Flight Safety Information January 17, 2014 - No. 015 In This Issue Tornado jet crashes in Germany; crew safe Severe Turbulence Forces Flight to Return to Newark Some Of Putin's Pilots May Not Even Be Qualified To Fly Planes FBI: 99 Aircraft Hit With Lasers In NYC Last Year Baggage Truck Crashes Through Airport Terminal Window US Airways flight to Philadelphia returns to Phoenix airport because of engine vibration issue Aircraft safety - Strike out!. NTSB Top Ten Most Wanted List for 2014 Dr. Julie A. Harkey Think ARGUS PROS Announcing...The Annual "Moral Courage Safety Awards" Airbus' Beluga: Inside the world's strangest-looking airplane American Airlines: Does it need $10 billion in cash lying around? Tornado jet crashes in Germany; crew safe BERLIN (AP) - The German military says a Tornado combat jet crashed on a training mission but both the pilot and co-pilot were able to eject to safety. The Bundeswehr says the jet crashed Thursday night in western Germany near the city of Koblenz, a few kilometers from its base. The military said in a statement Friday that the pilot suffered minor injuries after ejecting and the co-pilot was unharmed. Both were taken to the hospital for observation. The unarmed plane crashed near a major highway, and the impact threw so much debris onto the road that it was closed down for several hours. The cause of the crash is under investigation. http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/2014/01/17/tornado-jet-crashes-germany- crew-safe/2e7VF5J5Sd0DhI0YZ2ey6J/story.html ************ Date: 16-JAN-2014 Time: 21:55 LT Owner/operator: Luftwaffe (German Air Force) JBG33 Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Kaisersesch - Germany Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Büchel (ETSB) Destination airport: Büchel (ETSB) Narrative: Crashed during night flight. Both crew members ejected safely. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Severe Turbulence Forces Flight to Return to Newark; 5 Flight Attendants Hurt: Port Authority A flight leaving Newark Airport turned around shortly after takeoff when it experienced severe turbulence, hurting five flight attendants, officials say. United Airlines Flight 89, bound for Beijing, returned about 45 minutes after it departed the airport, according to the Port Authority. Passenger Bryan Munoz, a frequent air traveler, told NBC 4 New York it was the worst turbulence he had ever experienced. Everything started shaking just as the flight attendants had gotten up to start serving passengers, he said. "It was really fast, sudden," Munoz said. "We lost a little bit of altitude and the plane went side to side. It was a bit nerve-wracking." While brief -- the turbulence lasted about 30 seconds, according to Munoz -- it was intense enough that the attendants were visibly hurt. One was holding her arm and wrist after the episode, and another was limping, Muonz said. There were 189 passengers and 16 crew members on board, according to the airline. After landing, five flight attendants were treated for minor injuries, mainly bumps and bruises. No passengers were injured, officials said. The passengers were re-booked for another flight Friday morning. The FAA says it is investigating. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Flight-Returns-Newark-Airport-Severe- Turbulence-5-Hurt-240625391.html Back to Top Some Of Putin's Pilots May Not Even Be Qualified To Fly Planes Eight pilots of the special Rossiya Aviation Unit, responsible for the VIP transport in the Russian Federation, may have not legally obtained the required flying licenses according to Life News. The Rosaviatsiya agency (Federal Air Transport Agency) gathers 70 pilots working for several Russian airlines to operate the Russian presidential fleet. The Rossiya unit, based in Vnukovo near Moscow, works under the direction of the Russian President Administration and is responsible for transporting the President, Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and heads of both houses of parliament. Additionally the General Prosecutor, Secretary of the Security Council, the director of Constitutional Court and Chief of President's administration are also transported by the unit. The unit uses 20 planes, including Il-96-300, Tu-154M and Mi-8 helicopters. Some Airbus and Falcon jets have also been used by the agency. The Life News's source claims that the Federal Aviation Transport Agency was forced to suspend all the pilots charged with the invalid credentials. The list includes pilots from Rossiya (which along with operating the VIP fleet has scheduled and charter flights from St. Petersburg and Moscow), Aeroflot, Ak Bars Aero, Uralskye Avialinie, Yamal, UTAir and Taymyr. What connects these professionals is the fact that their training took part in Krylya Nevy training center and, according to Life News, their credentials seem to be suspicious. At least 7 cases of false licenses have been proven with proper evidence. There are some doubts about the Federal Aviation Transport Agency itself, concerning mainly the passive stance towards the ex-navigators and stewards taking pilot seats. These people had no formal training; in other words, they never learned to fly. The issue surfaced after the Tatarstan crash of Boeing 737-500. The crash was claimed to be caused by the human error and gradually the committee came to a conclusion that the pilot might have obtained his license in an illegal training center, which was closed down afterwards. Some experts also affirmed that the Boeing should not have taken to the air regardless of the circumstances, as it was already flying for 23 years, including Africa and South America, and took part in a crash on Belo Horizonte airfield in Brazil. http://theaviationist.com/2014/01/16/russia-license-scandal/#ixzz2qebHXsyO Back to Top FBI: 99 Aircraft Hit With Lasers In NYC Last Year What a pilot sees when someone on the ground shines a laser into the cockpit. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public's help with an investigation into nearly 100 incidents of lasers being pointed at aircraft in the New York City area last year. According to the FBI, there were 99 laser incidents reported by pilots in 2013. Twenty- four of those occurred at or near John F. Kennedy airport, while 63 happened at or near LaGuardia airport. It is unknown where the remaining incidents took place. The most recent incident was reported the day after Christmas by a JetBlue pilot on approach to JFK. Officials said there were a total of seven incidents in the last week of 2013 alone. The FBI said pilots often report periods of blindness or disorientation after a laser is pointed into the cockpit. The lasers can cause extended blurry vision or blindness, but can also result in a burnt retina and have the potential to down an aircraft, the agency said. A large number of the incidents originate from Staten Island and the Glen Cove, Port Washington, Glenwood Landing areas of Nassau County. Meanwhile, a federal criminal complaint was unsealed Thursday against a man accused of pointing a laser at a Westchester County police helicopter back in July. The FBI said Philip Avery Putter twice pointed a high-powered laser pointer at the helicopter, temporarily blinding the pilot, as it flew over a crowd of 10,000 people at the 2013 Kensico Dam Fireworks show. "Aiming a high-powered laser pointer at an aircraft is serious business; it can cause a deadly crash. The public should know that those who engage in such conduct are committing a federal crime," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said of the case. Anyone with information about any of the incidents near JFK and LaGuardia is urged to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/01/16/fbi-99-aircraft-hit-with-lasers-in-nyc-last-year/ Back to Top Baggage Truck Crashes Through Airport Terminal Window A US Airways employee was injured when the baggage truck he was driving crashed into a terminal window at Philly International. The driver of a baggage truck was injured after his vehicle crashed into the window of a terminal at Philadelphia International Airport. SkyForce10 was live over the scene Thursday evening just after a baggage vehicle crashed through the window of US Airways Terminal F, Gate 6 filling it with smoke, spilling coolant and alarming travelers, according to witness Brian Bulack, who was in the terminal at the time of the accident. "As we were exiting back to the baggage claim in Terminal F, a baggage vehicle crashed through the window and spilled coolant all over, so they wouldn't let anybody go out of the exit that way," Bulack told NBC10. "They diverted everyone around and we had to take shuttles to other terminals. Fire crews responded to the crash and the driver of the car, a 38-year-old US Airways employee, was taken to Methodist Hospital for minor injuries, according to officials. A TSA agent who was near the gate at the time of the accident says that the driver screamed, " The brakes went out!" as he was being pulled from the luggage vehicle. The accident is under investigation. No flights have been delayed or cancelled, however, eight gates were closed for a time as crews cleaned up the accident, according to spokesperson for the airline. Two of those gates remain closed. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Baggage-Cart-Crashes-Through-Philly- International-Airport-Terminal-Window-240636161.html Back to Top US Airways flight to Philadelphia returns to Phoenix airport because of engine vibration issue PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say a US Airways flight to Philadelphia had to return to Phoenix's airport and make an emergency landing because of an engine vibration issue. Federal Aviation Administration officials say Flight 714 took off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport about 10 a.m. Thursday and the plane's crew reported feeling the engines vibrating. Authorities say the Boeing 757 circled the airport before it landed without incident around 10:30 a.m. The cause of the engine vibration wasn't immediately known and the plane is being inspected at Sky Harbor. Passengers were booked on other flights. The number of passengers and crew aboard the Phoenix-to-Philadelphia flight wasn't immediately available. Back to Top Aircraft safety - Strike out! Radar stops aircraft colliding with each other. It should be used to stop them colliding with birds, too ONE of the scarier videos on YouTube (ow.ly/sBIOq) was recorded by the nose-cone camera of a fighter jet as it was taking off. Just after the plane leaves the runway a large bird comes hurtling towards it and vanishes into the aircraft's engine. The pilot spends an agonising 30 seconds or so trying to regain control, before issuing the order to eject, after which the viewer is treated to a shot of the onrushing ground before the screen goes blank. Bird strikes are a problem-sometimes a fatal one-for military and civil aviation alike. America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that there are about 10,000 such strikes a year to the country's non-military aircraft, costing more than $957m in damage and delays. The worldwide figure is estimated by the European Space Agency to be $1.2 billion. Moreover, though relatively few people have been killed in accidents caused by bird strikes (research by John Thorpe, former chairman of the International Bird Strike Committee, recorded 242 deaths between 1912 and 2004), the potential for something horrible to happen is real-as was shown by one of the most famous strikes of recent years. In 2009 an Airbus with 155 people on board hit a flock of geese when it was taking off from LaGuardia airport in New York. The passengers were saved only by the skill of the pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, who managed to ditch the plane safely in the Hudson river. At the moment, attempts to deal with the problem mostly involve efforts to cull flocks of the larger species-geese in particular-in the vicinity of airports, and also the use of bird scarers to try to drive off those actually sitting near runways. As the figures suggest, these approaches do not work well. There may, however, be a better way. For a decade or more the air forces of several countries have used radar to track birds which might threaten their aircraft. Now, similar systems are being considered for civilian airports. If they work, the old methods of trying to scare birds away, or cull them, can be abandoned. A bird in the band The longest-running study of the use of radar to prevent bird strikes was started three decades ago, in Israel, by Yossi Leshem of Tel Aviv University. It has helped the Israeli air force reduce the number of strikes it suffers by two-thirds. Dr Leshem began his research using a mixture of powered gliders, drones, ground-based bird watchers and radar to build up data on the flocks that migrate over Israel in the spring and autumn. From these observations he has worked out the meanings of different sorts of radar blips, and can thus tell what is going on ornithologically from radar alone. The upshot is a system which can follow individual birds that weigh as little as ten grams and are as far away as 20km (12 miles). He can track birds the size of pelicans and geese at a distance of 90km. Moreover, knowledge of the weather, and of how birds have behaved in previous years, allows him to predict what they will do next, so aircraft can be routed above them. Inspired by Dr Leshem, other air forces have taken up the idea of tracking birds by radar. A cottage industry manufacturing kit tweaked to do so has developed (mostly using naval X-band radars, whose wavelength is perfect for spotting birds). One such piece of equipment, the eBirdRad radar unit made by Accipiter Radar Technologies, a Canadian firm, can track more than 100 targets at the same time, at a range of at least 11km and up to an altitude of 1km, according to a study carried out in 2011 by the IVAR (Integration and Validation of Avian Radars) project, a consortium of government and academic researchers. Accipiter's radars are deployed at Naval Base Ventura County, in California, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, in Alaska. They are also being tested at John F. Kennedy airport in New York, O'Hare airport in Chicago and Seattle-Tacoma airport in Washington state, in an experiment run by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and sponsored by the FAA. DeTect, an American firm, has its equipment (branded "Merlin") installed at numerous American air force bases, and also at bases in Latvia, Nigeria, Poland and South Africa. And Robin Radar, a Dutch manufacturer, has created a system which lets the Dutch and Belgian air forces watch their collective airspace-and which has halved the number of bird strikes happening in its purview. Like Accipiter, Robin has also dipped a toe in the civil-aviation market. In April 2013 the authorities at Schiphol airport, near Amsterdam, started a year-long trial of its system, watching the approaches to one of Schiphol's six runways. Yet, given avian radar's success in the military arena, civil aviation seems surprisingly sceptical. One worry seems to be that radar cannot distinguish between different species. At the moment that is generally true, though according to Dr Leshem the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach has developed a Doppler radar that can identify blips by species. Michael Begier, national co-ordinator of the airport-wildlife-hazard programme run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), who is a member of the IVAR, thinks species identification is essential. If a system cannot tell the difference between a flock of waterfowl and a flock of songbirds, he suggests, it is hard to issue meaningful warnings. Dr Leshem disagrees. "You don't", he says, "need to identify the species by radar, but to identify an approaching flock, and this we see perfectly with radars used by the Israeli air force, and in air bases in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium." He thinks reluctance to adopt avian radar for civil aviation, in Israel and elsewhere, is caused by bureaucratic inertia. Gary Andrews, DeTect's general manager (and thus, admittedly, an interested party), puts it more bluntly. He believes the USDA sees radar as a threat, because the department is paid by local authorities to try to control birds by traditional methods. Whatever the reason for reluctance in the past, a change of direction now seems sensible. In a report whose publication is pending, the USDA itself recommends that "new technologies such as the use of bird-detecting radar...should be pursued more vigorously." Perhaps, though, the last word should go to Captain Sullenberger, a strong supporter of avian radar since his unexpected ducking in the Hudson. Noting the slow- footedness of the authorities, he says, "I think many are hoping we can continue to be lucky." http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21594237-radar-stops- aircraft-colliding-each-other-it-should-be-used-stop-them Back to Top NTSB Top Ten Most Wanted List for 2014 The Most Wanted List represents the NTSB's advocacy priorities. It is designed to increase awareness of, and support for, the most critical changes needed to reduce transportation accidents and save lives. 1) Address Unique Characteristics of Helicopter Operations 2) Advance Passenger Vessel Safety 3) Eliminate Distraction in Transportation 4) Eliminate Substance-Impaired Driving 5) Enhance Pipeline Safety 6) Improve Fire Safety in Transportation 7) General Aviation: Identify and Communicate Hazardous Weather 8) Implement Positive Train Control Systems 9) Promote Operational Safety in Rail Mass Transit 10) Strengthen Occupant Protection in Transportation www.ntsb.gov Back to Top Dr. Julie A. Harkey Julie started her aviation safety career as the Manager of Safety Programs at ATA Airlines back in 1996. After 8 years as the manager there, she moved to FedEx Express and became the Air Safety Data Administrator. She has presented several research papers at international conferences on various subjects, including flight crew communication, age-related and human factors causes of general aviation accidents and the etiology of passenger misconduct, and has collaborated with research scientists at the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute. While at FedEx, her talents were extensively put to use. She served on many committees, including the JPDO NextGen Safety Committee for SMS, and headed numerous industry data projects. She earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with specialization in Psychology & Human Factors and held a Private Pilot certificate. She was a skilled writer, editor and published author. She was also a member of both the System Safety Society and Women in Aviation, International. One of Julie's final projects was coordinating the implementation of using the HFACS system in the WBAT reporting system. She was great friend and passionate safety advocate and has truly left a great legacy in Aviation Safety and the world. The aviation industry will sorely miss her. Funeral services are Sunday, January 19th, 2014 at 2:00 pm in Hernando, MS. In lieu of flowers, Julie wanted donations made to Dark Horse Rescue in Hernando. Back to Top Back to Top Announcing The Annual "Moral Courage Safety Awards" Presented at Heli-Expo 2014 Presented by the US DOT - Transportation Safety Institute Call For Nominations The purpose of the award is to promote and foster positive safety culture in the rotorcraft industry by recognizing those individuals and organizations that make sometimes difficult operational decisions based on continued safe operations. Example of a deserving individual and organization - I learned of a HEMS pilot who aborted a critical neonatal transport because of unforecast bad weather. It was a tough call and one that haunted him, but he knew it was the right decision to ensure a safe outcome. His organization supported the decision and went so far as to recognize him for making the tough call. In this case both the individual and the organization should be recognized. Let's face it; it's always easy after the accident to second guess the decisions that put a crew in trouble. What our industry needs is to reward those who make the tough decisions that keep them out of trouble. That's walking the talk of positive safety culture! Sometimes choosing the safest course of action can be difficult, especially if it means modifying the mission. Bottom line, it takes moral courage to do the right thing. You can help - nominate someone today! Who is eligible? Any Crew, Crew Member, Maintainer, Supervisor, Manager, employee and or their organization who demonstrates commitment to a positive safety culture. Email Mr. D Smith for a nomination form. D.smith@dot.gov Or call (US) 405.694.1644 Back to Top Airbus' Beluga: Inside the world's strangest-looking airplane The Beluga isn't serially produced, making each an "artisan" product. The A300-600ST Super Transporter can carry a payload of 47 metric tons (103,616 pounds) over a range of 900 nautical miles. The Beluga isn't serially produced, making each an "artisan" product. The A300-600ST Super Transporter can carry a payload of 47 metric tons (103,616 pounds) over a range of 900 nautical miles. (CNN) -- If you ever find yourself in the French city of Toulouse, you might just see one of the oddest-looking aircraft in the world. Popularly known as the "Beluga," because of its strong resemblance to the white Arctic whale, the Airbus A300-600ST (ST stands for Super Transporter) is unique not only in appearance, but also for the essential role it performs in European aviation. Airbus' production centers are scattered all over the continent, a legacy of its origins as a pan-European consortium. Each factory specializes in the completion of a specific section of an aircraft. The five Belugas, all operated by Airbus, link these plants and take the different aircraft sections to the final assembly line, either in Toulouse or Hamburg. From guppies to belugas Until the mid-1990s, Airbus used another funny-looking aircraft to perform its big transporting jobs -- the "Super Guppy," a derivative of the Boeing C-97, a military cargo version of the 1940s Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. The Super Guppy was already outdated by the time Airbus started using it. Worse was the fact that Airbus was relying on a couple of old aircraft from its chief rival, Boeing, to handle the bulk of its logistics chain. If it was to keep up with its frantic growth, Airbus concluded it needed something better. The airframe chosen for the job was taken from the Airbus A300-600, an aircraft that already had a successful track record with airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France and American Airlines. The Beluga is operated by a crew of three: two pilots and a loadmaster. Each of the five Belugas in operation are, actually, Airbus A300-600 jets that have been modified to carry large cargo. The top section of the aircraft was cut and an additional, wider fuselage section -- resembling a bubble -- was added to the airframe, giving it its characteristic hump. The cockpit was lowered, making it possible for the cargo hold to be loaded and unloaded through the front of the aircraft. The result is an incredibly spacious cargo hold. Although the Beluga's maximum payload of 47 tons is surpassed by a handful of other cargo aircraft, its voluminous hold makes it suitable for transporting oversized, but not particularly heavy, cargo. Like aircraft parts. The Beluga can carry the wings of an A340 airliner or a fuselage section for Airbus' newest wide-body aircraft, the A350. But it's not large enough to transport parts for the A380 super jumbo. Those need to travel by boat, barge and road. Belugas have occasionally been chartered to fly satellites, helicopters and even works of art. Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" flew from Paris to Tokyo on a Beluga -- the canvas wouldn't fit into any other plane. The Beluga transported this container holding a five-meter-high Egyptian statue from Berlin to Paris. With the Beluga nearing two decades of indefatigable service, it's starting to show its age and limitations. Since the Beluga's maiden flight in 1994, Airbus has multiplied aircraft deliveries by nearly five. The company has become more global, diversifying its supplier base and opening assembly plants in China and Alabama -- well outside the Beluga's relatively short range of 1,500 nautical miles with maximum payload. In order to cope with the increasing workload, Airbus has put in place the so-called "Fly 10,000" program. The program aims to optimize the company's logistics infrastructure by increasing the work performed by its transport fleet to 10,000 hours per year by 2017. The plan includes the Beluga, which will be expected to fly many more hours per day. With aircraft order books at a historic maximum, however, Airbus can't afford to bet its vital logistics operation chain on the readiness of five aging aircraft. Though no decisions have been made, Airbus is looking at potential replacement solutions. Tentatively called Beluga XL, the Beluga's replacement is likely to be based on the A330 airframe. It's expected to have a longer range and be able to carry a heavier payload, while still being able to land at airports with relatively short runways, such as Broughton, England, where Airbus makes wings for its airliners. The next generation Beluga should also make it possible for Airbus to double its number of cargo flights to 120 per week. What seems assured is that the Beluga XL is going to look similar to the current version, something plane spotters passing through Toulouse should appreciate. http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/travel/inside-airbus-beluga/ Back to Top American Airlines: Does it need $10 billion in cash lying around? American Airlines Group estimated Wednesday morning, as a part of a general investor update, that it had about $10.3 billion in cash and investments as of Dec. 31. J.P. Morgan analysts Jamie Baker and Mark Streeter looked at that pile of dough and wondered whether that was more liquidity sitting idle than needed. Calling it "a nice problem to have: excess liquidity," the analysts calculated that the sum equals about 25 percent of AAG's revenues for the last 12 months. They noted that Delta Air Lines, which merged with Northwest Airlines in 2008, said last year that it would return more than $1 billion to shareholders over three years through quarterly dividends and a stock buyback. In addition, United Continental Holdings, which merged United Airlines and Continental Airlines in 2010, indicated it would consider something similar for shareholders in 2015. In their Wednesday report, Baker and Streeter concluded (referring to American's ticker symbol AAL): However, we don't think AAL will wait until 2017 to redeploy some of this excess liquidity. A ~$40bn revenue enterprise that actually earns consistent profits can easily rest comfortably with 10%-15% cash/revenue, or $4-6bn, implying that several billion in excess liquidity can be allocated to further debt reduction or used to reward shareholders when the time is right. And while integration risks are not to be taken lightly, we remain optimistic that the integration of AA and US will proceed at a more rapid, less disruptive pace than the UA- CO comparable. So while American will still be working through significant integration milestones in 2015, we believe cash redeployment to shareholders is another milestone that management is both focused on and capable of delivering. The investor update restates revenues, expenses and other numbers to put the carriers of AAG - American Airlines, US Airways and their regional carriers - on the same basis. We'll get a better idea when American Airlines Group announces its consolidated earnings in late January. But it'll take a while to smooth out the financial reporting to have true apple-to-apple year-over-year comparisons, following the Dec. 9 merger of AMR and US Airways Group. As to the cash stash, AMR had reported cash and short-term investments of $7.7 billion as Sept. 30, while US Airways had reported $3.9 billion in such money as of that date. So the $10.3 billion on Dec. 31 would be $1.3 billion less than the Sept. 30 total. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/american-airlines-does-it-need-10-billion- in-cash-lying-around.html/ Curt Lewis