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    EU Banned List updated: Official Press Release

    Commission updates the list of airlines banned from the European airspace
    The European Commission has adopted the thirteenth update of the Community’s list of airlines banned in the European Union to include all air carriers of two additional countries: Sudan and the Philippines, on the basis of safety assessments by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). With this update, restrictions placed on Air Koryo from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and TAAG from Angola are partially lifted under certain conditions, while the operations of Iran Air will be restricted.

    Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport, said: “Safety comes first. We are ready to support countries that need to build up technical and administrative capacity to guarantee the necessary standards in civil aviation. But we cannot accept that airlines fly into the EU if they do not fully comply with international safety standards.”

    With this update, the Air Koryo licensed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, subject to an operating ban since March 2006, is allowed to resume operations into the EU with two aircraft which are fitted with the necessary equipment to comply with mandatory international standards and following appropriate oversight by its authority. The rest of its fleet remains barred from operating into the EU.

    The Commission recognises the improvements in the operations of TAAG Angola Airlines by allowing the air carrier to operate under certain strict conditions with specific aircraft to all destinations in the EU, not only to Lisbon.

    The civil aviation authority of Angola is urged to intensify its oversight in relation to all carriers and continue the recertification of the other Angolan air carriers which remain banned from operating into the EU.

    The Commission imposes an operating ban on all operations of Sudanese air carriers, due to a poor safety performance of the civil aviation authority of Sudan resulting from persistent non-compliance with international standards in the area of oversight.

    The Commission acknowledges the recent efforts launched by the competent authorities to reform the civil aviation system in the Philippines and steps taken to address safety deficiencies reported by the FAA and ICAO and measures taken by two carriers – Philippines Airlines and Cebu Airlines – to ensure safety of operations. It is ready to support the Philippines to overcome serious safety deficiencies.

    In view of the significant safety concerns identified by ICAO in relation to the authorities, the Commission with the unanimous support of the Air Safety Committee is forced to follow the principle of precaution and impose an operating ban on all air carriers licensed in the Philippines. The Commission is ready to support the Philippine authorities and conduct a visit to the country.

    Following an examination of the safety of Iran Air’s operations into the EU through ramp checks of its aircraft in the Community, evidence of serious incidents and accidents suffered by the carrier and insufficient oversight from the authority over the past year, the Air Safety Committee concluded unanimously that the operations of Iran Air to the EU should be restricted. The carrier will only be allowed to use certain aircraft for flights to Europe. The Commission will visit Iran over the next months to verify the oversight of the Iranian civil aviation organisation and the safety situation of Iran Air.

    The results of a recent visit by the European Aviation Safety Agency to Albania indicate that the competent authority needs to strengthen its capabilities to ensure the oversight of the air carriers it licences. The authorities have been urged by the Commission to take prompt action to address these issues. The Commission will closely monitor the situation.

    The Commission follows closely the performance of Egyptian air carriers. A visit to Egypt to verify the oversight functions of the civil aviation authority and the performance of certain air carriers showed that this authority is carrying out its responsibilities correctly. The Commission will continue to cooperate closely with this authority to ensure that proposed improvements can be implemented.

    Today, the Community’s list has three carriers whose operations are fully banned in the European Union – Ariana Afghan Airlines from Afghanistan, Siem reap Airways International from Cambodia and Silverback Cargo Freighters from Rwanda.

    All carriers from 17 countries – 278 companies in total – are banned: Angola, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, (with the exception of three carriers which operate under restrictions and conditions), Indonesia, Kazakhstan (with the exception of one carrier which operates under restrictions and conditions), the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, Swaziland and Zambia. 10 air carriers are allowed to operate under restrictions and conditions – Air Koryo from the Democratic People Republic of Korea, TAAG Angola Airlines, Air Astana from Kazakhstan, Iran Air from Iran Gabon Airlines, Afrijet and SN2AG from Gabon, Air Bangladesh, Air Service Comores and Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines from Ukraine.

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    Beechcraft Crash


    Click to view full size photo at airport-data.com
    Contact photographer Allen M. Schultheiss

    What: Poelking Air LLC Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza taking off from Wright Brothers Airport to Chicago
    Where: Ohio: 741 along Penny Royal Road, Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport.,
    When: April 1 2010
    Who: 2 fatalities, 2 occupants
    Why: After takeoff, the Beechcraft Bonanza experienced problems. On the pilot’s attempted landing, the plane’s right wing struck the runway. The plane cartwheeled and exploded 1,000 feet south of the runway, killing both aboard.

    The pilot was Tom Hausfeld; the passenger was his daughter Kacie Hausfeld.

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    Correction: Jet Blue Tail strike


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jordi Grife

    JetBlue has corrected an earlier report that the plane sustained hail damage. The airline is now saying that a tail strike on take-off caused the damage and subsequently the emergency landing.

    Original post:

    What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from New York to Long Beach
    Where: New York
    When: Mar 28th 2010
    Who: 144 on board
    Why: Leaving the runway, the plane’s tail impacted either hail or a bird or had a tail strike (reports conflict); the flight returned to JFK and made a safe landing so that the damage could be checked out. Passengers debarked, and boarded an alternative plane some time later.

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    Maryland: Monocacy National Battlefield Landing

    What: Cessna 182
    Where: Monocacy National Battlefield
    When: March 30, 2010
    Who: Pilot, Bethany Chase, 40, of Germantown, Md and passenger Gregory Windham 57, of Olney
    Why: The pilot was making traffic surveys. She intended to land at Montgomery Airport, but there was a problem there with wind shear, and she redirected to Frederick Municipal airport, but her plane lost power. The plane flipped, and landed on Urbana Pike. No one was injured seriously. The passenger refused treatment, and the pilot was hospitalized with minor injuries.

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    Airbus Engine Shuts down


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Marcel Schmidt

    What: THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 en route from Bangkok to Istanbul
    Where: Mumbai
    When: Apr 1st 2010
    Who: 289 passengers
    Why: While en route, one of the engines developed problems, and the crew had to shut it down and decided to divert to Mumbai. The flight made a safe landing, and was towed to the gate.

    140 passengers were directed to alternative airlines, and the rest were provided hotel accommodations and given a seat on a Turkish Airlines Friday flight.

    Passengers were booked on alternative flights.

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  • |

    Press Release: NTSB TO MEET

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    April 1, 2010
    NTSB TO MEET ON BUSINESS JET RUNWAY EXCURSION ACCIDENT THAT
    KILLED FOUR AND INJURED TWO IN SOUTH CAROLINA

    The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public
    Board meeting on its investigation into an accident in which
    a chartered business jet crashed during a rejected takeoff
    in Columbia, South Carolina, 18 months ago.

    The purpose of the meeting will be to determine the probable
    cause of the accident and to consider proposed safety
    recommendations to reduce the likelihood of future such
    mishaps.

    On September 19, 2008, at 11:53 p.m. EDT, a Bombardier
    Learjet Model 60 (N999LJ) operated by Global Exec Aviation
    and destined for Van Nuys, California, overran runway 11
    during a rejected takeoff at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
    The captain, the first officer, and two passengers were
    killed; two other passengers were seriously injured.

    The meeting will be held in Washington on Tuesday, April 6,
    20010, at 9:30 a.m. ET, in the NTSB Board Room and
    Conference Center at 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.

    A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be
    available on the Board’s website at
    http://www.ntsb.gov/Events/Boardmeeting.htm. Technical
    support details are available under “Board Meetings.” To
    report any problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for
    Webcast Technical Support.

    A summary of the Board’s final report, which will include
    its findings, probable cause and safety recommendations,
    will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of
    the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website
    several weeks later.

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  • New International Civil Aviation Organization Safety Database

    International Civil Aviation Organization is recommending a global safety information exchange accessible to travelers so they can make informed data-driven decisions. This database is to be developed by the ICAO, the US Federal Aviation Administration, the Commission of the European Union and the International Air Transport Association.

    The database will take advantage of the organizations’ number crunching abilities. By joining their vision, the ATA, ICAO, the FAA and the EU will add a more effective vision of events in the name of developing safety with a common goal of “zero accidents and zero fatalities.”

    The goal is to complete the database in a about a year to year and a half from now.

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    ICAO Press Release: Safety Conference

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    STRONG CONSENSUS REACHED AT ICAO SAFETY CONFERENCE ON WAYS TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS
    MONTREAL, 1 April 2010 – A High-Level Safety Conference which concluded today established a strong mandate for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create a strategy to further reduce the global accident rate, through the sharing of safety-related information among Member States and the air transport industry.

    More than 600 participants at the four-day event, attended by Ministers and Directors General of Civil Aviation from 150 Member countries as well as industry representatives, recommended that ICAO create a global safety information exchange to enable analysis of key safety indicators. This will guide future strategic decisions related to the evolution of today’s air transportation system. The Conference called upon ICAO to facilitate the collection, analysis and dissemination of safety information provided by States and industry partners, throughout the international aviation community.

    The Conference further recommended that ICAO develop processes to give the general public access to relevant safety information, thereby allowing them to make an informed decision about the safety of air transportation and to further ensure that such information is used solely to improve aviation safety and not for retribution or the purpose of gaining economic advantage.

    “We have traditionally focused our efforts on accident reports as a means to improve safety. This new approach will help us to better identify and deal with safety threats before they result in accidents”, said Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council of ICAO.

    “Regulators and industry must come to manage safety-critical information in the same way that they view accidents. Both must become triggers for action in preventing accidents,” he added.

    On Tuesday, ICAO, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA), the Commission of the European Union (EC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed a Declaration of Intent on the development of a global safety information exchange agreement.

    In the months to come, the parties will establish an operational framework for the information exchange. It will address technical, confidentiality, legal and policy implications, as well as the relevance and timing of information collected.

    “ICAO has long promoted the concept of information sharing on a global scale so as to connect the various databases of regulators and industry. The recommendation from the Conference and the Declaration of Intent represent a breakthrough in achieving our objective of better utilizing data to reduce the accident rate globally and in specific regions and States around the world,” Mr. Kobeh emphasized.

    On the question of black boxes, the Conference recommended that ICAO look into technical enhancements that would improve the ability to locate and recover the units, such as longer time periods for signals, better resistance to crashes and floatability.

    “While the electronic transmission of information during flights is progressively improving, black boxes will remain absolutely indispensable for years to come as the primary source of technical data in cases of accidents or incidents,” Mr. Kobeh said.

    The Conference also called on States and industry to ensure improved communication and surveillance of flights over oceanic and remote areas through the use of all available technologies.

    Reaffirming the fundamental mission of ICAO to ensure the safety of international civil aviation, the Conference endorsed the creation of a new Annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, one dedicated exclusively to safety management principles.

    Recommendations from the Conference will be submitted to the Council of ICAO for consideration in the coming weeks.

    – END –

    PIO.04.10.ENGLISH PIO.04.10.FRENCH PIO.04.10.SPANISH PIO.04.10.RUSSIAN PIO.04.10.ARABIC PIO.04.10.CHINESE

    Posted in Uncategorized. Comments Off
    Sharing of Information highlight of second day of Safety Conference
    March 30, 2010 — oacicomm
    On the second day of the High-level safety Conference, the more than 600 participants from some 150 ICAO Member States and industry unequivocally endorsed the twin concepts of transparency and sharing of safety-related information among States and with major stakeholders within the global aviation community, as well as with the general public.

    There was agreement that ICAO should be the body charged with coordinating the integration of the safety information provided by the international community as well as for the dissemination of safety intelligence. To that end, ICAO would convene a group of experts to define and harmonize safety metrics, associated data requirements and analysis processes.

    ICAO would also develop a code of conduct on the sharing of safety information, so as to ensure that such information is used solely to improve aviation safety and not for retribution or the purpose of gaining economic advantage.

    Processes would be developed to provide the general public with access to relevant safety information which would allow them to make an informed decision about the safety of air transportation.

    Recommendations on these and other items will be reviewed and approved on the final day of the Conference, Thursday, 1 April. Recommendations will subsequently be submitted to the ICAO Council for consideration in the coming weeks.

    Earlier in the Conference, in line with the discussions on the sharing of information as a means to improve aviation safety levels around the world, ICAO and three other State and industry parties signed a Declaration of Intent on the Development of a Global Safety Information Exchange Agreement: the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA); the Commission of the European Union (EC); and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    In the weeks to come, representatives of the signatories will produce a work plan incorporating the following activities and concepts: identification of the safety information gathered by the Participants that would be most relevant to the enhancement of risk reduction activities; identification of the legal or policy constraints, if any, on the ability of Participants to share this information among the parties and development of mechanisms to overcome these constraints; identification of the appropriate timing of that information sharing; development of an efficient mechanism to ensure that this information is used to generate safety intelligence and identify critical safety trends in a timely fashion; development of policies and procedures to safeguard proprietary, confidentially submitted, and/or personal information in line with relevant applicable privacy laws, data sharing policies and regulations standardization of aspects of the audit metrics, data taxonomies etc, to maximize effective utilization of the safety information gathered in this process; and determination of how to disseminate this information globally as appropriate.

    Tomorrow the conference will discuss the creation of a new Annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, one dedicated to safety processes.

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  • High-level Safety Conference 2010

    ICAO Headquarters, Montréal, 29 March – 1 April 2010

    The goals of the High-level Safety Conference are to bring together the Directors General of Civil Aviation, or equivalent senior executives and stakeholders, to build consensus, obtain commitments and formulate recommendations deemed necessary for the effective and efficient progress of key safety activities by ICAO.

    HIGH-LEVEL SAFETY CONFERENCE 2010
    Montréal, 29 March to 1 April 2010
    DRAFT DECLARATION
    Whereas the Convention on International Civil Aviation and its Annexes provide the essential
    framework required to meet the safety needs of a global aviation system;
    Whereas Contracting States have a collective responsibility for international civil aviation safety;
    Recognizing that the safety framework must be fully utilized by all stakeholders and that it must
    continuously evolve to ensure its sustained effectiveness and efficiency in the changing regulatory, economic and technical environment of the 21st century;
    Recalling that transparency and sharing of safety information are fundamental tenets of a safe air
    transportation system and that one of the objectives of sharing information is to ensure a consistent,fact-based and transparent response to safety concerns at the State and at the global levels;
    Recalling that mutual trust between States, as well as public confidence in the safety of air
    transportation, is contingent upon access to adequate safety information;
    Recognizing that safety is a shared responsibility, and advancements in global safety can only be
    possible through a cooperative, collaborative and coordinated effort among all stakeholders, with ICAO’s
    active participation and leadership role;
    Recognizing that further improvements in aviation safety within and among States require a
    cooperative and proactive approach in which safety risks are identified and managed;
    Recognizing that the safety data necessary to support an effective safety management process require
    adequate protection from inappropriate use;
    Recognizing the difficulties that many ICAO States have in establishing and operating an efficient
    safety oversight system and the need for these States to pool resources and work together within Regional
    Safety Oversight Organizations;
    Recognizing that the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’s Continuous Monitoring
    Approach (CMA) being established by ICAO will be implemented in stages during a two-year transition
    period from 2011 to 2012;

    HLSC 2010-WP/90
    – 2 –
    The Directors General of Civil Aviation:
    1. Commit to reinforce the global aviation safety framework by:
    a) supporting the CMA and providing ICAO with accurate and timely information;
    b) implementing expeditiously the State Safety Programme (SSP) in their own States and
    ensuring the implementation of safety management systems across the aviation industry;
    c) maintaining the confidence of the public in the safe air transportation system through
    enhanced transparency of safety information;
    d) developing sustainable safety solutions, including the creation or strengthening of regional
    and sub-regional safety oversight organizations and initiatives;
    e) sharing appropriate safety-related information among States and all other aviation
    stakeholders; and
    f) working with ICAO to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the burden for certificate
    holders to comply with multiple sets of similar, yet different, requirements;
    The Conference:
    2. Calls upon States and other stakeholders to enter into agreements with one another for the
    exchange of safety information;
    3. Calls upon States and other stakeholders to provide ICAO with accurate and timely information
    in support of the CMA and its transition plan as requested;
    4. Calls upon States to examine their existing legislation and adjust, as necessary, or enact laws and
    regulations to protect safety information and its sources where the purpose is to improve safety;
    5. Calls upon States, ICAO, industry, and donor organizations to direct resources towards the
    establishment of sustainable safety oversight solutions;
    6. Calls upon States, ICAO and industry to support the coordinated implementation of safety
    management principles;
    7. Calls upon ICAO to:
    a) act as facilitator of safety information provided by the international community, and as the
    responsible party for dissemination of safety intelligence, as appropriate;
    b) develop a new Annex dedicated to safety management processes which would define the
    safety management responsibilities of States under the SSP; and
    c) identify actions which can be taken to reduce the burden for certificate holders to comply
    with multiple sets of similar, yet different, requirements;
    HLSC 2010-WP/90
    – 3 –
    d) continue to support the establishment of Regional Safety Oversight Organizations (RSOOs)
    and explore the development of alternative solutions for situations where the establishment of
    RSOO is not possible;
    8. Calls upon States to demonstrate the political will needed to address aviation safety
    shortcomings, including the creation, strengthening and, where necessary, participation in RSOOs;
    9. Calls upon States, ICAO and industry to increase their efforts to further improve the
    competencies and professionalism of aviation personnel;
    10. Calls upon States and industry to closely coordinate with ICAO their safety initiatives to ensure
    optimum benefits to global aviation safety and to reduce duplication in effort; and
    11. Re-emphasizes the need for States, ICAO and industry to act effectively and in a timely fashion
    on lessons learnt from accidents.
    — END —

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    Delta Emergency Landing in St. Louis

     


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Fred Seggie

    What: Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from New York to San Francisco
    Where: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
    When: Mar 30
    Who: 171 aboard (165 passengers and 6 crew)
    Why: When smoke fill the cabin, the crew diverted the flight to St Louis. They made a safe landing with no reported injuries.

    Passengers disembarked on the runway and were bussed to the gate.

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  • IATA PRESS RELEASE:

    Aviation Organizations Launch Safety Information Exchange

    Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with three governmental aviation safety organizations, took the first step to creating a global information exchange to improve aviation safety.

    IATA, together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Commission of the European Union (EU), has signed a Declaration of Intent to exchange safety data. The signing took place during the ICAO High-Level Safety Conference in Montreal.

    “Today’s milestone agreement marks the first time the global aviation community has come together to work on a global safety information exchange. Data must drive our actions so that we can focus our joint efforts on reducing the greatest risks,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    “Working together with governments using global standards, safety has improved tremendously. In 1945, there were 9 million passengers and 247 fatalities. In 2009, 2.3 billion people flew with 685 fatalities. Every fatality is a human tragedy and reminds us that we must do better. Today’s agreement is one more important step to make a safe industry even safer,” said Bisignani.

    Audit data will be a key element in the project. IATA, ICAO, the FAA and the EU conduct audit programs that collect complementary safety information. “We must understand safety trends, not just from the handful of accidents each year, but by bringing together and analyzing data from millions of safe flights. With this we can take more effective action to reduce risks and improve safety performance,” said Bisignani.

    “There is no competition when it comes to safety. Cooperation is the way forward. We have a common goal of zero accidents and zero fatalities. The safety data from audits and oversight programs contains important parts of a whole picture. Agreeing to put this data together is a major step forward,” said Bisignani.

    The four organizations will now start work on a way to standardize safety audit information and ensure compliance with local privacy laws and policies. This is targeted to be completed within 12 to 18 months.

    The 2009 global accident rate, measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft, was 0.71. This is a significant improvement of the 0.81 rate recorded in 2008. Compared to 10 years ago, the accident rate has been cut 36% from the 1.11 rate recorded in 2000.

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    Qantas Big A380 Burning Brakes, Flat Tires


    Los Angeles – International approaching Sepulveda
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Sandro Mederle

    What: Qantas Airbus A380-800 en route from Singapore to Sydney
    Where: Sydney
    When: Mar 31st 2010
    Who: 244 passengers
    Why: On landing, the plane blew its left tires; and there were sparks and and a brief fire from the brakes. The plane left a rubber trail. Damage assessment was made on the tarmac by engineers, with the plane sitting on its rims.

    Qantas denies classifying this as an “emergency” landing.

    George’s Point of View

    I’m thinking how smart Boeing is to have held up release of their big jumbo, especially when I see A 380 incidents.

    I am reminded of all the flaws that popped in the Airbus A310 (reputedly a rush copy of the Boeing 737); and I also remember reading about Airbus struggling to get the A-380 shipshape before Airbus rushed it to market. In development, Airbus wrestled with a plane that was severely overweight, withstructural, and production problems. Remember the trouble the A-380 had getting launched:

    • “Airbus A-380 faces problems.” Statesman [India] 1 Nov. 2006. General OneFile. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
    • “Airbus flies into more problems over A380.” Daily Mail (United Kingdom), Oct 04, 2006
    • “Turbulence over Airbus A380 delay prompts Singapore rethink.” Steiner, Rupert, Sunday Business (United Kingdom), Dec 14, 2006
    • “Airbus Delays Delivery of Giant A380.” Washington Post, The, 01908286, Jun 02, 2005
    • “Two-year delay’ for jinxed superjumbo.” Lea, Robert, Evening Standard (United Kingdom), Sep 21, 2006

    I can think of 3 other A380 incidents. Feb of this year, Air France A380-861 (F-HPJA) had fuel system issues that turned back a New York-Paris flight. A380 muss wegen Problemen mit Treibstoffsystem umkehren

    On Dec 4 2009, QANTAS Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- On the runway, the plane’s nose gear became unsteereable. The plane was towed to the gate and spare parts had to be flown in to deal with the problem.

    On July 4 2009, Qantas Airbus A380-842 (VH-OQA) Singapore to London- the approach was aborted due to nosegear problems. On landing, steering failed.

    In March of 2008, Qantas removed all 3 of its A-380s due to fuel system problems (two unserviceable with a ‘”fuel tank indication system problem”.)

    The A380 is a part of the Air France, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore airlines fleets , and in which fuel gauge problems, nosegear problems and braking problems are becoming known issues. Problems also arise because the prohibitive size of the plane limits where it can land.

    Some Worrisome Airbus History
    In 2004, Joseph Mangan, an Airbus whistleblower told European aviation authorities of flaws on a computer chip on the Airbus A380. (These were microprocessor flaws that could cause the valves that maintain cabin pressure on the A380 to accidentally open during flight, allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could lose consciousness within seconds.)

    Mangan was chief engineer for the Viennese company TTTech Computertechnik, which supplied the chips and software controlling the A380 cabin-pressurization system assembled at the French Airbus plant. TTTech fired Mangan, filed civil and criminal charges against him for revealing proprietary company documents. Austrian law has no whistleblower protection, and there is currently a gag order imposed on Mangan. They claim his allegations have been disproved.

    What did he know? Have the problems behind his concerns been addressed? What else do we not know? Without transparency, how can we ever know?

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  • Ethiopia Flight 409: Dubious Claims Circulate the Blognet

    There’s a general consensus among the people who deal with terrorists that terrorists like to take credit for disasters, even when they’re not responsible for them. Ownership of violence is part of the whole extremist “psych-you-out “ ideology. To claim responsibility for an act one did not do to is to “claim” one for the malevolent gipper, to make one appear more powerful, especially when actually helpless, and/or to appease whomever one is confessing to with false collateral by churning out false confessions.

    But consider this: if I say I am Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, it does not mean I am Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Legally, it’s going to take more than tall talking and word of mouth to establish that claim in court. It will take heavy duty concrete proof to make that claim stand up in a court of law. The head of the Engineering Department at the BEA (France’s version of the NTSB, the Investigation and Analysis Bureau) Christophe Ménez said in an interview … that evidence shows that last month’s Ethiopian plane crash was not a result of an explosion. “The fuselage and other heavy parts, such as the engine, all sank together, and the plane’s wreckage was in close proximity, which indicates that the airliner did not explode. ”

    The investigation of Ethiopia Airlines Flight 409 so far does not develop a case for terrorism having anything to do with causing the crash. But even if it were true (and we don’t think it is), the primary liability rests with the operator, Ethiopia Airlines. This is not a legal opinion, just my own opinion.

    Now let’s speculate. If it were a terrorist act, it might derail a law suit against component manufacturers in the United States, but an experienced lawyer would tell us that if an act of terror downed the plane, it would not budge legal claims against Ethiopia Airlines. Under the various treaties that govern air travel, the operator has the primary responsibility for that innocent passenger who paid good money to get on that plane.

    The big news services are not the source of this claim; it looks like it is coming from a blog network, so it appears to be a rumor rather than fact, or a rehash or repost of an earlier theory. There is no plausible evidence of sabotage.

    But we are still hoping for more evidence, and for the families, more remains, to be discovered by the Odyssey Explorer in the ongoing marine search for definitive evidence.

    The terrorism theory has already been postulated and discarded once so I don’t give much credence to it. But more than anything, I regret seeing these things crop up to stress the victims families even more. They’ve already been through too much; and the investigation is going to take a long time. They have a long way to go.

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  • | | |

    SF: Close Call


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Neil Guinea

    What: United Airlines Boeing 777-200 en route from San Francisco to Beijing
    Where: San Francisco
    When: Mar 27 2010
    Who: 251 passengers and 17 crew
    Why: After takeoff, the Boeing’s Traffic and Collision Avoidance System issued a traffic advisory, recognizing an Aeronca too close. From a lower altitude, the Boeing crew only saw a portion of Aeronca that was passing between 200-300 feet away. TCAS warned them to drop their altitude to increase separation. The Aeronca was directed to take a “hard left”

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  • NTSB-Near Collision over San Francisco

    NTSB INVESTIGATING NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION OVER SAN FRANCISCO INVOLVING COMMERCIAL JETLINER AND SMALL PLANE

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    March 30, 2010

    NTSB INVESTIGATING NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION OVER SAN FRANCISCO INVOLVING COMMERCIAL JETLINER AND SMALL PLANE

    The NTSB has launched an investigation to determine why a commercial jetliner and a small light airplane came within an estimated 300 feet of colliding over San Francisco on Saturday.

    At about 11:15 a.m. PDT on March 27, the crew of United Airlines Flight 889, a B777-222 (N216UA) destined for Beijing, China, carrying 251 passengers and a crew of 17, was cleared to takeoff from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on runway 28L and climb to an initial altitude of 3,000 feet. The first officer, who was flying the aircraft, reported that after the landing gear was retracted and the jet was at an altitude of about 1,100 feet, the tower controller reported traffic at his 1 o’clock position. Immediately following the controller’s advisory, the airplane’s traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) issued an audible alert of “TRAFFIC TRAFFIC.”

    The pilots saw a light high wing airplane, an Aeronca 11AC (N9270E), in a hard left turn traveling from their 1 o’clock to 3 o’clock position. The first officer pushed the control column forward to level the airplane. Both crew members reported seeing only the underside of the Aeronca as it passed to within an estimated 200-300 feet of the 777.

    TCAS then issued an “ADJUST VERTICAL SPEED” alert, followed by a “DESCEND, DESCEND” alert. The first officer complied and the flight continued to Beijing without further incident.

    NTSB investigator Scott Dunham is traveling to San Francisco to begin the investigation.

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    Southwest Airlines Emergency Landing


    Pictured: A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kopczak

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 en route from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Chicago
    Where: Tampa International Airport
    When: Mar 30th 2010
    Who: 136 passengers
    Why: After takeoff, the landing gear remained stuck in the down position. After circling the airport for half an hour, the flight landed safely at the Tampa airport, with emergency vehicles on standby.

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    Qantas Lands in Sydney after Engine Shut Down


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer KianHong

    What: Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route Sydney to Singapore
    Where: Sydney
    When: Mar 30th 2010
    Who: 414 aboard
    Why: While en route, a right engine experienced an engine surge. That engine had to be shut down. The crew had to dump fuel and return to Sydney where they made a safe landing about an hour after departure. Passengers were provided a replacement plane.

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    Mexicana Boeing Diverts to Brasilia


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Ricardo Morales

    What: Mexicana Boeing 767-300 en route from Sao Paulo to Mexico City
    Where: Brasilia
    When: Mar 28 2010
    Why: While en route, the flight developed an oil leak, which prompted the crew to shut down the left engine. The crew diverted the flight to Brasilia and made a safe landing. Passengers were rebooked.

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  • |

    Flight 447 Lawsuits filed

    A Reuters release announces that the relatives of passengers killed in an Air France crash off Brazil have filed nearly two dozen wrongful death lawsuits against Airbus, alleging that aircraft maker’s A330 crashed because of flaws in the plane and its U.S.-made components.

    The search for the black boxes is supposed to be continuing now that investigators have decided on the likeliest location where they may be found. The plane originally went down 680 miles off the coast of Brazil, but in the past ten months since the tragedy, water currents dispersing the wreckage will have made the search more difficult.

    An Airbus Americas spokesman has said they “will be moving to have (the lawsuit) dismissed.”

    Lawyers from the Miami-based firm Podhurst Orseck has not yet responded to Airbus statements.

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  • |

    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.

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    Delta Emergency Landing in Albuquerque


    Pictured: A Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-88 over Atlanta
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Joey Collura

    What: Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88 en route from Albuquerque to Atlanta
    Where: Albuquerque International Sunport
    When: March 28, 2010
    Who: 140 passengers
    Why: While the flight was en route, on board systems indicated that the landing gear was malfunctioning. The plane circled Albuquerque for an hour burning off fuel before making a safe landing.

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    Jet Blue Airbus Emergency Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jordi Grife

    What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from New York to Long Beach
    Where: New York
    When: Mar 28th 2010
    Who: 144 on board
    Why: Leaving the runway, the plane’s tail impacted either hail or a bird or had a tail strike (reports conflict); the flight returned to JFK and made a safe landing so that the damage could be checked out. Passengers debarked, and boarded an alternative plane some time later.

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    Round One: Mourning Grandma K.O. Flight Attendant (not)


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Andrew Brescini

    What: Jetblue Airbus A320-200 en route from West Palm Beach to Boston
    Where: en route
    When: Mar 27 2010
    Why: On the return flight coming home from her son’s funeral, 76 year old Renee Rappaport was returning to her seat after visiting the bathroom, and found the aisle was blocked by a beverage cart, and a flight attendant who told her to wait. She tried to squeeze by to get to her seat, and wouldn’t fit. The woman was arrested on arrival in Boston for shoving the flight attendant, and charged with assault.

    Is rudeness an arrestable offense?

    George’s Point of View


    There is something wrong with this picture.

    A 76 year old woman arrested for trying to get back to her seat.

    It sounds like something out of Golden Girls, with Beatrice Arthur getting arrested for being her usual pushy self (although unlike our 76 year old airline passenger, Beatrice Arthur was in her 60’s when it was filmed, only 70 at the end of the series.)

    Even though I don’t know all the facts, the bare bones of the situation are enough for me to feel that if I were the kind of person who started writing campaigns, I would start one now. I would inundate Jet Blue’s mail boxes with letters demanding more respectful treatment of the elderly.

    Is this bizarre escalation some Jet Blue policy or a flight attendant’s strategy not to get written up?

    There is something wrong with a 76 year old woman being arrested for assault while on a plane trying to get back to her seat. One wonders if the flight attendant could not have backed the cart up, or done something in a courteous fashion during or after the event. Even if the elderly woman were a female version of the governor of California, is she not entitled to some courtesy?

    I have come across both belligerent flight attendants and hospitable flight attendants. I think I can safely speculate that a little graciousness on the part of the flight attendant would have prevented the situation from happening, certainly from escalating to arrest. At the very least, such an arrest is frivolous, and a waste of the police force’s valuable time.

    Maybe it marks me as old fashioned, but I believe a flight attendant’s job is not an entitlement; but an elderly passenger is entitled to some degree of courtesy and understanding.

    If Jet Blue’s policy is to arrest in this situation, they deserve all the bad press they get.

    On the other hand, if Renee Rappaport is capable of a serious assault, I can get her some gloves and schedule a grudge match against the flight attendant in Las Vegas.

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  • IATA Wings of Change

    Santiago Chile-March 24-25

    The six page keynote address by the Secretary General of ICAO Mr Richard Benjamin at the IATA 2010 “Wings of Change” conference is available in pdf form here. The Wings of Change 2010 is the main Latin American forum which addresses the regulatory needs of the Latin American aviation industry in these challenging times. This biennial conference will once again cover the main topics facing airlines, aviation authorities, airports, regulators and other industry stakeholders.

    Among other things, the address talks about the safety conference, and discusses an Annex to the Chicago Convention dedicated to Safety Management to highlight safety as ICAO’s focus; issues in fatigue management; security challenges; Aviation Environmental Protection.

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  • IATA Statement on US-EU Agreement

    For Immediate Release
    Date: 25 March 2010

    Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the following comments in response to today’s Memorandum of Consultation on Second Stage Open Skies agreement between the US and the European Union:

    “It is disappointing that, at this critical time, we did not make significant progress on the issue of ownership. The agreement was not a step backwards, but it did not move us forward. The long-term financial sustainability of the industry is dependant on normal commercial freedoms. I urge both governments to keep this on the radar screen for urgent follow-up,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    IATA welcomed the reaffirmation within the agreement that environmental issues leading up to COP-16 should continue to be addressed through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “ICAO is the right forum to reach a global sectoral approach to deal with aviation’s carbon emissions. I welcome the agreement’s reaffirmation of this as the industry continues to pursue its ambitious environmental targets to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5% per year to 2020, cap net emissions from 2020 with carbon neutral growth and cut net carbon emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005,” said Bisignani.

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