Flight Safety Information December 8, 2011 - No. 248 In This Issue 5 killed when sunset helicopter tour from Las Vegas crashes NTSB LAUNCHING TEAM TO INVESTIGATE TOUR HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN NEVADA After release on DWI charge, FAA administrator made test flight Former Beijing airport boss sentenced to 12 years in prison Captain miscalculates weight of aircraft by 17 tonnes Southwest Nears Deal to Purchase Boeing Jets 5 killed when sunset helicopter tour from Las Vegas crashes near Lake Mead LAS VEGAS (AP) - Recovery and investigative teams are heading to a remote site near Lake Mead where a helicopter slammed into a mountainside, killing the pilot and the four passengers who were on a tour of the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam, federal authorities said. The aircraft operated by Sundance Helicopters crashed just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, said National Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz. Numerous witnesses heard the crash and reported seeing smoke about 4 miles west of the lake's edge, Munoz said. He said a Las Vegas police search and rescue team reached the scene by helicopter and confirmed that all five people on board were dead. The remote crash site in the River Mountains surrounding Lake Mead, about 30 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, is not accessible by road, which slowed down the initial rescue and later prompted officials to delay any recovery and investigation until early Thursday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a 12-member team to investigate the crash. A park ranger rode in a 4-wheel-drive truck to the crash site late Wednesday to protect the bodies and debris until the investigation resumes, Munoz said. Authorities did not release any information about the identities of the victims. A spokesman at Sundance Helicopters told The Associated Press that the helicopter had been giving a local tour when it suddenly went missing. He didn't give his name and declined to answer further questions. Sundance Helicopters' website promotes only one local tour that flies over Lake Mead. The 30-minute "Twilight City Tour" spans downtown Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and the Las Vegas Strip. Packages start at $210 per person. "Fly in a state of the art luxury air-conditioned 6 passenger jet helicopter," the website says. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the helicopter was an AS- 350, which can hold up to six passengers and is often used for air tours. FAA records state the helicopter was built in 1989. It's unclear what might have triggered the crash. The weather was mostly clear near Lake Mead on Wednesday, with a low temperature around 29 and winds around 5 mph. Munoz said there were no notable conditions that might have caused the accident. State records show Sundance Helicopters has been in business since 1985. The company offers daily tours to the Grand Canyon and its website boasts a 23-helicopter fleet serving more than 160,000 passengers annually. Sundance Helicopters has had previous accidents. A pilot and six passengers were killed in September 2003 when a helicopter slammed into a wall while maneuvering through Descent Canyon, east of the Grand Canyon West Airport. In a 2007 letter that made safety recommendations to air tour operators and the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board cited unsafe flying procedures and pilot misjudgment as the probable cause of that crash. The safety board said Sundance passengers and photographic and videotape evidence "indicated that it was not unusual for the accident pilot to fly the helicopter close to canyon walls and at bank angles, pitch attitudes and airspeeds." The company also received at least two written complaints from passengers previously about the pilot but did not discipline him. In August 2009, the pilot of a Sundance tour helicopter returning from the Grand Canyon with six passengers on board was forced to land in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area after the controls indicated an electrical problem. No one was injured. Sundance's website says, "All our helicopters are maintained with exacting precision and our pilots are trained then retrained with ongoing recertification in excess of FAA requirements." Back to Top NTSB LAUNCHING TEAM TO INVESTIGATE TOUR HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN NEVADA The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a 12- member Go-Team to investigate the crash of a helicopter on a sight-seeing tour that occurred near Las Vegas at about 5:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Preliminary reports indicate that all five persons on board the helicopter were fatally injured. Senior Air Safety Investigator Bill English will serve as Investigator-in-Charge. Member Mark Rosekind is among those traveling to the site and will serve as principal spokesman during the on-scene phase of the investigation. Peter Knudson is the public affairs officer accompanying the team; he may be reached on his cell phone at 202-557-1350. www.ntsb.gov Back to Top After release on DWI charge, FAA administrator made test flight WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A day and a half after he was arrested on a drunk-driving charge, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt co-piloted a government jet to North Carolina as part of a proficiency flight, Federal Aviation Administration officials confirmed Wednesday. The flight was planned before Babbitt's Saturday-night arrest, officials said, and took place as scheduled Monday morning. Babbitt does not appear to have violated any FAA rules by taking the flight. Since he has not been convicted of DWI, he was under no formal obligation to report the arrest, and there is no suggestion that he violated a "bottle to throttle" rule requiring eight hours to pass between alcohol consumption and flying. But Babbitt earned the ire of his boss -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood -- by not notifying him of the arrest. LaHood learned of the arrest about 1 p.m. Monday after a Virginia police department published a press release announcing the arrest. Babbitt, meanwhile, was just returning from the proficiency flight. Within an hour, the DOT issued a press release saying that Babbitt had asked to be placed on leave, and the request had been accepted. On Tuesday, LaHood told reporters he was "very disappointed" in the way he had learned about the arrest. Babbitt resigned later Tuesday, saying he did not want anything to "cast a shadow" on the FAA. The resignation brought to an end a tumultuous four days that began about 10:30 p.m. Saturday when a Fairfax, Virginia, police officer said he noticed Babbitt driving on the wrong side of Old Lee Highway, police said. Babbitt was the sole occupant of the vehicle and cooperated fully with police, according to police Police said after it was determined that Babbitt was under the influence of alcohol, he was taken to a jail where he was charged with driving while intoxicated and released on personal recognizance. FAA officials said Babbitt had no official duties over the weekend. Babbitt did not return a reporter's phone call. On Monday, Babbitt went on a proficiency flight in an FAA aircraft, departing Reagan National Airport near Washington, flying to Hickory, North Carolina, and then on to Charlotte, where the plane landed for fuel before returning to Washington. The flight was intended as training for the FAA's new satellite-based navigation system known as Next Gen, the FAA said. The FAA said administrators with pilot's licenses are permitted to fly FAA aircraft. "Randy Babbitt served as a licensed pilot and maintained qualifications to fly FAA airplanes on official business," the FAA said. "This helps provide firsthand knowledge of the U.S. aviation system." In this case, another pilot served as pilot in command during the flight, the FAA said. Under federal regulations, FAA-licensed pilots must notify the FAA within 60 days of being convicted of a drunk driving charge, or when they apply for medical recertification. Neither applied to Babbitt, although officials said senior officials are held to a higher standard. Back to Top Former Beijing airport boss sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling jobs, other corruption BEIJING (AP) - The former boss of Beijing's sprawling airport has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for taking bribes to arrange jobs and set up corrupt business deals. State media said Thursday that Zhang Zhizhong was convicted in neighboring Hebei province of receiving more than 4.7 million yuan ($740,000) in illicit payments between 1996 and 2009. He reportedly took the bribes in the form of gold ingots, Chinese and foreign currency, and debit and gift cards. Zhang's predecessor had also been convicted of massive corruption, for which he was put to death in August 2009. Zhang's case was one of a recent slew of dismissals and reports of graft investigations in China's aviation industry, which is rife with opportunities for bribery and influence peddling. Back to Top Captain miscalculates weight of aircraft by 17 tonnes Thomas Cook jet carrying 223 passengers seconds from disaster as blundering pilot gets his sums wrong and isn't fast enough for take-off A holiday flight with 223 passengers on board narrowly avoided disaster after the captain miscalculated its weight by 17 tonnes, an accident report revealed today. The Airbus A321, operated by Thomas Cook, was due to fly from Manchester airport to Heraklion in Crete when the captain was asked for its take-off weight - and read off the wrong figure. As a consequence the aircraft took off without enough thrust or speed which could have caused the pilot to lose control, endangering all those on board. Dangerous: The Airbus A321-211 was programmed to take off at the wrong speed after the captain made an error Luckily, the pilot actually flying the plane noticed that something was wrong, and made adjustments which averted disaster. The report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the incident took place on the morning of April 29 this year - the day of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. More...easyJet testing technology that will make ash cloud flight disruption a thing of the past Describing the incident as 'serious', the report said the captain had accidentally read out the amount the plane weighed without fuel on board. Miscalculation: The captain of the Thomas Cook flight accidentally read out the amount the plane weighed without fuel on board. The flight management system was then programmed 'with the incorrect speeds'. The report went on: 'The aircraft took off using less thrust and lower speed than were required.' When the feel of the aircraft and the displays on the speed scale alerted the pilot to the problem he 'responded by reducing the pitch attitude, which allowed the aircraft to accelerate to a safe climb speed', said the report. The AAIB said there were 'a number of errors that occurred', firstly because the captain read out the wrong number and afterwards when staff missed chances to detect the error. Shockingly, today's report indicated that potentially dangerous mistakes are common before take-off, and that many may go unreported. It said there have been 'a significant number of reported incidents and several accidents resulting from errors in take-off performance calculations around the world in recent years'. 'There must also have been many similar events which were either unreported and/or unnoticed, some of which will have had the potential to cause accidents,' it added. Thomas Cook has also hit headlines recently for its precarious financial situation. The second biggest tour operator in Europe was forced to ask its banks for an extra £100m loan to deal with its spiralling debt, totalling nearly £1billion. Fears that the 170-year-old company was on the brink of collapse caused its share-price to plummet up to 75 per cent in one day as rumours circulated that the company was set to close 200 shops and axe 1,000 jobs to reduce its debt mountain. The company, which has delayed releasing its end of year results due to its negotiations with the banks, is reportedly also set to cut its fleet of aircraft as another cost-cutting measure. Unrest caused by the Arab Spring - especially in Egypt and Tunisia - and the ongoing eurozone crisis have been blamed for poor bookings this year, but the company has rushed to reassure travellers that their holidays are secure. Following the crash in share price two weeks ago, Thomas Cook's interim chief executive Sam Weihagen published a letter in national newspapers saying it is safe to book breaks with the group. Mr Weihagen's letter began: 'What a week it has been for Thomas Cook,' adding that it is now 'an even stronger and more confident company' and members of the public 'can be sure that your holiday really is in safe hands'. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071464/Thomas-Cook-jet- seconds-disaster-captain-miscalculates-weight-takes-wrong-speed.html#ixzz1fwpd6fgh Back to Top Southwest Nears Deal to Purchase Boeing Jets (WSJ) Southwest Airlines Co. is nearing a preliminary deal to order more than 100 of Boeing Co.'s planned 737 Max jetliners, according to people familiar with the matter. Boeing and Southwest, one of the biggest operators of Boeing's workhorse single-aisle planes, could announce the planned order in the coming weeks, although details are still being worked out, the people said. The commitment by Southwest would mark the latest boost to Boeing's sales prospects for the 737 Max, a revamped version of its top-selling plane that will carry new, advanced engines. Boeing plans to deliver the first 737 Max in 2017-two years behind a competing Airbus jet called the A320neo that has garnered more than 1,400 firm orders and commitments. Boeing officials have said in recent weeks that they have lined up about 700 commitments to the 737 Max. It is unclear if Southwest's order would be part of those or if it would add to that number. A person briefed on the talks between Boeing and Southwest said the discount carrier may order as many as 150 of the planes. The deal that would be announced wouldn't be a firm order, but a commitment by Southwest to hold production slots for the jet. A Southwest spokeswoman declined to comment about her company's fleet plans. Chicago-based Boeing still needs to finalize design details, performance specifications and pricing for the planned airplane before it can turn airlines' commitments into firm orders. Although Boeing hasn't finalized list prices for the 737 Max, its announced value for a recent deal with Indonesia's Lion Air indicated an average list price of about $95 million per plane. Carriers typically negotiate discounts when placing large airplane orders, but that figure would mean the preliminary Southwest commitments for the 737 Max could be worth in the range of $9.5 billion and $14 billion before discounts. Dallas-based Southwest operated a fleet of 699 Boeing jets as of Sept. 30, according to a federal filing. In addition to Boeing 737 jets, the fleet included 88 Boeing 717-200s-a jet the plane maker no longer produces-that Southwest acquired through its acquisition earlier this year of low-fare rival AirTran Holdings Inc. As of September, Southwest had firm orders to take delivery of 116 Boeing 737-700s and 28 Boeing 737-800s from this year through 2017. Southwest would join such carriers as AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Lion Air in making commitments to the Max. The names of some airlines that have committed to the plane haven't been disclosed. Boeing formally launched plans to build the 737 Max in August. The company, after years of analysis and discussions with key airline and airplane-leasing customers, decided on a new-engine version of its popular single-aisle plane rather than taking the costlier and riskier approach of building an entirely new jet. In a September interview, Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said because the Boeing board authorized the Max version, "by definition, a next-generation plane is off the table indefinitely." At that time, Mr. Kelly said Southwest hadn't decided what it would choose as the next airplane to order. "I'm anxious to complete the evaluation of the Max product" and hoping to do so by year-end, he said. Boeing opted for the new-engine variant in part so it could land part of a big airplane order from American, which was negotiating with both Boeing and Airbus to buy single- aisle jets. The Fort Worth, Texas, carrier, now in bankruptcy proceedings, ended up ordering 260 Airbus A320 planes, ending Boeing's long-running exclusive hold on American orders. American committed to 200 Boeing 737 jets, including 100 of the Max style. In recent years, the A320 and 737 have more or less split the market for single-aisle planes that seat between 100 and 200 passengers. But since Airbus in December 2010 decided to put new engines on its A320, the company has landed firm orders or commitments for more than 1,400 of the A320neo, which stands for "new engine option." Boeing has said it plans to finalize the 737 Max's configuration in 2013. The jet will carry LEAP-1B engines from CFM International, a joint venture between U.S.-based General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA. Boeing has said the new-engine variant will consume fuel at a 10% to 12% lower rate than the current 737s. It says the plane's fuel burn will be 4% lower than the competing A320neo's. Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautics Defence & Space Co., has challenged that claim, saying the A320neo will be more fuel-efficient than Boeing's revamped 737. Curt Lewis