Flight Safety Information November 22, 2011 - No. 238 In This Issue ERAU Employee Named Arizona Avionics Technician of the Year EU relaxes ban on Angolan airlines Flight plan for OSU plane not filed Car drives through fence at Miami airport Airplane experiences "hard landing" after tire blows at Mitchell International Airport Minor Injuries in Avantair Avanti Crash ERAU Employee Named Arizona Avionics Technician of the Year The FAA has awarded Chris Plumb with a prestigious honor. Prescott, Ariz., Nov. 17, 2011 - Chris Plumb, an Aircraft Avionics Technician at the Prescott campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), has been named the "Arizona Avionics Technician of the Year." This prestigious annual award is conferred by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona upon an individual who has made significant contributions to Aviation Safety. The award was presented at the annual Arizona Aviation Safety Awards Banquet at a ceremony in Scottsdale, Ariz., in November. Also nominated were Embry-Riddle employees Farrell Harris, for Arizona Maintenance Technician of the Year, and Brian Brantner, for Arizona Flight Instructor of the Year. "Chris's professionalism, expertise and dedication have earned him the respect of all who know and work with him, " said John "Joe" Tracy, Director of Fleet Aircraft Maintenance for the Embry-Riddle campus and Chris's immediate supervisor. "Chris really is deserving of this award. It's professionals like Chris, Farrell and Brian that make Embry-Riddle the best aeronautical university in the world and a great place to work." Embry-Riddle employers are nominated every year for these awards. Former employee Jesse Hansen was awarded the Maintenance Technician Award in 2007. Dr. Frank Ayers, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer over the Prescott campus, notes that "safety is a number one priority" at Embry- Riddle. "We strive to achieve excellence in the skies by making safety a focus in all academic programs," he said. "The key to our safety program is the quality and commitment of individuals like Chris Plumb, who are committed to providing the best-maintained aircraft in the industry." Embry-Riddle Prescott offers both bachelor's and master's degrees in Safety Science. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully-accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's, and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities, and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu. Back to Top EU relaxes ban on Angolan airlines, sees safety improvements in Albania, Russia BRUSSELS - The European Union relaxed its ban on Angola's TAAG Airlines flying in European airspace, imposed a partial ban on Jordan Aviation and noted significant aviation safety improvements in Albania and Russia. The EU's latest blacklist on Monday banned three of Jordan Aviation's Boeing 767s from flying to Europe. The charter company often works for the United Nations to transport its peacekeepers. Siim Kallas, the EU commissioner responsible for transport, said the bloc could not accept any compromises when it comes to air safety. "Where we have evidence ... that air carriers are not performing safe operations, we must act to exclude any risks to safety," he said. The EU list of 281 airlines from 24 countries - mostly smaller carriers from Africa and Asia - banned from flying in European airspace was established in 2006 and is updated regularly. But critics say most of the notorious African cargo outfits still on the list have been shut down. Many others on it involve air taxi services or small, specialized charter firms that work for mining, oil and gas and other natural resources companies, usually to transport employees to remote work sites. The update for TAAG means that it can fly into Europe using its two modern Boeing 777-300 airliners "which the air carrier has shown that it is capable to manage safely," the EU statement said. Meanwhile, the commission said Russia and Albania had made significant progress in improving flight safety and that no punitive measures would be taken against any of their airlines. The EU banned all operations to Europe by aircraft belonging to Rollins Air, a charter and leasing company registered in Honduras. The list also includes 11 air carriers that are allowed to operate in Europe subject to strict conditions and restrictions on which planes they can use. These include North Korea's Air Koryo and Iran's national flag carrier Air Iran. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/eu-relaxes-ban-on-angolan-airlines-sees-safety-improvements-in-albania- russia/2011/11/21/gIQANmHBiN_story.html Back to Top Flight plan for OSU plane not filed Aviation investigators continue to look into a doomed flight that killed four people Thursday in Arkansas, trying to determine the exact flight path the small aircraft took, an official said. Oklahoma State University officials held a memorial service Monday in Stillwater to honor women's head basketball coach Kurt Budke, 50; assistant coach Miranda Serna, 36; former state Sen. Olin Branstetter, 82, and his wife, Paula Branstetter, 79. They all died Thursday when their plane went down on the way to a recruiting trip in Little Rock, Ark. Olin Branstetter was the pilot of the Piper PA-28-180, a single-engine plane. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Jason Aguilera, air safety investigator for NTSB, offered more details about the flight, including the fact that Branstetter was not required to file a flight plan. The NTSB is attempting to track the plane's path from northern Oklahoma to central Arkansas. "We are still attempting to locate a flight plan," Aguilera said. "We know that the pilot received a weather briefing, but it appears that a flight plan was not filed. This flight was conducted under Part 91 (of FAA regulations), so a flight plan was not required." The Piper aircraft departed from Stillwater Regional Airport and was destined for an airport in Little Rock, Ark., Aguilera said. The plane crashed about 4 p.m. near Perryville, Ark., when it nose-dived into a heavily wooded area. OSU spokesman Gary Shutt said that Budke had not previously flown with Branstetter. He said the pilot had previously flown for former OSU women's head coach Julie Goodenough. "From my understanding, this was the first time coach Budke had flown with Mr. Branstetter," Shutt said. OSU's team travel policy was revamped in 2002 after a plane crash that killed 10 men associated with the school's basketball team. Coaches on recruitment trips are not bound by the policy if students are not involved, Shutt said. However, if students are involved in a plane personally selected by a coach, the policy limits the number of students to three or fewer. It also requires that at least a twin-engine plane be used and approved by the school's aviation consultant. Students younger than 21 must have parental consent to fly with the coach, the policy states. Shutt said the school plans to review the policy, even though coaches were not bound by it in this instance. "Based on an incident like this, we'll review what is necessary and we will review the use of private planes by coaches," Shutt said. "This could take some time." Gov. Mary Fallin on Monday said she thought it was appropriate that universities review travel policies in light of the crash. "I do think it is appropriate that our universities review the flying practices and certainly the rules and restrictions we might and do have in place for taking our teams to other states and how they fly," Fallin said following a Capitol news conference on an unrelated matter. Fallin, an OSU graduate, attended the memorial service Monday. "I was absolutely shocked that it could happen again, especially with our basketball team and coaches at one particular university, which is my alma mater, Oklahoma State," Fallin said. "It was total dismay that anything like that - a terrible tragedy - could ever happen again in the state of Oklahoma." Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111122_11_A4_Aviati92044 http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111122_11_A4_Aviati92044 Back to Top Car drives through fence at Miami airport MIAMI (AP) - Police in Florida say a man was taken into custody after he drove his Honda Accord through a perimeter fence surrounding Miami International Airport. Miami-Dade police say the driver was taken to a hospital shortly after the Monday night incident. He was being examined, and investigators were trying to determine the cause of the crash, though they don't think it was intentional. Police located the vehicle some 250 yards south of the breached fence, near an American Airlines cargo area. Officials say air traffic was not affected. The driver's name was not released. Further details weren't immediately available. Back to Top Airplane experiences "hard landing" after tire blows at Mitchell International Airport Nobody on board the plane was hurt in the incident WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE-Passengers on board a Delta Connect flight from Detroit to Milwaukee had a rough landing Monday morning at Mitchell International Airport. It turns out, the plane blew a tire upon landing. Flight 2415 landed shortly after 10:30 a.m. and the tire on the right main landing gear blew out. The right and left main gear have two tires each. So just one tire on the right side had a problem. Steven Brown, a passenger who talked with FOX6 News, described the landing after that like landing on a wash board. There were 26 passengers and four crew members on board the plane. Nobody was hurt. The passengers were taken to the terminal with a bus from the tarmac. The plane was towed to have a maintenance team repair the tire. Back to Top Minor Injuries in Avantair Avanti Crash A Piaggio Avanti P-180 twin turboprop operated by fractional provider Avantair was destroyed while attempting an emergency landing in Flint, Michigan, on Wednesday when the airplane veered off the runway on touchdown and flipped over, causing minor injuries to the four people on board. The Avanti was en route from Detroit to West Bend, Wisconsin, when engine trouble reportedly developed. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Flint's Bishop International Airport. When the Avanti touched down on the runway, it veered to the right and flipped over once, according to witness reports. Rescue crews sprayed the airplane with foam retardant to prevent a fire and pried open the door to reach the two passengers and two pilots inside, who were all still strapped in their seats upside down. Video footage shot after the crash showed the Avanti in the grass next to the runway, with skid marks revealing its path as it departed the runway. In the video, the airplane's right propeller is feathered. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash, which was the first in Avantair's eight-year history. ***** Date: 16-NOV-2011 Time: 09:30 LT Type: Piaggio P.180 Avanti II Operator: Private, operating for Avantair Inc. Registration: N168SL C/n / msn: 1139 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Flint-Bishop International Airport, KFNT/FNT, MI - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Executive Departure airport: KDTW Destination airport: KETB Narrative: A private owned Piaggio P180 Avanti II,operating for Avantair Inc. and performing flight AVR168, diverted to Flint-Bishop International Airport- KFNT/FNT, MI, following en route engine problems. The airplane landed on runway 18/36 but went off the runway, coming to rest upside down. The four occupants survived with minor injuries. Sources: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Small-plane-with-4-people-on-board-crashes-at-Flint-s-Bishop-International-Airport/- /1719418/4766556/-/ch9wx9/-/index.html http://www.detnews.com/article/20111116/METRO/111160400/1361/Small-plane-with-4-people-crashes-at-Flint-airport http://www.nbc15.com/state/headlines/Small_Plane_Traveling_To_Wisconsin_Crashes_At_Michigan_Airport_133968248.html http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VNR168/history/20111116/1315Z/KDTW/KETB http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/7/4/8/1348847.jpg (photo) www.aviation-safety.net Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC