Flight Safety Information July 28, 2011 - No. 153 In This Issue 2 Die as Asiana Cargo Plane Crashes Off South Korea Asiana counts financial cost of 747 loss CF-18 pilot snow-blinded before Alberta crash: report SATA A320 birdstrike apparently pops cargo door US woman charged over flight threats American Airlines flight crew assaulted American Airlines clashes with FAA over facts of DFW emergency landing LightSquared Bid Stirs FAA Worry Continental cancels 24 flights for pilot sick calls $2.5 Billion Airport Improvement Program in Limbo as FAA Shuts Down 2 Die as Asiana Cargo Plane Crashes Off South Korea SEOUL, South Korea - An Asiana Airlines cargo plane crashed into waters off the southern coast of South Korea on Thursday after reporting a fire in its cargo compartments, government officials said. A pilot seat, wing tip and other parts of the wreckage were recovered by maritime patrol boats about 70 miles west of Jeju, the southernmost island off South Korea, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said in a statement. The maritime police were searching the sea for the plane's two-man crew - the pilot and co-pilot - whose fate remained unknown. The Boeing 747-400F jet took off from the Inchon airport west of Seoul at 3:05 a.m. on Thursday, bound for Pudong, China. It was carrying 58 tons of electronic and machine parts, including lithium batteries, paint and other chemicals considered flammable, the ministry said. In its last communication with the Shanghai air traffic control center at 4:03 a.m., it reported a fire in its cargo, Kim Han-young, a senior ministry official in charges of air transport policy, said during a news briefing. The jet is believed to have crashed nine minutes later, as it turned around and headed for an emergency landing at the Jeju airport, Mr. Kim said. It was the worst accident for Asiana since one of its domestic passenger jets slammed into a hill in southwestern South Korea in 1993, killing 68 people. The Boeing 747-400 entered service in 1988 and was the largest commercial aircraft in the skies until the Airbus A380 entered service in 2007. It is currently the most recent version of the 747 in service. Boeing's 747 family of aircraft has a strong safety record, with only 42 accidents since the jumbo jet was introduced in 1969, according to the Aviation Safety Network, which maintains a database of air accidents. The most recent involved a freighter version of the plane operated by United Parcel Service, which reported heavy smoke in the cockpit shortly after takeoff from Dubai Airport in September 2010, killing the two pilots aboard. The cause of that crash remains under investigation, although the plane was known to have been carrying several shipments of lithium ion battery packs, which are considered hazardous material. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/world/asia/29crash.html ************ Status: Preliminary Date: 28 JUL 2011 Time: 04:12 Type: Boeing 747-48EF Operator: Asiana Airlines Registration: HL7604 C/n / msn: 29907/1370 First flight: 2006-02-15 (5 years 5 months) Engines: 4 General Electric CF6-80C2B1F Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 112 km (70 mls) W off Jeju, South Korea [East China Sea] (Pacific Ocean) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) (ICN/RKSI), South Korea Destination airport: Shanghai-Pudong International Airport (PVG) (PVG/ZSPD), China Flightnumber: 991 Narrative: A Boeing 747-400F cargo plane, HL7604, was destroyed when it crashed into the sea off Jeju, South Korea. Both pilots were killed in the accident. The flight departed Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) at 03:05 on a cargo flight to Shanghai-Pudong International Airport (PVG), China. About one hour after take-off the crew radioed ATC that a fire had broken out in the hold and that the plane had to divert to Jeju. The plane carried 58 tonnes of cargo, including 0.4 tonnes of potentially risky materials such as lithium batteries, paint, amino acid solution and synthetic resin. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Asiana counts financial cost of 747 loss Korea's Asiana Airlines estimates that the loss of its Boeing 747-400F after an in-flight emergency resulted in damages of 200.4 billion won ($190 million). The carrier disclosed the figure to the Korean stock exchange. It said the aircraft was lost 76nm south-west of Jeju while en route from Seoul to Shanghai. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top CF-18 pilot snow-blinded before Alberta crash: report A CF-18 pilot was snow-blind and unable to read his navigational equipment when he crashed during a nighttime training flight outside Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta last November, an investigation has found. Capt. Darren Blakie of the 409 Tactical Fight Squadron ejected from the Hornet just before it crashed and exploded in a frigid field around midnight on Nov. 17. Blakie was not seriously injured and was found two hours after the crash. The initial report, issued by the Directorate of Flight Safety, details several problems in the cockpit in the moments before the crash. It also raises concerns about unauthorized training and pilots with too little experience. As Blakie lowered his landing gear on approach to a runway, he was "almost immediately disoriented by the sudden rush of falling snow as it was illuminated by his landing light." That light also washed out Blakie's view of his instrument panel, which he needed to control the aircraft. Blakie thought he had entered a steep, deadly descent, the report states. He pulled up the nose of the aircraft, but still believing he was in a dive and unable to confirm otherwise, Blakie ejected. Below, in a farmer's field surrounded by forest, the CF-18 hit the ground and exploded. The investigation found the jet was "serviceable and operating normally" before the crash. In November 2010, pilots were routinely training at night, on unlit airfields, with night- vision goggles that Blakie was wearing when he crashed. However, the report notes, such training is not authorized. The report mentions Blakie was inexperienced with nighttime flights and it had been 224 days since his last flight with night-vision goggles. Due to the crash, 1 Canadian Air Division has ordered that night-vision goggle training in CF-18s may only be done with pilots who have more flying experience. "The investigation is focusing on the human factors," the report states. "This will include disorientation, organizational pressures and training practices." Blakie was alone in the aircraft, though flying with another plane, when he went down. Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/ Back to Top SATA A320 birdstrike apparently pops cargo door Portuguese investigators have started an inquiry after a severe birdstrike apparently resulted in the cargo door being opened on an Airbus A320. The SATA International twinjet (CS-TKJ) encountered a flock of seagulls after departing Runway 05 at Madeira bound for Copenhagen. "Several birds collided with it, hitting engines, fuselage, wing and landing gear," said the Portuguese investigation agency GPIAA. "At same time high vibration was sensed and engine vibration indication increased to maximum, in both engines, but no significant power loss occurred." The aircraft returned to Madeira and carried out an overweight landing on the departure runway, touching down with a landing weight of 68.1t against the maximum figure of 64.5t. "Landing was uneventful and the aircraft taxied to the ramp by its own means," said GPIAA. But it added: "During taxi the control tower informed crew that the forward cargo door was opened, which was confirmed by correspondent warnings in the cockpit." Initial inspection showed "heavy" impact deformation to fan blades in both CFM International CFM56 engines, although borescope examination indicated no internal damage. None of the 105 passengers and seven crew was injured in the 20 June event. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top US woman charged over flight threats PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a California woman was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport after she made threats on board a flight arriving from London. WPVI-TV reports police arrested Hanna Shiner on Wednesday afternoon. Investigators say she threatened the flight crew and passengers, saying she'd blow up the plane. Police have not said what they believe prompted her statements. The Philadelphia district attorney's office says Shiner faces charges of disorderly conduct and making terroristic threats. Charges are expected to be filed Thursday. It was not clear if Shiner had an attorney. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43925379/ns/travel-news/ Back to Top American Airlines flight crew assaulted (NBC News) - An American Airlines pilot was beaten Wednesday night as he tried to escort two belligerent passengers off a flight from Miami to San Francisco. According to the arrest report obtained by NBC News, the altercation began when the flight was taxing on the runway and a flight attendant noticed that a male passenger was asleep and not wearing a seat belt. The attendant attempted to wake up the flier, but he was unresponsive and appeared to be intoxicated or medicated. The pilot was alerted of the situation and turned the plane around, heading back to the gate. The passenger finally awoke and was told that he would not be permitted to continue on the overnight flight given his condition. As the passenger was being escorted from the plane by the flight attendant and pilot, his brother, who was also on the flight, decided to depart the flight as well. The brother then threatened the pilot, reportedly saying, "When you fly to San Juan, I will have you killed." The pilot stayed behind as both men were escorted off the plane, but the brother returned, striking the pilot in the face with his fist. Another flight attendant tried to intervene, but was hit in the shoulder. Then, both passengers began beating the pilot with their fists, striking his chest and chasing him into the terminal where they continued to assault him. The men were eventually detained by flight crew members and some passengers on the flight. They were arrested and will likely be charged with a federal crime. The pilot sustained facial bruising and lacerations as well as blurred vision to his left eye. The flight left at 11:30 p.m., about two hours after its originally scheduled departure time. Back to Top American Airlines clashes with FAA over facts of DFW emergency landing An American Airlines Boeing 7770inR, registration N780AN, operating as Flight AA-963 from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo, Brazil, was forced to dump fuel shortly after takeoff on Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 8:14 p.m. CDT from Runway 17R after reporting a fire in the plane's right engine, according to reports by the AV Herald, FlightAware, DFW Tower, the Star Tribune, KXAS-TV NBC Channel 5 in Dallas, WFAA-TV, and other sources published on Monday, July 25, 2011. The incident caused the flight crew to declare an emergency after a cockpit instrument panel engine warning light indicated there was a problem in the starboard Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engine. The Boeing 777 maintained 2,000 feet altitude, as it reduced its fuel load,while preparing to return to DFW. It was cleared for a return landing on Runway 17C, with emergency vehicles dispatched nearby. The plane landed safely about 12 minutes later at 8:26 p.m. CDT, about half way down the 13,401 foot concrete runway, but did not have sufficient time to reduce its fuel. As a consequence, the brakes on the overweight aircraft locked up, causing a number of tires to blow out, and leaving the plane disabled on the runway after it had stopped moving. The 246 passengers and 14 crew members disembarked there, and were bussed to the terminal. Air traffic controllers in the DFW tower delayed pending departures, reporting they had a heavy jet emergency on runway 17C with a wheel fire. Runway 17L was closed to allow emergency vehicles access runway 17C, and runway 17R was closed because of a necessary runway inspection. The FAA reported an engine fire indication and a gear fire following the landing. However, the airline later said that an inspection revealed no evidence of an engine or gear fire. According to a report by WFAA, channel 8, the ABC affiliate in the Dallas area, the carrier was at odds with the FAA on Monday over what exactly happened. But in conflict with what the airline said, the FAA indicates that fire fighters reported extinguishing a fire in the jet's right engine. Fire fighters reported spraying foam on the wheels after the plane landed, but there was no evidence of an engine fire, only that a panel light had signaled an alarm. Dumping fuel at low altitude was observed by many people in the area, including those attending a Texas Rangers game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, as shown in the attached slide show and video clip which accompany this report. American said after the jet took off heading south, the pilots made a left turn over Irving, TX. Flying at a lower- than-usual altitude, the big jet flew across Interstate 35E, then turned north toward Carrollton before turning back to DFW for the emergency landing. Residents also complained of fuel residue coating the surfaces of their cars, nearby streets and lawns, and into swimming pools, with traces of jet fuel allegedly floating on the surface of the water. The airline later said that any residents with legitimate concerns should contact American's customer relations department. The airline is investigating the incident further. It is the second recent incident of an aircraft having to make an emergency landing as the result of a fire indicator light. Less than 12-hours later, on Monday, July 25, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. EDT a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-3H4, registration N325SW, operating as Flight WN-999 from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Birmingham, Alabama to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) was forced to divert to Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) in Greensboro, NC. However, the much smaller Boeing 737-300 was able to land in that incident without the need to dump fuel. http://www.examiner.com/airlines-airport-in-national/american-airlines-clashes-with-faa-over-facts-of-dfw- emergency-landing Back to Top LightSquared Bid Stirs FAA Worry (WSJ) The LightSquared Inc. proposal for a high-speed wireless network would "severely impact" the nation's evolving aviation-navigation system, despite proposed changes to quell concerns about interference, according to a new Federal Aviation Administration assessment. LightSquared wants to build a national wireless network with more than 40,000 antennas that would offer wholesale broadband access to other wireless carriers. But commercial GPS users and manufacturers have cited concerns that LightSquared frequencies could possibly overpower weaker GPS signals. The FAA estimated LightSquared's interference would cost the aviation community an estimated $70 billion over the next 10 years, in part because of the loss of existing GPS safety and efficiency benefits, and the need to retrofit aircraft. "Billions of dollars in existing FAA and GPS user investments would be lost," the agency said in the report. The agency report was examining questions about the LightSquared proposal presented by the national coordination office director for the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee, which is part of the Executive Office of The President. LightSquared's Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Jeff Carlisle disagrees with the FAA assessment, saying it doesn't accurately reflect its proposed changes and seems to be evaluating a plan that is no longer on the table. "Simply put, the vast majority of the interference issues raised by this report are no longer an issue. We look forward to discussing this with the FAA," Mr. Carlisle said. The seven-page FAA assessment said LightSquared's plan could also hurt U.S. leadership in international aviation by eroding confidence in the U.S.-owned global positioning system. That would be despite "presidential commitments" to the International Civil Aviation Organization about the continued safety and availability of GPS technology, the FAA said. On June 20, LightSquared offered a new plan that it said wouldn't interfere with the vast majority of GPS systems. It would use just the portion of its frequencies that are farthest away from GPS signals and would transmit weaker signals. Even with those changes, LightSquared's network could still affect some precision GPS systems, which are generally used by farmers, the aviation industry and others. At a June 23 congressional hearing about LightSquared's broadband-spectrum proposal, several lawmakers cited concern about the company's plans. The company now says the hearing was addressing its original plan, not its proposed changes. One key House lawmaker said at the hearing that the Federal Communications Commission shouldn't approve a service that disrupts or burdens GPS devices in the aviation industry. In the FAA's recent assessment, it said LightSquared's most recent proposal would "severely impact" NextGen, an FAA initiative to build a new national air-traffic control system that calls for satellite technology to replace ground-based facilities. NextGen, officially called the Next Generation Air Transportation System, relies heavily on GPS-based technologies. LightSquared's interference would not only erode existing GPS safety and efficiency benefits, but would also force the FAA to replan NextGen investments, the FAA said, resulting in additional development costs and delays. The FAA would have to return to dependency on ground-based aviation aids and billions of dollars in existing agency and GPS-user investments would be lost, the agency said. Back to Top Continental cancels 24 flights for pilot sick calls CHICAGO (Reuters) - Continental Airlines cancelled 24 flights on Wednesday due to a shortage of pilots after a barrage of sick calls, according to the carrier's parent, United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N). Airline spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said most of the cancellations were flights from Newark, New Jersey. The airline was working to book the affected passengers on other flights, she said. The incident may spotlight a staffing shortage at the airline, or possibly pilot discontent with management over the slow pace of labour talks. "It's a legitimate question as to whether this is some kind of a work-to-rule or slow- down," said Robert Mann, an airline consultant at R.W. Mann & Co. "It would be equally appropriate to question the company and whether or not it has sufficient manning toward the end of a summer month when weather may have claimed pilot time earlier in the month," he said, referring to limits on the number of hours a pilot can legally fly each month. United Continental was formed last year from the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines. The company is currently negotiating a joint contract with the pilots, who have voiced impatience over the slow pace of the talks. McCarthy declined to say if the sick calls were an orchestrated work action similar to a labour strike. Strikes by airline employees are restricted by the U.S. Railway Labor Act, which safeguards interstate commerce. Amy Flanagan, a spokesperson for the Air Line Pilots Association union, which represents the Continental pilots, declined to comment on the sick calls. When asked directly if the calls were a planned effort by workers to disrupt flights, Flanagan declined to confirm or deny it. On a conference call last week with analysts and reporters, United Continental Chief Executive Jeff Smisek said he did not know if a pilot contract would be reached this year. "The target remains to get a deal done as promptly as I can," Smisek said. "I would love to get a deal done with our pilots by the end of this year. I don't know whether we will be able to do that. It does take two to tango." United Continental's shares were down 3.6 percent at $18.08 in afternoon trading. Back to Top $2.5 Billion Airport Improvement Program in Limbo as FAA Shuts Down Construction projects underway at airports across the U.S. have come to a halt following the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) closure last Friday. As per official estimates, the Airport Improvement Program across the fifty states is pegged close to $2.5 billion. The FAA closure will cause a lapse in funding that has already put a stop to construction work that is underway at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, Palm Springs International Airport, Calif., Pennsylvania's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Kalamazoo, Mich., Michigan's Battle Creek International Airport, Mississippi's Gulfport- Biloxi International and New York City's LaGuardia Airport. A majority of the multimillion-dollar initiative under the FAA are scheduled to upgrade and modernize current facilities at these airports. If aborted for a longer term, these aviation projects would most likely burden taxpayers; also result in increased construction costs. The $43 million new Terminal Radar Approach Control project or TRACON is an important project that would control air traffic over airspace across Texas and Louisiana. Scheduled to be inaugurated in 2013, this new control tower would replace a 40-year-old structure. In a bid to handle larger aircraft, FAA had plans to grant around $8 million to $15 million for upgrading Bush's air taxiways. Although money has been set aside for the upgradation, grants such as these are under fire as staff members processing these have already been furloughed. In the absence of suitable grants from the FAA, one way to finance airport improvement costs would be to seek funding from the airlines. This would most likely force airlines to pass on the construction cost to passengers. The FAA's partial stalemate is also likely to put a spanner on airport approvals in procuring new generation super large aircraft. The absence of any reconciliation between the FAA and the Senate Democrats as a fallout of the $16.5 million cut in federal subsidies for air service to small airports in 13 rural areas has forced the FAA to furlough nearly 4,000 workers across 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico; a majority of these are construction workers. In an official announcement, the FAA has listed closure of funding for a number of projects: Las Vegas, Nevada: A more than $43 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport. Contractor: Archer Western Contractors. Palm Springs, California: A $24.5 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Palm Springs International Airport. Contractors: Swinterton Builders. Oakland, California: A $31 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Oakland International Airport. Contractor: Devcon Construction. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: A more than $18 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Contractor: Donald J. Keating Co. Kalamazoo, Michigan: A more than $14 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Battle Creek International Airport. Contractor: Skanska. Gulfport, Mississippi: A nearly $12 million project to build a new air traffic control tower at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Contractor: Flintco, Inc. Queens, NY: A more than $6 million project to demolish the old air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport. Work was supposed to begin on Saturday. Contractor: Paul J. Scariano Inc. Additionally, the FAA has issued stop-work orders for $370 million in contracts with Jacobs Engineering of Pasadena, California. The company is contracted to do all the architect, design, engineering and planning services for existing and future air traffic facilities. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/188247/20110728/billion-airport-improvement- programme-in-a-limbo-as-faa-shuts-down.htm Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC