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WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) have reached a settlement agreement about aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) violations from December 2010 to June 2012 at four New York area airports owned and operated by the PANYNJ — John F. Kennedy, Teterboro, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International.
“We expect all airports to comply with our safety regulations and to correct any deficiencies immediately,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These violations were egregious, and they will not be tolerated.”
Under the agreement, the PANYNJ agrees to pay a $3.5 million fine within 30 days. If there is a violation of the settlement agreement, the FAA will impose an additional fine of $1.5 million and will assess an additional $27,500 daily for each violation. In addition to the fine, the PANYNJ has agreed to take the following actions, with FAA approval, to address the underlying problems that led to systemic noncompliance with ARFF requirements at the four airports:
“We expect the Port Authority to have trained safety personnel to ensure the safety of the travelling public and airport personnel, just like we have at all airports in the United States,” said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta.
The FAA became aware of ARFF violations as a result of an annual airport certification safety inspection of JFK in December 2011. The FAA also discovered similar violations at Teterboro, which prompted a full review of training at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International, and Stewart International Airports. The review of ARFF training revealed violations at LaGuardia and Newark, with no violations at Stewart.
The FAA believes the settlement agreement provides the best long-term solution to ensure ARFF compliance, given the systemic nature of the PANYNJ airport problems.
After 11am near Santa Fe on Oct 8, 2013, Roger Brown’s first flight on the ultra-light 67 killed him. The ultralight plane crashed in Galveston County, tearing the tail off.
Brown took off from his property. According to witnesses, he was looking for somewhere to land when he crashed in an unincorporated area Santa Fe. Brown had radio equipment aboard but apparently had no time to send out a mayday.
The Galveston County Sheriff Office and the Santa Fe police responded to the scene
On December 12, 2013, an Air Canada Jazz de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 took off from Nanaimo Airport en route to Vancouver when the plane developed an engine fire.
Fire broke out over open water when the plane reached cruising altitude minutes after leaving the airport. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang, and on the side of the plane, they saw flames from the affected engine.
The pilot shut down the engine, and they made a safe landing. The crew also discovered an engine oil problem just prior to the fire.
This was the first emergency landing at the Nanaimo Airport, which was shut down for four hours after the incident. Emergency services responded to the scene. Passengers used stairs to exit.
Passengers spoke positively about the crew. No one was injured.
NTSB STATEMENT ON ERRONEOUS CONFIRMATION OF CREW NAMES
July 12, 2013
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board apologizes for inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed as those of the pilots of Asiana flight 214, which crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6.
Earlier today, in response to an inquiry from a media outlet, a summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft.
The NTSB does not release or confirm the names of crewmembers or people involved in transportation accidents to the media. We work hard to ensure that only appropriate factual information regarding an investigation is released and deeply regret today’s incident.
Sandy:
Thousands of flights cancelled due to Tropical Storm Sandy
National Weather Service
..HURRICANE FORCE WINDS GUSTS REPORTED OVER LONG ISLAND AND THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREAS…
Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook
000
ABNT20 KNHC 292329
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
800 PM EDT MON OCT 29 2012
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC…CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO…
POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE SANDY IS ABOUT TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE
SOUTH NEW JERSEY COAST. AT 1100 PM EDT…THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER WILL ISSUE ITS LAST ADVISORY ON SANDY. THE
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER…HPC…WILL BEGIN ISSUING
PUBLIC ADVISORIES ON SANDY AT 500 AM EDT TUESDAY. HPC PUBLIC
ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED UNDER THE SAME WMO AND AWIPS HEADERS AS
THE NHC PUBLIC ADVISORIES…AND WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE VIA THE NHC
WEBSITE.
9:00 PM EDT Mon Oct 29
Location: 39.6°N 74.6°W
Moving: WNW at 21 mph
Min pressure: 947 mb
Max sustained: 80 mph
AVSEC World 2012 Postponed
Due to Hurricane Sandy and impending severe weather that has the potential to inflict enormous and unprecedented damage on the East Coast, and specifically the New York metropolitan region, the decision has been made to postpone AVSEC World 2012 and associated meetings and events. This decision was not made lightly but in the interest of the safety and security of our attendees.
Any reservations made at the below hotels through the conference registration system will be considered cancelled for arrival dates beginning on Sunday, 28 October unless we are otherwise notified.
The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
The Sheraton Brooklyn New York
The NU Hotel
Any reservations made outside of the conference registration site will need to be attended to on your own accord.
Thank you for your understanding and we will continue to provide updates to you in a timely manner.
Today the National Transportation Safety Board announced that its upcoming forum, “Lithium Ion Batteries in Transportation,” will be held on April 11-12. The NTSB also released a preliminary agenda for the event.
The forum will focus on three areas:
Agenda
Thursday, April 11 (9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Panel 1: Design, Development, and Use of Lithium Ion Battery Technology
Objective: This panel will discuss the design, development, and performance of lithium ion batteries. The design and development discussion will focus on battery configurations; advantages and disadvantages based on chemistry, power stability, and energy density; physical and electrical protective devices; manufacturing procedures and best practices; and quality assurance. The battery performance discussion will explore failure modes and other performance issues. Discussions will also include the range of lithium ion battery manufacturing processes.
Panel 2: Regulations & Standards for Lithium Ion Batteries
Objective: This panel will provide an overview and update of domestic and international regulatory requirements and standards associated with manufacturing, consumer and industry use, and transportation of lithium ion battery cargo. Topics will also include current and future lithium ion battery safety challenges for regulatory agencies and standard setting organizations.
Friday, April 12 (9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
Panel 3: Lithium Ion Battery Applications & Safety in Transportation
Objective: This panel will discuss the application and safety aspects of lithium battery technology in various transportation modes. The integration of the technology into existing designs will be explored including design standards, advantages and risks associated with use, reliability and failure; and what future use is planned. The panel will also discuss safety management considerations and strategies for first responders.
