Flight Safety Information August 11, 2011 - No. 166 In This Issue Airbus Single-Aisle Jets Required to Check Angle-of-Attack Probe FCC Puts LightSquared On Indefinite Hold Russia grounds Antonov 12 FAA proposes $155,000 in civil penalties against American Eagle Airlines Subject: National Heliport Survey for All Helicopter Pilots British Airways launches major recruitment drive AMR outlines plan to spin off Eagle commuter unit Airbus Single-Aisle Jets Required to Check Angle-of-Attack Probe (Bloomberg) - Operators of Airbus SAS A320 family single-aisle jets must check probes that help determine the so- called angle of attack during flight after some devices showed malfunction, the European Aviation Safety Agency said. The directive by EASA follows tests on the Airbus final assembly line that revealed inaccurate data because of interference from machining oil residue left over from manufacturing, according to a statement. "This condition, if not corrected, could lead to erroneous angle-of-attack information and consequent delayed or non- activation of the angle-of-attack protection systems which, if during flight at a high angle of attack, could result in reduced control of the aeroplane," the statement said. The angle of attack defines the angle between air flow and the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and is a crucial component for pilots to control the aircraft. The probes that EASA identified as potentially faulty were manufactured by Thales SA (HO), according to the statement. Airlines should identify and replace Thales devices that may be affected within six months, the directive said. Back to Top FCC Puts LightSquared On Indefinite Hold Chairman Says Broadband Company Will Not Be Allowed To Interfere With GPS The chairman of the FCC on Tuesday told reporters that the agency would not allow LightSquared to interfere with millions of GPS receivers on which pilots, mariners, and the public rely for navigation. The remarks came in a news conference following the commissions' monthly meeting. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said LightSquared's launch of a nationwide wireless broadband network would be "on hold" until interference issues are resolved. Broadcast and Cable magazine reports that the commission's goal is to both protect GPS and promote the wireless service that he said would create jobs and lead to private investment in the billions of dollars. While commissioners agreed that the service proposed by LightSquared would be valuable, they admitted that the interference issue outweighs other concerns. Staffers indicated that they were very interested in protecting aircraft navigation to places such as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ... as planes on approach to DCA could be seen from the FCC's conference room window. The FCC representatives said that there continues to be interference problems, which become more pronounced the closer the LightSquared transmissions are to the GPS band. One FCC official said he did not see a scenario where LightSquared would be allowed to use those frequencies "anytime soon," and that the commission was focusing on testing in the lower portion of LightSquared's proposed bandwidth. The FCC said it was not able to commit to any particular timeframe for the matter to be resolved. LightSquared CEO Phillip Falcone said the company plans to continue to work with both the FCC and the GPS industry in an attempt to resolve the matter. FMI: www.fcc.gov Back to Top Russia grounds Antonov 12 Russia's transport safety regulator has grounded Antonov 12 aircraft after a plane crash that killed 11 passengers near Magadan, Russia on August 9, 2011. Rostransnadzor said in a statement that it decided to suspend flight operations on all An- 12 aircraft operated by airlines in the Russian Federation, until the airlines take priority measures to lower the risk of operating a fleet of An-12 aircraft in accordance with established safety management systems. Currently, there are 12 AN-12 aircraft active in the Russian Federation, operated by six airlines. Source: * Rostransnadzor * ASN Accident Description An-12 RA-11125 www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top FAA proposes $155,000 in civil penalties against American Eagle Airlines The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing $155,000 in civil penalties against American Eagle Airlines of Fort Worth, Texas for allegedly operating eight flights with incorrect weight and balance data, and for using improper maintenance procedures when repairing a jet engine and then operating the aircraft when it was not in compliance with FAA regulations. FAA inspectors observed 12 American Eagle flights arriving at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dec. 28-29, 2010. In eight instances, loading documents for checked luggage did not match observations made by the inspector. American Eagle's FAA-approved weight and balance program calls for the use of an automated Electronic Weight and Balance System (EWBS) to make sure aircraft are operated with correct weight and balance information. However, accurate data must be entered for the EWBS to function properly. Operators may not exceed an aircraft's weight limit when loading the plane and the weight must be distributed so that the aircraft remains in balance during the flight. The FAA alleges American Eagle entered inaccurate data in the EWBS, then operated the aircraft with incorrect weight and balance information. The proposed civil penalty is $80,000. The FAA also alleges American Eagle used improper procedures to repair an engine on one of its Embraer 135 regional jets, and that a mechanic signed off as "complete" on work he had not performed. As a result, American Eagle operated the aircraft on 34 flights between Sept.11 and Sept. 17, 2010, when it was not in compliance with regulations. The proposed civil penalty is $75,000. American Eagle has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letters to respond to the agency. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Subject: National Heliport Survey for All Helicopter Pilots Calling All Helicopter Pilots Make your opinion on heliports known and make it count! If your not a helicopter pilot pass this along to some friends that are. If you are a helicopter pilot do the same. The National EMS Pilots Association is conducting a survey to gather opinion on heliport design and safety from those who are most affected by the design and management of heliport facilities - the nation's helicopter pilots. We are seeking input from all pilots involved in any form of helicopter operations. The information gathered will be presented to the Federal Aviation Administration and to all stake holders in the helicopter industry to assist in the current efforts to rewrite the new FAA heliport advisory circular. You must act soon because time is of the essence! Take 15 minutes now or at your earliest opportunity and make a positive impact on your industry for years to come. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeliportSurvey Sincerely, Rex J. Alexander President, National EMS Pilots Association Mobile: 260-579-2374 Email: rex.alexander62@yahoo.com "SAFETY: It's not a destination! It's a journey that never ends!" Back to Top British Airways launches major recruitment drive Britain's biggest airline will take on 800 new pilots to cope with expanding fleet. British Airways is poised to launch its biggest recruitment drive in a decade. The airline is expanding pilot numbers by 800 and it's using YouTube to entice pilots willing to meet the £100,000 training cost. The airline, which currently has 3,200 pilots, says it's increasing pilot numbers by 25% because the airline is expanding its fleet. This means current pilots will be reshuffled to fly the new aircrafts, which includes the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A380, creating space for new pilots. A YouTube video has already been posted by the airline to attract a wider range of applicants and to advertise a new training programme (any MT readers wanting a career change can check out the video here). British Airways Pilot Recruitment It's well known that becoming an airline pilot isn't cheap: it costs around £100,000 to train, which is funded by the trainees themselves. So BA's come up with a solution: the 'Future Pilot Programme,' which will provide half of the new pilots. The programme means aspiring pilots will still have to meet the costs themselves but they can repay the money later. They'll also be guaranteed a job with BA at the end of it, which should make it easier to raise the money to cover training costs. The remaining 400 recruits will be poached from rival airlines and the Armed Forces. BA's recruitment drive comes on the tail of Virgin Atlantic's announcement that it's undertaking a major recruitment take-off of its own. More than 1,000 new jobs will be created for cabin crew and pilots as the airline also expands its aircraft carriers. It might seem odd that the airline industry is expanding at the same time as grappling with soaring fuel prices and economic uncertainty. Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, admitted yesterday that last year was the 'toughest economic period for aviation' due to 'consumer confidence flatlining and higher fuel prices.' On the other hand, there are some positive signs for the industry. Virgin Atlantic managed to reverse £132m of losses to post a £18.5m pre-tax profit in 2010. British Airways also swung back to a first-half profit, posting an operating profit of €210m. Considering the airline industry was one of many to implement a recruitment freeze during the recession, it seems airlines have overcome the jet lag and realise they now have a shortage of pilots. http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1084552/british-airways-launches-major- recruitment-drive/ Back to Top AMR outlines plan to spin off Eagle commuter unit The parent of American Airlines on Thursday detailed plans to spin off its Eagle commuter arm to shareholders, though has still not ruled out a sale of the business. AMR Corp. /quotes/zigman/217884/quotes/nls/amr AMR -7.87% said in a regulatory filing that it planned to spin off AMR Eagle Holding Corporation, sweetening a planned listing by keeping key liabilities such as ownership of its regional jet aircraft, which are relatively expensive to operate when fuel prices are high. American is the only major U.S. carrier to keep most of its regional flying in-house, and the long-awaited move aims to provide loss-making American with cheaper and more flexible options for short-haul feeder flights. The company had shelved plans pushed by investors to explore separating Eagle in 2008, opting to sell its investment business and resisting pressure to spin-off or float its AAdvantage frequent-flyer unit. The standalone Eagle would fly an initial 281 regional jets and turboprops for American on a nine-year contract. American would have the option to trim the number of contracted planes, allowing it to either lower capacity or use other commuter carriers. AMR said the standalone Eagle had pro forma revenue of $1.2 billion last year, and the unit would also provide ground handling for its former parent at more than 100 U.S. airports on an initial eight-year contract. The handling business had pro forma revenue of $250 million last year. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amr-outlines-plan-to-spin-off-eagle-commuter-unit- 2011-08-11 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC