Flight Safety Information August 15, 2012 - No. 165 In This Issue Indonesian Investigation Shows Human Error Contributed to Russian Jet Crash Ryanair emergency landings 'followed procedure' TSA to investigate racial profiling claims Lights go out along Port Columbus runway, diverting some flights (Ohio) Aviation safety to benefit heart patients 3 charged in airplane inspection fraud scheme PRISM Certification Support Aircraft radar shows pilots airspace in 3-D 10-year-old girl flying alone on United left stranded at Chicago airport Industry analysis: FAA cuts under sequester would be costly Pakistan's Airblue to double fleet within two years 'Black box' standards coming for cars Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS) on 12-13 September 2012 Indonesian Investigation Shows Human Error Contributed to Russian Jet Crash The flight data recorder of a crashed Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger jet is displayed during a press conference in Jakarta. JAKARTA - Indonesia's preliminary report on the Russian jet crash that killed 45 people in May suggests human error caused the accident, which killed everyone on board the demonstration flight. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Committee said the Sukhoi Superjet 100 slammed into the side of a dormant volcano after its Russian pilot requested permission to descend to 6,000 feet and was given approval by air traffic control, even though the minimum safe altitude for the airspace the Superjet was flying through was 6,900 feet. While the report that was released earlier this month is just a quick outline of what the committee has figured out so far and a final report isn't due out for months, it has no indications of mechanical problems with the new Sukhoi passenger plane, which Russia had hoped would restart the country's civilian aerospace industry. The report recommended that the Indonesian directorate general of civil aviation ensure that even demonstration flights respect published minimum safe flight altitudes. It also recommended Sukhoi "arrange additional training for flight crews who will conduct demonstration flights, especially in mountainous regions." The initial findings are relatively good news for Sukhoi, as there are no indications so far that there was a problem with its jet, analysts said. "They (Sukhoi) would be quite happy if (the final report) shows there is not a mechanical issue with the aircraft, but we don't know for sure yet," said Siva Govindasamy, Asia managing editor for Flight Global, an aviation industry publication. "They have not specifically ruled it out yet so we won't be sure until the final report comes out." Some of Sukhoi's customers are already convinced that the company's aircraft are safe. Indonesian airline Sky Aviation says it will take delivery of and start using Russian Sukhoi Superjets this year, even though investigations have yet to be completed. Many companies within Indonesia's low-cost airline industry were interested in the Sukhoi passenger planes, which can carry around 100 people and are inexpensive to run and maintain, analysts say. Most of those killed in the flight were representatives of Indonesian airlines. Still, the reports leaves some important questions unanswered, analysts said, including why did the pilot request to descend, why he was given approval and why didn't on- board warning systems let him know they were headed into a mountain. The National Transportation Safety Committee said it is still investigating and needs to coordinate with Russian investigators before it will have all the answers. "It's still a preliminary report and too early to draw a conclusion from the investigations," said Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Committee. "We may still need two to three months before we can issue a final report." http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/08/15/indonesian-investigation-shows-human- error-contributed-to-russian-jet-crash/ Back to Top Ryanair emergency landings 'followed procedure' Bad weather in Madrid meant flights had to be diverted (BBC) Low-cost airline Ryanair says it was following procedure when three of its pilots requested emergency landings in the Spanish city of Valencia. The Spanish authorities opened an investigation into the airline following the incidents in July. The pilots told aviation officials that they needed to land immediately because they were running low on fuel. They had been diverted from Madrid due to bad weather, and had been circling above Valencia for about an hour. A Ryanair spokesman said the company had "no problem" with the investigation and would "cooperate fully". Thunderstorms The pilots had been asked to circle above Valencia because thunderstorms in Madrid prevented them form landing there as planned on July 26. They were asked to join a queue, but were given priority when the pilots contacted air traffic control. Although they were technically called "emergency landings", the planes were following procedure and passengers were not in danger, Ryanair said. After 50 minutes, 68 minutes and 69 minutes respectively, the pilots had asked to land as they were reaching their reserve fuel levels, spokesman Stephen McNamara said. All three planes had followed guidelines set out by Boeing and the European Aviation Safety Agency, and had landed with 30 minutes of reserve fuel left, he added. He said the company then reported the incidents to the Spanish and Irish aviation authorities, prompting the investigation. Back to Top TSA to investigate racial profiling claims (CNN) -- A federal program designed to uncover potential terrorists before they board airplanes is under internal investigation after employees claimed some of their colleagues at Boston's international airport are engaged in racial profiling. Transportation Security Administration officers at Logan International Airport say that fellow employees in the agency's Behavior Detection Program have been targeting minorities for questioning based on their race or ethnicity. The claims, first reported in The New York Times, prompted the TSA to open an internal investigation. "If any of these claims prove accurate, we will take immediate and decisive action to ensure there are consequences to such activity," the TSA said in a statement. Airport screeners closer to having collective bargaining agreement "Racial profiling is not tolerated within the ranks of TSA, including within the Behavior Detection Program. Profiling is not only discriminatory, but it is also an ineffective way to identify someone intent on doing harm," the statement said. Behavior detection is employed at airports across the country. Boston Logan launched a pilot expansion of the behavior detection program last year, adding casual conversation with passengers as a means to detect behaviors that may indicate security threats. The TSA says officers should flag passengers for additional screening based only on observed behaviors. Some Boston officers have complained to the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. ACLU attorney Sarah Wunsch, who has spoken with 10 officers accusing their colleagues of racial profiling, told CNN that officers are targeting racial and ethnic groups including Mexicans, African-Americans and Brazilians for secondary screening. On Tuesday, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi called for the TSA to suspend the behavioral screening program and requested a congressional hearing. Thompson is the ranking Democrat on the House committee on homeland security Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts, a top Democrat on the House oversight and investigation subcommittee for homeland security, has also called for a probe into the allegations. "These allegations have more weight because they come from people who are knowledgeable about the requirements and training and see something going wrong in the screening process," Keating said. Back to Top Lights go out along Port Columbus runway, diverting some flights (Ohio) Airline passengers who were expecting to land at Port Columbus late last night instead found themselves in either Indianapolis or Louisville, after a power failure on the south runway. The problem also caused delays for up to 18 flights that were scheduled to land between midnight and 12:30 a.m. An airport spokeswoman said it didn't affect any flights leaving Port Columbus. Crews were able to get the lights restored just before midnight, said Port Columbus spokeswoman Angie Tabor. From about 10:35 to 11:45 p.m., no planes could land because the airport's north runway also was unavailable because it was closed for scheduled maintenance. Southwest Airlines rerouted two of its flights that were scheduled to land at Port Columbus. Flight 523 from Denver was sent to the Indianapolis airport, and Flight 232, which was coming from Nashville, ended up in Louisville. Dave Schwantes of Westerville was on the flight from Denver and spoke shortly after midnight while still sitting on an Indianapolis runway. Schwantes said the flight from Denver was delayed about 50 minutes from the start, which meant that the projected landing was at 11:15 p.m. He said they were about 40 miles from Columbus when the plane was sent back to Indianapolis. "I'm a little angry that they wouldn't have a backup plan," Schwantes said. Tabor said the airlines are responsible for making arrangements for their customers, whether it means putting them in a hotel for the night or on another plane. She said in cases like this, airlines typically put the customers in a hotel for the night and then fly them in the next day. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/15/runway-power-failure- diverts-columbus-bound-flights.html Back to Top Aviation safety to benefit heart patients PARIS - Aviation safety systems can be used to help prevent complications after surgery. UK researchers said they are developing a real-time patient monitoring and risk prediction system similar to those used by pilots to monitor the safety of their aircraft. A team of researchers from the Academic Surgery Unit at University Hospital of South Manchester is collaborating with Lancaster University to develop a real-time patient monitoring and risk prediction system for use in operating theaters and intensive care units. Among other benefits, researchers outlined the real-time analysis and prediction of multiple physiological parameters and the ability to change parameters ranges and alert thresholds for individual patients. The system also gives the ability to incorporate multiple clinical predictions. "There are a lot of parallels between flying an aircraft and observing a critically ill patient. Both the surgeon and the pilot are dealing with a lot of information coming from a variety of sensors. They both need to know not only what is happening now but what might happen in the future and safety is absolutely critical," commented Lancaster University Aviation Security expert Professor Garik Makarian. He added: "During a flight a pilot has to make decisions based on complex information coming from up to 1,000 sensors in the plane. He or she needs to know, not only what is happening to the aircraft right at this moment, but what is likely to happen in the future." Pursuing the parallel between aviation and health, Makarian explained that, when a patient is critically ill or recovering from surgery, doctors monitor the patient's blood pressure, temperature, pulse and other vital signs very closely but have to rely on their experience to predict what is likely to happen next. Pilots have the additional benefit of tools to help them do that. The system under development has the potential to give doctors an extra layer of intelligence to draw upon, Makarian claimed. In a discussion with EETimes, Prof. Makarian indicated that the system is a software package which could be integrated with more or less any existing system in the hospital environment. The current model uses four patient physiological measurements: Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2). It calculates IRIS score real-time, predicts individual physiological measurements and predicts IRIS score, researchers said. He specified that the research team has just completed feasibility study and proof-of- concept, which provided promising results. "We are now in the process of putting applications for research funding." Prof. Makarian continued: "We already have a prototype which we are using for testing and verification on the existing data base. We are waiting for ethical clearance from the hospital in order to go for real trials." Once the system is up and running, researchers said they expect it will find applications in various healthcare settings. http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4392072/Aviation-safety-to-benefit-heart- patients- Back to Top 3 charged in airplane inspection fraud scheme LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) - An indictment unsealed in federal court Tuesday accuses the operators of a former airplane repair business in Marietta and a retired FAA inspector in a fraud scheme involving aircraft inspections. Jay Stout, 53, president of Flying Tigers Inc., Joel Stout, 31, of Elizabethtown, and Howard Gunter, 76, of New Bloomfield, are charged with mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. According to U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger, Flying Tiger customers between October 2006 and October 2009 were charged for annual aircraft inspections that were not performed by FAA certified mechanics or, on some occasions, were not performed at all. Joel Stout was employed as the airplane mechanic and Gunter, a retired FAA examiner, falsely certified the inspections, Memeger said. According to prosecutors, Jay and Joel Stout conspired to prepare fraudulent certifications of annual inspections, and, on multiple occasions, Howard Gunter certified annual inspections for Flying Tigers, even though he had not actually performed the inspections. On other occasions, prosecutors said Jay Stout created fraudulent certifications containing the forged signature of a certified inspector who had not performed the annual inspection, or certified an annual inspection himself, although he was not authorized to do so. http://www.abc27.com/story/19273516/3-charged-in-airplane-inspection-fraud-scheme Back to Top Back to Top Aircraft radar shows pilots airspace in 3-D Honeywell's on-board aircraft radar gives pilots a better picture of storms and inclement weather in their path. "We're going to die," Jackie Walden says she thought as the plane shuddered and dipped through the air. The Colorado resident was recalling an episode of terrifying turbulence she endured while on a flight from Phoenix to Denver in April. "It seemed like hitting a brick wall and then plummeting," she told KUSA-TV in Denver. Turbulence such as this is one of the weather hazards that a new breed of in-flight radars - the first completely new weather radar design for commercial aircraft in 40 years - should help pilots avoid. For the first time, the new radar, now being installed in business, military and commercial aircraft, allows pilots to "see" turbulence and other bad weather such as lightning and hail from nearly 70 miles away. The radar, manufactured by Honeywell, "looks at the airspace in front of the aircraft in three dimensions, which is an improvement over existing radars," says Honeywell senior chief engineer Ratan Khatwa. Current radars used by pilots now take only a two- dimensional slice of the atmosphere, the width and length, for instance, of storms crossing an area. "It provides information to the flight crew where the real weather hazards such as lightning and hail are which is not available today," he says. The main difference between the 3-D and 2-D versions is the scanning process. The IntuVue 3-D radar scans the area in front of an aircraft up to 60,000 feet high and creates a 3-D cube of radar data, Khatwa says. The 3-D version also enables IntuVue to predict what storms have hail and lightning and to identify turbulence at a much greater distance. It's much more difficult for a pilot to determine the top and bottom of a storm cell with 2-D radar. Khatwa says the 3-D version simplifies the task. This additional level of information ultimately allows the flight crew to make more informed decisions earlier than before and focus on flying the aircraft safely. The biggest factor in air-travel delays today by far is weather, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown says. Overall, weather delays and cancellations cost the U.S. economy $18 billion each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, while each turbulence-related incident costs airlines an average of $150,000. "So everyone in the aviation community is trying to develop weather information in real time," Brown says. "The impact on the traveling public is very simple," Khatwa adds. "The pilots will have a better awareness of the weather - where the storm cells are, and the turbulence." It also will eliminate false radar returns of ground clutter - objects on the ground that might appear to be weather elements. According to Honeywell, it will reduce hazardous-weather false alarms by 15%, which will help rerouting decisions, saving money. "Any new technology that allows pilots to separate false from real weather is helpful," agrees Sean Cassidy, vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association. Also, while conventional weather radar requires manual operation and interpretation by pilots, the new Honeywell radar will be more automated. The company believes that will allow pilots to focus on detection and analysis rather than operating the radar. "Any advancement that enhances the safety of the operation of the plane" will be welcome, Cassidy says. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/research/story/2012-08-14/airplane-weather- radar/57060010/1 Back to Top 10-year-old girl flying alone on United left stranded at Chicago airport The parents of a 10-year-old girl are not happy after their daughter was left stranded in Chicago, when United Airlines reportedly failed to help her to a transfer flight as she was traveling alone on June 30. The incident was brought to light this week by Bob Sutton, a family friend and Stanford management professor who writes about workplace issues. Parents Annie and Perry Klebahn dropped off their daughter Phoebe at San Francisco International Airport on June 30 for her flight as an unaccompanied minor to summer camp, according to a letter dated July 13 to United Airlines. Phoebe was on a United flight that traveled to Chicago and then booked on a connection to Traverse City, Mich. When the Klebahns received a "frantic call" from the camp that Phoebe did not arrive on her intended flight, they immediately called United and were put on hold for 20 minutes. According to the Klebahns, a United representative finally took their call from India, and only after some back and forth discussion did they finally find out that Phoebe missed her connection in Chicago. That's because when the 10-year-old landed on-time in Chicago, according to the letter, no one showed up to help her make her transfer flight. Phoebe reportedly asked United attendants in Chicago three times to use a phone to call her parents, but she was told to wait and missed her connection. "When she missed the flight she asked if someone had called camp to make sure they knew and they told her 'yes-we will take care of it,'" the Klebahns wrote in the letter. "No one did. She was sad and scared and no one helped." Four hours later, Phoebe did end up making it to Traverse City safely, only after the Klebhans appealed to a United employee who was a mother herself. They were later told by United that the airline outsourced the unaccompanied minor services to a third-party vendor, who "forgot to show up." A United spokesperson told NBC News on Tuesday that they have reached out to the Klebahns to apologize, and the airline is redepositing the miles used to purchase the ticket into Perry Klebahn's frequent flier account. The airline is also refunding the $99 unaccompanied minor charge. "What the Klebahns describe is not the service we aim to deliver to our customers," United spokesperson Joe Micucci said in a statement. The Chicago-based airline did not provide further details of the incident. http://overheadbin.nbcnews.com/ Back to Top Industry analysis: FAA cuts under sequester would be costly The control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport is seen from a Metro train stop last year in Washington. Automatic budget cuts slated to begin in January could cost the Federal Aviation Administration $1 billion next year, a new industry forecast concludes. Automatic budget cuts slated to begin in January could cost the Federal Aviation Administration $1 billion next year and take a sharp bite out of the U.S. economy, a new industry forecast concludes. The report, released Monday by the Aerospace Industries Association, presumes that the cuts would force the layoff of almost 1,500 air traffic controllers - nearly 10 percent of the total - and the closing of more than 240 airport control towers around the country. Coupled with projected layoffs of almost 12,000 customs inspectors and Transportation Security Administration screeners, "these cuts would hobble the air transportation system, and leave it unable to support today's level of civil air travel," the report says. The result could be a drop in passenger and freight traffic of anywhere from 5 percent to 10 percent, with up to 109,000 lost jobs next year, the report says. Aircraft manufacturing would also drop by as much as 2 percent, costing the economy another 11,000 to 22,000 jobs. The cuts - formally known as sequestration - are required by last year's Budget Control Act unless Congress and the Obama administration agree on a path to reducing future budget deficits by $1.2 trillion through 2021. Like other agencies, the FAA has not released its own forecast of the potential impact of sequestration; an agency spokeswoman referred a request for comment to the Office of Management and Budget. In a separate analysis published earlier this month, a think tank called the Center for American Progress predicted that the agency would first resort to employee furloughs in hopes of avoiding the need to pay separation benefits that would follow a reduction-in- force. More than 2,000 controllers would be furloughed, mainly at smaller airports that handle less traffic, that analysis said. http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20120813/AGENCY01/308130002/Industry- analysis-FAA-cuts-under-sequester-would- costly?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE Back to Top Pakistan's Airblue to double fleet within two years Pakistani carrier Airblue has plans to double its fleet to 12 aircraft within the next two years. The carrier wants to add four 70-seater turboprops to its fleet by early 2013, says Airblue's general manager for commercial, Raheel Ahmed. It is considering the ATR 72 and the Bombardier Q400, though the airline has not decided whether the aircraft will be bought or leased. Airblue is scheduled to take delivery of two Airbus A340-300s in early September. These aircraft are on a five-year lease from International Lease Finance Corporation. Ahmed says that the A340s will have 342 seats in a single class configuration. The aircraft will be deployed on a direct Islamabad-Manchester service, replacing the existing Islamabad-Istanbul-Manchester route. In August, the airline took delivery of one Airbus A320, which will be used to up frequencies on its domestic routes. As part of its network expansion plans, Airblue may launch new destinations in Europe, Middle East and China. A timeline has not been specified for these plans. Ahmed adds that the carrier aims to be a major player on services to Europe. According to the Flightglobal Ascend online database, Airblue operates four A319 and two A320 aircraft in its fleet. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pakistans-airblue-to-double-fleet-within-two- years-375504/ Back to Top 'Black box' standards coming for cars New federal standards for "black boxes" that record information leading up to auto accidents will will take effect Sept. 1, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ruled on Tuesday. The decision means the new standards for the devices will not be delayed by one year, as automakers had requested. The federal standards will apply only to cars that are voluntarily outfitted with event data recorders (EDRs), also known as black boxes. But while the government does not yet require all cars to have black boxes installed, NHTSA is still thought to be considering a federal mandate as a next step, possibly this year. NHTSA standards for black boxes were proposed in 2006, but have been delayed since then. In 2009, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers suggested a delay to Sept. 1, 2013, arguing that this would give auto companies more time to work with original equipment manufacturers to ensure the standard can be met. But NHTSA rejected this, arguing that the rule has already been delayed, and that it has already adjusted the standard in a way that should make it easier for companies to comply. "The petitioner suggested that the delay would enable vehicle manufacturers to retain current EDR functionality across all vehicle models and avoid disabling legacy EDR systems for a limited number of vehicle models," NHTSA said in its Tuesday decision. "The agency is denying the petition since the implementation of the August 2006 final rule has already been delayed by two years and we have recently published a final rule responding to the remaining petitions for reconsideration." NHTSA has been considering the next step - a requirement that all cars are built with black boxes - since 2011. In anticipation of this requirement, some in Congress have proposed legislating the mandate ahead of time. The initial version of the highway bill that the Senate approved in April included language that would have required the secretary of Transportation to evaluate event data recorders and ultimately require their installation on all cars within a few years. But due to Republican opposition and concerns about privacy, that language was eventually stripped out in a House-Senate conference that passed in late June. http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/243529-nhtsa-says-black-box-standards-for- autos-will-take-effect-september-1 Back to Top Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS) on 12-13 September 2012 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!! As part of efforts to establish continuous improvement in aviation safety in the region, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is holding the next Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS) on 12-13 September 2012 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The seminar, hosted by Vietnam Airlines and endorsed by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) is organised by the AAPA Flight Operations & Safety Working Group with the support of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) and Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific. This seminar is designed to create a common meeting place for all airlines from the Asia Pacific region, airports, aircraft manufacturers, insurers, ground handlers, MROs and suppliers to discuss and to be updated on the latest developments in aviation safety. This seminar will provide an excellent networking opportunity for the participants to exchange ideas on the important fundamentals and applications of aviation safety best practices, in-service experience and lessons-learned with key aviation safety experts from within and outside the region. Topic-specific workshops will be organised to create a more focused environment for participants to exchange views and debate on the practical approaches in managing some of the leading safety issues facing the region. For further enquiries, kindly contact CV Thian at cvthian@aapa.org.my or tel: +603 2145 5600 For more details including the latest programme and registration, please visit: http://www.aapairlines.org/Asia_Pacific_Aviation_Safety_Seminar_2012.aspx Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC