Flight Safety Information November 29, 2016 - No. 237 In This Issue Plane Carrying 81 People Crashes In Colombia Canadian fighter pilot killed in jet crash: military Passenger under medical evaluation after pulling plane's emergency exit at Bush Airport Flight from SFO returns safely to airport after engine failure Multiple people injured after plane hits turbulence coming into Sydney Int'l Airport Axis agrees to buy aviation insurer ANALYSIS: Latin America safety improves, but work needed Is flying in South America safe? Supersonic jet startup Spike Aerospace eyeing Spokane for manufacturing Pentagon Stops Buying Helos from Russia for Afghanistan Plane Carrying 81 People Crashes In Colombia At least 76 were killed, police said. BOGOTA (Reuters) - An airplane crash in Colombia has killed 76 people, the vast majority of the 81 passengers and crew who were on board the plane, the Colombian police said early on Tuesday. The plane was carrying players, coaches and staff from the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, as well as journalists set to covering the team's match in the Sudamericana final, South America's equivalent of the Europa League. Local media said that the survivors included 3 of the athletes. Poor weather conditions initially made the crash site accessible only by road, airport authorities at Medellin, where the charter plane was scheduled to land, said on Twitter. The airport later said rescue operations had been suspended because of heavy rain in the area. Alfredo Bocanegra, the head of Colombia's aviation authority, earlier told journalists at the airport that several people had been rescued. A hospital in La Ceja tweeted it was treating a survivor. However, confusion and weather conditions means official figures from disaster management authorities on how many were killed may take some time to be confirmed. "Fortunately we can report that two injured people have been transported to health centers in the area and around five people are being rescued for transport to hospitals." Carlos Ivan Marquez, the director of national disaster management, said in a statement. The Chapecoense team was among the 72 passengers and nine crew on board the charter aircraft when it crashed around 10:15 p.m. on Monday. Photos of wreckage were tweeted by local media in Colombia, while Brazilian news organizations were reporting 21 journalists had also been aboard. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 said on Twitter the last tracking signal from flight 2933 had been received when it was at 15,500 feet, about 30 km from its destination, which sits at an altitude of 7,000 feet. The Avro RJ85 was produced by a company that is now part of UK's BAE Systems "Tonight it was reported that a plane coming from Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, which should have landed at Jose Maria Cordova airport, had gone off course," a Colombian rescue official, Mauricio Parodi, told reporters. Chapecoense had been due to face Atletico Nacional of Medellin in the first leg of Wednesday's Sudamericana final, South America's equivalent of the Europa League. The club said in a statement that it would not be making any official comments until it had more information from Colombian authorities. It was the first time the small club from Chapeco had reached the final of a major South American club competition but they were underdogs against a club going for a rare double after winning the Copa Libertadores in July. Chapecoense were the 21st biggest club in Brazil in terms of revenue, bringing in 46 million reais ($13.5 million) in 2015, according to an annual rich list compiled by Brazilian bank Itau BBA. The South American football federation suspended all games and other activities following the crash. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/plane-crash-colombia-brazil- football_us_583d25c3e4b04b66c01b9f53 ******************* Status: Preliminary Date: Monday 28 November 2016 Time: ca 22:00 Type: Avro RJ.85 Operator: LAMIA Bolivia Registration: CP-2933 C/n / msn: E.2348 First flight: 1999-03-26 (17 years 8 months) Engines: 4 Lycoming LF507-1F Crew: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 9 Passengers: Fatalities: 68 / Occupants: 72 Total: Fatalities: 75 / Occupants: 81 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Damaged beyond repair Location: nr La Unión, S of Medellín ( Colombia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Santa Cruz-Viru Viru International Airport (VVI/SLVR), Bolivia Destination airport: Rionegro/Medellín-José María Córdova Airport (MDE/SKRG), Colombia Flightnumber: LMI2933 Narrative: LAMIA Bolivia flight LMI2933, an Avro RJ.85, was destroyed after impacting mountainous terrain south of Medellín, Colombia. The aircraft carried the Brazilian Chapecoense football team for a match to Medellin. Unconcfirmed reports indicate that the aircraft was at 9000 feet when the crew reported a fuel emergency. Aerocivil Colombia reported that six occupants have survived the accident; 2 crew and 4 passengers. Weather reported at Medellin about the accident time (ca 0255Z): SKRG 290400Z 00000KT 8000 DZ BKN015TCU SCT080 16/15 A3024 RMK RERA SKRG 290300Z VRB02KT 9999 -DZ BKN015 SCT080 17/16 A3025 SKRG 290200Z 00000KT 9999 BKN015 SCT200 17/16 A3023 SKRG 290100Z 01003KT 9999 SCT017 SCT200 17/16 A3020 https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20161128-0 Back to Top Canadian fighter pilot killed in jet crash: military A Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 Fighter jet arrives at the Canadian Air Task Force Flight Operations Area in Kuwait on October 28, 2014 in this Canadian Forces handout photo received October 29, 2014. REUTERS/Canadian Forces Combat Camera, DND/Handout A Canadian CF-18 fighter pilot was killed on Monday when his single-seat jet crashed in a training area near Cold Lake, Alberta, the country's military said. "The name will not be released until next of kin are notified," the Department of National Defence said in a statement. "A flight safety investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident." In a tweet, the Royal Canadian Air Force called the crash an accident, but did not elaborate. The defense department said there were no other casualties. The incident happened near the community of Cold Lake, which is close to the neighboring province of Saskatchewan and is home to 4 Wing Cold Lake, the busiest fighter base in Canada, according to the defense department. The pilot involved was from 4 Wing and crashed his CF-188 Hornet at about 11 a.m. in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Saskatchewan, said Captain Mat Strong, public affairs officer for the base. A defense department spokeswoman said helicopters were dispatched following the incident. The base, used to train Canada's fighter pilots, attracts international crews to its annual air combat exercise, Maple Flag, according to the department. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-military-crash-idUSKBN13N258 **************** Date: 28-NOV-2016 Time: 11:09 Type: McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet Owner/operator: Canadian Armed Forces Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, AB - Canada Phase: Unknown Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A single-seat CF-18 Hornet from 401 Sqn, 4 Wing Cold Lake crashed inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. The Royal Canadian Air Force reported that the pilot has been killed in the accident. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=191760 Back to Top Passenger under medical evaluation after pulling plane's emergency exit at Bush Airport HOUSTON - A United Airlines passenger is under medical evaluation after she pulled an airplane's overwing emergency exit and jumped out the ramp level of the plane Monday, police said. The incident occurred about 1:15 p.m. at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Houston Police Department officials said the woman was transported to a neuro- psychiatric center for medical evaluation. Prosecutors decided to not accept charges against the woman or release her identity. Police said when the plane arrived at the airport, a woman pulled the overwing emergency exit on the plane, got onto the plane's wing and then jumped to the ground. "There was somebody behind us. They said, 'We got a runner.' So I didn't pay that much attention to it. I didn't know what they were talking about. And then my sister goes, 'Look at that woman running!'" a witness told KPRC 2 News. The woman landed on the tarmac and ran away from the plane, toward the terminal. KPRC 2 obtained surveillance video of the woman running on the tarmac. She was eventually taken into custody. There is no information about why the woman pulled the emergency lever. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is no longer involved in the investigation because it was determined it was not a national security matter. http://www.click2houston.com/news/passenger-in-custody-after-pulling-emergency- overwing-exit-at-bush-iah Back to Top Flight from SFO returns safely to airport after engine failure A pair of United Airlines' Boeing 747's are parked at the San Francisco International Airport in this file photo from June 22, 2005. On Monday, a United Airlines aircraft was heading back to San Francisco International Airport for an emergency landing after one of its engines failed shortly after takeoff. Photo: ERIC RISBERG, AP A United Airlines jet returned to the San Francisco International Airport after one of the engines failed shortly after taking off for Japan, officials said. The Boeing 747 aircraft, which is carrying 202 passengers and 15 crew members, departed from San Francisco International Airport for Japan at 11:36 a.m. A short time after takeoff, the pilot was forced to shut down one of the four engines, said Doug Yakel, a spokesman for the airport. The engine experienced a "mechanical issue" causing it to shut down, said Erin Benson, a spokeswoman for United Airlines. The aircraft landed back at SFO about 1:40 p.m., Benson said. Sam Smith said he had just left the office in San Bruno around noon for lunch when he heard a loud bang. He looked up and said he was stunned to see the jet with "flames coming out of the left side" of the aircraft. "It was super crazy," said Smith, a 27-year-old San Francisco resident. "It was just really weird thing to see happen and it was so loud. There were a couple bangs." United was not able to confirm reports of smoke or fire following the engine failure, Benson said. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Flight-from-SFO-to-make-emergency-landing- after-10640599.php Back to Top Multiple people injured after plane hits turbulence coming into Sydney Int'l Airport Multiple people have reportedly been injured after a China Eastern Airlines plane hit turbulence coming into Sydney International Airport, according to Australian media. Emergency services are working at the scene. Paramedics have confirmed that they are treating 10 passengers for minor injuries, MyGC.com.au reported. ? Emergency services are on site to treat a small number of injured passengers after a flight encountered turbulence upon landing. - Sydney Airport ?? (@SydneyAirport) November 29, 2016 Five people are being taken to the hospital for treatment, according to Ten Eyewitness News. Multiple ambulances were called to Gate 32 at the airport, where the injured passengers had gathered. - myGC.com.au (@myGoldCoast) November 29, 2016 The incident occurred on an international flight which landed at the airport just before 3 p.m. local time, according to early reports. A conflicting report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said that three people are in need of medical attention, two of whom are elderly. There were believed to be 30 passengers on the plane. https://www.rt.com/news/368506-plane-turbulence-injured-sydney-airport/ Back to Top Axis agrees to buy aviation insurer Bermuda insurer Axis Capital Holdings Ltd plans to buy and aviation insurance and reinsurance specialist based in Belgium. Axis said the deal it had struck to acquire Aviabel would increase the company's scale and relevance in the global aviation market. The Bermudian company said it would maintain Aviabel's locations in Brussels and Amsterdam and would also keep the Aviabel brand, as well as the company's Dutch brand, Nederlandse Luchtvaartpool. The terms of the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed. Mark Gregory, chief executive officer of Axis Insurance's International Division, said: "Axis is committed to the aviation market for the long-term and, through this acquisition, we're increasing our scale and market relevance. "Aviabel is a highly trusted and respected brand, with a portfolio that complements our existing business, expands our presence into the general aviation and smaller account segments, as well as increases our geographic footprint in aviation. "Aviabel is also a great cultural fit - like Axis, it is a specialty company that is entrepreneurial and agile and that places a very high priority on its clients and its employees." Aviabel has been providing insurance and reinsurance for the general aviation industry for more than 80 years and gross premiums written of around 50 million euros ($53.1 million). According to Axis's statement, Aviabel has "a portfolio of partnerships and clients spanning the globe" and its "products and services extend across general aviation, airlines, airports, pilots and crews, and aerospace manufacturers". Cécile Coune, CEO of Aviabel, said: "Becoming part of Axis provides an opportunity to benefit from the financial strength and resources of a global carrier and to significantly enhance the services and programmes that we offer to our clients and our employees. "Further, Axis is a company with a strong understanding of today's transformed insurance marketplace and its leadership has a clear vision for where the industry is heading. This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Aviabel, our team and our clients. http://www.royalgazette.com/re-insurance/article/20161128/axis-agrees-to-buy-aviation- insurer Back to Top ANALYSIS: Latin America safety improves, but work needed The past two years have seen few serious accidents in the Latin America and Caribbean area, and those that have happened have involved small turboprops. But two years is a short time in aviation safety terms and - given the region's mediocre safety record over decades - not long enough to impress experts at bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The graph below, using figures assembled by Flight Ascend Consultancy, illustrates the long-term story. Using a nine-year moving average to derive the trend, the region still shows a higher accident rate than the world average, although it is closing with the global figures even as the latter are continuing to improve. That is the good news. Asset Image The bad news is that ICAO is not impressed with Latin American and Caribbean compliance with its standards and recommended practices (SARP) for safety oversight and infrastructure. The region's intentions are good, however. At Panama City in June the Regional Aviation Safety Group - Pan American (RASG-PA) restated its intention to reach, by 2020, a reduction of fatal accidents to 50% of the rate a decade earlier. According to ICAO's most recent safety report for the Americas, safety priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean, based on overall risk assessment, have been determined as loss of control in flight (LOC-I), runway excursion, controlled flight into terrain and mid-air collision. SKILLS SHORTAGE The industry knows what it has to do, but ICAO's Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) indicates that safety oversight at a national level in the Latin American and Caribbean region is handicapped by the fact that it has, in absolute terms, the lowest level of technical staff qualification and training of all the regions, including in its accident and incident investigation services. Also revealed by USOAP is the need for dramatic improvement in infrastructure investment, particularly air navigation services, ground aids and airports. The RASG-PA 2016 conference in June recognised the need to continue to raise awareness of ground movement discipline to reduce runway incursion risk. Another matter that calls for careful monitoring is the successful introduction of more precision area navigation and performance-based navigation procedures in airport terminal areas. And in common with all other regions, RASG-PA recognised the need to raise pilot awareness of the importance of stabilised approaches and skilful total energy management on final approach to avoid runway excursions. The graph relates to fatal accidents since 1990 for major airlines and commuter airlines that operate jet or turboprop aircraft able to carry more than 14 passengers or the cargo equivalent. Crashes resulting from deliberate acts of violence are not included. To produce reliable long-term trend data, the graph shows nine-year moving averages, so the first data point is for the nine-year period ending in 1998 and the last is for the nine years to the end of 2015. A moving average is used because accidents occur relatively rarely now, and annual graphs using such small figures tend to produce meaningless spikes. Latin America's 3.35 per million figure for 1998 was 2.4 times worse than the overall world rate at the time. For the period ending 2015, Latin America's fatal accident rate was 0.93 per million - 3.6 times better than its performance 17 years earlier. However, the world has also improved its safety performance during this time and its rate is now 0.57, an improvement of 2.5 times compared with Latin America's 3.6. So the region is catching up - if slowly - with the world average. Performance is not, of course, uniform across the continent. Some countries do better than others: Brazil is now more or less up to the world average, while Mexico and Chile are better than the world average, according to Flight Ascend Consultancy's chief safety analyst, Paul Hayes. For our coverage of the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum taking place in Mexico City on 13-15 November, visit www.flightglobal.com/alta https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-latin-america-safety-improves-but- work-ne-431304/ Back to Top Is flying in South America safe? Air safety standards in South America are on a par with those found in Europe Dozens have been killed after a plane carrying 72 passengers, including members of a Brazilian football team, crashed on its way to the Colombian city of Medellin. The British Aerospace 146, operated by a little-known Bolivian airline, LAMIA, declared an emergency at 10pm on Monday night (0300 GMT) following an electrical failure. A survivor of the LAMIA air crash is taken to hospital South America has seen a number of high profile air disasters over the years. According to Flight Safety Foundation, Colombia's national airline, Avianca, was involved in 10 fatal incidents between 1985 and 1999 resulting in the deaths of 1,043 people. The most infamous was the bombing of Flight 203 from Bogotá to Cali in 1989, masterminded by drug cartel boss Pablo Escobar, in which 110 passengers and crew were killed. Just two months later 72 people died when Avianca Flight 52, en route from Bogotá to New York City, crashed in Cove Neck, New York, after running out of fuel. This week's accident is also reminiscent of the 1972 Andes flight disaster, in which a chartered flight carrying 45 passengers, including a rugby union team, crashed in a remote region of Argentina. The 16 survivors were rescued more than two months after the crash and their story was told in the 1993 film Alive. Air safety standards in South America have improved dramatically, however, and are now on a par with those found in Europe. Avianca, for example, has not been involved in a single incident since 1999 - despite flying as many as 28 million passengers a year. Each year the European Union publishes a list of airlines that are banned from its airspace due to concerns over safety standards. The vast majority are currently found in sub- Saharan Africa and it doesn't contain a single South American airline. The website AirlineRatings.com judges South America's largest carriers to be among the safest in the world. LAN, based in Chile, Gol Transportes Aéreos and Azul Linhas Aereas (both Brazil), Avianca, and Aerolíneas Argentinas (Argentina), the continent's five biggest in terms of passengers carried, each have the maximum safety rating of seven stars. While less is known about LAMIA, the Bolivian airline involved in this week's crash, it is subject to the same safety standards as its larger rivals. Chris Moss, Telegraph Travel's South America expert, said he has taken "hundreds" of internal flights there and couldn't see any evidence that safety standards are any lower than in the West. "Weather sometimes makes flights feel edgy - pilots have to take off in stormy conditions - and Andean regions, like the area where Medellin sits, can look tricky from the air," he added. "But these are just inexpert impressions." Patrick Smith, a US pilot and author of the book Cockpit Confidential, argues that - even in regions with bad reputations, such as sub-Saharan Africa - there is no such thing as a "dangerous" airline. "Some are safer than others, but even the least safe airline is still very safe," he says. "And in certain regions I'd be more comfortable with a local carrier that knows its territory and the quirks of flying there. One example I love to cite is Bolivia's LAB - Lloyd Aereo Boliviano - the former national airline of the poorest country in South America. LAB is gone now, but from 1925 through 2008 it plied the treacherous peaks of the Andes in and out of La Paz, the planet's most highly situated commercial airport. Since 1969, LAB suffered only two fatal crashes on scheduled passenger runs, killing a total of 36 people. This was not a mainstay airline making thousands of daily flights, but two crashes in thirty-four years amid jagged mountains and hazards of the high Altiplano was exemplary." For further evidence of just how safe flying now is, take note of the fact that 2015 was - statistically speaking - the safest year in aviation history, with just 16 fatal crashes resulting in 560 deaths. With a total of 3.5 billion passengers flown in 2015, the chances of dying in a plane crash are one in 6.25 million. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/air-safety-in-south-america-colombia/ Back to Top Supersonic jet startup Spike Aerospace eyeing Spokane for manufacturing Several locations in Washington under consideration Spike Aerospace CEO Vik Kachoria said at an aerospace conference last month that the company is considering several locations in Washington to manufacturer a supersonic jet. They are: Spokane: More than 8,000 people in the Spokane region are employed by the aerospace industry, according to Greater Spokane Incorporated. That industry numbers more than 120 manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and organizations related to the worldwide aerospace industry. Moses Lake: Once the home of an Army air base and Larson Air Force Base, Grant County has two airfields that are used by Boeing and other companies for flight tests. The region also has ample land and industrial space, according to the Grant County Economic Development Council. Everett: Boeing Commercial is Snohomish County's major employer, but there are more than 200 aerospace companies with 44,000 workers in the county's aerospace industry, according to the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County. A Boston-based aerospace startup is eyeing Spokane as a location to manufacture a supersonic jet now in the early stages of development. It's a move that could create hundreds of high-paying jobs. Spike Aerospace is designing a sleek, 18-passenger supersonic jet that would cruise at Mach 1.6 - about 1,200 mph - and could fly from New York to Los Angeles in just over three hours. The privately held company is one of three U.S. startups looking to revive supersonic technology with a focus on premium business travelers. At an aerospace conference last month in Lynnwood, Washington, Spike's chief executive officer said the company is considering several locations in Washington, including Spokane, Moses Lake and Everett. The company has considered several other states, but CEO Vik Kachoria has called Washington "one of the top contenders." Last week, the state Department of Commerce approved a grant to speed up development of land currently owned by Spokane International Airport. Local officials said an out-of-state aerospace company has expressed "great interest" in building a factory on the site, but they declined to name the company, citing a nondisclosure agreement. And in a phone call Monday, Kachoria declined to say if Spike is that company. He said it's too early to pinpoint where each phase of the manufacturing process would take place. "We're not moving to Washington state just yet," he said last month at Gov. Jay Inslee's annual Aerospace Summit. "Each region offers something interesting that we want to explore." The Department of Commerce granted the airport $20,800 for an environmental review of the land, which officials hope to complete by June 2017. It's one of the last steps in obtaining approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to sell the land to a private party. According to preliminary plans filed with the state, the unnamed company wants to build a 305,000-square-foot facility that would employ 100 engineers and 200 technicians, producing aircraft parts and distributing them to 17 states. The facility would cost about $90.5 million and occupy a 40-acre swath of land bound by Spotted Road and Flightline and Geiger boulevards. Officials said it could be operational by early 2019, and plans leave room for a 150,000-square-foot expansion. In its 2014 master plan, the airport designated nearly 1,700 acres as "non-aeronautical land," meaning airport funds can't be used to maintain it. The airport, which is owned jointly by Spokane County and the city of Spokane, is paying $48,200 for the environmental review to sell the 40-acre property. County Commissioner Al French said the environmental clearance will save time and money for whatever company buys the property. "This is part of our continuing effort to make sure that we have shovel-ready sites for development," he said. French also defended the secrecy of the process, which is code-named "Project Eagle," as a way to shield the company's plans from its competitors. The company has hired a third- party firm to scope out potential locations, he said. Spike Aerospace has been working on designs for about three years and now employs about 45 engineers, Kachoria said. He envisions flying a small-scale prototype in late 2018 and delivering the first full-scale jet by 2023. "That's definitely the target, and I think we're well on our way," he said Monday. The market for supersonic passenger jets has been dormant since the British-French Concorde airliner went out of service in 2003. The Concorde never fared well economically, and its popularity dwindled further after a crash in Paris killed 113 people in 2000. Spike faces competition from two other supersonic-jet startups with major financial backing. One is Reno, Nevada-based Aerion, which has partnered with Airbus and is financed by Texas billionaire Robert Bass. The other is Boom, a Colorado company that plans to fly its first prototype in 2017 and already has orders pending from Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Spike says its first plane, the S-512, would be built largely from composites and cost about $100 million. One selling point is noise-reduction technology that would make a sonic boom sound "like a soft clap or background noise," allowing the plane to be flown over land. The company's chief technology officer, Anutosh Moitra, has helped design supersonic jets for NASA and Boeing. Kachoria has declined to say if Spike might partner with Boeing. Last month, however, Spike secured a partnership with Kirkland, Washington-based Greenpoint Technologies, which makes cabin interiors for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 747-8. Meanwhile, local officials say another aerospace manufacturer is considering another 40- acre swath of land near the airport. Todd Mielke, the CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated, said the company would build aircraft components for other companies. That land sits south of Electric Avenue between Soda and Thomas Mallen roads. Developer Dick Edwards, who owns the property, said he's spent millions installing gas, water, sewer and electrical lines to attract a major buyer. Triumph Group, which already operates an aircraft parts factory on the West Plains, recently put that factory up for sale amid a companywide retrenching that has resulted in plant closures and consolidations across the country. The announcement came several months after hundreds of unionized Machinists went on strike demanding better wages and benefits. Steve Warren, a business representative for the Machinists, said he wasn't familiar with either of the proposed developments, but that any surge of manufacturing jobs would benefit the local economy. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/nov/28/supersonic-jet-startup-spike- aerospace-eyeing-spok/ Back to Top Pentagon Stops Buying Helos from Russia for Afghanistan In this May 13, 2013, file photo, an Mi-17 helicopter used by the Afghan Air Force sits on Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. Kristin M. Hall/AP The Pentagon and the White House have relented and stopped doing business that evaded economic sanctions on Russia with the Kremlin-run arms firm supplying Russian Mi-17 helicopters to the Afghan Air Force. The $11.6 billion supplemental defense budget request recently sent by the White House to Congress reportedly included $264 million for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, made by Sikorsky in Connecticut, rather than the Mi-17s supplied by Russia's state-run Rosoboronexport. Also last week, the office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the Defense Department now will supply more than 50 Black Hawks to the Afghan Air Force after years of lobbying by the Connecticut delegation. The Afghan Air Force currently operates about 50 Mi-17s, according to IHS Jane's. The Pentagon had argued that Afghan pilots are more familiar with the Mi-17s, and that the Mi-17s are cheaper and easier to operate. In a statement, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said the Pentagon had notified Congress that it would stop buying the Mi-17s. "I'll never understand why the U.S. government sent taxpayer money to Russia for helicopters in Afghanistan while Russia was supporting the [President Bashar al-Assad] regime in Syria and invading eastern Ukraine," Murphy said. "We must prioritize American manufacturers and our hard-working men and women at home," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, another Connecticut Democrat who had long argued against the deal with Russia for the Mi-17s. The Pentagon initially was so intent on getting more helicopters to the Afghan Air Force that the deal with Rosoboronexport was excluded from U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Crimea and backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. In 2014, the Treasury Department targeted the maker of AK-47 assault rifles and seven other Russian defense firms for sanctions but gave a pass to arms exporter Rosoboronexport, which had a $554 million contract with the U.S. to supply Mi-17s to the Afghans. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew left Rosoboronexport off the long list of Russian banks, firms and individuals hit by U.S. economic sanctions to counter Moscow's aggression in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, a Treasury spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman declined comment on whether Rosoboronexport was left off the list at the request of the Defense and State Departments. In 2012, sixteen senators signed a letter to then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta charging that the U.S. was being complicit in "mass murder" by dealing with Rosoboronexport. The reference was to the civilian death toll in Syria. http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/11/28/pentagon-stops-buying-helos-russia-afghanistan/ Curt Lewis