Flight Safety Information May 8, 2012 - No. 092 In This Issue Airlines Ask Agency to Delay Fuel Tank Safety Upgrade Air Canada sued for $20M over jet plunge Flight school tipped off FAA about pilot's fraud PRISM CERTIFICATION CONSULTANTS Airlines for America calls on FAA to improve pilot-qualification proposed rule "A Practical Approach to Safety Management Systems" Course Airlines Ask Agency to Delay Fuel Tank Safety Upgrade By Alan Levin Airlines asked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to postpone a requirement for installing equipment aimed at preventing fuel tanks on passenger jets from exploding. The approval for kits required under a 2008 regulation are "significantly behind schedule," making it impossible to meet FAA deadlines without having to ground some aircraft, the trade group Airlines for America said in a March 28 letter to the agency. The Washington-based group, which represents large carriers such as Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), released the letter yesterday. The FAA ordered plane manufacturers and airlines to install the kits to prevent explosions such as the one that destroyed TWA Flight 800 on July 17, 1996. All 230 people aboard died in the second-worst U.S. aviation accident since 1989. The tank located between the Boeing Co. (BA) 747's wings became heated, generating an explosive mixture of fuel vapors and air, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board ruled. Similar fuel tank explosions caused fatalities in three other cases and the FAA estimated that four additional U.S. jets would crash without more protection over 35 years. Passenger carriers have until Dec. 26, 2014, to equip half of their fleets with devices that force oxygen out of fuel tanks and replace it with nitrogen, which prevents explosions, the letter from the airline trade group said. Boeing Jets FAA approval for the kits have fallen "well behind the pace needed" to meet that deadline, according to the letter. The agency is evaluating the trade group's request and believes it is important to work "with the aviation community to improve safety," the FAA said in an e-mailed statement. "This rule provides an important safety net and as a result, fuel tanks are far safer today than they were in 1996," the agency said in the statement. The delays affect kits to retrofit Boeing models, according to the trade group. Equipment for Airbus jets has already been approved. Back to Top Air Canada sued for $20M over jet plunge Toronto law firm files suit on behalf of passengers on 2011 Toronto-Zurich flight A class action suit against Air Canada was filed in a Toronto court Monday. Some passengers are unhappy that a plunge by their plane was blamed on turbulence rather than pilot fatigue. Air Canada class action statement of claim A Toronto law firm has filed a $20-million class action lawsuit against Air Canada on behalf of the 95 passengers who suffered injuries after the plane they were on took a sudden plunge. Air Canada originally told passengers that the plunge, on Flight AC878 between Toronto and Zurich in January 2011, was caused by unexpected turbulence. But the Transportation Safety Board of Canada issued a report in April saying the terrifying episode happened when a co-pilot woke up and was confused enough to think the plane was about to collide with a U.S. military aircraft. Darcy Merkur, a partner with the law firm Thomson, Rogers in Toronto, told the CBC that if some passengers were not wearing their seatbelts, it would be 'a minor, minor impact on their entitlement.' (Thomson, Rogers)Lawyer Darcy Merkur of the firm Thomson, Rogers, which filed the claim, says the passengers who have come forward "feel completely manipulated, completely lied to and they are pissed off; they want a corporation like Air Canada to be accountable for misleading them." "We feel the suit was the right thing to do," says Ashlyn O'Mara who was on the flight, "there is a group of us." In the class action suit filed in court Monday, Thomson, Rogers says that Air Canada covered up the cause of the incident. The suit has not been certified as a class action suit and the allegations have not been proven in court. The suit names O'Mara of Toronto as a claimant. She has told CBC News that she had her seatbelt fastened and was awake when the plane plunged in the middle of the night. O'Mara told the CBC in an exclusive interview that part of the class action suit is about how passengers were treated by Air Canada. "The company did not reach out to many of the passengers, including myself, to see if we were OK or to ask if there was anything they could do." O'Mara also points out she is concerned about public safety and pilot fatigue. "It should be a wakeup call to everyone that something isn't right and that pilot fatigue is a serious problem that can affect anyone who flies." http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/05/07/air-canada-class-action.html Back to Top Flight school tipped off FAA about pilot's fraud IOWA CITY (AP) - An Iowa flight school tipped off federal regulators that a man training to become a pilot had falsely inflated his experience to get a license allowing him to fly privately using instruments, court records show. Fahad Nabeel Hussein Al-Daous, 33, pleaded guilty Friday during a hearing in federal court in Des Moines to one count of making a false statement to the Federal Aviation Administration. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second count under a plea agreement, which revealed that information given to the FAA by Waterloo-based Livingston Aviation prompted the investigation. Hussein Al-Daous, of Waterloo, admitted that he falsely listed more than 130 hours of flying he did not actually complete in a logbook the FAA requires pilots to keep of their hours, under a scheme that would allow him to obtain a commercial pilot's license without paying for nearly as many flights required. He faces a maximum of five years in prison when he is sentenced in August, but is likely to receive less time behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors agreed to recommend that he be credited for cooperating and pleading guilty. The aspiring pilot went through flight training at Livingston Aviation during 2010 and 2011. On May 21, 2011, prosecutors say he traveled to an airport in Ottumwa to apply for an instrument-rated license so that he could fly in conditions when instruments are required such as cloudy or bad weather. Hussein Al-Daous listed on the application that he had completed the requirement of more than 50 hours of cross-country flight time as a pilot in command through Livingston Aviation. But he failed a test flight with an FAA examiner, and was denied a license. Hussein Al-Daous came back to the airport six days later, again filled out an application, and was issued a license after passing the test flight. Court records do not detail how many hours Hussein Al-Daous truly had flown, but say he did not meet the minimum requirement for the instrument-rated license. He applied for Livingston Aviation's commercial pilot training program in September and that's when the fraud was uncovered. The flight school compared his FAA logbook with its own billing records, which showed many of the flights he claimed he had made had not been paid for and had not happened. Hussein Al-Daous admitted to falsifying his logbook and submitting inflated numbers to FAA investigators, even providing a chart showing which flights had been falsified during a meeting in Des Moines. He provided similar information during an interview with special agents from the FBI and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General at his home in December, court records show. Even after he obtained his instrument license, he continued to falsely list flights and "intended to use this falsely inflated flight data to obtain a commercial pilot license," according to the plea agreement. In all, his logbook shows 90 hours of flight and 41 hours of cross-country flight hours that he did not complete. Hussein Al-Daous has been released pending sentencing. Since his indictment in February, he has been free on the condition that he not leave Iowa and surrender his Saudi Arabian passport. Prosecutors say he has dual citizenship in U.S. and that country, and he needed an Arabic interpreter during court proceedings. His attorney, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the general manager of the flight school did not immediately return phone messages Monday. Back to Top Back to Top Airlines for America calls on FAA to improve pilot-qualification proposed rule Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to significantly revise its proposed requirements for pilot certification and provide a system that builds on the industry's strong safety record, is recommended by safety experts and that recognizes the quality of a pilot's training and experience, rather than relying solely on a specific quantity of flight hours. "Hard-hour minimum requirements are not a substitute for the quality of a pilot's training and experience," A4A said in its comments filed with the FAA, noting that the change as proposed by the FAA would have unintended consequences. "Failure to provide additional options for meeting the requirements, as recommended by safety experts, will result in an unnecessary pilot shortage and significant barriers to recruiting regional and mainline pilots." A4A comments are in response to the FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued on Feb. 29, 2012, which would require that first officers hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate and a minimum of 1,500 hours flight time to obtain the certificate. Existing FAA regulations do not require a first officer to hold an ATP certificate; only the pilot in command must meet this certificate requirement. As part of its recommend revisions to the proposal, A4A recommends that the FAA establish a restricted ATP certificate for Second in Command pilots, which takes experience and training into account. A4A also recommends that the FAA form an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to provide recommendations on the adoption of a Multicrew Pilot Licensing Program, which are used throughout the world by other safety regulators and take into account the realities of current operations and training. http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/49235-Airlines-for-America-calls-on- FAA-to-improve-pilot-qualification-proposed-rule Back to Top Beyond Risk Management Ltd. in conjunction withCurt Lewis & Associates LLC are pleased to host "A Practical Approach to Safety Management Systems" a course designed for the aviation industry. With the ICAO recommendations and standards for the introduction of Safety Management Systems throughout the world - you can get ahead of the curve and save time and money by learning the potential pitfalls and challenges associated to its implementation. The Canadian large aircraft aviation industry has experienced many of the same challenges likely to be faced by others. To better prepare you and your organization to meet these challenges we are pleased to bring to you the Canadian 705 experience with regulated Safety Management Systems adapted to your needs. Dates - June 18 & 19, 2012 (Monday and Tuesday), SEATS ARE LIMITED - to ensure good discussion and time to question in a workshop environment class size is intentionally intimate. Register now to avoid disappointment. Important Details - This course covers the ICAO standards and the Canadian requirements and experience. The content is global in nature enabling participants from other nations and industries to find the material both useful and beneficial. For Canadian attendees this course fulfills the requirements for CASO training (non 705 operators.) Schedule Day One (Monday) 0730 - 0800 hrs. Registration & continental breakfast 0800 - 1200 hrs. Session #1 1200 - 1245 hrs. Lunch 1245 - 1700 hrs. Session#2 Day Two (Tuesday) 0730 - 0800 hrs. Continental breakfast 0800 - 1200 hrs. Session #3 1200 - 1245 hrs. Lunch 1245 - 1630 hrs. Session #4 1630 - 1700 hrs. Closing remarks and Presentation of certificates Overview - Improve safety performance by applying the fundamentals of SMS within your organization. Get past the barriers of independent departments to an integrated system. This two-day course gives you the comprehensive understanding of SMS and the tools to assist you in preparing for change in your organization. Who should attend - Any individuals who will be actively involved in the organization's Safety Management System (safety program). Individuals with previous experience and those with no knowledge in safety management will find this course useful for the formation or expansion of safety programs within their organizations. What you get - Participants will receive a consolidated reference binder of class material as well as an electronic version of the material which will provide guidance for setting up a system within their organization. Upon successful completion of the course a certificate will be issued. Subjects that will be reviewed are: * Safety and security * What Safety Management Systems is (definitions) * Corporate culture - The push for change (an overview of the proposed FAA Safety Management Systems, current ICAO and Transport Canada requirements) * Risk Assessment techniques * Data collection and processing * Front line involvement and committee process * Incident Reporting * Incident/Accident investigation techniques and process * Trend Analysis * Response to events and emergencies * Safety promotion * Implementing change (and the obstacles to change) * Documentation process. Location & Logistics - Calgary, Alberts, Canada. Tea/coffee/juice/water will be provided in the classroom at all times, continental breakfast and lunch on both days is included. Cost - $1,195.00 per person Canadian Funds SPECIAL OFFER: When you register three people from one organization they may bring a 4th person as our guest to this session! (Save $1,195.00!) for any given session the fourth attendee is our guest! DISCOUNTS: Option 1 - When attending the following CAP - Corrective Action Plan Course (June 20, 2012) and this course there is a special discount - the two courses for $1,600.00 a $345.00 savings! To receive this discount enter the code "CAP2012" when registering for the Safety Management Course, then register for the Corrective Action Plan Course and enter the discount code "SMS2012." Option 2 - When attending the following Quality Assurance and Auditing Course (June 21 & 22, 2012) and this course there is a special discount - the two courses for $2,000.00 a $390.00 savings! To receive this discount enter the code "QA2012" when registering for the Safety Management Course, then register for the Quality Assurance course and enter the discount code "SMS2012." Option 3 - BEST SAVINGS - When attending both the Corrective Action Plan Course & the Quality Assurance and Auditing Course (all three courses, five days) there is a bonus discount - the three courses for $2,500.00 a $540.00 savings! To receive this discount enter the code "ALL2012" when registering for the each of the courses. *all costs shown are exclusive of GST* Hosted by Beyond Risk Management Ltd. -Seating Restricted for better workshop discussion- -Registration is limited - Register now- Register on line at: http://www.regonline.ca/SMSYYCJune2012 For further information or questions: email - Brendan@beyondriskmgmt.com Or call: Brendan Kapuscinski 403-804-9745 Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC