Flight Safety Information October 5, 2011 - No. 205 In This Issue Helicopter crash in NYC's East River kills 1; 4 rescued Day 1 of EASA Safety Conference FAA Releases Independent Report On Air Traffic Controller Training Report: FAA To Require 700 Hours For First Officers FAA's new air traffic system hits turbulence Japan urges ANA to take steps to prevent another mid-air roll Air marshals restrain unruly man on Detroit-bound flight Government fires aviation agencies' chief executives (Nigeria) Frontier Airlines Receives Coveted IOSA Registration Still waiting for air safety improvements Meet us at NBAA Booth N824 - Sextant Readings Solutions Inc. Helicopter crash in NYC's East River kills 1; 4 rescued NEW YORK (AP) - A helicopter on a private tour with five people aboard sputtered and crashed into the East River on Tuesday afternoon shortly after takeoff from a riverbank heliport, killing one passenger and injuring three others. The 40-year-old victim apparently was trapped inside as the chopper sank about 50 feet below the surface of the swift-moving water, police said. New York Police Department divers pulled her from the water about 90 minutes after the Bell 206 Jet Ranger went down at around 3 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews arrived within seconds of the crash to find the helicopter upside-down in the murky water with just its skids showing on the surface. The pilot, Paul Dudley, and three passengers were bobbing, and witnesses reported a man diving down, possibly in an attempt to rescue the remaining passenger. The passengers were friends of the pilot's family: a husband and wife who were British and living in Portugal; the wife's daughter, also British, who died at the scene; and the daughter's Australian friend. The daughter and friend were living in Australia. The pilot's wife, Sunhe Dudley, told The Associated Press that she had spoken to her husband briefly after the crash. Survivors are pulled ashore by rescue workers following a helicopter crash in the East River in New York on Tuesday. "I think that he's OK," she said. "These were actually very dear friends of ours that were in the helicopter." The passengers were pulled from the water shortly after emergency crews arrived on the scene, police spokesman Paul Browne said. Fire department rescue paramedics revived both women, who were in critical condition; the man was stable. All were hospitalized. The pilot swam to shore and was uninjured. The private chopper apparently had run into trouble and was trying to return to the heliport when it went into the river off 34th Street in midtown Manhattan, a few blocks south of the United Nations headquarters. It's unclear what happened, but witnesses reported it was sputtering and appeared to be in some type of mechanical distress. Joy Garnett and her husband were on the dock waiting to take the East River ferry to Brooklyn when they heard the blades of a helicopter and saw it start to take off from the nearby helipad. She said she saw it do "a funny curlicue." "I thought, 'Is that some daredevil move?'" she said. "But it was obviously out of control. The body spun around at least two or three times, and then it went down." She said the chopper had lifted about 25 feet off the ground before it dropped into the water without much of a splash. It flipped over, and the blades were sticking up out of the river. Joseph Belez was watching helicopters from a boardwalk and saw the crash. "It was going up, and then all of a sudden it just spun itself and went down to the water," he said. "I was just watching it take off, and it was just all of a sudden spinning. It just went down. It was a shock. It really was." A massive rescue effort was under way within minutes of the crash, with a dozen boats and divers down into the cold, grey water. Police officers doing a counterterrorism drill nearby jumped into the water wearing their uniforms, and without any rescue equipment they pulled the three passengers to shore. "The pilot did indicate that there was somebody still in the helicopter," Lt. Larry Serras said. "By the time we swam to the helicopter it was completely submerged." Officer Jason Gregory, one of the divers who brought the woman's body to the surface, said the helicopter was upside down in the sediment. He said the woman was in the back seat and wasn't buckled in by any seat belt. The helicopter was from Linden, N.J., near the Statue of Liberty and the Newark, N.J., international airport and a popular base and refueling stop for helicopters operating in New York. The pilot apparently reported problems in the helicopter and said he was turning around, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. Paul Dudley is a commercial pilot and owns Linden Airport Services, the company that manages the Linden municipal airport under a 20-year contract with the city, Linden Mayor Richard Gerbounka said. "He flies light aircraft, he flies helicopters," Gerbounka said. "He's an accomplished pilot." In November 2006, Dudley landed a Cessna 172 light plane in a park near Coney Island in Brooklyn after the engine failed. No one was hurt during the emergency landing, and the plane was taken back to Linden after mechanics removed the wings. The National Transportation Safety Board was on scene Tuesday, and crews pulled the wreckage from the water about four hours after it went down. The chopper would be taken to the police department's Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. The airport in Linden was locked down briefly pending the arrival of Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB investigators. The Bell 206 Jet Ranger is one of the world's most popular helicopter models and was first flown in January 1966. They are light and highly maneuverable, making them popular with television stations and air taxi companies. A new one costs between $700,000 and $1.2 million. The East River has been particularly tricky for pilots because of its many bridges and its proximity to LaGuardia, one of the nation's busiest airports. In 2006, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle died when the Cirrus light plane he was flying crashed into a residential building while trying to make a turn over the river. On Aug. 8, 2009, a small plane collided with a helicopter over the Hudson River, on the other side of Manhattan, killing nine people, including five Italian tourists. A government safety panel found that an air traffic controller who was on a personal phone call had contributed to the accident. The FAA changed its rules for aircraft flying over New York City's rivers after that collision. Pilots must call out their positions on the radio and obey a 161 mph speed limit. Before the changes, such radio calls were optional. Earlier that year, an Airbus 320 airliner landed in the Hudson after hitting birds and losing both engines shortly after taking off from LaGuardia. The flight, U.S. Airways Flight 1549, became known as the Miracle on the Hudson plane. On Tuesday, Bloomberg praised a coordinated emergency response. Witnesses said the crash happened quickly. Carlos Acevedo, of Puerto Rico, was with his wife at a nearby park area when they saw the helicopter go down. "It sank fast," he said. "In seconds. Like the water was sucking it in." ******** Date: 04-OCT-2011 Time: 3:20pm LT Type: Bell 206B JetRanger Operator: Paul P. Dudley (rgd. owner & pilot) Registration: N63Q C/n / msn: 2063 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: East River, New York - United States of America Phase: Take off Nature: Private Departure airport: 34th Street Heliport, New York Destination airport: Narrative: A Bell 206B JetRanger with five people aboard crashed into the East River on Tuesday afternoon after taking off from a launch pad on the riverbank, seriously injuring at least two people and leaving one missing. The pilot and three others were pulled alive from the water by rescue crews shortly after the chopper went down. Authorities were searching for one other passenger, believed to be female, but the Bell 206 helicopter was submerged in the murky water, police spokesman Paul Browne said. The private chopper went into the river off 34th Street in midtown Manhattan. It's unclear what happened. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Day 1 of EASA Safety Conference: "Staying in Control - Loss of Control (LoC) - Prevention and Recovery" The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) today, October 4, opened their third aviation safety conference. The conference is being attended by 250 professionals from the aviation industry. The theme for the two-day conference is "Loss of Control". A topic well chosen because Loss of Control (LoC) accidents are considered a safety priority by many organisations. This was again confirmed by speakers today. EASA research of airliner accidents over the past decade showed that 25% of all fatal accidents are caused by Loss of Control. Additionaly, ICAO data supports the conclusion that LoC accident account for most fatalities. It is one of four safety priorities for ICAO. And alarmingly, the LoC accident rate is not decreasing. But how to decrease the number of LoC accidents? ICAO suggests that it should be a global approach with harmonization of efforts. Meanwhile several organisations are involved in research in relation to (aspects of) LoC. Some speakers noted that the monitoring skills of the 'pilot monitoring', or ' pilot not flying' should be strengthened. With enhanced monitoring skills a copilot could be even better prepared to anticipate and recognize signs that, for instance a stall is imminent. But not it is not just monitoring skills. A French study in 2008 reported that many copilots felt that they were not adequately prepared for surprising situations. It should be considered to take these kind of situations into account during pilot training. Especially given the growing automation on today's flight decks. It is getting harder to anticipate all different failure modes in these automated systems. More so since several systems like Electronic Flight Bags do not go through the same certification processes as aircraft systems. However, a slight change in training would not be sufficient, according to Jean Pariès. He even suggested a paradigm shift for training as a whole to, ""recognize real world unpredictability.. and to maintain/develop resilience features". Several LoC accidents were mentioned by different speakers. These accidents were: 23 Aug 2000 - A320 at Bahrain: nose down input by the captain during a night time go around; crash into the sea. 22 Dec 1999 - B747F near London-Stansted: captain lost control when his ADI failed. 23 Sep 2007 - B737-300 near Bournemouth, UK. Unrecognized disengaing of autothrottle during final approach. 14 Sep 2008 - B737-500 near Perm, Russia: loss of spatial orientation of the crew during night time approach, pilot not familiar with Western ADI's. 25 Feb 2009 - B737-800 near Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport: Stall following undetected autothrottle thrust reduction during final approach. Day 1 of the conference featured the following speakers: Welcome Speech - Opening Remarks John Vincent, Deputy Director for Strategic Safety & Head of Safety Analysis, EASA Keynote Speech Patrick Goudou, Executive Director, EASA EASA Rulemaking Forewords Jean-Marc Cluzeau, Head of Flight Standards Department, EASA EASA Safety Review - Loss of control accidents in numbers Ilias Maragakis, Safety Analyst Expert, EASA Accidents in Commercial Aviation Transport: Review and lessons learned Capt Bertrand de Courville, Air France Corporate Safety Manager, ECAST Co-chair Loss of Control Examples Margaret Dean and Andrew Blackie, Senior Inspectors of Air Accidents (Operations), AAIB UK Crew Resource Management Jean Pariès, President, Dédale SAS Flight Path Management Systems: Policy, Training and Operational use Dr Kathy Abbott, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor, Flight Deck Human Factors, FAA EASA Automation Policy Dr Michel Masson, HF Expert / Safety Action Coordinator, EASA ICAO Activities in relation to LoC Henry Defalque, Technical Officer, Licensing and Operations, Flight Operations Section, ICAO Back to Top FAA Releases Independent Report On Air Traffic Controller Training Process From Selection To Organizational Structure Reviewed By Panel FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has rolled out a set of recommendations from an independent panel on how to improve all aspects of an air traffic controller's experience at the FAA, including hiring, training, placement and career development. "Our air traffic controllers do a phenomenal job every day helping passengers reach their destinations safely," Administrator Babbitt said announcing the release Monday. "As we move towards NextGen, we need to make sure that our controllers are getting the best training possible. This report shows us we are doing a great job, but there are things we can and will do better." The panel reviewed the FAA's process for selecting air traffic controllers, the academy training program, collegiate training initiative programs, controller selection and placement in air traffic facilities, on-the-job training, air traffic controller professional standards, and the FAA organizational structure that oversees controller training and placement. The FAA is currently reviewing the panel's nearly 50 recommendations and is developing an action plan for addressing them. Some of the recommendations include: Conduct more stringent evaluation and tracking of the curriculum used at collegiate air traffic control training programs around the country. Develop a standardized "advanced" training course controllers are required to take before they are sent to their permanent field facility to ensure that every controller arrives with the same set of skills. Establish a yearly refresher training course for senior controllers who serve as field instructors for new controllers. Create mobile simulator labs to ensure that controllers in smaller facilities have equal access to simulator training technology. Administrator Babbitt commissioned the independent review panel this spring as part of the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association's (NATCA) Call to Action on air traffic controller safety and professionalism. The members of the panel were: Michael Barr, University of Southern California Aviation, Safety & Security program; Dr. Tim Brady, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Garth Koleszar, NATCA; Dr. Michael New, Aveos Fleet Performance, Inc; and Dr. Julia Pounds, FAA. The panel will submit a report to FAA Administrator Babbitt this fall. FMI: www.faa.gov Back to Top Report: FAA To Require 700 Hours For First Officers The FAA is expected to issue a proposed rule this month that will require pilots flying in the right seat for airlines to have at least 700 hours, up from the current minimum of 250 hours, according to The Wall Street Journal. Proposals in Congress have suggested raising the minimum as high as 1,500 hours. The changes stem from concerns that arose following the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo two years ago. Pilots who graduate from four-year college aeronautical programs or train in the military may earn credits that reduce their total time requirements, sources told the Journal. One result of the proposal, if it's enacted, could be that students would abandon traditional flight training. The plan "would likely drive many of those people interested in an aviation career into the academic realm," Bob Rockmaker, president of the Flight School Association of North America, told the Journal. The rule proposal is still working its way through the regulatory process and could face further delays and modifications, the Journal said. Also in the works are new rules regarding pilot fatigue, pilot mentoring, and airline training practices, all prompted by the Colgan crash. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ReportFAAToRequire700HoursForFirstOfficers_205500-1.html Back to Top FAA's new air traffic system hits turbulence WASHINGTON (AP) -The government's program to modernize the nation's air traffic control system has run into serious problems that threaten to increase its cost and delay its completion, a government watchdog said. The Federal Aviation Administration's program to replace the current air traffic control system with a system based on satellite technology is being held back by software problems that have delayed full deployment of a critical flight tracking system, Transportation Department inspector general Calvin Scovel said in prepared testimony to be delivered at House hearing Wednesday. The agency also hasn't set deadlines for when key aspects of the new air traffic control system will be in place, Scovel said. Nor has FAA made clear to airlines and other air traffic system users exactly what benefits they can expect and when they'll be achieved, he said. As a result, airlines and others are being discouraged from spending money on cockpit equipment necessary to take advantage of the new air traffic system, Scovel said. Many of the new system's benefits hinge on airlines equipping their planes with expensive new equipment to communicate with air traffic controllers and broadcast their location to other planes and controllers. The Associated Press was provided with a copy of Scovel's testimony to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. FAA officials had no immediate comment when contacted late Tuesday. FAA officials have predicted the agency's NextGen modernization program will be as revolutionary for civil aviation as was the advent of radar six decades ago. It's actually a collection of new programs aimed at moving planes faster and more efficiently that will markedly change almost every major aspect of today's air traffic system. Those changes are considered critical to enabling the system to absorb substantial predicted increases in air traffic without becoming paralyzed by congestion. The troubled $2.1 billion software program is the main tool air traffic controllers will use to identify and track aircraft, except when planes are immediately approaching and departing airports. It was supposed to have been completed by the end of last year, but the FAA now doesn't expect to be finished until 2014, at a cost overrun of $330 million, Scovel said. Those estimates may be optimistic. A Mitre Corp. study and an analysis by the inspector general's office estimate the added cost of the computer system, called ERAM, could be as much as $500 million, with potential delays stretching to 2016, Scovel said. David Grizzle, the head of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, described ERAM to an air traffic control conference earlier this week as "the chassis on which all the NextGen functionality will be bolted." He said the system is expected to increase the number of planes controllers can handle by nearly two-thirds. "We've got to get it right, and we've encountered some significant challenges in delivery," Grizzle said. Some of ERAM's problems have previously been made public, including glitches that incorrectly identify planes and interfere with the ability of controllers to pass along responsibility for tracking a plane from one control center to another. But the problem may be more extensive than the FAA has previously acknowledged. Scovel said his office has found similar problems in another critical FAA computer system that shares the same aircraft tracking software. That system is used by controllers to track planes as they approach and depart airports. "ERAM's persistent problems have raised concerns about the overall design of the system," he said in his testimony. Cost overruns in ERAM will affect the FAA's budget for other major elements of NextGen and could "crowd out other critical programs," Scovel said. The FAA has focused much of its initial NextGen efforts on improving the flow of air traffic at congested airports in 21 major metropolitan areas. However, the agency has been slow in developing the flight procedures that will allow airlines to save fuel and time by flying shorter, more direct routes, Scovel said. The FAA did a study that identified ways to streamline the process for deploying new procedures, but agency officials estimate it would take five years just to put the streamlining initiatives in place, he said. ------ Online: Federal Aviation Administration: www.faa.gov House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: transportation.house.gov/ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/10/05/faas_new_air_traffic_system_hits_turbulence/ Back to Top Japan urges ANA to take steps to prevent another mid-air roll Japan's transport ministry has urged All Nippon Airways to take measures to prevent a repeat of an in-flight error that sent one of its planes into a violent mid-air roll and left it almost belly up, Kyodo News reports. PLANE DRAMA: Airplane flips over during flight to Tokyo Futoshi Osada, director general of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Civil Aviation Bureau, told President Koichi Uchizono of Air Nippon Co - a unit of ANA - to take "appropriate action" and report back, the ministry said. "It is really deplorable that the incident occurred as it threatened to undermine public trust in the safety of the public transportation system," Osada told Uchizono during a meeting at the ministry. Two crew members were slightly injured and six passengers complained of feeling unwell after their plane rolled sharply, descending rapidly and banking to a near-inverted altitude. 117 passengers and crew were on the flight from Okinawa to Tokyo on September 6. According to Japan's Safety Board, the error happened when the co-pilot mistakenly turned the rudder trim switch instead of the cockpit door switch, as he tried to let the captain back in after taking a toilet break. The plane landed safely in Tokyo. http://www.terminalu.com/travel-news/japan-urges-ana-to-take-steps-to-prevent-another-mid-air-roll/17067/ Back to Top Air marshals restrain unruly man on Detroit-bound flight Paul Egan and Serena Maria Daniels/ The Detroit News Passengers aboard a Detroit-bound Delta Air Lines flight from Amsterdam saw an unruly passenger get restrained by air marshals Tuesday afternoon. Michael Patrick Shiels, of Michigan's Morning Show on the Michigan Talk Network in Lansing, told The Detroit News he was sitting across the aisle from the man, who yelled about a hijacking and was restrained and handcuffed by air marshals aboard the flight. FBI Special Agent Sandra Berchtold confirmed an unruly passenger was restrained aboard the flight, which landed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport about 3:45 p.m. Shiels said he didn't notice what the man had done before the marshals restrained him. It was after the man was handcuffed and restrained to his seat that he kicked repeatedly at the airplane door he was seated beside and screamed about a hijacking and asked the marshals to shoot him, Shiels said. "The passengers were quite frightened at first," Shiels said. "He said, 'This plane is hijacked.' That caused people to scream." He described the man as an American in his 30s. Another passenger, Ann Stevens of Rochester, said she saw the man declare a hijacking. "The first thing I heard was, 'This plane is being hijacked,'" she said. "But we knew there was something wrong with him." Stevens, who was returning from a visit to family members in Great Britain, said the man was yelling as four marshals approached and restrained him. "I was very proud of the level of restraint that the marshals used," she said. Passenger Sherry Kuhr of Farmington Hills said a flight attendant announced there had been a disturbance and that police had been notified. Once the plane landed, passengers were kept onboard about 15 minutes. Two years ago, another Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was disrupted when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly tried to blow up the plane he was on with a bomb concealed in his underwear on Christmas Day 2009. Abdulmutallab's trial began Tuesday in federal court in Detroit with jury selection. Shiels, who was returning from a golf trip to Wales through Amsterdam, said he was well aware of the connection. "That's what made it so haunting," he said. After the plane landed, uniformed officers came aboard and arrested the man, he said. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111004/METRO01/110040418/Air-marshals-restrain-unruly- man-on-Detroit-bound-flight#ixzz1Zu5ro1B9 Back to Top Government fires aviation agencies' chief executives (Nigeria) Uriesi, Udoh, Kalu to head FAAN, NAMA, NCAT respectively Barely three weeks after BusinessDay exclusively reported that the Federal Government was head-hunting for a qualified person to replace Richard Aisuebeogun, the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), government yesterday relieved him of his duty, ending his four- year tenure in the authority. Two other chief executives of aviation agencies were also replaced in the sweep. They are Ibrahim Auyo, managing director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Adebayo Araba, rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria. Replacing Auyo in acting capacity, is the director of engineering and electronics, of NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh. George Uriesi, a former director of operations, of FAAN, replaced Aisuebeogun while Chinyere Kalu ( a commercial pilot), former Head of Flying School, NCAT, replaced Araba. Joe Obi, Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Aviation, in a statement, directed the sacked chief executives to handover to their successors immediately. The statement was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Anne Ine Ita, The decision yesterday, ended speculations that Aisuebeogun, who was appointed in November 2007, might be re- appointed managing director of FAAN. Aisuebeogun, who was otherwise qualified for a second term, it was learnt, was ruled out by the Presidency because of his perceived lack-lustre performance and sundry other reasons, some bordering on transparency. Auyo, who was yet to complete his four- year tenure (which was to end in 2013), has been in and out of office since his appointment, for medical reasons. Uriesi, the new FAAN managing director, was born on August 8, 1968. His career spans more than 18 years, mostly in airline and airport operations, as well as safety and economic regulation of the industry. He served with the then Nigerian Airports Authority and worked for ADC Airlines, until he moved to South Africa in 1996, to join the multinational consumer products company, Procter and Gamble , South Africa , as logistics manager. He returned to the aviation industry three years later, to play key roles in the institutional reform and transformation of South Africa's air transport industry, joining the executive team of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, first as executive manager for Aviation Safety Promotion and later, general manager, Aviation Safety. Prior to his appointment at FAAN two years ago, Uriesi, was US certified Business coach and airport management consultant, based in Atlanta , Georgia . He joined FAAN in 2009 as Director of Airport Operations. Nigerian airports, have over the years witnessed a considerable deterioration - with cows, goats and other domestic animals, often contesting right of way with aircraft on many runways, in several airports across the country. The Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos , has become a shadow of itself, with several key facilities malfunctioning or not functioning at all. The airport's power plants pack up at will, and passengers and airlines frequently grope in the dark, in the sweltering terminal building. The toilets are an eye-sore, while the fuel hydrants are not functioning, forcing airlines and fuel suppliers to use boursers to supply fuel to aircraft on the tarmac. http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/28167-government-fires-aviation-agencies- chief-executives Back to Top Frontier Airlines Receives Coveted IOSA Registration DENVER, Oct 04, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Frontier Airlines has successfully completed the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and achieved IOSA registration. Frontier is a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. /quotes/zigman/87880/quotes/nls/rjet RJET +3.95% . IOSA sets aviation's global standard for quality, safety and operations performance. Joining the IOSA Registry is official recognition that the low-cost, high-value carrier meets or exceeds industry standards that are the strictest in the world. The audit encompasses eight areas: corporate organization and management; flight operations; operational control/flight dispatch; aircraft engineering and maintenance; cabin operations, aircraft ground handling, cargo operations, and operational security. "I can't overstate the importance of attaining IOSA registration," said Republic Airways Chief Operating Officer Wayne Heller. "Safety has always been our most important operating goal," he said. "Achieving IOSA registration is a tribute to the efforts every one of Frontier's more than 5,000 employees put forth every day on every flight and for every guest who flies on Frontier Airlines. It is proof positive that the guidelines we have operated under for years meet or exceed the strictest standards in the world." About Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. /quotes/zigman/87880/quotes/nls/rjet RJET +3.95% , an airline holding company that also owns Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines and Shuttle America. Currently in its 18th year of operations, Frontier employs more than 5,500 aviation professionals and operates from hubs at Denver International Airport, Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport and Kansas City International Airport. Frontier offers service to more than 80 destinations in the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica. For in-depth information on Frontier Airlines and to book tickets, visit FrontierAirlines.com. SOURCE: Frontier Airlines Back to Top Still waiting for air safety improvements By Al Kamen Change comes slowly, very slowly, in Washington. Shortly after the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo in February 2009, Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood and incoming Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt promised swift action to remedy the likely culprits: pilot error, fatigue and inadequate training. The safety board's final report wasn't in, but LaHood said his agency wasn't going to be "just sitting on our hands for seven months waiting for the report to be finished." Babbitt, facing a very unhappy - and very bipartisan - Senate Commerce Committee, pledged "Safety will be my number one priority" and told Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) that he would implement the safety board's recommendations. That was 21 / 2 years ago. And, despite constant pleas for action from the families of the 50 people killed in the crash, some new procedures have not been implemented. The FAA and the Transportation Department have sent to the Office of Management and Budget proposed rules on pilot fatigue and pilot qualifications and have been awaiting OMB approval. The FAA and DOT are also wrapping up work on a new pilot-training rule. The airlines, especially the small carriers and others that fly under contract to the military, last month continued to oppose the pilot-fatigue rule, which would require substantial changes in flight crews' hours, saying the "ill- conceived regulation" would kill as many as 400,000 jobs "at a time when unemployment persists above 9 percent." Could be a while longer before anything changes. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/airline-safety-isnt-easy-to-do-in- washington/2011/10/04/gIQAdP2yLL_story.html Back to Top Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC