Flight Safety Information June 5, 2015 - No. 110 In This Issue NTSB outlines contributing factors in Ala. UPS jet crash Corporate Jet Group Seeks Air Traffic Privacy Assurances Pilot error cited in deadly U.S. Army chopper crash off Florida Airlines to test new tracking system to locate lost flights 1 Russian military jet lost in crash, another damaged Airline tries 3-drink limit to crack down on unruly fliers Small Jet Lands Without Nose Gear at Philadelphia International Airport PROS 2015 TRAINING 5 Billion Gallons of Jet Fuel Saved Sichuan College Seeks 330 'Secure-Looking' Air Safety Guards Added power for airplane galleys Monarch Airlines bans six passengers FOR LIFE for 'drinking their own booze, smoking in toilets American Airlines Crew Still Unaware Of Kid Seat Rule Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) NTSB outlines contributing factors in Ala. UPS jet crash BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Federal officials released on online video Thursday outlining the factors that contributed to a UPS jet crashing on its approach to Birmingham's airport. NTSB officials said the video was the first of its kind released to supplement an official crash report, and the agency plans to produce more in the future. Officials said the agency is hoping the videos are used as lessons for other professional pilots. Officials have said crew failed to program a route management computer that would have guided their path to a runway that was shorter than the airport's main strip. The main runway was closed for repairs when the jet made its flight to Birmingham from Kentucky on Aug. 14, 2013. The jet crashed into a hill near the airport. Capt. Cerea Beal Jr., 58, of Matthews, North Carolina, and First Officer Shanda Fanning, 37, of Lynchburg, Tennessee, died in the crash. No one on the ground was injured. The crew's captain was fit for duty, but the first officer was fatigued and failed to adjust the flight plan, NTSB Human Performance Investigator Katherine Wilson said in the eight minute, 30 second video posted on YouTube. Officials said after failing to adjust the flight management program, the pilots missed signals from on-board devices warning them that their approach was off. Officials have said the cargo jet also descended twice as fast as it should have, leaving the pilots little time to react before crashing less than a mile from the end of the runway. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/4/ntsb-crew-didnt-follow-protocol-in- ala-ups-jet-cra/#ixzz3cBeH0gEW Back to Top Corporate Jet Group Seeks Air Traffic Privacy Assurances Business Aviation Executives Express Concern About Tracking Members' Travel A proposed next generation air traffic control system shouldn't allow outsiders to track the movements of corporate and private jets in real time, an executive of private jet operators trade group said. By ANDY PASZTOR WASHINGTON-The latest complaints about a proposed air-traffic control modernization are from private jet operators worried that outsiders will be better able to identify and track the movements of corporate executives and celebrities. The privacy issue was raised publicly for the first time on Thursday by the major U.S. business aviation trade group, which wants federal regulators to agree to protect the confidentiality of such flights once the updated system is operating. "Our largest concern is privacy," Doug Carr, vice president of regulatory and international affairs at the National Business Aviation Association, told a global aviation conference. "There is a huge appetite out there to track where these planes go." Reporters and busybodies who know where to look on the web already can track the location of certain private planes, but the information is largely historical. Unless the proposed system is revised, however, the NBAA and other critics contend within in a few years almost any plane could be tracked in real time by anyone ingenious enough to know where to look. Plans to implement a satellite-based traffic control network slated for 2020 would enable unauthorized capture of signals continuously broadcast from the air to the ground. Discrete signal codes associated with specific aircraft could then be matched with a publicly-available federal database to identify, minute by minute, the precise flight path and location of prominent passengers. Mr. Carr said in some cases such anticipated capability raises huge security questions; there also are concerns about corporate executives or investment bankers being tracked during delicate negotiations or merger and acquisition discussions. To alleviate the problem, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering allowing operators to change the broadcast codes at their discretion between trips, effectively blocking outsiders from instantaneously following flights on computer systems. Longer term, NBAA wants the codes encrypted, so only the FAA and controllers would continue to have the means for real-time tracking. Already, Mr. Carr said, "virtual networks of flight tracking are popping up all over the place." 'Are we going to broadcast it [jet ownership] to the world?' -Ed Bolen, NBAA president Industry officials said privacy fears appear to be the biggest reason some business jet operators are delaying installing new equipment mandated by the regulators for the proposed modernization. Ed Bolen, president of the NBAA, said in an interview that U.S. airlines are legally prohibited from publicly releasing passenger manifests. But with impending technology improvements, he said, why does anyone outside the government "need to know who owns that airplane; are we going to broadcast it to the world?" Current law allows operators to ask the FAA to block outside access to real-time identifying information, but that won't be possible unless the agency agrees to special provisions for the future. Some industry officials disagree with Mr. Bolen's warnings. They contend that planes equipped with new broadcasting technology, part of what are called ADS-B systems, won't automatically be more vulnerable to unauthorized tracking. "All customers share a real interest in addressing privacy and security" protections, Jens Hennig, vice president of operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, told the same aviation symposium. But the new GPS-based position broadcasting system, he added, "doesn't materially change" the vulnerabilities of planes that already are using today's most advanced transponders. http://www.wsj.com/articles/corporate-jet-group-seeks-air-traffic-privacy-assurances- 1433459947 Back to Top Pilot error cited in deadly U.S. Army chopper crash off Florida Rescue crews search waters near Navarre Bridge, east of Pensacola, Florida March 11, 2015. REUTERS/Michael Spooneybarger The pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that crashed into a Florida bay in March, killing 11 service members, lost control of the aircraft after becoming disoriented in heavy sea fog, the military said on Thursday. An investigation found that the two pilots failed to switch from using visual flight procedures to instruments that could have helped them navigate the foggy conditions they encountered during the nighttime training exercise, according to a statement from the Louisiana National Guard. Four guard soldiers and seven Marines from a special operations unit from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina died when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter plunged into waters off the Florida Panhandle on March 10. The pilots were among those killed. A second helicopter in the exercise turned back due to the weather and landed safely. "Training for high-risk, realistic missions is something these service members accepted on a regular basis to be able to do their job when called upon," said Major General Glenn Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/04/us-usa-florida-crash- idUSKBN0OK1R220150604 Back to Top Airlines to test new tracking system to locate lost flights MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Airlines are set to begin testing a tracking system that would ping flights every 15 minutes, a technology that could have helped locate two flights last year that went missing in hard-to-track regions of the world, the head of an international trade group said Thursday. Tony Tyler, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that represents 250 airlines worldwide, said the tests will be conducted somewhere in the Asia-Pacific region and should be completed by the fall. The lessons learned from those tests would lead to a uniform set of rules they could propose to governments and transportation industries around the world. "The plan is that there will be some sort of 15-minute reporting," he said. "How it will work will be very much influenced by this implementation initiative that's going on." Tyler spoke before the opening of the IATA's annual conference in Miami Beach. The event will bring together more than 1,000 representatives from the airline industry in the ever-growing transportation hub of South Florida. The conference will feature presentations from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and the CEOs of American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and several foreign carriers. Tyler said they wanted to host the event in Miami this year because of the city's role as the transportation hub to Latin America and elsewhere. The conference comes at a critical time in Miami, as businesses and airlines here prepare for a rush to Cuba following President Obama's decision to reestablish diplomatic relations with the island 90 miles to the south. Tyler said the current rules for flying to Cuba are overly-complicated and inefficient. Because of the economic embargo the U.S. maintains on Cuba, each American traveler must get a special license from the U.S. Department of Treasury. And even though flights fly daily from Miami and other American cities, each flight is operated on a charter basis, making it difficult for travelers to book their flights. Part of the new negotiations with Cuba have involved crafting a new civil aviation agreement that would allow American carriers to transition to regular commercial and cargo flights. If implemented, that would result in Americans just hopping on a travel web site and booking their flight, no licenses or phone calls needed. "As far as the industry is concerned, it's not difficult at all," Tyler said of the transition to commercial flights and online booking. "It's up to governments to decide how fast and when and how to make those changes. The industry sees this as a tremendous opportunity." Among other industry issues, Tyler discussed: - Air passenger traffic is faring better within the U.S. than on the international market. Domestic demand grew by 7.2% in April, compared to a 5.2% increase globally. Tyler said regions like the Middle East and Asia-Pacific are performing the best, while European and Latin American carriers were underperforming, reflecting the economic conditions of each of those regions. - Tyler said air cargo has suffered significantly in recent months, with slowing growth in China mostly to blame. The volume of shipments has gone up 4.3% in the first four months of 2015 compared to the same timeframe in 2014, but April's shipments only increased 3.3%. Unlike air passenger traffic that can be increased by discounts and promotions, Tyler said there's little they can do to stimulate cargo shipments if companies simply aren't moving as many products. Add the increased cargo capacity of newer, wide-bodied passenger planes - "accidental capacity" as he calls it - and Tyler said it's important for governments to understand that trend and not do anything to further slow that growth. "That should be sending some warning bells to governments who are pursuing protectionist policies," he said. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2015/06/04/airlines-closer-to-flight- tracking-upgrade-iata-chief-says/28478389/ Back to Top 1 Russian military jet lost in crash, another damaged MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian air force jet crashed in the south Thursday and both crewmen bailed out safely, while another combat plane overturned after landing in a separate accident, hurting no one, the Defense Ministry said. The MiG-29 fighter jet went down Thursday while on a training mission near the Ashuluk shooting range in the Astrakhan region, about 1,100 kilometers (nearly 700 miles) south of Moscow. The two crew members have been hospitalized, and one is in serious condition, according to health officials. There is no damage on the ground. The Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the air force has grounded its MiG-29 fleet pending the outcome of an official probe. The twin-engine MiG-29 has been a mainstay of the Soviet and Russian air force since the 1980s and has been widely exported. In a separate accident in the southwestern Voronezh region, a Su-34 bomber ran off the runway upon landing and overturned. The plane's two crewmembers weren't hurt, the Defense Ministry said. It said the incident was caused by a failure of the plane's braking parachute. http://news.yahoo.com/russian-fighter-jet-crashes-both-crewmen-survive- 150002111.html Back to Top Airline tries 3-drink limit to crack down on unruly fliers A major European carrier is trying to curb alcohol-related flight disturbances by capping the number of drinks it serves to any one passenger. New "guidelines" at Scandinavian carrier SAS suggest passengers should be cut off after three alcoholic drinks on its intra-Europe flights. Officials at the SAS - a member of the Star Alliance frequent-flier group - say the move is an attempt to crack down on problems caused by unruly fliers, The Local news site of Sweden reports. "We had a few situations last year, but I can't go into the details," Malin Selander, head of media relations in Sweden, says to The Local. "These are not hard and fast rules, but guidelines that cabin crew can lean on so that if passengers appear to be getting too drunk they can be asked to stop drinking." Disturbances caused by intoxicated fliers have been a growing concern for airlines in recent years. In addition to safety concerns, disruptions caused by unruly fliers also can be expensive for airlines. Airlines' costs can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for flights that have to divert to offload a problem passenger. Of course, SAS is not the only European carrier to face concerns on intoxicated fliers. In April, discount giant Ryanair began telling customers that they can't bring booze of any kind onto its fights between Glasgow, Scotland, and the Spanish party resort of Ibiza. The route is the only one in the European discounter's large route network to get saddled with such a restriction. The ban includes duty free purchases. And Jet2, a much-smaller discounter, has handed out lifetime bans to two allegedly drunk fliers who created disturbances on its flights this spring. More broadly, the subject has become a priority for the airline industry as a whole. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) trade group that represents the world's big airlines in 2014 called for action to reduce the number of unruly passengers who disrupt flights. The count of reported in-flight incidents has surged in recent years, says IATA, which issued a call last year "a balanced package of measures" to battle the problem. "The numbers have indeed risen alarmingly over the last year or two," Tony Tyler, the CEO of the influential trade group, said last June during IATA's annual general meeting in Qatar. Tyler said IATA has been collecting data on in-flight incidents since 2007, though he says the information submitted by the airlines is done on a voluntary basis. Between 2010 and the end of 2013, there had been 20,000 unruly passenger incidents reported by airlines, according to IATA. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2015/06/04/airline-tries-3-drink-limit-to- crack-down-on-unruly-fliers/28463201/ Back to Top Small Jet Lands Without Nose Gear at Philadelphia International Airport A small jet was forced to land without nose gear at Philadelphia International Airport Thursday evening. The private corporate plane, a Hawker 4000 owned by Carlsbad, New Mexico-based D & TC, LLC., made the hard landing around 7:30 p.m. along the airport's western side. After skidding about 1,000 feet to a stop, emergency crews quickly surrounded the plane and sprayed flame-resistant foam around it as a precaution. Fire officials said five passengers and crew onboard the jet were able to walk off on their own. This small jet made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport Thursday. (Published Thursday, Jun 4, 2015) While the jet wound up in Philadelphia, that wasn't the intended destination. The plane took off from Monmouth Executive Airport bound for New Mexico when the pilot realized there was a gear problem, according to airport spokeswoman Mary Flannery. He radioed Philadelphia's tower to request a flyby and once the tower confirmed the gear didn't come down, the pilot circled around to make the emergency landing. It's not clear what led to the nose gear issue. The emergency landing led to delays averaging 60 minutes at the airport, officials said. A ground stop is also in effect until 9:30 p.m. meaning flights heading to Philadelphia are being held at their originating city until that time. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Jet-Lands-Without-Nose-Gear-at- Philadelphia-International-Airport-306212281.html#ixzz3cBbMUajd ******************** Date: 04-JUN-2015 Time: 19:30 Type: Hawker 4000 Owner/operator: D&TC LLC Registration: N446CC C/n / msn: RC-64 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Monmouth Executive Airport, NJ (BLM/KBLM) Destination airport: Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL) Narrative: A Hawker 4000 landed at Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL) with the nose gear retracted. The incident happened when the crew noticed gear problems on departure from Monmouth Executive Airport, NJ. The flight diverted to Philadelphia where a nosegear-up landing was performed. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Back to Top 5 Billion Gallons of Jet Fuel Saved API Fuel Saving Blended Winglet SEATTLE, June 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced that as of 12:15 am PDT today its unique Blended Winglet Technology has saved the world's commercial and business jet operators an estimated five billion gallons of jet fuel. This represents a global reduction in CO2 emissions of over 107 billion lbs (or almost 54 million tons.) Aviation Partners' designed Winglets are now flying on more than 6,100 individual jet airplanes, and more than 20 airplane types worldwide. API's Blended Winglets are additions to the airplane wing that are significantly more efficient than standard wing tips. The Winglets reduce the drag caused by wingtip vortices, the twin tornados formed by the difference between the pressure on the upper surface of an airplane's wing and that on the lower surface. By reducing drag Blended Winglets increase fuel efficiency and boost range. The Blended Winglets, which feature a large radius and smooth chord variation in the wing-to-winglet transition area, have demonstrated more than 60% greater effectiveness over conventional winglets with an angular transition. One of the unique features of API's technology is that it can be retrofitted to existing in- service aircraft to increase their productivity. API Blended Winglets are certified and in- service on Dassault's Falcon 2000, 900 & 50 series, the Hawker 800 series and the Gulfstream II aircraft. API's joint venture with The Boeing Company, Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), has Blended Winglets certified and in-service on the Boeing 737-300, - 500, -700, -800 & -900, 757-200 & -300 and 767-300ER/F series aircraft, as well as all 737 NG based Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) aircraft. Aviation Partners' latest design, Split Scimitar™ Winglets, recently certified for the Boeing 737 NG family are already flying on over 500 aircraft and are now standard equipment on the BBJ. This revolutionary new design builds on the existing Blended Winglets technology to provide further incremental fuel savings. API and APB are studying additional airframe development programs for Blended Winglets and Split Scimitar Winglets, as well as radical new Winglet technologies for the future. API expects the amount of fuel saved to grow exponentially to more than 10 billion gallons by the end of 2019. "We are proud to be the world leader in the field of fuel savings for commercial airlines and private aviation," said Joe Clark, founder and CEO of API, and Chairman of APB, "We look forward to adapting our new technology to both existing airplanes and new production designs in the near future." API is doing its part in a changing world, for more information and to see the fuel savings counter in real time, fly to www.aviationpartners.com or www.aviationpartnersboeing.com. Aviation Partners, Inc. Seattle, Washington based Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) is the world leader in advanced Winglet technology. API's Performance Enhancing Blended Winglets have been designed and certified for a number of commercial and business aircraft; applications include Boeing, Falcon, Hawker and Gulfstream airframes. Over 6,100 in-service aircraft have saved an estimated 5 billion gallons of fuel. In addition to the 5-7% improvement in fuel burn and corresponding range increase, Blended Winglets and Split Scimitar Winglets have reduced global CO2 emissions by almost 54 million tons. Future Winglet designs will lead to greater incremental improvements in performance, fuel savings and emissions reduction. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-billion-gallons-of-jet-fuel-saved- 300094658.html Back to Top Sichuan College Seeks 330 'Secure-Looking' Air Safety Guards Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Civil Aviation is to offer a program for "Security Services on Civil Flights", with the goal of recruiting 330 students, male and female, from across the country, according to media reports on June 4. The future "airline safety guards" will be selected and recruited to strict standards. The students shall, first of all, look "secure"; for males and females, their height shall be at least 174 and 163 centimeters, respectively. For male students especially, recruiters say they must be energetic, amiable, and not look either too "fierce" or too "wimpish". More importantly, the safety guards need to bring "real security" to the passengers, say staff. To reach the demanding standards of the profession, students must take courses in in- flight services and special training such as "catching and grappling" and Wing Chun, a form of Chinese kung fu. Strict military and physical training is also required, entailing a five-kilometer race each day, hundreds of horizontal or parallel bar repetitions and numerous practices in other skills and armed drills. In addition, the college will be managed according to military standards, with an eye to turning out a batch of "airline safety guards" with the characteristics of having a strong body, excellent anti-terrorism capabilities and remarkable responsiveness. It is expected that one properly trained female safety guard-after taking the course-will be able to overpower at least two male terrorists. http://www.womenofchina.cn/womenofchina/html1/news/china/1506/540-1.htm Back to Top Added power for airplane galleys The galleys inside airliners voraciously consume power - a vital yet limited resource in a plane. Additional power units may soon come to the rescue: housed inside trolley carts in the galleys, these units deliver both supplemental power and thus uncouple the power to the cabin and the kitchen from that which is supplied to the rest of the aircraft. This novel technology is a debut feature on Trade Days at the International Paris Air Show, June 15 to 21. Airplanes are built for long life: their use typically spans several decades. Interior furnishings in the cabins get renovated many times over the lifetime of the aircraft, same as the galleys. This pattern, however, harbors a certain problem: obsolete equipment is replaced by new equipment that usually requires more power - be they high-performance galley appliances, or amenities like miniature TVs in each individual seat back rest. Yet an airplane's available power - generated in-flight by the turbines - is a limited resource. An auxiliary power unit supplies requisite power during periods when the turbines are not running, such as when passengers board or disembark. There's another hitch: once you add subsequent electrical loads in the passenger section of the cabin, then the power system of the entire airplane has to be re-approved and reauthorized, because new devices could disrupt the power supply and in a worst case scenario, paralyze the whole system Additional power supply to the galleys A supplemental power unit in each galley in the shape of a movable trolley cart provides power. Researchers at the ICT-IMM branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT engineered the system in joint collaboration with Diehl Aerospace GmbH and the German Aerospace Center DLR. "This new power source lets us eliminate the energy shortfall," states Prof. Dr. Gunther Kolb, Department Head at ICT-IMM. The cart can even facilitate the approval process since it does not need new approval every time the airplane gets a retrofit or a face-lift: The power supplied to the galleys and cabins is autonomous of the power to the rest of the aircraft. Reformer and fuel cell For their clever innovation, the researchers relied on fuel cells: they not only generate power efficiently, but quietly as well. However, things are not that cut-and-dried when it comes to using fuel in mid-air. Because hydrogen can only be stored in containers pressurized to roughly 800 bar: a considerable risk in the airplane's cargo hold. This also precludes combustible fluids, like gasoline. "We use propylene glycol," Kolb reveals. There is a major advantage: it is a liquid substance, i.e., it requires no pressurized containers, becomes non-flammable when mixed with water and, in addition, it is non- toxic. Moreover, it is already being used in airplanes as a coolant and de-icing agent. Propylene glycol consists of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. A chemical system, the reformer, breaks down the liquid and extracts the hydrogen, which flows directly into the fuel cell and thus, enerngizes it. Since the carbon monoxide resulting from hydrogen production is not healthy for either the passengers and flight crew or for the fuel cell, the reformer transforms it into a non-toxic carbon dioxide. The system has its origins at Fraunhofer's laboratories. The employees not only engineered the requisite catalysts that were available in it, they also made sure that the device would take up the least amount of a plane's precious space. "In the current reformer, we successfully configured the components that break down the carbon monoxide in a way that saves 90 percent more space than with conventional technology," Kolb affirms. The research team has already produced a mock-up of the reformer - even the individual components are in place available. Over the next few months, these scientists will assemble and test the very first prototype. They will unveil their innovative technology on Trade Days at the International Paris Air Show, June 15 to 21 (Hall 1, Booth G316). http://phys.org/news/2015-06-added-power-airplane-galleys.html#jCp Back to Top Monarch Airlines bans six passengers FOR LIFE for 'drinking their own booze, smoking in toilets and grabbing flight attendants' as flight from Birmingham is forced to divert Pilots felt they had no choice but to divert the plane to Sofia, Bulgaria The Boeing 737 was carrying 137 holidaymakers and five crew members A photo taken by a passenger shows police gathered outside the plane The disruption resulted in a two-hour delay for those on board Monarch Airlines has banned six passengers for life after they became disruptive on a flight from Birmingham to Turkey and forced the captain to make an unscheduled landing. The holidaymakers have been accused of drinking booze they brought on board, smoking in the toilets and grabbing female staff while en route to the Mediterranean retreat of Dalaman. Their behaviour got so out of hand the pilots felt they had no choice but to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria to have the unruly travellers removed by police. Police officers gather outside the Monarch Airlines plane after being called into to remove the passengers Police officers gather outside the Monarch Airlines plane after being called into to remove the passengers The Boeing 737, carrying 137 holidaymakers and five crew, was more than halfway into its four-hour flight when it landed in the Bulgarian capital, Passenger Chris Casey tweeted a photo showing police outside the plane after they boarded and detained the travellers who forced the plane to land last night. Mr Casey wrote on Twitter: 'Our @Monarch flight from @bhx_official - Dalaman has made an emergency landing [in] Sofia, Bulgaria! 6 idiots offloaded'. He told MailOnline Travel he didn't see what was happening because he was watching a film, but agreed with the pilot's decision to divert the flight. He said the passengers were warned, but continued to misbehave. Monarch Airlines declined to confirm reports by the Birmingham Mail that the passengers were drinking their own alcohol, lit cigarettes on board and grabbed female staff. It resulted in a two-hour delay for other holidaymakers on the packed plane, which eventually took off from Sofia and arrived in Dalaman behind schedule. A spokeswoman from Monarch Airlines told MailOnline Travel: 'Flight ZB908 from Birmingham to Dalaman diverted to Sofia airport in Bulgaria. 'This was due to six disruptive passengers. The flight was met in Sofia by police and the six passengers were removed from the flight. 'The flight which was carrying 137 passengers and five crew, then continued to Dalaman as planned and landed. This map from flightradar24.com shows the Boeing 737's route as it diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria 'Monarch would like to apologise to the many other customers on board this flight for the delay in getting them to their holiday destination. 'Monarch operate a zero-tolerance policy towards disruptive behaviour on board to ensure the safety and security of our customers and crew. 'As a result of their behaviour and failure to comply with the requests of the crew and the captain, Monarch have issues these six passengers with lifetime bans and they will not be welcome to fly with us in future.' It's not the first time a flight from the UK to Dalaman has been forced to divert due to unruly travellers. Last month a Thomas Cook flight from Glasgow had to land at London Gatwick Airport due to 'rowdy' passengers causing trouble. A 34-year-old man was hauled off the plane by police and was held in custody on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly on a plane. British budget airline Jet2 recently banned two passengers for life - one for exposing himself in front of passengers and crew, and another whose drunken antics forced a holiday flight to divert to Toulouse, France. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3112110/Monarch-Airlines-bans- six-passengers-LIFE-drinking-booze-smoking-toilets-grabbing-flight-attendants-flight- Manchester-forced-divert.html#ixzz3cBorUuvT Back to Top American Airlines Crew Still Unaware Of Kid Seat Rule. Could Lack of FAA Enforcement Be Responsible? By John Goglia Another report of an American Airlines crew not understanding the FAA's kid seat rule leaves me shaking my head. But learning that the FAA may not be taking these reports very seriously leaves me angry. The latest incident comes to me via Heather Anderson who was flying first class this past April with her two young children, 15 months and 5 years, on American Flight 1810 from Knoxville to Tampa via Charlotte, NC. Ms. Anderson is clearly well-informed on child safety and purchased a seat for her 15-month old, even though under FAA rules, the child could have traveled for free as a lap child. She was allowed to use an approved seat for her toddler. However, according to Ms. Anderson, a lawyer in Knoxville, Tennessee, the lead flight attendant on the flight prohibited her from using her FAA-approved CARES child restraint harness for her five-year old child. FAA regulations specifically state that no airline "may prohibit a child (under the age of 18) from using an approved child restraint system when a seat is purchased for that child, as long as the child is within the weight limits for the restraint and is accompanied by a parent or guardian." A spokesperson for American who was given a copy of Ms. Anderson's letter to the airline stated "we apologize that [Ms. Anderson] had an issue with her CARES restraint. We will definitely look into this issue to see why this occurred." Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have written about an American Airlines crew being unaware of the FAA's child restraint requirements. The FAA's child safety rule is not a particularly complex or difficult rule to understand or comply with. Many parents I've spoken with are very familiar with the rule and its requirements. But unfortunately, many parents who educate themselves on child safety when flying find their best intentions thwarted by airline crews who are not knowledgeable of the rules. So while a five-year old child is required to fly in his own seat and to wear the seat belt provided, the CARES harness provides additional protection for children 22 to 44 pounds and more protection than an adult seat belt in the event of turbulence or a runway accident. A parent who buys a CARES restraint and wishes to use it on a flight, when her child is within the weight limits for the restraint, is entitled by law to use that safety harness. Ms. Anderson was so upset by her treatment on American that she changed her return flight to Delta. It is particularly troubling in this incident that, according to Ms. Anderson's statement, the lead flight attendant was not aware of the safety requirements. As a lead she is just what her name implies, the head cabin crewmember on that flight. If the lead flight attendant doesn't know the FAA's rules for traveling safely with children, it's very disappointing indeed. But what was even more disturbing was learning that the FAA had dropped its earlier enforcement case against American Airlines involving its alleged failure to allow a parent to use an FAA-approved aircraft seat and forcing the parent to carry the child as a lap child. My earlier article on that case is here. In the earlier case, which involved Envoy, American's wholly-owned subsidiary, the FAA's Certificate Management Office responsible for American Airlines oversight concluded a hotline investigation by stating: "As a result of our investigation, the [aviation safety inspector] determined a violation of the [child restraint rule] occurred. " It went on to state that " the safety of the child was jeopardized due to the crew's prohibition of the use of an approved [child safety restraint] for the child." The office further stated that it was going to take appropriate enforcement action. Unfortunately that appears not to have happened. According to American's spokesperson, "the FAA reviewed the incident and concluded that Envoy and the flight crew on the flight in question were in full compliance with all applicable Federal Aviation Regulations at all times." Repeated requests for comments to the FAA on this case were not responded to. In addition, a request to the FAA for a list of all enforcement actions against airlines for violating the child seat rule was also not responded to. One can only assume that at least in the case of American, no enforcement action was ever taken in spite of the FAA certificate management office's earlier finding that a violation occurred and that a child's safety was jeopardized. Maybe if the FAA took these cases more seriously and fined the airlines for child restraint violations, the carriers would be motivated to ensure their crews understood this simple rule. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/2015/06/04/american-airlines-crew-still- unaware-of-kid-seat-rule-could-lack-of-faa-enforcement-be-responsible/ Back to Top Upcoming Events: IS-BAO Auditing June 10, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1710550 Fundamentals of IS-BAO June 15, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659064 IS-BAO Auditing June 16, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659075 Fundamentals of IS-BAH June 15, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659069 IS-BAH Auditing June 16, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659079 6th Pan American Aviation Safety Summit June 22-26th Medellin, Colombia http://www.alta.aero/safety/2015/home.php Safety Management Systems Training & Workshop Course offered by ATC Vantage Inc. Tampa, FL August 6-7, 2015 www.atcvantage.com/training Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection & Investigation Course 9-11 Sept. 2015 Hotel Ibis Nanterre La Defense (near Paris) France http://blazetech.com/resources/pro_services/FireCourse-France_2015.pdf Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Director of Safety Haverfield Aviation Submit Resume to: hr@haverfield.com NTSB Aviation Accident Investigator (Air Carrier Operations) NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/392318400 https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/398022200 Manager Flight Safety JetBlue APPLY HERE Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International APPLY HERE Manager Safety & Compliance Maintenance and Continued Airworthiness Air Astana APPLY HERE Curt Lewis