Flight Safety Information March 18, 2013 - No. 058 In This Issue Airbus Said to Win Order for at Least 200 Jets From Lion Air Plane Crashes Into South Bend, IN, Neighborhood Pilot killed in replica Spitfire plane crash at Salisbury Federal budget cuts might close towers at Ohio airports PROS IOSA Audit Experts Dog Mistakenly Boarded on Flight to Ireland Instead of Arizona Airbus Said to Win Order for at Least 200 Jets From Lion Air Airbus SAS is set to announce an order from Indonesia's PT Lion Mentari Airlines for more than 200 single-aisle aircraft valued at more than $20 billion, two people familiar with the agreement said. The order, to be unveiled at a ceremony this morning at the French presidential palace in Paris, will include current- generation A320s as well as planes from the newer A320neo series, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the accord hasn't been made public. The Indonesian carrier needs more aircraft as it adds flights in a region where air travel is expected to grow more than 6.4 percent annually through 2031. Lion Air, which flies to more than 36 destinations within Indonesia and overseas, is establishing a low-cost carrier in Malaysia to challenge AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA), Airbus's biggest A320 customer. Airbus spokeswoman Marcella Muratore declined to comment. Officials at Lion Air couldn't immediately be reached for comment. French newspaper Les Echos earlier reported that Airbus is set to announce the order, without saying where it obtained the information. The Asian airline had already signed a record order with Boeing Co. (BA) for 230 additional 737s in February last year. That deal was worth $22.4 billion at list prices. The purchase, which also included 150 options, was Boeing's biggest in dollar value and plane numbers at the time. Major Orders Airbus has won major orders for its bestselling A320 family of planes in the past week, including 100 purchases from Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) and an order from Turkish Airlines (THYAO) for 82 A320-series planes worth $9.3 billion at list price. Customers typically buy aircraft at discount. An order in excess of 200 aircraft from Lion Air would help the carrier break into the ranks of the Top 5 operators of Airbus single-aisle planes, after AirAsia BHD, Lufthansa, India's IndiGo and EasyJet Plc. Surging demand has allowed Airbus to take in about half the number of orders in the first quarter alone that it captured in all of 2012 for its A320 and A320neo series. Airbus won orders for 305 of the A320 series and another 478 for the A320neo last year. The neo variant will offer a choice between engines by United Technologies Corp. (UTX)'s Pratt & Whitney or by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric Co. (GE) and Safran SA (SAF) of France. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-03-18/airbus-said-to-win-order-for-more- than-200-planes-from-lion-air Back to Top Plane Crashes Into South Bend, IN, Neighborhood Two people have died and at least three others were injured today when a small plane crashed into a neighborhood near an airport in South Bend, Ind., according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. The pilot of the Hawker Beachcraft Premier 1 twin-jet plane, which had taken off from Tulsa, Okla., radioed the tower to report electrical problems while on approach to South Bend Regional Airport. The plane crashed into the neighborhood, hitting three houses before finally coming to a stop, lodged in a house. FAA spokesman Roland Herwig in Oklahoma City said there were four people on the plane, and two of them have died. South Bend Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Maggie Scroope told The Associated Press that three people injured in the crash were being treated there. She said one was in serious condition and two were in fair condition, but did not know whether they were on the plane or the ground. The crash shattered the calm of a Sunday afternoon in the quiet residential neighborhood. "We thought a house was on fire on the next street, cause it was just blowing and it was like ash that was going through the air, little pieces," said Florence Retek, who lives nearby. "It was a loud noise and it sounded like a truck had crashed and then we looked out the front window, door and there was smoke." The neighborhood was evacuated because of concerns about gas leaking from the plane's fuel tank. South Bend Assistant Fire Chief John Corthier said the jet fuel leak made the situation "very dangerous." "When I walked around the corner after the plane had hit, I could hear the engine still running and smell the jet fuel still pouring out of it, and the engines were still going," another neighbor said. The Associated Press reported that the plane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC in Helena, Mont., which is owned by Wes Caves and does business as DigiCut Systems in Tulsa, Okla. The company makes window film and paint overlay for automobiles. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/03/plane-crashes-into-south-bend- in-neighborhood/ Back to Top Pilot killed in replica Spitfire plane crash at Salisbury in Adelaide's northern suburbs INVESTIGATORS say it is too early to pinpoint a possible cause of the replica Spitfire plane crash which claimed the life of Roger Stokes yesterday. Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigator in charge Richard Davies said: "At this stage it's very early on in the investigation as you can imagine and there's a not a great deal of factual information we can tell you. "At this stage, I can't comment on any possible causes, we don't speculate on what may or may not have happened. "The aircraft was cleared to final approach to the southerly runway, and at a distance of about a mile (1.6km) or so from the runway the aircraft was seen to descend very quickly towards the ground." Shocked witnesses who saw the replica World War II fighter plane plunge into a Salisbury factory car park yesterday rushed to the aid of the veteran pilot. But Mr Stokes, 73, of Monarto, died on impact. Police said it was "fortunate" the plane crashed in an unoccupied industrial site rather than at a soccer game in progress just 200m away. The Spitfire replica had been performing in the Classic Jets Original Parafield Airshow at Parafield Airport, about 1km away. It flew low near Cockburn Green in Brahma Lodge, where soccer teams Elizabeth Downs and Brahma Lodge were playing. Horrified players and spectators watched it plunge to the ground. Soccer fan Bailey, 12, from Gawler, said he saw the plane in an uncontrolled nosedive close to the oval, before it crashed into an iron railing fence between the R.M. Williams carpark and an adjoining factory. According to Bailey, the plane did a barrel roll when a wing seemed to give way. "It did a barrel roll and as it did it, it came back up to turn again and the wing gave way and it went straight down," he said. "It was twirling, turning on its back and going nose first." He said people at the soccer match ran across the road to try to help. Two of them, including a player, leapt the fence of the R.M.Williams factory carpark to reach the crash scene. Bailey said that one of them reached the wreckage and tried unsuccessfully to find Mr Stokes' pulse. Mr Stokes - a World War II aircraft enthusiast - built the small light aircraft from a kit seven years ago. Police would not speculate on whether Mr Stokes was able to use his last seconds to divert his plane into a non-populated area. "It's lucky it was in an isolated, closed-off carpark compared with the sporting grounds across the road," Chief Inspector Krystina Koza said. "So we consider it fortunate that it took place here rather than there." At Parafield Airport, spectators were in disbelief when the tragedy was announced and the airshow cancelled. The Spitfire's flight was well into the running order in the airshow, which had started at 11.30am. Di Wilson, from Brahma Lodge, was among those who saw the classic plane - an 80 per cent replica of the famous single-seater fighter - suddenly just disappear from their view. "I was in disbelief," she said. "I wasn't sure what was going on. People didn't know what was happening and we were asking if the Spitfire had come back in." An announcement was made to the crowd of some 5000 people about 10 minutes later. The airshow was called off and all other aircraft were grounded. The director of the Classic Jets Fighter Museum and organiser of the event, Bob Jarrett, said he was "pretty upset" by what had happened. "He (Mr Stokes) was an acquaintance who came and supported our air displays from time to time," he said. Mr Jarrett said that he did not see the accident because he was inside a hangar when it happened. The crash scene was secured by Metropolitan Fire Service crews and SA Police, who blocked off a section of Frost Road, which runs between the oval and the factory site. Ms Wilson said that some pilots earlier in the day expressed concern at the strength of cross-winds when they were flying. "They were reporting back that it was quite strong up there," she said. SA Police will now prepare a report for the Coroner and they have asked witnesses to come forward or they can phone Crimestoppers. http://www.news.com.au/national-news/pilot-killed-in-replica-spitfire-plane-crash- at-salisbury-in-adelaides-northern-suburbs/story-fncynjr2-1226599160065 Back to Top Federal budget cuts might close towers at Ohio airports The airport at Ohio State University is small but mighty: It handles 70,000 takeoffs and landings a year. But Don Scott Field is still one of about 170 airports slated to lose their air-traffic- control towers beginning on April 7 - the result of across-the-board budget cuts enacted by Congress on March 1. The OSU airport - one of five in the state slated to lose towers - is trying to persuade the Federal Aviation Administration to keep its tower operating. "We are one of the top general-aviation airports in the country," said OSU airport director Doug Hammon. On any given day, the airport could handle medical- emergency flights, student pilots or corporate flights, Hammon said. In Columbus, Bolton Field is also slated to lose its tower, and to the north, so is Mansfield Lahm Airport. Airports in Cleveland and Youngstown also have been targeted. In all, 238 towers are scheduled to be shut down nationally, with about 170 shutting down on April 7 and the rest coming "at a later date," according to an FAA spokesman. Of the total, 195 are contract towers and 43 are operated by the FAA, according to the U.S. Contract Tower Association. Last week, the FAA accepted letters from airports arguing to save their towers, and it will make a decision this week on which ones stay based on whether the closure would have a national impact. The closure of so many towers is sweeping, unprecedented and dangerous, said J. Spencer Dickerson, executive director of the U.S. Contract Tower Association. The towers provide "a second set of eyes, and an extra level of safety," he said. "We are extremely concerned about the safety impact of such a move on a single day," Dickerson said. "We don't have any idea of how that's going impact safety." For Hammon, it isn't hard to press the case for why the OSU airport should keep its tower. The airport serves as a base of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Civil Air Patrol and training grounds for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air National Guard. It also supports 7,000 medical-mission flights flown by emergency medical helicopters each year. Having an air-traffic control tower helps those flights take off more quickly and safely, he said. Hammon argues that the airport is also crucial to educating the next generation of pilots - many of the 70,000 takeoffs and landings include "touch and goes" of student pilots learning to take off and land. But the FAA plans to close control-tower operations at many major universities that own airports, Hammon said. That would stifle the next generation of pilots and hurt the United States competitively, with pilots going to other nations. "We're really the only collegiate aviation program in Ohio whose students actually train in a towered environment, which really gives them key knowledge when they need to get out there," he said. Dickerson said the decision could have an impact on medical airplanes - some of which are required to take off only from airports with an air-traffic-control tower - and military missions. "The military doesn't want to train at Chicago O'Hare or JFK," Dickerson said. "We've heard from the military that they can't train at nontowered airports, so what happens to those operations? This opens a Pandora's box." Although Hammon is confident that those using the airport will work hard to ensure safety, he sees the possibility for more conflicts on the ground if the cuts go through. "A lot of things happen that people may not think about on the ground at an airport," he said. Smaller airports in rural areas don't always need towers because there is less traffic, Hammon said. But the OSU airport, in an urban area, is busier, and the range of aircraft and pilots also demands air-traffic control. "Because we're at a training ground, we have basic, newest pilots up through the most-advanced corporate pilots," he said. "We need somebody overseeing people and helping them out." David Whitaker, a spokesman for Bolton Airport, said Bolton, which serves as a relief airport for Port Columbus, has submitted a letter to express concern about the impact of closing its tower. However, the airport has not argued that closing the tower would have a national impact - a key factor for the FAA keeping the tower open. "We wouldn't meet the criteria for national impact," Whitaker said. Bolton's tower is staffed 12 hours a day, though the airport operates 24 hours a day. He said the loss of the tower will mean slower processing times for planes flying in and out, but the airport "should still be able to operate." "Airplanes can come and go safely from the fields without a tower," Whitaker said. "We'd prefer a staffed tower but can operate in an unstaffed manner." http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/03/18/cuts-might-close- towers-at-airports.html Back to Top Back to Top Dog Mistakenly Boarded on Flight to Ireland Instead of Arizona A dog meant to meet his family in Phoenix, Ariz., ended up on a plane to Ireland after he was mistakenly put on the wrong flight from a New Jersey airport. Edith Lombardo-Albach of Staten Island, N.Y., told ABCNews.com that her six- year-old English Springer Spaniel named Hendrix was scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona around 9:45 p.m. Thursday evening on a flight out of Liberty Newark International Airport on United Airlines. "They marked everything Phoenix, and put the tags on Phoenix," she said. But seven minutes before the flight was supposed to land, she received a phone call from the United Airlines informing her that Hendrix would not be arriving in Arizona that evening. "Originally, I thought the dog had died and I started screaming," she said. But an airline representative told Lombardo-Albach that her dog was put on the wrong flight, and was en route to Shannon, Ireland, instead of Phoenix. "I almost fainted," she said. "My husband and my daughter were already at the airport waiting for the dog." Lombardo-Albach's family is in the process of moving from New York to Arizona, she said. While her daughter, Meredith Grant, had left for Phoenix on an earlier flight on U.S. Airways on Thursday, she could not take Hendrix down with her because the airline does not accept any animals as cargo. Lombardo-Albach said United told her that when Hendrix arrived in Ireland, "they were going to have someone clean the dog, feed the dog, walk the dog, and then they were going to get the dog back on the plane and send him to Newark." "The dog had already gone seven hours to Ireland, and now the dog has a two- hour layover and then a seven-hour flight to Newark," she said. "I was insane." Hendrix flew back to New Jersey on Friday morning, and Lombardo-Albach was there waiting for him when he got off the plane around 11 a.m.. She stayed with him at the airport until 5 p.m., when he boarded his flight for Phoenix. "They boarded him the last possible minute they could," she said. "I stayed and watched them physically put the dog on the plane." But she said it was a struggle to get Hendrix back in his crate to travel to Arizona on Friday. "He was fighting me to put him into the crate. That's just not like him," she said. Lombardo-Albach said United Airlines offered her a free refund for the dog's flight, but was disappointed that the airline was not more compassionate. "This was a major failure on United's part," she said. "He's a member of my family and they nearly left him." United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said in a statement that the airline regretted that Hendrix was boarded on the wrong aircraft. "We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the situation and will take steps to prevent this from happening again," she said. "Hendrix's experience is not typical of the service we provide to the more than 100,000 pets who travel with us every year." Lombardo-Albach just wants the airline to make things right. "I can't believe that somebody would be so stupid," she said. "And if this person doesn't lose their job, I mean, there are going to be problems." http://abcnews.go.com/US/dog-takes-accidental-trip-ireland-airlines- slip/story?id=18746247 Curt Lewis