Flight Safety Information December 12, 2011 - No. 250 In This Issue United Airlines jet has emergency landing in Colorado 14 people killed in plane crash in Parañaque (Philipines) 4 victims in small plane crash in Sioux Falls ID'd FAA launches website for laser incident reports FAA Fines Horizon Air For Not Testing Plane Lights Indian Air Force lost 30 fighter aircraft, 10 choppers in three years Pilot who survived crash lost privileges in 1994 CA Family Who Lost 4 Sues Over Military Jet Crash SpaceX to Make First Private Flight to Space Station in February United Airlines jet has emergency landing in Colorado GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) - An engine shut down on a United Airlines jetliner Sunday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in western Colorado with 125 passengers and crew on board. The Boeing 757 was flying from Denver to Los Angeles when one of its two engines shut down, and the flight was diverted to Grand Junction Regional Airport, typically a landing spot for smaller aircraft. Passenger Jim Schreckengast said ground crews at first had trouble finding stairs high enough to reach the door of the 757. The plane landed safely at about 11:44 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. No injuries were reported. United spokesman Charlie Hobart said he didn't know the nature of the problem, or whether the crew shut down the engine or it stopped on its own. Amy Jordan, deputy director at Grand Junction airport, told the Denver Post (http://bit.ly/vMydB0) that "the engine had problems shortly after takeoff." Schreckengast, of Fort Collins, Colo., told The Associated Press that the pilot announced over the public address speakers that the engine had lost oil volume. Schreckengast said passengers remained calm and no one appeared to be afraid. "There was some applause when we landed," he said. "I think the crew handled it very well." Hobart said United was sending another plane from Denver to pick up the passengers in Grand Junction and take them on to Los Angeles. Back to Top 14 people killed in plane crash in Parañaque (Philipines) An area is still smoldering hours after the crash of a four-seater aircraft set fire to a number of houses in Better Living Subdivision, Parañaque City on Saturday. The crash left at least 13 people dead, including three aboard the aircraft. Photo: abs-cbnNEWS.com MANILA, Philippines (6th UPDATE) - A four-seater aircraft crashed in Parañaque City on Saturday afternoon, killing at least 14 people, including children. Ten others were reportedly injured and were rushed to the Parañaque Doctors Hospital. One of the injured victims is in critical condition. Authorities said the plane crashed in a depressed area in Better Living Subdivision, Taiwan St., Barangay Don Bosco at around 2 p.m. Ramon Gutierrez, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said 2 pilots and a civilian onboard the aircraft were killed. The pilots were identified as Timoteo Aldo and Jessie Kim Lustica. The other fatalities have yet to be identified. Gutierrez earlier told dzMM that the plane with tail no. RPC 824 encountered a technical problem shortly after taking off from the Manila domestic airport. He said the plane, owned by Innovators Technology Inc., was bound for San Jose, Mindoro to pick up cargo. Gutierrez said one of the pilots had requested the Manila airport control tower for relanding, but the plane did not make it. "Pag-take off niya dito sa ating domestic runway 1331, nagkaroon ng aberya at tumawag sa tower nagre- request uli ng emergency landing pero hindi na inabot kaya bumagsak siya," he said. Affected families Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. arrived on the crash site and reported that the crash damaged at least 50 homes of informal settlers along the subdivision's easement. Around 70 families have been evacuated and are temporarily taking shelter at the Annex 35 covered court. The mayor said the plane crash also set fire to the F. Serrano Elementary School. He said about 90% of the school was burned down. Around 2,000 students will be affected by the incident. "We will be advising the students on Monday that classes will be suspended until further notice. We will have to distribute the students to nearby schools," Bernabe told ANC on Saturday. The owners of the plane may also be held accountable for the fatalities. "We will start looking for the owners of the plane because they have a responsibility to those people that they have injured," Bernabe said. Bernabe also appealed to the public to donate used clothes, food and groceries for the affected families. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/12/10/11/light-plane-crashes-para%C3%B1aque-report ************** Date: 10-DEC-2011 Time: 14:15 LT Type: Beechcraft 65-80 Queen Air Operator: Aviation Technology Innovators Registration: RP-C824 C/n / msn: LD-21 Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 11 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Dona Soledad Subdivision, Better Living, Parañaque City - Philippines Phase: Approach Nature: Cargo Departure airport: RPLL Destination airport: RPUH Narrative: A Beechcraft 65-80 Queen Air crashed into a school building of Felixberto Serrano Elementary school, Dona Soledad Subdivision, Better Living, Parañaque City, after take-off. All three occupants of the aircraft and at least eleven residents of the neighborhood around the school were killed. The pilot reported a mechanical trouble before crash, and was attempting to return to the airport when it crashed. The planned route of the aircraft was Manila - Ninoy Aquino International (MNL / RPLL) to McGuire Field, San Jose, Mindoro Occidental (RPUH) where it was supposed to fetch a fish cargo. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top 4 victims in small plane crash in Sioux Falls ID'd SIOUX FALLS, S.D.-A plane leaving the Sioux Falls Regional Airport nosedived into the ground Friday and burst into flames so powerful that there was never a chance the four people trapped inside could survive, officials said. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro said the Cessna 421-C departed Joe Foss Field for Rapid City at 2:24 p.m. Shortly after, the small, two-engine plane began experiencing problems and started circling back to the airport before it slammed into the ground, killing the pilot and three passengers. Sioux Falls police identified those killed in the crash as pilot Brian Blake, 54, of Sioux Falls, and passengers Kevin Anderson, 50, of Sioux Falls; Joshua Lambrecht, 30, of Brandon; and Daniel Swets, 47, of Sioux Falls. According to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, Swets, a computer science associate professor at the school, was headed to Rapid City for a robotics meeting. He was president of the South Dakota Robotics Association. Anderson, an alumnus of the school, was a staff member of the Sioux Falls School District. Sioux Falls Fire Chief Jim Sideras said investigators do not yet know what problems the plane was experiencing or whether the pilot radioed for help. The plane was a charter, and Sideras said he did not know who the owner was. "Right now, it's a shell of a plane. It's essentially just a charred area right now," Sideras told reporters gathered in a parking lot overlooking the crash site. "That amount of fire is not survivable." FAA records indicate it was registered to an Ipswich, S.D., business. Attempts to reach that business were unsuccessful Friday. John Dahlin, 28, of Sioux Falls, was driving to work when he saw the plane out of the corner of his eye. Dahlin said he thought the pilot was performing a stunt before he realized the plane was out of control. "It was a spinning, straight-nosed dive into the ground," he said. A split-second later, the plane burst into flames, he said. Dahlin drove closer to the site to try to help as he called 911. Jack Sundet, 54, a retired Sioux Falls firefighter who used to work at the airport's crash center, said he pulled over after seeing smoke billowing from a field near the airport as he drove home from the grocery store. Sundet said he pulled out a pair of binoculars and spotted the tail of a plane. The wreckage was compact on the ground, meaning there was no debris for emergency responders to sift through -- and likely no survivors. "It's like the plane went from nose to tail right into the ground," he said. "The tail was the only thing that was still intact. Everything else was engulfed in flames." Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether said ambulances responded quickly but there was "no chance for survival." Molinaro said the FAA would investigate and forward its findings to the National Transportation Safety Board. According to NTSB data, the last aviation crash it investigated in Sioux Falls was in 1984. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/12/10/4_victims_in_small_plane_crash_in_sioux_falls_idd/ Back to Top FAA launches website for laser incident reports When a laser beam broke the darkness and flooded the "bubble" of his helicopter, CareFlite pilot Scott Wallace got scared -- afraid of being blinded and of crashing and dooming himself and the nurse and paramedic on board as well as anyone on the ground. Then he got mad. Using the copter's two massive searchlights, he chased a pickup from woods to a nearby residential area. He called Hood County deputies, who tracked down several teenagers, one of whom was given a Class C misdemeanor ticket for interference with an aircraft. Wallace was glad he got his man. "Shooting a laser at an aircraft can be just as deadly as shooting a weapon," said the 58-year-old pilot, who said he learned how to chase vehicles during his 25 years as a television news pilot. "If I had been incapacitated, we could have crashed," Wallace said. The incident occurred Oct. 15, seven miles from the crew's home base at Granbury Municipal Airport. "The cockpit was enveloped in a bright green light," the pilot said. "I closed my eyes and turned my head. We were hit four times. It was brightest light that I'd ever seen at night. "If a pilot is blinded, he's out a career, he may die, his crew may die and the people he may run into on the ground may die." Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said that "fortunately, nothing came of it." Deeds said deputies questioned three juveniles and ticketed one, who later appeared before Justice of the Peace Danny Tuggle. A member of Tuggle's staff said no details were available because a juvenile was involved. "This is the first time we've ever had to deal with this situation in Hood County," the sheriff said. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the incident is just one of many. "The major metropolitan areas have the highest number of incidents because they have the highest concentration of people and technology," FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. "You can go into a store and buy a laser for $30 that shoots 15,000 feet into the air. They're easy to come by." Recently, the FAA created a website to make it easier for pilots and the public to report laser incidents and obtain information on the subject. The website, www.faa.gov/go/laserinfo, collects information about lasers and includes laser statistics, FAA news releases and FAA research on the dangers lasers can pose to pilots, as well as downloadable videos. 'The safety equation' The Hood County teen got a ticket. A Garland man accused of a similar crime this summer awaits trial in federal court. Sammy Don Ladymon Jr. of Garland has been indicted on a charge of interference with an aircraft. Ladymon, accused of shining a laser into a Southwest Airlines cockpit, was the first person indicted in the Northern District of Texas on the offense. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Lunsford said the FAA has "an open enforcement case" against Ladymon and the Hood County teenager. He was referring to the FAA's announcement this summer that it would begin imposing civil penalties against people who point lasers into aircraft cockpits. The maximum civil penalty is $11,000 per violation. Laser event reports have increased steadily since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010. As of Nov. 25, the nationwide total was 3,129. Officials said factors include greater awareness and outreach to pilots to encourage reporting, the availability of inexpensive laser devices on the Internet, stronger power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes and the introduction of green lasers, which are more easily seen than red lasers. Patrick Murphy, executive director of the International Laser Display Association -- which represents professional laser light shows -- said educating the public and pilots is crucial. "Part of the safety equation is trying to reduce the number of people misusing them but also giving pilots the relatively simple training they need in order to recognize and recover from a laser incident," he said. Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/11/3587290/faa-launches-website-for-laser.html#ixzz1gK4QxFT4 Back to Top FAA Fines Horizon Air For Not Testing Plane Lights (WSJ) The Federal Aviation Administration said it fined Alaska Airlines' regional carrier $777,000 Friday for not properly testing its airplanes' lights in 2009. Horizon Air, the regional airline unit of Alaska Air Group Inc., allegedly flew 32 planes out of compliance with FAA regulations on nearly 50,000 flights from October 2009 to March 2010, the FAA said. Employees at the Seattle-based airline did not test new external lighting systems for radio or electromagnetic interference on some of its Bombardier Q400 turboprop, 76-seat airplanes, the FAA said. Without the tests, the lights could have interfered with the aircraft's navigation equipment or communication to air traffic control, FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said. "The chances are slim but the tests are there for a reason," he said. The FAA fined Horizon because checklists for installing the lights did not include instructions to test for radio or electromagnetic interference. Horizon said the instructions came from the lights' manufacturer. Horizon said in a statement, "Upon notification from the FAA, we immediately deactivated the lighting system on all of the affected aircraft and conducted the two tests, which determined that the lights were functioning normally." Horizon generated about $213 million in the third quarter of 2011, about 19% of Alaska Air's passenger revenue. Horizon operates about 350 flights a day. Back to Top Indian Air Force lost 30 fighter aircraft, 10 choppers in three years NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force (IAF) has lost a total 30 fighter aircraft and 10 helicopters in crashes in last three years which left 26 defence personnel including 13 pilots dead, government told the Lok Sabha today. In written reply to a question on incidents of air crashes in IAF, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "During the last three years, from 2008-09 to 2010-11, 30 fighter aircraft and 10 helicopters of Indian Air Force (IAF) have crashed." Antony informed the House that these crashes include 16 fighter aircraft of the MiG-21 series. "26 defence personnel including 13 pilots have lost their lives (in these crashes). In addition six civilians have also lost their lives," he said. Underlining that all aircraft accidents in IAF are thoroughly investigated by a Court of Inquiry (Col) to ascertain their cause, he said, "Main causes for the above accidents were Human Error (HE) and Technical Defect (TD)." Antony said a multi-disciplined study team has been formed by the IAF to review the reasons for such crashes. Denying that inexperience of pilots is one of the major reasons for these accidents, Antony said steps have been taken by government to train pilots to prevent accidents due to human error. Some of the measures to improve training of pilots include use of simulators to practise procedures and emergency actions, focused and realistic training with additional emphasis on the critical aspects of mission, introduction of Crew Resource Management and Operational Risk Management. On phasing out the MiG-21 aircraft, he said, "Decision to phase out aircraft is taken on various factors including their residual life and operational considerations and is reviewed by the government from time to time. This is a continuous process." http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/indian-air-force-lost-30-fighter-aircraft-10- choppers-in-three-years/articleshow/11082222.cms Back to Top Pilot who survived crash lost privileges in 1994 ANCHORAGE (AP) - A pilot and sole survivor of a midair collision in Alaska that killed a family of four was among five Alaska Airlines pilots who were stripped of their captain privileges in 1994 for falsifying training records and flying without completing required courses. Kevin Earp's airline transport pilot privileges were reinstated after six months and he continued to fly for Alaska Airlines until he was temporarily placed on paid leave after the July 30 crash between his personal Cessna 206 floatplane and another floatplane piloted by Corey Carlson, 41, of Anchorage. Carlson died along with his wife, Hetty Carlson, 39, and their two daughters, Ella, 5, and Adelaide, 3, when their single-engine Cessna 180 crashed and burned north of Anchorage. Earp, who has resumed flying for the Seattle-based airline, was not injured, and he flew his damaged plane to Anchorage. He told accident investigators he saw the other Cessna at the last moment and was unable to avoid the collision. In the 1994 case, Earp was cited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for falsification of ground training rosters for 18 hours of classes in Seattle in 1993 that he did not take. At the time, he was actually serving on flights, according to FAA revocation orders obtained by The Associated Press through an open- records request. Both the original order and an amended document say Earp ultimately worked on 137 flights in violation of FAA rules because of the missed training. The FAA also said Earp improperly acted for 87 days as a flight instructor or check airman, who is authorized by the FAA to certify the competence of other pilots. Earp, 57, did not respond to requests for comment, but the airline said he is a meticulous pilot who has set the bar high for Alaska pilots he trained. The airline also stressed the 1994 cases were because of faulty record keeping and not an attempt by the pilots to avoid the training. The FAA's amended order noted that Earp lacked "the degree of care, judgment, and responsibility required of the holder of Airline Transport Pilot privileges" and that "safety in air commerce or air transportation and the public interest" required the revocation of the privileges. Alaska Airlines officials said at the time that the company had to retrain dozens of pilots who had taken classes from those disciplined. Aviation-safety expert John Fox said it's very doubtful the events of the past would have any relevance in the midair collision because each case occurred in "dramatically different" realms. "There's not an airmanship or operational issue here with the training records," said Cox, a former commercial airline pilot. "There's a distinction between the operational side and the record-keeping side." Earp and other pilots cited initially were grounded but later flew as co-pilots during the suspension of their captain privileges. Airline officials said the pilots made up the missed training. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the company determined that the pilots' actions did not warrant termination. "The company's record keeping practices were not sufficient at the time," Egan said in an email. "This was a record keeping issue and not an attempt made by the pilots to get out of mandated training. It is important to note that the pilots involved were the people who developed the training materials." The airline has since "significantly improved" its record keeping, Egan said. Only Earp remains with the airline today. Three of the other pilots have retired. Earp has worked at Alaska Airlines since 1981 and is praised as one of the best pilots on staff, according to company officials. Egan said Earp has flown more than 17,000 hours in 737s and logged more than 27,000 hours altogether as a commercial and private pilot. After this summer's midair collision, Earp was placed on paid administrative leave pending the accident investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA. He has since been evaluated and reinstated, Egan said. Even with the FAA's 1994 action, Earp was named an "aircraft program designee" for the agency in 2000. That means he is authorized to issue airman certificates on behalf of the FAA. "A person can only receive this designation if they have demonstrated a high level of professionalism, as they are acting on behalf of and representing the FAA, not the airlines," Egan said. "These are not issued without a great deal of background review." NTSB investigator Larry Lewis, who is wrapping up his investigation of the July crash, said the final accident report is expected to be publicly released early next year. He said the FAA's 17-year-old case bears no weight in his investigation, that there is "no nexus" between the two events. "The two incidents are so far afield from each other," he said. The crash was the third midair collision in Alaska this year. Back to Top CA Family Who Lost 4 Sues Over Military Jet Crash (AP) A family that lost four members when a military jet crashed into their San Diego home in 2008 is suing the U.S. government for compensation for an accident that the Marine Corps has acknowledged was caused by a mechanical failure and a string of errors. A federal judge on Monday will preside over the two-day nonjury trial to determine whether the government should pay the family and how much for the deaths of two children, their mother and their grandmother. The Marine Corps has said the plane suffered a mechanical failure but that a series of bad decisions led the pilot - a student - to bypass a potentially safe landing at a coastal Navy base after his engine failed on Dec. 8, 2008. The pilot ejected himself and told investigators he screamed in horror as he watched the jet plow into the San Diego neighborhood, incinerating two homes. Don Yoon lost his 36-year-old wife, 15-month-old daughter; 2-month-old daughter; and his mother-in-law. He and his father-in-law are plaintiffs in the case. "The United States has admitted responsibility for the crash," said lawyer Kevin Boyle, who is representing the plaintiffs. "Now what they're fighting is the amount of money they need to pay." Boyle said he will point out the "metaphysical loss of losing a daughter, a wife, a mother." He has filed court documents pointing out other cases in which families have received millions of dollars from the government for the wrongful deaths of their loved ones. Boyle declined to say how much money the family is seeking, saying it will come out during the trial. Back to Top SpaceX to Make First Private Flight to Space Station in February A "milestone" in spaceflight is expected Feb. 7, when Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) will launch its second Commercial Orbital Transportation Services demonstration flight, with NASA agreeing to fly SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. This launch will make SpaceX the first private company ever to launch an unmanned cargo flight to the ISS. The vehicle will dock with the station, carrying a payload of supplies. "SpaceX has made incredible progress over the last several months preparing Dragon for its mission to the space station," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. According to Gerstenmaier, while there is still critical work to be done before launch, the teams are ready to complete it and are prepared for unexpected challenges. "As with all launches, we will adjust the launch date as needed to gain sufficient understanding of test and analysis results to ensure safety and mission success," he said. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will conduct a series of check-out procedures during the flight that will test and prove its systems in advance of the rendezvous with the station, including the operation of its sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous, NASA said. "SpaceX is on the forefront of demonstrating how a partnership between the government and private industry can lead to new capabilities and provide a large return on investment," said Alan Lindenmoyer, program manager for COTS at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA's COTS program aims to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable and cost-effective space transportation. According to NASA, this program will spur the innovation and development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles from commercial industry, creating a new system of delivering cargo to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell commended NASA's support on the project. "SpaceX is excited to be the first commercial company in history to berth with the International Space Station. This mission will mark a historic milestone in the future of spaceflight." NASA has announced the launch target for SpaceX's spacecraft pending completion of final safety reviews, testing and verification. http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/265323/20111212/spacex-make-historic-flight-space-station-february.htm Curt Lewis