Flight Safety Information May 28, 2013 - No. 106 In This Issue Pilot rescued after U.S. F-15 fighter jet crashes off Japan Shoelaces Foil Man's Plan to Open Airplane Door During Flight Passenger plane, military helicopter come close near D.C. airport FAA Warns Carriers Transporting Heavy Vehicles Annual SMS Audit Results Released New Book Reveals How Aviation Crashes are Investigated and What Goes on Behind the Scenes Third European Flight Data Monitoring Conference (EOFDM), January 2014...Call for Presenters Pilot rescued after U.S. F-15 fighter jet crashes off Japan TOKYO (AP) - A U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter crashed off the southern Japan island of Okinawa early Tuesday after the aircraft developed problems in flight. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely. The F-15, flying out of Kadena Air Base, went down in the Pacific about 70 miles east of Okinawa, the military said in a statement. Lt. Col. David Honchul, the chief spokesman for the U.S. Forces, Japan, said the pilot was recovered safely after a search by U.S. and Japanese rescue crews. After he ejected from the plane, the pilot remained in contact with the rescuers. He was rescued by a Japanese air force helicopter. The cause was under investigation. The pilot's name has not been released. The U.S. military said he was in stable condition and being evaluated at a military hospital on Okinawa. The U.S. military has about 50,000 troops based in Japan, about half of them on Okinawa. Kadena Air Base is one of the largest U.S. airbases in the Asia-Pacific region. The F-15 was attached to Kadena's 18th Wing. The crash was the first for an F-15 based at Kadena since January 2006. Back to Top Shoelaces Foil Man's Plan to Open Airplane Door During Flight (AP) Well, be thankful you weren't flying from Anchorage, Alaska to Portland, Oregon Monday morning. Passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight No. 132 had to restrain a very large man who tried to open the emergency exit door while the plane was descending. Passenger Ryan Oelrich told ABC News he awoke to a "loud hissing noise" and people screaming during the flight. What was happening around him? Passengers were fighting to stop the roughly 200 pound, 23-year-old Alexander Michael Herrera from opening the emergency exit door right as the plane was to make its descent. FBI spokesperson Beth Anne Steele said Herrara made some "unusual statements" before setting off an alarm when he pulled the lever on the emergency door. Thankfully, a group of passengers was able to bring Herrera down. "I put him in a choke hold and brought him down to the ground," Henry Pignataro told KGW-TV. With two men holding Herrera still, the crew set out to find supplies on the plane to restrain him further so the plane could complete its descent relatively drama-free. This is what they came up with, KGW reports: He said they brought three sets of shoelaces, which Pignataro and the other man used to bind Herrera's legs. The flight attendants then brought extra seat belt extensions and the witnesses used those to further restrain Herrera, Pignataro said. They eventually put Herrera in a seat "surrounded by big guys" while the plane landed. He was arrested by the FBI once they landed on the ground. He's being charged with interfering with a flight crew and his first court date should be on Tuesday. Back to Top Passenger plane, military helicopter come close near D.C. airport Washington (CNN) -- A commercial jetliner and a military helicopter came dangerously close near Washington's Reagan National Airport in an incident now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The two aircraft came "extremely close" -- flying at the same altitude and within 950 feet of each other laterally -- causing an audible alert in the jetliner's cockpit, and prompting the pilot to abort the landing and circle around for another landing, said NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss. Both aircraft landed safely. The jetliner, Republic Airlines Flight 3281 originating in Columbus, Ohio, was northbound, descending to Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport about 4:05 p.m. Friday, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said in a statement. The southbound helicopter was flying on "helicopter route 4," on the east side of the Potomac River. Both aircraft were on the same radio frequency and the two pilots had each other in sight, Brown said. The controller told the helicopter pilot to pass below and behind the passenger jet, which the helicopter confirmed he would do, Brown said. The pilot of the helicopter had "briefly climbed" to the altitude of 400 feet at the same time the passenger aircraft passed that altitude on descent, Brown said. The two aircraft came closest about one mile south of the airport, Brown said. After Republic's collision avoidance system sounded, the jet circled around and landed safely a few minutes later, officials said. Brown and Weiss said the helicopter is based at Joint Base Andrews on the outskirts of Washington. The weather was good, and is not believed to be a factor in the incident. Back to Top FAA Warns Carriers Transporting Heavy Vehicles Boeing 747 crash at Bagram Airfield caught on tape The FAA issued a new Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 13005 to ensure that cargo carriers transporting heavy vehicles review all loading and securing procedures necessary for safe operations. The alert appears to be in response to the Boeing 747 takeoff accident at Bagram air base in Afghanistan on April 29. One cause being investigated in that accident is the shifting of vehicular cargo aboard the aircraft just after takeoff that may have left the freighter uncontrollable. The alert is designed "to re-emphasize current policy and guidance concerning weight-and-balance control procedures, cargo loading procedures, loading schedules and loading instructions." The notice reminds pilots, loadmasters and dispatchers that special vehicle loads require significant restraints beyond the typical cargo pallet. It also emphasizes that individual operators are responsible for ensuring all personnel involved in the process of loading, securing and unloading the aircraft are properly trained. Training should include ensuring that aircraft tie-down limitations are never exceeded and that restraint requirements are calculated for longitudinal, lateral and vertical forces that might be encountered aloft. The SAFO makes it clear that even something as simple as use of tie-downs of different lengths could create a significant in- flight hazard. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2013-05-27/faa-warns-carriers- transporting-heavy-vehicles Back to Top Back to Top New Book Reveals How Aviation Crashes are Investigated and What Goes on Behind the Scenes to Improve Air Safety Dr. Alan Diehl presents an insider's account of how events actually unfolded in the organizations responsible for protecting everyone who flies. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 The U.S. major airlines recently passed an almost unbelievable milestone - literally going a full decade without a single passenger dying in a crash. Other segments of aviation, including the regional carriers, general aviation, and the military have made significant, albeit less dramatic, improvements in recent years. But whenever a crash occurs air safety investigators are dispatched to discover why it happened and to recommend countermeasures for preventing future tragedies. Air Safety Investigators explains the fascinating story of how this process really works, and what people can do to protect themselves while flying. Dr. Diehl was a pilot who narrowly survived an accident himself, which convinced him to make aviation safety his life's work. Employed by aircraft manufacturers, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Air Force, he helped solve some of the most mysterious crashes while initiating many safety enhancements. This book also describes how Diehl battled the bureaucracy to save lives. Federal officials hired him to prevent an anticipated bloodbath from airline deregulation. He soon introduced innovations such as Crew Resource Management. The training dramatically reduced accidents and he was assigned to teach these concepts to Air Force One crews. However, when he exposed officials lying to Congress, they used the sky marshals to harass him. They then ignored his other programs, which caused countless unnecessary deaths, including that of JFK Jr. He was finally fired for blowing the whistle on the Pentagon cover-up of the worst fratricide since Vietnam. But Congress and other important organizations soon sought his advice on civil and military aviation problems. This landmark expose' provides readers with the definitive description of these remarkable events, vividly told through the eyes of a working air safety investigator. John Nance of ABC News wrote the book's forward to explain how one maverick scientist's insight, candor, and courage significantly improved aviation safety. For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com. About the Author An engineering psychologist, Diehl's many accomplishments have been recognized by safety experts including Ralph Nader. For decades he attacked aviation human performance, crashworthiness, and systems safety issues. Air Safety Investigators * by Dr. Alan Diehl Using Science to Save Lives-One Crash at a Time Publication Date: April 17, 2013 Trade Paperback; $19.99; 376 pages; 978-1-4797-2893-0 Trade Hardback; $29.99; 376 pages; 978-1-4797-2894-7 eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4797-2895-4 Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274. Back to Top Third European Flight Data Monitoring Conference (EOFDM), January 2014 Call for Presenters The European Operators Flight Data Monitoring (EOFDM) forum is a voluntary safety initiative dedicated to the promotion of Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) or FOQA programm. Under the aegis of ECAST (European Commercial Aviation Safety Team), the EOFDM forum objective is to facilitate the implementation of Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) tools and programmes by operators and to help operators in drawing the maximum safety benefits from it. Despite its name, the EOFDM welcomes non-European operators, as well as aircraft manufacturers, regulators, research institutions, flight crew associations, etc. The 3rd EOFDM conference is looking again for volunteers to share their experience and enthusiasm with FDM. Presentations should be related to FDM programm and of general interest. Examples of presentations at past EOFDM conferences and more detailed information are provided at http://easa.europa.eu/essi/ecast/main-page-2/eofdm/ (click on "Annual EOFDM Conference"). Proposals should be addressed to guillaume.aigoin@easa.europa.eu and philippe.pilloud@easyJet.com . Curt Lewis