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Spread Your Wings and Fly Away Safely

Spread Your Wings and Fly Away SafelyThe FAA Safety Team is out in full force at the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You can find the FAA Safety Team—also known as the FAASTeam—in the FAA Aviation Safety Center, right next to the FAA control tower.

At the booth you can learn more about the improvements to the www.FAASafety.gov website, sign up for the WINGS pilot proficiency program, and find out about FAA’s aviation maintenance technician awards program. This is a great opportunity to talk with dedicated safety professionals whose number one job is to make general aviation as safe as possible.

You can also check out the rest of the FAA Aviation Safety Center and see displays on all things aviation. The safety education forums held at the Safety Center cover such topics as “Aeronautical Decision Making,” “Surface Safety,” and “VFR Charts, Little Known Facts.”

See you there. For more information on EAA AirVenture, go to www.airventure.org.

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  • NTSB PRESS RELEASE

    NTSB CHAIRMAN TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS ON THE CRASH OF
    COLGAN AIR FLIGHT 3407

    Washington, DC – National Transportation Safety Board
    Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman testified in the U.S. Senate
    today about the status of aviation safety a year after the
    crash of Continental Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York on
    February 12, 2009. The flight was operated by Colgan Air.
    The crash resulted in 50 fatalities, including all of the
    passengers, the flight crew, and one person on the ground.

    The NTSB issued its final report on the investigation of the
    accident following a public board meeting on February 2.
    Chairman Hersman provided a summary of the investigation
    that led to the Board’s final report and a determination
    that the probable cause of the accident was the captain’s
    inappropriate response to an aerodynamic stall from which
    the airplane did not recover.

    At the hearing before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the
    Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation,
    Hersman noted that the Safety Board’s final report makes 25
    new recommendations to the FAA and reiterates 3 previously
    issued recommendations. The recommendations cover a wide
    range of safety issues that were factors in this accident,
    including pilot training and fatigue. Just last week, the
    NTSB updated its 2010 Most Wanted List of Transportation
    Safety Issues to better emphasize these 2 safety concerns,
    Hersman noted.

    “If we are serious about aviation safety, we must establish
    a system that minimizes pilot fatigue and ensures that
    flight crews report to work rested and fit for duty,” said
    Chairman Hersman. “We must also have a system in which we
    are steadfastly confident that all of our commercial pilots
    are proficient and well-trained.”

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  • |

    ICAO STRENGTHENS AIR CARGO SECURITY MEASURES

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    MONTREAL, 17 November 2010 ? The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted more stringent air cargo security standards, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the overall security of air transport operations worldwide.

    The new measures emphasize more extensive screening of cargo, mail and other goods prior to placing them on board aircraft and better protection from unauthorized interference from the point where security controls are applied until departure of the aircraft.

    Also included is the strengthening of provisions related to the deployment of security equipment, the security of air traffic service providers, training programmes and instructor certification systems, and cyber threats.

    The updated security requirements are contained in the 12th revision of Annex 17 (Security) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted today by the Council of the Organization.

    “This latest revision to the Security Annex has been in development for some time and reflects our determination to constantly review and adapt ICAO security standards to address a rapidly evolving security situation. It also complements a number of recent initiatives to significantly increase the level of aviation security, in a proactive and concerted manner,” said Mr. Roberto Kobeh González, ICAO Council President.

    The recent 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly unanimously adopted a Declaration which identified a number of areas where States committed to working together, in cooperation with the industry, on security issues. These include air cargo security, screening technologies to detect prohibited articles, strengthening international standards, improving security information-sharing and providing capacity-building assistance to States in need.

    A diplomatic conference, held in Beijing in September 2010 under the auspices of ICAO, adopted two international air law instruments for the suppression of unlawful acts relating to civil aviation.

    The two treaties further criminalize the act of using civil aircraft as a weapon, and of using dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other targets on the ground. They also provide for the unlawful transport of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and their related material, to be punishable. Making a threat against civil aviation may also trigger criminal liability.

    -END-

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  • |

    Diversion forum

    Press Release:

    In preparation for the upcoming winter storm season, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt are convening a Forum on Wednesday, November 30 to find better ways to manage aircraft diversions. Participants in the forum will review a series of proposed steps to improve travel for passengers who are diverted from their destination because of bad weather.

    “During severe weather situations, we want to do everything we can to make sure passengers are flown to airports that are ready and prepared and where passengers can get off the plane quickly,” said Secretary LaHood.

    The forum will take place in Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C. and will include air traffic controllers, pilots, aircraft dispatchers, airport operators, and officials from other government agencies and the aviation community.

    The participants will discuss all of the factors that influence diversion decisions and airport capacity in bad weather situations, including the status of navigation equipment, aircraft parking and gate availability, Customs capacity, refueling and de-icing assets, jetway and air stair access and general ramp operations and security.

    “We can’t control the weather, but we can improve the way diversions are handled,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

    The FAA is asking forum participants to bring ideas and best practices to the discussion. The FAA is proposing a new, web-based airport status tool that would present real-time information about each airport during a severe weather event to help airlines make fully informed decisions about where to divert. The FAA is also proposing including more airports in daily strategic planning conference calls during severe weather events to improve the information flow about which airports can accommodate diversions and would encourage airport contingency plans.

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  • |

    Delta Adding New ‘Economy Comfort’ Section on Long-Haul International Flights

    Investment builds on plans to install full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite, enhanced in-flight entertainment on all international widebody aircraft

    ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2011 / — Delta Air Lines today announced a major investment in its international fleet with plans to introduce a premium economy section – “Economy Comfort” – on all long-haul international flights in summer 2011. The new seats will feature up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Delta’s standard international Economy class seats.

    The product, which is similar to upgraded Economy services currently available on flights operated by Delta’s joint venture partner Air France-KLM, will be installed in the first few rows of the Economy cabin on more than 160 Boeing 747, 757, 767, 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft by this summer.

    Customers who have purchased an international Economy ticket on Delta will be able to choose Economy Comfort seats for an additional fee of $80-$160 one-way through delta.com, kiosks and Delta reservations beginning in May for travel this summer. Complimentary access to Economy Comfort seats will be available to all SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallions; up to eight companions traveling in the same reservation with Diamond and Platinum Medallions; and customers purchasing full-fare Economy class tickets. Gold and Silver Medallions will enjoy 50 and 25 percent discounts on the Economy Comfort seat fees, respectively.

    “Just as Delta is investing in BusinessElite, which is among the industry’s most competitive premium products, it makes sense to offer enhancements to our Economy Class service that provide additional comfort,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president – Network Planning, Revenue Management and Marketing. “Economy Comfort is one of many elements Delta is committed to delivering to our customers as part of a more than $2 billion investment we are making in the air and on the ground to improve the customer experience and position Delta as a leader in customer service.”

    In addition to more leg room and recline, customers seated in Economy Comfort will board early and enjoy complimentary spirits throughout the flight. These benefits are in addition to Delta’s standard international Economy class amenities, including complimentary meals, beer, wine, entertainment, blankets and pillows. In-seat power will also be available on aircraft equipped with personal entertainment systems which come with free HBO programming and other for-fee content(1). The seats will be designated with a specially designed seat cover.

    Full flat-bed seats on all international widebodies by 2013

    In addition to investing in the international Economy cabin, Delta today announced it now plans to install 34 horizontal flat-bed BusinessElite seats with direct aisle access in each of its 32 Airbus A330 aircraft by 2013. With this announcement, Delta now plans to offer full flat-bed seating in BusinessElite on all international widebody flights, or more than 150 aircraft, by 2013.

    Business Elite
    The new A330 seat, manufactured by Weber Aircraft LLC, will be 81.7 inches in length and 20.5 inches wide, similar to the flat-bed product currently offered on Delta’s 777 fleet. It also will feature a 120-volt universal power outlet, USB port, personal LED reading lamp and a 15.4 inch personal video monitor with instant access to 250 new and classic movies, premium programming from HBO and Showtime, other television programming, video games and more than 4,000 digital music tracks.

    Today’s announcements are the latest in Delta’s previously announced plan to invest more than $2 billion in enhanced global products, services and airport facilities through 2013. In addition to adding the Economy Comfort product and offering full-flat bed seats on its entire international widebody fleet, Delta is upgrading its domestic fleet with more First Class seats and in-seat entertainment; adding personal, in-seat entertainment for both BusinessElite and Economy class customers on all long-haul international flights; adding in-flight Wi-Fi service to all domestic aircraft with a First and Economy class cabin; and building new terminal facilities for international customers at its two largest global gateways – Atlanta and New York-JFK.

    Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 357 destinations in 66 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline’s service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world’s largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

    (1) HBO programming to begin in July 2011 on select aircraft with personal video-screens; In-seat power and personal entertainment being installed through 2013

    Economy Comfort seating will be offered on Delta’s Boeing 747, 757, 767 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft flying long-haul intercontinental routes between the U.S. and Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and South America (Lima, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Santiago only). Economy Comfort seating is limited and may not be available on all flights. The Economy Comfort Medallion travel companion benefit is applicable for up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation as the Medallion member. Group reservations are not applicable. For companions of Gold Medallion members, fees apply per seat. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits, respectively. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.

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  • NTSB CHAIRMAN HIGHLIGHTS RUNWAY SAFETY

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 23, 2010
    SB-10-09

    NTSB CHAIRMAN HIGHLIGHTS RUNWAY SAFETY AND HUMAN FATIGUE IN
    ADDRESS TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
    Washington, DC – In an address to the National Air Traffic
    Controllers Association (NATCA) in Orlando today, NTSB
    Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman lauded controllers for their
    role in keeping the number of runway incursions low while
    challenging the Federal Aviation Administration to hasten
    the pace of its efforts to improve runway safety.

    Attributing the decline in runway related incidents and
    accidents in part to “robust procedures, safe designs, and
    well-trained and alert controllers and pilots,” Hersman said
    that “we still have a lot of work to do,” and that the FAA
    needs to move more aggressively to lower the risk of runway
    accidents.

    Hersman chaired the NTSB’s February meeting in which runway
    safety was again voted onto its Most Wanted List of Safety
    Improvements where it has been since its inception in 1990.
    The Safety Board’s recommendations to the FAA includes
    providing immediate warnings of probable collisions and
    incursions directly to flight crews in the cockpit;
    requiring specific ATC clearance for each runway crossing;
    requiring operators to install cockpit moving map displays
    or an automatic system that alerts pilots when a takeoff is
    attempted on a taxiway or a runway other than the one
    intended; and requiring a landing distance assessment with
    an adequate safety margin for every landing.

    Citing an ongoing investigation of an incident in which a
    767 landed on a taxiway in Atlanta in October, Hersman said
    that the NTSB took a strong interest in the event “because
    we want to know what led a professional flight crew to
    mistake a taxiway for a runway, whether the controllers
    could have detected the misaligned final approach to landing
    and intervened, and whether there are technological tools
    that can be used to prevent such incidents from ever
    occurring in the first place.” Although no one was injured
    in the incident, Hersman said that “if this event had
    resulted in a fatal collision, there would be – far and wide
    – immediate and understandable calls for changes.”

    Hersman also cited human fatigue as an area that the Safety
    Board has become particularly focused on, saying that “We
    are seeing fatigue as a causal or contributing factor in
    numerous accidents across all transportation modes.” The
    NTSB has made recommendations to the FAA to set working hour
    limits for flight crews, aviation mechanics, and air traffic
    controllers, and has asked the FAA develop a fatigue
    awareness and countermeasures training program for
    controllers and those who schedule them for duty.

    Recently, NATCA and the FAA established a working group to
    collaboratively address the human fatigue issues that the
    NTSB has identified. Hersman noted the significance of this
    positive step by the leadership of both organizations and
    called it a very encouraging development.

    Concluding with an invitation for air traffic controllers to
    participate in a three-day forum on pilot and controller
    excellence that the NTSB will be holding in Washington in
    May, Hersman emphasized the value of learning from the
    numerous examples of superior job performance by
    controllers. “Through our work we are very good at finding
    out what went wrong, but frankly, it is just as important to
    know what is going right, because we want to replicate that
    throughout the entire national airspace system,” she said.

    The complete text of Chairman Hersman’s speech may be
    obtained on the Board’s website at
    http://www.ntsb.gov/Speeches/hersman/daph100323.html

    ###

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  • | |

    Symposium Announced: Airline Code-Sharing Arrangements and Their Role in Aviation Safety


    Date and Location:
    October 26 – 27, 2010
    NTSB Conference Center

    Short Description:
    The goals of the symposium are to (1) elicit information on the structures, practices, and oversight of domestic and international code-sharing arrangements; (2) gain insight into best practices regarding the sharing of safety information between airlines and their code-sharing partners; and (3) to explore the role that a major airline would have in the family disaster assistance response for an accident involving a code-sharing partner. These areas will be explored through presentations from major and regional airlines, industry organizations, and representatives of the traveling public.

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