Flight Safety Information September 27, 2013 - No. 200 In This Issue Machine gun found in closet at JFK airport United jetliner makes emergency landing in Boise Camcorder battery causes fire aboard jet flight headed to St. Louis NTSB implements Pilot's Bill of Rights FAA Advisory Committee Recommends Relaxation of Electronic Device Restriction ISASI NERC Meeting (19OCT2013) Think ARGUS PROS Flight Safety Foundation's Summit Set For Busy Agenda NTSB Communications Course Position Available:...Airport/Aviation Safety - SMS Manager Watch for: AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Machine gun found in closet at JFK airport: officials The Mac-11 subcompact machine pistol was found at Terminal 1 Thursday during renovations. The terminal is used by A Mac-11 machine gun was found inside a closet at JFK airport Thursday. A machine gun landed inside what's supposed to be a secure closet at JFK Airport, authorities said Thursday. A contractor working on renovations at Kennedy Airport stumbled upon a Mac-11 subcompact machine pistol around 10 a.m. inside a locked storage closet at Terminal 1, Port Authority police officials said. The gun was still in a plastic case that the weapon usually comes in, a source told the Daily News. After finding the weapon - which is capable of discharging a 32-round magazine in less than two seconds - the contractor immediately alerted PA police, who then seized the gun. The cops said they are trying to trace where the firearm came from and how long it's been collecting dust inside the closet. "The PAPD is investigating whether the weapon is even operable," officials said in a statement. "There was no ammunition in or near the weapon." Investigators are also questioning JFK managers to see if one of them owns the firearm, the source told The News. Detectives are trying to determine exactly how old the gun is and whether it was ever used in a crime, the source added. The office in the terminal where the gun was found hasn't been upgraded or renovated since the late 1990s - so the gun could have been hidden there for years, the source said. The contractor was running cable through the ceiling of a management office when he made the frightening discovery, officials said. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/machine-gun-found-closet-jfk-airport-report-article-1.1468715 Back to Top United jetliner makes emergency landing in Boise BOISE, IDAHO A spokeswoman says a medical emergency among the crew of a Seattle-bound United Airlines flight prompted an emergency landing in Boise. Boise airport spokeswoman Patti Miller says an apparent heart attack on United flight 1603 prompted the emergency landing just before 8 p.m. on Thursday. The flight originated in Houston and was headed to Seattle. Miller says initial reports said the flight's captain suffered the heart attack. But United Airlines spokeswoman Christen David says it was a member of the crew on the Boeing 737 who had a medical emergency. She says paramedics met the flight and took the crew member to the hospital. CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reports several passengers were told it was the captain. The crew asked for a doctor and at least two people responded. Passengers then saw CPR being administered. Passenger Scott Hyde told KIRO, "It was the pilot, it was the captain," who had the heart attack, and that crews informed passengers later that the pilot was "doing OK" but "not out of the woods." Passenger Jeff Moehlenbruck credited a radiologist for stepping in. He said the crew announced a "minor emergency." The plane then continued on to Seattle, the carrier says. David said there were 161 passengers and six crew members on board. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57604922/united-jetliner-makes-emergency-landing-in-boise/ Back to Top Camcorder battery causes fire aboard jet flight headed to St. Louis CHICAGO * An American Airlines flight from Chicago to St. Louis was forced to return to O'Hare International Airport on Thursday night after a camcorder battery caused a fire in an overhead compartment. A Chicago Fire Department spokesman says the small fire aboard the MD80 was put out with hand-held fire extinguishers by members of the flight crew. No injuries were reported in the incident late Thursday. The aircraft returned to O'Hare around 8 p.m. Passengers were put aboard another aircraft and headed for St. Louis two hours later. http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/camcorder-battery-causes-fire-aboard-jet-flight-headed-to- st/article_e1d93ea2-0494-5e81-aef1-fc543d45d4b9.html Back to Top NTSB implements Pilot's Bill of Rights A little more than a year after the Pilot's Bill of Rights took effect, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a final rule implementing many of the provisions of that law. Under the rule issued Sept. 20, the NTSB adopted a series of changes to its Rules of Practice. The changes are designed to ensure that pilots facing enforcement actions are treated fairly and have timely access to information about their cases. The NTSB will now be required to apply the same rules of evidence and procedure used in federal courts as a way to ensure the fairness of proceedings, including appeals. Another rule change makes it possible for the NTSB to sanction the FAA by dismissing cases or taking other appropriate action if the agency doesn't provide a pilot with the FAA Enforcement Investigative Report after the pilot has requested the information. The rules also give pilots the right to appeal NTSB final orders in either a federal district court or a federal court of appeals. Many of the changes in the final rule draw directly from comments and recommendations submitted by AOPA. "The Pilot's Bill of Rights was created to ensure that pilots facing certificate enforcement actions are treated fairly, and these NTSB rule changes will help make that a reality," said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Rob Hackman. At the same time the NTSB issued its final rule, the panel proposed a new rule that would extend some of the protections of the Pilot's Bill of Rights to emergency cases. Under the proposal, the FAA would be required to provide a copy of its Enforcement Investigative Report at the same time it serves an Emergency Order of Revocation or Suspension. Comments on that proposal must be filed by Oct. 21. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2013/September/26/ntsb-finalizes-rules-implementing-pilots- bill-of-rights.aspx Back to Top FAA Advisory Committee Recommends Relaxation of Electronic Device Restrictions on Commercial Aircraft The Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee has recommended that electronic device restrictions on commercial aircraft be relaxed. According to the committee, airline passengers should be permitted to use smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other personal electronic devices during taxi, takeoff and landing. The 28-member committee agreed on the recommendations during a closed-door meeting, the officials said. The recommendations will be included in a report to be delivered to the FAA early next week, they said. Current rules prohibit the use of electronic devices such as the iPad or the iPhone below 10,000 feet, which means airline passengers are instructed to power off their devices as the plane ascends and descends. Pilots and crew, however, are allowed to use iPads during all phases of flight and many airlines have replaced pilot flight bags with iPads to reduce weight and save money. The ban has been in place to prevent electronic devices such as cell phones from interfering with cockpit equipment, but modern planes are designed to prevent electronic interference. The Federal Aviation Administration began reexamining the regulations that ban electronic device usage below 10,000 feet last year, and in March, the FAA's advisory committee reported that it hoped to loosen device restrictions by the end of the year. Under today's recommendation, passengers would be able to use most devices, though some, like Apple's iPhone, would need to be switched to airplane mode. Downloading data, browsing the web, and talking on the phone would remain prohibited, though reading e-books, listening to music, watching movies, and playing games would be permitted during all phases of flight. The recommendation will be delivered to the Federal Aviation Administration next week, but it remains up to the FAA to decide whether to follow the recommendations of the committee. The FAA created the committee and was involved in committee deliberations, so it is likely that some of the changes will be implemented, though a timeline for the change is thus far unknown. http://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/26/faa-advisory-committee-recommends-relaxation-of-electronic- device-restrictions-on-commercial-aircraft/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation's Summit Set For Busy Agenda Sharing the skies with remotely piloted aircraft, factors leading to runway excursions, pilot fatigue management and fostering a safety culture will top the agenda at the 66th annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) organized by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) from October 29 to 31 in Washington, D.C. FSF president and CEO Kevin Hiatt told a press conference last week that the event also will feature a keynote from National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener on the theme of "Is Safety Cyclical?" The IASS will also review the go-around project being led by FSF's European Advisory Committee. "If you take a look at the majority of accidents over the past 10 years, then coming forward to 2011, 68 percent, or in plain numbers 63 accidents, occurred during that [go-around] phase of flight, which is the approach phase of flight and landing," Hiatt explained. "We feel that the lack of a go-around decision is the leading risk factor in landing accidents." But he quickly pointed out that 97 percent of all approaches are stable and successful, which he called "a great good news story." However, "in that 3 percent that were unstable, 96 percent of those continued on for landing," he added, "which means that only 4 percent elected to go around. What we're trying to do now is focus on that unstable section and target that 96 percent that continued to [the runway]." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2013-09-23/flight-safety-foundations-summit-set-busy- agenda Back to Top NTSB Communications Course Title Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates, Tuition and Fee October 24-25, 2013 $1034 early registration, by September 24, 2013 $1084 late registration, between September 25 and 12:00 pm (noon) ET on October 23, 2013 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Oct. 24: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Oct. 25: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend October 24-25, 2013 CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others * Course Agenda > Comments from course participants > See the 219 organizations from 28 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation. * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend This course is targeted to who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities. Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email TrainingCenter@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 Courses, forums and symposia are added to the schedule throughout the year. Subscribe to the e-newsletter to learn about upcoming events and new programs: http://www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/list/list_mw020207.htm Back to Top Position Available: Airport/Aviation Safety - SMS Manager Direct link to the posting: https://www.austincityjobs.org/postings/39398 Back to Top AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Published weekly on Wednesday. Curt Lewis