Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Category: <span>Legal</span>

Category: Legal


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, press release

Malaysia Airlines Media Statement

Released at 12: 30 p.m. local time

Tan Sri Md Nor Md Yusof, Chairman of Malaysia Airlines

As you will be aware, last night the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najjib Razak, announced new evidence regarding the disappearance of MH370 on 8th March.

Based on this evidence, the Prime Minister’s message was that we must accept the painful reality that the aircraft is now lost and that none of the passengers or crew on board survived.

This is a sad and tragic day for all of us at Malaysia Airlines. While not entirely unexpected after an intensive multi-national search across a 2.24 million square mile area, this news is clearly devastating for the families of those on board. They have waited for over two weeks for even the smallest hope of positive news about their loved ones.

This has been an unprecedented event requiring an unprecedented response. The investigation still underway may yet prove to be even longer and more complex than it has been since March 8th. But we will continue to support the families – as we have done throughout. And to support the authorities as the search for definitive answers continues. I will now ask our Group Chief Executive¸ Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, to provide you will with fuller details of our support for the families.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Airlines

I stand before you today not only as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines, but also as a parent, as a brother, as a son. My heart breaks to think of the unimaginable pain suffered by all the families. There are no words which can ease that pain. Everyone in the Malaysia Airlines family is praying for the 239 souls on MH370 and for their loved ones on this dark day. We extend our prayers and sincere condolences.

We all feel enormous sorrow and pain. Sorrow that all those who boarded Flight MH370 on Saturday 8th March, will not see their families again. And that those families will now have to live on without those they love. It must be remembered too that 13 of our own colleagues and fellow Malaysians were also on board.

And let me be very clear on the events of yesterday evening. Our sole and only motivation last night was to ensure that in the incredibly short amount of time available to us, the families heard the tragic news before the world did. Wherever humanly possible, we did so in person with the families or by telephone, using SMS only as an additional means of ensuring fully that the nearly 1,000 family members heard the news from us and not from the media.

Ever since the disappearance of Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines’ focus has been to comfort and support the families of those involved and support the multi-national search effort. We will continue to do this, while we also continue to support the work of the investigating authorities in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Like everyone else, we are waiting for news from those authorities. We know that while there have been an increasing number of apparent leads, definitive identification of any piece of debris is still missing. It is impossible to predict how long this will take. But after 17 days, the announcement made last night and shared with the families is the reality which we must now accept. When Malaysia Airlines receives approval from the investigating authorities, arrangements will be made to bring the families to the recovery areas if they so wish. Until that time, we will continue to support the ongoing investigation. And may I express my thanks to the Government and all of those involved in this truly global search effort.

In the meantime, Malaysia Airlines’ overwhelming focus will be the same as it has been from the outset – to provide the families with a comprehensive support programme. Through a network of over 700 dedicated caregivers, the loved ones of those on board have been provided with two dedicated caregivers for each family, providing care, support and counsel. We are now supporting over 900 people under this programme and in the last 72 hours, we have trained an additional 40 caregivers to ensure the families have access to round-the-clock support.

In addition, hotel accommodation for up to five family members per passenger, transportation, meals and others expenses have been provided since 8th March and that will continue.

Malaysia Airlines has already provided initial financial assistance of USD 5,000 per passenger to the next of kin. We recognize that financial support is not the only consideration. But the prolonged search is naturally placing financial strain on the relatives. We are therefore preparing to offer additional payments as the search continues.

This unprecedented event in aviation history has made the past 18 days the greatest challenge to face our entire team at Malaysia Airlines. I have been humbled by the hard work, dedication, heartfelt messages of concern and offers of support from our remarkable team. We do not know why, and we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as the Malaysia Airlines family, we are all praying for the passengers and crew of Flight MH370.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Australia, Aviation Attorney, Cessna, Crash, private, skydivers, Video

Investigation into Deadly Cessna 206 Crash near Brisbane Continues

The Cessna 206 operated by Adrenalin Skydivers crashed during takeoff on March 22 at the airstrip, 50km north of Brisbane.  Five persons, including the pilot, two tandem instructors and a couple were killed.

The Managing Director of Aero Dynamic Flight Academy and the Safety Officer of Caboolture Airfield, Bryan Carpenter said the aviation community is shattered by the ­tragic incident. He said it was not possible at this stage to speculate the cause of the accident.  The possible causes could have been a bird collision, a mechanical failure or a center of gravity shift in the plane.  The plane was reportedly having engine trouble on takeoff.

The victims included instructors Glenn Norman and Juraj Glesk, and Logan couple Rahuia Hohua and Joey King.

Adrenalin Skydivers, known as Skydive ­Bribie, uses Caboolture Airfield for picking up tourists for conducting tandem jumps.  They land on nearby Bribie Island.

Adrenalin Skydivers Pty Ltd also had a similar accident in August 2010 killing seven on board.

The investigation is being handled by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Asiana Airlines, Fines, USA

Airlines Who Fail Families Pay Fines


In the first couple of weeks after a crash, an airline carrier will distribute partial payments of $20,000 to $30,000 to each family with no catches. Families should know that this money is available to them.

Money is not that important to families waiting for news of their lost loved ones, but for some, even that soon after someone is gone, the family is feeling the hurt. In many places, it is a paycheck to paycheck world. Airlines can drag their feet in regards to this partial payment. This is what is behind the recent fine to Asiana.

Asiana was fined $500,000 last month because they failed to attend to the victims and their families properly for the Asiana flight 214 in San Francisco in July. Airlines have to follow their “family assistance plan.” You’ve seen parts of that plan before—the toll free phone number, the reports of assistance to families. These things aren’t out of the goodness of their hearts, but the consequence of the Foreign Air Carrier Family Support Act of 1997.

Asiana dragged their feet in contacting families—about ¾ of the passengers were approached within 2 days, but some took as long as five days. Imagine that your loved ones died or were severely injured, and the airline didn’t call for five days. That’s an eternity.

The Department of Transportation’s statement on the matter said that “Asiana’s response to the crash of flight 214 indicates that the carrier failed to commit sufficient resources to carry out its family assistance plan….In the very rare event of a crash, airlines have a responsibility to provide their full support to help passengers and their families by following all the elements of their family assistance plans…The last thing families and passengers should have to worry about at such a stressful time is how to get information from their carrier.” Additionally, Asiana failed to widely publish the family members’ information hot line, failed to send in an adequate number of translators and personnel, in addition to not contacting family members quickly enough.

Take a look at the plan below:


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Boeing, Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, missing

Stolen Passports aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370

An Austrian and an Italian passport used by passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 were recorded in Interpol’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.

INTERPOL is conducting checks on all other passports used aboard flight MH 370. They are trying with National Central Bureaus to discover the identities of the people using the stolen passports. Interpol also bemoans the countries who didn’t bother with security checks—those who waited for the worst to happen before putting in safety measures.

The question remains who were using the tickets? Were they Uighur, a faction well known to the Chinese, but not so well known outside of China?

Chinese investigators reported that one-way tickets bound for Europe that were used by the persons who used the stolen passports were provided by an Iranian purchaser over the phone, who said he was Kazem Ali. It was a cash purchase. The tickets issued Thursday from a Pattaya, Grand Horizon, travel agency. A number of countries are involved in the investigation, including the US due to the origin of the plane, and each country who had citizens aboard, but the investigation is led by the country where the plane is registered, Malaysia, is to lead the investigation.

At the time the passports were used for this flight, no one in Malaysia checked the database for the tickets, or else they would have been detected.

Aviation Attorney, Guatemala, lost communication, missing, Robinson

Guatemala: Chopper Crash

Ex army officer Ramón Rodríguez Toledo, and his passengers Luis Paiz and Andrés Berger were aboard a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter that crashed in a coffee plantation in Guatemala between Villa Canales and Fraijanes.

Andrés Berger was the copilot.

The flight took off at 17:48 on Monday but lost communication with ATC shortly afterward. Residents near the impact zone heard an explosion at 18:00 hours.

A friend of the pilot said he had 15,000 hours in the cockpit.

The accident is under investigation.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Crash, Falling Parts, Indonesia, lightning, Piper, weather, wind

The Mystery of Why?

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. I’ve said this too many times to count.

Here’s a question: The event below was a maintenance ferry flight. Every time I hear about a post maintenance ferry flight that crashed, I wonder how that maintenance was performed, and what they forgot to do. Maybe they performed maintenance perfectly—I don’t know. It’s just what strikes my mind when that ferry flight goes down. What did that maintenance crew miss? It’s too much like having a brake failure accident while bringing the family car home from the brake shop. But this accident was PRE-inspection. So maybe it is like having the brakes fail on the way to the brake shop…

On January 19, 2014, at 12:20 , a PT. Intan Angkasa Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, PK-IWT, flying from from Sentani to Tual crashed on approach to Dumatubun Airport, Maluku, Indonesia. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed.

Some reports say it was hit by lightning, but most planes are designed not to catch fire when struck by lightning; careful lightning protection has been engineered into the aircraft. The current tends to travel through the conductive aluminum exterior skin and off an extremity like a wing tip. Additional shielding protects components from haywire side effects called “lightning indirect effects” and bursting into flames is not one of those effects, except in the fuel system, where even a spark is lethal.

So, again, I question maintenance, and the integrity of the fuel system. Was the aluminum skin around the fuel system thick enough to withstand a lighting strike?

Or perhaps it was something else entirely. The flight was described as being pounded by rain and fierce winds (they had just refueled in a thunderstorm)…and the wing fell off before the plane crashed. So was it the gale force winds that caused the wing to come off? Inquiring minds want to know. As always, the investigation is key to finding out why the wing came off and the plane crashed.

Those aboard were a pilot, a technician and two airline employees.

Airbus, Aviation Attorney, Crash, hearing, NTSB, Official Report, Public Statement, USA

UPS Flight 1354 Agenda and Media Logistics for Investigative Hearing

 , , , , , ,


The National Transportation Safety Board today released the agenda for the investigative hearing on the ongoing investigation into the Aug. 14, 2013 crash of UPS Airlines flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Ala.

The hearing will be held February 20 at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza SW in Washington and begins at 8:30 a.m.

Hearing witnesses, including representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, Airbus, UPS Airlines, Independent Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union will testify and answer questions from NTSB Board members, technical staff, and parties about non-precision approaches, human factors and flight dispatch issues. The agenda, list of panel witnesses, biographies and other related information is available at the hearing event page at http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2014/ups1354_hearing/index.html

Investigative exhibits for the hearing will be placed in the electronic docket at the start of the hearing and will also be available on the hearing event page once the hearing begins.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will be available to answer questions from the media at the conclusion of the hearing. Additional details about the availability will be included in an advisory on Wednesday.

Television coverage of the proceedings will be by network pool provided by CNN. Escorted cutaway for video media will be permitted for brief periods throughout the hearing. Still photographers will be permitted in the seating area of the Board Room and by escort to areas in front of the witness panels.

Because of construction at and around L’Enfant Plaza, satellite and other media trucks will have to check in for parking and running cable through the construction zone. Please RSVP to eric.weiss@ntsb.gov by Feb. 19. Media access to the Board Room is available beginning at 7:30 a.m.

A media room is also available with tables, chairs and an audio mult box. Generally-accepted media credentials will be required for access to the media room. In addition, a fully equipped overflow room has been established and will serve as a storage area for video equipment during the hearing.

Seating for the general public in the Board Room is on a first-come, first-served basis. The hearing will be webcast live. Access to the webcast can be found at www.ntsb.gov.

===
The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled an investigative hearing on February 20 into the crash of a UPS Airbus A300-600 on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Ala., on Aug. 14, 2013.

The two flight crew members were killed and the airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground less than a mile short of Runway 18. The cargo flight had originated from Louisville, Ky. Runway 18 was being used because the main runway at the airport was closed for repairs at the time of the airplane’s arrival.

The one-day hearing will examine:

Execution of non-precision approaches, including initial and recurrent training, adherence to standard operating procedures, and proficiency
Human factors issues associated with effective crew coordination and resource management applicable to this accident, including decision-making, communication, fatigue and fitness for duty, as well as monitoring and cross-checking, policies, standard operating procedures, guidance, and training provided to UPS crewmembers.
Dispatch procedures, including the training, evaluation, roles and responsibilities of UPS dispatchers and the limitations of dispatch-related software.
The investigation is ongoing and this hearing will develop additional facts to support the investigation. The hearing will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. A detailed agenda and a list of attendees will be forthcoming.

Parties to the hearing will include the Federal Aviation Administration, UPS, Airbus, the Independent Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union. The accredited representative from the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA) will participate on the technical panels.

The determination of the probable cause of the crash will be released when the investigation is complete. Just prior to the start of the hearing, the public docket will be opened. Included in the docket are photographs, interview transcripts and other documents.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

NTSB public events are also streamed live via webcast. Webcasts are archived for a period of three months from the time of the meeting. Webcast archives are generally available by the end of the event day for public Meetings, and by the end of the next day for Technical conferences.

If you wish to obtain a copy of NTSB meetings, please contact the NTSB Records Management Division at (202) 314-6551 or 800-877-6799. You may also request this information from the NTSB web site or write the following: National Transportation Safety Board, Records Management Division (CIO-40), 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW,Washington, DC 20594.

Aviation Attorney, Hawker, Russia, Sudan

Two Hawker Siddeley Accidents in one week

 , , , , , ,

A Hawker Siddeley 748 en route from Juba International Airport to Rubkona crashed in the Sudan. The plane had a crew of four and crashed while on a humanitarian mission.

The cargo was a total loss. Reports are that there were fatalities and survivors in the crash but details haven’t been released.

On Feb 12, another Hawker Siddeley HS-125-700B operated by Sirius-Aero with two crew flew out from Sheremetyevo to Vnukova Airport on a ferry flight. The pilots realized that the right hand main landing gear was not operating and notified ATC. They made a safe landing on foam. In that flight, neither pilot sustained injury but one wing of the plane sustained some damage.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Crash, Lawsuit, Lawyers, Learjet, Legal, Mexico, private

Jenni Rivera Flight Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in LA

 ,

Even though Rivera had filed for divorce, the widower of Jenni Rivera, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Esteban Loaiza, is suing the owners of the Learjet that crashed on Dec. 9, 2012, killing the Mexican-American “Diva de la Banda” and six others. The wrongful death lawsuit in in Los Angeles Superior Court claims that the 78-year-old pilot and the co-pilot weren’t licensed to fly paying passengers.Also, the 43 year old jet flew unevenly and trembled when it hit cruising speed.

The families of four of the others, Rivera’s deceased publicist, makeup artist, hairstylist and attorney filed a wrongful death lawsuit in January 2013.

The pilot exceeded the age limit for the kind of license he obtained from Mexico, a fact for which Mexico’s civil aviation holds Mexico accountable. The pilot and co-pilot also died in the crash.

The plane’s owners were Starwood Management LLC and its parent company, Rodatz Financial Group.

The plane took off from Monterey and crashed within fifteen minutes.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Airbus, Aviation Attorney, Comoros, Crash, Editorial, Yemenia Air

A Disgraceful Attitude

 

Here are a couple of facts:

– Yemenia Flight 626 was an International Airbus A310-324 from Sana’a, Yemen, to Moroni, Comoros, that crashed on 30 June 2009 killing 152.

–French authorities charged Yemenia Airways with manslaughter over the Yemenia Airways crash.

–A judicial source said that Yemenia’s Airbus A310 “should not have been allowed to fly”.

–152 people died in the crash.

In spite of this, Yemenia announced they are “ready to challenge any allegation regarding the pilot’s competence, or the plane’s maintenance.”

They kept on flying a plane which was judged unsafe. Now Yemenia Airways is denying responsibility for the crash, which in all likelihood was a consequence of flying an unsafe plane.

Any way you look at it, no matter how vehemently they dismiss it, no matter how many times they make an “official” statement, in refusing responsibility for a plane crash on their watch —a plane crash which killed 152 people who trusted the airline to deliver them safely and which is clearly their responsibility—Yemenia Airways has displayed a disgraceful attitude.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Air India, Aviation Attorney, Boeing, hard, India, tire

AI Tires Blown

 ,

On Feb 2, Air India Flight AI-191, a Boeing 777-337ER, en route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai blew three tires on landing. The crew was able to taxi to the gate with assistance. No injuries to the 260 passengers resulted from the blown tires, and there were no reports of injuries using the emergency exits.

The AI flight’s eventual destination was the US. Passengers continuing their journey were provided an alternative Boeing 777.

THere’s no indication if the tires blew do to the runway surface, tire quality, a hard landing or other reason. The incident is under investigation.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Airbus, Aviation Attorney, Comoros, compensation, Crash, Damages, Lawsuit, Yemenia Air

Will Yemenia Airways Be Held Accountable at Last?

 ,

In 2007 there was this Airbus A310 that failed to pass inspection in France and was therefore banned from French Airspace. The plane was still in use though. Yemenia Airlines quit flying the plane over French Airspace, limiting its routes to non-euro airspace like the hop from Sanaa to the Comoros.

Listen, I’ve heard some bad things about some planes but the descriptions I saw of this plane are so vivid I remember them, even though its been nearly five years. Frankly, the description sounded straight out of Romancing the Stone like the bus that takes Kathleen Turner (romance novelist Joan Wilder) to Cartagena, Colombia—crowded to the gills, livestock inside, seats rolling around, standing room only, everything that was portrayed in the movie, except (one hopes) people hanging off the outside of the plane. This rickety plane, which failed to meet safety standards continued to be in use until it crashed one stormy night in 2009.

Now, five years later, France is charging Yemenia Airlines with manslaughter.

I wonder at the timing. Apparently Yemenia Airlines is no longer on the EU banned list.

I wonder if they waited for Yemenia Airlines to become more solvent before they charged them.

I wonder if International Lease Finance Corporation is going to be held accountable. They leased the plane to Yemenia; and, like a father who hands his fifteen year old the keys to his car, they could have taken away the keys, or withheld them till the plane was brought up to code.

I wonder if the delay was five years worth of research, and maybe evidence found.

I wonder if another accident or enlightening incident happened that pointed the finger at Yemenia.

I wonder if it was pressure from the families of the 153 passengers and crew (and little Bahia Bakari the twelve year old miracle survivor) aboard that international flight from Sana’a, Yemen to Moroni, Comoros that crashed on 30 June 2009.

Pressure from the families brings change. I have a lot of confidence in family groups. Plane crash victims are united by a common cause, a cause which is ethical and pragmatic and yet impossible, because they are seeking justice when there can really be none. Because all these people want, if they could have their way, would be to have their loved ones back. They have the power of right on their side; and to make a galvanizing cause even more magnetic, they are fighting for the safety of every future airline passenger. I wish my friend Hans Ephraimson-Abt, who died last October, could be here to witness the charges being brought. He lost a daughter when her plane was shot down in 1983, and ever after made it his business to advocate for families. I think of him now because up until October, whenever I’d post an editorial concerning crashes, or family groups, he would always write back with encouragement, or some pithy bit of advice.

Maybe I should be objective. After all, helping families in crashes is my business. But when you’re on the front lines of aviation safety trying to get better treatment for victims and the families of victims, it doesn’t take long to feel very personal. There are a lot of people who saw those headlines that France is charging the carrier with manslaughter who think that after four and a half years, it is about time. I just hope that somehow the 152 victims—and Hans—could know that the responsible parties may yet be held accountable.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
compensation, Crash, Eurocopter, UK

Compensation Begins

Without their admission of fault, compensation has begun by Bond Aviation Group whose helicopter crashed the Clutha pub in Glasgow and injured dozens and killed ten.

A statement by Bond Aviation Group said that “Most claims should be capable of being settled without delay…However, for complex claims which may take longer to resolve, and where appropriate, we will make interim payments without the need for each party to apply to the court.”

After the accident, Eurocopter issued a Safety Information Notice.

17-Dec-2013

Eurocopter has issued a Safety Information Notice (SIN) to operators of the EC135 across the world regarding the issue involving the fuel indication and alert system discovered by Bond during normal service operations on Wednesday 11th, which we immediately reported to Eurocopter and the appropriate authorities. The SIN states: “Following this incident, fuel system functionality tests performed by Bond Air Services and two other EC135 operators in Europe have revealed possible similar supply-tank fuel gauging errors on some aircraft.”

As soon as we discovered this issue, in line with our commitment to the highest standards of safety, we took the prudent decision to temporarily suspend service operations whilst we conducted checks on our fleet of EC135s. The results of these tests were subsequently validated by Eurocopter, and appropriate repairs made before returning the aircraft to service. We also took the decision to increase safety barriers by mandating that all our EC135s should maintain a minimum of 90kg of fuel onboard at all times. All our EC135 aircraft are now fully operational and are available for missions with our air ambulance and police customers.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Editorial

Blackhawk Lawsuit

 , , , ,


Photographer Clark Moody

Benjamin Franklin-Poor Richard’s Almanac
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

I’m not a pilot or a helicopter designer. I’m not an aviation engineer, or an aviation mechanic. Not an Aeronautical Scientist, Aerospace Engineer or Aviation Safety Inspector.(Although I do have the resources of 500+ experts in my Anonymous Experts database. I don’t consider myself an expert but I quote the experts.) I’m not even a farrier who pounds nails into horses’ hooves. What I am is a guy who works with people who were in aviation crashes; and I haven’t a clue what a “yaw boost servo” is, but that’s what failed in a Black Hawk crash, injuring two people and killing two. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk was owned by the US Army and crashed in Texas A&M College Station, TX.

Someone in the Army performed a tedious and detailed technical readiness assessment to make the decision to purchase this Black Hawk in good faith.

Someone was trusting that Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Sikorsky Support Services, United Technologies Corp., Parker-Hannifin Corp. and Parker Aerospace Group had all their ducks in a row, all the T’s crossed, all the i’s dotted. That is to say that all the helicopter designers, aviation engineers, aviation mechanics, Aeronautical Scientists, Aerospace Engineers and Aviation Safety Inspectors (and all the unnamed professionals of the aforementioned companies) who had brainstormed to create this marvel of engineering, then pushed it to its limits and found it to be without flaw. The helicopter was conceived by, designed by and built by companies who have convinced the world that they know helicopters better than anyone else alive. No one knows more than they how important those tests are.

There were indications of problems long before the flight. I glanced online 2005 notices of the coast guard seeking sources for the servos repair—servos to be used on the Sikorsky H-60 class helicopter. One match does not a conflagration make, but I only looked online for about ten seconds.

The short story: the crew took off in the helicopter, and then it spun to the left until it wrecked. Can you imagine how helpless the pilot and copilot felt? How helpless the two crew who could do nothing? There was that moment aboard when some of them or all of them realized the helicopter was probably going to kill them.

So the “yaw boost servo” contributed to the pilots being unable to control the helicopter. The loss of control and crash were due to the failure of a part. It’s that old thing—kingdom lost for want of a nail.

A couple of people on that helicopter survived. One of them, Matthew J. Smith filed a lawsuit Jan. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Sikorsky Support Services, United Technologies Corp., Parker-Hannifin Corp. and Parker Aerospace Group, citing negligence, seeking damage over $100,000. That’s a lot of money for want of a nail. But our armed forces are risking their lives. They need the most reliable equipment—100,000 will not be nearly enough.

Aviation Attorney

Merry Christmas


We have come again to the twenty-fifth of December, the one day a year when the fire of hospitality and charity is kindled in heart and hearth, in the smell of pine needles and the laughter of children, the day of gift-giving, the light in children’s eyes, the day, to paraphrase the Grinch, that “doesn’t come from a store, the day that means, perhaps, a little bit more.” Okay Grinch, it means a whole lot more than a visit from St. Nicholas.

This year, may those who sit alone this year, may that those who are without, those who have no homes nor a holiday fire to circle around, find what they want and need.

This season is kind of like a boxing match, except instead of all the bouts of practice behind the scenes, the preparation is all the planning of gifting, the thought behind the choosing of gifts, the shopping, the choosing of paper and ribbons, the act of wrapping and tying of bows, the presenting of gifts leading to a day that hangs like a smile on the face of the world. It’s a day that is about both the journey and the arrival. Today shines like a bright holiday mirror reflecting all the days of Christmas past. Yet it is a time to be of the moment too. So let me wish you this, all my friends and all my family, and even the ones I don’t get along with the rest of the year: that you may have a Christmas to exceed all expectations. To all of my friends and family, to all of Los Angeles and America, to all of the world, my wish for the season—May you and yours have all your wishes granted, the Merriest of Christmases, and the Happiest of New Years.

Aviation Attorney

Santa, Sleigh & Crew a GO

FAA Gives Santa, Sleigh & Crew a GO for Launch

For Immediate Release

December 24, 2013
Contact: Kristie “Elf on the Shelf” Greco
Phone: (202) 267-3883

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today said Santa Claus, his elfin crew and the Santa One sleigh are GO for the annual round-the-world flight that will deliver presents to good boys and girls everywhere.

“This is my first holiday season as Secretary of Transportation, and I feel a special responsibility to make sure Santa’s flight goes off without a hitch,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

While there were no external changes to Santa One this year, FAA inspectors put in many hours ensuring that the sleigh’s systems – and especially its crew – met all applicable regulations. The agency approved installation of a state-of-the-art WiFi system so Santa’s helpers can use their Portable Elftronic Devices (PEDs) to connect with the internet. Thanks to the FAA’s policy change in late October, the elves may now use their PEDs from takeoff to landing to keep in touch with the North Pole.

The Jolly Old Elf himself will employ modern computer technology in the sleigh’s Captain’s seat. After an evaluation period, FAA inspectors gave Santa a thumbs-up to use a tablet computer instead of paper documents to store his flight plan, chimney approach charts and Naughty-or-Nice checklist.

“We’re helping Santa fly smarter and faster while making sure he has a safe and successful mission” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

Pilot issues occupied much of the FAA’s Santa-related activities this year. Inspectors verified that Santa has an appropriate flight, duty and rest program, and that Santa One has an approved crew rest area. The FAA also confirmed that Santa’s First Officer, Amelia Elfhart, has the required 1,500 sleigh piloting hours and Santa One type rating. Santa made sure he could continue to serve as Sleigh Captain by completing a new FAA-approved Sleigh Transport Pilot training program.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Airbus, Cessna, Damages, FAA, Jet Blue, Lancair, Piper, struck lights, USA, Zenith Aircraft

Mishaps of the day

 , , , , , , ,

Some events that happened today:

  • December 16, 2013, on JetBlue Flight 836#N661JB, the Airbus A320 arrived at the gate at JFK airport, New York, and the left wing struck the jet bridge. There was only minor damage and no injuries reported.
  • In Farmington NY on December 17, 2013, a Piper PA28#N43080 engine caught fire when the plane started up. The fire was extinguished, with unknown damage.
  • December 16, 2013, a Lancair/235#N15TG landing at John’s Island Charleston SC, when the nose gear collapsed. Minor damage was reported.
  • December 16, 2013, a Cessna/172 #N421ER was taxiing when the wing struck a light pole. The accident occurred in Wickenburg Arizona. Minor damage was reported.
  • December 16, 2013, an experimental plane, a Zenith 601#N581SL crashed in Leakey Texas under unknown conditions.

Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
American Airlines, DOT, Fines

DOT Fines American Airlines


The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined American Airlines $60,000 for violating the Department’s full-fare advertising rule after the airline’s agents told consumers that surcharges levied by the airlines were government-imposed taxes. DOT ordered the carrier to cease and desist from further violations.

“We expect airlines to be truthful to their customers when they provide information about their fares,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We will continue to take enforcement action when airlines fail to disclose their fares fully and accurately.”
Under the Department’s full-fare advertising rule, the first price quoted for air transportation made by an airline or ticket agent must state the entire price to be paid by the consumer, including all mandatory taxes, fees and airline surcharges. Airlines do not have to break out the components of the fare, but if they do, they must accurately show the costs of the services or taxes.
Following a complaint from a consumer, the Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office investigated how American described to potential passengers the taxes and carrier surcharges that it collected. It found that on a number of occasions in 2012 and 2013, American’s telephone reservation agents mistakenly told consumers that a variety of additional taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges were collectively “taxes.” A significant portion of these charges were not taxes but fees imposed by the airline, such as fuel surcharges. In addition, pop-ups on the airline’s website claimed that these surcharges were taxes and, on at least one occasion, American issued a reservation statement labeling surcharges as taxes. The carrier has corrected its website and provided additional training to its agents.

Documents


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
FAA, Fines, USA

FAA Proposes $304,000 Civil Penalty Against Great Lakes Aviation

 , , , , , ,


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $304,000 civil penalty against Great Lakes Aviation of Cheyenne, Wyo., for allegedly conducting 19 flights with aircraft that were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

Great Lakes operated the aircraft in conditions in which the carrier could reasonably expect frost, snow or ice to adhere to the planes, the FAA alleges. The FAA maintains that Great Lakes flew Beech 1900 aircraft out of Hays, Kan., in January 2011 with deicing fluid that exceeded the maximum temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The Great Lakes deicing manual states that fluid heated to more than 180 degrees could damage the aircraft or the deicer.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Boeing, FAA, Fines, Southwest

FAA Proposes $325,000 Civil Penalty Against Southwest Airlines

 , , , , ,


The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $325,000 civil penalty against Dallas-based Southwest Airlines for allegedly operating an aircraft that had been improperly modified, violating Federal Aviation Regulations.

On Aug. 29, 2011, maintenance personnel improperly installed a switch that enables flight crews to test the windshield heating system on a Boeing 717 that AirTran Airways Inc. was operating. Southwest is in the process of merging with AirTran.

Proper installation of the switch would have allowed personnel to isolate the windshield anti-ice system that was causing a warning that the windshield heater was failing. Instead, the center and left windshield warning systems were reversed. The right windshield warning system continued to operate properly. The aircraft was operated on 1,140 passenger flights before the problem was corrected.

Aviation Attorney, Crash, Embraer, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, Nambia, weather

Thirty-four Missing in Nambia

Updated
A Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (ERJ-190AR) disappeared in bad weather with poor visibility while en route from Luanda Airport Angola to Maputo International in Mozambique when it lost contact with ATC at 11:26 on Friday 29 November 2013.

The plane disappeared. A fruitless search Friday was cancelled due to rain and resumed Saturday. The wreckage was found in Nambia on Saturday. It had crashed in Bwabwata National Park-a protected game area and migration route 2,422 square miles. None of the twenty-seven passengers or six crew survived.

The wreckage was found burned out, the bodies scattered, near the Angola-Botswana border in a wilderness area. The black boxes were recovered by investigators.

PRESS RELEASE (Translated)

07:00 pm (Maputo), November 30, 2013
It is with great pain and consternation that LAM confirms the tragic event of crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft with registration C9-EMC that made the flight TM470 Maputo-Luanda, last November 29, 2013.

At the end of the morning, the Namibian aviation authorities confirmed that the search and rescue team had located the place where the plane crashed in the North of Namibia, there are no survivors.

Right now, our prayers and our full attention go to the relatives of the passengers and crew who were aboard this plane, dedicating all our moral and psychological support in order to minimize the pain for the loss of their loved ones. This is our priority.

As the first form of assistance the LAM established a family support centre at the airports of Maputo and Luanda. Were assigned to these centers, specialized professionals for this type of events with the aim of providing the due advice to families. At the same time our legal department is working to give all judicial assistance with regard to the procedures to be followed after a plane crash where there have been fatalities.

We put at the disposal of the members of the affected families, a dedicated line for which you can call and get information. The number is: +258 21468778/9.

The flight TM470 took on board 27 passengers and 6 crew members.

The nationalities of the passengers were the following:

Mozambique (10);
Angola (9);
Portugal (5);
France (1);
China (1);
Brazil (1).

The crew comprised two pilots and three cabin crew and a technician.

LAM has already informed the embassies of countries whose citizens perished in this accident.

Engage an international company specializing in the management of disasters of this nature, Kenyon International, to support the efforts of the search and recovery of the remains of the victims and their belongings. For families this aspect is quite important because it will enable the identification of each person who was aboard this flight.

Part of Kenyon’s team is already on the way from the crash site being that the other party will join them tomorrow, arrived from England. We hope to have a clearer assessment about the scene of the accident throughout the day tomorrow, Sunday.

LAM sent this afternoon for Namibia an emergency response team to provide all the support to the authorities who are investigating this accident. According to international aviation rules, Namibia, a country where the accident occurred, should lead the investigation. Aeronautical authorities of Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and the air transport safety Bureau of the United States will also participate in the investigation.

Do we still have information about the circumstances in which the accident occurred, and we can’t even speculate on the likely causes of the same, since we should give time and space for researchers to conduct their work without interference.

Here’s the info on the plane involved in this accident:

The Embraer 190 Aircraft type);

B) Registration: C9-EMC;

C) capacity: 93 seats (9 Business and Economic 84);

D) manufacturing Country: Brazil;

E) powerplant: 2 General Electric CF34 engines-10 turbofan engines;

F) delivery date: November 17, 2012.

Until the date of the accident the plane had performed 2905 hours of flight time and flight 1877.

Finally we would like to express our thanks to the Governments of Namibia, Angola, Botswana and South Africa for their support and resources provided to rescue teams.

We owe our thanks to the volunteers and individuals who provided in support to families of the victims.

We will give more information as they become available.

We appeal to all the greater solidarity and support as possible in regard to pain and privacy of families affected.

Note:we ask journalists who wish to more information are kindly requested to contact the Office of institutional communication through numbers 827846815/825777946.

LAM will provide up-to-date information through the website: www.LAM.co.mz

PRESS RELEASE (Translated)

09:00 pm (Maputo), November 29, 2013

LAM-Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, s. a. reports that the flight departed from 470 TM Maputo international airport at 11:26 hours today, November 29, 2013, en route to Luanda, the Angolan capital, had its landing scheduled for the 14: 10:0, local time. Follow aboard 28 passengers and 6 crew members.

Information obtained gives indication of the aircraft have landed in Rundo, northern Namibia, bordering Botswana and Angola.

Currently LAM, Aeronautics and airport authorities are committed to establish contacts in order to confirm the information.

LAM will provide more information as the investigations are ongoing.

For additional information, contact the Office of institutional communication of LAM through Norberto Mucopa: 82 7846815 and Irina Matos: 825777946.

Maputo, November 29, 2013

See Video


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, DOT, press release, Public Notification

Press Release: Airline Consumer Complaints Down From Previous Year

 ,


WASHINGTON – Airline consumer complaints filed with DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division during the first nine months of this year were down 14.1 percent from the first nine months of 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released today.
From January to September 2013, the Department received 10,439 consumer complaints, down from the total of 12,153 filed during the first nine months of 2012. In September, the Department received 1,008 complaints about airline service from consumers, down 6.8 percent from the 1,081 complaints filed in September 2012 and down 23.5 percent from the 1,318 received in August 2013.

The consumer report also includes data on tarmac delays, on-time performance, cancellations, chronically delayed flights, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) by the reporting carriers. In addition, the consumer report contains information on airline bumping, mishandled baggage reports filed by consumers with the carriers, and disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division. The consumer report also includes reports of incidents involving the loss, death, or injury of pets traveling by air, as required to be filed by U.S. carriers.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Crash, excursion, Greece, runway overrun, SOCATA

Aeroservices Runway Overrun

 

On 08-NOV-2013, an Aeroservices Socata TB-9 Tampico stalled, tried for a go around but suffered a hard landing and veered off the runway at Pachi Megara airport, Attica, Greece.

The plane was a total loss but the two aboard survived. No injuries were reported.

The accident is under investigation.

The cause of the plane’s stall has not been reported. The plane sustained substantial damage.


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /home/airflight/www/www/wp-content/themes/fluida/includes/loop.php on line 270
Aviation Attorney, Cessna, Crash, private, USA, Video, weather

Cessna Crash Kills Hunter, Pilot

A Cessna U206F Stationair owned/operated by Wilderness Aircraft I LLC went missing east of Donnelly, Idaho while en route from McCall Municipal Airport and the Salmon River Basin. Three planes had been making the 12 minute flight but only two made it to the destination. The Idaho Army National Guard helicopter who were searching in an inaccessible area cancelled due to bad weather and mountain snow. The search resumed on Thursday when the wreckage was found on the side of a steep mountain.

The pilot and two passengers were going to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Hikers to the wreckage discovered that pilot Dan Wilson and passengers Steve Hall and Mike Wolf had not survived the crash. It took rescue workers two hours to hike to the wreckage 7,800 feet up the mountain.

The NTSB will be investigating.

Video Below

Aviation Attorney, California, LAX, Video, wrongful death

LAX: TSA Shooting

 


A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent was shot at a Terminal 3 checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport.

Swat responded. Los Angeles Police Department put LAX on tactical alert. An evacuation of the airport followed. All planes with flights heading to the airport were held at their points of origin.

The incident began at 9:30 a.m. at Terminal 3 at LAX. A twitter from John Fostrom said that “a lax colleague walks closer to see what is going on and TSA person runs at him with look of terror. Colleague turns to me and says run!”

A gunman with a rifle fired shots in Terminal 3. A twenty-nine year old man was shot in the leg at 9:30 a.m. and someone else was also wounded.

The gunman was taken into custody alive.

Content not attributed to or linked to original, is the property of AirFlightDisaster.com; all rights reserved.

Site Credits