• | | | |

    Russia: Aborted Take off


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

    What: Yakutia Airlines Antonov AN-24 en route from Yakutsk to Olekminsk Russia
    Where: Yakutsk
    When: Feb 4 2010
    Who: 38 passengers and 4 crew
    Why: On takeoff, the left engine failed. The pilot aborted the takeoff, and with the gear retracted, the plane skid along the runway on its belly, incurring damage on its lower fuselage, left wing, propeller, and engine.

    Passengers evacuated with no injuries reported. The left engine was on fire though, but was successfully extinguished.

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  • The Singapore Airshow 2010


    The Singapore Airshow 2010, a 6-day event, taking place from 2 to 7 February, has reps from 60 countries. Ongoing now until Feb 7, the event’s website is located here:

    http://www.singaporeairshow.com/

    “Public Day” tickets are available online. Flying displays are scheduled on the 6th and 7th, at 11:30am – 1:00pm and 3:00pm – 3:30pm.

    The Airshow is being held at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

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  • |

    FAA: Helicopter Air Worthiness Directive


    DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    Federal Aviation Administration
    14 CFR Part 39
    AD 2010-02-51

    Agusta Model A109A, A109A II, A109C, and A109K2 helicopters

    Regulatory Information
    This Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) is prompted by a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community. The MCAI states that 2 of the 3 installed main rotor scissor fitting assembly fixing bolts (fixing bolts) on a Model A109K2 helicopter had cracked in flight. Investigation by the manufacturer revealed that the crack was caused by inadequate instructions for installing the bolts. Improper installation of the main rotor scissor fitting assembly, if not detected and corrected, could result in a crack in a fixing bolt, failure of the fixing bolt, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

    We have reviewed Agusta Alert Bollettino Tecnico (ABT) No. 109K-53 for Model A109K2 helicopters and ABT No. 109-131 for Model A109A, A109A II, and A109C helicopters, both dated December 18, 2009. The ABTs specify a one-time inspection to verify the correct installation of the main rotor scissor fitting assembly, part number (P/N) 109-0110-67 or P/N 109-0101-58, to determine if 2 washers are installed under the head of each fixing bolt. If 2 washers are not installed under the head of each fixing bolt, the ABTs specify replacing each fixing bolt with an airworthy fixing bolt, P/N 109-0101-78-5, and installing 2 washers under the head of each fixing bolt.

    EASA has issued AD No. 2009-0274-E, dated December 18, 2009, to correct an unsafe condition for the specified Agusta model helicopters. EASA advises that failure of a fixing bolt could lead to loss of control of the helicopter.

    These helicopter models have been approved by the aviation authority of Italy and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with Italy, EASA, their technical agent, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI AD.
    We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs. Therefore, this AD requires, within 5 hours time-in-service (TIS), inspecting the main rotor scissor fitting assembly to determine if there are 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt. If there are 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt, no further action is required. If there are not 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt, this AD requires, within 25 hours TIS after complying with paragraph (a) of this AD, replacing each fixing bolt and installing 2 washers under the head of each fixing bolt.

    This AD differs from the MCAI AD in that we refer to “flight hours” as “hours TIS”. Also, we do not allow an optional date for replacing the fixing bolts.

    This rule is issued under 49 U.S.C. Section 44701 pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, and is effective immediately upon receipt of this emergency AD.

    2010-02-51 AGUSTA S.p.A: Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-05-AD.

    Applicability: Model A109A, A109A II, A109C, and A109K2 helicopters, certificated in any category.

    Compliance: Required as indicated, unless previously accomplished.

    To prevent a crack in a main rotor scissor fitting assembly fixing bolt (fixing bolt), failure of a fixing bolt, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter, do the following:

    (a) Within 5 hours time-in-service (TIS), inspect the main rotor scissor fitting assembly, part number (P/N) 109-0110-67 and P/N 109-0110-58, to determine if there are 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt, P/N 109-0101-78-5, as depicted in Figure 1 of Agusta Alert Bollettino Tecnico (ABT) No. 109K-53 for Model A109K2 helicopters, and ABT No. 109-131 for Model A109A, A109A II, and A109C helicopters, both dated December 18, 2009, as applicable.

    (1) If there are 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt, no further action is required.

    (2) If there are not 2 washers installed under the head of each fixing bolt, within 25 hours TIS after complying with paragraph (a) of this AD, replace each fixing bolt, P/N 109-0101-78-5, and install 2 washers under the head of each fixing bolt as depicted in Figures 1 and 2 of the applicable ABT, by following the Compliance Instructions, Part II, paragraphs 1. through 3.5., of the applicable ABT.

    (b) To request a different method of compliance or a different compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19. Contact the Manager, Safety Management Group, ATTN: DOT/FAA Southwest Region, Sharon Miles, ASW-111, Aviation Safety Engineer, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and Policy Group, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137, telephone (817) 222-5122, fax (817) 222-5961, for information about previously approved alternative methods of compliance.

    (c) Joint Aircraft System/Component (JASC) Code 6220: Main Rotor Head.

    (d) Copies of the applicable service information may be obtained from Agusta, Via Giovanni Agusta, 520 21017 Cascina Costa di Samarate (VA), Italy, telephone 39 0331-229111, fax 39 0331-229605/222595, or at http://customersupport.agusta.com/technical_advice.php.

    (e) Emergency AD 2010-02-51, issued January 13, 2010, becomes effective upon receipt.

    Note: The subject of this AD is addressed in European Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 2009-0274-E, dated December 18, 2009.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DOT/FAA Southwest Region, Sharon Miles, ASW-111, Aviation Safety Engineer, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and Policy Group, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137, telephone (817) 222-5122, fax (817) 222-5961.

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  • | | | | |

    Smoke causes British Airways Diversion to Dusseldorf


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

    What: British Airways Airbus A320-200 en route from Budapest to London
    Where: Dusseldorf
    When: Feb 3 2010
    Why: While en route, a smoke detector went off. The crew diverted the plane to Dusseldorf and made a safe landing. Passengers evacuated safely. The flight was cancelled, and passengers were rebooked on a Lufthansa flight. The cancellation was called a precautionary measure.

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  • | | |

    American Airlines MD-82 Emergency Landing


    Pictured: An American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 taking off from LAX
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Niklas Åhman

    What: American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82 en route from San Diego,CA to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX
    Where: San Diego
    When: Feb 3rd 2010
    Who: 106 passengers and 5 crew
    Why: After takeoff, the right engine experienced a couple of compressor stalls, resulting in a couple of loud explosive-sounding bangs. The crew decided to return to San Diego where they made a safe landing. The flight was cancelled, passengers rebooked.

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  • | | | | | |

    Turku Finland: SAS CRJ Engine Shut Down


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

    What: SAS Scandinavian Airlines/ Cimber Air Canadair CRJ-100 en route from Turku Finland to Copenhagen Denmark
    Where: Turku
    When: Feb 4 2010
    Who: 43 passengers and 3 crew
    Why: After takeoff, the plane developed a problem with the left engine and it was shut down. The crew returned the plane to the Turku airport and made a safe landing.

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  • | | | | | |

    Aerolineas MD-83 Diverts to Santiago


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer DAD – Baires Aviation Photography

    What: Aerolineas Argentinas McDonnell Douglas MD-83 en route from Buenos Aires to Jujuy Argentina
    Where: Santiago Argentina
    When: Feb 4 2010
    Who: 45 passengers
    Why: While en route, the plane developed cabin pressure problems and diverted to Santiago where it made a safe landing. Passengers were provided a flight to Santiago.

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  • | | | |

    Skyservice Airbus Hard Landing in Cuba


    Pictured: The Airbus in the incident, photo taken a year ago in Toronto
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Mark Kryst

    What: Skyservice Airbus A320-200 en route from Toronto to Varadero Cuba
    Where: Varadero
    When: Jan 31 2010
    Why: While landing during high rain with little visibility, the flight made a hard landing and blew three tires. The passengers disembarked safely, and there were no injuries reported, except to the plane.

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  • | | | | |

    Smoking Engine. Flybe Loganair Diverts to Wick


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

    What: Flybe/ Loganair Saab 340B en route from Kirkwall to Invernes
    Where: diverted to Wick Airport
    When: Feb 4 2010
    Who: 13 passengers
    Why: Well into the flight the right engine began smoking, and smoke was reported in the cockpit. After the engine was shut down, the flight diverted to Wick and made a safe landing.

    A plane was diverted from Aberdeen to Wick to port the stranded passengers to their destination.

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  • | | | | |

    PAK Gamers Delayed by Airbus Flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer A. J. Best

    What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A310-300 en route from from Karachi Pakista) to Dhaka Bangladesh
    Where: Karachi
    When: Feb 2 2010
    Why: A couple of hours into the flight (20 minutes away from the destination), the crew detected a hydraulic issue with the landing gear. After announcing they were diverting to Dhaka, they instead returned to Karachi for repairs. The choice of Karachi was made due to superior facilities for repair, at least as compared to what was available in Dhaka.

    Passengers disembarked and boarded another plane.

    Pakistan’s sports team (Pakistan boxing, table tennis, swimming and a martial arts team) were aboard en route to the South Asian Games.

    At least 350 game participants left Karachi in at least 6 flights.

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  • | | | |

    Cracked Windshield Delays Airbus Flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Jose Maria Menendez

    What: Iberia Airbus A340-600 en route from Madrid, to Santiago
    Where: Las Palmas
    When: Feb 5th 2010
    Why: While en route, it was discovered that the windshield was cracked.
    The flight diverted to Las Palmas where it made a safe landing. After the windshield was replaced, the flight departed about 20 hours later

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  • | | | |

    Thai Airways Engine Fire


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

    What: Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 en route from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
    Where: Bangkok
    When: Feb 3 2010
    Who: 330 passengers on board
    Why: After takeoff, the left engine surged. Consequentially, the crew shut down the engine, and returned to Suvarnabhumi Airport to make a safe landing. There were no injuries. The plane had reportedly undergone a maintenance check prior to takeoff.

    A replacement jet was flown in, which took off at 6.08 pm.

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  • | | |

    Atlas Air Jet Part Falls on Miami area Parking Lot


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

    What: Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 en route from Santiago to Miami,FL
    Where: Miami
    When: Feb 5 2010
    Why: On the final approach to the runway, a part fell from the plane on to the Miami International Mall parking lot.

    The part is described as a flap track fairing. The mechanisms for deploying the wing flaps is housed in flap track fairings.

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  • Air Yemenia Crash: Americans Strike Back

    Air Crash Consultants, mandated by 35 families, will be in Marseille on Saturday.

    by
    Denis TROSSERO (dtrossero@laprovence-presse.fr)

    Sept mois après le crash du vol 626 de la compagnie aérienne
    Yemenia au large de la Grande Comore, le 29 juin 2009, qui a tué 152 de ses 153 passagers, dont 66 Français, les Américains tentent d’ouvrir une brèche dans le dispositif d’indemnisation.

    Seven months after the crash of Yemenia flight 626 off Grande Comore, on June 29, 2009, which killed 152 of its 153 passengers, including 66 French, the Americans are trying to open a breach in the compensation scheme.

    Le cabinet d’avocats américain Masry et Vititoe et la société Air Crash Consultants, spécialisée dans les crashs aériens, qui affirment défendre à ce jour 35 des familles de victimes, multiplient les efforts et les investigations sur le territoire américain pour mettre au jour toutes les responsabilités.

    American Law firm Masry & Vititoe and Air Crash Consultants, a US firm specialized in air crashes, who claim to defend 35 families of victims to this day, are increasing efforts and investigations in the U.S. to uncover all responsibilities.

    Selon George Hatcher, le président d’Air Crash Consultants, que nous avons pu joindre hier à Los Angeles, “le premier but, c’est d’obtenir une indemnisation en urgence pour les familles, car certaines n’ont toujours rien reçu”. On sait les problèmes majeurs qui se sont très vite posés dans l’établissement des certificats de décès, dès lors que les personnes ont été portées disparues sans que leurs corps ne soient retrouvés.

    According to George Hatcher, Air Crash Consultants’ president, who we have been able to reach yesterday in L.A, « our first goal is to obtain urgent financial compensation for the families, as some of them haven’t received anything yet. » We know the major problems that have quickly arisen to issue the death certificates, when people were missing without their bodies being found.

    “On est en train d’étudier toutes les preuves, car aux États-Unis, l’éventail des responsabilités est très varié. On va au-delà du fabricant de l’avion. On peut mettre en cause la banque qui a permis d’opérer l’avion. Même s’il y a eu une erreur de pilotage, ce n’est jamais à 100% une erreur de pilotage”, assure M. Hatcher.

    We are studying all the evidence, because in the United States, the range of responsibilities is very varied. It goes beyond the airplane manufacturer. The bank which has allowed to operate the aircraft can be liable. Even if there was pilot error, it is never 100% pilot error, says Mr. Hatcher.

    “L’avion avait dix-neuf ans d’âge. Il était mal entretenu par la compagnie. Et il possédait pas mal de composants américains.” Les fabricants pourraient ainsi être mis en cause, de même que la compagnie qui a opéré l’avion, si l’on en croit M. Hatcher, la banque International Leasing Finance Corporation (ILFC), basée à Los Angeles.

    “The plane was nineteen years old. It was poorly maintained by the company. And it had a lot of U.S. components.” Manufacturers could be liable, as the company that operated the plane, if we are to believe Mr. Hatcher, the International Leasing Finance Corporation (ILFC), based in Los Angeles.

    Leur enquête ira-t-elle jusqu’à mettre en cause la responsabilité du constructeur Airbus ? Air Crash Consultants se targue d’avoir enquêté depuis 45 ans sur 29 cas différents de crashs aériens qualifiés de “morts injustes”et d’être consultant pour les quatre plus grands cabinets d’avocats au monde versés dans les “cas aériens”.

    Will their investigation even call into question the responsibility of the Airbus manufacturer? Air Crash Consultants claims to have investigated in the past 45 years on 29 different cases of air crashes classified as “wrongful death” and being a consultant for the four largest law firms in the world specialized into “air crash cases “.

    “Si on avait découvert qu’il n’y avait pas d’autres responsabilités en jeu, on aurait arrêté les investigations, insiste M. Hatcher, car elles nécessitent d’importants apports financiers.” Elle espère ainsi trouver des failles et engager des actions aux États-Unis. Le cabinet américain Masry et Vititoe a aussi assigné en référé devant la justice française la compagnie Yemenia.

    “If we had discovered that there were no other responsibilities involved, we would have stopped the investigation, Mr. Hatcher insists, because it requires important financial contributions.” The firm hopes to find weaknesses and move the case to the United States. The U.S. firm Masry and Vititoe has also given summons to Yemenia Airways to appear before hearing in front of Mister Chairman of the Supreme Court of Paris.

    George Hatcher s’interroge sur la différence de célérité déployée selon les conventions internationales applicables. Les victimes du vol AF447 Rio-Paris du 1er juin auraient ainsi été indemnisées plus rapidement, parce qu’il s’agit de deux pays riches qui avaient ratifié la Convention de Montréal. Pour tenter de faire avancer les choses, George Hatcher sera samedi à Marseille, où il doit rencontrer les familles des victimes.

    George Hatcher questioned the difference in the speed of action taken depending on which international conventions apply. The victims of flight Rio-Paris AF447 on June, 1 have received immediate provisional compensation, because Brazil and France are two rich countries that had ratified the Montreal Convention. To try to move things forward, George Hatcher will be in Marseille on Saturday, where he will meet the families of victims.

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  • | | | | |

    Fatal African Crash Kills Two


    Pictured: A Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair TC obviously not in Africa. This shot was taken of a T206H in Helsinki
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Juhani Sipilä

    What: Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair en route from Krugersdorp to Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria
    Where: Magaliesberg mountains, Boekenhoutskloof South Africa
    When: Feb 3 2010
    Who: Pilot and passenger
    Why: The flight crashed in a valley in the Magaliesberg mountains (North West Province, South Africa), and on impact burst into flames. A police helicopter found the wreckage around 10.15 am, although the location was not accessible by helicopter. A rescue unit hiked in though a heavy mist. No survivors.

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  • | | | | | |

    GOL Inspects Flight for Airworthiness


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

    What: GOL Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-700 en route from Bauru to Sao Paulo Brazil
    Where: Bauru
    When: Feb 2 2010
    Who: 82 on board
    Why: Prior to take-off, the engine presented an automated warning sufficient to deter the pilots from taking off. Details about the warning have not been made public although they were adequate for Gol to begin an investigation. While the original plane went into maintenance, a replacement plane was provided within four hours.

    George’s Point of View

    While we of course have no idea what the warning was, nor how important an issue it represented, we commend GOL for taking proactive action and responding to warning systems as they were intended to be. Hopefully maintenance will become as diligent as the crew that actually has to be in the plane aboveground.

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  • | | | | |

    Airbus Emergency Landing in Malaysia


    Pictured: A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-322 shot at Kuala Lumpur
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer WT

    What: Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 en route from Kota Kinabalu to Seoul South Korea
    Where: Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
    When: Feb 3 2010
    Why: After takeoff from Kota Kinabalu, the plane had an engine surge. The crew returned to the airport and made a safe landing. No casualties were reported and fire engines were on standby. After landing, the flight was towed.

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  • | | |

    Sacramento Bird Strike


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

    What: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 en route from San Diego to Sacramento
    Where: Sacramento
    When: Jan 30 2010
    Why: While on the landing approach, the plane flew through a flock of birds. The plane landed safely, however the plane sustained dents from bird strikes. It is not known if birds were ingested.

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  • | | | | |

    Angry Riots in Argentine Court over Aviation Decision


    Photo: A LAPA – Lineas Aereas Privadas Argentinas
    Boeing 737-2T4C/Adv photographed in July 2000, not the ill-fated LV-WRZ
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer James Richard Covington

    Relatives of victims disrupted the Argentine court when a two-year long trial ruled 6 LAPA (Lineas Aereas Privadas Argentinas) officials were not negligent. The operations manager and the 737 airlines chief both received three-year suspended sentences. Neither is currently employed in those positions.

    35 survived the 1999 crash; 65 were killed. On August 31, 1999, the LAPA Boeing 737 crashed at Buenos Aires, Argentina while taking off on a regularly scheduled passenger flight to Cordoba, Argentina. Witness reports indicate the pilot had aborted the takeoff. The airplane departed the airport property, crossed a highway, and came to rest on a golf course. There were 101 persons on board. The flight failed to take-off, broke through a perimeter fence and burst into flames on a golf course.

    The investigation attributed the crash to pilot error and found LAPA and air force deficiencies also contributed. The Argentine Air Force controlled civil and commercial aviation until 2009.

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  • | | | |

    Round of DNA Testing Begins in Ethiopia Crash


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

    What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
    Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
    When: Jan 25 2010
    Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
    Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea.

    Other than one British citizen and one Syrian, families of all of the victims have submitted DNA to help identify relatives remains although only a portion of the 90 aboard have been found since the crash on January 25 into the Mediterranean sea minutes after takeoff. The plane’s black box and main sections of the plane have not yet been located but a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Ramage, detected signals from the black box flight recorders at a depth of 4,265 feet

    The government of Lebanon has formally requested U.S. Odyssey Marine Explorations for submarine assistance in retrieval of victims, the black box and assorted wreckage.

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  • | | | |

    CAPTAIN’S INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS LED TO CRASH OF FLIGHT 3407 IN CLARENCE CENTER, NEW YORK, NTSB SAYS

    NTSB PRESS RELEASE

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2010
    SB-10-02

    CAPTAIN’S INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS LED TO CRASH OF FLIGHT 3407 IN CLARENCE CENTER, NEW YORK, NTSB SAYS

    The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the
    captain of Colgan Air flight 3407 inappropriately responded
    to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an
    aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover.
    In a report adopted today in a public Board meeting in
    Washington, additional flight crew failures were noted as
    causal to the accident.

    On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8-
    400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight
    3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara
    International Airport, Buffalo, New York, when it crashed
    into a residence in Clarence Center, New York, about 5
    nautical miles northeast of the airport. The 2 pilots, 2
    flight attendants, and 45 passengers aboard the airplane
    were killed, one person on the ground was killed, and the
    airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash
    fire. The flight was a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
    Part 121 scheduled passenger flight from Newark, New Jersey.
    Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the
    time of the accident.

    The report states that, when the stick shaker activated to
    warn the flight crew of an impending aerodynamic stall, the
    captain should have responded correctly to the situation by
    pushing forward on the control column. However, the
    captain inappropriately pulled aft on the control column and
    placed the airplane into an accelerated aerodynamic stall.

    Contributing to the cause of the accident were the
    Crewmembers’ failure to recognize the position of the
    low-speed cue on their flight displays, which indicated that
    the stick shaker was about to activate, and their failure to
    adhere to sterile cockpit procedures. Other contributing
    factors were the captain’s failure to effectively manage the
    flight and Colgan Air’s inadequate procedures for airspeed
    selection and management during approaches in icing
    conditions.

    As a result of this accident investigation, the Safety Board
    issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation
    Administration (FAA) regarding strategies to prevent flight
    crew monitoring failures, pilot professionalism, fatigue,
    remedial training, pilot records, stall training, and
    airspeed selection procedures. Additional recommendations
    address FAA’s oversight and use of safety alerts for
    operators to transmit safety-critical information, flight
    operational quality assurance (FOQA) programs, use of
    personal portable electronic devices on the flight deck, and
    weather information provided to pilots.

    At today’s meeting, the Board announced that two issues that
    had been encountered in the Colgan Air investigation would
    be studied at greater length in proceedings later this year.
    The Board will hold a public forum this Spring exploring
    pilot and air traffic control high standards. This
    accident was one in a series of incidents investigated by
    the Board in recent years – including a mid-air collision
    over the Hudson River that raised questions of air traffic
    control vigilance, and the Northwest Airlines incident last
    year where the airliner overflew its destination airport in
    Minneapolis because the pilots were distracted by non-flying
    activities – that have involved air transportation
    professionals deviating from expected levels of performance.
    In addition, this Fall the Board will hold a public forum
    on code sharing, the practice of airlines marketing their
    services to the public while using other companies to
    actually perform the transportation. For example, this
    accident occurred on a Continental Connection flight,
    although the transportation was provided by Colgan Air.

    A summary of the findings of the Board’s report are
    available on the NTSB’s website at:
    http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2010/AAR1001.htm
    -30-

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  • 6 Years of Unsupervised Supervision=65000 Flights of Chaos

    They say about real estate that the three most important things are location, location, location. And that makes sense, because the key factor about real estate is its lack of portability. Whether you’re in Calabasas or Timbuktu, where you are ultimately is where you are. The fact that it is where it is is what makes it what it is. Intrinsic value, and all that.

    One could argue what the most important thing about travel is. You could make a strong argument for getting there, being there, or smelling the roses along the way. If we narrow the question to the single most important thing about air travel, the most important thing is probably getting there in one piece–mostly because it seems that getting there safely and completely without incident is an ever more dubious proposition, a perception which is being emphasized now more than ever due to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System. When record keeping changes, it is difficult to say if some underlying factor has changed, or if the reporting is the only change. At any given time, it looks like the odds of getting there in one piece–on a plane that is 100% airworthy–are starting to look slim. And that is important whether the a plane is landing at LAX, (third busiest US Airport)

    NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System allows crew members to phone in anonymous reports, a whistle-blower’s hotline as it were. So there’s a record of blunders, errors, faults, and slip-ups, like improper repairs, substandard repairs, unqualified mechanics and maintenance deficits that might otherwise have slipped by or gotten swept under the rug.

    Honestly, what I see on these reports makes me seriously anxious. I’ll be facing more white-knuckled flights, just knowing that in the past six years, 65,000 flights have taken off in less than airworthy condition in conditions of deferred maintenance, or sporting less than stellar repairs farmed out to contract shops. 65,000 flights is a lot of flights, even if it is spread out over 6 years and 63 million flights. And do I believe that ALL of the other planes were in perfect running order? No.

    Some of the mechanical problems that down planes can be linked back to tiny repairs, or perhaps I should say involving small but very important parts. If a plane can go down because a single screw is loose, or the threads are worn, then acute attention to maintenance is exponentially more important. I wouldn’t set foot in a golf cart in the condition some of these planes are in. But as a commercial passenger, I would never know if repairs on my flight were deferred. I would not know if a plane were outsourced to a sub-standard repair facility by mechanics without repair manuals, proper tools or correct parts. Outsourcing repairs to other countries not only removes shops from proper supervision, it also opens up the possibility of security risk. But I digress from what is my primary concern right now.

    A sense of proportion and common sense should be applied here. Lights over a passenger seat are not as crucial as a screw assembly on the tail that provides pitch control.

    I’m just saying:

    We need more qualified supervised aviation repair facilities on U.S. soil.
    We need airlines to stop deferring repairs.
    We need airlines to maintain high standards.
    We need the FAA and the NTSB to do their jobs.

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    Qantas Tail Strike


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

    What: Qantas Boeing 767-300 en route from Sydney to Melbourne I \
    Where: Sydney on
    When: Feb 1st 2010
    Who: 120 passengers
    Why: On takeoff, the Boeing 767’s tail scuffed the ground. The crew made a precautionary return to the airport for the plane to be inspected for damage and was cleared to continue the flight.

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    American Airlines Emergency Landing in Providenciales


    Pictured: An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Miami
    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Orlando G. Rivera Rivera

    What: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 en route from Miami to St. Lucia
    Where: Providenciales airport, Turks and Caicos
    When: February 1, 2010
    Who: 109 passengers
    Why: The crew made an emergency diversion to Providenciales when en route to St. Lucia, they detected a suspicious odor. A 737 is scheduled to pick up the passengers and carry them the rest of the way.

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