Flight Safety Information April 20, 2012 - No. 079 In This Issue Pakistani passenger jet with 127 on board crashes Bhoja 737 Accident - Preliminary Information Unconscious pilot crashes into Gulf of Mexico Birds force Delta emergency landing at Kennedy Airport PRISM ANNUAL SMS AUDIT RESULTS Raging UK pilots fired over mid-air bust-up DGCA bans illegal entry into cockpits (INDIA) FAA Coughs Up Info On Where Drones Are Being Flown And Who's Flying Them Pakistani passenger jet with 127 on board crashes ISLAMABAD (AP) - A Pakistani passenger jet with 127 people on board crashed into wheat fields Friday as it was trying to land in bad weather at an airport near the capital, Islamabad, officials said. Sobbing relatives of those on the flight flocked to the airport as a government minister expressed little hope of finding survivors. Emergency workers and bystanders used flashlights to search among smoldering wreckage and body parts for any sign of life at the crash site, which was just a few kilometers (miles) away from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The aircraft was a Boeing 737-200 operated by Bhoja Air, a domestic carrier that has just four planes and only resumed operations last month after suspending them in 2001 due to financial difficulties. The flight was traveling from the country's largest city of Karachi to the Pakistani capital, officials said. Relatives of those on the flight thronged Bhoja Air counters at Karachi and Islamabad airports, crying. One man said on television that two of the passengers, Sajjad Rizvi and Sania Abbas, were newlyweds flying to Islamabad for their honeymoon. Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhar said civil aviation officials had reported it was unlikely anybody had survived. It was unclear if any casualties occurred on the ground, but the crash happened in what appeared to be a relatively unpopulated rural area. A violent rain and wind storm was lashing parts of the capital around the same time as the crash, which occurred about 6:40 p.m. "The plane crashed a few hundred yards (meters) away," said Mohammad Zubair, who was threshing wheat. "The flames leapt up like they were touching the sky." TV footage showed wreckage of the plane, including parts of what looked like its engine and wing, up against the wall of a small building. Rescue officials were working in the dark, with many using flashlights as they combed the area. The last major plane crash in the country - and Pakistan's worst ever - occurred in July 2010 when an Airbus A321 aircraft operated by Airblue crashed in the hills overlooking Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board. A government investigation blamed the pilot for veering off course amid stormy weather. The impact of the crash was devastating, scorching a wide swath of the hillside and scattering wreckage over a kilometer (half-mile) stretch. Most bodies were so badly damaged that identification will require DNA testing. Bhoja Air started domestic operations in Pakistan in 1993 and eventually expanded to international flights to the United Arab Emirates in 1998. The company suspended operations in 2001 due to financial difficulties but resumed them in 2012 Back to Top Bhoja 737 Accident - Preliminary Information Date: 20-APR-2012 Time: 17:00 local Type: Boeing 737 Operator: Bhoja Airlines Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 127 / Occupants: 127 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Chaklala Air Base, Rawalpindi - Pakistan Phase: En route Nature: Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Karachi, Pakistan (KHI) Destination airport: Islamabad, Pakistan (ISB) Narrative: A civilian airplane carrying 131 people crashed Friday in Rawalpindi just before it was to land at an airport in Islamabad, according to emergency officials. The country's Civilian Aviation Authority confirmed the crash, and blamed it on poor weather. The crash occurred near the Chaklala airbase, which is used by the Pakistani Air Force and is adjacent to the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad. The jet left Karachi at around 17:00 local time (12:00 GMT) and was due to arrive at 18:50 (13:50 GMT). A police official at the crash site, Fazle Akbar, told AFP news agency said the plane was totally destroyed and it would be a miracle if there were any survivors. Debris was scattered across the crash site as workers sifted through the wreckage in an area that is considered a heavily populated region. The Bhoja Airline Boeing 737 was flying from the seaport city of Karachi and crashed just before touching down, Pakistan's GEO-TV news channel reported. The crash site was about five aeronautical miles from the airport in Islamabad, authorities told CNN. The flight had lasted roughly three and half hours, the authorities said. The weather conditions in the area included thunderstorms and limited visibility There are no reports of survivors. Rescue teams are trying to assess if there are any casualties on the ground. Reports suggest the plane, believed to be a Boeing 737 carrying 118 passengers and nine crew, was making its final approach to the airport when the crash happened. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Unconscious pilot crashes into Gulf of Mexico (Reuters) - The unconscious pilot of a small private plane flew in circles over the Gulf of Mexico for hours on Thursday, shadowed by two U.S. military jets, before running out of fuel and crashing and sinking into the watery depths, authorities said. The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a plane, a helicopter and a Coast Guard cutter to the crash site, about 120 miles (193 km) west of Tampa, Florida, but the pilot did not emerge from the downed plane, according Coast Guard spokeswoman Elizabeth Bordelon. The twin-engine Cessna landed gently and floated for a time, but then sank in the Gulf where the water is 1,500 feet deep (457 m), the Coast Guard said. The plane took off from Slidell, Louisiana, en route to Sarasota, Florida, and ended up circling at 20,000 feet (6,000 metres), over Gulf waters, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said. The pilot was Dr. Peter Hertzak, a gynaecologist and cosmetic surgeon in Slidell, according to a spokesman in the mayor's office. Two F-15 fighter jets sent up to intercept the Cessna because it was flying erratically said the pilot was "unresponsive," and the jets stayed with the plane, said Stacey Knott, a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Air traffic controllers had lost radio contact with the pilot at 9 a.m. EDT, and the military pilots sent to intercept were unable to re-establish contact. The plane crashed around three hours later, authorities said. The command's mission is to prevent attacks and safeguard North American airspace, which may require it to "destroy platforms deemed a potential threat," it said in a statement. A command spokesman would not speculate on whether the plane would have been shot down if it approached land. In a previous incident involving a "ghost plane," professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others died aboard a chartered private jet on October 25, 1999. That plane lost cabin pressure, incapacitating those on board, and flew for four hours before crashing into a field near Aberdeen, South Dakota. ************ Date: 19-APR-2012 Time: 12:10 LT Type: Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III Operator: Lee H Aviation Inc. Registration: N48DL C/n / msn: 421C0511 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Gulf of Mexico, approximately 150 miles from Sarasota, FL - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: KASD Destination airport: SRQ/KSRQ Narrative: A Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III aircraft, N48DL, departed Slidell Airport - KASD, LA, at 06:40 local time on a flight to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport - SPQ/ KSRQ, FL, across the Gulf of Mexico. It reached an altitude of FL280 some 38 minutes later. N48DL remained at this altitude for twenty minutes, when it began a gradual climbing turn to the right to about 30.800 feet. From then on the aircraft began to fly left hand 360-degree turns. Because the pilot failed to respond to air traffic control, two Air National Guard McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighter jets (159th Fighter Wing) departed New Orleans, reaching the aircraft at about 09:30 local time. The ANG crew also were unable to make contact with the pilot. The aircraft continued flying circles, attaining an altitude of FL330 approximately four hours into the flight. N48DL then began to descend at an increasing rate until it ditched in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 150 miles from Sarasota, Florida. The ANG pilots of the scrambled F-15's said that the Cessna's windows were iced over, a common sign of pressurization problems. The pilot didn't survive. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Birds force Delta emergency landing at Kennedy Airport Bird Strike Video Leaked Delta Flight 1063 Emergency Landing NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bird strike forced a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Los Angeles to make an emergency return to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport 10 minutes after takeoff on Thursday, authorities said. The pilot of Delta Flight 1063 reported an engine-related problem and landed the Boeing 757 safely at the New York airport from which it had departed at 3 p.m., said a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. "Flight 1063 was on take-off when the aircraft encountered a bird strike" in its right engine, said Anthony Black, a Delta spokesman. "As a precaution, the captain returned to JFK." There were no injuries reported. It was not clear how many birds or what kind of birds were involved. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees airports in metropolitan New York, said the pilot reported the "engine issue" 10 minutes into the flight. In January 2009, a US Airways plane piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger landed in the Hudson River after it struck a flock of geese just after take-off at New York's LaGuardia Airport and lost power in both engines. All 155 passengers and crew survived the splash-landing that came to be dubbed "Miracle on the Hudson." Such strikes are not uncommon. The FAA maintains a page on its website dedicated to wildlife strikes and said there were 121,000 strikes, mostly birds, between 1990 and 2010, averaging 26 strikes a day in recent years Back to Top Back to Top Raging UK pilots fired over mid-air bust-up EXETER, England -- Two experienced pilots were sacked after an argument spiraled into a "massive breakdown" in relations which saw the men raging at each other in the cockpit during an international flight. The incident occurred when Captain Stephen Bird and First Officer Stephen Akers, both aged in their fifties, were flying from Exeter, southwest England, to the Spanish city of Malaga, last May, an employment tribunal heard Thursday. Just before the plane took off, Bird told his co-pilot that he had not completed pre-flight paperwork "cos you're my bitch," The (London) Times reported. The atmosphere took a turn for the worse when the aircraft later encountered turbulence. Akers asked Bird to fly around some dark clouds for safety reasons -- advice which the captain ignored. In the argument that followed, Akers allegedly said Bird was a "control freak" and told him to "f*ck off." According to senior pilot Stan Wood, who investigated the incident, the "massive breakdown" between the two men -- who had been "yelling at each other" in the cockpit -- had posed a "potential risk to [the] safety" of the crew and passengers. The return flight from Malaga was reportedly made in virtual silence, with Akers reading a newspaper. Both men filed complaints against the other with their employer budget airline Flybe and were sacked following an investigation. They are appealing their dismissal. The tribunal hearing continues. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/raging_uk_pilots_fired_over_mid_vw8rhoW22mzFdzBt74MsiO#ixzz1sbDkIbQV Back to Top DGCA bans illegal entry into cockpits (INDIA) NEW DELHI: Alarmed at an incident where an air-safety expert had illegally entered the cockpit of a domestic flight mid-air in February, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a fresh circular for all airlines banning entry in cockpit. The circular was issued on April 13 following a complaint that stated Captain M Ranganathan had entered in the cockpit of Spice Jet flight (Delhi-Jammu), while the aircraft was landing at Jammu airport. The incident was reported to the DGCA by the airline. As per air safety rules, only the Director General of Civil Aviation and the officials nominated by him, no other person is allowed entry into cockpit in any flight. Unauthorized entry into cockpit is a breach of safety regulations. On being asked why he entered the cockpit of that flight, Captain Rangnathan said: "I am a member of Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC), I keep checking landing procedures." To the question if he was authorized by the DGCA for entering the cockpit of that flight, he said: "I entered the cockpit after the airline had requested me to be an observer to assess the landing procedures at Jammu runway. There are various procedural (ICAO) violations being committed there." Ranganathan is a member of CASAC, but he is not authorized to enter cockpit of any flight. The airline denied that no such "request" was ever made to Captain Ranganathan. "The DGCA was informed as per the procedures since his (captain Ranganathan) entry in the cockpit was illegal. Why would airline report the incident, if there was any such request?" asked an airline executive. DGCA sources said that Ranganathan showed some identity cards to the crew and the pilot before entering the cockpit. "This is a very serious lapse. It means anyone with some identity cards can get into cockpit, and that's why a fresh notice has been issued to all the airlines," said a senior DGCA official. Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, prohibits taking photographs and entry into cockpit. The fresh circular stated that all the airlines are directed to bring to the notice of their personnel the provisions of Aeronautical Information Circular 3 of 1997. The DGCA is planning to report the matter to the defence establishment since Jammu airport comes under its jurisdiction. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/DGCA-bans-illegal-entry-into-cockpits/articleshow/12739872.cms Back to Top FAA Coughs Up Info On Where Drones Are Being Flown And Who's Flying Them Where drones are currently being flown, via the EFF based on documents from the FAA If you don't like drones, it's time to move to Hawaii. It's one of the few places in the U.S. where no licenses have been issued for unmanned air flights. If you prefer the mainland, North Carolina, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa are a few of your options. Consult this interactive map via EFF for relocation planning purposes. After suing the Federal Aviation Administration for its failure to respond to a FOIA, civil liberties group EFF finally got a response to its inquiry about who in the U.S. has authorization to fly drones. We already knew a bit about how public sector players (such as sheriff's departments) were starting to use drones, but the documents shed new light on who in the private industry is currently living the drone dream in the U.S. The FAA released a list of the private manufacturers who have "Special Airworthiness Certificates," which is what a non- government entity needs to fly a particular drone model. Last year, the FAA told me that there were just 18 active certificates. The lucky few holding those are primarily big defense companies: Raytheon, General Atomics, Telford Aviation, AAI Corp, Honeywell, Unmanned Systems Inc, L-3, and Aurora Flight Companies. The smaller players in the unmanned aircraft industry (such as those making drones to save whales abroad) have been muscled out thus far. Government entities just need a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to fly a drone. That list includes just over 60 drone enthusiasts including DARPA; the FBI; branches of the military; the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, & Homeland Security; a bunch of public universities; and a few lucky police departments. This won't be surprising to regular drone watchers. As we know, Customs and Border Protection is already flying drones along the borders (and sometimes loaning them to local law enforcement agencies). And public universities often partner with private industry for research projects, and a few are launching new "drone studies" programs. These lists will be much longer in the future. Congress is pushing the FAA to put law enforcement applications to fly drones on the fast track. And by 2015, the FAA has to start allowing commercial use of drones, so that defense companies aren't the only ones who can use them in the U.S. That means Google could start doing its street mapping with drones, that Fed- Ex could realize its dreams to deliver packages with unmanned planes, and that you might be able to get lunch delivered by a Tacocopter. FAA Releases Lists of Drone Certificates-Many Questions Left Unanswered [EFF] Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC