Flight Safety Information January 8, 2014 - No. 008 In This Issue Four US military helicopter crew die in British crash Jetblue cancels flights to rest pilots Drone crashes into ship, causes NTSB Alerts Keep Focus On GA Safety African carriers contribute 20% to global air accidents in 2013 Think ARGUS PROS Airbus Picks U.S. Jet Boss to Run North America Business. Air Algeria To Boost Fleet With 11 New Aircraft AIRPLANE BABY-SLAPPER SENTENCED TO EIGHT MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON Four US military helicopter crew die in British crash A file picture taken on April 21, 2010, shows a US Airforce HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter conducting a rescue operation during Exercise Angel Thunder, near the town of Bisbee in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. - File Photo by AFP LONDON: A US military helicopter crashed while on a low-level training exercise in eastern England on Tuesday, killing all four crew members, military officials announced. "A US Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crashed at about 6.00pm (1800 GMT) today near Salthouse on the Norfolk coast," said a statement issued by the 48th Fighter Wing, which is based at nearby Royal Air Force (RAF) station Lakenheath. A US defence official later confirmed the accident killed the four US Air Force crew members on board. The 48th Fighter Wing response teams were on site and beginning their investigations. Norfolk Police also issued a statement saying that next of kin will be informed before further details on the victims are released. The force revealed that the aircraft, a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter, may have been carrying live ammunition. "It is not believed that anyone in the surrounding area has been injured,"said the statement. "However, there remains a 400-metre cordon around the site, which is standard for this type of incident. An assessment is still being carried out around the munitions which may be on the aircraft and advice from the military is being taken." Around a dozen emergency vehicles from the fire brigade, coastguard and police remained at the scene at 11.00pm (2300 GMT). Superintendent Roger Wiltshire, of Norfolk Police, added: "The helicopter had a crew of four and sadly at this time we believe that all four crew members have died. "We will shortly be making an assessment of the scene to make sure it is safe. "We believe there is some ammunition on board the helicopter."The US base at Lakenheath confirmed that the chopper came during a training mission outside Cley- Next-The-Sea. Lakenheath is situated in neighbouring Suffolk and, although it is an RAF base, hosts US Air Force units and personnel, including the 48th Fighter Wing. Also known as the Liberty Wing, the 48th is key to US air power in Europe, and is understood to be involved in anti-terrorism operations. Local resident Richard Kelham said it seemed the helicopter had come down in the middle of the bird reserve. Norfolk Wildlife Trust later released a statement revealing that the accident had taken place "on the shingle bank at NWT Cley Marshes nature reserve.""Our immediate thoughts are for the families of those who sadly lost their lives," it added. Sue McKnestiey, who runs a shop in Salthouse, described hearing an unusual sounding helicopter pass overhead. "I don't know about engines but I am used to the sound of helicopters and this sounded very heavy and very unusual," she explained. "I keep hoping the helicopter I heard isn't the one that crashed. I think the whole village will be devastated when it realises what's happened."Artist Rachel Lockwood added: "We had never seen so many police cars and fire engines, so went to have a look. "The beach road to Cley is sealed off. There are lots of fire engines near the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse. A helicopter is hovering over the marsh with a light beaming down."Britain is suffering from a spell of stormy weather and high winds, but the west of the country has borne the brunt of the rough conditions. Michael Girling, who saw the helicopter shortly before it crashed, described the conditions as "pretty mild, clear, not bad at all."Pave Hawks are used for combat search and rescue, and are often called upon to retrieve downed aircrew in hostile environments. During Operation Desert Storm they provided combat search and rescue coverage for coalition forces in Iraq and more than 20 were deployed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in support of recovery operations in New Orleans. Today, Pave Hawks are being used in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. http://www.dawn.com/news/1079133/four-us-military-helicopter-crew-die-in-british- crash Back to Top Jetblue cancels flights to rest pilots JetBlue introduces premium class seatsNEW YORK (CNN) - Flying JetBlue Airways? You might have to wait until your flight crew rests up if your travel includes Boston's Logan International Airport or the three New York City-area airports. Blaming a weekend of bad winter weather and new Federal Aviation Administration rules on pilot duty times, JetBlue canceled nearly all operations from Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning at Logan, New York's John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The airline planned to ramp up operations to about 25% of its regular schedule on Tuesday morning and expected to become 100% operational by 3 p.m. ET, according to JetBlue spokesman Anders Lindstrom. Lindstrom said Tuesday morning that the new scheduling rules related to pilot rest time "are a factor, not a driver, in our recovery from two winter storms and JFK infrastructure issues." Statements from the airline on Monday suggested the pilot rules were a bigger factor in the carrier's near-halt in the Northeast. While saying JetBlue was prepared for the new rules that increase rest requirements for pilots, scheduling pilots and crews is a "delicate" operation under normal circumstances, spokeswoman Tamara Young wrote via e-mail. "Delays or cancellations disrupt those handoffs placing crews or planes 'out of position' for their flights." "In the midst of us repairing those schedules disrupted by this week's winter storms, we're facing an additional challenge as new FAA rules went into effect for crew rest," she wrote. "These rules further impact our ability to operate an already disrupted schedule, causing our pilots to 'time out' even sooner. As a result, additional cancellations are likely to occur as we work to reset the operation." More than 400 JetBlue flights were canceled Monday, with 120 flight cancellations on Tuesday, the airline said. Nationwide, more than 4,500 flights were canceled Monday, and more than 2,300 flights have been canceled for Tuesday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com. JetBlue said it is scheduling extra flights to address the backlog and will extend apologies and compensation offers to passengers. Passengers whose flights have been canceled should not go to the airport, the airline said. The airline has compiled its advice to stranded passengers in a blog post, with links to the fee waiver policy and rebooking page. The FAA announced the pilot changes in December 2011, and they went into effect Saturday. Pilot fatigue became a top priority for the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, after the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York. The new rules require a minimum 10-hour rest period for pilots before their flight duty period, which can range from nine to 14 hours, depending on the start time and the number of flight segments and time zones crossed. While other U.S. airlines are delaying and canceling thousands of flights because of severe weather patterns, no other major U.S. airline contacted by CNN has cited the new rules as a cause. An airline pilots union said the airlines had sufficient time to adjust to the new FAA work rules. "They had two years to anticipate this (work hour rule) and to adjust accordingly," said Sean Cassidy, vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association. "So I think it's overly simplistic to suggest that they could ascribe this disruption - which happens to coincide with this major, major winter snowstorm - and just hang it all on that rule-making change." While the new pilot rest rules may be one of the many things that have disrupted air travel this week, ThePointsGuy.com's Brian Kelly said the airlines are looking to blame others for not hiring enough pilots to withstand disruptions to their schedules. "The rules are necessary for passenger safety, (and) the airlines have had years to prepare," he said. At the end of the day, "the airlines really can't withstand irregular events like these," Kelly said. "They have really bad emergency management plans in place." http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/01/07/jetblue-airways-slowdown/#ixzz2poCT6KzQ Back to Top Drone crashes into ship, causes $30 mln in damages A US Navy ship suffered $30 million in damages after a drone accidentally crashed into it during a military exercise and injured two sailors. The incident occurred last November near Point Mugu, California, but the website USNI just recently reported the Navy will need about six months to fully repair the USS Chancellorsville. According to the original Navy Times report on the accident, a malfunctioning Northrop Grumman BQM-74 crashed into the port side of the Chancellorsville during a training exercise that involved a routine radar test. The ship "was heavily damaged by the impact of a test target," while the 13-foot drone itself "crippled a key computer center integral to the ship's cutting-edge combat systems." The Chancellorsville had about 300 crewmen onboard at the time of the collision. Two were treated for minor burns, though the Navy did not say how the individuals were injured. Sailors had only a four-second warning once drone operators realized they lost control over the BQM-74. "There was just a breakdown in communications ... and the ship had no time to react," an unnamed crewman told the Navy Times. As USNI reported, BQM-74 drones are usually outfitted with a feature that would keep the machine from colliding into a naval vessel when control is lost, but it's unclear whether or not this kind of capability was activated. The Navy added that the cause of the crash is still under investigation. While the United States has deployed drones around the world, the unmanned vehicles have proven to be very susceptible to crashes. According to an NBC News report from last March, "drones are 30 to 300 percent more likely to crash than small civil aircrafts." A 2012 survey from Bloomberg also found that for every 100,000 hours of drone flights, there are 9.31 accidents. Despite these concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration recently announced the six states that will develop drone-testing sites as the agency paves the way for the vehicles to occupy US airspace, with some sites specifically focusing on developing "failure modes" for instances when a drone malfunctions. In 2012, Congress eased licensing restrictions related to domestic drone use, while the FAA expects roughly 7,500 drones to be roaming US skies within five years. Some studies have estimated that a domestic drone industry could create between 70,000 - 100,000 jobs and generate $80 billion in economic activity. Privacy advocates, however, aren't as keen on the prospect of drones hovering over American soil; the American Civil liberties Union has previously criticized the prospect, saying it would move the country towards "a surveillance society in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities." http://rt.com/usa/drone-crash-caused-battleship-damage-240/ Back to Top NTSB Alerts Keep Focus On GA Safety The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) latest round of general aviation safety alerts continues the concerted effort of the agency, along with FAA and industry stakeholders, to address a general aviation accident rate that has refused to decline in recent years. NTSB issued five new alerts that address common safety hazards and provides practical strategies to mitigate them. The alerts cover: restraints; engine power loss due to carburetor icing; emergency locator transmitters; securing of items in the aircraft cabin; and proper use of fiber or nylon self-locking nuts. The alerts follow five alerts that NTSB issued last March, many of which involved decision-making skills and risk assessment. NTSB released the alerts to raise visibility of the fact that general aviation safety has remained on its "Most Wanted List" of transportation safety improvements. "These five safety alerts remind pilots, mechanics and passengers of basic safety precautions to add to their checklists to ensure a safe flight for all on board," says NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman, adding that many of the accidents can be prevented. NTSB has noted that while the commercial accident rate has declined, the general aviation rate has stagnated, with accidents averaging more than 1,500 a year over the past decade. NTSB notes that these accidents result in 475 fatalities and injuries in the U.S. each year. The effort is part of a multipronged effort within the aviation community to highlight general aviation safety. These range from a significant undertaking by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee to develop metrics that pinpoint the most common problem areas to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta appealing directly to the pilot community to use sound decision-making while flying. FAA and industry have established a goal of lowering the accident rate to one fatal accident per 100,000 hr. flown by fiscal 2018. To progress toward that rate, the number of fatal accidents need to dip below 253 in fiscal 2013, but the number by midyear in 2013 was outpacing the goal. Other efforts underway include an overhaul of airmen testing and training standards and a rewrite of Part 23 certification standards to bring safety equipment to market more quickly at a lower cost. FAA's European counterpart, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has similarly emphasized addressing general aviation safety. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_01_06_2014_p0- 652054.xml Back to Top African carriers contribute 20% to global air accidents in 2013 African airspace once again recorded the highest rate of fatal commercial aviation accidents in 2013 with 20 per cent of global fatalities. However, Africa still contributed merely three per cent to global aviation traffic in the previous year just like in 2012. There were 29 commercial air accidents worldwide in 2013 and 265 fatalities involving passenger and cargo planes designed to carry the equivalent of at least 14 passengers. These statistics were released yesterday by the Aviation Safety Network, ASN, in the United States. The foundation recorded that there were six accidents in the continent in 2013 unlike five commercial accidents in 2012. 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, has not yielded the kind of return we had hoped to see. http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/african-carriers-contribute-20-to-global-air- accidents-in-2013/ Back to Top Back to Top Airbus Picks U.S. Jet Boss to Run North America Business Airbus Group (AIR) elevated its top U.S. jet salesman, Allan McArtor, to run its entire North American business as the company abandons a defense push in the U.S. market amid reduced military spending. McArtor, 71, will become chief executive officer and chairman of the regional unit March 1, succeeding Sean O'Keefe, Airbus said in a statement today. O'Keefe will hold a temporary role to help Toulouse, France-based Airbus work with the Defense Department as U.S. operations are restructured. Airbus had ambitions to win major U.S. military contracts before scaling back last year amid a strategic review that also led to dumping the European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. name. As chairman of Airbus's Americas plane unit, McArtor helped win an American Airlines (AAL) order for A320 jets in 2011 and is setting up an assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. "Allan will give us tremendous lift and thrust in the U.S.," Airbus CEO Tom Enders said in the statement. McArtor oversaw "a period of significant growth and expansion." O'Keefe, 57, is stepping down to attend to "medical issues" suffered in a 2010 plane crash in Alaska, Airbus said. O'Keefe, who once ran the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, sustained serious injuries in the accident, which killed five people including U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. McArtor will also serve on the Airbus board, the company said. He joined Airbus in 2001 after a career that included leading the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-07/airbus-picks-u-s-jet-boss-to-run-north- america-business.html Back to Top Air Algeria To Boost Fleet With 11 New Aircraft VENTURES AFRICA - State-owned Air Algeria is set to increase its domestic and international fleet by 11 aircraft, after it agreed to purchase 8 Boeing, 3 Airbus and 3 small ATR aircraft, an official government statement has confirmed. Air Algeria already flies 17 of the Boeing 737-800 model but has placed an order for 8 more - costing a reported $724 million - in a bid to boost its business in the highly competitive North Africa, Europe and Middle East markets. "The 737-800 continues to be the backbone of Air Algerie's fleet. So far, we are pleased with these aircraft and anticipate receiving all eight of these new units before the end of 2016," Mohamed Salah Boultif, CEO of Air Algerie, was quoted by International Business Times. To consolidate its domestic market dominance, the North African airline turned to French company ATR to acquire 3 smaller planes, while it sealed a deal for 3 Airbus aircraft to increase the number of long distance flights on offer. Though the terms of the Airbus deal remain undisclosed, prices per aircraft normally hover around $216 million. http://www.4-traders.com/news/Air-Algeria-To-Boost-Fleet-With-11-New-Aircraft-- 17764386/ Back to Top AIRPLANE BABY-SLAPPER SENTENCED TO EIGHT MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON Rule 1 for air travelers: Don't slap babiesSo here is a tale of justice of sorts: Joe Rickey Hundley, the former executive from Idaho who slapped a crying toddler on a Delta flight as it was on approach to Atlanta last February, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for the assault. He had pleaded guilty in October in a plea bargain that was supposed to have given him a six-month sentence, but the judge gave Hundley more time because he had a previous criminal history including an assault. . As you recall from our previous stories, Hundley had slapped the baby and called him the racist name, but after his arrest in February explained that he was definitely not a racist at all, oh no. Also, he may have been a little drunk, but he had a very understandable reason, which was that his son was in an Atlanta hospital, brain-dead from an insulin overdose, and Hundley was on his way to be there when life support was disconnected. And that is genuinely horrible. Grief is terrible and painful, but we are pretty sure that Elisabeth Kubler-Ross never identified "sudden outbursts of racist slurs while slapping a toddler" as one of the stages. We'd have remembered that one. At his sentencing Monday, Hundley at least didn't make any excuses, and told the judge he took full responsibility for what he'd done. He also apologized to the baby's mother, Jessica Bennett, who was present for the hearing. "I made the most terrible day in my life much worse for me and for others," Hundley told the judge. Hudley's attorney, Marcia Shein, argued that the eight-month sentence was excessive, and that Hundley has been going to daily AA meetings, getting counseling, and working with other people with alcohol problems, so couldn't he just be sent to a halfway house? U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman acknowledged that Hundley was experiencing great grief, but also pointed out, hey, dude, you slapped a baby: "You cannot assault another individual, regardless of how sad or upset, or even how intoxicated or sick, you are," Baverman said. That's probably a pretty good reminder to hand to people as they get on airplanes, maybe. Might do more good than having the Ten Commandments posted at City Hall. The perpetrator of the crying, in February Before the sentencing, Jessica Bennett told the court that Hundley's assault on her child had had serious consequences; she said that her son immediately changed from a bright and curious child to one who was guarded and scared. For her part, she suffered fear, anxiety and depression as a result of the attack, she said. "It is my belief that Mr. Hundley is a bully," Bennett told the judge. "He saw an easy mark in a woman with a young child to unleash his bigotry." She told a reporter after the hearing that she did not believe Hundley's apology was genuine. It is at least something of a relief to know that Mr. Hundley has not compared himself to Anne Frank. http://wonkette.com/538411/airplane-baby-slapper-sentenced-to-eight-months-in- federal-prison-still-not-racist-at-all#r8q70QxE3y4ilmem.99 Curt Lewis