Flight Safety Information August 6, 2014 - No. 161 In This Issue United Airlines 777 diverts to Halifax after galley fire Military jet escorts Qatar Airways plane to Manchester Airport Dutch Contractor Selected for Malaysian Jet Search Rats on a plane force Air India to ground aircraft Russian airlines to be allowed to hire 200 foreign aircraft captains annually SAUDI ARABIAN AIRCRAFT SLIDES OFF MANILA RUNWAY Stowaway, 62, Arrested at LA Airport PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Boeing, South African Airways to make jet fuel from tobacco Flight Safety Foundation to hold annual safety summit in Abu Dhabi More Insurers to Waive Right to Dismiss Claims in Flight 17 Crash Upcoming Events United Airlines 777 diverts to Halifax after galley fire A United Airlines Boeing 777 made an emergency landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Tuesday night after a small fire broke out in a galley on the aircraft. The landing was one of two that came in a span of about three minutes, according to the CBC. The network reports that an Air Canada Boeing 767 headed from Montreal to Frankfurt made an emergency landing in Halifax "about two minutes later ... due to a medical emergency on board." As for the United incident, it occurred on Flight 999 as it was en route from Newark to Brussels. It had 293 passengers and 13 crew members on board, according to The Chronicle Herald of Halifax. LOCAL REPORT: Passengers evacuated after fire on plane landing in Halifax (The Chronicle Herald) "There was a small fire on board. It was contained but there was smoke in the aircraft," Peter Spurway, a spokesman for the Halifax International Airport Authority, says to Reuters. "The pilot did declare an emergency and landed at approximately (9:50 p.m.) Atlantic time." Spurway tells Reuters that the fire was "in the rear of the aircraft." No one was injured, according to the CBC. Canadian network CTV adds "the passengers left on a new flight around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The original plane returned to (Newark) around 7 a.m. Wednesday." http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/06/united-airlines-777-diverts- to-halifax-after-gallery-fire/13662111/ Back to Top Military jet escorts Qatar Airways plane to Manchester Airport A man has been arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat after RAF jets were alerted to escort a passenger plane to Manchester Airport. The Qatar Airways plane, flight QR23, was escorted in by an RAF Typhoon following information received by the pilot from a passenger. Police said the pilot had been handed a note about a possible device on board. Armed police boarded the Doha to Manchester plane and arrested a 47-year-old man. All flights in and out of the airport were suspended for about 25 minutes. 'Pretty shook up' The plane involved was an Airbus A330-30, with 269 passengers and 13 Qatar Airways crew on board. The RAF confirmed Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as part of its "quick reaction alert role" when a pilot requested assistance. Operations at the airport resumed at about 14:00 BST. Greater Manchester Police said the arrested man, who comes from the North West area, was being held in custody for questioning. Passengers disembarked the plane "as normal", an airport spokesman said. Josh Hartley, who boarded the plane at Doha in Qatar, said: "When the escort came it was very scary - I'm pretty shook up now." Passenger Matthew Cox told the BBC: "Armed police came on and found a guy, searched him and made him stand up with his hands on his head and took him off the plane. "He seemed no different to others on the plane, nothing unusual." A statement for Qatar Airways confirmed flight QR23 landed safely at Manchester Airport ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 13:15 BST. It said: "The crew on board had received a threat about a possible device and Qatar Airways immediately took all the necessary precautions to alert British authorities. "The crew is now fully assisting police at the airport with their inquiries." Manchester Airport said nine incoming flights were diverted to other airports, with five landing at Leeds Bradford International Airport. A plane carrying the Manchester United team back from Florida, where they played in a pre-season friendly tournament, landed on time. "There are a few minor delays to outgoing flights," a Manchester Airport spokesman added. Witness Chris Phelan, 42, from Heaton Moor, was in his garden when he heard the roar of a jet plane before filming it on his camera. "I looked up and saw what looked like a Typhoon jet flying close to a passenger plane. "I live on the flight path so I'm used to seeing planes coming into land but it's the first time this has ever happened in the four to five years I've been here." It is understood police were speaking to crew members about what they saw, while passengers reported waiting while their luggage was searched. From about 16:20 BST, flights to and from the airport were returning to normal. Aviation expert Chris Yates said information for passengers was kept minimal for a number of reasons. He said: "This would be to create an air of calm on board the plane for all of the passengers and also not to communicate anything to anyone involved in making a threat or anyone who might be associated with that person." Some relatives of those on board expressed frustration at the delays, and said they struggled to get the latest information from airport staff. Josh Hartley Passengers, including Josh Hartley who tweeted from on board the plane, were later allowed out of the airport Arthur Smee, 58, a hospital porter from Penmaenmawr, North Wales, was waiting for his daughter, Lisa, 25, to arrive when he heard about the incident. He said: "Some people were stood around talking and some had pictures of the plane being followed by a military plane - you just think the worst don't you? "I'm just glad she got in touch. She said armed police have been on the plane and taken somebody off. "They were just sat there for ages then put on a bus." Matthew Cox's mother Pauline, who was waiting for her son to return from a three-week trip to Thailand, said: "Nobody has been out from Manchester Airport to tell us anything. Parents have been waiting, two, three hours. "When we asked we were told they were in a remote location for security reasons." But passenger Hazel McInnes, who was on another plane, said: "Fair play to Manchester Airport, our flight from Pisa landed on time at 14:20. We were informed that we could have been delayed, but we landed without any delay. "We managed to catch Man United coming off their flight too, at baggage reclaim." Figures from the Ministry of Defence show how often fighter jets are sent up in the UK to intercept aircraft as part of so-called "quick reaction alerts" (QRA). There were 17 in 2013, 21 in 2012 and 20 in 2011, according to data given in a Commons written answer to Scottish National Party MP Angus Robertson in June. The MoD said not every launch resulted in an interception, as some incidents were resolved beforehand. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-28662561 Back to Top Dutch Contractor Selected for Malaysian Jet Search CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - A Dutch contractor will conduct the underwater search for the Malaysian airliner that crashed off the Australian coast in March, Australia announced Wednesday. Fugro Survey Pty. Ltd. will use two vessels towing underwater vehicles equipped with side-scan sonar, multi-beam echo sounders and video equipment to search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, Transport Minister Warren Truss said. Furgo, which has a base in the west coast city of Perth where the search for the airliner had been headquartered, won a tender process conducted by Australia on Malaysia's behalf. The search is expected to begin in mid-September and take up to a year to scour 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 square miles) of the Indian Ocean seabed. Truss said a 12-month search would cost about 52 million Australian dollars ($48 million), but less if the wreckage were found earlier. "I remain cautiously optimistic that we will locate the missing aircraft within the priority search area," Truss told reporters. "This search will obviously be a challenging one," he added. The airliner disappeared March 8 with 239 people aboard after flying far of course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Before the underwater search starts, two survey ships are mapping the entire search area, which is 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast. Truss said Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai would have attended the announcement Wednesday, but he was busy with the aftermath of the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines jet over Ukraine on July 17 with the loss of 298 lives. Truss said he would discuss cost-sharing for the new underwater search with Liow when he visits Australia later in August. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/dutch-contractor-selected-malaysian- jet-search-24858689 Back to Top Rats on a plane force Air India to ground aircraft An Air India plane is seen parked on the tarmac at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, on May 11, 2012 New Delhi (AFP) - Air India has been forced to ground one of its planes after crew spotted rats scurrying around the cabin, The Times of India reported on Wednesday. The plane was on its way from New Delhi to Calcutta when staff became aware of the infestation, the paper said. "Rats on board an aircraft can lead to a catastrophe if they start chewing up electric wires," the paper quoted an unnamed airline official as saying. "If that happens, pilots will have no control on any system on board leading to a disaster." No one at the airline was immediately available for comment, but an Air India official speaking on condition of anonymity said rats on planes were a "common phenomenon" worldwide and could "get in anywhere". "They follow the catering vans into the plane when they smell the food," the official told AFP. It is not the first time that India's loss-making carrier has suffered a rodent infestation. Rats reportedly delayed a domestic flight from Mumbai by almost two hours in February, and in 2009 a flight to Toronto was delayed for 11 hours as staff tried to catch rats. - AFP http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Regional/2014/08/06/Rats-on-a-plane-force-Air- India-to-ground-aircraft/ Back to Top Russian airlines to be allowed to hire 200 foreign aircraft captains annually 13:50 August 6, 2014 Interfax Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a resolution on the number of foreign citizens that can be hired for the position of civilian aircraft captain. "The maximum number of foreign citizens who can be hired by Russian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs for the position of captains of civilian aircraft is 200 people per year," the resolution, which was posted on the government's website on Wednesday, states. The resolution also spells out the terms under which employment contracts can be signed with foreign citizens. The ability to hire foreign aircraft captains "will enable Russian airlines to not only eliminate the shortage of flight crews, but will also accelerate the training of domestic specialists," the resolution states. "The decisions made are aimed at increasing the level of aircraft flight safety, [and] supporting the growing demand of the country's population and economy for air transportation," the resolution states. http://rbth.com/news/2014/08/06/ Back to Top SAUDI ARABIAN AIRCRAFT SLIDES OFF MANILA RUNWAY A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-400 flight bound for Riyadh was delayed for several hours after the aircraft veered off the runway, causing its landing gear to get stuck in the mud as it was taxiing for take off on Runway 24 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. Authorities were forced to deplane passengers aboard Saudi Arabian Airlines flight 871 and bus them back to Terminal 1. The incident occurred on Tuesday night after a heavy downpour, affecting at least eleven other flights that were scheduled to depart or arrive at the busiest gateway in the country due to the blocked runway. No passengers were reported to be injured during the incident. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines was forced to issue a Notice to Airmen that only smaller aircraft including Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft could arrive and depart due to the blocked runway. The Saudi flight was supposed to depart NAIA at 6:10pm. CAAP expected to have the aircraft removed from the runway by 10:00pm. Meanwhile, another incident was reported regarding a Cebu Pacific aircraft bound for China. According to the Aviation Herald, a Cebu Pacific aircraft registered RP-C3238, was forced to alter course to Shanghai after the discovery of a cracked windshield. Flight 5J- 672 from Manila was cruising to Beijing at 11,500 meters approximately 380 nautical miles northwest of Shanghai when the crew decided to descend to 6,900 meters and divert the flight to Shanghai after discovering the crack. The cracked windshield was reported to be on the captain's side of the aircraft. The A320-200 aircraft eventually landed safely in Shanghai approximately one hour later. http://www.philippineflightnetwork.com/2014/08/saudi-arabian-aircraft-slides-off.html Back to Top Stowaway, 62, Arrested at LA Airport LOS ANGELES - Officials say a woman arrested six times trying to sneak onto flights at San Francisco International Airport managed to fly from another Bay Area airport to Los Angeles without a ticket. Marilyn Jean Hartman was arrested late Monday at LAX after arriving from Mineta San Jose International Airport. The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday ( http://bit.ly/1zSIMFE ) that the crew on the Southwest Airlines flight did a head count after landing that revealed an extra person on board. When the 62-year-old Hartman was unable to produce a boarding pass she was removed from the plane. Southwest says it's working with authorities and conducting its own internal investigation into the incident. Hartman faces misdemeanor trespassing charges. The newspaper says Hartman was on probation after being arrested for attempting to board three separate Hawaii-bound flights departing SFO in February. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/stowaway-san-jose-arrested-la-airport-24862073 Back to Top Back to Top Boeing, South African Airways to make jet fuel from tobacco U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA) has teamed up with South African Airways to develop jet fuel from a tobacco plant as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions and promote green energy in Africa's most advanced economy. The jet fuel will be made from a hybrid tobacco plant known as Solaris, which will be produced by alternative jet fuel maker SkyNRG, both companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday. Test farming of the plants, which are nicotine-free, is ongoing in South Africa, with biofuel output expected in the "next few years", the companies said. "By using hybrid tobacco, we can leverage knowledge of tobacco growers in South Africa to grow a marketable biofuel crop without encouraging smoking," Ian Cruickshank, SAA's Group Environmental Affairs Specialist, said. This biofuel has potential in several regions where traditional tobacco is cultivated, including Africa, southern and central Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America, Boeing spokeswoman Jessica Kowal said. South Africa has set the beginning of October next year as the date when fuel producers will start blending diesel and petrol with biofuel to cut its reliance on imported fuel. The biofuels industry in South Africa, the continent's biggest agricultural producer, has been held back by an inadequate regulatory regime and concerns that biofuels would hurt food security and impact food prices. http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/08/06/boeing-south-african-airways-to- make-jet-fuel-from-tobacco/ Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation to hold annual safety summit in Abu Dhabi The Flight Safety Foundation is holding its 67th annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) - aviation's premier global safety event - in Abu Dhabi. The event will take place November 11-13 at the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers hotel on the West Corniche. The event brings together aviation professionals from around the globe. IASS provides a forum for the aviation industry to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. As well as the major manufacturers and technology providers the Summit features contributions from groups like IATA and the Gulf Flight safety committee. James Hogan, president of host airline, Etihad, will be making the keynote address. Etihad is also providing discounted tickets for attendees. FSF is an international non-profit organissation whose sole purpose is to provide impartial, independent, expert safety guidance and resources for the aviation and aerospace industry. Today, membership includes more than 1,000 organizations and individuals in 150 countries. Information about costs and how to reserve a place at the conference can be found at: http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 - See more at: http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/flight-safety-foundation-to-hold- annual-safety-summit-in-abu-dhabi.html#sthash.qUVsAtns.dpuf http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/flight-safety-foundation-to-hold-annual-safety- summit-in-abu-dhabi.html Back to Top More Insurers to Waive Right to Dismiss Claims in Flight 17 Crash Private Insurance Claims Could Total Tens of Millions of Dollars Australian, Malaysian and Dutch investigators examine pieces of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 near the village of Rossipne in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. Associated Press A growing number of insurance companies are promising to waive their right to dismiss claims on the private insurance policies of passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU +2.13% Flight 17 if the aircraft's crash is deemed to be due to an act of war. With a potential cost of tens of millions of dollars, the gesture may be an expensive move for an industry already suffering a bad year for aviation claims. One day after the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, the Dutch association for private insurance companies said its members would waive any exclusion for acts of terrorism or war. The lobby agency explained the clause exists to protect clients from the risk of excessive war damages, which wouldn't apply in this case. The Malaysian association of life insurance companies followed suit a week later, also saying its member companies won't require death certificates and will speed up claims payments. General insurance companies in Malaysia however stated on July 30 that their travel and personal accident policies don't cover acts of war and haven't yet collectively announced an intention to waive the clause. Malaysia's general insurance association declined to comment. Malaysian passengers and crew on board Flight 17 have taken up 95 life insurance policies with payouts that could total around 13.7 million Malaysian ringgit (US$4.3 million), according to the life insurance association in Kuala Lumpur. The Dutch association said it won't provide such numbers out of respect for the privacy of next-of-kin. An industry specialist estimated the sums covered by Dutch policies could be around 20 million euros ($26.8 million). The Netherlands and Malaysia lost the most citizens in the disaster, with 196 Dutch nationals among the 298 passengers and crew on board, and 43 Malaysian nationals. (Read profiles of the victims.) The aircraft's loss coincides with a series of attacks on airports this year and follows the disappearance of another Malaysia Airlines plane in March, all of which has led to worries that aircraft insurance rates may rise. Among insurers who have decided to waive the clause is the Malaysian branch of AIA. "The company on an exceptional basis has decided to waive all special restrictions or exclusions for death due to terrorism, war, or warlike situations," AIA Bhd. Chief Executive Bill Lisle told The Wall Street Journal. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty has also decided to waive its act of war clause for health, travel, personal accident and life policies bought by those on board Flight 17 in Malaysia, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Axa Affin General Insurance Bhd. said it wouldn't comment on policy liability for its "very few" policyholders on Flight 17. Prudential PRU -0.35% declined to comment about whether it would waive the act of war clause. AIG said it is too early to comment on the specifics of the crash, and Zurich Insurance ZURN.VX -1.33% didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Allianz SE, ALV.XE -0.69% which is also the lead reinsurer of the doomed flight, is likely to face a much higher bill from its reinsurance contract with Malaysia Airlines. Under the Montreal Convention, which spells out rules on international air travel, a carrier is automatically liable for up to $170,000 per passenger, or some $50 million for all 283 passengers. However, much higher claims can be made if the relatives of victims can make the case the airline could have prevented the accident. "The airline has the burden of proof to establish that it is free from fault. If it is not free from fault, then it pays 100% of whatever the provable damages are," said Steven Marks, a partner at aviation litigation firm Podhurst Orseck. "I don't see any chance that the airline is going to get any type of protection under Montreal because they will never be able to establish freedom from fault," he said. The crash hasn't yet been officially recognized as an act of war. Aviation lawyers agree that while the investigation will be a challenge because of the crash-site's location in a war-torn region, the case is more simplistic from an insurance perspective than for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing in March and hasn't yet been found. http://online.wsj.com/articles/more-insurers-to-waive-right-to-dismiss-claims-in-flight- 17-crash-1407319040?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj Back to Top Upcoming Events: ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition Atlanta, GA September 7 - 10, 2014 http://annual.aci-na.org/ IFA - Maintaining Airworthiness Standards and Investing in the Most Important Asset 'The Human Element' 17 - 18 September, 2014 Emirates Eng Facility, Dubai www.ifairworthy.com Public Safety and Security Fall Conference Arlington, VA October 6 - 9, 2014 http://aci-na.org/event/4309 IASS 2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE November 11-13, 2014 http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 Curt Lewis