Flight Safety Information June 13, 2012 - No. 121 In This Issue Utah air tanker veered from spotter plane's path before crash C-5 Airplane with In-flight Emergency Lands Safely at Westover Turbulence grounds jet in Lake Charles, injuries on board Regulators ground Air Nigeria for audit Odor forces Southwest flight back to Oakland International Airport ARGUS PROS Aviation Auditing London Air Services Orders Five Learjet 75 Aircraft Poor aircraft handling infrastructure hampering growth of African airlines Qantas' Joyce is the new IATA Chairman FAA Updates Electronic Flight Bag Guidance Utah air tanker veered from spotter plane's path before crash SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - An airplane tanker that crashed while dropping flame retardant on a Utah wildfire last week veered from the path of the spotter plane in front of it before slamming into a mountainside, a preliminary report on the accident said on Tuesday. The deaths of the tanker's two-man crew -- pilot Todd Tompkins, 48, and co-pilot Ronnie Chambless, 40 -- marked the year's first fatalities among personnel fighting U.S. wildfires this year. The privately owned Lockheed Martin P2V, flying under contract for the U.S. Forest Service, crashed June 3 on a forested mountain in the Hamlin Valley area of southwestern Utah while battling the so-called White Rock Fire. A two-paragraph initial report on the crash posted on the website of the National Transportation Safety Board does not rule out mechanical failures or other possible causes for the accident. It also does not indicate whether smoke from the blaze, which had burned from Nevada into Utah, caused visibility problems for the pilots. They were both from Boise, Idaho, worked for the Neptune Aviation company, based in Missoula, Montana, and had taken off that day from Cedar City, Utah. "At this point we have not ruled out much of anything. We are just documenting what we know," NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said. The air tanker, designated Tanker 11, had taken off 32 minutes before the crash and was trailing a smaller lead plane over a fire-retardant drop zone in a valley just under a half-mile wide and 350 feet deep, the report said. A lead plane is used to guide air tankers in the suppression of wildfires. The spotter aircraft dipped to an altitude of 150 feet above the valley floor and made a shallow right turn toward the final drop area, the report said. "While making the right turn on to final (approach) behind the lead plane, Tanker 11 impacted rising terrain that was about 700 feet left of the lead airplane's flight path," the report stated. The plane's flight recorder was recovered by investigators, and its data will be analyzed along with pieces of the aircraft removed from the crash site, Holloway said. A final report is expected within 18 months. The fatal crash was followed on June 8 by the death of a firefighter in Arizona, who was in a vehicle that rolled over en route to a blaze in the Baboquivari Mountains. Back to Top C-5 Airplane with In-flight Emergency Lands Safely at Westover CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB) - A C-5 aircraft has landed safely after its flight crew declared an inflight emergency. Westover Spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Biscoe says that earlier in the afternoon, a C-5 declared an in-flight emergency after a problem was indicated during the flight. He said that the initial indication is that there was a problem with the plane's anti-skid system. However, military officials continue to investigate. Biscoe says that the plane landed safely around 1:45 p.m. at Westover. He commends the crew on the safe landing, saying that it was "airmanship at its finest, getting the plane down safely on a shorter runway." No injuries were reported. It is not known how much damage was sustained to the plane. http://www.wggb.com/2012/06/12/c-5-airplane-with-in-flight-emergency-lands-safely- at-westover/ Back to Top Turbulence grounds jet in Lake Charles, injuries on board LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - It was a rough ride for 88 passengers and crew aboard a commercial flight Tuesday night that landed in Lake Charles. Emergency crews responded to Lake Charles Regional Airport after 9 p.m. after reports of injuries on board a United Airlines flight from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport bound for New York's LaGuardia Airport. Lake Charles Regional Airport Director Heath Allen said at least 3 members of the flight crew were taken to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Tuesday night. First class passenger Jeff Hornback recalled what happened. "We were about 30 minutes into the flight and the flight attendants were preparing to serve drinks. Right about that time we hit some really severe turbulence and people who weren't buckled in or the flight attendants flew up and hit the ceiling of the plane and immediately were slammed down to the floor of the plane," said Hornback. An EMT on board the flight did what he could while emergency crews on the ground were already responding to assist. "Acadian Ambulance and the fire fighters got the call when the aircraft was about 20 miles out, which doesn't account for a whole lot of time in between. So it all happened very quickly," said Allen. Hornback is a frequent flier and said even the flight crew was taken by surprise. "I heard both the pilot and a flight attendant say that they had been flying for 20 or 30 years and had never seen anything like what they had saw today," said Hornback. According to Allen passengers were removed from the aircraft before a relief flight crew arrived from Houston so the flight could continue to LaGuardia in New York. After being grounded for several hours the plane left around 2:30 Wednesday morning on its way to New York. One of the flight attendants is in serious condition, still in the hospital and being treated for significant injuries. The other two flight attendants are expected to be okay. The turbulence happened as strong storms moved through the region. Flights were delayed in Houston and some flights were diverted due to the weather according to the website flightaware.com Flightaware's website reports the flight was United 1632 and departed Houston at 8:28 p.m. Tuesday. The planned altitude was 39,000 feet, but it's not known if the aircraft reached cruising altitude when it encountered trouble. http://www.wafb.com/story/18772687/turbulence-grounds-jet-in-lake-charles- passengers-injured Back to Top Regulators ground Air Nigeria for audit The entire fleet of Air Nigeria, one of the country's thriving indigenous airlines, has been grounded to allow the regulatory Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to audit the Nigeria flag carrier, the local media reported Wednesday. The report quoted NCAA spokesman Sam Adurogboye as saying: "It is a routine action to enable us look at the airline's operations before allowing it to go back to operations again, having been on strike for days. This is normal."? The airline's pilots and engineers, under the umbrella National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), have recently called off the strike they called to press for better welfare. "I want to announce here officially that the strike was called off and our members went back to work and the airline was not grounded due to safety reasons as we did communicate to the press, but due to welfare package,'' NAAPE President Isaac Balami said. The audit of Air Nigeria comes shortly after the 3 June crash of a McDonnell Douglas 83 plane operated by local DANA Air, which killed all 153 passengers and crew on board and six persons on ground. The crash has raised concerns over the age and maintenance of the aircraft being operated by Nigerian airlines. A former top staff of Air Nigeria recently warned Nigerians against patronising the airline, saying it has a poor maintenance record. In a stinging public statement, Mr. John I. Nnorom, a former Executive Director for Finance at Air Nigeria, said the airline was in a financial mess, hence could not put its planes in top shape. "While passengers are waiting, engineers are battling to put the aircraft on air. Several times our aircraft on runway taxing to takeoff, turns back to offload passengers due to some technical faults observed by Pilots," he said. http://www.africanmanager.com/site_eng/detail_article.php?art_id=18535 Back to Top Odor forces Southwest flight back to Oakland International Airport right after takeoff OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Officials say a Southwest Airlines plane returned to Oakland International Airport just after takeoff after a smell was reported in the cabin and a flight attendant felt sick. Crew members alerted the airport around 7:22 a.m. Tuesday - about ten minutes after the flight left for Burbank - that they were turning around. Airport spokeswoman Joanne Holloway said the plane landed a few minutes later. The flight attendant was able to walk off on her own, but was examined by emergency medical technicians and taken to the hospital. The source of the odor was not immediately clear. The plane was carrying more than 130 passengers. Back to Top Back to Top London Air Services Orders Five Learjet 75 Aircraft First Canadian launch customer for the new Learjet 75 aircraft MONTREAL, QUEBEC, Jun 13, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Business aviation leader Bombardier today announced that London Air Services (LAS) has placed firm orders for five Learjet 75 aircraft, valued at approximately $65 million U.S., based on the 2012 list price for typically equipped aircraft. LAS is the first Canadian operator to place a firm order for the new light jet. "The Learjet 75 jet is a perfect blend of high-technology features, modern cabin design and legendary Learjet aircraft performance that operators are striving for," stated Wynne Powell, President and Chief Executive Officer, London Air Services. "The new jet will be a great complement to our existing fleet of Bombardier business aircraft." A leading charter service provider based in Richmond, B.C., LAS currently has a fleet of five Learjet 45 XR aircraft, one Challenger 604 aircraft, two Challenger 605 jets and a Global 7000 business jet arriving in 2017. "London Air Services is a premier fleet operator and early adopter of Bombardier business aircraft, having been a launch customer for several of our products, including being the Canadian launch customer for our new Global 7000 jet" said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "We're honoured, once again, by the confidence they have in our products, people and services." Performance The Learjet 75 aircraft will have improved performance through an engine thrust increase with the Honeywell TFE731-40BR engines, offering improved takeoff field length performance over its predecessor, the Honeywell TFE731-20BR. The new systems will also contribute to a weight savings gain and the new canted winglets will improve aerodynamic efficiency. Overall, Bombardier expects up to a nine per cent improvement in field performance under hot and high conditions(i) and up to a four per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. Cabin Based on the Learjet 85 aircraft tyling and technology, the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft include: improved comfort and styling of the seats with full executive seating; cabin management system featuring individual touchscreen monitors with full audio and video control; LED lighting throughout the entire aircraft; a generous baggage suite and a spacious galley for optimized catering, work and storage space. The Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft, with their advanced connectivity options, will ensure the highest levels of convenience. Vision Flight Deck A breakthrough in business aviation, the Vision Flight Deck is designed to deliver a completely new cockpit experience. By combining the best in technological advancements with superior designer aesthetics, it provides pilots flying Bombardier's Learjet aircraft an unprecedented level of control and comfort. The Vision Flight Deck for Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft features the fully integrated Garmin G5000 digital avionics suite, designed with leading-edge technology and one of the most intuitive crew interfaces available. Operating costs The aircraft will be supported by a maintenance program designed to allow customers to operate to fixed interval inspections at Bombardier's growing worldwide support and services infrastructure upon entry-into-service with a generous 600-flight-hour inspection interval. In addition, direct operating costs will be reduced as a result of the performance efficiency gains. Learjet 75 aircraft: With a maximum range of greater than 2,000 nautical miles at cruise speeds up to Mach 0.75, the Learjet 75 aircraft will be able to fly four passengers and two crew members non-stop from Los Angeles to Toronto and Mumbai to Bangkok(ii). Additionally, it will be able to handle a range of close to 1,950 nautical miles with eight passengers(ii). About Bombardier Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. Disclaimer: the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75 aircraft program is currently in the development phase and as such is subject to changes in family strategy, branding, capacity, performance, design and/or systems. All specifications and data are approximate, may change without notice and are subject to certain operating rules, assumptions and other conditions. This document does not constitute an offer, commitment, representation, guarantee or warranty of any kind. The configuration and performance of the aircraft may differ from the descriptions provided and, together with any related commitment, representations, guarantee or warranty, shall be determined in a final purchase agreement. Bombardier, Challenger 640, Challenger 605, Global 7000, Learjet, Learjet 45, Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Learjet 85, Vision Flight Deck and XR are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. (i) ISA +15 degrees C (86 degrees F) and 5,000 ft. elevation (ii) Under certain operating conditions Back to Top Poor aircraft handling infrastructure hampering growth of African airlines (eTN) - African airlines are facing a tough going due to poor airport infrastructure coupled with a lack of information technology in the aviation sector. Air transport and aviation experts said poor infrastructure in most African airports remain a constraint to smooth operation of airlines. This includes poor communications facilities at airports, unreliable power supply to the runways, and paved taxing ways. Taking Tanzania as a quick African nation lacking reliable aircraft handling services, experts said pilots are able to fly during the day, because most airports across this biggest country in East Africa lack night landing and taking off lights. Precision Air, the fastest-growing airline in Tanzania, has been feeling the pinch when looking at new areas to extend its wings to cover more areas in this African nation. The airline's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alfonse Kioko, said poor infrastructure distracts the airline from covering more areas despite growing demand for air transport. Mr. Kioko said it became a situation where airplanes are parked shortly after sunset due to poor facilities at airports. "We have enough and a large fleet of airplanes, while we can increase [the] number of flights, but poor infrastructure is a setback," Mr. Kioko said. He said the airline was in a position to offer better services not only for satisfying the domestic market, but also other market demand in the African region. According to him, it is the only airline registered by the International Airlines Ticketing Association (IATA) with IATA Operational Safety Authority (IOSA). Under IOTA, there is a practice of e- ticket technology, which increases efficiency for meeting customers' needs, according to him. Other than local or domestic flights, Precision Air is eyeing Lusaka in Zambia, Lubumbashi in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lilongwe in Malawi and Juba in Southern Sudan, Luanda in Angola, and Pemba. Currently, the airline operates regional flights covering Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Comoros. Its listed international route is Dubai, out of the African continent. The airline operates a total of 12 fleets. Mr. Kioko said most African airlines were performing poorly with peanut profits as a result of higher operation costs. This is caused by a lack of information technology (IT) in the aviation sector. High taxes and tariffs, on the other hand, strangle African airlines, which count up to over 65 percent of their incomes absorbed in fuel and taxes imposed in fuel. Almost 40 percent of passenger revenue goes to fuel. In recent years, the price of fuel has doubled. In order to reduce airlines running costs for effective and smooth development of the airline industry in this continent, there was a great need for governments to improve airports and handling infrastructure also reviewing fuel levies. Aircraft spare parts have been counted to be expensive for most airlines to afford, and this situation had so far detracted smooth development of air transport in Africa. Airline and air transport delegates who will attend the 7th edition of Routes Africa has increased to 61 participating members, and the organizing team of Routes Africa 2012 is anticipating even greater numbers of delegates for the event, according to organizers. A total of 16 carriers have registered to take part in Routes Africa 2012 in Seychelles. http://www.eturbonews.com/29690/ Back to Top Qantas' Joyce is the new IATA Chairman Source : International Air Transport Association The IATA announced that Qantas Airways CEO and Managing Director Alan Joyce has assumed his duties as Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors. Joyce succeeds KLM President and CEO Peter Hartman, whose one-year term expired at the conclusion of the Association's 68th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Beijing. Joyce's appointment is effective immediately and is for one year, ending with the conclusion of IATA's 69th AGM, to be held in Cape Town, South Africa. A 24-year veteran of the airline industry, Joyce has led Qantas since November 2008. He was CEO of Jetstar from 2003 to 2008. Prior to that, he spent over 15 years in leadership positions at Qantas, Ansett, and Aer Lingus. Joyce is the third Qantas CEO to serve as Chairman of IATA's Board of Governors, following most recently James Strong (1999-2000). "IATA plays a critical role in the industry and I am honored to take on the role of leading its Board of Governors. The top priorities, as always, will be safety, security, and sustainability. On top of that, I want to see IATA continue to deliver value to its members by being a strong advocate for the industry. Aviation delivers enormous economic benefits-supporting some 57 million jobs and $2.2 trillion in economic activity. We need to ensure that governments understand what is at stake when they are making key decisions on taxes, regulation, and capacity expansion," said Joyce. "Our Association owes a debt of gratitude to Peter Hartman, for his resolute leadership of IATA during a challenging year. The European sovereign debt crisis put new pressures on the air transport industry. Along with this, global political tension rose as a result of Europe's unilateral and extra-territorial inclusion of aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme," said Tony Tyler, IATA's Director General and CEO. "I would also like to thank Peter for his personal support and guidance during my first year in office. "I am confident that Alan is the right person to lead IATA's Board of Governors as the Association strives to deliver even greater value to our members. Our ambitious agenda over the next year includes developing the foundation standards for a new distribution capability, pushing forward progress on Checkpoint of the Future, and working through the International Civil Aviation Organization to achieve a global approach on positive economic measures to help manage aviation's 2% contribution to manmade carbon emissions. All of this will be done in an economic environment that is likely to become even more challenging," said Tyler. IATA also announced that the Board of Governors appointed Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, to serve as Chairman from June 2013, following Joyce's term. http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=10089 Back to Top FAA Updates Electronic Flight Bag Guidance The FAA released Advisory Circular 120-76B late last week, updating the "Guidelines for the Certification, Airworthiness and Operational Use of Portable Electronic Flight Bags." Naturally, much of the interest surrounding the updated AC involves how it applies to tablet computers such as the Apple iPad, which has gained a huge following among pilots in all segments of aviation. According to NBAA senior manager of finances and tax policy (and formerly part of the Operations Service Group) Scott O'Brien, "It's a safety-based document." The AC outlines processes that the FAA recommends for safely incorporating portable EFBs, including the recommendation for rapid decompression and non-interference testing and battery safety and backups. Part of the AC is confusing, O'Brien explained, because while the document applies primarily to fractional and commercial operations, it implies that Part 91 operators of heavy jets should consider following the AC guidance as well because they must fly with current charts. O'Brien suggests that Part 91 operators using iPads or tablets in the cockpit "be prepared to document what your mitigation strategies are," even though this isn't required by regulation. "It's in your best interest to document what your plan is. Using the guidance here, you can do that pretty easily." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2012-06-12/faa-updates-electronic- flight-bag-guidance Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC