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Qatar Airways Takes Delivery of Boeing 777 Freighter

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    Press Release – FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Breaks Ground on Recovery Act Funded Oakland Control Tower

    For Immediate Release
    October 15, 2010

    OAKLAND, Calif. – Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt helped break ground today for a new air traffic control tower at Oakland International Airport funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Oakland International Airport ARRA grant, totaling $33.2 million, is the FAA’s largest, single Recovery Act award.

    “This Recovery Act project will make a difference for the Oakland area economy,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “People will be put to work building an environmentally friendly tower that will better serve the airport and the community.”

    The Recovery Act grant will pay for construction of the 236-foot-tall tower and a 13,000 square-foot base building, as well as some equipment for the facility.

    “This brand new, modernized tower will give air traffic controllers a better view of the airfield and help improve airport efficiency,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “The Recovery Act is allowing us to make needed investments at airports around the country.”

    Two air traffic control towers currently serve Oakland International Airport. A 158-foot-tall tower on the southern portion of the airfield was built in 1962 as a part of a terminal expansion project. In 1972, construction of a large hangar blocked some views from the south tower, requiring the Port of Oakland to build a second tower to handle traffic on the north runways.

    Replacing both towers with a single one will improve air traffic operations and reduce operating costs. The FAA expects to start using the new tower in 2013.

    The new tower will feature a number of environmental benefits, including a covered parking structure with solar panels on the roof of the base building, which will provide power for the tower and its electrical systems. The tower also will have a geothermal heating system and a rainwater storage system.

    In addition to the Oakland tower funding, the FAA provided a total of $37 million in Recovery Act grants to Bay Area airports.

    Oakland International Airport received a $14.9 million ARRA grant to rebuild a large apron area used by airlines and cargo carriers and to reconfigure a taxiway. By replacing old apron pavement, the project will improve efficiency and allow larger aircraft to use the taxiway.

    San Francisco International Airport received ARRA grants totaling $14.5 million to resurface two runways. The projects leveled out the runways, which tend to settle over time because of ground conditions. The new asphalt concrete resurface also will prevent unexpected runway shutdowns due to pavement breakdown, and will guard against crumbling pavement debris that can damage aircraft.

    In San Jose, a $5.2 million Recovery Act grant is funding the extension of a taxiway at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. This project will improve safety by eliminating the need for private planes to cross a runway while taxiing to an engine run-up area.

    An additional $2.4 million in Recovery Act funds is modernizing and making safety upgrades at area facilities and airports.

    Nationwide, $1.3 billion in Recovery Act money has been made available for both airport improvement projects and air traffic control facility and system upgrades. These Recovery Act grants have been distributed to airports that serve commercial passengers, cargo and general aviation.

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    Korean Air Plane’s Tyres Deflate during Roll out in South Korea

    korean airKorean Air flight KE-718’s both nose tyres deflated after landing at Jeju International Airport, Jeju City, South Korea, on July 29th.

    The Boeing 737-900 flying from Tokyo, Japan, had landed on Jeju’s runway when the incident occurred.

    All 148 passengers onboard disembarked safely.

    The aircraft is still on the ground since the occurrence.

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    Spilled Coffee Cancels Flight


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Charin de Silva

    What: United Airlines Boeing 777-200, en route from Chicago O’Hare,IL to Frankfurt/Main
    Where: Toronto
    When: Jan 3rd 2011
    Who: 241 passengers
    Why: While en route, the communication and navigation equipment failed, and the flight crew landed at Pearson as a safety measure. According to the FAA, the apparent reason (or a factor as the investigation is continuing) is that the equipment failed after a crew member spilled coffee on it. Additional confusion followed as pilots sent an incorrect code before they sent the “loss of communication” code.

    UA sent a plane to ferry the passengers back to Chicago and another flight.

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    Lufthansa Flight Returns to Frankfurt due to Landing Gear Problem

    Lufthansa flight LH-464 had to return and make an emergency landing in Frankfurt, Germany, on September 8th.

    The Boeing 747-400 plane took off for Orlando, Florida, but had to turn back after the crew failed to retract the landing gear.

    The plane landed back safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

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  • FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Totaling $787,500 Against American Airlines

    For Immediate Release
    March 12, 2010
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking to collect three proposed civil penalties totaling $787,500 from American Airlines for maintenance violations.

    In the first case, which occurred in April 2008, the FAA alleges American Airlines mechanics diagnosed problems with one of two Central Air Data Computers (CADCs) on a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jetliner. Instead of replacing the computer, mechanics improperly deferred this maintenance under the airline’s DC-9 Minimum Equipment List (MEL) by noting that the auto-throttles were inoperative. The MEL, however, does not allow deferral of an inoperative CADC.

    The airline subsequently flew the plane on 10 passenger flights before the computer was replaced. During this time, flight crews were led to believe that both computers were working properly.

    The FAA proposes a civil penalty of $625,000 in this case.

    In the second case, the FAA found that in March 2008, American failed to correctly follow an Airworthiness Directive involving the inspection of rudder components on certain Boeing 757 aircraft. As a result, four 757s operated by American Airlines did not comply with the requirements of the Airworthiness Directive.

    The FAA alleges that after American was advised of the situation, the company said it would cease flying the planes until they were repaired. However, during the following two days, the airline flew two of the planes on a total of three passenger flights. The FAA is seeking a penalty of $75,000 in this case.

    In the final case, the FAA alleges that in May 2009, American’s mechanics returned an MD-82 aircraft to service, even though several steps of a scheduled B-check maintenance visit had not been checked off as completed. The airline also replaced a landing gear door without noting it in the aircraft’s logbook.

    The aircraft was operated on two passenger flights with the logbook error. An FAA inspection of the aircraft revealed several discrepancies in the tail section, including loose screws, a missing nut plate and a right hand elevator torque tube binding and making noise. As a result of these discrepancies, the FAA proposes a civil penalty of $87,500.

    American Airlines has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s civil penalty letter to respond to the agency.

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    NTSB KICKS OFF YEAR-LONG EFFORT ON CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY, DEBUTS EDUCATIONAL VIDEO

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 9, 2010

    The National Transportation Safety Board today concluded its public forum, Child Passenger Safety in the Air and in Automobiles. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman announced in her opening remarks that the forum marked the beginning of a year-long effort by the Board to promote child passenger safety across all modes of transportation.

    “Safety for our smallest travelers should not be considered optional or a luxury,” said Chairman Hersman.

    As part of the NTSB’s safety advocacy efforts, a short video focusing on the importance of properly securing children in cars and on airplanes was debuted at the start of the forum. The full video is now at www.ntsb.gov/children, as well as two shorter versions – one focused on highway safety and one focused on aviation safety. All three versions soon will be available in Spanish.

    “The laws of physics don’t change, whether you are on an airplane or in an automobile,” said Chairman Hersman. “Children rely on their parents to know what is safest for them. The purpose of our forum was to make sure that parents have the information to do the right thing.”

    Chairman Hersman also noted that 18 other states, as well as American Samoa and Puerto Rico, should amend their existing booster seat laws to reflect the Safety Board’s longstanding recommendation.

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