The Families of Air France Flight 447 Turn to US

The Association of the relatives of the victims of Air France Flight 447 are proceeding against European manufacturer Airbus. To spearhead their undertaking, the families have contracted aviation consultant George Hatcher and the law firm of Masry & Vittoe.

Hatcher conferred with the victims’ relatives monday (20), in Rio De Janeiro, to discuss legal strategies that will be adopted in the case. According to the specialist, at this stage, regardless of the cause of the accident, the responsible party is the manufacturer of the airplane, France’s Airbus, subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company.

In a disaster of this stature, payments can reach up to $700 million dollars (U.S.).

According to Mr Hatcher who maintains a list of hundreds of pilot experts, “Two of our Airbus pilots agree that in their expert opinion, a significant responsibility for the loss of the aircraft lies within defective computers and/or flawed computer technology. The Airbus, in their evaluation is far from perfect.”

Hatcher will be working the Air France case, in addition to his work on the TAM case in Florida. “In respect for the family’s deep feelings,” he explained, “we are moving forward as quickly and carefully as the wheels of justice allow. Settlements in the US tend to be higher than elsewhere. The Tam hearing is scheduled for March of 2010. We came to a partial agreement with the TAM, but the case is pending on the responsible parties like BFGoodrich, responsible for the brakes, and the Pratt&Whitney, manufacturer of the turbines, one of which was with the broken reverser.”

The Air France is eligible to be tried in Florida where Airbus maintains a training center commercial office of the Airbus.

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  • Nation’s Largest Travel Companies Call on Airlines to Disclose Fares/Fees in Current Systems, Protect Comparison Shopping

    More than 115 Founding Members of Open Allies for Airfare Transparency Include Largest U.S. Travel Sellers, Major Trade Organizations, Corporate Travel Departments from Companies Including Dell, Oracle, News Corp.

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2011 -USNewswire/ — More than 115 of the nation’s largest travel companies and organizations today launched Open Allies for Airfare Transparency, an industry-wide effort to urge major airlines to share all of their fare and ancillary fee information through the distribution systems they currently use and not to circumvent those systems through new, untested, and potentially costly “direct connect” approaches.
    Founding members of the Open Allies coalition include many of the nation’s largest travel agencies, travel management companies, corporate travel departments, online travel agencies, global distribution systems, and travel trade organizations. Among the founding members are:

    • Many of the nation’s largest travel sellers, including 20 of the 53 companies with annual sales of more than $100 million on Travel Weekly’s 2010 “Power List.”
    • Corporate travel departments for many of the world’s largest companies, including Oracle (#13 on the Corporate Travel 100 list compiled by Business Travel News), Dell (#35), News Corp. (#70), Logitech, Sapient, Sodexo, and Textron, among others.
    • Trade associations representing broad segments of the travel industry, including the American Society of Travel Agents, Business Travel Coalition, European Technology and Travel Services Association, Interactive Travel Services Association, and the Scottish Passenger Agents Association.

    Hidden fees and closed airline systems are forcing millions of consumers to ‘fly blind’ when making their travel arrangements,” said Andrew Weinstein, director of the Open Allies coalition. “When you can’t see the full price of tickets or compare them among airlines, you lose the greatest benefit of our modern travel system and the benefits of price competition among the airlines. Some airlines want to turn back the clock to the days of proprietary reservation systems, silos of closed data, and one-off displays without price comparisons. Consumers deserve the ability to compare prices across airlines, and Open Allies will work to ensure they continue to have it.”

    The coalition plans to work with stakeholders across the travel industry to advocate on behalf of price transparency and full access to airline pricing and fee information.

    “Untested, incomplete and costly direct connect systems are not a good idea,” said Kevin Mitchell, Chairman of the Business Travel Coalition. “Through Open Allies, travel industry organizations, individual distribution system participants and corporate travel managers are providing the leadership and analysis that indicates direct connect will not usher in better, cheaper, faster travel solutions, but rather will reduce price competition and reintroduce to the industry and consumers the inefficiencies and opaqueness of the 1970s air ticket purchasing environment.”
    As part of its educational efforts, Open Allies released the first in a series of “white papers” on the technological, financial, and policy issues involved. That analysis, “Customized Services and Comparison Shopping: Preserving Price Transparency in the Age of ‘Unbundled’ Airline Services,” is available on the Open Allies website.

    “Travel agents are the front-line advocates for travelers, and those agents – from mom-and-pop travel agencies to the largest travel companies in the world – are overwhelmingly opposed to hidden fares or any system that reduces price transparency,” said Paul Ruden, Senior Vice President of the American Society of Travel Agents. “Our members are some of the airlines’ closest partners. We hope the airlines reconsider the more fragmented direct connect approach and work with us to make all of their fares and fees available to all travelers through the systems the travelers themselves choose to use.”

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    NTSB ISSUES SECOND INVESTIGATIVE UPDATE ON SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ACCIDENT IN NEW YORK

    August 6, 2013
    WASHINGTON – In its continuing investigation of the July 22 accident in which Southwest Airlines flight 345, a B-737-700, landed hard at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information:

    • The captain has been with Southwest for almost 13 years and has been a captain for six of those years. The captain has over 12,000 total flight hours, over 7,000 of which are as pilot-in-command. In 737s, the captain has over 7,900 hours, with more than 2,600 as the pilot-in-command.

    • The first officer has been with Southwest for about 18 months. The pilot has about 5,200 total flight hours, with 4,000 of those as pilot-in-command. In 737s, the first officer has about 1,100 hours, none of which are as the pilot-in-command.

    • This was the first trip the flight crew had flown together and it was the second leg of the trip. The first officer had previous operational experience at LGA, including six flights in 2013. The captain reported having flown into LGA twice, including the accident flight, serving as the pilot monitoring for both flights.

    • The en route phase of the flight, which originated in Nashville, was characterized by the flight crew as routine. On approach into LGA, the first officer was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring. SWA 345 was cleared for the ILS Runway 04 approach.

    • The weather in the New York area caused the accident flight to enter a holding pattern for about 15 minutes. The crew reported that they saw the airport from about 5-10 miles out and that the airplane was on speed, course and glideslope down to about 200-400 feet.

    • The crew reported that below 1,000 feet, the tailwind was about 11 knots. They also reported that the wind on the runway was a headwind of about 11 knots.

    • SWA 345 proceeded on the approach when at a point below 400 feet, there was an exchange of control of the airplane and the captain became the flying pilot and made the landing.

    • The jetliner touched down on the runway nose first followed by the collapse of the nose gear; the airplane was substantially damaged.

    At this point in the investigation, no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions have been found. A preliminary examination of the nose gear indicated that it failed due to stress overload.

    Investigators have collected five videos showing various aspects of the crash landing. The team will be analyzing these recordings in the coming months.

    Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Southwest Airlines, and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.

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    Series of Operational Errors by Pilot Led to 2009 Airplane Crash in Montana

    The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that the cause of the March 2009 deadly crash of a Pilatus airplane was a series of operational errors made by the pilot. The pilot failed to ensure that a fuel system icing inhibitor (FSII), commonly referenced by the brand name “Prist”, was added to the fuel prior to the accident flight.

    The pilot also failed to take appropriate remedial actions, including diverting to a suitable airport, after the airplane warning systems indicated a low fuel pressure state that ultimately resulted in a significant lateral fuel imbalance. And, the pilot lost control while maneuvering the left-wing heavy airplane near the approach end of the runway.

    “The pilot’s pattern of poor decision making set in motion a series of events that culminated in the deadly crash,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. “Humans will make mistakes, but that is why following procedures, using checklists and always ensuring that a safety margin exists are so essential – aviation is not forgiving when it comes to errors.”

    On March 22, 2009, at about 2:32 pm (MDT), a Pilatus PC-12/45, N128CM, crashed about 2,100 feet west of runway 33 at Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) in Butte, Montana. The flight departed Oroville Municipal Airport in Oroville, California, en route to Gallatin Field in Bozeman, Montana but the pilot diverted to Butte for unknown reasons. The pilot and the 13 passengers were fatally injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The airplane was owned by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Oregon, and was operating as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

    During the investigation, the NTSB determined that the pilot did not add a fuel system icing inhibitor when the airplane was fueled on the day of the accident. The Pilatus flight manual states that a fuel system icing inhibitor must be used for all flight operations in ambient temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius to prevent ice formation in the fuel system. The NTSB concluded that the airplane experienced icing in the fuel system which resulted in a left-wing-heavy fuel imbalance. The increasing fuel level in the left tank and the depletion of the fuel from the right tank should have been apparent to the pilot because that information was presented on the fuel quantity indicator. This should have prompted the pilot to divert the airplane to an airport earlier in the flight as specified by the airplane manufacturer.

    The NTSB issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, to require fuel filler placards and guidance on fuel system icing prevention.

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  • NTSB SAYS NORTHWEST PILOTS’ DISTRACTION LED TO OVERFLIGHT OF MINNEAPOLIS,

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2010
    SB-10-08

    NTSB SAYS NORTHWEST PILOTS’ DISTRACTION LED TO
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    The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that
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    the aircraft. The NTSB’s accident brief, released today,
    also note air traffic control shortcomings during the event,
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    On October 21, 2009, Northwest Airlines flight 188, an
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    The NTSB said that the pilots continued to fly through
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    The NTSB also found that the lack of national requirements
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    required by lost communications procedures. In addition,
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    As a result of deficiencies in ATC communications procedures
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    to address the following issues:
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    · The lack of standard phraseology for identifying the
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    The Safety Board’s probable cause finding, with factual
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    The Safety Recommendation letter can also be found on the
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    Previously, the Safety Board has addressed the potential
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    transportation operators. Last month, following the Board’s
    investigation of the Colgan Air 3407 accident near Buffalo,
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    explicit guidance to pilots, including checklist reminders
    as appropriate, prohibiting the use of personal portable
    electronic devices on the flight deck. Details of Safety
    Recommendation A-10-30 can be accessed at:
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    Recent accidents and incidents such as the midair collision
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    The Safety Board will convene a 3-day public forum on
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    New head of NTSB Aviation Safety


    National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman announced the selection of John DeLisi as the new Director of the Office of Aviation Safety (OAS). Mr. DeLisi will assume his new position on June 2, 2012 following the retirement of Tom Haueter, the current director.

    “It gives me great pleasure to announce John’s selection to lead OAS,” said Chairman Hersman. “With more than two decades of outstanding accident investigation experience, John has made significant contributions to safety and to the NTSB. I look forward to continuing to work with him to further improve the safety of air travel.”

    DeLisi has been serving as the Deputy Director of OAS since 2007. During his 20 years with the NTSB, he has overseen numerous major investigations, including the January 2009 ditching of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River and the February 2009 Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, New York.

    Beginning as an Aircraft Systems Engineer, DeLisi has been an on-scene investigator for 20 major domestic aviation accidents and 6 international investigations. And later serving as the Chief of the Major Investigations Division for the NTSB, he oversaw the development of more than a dozen other major airline accident investigations, including the investigation of the August 2006 Comair flight 5191 accident in Lexington, Kentucky.

    DeLisi is a cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, and has done graduate work in Engineering Management at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He holds a private pilot certificate.

    Haueter, who is retiring after 28 years of Federal service, has served the NTSB as a technical expert in charge of major accidents and as an ambassador for aviation safety all over the world. His portfolio of investigative work has encompassed everything from small general aviation crashes to some of our nation’s largest and most complex accidents involving major air carriers.

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    United Ranks Highest For On-Time Performance Among Network Peers For 2010

    CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2011 – United Airlines today announced the company was — for the second consecutive year — first in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among America’s five largest global carriers* for 2010. United ended the year with 85.2 percent of flights arriving at their destinations within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Air Travel Consumer report released today.

    United’s top performance in 2010 follows the airline’s leading position among this group for 2009.

    “We outperformed our network peers through a continued focus on delivering reliable service to every customer, every day, everywhere we fly,” said Pete McDonald, executive vice president and chief operations officer.

    For the month of December, United finished first for on-time performance and had the fewest number of cancelled flights among America’s five largest global carriers, according to data from the monthly report. United also ranked second among all 18 carriers whose arrival data is published in the report.

    In 2010, for each month that United ranked first or second in on-time performance among the nation’s five largest global carriers, frontline co-workers received a performance incentive bonus. For the year, each eligible frontline co-worker earned a total of $1,240 in performance incentive bonuses.

    About United Airlines
    United Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), operates more than 3,300 flights a day on United and United Express to more than 230 domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which overall offers 21,000 daily flights to 1,160 airports in 181 countries.

    United Continental Holdings, Inc. became the holding company for both United and Continental upon close of the merger transaction. The two airlines will operate separately as they begin to integrate key customer services, marketing activities and airport processes. For more company information, go to united.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook.

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