Flight Safety Information June 7, 2013 - No. 114 In This Issue Pilot, 76, walks away from plane crash with just minor injuries after deploying emergency PARACHUTE Southwest Airlines Pilots Applaud Key Safety Program Amendment Passage Fla. cargo pilot charged with flying drunk U.S. military aircraft, passenger plane have near-miss over Eilat 3 crewmembers killed in medical helicopter crash in Kentucky Helicopter crashes in Griffith Park; 4 people suffer minor injuries New Information on Lion Air Crash: Scary on Two Levels En Route To Rehab, Woman Disrupts Flight Annual SMS Audit Results Released Carol Vorderman unveils plans for solo flight around the world GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Pilot, 76, walks away from plane crash with just minor injuries after deploying emergency PARACHUTE IT was lucky for Karen Dean that she wasn't in the mood for a spot of sunbathing yesterday morning. For just before 11am, a light aircraft fell out of the sky and crashed into her back garden. Both she and the 76-year-old pilot had miraculous escapes after the Cirrus SR22 hit the ground. Fortunately the 200mph aircraft's fall was slowed by an emergency parachute - and then cushioned by Mrs Dean's conifer trees. The unnamed pilot was able to stumble from the wreckage with only minor injuries, and a relieved Mrs Dean spoke of her shock and relief that catastrophe was avoided. The plane even managed to avoid her greenhouse, summer house and shed. The 50-year-old mother of two was inside her £250,000 semi-detached home in Cheltenham when she heard a 'whirring sound'. 'It got louder and louder and then I thought all hell was breaking loose,' she said. 'I ran into my garden and there was this huge plane. 'The pilot clambered out and was walking around a bit dazed. I was in shock. I was so scared.' Mrs Dean, a project manager for Boots, was working from home yesterday. She joked of the damage done to the property: 'That was the only part of my garden that we had done up, so I'm a touch annoyed that it's wrecked now. 'If they let me keep the plane, which they won't, it would make an incredible water feature. Charlie Dimmock would be jealous.' Neighbour Jeannie Bowers, 46, added: 'There was a big pop and banging sound and then a whoosh of air. The parachute went up and the plane slowly came down towards the ground gently turning and hanging from this parachute. 'It just gently came down and landed on the conifers in Karen's garden.' The Cirrus aircraft, worth around £200,000, was written off in the crash which left one wing almost completely torn away and the other bent at a 90-degree angle at the tip. Emergency services were at the scene in minutes and took the pilot to hospital, but it is understood he suffered only minor injuries. He was helped from the wreckage by builder David Shatford, 30, who was working on a nearby property. He said: 'I looked around and saw this plane coming straight towards me. It was about ten feet away and I had to jump off the scaffolding. 'Next thing I knew the plane had smashed into the trees.' The pilot, from London, was heading for Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton, which sent its Rescue and Fire Fighting Service to the scene to make the plane safe. His soft landing came courtesy of the aircraft's Cirrus Airframe Parachute System - an emergency device which has been credited with saving at least 70 lives. Records show the aircraft was built in 2008 and is registered through Southern Aircraft Consultancy in Suffolk. No one from the firm was available for comment. HOW THE PARACHUTE WORKS IN A CIRRUS SR22 In the event of an emergency, the pilot pulls a red chord which is in the ceiling of the cockpit. Once the chord is pulled a solid-fuel rocket is deployed out of a hatch which covers the compartment where the parachute is stored. As the rocket carries the parachute rearward from the back of the plane, harness straps are released. Within seconds, the 65inch diameter canopy unfolds which begins to control the plane's descent. According to Nick Tarratt, UK agent for Cirrus, pilots have only had to deploy the parachute a handful of times worldwide. He said: 'The aircraft is the only production aircraft to have a parachute built in. 'The idea came from the plane's designers, brothers Alan and Dale Klapmeier after Alan had a mid-air collision. 'It inspired them to produce an aircraft with a built in parachute. 'It is a real success story, because this man has been able to walk away alive.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336815/Pilot-76-walks-away-plane-crash-just-minor-injuries- deploying-emergency-PARACHUTE-allowed-light-aircraft-float-safety-quiet-Cheltenham-garden.html Back to Top Southwest Airlines Pilots Applaud Key Safety Program Amendment Passage DALLAS, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) today applauded the House of Representatives passage of an amendment to restore Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program funding and called on the U.S. Senate to follow suit. The amendment, authored by Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and former Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL), passed by voice vote Wednesday during floor consideration of FY2014 Homeland Security Appropriations. The underlying DHS funding bill passed the House today by a vote of 245-182. "The FFDO program is one of the best federal programs to protect passengers, pilots, flight crews and also the general public from acts of terrorism," said SWAPA President, Captain Mark Richardson. "Our pilots extend our most sincere appreciation to Congressmen Hudson, DeFazio and Mica for their leadership in protecting this critical safety measure." The FFDO program trains qualified pilots in the use of force, defensive tactics and other survival procedures. Federal Flight Deck Officers are sworn and deputized federal law enforcement officers commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security/TSA Law Enforcement Division. Since its inception, the FFDO program has been one of the most cost-effective initiatives aimed at protecting our nation's aviation system. Created in response to the unprecedented attacks on September 11, 2001, the FFDO program has added a vital layer of security with minimal federal investment. Passage of the Hudson/DeFazio/Mica amendment completes efforts in the House to restore funding. The President proposed elimination of FFDO funding in his FY2014 budget proposal. The Appropriations Committee restored half the funding ($12.5 million) when it passed its Homeland Security bill in May. The amendment increased funding levels for FFDO by an additional $12.5 million, to a total of $25 million. Action is now required in the Senate. "While we are pleased with the House actions, we now turn our attention to the Senate," Captain Richardson said. "As the voice of pilots serving the largest domestic U.S. airline, SWAPA and our pilot membership will work with key Senators to continue the fight to avert these cuts to this vital aviation security program." Located in Dallas, Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) is a non-profit employee organization representing the more than 6,400 pilots of Southwest Airlines. SWAPA works to provide a secure and rewarding career for Southwest pilots and their families through negotiating contracts, defending contractual rights and actively promoting professionalism and safety. For more information on the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, visit www.swapa.org. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-pilots-applaud-key-safety-program- amendment-passage-210477141.html Back to Top Fla. cargo pilot charged with flying drunk; authorities say blood alcohol content was 0.27 TAMPA, Fla. - A private cargo pilot has been charged with flying while drunk with a blood alcohol content was 0.27 percent, well above the .04 percent limit permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Court records allege 28-year-old Phillip Lavoie lost touch with air traffic controllers for an hour while flying from Tampa to North Carolina in December. Air traffic officials also noticed the plane was descending and had slightly veered from its path. The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/15CPGj2) reports Tyndall Air Force Base dispatched two fighter jets. A federal flight inspector and police said Lavoie smelled of alcohol and was crying when he landed. Lavoie was charged Tuesday with operating a common carrier under the influence of alcohol. His attorney, Summer Goldman, says Lavoie has entered a residential treatment program. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/06/fla-cargo-pilot-charged-with-flying-drunk-authorities-say-blood- alcohol-content/ Back to Top U.S. military aircraft, passenger plane have near-miss over Eilat JERUSALEM (JTA) - A U.S. military aircraft and an Israeli passenger plane nearly collided over Eilat. A C-130 Hercules aircraft flying from Bahrain to Jordan and the Arkia plane came within two miles of each other, according to reports. The military aircraft tried to land at the Eilat Airport believing it was the King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba. The Israeli control tower helped the U.S. plane make it to Jordan. It was the second time in two weeks that there has been a near-miss over Eilat. http://www.jta.org/2013/06/06/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/u-s-military-aircraft-passenger-plane-have- near-miss-over-eilat Back to Top 3 crewmembers killed in medical helicopter crash in Kentucky MANCHESTER, Ky. - A medical helicopter crashed in eastern Kentucky, killing all three crewmembers aboard. A statement from the helicopter's company, Air Evac Lifeteam, says it was on its way back to base around 11:16 p.m. Thursday when the accident happened. The company identified the crewmembers as pilot Eddie Sizemore, flight paramedic Herman "Lee" Dobbs and flight nurse Jesse Jones. They were on their back to base after transporting a patient to a hospital in London, Ky. In the statement, Air Evac Lifeteam President and CEO Seth Myers says they're devastated by the loss of the crew. The cause of the accident isn't known and Air Evac Lifeteam says officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will begin investigating. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/07/ky-medical-helicopter-crash-kills-3-crewmembers/ Back to Top Helicopter crashes in Griffith Park; 4 people suffer minor injuries Four people were aboard a helicopter that crashed in Griffith Park on Thursday afternoon, but their injuries appear to be minor, authorities said. The crash was reported at 2:17 p.m., Los Angeles Fire Department officials said. At least one person was taken to the hospital for evaluation, but the injuries were not life-threatening. The other three are being evaluated at the scene, authorities said. A park ranger was also taken to the hospital with heat exhaustion, Los Angeles Fire Capt. Jamie Moore said. The helicopter went down in a hilly area of Griffith Park that's criss-crossed by hiking trails. It's unclear what caused the helicopter to crash. Officials from the Federal Aviation Authority said they will investigate. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-griffith-park-helicopter-crash-20130606,0,3727502.story Back to Top New Information on Lion Air Crash: Scary on Two Levels Why did a Lion Air Boeing 737-800 crash on final approach to Bali in April? I have now been able to reconstruct the final minutes of flight 904 from a preliminary report by Indonesian crash investigators, and it reinforces concerns I have over the skill of the pilots you could be entrusting your life to in some parts of southeast Asia. With four minutes to landing the 101 passengers were strapped into their seats, the weather was clear and paradise beckoned. The 48-year-old Indonesian captain had handed over control to the copilot, a 24-year-old Indian. The landing, with a flight path over water, should have been routine, and with a minute to go to touchdown the copilot disengaged the autopilot and prepared to fly the Boeing 737-800 manually to the runway. But there was a sudden squall over the water. The copilot told the captain he had lost sight of the runway and handed back control to the captain. The airplane was by then less than a 100 feet from the water. The captain attempted to abort the landing and make a go-around. It was too late. The 737 hit the water, parts of a coral reef and a sea wall. It finally came to rest about 60 feet from the shore and 900 feet from the runway. Water was surging into the cabin from a gash on the left side. The upside of this story is that nobody died. Four passengers were seriously injured, scores of others had lesser injuries. And the evacuation of the plane was exemplary: Local police, armed forces, rescue personnel and bystanders waded into the shallow water and helped passengers to reach shore-some passengers swam. Everyone was on dry land within 35 minutes. The downside is that this is a classic case of a crash that should never have happened. Bali international airport has every modern navigation aid, and the Boeing 737-800 was a virtually new airplane with advanced cockpit instruments. The appearance of a sudden squall near an airport is common everywhere in the tropics-it should present no hazard to a competent pilot. This accident should be a red flag to regulators-and for travelers. Low-cost carriers are multiplying in southeast Asia. Lion Air already has nearly half of Indonesia's domestic market, which is growing at the astounding rate of 15 percent a year. To satisfy demand, Lion Air recently ordered 230 more Boeing 737s and 234 Airbus A320s-an unprecedented windfall for both planemakers. This growth is, however, clearly outstripping the supply of experienced pilots. The captain of flight 904 was a veteran, with 7,000 hours of experience on 737s; the copilot was a relative novice, with only 923 hours on 737s. With such a disparity the captain should not have left the landing to the copilot. Most Indonesian carriers-including Lion Air-are banned from flying into both Europe and the U.S. by safety authorities. The country's regulatory regime is widely regarded as not rigorous enough to meet international standards for either pilot proficiency or maintenance checks. It's simply not enough to have those shiny new airplanes painted with dazzling livery and staffed with a welcoming, gracious cabin crew. There is a new age of mass travel upon us, and it has to be underpinned by a dependable culture of safety-and that must include the regulators being given the power to limit the expansion of flights until they, and we, can be satisfied that pilot proficiency is equal to that of North America and Europe. http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2013/06/lion-air-plane-crash-update-060613 Back to Top En Route To Rehab, Woman Disrupts Flight JUNE 6--A woman en route to a Florida rehab facility allegedly disrupted a Spirit Airlines flight after consuming "vodka beverages," police allege. Heather Lynn Dykman, 40, was traveling Tuesday from Baltimore to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when the trouble began on Flight 443, according to a Broward County Sheriff's Office report. A flight attendant told deputies that Dykman had been served "two vodka beverages" and that it appeared that the 40-year-old passenger "was becoming intoxicated." So the airline employee "refused to serve her further alcoholic beverages," investigators noted. After being cut off, Dykman, a Rockville, Maryland resident, "became very angry and yelling, using profanity and disturbing the operation of the flight," the report notes. While demanding more booze, Dykman left her seat and went to a galley area, where she yelled, "Stop sending your house nigger to do the messages for you." Warned that she was violating Federal Aviation Administration regulations, Dykman (seen above) allegedly did not relent, and "continued yelling, making racial slurs, cursing and making obscene gestures (extending her middle finger) to the crew during the entirety of the flight." Upon landing, Dykman continued her tirade when confronted by deputies who met the flight. She was arrested after continuing to use "profanity and racial slurs in front of approximately 300 passengers in the concourse." Charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, Dykman was booked into the Broward County jail. During a video arraignment yesterday, she told a judge that, "I came down for a 30-day rehab program." Dykman was later released from custody after posting $250 bond. Judge John Hurley ordered her to not consume alcohol while on pretrial release and to stay off Spirit Airlines flights. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/drunk-on-way-to-rehab-85431 Back to Top Back to Top Carol Vorderman unveils plans for solo flight around the world Carol Vorderman has unveiled plans to fly around the world solo - following in the footsteps of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. The former Countdown presenter hopes to set off on her 29,000-mile journey next year, swapping the ITV Loose Women studio for the cockpit. Her route will take her across Mexico, Sudan and Pakistan - mirroring the ill-fated trip that Amelia made in 1937. Amazingly, Carol only started learning to fly with her 21-year-old daughter Katie in California last summer. Giving up her spot on the ITV show, the 52-year-old will attempt to recreate the famous flight, with her boyfriend Graham Duff, a former Red Arrows Squadron leader, joining her in a support aircraft. The couple have bought their own plane which is a single-engined Diamond DA40 which has four seats. 'It's something I've always wanted to do and I've got to the point in life where I just decided to do it,' she told The Mirror. 'It's been my dream for decades and if I don't do it now, I never will. I'm totally obsessed with flying,' she added. She hopes to have her own licence later this year so she can embark on the round-the-world journey solo. The former Countdown presenter has always been vocal about her passion for aviation, but put her ambitions on hold by her television commitments. She hoped to get a job working as an engineer at British Airways after she graduated from Cambridge University, but instead ended up working at a hydro-electric power station before landing a job on Countdown. Carol went public with her romance with Graham last year and told all of her fans that he'd inspired her to take up flying, tweeting pictures of herself and daughter Katie posing by planes. She will take to the skies four times a week as she prepared for the flight. But the star, who is usually spotted out in skintight dresses and stilettos may be in for quite a lifestyle change on the arduous trip. 'It's not like you just fly from one major airport to another - it's one airfield to another, get the tent out the back and kip overnight, and then back in again and set off,' she said. Luckily for her, Carol will have her other half following some distance behind her, so he will be on hand if something goes wrong. Carol lists Earhart and her fellow aviation pioneer Amy Johnson as her heroes. Johnson became the first woman to fly from England to Australia solo in 1930 and was famous around the world. She later died during World War II. Amelia Earhart went missing during her round-the-world attempt in 1937 after becoming the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was formally declared dead in 1939 but her remains have never been found. Amelia was on the final stage of an an ambitious around-the-world flight along the equator in a twin-engine Lockheed Electra when she and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared. Earhart had set off from New Guinea to refuel at Howland Island for a final long-distance hop to California. In what turned out to be her final radio message, she declared she was unable to find Howland and that fuel was running low. Several search-and-rescue missions ordered the next day by then-president Franklin Roosevelt turned up no trace of Earhart or Noonan, who were eventually presumed dead at sea. An aircraft recovery team recently claimed to have captured the remains in a grainy sonar image captured off an uninhabited Pacific Island. The image was captured off an uninhabited tropical island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati and showed an 'anomaly' at a depth of 600 feet in the waters. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) believe the evidence could finally pave the way to solving the 76-year-old mystery. Conspiracy theories about Earhart's final moments have flourished for years. One contended that Earhart was held by Japanese imperial forces as a spy. Another claimed she completed her flight, but changed her identity and settled in New Jersey. Earhart's story - as well as her mysterious demise - have captivated America for decades. She has been portrayed on the big screen by A-List actresses like Diane Keaton, Amy Adams and Hillary Swank. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336873/Carol-Vorderman-unveils-plans-solo-flight-world-follows- footsteps-hero-Amelia-Earhart.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST A fellow aviator of 40 years is conducting a doctoral research study on pilot decision-making. The study - which examines why otherwise competent and certified pilots make mistakes that result in check-ride failures - will be the first qualitative research study to generate emergent new theory based on the erring pilot's perspective. Although many quantitative studies have looked at what pilots do wrong, researchers have not previously sought pilot input on why the erring pilots made substandard mistakes. Pilot volunteers interested in participating must have had to repeat a recurrent training simulator proficiency check ride. Pilot volunteers must also hold a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate and must be currently qualified and in an active flying bid status. All pilot interviews are confidential, and pilot participants will have an opportunity to review a draft of the study before results are submitted to the dissertation committee. The study has the support of both organized labor and the commercial aviation flight departments. The research is being conducted across the United States. Professional pilots are loath to discuss performance shortcoming, however the importance of pilot perspective must not be left in the closet. Help us help the profession - please participate. Click here for more information or email the researcher directly at PHDpilotstudy@conflictcounts.com With deepest appreciation! Captain Gary Boettcher PhD Candidate Sullivan University PHDpilotStudy@conflictcounts.com 540-287-7817 M Curt Lewis