|

Diversion forum

Press Release:

In preparation for the upcoming winter storm season, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt are convening a Forum on Wednesday, November 30 to find better ways to manage aircraft diversions. Participants in the forum will review a series of proposed steps to improve travel for passengers who are diverted from their destination because of bad weather.

“During severe weather situations, we want to do everything we can to make sure passengers are flown to airports that are ready and prepared and where passengers can get off the plane quickly,” said Secretary LaHood.

The forum will take place in Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C. and will include air traffic controllers, pilots, aircraft dispatchers, airport operators, and officials from other government agencies and the aviation community.

The participants will discuss all of the factors that influence diversion decisions and airport capacity in bad weather situations, including the status of navigation equipment, aircraft parking and gate availability, Customs capacity, refueling and de-icing assets, jetway and air stair access and general ramp operations and security.

“We can’t control the weather, but we can improve the way diversions are handled,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

The FAA is asking forum participants to bring ideas and best practices to the discussion. The FAA is proposing a new, web-based airport status tool that would present real-time information about each airport during a severe weather event to help airlines make fully informed decisions about where to divert. The FAA is also proposing including more airports in daily strategic planning conference calls during severe weather events to improve the information flow about which airports can accommodate diversions and would encourage airport contingency plans.

To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

Similar Posts

  • |

    FAA Marks the Opening of Recovery Act Funded Airfield Upgrade at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

    FAA Marks the Opening of Recovery Act Funded Airfield Upgrade at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration celebrated the opening of an airfield upgrade at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport paid for with $3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds.

    “Airports are critical to our nation’s economy,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Recovery Act dollars are helping to make needed safety enhancements and upgrades at airports all across the country.”

    Recovery Act money helped Chattanooga Airport complete this project. The new aircraft parking area will help relieve congestion at the airport.

    Under ARRA, $1.1 billion has been made available to over 360 projects at airports nationwide. Because of low construction bids on projects, Recovery Act dollars were available for additional projects. ARRA grants have been distributed to airports that support not only passenger and cargo service, but general aviation as well.

    “Every air passenger’s trip begins and ends at an airport. Recovery Act dollars are helping airports of all sizes maintain and improve their critical infrastructure,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

    Recovery Act grants are being used at both urban and rural airports to pay for a variety of different projects including facility construction, safety enhancements and the rehabilitation of runways, taxiways and other infrastructure.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | |

    Airworthiness Directive: Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS332C, L, L1, and L2 Helicopters

    Published: 09/30/2010
    Subject: Hydraulic pump
    Effective: 10/15/2010
    Summary: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter model helicopters. This action requires replacing each affected hydraulic pump with an airworthy hydraulic pump. This amendment is prompted by the loss of the proper functioning of a hydraulic pump because of the deterioration of the pump seals and the loss of hydraulic fluid caused by incorrect positioning of the piston liner. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent loss of hydraulic power and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA Emergency AD No. 2010-0043R1-E, dated March 26, 2010, to correct an unsafe condition for the specified Eurocopter model helicopters. EASA advises of the loss of the right-hand (RH) hydraulic power system on an AS332L2 helicopter. The pilot saw the hydraulic system “low level” warning light come on during the approach phase. Investigation revealed a hydraulic fluid leak from the hydraulic pump casing due to deterioration of the pump seals resulting from an incorrectly positioned compensating piston liner. EASA states that this non- compliant repair process was used by the following repair stations: HELIKOPTER SERVICE, ASTEC HELICOPTER SERVICE, and HELI-ONE. They further state that if this condition occurs on both pumps of a helicopter, it could result in loss of the RH and left-hand (LH) hydraulic power systems and consequently may lead to the loss of helicopter controllability.

    Related Service Information

    Eurocopter has issued an Emergency Alert Service Bulletin (EASB) with two numbers (01.00.78 and 01.00.43), dated March 11, 2010. EASB No. 01.00.78 applies to United States type-certificated Model AS332C, L, L1, and L2 helicopters; civil Model AS332C1 not type-certificated in the United States; and military Model AS332B, B1, M, M1, and F1 helicopters that are not type-certificated in the United States. EASB No. 01.00.43 applies to military Model AS532A2, U2, UC, AC, UL, AL, SC, and UE helicopters that are not type-certificated in the United States. The EASB specifies identifying affected hydraulic pumps, prohibiting flights for all helicopters fitted with two of the affected hydraulic pumps until at least one of the affected pumps is replaced, replacing all affected hydraulic pumps with airworthy pumps within 10 months, and returning any affected hydraulic pump to have it checked and, where necessary, reconditioned.
    EASA classified this EASB as mandatory and issued EASA Emergency AD No. 2010-0043R1-E, dated March 26, 2010, to ensure the continued airworthiness of these helicopters.

    FAA’s Evaluation and Unsafe Condition Determination

    These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of France and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with France, EASA, their technical representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in the EASA AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs.

    Differences Between This AD and the EASA AD

    We refer to flight hours as hours time-in-service (TIS). We require each affected hydraulic pump be replaced with an airworthy pump within 15 hours TIS. We do not use the calendar date used in the EASA AD because that date has already passed.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | |

    NTSB STATEMENT ON ERRONEOUS CONFIRMATION OF CREW NAMES


    NTSB STATEMENT ON ERRONEOUS CONFIRMATION OF CREW NAMES
    July 12, 2013
    WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board apologizes for inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed as those of the pilots of Asiana flight 214, which crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6.

    Earlier today, in response to an inquiry from a media outlet, a summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft.

    The NTSB does not release or confirm the names of crewmembers or people involved in transportation accidents to the media. We work hard to ensure that only appropriate factual information regarding an investigation is released and deeply regret today’s incident.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    Boeing Completes Ultimate-Load Wing Test on 787

    EVERETT, Wash., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today completed the ultimate-load wing up-bending test on the 787 Dreamliner static test unit. During the testing, loads were applied to the airframe to replicate 150 percent of the most extreme forces the airplane is ever expected to experience while in service. The wings were flexed upward by approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) during the test.

    The initial results of the ultimate-load test are positive. More extensive analysis and review are required before the test can be deemed a success.

    “The test program has been more robust than any conducted on a Boeing commercial jetliner,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It has taken countless hours of hard work by the Boeing team and our partners to work through the static test program. Everyone who has been involved in this effort over the past several years should be very proud of their contributions to ensuring the safety of the 787 Dreamliner.

    “We are looking forward to the technical team’s report on the details of the test results,” said Fancher. It will take them several weeks to work through all of the data.
    During each second of the more than two-hour test, thousands of data points were collected to monitor the performance of the wing. Key data points are monitored real-time during the test, but all of the data will be evaluated in the weeks ahead.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    PR: Enforcement of Laser Penalties

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has directed its investigators and staff to pursue stiffer penalties for individuals who purposefully point laser devices at aircraft.

    “Shining a laser at an airplane is not a laughing matter. It’s dangerous for both pilots and passengers, and we will not tolerate it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We will pursue the toughest penalties against anyone caught putting the safety of the flying public at risk.”

    The number of reported laser incidents nationwide rose from 2,836 in 2010, to 3,592 in 2011. Laser incident reports have increased steadily since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots.

    The FAA supports the Department of Justice in its efforts to seek stern punishment for anyone who intentionally points a laser device into the cockpit of an aircraft.

    “We will continue to fine people who do this, and we applaud our colleagues at the Justice Department who have aggressively prosecuted laser incidents under a new law that makes this a specific federal crime,” said FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta.

    The FAA has initiated enforcement action against 28 people charged with aiming a laser device at an aircraft since June 2011, and this week the agency directed FAA investigators and attorneys to pursue the stiffest possible sanctions for deliberate violations. The FAA has opened investigations in dozens of additional cases.

    The FAA announced last June it would begin to impose civil penalties against individuals who point a laser device at an aircraft. The maximum penalty for one laser strike is $11,000, and the FAA has proposed civil penalties against individuals for multiple laser incidents, with $30,800 the highest penalty proposed to date. In many of these cases, pilots have reported temporary blindness or had to take evasive measures to avoid the intense laser light.

    The guidance for FAA investigators and attorneys indicates laser violations should not be addressed through warning notices or counseling. It also directs moderately high civil penalties for inadvertent violations, but maximum penalties for deliberate violations. Violators who are pilots or mechanics face revocation of their FAA certificates, as well as civil penalties.

    Local, state and federal prosecutors also have sentenced laser violators to jail time, community service, probation and additional financial penalties for court costs and restitution.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    Boeing and SAIC Submit Revised Ground Combat Vehicle Proposal to US Army

    The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has teamed with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) [NYSE: SAI] to submit a revised proposal for the technology development phase of the U.S. Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program. The team originally submitted a proposal in May, but the initial Request for Proposal was rescinded and a second request was issued in November.

    The SAIC-led GCV team, known as Team Full Spectrum, remains intact from its original proposal effort. SAIC will be the prime contractor, with Boeing, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Defence as subcontractors. The team’s offering draws on experience gained from the Puma and Manned Ground Vehicle programs and will be built in the United States with a team of experienced American small- and mid-tier supplier businesses.

    “Team Full Spectrum has again put together an exceptional proposal to answer the Army’s requirement for a modern infantry fighting vehicle,” said Charles Toups, vice president and general manager of Boeing Network and Tactical Systems. “We have focused on the four key elements the Army has emphasized – capacity for a nine-soldier dismounted squad; a schedule that will allow production in seven years; force protection; and full-spectrum operations from civil relief through full combat operations. Our proposal offers mature technology for unequaled capability at the lowest possible risk.”

    The team’s focus is to provide a solution that balances the technology the customer requires with the speed it needs to meet operational goals.

    “Our offering is designed to protect soldiers by decreasing their burden of mechanical tasks so they can concentrate on accomplishing their mission,” said Deb Alderson, SAIC group president. “In addition, our team’s high technical readiness levels will help us meet the Army’s timeline.”

    The GCV program will replace aging fighting vehicles currently in the Army’s inventory with a single platform capable of carrying an entire squad and protecting that squad from improvised explosive devices and other threats of modern warfare. The Army will award up to three technology demonstration contracts worth approximately $450 million each, with a 24-month time frame for development. The contract awards are expected in the second quarter of this year.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.