Flight Safety Information May 23, 2011 - No. 105 In This Issue Zeroing In On Cause Of AF447 Crash Shuster Drops Controversial Amendment To FAA Bill Embraer stresses inspection interval change on E-190 poses no threat Panama seizes Learjet, imprisons 2 Houston pilots Icelandic volcano eruption closes airport Passenger on recent flight to San Diego hospitalized with measles El Al flight prepares for emergency landing at Ben Gurion Fastest helicopter hits speed of 267 mph OIG To Audit The FAA On Its Efforts To Enhance Airline Safety Delta Jet Makes Emergency Landing In Green Bay Oh no, not again... volcanic ash cloud threatens flights U.S. Senate Chastizes EU Over Airline Passenger Information Sharing Zeroing In On Cause Of AF447 Crash The cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447 could start coming into sharper focus soon, with the French air accident investigation office, the BEA, planning to provide a new interim report during the summer. There is political pressure for results early, particularly after finger-pointing last week in France over the pilots' culpability. The spat erupted after the BEA said it had recovered 2 hr. of cockpit voice recorder information and data from the flight data recorder of the Airbus A330-200 that crashed June 1, 2009, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 on board. Airbus, which had technical personnel present at the BEA during the proceedings, subsequently issued a note to operators (a so-called accident information telex) saying, "at this stage of the preliminary analysis of the [digital flight data recorder], Airbus has no immediate recommendation to raise to operators," adding that it would provide more updates once "new significant information becomes available." The message was interpreted by some as suggesting that the fault lies with the crew. One of France's pilot's unions, SNPL, blasted such conclusions and notes that Airbus had previously issued technical change guidance. For instance, out of concern about pitot tube icing, the aircraft maker and regulators ordered a change in the probes. Airbus notes that its telex was approved by the BEA but also rejected the speculations being made. The preliminary report, which some suggest could come as soon as late next month, would offer the first concrete insight into what investigators are learning from the devices' data. One matter that has triggered questions is why the potential pitot tube icing might have resulted in a crash, when such icing is not unusual. The flight data recorder information should be able to shed light on whether deeper systems issues still linger, whereas the cockpit voice recorder should help determine what actions the crew took to address inflight problems. There is also controversy about how long it has taken to locate the wreckage of AF447. Gerard Arnoux, an Air France captain and technical adviser to some of the victim associations, says that if the BEA had followed the hypothesis that the aircraft stalled at altitude, it would have been able to locate the wreckage within weeks of the accident and "victims would have been able to mourn in a decent way." Arnoux also stresses that the risks of pitot tube failure were well known before the accident and should have been addressed much earlier. The BEA says extraction of data from the recording devices was witnessed by two investigators each from Germany's BFU, the U.K.'s Air Accident Investigation Branch and Brazil's Cenipa, as well as an American investigator from the NTSB, an officer from the French judicial police and a court expert. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Shuster Drops Controversial Amendment To FAA Bill WASHINGTON - Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) is withdrawing a controversial amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill, saying it might have bogged down conference negotiations on the bill that expires May 31. Shuster billed his amendment as an attempt to improve FAA rules and increase safety, but opponents charged that it would have made it harder for the FAA to make safety rules such as those being put in place in response to a Colgan Air crash in 2009. "After four years of delay and 18 short-term extensions, it is vital that Congress pass the long overdue FAA Reauthorization bill," Shuster says in a statement. "I have withdrawn my amendment to remove this possible impediment to the bill's final adoption and enactment." That was good news to Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the House Transportation aviation subcommittee, who notes that the National Transportation Safety Board and the president share his opposition to the provision. "This is great news for aviation safety and the prospects of finishing a final FAA Reauthorization bill," Costello says. "The Shuster amendment would clearly undermine the progress we made last year in passing the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, which significantly improved aviation safety standards." http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Embraer stresses inspection interval change on E-190 poses no threat Embraer has released a statement stressing that an Airworthiness Directive issued by Brazilian authorities requiring an update to some structural inspection intervals for the Embraer E-190 "has no impact on the operational safety of the aircraft". "The AD instructs a maintenance programme update and calls for a change in some structural inspection intervals, and is based on the Full Scale Fatigue Test Requirements for aircraft certification under the requirements of ANAC, US FAA, European EASA and Canadian TCCA," said Embraer. "No unscheduled structural inspection of the Embraer 190 is being requested in the AD." Embraer opted to issue the statement after media reports surfaced referencing the Airworthiness Directive. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Panama seizes Learjet, imprisons 2 Houston pilots $2.3 million in cash found on upscale aircraft Two Houston-area pilots are imprisoned in Panama after the Learjet they were flying was found to be carrying $2.3 million in cash. The plane is owned by the president of a small Houston oil and gas exploration company who said Thursday that the men have been wrongfully detained, as they didn't know about the money. The money belongs to a passenger who chartered the aircraft to fly from Honduras to Panama, he said. The upscale Learjet, which seats seven, has remained in the custody of the Panamanian government since it was stopped May 7. "The accusation is drug- related. That is why they are being held," said Blakenergy chief David Blake, who owns the plane as part of his separate aviation company. "I have my attorney down in Panama at the moment to do every thing he can to first and foremost release the pilots," Blake said. "They have families." A U.S. official declined to comment but confirmed an investigation is under way. A Panamanian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed pilots Kenneth Chonoski and Carl Moody were in custody, as were three of the passengers. A woman who answered the phone at an address associated with Chonoski said she knew nothing about the matter and quickly hung up. Both men are registered as pilots with the Federal Aviation Administration. Blake said he purchased the plane a few months ago as an investment and leased it long-term to a charter aviation company that employed the pilots and handled the flight to Panama. He declined to identify the charter company. The Latin American newspaper El Heraldo reported in a dispatch from Honduras that all aboard the aircraft were held on suspicion of money-laundering, but the Panamanian official who spoke to the Chronicle would not discuss any charges. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also declined to comment. The plane was flying along a corridor often used for leap-frogging drugs toward the United States as well as sending bulk cash back to South America. Blake reiterated that he did not know anyone on the plane or anything about the cash. "It is not a company plane we utilize," he said. "I have no knowledge of where it goes or who they fly." This incident marks the second time in recent months that a Houston-based energy company has been tied to a private jet detained overseas. In February in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a plane leased by CAMAC was impounded and the people aboard were held on suspicion of smuggling gold. The plane and the people were later released after a hefty fine was paid. Blake said he'll stay patient. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7574330.html#ixzz1N8piPInS Back to Top Icelandic volcano eruption closes airport Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled all domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam high into the sky. (May 22) http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/icelandic-volcano-eruption-closes- airport/2011/05/22/AFkn4J9G_video.html?wprss=rss_homepage Back to Top Passenger on recent flight to San Diego hospitalized with measles The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced Saturday that a passenger on an airline flight last week has been hospitalized with a confirmed case of measles. The infected passenger was on the Continental Airlines flight 1689 from Houston to San Diego on May 17, and was hospitalized shortly after landing in San Diego. The measles was confirmed on Friday. Health officials are attempting to contact the 50 + passengers with local addresses to warn them of the exposure and find out if they have been vaccinated. Those from outside the region are also being tracked down. The person with measles first became ill in London on May 14 and had never been vaccinated for the disease. She traveled to the United States on Continental Airlines flight #0005 from London to Houston on May 17. Her symptoms worsened on the flight to San Diego and she was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. No one in the San Diego International Airport terminal was exposed to measles because of the precautions taken by paramedics. Fifteen passengers on the international flight are also being contacted by public health officials. http://www.examiner.com/infectious-disease-in-national/passenger-on-recent-flight-to- san-diego-hospitalized-with-measles Back to Top El Al flight prepares for emergency landing at Ben Gurion Sixty ambulances and 20 fire trucks arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport ahead of an emergency landing of El Al flight 027 carrying 259 passengers. A state of emergency was declared at Ben Gurion International Airport on the early hours of Monday morning, after a technical fault was discovered in an El Al flight headed for the United States. Flight LY027 from Tel Aviv to Newark is carrying 276 passengers on a Boeing 777 model aircraft. After take-off at 1:50am on Monday a technical fault was discovered in the left wheel of the plane. Following the discovery, the flight crew decided to return to Israel. A state of emergency was declared and 70 ambulances, 20 fire trucks and numerous police vehicles arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport ahead of the emergency landing. The aircraft is currently hovering above the Mediterranean Sea in order to get rid of excess petrol ahead of the emergency landing. The plane is expected to land when the sun begins to rise, at approximately 5:30am. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/el-al-flight-prepares-for-emergency-landing-at- ben-gurion-1.363472 Back to Top Fastest helicopter hits speed of 267 mph MARIGNANE, France, May 20 (UPI) -- A new helicopter has attained a speed of 267 mph in France, making it the fastest helicopter in the world, aviation experts say. The X3 by French company Eurocopter achieves its high rate of speed by using an additional engine, separate from the one driving its main rotor, to power two conventional aircraft-type propellers, one on each side of the craft, PhysOrg.com reported Friday. It can travel nearly twice as fast as conventional helicopters, which normally can achieve about 150 mph. The system does not require any extra stabilizing or ballast systems to keep the configuration of one large rotor and two smaller propellers working together, nor does it require any autopilot or assistance systems and it can be flown by a normally qualified helicopter pilot. The Eurocopter X3 is primarily aimed at emergency services and the military personnel for the extra speed if offers. Eurocopter has not said whether it would make the X3 available to private buyers who have the means to make such a purchase. www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/05/20/Fastest-helicopter-hits-speed-of-267-mph/UPI- 37501305930467/#ixzz1N8gGfwvG Back to Top OIG To Audit The FAA On Its Efforts To Enhance Airline Safety May 22, 2011 - The Office of Inspector General plans to conduct a follow-up review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry efforts to enhance safety in response to the 2009 fatal crash of Colgan Air flight 3407. OIG will conduct this review at the request of the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation. Several safety initiatives were introduced following the Colgan Air crash through FAA's Call to Action on Airline Safety and Pilot Training and subsequently became requirements under the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010. Effectively implementing these requirements in a timely manner is critical to enhancing safety for the traveling public. Accordingly, OIG audit objectives are to examine the FAA and industry progress in implementing elements of the Act and identify any challenges to completing these actions. Colgan Air Flight 3407, marketed as Continental Connection under a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines, was a daily U.S. regional airline commuter flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York State. A Bombardier DHC8-402 Q400 operating as Flight 3407 departed late from Newark on February 12, 2009, at 9:20 p.m. EST. Shortly after the last communication by the flight crew with approach control at 10:17 p.m. (03:17, February 13 UTC), the plane stalled less than a mile northeast of the locator outer marker while on an ILS approach to Runway 23 and crashed into a house in the northeast Buffalo suburb of Clarence Center, a hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Clarence, about 9.3 kilometres (5.0 nmi) short of the runway threshold. A total of 50 people were killed including the two pilots, two flight attendants, 45 passengers (including one off-duty pilot), and one person in the house into which the plane crashed. It was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States since the crash of Comair Flight 191 in August 2006 which killed 49. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that cause of the crash was pilot error. The aircraft had been cleared for the ILS Runway 23 approach to the nearby Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it disappeared from radar. Weather conditions were a wintry mix in the area, with light snow, fog, and winds at 17 miles per hour (15 knots). Two other aircraft reported icing conditions around the time of the crash. The last radio transmission from the flight occurred when the plane was 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) northeast of the airport radio beacon known as KLUMP (see diagram), when First Officer Shaw acknowledged a routine instruction to change to tower frequency. After several attempts to hail the crew, controllers requested the assistance of Delta Air Lines Flight 1998 from Atlanta, GA and US Airways Flight 1452 from Charlotte, NC to make visual contact with the missing airplane; the Delta crew members responded that they did not see the plane. During the flight and continuing through the plane's landing approach, the crew had been flying on autopilot. The de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes into the flight by the crew, who had discussed significant ice buildup on the aircraft's wings and windscreen shortly before the crash. Following this, the pilots extended the aircraft's flaps and landing gear for landing. According to the NTSB's official report, after the landing gear and flaps had been extended, the flight data recorder (FDR) indicated that the airspeed had decayed to 145 knots (269 km/h). The captain, who was the pilot flying, then called for the flaps to be set at the 15 degree position. As the flaps transitioned past the 10 degree mark, the FDR indicated that the airspeed had further slowed to 135 knots (250 km/h). Six seconds later, the aircraft's stick shaker, a device intended to provide aural and tactile awareness of a low speed condition, sounded. At this time the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recorded the autopilot disengaging. The FDR now indicated that the aircraft's speed was a dangerously slow 131 knots (243 km/h). Unfortunately, instead of following the established stall recovery procedure of adding full power and lowering the nose to prevent the stall, the captain only added about 75% power and continued applying nose-up inputs. As the aircraft came even closer to stalling the stick pusher activated. The stick pusher is designed as a last ditch effort to lower the airplane's attitude to fly out of the stall. The captain overrode the pusher and continued pulling on the control yoke resulting in the upset and subsequent loss of control. The plane pitched up at an angle of 31 degrees in its final moments, before pitching down at 45 degrees. It then rolled to the left at 46 degrees and snapped back to the right at 105 degrees. Occupants aboard experienced forces estimated at nearly twice that of gravity. Witnesses on the ground claimed to have heard the engines sputter just before the crash. http://avstop.com/ Back to Top Delta Jet Makes Emergency Landing In Green Bay No One Was Injured GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A Delta Air Lines jet landed safely in Green Bay after the crew smelled something unusual en route from Detroit to Minneapolis on Saturday. Passengers said Delta Flight 1476 was about half way between the two cities when the captain told them the crew smelled smoke or another strange smell in the forward galley area. Green Bay Airport Manager Tom Miller said the plane landed shortly before 2:30 p.m., about nine minutes after the captain declared an emergency. That gave responders on the ground time to get all emergency equipment in place before the two engine jet touched down. Eighty-one passengers and five crew members were aboard. There were no injuries, and passengers were put on another plane to Minneapolis later the same day. http://www.channel3000.com/news/27982928/detail.html Back to Top Oh no, not again... volcanic ash cloud threatens flights One year after an Icelandic volcano brought much of Europe's air traffic to a halt, a cloud of ash from a new eruption could spread to Britain by tomorrow, causing further disruption to airlines. Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano, in its largest eruption for 100 years, began firing ash, smoke and steam 12 miles into the sky on Saturday. The eruption has so far affected only Iceland, which, after initially playing down developments, closed its airspace. However, all airlines flying over Europe were told yesterday to prepare for a possible spread of ash to the continent later in the week. The ash cloud could arrive in Scotland as early as midday tomorrow, said Europe's air traffic control organisation. The Met Office said it could spread to other parts of Britain, Spain and France later in the week. The eruption is much stronger than the one at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano last April, which closed European skies for six days, amid fears that the ash could damage jet engines. But experts said the impact on air travel would be limited in comparison, due to favourable wind conditions and because the ash is heavier, and therefore likely to fall to earth quicker. Richard Taylor, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, said the airline industry had "learnt lessons" from last year's eruption. "There will be changes to how we dealt with it that time around. You won't see the wholesale closures that were implemented back then, unless the ash concentration gets particularly dense." His words were echoed by experts in Iceland. "It could lead to some disruption, but only for a limited time and only over a limited area," claimed the University of Iceland's professor of geophysics, Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson. "A very large area in southeast Iceland is in almost total darkness after a heavy fall of ash. But it is not spreading nearly as much. The winds are not as strong as they were last year." The Icelandic air traffic control operator, Isavia, established a 120-nautical-mile no-fly- zone around the volcano, closed Keflavik Airport, the country's main hub, and cancelled all domestic flights. It said Keflavik would stay shut until at least noon today. Transatlantic planes - including Air Force One, due to carry President Barack Obama to Ireland late yesterday - were told to steer clear of Iceland. With winds currently blowing the ash northwards, authorities said there was little risk of any further disruption to European or transatlantic travel over the next 24 hours. This could change, however, as low-pressure weather systems move into Europe and Scandinavia. There are concerns that northwesterly winds capable of dispersing ash towards the rest of Europe will pick up. Sparsely populated Iceland is one of the world's most volcanically active countries and eruptions are frequent. Grimsvotn and Iceland's other major volcanoes lie on the Atlantic Rift, the meeting of the Euro and American continental plates. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/oh-no-not-again-volcanic-ash-cloud- threatens-flights-2287785.html Back to Top U.S. Senate Chastizes EU Over Airline Passenger Information Sharing Resolution To Deter Terrorist Travel By Sharing Airline Passengers' Names Passes Upper Chamber The U.S. Senate has cleared a resolution emphasizing the importance of sharing airline passengers' names with other countries to deter terrorist travel, sending a message of disapproval of European Union (EU) efforts to weaken an existing data-sharing agreement with the U.S. The resolution was introduced by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairmen Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Minority member Susan Collins, (R-ME). It was co-sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein, (D-CA) and Jon Tester, (D-MT). The resolution stresses the value of sharing Passenger Name Recognition (PNR) data to pre-screen international travelers and inform terror investigations. PNR data has been an instrumental part of our strategy to keep terrorists from boarding planes and contributed to the arrests of Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square bomber, and David Headley, a planner of the Mumbai attack. "The botched Christmas Day attack in 2009 and the failed efforts last year to blow up planes with bombs loaded on as cargo remind us that terrorists still want to use airplanes as weapons of mass destruction against us," said Senator Lieberman. "Sharing passenger names is an important part of our layered defenses against terrorism and is an effective way to keep terrorists off planes. PNR data has contributed to the arrests of at least two terrorists since the current agreement with the EU was signed. We simply cannot accept changes to the agreement that could limit our ability to identify and arrest terrorists or potential terrorists in the future." "Passenger Name Record data is an important tool in the fight against terrorism as it assists security personnel in identifying possible threats, before they arrive in our country," said Senator Collins. "This sharing of passenger information from inbound international flights is a crucial component of our layered approach to homeland security. This resolution recognizes the key role that PNR data have played in disrupting terrorist travel and in terrorism investigations, including their use to identify and arrest Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad and David Headley, co-conspirator of the 2008 Mumbai Terrorist attack. I urge the Department of Homeland Security and the European Union to continue to use the PNR data agreement in place, as previously negotiated and in effect until July 2014, to identify and thwart those seeking to do our country harm." Senator Tester said the best security happens when those tasked with protecting this country have the best information available. "This existing information partnership with our allies is essential for our national security, and any attempts to change that agreement is a non-starter for me," he said. "The collection and sharing of Passenger Name Record data have proven to be an effective tool in the U.S. government's efforts to successfully identify would-be terrorists and thwart their plans," added Senator Feinstein. "Any weakening of the European Union-United States PNR agreement would undermine the progress we have made to keep our country safe." Senate passage of the resolution comes as the EU unilaterally reopened negotiations on an agreement it signed with the U.S. in 2007 to PNR data. The agreement was intended to expire in 2014. Under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, airlines are required to provide PNR information on all flights. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) uses the data to pre- screen international flights starting 72 hours before their scheduled departure times. Data collected from the airlines' PNR systems are compared to terrorist watch lists and criminal and immigration databases to make sure known terrorists do not board airplanes bound for the U.S. Senator Lieberman Last September, the European Commission (EC) said its future PNR agreements would include restrictions on the means and frequency of data sharing, limitations on how long data could be stored, and requirements that EU citizens be given administrative and judicial redress by other countries. A November 4, 2010, Washington Post editorial concluded that the European Parliament's renegotiation proposal was "distressing" and the "burden should be on the European Parliament to demonstrate why amorphous anxieties about privacy should trump" concerns about terrorist attacks against our aviation system. A similar resolution has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. FMI: http://hsgac.senate.gov Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC