Flight Safety Information June 9, 2011 - No. 118 In This Issue NEMSPA to comment on FAA Heliport Advisory Circular... Air New Zealand heading for Perth makes emergency landing... NZealand jet lands safely after passengers see flames shoot from engine; bird strike possible... Plane makes emergency landing in Russian city... Chile volcano ash grounding Argentina commercial flights... NEMSPA to comment on FAA Heliport Advisory Circular In answer to the many questions regarding the FAA's new heliport advisory circular rewrite efforts I would like to offer up the views of the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA). Given the huge impact and importance this particular advisory circular has on the entire helicopter industry and our community at every level and the fact that a rewrite of this magnitude does not occur very often, the last being in 2004, NEMSPA is reviewing it very carefully. With the new adoption of the FAA Heliport A/C as a requirement by the NFPA for fire code compliance this past January, the FAA A/C is now mandatory for all new and upgraded heliports in most areas. While the FAA A/C is advisory only in the eyes of the FAA, it is now 100% regulatory for the obtaining of building and fire permits. Hence the importance to assure this AC is well founded on the needs of the industry for safe, cost-effective, and mission-responsive heliports. NEMSPA, along with every other facet of the helicopter community will be putting together comments over the next few weeks to share with the rest of industry and the FAA. This will encompass what our opinions are and any concerns that we may have with the myriad of new changes that have been proposed in this new heliport advisory circular rewrite effort by the airports division of the FAA and their consultants. My understanding is that the Helicopter Association International (HAI) along with the FAA will be co-hosting a two day meeting in Alexandria, VA July 12th and 13th. This meeting will be held at HAI's headquarters office where representatives from all of industry will sit down with the FAA's airports division along with several other liaisons from other FAA departments to discuss the newly rewritten heliport advisory circular. This task force will be reviewing the new advisory circular's merits, justifications, and any concerns that will need to be addressed prior to this document progressing further into the system. The FAA's Airport's Division has posted a draft of the new A/C on the FAA web site just a little over a week ago for review and has asked that industry review the new advisory circular and make comments back to them by the end of July. Link to draft A/C: http://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/draft_advisory_circulars/ It is our hope that all parties involved from industry and the multiple disciplines within the FAA will work together to insure that the end product is a well written and fully vetted industry/FAA document which represents the best interest of all involved. NEMSPA will work diligently with all groups to insure that this advisory circular is a positive for the entire industry and has no unintended consequences which could be crippling to any part of the helicopter community. About the National EMS Pilots Association The National EMS Pilots Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional pilot organization dedicated to serving rotary wing and fixed wing pilots involved in the air- medical transport industry. Formed in 1984, NEMSPA enjoys a rich history of innovation and excellence spanning over a quarter of a century and is synonymous with professionalism and safety. NEMSPA works very closely with the FAA, DOT, NTSB, HAI, National, State & Local Politicians, hospitals, health care systems, air medical providers, air medical organizations and many others to promote quality and safety in the industry. Additional information on NEMSPA and its corporate sponsorship program can be found at http://www.nemspa.org . Rex J. Alexander President National EMS Pilots Association Source: http://www.helihub.com/2011/06/09/nemspa-to-comment-on-faa-heliport- advisory-circular Back to Top Air New Zealand heading for Perth makes emergency landing An Air New Zealand Boeing 767 made an emergency landing at the Auckland airport on Thursday after experiencing engine problems shortly after take-off, the airline and emergency services said. In a report by AFP, the plane, which had 206 passengers aboard and was destined for Perth, Australia, the airline said. It said the pilot reported a problem with the left-hand engine soon after take-off and returned to the airport, where passengers were being taken back to the terminal and a replacement flight was being arranged. 'The nature of the issue is not yet known. Engineers will begin an immediate inspection of the engine,' Air New Zealand said in a statement. New Zealand fire services said the incident was treated as a full-scale emergency until the aircraft landed safely. Source: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/159851/20110609/air-new-zealand-boeing- perth.htm Back to Top NZealand jet lands safely after passengers see flames shoot from engine; bird strike possible WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A jetliner has made a safe emergency landing in New Zealand after passengers heard loud bangs and saw flames shooting from an engine. The Air New Zealand Boeing 767 had just left for Perth, Australia, carrying more than 200 passengers, when it turned back to the Auckland International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Passenger Denise Ferris told a local news website it was "really scary" and she and her mother prayed as the aircraft turned back to land. Another passenger, Judith Grieg, said the pilot and cabin crew had "shaky" voices. Air New Zealand said the captain told passengers he was shutting down an engine and that it wouldn't be unusual for them to see flames. The company says a bird strike was possible. Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/123535494.html Back to Top Plane makes emergency landing in Russian city MOSCOW - A Boeing-737 passenger jet with 64 people onboard made an emergency landing in Russia's southern city of Rostov-on-Don on Thursday morning, according to local media reports. Citing a spokeswoman from Russia's Donavia Airlines based in Rostov-on-Don, RIA Novosti said none of the people onboard, 58 passengers and six crew members, were injured during the emergency landing. "The plane took off from Rostov Airport for Moscow at 6:30 am Moscow time (0230 GMT) but later made an emergency landing because of the asymmetric flaps retraction," the spokeswoman was quoted as saying. After the landing, passengers flew to Moscow on another company's aircraft, she added. Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2011-06/09/content_12667336.htm Back to Top Chile volcano ash grounding Argentina commercial flights BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Stiff winds blew ash from a Chilean volcano Tuesday in a widening arc across Argentina to the capital, grounding most air travel to and from the country. Since airborne ash can severely damage jet engines, Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral, the country's state-owned international and domestic airlines, canceled all flights within Argentina as well as to and from other countries until further notice. At least six international carriers also suspended flights through Wednesday between Buenos Aires and cities in the United States, Europe and South America. Other carriers were expected to follow. Flights from Chile over Argentine territory also were suspended. The capital's usually bustling international and domestic airports were nearly deserted Tuesday, and aviation regulators met to decide whether and for how long to close them. Geologists in Chile have said the Cordon Caulle volcano could keep erupting for several weeks. The closest major city to the volcano is San Carlos de Bariloche, just over the border in Argentina, where thick abrasive soot was coating slopes in a string of resorts that depend on the winter ski season, opening in less than two weeks. The plume then stretched northeast before curving east, dumping ash over Argentina's vast ranchlands before reaching the capital. "Given that even this morning the volcano continues to be active, the reopening of the airports isn't expected until the conditions necessary for security can be guaranteed," Argentina's transportation department announced. Transportation officials were meeting with representatives of Argentina's meteorological service, civil aviation board and airport regulator to figure out where the ash cloud will move next and what to do about it, the statement said. Despite the complications to air travel, the ash couldn't be seen in the streets of downtown Buenos Aires by midday Tuesday. But Jorge Echarran, who runs the emergency council of the surrounding Buenos Aires province, said in a local radio interview that "the cloud is already in the suburbs and is reaching the capital," hovering at an altitude of between 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) and 22,970 feet (7,000 meters). The ash cloud was blowing well to the south and away from Chile's capital, Santiago, but at least four international carriers there canceled flights across Argentina to Buenos Aires, Brazil, Uruguay and Europe as a precaution. Closer to the volcano, strong rains that began Monday night increased the danger of rivers getting clogged with ash and then overflowing in flash floods. Evacuations were expanding, with more than 4,000 people already fleeing their homes. Vulcanologist Jorge Munoz of Chile's National Geology and Mines Service said the eruption so far is considered to be moderate, but that could change. He said the volcano will likely begin to expel lava in the coming days, along with pyroclastic material that can turn waterways into avalanches of mud and rock that have the potential to destroy downstream communities. Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2011/06/09/305547/Chile- volcano.htm Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC