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Mitsubishi Mu-2 goes under
FAA’s microscope
The
US Federal Aviation Administration
is carrying out a safety
review of the Mitsubishi
Mu-2 twin turboprop on
the grounds that there
has been an increase in
the number of accidents
involving the type in
the last two years. Since
the announcement a Mu-2
crashed on approach to
West Memphis airport,
Tennessee on 23 September.
The FAA says it is
not merely checking
out the aircraft, the
oldest of which were
built in the early 1960s,
but also the operators
and the types of operation
for which the aircraft
is used, and is reviewing
the recent accidents
to see if there is an
identifiable trend or
common causal factor.
The FAA says that most
of the accidents involved
“cheque-haulers” – overnight
cargo carriers operating
under FAR Part 135.
The early Mu-2s were
powered by Turbomeca
Astazou engines, but
most now have Garrett
TPE331s. US National
Transportation Safety
Board information indicates
there have been five
fatal and five non-fatal
accidents involving
US-registered Mu-2s
since January 2003.
There are about 500
operating in the USA.
The Mu-2 that crashed
at West Memphis had
taken off for Gainesville,
Georgia when the pilot
requested permission
to return and crashed
while on approach to
the airport.
Mitsubishi says it
is co-operating fully
in the FAA’s review,
and has hired former
NTSB investigator Greg
Feith, now a professor
at Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University, to assist
the company in assembling
data that might be relevant.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
America general manager
Noel Takayama says he
is requesting that Feith
present a safety seminar
specifically for Mu-2
operators.
|
France Bans
Cameroon Airlines Flights
PARIS (AP) -- France on Friday banned
Cameroon Airlines flights for safety
reasons, saying inspectors found worn
tires on planes, leaks of hydraulic
fluid and other violations of international
standards.
Checks were conducted in May, July
and August, and "each time there
were anomalies," said French
civil aviation authority spokeswoman
Edith Tartry.
Executives from Cameroon Airlines
were in a meeting Friday and the company
had no immediate comment. The carrier
flew four times a week to Paris.
The French suspension comes as the
European Union is working to establish
common standards to ban unsafe airlines
in all 25 member states. European
governments use different criteria
to ban unsafe airlines, meaning planes
blacklisted in one country can still
land in other EU nations.
National air safety experts approved
a proposal this month for an EU blacklist
that needs the support of transport
ministers and the European Parliament
before it can enter into force in
early 2006.
Tartry said Cameroon Airlines is the
sixth carrier banned in France. The
others are North Korea's Air Koryo;
U.S. carrier Air Saint-Thomas; International
Air Services of Liberia; the Mozambican
Linhas Aereas de Mocambique and Phuket
Airlines of Thailand.
The aviation authority asked the airline
for an independent technical audit
of its fleet. It said the flight suspension
could be lifted when an audit shows
the company is complying with international
standards. |
Egyptian Student
Arrested With Pilot Uniform, Training
Aids
Man Reported After He Didn't Pay For
Most Materials A 29-year-old Egyptian
man arrested last week for wire fraud
and fraudulent use of a Social Security
number is now under FBI investigation
for possible ties to terrorism, after
authorities reportedly found a pilot's
uniform and several DVD training materials
in his possession.
Training aids such as Sporty's "How
an Airline Captain Should Look and
Act"
and McGraw-Hill's "Mastering
GPS Flying" were found by investigators
looking into the case of Mahmound
Maawad, a University of Memphis student
who is in the country illegally, according
to the Associated Press.
"My school is everything,"
said Maawad at a Thursday court hearing.
"I stay in this country for seven
years; I stay for the school."
U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Thomas Anderson
ruled that Maawad should be held without
bond, pending the outcome of the investigation.
"It is hard for the court to
understand why he has a large concentration
of those items, and nothing else to
indicate Mr. Maawad plans to stay
in the community," Anderson said.
"The specific facts and circumstances
are scary," said Assistant U.S.
Attorney Steve Parker. According to
Parker, the pilot-related items were
found during a search conducted two
weeks ago.
FBI agent Thad Gulczynski testified
Maawad had ordered $3,000 in aviation
materials. The company Maawad ordered
the materials from reported him when
he didn't pay for approximately $2,500
of the merchandise it delivered, Gulczynski
said. |
Greek air accidents' Commission meets
British engineers
CNA
- LONDON-Britain - 13/9/2005
11:20
1120:CYPPRESS:01
Greek air accidents' Commission meets
British engineers
by Kyriakos Tsioupras
London, Sep 13 (CNA) – Head of the
Greek Investigating Commission on
Air Accidents and Incidents Akrivos
Tsolakis has said he was satisfied
with the information gathered during
a meeting with British engineers of
Helios Airways, Alan Irwin and Malcolm
Fowler.
Speaking after an 8-hour-long meeting
here with them, Tsolakis, who is investigating
the cause of a crash of an Helios
Boeing 737 that killed all 121 people
on board, most of them Cypriots, said
''we had an excellent cooperation
with them. They were willing to help,
good professionals. We've got what
we wanted for the progress of our
investigations''. |
Washington, D.C. - Transportation
fatalities in the United States decreased
slightly in 2004, according to preliminary
figures released today by the National
Transportation Safety Board.
Deaths from transportation accidents
in the United States in 2004 totaled
44,870, down from the 45,158 fatalities
in 2003.
The number of persons killed in all
aviation accidents dropped from 710
in 2003 to 651 in 2004. There
were no fatalities on commuter carriers
in 2004. The number of general aviation
fatalities also decreased from 632
in 2003 to 556 in 2004. There
were 14 airline fatalities, 13 of
which occurred in a crash of a Jetstream
aircraft in Kirksville, MO.
Air taxi fatalities increased from
42 to 65. |
Indonesian
authorities will carry out random
checks on all domestic airliners
to ensure planes are being properly
maintained in the wake of this week's
crash that killed 149 people.
Ministry of Transport officials made
the comments at a special parliamentary
hearing, where legislators questioned
whether carriers were paying enough
attention to safety in light of sky-high
fuel costs and a ticketing price war.
The Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200
crashed into a crowded neighbourhood
in the Sumatran city of Medan on Monday
just after take-off, killing 102 people
on board and 47 others on the ground.
Fifteen passengers in the tail section
survived.
Mohammad Iksan Tatang, the ministry's
director-general for air transport,
said outside the hearing checks would
be made on on many items from ownership
to flight readiness and engine conditions.
"We are going to audit airlines'
financial reports and if they touch
up maintenance issues, we will cancel
their routes," he said.
A preliminary probe into the crash
has found a fuel problem with one
of the plane's engines.
A team of United States investigators
and experts has arrived in Indonesia
to assist with investigations.
The US National Transportation Safety
Board will analyse the two flight
recorders recovered from the wreckage.
|
IATA
audit useful for researching
airline safety
The International Air
Transportation Association's
"Operational Safety
Audit" is a good
way for travelers to determine
whether the airline they
fly is safe, The Wall
Street Journal's Scott
McCartney writes. The
audit independently examines
the airlines. So far,
58 carriers have passed
the audits, which are
administered by six companies.
A team of six experts
evaluates an airline for
five days, then the airline
has a year to correct
any problems. After the
problems are fixed, the
airline is listed as meeting
international standards.
The Wall Street Journal
|
Australian Navy crash
blamed on bad part
RANDWICK, Australia (UPI)
-- Workers had reinstalled
a defective part on an
Australian Navy helicopter
that crashed killing nine
people in Indonesia, a
sailor has testified.
The sailor told a Randwick,
Australia, board of inquiry
hearing that
maintenance workers re-installed
the defective bell crank
on the Sea King helicopter
two months before the
April 2 crash because
they had no spare part
available.
He also testified no records
were kept of the February
maintenance work, the
Sydney Morning Herald
reported Tuesday.
The Sea King was one of
two on board the HMAS
Kanimbla, which had provided
three months of relief
following the December
tsunami and was ordered
back to Indonesia when
a second earthquake hit
the island of Nias.
The two survivors of the
military helicopter crash
are expected to testify
in the inquiry in the
next two months, the newspaper
said.
|
Plane Crashes
Following the August air
crashes in Toronto, Peru,
Venezuela, Sicily and
Greece with the loss of
more than 300 lives, the
International Civil Aviation
Organization insists that
being struck by a meteor
is more likely than an
aircraft accident. Kieran
Daly, editor of Air
Transport Intelligence,
told the Daily Mail:
"Figures do show
that accidents do come
in clusters. But the incidents
we have had in the last
few days are spread around
the world and there seems
to be very little common
cause." Some tips
for air safety: Check
out the safety record
of the airline (www.aviation-safety.net),
fly non-stop (fewer landing
and take-offs), don't
worry about discount airlines
(they have the same safety
standards), choose larger
aircraft (more than 30
seats means more stringent
safety checks), pay attention
to safety announcements
and keep your seatbelt
on. |
FAA will not require child
safety seats
The Federal Aviation Administration
has decided not to require
children flying on commercial
planes to sit in safety
seats. Requiring the seats
would force parents to
buy an extra ticket for
their child. The FAA said
such a requirement would
deter cost-conscious travelers
from flying.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
(Texas)/Associated Press |
Switzerland To Publish
Airline Blacklist
August
26, 2005
The Swiss federal
office for civil aviation
(BAZL) will publish
a blacklist of airlines
that will be forbidden
from landing at Swiss
airports due to safety
concerns, the bureau
said in a statement
on Friday.
The blacklist
will be published
on September 1 on
the Internet.
"The publication
of companies with
systematic deficits
is in the interest
of security and
transparency,"
BAZL said in a statement.
The European Commission
is planning to introduce
a EU-wide blacklist
of airlines with
aircraft grounded
for safety reasons.
The United States
compiles a similar
list based on entire
countries rather
than individual
airlines.
UK civil aviation
authorities already
publish such a list
on the Internet.
Swiss consumer
advocates lauded
the plan, saying
it will provide
travellers and travel
agents with more
integral information
when booking their
trips.
"The publication
of the list is a
good step in the
right direction,"
Jacqueline Bachmann,
the head of the
Swiss consumer protection
foundation said
in a statement.
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Airlines
will pay less for insurance
this year, observers say
Aviation insurance premiums
are expected to decline this
year because the U.S. commercial
aviation industry has experienced
one of its safest periods in
history. The industry has not
recorded a major accident since
late 2001, when an American
Airlines flight crashed in New
York. Recent crashes in Toronto,
Greece and Venezuela will not
boost rates for U.S. carriers,
one observer said. Denver Rocky
Mountain News (link) |
|
August
22, 2005 - Airport
Tragedy Remembered
MANCHESTER,
England - SURVIVORS
and bereaved families
will today attend a
private memorial service
to mark the 20th anniversary
of the Manchester airport
disaster which claimed
55 lives.
The victims
were overcome by smoke
following an engine
fire on a Boeing 737
operated by British
Airways subsidiary British
Airtours.
It was
about to take off from
Manchester to Corfu
with 131 passengers
and six crew aboard.
Among
those who lost their
lives was Sheffield
student Sarah Beckett,
18, who was traveling
to Greece to work as
a nanny during the holidays.
Her dad
William will read a
lesson at today's service.
Much has
been done to improve
safety following the
accident but Mr Beckett,
59, who runs a plastic
manufacturing company
in Sheffield, is still
not happy with the safety
regime. "The exits
on narrow-bodied aircraft
are still totally inadequate,"
he said.
"The
configuration of these
types of plane should
be changed but it looks
as if it will be many
years before that will
come about.
"The
Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA) has consistently
ruled out smokehoods
for passengers. Smokehoods
buy precious time and
they should have been
made compulsory for
passengers." The
CAA decided that there
was no design that was
suitable and that smokehoods
would not enhance safety
but could slow passengers
down in an escape from
an aircraft. A CAA spokesman
said: "You could
not get a Manchester
situation again. A fire
inside the cabin would
not have the same impact
now."
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Today in History:
see
this link
Date of Accident: 19 August
1980
Airline: Saudi Arabian Airlines
Aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-1
Tristar
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Registration: HZ-AHK
Flight Number: 163
Fatalities: 301:301
Engine Manufacturer: Rolls Royce
Engine Model: RB211-524B2-02
Year of Delivery: 1979
Accident Description: The
crew reported a fire shortly after
takeoff from Riyadh. After returning
to the airport and making a successful
emergency landing, the cabin crew
was unable to open the doors due
to an electrical failure. 15 minutes
later, when rescuers finally opened
the first door, all aboard had died
of smoke inhalation. This was the
first of a series of Kapton wiring
fires.
|
Airlines
lose lifevests to fit fat flyers
Americans have put on so much weight
that airlines have removed phones,
magazines and even lifevests from
aircraft to compensate.
This week, the federal aviation administration
revised guidelines used by airlines
to calculate how much weight they
have on board to take account of the
fact that Americans are getting fatter.
The FAA has added 8% to a male and
18% to a female traveller in an attempt
to ensure that the centre of gravity,
takeoff speed and fuel needs for planes
can be more accurately estimated.
Assumptions about weight were last
made 10 years ago and obesity among
adults has increased by 60% over the
course of the 90s.
According to the National centre for
Health statistics, 30% of American
adults over 20 are obese. Two years
ago the low-cost carrier Southwest
airlines started forcing large passengers
to pay for two seats.
"Maybe instead of just using
those [boxes] at the gates to limit
carry-on bags to certain sizes, the
airlines need to have a people-sizer
with a sign asking, 'Do you fit into
this?'" Dave Grotto, of the American
Dietetic Association, told the Chicago
Tribune.
Excessive weight was believed to be
a key reason why a jet crashed in
North Carolina in 2003, killing all
21 people on board. Shortly afterwards
the FAA ordered that passengers on
small planes should be weighed. Travellers
were asked their weight or told to
step on a set of scales.
Given people's propensity to lie about
their weight, airlines were told to
add 4.5kg (10lb) to the figure they
were told. "They usually lie
in the single digits," said Peggy
Gilligan, the FAA's director of flight
standards.
link |
Sleep
researchers study pilots flying
east-west route
Sleep researchers at the University
of South Australia are studying
the effects that late-night
flights from Perth to the
east coast have on the performance
of commercial pilots.
Pilots taking part in the
study will be asked to wear
activity monitors for a week,
either side of a late night
or "back of clock"
flight.
They will also use computers
to test their reaction times
during the flights.
Senior Research Fellow Dr
Matthew Thomas says the knowledge
gained should help airlines
build safer flight rosters.
"One of the things we're
focusing on is rest after
a 'back-of-clock' sector,"
he said.
"A quick return to work
for another night flight,
perhaps, is that better or
worse than a 24-hour rest
period or even longer?"
link |
|
Canadian
Airports Must Build Safety
Areas
Josh
Pringle
Saturday,
August 06, 2005 2:47 AM
All Canadian airports
will soon be required
to build "safety
areas" at the ends
of runways to assist
planes that overrun
the landing strip. But
Transport Canada insists
the new requirements
have nothing to do with
the Air France incident
at Toronto's Pearson
Airport on Tuesday.
The Airbus A340 landed
in a gully 200 metres
past the end of the
runway and burst into
flames.
Transport Canada has
not determined how long
the safety areas will
be required to be, or
how much time airports
will have to make them.
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Two experts
from the manufacturer of the slide
and one from the U.S. National Transportation
Safety Board were on site looking
at why the Air France A340 slides
didn't work as advertised, Levasseur
said.
As well, one runway expert from the
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
is working with the Canadian team,
looking at tire marks on the runway
at Pearson International Airport to
determine if Air France 358 hydroplaned
in the severe rain storm Tuesday.
But at this point in the investigation,
the plane doesn't appear to have hydroplaned,
Levasseur said.
"If there was hydroplaning, it
didn't last very long."
He reasoned that there wasn't enough
damage done to the plane's tires to
indicate the four-engine jet skidded
along because of the water. Hydroplaning,
he said, usually causes the water
underneath a plane to boil, melting
parts of the tire.
Levasseur also said he didn't think
a sudden storm-produced microburst
- a very small cell of intense downward
wind - caused the plane to crash.
"If an aircraft was close to
the ground and passed a microburst
it could crash," he said. "But
I was told that there was no microburst
that day."
|
"TORONTO,
Aug 7 (AFP) - The Air France Airbus
jet which crash landed at Toronto's
airport touched down too far along
the rain-soaked runway to stop in
time before overshooting and bursting
into flames in a ravine, a senior
investigator said Sunday.
"I am pretty convinced that there
was no way that the aircraft was going
to be able to stop before the end
with the runway condition that we
had, the water on the runway, and
the braking action which was poor,"
Canadian Transportation Safety Board
lead investigator Real Levasseur told
reporters Sunday.
"My preliminary estimate is that
there was no way this airplane could
have stopped before the end"
of the runway, he stressed.
Levasseur is leading the probe into
Tuesday's crash landing of the Air
France jet during a violent thunder
storm.
All 12 crew and the flight's 297 passengers
survived the near disaster.
The plane touched down about 4,000
feet (1,219 meters) along the runway
-- close to midway -- leaving the
co-pilot, who was in control of the
jet, only 5,000 feet (1,524 meters)
to bring the jet to a halt, Levasseur
said.
Under normal conditions, this type
of aircraft could have stopped in
time, he said.
It was traveling "fairly close"
to the correct landing speed -- at
148 knots instead of the typical 140
knots -- pushed along by a slight
tailwind, he said.
But, because the runway was slick
due to rain, the brakes were less
effective and it took longer to decelerate,
Levasseur said. Investigators will
conduct simulations to confirm this,
he added.
By the time it reached the end of
the runway, the plane had only slowed
to 79 knots before skidding off into
a ravine.
Levasseur said investigators must
now determine why the aircraft overshot
the runway during landing."
|
Safety
Board Calls for Action On Fuel
Tank Inerting
In the 18 months since Marion
Blakey, head of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), announced
that fuel tank inerting would be
required for about 3,800 Boeing
and Airbus jets, nothing has happened.
The initiative remains tied up at
the Department of Transportation
(DOT).
|
US FAA Sees Hurdles To In-Flight
Mobile Phone Use
July
15, 2005
Substantial
challenges remain to the in-flight
use of mobile phones even if communications
regulators ease their ban, the
Federal Aviation Administration
told lawmakers on Thursday.
FAA rules restricting the use
of portable electronic devices
on aircraft can be waived but
a carrier would have to show
that each model of phone posed
no threat to aircraft navigation
or communications systems, the
agency's senior air safety official
said.
"The FAA is not changing
its rules," FAA Associate
Administrator for Aviation Safety,
Nicholas Sabatini told the House
aviation subcommittee.
"If an air carrier is
willing to take the time and
incur the expense of testing
and verifying that the cell
phone usage presents no in-flight
interference problems, our rules
allow an air carrier to permit
such devices," Sabatini
testified.
In December, the US Federal
Communications Commission proposed
lifting its ban of in-flight
mobile phone use, provided it
is technically feasible and
does not overwhelm ground-based
networks.
The FAA last year allowed a
test of a "pico cell"
device on an American Airlines
plane that was designed to keep
phones operating at their lowest
power level.
And last month the FAA gave
United Airlines approval to
install equipment on 757 aircraft
that will give passengers wireless
Internet access.
But Sabatini warned that each
technology must be shown to
be compatible with the specific
type of aircraft to be used.
"That's a substantial
challenge with ever-changing
cell phone technology on the
one hand, and, on the other,
increasingly advanced and complex
aircraft technology as the national
airspace system moves to satellite
navigation," he said.
Sabatini also said in-flight
use of mobile phones could annoy
fellow passengers and lead to
conflicts that could distract
flight attendants from their
safety duties.
"This will be one of the
issues that we will continue
to assess and monitor if cell
phone technology proliferates
onboard aircraft," he said.
Rep. Peter DeFazio wondered
if flight attendants would have
to put a check mark on a passenger's
head to indicate that their
phone was compatible.
The Oregon Democrat said safety
should be guaranteed before
restrictions were lifted. "I
don't think we want to take
the chance that the plane might
go down because some idiot is
having a trivial conversation,"
DeFazio said.
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FAA
seeks $1.8M from company that operated plane
that crashed in Teterboro
TRENTON, N.J. -- The Federal Aviation Administration
is seeking $1.8 million in civil penalties against
the operator of the corporate jet that aborted
a takeoff at Teterboro Airport, then roared
across a busy highway and slammed into a warehouse.
The agency alleges Platinum Jet Management
"operated the aircraft in a careless or
reckless manner so as to endanger the life or
property of another." Platinum Jet was
cited with violating numerous regulations, including
altering weight records on the charter flight
and not properly training its flight crew.
The allegations were included in a letter sent
July 8 to the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company
by FAA Regional Counsel Loretta E. Alkalay.
No one was killed in the Feb. 2 crash, but 20
people were injured, including a motorist in
a car struck by the Bombardier Canadair Challenger
CL-600 aircraft as it crossed Route 46.
The FAA also is seeking penalties against the
owners of the jet, and two other planes operated
by Platinum Jet also are being targeted by the
agency, according to the letter supplied Thursday
to The Associated Press. An FAA spokesman declined
to comment, saying the matter remains under
investigation.
Platinum Air President, Michael F. Brassington,
could not be reached for comment. A telephone
number listed on the Internet for the company
was disconnected, and a telephone operator could
not find a listing for the company in Fort Lauderdale
and the surrounding area. The FAA grounded the
company in March because it did not have a certificate
required for charter operators. The agency also
revoked the charter license of Alabama-based
Darby Aviation, known as AlphaJet, which had
essentially leased its certificate to Platinum,
according to the report.
The agency cited the Darby-Platinum arrangement
in its civil penalty letter, saying Platinum
failed to ensure that flight crews were properly
trained and screened for drugs and alcohol or
that passengers were briefed on safety procedures.
The FAA also alleges that Platinum's flight
crew altered forms that record a plane's center
of gravity before the flight at Teterboro.
Investigators for the National Transportation
Safety Board have cited weight as a possible
factor in the crash, noting that the jet was
nose-heavy.
Platinum Jet Management has 30 days from July
8 to respond to the letter and can appeal the
results to the National Transportation Safety
Board.
link
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|
Deadline To Replace Mylar Insulation
Blankets is Past |
Carriers Scramble To
Meet Directive
The airline industry
is seeking relief
from the cost burden
of the Federal Aviation
Administration's (FAA)
latest safety initiative
to prevent catastrophic
losses due to cabin
fires caused by faulty
wiring. The FAA is
requiring airlines
to replace the existing
thermal/acoustic insulation
blankets covered with
metallized Mylar on
about 600 planes.
The affected models
are the MD-80, MD-88,
MD-90, DC-10 and MD-11
-- all Boeing [BA]
jets.
The airline industry,
already burdened with
massive losses stemming
from high costs and
low fares, faces millions
of dollars in additional
costs as the FAA pushes
carriers to replace
the insulation. The
FAA has estimated
the cost to U.S. operators
to be approximately
$368 million, or $380,000
to $880,000 per airplane.
The FAA in 2000 required
that the insulation
on certain models
made by the former
McDonnell Douglas
be replaced, following
the investigation
of the crash of Swissair
Flight 111 on Sept.
2, 1998.
The deadline for the
replacement is June
30, 2005 (ASW,
Sept. 29, 2003).
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|
Two Air Niugini
aircraft grounded due to lack of safety
system Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea's national airline, Air
Niugini, has been forced to ground two
of its Fokker-100 aircraft operating between
Port Moresby and Cairns in northern Australia.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Australia
banned the planes, after Air Niugini failed
to install new ground proximity warning
systems by the start of this month.
Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Peter
Gibson says until the airline complies
with the new rules, the Fokker-100 planes
won't be allowed to land in Australia.
"The Australian Civil Aviation Safety
Authority told airlines five years ago
that July 1, 2005 was the deadline for
fitting this equipment, so there's been
five years to order it and get it into
the aircraft."
"Only two domestic airlines and one
foreign airline, Air Niugini, failed to
meet the 1 July deadline."
"It's unfortunate but we couldn't
give an extension to the deadline just
for a handful of operators when everybody
else managed to meet the July 1 start
date." |
Imprisoned:
Moscow Airport Police Captain
Convicted In Double Airliner Bombing
A police captain at Moscow's Domodedovo
Airport has been sentenced to seven years
in prison for his part in a double suicide
bombing that brought down two aircraft
last August.
The two aircraft -- a Volga Avia Express
Tu-134 and a Sibir Airlines Tu-154
-- were both knocked out of the sky within
minutes of each other by bombs carried
onto the flights by female suicide bombers.
Both aircraft exploded in mid-air in an
attack that was later claimed by Chechen
warlord Shamil Basayev, according to Russia's
Interfax news agency.
A Sibir Air employee and a ticket scalper
were both sentenced to 18-months behind
bars for ensuring one of the female bombers
was able to purchase a tickeet and get
on board the flight without trouble.
Prosecutors originally asked that Moscow
Police Captain Mikhail Artamonov be sentenced
to six years in prison for allowing the
two bombers to get through security without
a standard security check. Artamonov repeatedly
said he was innocent -- that he was a
scapegoat for lax security and those who
were really involved.
But the judge in the case handed down
the maximum sentence allowed by Russian
law for negligence.
www.countrystudies.us/russia/71.htm
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Airlines now required
to reveal aircraft's origin
A new law effective Wednesday requires
U.S. airlines to tell passengers where
aircraft were built, Bloomberg News reports.
Airlines will place the information on
plastic cards in the backs of seats. Rep.
John Mica, R-Fla., added the rule to a
bill passed in December 2003. A Federal
Aviation Administration spokesman said
all the carriers are "probably already
in compliance."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer/Bloomberg
(6/22) |
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Raytheon touts airport
missile shield LE BOURGET, France
(Reuters) - Raytheon Co. unveiled plans
Monday for a high-tech system to protect
airports from attack by shoulder-launched
missiles but said the untested device
would not be ready for deployment for
at least 18 months. The system, which
Raytheon (Research) calls Vigilant Eagle,
is a response to fears of attacks on airliners
after shoulder-fired missiles were launched
at an Israeli plane three years ago. Such
a system would likely be necessary to
reopen Baghdad's airport to civil air
traffic. "There are many shoulder-fired
missiles out there; on the black market
you can buy one for roughly $5,000,"
said Mike Booen, Raytheon's vice president
of directed energy weapons, at a media
presentation at the Paris air show. "The
threat is real. That fact that more planes
have not been shot down is probably a
lucky fact." The U.S. Department
of Defense is currently looking at options
to protect airliners from attack by shoulder-fired
missiles, technically known as manportable
air defense systems, or MANPADS. The department
is weighing whether to go ahead with devices
fitted on individual aircraft or a system
such as Raytheon's, which claims to cover
a whole area. The form of attack has been
a concern for airlines and a hot topic
for defense contractors since two missiles
were unsuccessfully fired at an Israeli
airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, in November
2002. A year later, a DHL cargo jet was
hit by a shoulder-fired missile in Baghdad.
Raytheon, one of the leading defense contractors
and missile system manufacturers in the
U.S., said its Vigilant Eagle device would
be much cheaper than systems fitted on
planes. Booen said the system would cost
$25 million to install at an airport,
assuming 25 airports take it up. The system
works by a network of infra-red sensors
set up around an airport detecting a fired
missile, and then relaying information
to a microwave device, about the size
of a billboard, which directs electromagnetic
waves at the missile to disrupt its operation
and deflect it away from the aircraft.
Raytheon said the individual components
of the system had been tested successfully
but a full test of the system will not
take place for 12 months at the earliest.
Raytheon said actual deployment won't
take place for at least 12 to 18 months. |
Plans
afoot to boost airline safety in Africa
The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) which represents the world's airlines
said on Tuesday it had set up a fund to
improve safety in Africa which witnesses
a disproportionate number of deadly air
crashes.
The fund by the $400 billion-a-year industry,
announced at the end of IATA's annual
meeting in Tokyo, will begin with two
million dollars.
IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani
said the programme will provide training
and tighten standards to help airlines
and governments improve safety standards.
"Despite our great record on safety,
the regional differences that remain are
not acceptable," Bisignani said.
"And Africa is the region that needs
help the most."
"This programme will commence with
Africa and will be rolled around the globe,"
he said.
An IATA study last year found that Africa
accounted for 27% of all fatal accidents
in the world but just three percent of
aircraft departures.
IATA forecast that the industry's losses
would mount to $6-billion this year due
to high fuel prices and major costs in
North America.
IATA said African airlines lost more than
$150-million last year in part because
of "major safety problems" and
a lack of government investment in infrastructure.
- Sapa-AFP
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AirTran
maintenance recognized by FAA
AirTran Airways received the top Federal
Aviation Authority recognition for maintenance
excellence for the 10th straight year.
AirTran Airways, with 6,400 employees,
operates more than 500 daily flights to
47 destinations. It operates 18 daily
flights from Tampa International Airport.
Its maintenance department received the
FAA Diamond Certificate of Excellence
Award.
To qualify for the recognition, half of
an airline's total maintenance locations
must earn a certificate of excellence
for exceeding the FAA's required participation
levels. Crew members from all five of
AirTran Airways' maintenance stations
in Tampa, Atlanta, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale,
Miami, and Orlando participated in this
training.
A "Diamond Certificate of Excellence"
is the highest honor, requiring a minimum
of 25 percent of a maintenance location's
mechanics to participate. In fact, 292
of AirTran Airways' 330 maintenance personnel
participated.
link |
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Washington's Visual Warning
System To Go Operational Saturday
The Visual Warning System being fielded by North
American Aerospace Command (NORAD), in coordination
with the FAA and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities
Office, will become operational Saturday, May
21, 2005.
This new security measure is designed to enhance
air safety and security in the National Capital
Region. It is a communication tool to warn pilots
who have entered the NCR's restricted airspace
- the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) -
and cannot be contacted by radio. It is a ground-based
system that uses safety-tested, low-level beams
of alternating red and green lights to alert pilots
they are flying without approval in restricted
airspace. The lights are designed so that illumination
is eye-safe and non-hazardous at all ranges.
According to NORAD, the VWS system is considered
a Class I laser device, that is, the safest class
possible. It is eye safe at the aperture and all
distances. The VWS is safer than laser pointers
and can be directly viewed.
There is no eye hazard associated with viewing
the beam. In comparison, green or red laser pointers
are typically Class IIIa, which have the potential
for causing eye damage if viewed beyond second.
What the pilots see is a bright dot of flashing
red/red/green light that stands out brilliantly
among the many city and radio tower lights at
night and against scenery clutter during the day.
The narrow beam of the warning minimizes the probability
that a non-intruder aircraft will be illuminated
when the VWS is directed at an intruder aircraft.
If another aircraft approaches the same azimuth
and elevation as the intruder as determined by
radar data, the warning will be terminated. The
Visual Warning System does not affect any aircraft
systems.
Only aircraft that are unauthorized, or unidentified,
and unresponsive would be visually warned. The
VWS is designed to prompt immediate action by
the pilot to contact air traffic control and exit
the restricted airspace.
FMI: www.norad.mil,
link |
| Pilots
slow to carry guns: More than two years after
Congress authorized pilots to carry guns into
the cockpit, only about 5% of the estimated 95,000
commercial pilots in the country are armed while
they fly, the Chicago Tribune reports. Pilot accuse
the Bush Administration of intentionally slowing
down the process by making training difficult
and insisting on what pilots say are impractical
rules for transporting guns. "I think the
program was designed right from the start to discourage
pilots," says Paul Onorato, vice president
of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations.
Pilots began pushing for the ability to carry
firearms on board as a "line of last defense"
following the 9/11 hijackings. Airlines resisted,
but Congress ultimately approved the idea. Among
the issues pilots complain about are the background
checks and psychological screenings they must
undergo before being allowed to carry the weapons
in flight. But such steps are necessary, says
Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman
Amy Von Walter. "It's TSA's responsibility
to ensure that everyone in the [Federal Flight
Deck Officer] program is fit and qualified. Not
everyone is appropriate for this role," she
says. |
New
U.S. Department of Transportation Aviation Safety
Training Venture Will Put New Focus on Safety
for Next Generation of Aviation Professionals
Aviation industry professionals will be more
focused on safety and better prepared to conduct
accident investigations as part of a new partnership
between the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
Transportation Safety Institute, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration and the Texas
A&M University’s Engineering Extension Service
announced today.
The partners in the new Aviation Safety Program
will develop a new course designed to train
future managers on how to conduct accident investigations
and safety training programs. Thanks to the
Transportation Safety Institute, students in
the new class will get hands on experience examining
wrecked aircraft and various aircraft parts
and meeting directly with safety investigators
and trainers.
“This country is experiencing the safest three-year
period in the history of commercial aviation
and that has a lot to do with the top-down commitment
to safety across the aviation industry,” said
Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.
“The new program will build on our growing safety
legacy by training a new generation of professionals
who are committed to and fluent in aviation
safety.”
The program will be a cooperative joint venture
with TEEX, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and TSI. A formal agreement
between the three organizations will be signed
Thursday at TSI’s Oklahoma City campus on the
grounds of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
When combined with the nine OSHA-related courses
offered by TEEX, a participant may obtain an
OSHA certification as a Certified Safety and
Health Official (CHSO). CSHO credentials are
recognized by the Council on Certification of
Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists.
This alliance will provide advanced training
and more professional development for traditional
TSI students. It also provides government employees
with additional credentials that are recognized
by business and industry.
The Transportation Safety Institute is a federal
fee-for-service agency that develops and conducts
worldwide safety, security, and environmental
training for transportation professionals. Since
1971, the institute has trained more than 680,000
students.
link
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Flight
diverted after report of suspicious material
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- A report of
suspicious material aboard a United Airlines
flight from New York to San Francisco
led authorities to divert it and make
an unscheduled stop in Chicago, police
said Tuesday.
United Flight 27 landed at 10:49 a.m.
(11:49 a.m. ET) at Chicago's O'Hare International
Airport and was taken to a remote area.
A bomb and arson squad, including a canine
team, inspected the Boeing 757-200 and
found nothing out of the ordinary, officials
said.
Chicago's Office of Emergency Management
and Communications said all passengers
were safely evacuated and no injuries
reported.
A spokesman for the Transportation Security
Administration said two passengers reported
that another one appeared suspicious.
The man was carrying two vials of medicine,
an MP3 player and wires for his laptop
computer, the spokesman said.
Law enforcement officials questioned the
passenger.
The TSA spokesman said he was unsure whether
the passenger would join others on the
final leg of the flight to California.
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FAA Official, Flight Attendant
In Altercation Aloft
An FAA official was handcuffed and detained when
she disembarked in Kansas City after an altercation
during a Southwest Airlines flight on March 26,
The Kansas City Star reported on Saturday. A flight
standards manager for the Central Region, she
had argued with a flight attendant, according
to the Star The flight attendant told police that
the official had confronted him about how he was
handling a disturbance in the back of the
airplane.
He
told the official to sit down and let him handle
it, and the official allegedly became verbally
combative and shoved him. Police and investigators
from the Transportation Security Administration
met the airplane when it landed, and the official
was handcuffed after she objected to being detained.
The official was questioned and released, and
no charges were filed in the incident. An FAA
spokesman told the Star that interference with
flight-crew operations violates federal aviation
law and is subject to a civil fine of up to
$10,000.
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