Flight Safety Information January 25, 2012 - No. 017 In This Issue Airline Diverts Aircraft During Solar Storm Airbus Works With Airlines to Fix A380 Wing Cracks FAA gearing up for GPS policing Focus On Air Safety In Nigeria Faulty bolt cited as likely cause of 2010 helicopter crash Crash pilots thought they were flying upside-down PRISM Certification Consultants Three removed from flight at Arkansas airport Smoke diverts Chicago flight to Shannon SACAA flight safety head resigns NTSB Completes Data Collection for Study on Experimental - Amateur Built Aircraft Accidents 30th ISSC Atlanta Call for Papers Clay Lacy to Receive Howard Hughes Memorial Award Airline Diverts Aircraft During Solar Storm Our planet is having an exciting few days. After being hit by a coronal mass ejection (CME) on Sunday, the sun unleashed another Earth-directed flare and CME, which also hit the magnetosphere on Tuesday at around 10 a.m. EST. At time of writing, the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center announced that our planet was undergoing a low-level (G1) geomagnetic storm. Aurorae are now likely at high latitudes. BIG PIC: Spectacular Aurorae Erupt Over Norway Geomagnetic storms can be responsible for communications blackouts and power grid surges on the ground. In response to the potential risk, Delta Airlines have diverted some of its aircraft away from polar routes. "We are undergoing a series of solar bursts in the sky that are impacting the northern side of the world," said Delta spokesman Anthony Black on Tuesday. WATCH VIDEO: CORONAL RAIN EXPLAINED "It can impact your ability to communicate," he said. "So, basically, the polar routes are being flown further south than normal." It is believed the disruption will only impact "a handful" of flights, adding 15 minutes to journey times. Routes between Detroit and Asia are affected. In addition to Delta, United Airlines reported on Monday that one flight had to be diverted due to an earlier storm, but there are no diversions in place for the current storm. American Airlines told Reuters that none of their routes have been affected, but they were monitoring space weather conditions. ANALYSIS: INCOMING! Sun Blasts Another CME at Earth and Mars The concern for aircraft is not necessarily solar radiation, it is the secondary effects of geomagnetic storms that can pose an acute problem. Update:After a Twitter conversation with Barbara Tomlinson (@beachton) concerning the increased radiation risk to passengers and crew on aircraft, I realized the NOAA class the current solar storm as an "S3" solar radiation storm. The advisory states that in this case "passengers and crew in high-flying aircraft at high latitudes may be exposed to radiation risk." Although the decision to divert aircraft away from high-latitude regions hinge on communication concerns, there may be long-term health implications for air crews frequently flying at high altitudes during solar storms. Solar activity can cause dynamic changes to the Earth's upper atmosphere, and during geomagnetic storms, ground-to-air communications can become unpredictable. It is therefore not surprising that some airlines will choose to take precautionary measures to avoid losing contact with their aircraft. As the current period of intense solar activity continues toward this solar cycle's maximum in 2013, we can expect more precautions like this being taken. http://news.discovery.com/space/airline-diverts-aircraft-during-solar-storm- 120124.html Back to Top Airbus Works With Airlines to Fix A380 Wing Cracks Airbus (EAD) SAS is working with airlines to overcome the wing cracks discovered in some A380 superjumbo aircraft, after European safety regulators called for deeper inspections to understand the cause of the fissures. "It's unfortunate," Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said in Davos, Switzerland, in an interview at the World Economic Forum. "We understand the problem. We are working with airlines to mitigate their fears." Airlines operating Airbus's A380 superjumbo must ground 20 planes or almost one-third of the world fleet within the next six weeks to check for wing cracks. The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive on Jan. 20 requiring inspections after the issue was discovered. The A380 double-decker aircraft is the biggest commercial jet in operation, and Airbus has required years to smooth out production glitches and move the program toward profitability. The airliner is used by carriers including Emirates, Air France (AF) KLM Group, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) and Singapore Airlines (SIA), and has been a hit with travelers for its added space and perks that include private suites and showers for premium passengers. Airbus wants to deliver about 30 of the aircraft to customers this year as it slowly ramps up production. Singapore was the first carrier to put the jet into service in 2007, and Emirates is the biggest customer, with 90 A380s on order in total. "We are liaising closely with Airbus and we are carrying out the precautionary inspections as required by the airworthiness directive," said Nicholas Ionides, a spokesman for Singapore Airlines. "We will ensure that we will take whatever action is needed for the continued safe operation of our A380 fleet." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-25/airbus-understands-a380-wing-cracks- working-with-airlines.html Back to Top FAA gearing up for GPS policing The US Federal Aviation Administration plans to purchase a portable interference monitoring detection system to help officials in its spectrum engineering services directorate track down and shut down illegal GPS jammer activity. Personal privacy devices, more commonly referred to as GPS jammers, being used on a highway near the Newark International airport, derailed the rollout of a GPS-based instrument landing system at the airport in late 2009. Continental Airlines at the time had equipped a portion of its fleet with avionics to use the ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) approaches. After several years of analysis and radio frequency interference (RFI) upgrades to the Honeywell-built ground equipment, United-Continental and the FAA are once again preparing to begin testing GBAS both at Newark and the Houston Intercontinental airport. The request for a portable interference monitoring detection system (PIMDS) is likely linked to the second attempt of a GBAS roll out at Newark. In the statement of work for the PIMDS, published on 23 January, the FAA is asking for proposals on a "low profile solution which will, when installed on a vehicle, appear inconspicuous". Aside from the inconspicuous external antennas, the receiver itself is to weigh 13.6kg (30lb) or less and must fit in a shock-resistant carrying case. For "live mission" operations, the PIMDS must provide on a display the strength of the jammer signal as well as the "most probable" location of the offender on a moving map. Proposals are due to the FAA by 27 February. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/faa-gearing-up-for-gps-policing-367310/ Back to Top Focus On Air Safety In Nigeria Era of poorly maintained aircraft in Nigeria is gone,says DG,NCAA,Dr Harold Demuren Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) has come a long way after surmounting the teething problems in 2005 and 2006, aftermath of the series of plane crashes and fatalities recorded. In those period, the capability of NCAA as the regulator cum watchdog of the industry was called to question.This basically informed the overhaul of the management of the Authority by the Federal Government with the appointment of Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren as the Director General leading the new team with a mandate to clear the augean stable and dent brought on the civil aviation operations in the country. The initial focus of the Dr Demuren led team was first, to stabilize the industry which was clearly in shambles,restore the confidence of the air travelers and on top of it all change the negative image of the country especially-as regards safety- in eyes of international community.Today, things have tremendously changed. Nigeria has attained Category 1 Safety Status.Junk aircraft have given way to modern generation planes.Financial and Economic issues that had threatened the industry are been given desired attention while lopsided air service agreements are being tackled head- on.Presently,all caders of operations from administrative to technical are manned by qualified personnel. As at now, NCAA has licensed not less than 554 pilots, 913 engineers and 1700 cabin personnel.In the focus published below, the Director General of NCAA, Dr Harold Demuren, shed more lights on what NCAA is doing to further ensure that the maintenance and safety systems put in place are not broken or side-tracked by any airline operator or personnel required to keep the industry functioning properly as expected and not leaving out the recent face-off with the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airlines.Fill your curiousity: People have raised concerns about the alleged poor maintenance of their fleet of aircraft by Nigerian carriers. How do you react to this? Demuren I beg your pardon, that's nonsense, nothing like that, those eras are gone. Nigeria as a nation, as a matter fact, IATA Director-General just mentions in Morocco that tremendous amount of progress has been made in terms of airline safety in Nigeria. You all know what used to happen to us in the past. That's why we have not had any major accident again. We've cleaned up the process; no aircraft can fly in this country today without maintenance and safety record. It's not possible, that era is gone and gone for good. We have the system in place now. Nigeria has one of the highest safety standards. We do audit every week. It's all over the place. We have a Safety Management System [SMS] that works in place. Our key oversight has reached the highest standard. The International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO], an Agency of the United Nations that oversees global aviation. It carries out safety audit on member states including Nigeria regularly. We come out clean. The America Transportation Safety Administration [TSA] also carries out Security Audit on Nigeria, particularly on the major airports. We performed creditably well. For your information Nigeria got Category 1 in the last audit of the Country by the American Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] in its International Aviation Safety Assessment [IASA] audit program. This has enabled a Nigerian registered aircraft to fly directly from Nigeria to the United States of America. That's what it means, that you are now number one. That's what we've achieved. We are in the Premier League. So, how can you now say somebody brings airplane with questionable safety papers to Nigeria. It's just a figment of their imagination. What do we do? No aircraft can fly in Public Transport Category carrying passengers for hire and reward without having a valid Air Operation Certificate [AOC]. To get it is hectic. Your maintenance, your flight operation, your training, the head of your crew, everything is scrutinized. Your manual, your procedure, your systems, everything. That's what happens. What type of systems check are in place to ensure aircraft are given proper maintenance either here or if flown abroad? Demuren: Let me explain to you, in the first instance, according to law of aviation and as it is the norm all over the world whether it is International Civil Aviation Organization[ICAO] or Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] or the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority[UKCAA] or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority[NCAA] the practice is the same. You cannot send your aircraft to another place unless it has been approved by NCAA. You must have an approval called AMO -that is- Approved Maintenance Organization, where the maintenance of your aircraft is carried out. They also must have approved the place, give them approval and they go there to audit their work whether or not the maintenance of the for the army aircraft of aircraft done by other countries. So, they must maintain those aircraft as scheduled. We don't allow airline operators to do maintenance as per customers' request. They do it as par approved maintenance schedule of NCAA. Let me give you one example. You do your A check every twenty to twenty-five day, you do your B check every three month, you do C check every year or you do it after so many hours, so many circles. Nigeria super-imposed calendar limitations. So we are stricter that you must do it and it must go. So, number one, before you send it, it must be approved by NCAA, then later on, before the aircraft is going to leave the service point, our people will go and verify whether those works have been done. There's a work package, there's a work graph that everyone follows, one by one. Only when you have done that and the mandatory airworthiness that you must comply with. Check interval you must not miss, all those there. We have a very solid surveillance program.Our inspectors go round the tarmac, they burst into any aircraft without prior notice, and they show their identity [ID] and demand to see safety record the particular aircraft they enter. Where is your certificate of maintenance that was issued? Our engineers will check your record and ask questions. So, with the system we now have in place it is not possible to say we have safety issues. You are 100% sure.....? Demuren: Yes!If not, aircraft will be dropping from the sky. What exactly is the standard requirements for opening an airline? Demuren: To open an airline you must get the permission, you must have what we called economic authorizations that you want to go into the business. Economic authorization involves that you must apply to NCAA, get all your papers, you must have very good business model you want to do, what type of aircraft, where do you want to go and many more. After that we apply to our own parent ministry, Ministry of Aviation, to tell our minister this application, this is what we are doing and they should please seek for security clearance. That is economic authorization, you will now start what we call Air Operation Certificate[AOC] proper and that is the big deal. Those are safety requirements, how do you train your crew, you have plans for your maintenance, where are you going to do it, what about your dispatch, it goes to everything, your flight crew, your cabin crew, your maintenance engineers, every safety requirements must be met. We go through one by one. What about your manual, where are your tools and equipment to do the work, have you train the people, how much are you giving them? There's also what we said qualified personnel in sufficient number, for instance, this job requires twenty people to work for you, show us the twenty people. You must show me, if they are nineteen then it's not complete yet, you must show the twenty, we call it Qualified Highly Rated Experience Personnel in sufficient number. This happen every time but when we stopped them from operating, revoke the license we don't do it on the pages of newspapers. Why does it take much longer time to process compensation of accident victims? Demuren: We sued all the airlines involved at the time. Bellview paid very quickly, out of all of them Bellview did very well. Sosoliso had issues and finally decided to pay; they have to sell some the aircraft to compensate the people. There is what we called in American Law, Family Assistance Programme, when they say people died, everybody commiserate with them, they will go, we forget there. Most likely all will be paid; to buy the aircraft back is easier to pay. But they don't remember the passengers that died. Our Law is very strict on it, thou shall pay....... so, we are pursuing it. What we have done has been to work with Nigerian Insurance Commission also to ensure that those insurance papers they are given to us are true and genuine ones, not that you are getting cover notes, there's nothing there and people will pay their premium and then they call insurance to honour it and do the right thing. They have to reinsure it in Europe, America or Canada. What new security measures are in place to fight the growing global terrorism, especially growing domestic terrorism? Demuren: We have introduced modern explosive detection technique. This is in addition to advance profiling and background checks with special attention to insider threats. What is NCAA doing to assist airlines that are indebted, so that they do not close down? Demuren: We insisted that Airlines must pay the services they have enjoyed. They must pay their debts, period! What exactly informed the price fixing investigation into British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airlines? Demuren: Specially, we've noticed from a lot of analysis we have done and we found out that these particular airlines because they have the opportunity of direct flight from Lagos to London, and that's our biggest route, business route for Nigeria. Nigerians are ally of the British, they go to London every time, our children are there. So, we look at that route, we monitor the route and we found out that there has been lot of collusion, deception, unjust and discriminatory practices going on and above all, it's an abuse of dominant position, uses that to cheat Nigerians particularly when it comes to fares in the first class, business class and even the economy is not spared. That's why we looked into this and we now also found out that they have been fined for such issue in US and UK. Was the investigation due to written petition/protest? Demuren: Some Nigerians in diasporas, wrote to me and say look, this is happening and there has been lot of concerns in the papers asking why this, why are you not doing this and that, why are you not looking at this and that. And I thought it's best for us also to look into it. Now, with the directive that both airlines should pay 235million dollars in fines to customers and the airlines are saying they reject your findings. What's the next? Demuren: They have the right to reject the findings. We have been talking with them, and we didn't just wake up one day to do what we did. For the past six months we have been dealing with them. A lot of investigations have taken place, very, very extensive indeed. At the end of the day, we discovered huge violation and according to our civil aviation regulations, we can impose sanction and that's what we've done. So, if they say they reject the findings, they are entitle to their opinion but the due course of law has to be fulfilled. What if they resort to seeking redress in the court? Demuren: We are ready for that. We will meet them there. We have our lawyers, team of experts and lawyers are with us, they have been working with us from day one in the past six months and so they have all the details. So, we are ready to meet them in court if that is the option they have chosen. Many have been wondering whether it's coincidental that your report came out at a time when the government is having a spat with the British on the slot and frequency issues. Demuren: Honestly speaking this is totally unconnected. I said in the last six months we have been with them and they will tell you, we summoned them. We've been talking to them. We didn't know about the slot issue. It just happened at this time when we were talking with the Minister of Aviation about these unfair discriminatory practices. So, it was very easy to mention it, it was just right to mention it at the same time that we already are having this investigation and we called the foreign airlines to a meeting before that time where I expressed these concerns. I told them that this must stop. Look at the prices we pay for ticket out of Nigeria and the one you pay if you are going out of Ghana, twice the amount, why? And the fuel surcharge has been so much, they are abusing it even when the price of crude oil was going down, their prices were still going up drastically. We showed all these on the table to let them know about their position and they knew what they were doing. They can buy time, they can do all sort, but it's not going to work. If the airlines finally agrees to pay, what happens. How do you disburse to customers? Demuren: That is fine. Is compensation to customers, they did it abroad, they did it in America, they announced it. We would work it out in our office so that we would get all the customers who are affected duly compensated. We would do that; it's a normal procedure. Set up a website where they can call, what they can do, show their evidences and all that. We must make sure they get their rights back. There is no compromise on this. We will continue to protect Nigerians traveling abroad from abuses and exploitation. How does this apply to Nigerian airlines that are also guilty of similar abuses? Demuren: We've just started and this is where the big ones are. When you are doing something you go to big ones first then the message is all over the place and then it goes round. But Nigerian consumers must get the value for their money and they must not be cheated, we must discourage all these acts of collusion, deception, unjust, and discriminatory fares must stop it. So, the investigations includes both local airlines as well as foreign airlines. The important thing is that they must give best service to their customers whether they are Nigerian or foreign passengers as long as the flight is originating from Nigeria or coming into our country. What exactly are the terms of BASA? Demuren: BASA stands for Bilateral Air Service Agreement. This is done between two nations. They sit down and talk about air service agreement, what do we do? What are the conditions for us to fly to your country? What aircraft can we bring? How much frequency can we fly? Which airport can we land? It's just all about that. We have intermediate points, we have the point beyond which you can go. That's what BASA is about. But a stranger cannot enter a country as a matter of right, it's a privilege. So, External Affairs Ministry, Ministry of Aviation get together, hold meetings whether here or abroad, agree on the terms and then designate the airlines from that country to now go out to enjoy the benefits of the agreed routes based on agreed terms and conditions. What determines the allocation of frequency to airlines? Demuren: Usually, it depend on the level of traffic on the route, how busy it is, how much passengers are available. You can then decide whether this is a developed route or new route in which case you have to put in a lot of capital to develop the route before you can commence flight operations. Look at Emirate, they have two flights a day out of Lagos to Dubai, British Airways [BA], two flights, one in the morning, one in the evening. British Airways is doing, one in the morning out of Abuja, one in the evening out of Lagos, Virgin Atlantic is doing one in the morning too, Arik is doing one from Lagos, one from Abuja also. And that's how it is in the case of frequency; you have to watch it so that you don't dilute the market. But when you talk about slot, the slot is when you can land, what actual time of the day can you have a slot coming. That's what is slot and that is done by the airport committee. But if you watch it these days, we have been very generous now. The foreign airlines can come in anytime to do their business. But if our people want to go over there you give us frequency but no slot, that's not frequency. A frequency without slot is not frequency, you must have slot. I can't be playing in the air, I must be able to land, and it can't be one-sided. Those were the things that were discussed at our meeting and we are trying to resolve that right now. But it is very important that what you need to do is to make sure that the slots are there and to make sure that the frequencies are there before you can operate. Having said that, when you have the frequency you can explore the market. The market in Nigeria is open. We welcome foreigners to explore and they can prosper, they can do well. But while our market is open for exploration, it is closed to exploitation. What benefits do Nigeria stand to gain on the slot issue? Demuren: The issue at stake is this- We don't want bilateral service domination between two countries. The two nations are meant to benefit from it. It should not be one-sided. If we are doing something together and you are not happy, I'm happy, you won't be happy. So, if airlines of other countries can come here and land easily in our country and airlines from here can't do the same, then it is one-sided, so we need to correct all those imbalances and make sure it is sorted out. But again, you must have strong airlines that can compete, our airlines are not strong enough, they are only carrying crumbs under the table, the leftovers. They should be able to compete and to compete on safety records, security, good services on board must be there. Once you have that and then we should also patronize them. Many Nigerians don't support our own. It's very important that we do this. But again, to do that you can't blame Nigerian passengers, you must have inter-connectivity, it's not everybody that are just going to London, some are going to Manchester, some are going to other destinations in Europe, some going to America, some are going to far the East. When you get to London, you must be able to take them to those places also. So, our airlines should interline. That's why we advice them to be International Air Transport Association [IATA] International Operational Safety Assessment[IOSA] compliant and interline so that they can sell their tickets all over the world from point to point. Once you do that, you can compete with other foreign airlines to the satisfaction of passengers. We can therefore not really blame the foreign airlines on the BASA issue since Nigerian registered airlines are operating from a point of weakness. Demuren: But what I'm saying is that whether competition or not why should I buy a ticket out of Lagos to London and pay twice than what I will pay if I buy from Ghana? It doesn't make sense; it's just a rip off. You don't do that and it's the same distance from Ghana to London, what's the difference? So, why should they double the price, why? What have we done wrong? Oh! We have money? We can afford it? That's nonsense. A lot of speculations are out there that by doing that they are trying to make Ghana a regional hub and that since we don't have strong airlines to compete strongly and take advantage of BASA, it may not exactly be the faults BA or VAA..... Demuren: You can't come to Nigeria and rip people off, whether there is competition or not. Why should I buy a ticket out of Lagos to London and pay twice of what I am paying if I go to Ghana to buy the same ticket when it's the same distance? It doesn't make sense. They doubled the price; it is simply outrageous to say the least. And I repeat here and now: our market is open to exploration but close to exploitation. We would not allow you to do that to us. The purpose of business for goodness sake, let's do good business, business that all of us can do and all of us can be happy. Both sides must benefit that's what BASA means, between two nations so that the two nations can benefit, they can prosper in it. When it's one-sided it is no longer a good agreement. How can I have agreement with somebody, all of us agreed and then only one side is benefiting, you have to find out what's wrong. What I understand you to mean earlier is that frequency without slot is no frequency. Demuren: It's no frequency as far as I'm concern. Are you going to be roaming around in the air and you won't be able to land. Slot is what allows you to land. You don't just go and be signing agreements with everybody saying you have open air and everybody can come to your country when there is no place to land and you can take advantage in our own country, you must find out why that is so. And these slots are held by your airlines here and there. Are you saying all these foreign airlines should now pay for slots in Nigeria? Demuren: It's the responsibility of Federal Airports Authority Nigeria(FAAN) and they are looking at it. When they are ready, they will tell us. If they tell me today they want to do that, I have no objection especially for countries that are doing it to us. http://news.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=312999 Back to Top Faulty bolt cited as likely cause of 2010 helicopter crash An improperly manufactured steel bolt that sheared off in flight has been cited as the likely cause of a June 2010 helicopter crash near Midlothian that killed a CareFlite pilot and mechanic during a routine post-maintenance flight. The National Transportation Safety Board has not issued a final report on the investigation, but agency documents show that the crash inquiry quickly centered on a fractured drive pin, similar to an everyday bolt. The bolt was one of two that anchor the complex mechanism that operates the helicopter's rotor blades, transmitting the pilot's flight commands to the blades that control the aircraft. Bell Helicopter, which manufactured both of the drive pins used in the Bell Model 222 helicopter's rotor control assembly, has already reached out-of-court settlements with the victims' families. Dallas attorney Jon Kettles declined to disclose financial details of the settlements, but said once the likely cause of the accident became clear Bell officials quickly agreed to compensate the families. "We were able to get it settled in about six months, completely independent of the NTSB investigation," said Kettles, an aviation lawyer and licensed air transport and helicopter pilot. Bell had already taken steps to collect all the other pins made at the same time, in 1999, and Kettles said the company told him it was considering redesigning the pin to prevent a recurrence. "To Bell's credit, when they have a failure like this I believe they're upfront about finding why it occurred and taking steps to prevent another occurrence," Kettles said. "I felt comfortable they were doing what they needed to do to prevent it from happening again." A Bell spokesman said the company would not comment on the crash investigation or the settlement with the families. The crash killed CareFlite's chief pilot, Guy del Giudice, 44, of Fort Worth and mechanic Stephen Durler, 23, of Dallas. The safety board documents give no indication that either man's actions contributed to the accident. Safety board investigator Tom Latson could not be reached for further comment on the investigation. The safety agency investigators typically compile factual records on accidents and then forward them, often without any opinion, to the board in Washington to make a ruling on the cause. The crash occurred about 2 p.m. on June 2, 2010, just eight minutes after the helicopter lifted off from Grand Prairie Municipal Airport on a post-maintenance check-out flight. The investigation and eyewitness accounts showed something had gone terribly wrong with the two-blade main rotor system, which broke off of the aircraft. The helicopter's rotor mast broke off in two places, where it attaches to the rotor blades and farther down where it connects to the swashplate, the control mechanism. The safety board documents say there were no signs of pre-existing cracks in the mast. Instead, the post-crash examination indicated that the fractures were caused by massive stress on the metal mast. Further investigation found the suspect bolt had sheared off in flight, leaving one of the rotor blades uncontrollable and almost instantaneously resulting in extreme forces that tore the rotor assembly and the tail boom off the helicopter. The bolt that sheared off, according to Bell records obtained by the safety board, was one of two made in the same batch in 1999. The second was discarded, but no reason was recorded in the detailed manufacturing records that aircraft manufacturers are required to keep. The safety board document shows that agency investigators and engineers, working with Bell, examined the remaining portion of the sheared bolt and found abnormal, brittle characteristics in the heat-treated, high-strength steel, including pre-existing microscopic cracks. Newly manufactured bolts like those used in the aircraft were then tested by Bell at the safety board's direction. One of those pins was purposely heat-treated at less than the required 900 degrees. It subsequently fractured in a strength test and upon close examination using an electronic microscope showed similar characteristics to the pin that failed on the doomed helicopter. The bolts are made of very strong, high-grade steel and then coated with cadmium. But if the heat treatment is improperly performed, the steel can become more brittle and more likely to snap rather than bend when put under high stress. CareFlite turned over the helicopter's maintenance records after the accident, Kettles said, and there was no indication of any pre-existing problem with the aircraft or improper maintenance work. The safety board documents indicate that all the required safety inspections of the aircraft's components had been conducted. CareFlite had recently purchased the 1980s vintage Bell 222 and planned to use it as a backup aircraft. Maintenance crews had removed the rotor assembly and controls from the crash aircraft and swapped them with those from another aircraft, putting the newer rotor assembly on the aircraft that was to get the most use. Maintenance records show that Durler, the mechanic, did everything right but couldn't have known about the faulty bolt manufactured in a Bell factory a decade earlier, Kettles said. "This is a good example of how [the safe operation of] every aircraft out there is relying on thousands of people," Kettles said. "It's a reminder there's an awful lot of people that have got to do their job right." Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/24/3684883/faulty-bolt-cited-as- likely-cause.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Crash pilots thought they were flying upside-down Two pilots involved in a fatal crash in the Republic of Ireland may have become so confused that they thought they were flying upside down. A report into the deaths of Captain Derek Furniss (32) and Cadet David Jevens (22) in October 2009 found their aircraft took a "rapid series of steep turns" as it flew through a narrow valley before crashing into a Co Galway bog. A report from the Air Accident Investigation Unit found that the probable cause of the crash was "spatial disorientation", which may have resulted in the pilots believing their aircraft was upside down and was plummeting to the ground when in fact it was ascending or flying level. The investigation found that very changeable weather conditions and flying at high speed in a mountainous area while visibility was reduced were contributory factors. Capt Furniss was from Rathfarnham in Dublin and had written about disorientation while still a cadet. Cadet Jevens, from Davidstown Glynn in Co Wexford, was due to qualify as a pilot just months after the fatal crash. The pair had set off at 4.20pm on October 12 for a training flight from Casement aerodrome in west Dublin to Galway Airport, via Cavan and Connemara. They were flying a Pilatus PC-9M training aircraft. But bad weather near Lough Mask on the Galway/Mayo border resulted in the aircraft taking an alternative route to Maum in Co Galway, with the airplane keeping visual contact with the ground. At 4.50pm, eyewitnesses saw the aircraft cross a ridge into the 'narrow and steep-sided' Crumlin Valley, before it began to undertake a rapid series of steep turns and climbs. The cockpit voice recorder noted that alarms sounded to say the aircraft was flying too low, and Capt Furniss took control. Six seconds later he was recorded as saying: "Bad decision now". Seconds later the recording ended. The men died after crashing into a hill at Crumlin East, near Cornamona on the Galway/ Mayo border. No technical faults were found with the aircraft, and the accident was "not survivable". Cadet Jevens died the day before his 22nd birthday, leaving his parents having to face the "almost impossible reality" of not seeing their first-born child prosper, his father Donal said last night. His brother Christopher and sister Sarah had "lost a lifetime" with their brother, and his girlfriend Niamh had lost a "future of hopes, dreams and joy." "David should not be gone from us, he had his life to live, he had his dreams, aspirations and future to look forward to," Mr Jevens said. He criticised the delay in the publication of the report. Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean McCann, extended his sympathies to the dead men's families. "I have ensured that all recommendations in the report have been implemented or are being implemented," he added. Cadet Jevens was considered "one of the better students" in his class, the report found, noting that Capt Furniss took control of the aircraft in Crumlin Valley, "and there is no evidence that the cadet had any further input into the operation of the aircraft". It was "likely" that the instructor had been trying to maintain visual ground contact, and lost awareness of the circumstances around him. "This incorrect perception can be so compelling that it may lead to a situation where a pilot no longer trusts or follows his flight instruments," it added. "He (Capt Furniss) was one of the most experienced pilots and was held in high esteem. This may have generated a level of self-belief that there were few conditions that he could not recover the aircraft from." Capt Furniss's family was not available for comment. Profiles - Captain Derek Furniss (32) joined the Defence Forces in October 1994, qualifying as a pilot in 1996 and becoming a qualified flight instructor in 1999. He had over 2,500 flight hours and was the Chief Flight Instructor on the Pilatus aircraft and a member of the Air Corps PC-9 Display Team. Originally from Ballinteer in Dublin, he was not married but was living with his partner in Dublin. He had been off-duty the weekend before the accident, and had run his first 10km cross-country race the day before. - Cadet David Jevens died the day before his 22nd birthday, after joining the Defence Forces as an Air Corps Cadet in 2006. He was at the advanced stages of flight training on the PC-9M, and had over 190 flight hours. From Wexford, Cadet Jevens was considered one of the best in his class. One instructor said he was "well above average standard", had good awareness and displayed a "high degree of competency". Source Irish Independent Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/crash- pilots-thought-they-were-flying-upsidedown-16108536.html?r=RSS#ixzz1kTN95ObU Back to Top Back to Top Three removed from flight at Arkansas airport LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Officials say three people were removed from a Delta Air Lines flight at Little Rock National Airport after one of them made his way onto the airfield and later boarded the plane. Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Sari Koshetz told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette a man who opened an emergency door onto the airfield was stopped by an employee, brought back to the terminal and told to wait for police. Koshetz says the man didn't wait and boarded Delta flight 1614 to Atlanta. When officials learned he was on the plane, the aircraft was recalled and the man, his companion and another person were removed. Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings says the man was lost and didn't do anything wrong. The plane left at 9 a.m. and landed at 11:35 a.m. Back to Top Smoke diverts Chicago flight to Shannon A TRANSATLANTIC British Airways flight diverted and made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport last Tuesday night after the smell of smoke was detected on board. The Chicago bound flight left London after 7pm and an hour later was forced to land in the Mid West after cabin crew and passengers noticed the smell. A BA statement said that they "apologise to customers on the BA297 flight which diverted as a precaution". The aircraft was tended to by local firebrigade units and a replacement aircraft was flown to Shannon and left again after 2am to resume its onward journey. http://www.limerickpost.ie/index.php/navigation-mainmenu-30/local-news/4105-smoke- diverts-chicago-flight-to-shannon.html Back to Top SACAA flight safety head resigns The head of flight safety at the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) resigned on Monday after serving with the organisation for 14 years in different roles. Obert Chakarisa held the post of Acting Executive Manager: Accident & Incident Investigation at the SACAA from March last year and General Manager: Aircraft Safety at the SACAA from April 2008. According to spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu, Chakarisa is continuing his career elsewhere. "It is rather too early to talk about his replacement since he resigned quite recently," noted Kabelo Ledwaba, Communications manager at the SACAA, when asked for comment. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22871:sacaa- flight-safety-head-resigns&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107 Back to Top NTSB Completes Data Collection for Study on Experimental - Amateur Built Aircraft Accidents National Transportation Safety Board 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC, 20594 USA Press release date: January 23, 2012 WASHINGTON - Throughout the 2011 calendar year, the National Transportation Safety Board has been conducting a study of Experimental Amateur-Built (E-AB) aircraft to evaluate the safety of this growing and innovative segment of general aviation. In addition to using the information gathered during its accident investigations, the NTSB has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and individual owners and builders to evaluate a range of issues unique to this popular segment of general aviation. "The cooperation we have received from EAA and the E-AB community has been tremendous," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P Hersman. "Through this study, we hope that we'll be able to give the innovators and aviators in the community information about accidents that will result in a real and immediate safety payoff for them when they are flying these aircraft." As part of the study, NTSB investigators have conducted in-depth investigations of 222 E-AB aircraft accidents that occurred during 2011. Fifty-four of these accidents resulted in 67 fatalities. Most of these accidents (93%) involved amateur-built airplanes, the remaining accidents involved gyroplanes (4%), helicopters (2%), and gliders (1%). These accidents occurred in 44 states, with California (18 accidents), Texas (16 accidents), and Florida (14 accidents) accounting for the most. More than half (53%) of the E-AB accidents investigated in 2011 involved E-AB aircraft that were bought used, as opposed to having been built by the current owner. The EAA has supported the study by conducting a web-based survey of E-AB owners and builders. More than 5,000 E-AB owners and builders responded to EAA's survey, and 4,923 of these responses were sufficiently complete to use in analyses. Most respondents (97%) described E-AB airplanes, while gliders, gyrocopters, and helicopters were each described by slightly less than 1% of the respondents. Sixty-three percent of respondents had already built their E-AB aircraft, 13% were currently building their E-AB aircraft, and nearly 24% had bought used E-AB aircraft. More than 340 distinct makes of amateur-built aircraft were reported, although kit manufacturers accounted for more than 55% of the reported aircraft. "The NTSB is extremely pleased with the number of respondents who participated in the survey," said Dr. Joseph Kolly, Director of the Office of Research and Engineering. "The survey data provides us with quantifiable, factual information that enriches our understanding of how E-AB aircraft are built and operated." The safety study is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2012. Contact: NTSB Public Affairs Peter Knudson/Keith Holloway peter.knudson@ntsb.gov keith.holloway@ntsb.gov (202) 314-6100 Back to Top Back to Top Veteran Pilot, Business Aviation Entrepreneur Clay Lacy to Receive Howard Hughes Memorial Award from Aero Club of Southern California Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aero Club of Southern California: WHO: Distinguished as one of the most versatile pilots in the history of powered flight, local aviation icon Clay Lacy will be honored by the Aero Club of Southern California with its prestigious Howard Hughes Memorial Award on Wed., Feb. 8, 2012. Famed test and aerobatic pilot Bob Hoover will present the award in recognition of Lacy's achievements spanning over six decades. Lacy is a world-renowned pilot who first took to the air at age eight while growing up in the farmland of Wichita, Kansas during the Great Depression. Now age 79, he has spent almost every day of his life around airplanes. In 1964, Lacy introduced the first Learjet to Van Nuys Airport (VNY) near Hollywood's burgeoning entertainment industry. Four years later, he founded the first jet charter company west of the Mississippi, launching a new era in corporate air transportation and mobility. An airline captain, experimental test pilot, air race champion, aviation record-setter, aerial cinematographer, philanthropist and entrepreneur, Lacy has accumulated more hours flying jets than anyone on Earth and is widely credited with revolutionizing the business aviation and aerial photography industries. Among his nearly 3,000 film projects are Top Gun, Flight of the Intruder and The Great Santini. He is an inductee to the National Aviation Hall of Fame and is the recipient of many other prestigious awards. WHAT: Aero Club of Southern California Howard Hughes Memorial Award Banquet. The Aero Club is a non-profit association founded in 1925 to increase awareness of aviation and to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to aviation and aerospace. Lacy is the 33rd annual award recipient. Past honorees include Jack Northrop, Jimmy Doolittle, Neil Armstrong, Chuck Yeager and Simon Ramo. More than 200 aviation and aerospace luminaries, leaders and enthusiasts are expected to attend. Event is open to the public and a limited number of tickets are still available. WHEN: Wed., Feb. 8, 2012 6 p.m. Cocktails 7 p.m. Dinner and Award Presentation WHERE: The Jonathan Club, 545 S. Figueroa St., in downtown Los Angeles www.aeroclubsocal.org/eventscalendar.html Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC