Legal

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    Fokker 27 Investigation

    BEA Fokker 27, registered I-MLVT, 25 October 2013, Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport, France

    INFORMATION ON 27 OCTOBER 2013

    The BEA has initiated a Safety Investigation following the accident that occurred to the Fokker 27 Mk 500, operated by the Italian airline Miniliner on behalf of the French airline Europe Airpost.

    The cargo aeroplane, with two pilots on board, had taken off at 01h10 (local time) from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport bound for Dole, France. A few minutes later, the aeroplane suffered uncontained damage to the left engine. During the accident, a left propeller blade went through the fuselage. At 01h20, the crew made an emergency landing back at Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport.

    A team of three investigators from the BEA went to Roissy on Friday 25 October to begin the first work on the investigation. The flight recorders, along with the propeller, will be sent to the BEA on Monday 28 October.

    Organisation of the Investigation

    In accordance with the provisions of European Regulation 996/2012, the BEA has associated the following organisations with the Safety Investigation:

    ANSV (Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo, Italy) representing the State of Operation of the aeroplane,
    AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch, United Kingdom) representing the State of Manufacture of the aeroplane’s engine and
    the Dutch Safety Board (Netherlands) representing the State of Manufacture of the aeroplane.
    The preliminary examination of the propeller blade that separated from the engine and the readout of the flight recorders will be undertaken at the BEA at the beginning of this week, in the presence of the BEA’s foreign counterparts and their technical advisers.

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    Nashville: Cessna Crash


    On October 29, 2013, a Windsor Flying Club Cessna 172R Skyhawk crash landed at Nashville International Airport, killing the pilot. There was dense fog early Tuesday morning when the crash occurred, and the airport was closed. The crash occurred some time between 2:00 a.m. (the final sweep of the runways) and its discovery at 8:45 a.m. by a taxiing jet pilot.

    The plane is one of three belonging to Canada’s Windsor Flying Club school fleet.

    National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said that the plane sat on the runway for hours before it was discovered Tuesday morning. The crash apparently occurred Monday night. Metro Police, Metro Fire and Metro OEM, the medical examiner, and an accident investigator from National Transportation Safety Board responded belatedly. The accident occurred on Runway 2, which was closed on discovery of the wreckage. Operations at the rest of the airport continued as usual.

    The FAA is on the scene. The pilot was in his mid forties, was night-rated but not instrument-rated (i.e. he was not cleared to fly in low visibility like the dense fog that blanketed Nashville.) His name has not been released. He rented the plane from Monday 8.pm. to Tuesday noon.

    The investigation has not yet determined if the pilot made the required contact with ATC. The plane as no flight data recorder but it does have gps and current instrumentation.

    See Video Below

    Nashville Airport Statement

    As reported yesterday by Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), a small single-engine Cessna-172 crashed at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday, October 29, 2013. The Airport Emergency Plan requires MNAA to notify the National Transportation Safety Board in the event of an accident and the NTSB begins an investigation to determine the probable cause of the accident and other facts related to it. This investigation is now underway and the NTSB will issue a preliminary report in 10 days and a final report in 9 – 12 months.

    Importantly, the time of the crash has not been determined and reports to the contrary are not factual. These facts will be determined as part of the NTSB investigation.

    Following is a statement from MNAA:

    “The MNAA’s top priority is the safety and security of all operations at the airport. As an FAA certificated airport, MNAA is required to comply with the FAA’s safety standards. MNAA has long maintained a strong record of safety and follows stringent federal safety regulations. We are inspected annually by FAA safety inspectors to ensure compliance. We uphold these regulations every day, including yesterday. We have inspectors and crash, fire and rescue personnel on duty 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to respond in the event of any emergency.

    “MNAA is working collaboratively with the FAA and NTSB as they investigate the accident and determine the facts. It would be premature to comment about any facts involving this accident until the NTSB completes its investigation. All of us at the airport express heartfelt condolences to the family of the pilot involved in this accident.”

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    Emirates Airbus Diverts to Kuwait after engine shut down

    On Oct 25, an Emirates Airlines Airbus A380 en route from New York to Dubai had to shut down a right engine.

    Pilots diverted to Kuwait where they made a safe landing.

    A replacement airbus was provided to carry the passengers to Dubai. We don’t have information how long passengers waited or if they were provided accommodations during the interim.

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    Bell Helicopter Crashes in Oregon


    Around noon on Oct 28, a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter carrying two Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife employees who were conducting fish counts (counting spawning nests, also called redds) crashed in the South Umpqua River near Days Creek. Both passengers and the pilot were conscious.

    Power lines were damaged, and the plane was leaking fuel. Three hundred twenty people lost electricity. The FAA and the NTSB will be on hand to check out the accident. A hazmat team handled the fuel leak.

    Two passengers, Holly Huchko, 34 and Eric Himmelreich, 35 were taken to Mercy Hospital in Roseburg, and the pilot to Sacred Heart at Riverbend. Huchko broke her back, Himmelreich broke a vertebra and the pilot, Fred Wittlake, broke an arm and some ribs.

    The Umpqua Fish District office counts fish to help determine fishing regulation.

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    NTSB Announces Investigative Hearing on Asiana Flight 214


    Agency provides third investigative update on San Francisco crash

    The National Transportation Safety Board is convening a 2-day investigative hearing to discuss the ongoing investigation into the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 and to gather additional factual information. The hearing, which will be held December 10–11, 2013, at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, DC, will focus on pilot awareness in highly automated aircraft, emergency response, and cabin safety. Parties participating in the investigative hearing will be announced at a later time.

    Below is an update of the ongoing investigation. This is a factual update only and no interviews are being conducted.

    The investigator-in-charge and investigators from the Operations and Human Performance Group traveled to Korea and met with officials from Asiana Airlines and the KARAIB. While in Korea, investigators conducted numerous interviews with Asiana management and training personnel, observed Asiana procedures in a simulator and an exemplar aircraft, and gathered further documentation on airline training and policies.
    NTSB investigators from the Maintenance Group also traveled to Korea and reviewed the records for the accident airplane, including the maintenance that had been performed on the evacuation slides.
    The Survival Factors Group conducted an examination of the evacuation slide/raft systems at the manufacturer’s facility in New Jersey and is planning future testing of the systems. The group also re-examined the wreckage to gather additional information about the fire propagation and structural damage. Following that examination, the wreckage was sectioned and moved to a secure storage facility.
    Investigators and party members met in Seattle to examine the recorded flight data and compare it to the expected airplane systems operation. The Systems Group is currently developing a test plan for the mode control panel and the Vehicle Performance Group is finalizing the event simulation match.

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    Propeller Flies off Fokker F27 in Paris

    A Europe Airpost Fokker F27 owned by Miniliner made an emergency landing at Charles-de-Gaulle airport after a left propeller flew off on takeoff. ??

    The propeller chopped a hole in the fuselage and flew off to parts unknown.

    Officials are hoping to recover the lost propellor blade. Gendarmerie Transports Aériens are providing a recovery number if it is found: 01 48 62 17 00

    As this was a freight flight, there were no passengers aboard. None of the crew were injured. ( The occupants were listed as three crew.)

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    Yak Crashes Strawberry Field

    A Yakovlev Yak-18T owned by Enjoair Clanwilliam and flying out of Stellenbosch Airport in S. Africa crashed, killing the pilot.

    The plane suffered engine failure thirty minutes after takeoff.

    The pilot lost the engine at around 200′ and tried turning back back. The plane spun into the strawberry field hothouses. The plane impacted and caught on fire. Paramedics found the wreckage on a farm.

    Netcare911 and the fire department responded to the scene.

    The pilot died on impact.

    The accident is under investigation.

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    Cessna Flips on Runway Excursion

    A privately owned Cessna 210 airplane #N6942R flipped over after running off the Lodi runway during a landing excursion at 3 p.m. On October 23, 2013. The pilot reported no injury. The plane had substantial damage.

    The Woodbridge Fire Dept responded to the scene.

    The FAA Database reported that AIRCRAFT ON LANDING WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND FLIPPED OVER, LODI, CA

    The plane’s registration is N6942R and the owner is AWAN MAQSOOD.

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    Missing Plane Found Crashed, Pilot Death on Impact

    On Oct 23, 2013, a Kestrel Aviation Cessna 182Q Skylane en route from Moruya Airport to Mangalore Airport in Australia was en route when it developed problems. The pilot at left 8.15am on Wednesday and never arrived in Mangalore Australia. Five aircraft searched unsuccessfully for the missing plane on Wednesday. An unconfirmed sighting narrowed the search parameters to Mt. Hotham. Eight helicopters and two planes searched Thursday morning until the wreckage was found at 8.40am on Thursday by a search helicopter that was also employing “radar and mobile data.”

    The ATSB is investigating the fatal plane crash. The only one aboard was the pilot, whose injuries were fatal.

    The impact occurred near Mt Hotham, Victoria.

    An Australian attorney told the press that the pilot, 60-year-old Peter Brereton from Euroa was killed in a light plane crash on his way back from dropping off spare parts for a helicopter used in the fire fighting efforts on the far south coast of NSW.

    A specialized team of 4 ATSB investigators with expertise in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, materials failure and aircraft operations began investigation #AO-2013-186, a four day examination of the wreckage on the 25th, (friday).

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    What is the Value of a Human Life?

    In case you forgot, Dana Air Flight 992 is the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft en route from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria which crashed on June 3rd 2012, in the Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos, demolishing a furniture works and printing press building.

    The accident, a combination of engine failure and subsequent forced landing, killed 163 people, ten of them on the ground. Eleven miles from the airport, the MD-83 crashed on its tail. It and the neighborhood went up in flames.

    Why do I bring this up now, a little over a year later?

    Because 11 families have received $100,000 each–

    Because sixty-five families whose compensation payments have not been made, due largely to documentation issues and they are suing Dana Air —

    Dana Air claims “95 of 125 families have received interim compensation of $30,000.”

    I have been reading rhetoric lauding Dana Air for making what someone calls “unprecedented progress” in paying compensation.

    Putting the value of a human life at $100,000 is lowballing the value of life. I am surprised that anyone would be commending such devaluation.

    Is the operator looking for a gold medal for forking over a mere $100,000 for a loss of life?

    Is this all a life is worth in that part of the world or is this something Dana insurer is declaring a fair compensation?

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    Father of Deceased Pilot Sues KLM Flight School

    A grieving father whose son died of trauma and “horrific burn injuries” when the plane he was in crashed in Arizona is suing the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines subsidiary, Canada-based CAE and its school in Arizona for causing his son’s death.

    Bennell worked for CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix, which had a training-services agreement with KLS.

    The complaint states that the training agreement between CAE and KLM “had financial incentive awards and penalties associated with the number of training flights provided to KLM flight students,” contributing “to a culture whereby safe flight practices were sacrificed for economic gain.”

    The accident occurred on Sept. 13, 2012. The student pilot,Lucas Westenberg, 19, from the Netherlands, and Rob Van Den Heuvel, a 68-year-old retired KLM flight officer and former Dutch air force fighter pilot died in the same accident.

    Taylor Bennell died in the crash. He was licensed by the FAA but not the JAA (in Europe); but without JAA certification, regulations forbade Bennell to teach. But Bennell had allegedly been ordered to provide Westenberg with flight instruction.

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    Teenager Sues Masturbation Airlines


    Seventeen year old Monica Amestoy was flying home from a debate in New York—a six hour flight—and witnessed an unwanted exhibition: a man across the aisle was masturbating. She pointed out the incident to Flight attendants.

    After nothing was done to stop the man, seventeen year old Monica Amestoy returned home to California to file a lawsuit against United Airlines.

    The incident happened last year.

    Although Monica complained to a flight attendant, United failed to safeguard Monica. Subsequently, United took no action and are surely guilty of neglecting the welfare of their passengers.

    On landing in Los Angeles, UA failed to immediately report the criminal activity. Monica reported the incident to her father and he contacted law enforcement. After the investigation, the FBI prosecuted and convicted the perpetrator.

    Gloria Allred filed the suit in Los Angeles county superior court.

    Video

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    Passengers denied fair compensation’ by British Airways


    Here’s the situation–after the problematic Oslo flight, British Airways paid for food and hotel accommodation for stranded passengers who had been on the flight, but they deny further compensation. This is apparently British Airways attitude in regard to “thousands of passengers” impacted by the closures caused by the BA flight, according to Travel Weekly.

    BA’s cancellation of 200 flights after the Oslo flight issue led to Heathrow’s brief closure (of two runways.) 200 flight cancellations affects a whole lot of people.

    In this case, the European Commission’s new guidelines are going to be tested. Clyde and Co. said if the closure was a bird strike, BA would probably be off the hook, but if it was due to faulty maintenance, that’s their responsibility.

    In my opinion, BA deserves all the ass kicking they get and a whole lot more for their laxity in accepting responsibility. I hope the passengers all sue for their damages. Maybe, just maybe a lawsuit will send a message to the operators of huge airline companies.

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    Two planes collide over Westlake Village


    A Cessna 172 and a Cessna 172RG Cutlass collided over Westlake Village eight miles east northeast of Ventura.

    The Cutlass, registered to Ameriflyers of Florida LLC made an emergency landing on the Westlake Golf Course, Westlake Village, California. Three aboard sustained minor injuries in a belly landing at 2:15 p.m. near the third hole. They were hospitalized with minor injuries.

    The second plane crashed in the Santa Monica Mountains, sparking a brush fire and a search and rescue effort. The pilot was found under the wreckage.

    One of the planes had left Santa Monica Airport on an engine test flight and was heading east when it collided with the other.

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    Lion Air Compensation

    Lion Air is compensating the passengers of the plane that crashed in Bali on April 13. The 101 passenger (we don’t know if the 7 crew are included) is handing out $5600 to each passenger.

    Lion Air is working with Jasa Raharja, an Indonesian insurance company to cover the medical bills for five injured passengers. The insurance company is paying up to IDR 25 million ($2500) and the airline is covering anything in excess of that.

    Unofficial reports state the plane was flying low.

    Twenty-five people have yet to receive their compensation.

    The alcohol and drug tests of the crew, cockpit voice recorder, and the flight data recorder are still in process. No conclusions have been public on the cause of the accident.

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    Minister of Aviation Summoned to Lagos Hearing on Dana Air crash

    The Lagos State coroner is summoning Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and a pathologist, Professor Adekunbi Banjo to give testimony in the inquest into the June 3 2012 Dana plane crash. The minister is summoned to appear to observe the coroner in action.
    Banjois a consultant with the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).

    170 people died during the crash, including 153 passengers and residents of Iju-Ishaga.

    Banjo is expected to refute claims made Professor John Obafunwa, Lagos Chief Medical Examiner.

    Counsel for the Lagos State government, Mr Akinjide Bakare, however, insisted that Banjo ought to have voluntarily made herself available to the inquest, noting that seeking to call her at this late stage was a ploy to delay the conclusion of proceedings.

    Dana Air was suspended, then was allowed to start flying again in September.

    Then it was recently suspended again Saturday over “safety issues”. On Monday Nigeria’s Aviation Ministry reversed the Saturday decision and Dana Air is air bound again.

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    100 Dana ground victims demand compensation

    More than 100 ground victims are currently demanding compensation for property damage from the Dana plane crash last June. Claims running into billions of naira.

    At one point, they were told that the Lagos government planned to take the land to build a memorial to the crash victims. Owners have to provide valid certificates of occupancy to begin the process.

    News agencies report that N2.2bn is the total sum to be paid to the relations of the 153 that died in the Dana aircraft but payment information is unverified, and many say their claims have not been satisfied. Likewise unconfirmed is the statement that insurance companies have paid an initial settlement of N418.94m to relations of 85 victims.

    Only two relatives have reported they received their “full” settlement.

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    South Bend Hawker Crash Update

    A news agency has reported about the clean up of the plane crash in South Bend on March 13, 2013.

    The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has observed the scene and is part of the team assessing the damage. NTSB said that the clean-up process generally “falls on the source that caused the contamination. Since the damage came from that private jet, its owner and/or insurance company would be responsible.”

    Firemen who are working the scene will be paid by the South Bend Fire Dept, but the insurance company will probably repay the SBFD.

    Insurance companies are also key in providing compensation to families, especially when there is a traceable failure.

    The two aboard the flight, Wes Caves and Steve Davis were ejected from the plane and were found inside one of the houses that was damaged in the crash. Caves owned 7700 ENTERPRISES OF MONTANA LLC which is the plane’s owner of record.

    The cause of the HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORP Premier jet #N26DK crash has not yet been determined.

    The FAA report says only that the…AIRCRAFT CRASHED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THERE WERE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD, 2 WERE FATALLY INJURED, 2 SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES, DAMAGE: DESTROYED, SOUTH BEND, IN
    Survivor Video

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    Air blue Crash Heirs Case Hits Immobile Object

    If you’re wondering about the Airblue 202 case, it has run into the politics of Pakistan. The situation has been piled high with difficulty. Even though I am an optimist and see opportunity in every difficulty, even though I have a great team of attorneys in Pakistan, and a great team here in the states coordinating on this case, there comes a time when we must realize where we stand. Despite our efforts, with the present laws and political situation, helping the families is like patching shattered glass with paste. It has been a very difficult to make things stick. Or to change metaphors, it has been an uphill climb.

    The Flight: 28 July 2010, Airbus A321, Air Blue Fight 202, en route from Karachi to Islamabad

    146 passengers and 6 crew members flew into a mountain near the airport. Witnesses wondered why it seemed as if “the plane had lost balance, and then we saw it going down.”

    Why it was flying so low? Why did it strike the mountain? Audio and a report were released that seemed to answer those question—lack of coordination in the flight crew.

    Our study of the audio indicates the pilots are served tea early on, then…

    • Confusion ensues in the cockpit, caused by some unknown reason.
    • Wrong settings introduced into the settings that were already abnormal.
    • A tower operator who had gone for coffee was complacent.
    • Aircraft flew lower than normal.
    • Abnormal personality traits/interaction reflecting mistakes in the cockpit.
    • Weather and apprehension and strange out of norm complacency by the FO when he realizes they are going to die

    When the audio was released and studied, it became clear there was no teamwork between the pilot Perve Iqbal Chaudhary and the first officer Muntajib Ahmed.

    The pilot had 35 years and more than 25,000 hours of flying experience but made inexplicable mistakes and demeaned the co-pilot. The first officer was aware of the danger and tried to amend the situation but he had been so disheartened beforehand by sharp questions putting the first officer “in his place.”

    He was unaccountably meek for a former F-16 Pakistan Air Force fighter pilot. The pilot did not properly respond to Air Traffic Control directives and automated cabin warning systems and flew the plane into a mountain. Air Traffic Control responses were less than professional. The first officer appeared helpless and ineffective.

    On January 17,2013, two and a half years after the accident, the Peshawar High Court closed proceedings for the Airblue compensation case.

    Counsel was directed to withdraw the client’s petition from the Islamabad High Court or the the Peshawar High Court. The client refused to do so on the basis that the cases were different. The court closed the case because the heirs of the victims had had filed an independent lawsuit at Islamabad High Court.

    We believed the Airblue compensation case had merit. The pilot committed the error. The first officer was ineffective. They were Airblue employees.

    Yes, there was pilot error, but the airline is doubly responsible, because the flight crew did not have adequate CRM training. (COCKPIT Resource Management/Crew Resource Management) Absolutely what happened in the case was the result of the airline failing to establish a working protocol.

    It’s like children at school practicing a fire drill so they know what to do when a crisis occurs. Fire drills save lives. They prevent missteps in the face of danger. They give the people in trouble a set of directions to follow that will get them out of the jam they are in. A drill answers questions ahead of time, so precious time is not wasted figuring out what to do. Without the drill, what happens when disaster strikes? Chaos. Loss of life.

    I feel bad for the people. First they lose their families. Then they don’t get all the compensation available to them.

    Take a look at the safety recommendations from the report (pasted below).

    See how 3.1-3.5 and 3.7 all duplicate the same working environment issue? Investigators recognize the troubled working environment. Today’s flight crews are taught CRM which means they have safe practices in place in case the captain is incapacitated and starts to fly into mountains like the captain of Air Blue 202.

    But realistically, will recommendations change AirBlue? Will Air Blue be able to implement non-traditional interpersonal relations on the job? And if they can not, how will they ever fly safely with a first officer culturally unable to do his job?

    The first officer was ineffective in securing the plane; and sadly, the court appears to be equally as ineffective in getting justice for some of the heirs of the victims.

    Re: Investigation Report -AB-202 CHAPTER – 13 :

    SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS

    13.1 All aircrew be re-briefed on CFIT avoidance and Circling Approach procedures
    and a strict implementation of this procedure be ensured through an intensive
    monitoring system.

    13.2 Aircrew scheduling and pairing being a critical subject be preferably handled /
    supervised by Flight Operations.

    13.3 The implementation of an effective CRM program be ensured and the syllabus of
    CRM training be reviewed in line with international standards.

    13.4 Existing aircrew training methodology be catered for standardization and
    harmonization of procedures.

    13.5 Human factor / personality profiling program for aircrew be introduced to predict
    their behaviour under crises.

    13.6 Instrument landing procedure for RWY-12 be established, if possible.

    13.7 Safety Management System be implemented in ATS as per the spirit of the ICAO
    document (doc. 4444).

    13.8 New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) be completed and made functional on
    priority

    13.9 Visual augment system (Approach Radar Scope) be installed in control tower to
    monitor the positions and progress of aircraft flying in the circuit.

    13.10 Review of the existing Regulations for the compensation and their expeditious
    award to the legal heirs of the victims be ensured.

    13.11 Adequacy of SIB resources comprising qualified human resource and equipment
    be reviewed.

    13.12 Information to public on the progress of the investigation process through the
    media by trained / qualified investigators of SIB be ensured on regular intervals.

    13.13 NDMA be tasked to acquire in-country airlift capability for removal of wreckage
    from difficult terrain like Margalla etc. As an interim arrangement, some foreign
    sources be earmarked for making such an arrangements on as and when
    required basis.

    13.14 Civil Police Department be tasked to work out and ensure effective cordoning and
    onsite security arrangements of crashed aircraft wreckage at all the places
    specially remote / difficult hilly locations.

    13.15 Environment Control Department be directed to recover the ill effects of
    deterioration / damages caused to Marghalla hill due to the crash.

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    Airblue Crash Heirs Case Hits Immobile Object

    If you’re wondering about the Airblue 202 case, it has run into the politics of Pakistan. The situation has been piled high with difficulty. Even though I am an optimist and see opportunity in every difficulty, even though I have a great team of attorneys in Pakistan, and a great team here in the states coordinating on this case, there comes a time when we must realize where we stand. Despite our efforts, with the present laws and political situation, helping the families is like patching shattered glass with paste. It has been a very difficult to make things stick. Or to change metaphors, it has been an uphill climb.

    The Flight: 28 July 2010, Airbus A321, Air Blue Fight 202, en route from Karachi to Islamabad

    146 passengers and 6 crew members flew into a mountain near the airport. Witnesses wondered why it seemed as if “the plane had lost balance, and then we saw it going down.”

    Why it was flying so low? Why did it strike the mountain? Audio and a report were released that seemed to answer those question—lack of coordination in the flight crew.

    Our study of the audio indicates the pilots are served tea early on, then…

    • Confusion ensues in the cockpit, caused by some unknown reason.
    • Wrong settings introduced into the settings that were already abnormal.
    • A tower operator who had gone for coffee was complacent.
    • Aircraft flew lower than normal.
    • Abnormal personality traits/interaction reflecting mistakes in the cockpit.
    • Weather and apprehension and strange out of norm complacency by the FO when he realizes they are going to die

    When the audio was released and studied, it became clear there was no teamwork between the pilot Perve Iqbal Chaudhary and the first officer Muntajib Ahmed.

    The pilot had 35 years and more than 25,000 hours of flying experience but made inexplicable mistakes and demeaned the co-pilot. The first officer was aware of the danger and tried to amend the situation but he had been so disheartened beforehand by sharp questions putting the first officer “in his place.”

    He was unaccountably meek for a former F-16 Pakistan Air Force fighter pilot. The pilot did not properly respond to Air Traffic Control directives and automated cabin warning systems and flew the plane into a mountain. Air Traffic Control responses were less than professional. The first officer appeared helpless and ineffective.

    On January 17,2013, two and a half years after the accident, the Peshawar High Court closed proceedings for the Airblue compensation case.

    Counsel was directed to withdraw the client’s petition from the Islamabad High Court or the the Peshawar High Court. The client refused to do so on the basis that the cases were different. The court closed the case because the heirs of the victims had had filed an independent lawsuit at Islamabad High Court.

    We believed the Airblue compensation case had merit. The pilot committed the error. The first officer was ineffective. They were Airblue employees.

    Yes, there was pilot error, but the airline is doubly responsible, because the flight crew did not have adequate CRM training. (COCKPIT Resource Management/Crew Resource Management) Absolutely what happened in the case was the result of the airline failing to establish a working protocol.

    It’s like children at school practicing a fire drill so they know what to do when a crisis occurs. Fire drills save lives. They prevent missteps in the face of danger. They give the people in trouble a set of directions to follow that will get them out of the jam they are in. A drill answers questions ahead of time, so precious time is not wasted figuring out what to do. Without the drill, what happens when disaster strikes? Chaos. Loss of life.

    I feel bad for the people. First they lose their families. Then they don’t get all the compensation available to them.

    Take a look at the safety recommendations from the report (pasted below).

    See how 3.1-3.5 and 3.7 all duplicate the same working environment issue? Investigators recognize the troubled working environment. Today’s flight crews are taught CRM which means they have safe practices in place in case the captain is incapacitated and starts to fly into mountains like the captain of Air Blue 202.

    But realistically, will recommendations change AirBlue? Will Air Blue be able to implement non-traditional interpersonal relations on the job? And if they can not, how will they ever fly safely with a first officer culturally unable to do his job?

    The first officer was ineffective in securing the plane; and sadly, the court appears to be equally as ineffective in getting justice for some of the heirs of the victims.

    Re: Investigation Report -AB-202 CHAPTER – 13 :

    SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS

    13.1 All aircrew be re-briefed on CFIT avoidance and Circling Approach procedures
    and a strict implementation of this procedure be ensured through an intensive
    monitoring system.

    13.2 Aircrew scheduling and pairing being a critical subject be preferably handled /
    supervised by Flight Operations.

    13.3 The implementation of an effective CRM program be ensured and the syllabus of
    CRM training be reviewed in line with international standards.

    13.4 Existing aircrew training methodology be catered for standardization and
    harmonization of procedures.

    13.5 Human factor / personality profiling program for aircrew be introduced to predict
    their behaviour under crises.

    13.6 Instrument landing procedure for RWY-12 be established, if possible.

    13.7 Safety Management System be implemented in ATS as per the spirit of the ICAO
    document (doc. 4444).

    13.8 New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) be completed and made functional on
    priority

    13.9 Visual augment system (Approach Radar Scope) be installed in control tower to
    monitor the positions and progress of aircraft flying in the circuit.

    13.10 Review of the existing Regulations for the compensation and their expeditious
    award to the legal heirs of the victims be ensured.

    13.11 Adequacy of SIB resources comprising qualified human resource and equipment
    be reviewed.

    13.12 Information to public on the progress of the investigation process through the
    media by trained / qualified investigators of SIB be ensured on regular intervals.

    13.13 NDMA be tasked to acquire in-country airlift capability for removal of wreckage
    from difficult terrain like Margalla etc. As an interim arrangement, some foreign
    sources be earmarked for making such an arrangements on as and when
    required basis.

    13.14 Civil Police Department be tasked to work out and ensure effective cordoning and
    onsite security arrangements of crashed aircraft wreckage at all the places
    specially remote / difficult hilly locations.

    13.15 Environment Control Department be directed to recover the ill effects of
    deterioration / damages caused to Marghalla hill due to the crash.

  • | | | | |

    Sunwing Airlines Dumps Unruly Family in Bermuda for (Alleged) Smoking And Disobeying Flight Attendants

    After unruly behavior on a Sunwing Airlines flight from Halifax Canada to the Dominican Republic, a family was arrested, and appeared in Bermuda court Monday.

    Sunwing may bring charges against the family for the cost of diverting the plane. ($50,000) The plane was examined in Bermuda after landing and continued to the Dominican Republic a day late. Sunwing is banning the family from every flying their airline again.

    The son allegedly smoked in the bathroom, then a disagreement between his family and flight attendants ensued. Pilots landed in Bermuda and the family was arrested.

    David McNeil Jr denied smoking on the plane and the charge was dropped, but the father, David McNeil Sr. pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and the mother, Donna McNeil pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful order from a flight attendant. The parents were sentenced to either a $500 fine or 10 days in prison. The son was free to go.
    Raw Video below

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    Lawsuit Filed in Jenni Rivera Crash

    The family of the victims (Arturo Rivera, makeup artist Jacob Yebale, attorney Mario Macias Pacheco and hair dresser Jorge “Gigi” Armando Sanchez Vasquez) of a 43-year-old Learjet that crashed in Mexico on December 9 have filed a negligence suit against Starwood Management LLC, Rodatz Financial Group Inc., McOco Inc. and Jenni Rivera Enterprises Inc.

    Jenni Rivera was killed in the crash along with the 78 year old pilot and 20 year old co-pilot, neither of whom appeared to be licensed to operate the flight under the conditions (time and altitude) they were flying.

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    Intoxicated Driver Enters Phoenix Runway

    What: unauthorized vehicle
    Where: Phoenix Sky Harbor
    When: Nov 16, 2012
    Who: 2 aboard
    Why: Reports say that Koko Nicole Anderson was intoxicated on drugs when the car she was driving barged through a partially closed gate and onto a runway while driving with her two month old child in the car. The gate was being tested when Anderson drove through it. She struck a portable toilet and kept driving until an officer rammed her car.

    Anderson’s mother says the girl was not on drugs but suffering from bi-polar disorder.

    The intoxicated driver with a history of mental illness was taken into custody, and booked into jail on aggravated DUI and criminal damage charges.

    An expert determined that the intoxication was related to drugs instead of alcohol. In order to safeguard planes from being either accidentally or intentionally struck by misguided drivers, the airport is considering beefing up security with airport gates that include additional pop-up barriers.