Flight Safety Information May 20, 2011 - No. 104 In This Issue FAA warns pilots in Las Vegas vicinity on GPS Qantas flight in mid-air engine shut down NTSB sends team to investigate California crash of commercial refueling jet NTSB: FAA should have tested NC pilot before in-flight stroke Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading Sully" Sullenberger joins CBS News AI-DGCA play farcical game over safety norms Pilots and Flight Attendants May Have to Study Harder to Pass FAA Tests Investigators retrieve crashed Sol Saab's flight recorders New Zealand pilots take issue with CAA background checks Brazil Judge's Sentence Against American Pilots Cannot Be Enforced A Practical Approach to Safety Management Systems Course FAA warns pilots in Las Vegas vicinity on GPS WASHINGTON - Federal officials are warning pilots flying at night near Las Vegas over the next week they may have to navigate the old-fashioned way -- without GPS. The Federal Aviation Administration sent a notice to pilots that navigation systems based on GPS technology may be "unreliable or unavailable" in about a 350 mile-radius that includes Las Vegas. All airliners and many other planes have backup navigation systems. Not all planes use GPS. LightSquared -- a company that plans to deploy a nationwide wireless broadband network -- is testing its equipment in Nevada southeast of Las Vegas. The tests are part of an agreement between LightSquared and the Federal Communications Commission. LightSquared has rights to frequencies very close in the electromagnetic spectrum to those used for GPS, raising concern about possible jamming. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9NA1H901.htm Back to Top Qantas flight in mid-air engine shut down SYDNEY (AFP) - A Qantas jet was stranded in Bangkok Friday after crew were forced to shut down one engine, the latest headache for an airline troubled by rising costs and the threat of strikes. The Boeing 747 carrying 308 passengers had been bound for London, but turned back to the Thai capital shortly after take-off after pilots shut down one of its four engines due to "an increase in vibration and high temperatures". "The pilots shut down this engine and as a precaution returned to Bangkok," a Qantas spokesman said. "The aircraft can safely fly on three engines and it had a normal landing in Bangkok not long afterwards. "We believe the cause is similar to events that other airlines are experiencing and is subject to an increased monitoring program from the manufacturer Rolls Royce." The incident comes as Qantas faces strike action by some of its employees, including pilots, at the same time as it grapples with high fuel prices and a non-performing international business. Qantas pilots said Friday the airline was pressuring them to take on less fuel to help save costs, amid an industry belief that long-held fuel allocation ratios should be lowered given improved accuracy in weather and traffic forecasts. Captain Richard Woodward, vice president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, told ABC radio that Qantas printed out a chart for its pilots showing how much fuel they ordered and how much they landed with. Woodward said there was a "subtle pressure to make sure that you only carry the minimum necessary." "They certainly say to us they would prefer not to carry extra fuel because it's outrageously expensive," he added. On Tuesday a Melbourne-bound flight from Singapore to Melbourne was diverted to Adelaide after crew discovered the Airbus A380 running low on fuel. The plane is thought to have burned more fuel than expected due to bad weather. Qantas rejected the claim, saying captains were responsible for their fuel order and the airline did not attempt to influence that decision in any way. "All Qantas flights operate with appropriate fuel based on extremely detailed flight planning and forecast flying conditions," the spokesman said, adding that pilots were encouraged to closely monitor "discretionary fuel uplift". Back to Top NTSB sends team to investigate California crash of commercial refueling jet contracted to Navy POINT MUGU, Calif. (AP) - A commercial aerial refueling tanker that burned on a Southern California Navy base experienced an engine fire during a takeoff attempt, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. The NTSB released no other details of how the accident occurred but said it had dispatched a team of investigators to the Naval air station at Point Mugu, where the four-engine jet was destroyed Wednesday. The three-member crew escaped. The Naval Base Ventura County public affairs office initially said all three had minor injuries, but on Thursday spokesman Vance Vasquez said that only one actually was hurt. The safety board said the Boeing 707 was registered to Omega Air Inc., a San Antonio, Texas-based contractor that uses converted civilian airplanes to provide aerial refueling services to the military. A Federal Aviation Administration registry database shows that the aircraft was manufactured in 1969 and listed its engines as being from Pratt & Whitney. The NTSB said representatives from the FAA, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and the Navy Air Safety Center were participating in the probe. According to an Omega website, the Boeing 707 was a former Pan American passenger jet that began flying as the world's first commercial aerial refueling tanker in 1999 and was certified in 2001 to refuel every kind of Navy and Marine Corps tactical aircraft. The website said another company, Omega Aerial Refueling Services Inc. of Alexandria, Va., was created in 2004 to manage the refueling program and lease tankers from Omega Air. Omega also has another Boeing 707 and a DC-10 that were converted to air tankers. Derivatives of both types of aircraft are also used by the U.S. Air Force in its aerial refueling fleet, where they are designated KC-135 and KC-10, respectively. In addition to contracting to refuel U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, Omega said it has conducted refueling flights for Australian, British and Canadian aircraft. Omega Aerial Refueling Services President W. Stewart Orr declined comment when reached by phone Wednesday night. ************* Status: Preliminary Date: 18 MAY 2011 Time: 17:25 Type: Boeing 707-321B Operator: Omega Air Refueling Registration: N707AR C/n / msn: 20029/790 First flight: 1969 Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Port Hueneme-Point Mugu NAS, CA (NTD) (United States of America) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Military Departure airport: Port Hueneme-Point Mugu NAS, CA (NTD/KNTD), United States of America Destination airport: ? Flightnumber: 70 Narrative: Went off the left side of runway 21 into a marsh area and caught fire. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top NTSB: FAA should have tested NC pilot before in-flight stroke led to emergency landing GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A review board says better oversight by federal aviation authorities could have prevented a forced landing by a medical helicopter after its North Carolina pilot suffered a stroke. The Daily Reflector of Greenville reports Thursday the National Transportation Safety Board says a 61-year-old pilot was not required by the Federal Aviation Administration to undergo testing after suffering a 2006 stroke. On Dec. 29, that pilot made an emergency landing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point after having another stroke and telling crew members he could not move his right arm. No one was injured, but the helicopter suffered $220,000 in damage. The pilot's name has not been released. An FAA spokeswoman says medical evaluations are given to pilots on a case-by-case basis. Back to Top Report: Islander ditching following engine failure caused by overloading The Dutch Safety Board published the results of their investigation into an accident involving a BN-2 Islander aircraft of Divi Divi Air in October 2009. The airplane suffered a right hand engine failure shortly after takeoff from Curacao on an inter-island flight to Bonaire. The pilot elected to continue to Bonaire on the remaining engine. Altitide could not be maintain and the airplane ditched off Bonaire. The pilot was killed in this accident. The nine passengers escaped the airplane relatively unharmed and were picked up by boats nearby the crash site. The investigation showed that the airplane was unable to maintain horizontal flight after one of the engines had failed, due to overloading. The airplane was overloaded by 9%. With the continuation of the flight under these circumstances the pilot took a completely unacceptable risk. Furthermore the Board has established that Divi Divi Air used standard passengers weight that were too low. A random audit revealed that the maximum takeoff - and landing weights, were systematically exceeded. The investigation also revealed that the Divi Divi Air management insufficiently supervised the safety of the flight operations of their airplanes. Also safety oversight conducted by the Netherlands Antilles Directorate of Aviation was limited. In this light, the Safety Board referred to the ICAO audit that was conducted in 2008. This audit revealed many deviations of the ICAO standards and regulations. The Board is concerned about safety oversight on civil aviation at Curacao. The results of the investigation have resulted in recommendation of the Board to Divi Divi Air and the Minister of Traffic, Transportation and Spatial Planning of Curacao and the Governor of Bonaire. More information: * Dutch Safety Board * ASN Accident Description Back to Top "Sully" Sullenberger joins CBS News Capt. Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger goes through his pre-flight routine before piloting a flight to North Carolina from LaGuardia Airport in New York October 1, 2009. LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot behind the 2009 emergency landing in New York's Hudson River, is joining CBS News as aviation and safety expert. Describing him as a "genuine hero," CBS News chairman and "60 Minutes" executive producer Jeff Fager said the ex-pilot with nearly 20,000 hours of service will help viewers "better understand the stories involving safety and air travel that seem to pop up all the time." "He is a remarkable person who has great ability to turn his significant experience into useful insights," he added, noting that Sullenberger will provide analysis of aviation safety and contribute to CBS News broadcasts and platforms across the news division. Sullenberger guided U.S. Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency water landing on January 15, 2009, after the Airbus A320's two engines lost thrust following a bird strike. Former New York Gov. David Paterson dubbed the event the "Miracle on the Hudson." "I am eager to contribute to an organization I have long respected for its award- winning reputation of superior reporting," Sullenberger said. The author of "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters" was recognized, with his crew, with a congressional resolution for bravery. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he majored in psychology. He holds two master's degrees, one in industrial psychology from Purdue and another in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/19/us-sullenberger-idUSTRE74I83G20110519 Back to Top AI-DGCA play farcical game over safety norms MUMBAI: After the Mangalore aircraft that killed 158 people last year, Air India was hauled up by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation a number of times for issuing controversial air-safety directives and fraudulently attributing them to the aviation regulator. The DGCA would warn the airline, only after circular being issued using the same modus operandi. TOI looks at the farcical hide-and seek played by the airline and the aviation regulator over the last few months. April 2011: Between April 7-18, at least five Air India international flights were operated by pilots who had been behind flight controls for over nine hours. A set of pilots, doing more than one landing, can do only nine hours of flight time per shift. But Air India forces these pilots to operate flights beyond nine hours saying the DGCA had cleared it. Director-General Bharat Bhushan denies giving such a waiver. 19 March 2011: Four AI pilots informed that civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi has granted a verbal permission to the airline to circumvent a clause in pilot rest rules. The minister and the director-general denied granting any such dispensation. No action taken against the airline. 30 December 2010: AI says DGCA has allowed it to operate its Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft with a minimum of only five flight attendants instead of eight, Boeing 747-400 aircraft flights with nine cabin crew members instead of 12 and its Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft with seven in place of 10. But less flight attendants mean not every exit would be manned during an emergency. DGCA denies issuing such an order. 15 December 2010: AI's pilots issued an advisory stating that when a flight gets diverted because of bad weather, technical problems, etc., the airline can ask the pilots concerned to be stay on duty for any number of hours so as to take the aircraft to its original destination. There was no time limit for the number of hours a pilot could be made to work, said the airline, attributing the order to the DGCA. DGCA denies issuing such an order and the airline is asked to revoke it. The final one is the circular on 'hard landings'. For two years, AI pilots who failed to do a smooth touch-down were hauled up by the airline. A last-moment technique to prevent a hard landing is by stretching the flare - aircraft floats longer over the runway - and touching-down deep into the runway. On May 22, Air India Express B737 aircraft touches down 600 m past the touchdown zone on the Mangalore airport runway. The aircraft had lesser runway length to come to a halt. Following the Mangalore air crash, the DGCA issued a directive asking airlines to "ensure that 'correct' landings are aimed by pilots rather than achieving soft landings values that may compromise the runway stopping distance required". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ Back to Top Pilots and Flight Attendants May Have to Study Harder to Pass FAA Tests Uncle Sam is pretty good about ensuring that pilots have plenty of training before they're allowed to fly us all around the globe. However, there's really no such thing as too much training, so that's why we're glad the Federal Aviation Administration is thinking about adding even more tests, quizzes, and exams to the nation's pilot training. It won't just be for pilots either, as even the flight attendants are going to need to study hard to pass these new tougher tests. Apparently the new changes are going to be the biggest update in like a couple of decades, as the FAA wants more flight crews to actually demonstrate their skills and abilities during potential issues and problems. That means a lot more time in the flight simulator for the pilots, as well as increased rides down the emergency exit slides for flight attendants. Overall there seems to be much more of an emphasis on specific emergencies than just generalities of what could or what would happen if certain things occurred. The FAA has been reviewing incidents from the past few years-like the Colgan Air crash outside of Buffalo-and are putting the exact situations into these new training requirements. The FAA is opening up all their new ideas and guidelines to public opinion now through the middle of July, so if you want to pipe in your two cents now's the time to do it. Officials insist that the United States still has the safest aviation system in the world, but all the new updates are just to ensure that things stay that way. That's something we can definitely support. http://www.jaunted.com/ Back to Top Investigators retrieve crashed Sol Saab's flight recorders Argentinean authorities have recovered the flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders of the Sol Lineas Aereas Saab 340 which crashed an hour after departing Neuquen. A source at the Argentinean civil aviation authority, ANAC, said the devices had been handed over to the accident investigation committee JIAAC. Flight 5428 crashed on 18 May near Prahuaniyeu, some 35km south of the Patagonian town of Los Menucos, in the Rio Negro province, while en route to Comodoro Rivadavia. There were no survivors among the 19 passengers and three crew. According to the ANAC source, the crash site is located in an area that is "difficult to access". He also confirms that all certificates of the airline, the crew and for aircraft maintenance are "in order and up to date". ANAC, which confirms the aircraft's registration as LV-CEJ, says the flight originally left Cordoba, stopping in Mendoza and again in Neuquen, before departing Neuquen at 20:08. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Comodoro Rivadavia at 21:58 but ANAC stated that the last contact with the aircraft was at 20:50. Sol, which has not yet resumed its full flying programme, says its priority is to help families of the victims and to "assist the authorities in their investigations". Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top New Zealand pilots take issue with CAA background checks The New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association has taken legal action to prevent the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from conducting random background checks on pilots' drug and alcohol convictions. Reports said the association was granted an interim injunction in New Zealand's High Court to stop the checks by the CAA, citing privacy concerns. The CAA said that it is "disappointed" with the decision and added that its checks comply with all statutory requirements, including the privacy issues that concern the association. It said that while pilots are required to voluntarily declare past convictions like drink driving, some pilots might not make honest disclosures. It has checked conviction records of a sample of pilots against its own records. "The checks are undertaken to provide confidence that the person flying the aeroplane is fit and proper and can exercise the privileges of their licence safely," said the director of civil aviation Steve Douglas. Reports said that a date for the case to be heard in court has not been decided. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Brazil Judge's Sentence Against American Pilots Cannot Be Enforced Almost five years ago, on September 26, 2006, an executive jet manufactured by the Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer, left São Paulo on a flight to the United States where it was to be delivered to its new owners. The jet, a Legacy 600, was piloted by two Americans, Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino. Around 5:00 pm, on a clear day, somewhere over the state of Mato Grosso, the Legacy and a commercial airliner, a Boeing 737, brushed past each other. The Legacy was slightly damaged and managed to land. The Boeing, belonging to Gol Airlines, flight 1907 from Manaus to Brasília, crashed in a remote region known as the Serra do Cachimbo killing all 154 people aboard. Lepore and Paladino were actually taken into custody in Brazil immediately following the accident. They were later released on the understanding that they could face criminal charges. Since the accident, many Brazilian authorities and relatives of the victims have clamored for a trial of the American pilots. A trial has taken place, part of it by teleconference with the pilots testifying in the United States. This week, a federal judge in the municipality of Sinop (population 106,000), in the state of Mato Grosso (near where the Boeing crashed), found Lepore and Paladino guilty of causing the accident and gave the two American pilots a limited-custodial sentence ("pena em regime semiaberto" - that is, the prisoner must spend the night in jail but can leave during the day) for a period of four years and four months. In his sentence, the judge, Murilo Mendes, made it clear that the pilots were responsible for the accident. However, he then converted the sentence into community service in the United States and ordered the suspension of their pilot's licenses during the period of the sentence. The judge's ruling can be appealed to a higher court and, as a matter of fact, the Mato Grosso state office of government attorneys ("Ministério Público Federal em Mato Grosso - MPF-MT"), immediately announced that they will file an appeal seeking a stiffer penalty for the pilots . The Association of Relatives and Friends of the Victims of Flight 1907 released a note saying the sentence by judge Mendes left them in a state of "consternation and anger." A lawyer for the association declared the relatives and friends wanted a maximum sentence of imprisonment. He also criticized the alternative sentence. "Although the time to be served is long, the fact that it will be served doing community services in their country (the US) means it amounts to practically nothing, it is nil," the lawyer said. The pilots attorney has also announced that he will file an appeal since he considers that the punishment is too severe. For Theodomiro Dias Neto, defense lawyer, the sentence wasn't too far from what they wanted. He announced he would appeal however, because the judge wasn't consistent in his ruling. Can any sentence be enforced, however? Most experts believe that any ruling is unenforceable and probably won't be accepted by the American justice so the pilots won't be subject to any punishment not even some symbolic community service. A Brazilian judge has no jurisdiction in the US. Besides, there is no extradition treaty between both countries on the matter at hand. Judge Murilo Mendes has his doubts his ruling can be enforced. According to him, there is "a question of sovereignty." He stressed, however, that there is a treaty between Brazil that might help the fulfillment of the sentence. "Provided there is cooperation by the US authorities. Since this is a cooperation treaty we imagine that cooperation will occur," he said. http://www.brazzilmag.com/component/content/article/98-may-2011/12574-brazil- judges-sentence-against-american-pilots-cannot-be-enforced.html Back to Top A Practical Approach to Safety Management Systems Course June 17-18, 2011 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Curt Lewis & Associates, LLCin conjunction with Beyond Risk Management Ltd. "A Practical Approach to Safety Management Systems" a course designed for the aviation industry. are pleased to host With the ICAO recommendations and standards for the introduction of Safety Management Systems throughout the world - you can get ahead of the curve and save time and money by learning the potential pitfalls and challenges associated to its implementation. The Canadian large aircraft aviation industry has experienced many of the same challenges likely to be faced by others. To better prepare you and your organization to meet these challenges we are pleased to bring to you the Canadian experience with regulated Safety Management Systems adapted to the your needs. Dates - June 17 & 18, 2011 (Friday and Saturday), SEATS ARE LIMITED- to ensure good discussion and time to question in a workshop environment class size is intentionally intimate. Register now to avoid disappointment. Important Details - This course covers the ICAO standards, the proposed FAA Safety Management Systems requirements and the Canadian experience. The content is global in nature enabling participants from other nations and industries to find the material both useful and beneficial. For Canadian attendees this course fulfills the requirements for CASO training (non 705 operators.) Schedule Day One (Friday) 0730 - 0800 hrs. Registration & continental breakfast 0800 - 1200 hrs. Session #1 1200 - 1245 hrs. Lunch 1245 - 1700 hrs. Session#2 Day Two (Saturday) 0730 - 0800 hrs. Continental breakfast 0800 - 1200 hrs. Session #3 1200 - 1245 hrs. Lunch 1245 - 1630 hrs. Session #4 1630 - 1700 hrs. Closing remarks and Presentation of certificates Location - The hotel is the Element Dallas Fort Worth North (3550 W. IH 635 Irving, Texas 75063 United States · Phone: (972) 929-9800· Toll-Free: 1-877-353-6368. Shuttle service from airport is available. Book your overnight stay directly with the hotel early. (http://www.elementdfwnorth.com) Overview - Improve safety performance by applying the fundamentals of SMS within your organization. Get past the barriers of independent departments to an integrated system. This two-day course gives you the comprehensive understanding of SMS and the tools to assist you in preparing for change in your organization. Who should attend - Any individuals who will be actively involved in the organization's Safety Management System (safety program). Individuals with previous experience and those with no knowledge in safety management will find this course useful for the formation or expansion of safety programs within their organizations. What you get - Participants will receive a consolidated reference binder of class material as well as an electronic version of the material which will provide guidance for setting up a system within their organization. Upon successful completion of the course a certificate will be issued. Subjects that will be reviewed are: * Safety and securitya full review of the proposed FAA Safety Management Systems, current ICAO and Transport Canada and requirements) * What Safety Management Systems is (definitions) * Corporate culture - The push for change ( * Risk Assessment techniques * Data collection and processing * Front line involvement and committee process * Incident Reporting * Incident/Accident investigation techniques and process * Trend Analysis * Response to events and emergencies * Safety promotion * Implementing change (and the obstacles to change) * Documentation process. Logistics - Tea/coffee/juice/water will be provided in the classroom at all times, continental breakfast and lunch on both days is included. Cost - $1,195.00 US funds per person SPECIAL OFFER: When you register three people from one organization the fourth attendee is our guest! Facilitators - Captain Elaine Parker, Inspector (ret'd) Brendan Kapuscinski, Curt Lewis PE, CSP & Darwin Copsey - Seating Restricted for better workshop discussion - - Registration is limited - Register now - Register on line at: www.regonline.ca/SMSDFWJun2011 For further information or questions: email - elaine@beyondriskmgmt.com Or call: Brendan Kapuscinski 403-804-9745 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC