Flight Safety Information November 11, 2011 - No. 231 In This Issue STATEMENT FROM NTSB CHAIRMAN DEBORAH A.P.HERSMAN...ON LETTER TO PINNACLE AIRLINES CORP Airline Gets a Bitch-Slap from the NTSB. Ouch! International military, civilian aviation communities explore aircraft mishap prevention Kingfisher crisis: 130 pilots quit, 149 flights cancelled (INDIA) FAA pushes remedy for jet engine flameouts 5 dead in copter crash on Hawaii island Charlotte flight clips wing after landing at DFW TSA Confiscates More Than 1,000 Guns From Airplane Passengers in 2011 Earn a US Federal Government SMS Training Certificate STATEMENT FROM NTSB CHAIRMAN DEBORAH A.P.HERSMAN ON LETTER TO PINNACLE AIRLINES CORP. *********************************** Two weeks ago, we were disappointed to learn of internal documents released by Pinnacle Airlines Corp., parent company of Colgan Air, that were not provided to the NTSB during the course of our investigation into the February 12, 2009, crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407. The NTSB investigation began immediately after the crash and concluded with a public meeting on February 2, 2010. Today, in a letter to Pinnacle Airlines Corp., the NTSB requested that the company make available any and all information regarding the training and technical qualifications of the Captain and First Officer on-board Flight 3407. While the content of the newly released email exchanges appears to be consistent with information our investigators learned through other means during the course of the investigation, it is critical that the factual record of this accident be complete. The previously undisclosed documents do not appear to give reason for reconsideration of the NTSB's final report and probable cause determination. www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Airline Gets a Bitch-Slap from the NTSB. Ouch! Its apparent that the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board is a beauty. I've heard people describe her as "angelic". Here's her photo. You be the judge. But don't let that cutie-pie face deceive you. Deborah Hersman is no delicate flower when it comes to fools or manipulators. In a letter to Pinnacle Airlines today, Ms. Hersman (ordinarily I'd call her Deb but I'm still in shock and awe. Give me a minute to recover.) demands that the company, parent of regional carrier Colgan Air, do what it failed to do during a near year-long investigation; surrender all records having to do with the training and qualifications of the crew of Colgan Air flight 3407. To recap: Flight 3407, under a contract with Continental Airlines, was on a trip from Newark to Buffalo, New York in February 2009, when it crashed on approach to the airport after the captain responded inappropriately to a stick shaker warning. Forty-nine people on the plane and one person on the ground were killed. It wasn't much of a secret to investigators that the captain, 47-year old Marvin Renslow, was not a pilot in command of his game from the moment the cockpit voice recorder was played and his motor-mouth monologue could be heard. Sterile cockpit? Not for Renslow. What was not clear until a New York lawyer made it public two weeks ago, is that at the highest levels of the airline, Renslow was tagged as not-ready-for-prime-time. Hugh Russ, with Hodgson Russ, obtained the emails during discovery in the civil action against the airline on behalf of people who lost loved ones in the crash. You can read the emails here. In summary, the documents show that six months before the crash, Renslow's promotion to captain was a source of concern to managers at Colgan. In an investigation that from the start was about piloting and training, this internal discussion should have been made known to the investigators. But it was not. Now do you understand why Ms. Hersman is furious? Her letter, which you can read here, shows a steely determination that, despite the fact that probable cause has already been determined, the fact-finding is not over. What's with Colgan? Was it out of the country when Hersman removed American Airlines from an investigation of a runway excursion in December 2010? she took that action after American downloaded the flight data recorder prior to sending it on to the NTSB recorder lab. And where was Colgan when she scotched the participation of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association for speaking on the specifics of a mid-air collision over the Hudson River in August 2009? Looking at the calendar, I'm guessing the safety board would have been in the thick of the flight 3407 investigation right about then. Don't mess with Deb, that's all I'm saying, because she has little tolerance for folks who don't play by the rules. Government officials are often accused of being too cozy with the industries with which they work. A Congressional investigation and a review by the office of the inspector general of the Department of Transportation into the relationship between the FAA and Southwest Airlines, is just one example. Deb Hersman is a lovely exception. As a taxpayer, I mean "lovely" figuratively, though really, the word applies however you want to use it. http://christinenegroni.blogspot.com/2011/11/airline-gets-bitch-slap-from-ntsb- ouch.html Back to Top International military, civilian aviation communities explore aircraft mishap prevention KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. (AFNS) -- Members of the military and civilian aviation communities recently had an opportunity to exchange information and explore new possibilities for preventing aircraft mishaps. The inaugural Military Flight Operational Quality Assurance course, conducted Sept. 19- 23 at Cranfield University, England, was the culmination of a year-long collaboration between the Air Force Safety Center's Aviation Safety Division and the Cranfield School of Engineering. The MFOQA process is based on one used in commercial aviation that uses operational trend analysis of enhanced flight data to better identify hazards, increase operational efficiency, provide more effective risk management and ultimately reduce aircraft flight mishaps. "This is a highly technical process that can produce an enormous amount of information very quickly," said Antonio Cortés, the safety center MFOQA manager, who worked directly with the Cranfield University staff to develop the course. "The diversity of the course attendees definitely added to the value of this training," Cortés said. "Everyone brought a different set of experiences, based on cultural, political and economic circumstances that allowed us to talk through the application of MFOQA on different airframes and discuss endless data-gathering possibilities to prevent mishaps." Capt. Ryan Scoggin, the deputy chief of safety at the 6th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Md., was the lone Air Force attendee among 19 participants from Australia, England, the Netherlands and the U.S., and was quick to recognize what he described as an "incredible opportunity." "The first days focused on an in-depth look at civilian flight data management, led by David Wright, with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, who walked us through all aspects of flight data management, from hardware onboard the aircraft to the analysis of the data collected," Scoggin said. "We also heard from major European and North American airlines' safety specialists who described their FDM programs and provided suggestions on how to implement similar programs in operations large and small." The last days, devoted to military FOQA specialists, represented "essentially the first international meeting of minds concerning MFOQA," Scoggin said. "It was incredible to be included in this group and part of something so significant." Scoggin, also a C-17 instructor aircraft commander, provided a presentation that focused on how MFOQA data is used in the C-17 and how the data could be used in the future. "I tried to convey that this data can be tied to virtually every aspect of our operations, which will increase the efficiency of employing the airframe, training aircrew and developing tactics," he said. "We collect (more than) 1,100 flight parameters eight times a second on the C-17. There are endless possibilities to what can be accomplished with this information." Cortés noted that operators are open to using the technology and exploring more ways to use the data. "Thanks to social media, they are generally accustomed to information gathering and sharing," he said. "There is always a concern that some will be reluctant to embrace the process due to fear that the data could be used for adverse personnel action, but that mindset is changing. We strive very hard to educate leaders about the aircrew protections that are in place to prevent improper uses of MFOQA. "Pilots and maintainers understand the value of the process and want to contribute to solutions to reduce risk of mishap, and MFOQA has proved its worth if data analysis prevents one mishap," Cortés said. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123279159 Back to Top Kingfisher crisis: 130 pilots quit, 149 flights cancelled (INDIA) NEW DELHI: The actual reason for the huge chaos among Kingfisher flyers across India became apparent on Thursday as the airline put its figures on the table. While Kingfisher claimed it was cancelling 50 flights every day till November 19, in reality, it operated only 269 flights of its allocated winter schedule of 418 daily flights on Thursday. A shocking 149 flights - 36% of its daily allocated schedule - were not operated. Officially, Kingfisher has said that it has cancelled flights to reconfigure its Airbus A-320 aircraft. However, it is learnt that around 130 pilots have quit the cash-strapped carrier in the past few weeks. Also, airport operators, oil companies and vendors of all imaginable items have massive dues running with Kingfisher and are demanding that owner Vijay Mallya pay up. Given the shortage of crew and funds, the airline has truncated its schedule, perhaps opting to "fly less and spend less". When contacted in Dubai, Mallya did not comment on the disparity in the cancellations. He is learnt to have assured the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that he would explain the cancellations. The truth on Kingfisher's actual operations came to light as DGCA directed all the airlines to submit the actual number of flights they would operate on Thursday against their winter schedule quota. Only Air India, Alliance Air, Jet Airways, JetLite and Go Air were found to have operated all their flights. IndiGo and SpiceJet operated around 30 flights lesser than their allocation. IndiGo clarified that it had not cancelled any flight. "The winter schedule is for flights up to March 2012. As we induct seven more aircraft into our fleet (by) March 2012, we will add more flights to fulfil all our winter schedule approvals," the airline said in a statement. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kingfisher-crisis-130-pilots-quit-149-flights- cancelled/articleshow/10686338.cms Back to Top FAA pushes remedy for jet engine flameouts WASHINGTON - U.S. aviation regulators want airlines flying certain wide body jets to upgrade engine software to guard against unexpected shutdowns, or flameouts, caused by ice. The proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive Thursday would cover nearly 700 General Electric CF6-80C2B turbofan engines on Boeing Co 747 and 767 aircraft, GE and the FAA said. The FAA, acting after a dozen reports of momentary flameouts, ordered fixes in 2007 to prevent engines from ingesting ice crystals and knocking out power. The engines restart on their own. GE responded with a software upgrade in 2009 that it said appears to work well, but not all carriers have followed through with the upgrade. The FAA now wants to ensure that the change is made on U.S. passenger and cargo planes equipped with that particular GE engine. Overseas aviation regulators usually follow such directives, if they are finalized, for their own airlines. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45247123/ns/travel-news/ Back to Top 5 dead in copter crash on Hawaii island (AP) HONOLULU - A helicopter taking four tourists on an excursion over West Maui and the neighboring island of Molokai crashed into a mountainside near an elementary school Thursday, killing all of the tourists and the pilot, authorities said. Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said firefighters recovered four bodies and believe they found a fifth at the crash site on the eastern part of Molokai, but they were having trouble retrieving it under the wreckage. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters owner David Chevalier confirmed that five people were dead. He said the passengers were two men and two women from the mainland U.S. who were taking a 45-minute tour. He declined to release the pilot's name because his wife had not yet been notified. "We're extremely grieved for our pilot as well as the passengers," he said. "Something like this can't be more devastating to us." The Eurocopter EC130B4 chopper was less than a year old, Chevalier said. A secretary at Kilohana Elementary School said the helicopter crashed in the mountains above the campus. No children were injured. "When it hit you could hear just like an explosion," said the secretary, who declined to give her name. "When it first crashed, there was black smoke and stuff." The helicopter was engulfed in flames, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. From the school, the helicopter's yellow tail could be seen pointing up from the ground. Molokai is a mostly rural island of about 7,000 people between Maui and Oahu, where world leaders have gathered this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Honolulu. Helicopter tour companies advertise trips to Molokai to see the island's sea cliffs and Hawaii's tallest waterfall. The remote Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai is where Hawaii exiled leprosy patients between 1866 and 1969. Tour helicopters have come under heavy scrutiny over their safety in recent years around the country, most recently after a deadly chopper crash in Manhattan last month. Some lawmakers called for a ban on tourist flights and pleasure trips by privately owned aircraft in Manhattan following that crash. A Blue Hawaiian helicopter was previously involved in a July 2000 crash that killed seven people on Maui. Pilot Larry Kirsch, 55, and six passengers died when the twin-engine AS- 355 crashed into a steep mountainside deep in Maui's Iao Valley. The company conducts 160,000 tours each year on all of the Hawaiian islands, Chevalier said. Back to Top Charlotte flight clips wing after landing at DFW CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - An American Airlines flight from Charlotte hit a fire truck while it was taxiing to the gate in Dallas Thursday morning. DFW airport spokesman David Magana said American Airlines flight 611 landed in Dallas en route from Charlotte just after 9 a.m. Thursday. As the plane was taxiing to the gate, an onboard medical emergency occurred, Magana said. The airport's fire department responded to the plane's assigned gate, A37. As the plane turned into the gate, the right wing clipped a fire truck. The fire truck was parked in the designated fire lane. Magana said no injures were reported and passengers were allowed to disembark the aircraft. The airplane is an MD-80 built by MCDonnell-Douglas. It can hold up to 140 passengers but it not known how many people were aboard flight 611, according to Magana. American Airlines and the airport's Department of Public Safety are investigating the incident. Back to Top TSA Confiscates More Than 1,000 Guns From Airplane Passengers in 2011 Transportation Security Administration officers have confiscated more than 1,000 guns that were discovered by security personnel as passengers traveled through airport security screenings so far this year, the head of the TSA said. "More than 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, people are still trying to bring deadly weapons into the cabin of an airplane," TSA administrator John Pistole said at George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute. "On Tuesday, just two days ago, we detected nine guns passengers had in their carry-on bags at various checkpoints around the country." Pistole said. Pistole showed several slides of drugs and weapons that passengers were attempting to bring or smuggle on board aircraft. One slide showed a veritable arsenal allegedly taken from a man arrested at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after, officials said, TSA officers discovered two handguns, three ammunition clips and eight knives in his bag last month. Guns and knives found in a passenger's luggage at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. According to one DHS official, the man claimed he forgot the weapons were in his bags. "We have seen a slight increase in guns being brought to the checkpoint over the past few months," said a TSA official. "We don't keep stats on why passengers bring prohibited items to airports but, anecdotally, passengers typically say they forgot it was in their bag." In his speech, Pistole also hailed the use of the controversial advanced imaging technology, which some people call the "body scanners" deployed at airports. "We continue to see the efficacy of advanced imaging technology," he said. "While there is no silver bullet technology, this technology gives our officers the best opportunity to detect both metallic and non-metallic threats, including improvised explosive devices such as the device [accused underwear bomber] Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate on Christmas day 2009." Pistole showed the audience a picture of a man who was attempting to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine by wrapping ace bandages around his legs. Pistole said the AIT machine had alerted screeners to an anomaly in the ankle area. Officials said 700 grams of cocaine were found on a passenger, thanks to airport advanced imaging technology. Pistole also highlighted a ceramic knife and a small packet of cocaine detected by the screening technology. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/tsa-confiscates-more-than-1000-guns- from-airplane-passengers-in-2011/ Back to Top Earn a US Federal Government SMS Training Certificate Cost $1820.00 US (8-day SMS Course) Course Number 1038 Dates/Time 29 Nov - 8 Dec 2011, 6-15 Mar 2012, 15-24 May 2012, 7-16 Aug 2012 Location Transportation Safety Institute, Main Campus, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA About the course and Course Description & Course Length Course # 1038 Safety Program Management is a science and like other fields of science it has advanced. It is extremely important that safety professionals remain current in their field. In fact currency is vital if your organization hopes to achieve its maximum accident prevention potential. This course provides instruction and practical application of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Accident Prevention Program Management. Graduates receive the necessary instruction required to design, develop, implement, manage and foster an effective organizational level SMS and accident prevention program. Course topics include the theory and application of SMS program elements, SMS program development, safety policies, safety risk management, hazards identification reporting and tracking, safety assurance, safety metrics, safety assurance and monitoring, audits, surveys and internal evaluations, safety education and promotion strategies, accident causation, and safety office management techniques. Who should attend Personnel, supervisors, leaders, or managers responsible for implementation, oversight or surveillance of an SMS or organizational safety program. Open to all public, private, military and international personnel. SMS Model Instruction is based on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the ICAO SMS model Class Size 24 Enrollment Procedures Enroll on line at www.tsi.dot.gov or Call the TSI Registrar, Ms. Lisa Colasanti at: 405.954.3614 or email at:lisa.colasanti@tsi.jccbi.gov Certificates Graduates receive the following US Federal DOT certificates: 1- SMS and Aviation Safety Program Manager 2- Risk Management "Trainer" certificate Course Manager And Point of Contact Mr. D Smith Desk: 405.954.2913 Mobile: 405.694.1644 E-mail: d.smith@dot.gov Mailing Address: RTI-20 6500 S. MacArthur Blvd Oklahoma City, OK73169 ATTN: D Smith, Room 345 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC