Flight Safety Information October 20, 2011 - No. 216 In This Issue FAA proposes $160,000 in fines against SkyWest Virgin pilot blown over by Qantas jet Russian air force jet crashes in far east, both crewmembers killed Tired pilots could be flying plane 'drunk' under planned EU rules...Hazard? Aviation Authority Criticizes Estonian Air Over Safety Fort Rucker grounds helicopter fleet due to 'system concern' FAA Selects MarkLogic to Operate its Emergency Response System Venezuela creates aviation safety commmission Mahan Air rejects allegations behind US sanctions Chinese Airline Cancels Boeing Dreamliner Order The San Francisco Chapter...of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators Meeting FAA proposes $160,000 in fines against SkyWest ST. GEORGE - The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it is proposing a $160,000 civil penalty against St. George-based SkyWest Airlines for allegedly violating FAA baggage and cargo regulations on four flights earlier this year. The fines stemmed from March 3 flights out of San Diego, Phoenix, Omaha, Neb. and Missoula, Mont. - all of which were bound for Salt Lake City International Airport. "The FAA alleges SkyWest failed to follow procedures for documenting cargo and baggage," the agency said in a statement. "And as a result operated those flights with incorrect weight, balance, cargo and baggage load data." SkyWest spokeswoman Marissa Snow said the airline is disappointed with the FAA's actions, adding that safety was never compromised during those flights. "Certainly safety is first in everything we do," she said. "We determined at no time was center of gravity put into question." Snow said the proposed fines are a "technicality" and do not reflect a serious weight and balance violation on the part of the airline. "The notice is certainly disappointing given the efforts we've made," she said. FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the FAA would not comment until the matter was settled. When it came to loading the baggage and cargo for the four flights in question, Snow said it was not SkyWest, but separate vendors who were operating on those flights. "We've worked with our partners and vendors to ensure the proper procedures are followed," she said. "At the end of the day, SkyWest did not load those bags." According to the FAA, SkyWest has paid civil penalties in eight previous cases involving improper weight, balance and loading calculations and documentation. http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20111020/NEWS01/110200315/FAA-proposes- 160-000-fines-against-SkyWest?odyssey=nav%7Chead Back to Top Virgin pilot blown over by Qantas jet A PILOT suffered serious injuries when the rear aircraft stairs of his Virgin plane was toppled by the engine thrust of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. The Virgin Australia first officer was undertaking pre-flight checks with his plane due to depart for Bali, when a nearby Qantas plane taxiing on the runway caused the drama, Fairfax reports. The force of the Qantas jet's engines caused the rear stairs of the Virgin 737 to blow over with the pilot on deck, causing him to suffer leg and arm fractures. Safety authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred this morning at Brisbane's international airport. "Our plane was in the right place at the right time," a Virgin spokesperson said. "The one dynamic which was different was the thrust level of the Qantas plane which caused the stairs to blow over." Qantas insists there was no breach of protocol on the part of its pilots. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/virgin-pilot-blown-over-by-qantas-jet/story- e6frf7jo-1226171702527 Back to Top Russian air force jet crashes in far east, both crewmembers killed MOSCOW (AP)- A Russian military jet crashed in the country's far east Thursday, killing both crewmembers, officials said. Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said in a televised statement that the Su-24 bomber crashed while landing at the Ukrainka air base in the Amur region near the border with China. He said both crewmembers died when the plane overturned and burst into flames. The jet was flying from its base in Voronezh in western Russia to undergo planned repairs at an aircraft-making plant. There was no damage on the ground. Russia's main investigative agency has opened a probe into the crash, the cause of which wasn't immediately known. Konashenkov said the air force will conduct an inspection of its entire Su-24 fleet following the crash. The twin-engined Su-24 has been an important component of the Soviet and then Russian air force since the 1970s. Back to Top Tired pilots could be flying plane 'drunk' under planned EU rules Hazard? Proposed EU rules could compromise flight safety, a union claims Airline pilots could be flying with levels of fatigue equivalent to five cans of lager if proposed EU rules come into effect, a union has claimed. Pilots are on duty for a maximum of nine hours which could rise to almost 13, the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said. The union told MP's that this would see pilots flying with tiredness levels equal to putting them four times over the legal alcohol limit. Balpa presented the evidence, which it said was calculated using a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) computer programme, to MPs at Westminster. Flight safety and security head, Dr Rob Hunter, said: 'Alcohol and lack of sleep affect our abilities in similar ways. 'The limit on pilots' blood alcohol is rightly set down in law. The Government cannot say on the one hand that flying while over the alcohol limit is unsafe - which it is - and at the same time do nothing to oppose regulations which would allow pilots to be flying equivalent to four times that same limit.' Balpa's chairman, Captain Mark Searle, added: 'The current UK rules are far from perfect, but they are an awful lot better than the EU's plans. 'We must have safe, scientific flight time limitations for pilots which don't allow pilots to be flying over built-up areas on approach to airports with the equivalent of five cans of lager in them.' The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said consultation was ongoing and any changes would not come into effect until next year. The EASA added that there would be other beneficial changes such as increased rest at a destination for 'significant time zone crossing'. It said there would be a reduction to 1,000 flight hours on a current 1,200-hour EU limit per 12 calendar months. A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'The safety of passengers is paramount, and we will not allow this to be compromised. While the European Aviation Safety Agency's final proposals have yet to be set out, we will seek to use subsequent negotiations to ensure any new rules provide adequate protection against fatigue. 'The UK has been clear that it will not vote in favour of any rules until the CAA is satisfied that this has been achieved.' The CAA said it was 'awaiting final recommendations' from the EASA and questioned Balpa's comparison of alcohol intake and fatigue. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2051278/Planned-EU-rules-mean-tired-pilots- flying-times-limit.html Back to Top Aviation Authority Criticizes Estonian Air Over Safety In March, Estonia's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) harshly criticized national carrier Estonian Air over flight safety after two potenitally dangerous incidents occurred early in the year. The first took place in January when the airline's Boeing ES-ABL was forced to make an emergency landing due to the halt of its right engine. The second was in February when flames shot out of the same engine prior to takeoff, wrote Eesti Ekspress. The CAA reacted by issuing an injunction in which its Director General, Koit Kaskel, said that the carrier's board "excessively interferes with aircraft and flight operations without adequate information or knowledge," and that "saving money is often done at the expense of safety." Information about the events came to light only recently as the CAA typically refrains from publicizing information about potentially hazardous incidents that occur in the country's airspace. According to the institution, the injunction was not publicly disclosed because Estonia is too small a country for such transparency and incidents of that nature might damage the interests of airlines. This situation can in turn allow airlines to refrain from reporting their mishaps to the public. http://news.err.ee/5a99fdaa-0bf1-412f-bc50-11962b5510fa Back to Top Fort Rucker grounds helicopter fleet due to 'system concern' Fort Rucker officials announced Tuesday that the post's OH-58 Delta Kiowa Warrior helicopters have been temporarily grounded due to safety concerns. According to a press release issued by Fort Rucker's public affairs office, the decision was a "proactive step" after a newly-installed flight control component caused an anomaly. "The anomaly did not cause any damage to any aircraft or injury to any personnel," the release said. "Fort Rucker has an immediate fix, so the grounding is expected to be of short duration. The safety of our soldiers and our Army aviators are our number one priority. Once the fleet is back up, we will begin a systematic, full review of the specific flight control system in question." According to the release, officials decided to ground the helicopters as a precaution only. Since the new flight control component has only been installed on Fort Rucker's fleet, none of the OH-58 helicopters being used elsewhere have been grounded. The release said the grounding is expected to be brief and is unlikely to affect the training of students. http://www2.dothaneagle.com/news/2011/oct/19/fort-rucker-grounds-helicopter-fleet- due-system-co-ar-2578068/ Back to Top FAA Selects MarkLogic to Operate its Emergency Response System The Federal Aviation Administration has selected MarkLogic Corp. to operate its emergency operations network, which FAA uses to monitor and track severe weather and emergencies. "The organization required a technology solution that was capable of taking multiple document types and feeds and making sense of the information," said Randall Jackson, vice president of MarkLogic's public sector operations. "MarkLogic was able to meet this criterion in a single product, offering full text and faceted search, a schema-agnostic structure and a geospatial display through Google Maps." The program plays a significant role in coordinating emergency response and tracking natural and man-made disasters. http://blog.executivebiz.com/2011/10/faa-selects-marklogic-to-operate-its-emergency- response-system/ Back to Top Venezuela creates aviation safety commmission Venezuela's transport ministry has created a commission to look into aviation safety and the ageing fleet in the country following a series of major incidents linked to maintenance issues. The commission, to comprise officials from private and public airlines in Venezuela, aims to determine the state of the country's aircraft fleet and explore ways to improve operational reliability and safety. Incidents like last month's hard landing of an Aeropostal McDonnell Douglas DC-9, which ripped off both aircraft engines, have prompted increased scrutiny of the country's airlines by Venezuela's civil aviation authority, INAC. Last September, an ATR 42 operated by state-run Conviasa crashed, killing 24 of the 47 people on board. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior operations official at a private carrier said airlines face difficulties in renewing their fleets due to foreign exchange restrictions. Venezuela's local currency, the bolivar, is not freely floated on international currency markets and airlines have limited access to foreign currencies at a government-set exchange rate. "Local currency exchange regulations and officially fixed rates are making it impossible to operate domestically with a profit, at least in US dollars," he said. "This makes it impossible for local carriers to renew fleets, particularly as we have no access to international finance." The official also cited a lack of funds for the purchase of spare parts, saying that authorities prefer to give benefits to state-owned Conviasa. However, he added that the situation appears to be improving, with the recent public discussion over aviation safety following the incidents. Venezuela's transport minister Francisco Garces, when inaugurating the commission, acknowledged the need for better coordination between the authorities and airlines, while announcing tighter inspections of maintenance facilities and suggesting more access to foreign currencies for spare part imports. However, he warned airlines that they will need to present precise plans of their requirements and that any attempt at fraud by overpricing spare part invoices will have consequences. Venezuela has one of the oldest fleets and one of the most fragmented airline industries in the western hemisphere. Airlines Aeropostal, Aserca, SBA Airlines, Rutaca, Avior and Laser hardly operate any aircraft younger than 20 years. Many of their DC- 9s and Boeing 737-200s range between 30 and 45 years, with some of these exceeding 80,000 cycles which leaves little room for further service life extensions. Only state-owned Conviasa operates some newer aircraft, such as an Airbus A340 and several Bombardier CRJ700s. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Mahan Air rejects allegations behind US sanctions Iranian carrier Mahan Air has vehemently denied being linked to governmental or military agencies, after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the Tehran-based carrier. Mahan Air has protested the decision which, it said, is designed to exert political pressure on the Iranian government but will "instead have a direct adverse effect on the safety and security of the people of Iran". The carrier said it has already struggled to overcome "inequitable and unfair circumstances" created by sanctions on Iran. Mahan is a "fully private" company, it added, with its shares held either directly by, or on trust for, a Kerman-based organisation known as the Mow-lal-Movahhedin Charity Institute. "It does not belong to any governmental or military bodies or to any political party or individuals," said the carrier. "Mahan Air has used its best endeavours to develop the country's aviation industry with the aim of improving the welfare and safety of its fellow citizens." It insisted it will "use all its available resources to overcome the obstacles being put before it" and seek support from international organisations to "defend its reputation". The carrier operates Airbus A300 and A310 twinjets, as well as Boenig 747s, and has been at the centre of a court case in London which revolves around a complex attempt to acquire three 747-400s. These aircraft were previously operated by United Airlines but were sold during a period while the carrier was under Chapter 11 protection. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Chinese Airline Cancels Boeing Dreamliner Order; Airbus Not Spared Chinese Eastern Airlines canceled a mammoth order for 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners this week in favor of the much smaller 737 aircraft, the company said. A weaker global economy coupled with Boeing's production delays on its biggest jumbo aircraft to date has led China's No. 2 airline to opt for the smaller, classical jet. The company said it will buy 45 737s to be delivered between 2014 and 2016. "We are not optimistic about the international market in the next two years, for the weakening global economy hurts air travel," Luo Zhuping, secretary of the board of China Eastern told The China Daily. "We are making rapid moves to serve domestic demand, which is still robust at the moment," Luo said. The Shanghai-based carrier is the first Chinese airline to cancel orders for the Dreamliner. The good news for Boeing is that the airline is paying comparable prices for its jet order. The China Daily reported that China Eastern Airlines said it got a sizable discount on the 737s because it was such a large order, and were paying less than the list price. Boeing isn't the only aircraft manufacturer facing a rearranging of China aircraft orders. China Eastern will also return five Airbus A340-300s to in exchange for 15 smaller wide-body A330s, which could be operated on domestic routes, Bloomberg reported. The total value of the A330s is $2.53 billion, the carrier said. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/10/19/chinese-airline-cancels-boeing- dreamliner-order-airbus-not-spared/ Back to Top The San Francisco Chapter of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators presents Investigating a Major Aviation Accident Where: Oakland Aviation Museum, Oakland Airport When: Friday, October 28th, 2011 from 1300-1500 Cost: $5 (to offset the museum entrance fee) This round table discussion will feature: Ron Schleede - NTSB retired - Ron Schleede served the NTSB for more than 28 years as a field investigator, human factors investigator and manager of Major Investigations - 2002 ISASI Jerry Lederer Award Recipient. John Purvis - Boeing retired - John Purvis had a 41 year career with the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company and served as its Director of Air Safety Investigation for 17 years - 2001 ISASI Jerry Lederer Award Recipient. Toby Carroll - Director Flight Safety, Continental Airlines - Toby Carroll has led Continental's Flight Safety Department for over 25 years. Toby also serves as President of the US Society of ISASI. Important Notes: * Program begins at 1300, but you are free to visit the museum before or after the program. * Attendance is NOT limited to ISASI members. You are encouraged to bring friends and colleagues. * A door prize will be given to the person who drives the furthest to attend. * Refreshments provided. Please RSVP by email Susan.Rivers@RTIforensics.com or (510) 921 5357 Fee waived for first 10 people to RSVP Oakland Aviation Museum 8252 Earhart Road - Bldg. L-621 Historic North Field Oakland Intl. Airport (510) 638-7100 www.oaklandaviationmuseum.org Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC