confirmed as yet and investigations are going on," DGCA chief EK Bharat Bhushan said. The six cases of forged documents that have come to light are two each from air carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet and one each from Air India and MDLR. While all the 4,000-odd holders of Airline Transport Pilot Licenses (ATPLs) are currently being probed, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is "considering looking into all the CPLs", he said. There are over 10,000 CPL holders in the country. In a bid to combat fudging of records, the DGCA is determined to have an online option for students, beginning with "at least in some (examination) centres, by July," the Director General said, adding, "We are working with the National Informatics Centre on this project" that should be in place soon. Asked whether flying training schools were following stringent standards laid down by the regulator, Bhushan said: "There have been cases ... there is suspicion that at least some of the flying hours that they are logging in the student's log books, are not genuine". He also indicated that problems relating to training infrastructure have also been found. These training academies provide flight training and issue CPLs to the successful students. A separate set of aviation regulations or Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) have also been framed for such institutions. "I want to examine the condition and quality of training they are giving. We have to ensure that the conditions and quality of training are maintained. My intention is to have a team from outside, a third-party systematic audit of these schools," Bhushan said. There are about 40 flying schools in India. Under the CAR, a flying school gets a license which is valid for a year. It is renewed after a DGCA inspection and "on satisfying that the institutes maintain their required capability. The inspection is carried out as per the standardised check-list", the DGCA chief said. In this context, the DGCA plans to get the quality of training being imparted by such flying schools abroad examined by the regulatory bodies in those countries and organisations like the Federation Aviation Administration of the US. "We have plans to examine the quality of training given in some of these flying schools (abroad) by some international bodies or our counterparts like the Federation Aviation Administration to authenticate the quality of training imparted by these centres," Bhushan said. The DGCA was also considering sending a team of his officials to visit some such flying schools abroad, where many Indians have been getting pilot training. Asked whether DGCA would consider adopting radio frequency identification documents (RFIDs) for pilot licenses which cannot be fudged, he said this was part of the overall computerisation project which has been on since 2007. "This project, which is estimated to cost Rs 350 crore, is in the DPR (Detailed Project Report) stage", Bhushan said. On the issue of strengthening rules to hire foreign pilots by Indian carriers, he said the regulations have been made more stringent. "We have made medical tests mandatory for them. If one is above 40 years, then they will have to undergo medical check-up twice a year", he said. Acknowledging staff shortage in crucial areas of DGCA operations, Bhushan said, "500 new posts have been created" and the recruitment process for some of them has begun. "However, the process of filling up of all these posts would take two-three years," he said. "UPSC and Department of Personnel Training are being consulted for framing of rules of recruitment, then posts would be advertised. For some posts interviews have started... but it will take 2-3 years before we have our boots on the ground," the DG said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/DGCA-to-bring-over-10000-CLP-holders-under- scanner/articleshow/7751289.cms Back to Top Omni Air International Receives IOSA Registration TULSA, Okla., March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omni Air International (Omni) receives IOSA registration. Omni has successfully met the standards and recommended practices necessary to achieve IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration. Omni becomes the first non-scheduled passenger airline in the United States to achieve IOSA's high standard for its passenger services. The IOSA program is designed to ensure that Omni, and all other operators attaining registration, not only meet national standards in the key areas of an airline's management, flight operations, system control, aircraft maintenance, cabin, ground handling, cargo and security, but that they hold themselves to a higher set of internationally-recognized standards. "Omni has an uncompromising commitment to safety and quality that has driven our company to take on these very high standards. We are extremely proud to be listed in the company of the more than 350 operators that have achieved recognition through the registry," said Jeff Crippen, Omni's President and CEO. "All of the employees at Omni put in extraordinary effort every day to ensure that we provide each of our customers with that extra level of safety and service that is represented by IATA's recognition today." Omni, as a successful non-scheduled airline with worldwide experience, has operated to more than 70 countries, with over 60,000 flights totaling more than 300,000 flight hours with its fleet of B767-300, B757-200, and DC10-30 extended range aircraft. Its customers have included both government and commercial market segments from various countries. Omni provides turnkey and ACMI solutions for airlines around the globe. Omni's commitment to fleet modernization continues with the addition of the B777- 200ER aircraft. This fleet type will enhance Omni's ability to provide another widebody product for its customers that offers greater range and fuel efficiency. Omni, based in Tulsa, OK, is an FAA 121 certificated non-scheduled airline. Founded in 1993, OMNI continues to build on its success as a leader in the industry. Omni's team of aviation professionals has a "Can Do" spirit where safety and customer service always come first. SOURCE Omni Air International Back to Top Airplane Air: Does It Really Make You Sick? Flying is the still safest way to travel. No, really, it is. Yet despite strong statistics that back flying as the safest mode of transportation, millions of travelers still experience some level of anxiety even just thinking about flying. But what is it that makes us so afraid? As if the fear of terrorism, turbulence or mechanical failure were not enough, airplane passengers still have to contend with the fear of microbial invasion. After all, airplanes are a genuine hodgepodge of passengers, some healthy, some sick. And it always seems to be your dumb luck that you get seated next to some poor chap who looks like he belongs on the set of the film Outbreak. That's when the fear of infection really sets in. But is this fear warranted? After all, it's 2011; shouldn't airplane air be sterile by now? Air filtration Despite literally millions of passengers being crammed daily in tightly sealed, industrial flying tubes like sardines in a can, research has shown that the risk of infectious disease transmission aboard a plane is very low. In fact, the risk of airborne transmission is probably higher in the departure lounge, where air isn't rigorously filtered. Today, the quality of aircraft cabin air is carefully controlled. Most modern aircraft recycle about 50 percent of cabin air, with the remaining 50 percent being fresh, outside air. But it wasn't always this way. Partly to account for cigarette smoke, older systems actually used 100 percent fresh air, compressed, humidified and cooled by the engines in a process that consumed significant energy. To conserve fuel and decrease engine workload, less fresh air is now used, and instead, about half the cabin air is recycled after it is filtered through HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters like those used in hospitals to trap dust particles, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. But these filters aren't exactly perfect (each air exchange is said to remove only about 63 percent of airborne pathogens). And they're not exactly mandatory. As many as 15 percent of U.S. commercial airlines that carry more than 100 passengers lack HEPA filters. And there are currently no standards or regulations that enforce filtration. Even though cabin air is exchanged through the system about 20 to 30 times per hour, there remains a risk, albeit minor, of airborne disease transmission. But who exactly is at risk of infection? And what are they at risk of catching? Risk of transmission Generally speaking, your risk of airborne disease transmission depends on how close you're seated to an infected individual. A safe distance of at least two rows during an eight-hour flight was traditionally assumed sufficient, but this estimate came from studies on the spread of tuberculosis, a contagious bacterial infection of the lower lungs. When a single passenger with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a viral respiratory infection, infected 22 fellow passengers on a flight from Hong Kong to Beijing back in 2003, researchers realized that passengers as far away as seven rows were at risk.While increasing ventilation can help to decrease the risk of airborne transmission to nearby passengers, the greater risk of infection comes not necessarily from the air, but from direct contact. Diseases like influenza, for example, are more likely to be contracted when someone coughs or sneezes directly on or near you or when you touch an infected surface and then touch an entry pathway on the body, like the eyes or mouth. In many respects, then, airplanes are not much different than other forms of public transportation, like buses or trains. Washing your hands and avoiding touching your face will therefore help to further prevent disease above and beyond proper air filtration. High-priority diseases According to the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), the diseases most relevant for transmission during flight, not including food-borne diseases or diseases spread by insects or other invertebrate species, and ranked according to priority are as follows: · Tuberculosis · SARS · Influenza, including avian influenza · Measles · Rubella · Meningococcal disease · Diphtheria · Ebola hemorrhagic fever · Marburg hemorrhagic fever · Lassa fever · Smallpox · Anthrax Yep, even the deadly ebola virus makes the list! Although there has yet to be a documented case of transmission, there have been several scares -- like back in 2006, when a UK woman died of the disease shortly after boarding a flight from Johannesburg. Fortunately there have been few documented outbreaks aboard airplanes leading to serious disease or death. There hasn't even been a documented outbreak of influenza aboard an airplane since 1999. That said, the potential for disaster remains. Probably the worst outbreak of illness documented traces back to Sweden in 1963, when an individual picked up smallpox aboard an airplane and later transmitted the disease to 24 individuals, eventually resulting in four deaths. Landing the issue With over 9 billion passengers a year expected to fly by 2025, the issue of disease transmission aboard airplanes is unlikely to park itself any time soon. Fortunately, due to improvements in filtration technology and keen infection control practices, the risk of acquiring a disease aboard a plane is low and falling -- unless, of course, some new, deadlier pathogen rears its ugly head. But until one does, don't be afraid to fly. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/18/airplane-air-does-really-make- sick/?test=faces Back to Top Continental Airlines Passenger Was Angry; She Didn't Like Her Food A Continental Airlines passenger was angry; she didn't like the food they provided her on a flight from the Dominican Republic to Newark International Airport in New Jersey yesterday. The passenger, an unnamed 30-year-old vegetarian, was more than a little displeased at her meal and instead of just complaining, she threw the tray at the attendant. She was offended that her special meal didn't quite live up to her culinary specifications. What airline food lives up to any culinary specifications? She also didn't like the way the food was presented to her. Was there no plate or silverware? Didn't the attendant bow to her? What gives with this woman? Another unnamed source said the food the woman received was not a vegetarian meal, as had been requested. Is it possible this woman thought she was at a Burger King establishment instead of in an airplane where your food options are limited at best? Or should we give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that throwing her tray at someone is not what she meant to do? The flight attendant did not press charges against the food-deprived passenger. Port Authority police met the plane and the passengers and a report was filed. There was no comment from Continental Airlines, according to the New York Post. The next time perhaps she should eat before her flight then we would not have to hear that a Continental Airlines passenger was angry and didn't like her meal. http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979148727 Back to Top Aviation's Criminal Cases May Discourage Voluntary Disclosure (WSJ) International air-safety experts are revving up a campaign against criminal treatment of airline accidents after a French magistrate last week threatened to prosecute Airbus and Air France over a fatal 2009 crash. The magistrate's move put both companies, and potentially some of their senior executives, under formal criminal investigation for involuntary manslaughter in the crash of an Airbus A330 operated by Air France as it flew through a violent storm en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro, killing all 228 people aboard. The controversy prompted by such criminalization of error is slated to be the focus of a high-level safety conference in Madrid this week, sponsored by an arm of the United Nations and attended by industry officials as well as by European and U.S. regulators. The sessions are intended to focus on how criminal proceedings, and public disclosures of what have been confidential incident data, threaten to erode safety by chilling the voluntary disclosure of mistakes. Improving airline safety increasingly depends on analyzing incidents that provide hints of budding threats. But "criminal cases cast a tremendous black cloud over those who want to participate in voluntary safety-reporting programs," said Kenneth Quinn, who leads the aviation practice of law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Washington. "It's not just that we're seeing more criminal investigations," but "increasingly it's become the norm whenever a major accident occurs in Europe." Mr. Quinn also is general counsel of the nonprofit Flight Safety Foundation, a leading foe of criminalization. The latest developments underscore heightened concerns by pilot-union leaders and other safety experts about global trends to hold pilots, airline executives, mechanics and others criminally responsible for fatal crashes. Critics contend that such prosecutions frequently mean that law-enforcement officials are seeking, and making public, previously confidential and protected safety data. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. arm that sets international safety standards and policies for commercial aviation, is setting up a task force to recommend ways to protect aviation data. One aim is to "educate and sensitize judges and prosecutors about the dangers of drawn-out criminal prosecutions," according to Mr. Quinn, who is participating in the effort. The June 2009 Air France accident remains shrouded in mystery. Investigators haven't identified a likely cause, in part because the jet's flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders, better known as black boxes, haven't been recovered. Air France attorney Fernand Garnault said Friday that the magistrate indicated that the airline might have some responsibility for failing to alert pilots before the crash about potentially faulty air-speed sensors. A spokeswoman for the airline, a unit of Air France-KLM SA, said there was "no basis" for the magistrate's decision, which was one step short of formally bringing charges against the carrier. "Our concern is that the company is considered responsible before there is evidence" from credible experts, said a spokesman for Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. "In terms of our image, we have to explain to people in other countries that this is how it works in France." Between 1989 and 2009, there were 41 criminal prosecutions stemming from crashes of airliners or business jets world-wide, according to "Flying in the Face of Criminalization," a 2010 book co-written by Andreas Mateou, a commercial pilot. At least 20 investigations took place during the last decade. Aviation accidents have become so rare that when one happens, "society demands accountability in one way or other," Mr. Mateou said at a recent conference in Istanbul. He wrote the book with his wife, Sofia Michaelides-Mateou, a law professor at University of Nicosia in Cyprus. Before the twin-engine Air France plane crashed in 2009, it sent a stream of automated messages revealing problems with certain air-speed sensors, followed by a cascade of messages on other serious computer and flight-control failures. A new search for the black boxes is slated to begin shortly. Since the accident, Airbus and Air France have swapped out suspect speed sensors. Regulators have required similar moves on Airbus planes flown by other carriers. The industry also is researching how tiny airborne ice crystals can cause speed sensors to malfunction. Air France also has emphasized the proper use of on-board weather radar by pilots. And in conjunction with Airbus, the carrier began training pilots how to better cope with failures of automated flight-control systems at high speeds and high altitudes. Back to Top Helicopter crash kills six firemen in Spain MADRID, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Six firemen were killed on Saturday when a helicopter crashed in the northeastern Spanish province of Aragon. The chopper crashed at around 1:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) as it flew to join efforts to fight a wildfire about 30 km from the city of Teruel. A survivor was hospitalized with fractures. The cause of the accident is unknown although bad weather conditions have been ruled out. Spanish King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero have offered their condolences. *********** Date: 19-MAR-2011 Time: ~14:45 LT Type: Bell 407 Operator: INAER Registration: EC-KTA C/n / msn: 53831 Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Camarena, near Teruel - Spain Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Six firemen were killed in eastern Spain on Saturday when their helicopter crashed as they were traveling to extinguish a blaze, Spanish national radio reported. The accident occurred in the small town of Camarena near Teruel in the Aragon region, some 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Madrid. In addition to the six killed, one other may be seriously injured. www.aviation-safety.net Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC