Flight Safety Information September 27, 2012 - No. 196 In This Issue TAM A330 escapes misaligned-gear landing at JFK Man restrained by passengers on flight from Chicago Brisbane bound Virgin Australia flight hit 'wake turbulence' from another plane near Bali Zimbabwe: IATA Suspends Air Zimbabwe Air Force One aborts landing Passenger sues Southwest Airlines over hot tea spill PRISM Certification Support Chinese ditching exercise uses full-scale mock-up jet 2012 Aviation and Transportation Law Conference Embry-Riddle Worldwide Launches Online B.S. in Fire Science Accident Investigation for Aviation Management Cranfield University, UK...29 October - 9 November 20 TAM A330 escapes misaligned-gear landing at JFK Pilots of a TAM Airbus A330-200 avoided landing at New York JFK with a misaligned nose-gear after the problem appeared to correct itself as the twinjet touched down. The aircraft, arriving as flight JJ8078 from Rio de Janeiro on 26 September, had already executed two missed approaches, the first after the crew made a "pan-pan" call, advising JFK tower of a "malfunction" and a "problem with the gear", and requesting vectors to a holding position. "We have a problem with the nose-wheel steering," one of the pilots stated, adding that the aircraft might "need to [remain on] the runway after the landing". Controllers asked about the aircraft's fuel situation, and were told the jet had 35min before reaching alternate fuel, and then asked whether the crew wanted to declare an emergency. The TAM crew declined, saying that the nose-gear steering was "stuck" and that the aircraft would need towing to leave the runway. But the communications appear to indicate that the TAM crew was not fully aware of the nature of the nose-gear problem until the aircraft attempted a second approach, to runway 22R, where emergency vehicles were standing by as a precaution. "I'm being told that your nose-gear appears to be in the wrong position," the tower controller said to the crew. But the crew seemed unaware of the issue, replying that the gear was down and locked but was simply unable to steer, confirming they still wanted to land and remain on the runway. After granting landing clearance the tower controller stated: "It appears the nose-gear is sideways - do you still want to land?" The pilot started to reply "affirmative" but immediately asked the controller to repeat, to which the controller responded that the gear appeared "sideways, not fully down". This prompted a second go-around by the TAM crew and the flight did not attempt to land again for around 25min. As it was vectored for an arrival on runway 31L the pilot sought clarification from the controller regarding the nose-wheel's condition. "It does not appear to be normal," the controller said. "It appears cocked at 90°." But as the four-year old A330 (PT-MVQ) touched down the problem seemed to resolve itself. "It appears, as you were landing, the nose-gear did straighten out," the controller stated, giving the crew the option of having the emergency services attend the jet. http://www.flightglobal.com/ Back to Top Man restrained by passengers on flight from Chicago SANTA ANA, Calif. - Passengers said they had to tackle a man who was behaving aggressively and grabbing women during a flight from Chicago to Orange County's John Wayne Airport. Arash Durrani, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday night after passengers restrained him with their belts to stop him from scaring passengers on United Flight 473. Durrani will be charged with a federal offense for interference with a flight crew, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. Durrani began pacing around the plane about 45 minutes into the flight and was grabbing women and harassing people, according to passenger David Truong. "He grabbed my hair and lifted my head up and said, 'I want to kiss you,'" said another passenger, Nona Pitts. When the man started scaring children on the plane, Truong said he and three other passengers restrained the "unbelievably strong" man with belts. "I was on his chest and three other guys were holding his arms and legs," Truong said. The man was restrained for nearly three hours, and a doctor on the flight tried to sedate him with valium. "He would go in and out of consciousness, but every time he came around he would try to fight again," Truong said. Durrani, who also goes by Ash, is listed as an actor in one movie that hasn't been released. His agent, Sheila Di Marco, said Wednesday she hadn't heard anything about the incident. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-man-restrained-by-passengers- on-flight-from-chicago-20120927,0,6034064.story Back to Top Brisbane bound Virgin Australia flight hit 'wake turbulence' from another plane near Bali in Indonesia Safety watchdog investigating serious incident of Virgin Australia flight in wake turbulence with another plane near Bali. AUSTRALIA'S air safety watchdog is investigating a serious incident in which a Brisbane- bound Virgin Australia flight hit "wake turbulence'' from another plane near Bali earlier this month. Boeing 737-800 from Denpasar to Brisbane was around 258km south-east of Bali when the incident occurred on September 14. It encountered the turbulence from an Airbus A380 flying in the opposite direction about half an hour after the flight had taken off. It is believed the other plane was an Emirates flight from Sydney to Dubai, however the Australian Transport Safety Bureau could not confirm this. Wake turbulence forms behind a plane as it passes through the air and includes wingtip vortices and jetwash, or rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine. There have been several reported incidents where it is believed wake turbulence has been a contributing factor in plane crashes. A Virgin Australia spokesman said there were no injuries to passengers or crew and the airline was cooperating with the ATSB to determine the full circumstances surrounding the event. "Our flight crew were following air traffic control instructions at all times and responded immediately using standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of passengers and crew,'' he said. The ATSB report is expected to be completed in December. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/news/brisbane-bound-virgin-australia-flight-hit- wake-turbulence-from-another-plane-near-bali-in-indonesia/story-e6frg8ro- 1226482666542 Back to Top Zimbabwe: IATA Suspends Air Zimbabwe Air Zimbabwe has been suspended from the International Air Transport Association for failing to comply with global safety standards, a Cabinet Minister has said. Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche confirmed the development on Tuesday. He, however, said the national airline was given a grace period of up to November 31 to comply with the standards. He said the global aviation body recently wrote to Air Zimbabwe communicating the position. If it fails to meet the deadline, Air Zimbabwe will be banned from using international airports and air spaces of other countries forever. IATA is a global aviation body that works with airline members and the air transport industry to promote safe, reliable, secure and economical air travel for the benefit of travellers The world aviation body conducts a biennial Operational Safety Audit, which measures an airline's system of operations, covering the operation of flights, boarding procedures and other aircraft safety matters. To retain IATA membership, members must submit and pass the audit. Said Minister Goche: "Air Zimbabwe is at the moment suspended from IATA. However, the national airline was given up to November 31 to carry out the audits. The letter we received is not that bad as they were encouraging us to comply with global safety standards and this we are going to do," he said. Minister Goche was optimistic the national airline would have put everything in place for the audit before the new deadline. "Part of the salaries is being paid and staff is back at work and they are now moving at a faster pace. We hope everything will be in place for the re-audit at the end of November," he said. Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Mr Innocent Mavhunga also confirmed the development yesterday. "We were temporarily removed from the register after the lapsing of the window period we were given. We are working flat out, putting all systems in place in preparation for the audit," he said. The auditors visited Zimbabwe early this year but there was nothing to audit as the airline's workers were on strike. The audit, done after every two years, is carried out by firms accredited to IATA at the expense of the national airline seeking certification. The auditors, who come from various countries worldwide, include experts in the global aviation industry such as aircraft engineers, pilots, accountants and cargo operators who are former senior airline workers. Meanwhile, Minister Goche said the unbundling of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe would be completed before the end of next year. The parastatal would be split into two arms, one responsible for the regulatory function and the other in charge of operations. This, Minister Goche said, would ensure efficiency in the local aviation industry. "The draft bill for the unbundling of the parastatal is currently with the Attorney General and from there it will be taken to Cabinet. "If approved it will be taken to the Cabinet committee on legislation that is chaired by Minister Patrick Chinamasa," he said. CAAZ was established in 1999 as a statutory body to replace the former Department of Civil Aviation and operate commercially. http://allafrica.com/stories/201209270355.html Back to Top Air Force One aborts landing, second try successful (CNN) -- Air Force One, flying President Barack Obama to a campaign event, aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio on Wednesday due to weather conditions. The jumbo jet experienced turbulence on approach to Toledo and was within sight of the runway when the pilot pulled the plane up and circled the airport, according to reporters on board. "Air Force One, missed approach," the pilot announced to air traffic controllers, according to radio recordings on the website LiveATC.net. "We'd like radar vectors back around," the pilot said, according to the recordings. The Boeing 747 landed safely shortly before noon ET after its go-around, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA described the incident as a "routine missed approach due to weather." Weather conditions included fog and mist. Visibility was three miles, but the clouds were at 400 feet. It was the second aviation incident related to the presidential campaign in the past week. A charter carrying Ann Romney, the wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, made an emergency landing in Denver due to an electrical problem on Friday. Mrs. Romney detailed the event in an interview airing Wednesday on "Access Hollywood Live." "I'm just watching a movie, sitting there and all the sudden, the movie goes off and I turn around, and it was so shocking. The whole inside of the plane was full of smoke," she said of the flight, originally scheduled from Omaha, Nebraska, to Los Angeles. "We landed, the door flew open, we flew, we got thrown off the airplane and we were on the runway," she said. No injuries were reported. Back to Top Passenger sues Southwest Airlines over hot tea spill A woman is suing Southwest Airlines and a flight attendant for $800,000 for serving tea she says severely burned her. Washington (CNN) -- A Tennessee woman sued Southwest Airlines and a flight attendant Tuesday for $800,000 for serving tea she says severely burned her. On December 28, 2011, Angelica Keller was seated in the window seat of the front row on Flight 955 between Nashville and Houston with a stop in New Orleans. She ordered hot tea, and the suit says the flight attendant brought her a cup of "extremely hot water" sitting in another cup which contained the tea bag and condiment packets. Air Force One aborts landing, second try successful In the "plaintiffs efforts to extricate the tea bag from its position of being wedged between the tilted paper 'hot cup' of extremely hot water and the shorter clear plastic soft drink cup, the extremely hot water spilled into her lap at her groin area," the suit said. Keller's body suffered second degree burns and her skin blistered, peeled and she was permanently scarred, the lawyers said. "Our Customers' comfort is our top priority at all times, and we safely serve about 100 million drinks onboard every year," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said in a statement. "The referenced event is unfortunate, and we are currently reviewing it. We can't provide additional details due to the pending lawsuit that was filed." Southwest does not have tray tables in the front rows of its aircraft, and Keller's suit said that contributed to the accident. It also said the airline served the drink in an unreasonable manner and used "hot water at a temperature too hot for use in an aircraft." Mainz was unable to provide the standard temperature of the water on Southwest flights, but said it has never been an issue in the past. The suit, filed Tuesday, seeks $300,000 for property damages, medical bills, injuries and pain and suffering as well as $500,000 in punitive damages. Back to Top Back to Top Chinese ditching exercise uses full-scale mock-up jet Chinese authorities have conducted a search and rescue exercise simulating the ditching of a twin-engined aircraft in water off Shanghai. The exercise, in the Yangtze estuary near Baoshan, included a full-sized mock-up of an aircraft resembling an Airbus A320, painted in the colours of fictional carrier Panocean Airline. China's ministry of transport says the 26 September joint operation with the Shanghai municipal government involved 500 personnel and over 30 vessels and aircraft. The scenario was based on the aircraft's transporting 140 passengers and 10 crew members, planning to land at the international airport but being forced to carry out an emergency ditching in the East China Sea. During the exercise, emergency personnel carried out evacuation drills, rescue alert procedures, medical response and traffic control. The use of the full-scale aircraft model was designed to "improve the realism", says the transport ministry. http://www.flightglobal.com/ Back to Top 2012 Aviation and Transportation Law Conference Washington, D.C. Wednesday, December 05 - 07, 2012 Advancing Safety Through Effective Advocacy Register today and join your colleagues for the December 5-7, 2012 IATSBA Aviation and Transportation Law Conference in historic Washington, D.C. Online registration is now available. Also, and very important, we urge you to make your hotel arrangements as soon as possible. If the turnout for the conference is as predicted, we expect the reserved rooms to be taken quickly. We have two hotel options this year: the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel and the Hay Adams. We have negotiated discounted rooms at each hotel. The L'Enfant Plaza rates are very competitive by Washington standards at $169 for standard rooms and $199 for superior view rooms, plus tax, per night. The rooms at the Hay Adams are also available at a significant discount and are priced at $260 plus tax per night. The Hay is a short Washington Metro ride from the L'Enfant Plaza NTSB Conference Center where most of the conference activities will occur. However, the conference Banquet and Awards Ceremony will be at the Top of the Hay (the upper floor banquet facilities of the Hay Adams) with shuttle buses providing transportation that evening from the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. For those who want to make the D.C. trip a most memorable experience, you and a guest may wish to stay at the Hay. The hotel reservations deadline is Tuesday, November 6, but as mentioned previously, the reserved rooms will likely be taken well before that date. This year's program will offer something for everyone. We will have a half day on Wednesday targeted to our Emerging Leaders Section, although all conference attendees are invited to attend those events, too. The Emerging Leaders activities will involve a practicum on opening statements and closing arguments for enforcement cases before the NTSB Administrative Law Judges. The Welcome Reception is that evening in the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. There will be CLE sessions on Thursday and Friday related to aviation tort litigation, recent NTSB enforcement decisions, and FAA regulatory issues. There will also be a one-hour ethics block. Kathryn Thomson, the FAA Chief Counsel, will deliver the keynote address at the Thursday luncheon. The Honorable Deborah Hersman, Chairman of the NTSB, will be our dinner and awards ceremony speaker Thursday evening. We will also hear from the Honorable Robert Sumwalt, NTSB Board Member; David Tochen, General Counsel for the NTSB; as well as John Delisi, the new Director for the NTSB Office of Aviation Safety. If you have questions about the event, please feel free to contact Bill Elder, the 2012 Program Director, at (202) 637-8787 or by e-mail at william.elder@hoganlovells.com. We look forward to seeing you in December! When and Where December 5-7, 2012 Washington D.C. Conference Events L'Enfant Plaza Hotel NTSB Conference Center Top of the Hay Agenda The initial Agenda is now available. Registration Online registration is now available. http://iatsba.org/events Hotel Reservations Hotel reservations must be done via individual call-in. A limited number of rooms have been blocked at each hotel for conference attendees. Please call the numbers below and reference the IATSBA Aviation and Transportation Law Conference, as indicated. The L'Enfant Plaza Hotel 480 L'Enfant Plaza S.W. Washington D.C. 20024 800-635-5065 Reference: IATS12 The Hay Adams 800 16th Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 800-424-5054, or 202-638-6600 Reference: IATSBA Conference http://iatsba.org/events Back to Top Embry-Riddle Worldwide Launches Online B.S. in Fire Science Two Specializations: Aviation Emergency Management and Fire & Emergency Services Daytona Beach, Fla., Sept. 26, 2012 - The Worldwide Campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is now offering a B.S. in Fire Science degree, starting on Oct. 15, 2012, one of only a few collegiate programs nationwide to carry the prestigious "Certificate of Recognition" from the National Fire Academy's Fire Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) program. Embry-Riddle's program is based on the FESHE model curriculum for a bachelor's degree and meets the higher-education criteria set by the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The coursework for the Fire Science degree incorporates analytical approaches to fire dynamics and fire protection, fire prevention organization and management, fire analysis and investigation, disaster planning including dealing with hazardous materials, administration and personnel management, and the political and legal issues involved in fire services. "The new degree is offered entirely online, allowing the student to complete the degree from anywhere in the world," said Dr. Ronald Wakeham, Fire Science program chair at Embry-Riddle. "It was designed specifically for fire and emergency professionals who want to advance into higher-ranking, higher-paying roles in their field, whether that be command officer or chief of fire service organizations, industrial fire companies or emergency management agencies." Embry-Riddle's Fire Science degree program offers two tracks. The Aviation Emergency Management specialization focuses on fire and aviation safety, leadership and management skills, and the technical knowledge needed to lead fire and emergency services organizations into the future. The Fire & Emergency Services specialization focuses on leadership and management skills and the technical knowledge needed to lead fire and emergency services organizations into the future. Individuals who hold existing certifications through the National Fire Protection Association or state regulatory agencies, or who have taken courses recommended by the American Council on Education at the National Fire Academy or the FEMA Emergency Management Institute may be eligible for transfer credit. For more information on the B.S. in Fire Science at Embry-Riddle, visit http://worldwide.erau.edu/degrees/undergraduate/fire-science/ or contact Dr. Ronald Wakeham at (804) 380-0731 or ronald.wakeham@erau.edu. www.erau.edu Back to Top Accident Investigation for Aviation Management Cranfield University, UK 29 October - 9 November 2012 The Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre is proud to offer its world renowned two-week investigation course for aviation managers. The course brings together the considerable expertise of investigators, operators and researchers to deliver a learning experience that is tailored to those working at a management level. Cranfield University has run aircraft accident investigation courses each year since 1977 and was recognised earlier this year for its world-leading work in aviation safety through teaching and research in air accident investigation through a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education - the highest honour that can be given to a UK academic institution. Course description The aim of the two-week course is to provide safety professionals and operational staff with the fundamentals behind both incident and accident investigation and the roles that will be played by operators, regulators, manufacturers, legal and government investigation agencies. Upon completion of the course, delegates will be able to conduct incident investigations within their organisation's safety management system and also co-operate with major accident investigations. Who should attend? The course is designed for professionally qualified flight crew, airline or military flight safety officers, managers, union representatives, regulatory authority or air traffic services management and others concerned with the operational aspects of flight safety. In particular, the course is aimed at those who may be required to carry out investigations into occurrences, or to act as advisors or technical representatives to official aircraft accident investigation teams. The course is primarily intended to provide an introduction to fundamental investigative techniques and procedures in accordance with international requirements. Those who are aiming to become full-time investigators may find that their needs are more comprehensively covered in our six-week Aircraft Accident Investigation Course. Course content * Notification and reporting of incidents and accidents * Investigation within the context of safety management systems * ICAO Annex 13 recommended practices * European regulation 2010/996 * Emergency response and crisis management * Health and safety on site * Sources and preservation of evidence * Interviewing techniques * Human factors * Passenger behaviour and cabin safety * Engineering investigations * Medical factors * Analytical techniques * Management of investigations * Relations with the government investigation agency, police, media and others * Developing and managing recommendations * Investigation report writing * Safety promotion * Accident prevention * Visit to the AAIB at Farnborough * Case studies - including the investigation process and outcomes * Practical investigation field exercise * Use of accident investigation laboratory. Further Details http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/soe/shortcourses/training/accident-investigation-aviation- management.html Curt Lewis