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Press Release – FAA Proposes $585,725 Civil Penalty Against Corporate Air

For Immediate Release
SEATTLE – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $585,725 civil penalty against Corporate Air of Billings, Mont., for allegedly operating a Shorts SD-3-30 twin-turboprop cargo aircraft when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

The FAA alleges Corporate Air failed to maintain the aircraft under the company’s general maintenance manual, which requires daily post-flight inspections that include examining the exterior skin for corrosion. In addition, the maintenance manual requires structural inspections on the basis of flight hours or flights.
The FAA alleges that Corporate Air operated the aircraft in violation of regulations on at least 81 revenue flights between Dec. 21, 2009 and Feb. 4, 2010 with corrosion that had not been detected during the post-flight inspections. The FAA also alleges that structural inspections were not conducted at the required intervals, between Mar. 16, 2006 and Feb. 3, 2010, in violation of federal regulations.

Corporate Air operates charter and air taxi service under Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations and makes daily feeder cargo flights under contract to a major next-day air package airline.

“Keeping aircraft well-maintained and in good condition must be a top priority for any operator,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “All operators must comply with maintenance requirements.”

Corporate Air has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.
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    NTSB TO OPEN DOCKET ON INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH OF A PILATUS AIRCRAFT IN MONTANA

    NTSB Advisory
    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594
    December 2, 2010

    As part of its continuing investigation into a plane crash in Montana, the National Transportation Safety Board will open the public accident docket on Friday, December 3, 2010.

    On March 22, 2009, at 1430 mountain daylight time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N128CM, crashed near the approach end of runway 33 at Bert Mooney Airport (BTM), Butte, Montana. The airplane was owned and operated by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Oregon, as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. All 14 people on board the airplane were killed in the accident. There were no ground injuries. The flight departed Oroville Municipal Airport, Oroville, California, at 1110 Pacific Daylight Time (1210 mountain daylight time) on an instrument flight rules flight plan and was destined for Gallatin Field, Bozeman, Montana. The airplane was diverting to Butte at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

    The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide analysis. The docket includes: investigative group factual reports, interview summaries, crew statements, air traffic control transcripts, controller statements, the meteorology report, and other documents.

    Additional material will continue to be added to the docket as it becomes available. Analysis of the accident, along with conclusions and a determination of probable cause, will come at a later date when the final report on the investigation is completed.

    The docket material will be made available at 10:00 am ET on December 3 on the NTSB website at http://www.ntsb.gov/dockets/foia_fri-dockets.htm#Aviation2010 in the FOIA electronic reading room. Details are listed by date.

    This will be a document release only. No interviews will be conducted.

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    NTSB Assisting Dana Air Crash Investigation


    The NTSB is dispatching an investigator to assist the government of Nigeria in its investigation of the crash of a Dana Air Boeing MD-83 airplane, Flight # 0992.

    On June 3, 2012 at about 11:51 a.m. local time, the airplane, en route from Abuja to Lagos Nigeria, crashed outside the airport into a two story building. All 153 passengers and crew onboard were fatally injured, and an undetermined number of ground fatalities and injuries also occurred.

    As the state of design and manufacture of the Boeing MD-83, the NTSB has designated Senior Aviation Accident Investigator, Mr. Dennis Jones, as the traveling U.S. Accredited Representative. Mr. Jones will be assisted from NTSB headquarters by investigative staff specializing in operational factors, powerplants, and airworthiness as well as advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney.

    The investigation is being conducted by the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau.

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    FAA Safety Team | Safer Skies Through Education

    Safety Tip – Airport Surface Deviations
    Notice Number: NOTC2731
    Ground Operations
    As winter gets into full swing across the country we should be aware of its impact on our surface operations at the airport. Operating on a snow or ice covered surface — either in a ground vehicle or an aircraft — requires an extra degree of caution. Movement of ground equipment should be done in a manner that allows you to avoid sliding or skidding into other equipment or aircraft, or skidding across hold lines.

    Extreme caution also is needed when towing an aircraft due to the added weight and the fact that most of the time you are relying solely on the braking action of the tug to stop both the aircraft and the tug. On wet, slick or icy surfaces the aircraft in tow can suddenly jack knife out of control as you turn or attempt to stop.

    The same cautions must also be adhered to when taxiing an aircraft in these conditions. When diminished braking action is present, aircraft can slide off taxiways and runways if one is not careful. When approaching hold lines and turns, be sure to use minimal speed to ensure your ability to come to a stop prior to the hold line or to avoid skidding off the taxiway during a turn.

    As with all ground operations, keep your eyes outside the cockpit while taxiing and adhere to all ATC instructions.

    Additional information about ground operations can be found in chapter 2 of the Airplane Flying Handbook, available at http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/

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    Massive flight cancellations into and out of Frankfurt – German domestic flights and connections to European destinations equally affected – Long-haul flights still being flown

    The winter weather over the past few days has severely disrupted flight operations and kept passengers stranded on the ground, especially at Lufthansa’s home airport in Frankfurt. Since the weather is expected to get even worse, Lufthansa has been forced to operate to a special timetable, in which numerous flights on German and European routes into and out of Frankfurt will have to be cancelled. This measure is necessary in order to reinstate flight operations on their customary stable basis. Lufthansa long-haul flights are not affected.

    All Lufthansa passengers are urged to check the status of their flight before beginning their journey at Arrival & Departure. Passengers on intraGerman flights are advised anyway to utilise an alternative means of travel. In view of the extraordinary situation, Lufthansa flight tickets can be used for journeys by train without any problem. Electronic tickets can be exchanged for travel vouchers at the customer-operated check-in terminals.

    Should there not be enough time to convert the ticket at a Lufthansa Quick-Check-in machine, Lufthansa recommends the purchase of a train ticket. The refund of the ticket can be obtained by presenting the train ticket and the flight ticket to the office that has issued the flight ticket after having completed the journey.

    Passengers affected by flight cancellations should contact the dedicated Lufthansa Call Center set up specially for the purpose. The free phone number to call from Germany is: 0800 850 60 70. Callers from outside Germany should phone their local Lufthansa phone number .

    Lufthansa deeply regrets the inconvenience caused to many of its passengers in these days and will do its utmost to lessen the impact as much as possible.

    Deutsche Lufthansa AG
    Corporate Communications

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    NTSB PROVIDES INVESTIGATIVE UPDATE AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF LAB WORK RELATED TO BOEING 787 BATTERY FIRE IN BOSTON


    January 23, 2013
    WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will provide an update on the NTSB’s investigation of the Jan. 7 fire aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

    Chairman Hersman will brief credentialed members of the news media on the progress of the investigation, after which she and senior staff will take questions. Those unable to attend in person can call in to a teleconference line.

    Reporters will then be invited to view the materials laboratory where the battery is being examined. Photography will be allowed but no “stand-ups” or taped reporting from the lab will be permitted.

    For planning purposes, RSVP is required for those planning to either attend in person or call in.

    Location: NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza East, SW, Washington, DC

    Date: Thursday, January 24, 2013

    Time: 2:30 p.m.

    Participants: Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman; John DeLisi, Director of NTSB Office of Aviation Safety; and Dr.
    Joseph Kolly, Director, NTSB Office of Research and Engineering.

    The following factual information has been developed about the battery: It consists of eight cells of 3.7 volts each. All eight cells had varying degrees of thermal damage. Six of eight cells have been CT scanned and have been disassembled to expose their electrodes. All electrode windings in the battery are in the process of being photo-documented and are undergoing microscopic examination. In the coming days, the remaining two cells will undergo the same examination. Additional information will be provided tomorrow.

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  • Opportunity for a Global Framework on Environment – IATA Urges Agreement at ICAO Assembly

    Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the governments of the world to reach an agreement on a global framework to manage international aviation’s emissions at the 37th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    “The biggest challenge for this Assembly is to reach an agreement on a global solution to manage emissions from international aviation. A united aviation industry of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers and general aviation has made ambitious commitments to cap and eventually cut its emissions. To be successful, governments must endorse these commitments in a globally agreed framework,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, to a group of delegates attending the ICAO Assembly in Montreal.

    The aviation industry is united behind three targets: (1) a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, (2) capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth and (3) cutting emission in half by 2050 compared to 2005. “No other industrial sector has made such ambitious global commitments. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended the aviation industry as a role model for other industries to follow,” said Bisignani.

    Bisignani highlighted several key elements which could help facilitate global consensus:

    • Place and Process: The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christiana Figueres, confirmed that ICAO is the forum for dealing with emissions from international aviation and that any agreement at ICAO would not, in any way, impact the position of any state on non-aviation issues discussed in the UNFCCC process.
    • Developing Nations: Even within a global agreement, ICAO has a track record of accommodating the needs of developing states. For example, ICAO’s global framework for noise reduction included extended timelines for developing states.
    • Growth: The industry’s global solution will facilitate growth and the economic benefits it brings even while reducing emissions. This will be achieved through the industry’s four- pillar strategy of investments in technology, more efficient infrastructure, more effective operations and globally coordinated positive economic measures.

    “Major blockers are being removed. The industry is ready. And most governments agree that a global framework is needed. There are still some hurdles to overcome, but we are moving in the right direction,” said Bisignani who noted that important regional groupings and individual states have indicated their wish for an agreement.

    The planned inclusion of aviation into the European emissions trading scheme in 2012 has helped to focus governments on the urgency of a global solution. “If this Assembly ends without an agreement, the next opportunity is 2013. In the meantime the industry would be faced with a growing patchwork of conflicting and overlapping measures. For example, against global opposition, Europe would have to try to move forward with its unilateral emissions trading scheme,” said Bisignani.

    “No government or industry player will want to face the consequences of such a development. It would lead to a breakdown of the global standards on which global aviation was built, a patchwork of uncoordinated taxes and schemes, strained bilateral relations and serious challenges on sovereignty issues,” said Bisignani.

    “The livelihoods of 32 million people and $3.5 trillion in economic activity depend on the success of global aviation. As leaders, everyone attending this Assembly has a great responsibility to continue building a safe, secure, efficient and sustainable future for this wonderful industry. The industry is committed to supporting governments in reaching agreement on a responsible solution for aviation and the environment. I am optimistic that we will be successful,” said Bisignani.

    The ICAO Assembly will discuss environmental issues in its Executive Committee on Thursday 30 September with conclusions to be reported by the Assembly’s conclusion on 8 October.

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