After contract talks failed and pilots turned down an over 30 percent increase a, Spirit Airlines has gone on strike. Pilots are seeking pay equal to JetBlue Airways Corp., AirTran Holdings Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co.
Saturday flights are cancelled.
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Sara Bajc, partner of Philip Wood, a passenger who is presumed lost on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, does not believe believe that #MH370 crashed and is at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. She believes the plane is intact because there have been no bodies, no wreckage, no black boxes found and published in the media.
This isn’t news. It is one woman’s opinion. Probably the opinion of many family members of those aboard the plane. And why not? If I had someone lost aboard a missing plane, I too would probably support any kind of theory that kept hope of their survival alive. Can’t put a price on hope.
But.
What if there were a cockpit fire that emitted toxic smoke and destroyed electronics?
What if the UK firm Inmarsat tracking is wrong? What if it is right?
I’ve written enough fiction (and lived in spitting distance of Hollywood’s crazy cereal of fruits, nuts and flakes) to know that the marriage of “what if” and a couple of rational-sounding factoids can birth everything from a practically real-life scenario to wildly impossible science-fiction-fantasy voodoo whacko-crazy delights. So there you have it.
You know what I believe? No one has the answers. Until someone is standing in front of me with proof, in my not-so-secret heart of hearts published in full naked glory out here on the internet, I will believe that anyone who says they think they know…is paranoid.
Now…how can I fit all of this into a tweet?
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You’ve heard about Act I, the American Airlines Boeing, which landed without the benefit of ATC guidance at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
You’ve heard about Act II, the United Airlines Airbus, which also landed without benefit of ATC guidance.
So why was the tower offline? Simple. The controller apparently fell asleep on duty. The supervisor was on duty alone that night
It is interesting and perhaps significant to note that the media is much more alarmed about this than most pilots seem to be. The midnight shift at many airports has minimal traffic and there is only one air traffic controller on duty. As was the case at Reagan National, Pilots have access to other air traffic towers. When failing to raise National, the two planes that landed on Wednesday contacted a nearby Warrenton Tower.
The controller is not a beginner. He’s been on the job at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for 17 years. This was his 4th successive night on the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m shift. There’s no denying that he should not have fallen asleep, or that there should have been two controllers there. But there are some factors to consider.
The accident would have been a whole lot worse if there had not been established protocols for dealing with an airport deemed “uncontrolled.”
The first crew designated an advisory frequency. (Emergency procedures.)
The second flight crew was aware of the problem, having been informed via that frequency about the silent tower.
Washington noise abatement prevents all but a few midnight flights.
Yes it was a bad situation, but it could have been worse. It’s a good thing there were fall back procedures for the pilots to rely on. At least they never lost radar. And pilots are trained to land without ATC guidance, just in case something like this happens. And, after all, there are airports like Casa Grande, Arizona which are unmonitored and uncontrolled. Listen to the pilots in the audio below. They don’t sound at all stressed by the situation.
There are consequences that will be far reaching. A minimum of two controllers is going to be mandatory. The controller who fell asleep has been suspended and will be handled according to procedures in the Human Resource Policy Manual.
But there may be more to come after this. Policy changes, perhaps a lawsuit, perhaps even criminal charges.Or perhaps only retraining for the controller. Time will tell. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has ordered two controllers on the midnight shift at National.
Airport ATC Audio
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On Mar 12, 2013, a Fretax Taxi Aéreo single engine Embraer EMB-820C Carajá (PA-31) disappeared en route from Belem to Sierra Areão Airport. The flight crashed twenty miles from the airport in Almeirim Brazil near the border with the state of Amapá.
Seripa (Regional Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents) discovered the wreckage after the plane went missing late Tuesday in the vicinity of Monte Dourado. Air Traffic controllers reported the flight missing at 22:00 hours and contacted SALVAERO Service Air Search and Rescue.
There were ten people on the flight to the Santo Antonio do Jari hydroelectric power plant, including the pilot, and ten employees of Cesbe Engineering. The crew was en route to the Santo Antonio do Jari hydroelectric dam/power plant building project as part of the construction crew.
A FAB (Força Aérea Brasileira) investigation is underway.
Fretax statement (translated)
At the moment, the company is providing full assistance to those involved in the accident and has taken all steps along with their families, who will receive all the support and information they need,”
The aircraft was “fully airworthy and all revisions to date, and crew member license and valid medical examination.
What: Qantas Airbus A380-842 en route from Singapore (Singapore) to Sydney,NS Where: Singapore When: Nov 4th 2010 Who: 440 passengers and 26 crew Why: After taking off from Singapore, over Batam the engine exploded and began emitting smoke. The airplane took off at 9:57L, about 4 minutes later abnormal engine #2 indications occurred and the engine shut down at 10:01L. Debris fell in a district called Dutamas, including the Qantas logo, and a turbine falling through a house. The pilot dumped fuel and returned to make a safe landing in Singapore.
The Trent 900 engine has been subject to an EASA Airworthiness Directive. Maintenance determined that “the intermediate pressure turbine disk of engine #2 failed” and are checking for the directive’s warning (intermediate pressure shaft coupling splines requiring inspection for excessive wear) but they believe the engine failure is unrelated to the Directive.
The parts that fell in Batam have been quarantined. Australian accident investigators have downloaded the CVR and FDR. The Australian Transportation Safety Board preliminary report deadline is Dec 3 2010.
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DENVER, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Few aircraft since the Wright Flyer have truly become an “Aircraft of Legend.” Like the DC-3, the technological advancements of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are expected to profoundly impact commercial aviation. The Living Legends of Aviation have chosen the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to receive the “Aircraft of Legend Award” which will be presented at the 9th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards to be held January 20th at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Calif. Mr. Scott Fancher, VP and General Manager of the Boeing 787 Program, will be accepting the award on behalf of all who have contributed to the “Boeing Dreamteam.” The
Living Legends of Aviation Annual Awards is the most important and prestigious recognition event of aviation.
On December 17, 1903 at 10:31 am with Orville at the controls and Wilbur running along side steading the wing, the world experienced the first controlled powered flight. Exactly 100 years later the Living Legends of Aviation organization was born to celebrate and recognize significant contributions for the second hundred years of aviation.
The “Living Legends of Aviation” are a group of extraordinary people of accomplishment. They are defined as aviation entrepreneurs, innovators, record breakers, astronauts, industry leaders, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots.
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