Flight Safety Information August 7, 2014 - No. 162 In This Issue ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 Pilots report failure of GPS systems in Moscow air space Dutch Suspend Search at Malaysia Airlines Crash Site in Ukraine SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SCARE AT RDU, PILOT FLASHED BY LASER POINTER LAWYER ACCUSED OF 'FRIVOLOUS' FILING AFTER MALAYSIA AIRLINES TRAGEDY PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Flight Safety Foundation to hold annual safety summit in Abu Dhabi Upcoming Events Back to Top Pilots report failure of GPS systems in Moscow air space No explanations of the causes of the failure of the navigation system are available yet Russia to close GPS stations if stalemate not broken on GLONASS MOSCOW, August 07./ITAR-TASS/. Pilots of civilian aircraft have reported incidents of failure of the GPS system in Moscow air space on Wednesday evening, two sources from the air traffic control service told ITAR-TASS. One of them reported mass incidents of failure of the GPS system on board aircraft with reference to reports from at least twelve air crews. The other source told ITAR-TASS that late on Wednesday around ten air crews reported incidents of failure of the GPS system, which was off for 5 -10 minutes, at the altitude from 9,000 to 10,000 meters. No explanations of the causes of the failure of the navigation system are available yet. http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/743862 Back to Top Dutch Suspend Search at Malaysia Airlines Crash Site in Ukraine Prime Minister Cites Deteriorating Safety Conditions AMSTERDAM-The mission to recover victims' remains and belongings still at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine will be suspended indefinitely due to deteriorating safety conditions in the region, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Wednesday. "The tensions in the area are increasing. Therefore the experts can't do their work in important parts of the area," Mr. Rutte said, adding that he was convinced the situation wouldn't change in the near term. The Dutch-led team had been working at the site where the plane was downed on July 17 since Friday, although fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists continued to trouble the mission. On Wednesday, work at the site was halted due to fighting nearby and the experts had to return to Soledar, a city north of the crash site where the team was based over the past few days. "During the work shots were fired with small caliber weapons in the vicinity of the search team," the head of the mission, Piete-Jaap Aalbersberg, said in a statement. The Dutch were given the lead over the recovery mission as well as the investigation into what caused the crash by Ukrainian authorities. A total of 196 Dutch nationals were among the 298 passengers and crew on board. Since Friday, the team-consisting of unarmed police and forensics experts from the Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia-has mostly recovered personal belongings such as jewelry, photo books and passports and a limited amount of human remains. Only one coffin with remains collected since Friday has been flown to the Netherlands. In the first week after the crash, 227 coffins containing bodies and body parts that had been collected by Ukrainian emergency workers, volunteers and the separatists themselves arrived in the Netherlands. It is unclear how many bodies remain on the 35-square-kilometer (13.5-square-mile) site. Mr. Rutte said that it appeared that more work had been done in the first days after the crash than initially thought, while the Dutch-led team had been able to search areas where remains were most likely to be found. "In two to three weeks we hope to announce how many bodies of victims have been recovered so far," Mr. Rutte said. He said the identification of the bodies could take much longer. The investigation into the cause of the crash, which is being handled separately by the Dutch Safety Board, as well the search for those responsible for what happened will go on, Mr. Rutte said. http://online.wsj.com/articles/dutch-suspend-search-at-malaysia-airlines-crash-site-in- ukraine-1407353585 Back to Top SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SCARE AT RDU, PILOT FLASHED BY LASER POINTER RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (WTVD) -- Around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the pilot of Southwest Airlines Flight 1957 called Air Traffic Control to report a green laser being aimed at his aircraft. According to a 911 call, it was believed to be coming from an area five miles northwest of Raleigh near N.C. Highway 147. Luckily, that pilot wasn't injured and was able to safely land the plane at RDU. However, the FBI is cracking down to try to prevent incidents like this. It's a phenomenon that Flight Instructor Alexandra Grady with Blue Line Aviation hopes to never experience firsthand. "A little laser in the right spot is truly like being blinded," says Grady. "You see it as a small pointer, but as it goes up and out through the air it becomes a much bigger spot." In fact, as a video recently released by the FBI illustrates, a laser pointer can appear as large as two feet across, completely obscuring a pilot's vision, or even causing serious damage to the eyes depending on the laser's strength. Luckily for the pilot, in this most recent case, he was ok and was still able to land the plane, but it could have been much worse. "It really could be [worse] especially when you are close to the ground," Grady explains. "It's a huge distraction, and if you do lose sight of the runway, especially if you are just before touchdown, then it really does have an effect on a safe landing." From Jan. 1 July 25, the U.S. has had almost 2,000 lasers pointed at pilots. Twenty-nine of those were in North Carolina, with nine at RDU, and there were 16 such incidents at RDU the year before. Because of these high numbers, the FBI is once again warning the public about the dangers of what is often simply called "lasering." "What if this was your family on that aircraft? You would want them to be safe and protected. The FBI is taking this crime very seriously. We don't want a catastrophe to happen," says John Kitzinger with the FBI. As the Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, Kitzinger warns that they will prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law. Interfering with the operation of an aircraft has long been a federal crime, but, in 2012, a new law made it a felony to knowingly point a laser beam at a plane or helicopter. Getting caught can result in five years in prison and $11,000 in fines. Kitzinger also points out that offenders can even see longer periods of jail time. For example, in March, a 26-year-old man in California was sentenced to 14 years in prison after aiming a laser pointer at a police helicopter and a hospital emergency transport helicopter. In addition, his girlfriend, who was with him at the time, got two years in prison. The FBI does offer up to $10,000 as a reward for information leading to an arrest in cases like these. If you see someone pointing a laser at aircraft or have information on this latest case, call your local FBI branch or police department. http://abc11.com/news/southwest-airlines-scare-at-rdu-pilot-flashed-by-laser-pointer- /245221/ Back to Top LAWYER ACCUSED OF 'FRIVOLOUS' FILING AFTER MALAYSIA AIRLINES TRAGEDY A Chicago lawyer who was the first to file a legal petition after the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 in southeast Asia is under investigation after an ethics committee criticized her conduct and called the petition "frivolous" - an allegation she firmly denies. Less than three weeks after Flight 370 disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China, in early March, the law firm of attorney Monica Ribbeck Kelly filed a petition for discovery on behalf of 25-year-old Indonesian passenger Firman Siregar, naming Malaysia Airlines and the plane's manufacturer, Boeing, as initial defendants. The petition was filed a day after Malaysia's prime minister controversially told reporters he had concluded that the plane was lost and that there were no survivors. However, today, nearly five months after the plane's disappearance, still no wreckage or significant evidence has been found to indicate what might have happened to the plane and its passengers. The petition was dismissed, but Kelly says she appealed that decision. US Lawyers Aim to Profit in Malaysia Airlines Tragedy Chicago Law Firm Launches Litigation in Malaysia Airlines Jet Disappearance FULL COVERAGE: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Missing After the petition's filing, Siregar's parents quickly said they had not authorized the legal move and claimed that a man the law firm identified as Siregar's father was actually a distant relative, according a letter that the family sent to the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia. Then last week the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee claimed in a complaint that Kelly "has engaged in... conduct which tends to defeat the administration of justice or bring the courts or the legal profession into disrepute..." "...Respondent [Kelly] alleged that she represented the estate of Firman Chandra Siregar ('Siregar'), that Siregar had been a passenger on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, that the aircraft had crashed, that Siregar had been killed," the ethics committee filing says. "Respondent's allegations... had no basis in fact and were frivolous, because Respondent knew at the time she filed the petition that no evidence had been discovered regarding the location or disposition of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370." The commission also rapped Kelly for alleging a mechanical malfunction had contributed to the tragedy when committee said there was "no evidence" suggesting such a malfunction. Kelly has been called to a hearing to answer the commission's allegations. She told ABC News today that the petition she had filed was hardly frivolous and that she "did nothing wrong." "We have been filing these petitions for 15 years," she said. "I have no idea why the ARDC filed a complaint against me since the case is pending before the appellate court." Her attorney, George Collins, said that the ARDC's action was "unusual" and that Kelly filed the petition in "good faith." "The fact is the airplane acted in a manner that could not have occurred without somebody being negligent," Collins told ABC News. "Somebody wasn't doing what they were supposed to or some machine on the airplane wasn't operating correctly. By her discovery petition, [Kelly] seeks to find out who were the manufacturers of the various components of this aircraft so that she can make inquiry of those who might have evidence that could explain this." Collins conceded that it's possible something other than a mechanical malfunction may have brought down the plane - for instance a failed hijacking or pilot suicide - but claimed what little evidence there was about the plane's extended flight without contact didn't line up with other popular theories. Attorney Bob Clifford, whose firm Clifford Law has represented the families of victims in domestic air crashes for decades and is a competitor of Kelly's, told ABC News he was critical of Kelly's petition from the start. "I didn't think that it comported with the law, but more importantly, I thought it was one of those things that does not serve the families well because it gives them the false hope of believing there's a meritorious claim when I don't think the evidence supported that," Clifford said. "These are the kinds of filings that make lawyers look bad." Collins disagreed, saying that it's a lawyer's duty to try and recover what he or she can for them. "I don't think it's wrong to say to the person, 'I will try,'" Collins said. "If a client comes to you with a problem, you have to be truthful with them, but it's not improper to try." Prior to the ethics complaint, ABC News reported in late March, Kelly's firm, Ribbeck Law Chartered, had been aggressively distributing cards and brochures in Chinese to family members of the passengers - a practice that legal experts said would be illegal in the U.S. due to laws designed to protect families at vulnerable times. The ethics complaint does not mention this purported practice. Caesar Sun, a volunteer grief counselor in Beijing, told ABC News in March about the experience of one family member. "He told me that a lawyer came to him and said, 'You can get a million dollars if the plane was confirmed as crashed. And you have to let us do it... Sign something so we can do it for you,'" Sun said. The Ribbeck firm lists its address in a Chicago high-rise, but in March the offices appeared to be empty, supposedly being remodeled, as first reported by The Chicago Tribune. At the time Kelly denied that any of her lawyers had contacted families directly and said that while her firm had signed up dozens of families, all of them had asked her to represent them. "It's up to the families," Kelly told ABC News then. "It is ethical and moral." Today Collins reiterated Kelly's claim that her actions in southeast Asia were above board, saying that all major law firms have ways to reach out to potential clients and in the case of international incidents, American lawyers often "make arrangements" with local attorneys. Clifford said that until the remains of the crash are discovered, or new evidence is presented, it will be difficult for the families of victims to claim wrongdoing in American courts. If the plane is never found, Clifford said he could foresee a case to be eventually made against the airline, but it's difficult: "Basically, 'My father got on your plane and he was alive. He's now been declared dead and the last person to be in control of his safety was you,'" he said. "I think you're going to see those fights." An official at the ARDC said that if wrongdoing on an attorney's part is found during trial, disciplinary action could follow in the form of reprimands, censure, suspensions, or in the most extreme cases, disbarment. The ARDC website shows a pre-hearing conference for Kelly's case is scheduled for Aug. 26. Christine Negroni, author of "Deadly Departure," is a freelance reporter contributing to ABC News. http://7online.com/news/lawyer-accused-of-frivolous-filing-after-malaysia-airlines- tragedy/245179/ Back to Top 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 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 ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar October 13-16, 2014 Adelaide, Australia www.isasi.org IASS 2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE November 11-13, 2014 http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 Curt Lewis