Flight Safety Information October 11, 2012 - No. 205 In This Issue Gulfstream Managers Blamed for Fatal Crash on Test Flight Turkey confiscates "objectionable" cargo aboard Syrian plane Aircraft, Truck Collide at Lagos Airport (Nigeria) Stun gun disguised as cell phone discovered at Newark airport L.A.-to-London flight diverted to O'Hare because of 'unruly' passenger Plane returned to airport after pilots became dizzy Indonesia below par on airline safety PROS IOSA Audit Experts Female Fighter Pilot Breaks Gender Barriers FMU aviation program soars with new plane purchase Alaska Airlines orders 50 Boeing aircraft Nominations for the new "Moral Courage Safety Award" Famed soprano Sarah Brightman books Soyuz flight Gulfstream Managers Blamed for Fatal Crash on Test Flight By Alan Levin on October 11, 2012 Pressure to speed flight tests of a new model of General Dynamics Corp. (GD)'s Gulfstream business jet so it could win U.S. certification for sale was blamed by a U.S. safety agency for a crash that killed four employees. The National Transportation Safety Board yesterday ruled that Gulfstream management was responsible for the accident that sent a G650, which costs $65 million and has the longest range of any private aircraft, sliding off a Roswell, New Mexico, runway in flames on April 2, 2011. "Two prior close calls should have prompted a yellow flag, but instead of slowing down to analyze what had happened, the program continued full speed ahead," Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the accident-investigation agency, said at a hearing in Washington. "This crash was as much an absence of leadership as it was of lift." The twin-engine aircraft was approved last month by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration after changes were made to ensure safety, the agency said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. Gulfstream has 200 orders for the plane, which it calls the "flagship" of its fleet, and said it expects to begin deliveries before the end of the year. Gulfstream, based in Savannah, Georgia, has taken several steps to prevent lapses in the future, including beefing up its safety review board that oversees flight tests, according to the NTSB. Obstruction Accusations Hersman earlier this year accused Gulfstream of "obstruction" during the board's investigation. The company failed to quarantine accident data, lost evidence including a computer hard drive and withheld results of an internal safety audit, according to an April 4 letter from Hersman to Gulfstream President Larry Flynn. Any failings by Gulfstream employees were inadvertent, according to a March 30 letter Flynn wrote to Hersman. He said the FBI was notified about the missing hard drive as soon as it was discovered and the employee who threw it away was fired. "We appreciate the NTSB's commitment to thoroughly examining this accident and determining the cause," Flynn said yesterday after the safety board's meeting. He declined to comment further, referring to a company submission during the investigation in which it said the accident could have been avoided if issues revealed during tests had been corrected. Privileged Passengers The G650 can fly as far as 8,056 miles (12,962 kilometers) with eight passengers, the company's website says. The aircraft was designed to take advantage of the growing market for private planes that can whisk business people and the wealthy non-stop between cities in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Robert Breiling, a safety consultant for the business- aircraft industry, said in an interview. The G650 is only slightly cheaper than Boeing Co. (BA)'s BBJ, a version of the 737 designed as a private jet, Breiling said. The crash occurred during tests simulating an engine failure. The jet lost lift moments after liftoff and the right wing dipped. "Whoa," both pilots said, according to an NTSB transcription of a sound recorder in the cockpit. The wing hit the ground and the jet caught fire. "Ah sorry guys," one of the pilots said in the last words recorded. Inadequate Warning Gulfstream's pilots had twice experienced a similar loss of lift during flight tests, investigators found. The firm didn't recognize the severity of those incidents -- known as aerodynamic stalls -- and didn't bring them up in safety discussions, according to NTSB records. Shortly before the accident, engineers had altered the jet's stall-warning device so the pilots got no alert that they were in danger until it was too late, according to NTSB documents. A safety manual for flight tests, developed during production of previous Gulfstream models, was not followed, the board found. The NTSB also recommended that the FAA and aircraft manufacturers consider the Gulfstream accident's findings during future flight tests of new aircraft. The safety board, which has no regulatory power, suggested that Gulfstream conduct independent audits during future flight- test programs. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-10/gulfstream-effort-to-speed-tests-helped- cause-crash-ntsb-says Back to Top Turkey confiscates "objectionable" cargo aboard Syrian plane A Syrian passenger plane which was forced to land sits at Esenboga airport in Ankara October 10, 2012. Turkey scrambled fighter planes to force a Syrian passenger plane en route from Moscow to land in Ankara on Wednesday and banned Turkish civilian aircraft from flying in Syrian airspace, state-run TRT television said. (AFP) Turkey: Turkey said it has seized "objectionable cargo" from a Syrian passenger plane forced to land in Ankara, reportedly on suspicions that it was carrying weapons, as tensions run high between the neighbouring nations. Turkey seized "objectionable cargo" aboard the plane which it intercepted en route from Moscow to Damascus on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said after Anatolia news agency quoted officials as saying they suspected the aircraft was carrying arms. "There is illegal cargo on the plane that should have been reported" in line with civil aviation regulations, Davutoglu was quoted as saying by Anatolia. "There are elements on board that can be considered objectionable," he added, without elaborating. Ankara scrambled two jets to force the Syrian plane to land in Ankara on suspicions that its cargo contained weapons and ammunition. But the plane was allowed to leave Ankara at 2330 GMT, 9 hours after it was intercepted, with all of its 35 passengers on board, Anatolia said. Seventeen of them were Russian nationals, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. "According to information that still has to be verified, there are 17 Russian citizens, including children, on board the plane," Interfax reported, citing an unnamed source in the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian embassy in Ankara has already contacted the government, demanding an explanation on the circumstances of the forced landing, according to the same Interfax source. But Davutoglu said "the incident would not affect Turkish-Russian relations at this point." The confiscated cargo is believed to be missile parts, NTV news channel reported, while state-run TRT channel speculated it could be communications equipment headed for Damascus. The Airbus A-320 was travelling from Moscow to Damascus when Turkey received information that its cargo defied rules of civil aviation, Davutoglu noted earlier. Turkey will hold on to the cargo for further investigation, he added. Following the forced landing, Ankara warned Turkish airline companies against using Syrian airspace to avoid a possible retaliation from Damascus, NTV said. The warning briefly interrupted Turkish air traffic, with Turkish planes changing routes to avoid the Syrian skies. A Turkish Airlines plane carrying more than 300 Turkish pilgrims from the northwestern city of Bursa had to land urgently in Adana city in the south, after the Syrian plane was grounded. The Turkish plane resumed its journey on a different route to its destination in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after a several-hour delay, NTV said. Tensions between Turkey and Syria have been running high, with sporadic fire exchanges at the border since last Wednesday. Last week, a Syrian shell hit a Turkish border town, killing five civilians -- two women and three children. The deadly incident triggered retaliation fire from Turkish artillery units at the border, which has been increasingly fortified by scores of anti-aircraft batteries and Howitzers since the shelling. It also brought on a parliamentary mandate which is valid for one year and which allows the government to authorise cross-border operations in Syria, and to be used "if needed". The Turkish army warned earlier Wednesday of a stronger response if Syrian shells continued to land on Turkish soil. "We have retaliated (for Syrian shelling) and if it continues, we'll respond more strongly," the head of Turkey's armed forces, General Necdet Ozel, said in Akcakale, the border town hit last week. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also warned Damascus not to test Turkey's patience and vowed Ankara would not tolerate such acts. Ties between Ankara and Damascus, formerly good, have been dramatically strained since June, when a Turkish jet was brought down by Syrian fire, killing its two pilots on board. NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned against escalation along the frontier and said the alliance has "all necessary plans in place to protect and to defend Turkey if necessary." The sabre-rattling added to growing fears of a wider regional fallout from the conflict ravaging Syria, in which activists say more than 32,000 people have died, mostly civilians. Back to Top Aircraft, Truck Collide at Lagos Airport (Nigeria) A Kano-bound IRS Airlines plane departing the Lagos airport on Wednesday morning collided with an abandoned truck beside the taxiway, forcing the pilot to cancel the flight. The wing of the Fokker-100 aircraft, it was learnt, collided with the truck which fell into a drainage on Tuesday. The truck belongs to a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria contractor. The 91 passengers on board the flight were later disembarked and put in another plane which left for Kano three hours later. A statement by the Managing Director of IRS, Mr. Yemi Dada, confirmed the incident. The statement quoted Dada as saying "This morning our flight LVB 3306 taxied out on a Lagos to Kano flight with a transit stop at Abuja. The aircraft taxied out at 7:48am with 91 passengers. While taxing on the taxi way the Captain observed a FAAN truck in a ditch. There were no marshals around it neither was there any marking to indicate that it encroached into the taxi way. There was no Notice To Air Men (NOTAM) issued to that effect as well." He added, "The captain continued on his taxi and the wing tip hit a protrusion from the truck towards the rear of the truck. This made the captain request a return to ramp from the tower and also notify the tower of the incident and the danger posed by the truck. "The passengers were disembarked and accommodated in another aircraft which departed Lagos at 10:15am. The incident has been reported to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and we await the clearance of the NCAA to effect repairs and return the aircraft to service." A FAAN statement also confirmed the incident. A statement by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Datti, said, "At about 8.30 pm last night (October 9, 2012), a gully emptier with registration number XT 461 LSD on official assignment accidentally fell into a drainage in the taxiway ramp of GAT and could not be evacuated immediately. "At about 7.30am of today, October 10, 2012 an IRS aircraft, Forkker 100 with registration number 5N SAT left the parking bay of MMA2 for the threshold of runway 18L of MMIA. The pilot Capt. D Kelly of IRS was informed by an Arik Pilot of an obstruction on the taxiway towards Runway 18L and he (Capt. D. Kelly) felt he could manoeuvre the obstacle by his own judgment but this failed because the tip of the wing of the aircraft collided with a section of the gully emptier at about 7.45 am." It added, "Capt. D Kelly did not stop but continued to taxi back to the boarding gate of MMA2 to discharge his passengers. No passenger or crew sustained injuries as a result of the incident. All the passengers were later transferred to another IRS flight to Abuja. Officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority were immediately invited to the scene of the incident for the on-the-spot assessment of the incident while engineers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria were placed on stand-by to evacuate the stuck sewage tanker as soon as preliminary investigations by both AIB and NCAA were concluded." http://www.osundefender.org/?p=41057 Back to Top Stun gun disguised as cell phone discovered at Newark airport A stun gun disguised as a cell phone was discovered in Newark airport. NEWARK - Airport screeners confiscated yesterday a suspicious device that looked like a cell phone but was actually an elaborately disguised stun gun, officials said. The stun phone was detected yesterday morning by a Transportation Security Administration screener who X-rayed the passenger's carry-on bag at Newark Liberty International Airport, said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman. The man, a Newark resident, was arrested on a weapons charge by Port Authority Police, who responded to the Terminal A checkpoint, said Farbstein, who did not identify the man. The stun gun was the size and shape of a cellular phone, with a standard phone configuration that included a keypad, LED screen, and call and end-call buttons. But in place of the typical green phone icon, the call button was embossed with the word "stun." Weapons, including stun guns, are not permitted in carry-on baggage, and ignorance is no defense, Farbstein said. Yesterday's seizure followed a busy holiday weekend for screeners at the region's three major airports, where Farbstein said the TSA confiscated a varied array of weapons, including throwing knives, a hand gun, more stun guns, a machete, and a cane containing a concealed knife. The weekend incidents resulted in a total of five arrests, said Ron Marsico, a Port Authority spokesman. In a Friday incident at Newark Liberty, Farbstein said a passenger was arrested heading for a flight to Atlanta after screeners found an ammuniton magazine in his carry-on bag. That same day at Newark, another passenger was allowed to continue his journey after voluntarily turning over a folding pocket knife and what Farbstein described as a "razor- edged knuckle-knife." On Saturday, a Newark passenger was allowed to travel on after ssurrendering a set of three throwing knives. Farbstein said passengers are responsible for the contents of bags they bring to a checkpoint, and she advised fliers to check their bags thoroughly before leaving for the airport. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/stun_gun_disguised_as_cell_pho.html Back to Top L.A.-to-London flight diverted to O'Hare because of 'unruly' passenger A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles en route to London was diverted to O'Hare International Airport early today when an intoxicated passenger pushed other passengers and an airplane crew member, authorities said. Federal authorities declined to pursue charges against the woman, 34, from Redondo Beach, Calif., and because the flight was over Canada at the time of the incident, no local charges were brought against her. The woman was not allowed onto another United flight, and the flight was canceled after the incident. Police responded early today after the flight was brought to a United gate at O'Hare, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez. The woman, who apparently had been intoxicated, caused a disturbance on a flight, pushing other passengers and a member of the crew, Perez said. United Flight 934, which departed Los Angeles International Airport at 5:55 p.m. and was bound for London's Healthrow Airport, was diverted at 1:21 a.m. Chicago time because of a security disturbance involving an unruly passenger, said United-Continental spokeswoman Christen David. David refered questions about the specifics of the incident to law enforcement officials. The flight on a Boeing 777 was canceled, and passengers switched to other flights, David said. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-10/news/chi-la-to-london-flight-diverts-to-ohare- because-of-drunk-unruly-passenger-20121010_1_unruly-passenger-intoxicated-passenger- la-to-london Back to Top Plane returned to airport after pilots became dizzy The pilot and co-pilot of a Glasgow-bound flight carrying 116 passengers had to turn back to London's Heathrow Airport after they became dizzy and light-headed. The two women quickly embarked on established procedures for dealing with "]incapacitation in the cockpit of the Airbus schedule flight when taken ill, shortly after take-off. Details of the scare involving the 3.42pm flight to Scotland on December 20 last year have emerged for the first time in a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). It described in its investigation into the incident how "during the climb out of Heathrow both pilots had experienced symptoms of dizziness and light-headedness". The pilots donned their oxygen masks and returned to Heathrow where the aircraft landed without further incident. "No fault was found with the aircraft and no-one else on the aircraft experienced adverse symptoms," added the report. On returning to Heathrow, the airport's fire and rescue services examined the cockpit but could find no evidence of smoke or fumes. The two affected crew did not require medical attention. The pilots, who have not been named, were examined by paramedics but neither was displaying any abnormal symptoms by that time. The AAIB report says: "Whilst the company operations manual requires any crew member who becomes incapacitated in flight to consult a company doctor as soon as possible after landing, the crew were still able to operate the aircraft as effective crew members." According to the report, the captain said her light-headedness had begun when she had looked down to the console to change a radio frequency. The report concluded: "The symptoms experienced by the commander may have been as a result of the after effects of a cold, combined with the coincidental head and aircraft movement. The temporary symptoms experienced by the co-pilot may have been effect of the potentially evolving situation of an incapacitation at an early stage in the flight leading to possible mild hyperventilation." She only felt light-headed for 25 seconds and had said the symptoms had been unique in her 12-year career with the operator. Both resumed their flying duties without any recurrence of the symptoms. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/plane-returned-to-airport-after-pilots- became-dizzy.19116122 Back to Top Indonesia below par on airline safety LONDON, 11 October 2012: With the exception of Garuda Airlines, the latest UK travel advisory warns of the inherent risks of travelling on many of Indonesia' s domestic airlines. There have been a number of major aircraft crashes over the last 10 years. The latest occurred 7 May 2011, when a Merpati Nusantara Airlines passenger plane crashed in West Papua province killing 25 people. The travel advisory identifies Mandala Airlines (not currently operating), Airfast and Ekspres Transportasi Antarbenua (operating as PremiAir), Metro Batavia and even Indonesia Air Asia as potentially risky based on the EU commission ban list updated last April. The commission bases its assessment on the alleged inability of Indonesia to ensure that its registered airlines meet international safety standards. The latest advisory on air travel warns UK travellers to avoid flying with Indonesian passenger airlines subject to the EU operating ban. It also notes that since April 2010, all foreign nationals arriving on international flights at Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Solo airports may be fingerprinted at Immigration as well as photographed for security records. This requirement may extend to other international airports in the future. The European Commission updated its European safety list of airlines subject to an operating ban last April. The 19th update identifies airlines that are banned for safety reasons from serving points in the EU. The list stated that Indonesia's TransNusa Aviation Mandiri, Enggang Air Service, Surya Air, Ersa Eastern Aviation and Matthew Air Nusantara newly certified in Indonesia were added to the ban list, whilst Megantara was removed upon evidence they had ceased operations. In the Philippines, Aero Equipment Aviation Inc, AirAsia Philippines, Certeza Infosys Corp., Mid-Sea Express, Southern Air Flight Services, NorthSky Air Inc, Island Helicopter Services were added to the list. The European air safety list includes all carriers certified in 21 nations, accounting for 279 known air carriers, whose operations are banned in the European Union: Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon (with the exception of three carriers which operate under restrictions and conditions), Indonesia (with the exception of six carriers), Kazakhstan (with the exception of one carrier which operates under restrictions and conditions), Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia. The list also includes five individual carriers: Blue Wing Airlines from Surinam, Meridian Airways from Ghana, Rollins Air from Honduras and Silverback Cargo Freighters from Rwanda and Conviasa from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Additionally, the list includes 11 air carriers which are subject to operational restrictions and allowed to operate into the EU under strict conditions: Air Astana from Kazakhstan, Air Koryo from the Democratic People Republic of Korea, Airlift International from Ghana, Air Service Comores, Afrijet, Gabon Airlines and SN2AG from Gabon, Iran Air, TAAG Angolan Airlines, Air Madagascar and Jordan Aviation. http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2012/10/indonesia-below-par-on-airline-safety/ Back to Top Back to Top Female Fighter Pilot Breaks Gender Barriers Col. Jeannie Flynn Leavitt is not only a decorated fighter pilot; she has broken through gender barriers few thought possible. She was recently named the Air Force's first female wing commander, commanding 5,000 airmen at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Twenty years ago, when she had completed part of her training, she was told that if she wanted to be fighter pilot, she would be the first and would draw attention. "I said, 'Well, I don't want the attention, but I want to fly fighters more than anything,'" she responded. She knew she was entering a world dominated by male swagger. Think "Top Gun" - "The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room." And that attitude was not just in the movies. Even the Pentagon brass once argued that male bonding was critical. "If you want to make a combat unit ineffective, add some women to it," retired Gen. Robert Barrow, the former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, had said at a 1991 hearing before Congress. Like it or not, though, they were ordered to change by the Secretary of Defense. And now, Leavitt and others have inspired a new generation. There are currently 700 female pilots in the Air Force and 60 female combat pilots. "Regardless of your gender," Capt. Patricia Nadeau said. "I think everyone's going to look up to her." Leavitt, 46, has logged more than 2,700 hours - 300 in combat over Iraq and Afghanistan - and dropped bombs on enemy targets and avoided enemy fire. Along the way, she married a fellow fighter pilot - who's now stationed "only" three hours away - and had two children, Shannon and Michael. She now trains others for combat, commanding a 5,000-member fighter wing. On one particular day, she led a mock bombing raid in the skies over North Carolina. "You know gender, race, religion, none of that matters, what matters is how you perform," Leavitt said. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/10/female-fighter-pilot-breaks-gender- barriers/ Back to Top FMU aviation program soars with new plane purchase OPA-LOCKA - The Florida Memorial University (FMU) Aviation and Safety Department ushered in a new era of excellence on Sept. 28 when more than 100 guests joined university officials and students at the Opa-locka Airport to help dedicate the newest addition to the South Florida skies. On a windy, blue-sky day, the new aircraft was taxied around to the canopy at Miami Executive Aviation where Henry Lewis III, FMU president, hopped out and addressed the enthusiastic crowd of elected officials, university representatives, airport executives, flight school personnel and FMU aviation students. "We are here to serve notice, that Florida Memorial University is a place where dreams also take flight," declared Lewis. "This new airplane allows our students to gain experience on state-of-the-art equipment and provides the greater community with stellar aviation professionals." The orange-and-blue Cessna 172 SP with G1000 Avionics, is a single-engine, four-passenger aircraft that will allow students to earn various pilot licenses and instrument ratings. Mychal Martin, a recent FMU aviation graduate, was at the controls on this day. He is now a certified flight instructor at Endeavor Flight Training, Inc. "I never thought it would get to the point that FMU would have its own plane," Martin said. "I felt very empowered and deeply honored to celebrate the moment." Lewis applauded the generosity of the U.S. Air Force and the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust; both entities provided grants to underwrite the airplane. In an effort to uplift the community, FMU is making the plane available to customers interested in flight lessons through Endeavour Flight Training, Inc. "We offering new possibilities to our community by giving future aviators access to our plane," Lewis announced. "Local residents will be able take flight lessons at affordable and competitive prices." Since its inception in 1985, the Aviation and Safety Department has created a pipeline for high-quality aviators and airport-management professionals. After 27 years of academic excellence, the program is poised to ascend to new heights with its latest hi-tech addition. It confers bachelor degrees in Aeronautical Science with a concentration in Flight Education, and Airway Science with a concentration in Airway Science Management. Additionally, the program launched an Air Traffic Control major and a Homeland Security minor last year. "We spared no expense in developing this aircraft," said Capt. Arnold Tolbert, FMU aviation program chairman. "We take great pride in producing a first-class product with first-class resources." Tolbert, a retired decorated military and commercial pilot charged with guiding one of the region's most exhaustive Aviation and Safety programs, added: "Our graduates are competitive and competent." He smiled broadly as one of those graduates, Barrington Irving, who has already made history in his own right, spoke during the news conference. Irving earned famed as the first black and youngest pilot to successfully embark on a solo flight around the world. "This is a great day for our program" the Guinness World Record holder noted. "The FMU Aviation program is growing and soaring. I wish I had access to this type of plane while I was a student," Irving said. "We are finally on the map. I hope to log a few flight hours on this plane." http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11307&Itemid=144 Back to Top Alaska Airlines orders 50 Boeing aircraft (Reuters) - Alaska Airlines said it will buy 50 Boeing 737 single-aisle jetliners, worth $5 billion at list prices, in its largest order yet. Alaska Airlines, which runs an all-Boeing fleet, said the aircraft will be delivered between 2015 and 2022. The airline is owned by Alaska Air Group Inc, which also owns Horizon Air. Most of the 50-aircraft order is for the 737 MAX - the new engine variant of the popular 737 that offers better fuel efficiency, Alaska Airlines said in a regulatory filing. http://link.reuters.com/zyh33t Alaska Airlines currently operates 120 Boeing 737s. Earlier this month, Boeing reported an increase in orders for its third quarter, helped by the new 737 MAX. It said it had received orders for 821 aircraft in the 737 MAX category by October 3. Back to Top Nominations for the new "Moral Courage Safety Award" Calling All Helicopter/Rotorcraft Operators We need your Nominations for the new "Moral Courage Safety Award" What is the Moral Courage Award? It's a new award aimed at recognizing individuals and organizations that make operational decisions based on sound safety risk management principles. Who is eligible for the award? Helicopter crew members, maintenance personnel, managers, and their organizations. All helicopter operators are eligible for the award. How do I nominate an individual or organization for the award? Draft a short narrative describing the activities of the individual, crew, or organization. Your narrative should include the circumstances, the specific decision that was made, critical factors of the decision, and conclude with the outcome in terms of operational safety. Email it to: d.smith@dot.gov What is the cutoff date for nominations? Nominations must be submitted no later than 30 days before the annual Heli-Expo Exposition. What inspired the award? The true story of an EMS pilot who told of his decision to abort a critical neonatal transport after encountering unforecast bad weather. It was a very tough call; he had to weigh the safety of the crew with the life of a patient. In the end he aborted the transport knowing it was the right decision for the safety of everyone. His organization supported the decision and even went so far as to recognize him for making that tough call. Sometimes choosing the safest course of action can cost time or money, but in the long run it saves time, money, reputation, and possibly lives. It takes moral courage to do the right thing. We believe there are many individuals and organizations making these tough calls every day. We want to recognize them for their contribution to promoting a positive safety culture in the rotorcraft community. When and where will the award be presented? Selectees will receive the award at the annual Heli-Expo Exposition. The selection committee will inform awardees of the exact date and time. Awardees presence is requested but not required to receive the award. The Moral Courage Award provides a huge opportunity to promote and foster a positive safety culture by recognizing individuals and organizations who demonstrate commitment and action that encourage a positive safety culture. Please direct all inquiries, comments, or suggestions to: Mr. D Smith, Senior Air safety Investigator, d.smith@dot.gov, 405.694.1644-Cellular, 405.954.2913-Desk Back to Top Famed soprano Sarah Brightman books Soyuz flight Sarah Brightman, famous soprano and a successful crossover artist, announced Wednesday she will soon begin training for a 10-day tourist trip to the International Space Station. Brightman undergoing spaceflight assessments in Russia. Brightman revealed she passed medical assessments this summer at the Russian cosmonaut training center near Moscow for a flight on a Russian Soyuz capsule. The schedule for her launch has not been determined, but the launch date will be set "very soon" by Roscosmos and space station partners, Brightman said in a press conference held in Moscow. The first available seat on a Soyuz mission is in 2015. The tourist trip was arranged in a deal with Space Adventures of Vienna, Va., which negotiated the flight with the Russian space agency. Space Adventures has booked Soyuz flights for seven clients since 2001. But Soyuz seats in recent years have been taken up by professional astronauts since the space station crew size increased to six full-time residents and the space shuttle's retirement left U.S. fliers with no other way to reach the complex. But NASA and Russia announced last week an agreement to send a U.S. astronaut and Russian cosmonaut on a 12-month expedition to the space station in 2015. The year-long mission frees up two seats for potential tourist flights. NASA and Russia could select and announce the crew for the 12-month mission in the next few weeks. Eric Anderson, chairman of Space Adventures, said the price Brightman is paying for the Soyuz flight is confidential. In its latest contract with Russia, NASA pays about $63 million per round-trip seat on the Soyuz. "I am determined that this journey can reach out to be a force for good, a catalyst for some of the dreams and aims of others that resonate with me," Brightman said. Brightman is working with UNESCO on outreach projects during her mission, including promoting sustainable development and science and engineering education initiatives for girls and women. "I can think of no better ambassador for the idea of human spaceflight than this incredible woman who can transmit and communicate emotion through music," Anderson said. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1210/10brightman/ Curt Lewis