Flight Safety Information May 14, 2012 - No. 096 In This Issue Plane crash kills 15 in northwestern Nepal India condoles death of 15 people in Nepal air crash Climbers try to reach jet's black box in Indonesia Float plane in deadly crash near Peachland, B.C Flight recorders found in crashed Sukhoi Crash sours Russian hopes of a civilian aviation revival PRISM CERTIFICATION CONSULTANTS FAA proposes $210,000 civil penalty against Alaska Airlines Pinnacle aims to ease pilot error policy Indonesia airline boom raises new safety questions Cessna Announces Long-Range Citation Business Jet Flight Safety Foundation chief Voss highlights business aviation safety issues at EBACE JetBlue makes no-fly list mistake, removes toddler Plane crash kills 15 in northwestern Nepal KATHMANDU, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A plane belonging to Agni Air crashed Monday morning in Jomsom in northwestern Nepal, killing 15 while 6 others surviving the crash, Nepal Army confirmed. Reports suggest that the plane crashed after it slammed into a hill close to Jomsom near Mount Annapurna. Ramindra Chettri, Nepal Army spokesperson, told Xinhua that 15 bodies have been recovered and six people who were rescued are undergoing treatment at hospital in Pokhara. "A Nepal Army MI-17 helicopter has flown to the crash site to bring the bodies to the capital," Chettri said. He added that there were 3 crew members and 18 foreign passengers including 16 Indians on board. The Jomsom Airport, about 200 km northwest of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, is a gateway to a popular tourist and trekking destination along with pilgrimage for the Hindus. ************ Status: Preliminary Date: 14 MAY 2012 Time: ca 09:45 Type: Dornier 228-212 Operator: Agni Air Registration: 9N-AIG C/n / msn: 8216 First flight: 1997 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 18 Total: Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 21 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Jomsom (Nepal) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Pokhara Airport (PKR) (PKR/VNPK), Nepal Destination airport: Jomsom Airport (JMO) (JMO/VNJS), Nepal Narrative: A Dornier Do 228 passenger plane was destroyed when it struck the side of a mountain during near Jomsom, Nepal. Fifteen occupants were reportedly killed. The flight departed Pokhara (PKR) on a domestic passenger flight to Jomsom (JMO). www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top India condoles death of 15 people in Nepal air crash NEW DELHI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- India condoled the death of 15 people including 13 Indians in a plane crash at a mountain in northern Nepal on Monday. "I am deeply saddened to hear about the tragic air crash that occurred earlier this morning near Jomsom airport in Nepal," Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in a message. "I would like to convey my deep condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have lost their near and dear ones," he added. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has set up a round-the-clock helpline to provide information about the crash. A dornier aircraft, carrying 21 people, crashed as it tried to land at Jomsom airport considered to be one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world. While 15 people died on the spot, six passengers miraculously survived. Back to Top Climbers try to reach jet's black box in Indonesia An Indonesian helicopter carrying the bodies of victims of Wednesday's plane crash flies through Bogor, in West Java, Indonesia. Clearer weather finally allowed Indonesian helicopters to land Saturday and retrieve some remains of the 45 people aboard a Russian-made plane that crashed into the volcano during a demonstration flight. JAKARTA, Indonesia-Indonesian special forces traversed the sheer slope of a volcano Monday after spotting what appeared to be the flight data recorder of a new Russian-made passenger jet that crashed during a demonstration flight for potential buyers. It's not clear what caused the Sukhoi Superjet-100 to roar into Mount Salak at 800 kph (480 mph) last week. All 45 people aboard are presumed dead, and helicopters have been ferrying the remains to Jakarta, the capital, for identification. Search teams say they spotted what is believed to be the combined voice-and-data recorder, also known as the "black box," peeking from the wreckage at the bottom of a 500-meter (1,500 -foot) ravine, said Tatang Kurniadi, who heads the National Transportation Safety Commission. "We are really hoping they'll reach it sometime today," he said. The Superjet -- Russia's first new model of passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago -- was in Indonesia as part of a six-nation tour of Asia aimed at getting new customers. Soon after take off from a Jakarta airport, the pilot was granted permission to drop from 3,000 meters to 1,800 meters (10,000 feet to 6,000 feet), said Mulya Abdi, general manager of Air Traffic Control in Jakarta. The plane was 11 kilometers (7 miles) north of Mount Salak at the time, an area considered outside the danger zone around the notoriously perilous volcano, he said. But it dropped off the radar immediately after, Abdi said, and then slammed into the jagged, mist-shrouded mountain. A ground proximity warning system should have displayed positions and heights of the mountain and other obstructions on a screen in the cockpit, Indonesian aviation consultant Ruth Simatupang said, but it's possible that data about the terrain in that area had not been properly uploaded. "Something's obviously wrong here," Simatupang said. Patrick Smith, an American airline pilot and aviation author, said it's possible too that the equipment was not installed or for some reason was not turned on. "But at this juncture, we have no idea what was going on up there," he said. "It's too early to try and pinpoint a cause." There also was no sign after the disaster of the plane's emergency locator, which should have transmitted signals on various radio frequencies when it slammed into the cliff. That slowed efforts to locate the wreckage. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/05/14/climbers_try_to_reach_jets_black_box_in_indonesia/ Back to Top Float plane in deadly crash near Peachland, B.C. Thick smoke rises from where a float plane crashed into heavy brush some 100 metres from Highway 97C, near Peachland, B.C, on Sunday. A float plane carrying three people has crashed and burned near Peachland, in B.C.'s Okanagan region, about 25 kilometres southwest of Kelowna. CBC reporter Jackie Sharkey said the coroner at the scene confirmed one death, but emergency crews were waiting for first light to conduct what would be a recovery operation, as no survivors were expected. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria confirmed that a single-engine de Havilland Beaver plane crashed Sunday evening near Brenda Mines Road and Highway 97C. RCMP Const. Claudette St. Thomas said witnesses reported the crash. "They noticed that the airplane turned around and started heading back towards the Merritt area as if it were looking for a landing area, possibly the highway and ... the plane went down." Weather conditions were good at the time of the crash. Fire rescue crews attend the scene of the crash, where one person was confirmed dead and two others are also believed to have died. (CBC) Earlier reports said the plane was carrying five people, but Capt. Greg Clarke from the rescue centre said only three were on board when the plane was en route to Pitt Meadows from Kelowna. Two may have been dropped off prior to the incident. Crews from B.C. Ambulance and Kelowna Fire Department responded to the crash, which happened around 6:45 p.m. A spokesman said the Transportation Safety Board will send investigators to the scene in the morning to examine the crash site to determine a cause. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/05/14/bc-plane-crash.html *********** Date: 13-MAY-2012 Time: 6:45 p.m. Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Operator: Private Registration: C-.... C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Just off Highway 97 near Brenda Mines, B.C, Canada - Canada Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Okanagan Lake Destination airport: Pitt Meadows Narrative: A float plane carrying three people on their way back to the Lower Mainland from Okanagan Lake crashed just off Highway 97 near Brenda Mines Sunday night 13 May 2012 and burst into flames. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Flight recorders found in crashed Sukhoi Jakarta, May 14 - Flight recorders of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) that crashed in Indonesia killing 45 people, were found Sunday in a deep gorge but will be brought out Monday, officials said. On Sunday, the Indonesian special police force also found the engines and the running gear of the SSJ-100, RIA Novosti reported citing Indonesian web portal Detik.com. "The flight data recorders have been found today (Sunday) but we cannot raise them to the surface yet," said Tatang Kurniadi, head of the National Transport Safety Committee. The jet disappeared from radar screens during a demonstration flight about 20 minutes after takeoff and crashed into a steep mountainside at Mount Salak outside Jakarta. All the people onboard including eight Russians, one American, one French, two Italians and 33 Indonesians died. Police found the flight data recorders on the fifth day of the rescue and search effort at a depth of 500 metres, local rescue coordinator Soma Suparsa told VIVAnews. The Russian embassy in Indonesia confirmed that the flight recorders had been found. "We confirm that, according to the chief of the Indonesian rescue team, the site where the flight recorders could be lying has been discovered," said Dmitry Solodov, the press attache of the embassy. Special Troops Major S. Tambunan told Detik.com that the running gear and the engines were intact while the fuselage would require a special recovery effort. "The running gear, the left-side and the right-side engines are undamaged, the fuselage is possibly trapped under 10 cubic metres of land slides," he said. Rescuers also found several bodies near the jet wreckage, presumably crewmembers. All of them were brought out, Tambunan said. The Indonesian rescue operation headquarters told RIA Novosti the rescuers had found the burnt documents of a Russian crewmember from the crash site and delivered them to Jakarta. The aircraft had experienced no technical problems ahead of the flight. http://india.nydailynews.com/business/3d6a7bd62de40a55672fe82cedbbb4ae/flight-recorders-found-in-crashed-sukhoi Back to Top Crash sours Russian hopes of a civilian aviation revival Russia's efforts to regain the position as a world-class industrial nation that it lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago suffered a serious setback last week when its much-vaunted Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner crashed into an Indonesian mountain while on a demonstration flight. All 45 people on the plane - crew, journalists, airline representatives and Russian diplomats - were killed when it crashed into Mount Salak about 50 kilometres south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The Superjet 100 is the first commercial airliner developed and built by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union and is intended to compete with Canada's Bombardier and Brazil's Embraer in the market for regional carriers of up to 100 passengers. It is intended by the Russian government to be the first step along the road to the revival of the country's once-significant civil aviation industry and to spur the reindustrialization of Russia, whose economy for the past 20 years has become increasingly dependent on the sale of natural resources. So far, there is no judgment on whether the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction or pilot error. If the investigation shows the cause was human error, it will not be as serious a blow to the rebirth of Russia's aero-space industry as it would be if a design or construction fault is blamed. Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006 flagged the Superjet 100 as a priority project and pushed the formation of a giant state aircraft holding company, United Aviation Corporation (UAC), to oversee the revival of the commercial aero-space industry. Russia has maintained a military aviation industry with modernized versions of old Soviet-era warplanes such as the Sukhoi SU-30 and the MiG-35. These have been sold both to the Russian air force and to China, India, Malaysia and Venezuela. There has been only limited development of new warplanes of which the most innovative is the Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter-bomber being produced jointly with India. But the civilian aviation industry was allowed to become almost entirely moribund. But now, Moscow plans to invest about $55 billion in aviation development by 2025. By that time, Moscow wants to be producing airliners to compete with the world's two major manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, and to capture about 10 per cent of the global market. However, to achieve that, Russia is having to relearn and develop skills lost since the death of the industry that once produced Illyushin, Tupolev and Antonov aircraft. The Superjet 100 is a partnership project, primarily with French and Italian aviation companies, though even Boeing has acted as a consultant. About 70 per cent of the plane, which is assembled at Komsomolsk-on-Amur north of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, is made from components manufactured abroad. The Superjet 100's maiden flight was in May 2008, and it first went into commercial ser-vice in April last year. So far, four prototypes have been built, as well as eight versions of the plane, which are in commercial service in Russia and Armenia. Last week's crash came on the fourth leg of a six-stage Asian tour aimed at selling the plane to regional carriers. The plane, its crew and sales team had already visited Burma, Pakistan and Kazakhstan and were going on from Indonesia to Vietnam and Laos. UAC hopes to sell about 1,000 of the Superjet 100s, 70 per cent of them in the inter-national market, though only about 200 have been ordered so far. The sales pitch for the Super-jet 100 emphasizes its lower costs than its Embraer and Bombardier competitors. The Russian planes cost about $24 million each, and UAC claims they are up to eight per cent cheaper to operate than their Canadian and Brazilian rivals. Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Crash+sours+Russian+hopes+civilian+aviation+revival/6616409/story.html#ixzz1uqXEIgVm Back to Top Back to Top FAA proposes $210,000 civil penalty against Alaska Airlines The FAA is proposing a civil penalty of $210,000 against Seattle-based Alaska Airlines (AS) for allegedly failing to properly document and tag deactivated systems and equipment before making repairs. In a statement, the FAA alleged that on 10 occasions between June 19, 2010, and Jan.13, 2011, AS performed maintenance on six of its Boeing 737 airplanes but failed to document the alternative actions it took and install the appropriate danger tag. "These requirements are safety measures designed to reduce hazards to technicians during maintenance and to prevent potential damage to the aircraft and onboard systems," FAA said. An AS spokesman told ATW, "In these instances, Alaska performed the required maintenance work according to the aircraft manufacturer's specifications; however, we did not properly document the alternate procedure. The maintenance was performed during ground operational checks and at no time were passengers or employees in danger." Since receiving the letter of investigation, AS said it has "implemented a number of changes to ensure compliance, including revising the maintenance manual, implementing a new training program for aircraft technicians and performing routine compliance audits. We are also working cooperatively with the FAA to resolve the proposed penalty," the spokesman told ATW. AS has 30 days to respond to the agency. http://atwonline.com/international-aviation-regulation/news/faa-proposes-210000-civil-penalty-against-alaska-airlines-051 Back to Top Pinnacle aims to ease pilot error policy Bankrupt parent of Flight 3407 carrier wants review after 2nd training failure, not 1st WASHINGTON -- In hopes of saving money under bankruptcy, Pinnacle Airlines -- which owns the regional carrier that operated the plane that crashed in Clarence Center in 2009 due to pilot error -- is hoping to cut back on its reviews of pilots who make mistakes in training. In a document filed with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York last week, Pinnacle asked the court to approve a plan that would set up a review board to evaluate a pilot's problems after his or her second failure during training. The previous policy -- and the industry standard, according to the Flight Safety Foundation -- is to set up a Pilot Training Review Board after a pilot's first training failure. "It's a concern," said William R. Voss, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "You want to be as proactive as possible on any training problem." Susan Bourque, one of the leading members of the Families of Continental Flight 3407, which plummeted to the ground after the crew incorrectly programmed the plane's computer and mishandled the response to a stall warning, agreed. "The change for convening the Pilot Training Review Board from the first failure to the second is an action that seems to directly undermine safety," said Bourque, whose sister Beverly Eckert, a 9/11 activist, was among the 50 people who died in the February 2009 crash. "The impact on the overall safety and safety culture of the airline could be compromised." At issue is something that is not required by law but that virtually all airlines do: review the pilots' performance in the continual training they receive throughout their careers, as well as the airline's training programs themselves. Aviation industry sources said airlines routinely convene Pilot Training Review Boards after a pilot fails a test flight or another portion of a training regimen. The idea is to find out why the pilot failed -- was it poor training, a personal issue or something else that caused the problem? -- as well as to discover how the airline's pilot training programs can be improved. "Absolutely, it's the industry standard to convene a [Pilot Training Review Board] after the first failure," Voss said. "It would be unusual to do so only after the second." Waiting for a pilot's second failure could delay correcting a serious problem with the pilot's skill's or the airline's training program, Voss said. Pinnacle spokesman Joe F. Williams said the industry standard for convening the review board was to do so after a pilot's second failure in training. "We have found the present rule to be unnecessary and potentially disruptive to the training program because pulling one of the pilots out of a pairing impacts the continuity of training," Williams said in a statement. "The vast majority of pilots who have a problem early in training get additional training, pass and go on their way. By handling it this way, the continuity of training remains intact." Williams' statement did not respond to a request to comment on the cost savings of the change in policy for pilots who fail in training. But Voss found it odd that Pinnacle felt it needed to cut back on a safety policy that isn't frequently invoked. "How much could this cost?" he asked. "It's not like this sort of thing happens all the time." There's no doubt that Pinnacle needs to cut costs. The company filed for bankruptcy in early April, telling its employees that it would run out of cash by the middle of that month without the cost-cutting moves it announced in its first Bankruptcy Court filings. And in the submission to the court last week where Pinnacle noted its shift on pilot training, the company also asked the Air Line Pilots Association for steep concessions. In negotiations with the union, the company will seek a 5.8 percent pay cut from most pilots and to replace its comprehensive health care plan with something more like catastrophic coverage, with annual deductibles of at least $1,000 for single pilots and $2,000 for those with families. The typical Pinnacle captain makes between $60,000 and $70,000 a year, but the average co-pilot earns $30,000, with a base salary of about $28,000 -- far greater than the $16,000 that the co-pilot of Flight 3407 was paid. "The concessions we are seeking are fair and reasonable, and we plan to have all work groups -- union and non-union, front-line and management -- participate in cost reduction efforts," Williams said. Still, the company's attempt to cut salaries and benefits could have a negative impact, Bourque said. "What I suspect is, an increase in the pilots' contributions for their health insurance and short and long-term disability coverage would add financial stress to their lives, too," she said. But the attempt to cut back on reviews for pilots who fail during training prompted the most concern among flight safety advocates, including Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul, D-Amherst. "The crash of Continental Flight 3407 demonstrated the tragic consequences of inadequate pilot training," said Hochul, whose district includes the crash site. "As the parent company of Colgan Air, the operator of Flight 3407, I expect Pinnacle would now aim to meet or exceed industry training standards, not lag behind them." Voss was equally perplexed by the company's move, which it revealed in a two-line reference in a 29-page document that focused mainly on its request for concessions from the pilot union. "They probably didn't expect anyone to read it," Voss said. http://www.buffalonews.com/city/capital-connection/washington/article855388.ece Back to Top Indonesia airline boom raises new safety questions JAKARTA, Indonesia - Dozens of fledgling airlines that have sprung up to serve Indonesia's island-hopping new middle class could jeopardize the archipelago's recently improved safety reputation, aviation experts say. Sponsored LinksThe trend threatens to erode higher standards established during what one analyst called a "tremendous amount of soul searching" by major carriers and the government after 2007, when frequent crashes prompted the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines from landing on its runways for two years. With growth rates of nearly 20% per year, Indonesia is one of Asia's most rapidly expanding airline markets, but the country is struggling to provide qualified pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and updated airport technology to ensure safety. And with so many new, small carriers, it's hard to monitor all their standards. "We are not ready for this boom," said Ruth Simatupang, an Indonesian aviation consultant and former safety investigator. Indonesia's two largest airlines - national carrier Garuda and rapidly expanding boutique airline Lion Air- haven't had a fatal accident in five years and eight years, respectively. But small passenger and cargo carriers plus military aircraft have kept the frequency of crashes to about once every two months, according to statistics compiled by the Aviation Safety Network. Just how fast Indonesia's airline market is growing came under a spotlight with Wednesday's deadly crash of a Sukhoi Superjet- 100 plane during a demonstration flight. While both the plane and the pilot were Russian, the flight was packed with representatives of local airlines that the manufacturer hoped would purchase the jetliner. The number of air passengers in Indonesia jumped by 10 million in a year to 53 million in 2010, according to the government statistics agency, and the upward trend continued last year. "Infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the growth of the airlines," said Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst in Singapore for Standard & Poors. He said the government needs to "spend a vast amount of money" to expand safety monitoring for the new carriers and invest in airport runways and technology. He added that the relative ease with which new airlines can be established, though tightened in recent years, has been a concern in the aviation community for years. In the past five years, Indonesia has added 36 new passenger and cargo airlines, bringing the total to 86 - many of them small carriers serving outlying islands where the only travel alternatives are ferries. Feeding the demand for new air routes are Indonesia's population of 240 million, its geography of 18,000 islands and an economy that grew at a 6.5% clip last year, creating a larger middle class eager to travel. "Indonesia is a natural market for growth," said Brendan Sobie, chief Southeast Asia representative for the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. "It's one of the world's biggest populations and one of the world's most underserved markets for airlines." Transportation official Herry Bakti Singayuda insists that Indonesia's rapid airline growth is still compatible with safety. "We evaluate the operators," said Singayuda, who directs the Air Transport Department under the Ministry of Transportation. "We control that growth based on their capability, their facilities and personnel." He added that the government has expanded flight schools, hired new inspectors and added 10 regional offices to keep up with the new airlines. Yusof agrees the government and major carriers have markedly improved safety standards in the five years since the EU blacklist, which followed fatal crashes by Garuda and now-defunct Adam Air in 2007. The government responded with a raft of new regulations and training schools, while Garuda invested millions of dollars to train staff and upgrade its fleet. Lion Air, which recently placed the largest-ever order for Boeing aircraft - 230 planes listed at some $22 billion - has also sought to improve safety, though it took a blow when several of its pilots were arrested in recent months with illicit drugs. "Garuda and Lion Air have done a tremendous amount of soul searching in terms of safety and in bringing in experts ... to help them clean up their act," Yusof said. The newer airlines, however, may need more scrutiny. Smaller airlines serving the domestic market may have less money to invest in training and hiring qualified pilots and mechanics, said Simatupang, the Indonesian aviation consultant. "There are a lot of new pilots whose flying hours don't meet the minimum standards, but because the operators need them, they use them sometimes," she said. Like Yusof, Simatupang called on the government to do more to regulate the new airlines. "I always say to the government, please do the new infrastructure and safety regulations first," she said. "And then allow the airlines to expand http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-05-14/Indonesia-airline-boom-raises-new-safety-questions/54949160/1 Back to Top Cessna Announces Long-Range Citation Business Jet GENEVA, May 14, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. /quotes/zigman/243306/quotes/nls/txt TXT -0.58% company, today introduced its newest and longest-range business jet, the Citation Longitude at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). This launch follows on the heels of Cessna's announcement, just over six months ago, of the new Citation M2 and Citation Latitude. Boasting a 4,000-nautical-mile range and a maximum speed of Mach .86, the Citation Longitude will make a non-stop flight from New York to Paris, London to Dubai or Beijing to Moscow. At a price of $25.999 million, Cessna believes that the Citation Longitude is the best value 4,000-nautical-mile super mid-size business jet available. Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO said: "The Citation Longitude sets itself apart with the largest Citation cabin, intercontinental range and a price point unmatched by other business jets with similar performance. This super mid-size jet sets a new standard for cabin efficiency, connectivity and stylish comfort." The Citation Longitude will be powered by two Silvercrest engines, with 11,000 pounds of thrust, made by Snecma (Safran group). These engines lead the industry in fuel efficiency, weight and maintainability. The engines will be on an on-condition maintenance plan, which is expected to reduce the operating costs of the aircraft because maintenance intervals will be extended significantly. "We are thrilled to bring the Silvercrest engine to Cessna customers because of its best-in-class efficiency, reliability and quality," Ernest said. "This engine is expected to take the Citation Longitude to a new level and give our customers the range, efficiency and noise-reduction they need to be successful in today's competitive environment." The Citation Longitude's state-of-the-art cockpit features Garmin G5000 avionics with touch-screen controls and all of the capabilities required to comply with emerging operating requirements for intercontinental aircraft, including FANS/CPDLC, ADSB and RNP. With space for a crew of two plus up to eight passengers and one optional additional crew member seat, the Citation Longitude features a stand-up 6-foot (1.8 meter) high, 31-foot (9.4 meters) flat floor passenger cabin. Cessna's intelligent cabin technology developed specifically for the Citation line, Clairity(TM), will be standard on the Longitude to provide each passenger the 'ultimate connectivity experience.' Cabin seat configuration options include a dual-club eight-seat arrangement and a four-place forward club with a three-place couch and entertainment credenza. Cabin-length indirect LED lighting is provided overhead in the passenger service units with variable adjustment for direct reading lights and more. For long-distance travel comfort, the cabin is equipped with a dual-zone temperature control, a fully operational galley with an oven and cold storage along with a pressurized water system. The aircraft features a large lavatory equipped with a vacuum-assist toilet. The cabin also features in-flight access to a spacious baggage storage area. As the longest-range business jet in Cessna's product line, the Citation Longitude is designed to offer an estimated full fuel payload of 1,950 pounds (884.5 kilograms), a maximum cruise speed of 490 knots true airspeed (907.4 kilometers per hour) and a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles (7408 kilometers). The aircraft will have a maximum overall width of 86 feet (26.2 meters) and maximum overall length of 87 feet (26.5 meters) with a gently swept wing and advanced winglets for greater range, with improved hot/high performance, climb and fuel burn. Entry into service is expected in 2017. About Cessna Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company. Since its inception in 1927, Cessna has designed, produced and delivered more than 193,500 airplanes around the globe. This includes more than 6,300 Citation business jets, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. Today, Cessna has two principal lines of business: aircraft sales and aftermarket services. Aircraft sales include Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine utility turboprops, single-engine piston aircraft and lift solutions by CitationAir. Aftermarket services include parts, maintenance, inspection and repair services. In 2011, Cessna delivered 689 aircraft, including 183 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of $2.990 billion. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at cessna.com. SOURCE: Textron Back to Top EBACE: Flight Safety Foundation chief Voss highlights business aviation safety issues at EBACE The Flight Safety Foundation's debut as an EBACE (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition) exhibitor (Stand 2068 - Hall 5) is designed to bring added awareness of safety issues that affect the business aviation community. Statistics prove that some of them, like the FSF's Runway Safety Initiative, affect business aircraft operators more than other air transport sectors. Chairman and chief executive Bill Voss says: "Our presence at EBACE 2012 reflects our decades of continuing service to business aviation. Issues such as the protection of safety data, and discouraging the criminalisation of human error by pilots and controllers are vital to protecting this industry, as seen in recent high-profile incidents here in Europe and elsewhere." He adds: "The FSF is dedicated to sharing best practices on go-arounds, runway safety and duty/rest guidelines." Business aircraft have a far higher rate of runway overruns than the airlines do, and not only because they frequently land on limiting runways. Studies show a reluctance among business aviation pilots to make a go-around decision, yet the FSF also has data that shows the danger of badly executed go-arounds. FSF membership directors Susan Lausch and Kelcey Mitchell are on the stand to provide operators with guidance on safety and other issues. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ebace-flight-safety-foundation-chief-voss-highlights-business-aviation-safety-issues-at- ebace-371744/ Back to Top JetBlue makes no-fly list mistake, removes toddler FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) - Officials say an 18-month-old girl was mistakenly pulled off a JetBlue flight before it left Fort Lauderdale because airline employees thought her name was on the U.S. no-fly list. An airline employee boarded the Newark, N.J.-bound flight before it departed Tuesday evening, telling the family their toddler was on the federal list that includes thousands of known or suspected terrorists. JetBlue on Thursday blamed the problem on a computer glitch, saying employees were following proper protocol. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says the girl never was flagged by the agency. The child's parents told ABC affiliate WPBF they believe they were targeted because they are of Middle Eastern descent and the mother wears a hijab. The family was cleared to re-board. But they declined, saying they were too embarrassed. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC