Flight Safety Information August 8, 2011 - No. 163 In This Issue Chinook Downed In Afghanistan Pilot Lapses Suspected in Guyana Plane Crash International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI)...42nd Annual Seminar...Salt Lake City Gulfstream G150 receives type certification in China Report: Unqualified pilot loses control over Beech 99 after engine failure - Portugal DGCA sets up dept to record safety lapses (INDIA) Plane's landing gear catches fire at Chicago's O'Hare Pregnant Woman Says TSA Agents 'Confiscated' Her Insulin Man sucked into plane engine (New Zealand) Guyanan engineers begin to dismantle crashed jet Seguridad Operacional 360 Dubai to host first emerging markets FOD conference Chinook Downed In Afghanistan, Navy Seals Among 38 Killed Taliban Claims Another Shootdown In one of the deadliest days in the history of recent Afghan military operations, a NATO CH-47 Chinook has been reportedly shot down by hostile forces of the Taliban. The CH-47 went down before dawn, Saturday, in Afghanistan's Wardak province. Sources speaking on behalf of the Taliban claim that 'it fired a rocket at the helicopter during a battle' during which eight militants were killed in a raid on their hideout. Thirty International Security Assistance Force service members, one civilian interpreter, and seven Afghan commandos were killed on board the Chinook. All of the ISAF service members on board were from the US. 'The incident represents the highest number of US forces killed during a single event in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,' according to Defense Department officials. Among the dead were 22 Navy SEALs, some of whom were reported to be members of a unit described in media circles as 'SEAL Team 6' -- a counter-terrorism unit credited with carrying out the missions the resulted in the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden. "No words describe the sorrow we feel in the wake of this tragic loss," said General John R. Allen, Commander, International Security Assistance Force. "All of those killed in this operation were true heroes who had already given so much in the defense of freedom. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who are now waiting for their loved ones to return home. We will do everything in our power to support them in this time of need." "We also mourn the loss of our heroic Afghan partners who fight with us shoulder to shoulder, every day," added Allen. In a statement from the Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta noted that, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of many outstanding Americans in uniform and of their Afghan counterparts earlier today in Afghanistan. Their courage was exemplary, as was their determination to make this a safer world for their countries and for their fellow citizens. We will stay the course to complete that mission, for which they and all who have served and lost their lives in Afghanistan have made the ultimate sacrifice. They and their families are in my thoughts, in my prayers and in my heart." There have been some 17 coalition and Afghan aircraft crashes in Afghanistan over the year, though most have been attributed to pilot error, bad WX, or mechanical failures with (thankfully) minimal casualties. In June of 2005, 16 Navy Seals and Army SpecOps were lost in another helo accident when it was downed in Kunar province by an RPG. Last year, a Pave Hawk was shot down, with the loss of all five US crew. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. Additional details will be provided as they become available. FMI: www.defense.gov ********** Date: 06-AUG-2011 Time: 3am LT Type: Boeing CH-47D Chinook Operator: ISAF - US Army Registration: 89-00175 C/n / msn: M3329 Fatalities: Fatalities: 38 / Occupants: 38 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Tangi valley, Wardak province - Afghanistan Phase: Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Thirty-one U.S. special forces troops and seven Afghan soldiers died when their helicopter was shot down during an overnight operation against Taliban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan. The helicopter was taking the personnel back to their base after an operation. Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14430735 http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/helicopter-crashes-in-eastern-afghanistan-recovery-underway.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/world/asia/07afghanistan.html?_r=1&hp http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/panorama/nato-helikopter_im_osten_afghanistans_abgestuerzt_1.11798731.html www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Pilot Lapses Suspected in Guyana Plane Crash By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) - Crash investigators believe excessive speed and other suspected lapses in landing procedures caused a Caribbean Airlines jet to roll off a Guyana runway in late July, according to people familiar with the details. Nobody was killed in the accident, but images of the four-year old Boeing 737's broken fuselage-along with reports of terrified passengers scrambling out of the wreck-sparked widespread public and industry interest in the causes of the accident. Preliminary findings by investigators, according to industry and government officials, point to pilot error rather than mechanical or other system malfunctions. Eyewitness accounts and data retrieved from the plane's data-recorders indicate the twin-engine Boeing aircraft, carrying 163 people, landed too fast and too far down the strip in Georgetown, Guyana on July 30, these officials said. A Senior Guyana transport official last week said the cockpit crew of Flight 523 reported no problems to air-traffic controllers on approach, adding that data analyzed by investigators so far also doesn't highlight any major system malfunctions. The comments of Zulfikar Mohamed, head of Guyana's civil aviation office, played down theories that hydraulic or mechanical problems played a significant role in the accident. In two separate interviews last week, Mr. Mohamed also gave the strongest sign yet that at least some investigators believe that movable panels on the front and rear edges of wings-essential to decelerate most airliners during descents-apparently weren't extended as required before touchdown. "It appears that way," Mr. Mohamed said, based on early findings and informal discussions with U.S. and other investigators. Photographs taken after accident don't show either sets of panels, called flaps and slats, extended on the plane. Mr. Mohamed said that investigators found the handle in the cockpit, normally used to extend the flaps, in the up position, which would be consistent with the panels not being extended. "The handles certainly may have been in a position they shouldn't have been," he said Press officials for manufacturer Boeing Co. and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has a big role in the investigation, declined to comment. According to Mr. Mohamed, investigators still have to rule out the possibility that the wing panels could have retracted after touchdown, or rescue crew could have inadvertently moved the flap handles when they were removing the plane's injured pilot or other perhaps other survivors. But safety experts and people familiar with the investigation discounted those possibilities. Completely retracting flaps fully extended for touchdown on a relatively short runway such as the one in Guyana, experts said, typically would take longer than Flight 523 remained on the runway. Furthermore, passenger-evacuation procedures usually require pilots to extend, rather than retract, flaps. Guyana is formally in charge of the investigation, but much of the technical work relies on help from Boeing and the U.S. safety board. The board sent seven staff members to the site, an unusually large contingent for a crash without fatalities, underscoring that local officials are relying heavily on the safety board's expertise. It would be highly unusual for an experienced captain, such as the one who commanded the Caribbean Airlines flight, to fail to extend flaps prior to landing. Such a mistake, according to safety experts, normally would prompt obvious and repeated warning in the cockpit, and the plane would be extremely difficult to fly at normal approach speed. The airport experienced light rain around the time of the accident, but visibility apparently was good. Investigators, among other things, are trying to determine if some distraction in the cockpit could have resulted in improper landing procedures The Guyana crash illustrates the persistent hazards of so-called runway excursions: accidents and serious incidents in which airliners careen off runways, often because pilots landed too fast, touched too far down the strip, or didn't recognize the difficulty of stopping on wet, slushy or snow-packed surfaces. In recent years, regulators and safety groups have focused particularly on preventing runway accidents in which poor pilot decision-making results in landing aircraft being unable to stop safely According to statistics compiled by manufacturer Boeing Co., runway accidents involving Western-built aircraft, including excursions during takeoffs and landings, accounted for more than 970 fatalities from 2001 to 2010. A report released last year by European air-traffic control officials cited runway excursions as "the most common type of accident reported annually" in the region and around the world, with landing overruns accounting for 77% of all such accidents in that category. Back to Top International Society of Air Safety Investigators 42nd Annual Seminar Salt Lake City Utah Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown September 12 - 15, 2011 Welcome... To the World's Leading Aviation Safety Investigation and Accident Prevention Seminar For all up to date information just go to www.isasi.org and click on ISASI 2011. Dates to Remember Early Registration cut off Midnight August 14th Cut off for the Optional Tour Midnight August 16th Cut off for seminar rate at the hotel Midnight August 18th Please make your arrangements well in advance to avoid any disappointments For Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities please contact Ron Schleede at ronschleede@cox.net or Barbara Dunn at avsafe@shaw.ca * A special presentations will be made at the seminar about Air France 447 and Super Absorbed Polymer (SAP) in engine applications. Gulfstream G150 receives type certification in China Gulfstream Aerospace has received type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its G150 aircraft. Gulfstream said that it achieved the validation through close coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration, China's CAAC and the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel, where the G150 airframe is built. The mid-size jet offers several options to improve safety, including an enhanced vision system II, and a wide area augmentation system-localiser performance with vertical guidance (WAAS-LPV), added the airframer. In addition to China, the G150 has received type certification from the US, Ukraine, Israel, Chile, the Philippines, Canada, Brazil and the European Union. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/08/360449/gulfstream-g150-receives-type-certification-in-china.html Back to Top Report: Unqualified pilot loses control over Beech 99 after engine failure - Portugal Beech 99 F-BTME The Portuguese accident investigation board, Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves (GPIAA), released the final report of their investigation into the cause of a fatal Beechcraft 99 accident in August 2009 in Portugal. A Beechcraft 99 twin turboprop aircraft, registered F-BTME, was destroyed when it crashed in a residential area of Évora, Portugal. The pilot and one skydiver were killed. The airplane was used for parachute jumping flights. The intention was to climb to 13 000 feet where parachute jumping would be started. When passing about 9500 feet the left engine (#1) flamed out and the respective propeller was automatically feathered. The pilot stopped the climb at around 10500 feet and informed the parachutists that one engine had stopped and they should jump while he would proceed for landing with one engine inoperative. Eleven parachutists jumped, in sequence. One returned to the cockpit and remained on board with the pilot. The pilot started descending for landing on runway 01 at Évora aerodrome (LPEV). He contacted the tower on left base leg for runway 01, but said nothing about the inoperative engine or any assistance required. He was told to report on final, which he never did. He continued the approach for runway 01, with landing gear down and flaps at initial setting (13°), but keeping high speed. The aircraft made a low pass, over the entire runway length, without the wheels touching the ground. After passing runway end it continued flying, the pilot increased power on right engine (#2) and the aircraft started deviating to the left, with wings level and without showing significant climb tendency. The airplane overflew a nearby residential quarter, with a significant bank, until it hit a roof and crashed on the street, upside down, being engulfed in flames immediately. Investigation later revealed that the pilot was only qualified to fly single engine aircraft. Also, he had recently started a company, Avioarte Serviços Aéreos, after purchasing the aircraft in France. The company had no Air Operator Certificate (or Air Work Operator Certificate) and was not registered with Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority (INAC). The GPIAA concluded: Primary cause for this accident was pilot inability, as he was not qualified to fly this class of aircraft, to carry a single engine landing or maintain directional control during go-around with one engine inoperative. The following were considered as Contributory factors: 1. The pilot was not qualified to operate multi-engine aircrafts and had no knowledge and training to fly this kind of aircraft; 2. Unsuitable fuel monitoring and omission on manufacturer recommended procedures accomplishment; 3. Inadequate flying technique, without consideration to the airplane special flying characteristics; 4. Inadequate supervision, by the competent authorities, on flying activities carried by pilots and aircrafts with foreign licenses and registrations, inside Portuguese territory. More information: * ASN Accident Description F-BTME * GPIAA final report www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top DGCA sets up dept to record safety lapses (INDIA) Mumbai - Airlines and airport staff can now fearlessly report incidents related to flights safety to the aviation safety regulator. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week set up a department that will record reports on safety hazards without revealing the identity of the person reporting it. A DGCA circular issued last week said that people are reluctant to report even small errors fearing backlash from their respective employers. As a result, the regulator has now set up a confidentiality reporting system at its headquarters in Delhi. People aware of safety lapses can directly approach AK Sharan, joint director general and BS Rai, deputy director general (air safety), who have been deputed by the DGCA. "The name of person reporting the case would not be entered in the computer," said a senior DGCA official on condition of anonymity. http://www.hindustantimes.com/DGCA-sets-up-dept-to-record-safety-lapses/Article1-730669.aspx Back to Top Plane's landing gear catches fire at Chicago's O'Hare (CNN) An American Airlines flight arriving at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport deployed its emergency slides for passengers Friday afternoon after the landing gear and some tires caught fire, an FAA spokesman said. The incident occurred about 2 p.m. on American Airlines Flight 41, which was flying in from Paris, FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said. The pilot reported that some tires caught fire upon landing, Molinaro said. American Airlines spokesman Ed Martelle said the plane's crew reported a fire on brake No. 7 of the aircraft, a Boeing 767-300, and the smell of a hot brake entered the ventilation system. Back to Top Pregnant Woman Says TSA Agents 'Confiscated' Her Insulin A pregnant woman says Transportation Security Administration agents refused to allow her past a security checkpoint because she was carrying insulin for her diabetes and ice packs while boarding a plane. The alleged incident occurred Thursday at Denver International Airport. The woman, a frequent flyer, did not want to be identified for news reports for fear of retaliation but recounted her experience to TheDenverChannel.com. "He's like, 'Well, you're a risk.' I'm like, 'Excuse me?' And he's like, 'This is a risk ... I can't tell you why again. But this is at risk for explosives,'" the woman told the channel. (She eventually managed to sneak a small amount of insulin past security, she said.) She told the channel that when she started to ask for TSA agents' names, they "scattered" and "left me crying at the TSA checkpoint." TSA agents have been widely criticized for what many in the public perceive as an abuse of power. And TSA appeared to have made some efforts to assuage concerned passengers. The alleged incident occurred just days before the Denver airport introduced a new scanner that will obscure details of a passenger's body. In the old system, a TSA worker would sit alone in a room and observe the nude image with blurred face, The Denver Post reported. The TSA apologized to the woman for the episode, but questioned the woman's memory of the events, TheDenverChannel.com reported. The spokesman said the agent's "didn't touch the insulin" and the reason that her icepack was confiscated was because it was not completely frozen. "I talked to the supervisor, who said she was upset. She calmed down and (said) she needed ice and (the TSA agent) told her how to get ice from the concourse and went on," Pat Ahlstrom told the channel. The woman finally boarded a flight to Arizona and managed to have additional insulin delivered to her. http://www.foxnews.com/ Back to Top Man sucked into plane engine (New Zealand) A Safe Air engineer died after being sucked into a plane engine at the company's base near Blenheim this morning. The Air New Zealand subsidiary confirmed that an engineer died during a routine maintenance operation at its base in Woodbourne. Safe Air is working with police and the Department of Labour on an investigation, an Air New Zealand press release says. Blenheim Airport manager Dean Heiford said the accident happened at an engine testing area operated by Safe Air outside of Marlborough Airport's operations. A former Safe Air employee said the engine was not fitted to an aircraft when the man was killed. Safe Air tested Hercules engines on a frame in a remote corner of the airport once they had been serviced, he said. The man had reportedly entered the testing enclosure while the engine was running, he said. Three fire appliances and several police cars converged on the corner of the airfield where an engine turbine testing area is set up just after 8am. Marlborough area police commander Inspector Steve Caldwell said the police were helping an Occupational Safety and Health investigation after the man was killed at a remote corner of the airfield about 8.15am. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/5408104/Man-sucked-into-plane-engine Back to Top Guyanan engineers begin to dismantle crashed jet GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) -- A Guyanese official says engineers are dismantling the wreckage of a Caribbean Airlines jet that skidded off a runway of the country's international airport a week ago. Airport executive Ramesh Ghir says workers expect to have the aircraft removed from the runway by the middle of next week. The jet carrying 163 passengers overshot the runway and split in half just after landing on July 30. About three dozen passengers were injured. Ghir said visibility at the time of the crash was greater than once thought and the airport's navigational aids were working. A team from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board left Friday after helping airport officials investigate the crash. A full report won't be ready for several months. Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/06/3820874/guyanan-engineers-begin-to- dismantle.html#ixzz1UOqWIa4k Back to Top BAJAR INFORMACIÓN en pdf, 4 Páginas, 218 KB Dubai to host first emerging markets FOD conference DUBAI - Dubai is set to host the first "Emerging Markets FOD, Bird Strike Prevention and Runway Safety Conference 2011," supported by the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), on October 26 and 27. The risks posed by foreign object debris, or FOD, and bird strike represent one of the largest economic and cost- reduction opportunities available to the aviation industry. Ironically, they are also among the least understood and least discussed risks. More than 500 local and international and GCC delegates are expected to participate in the event which will feature 15 eminent speakers representing IFALPA, ICAO, Civil Aviation Authority, technical training, navigation aid, radar, regional airlines and airports safety managers deliberating on topics related to operational as well as functional, regulatory, economic and legal aspects of the FOD and bird strike risk to aviation, prevention techniques and equipment and technological advancements. "This conference is the first of its kind conference to be held in the region and will address the growing need to maintain the high safety standards within the airline and airport fraternity. This conference will provide an opportunity to all the attendees to interact with the global safety professionals, to know the best prevention practices, effective methods and new technologies. This conference will also support the initiatives of the regional regulatory authorities to maintain the high level safety standards within the industry," Dr Khalid Almazroui, Conference Chairman and the General Manager of Fujairah Airport said. According to "The economic cost of FOD to airlines" report by Insight SRI Ltd in March 2008: "The largest 300 airports collectively service slightly fewer than 55 million movements per year, and see up to 70,000 FOD incidents. Depending on traffic and the specifics of their operating environment, this FOD causes airlines to incur [collectively] direct costs as high as $20 million per airport per year. FOD costs airlines $263,000 per 10,000 movements in direct maintenance costs. Overall spend for the top 300 airports is $1.1 billion. If the indirect cost of delays, plane changes, fuel inefficiencies, etc, are added then the cost of FOD increases by a multiple of up to 10 times, to $12 billion per annum." Likewise, a Boeing report estimates the cost to repair an FOD-damaged engine can easily exceed $1 million. The report says FOD can also incur extensive indirect costs, including flight delays and cancellations leading to a loss of customers, schedule disruptions, and potential liability because of injury. Radar systems and other safety related equipment will be on display during the conference and the event will provide an ideal opportunity for all the aviation and airport related safety officials in the region to interact with the international community to share their expertise and to know the various prevention methods adopted in the various global airlines and airports. Air BP, Emirates, Munich International Airport, Fujairah International Airport, Robin Radar Systems and DETECT are associating with this event as Sponsors and organized by Arabian Reach FZ LLC and Co- hosted by Media Sultan Communications MFZ LLC. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.asp?xfile=/data/business/2011/August/business_August125.xml§ion=business Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC