Flight Safety Information January 6, 2014 - No. 006 In This Issue Mexican Man Killed In Fiery Aspen Airport Plane Crash, Two Others Injured Jet lands in Kansas City to check 'suspicious device' Passenger Jet Makes Emergency Landing In Azerbaijan African Air Safety Trails Rest of World PH prepares for audit of air safety standards (Philippines) Air India flight makes emergency landing in Jaipur Heathrow Jet Has 'Close Encounter' with UFO Think ARGUS PROS B787-9 International debut and to Auckland, NZ West Michigan aviation programs grow amid shortage of pilots, technicians Pointing lasers at aircraft may become felony (Arizona) Aircraft GPS system to prevent power line collisions Man faces jail time for slapping crying toddler on airplane Mexican Man Killed In Fiery Aspen Airport Plane Crash, Two Others Injured Emergency crews work near a passenger plane that crashed upon landing at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colo., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. DENVER (AP) - A fiery plane crash at the Aspen airport Sunday afternoon killed one person and injured two others, one severely, Colorado authorities said. Officials said the flight to the wealthy mountain refuge originated in Mexico and all three aboard were pilots and Mexican men. Alex Burchetta, director of operations for the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, identified the man who died as Sergio Carranza Brabata of Mexico. He did not release the names of the two injured, and he did not know where in Mexico the 54-year-old Brabata lived. Burchetta said the plane went off the right side of the runway, flipped over and burst into flames. "The injuries were traumatic in nature, but they were not thermal," he said. "So the fire never reached inside the cabin as far as we can tell." Ginny Dyche, a spokeswoman for Aspen Valley Hospital, said the facility received two patients who were involved in the crash. She later said one patient in fair condition and another in critical condition were transferred elsewhere. Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed the plane was a Canadair CL-600, a midsized private jet. The aircraft is registered to the Bank of Utah in Salt Lake City, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Bank officials did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman, said the plane was headed from Tucson, Ariz., and crashed upon landing. Officials said the crash happened at 12:22 p.m. MST. A plane with the same tail number took off at 6 a.m. MST from the airport in Toluca, a city 35 miles west of Mexico City, before stopping in Tucson, according to a Mexican federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. The official said the passengers aboard were three Mexican men. He declined to release their names, citing security reasons. Tucson International Airport officials didn't immediately have more information. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach airport officials in Colorado were not immediately successful. Aspen attracts celebrities and the wealthy for its skiing and all around ambiance from around the U.S. and the world. The region's popularity has left its airport often dealing with numerous private aircraft. At least two celebrities at the airport Sunday reported they were witnesses. The crash prompted Twitter responses from the two, who confirmed to The Associated Press that they sent the tweets. Country singer LeAnn Rimes Cibrian tweeted via @leannrimes on Sunday: "So sad! Horrible plane crash we just saw happen at the Aspen airport." Comedian Kevin Nealon sent a series of tweets about the crash through @kevin_nealon. His first one said, "Horrible plane crash here at Aspen airport. Exploded into flames as it was landing. I think it was a private jet." Later he tweeted, "Airport is closed now. I think I'll drive back to LA after seeing that." Tom Renwick, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction, said snow showers were reported in the area Sunday afternoon, but not at the airport. He said it has been overcast all day with temperatures hovering around 10 degrees. Aspen is located in the Rocky Mountains about 100 miles southwest of Denver. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/01/06/mexican-man-killed-in-fiery-aspen-airport-plane-crash- two-others-injured/ Back to Top Jet lands in Kansas City to check 'suspicious device' KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - An American Airlines jet on a cross-country flight made an emergency landing in Kansas City on Sunday after a "suspicious device" was found that turned out not to be a safety threat, an airport official said. The 767 jet bound for New York from San Francisco landed at Kansas City International Airport at about 1 p.m. because of concern about an object that resembled a flash drive in a bathroom, said airport spokesman Joe McBride. All 227 passengers and crew got off the plane at the airport and waited several hours while it was inspected by authorities. Bomb and arson investigators and a dog checked out the plane and the object, Kansas City Police Darryl Forte said in a Twitter statement. "Not an explosive device," Forte wrote. The FBI also investigated, but a spokesman declined comment Sunday evening. McBride said there were no stated threats associated with the device but American Airlines used caution in landing the plane for inspection in light of attacks or attempted attacks on aircraft in recent years. "This is a new day and age," McBride said. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140106/jet-lands-kansas-city-check-suspicious- device Back to Top Passenger Jet Makes Emergency Landing In Azerbaijan A Singapore Airlines jetliner has made an emergency landing in Baku due to cabin depressurization. There were no injuries to the 467 passengers and 27 crew aboard. The Airbus A380 superjumbo was flying from London to Singapore when it was forced to land early on January 6. Singapore Airlines said that oxygen masks were deployed in the incident but that the aircraft landed "uneventfully" at Baku airport. Passengers are awaiting a replacement aircraft. http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-plane-emergency-landing/25221602.html Back to Top African Air Safety Trails Rest of World Poor Safety Performance Comes Despite Efforts to Improve By ANDY PASZTOR CONNECT Africa once again reported the world's highest rate of fatal commercial aviation accidents in 2013, despite increased local and international efforts to improve air safety in the region. Africa has just 3% of global air traffic. But African crashes accounted for roughly 20% of the 29 accidents and 265 fatalities world-wide involving passenger and cargo planes designed to carry the equivalent of at least 14 passengers, according to an affiliate of the Flight Safety Foundation, an advocacy group for global aviation safety based in Alexandria, Va. There were six fatal crashes in Africa in 2013, compared with five the year before, according to the Aviation Safety Network, which released the year-end totals. The rolling four-year annual average of fatal crashes in the region remained at five, based on the ASN's latest data. Last year's tally includes crashes of three African passenger aircraft, the same number of passenger planes that went down in Russia or parts of the former Soviet Union combined-a region with twice as many departures as Africa. The numbers disappointed some leading aviation experts, who had anticipated improvement in the region's performance. "It's unfortunate that a lot of the effort" expended over the years to enhance air safety throughout Africa, "hasn't yielded the kind of return we had hoped to see," said Kevin Hiatt, president and chief executive of the Flight Safety Foundation. Once outside experts and consultants help devise a strategic plan for the region, Mr. Hiatt said on Sunday, "it doesn't seem like there is a lot of execution" by local governments or industry leaders. The next step may be to set up enhanced oversight to ensure "constant follow-ups and progress reports," said Mr. Hiatt, who in February takes over as the top safety official for the International Air Transport Association, the industry's leading global trade group. By contrast, the ASN summary indicates that global accident statistics continue to improve. With a total of 265 deaths last year from airliner accidents world-wide, it cites 2013 as "by far the safest year" ever in terms of commercial-aircraft fatalities. Like other industry experts that track safety trends, the report indicates 2013 nearly matched the record low global airline accident rate reported a year earlier. Passenger counts have been climbing steadily in a number of African countries as some economies expand, resulting in more business travel and prompting some startup carriers to launch new routes and attracting more first-time fliers. By some estimates, African airline traffic will increase nearly as quickly as that of the Middle East and fast-growing Asian regions over the next few years. The safety tally follows a 2012 declaration by African political and air-safety officials to halve the rate of the most common categories of accidents and serious incidents by 2016. The air-safety arm of the United Nations and IATA also back the initiative. Despite such efforts, African carriers overall "still have a long way to go to demonstrate significant improvement," said Harro Ranter, ASN's president. In an interview over the weekend, Mr. Ranter also said the frequency of serious but nonfatal accidents and incidents across Africa basically has stayed flat since 2000. "There is not much long-term improvement there, either," he said, despite some year-to-year fluctuations The latest numbers include a LAM Mozambique Airlines jet, which went down in November, killing all 33 aboard. Last year, IATA chief Tony Tyler told a conference in Ethiopia that before African aviation can thrive, "there is a safety problem that must be fixed." Even for Western-built jets, Mr. Tyler said IATA's numbers for 2012 showed African crash rates running roughly 20 times higher than the global average. Such a poor regional safety record, he said results in "reputation damage" to "all carriers in Africa." For all types of airliner models operating in Africa, IATA's data shows that the region's overall accident rate increased significantly between 2008 and 2012. IATA is expected to release its 2013 data in several weeks. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304887104579302904075115882 Back to Top PH prepares for audit of air safety standards (Philippines) Gov't seeks upgrade from US Federal Aviation Administration The US Federal Aviation Administration may push through with an audit of the Philippines' air safety standards this month-an exercise seen as a key step for the country in getting a coveted US aviation upgrade, a government official said Monday. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) deputy director general John Andrews said in a text message that the audit would likely happen this month. "There is a schedule but we will have to confirm the dates," Andrews said without elaborating. The exercise did not push through in the fourth quarter last year as anticipated by CAAP, thus delaying the upgrade to Category 1 status. CAAP had suggested that an upgrade from its current Category 2 status was all but certain. Nevertheless, the delay meant that local carriers had had to wait longer before being allowed to expand in the United States. The FAA downgraded the Philippines five years ago due to safety concerns. Currently, only flag carrier Philippine Airlines mounts flights to the US but Cebu Pacific Air, the country's largest budget carrier, said it was eyeing expansion there as well. "There are no more safety issues as far as we are concerned. This has been confirmed by no less than the EU (European Union) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)," Andrews said in a previous interview. The Philippines passed the ICAO assessment early last year, which led to the lifting last July of a ban imposed by the European Union. This allowed Philippine Airlines to fly to points in Europe. As noted, the restoration to Category 1 status would allow carriers like Philippine Airlines, the only domestic carrier with flights to the United States, to expand flights within that country. It also opens the door for other carriers to fly to the United States. The FAA move is also seen as beneficial for Philippine Airlines, as it could use newer and more efficient planes to ply its lucrative US routes. The downgrade to category 2 prevented the flag carrier from doing this. http://business.inquirer.net/159115/ph-prepares-for-audit-of-air-safety-standards#ixzz2pcjsLoWE Back to Top Air India flight makes emergency landing in Jaipur Jaipur: An Air India flight made an emergency landing in Jaipur late on Sunday after the pilot noticed that the aircraft was running short of fuel. While landing, one of the aircraft's wings was damaged and its tyres had burst. The emergency landing took place at around 9.30 pm on Sunday night. The flight was carrying 168 passengers from Manipur capital Imphal to Delhi flight late on Sunday when the pilot made an emergency landing due to heavy fog and poor visibility. "The flight's captain, Jalaj Vats, made an emergency landing and saved the lives of passengers. However, one wing of the aircraft was damaged," an airline source said on condition of anonymity. http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/air-india-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-jaipur_901805.html Back to Top Heathrow Jet Has 'Close Encounter' with UFO Footage from a youtube video showing a UFO UK aviation authorities are investigating claims by an airline pilot that his plane was almost struck by a "rugby ball-like shape" which was bright silver and metallic-looking as he flew at an altitude of 34,000 feet near Heathrow airport. Although the pilot and airline have not been named, the plane involved was an Airbus A320 and the incident took place at 18:35 on 13 July 2013 some 20 miles west of the airport over Berkshire, where two other unexplained UFOs were pictured one month earlier (14 June). Experts believe that due to the plane's altitude it probably wasn't taking off or landing from Heathrow but was probably travelling between another UK airport and the continent. "The captain was fully expecting to experience some kind of impact" UK Airprox Board According to the head of the National Air Traffic Control Services, staff report an average of one unexplained "near-miss" with unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, every month. Like all near-misses in UK airspace, the incident was investigated by the UK Airprox Board. In their report they described the fear of the pilot who believed he was about to have a head-on collision with the object, which approached at great speed. "He was under the apprehension that they were on collision course with no time to react. His immediate reaction was to duck to the right and reach over to alert the FO (First Officer); there was no time to talk to alert him. The captain was fully expecting to experience some kind of impact with a conflicting aircraft." The pilot estimated that the UFO avoided the plane by just a few feet, streaking over the top of the cockpit. When the pilot contacted air traffic control they could offer no explanation as no other aircraft was in the area at the time. Meteorological balloons, toy balloons and military craft were also ruled out and the sighting remains unexplained. Details of the incident have only now come to light, as the report has been published concluding that it was "not possible to trace the object or determine the likely cause of the sighting". The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk and hotline in 2009, but unexplained sightings continue to be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority because of the potential implications for flight safety. Newly released archives from the Ministry of Defence and other government departments detail many similar incidents over the years. In one particularly puzzling case in 1991, both pilots of a passenger jet flying over Kent on its way to Heathrow saw a strange object whose presence was confirmed by the area control centre (ACC) operator on the ground. The incident was never explained. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/heathrow-jet-has-close-encounter-ufo-1431077 Back to Top Back to Top B787-9 International debut and to Auckland, NZ All photos by Peter Clark As dusk fell at Auckland International Airport, the first B787-9 to venture outside the United States touched down in Auckland, New Zealand. Early evening on 4 January 2014, the lights appeared in the Eastern sky and ZB002 arrived to visit launch customer Air New Zealand. The aircraft completed the Seattle, Boeing Field to Auckland flight in 13 hours 49 minutes with 79 POB, and was the longest flight to date for a B787-9. This trip which was contingent on weather and other test factors marked the international debut of the B787-9, the second and newest member of the B787 family. Boeing said they were proud to bring the B787-9 to Auckland to show Air New Zealand what the team has achieved. With more than 150 flights since testing began in September, the test fleet is said to be continuing to perform very well. Boeing said, we look forward to delivering the first B787-9 in mid-2014 as promised. Air New Zealand said they are expecting ZK-NZB to arrive in July and to be in full service in early October. Air New Zealand said, having one of Air New Zealand's B787-9s touching down on Kiwi soil for the first time is hugely exciting. The two Trent powered B787-9 test aircraft will be reconfigured back on the production line in 2015 and will be delivered as aircraft four and five to Air New Zealand, late 2015. The aircraft in Auckland, ZB002, is the second of three B787-9s dedicated to the test program. As the only B787-9 test aircraft to be fitted with elements of the passenger interior, in addition to test racks and instrumentation, Boeing is using ZB002 to test the environmental control system and other aspects of aircraft performance. From Auckland, ZB002 was scheduled to continue on to Alice Springs, Australia, where Boeing is to conduct flight testing in hot weather. Boeing chose Alice Springs Airport for this testing because the location meets specific test requirements for both facilities and atmospheric conditions. Testing is contingent on favorable weather and is scheduled to last approximately one week. Boeing said they need temperatures above 38 degrees C to test operating systems with a high temperature load. During the aircraft stay in Alice Springs Boeing will also complete autoland testing during the aircrafts down time. Back to Top West Michigan aviation programs grow amid shortage of pilots, technicians The West Michigan Aviation Academy is expanding to accommodate growing enrollment. The $2 million project is being funded by loans from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation. With a growing enrollment outpacing space in its current facility, West Michigan Aviation Academy plans to expand to accommodate up to 600 students in Grand Rapids. The project adds an additional 15,000-square-feet to the school, including an airplane hangar, and follows significant expansions in 2011 and 2012. Other features include additional classrooms, labs and collaborative workspace. "We maxed out our capacity," said Pat Cwayna, the charter high school's CEO. "When we started the school, we operated out of an old office building with three classrooms for 80 students. (In 2014), it looks like we'll hit an enrollment of at least 500 students." A number of factors suggest the expansion couldn't come soon enough to help fill a growing global void of talent in the aviation and aerospace industries that analysts say could significantly impact airport management and commercial and freight carrier operations. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing, in its most recent industry forecast, estimates that around the world, roughly one million new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians are needed through the year 2032. North America alone accounts for approximately 85,700 pilots and 97,900 technicians in the company's estimate. That has operations such as the West Michigan Aviation Academy (WMAA) and the Western Michigan University College of Aviation - which also has plans to expand - looking to fill the gap. "The literature is calling for a (significant) number of pilots to enter the workforce for many years out," Cwayna said. "The need for pilots worldwide is going to be huge with baby boomers retiring, not to mention the four to five people on the ground needed to support a (single) airplane mechanically. What we're doing is just good timing." Safety concerns are also widespread in the industry, said Dave Powell, dean of the college of aviation at WMU. "The need for pilots, mechanics and people to manage them is probably the highest it's ever been in aviation," said Powell, a former chief pilot and flight manager for commercial carriers and veteran of the U.S. Air Force. "In the '60s, there was a big need for mechanics, but this (need) is probably even larger." To that end, WMU is looking to bolster its top-rated program as other leading aviation schools such as Purdue University and Southern Illinois University do the same, Powell said. In its December meeting, the WMU Board of Trustees approved a proposed $19 million capital outlay request for the expansion of the school's aviation program located at the W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek. The project is one of the university's top priority requests. Primarily, the expansion would go toward brick-and-mortar facilities that would add additional classroom space, labs and work facilities, Powell said. Most recently, the school invested in its simulation facilities and technology, a project that is expected to be completed by September. The need to expand follows a 12-percent enrollment growth in 2012 and an 8-percent gain in enrollment last year, a trend Powell expects to continue. "The $19 million is hopefully just the first phase of the expansion," Powell said. "We're packed and we need this just to handle new students coming in." A second $32 million phase is on the books and would facilitate the aviation school's full build out into a complete campus, Powell said. The school currently has 750 students enrolled, and Powell said he could expect to see that number double in the next five to seven years. "It's kind of a perfect storm with everything coming together right now," he said. "Everyone has known this talent shortage has been coming for long time, but it's difficult to see how it will continue to play out as the economy goes up and down, but it seems like everything is finally here." In Grand Rapids, the West Michigan Aviation Academy is also bursting at the seams with an enrollment of 412 students as parents continue to look for more specialized education programs for their children, Cwayna said. The school's expansion will allow the academy to support a maximum of 600 students when it's complete and is the final expansion for the foreseeable future, he said. The project will cost approximately $2 million and is being paid for through loans from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation. Specialty schools like the WMAA are the wave of the future, Cwayna said. The school's expansion isn't just coincidence, either. Graduating students with a path to in-demand careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is getting a strong push at both the national and state levels, Cwayna said. "We're a very different school and we're unique with an engineering focus," Cwayna said of WMAA. "The climate for what parents want for their children is changing from what's been offered in the past." http://mibiz.com/item/21217-west-michigan-aviation-programs-grow-amid-shortage-of-pilots- technicians#sthash.FP282tuF.dpuf Back to Top Pointing lasers at aircraft may become felony (Arizona) TUCSON - The state legislature will consider making pointing a laser at an aircraft a felony. Representative Ethan Orr said the bill is written and he will file it before the legislative session, which starts January 13. Tucson Police officer and pilot Chris Potter has been working with Orr. He said his helicopter has been hit by a laser pointer about 100 times in his career. About 2 years ago, one permanently damaged his right eye. "Unfortunately, we don't have, as aviators, the luxury to pull over," Potter said, "or hit the brakes in midair that you might be able to do in a car if you can't see." Potter said he is ready to go to Phoenix and lobby for the bill. He said it is about awareness as much as it is consequences. TPD had about 50 laser strikes last year. Officers caught the offender in most of those cases, according to Potter. "But there's really no punishment," Orr said. "The county prosecutor, because it's not at a felony status, doesn't go after them. And so literally, you get a ticket and nothing happens. But you're endangering lives." The law would apply to all aircraft, including medical helicopters, passenger planes and police helicopters. The House of Representatives considered 665 bills last legislative session. It sent 171 to the governor. She vetoed 16. "I do think some civil libertarians may oppose it," Orr said. "I'm going to be actually spending this week reaching out to groups like the Goldwater Institute and conservatives in the House and Senate and making sure that they understand how important this bill is." The FBI will launch a public awareness campaign about the issue next month. http://www.kvoa.com/news/pointing-lasers-at-aircraft-may-become-felony/ Back to Top Aircraft GPS system to prevent power line collisions Norwegian researchers are hoping to create a satellite-based system to prevent helicopters and light aircraft from colliding with power lines and other obstacles. A team from research organisation SINTEF and private firm NobileSoft is developing a system to calculate an aircraft's position using GPS and use a location database of Norway's electricity grid architecture to alert pilots if they are headed for a collision. SINTEF says such incidents account for 10 per cent of aviation accidents in Norway each year, but a previous system developed to tackle the problem using radar equipment positioned near each obstacle was scrapped due to its high costs. 'The challenge lies in the acquisition, quality assurance and distribution of all the data now in the possession of the various 'grid owners' distributed across Norway,' said SINTEF business developer Trond Bakken in a statement. 'These data, relating to geographical position, cables and their heights, are both inaccurate and available in a variety of formats.' The researchers have proposed a unifying system that will include details of equipment owned by the country's national grid operator, Statnett, as well as regional and private operators. NobileSoft have already built a prototype system in collaboration with utility company Nord-Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk (NTE). They hope it will provide an alternative to a previous collision avoidance system (OCAS), which has been used in several countries, that transmits warning signals to aircraft on a specific frequency, but was opposed by grid operators that would have been forced to purchase the system for every part of their equipment. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/aerospace/news/aircraft-gps-system-to-prevent-power-line- collisions/1017748.article#ixzz2pcoHJcqp Back to Top Man faces jail time for slapping crying toddler on airplane ATLANTA-A man who pleaded guilty to slapping a crying toddler on a flight is due in federal court for sentencing. Joe Hundley pleaded guilty in October after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. His sentencing is set for this morning. Prosecutors say Hundley used a racial slur to refer to the 19-month-old boy, who's black, and then hit him under the right eye as the flight from Minneapolis began its descent to the Atlanta airport last February. The misdemeanour simple assault charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $100,000. Prosecutors have recommended six months in prison, but Hundley reserved his right to argue for a lower sentence. The judge isn't required to follow the recommendations in the plea agreement. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/ Curt Lewis