Agency

Public, government, national and international agencies

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    NASA ADMINISTRATOR CHARLES BOLDEN ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF FORMER SENATOR TED STEVENS AND MONDAY’S PLANE CRASH IN ALASKA

    WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following
    statement Tuesday about the plane crash in Alaska that killed former
    U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and injured former NASA Administrator Sean
    O’Keefe and his son, Kevin:

    “We at NASA are deeply saddened by today’s news that former U.S. Sen.
    Ted Stevens and others were killed in a plane crash in Alaska that
    also injured former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and his son,
    Kevin. As a long-time supporter of NASA, Sen. Stevens made lasting
    contributions to our agency and our country. We at NASA mourn his
    loss and send our deepest condolences to his family, as well as the
    families and friends of all who perished in the accident. We also
    send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Sean, Kevin, and other
    survivors of the crash. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and
    their families.”

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    NASA LANGLEY SELECTS MARYLAND COMPANY FOR INFORMATION TECH SUPPORT

    HAMPTON, Va. — NASA has selected Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies of
    Greenbelt, Md., to provide the agency’s Langley Research Center in
    Hampton, Va., with computing support services for complex information
    technology (IT) systems and applications.

    The five-year maximum value of the Langley Research Center Information
    Technology Enhanced Services (LITES) task order contract is $183
    million.

    The systems supported include unique and high-end systems used by
    mission and mission-support staff at Langley. LITES provides a wide
    range of support functions including those for non-standard operating
    systems, for system interfaces, or for use within a dynamic
    environment such as a research laboratory or test facility.

    LITES provides integrated support that encompasses all activities
    necessary to develop, deploy, upgrade, operate and maintain a system
    that delivers an IT capability for research and development use and
    for business systems and applications. The contract provides support
    through Langley’s Office of the Chief Information Officer in the
    areas of science and engineering applications; project management
    applications; business management applications; and center
    infrastructure applications and data center support not provided as
    part of NASA’s Information Technology Infrastructure Improvement
    Program.

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    FAA Proposes Hazmat Civil Penalties Against 11 Companies

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing civil penalties ranging from $54,000 to $91,000 against 11 companies for alleged violations of Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Arlene Salac or Jim Peters at 718-553-3015.

    • $91,000 against Boston Scientific Corporation of Natick, Mass, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing medical-grade silicone fluid, a flammable liquid, to DHL for transportation by air from Alajuela, Costa Rica, to Boston Scientific headquarters, Oct. 23, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. DHL employees at its Cincinnati sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $78,000 against Westfield Coatings Corp., of Westfield, Mass., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing paint, a flammable liquid, for transportation by air from Westfield to Hudson, N.C., August 11, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the non-hazardous material leaking from the package.
    • $54,000 against Fragrance Resources, Inc., of Clifton, N.J., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a flammable liquid for transportation by air from Clifton to Ft Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 23, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the package.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Elizabeth Cory at 847-294-7849/-7427.

    • $65,000 against Flight Options, LLC of Cleveland, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing isopropyl alcohol, a flammable liquid, to UPS for transportation by air from Cleveland to Las Vegas, Sept. 9, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $54,000 against the Hammelman Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing methanol, a flammable liquid, for transportation by air from Pompano Beach, Fla., to Dayton, March 23, 2010. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Kathleen Bergen at 404-305-5100.

    • $58,000 against Kemet Electronics Corporation of Simpsonville, S.C. for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing silver paint, a flammable liquid, to UPS for transportation by air from Brownsville, Texas to Simpsonville, Aug. 20, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $56,000 against MSI Aircraft MTC SVS International, GMBH of Ruesselsheim, Germany, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a fuel control unit, to FedEx for transportation by air from Ruesselsheim to Miami, May 22, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. A fuel control unit containing jet fuel is considered a hazardous material. FedEx employees at Fort Lauderdale discovered the shipment was leaking.
    • $65,000 against Federal Express of Memphis, Tenn., for allegedly accepting a fiberboard box containing an unspecified toxic, corrosive liquid classified as a poison, for transportation by air from Oxford, Ala., to Chino Calif., April 1, 2010. An FAA hazardous materials special agent identified the mislabeled shipment before it could be loaded on an aircraft.
    • $54,000 against Vitacost.com of Lexington, N.C., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a flammable liquid and non-hazardous material for transportation by air from Lexington to Boca Raton, Fla., Jan. 29, 2010. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $91,000 against Cardinal Health of Madison, Miss., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing skin care products containing alcohol, a flammable liquid, to DHL for transportation by air from Madison to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept. 11, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. DHL workers at the Cincinnati sorting hub discovered the leaking package.

    For information on the following case, please contact Lynn Lunsford at 817-222-4455.

    • $54,000 against PSS Medical of Lubbock, Texas for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing ammonium nitrate, a corrosive material, to UPS for transportation by air from Lubbock to Las Cruces, N.M., Dec. 31, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the package while sorting packages for shipment and delivery.

    In all instances, the companies allegedly offered the hazardous material for transportation (or, in the case of Federal Express, accepted it) when it was not packaged, marked, classed, described, labeled or in condition for shipment as required by regulations.

    Companies have 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s notice of proposed civil penalty to respond to the agency.

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    FAA Warns of Design Flaw

    The FAA says the rudder system design in the Airbus A300-600 and the Airbus 320 is susceptible to potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at higher airspeeds. The system is designed to limit available rudder pedal deflection as airspeed decreases, so at higher speeds, the pedal must be manipulated with greater sensitivity.

    The plane’s vertical stabilizer can separate due to excessive input because of the speed differential limits of rudder pedal deflection.

    The findings may affect several accident cases where the Airbus rudder separated, causing catastrophic conditions.

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    FAA Air Traffic Controller Could Not Provide

    FAA air traffic controllers provided the pilot outdated flight visibility information that made navigation difficult for Steven Bunker. Bunker had requested an “airport surveillance radar approach”, a ground-based radar approach. After the FAA air traffic controller told him she could not provide “airport surveillance radar approach” service, the four people in Bunker’s helicopter died.

    On Sept. 27, 2008, the medevac helicopter that crashed in a wooded area of Walker Mill Regional Park: Kenneth Mallard, State police pilot Stephen J. Bunker, Trooper 1st Class Mickey C. Lippy and Ashley J. Younger.

    Jordan Wells who was also aboard, survived.

    Kenneth Mallard was an EMT for the Waldorf Volunteer Rescue Squad. Michael Loyola Rowan, his wife Tanya Mallard’s lawyer, is filing a $7 million federal lawsuit against the FAA for ” not doing everything necessary to ensure a safe landing for the Maryland State Police Trooper 2 helicopter.” Christina P. Lippy has sued for $15 million.

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    NASA AND ESA’S FIRST JOINT MISSION TO MARS SELECTS INSTRUMENTS

    WASHINGTON — NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have embarked on a joint program to explore Mars in the coming decades and selected the five science instruments for the first mission.

    The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, scheduled to launch in 2016, is the first of three joint robotic missions to the Red Planet. It will study the chemical makeup of the Martian atmosphere with a 1000-fold increase in sensitivity over previous Mars orbiters. The mission will focus on trace gases, including methane, which could be potentially geochemical or biological in origin and be indicators for the existence of life on Mars. The mission also will serve as an additional communications relay for Mars surface missions beginning in 2018.

    “Independently, NASA and ESA have made amazing discoveries up to this point,” said Ed Weiler, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “Working together, we’ll reduce duplication of effort, expand our capabilities and see results
    neither ever could have achieved alone.”

    NASA and ESA invited scientists worldwide to propose the spacecraft’s instruments. The five selected were from 19 proposals submitted in January. Both agencies evaluated the submissions and chose those with the best science value and lowest risk.

    The selection of the instruments begins the first phase of the new NASA-ESA alliance for future ventures to Mars. The instruments and the principal investigators are:

    — Mars Atmosphere Trace Molecule Occultation Spectrometer — A spectrometer designed to detect very low concentrations of the molecular components of the Martian atmosphere: Paul Wennberg, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Calif.
    — High Resolution Solar Occultation and Nadir Spectrometer — A spectrometer designed to detect traces of the components of the Martian atmosphere and to map where they are on the surface: Ann C. Vandaele, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium.
    — ExoMars Climate Sounder — An infrared radiometer that provides daily global data on dust, water vapor and other materials to provide the context for data analysis from the spectrometers: John Schofield, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
    — High Resolution Color Stereo Imager — A camera that provides four-color stereo imaging at a resolution of two million pixels over an 8.5 km swath: Alfred McEwen, University of Arizona.
    — Mars Atmospheric Global Imaging Experiment — A wide-angle, multi-spectral camera to provide global images of Mars in support of the other instruments: Bruce Cantor, Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif.

    The science teams on all the instruments have broad international participation from Europe and the United States, with important hardware contributions from Canada and Switzerland.

    “To fully explore Mars, we want to marshal all the talents we can on Earth,” said David Southwood, ESA director for Science and Robotic Exploration. “Now NASA and ESA are combining forces for the joint ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission. Mapping methane allows us to investigate further that most important of questions: Is Mars a living planet, and if not, can or will it become so in the future?”

    NASA and ESA share a common interest in conducting robotic missions to the Red Planet for scientific purposes and to prepare for possible human visits. After a series of extensive discussions, the science heads of both agencies agreed on a plan of cooperation during a July 2009 meeting in Plymouth, England, later confirmed by ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in a statement of intent that was signed in November.

    The plan consists of two Mars cooperative missions in 2016 and 2018, and a later joint sample return mission. The 2016 mission features the European-built ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a European-built small lander demonstrator, a primarily-U.S. international science payload, and NASA-provided launch vehicle and communications components. ESA member states will provide additional instrument support.

    The 2018 mission consists of a European rover with a drilling capability, a NASA rover capable of caching selected samples for potential future return to Earth, a NASA landing system, and a NASA launch vehicle. These activities are designed to serve as the foundation of a cooperative program to increase science returns and move the agencies toward a joint Mars sample return mission in the 2020s.

    NASA’s Mars Exploration Program seeks to characterize and understand Mars as a dynamic system, including its present and past environment, climate cycles, geology and potential for life. JPL manages the program and development of the NASA-supplied instruments for the 2016 orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

    For information about NASA’s Mars programs, visit:

    http://www.nasa.gov/mars

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    NASA HOLDS MEDIA TELECONFERENCE TO PREVIEW MAJOR HURRICANE STUDY

    WASHINGTON — NASA will hold a media teleconference on Thursday, Aug.
    5, at 3 p.m. EDT to discuss its upcoming airborne research campaign
    into hurricane behavior.

    The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, will
    study how hurricanes are created and why they can intensify rapidly.
    The mission involves three NASA research aircraft based in Florida,
    Texas, and California, and observations from several NASA satellites.
    GRIP will run from Aug. 15 to Sept. 25.

    The teleconference panelists are:
    – Ramesh Kakar, weather focus area lead, NASA Headquarters, Washington

    – Scott Braun, hurricane modeler/research meteorologist, NASA’s
    Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    – Gerald Heymsfield, cloud radar expert/research meteorologist,
    Goddard
    – Ed Zipser, professor of meteorology, University of Utah, Salt Lake
    City

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    Washington Headquarters Press Release: Mexico

    For Immediate Release
    July 30, 2010
    Contact: Sasha Johnson or Laura Brown
    Phone: sasha.j.johnson@faa.gov or laura.j.brown@faa.gov

    FAA Finds Mexico Does Not Meet ICAO Safety Standards

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Mexico is not in compliance with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following an assessment of the country’s civil aviation authority. As a result, the United States is downgrading Mexico from a Category 1 to Category 2 rating.

    As part of the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that operate or have applied to fly to the United States and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations. With the IASA Category 2 rating, Mexican air carriers cannot establish new service to the United States, although they are allowed to maintain existing service.

    While Mexico has been responsive to the FAA’s findings and has made significant improvements in recent months, it was unable to fully comply with all of the international safety standards. However, under the leadership of Director General Hector Gonzalez Weeks, Mexico continues to make progress. The FAA is committed to working closely with the Mexican government and providing technical assistance to help Mexico regain its Category 1 rating.

    A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority – equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters – is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.

    Countries with air carriers that fly to the United States must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

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    Spread Your Wings and Fly Away Safely

    Spread Your Wings and Fly Away SafelyThe FAA Safety Team is out in full force at the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You can find the FAA Safety Team—also known as the FAASTeam—in the FAA Aviation Safety Center, right next to the FAA control tower.

    At the booth you can learn more about the improvements to the www.FAASafety.gov website, sign up for the WINGS pilot proficiency program, and find out about FAA’s aviation maintenance technician awards program. This is a great opportunity to talk with dedicated safety professionals whose number one job is to make general aviation as safe as possible.

    You can also check out the rest of the FAA Aviation Safety Center and see displays on all things aviation. The safety education forums held at the Safety Center cover such topics as “Aeronautical Decision Making,” “Surface Safety,” and “VFR Charts, Little Known Facts.”

    See you there. For more information on EAA AirVenture, go to www.airventure.org.

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    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.

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    FAA Press Release: Continental Airlines

    FAA Proposes $230,000 Civil Penalty against Continental Airlines

    FORT WORTH, Texas — The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a civil penalty of $230,000 against Continental Airlines Inc., of Houston for allegedly operating a Boeing 767 on 22 revenue flights when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

    The FAA alleges that on Aug. 12, 2008, Continental replaced the nose landing gear wheel and tire assembly on a B-767, but failed to install the required axle washer despite warnings in the maintenance manual and on the tire assembly itself. The warning said failing to install the washer could lead to failure of the wheel bearing.

    FAA inspectors discovered the violation during a records check and noted three identical earlier violations.

    Continental has 30 days from receipt of the civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.

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    Nasa Press Release: NASA SELECTS SOUNDING ROCKETS OPERATIONS CONTRACTOR

    WASHINGTON — NASA selected Orbital Sciences Corp.’s, Technical Services Division in Greenbelt, Md., for the agency’s Sounding Rockets Operations contract. The total value of this indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity cost-plus incentive fee contract is $310 million. The period of performance is five years.

    Orbital Sciences will coordinate and implement NASA’s overall Sounding Rockets Program and provide services and supplies as necessary to complete individual missions and projects. Services include designing, fabricating, integrating, and performing flight qualification testing of sub-orbital payloads; providing launch
    vehicles and associated hardware; and conducting various activities associated with subsequent mission launch operations.

    Additional services to be provided under the contract may also include special engineering and technical support, education and outreach activities, and environmental studies.

    The majority of the work will be done at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, which manages the agency’s sounding rocket program.

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    EAA AirVenture 2010: Safety is Front and Center

    FAA RELEASE:

    If you’re in Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture, be sure and stop by the FAA Aviation Safety Center (next to the FAA control tower). This is where you can learn more about how the FAA is here to help you. There are exhibits on a host of aviation topics, from aircraft certification, air traffic control, and aerospace medicine, to the Next Generation Air Transportation System, runway safety, and the FAA Safety Team’s WINGS pilot proficiency program.

    The safety education forums held at the Aviation Safety Center cover such topics as “Aeronautical Decision Making,” “Surface Safety,” and “VFR Charts, Little Known Facts.”

    For more information on EAA AirVenture, go to www.airventure.org. You can also download a copy of the full FAA Aviation Safety Center schedule

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    Northwest Gets Out of Hot Water Without Cool Cash

    A federal investigation has published findings that Northwest Airlines violated FAA safety directives.

    The investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel corroborates the allegations of a whistleblower who alleged the carrier had inadequate policies and procedures in 2008. The Office of Special Counsel indicated that FAA inspectors were going to work with Northwest to resolve deficiencies, and close cases with letters of correction rather than penal fines. However two Northwest managers may be disciplined.

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    FAA PR: Climbing Into Thin Air

    July 21–How does an airport suddenly go from being 2,000 feet to more than a mile high? Barring a “Hollywood-style” seismic event at your airport, the answer is density altitude; in other words, how high an aircraft “thinks” it is. When density altitude is high as a result of temperatures above standard at a given altitude, the air is less dense than normal. This means an aircraft will perform as if at a higher altitude with degraded climb performance and acceleration; two pretty important factors on a hot, humid day with a short runway and 50-foot pine trees looming at the end.

    The article “Climbing into Thin Air,” featured in the July/August issue of FAA Safety Briefing, offers more information on this “hot” topic.

    “Density altitude is not just a concern for flying in the mountains,” says FAA’s Bryan Neville. “Hot temperatures can have an affect at any altitude.” Neville, a former adjunct aviation professor and flight instructor with experience at both high- and low-elevation airports, suggests becoming familiar with the weight-and-balance and the performance and limitations sections of your pilot’s operating handbook (POH) or airplane flight manual.

    One the ways to keep your cool aloft on those hot summer days is to avoid takeoffs and landings at midday when temperatures are usually at their highest. Instead, take advantage of cooler mornings or evenings when the performance-robbing effects of high density altitude are not as pronounced.

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    Press Release: FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies

    FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to assess civil penalties ranging from $50,000 to $70,000 against five companies for alleged violation of the Federal Aviation Regulations or Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

    $50,000 against Spirit Airlines, Inc., Miramar, Fla., for returning an aircraft to service, and then operating that aircraft on revenue passenger flights when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. The FAA alleged that Spirit failed to replace a faulty elevator aileron computer (ELAC) after the aircraft experienced an uncommanded pitch down of the nose while operating between Orlando, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico on Aug. 21, 2009. Although Spirit’s maintenance program required replacement of the ELAC computer, the airline did not do so before flying the A321 on a revenue passenger flight the next day from San Juan to Fort Lauderdale, when the aircraft experienced another uncommanded pitch down.

    $63,525 against Friendship Airways Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., an air taxi operator, for operating two Cessna 402 aircraft on 77 commuter flights in violation of its air carrier certificate and operations specifications. The FAA alleged that the two aircraft were not authorized for use for the flights between June 21 and July 21, 2008 because they were not listed on the company’s operating specifications for commuter service.

    $50,000 against Fleet Aviation of White Plains, N.Y., an on-demand charter and air taxi company, for operating two of its aircraft on 251 flights between June 15, 2009 and March 19, 2010 when crews had not completed the emergency drills required by its training program.

    $54,000 against Englund Marine Supply Co. of Astoria, Ore., for offering a package containing flammable gasses and liquids to UPS for transportation by air from Astoria to Rio Vista, Calif., March 26, 2010. The package was discovered leaking at Portland before it was loaded on an aircraft.

    $70,000 against Coty, Inc., of New York, for offering a package containing perfume, a flammable liquid, to FedEx for transportation by air from Upland, Calif., to Covington, Wash., March 9, 2010. FedEx employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport discovered the shipment leaking.

    In all instances of alleged hazmat violations, the materials offered were not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labeled and in proper condition for shipment under the hazardous materials regulations.

    Companies have 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s notice of proposed civil penalty to respond to the agency.

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    FAA Finalizes Recurrent Aircraft Registration Rule

    For Immediate Release
    July 19, 2010

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to create a more accurate aircraft registration database, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring re-registration of all civil aircraft over the next three years and renewal every three years after that.

    The rule establishes specific expiration dates over a three-year period for all aircraft registered before Oct. 1, 2010, and requires re-registration of those aircraft according to a specific schedule. All aircraft registration certificates issued on or after Oct. 1, 2010 will be good for three years with the expiration date clearly shown.

    “These improvements will give us more up-to-date registration data and better information about the state of the aviation industry,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

    Current regulations require owners to report the sale of an aircraft, the scrapping or destruction of an aircraft, or a change in mailing address, but many owners have not complied with those requirements.

    Re-registration of all U.S. civil aircraft by Dec. 31, 2013 will enhance the database with current data derived from recent contact with aircraft owners. The new regulations also will ensure that aircraft owners give the FAA fresh information at least once every three years when they renew their registration. The FAA will cancel the N-numbers of aircraft that are not re-registered or renewed.

    Re-registration and registration expiration
    Certificate issued (Any year) Certificate expires Re-registration required
    March March 31, 2011 Nov. 1, 2010–Jan. 31, 2011
    April June 30, 2011 Feb. 1–April 30, 2011
    May Sept. 30, 2011 May 1– July 31, 2011
    June Dec. 31, 2011 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2011
    July March 31, 2012 Nov. 1, 2011–Jan. 31, 2012
    August June 30, 2012 Feb. 1– April 30, 2012
    September Sept. 30, 2012 May 1– July 31, 2012
    October Dec. 31, 2012 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2012
    November March 31, 2013 Nov. 1, 2012–Jan. 31, 2013
    December June 30, 2013 Feb. 1– April 30, 2013
    January Sept. 30, 2013 May 1– July 31, 2013
    February Dec. 31, 2013 Aug. 1– Oct. 31, 2013
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    FAA Proposes $168,000 Civil Penalty Against D&M Plastics

    For Immediate Release

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a $168,000 civil penalty against D & M Custom Injection Molding Corp. of Burlington, Ill., doing business as D & M Plastics, for alleged violations of Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations.

    D & M offered a five-piece shipment of approximately 2,000 Runyan Rapp E-Mysticks smokeless cigarettes to Federal Express for transportation by air from Indianapolis to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Aug. 14, 2009. Each smokeless cigarette contained alcohol, a flammable liquid, and a lithium battery, a hazardous material. Each box contained 400 E-Mysticks, including 7.6 kilograms of lithium batteries, exceeding the five-kilogram limit for shipment aboard passenger aircraft. Because the shipment was not packaged in accordance with regulations it was forbidden on all aircraft, including all-cargo flights.

    As the flight approached Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the FedEx flight crew received a fire warning on the instrument panel. The crew discharged the fire suppression system during the landing and taxied to the gate. The airport fire department responded and extinguished a fire in an LD3 cargo container. The fire was started by the lithium batteries in the shipment.

    D & M offered the shipment for transportation by air when it was not packaged, marked, classed, described, labeled or in condition for shipment as required by regulations.

    D&M has 30 days from receipt of the FAA letter to respond to the agency

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    FAA Issues Directive to Prevent Windshield Fires

    July 9–The FAA is issuing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) that requires operators of Boeing 757, 767, and 777 airplanes to either inspect or replace certain flight deck windows. The AD only affects the forward viewing windows, not the side windows.

    Operators have two options: Begin inspections within 500 flight hours and then continue at intervals that are specific for each of two window designs OR install a new, redesigned window. The inspection takes about an hour.

    The AD is aimed at preventing smoke, fire or cracking of the inner layer of the forward viewing window caused by loose electrical connections that are used to heat the window to prevent ice.

    Over the past two decades, there have been 11 reports of fire or flames on 757 (five events), 767 (three events), and 777 (three events) airplanes. Improper installation resulted in loose, improperly torqued or cross threaded screws that can contribute to overheating and arcing. The most recent incident was a May 16, 2010 emergency landing by a United 757 at Dulles International Airport.

    The FAA proposed the AD in March 2008. The agency received extensive comments and determined additional 757 service information was needed from Boeing. That in-depth review identified unique issues on the upper electrical connections on 757s which will be addressed in a separate AD so as not to hold up the fix for the lower electrical connector issue which constitutes the majority of the service problems identified to date. Although there have been no fire events on 747s, the FAA plans to propose an AD this fall since those later model airplane windows are similar.

    This AD affects 1,212 U.S. airplanes out of 2,619 worldwide. The estimated cost for the inspections is $103,020 total for U.S. operators. The window replacement is optional and would be an additional cost.

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    FAA Issues Directive to Prevent Windshield Fires

    July 9–The FAA is issuing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) that requires operators of Boeing 757, 767, and 777 airplanes to either inspect or replace certain flight deck windows. The AD only affects the forward viewing windows, not the side windows.

    Operators have two options: Begin inspections within 500 flight hours and then continue at intervals that are specific for each of two window designs OR install a new, redesigned window. The inspection takes about an hour.

    The AD is aimed at preventing smoke, fire or cracking of the inner layer of the forward viewing window caused by loose electrical connections that are used to heat the window to prevent ice.

    Over the past two decades, there have been 11 reports of fire or flames on 757 (five events), 767 (three events), and 777 (three events) airplanes. Improper installation resulted in loose, improperly torqued or cross threaded screws that can contribute to overheating and arcing. The most recent incident was a May 16, 2010 emergency landing by a United 757 at Dulles International Airport.

    The FAA proposed the AD in March 2008. The agency received extensive comments and determined additional 757 service information was needed from Boeing. That in-depth review identified unique issues on the upper electrical connections on 757s which will be addressed in a separate AD so as not to hold up the fix for the lower electrical connector issue which constitutes the majority of the service problems identified to date. Although there have been no fire events on 747s, the FAA plans to propose an AD this fall since those later model airplane windows are similar.
    This AD affects 1,212 U.S. airplanes out of 2,619 worldwide. The estimated cost for the inspections is $103,020 total for U.S. operators. The window replacement is optional and would be an additional cost.

    The PDF is available here:

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    FAA, Georgia Tech Sign NextGen Research Agreement

    July 6 – The FAA has reached an agreement with Georgia Tech to research how the increased sophistication on the flight deck under the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will affect flight crewmembers and controllers. The agreement is the first of several the FAA expects to announce in the coming months with universities that specialize in aviation-related human factors research. For the FAA, the work will be conducted by the Human Factors Research and Engineering Group, which is part of the Research and Technology Development Office.

    Amy Pritchett, an associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Aerospace Engineering, will lead a study of pilot response to alerts from the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) under NextGen. TCAS warns pilots about potential mid-air collisions and gives specific instructions on evasive action to both pilots. Pritchett’s team will examine how pilots should respond to these alerts in the future, when the increased safety and efficiency that comes with NextGen’s satellite-based technologies means that aircraft may be operating closer together.

    Frank Durso, an Engineering Psychology professor, will lead a team exploring how flight crews and controllers interact with automation. Specifically, Durso’s team will focus on how roles will evolve with NextGen technology. Durso will first lay the groundwork by examining how pilots and controllers work with today’s automation. His team will then see how pilots and controllers in the future can use automation to manage their workloads and to improve their situational awareness and performance. Research results will also help FAA develop guidance for aviation safety oversight of NextGen operations.

    Georgia Tech, which has conducted important aviation-related human factors research for the FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was chosen after the FAA conducted a thorough market survey of schools with expertise in this area. In addition to an outstanding staff and students, the school has a wide range of aviation research capabilities including air traffic control simulators and an Airbus flight deck simulator.

    The research done by Georgia Tech will be shared with the public through presentations of research findings at national and international symposia in order to foster a broad understanding of how NextGen will enhance the ability of pilots and controllers to effectively use new technologies and procedures.

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    FAA Proposes Major Changes to Icing Certification Rules

    For Immediate Release
    June 29, 2010
    Contact: Les Dorr or Alison Duquette
    Phone: 202-267-3883

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a significant expansion of its icing certification standards, including a new requirement that manufacturers show airplanes can operate safely in freezing drizzle or freezing rain, conditions that constitute an icing environment known as “supercooled large drops” (SLDs).

    The proposed regulations would improve safety by mandating that new transport category aircraft most affected by SLD icing conditions meet expanded safety standards, including additional airplane performance and handling qualities. The rule also would require all new transport category designs be able to fly in conditions where supercooled liquid and ice crystals exist.

    The FAA is also proposing changes that would expand the icing certification requirements for engines, engine installations and some airplane components (for example, angle of attack and airspeed indicating systems). These systems would need to be able to perform in freezing rain, freezing drizzle, ice crystals and combinations of these icing phenomena.

    “These new icing standards are part of our continuing effort to make the world’s safest aviation system even safer,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

    “These regulations will help ensure future aircraft can operate safely in some of the toughest icing conditions,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

    The proposed rule is based largely on recommendations from the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The FAA tasked the ARAC to study how icing certification regulations should be expanded after the tragic 1994 icing-related accident in Roselawn, IL. The NTSB recommendations stemmed from the same accident.

    Previously, the FAA issued 112 airworthiness directives for transport category aircraft related to icing. Of the 112 ADs, 21 were specifically related to SLD. The ADs require flight crews to exit icing conditions when they see visual cues indicating the conditions exceed the capabilities of the aircraft’s ice protection equipment.

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    This Months Bad News: Trans States Holdings Inc

    This month’s poster child for how not to run your commuter airline:

    Trans States Holdings Inc.

    After two incidents in the last four months, there’s now a $2.5 million civil penalty in the offing for Trans States Holdings Inc. from the FAA. But more crucial than the last two incidents, the problem really comes down to hundreds of safety violations on 320 flights over the past two years, all related to maintenance, after repeated warnings and reoccurring violations.

    What is it I always say?

    Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.

    See Below:

    FAA Proposes $2.5 Million in Civil Penalties Against Trans States, GoJet

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing $2,476,075 in civil penalties against Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines of Bridgeton, Mo., for violation of various maintenance procedures and operating nine jets on 320 revenue passenger flights when the aircraft were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

    Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines are both owned and operated by Trans States Holdings. Trans States Airlines performs maintenance and training on GoJet aircraft.

    The proposed civil penalties involve seven GoJet+ Canadair Regional Jets and two Trans States Embraer 145 regional jets. The FAA alleges Trans States and GoJet operated aircraft when maintenance had been carried out incorrectly, and that the company failed to complete required maintenance record-keeping.

    The FAA alleges Trans States and GoJet violated a number of maintenance regulations and procedures, including use of outdated manufacturers’ maintenance instructions to perform repairs; failure to connect a wing flap actuator to its torque tube, rendering the flaps inoperative; failure to document an inspection after an aircraft was damaged by severe turbulence; failure to document and carry out proper repairs after aircraft warning systems identified problems; improper repair of an engine oil leak and failure to comply with minimum equipment list regulations.

    “Air carriers cannot ignore maintenance requirements or allow employees to take a pass on following regulations,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety depends not only on maintenance work being done correctly, but also being recorded properly.”

    Trans States and GoJet have 30 days from receipt of the civil penalty letters to respond to the agency.

  • FAA: Final Rule Represents Major NextGen Milestone

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the performance requirements for aircraft tracking equipment that will be required under the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. The avionics will allow aircraft to be controlled and monitored with greater precision and accuracy by a satellite-based system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B).

    “Today we have reached a major NextGen milestone,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This technology represents another step forward in our ability to make America’s skies the safest in the world.”

    The final rule, developed with extensive input from the aviation community, requires aircraft flying in certain airspace to broadcast their position via ADS-B by 2020. The rule mandates that the broadcast signal meet specific requirements in terms of accuracy, integrity, power and latency.

    “This rule gives the green light for manufacturers to begin building the onboard equipment that will allow our air traffic controllers to know where aircraft are with greater precision and reliability,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “That is one of the key elements of NextGen that will improve the safety and efficiency of flight.”

    Additional ADS-B services should allow pilots to view cockpit displays to see the location of other aircraft in the sky around them. ADS-B displays are envisioned that will show pilots where they are in relation to bad weather and terrain – even at night or in conditions with poor visibility – and provide flight information, including temporary flight restrictions, which allow pilots to plan safe, more efficient routes.

    Some of this information is now being broadcast free to aircraft equipped with ADS-B in the Gulf of Mexico, South Florida and in the airspace above Louisville, Philadelphia and Juneau, Alaska. Those areas were chosen as key sites to roll out ADS-B due to challenges presented by vast stretches of water, rugged terrain and traffic congestion. These areas also are populated by aircraft already equipped with ADS-B. The nationwide rollout of ADS-B ground stations will be complete in 2013.

    By 2020, the FAA will require ADS-B equipment for aircraft flying in airspace including Classes A, B and C, around busy airports and above 10,000 feet.