02 OCT 2008 _______________________________________ *KD-Avia 737 damaged in gear-up landing at Kaliningrad *32 injured by turbulence on China Airlines flight *FAA Says American Eagle Violated Weight, Balance Restrictions *Bandidos Swipe Five Planes From Mexico Airport *DHC-5A Buffalo Accident (Kenya) *Antonov 12 Accident (Angola) *Pinnacle Airlines to Temporarily Operate Additional Aircraft for Delta Air Lines *UAL refinances aircraft, sells assets to raise $275 million *NASA Releases More Pilot Safety Survey Data, But No Conclusions *Union: FAA supervisor let manager make big error *NTSB continues to investigate Medevac crash *************************************** KD-Avia 737 damaged in gear-up landing at Kaliningrad All 144 occupants of a KD-Avia Boeing 737-300 have escaped uninjured after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Kaliningrad with retracted undercarriage. The aircraft was operating flight KD794, between Barcelona and Kaliningrad, with 138 passengers and six crew members. KD-Avia says the aircraft landed at Khrabrovo Airport at 22:15 yesterday "with no landing-gear". Russia's ministry of transport states that the crew aborted the initial approach after reporting a technical problem. The aircraft subsequently landed with its undercarriage retracted, "on its fuselage and engines", says the ministry, adding that both engine casings and the lower fuselage are "considerably damaged". KD-Avia says: "None of the passengers and crew members was injured." It has not identified the airframe involved but states that an investigation committee is to look into the reasons for the accident. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** 32 injured by turbulence on China Airlines flight BANGKOK, Thailand: (AP) At least 32 people were injured Thursday after a China Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok encountered turbulence, a Thai airport official said. Most of those hurt aboard flight CI-641 from Hong Kong suffered minor cuts and bruises, but two had spine injuries, a hospital spokesman said. Early accounts said there had been fewer injuries, none serious. The Boeing 747-400 was hit by turbulence about 20 minutes before landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport at about 1:30 p.m. (0630 GMT), said a spokeswoman for Airports of Thailand, who insisted that she not be named because she was not authorized to release information to the press. China Airlines is a Taiwanese carrier. Of the 32 injured people, 21 were passengers and 11 were crew members, she said, adding that the flight carried 147 passengers and 17 crew. The names and nationalities of those hurt were not released. Two people were seriously hurt with cervical spine injuries, said Chairat Panthuraamphorn, a doctor at Bangkok's Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, which administered to 20 of the injured. The other injured passengers were taken to other hospitals. "We are admitting four people. The rest who suffered minor cuts and bruises will be able to go home," he told The Associated Press. A duty officer at Suvarnabhumi Airport, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the captain of the flight contacted the control tower to ask to land ahead of schedule and to have doctors and ambulances standing by to take care of the injured. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/02/asia/AS-Thailand-China-Airlines.ph p ************** FAA Says American Eagle Violated Weight, Balance Restrictions Airline Confirms Planes Flew Out Of Envelope The Federal Aviation Administration has determined regional airline American Eagle flew its planes in violation of federal weight and balance guidelines at least 19 times in the past five months, according to an ABC News report. Citing 'sources in the aviation industry,' ABC states the FAA's investigation began after the airline self-reported two incidents in which planes took of outside of the accepted weight and balance envelope. No incidents occurred due to the apparent violations, though everyone agrees it's a very serious matter. "When you talk about the performance for weight and balance it is critical, it will get you killed, which is why it's so strictly controlled," said Jack Eppard of the Air Line Pilots Association. A concern on all aircraft -- as private pilots can attest to -- weight and balance is particularly important on smaller regional aircraft, which due to their size are more sensitive to improper loading than larger airliners. Overloading and an out-of-range aft CG were cited as contributing factors to the January 2003 downing on takeoff of an US Airways Express/Air Midwest Beechcraft 1900D in Charlotte, NC, that killed all 21 persons onboard and injured one person on the ground. American Eagle admits there were "several cases" of planes flying in violation of weight and balance guidelines. Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said the faults were due to discrepancies between manual baggage loading lists, and the computer program used to calculate weight and balance restrictions on the planes. When asked whether those problems could pose a safety issue, Huguely disconcertingly replied "I don't know"... before adding the airline's planes have redundant safety systems in place, "and we feel as though we always fly safe planes." Sources within the FAA tell ABC the agency is now determining whether to impose any fines or penalties on American Eagle... though an agency spokesman had no official comment. "We don't comment on ongoing investigations which may or may not result in enforcement actions. When enforcement actions are taken, that information is available to the public," said spokesman Roland Herwig. This isn't the first time this year the American Airlines regional subsidiary has been at odds with a federal agency. As ANN reported, in August a TSA inspector reported he was able to gain access to seven of nine parked American Eagle planes on the ground at O'Hare International... by grabbing the fragile air temperature probes on the outside of the fuselages to pull himself up to unlocked doors. The airline delayed 40 flights to check for damage, after its own employees observed the inspector, and warned maintenance officials. The TSA later retaliated against the airline, stating it "consistently found problems" with American Eagle at ORD and that it planned to impose fines. FMI: www.aa.com, www.faa.gov aero-news.net ************** Bandidos Swipe Five Planes From Mexico Airport Invaders Seized Officer's Gun, Took Time To Fuel Up In the US, federal threats to impose oppressive security measures at small general aviation airports are generally viewed as a solution looking for a problem. But in Mexico, authorities are battling an epidemic of small aircraft thefts as drug rings steal planes to get cocaine north to the US. Mexican media report the army there has confiscated 245 small planes and helicopters from drug runners just since November of last year. Now, Reuters reports about 20 armed men stole five small planes from a private airstrip in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa Tuesday. Emma Quiroz of the government's anti-organized crime operations say the invaders overpowered a police officer, seized his gun, tied him up, topped off the planes with fuel and took off. The planes had been stored in a hangar since being grounded earlier this year by the army, which claimed they presented irregularities that violated civil aviation and airport laws. Quiroz's office could not be sure Tuesday's incident was drug-related, but said it was investigating whether any authorities had been complicit, and was, "...taking the necessary actions to determine the whereabouts of these airplanes and the criminals who took part in the robbery." FMI: www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html aero-news.net *************** DHC-5A Buffalo Accident (Kenya) Status: Preliminary Date: 29 SEP 2008 Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-5A Buffalo Operator: Trident Enterprises Registration: 5Y-OPL C/n / msn: 84 First flight: 1978 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Lokichoggio Airport (LKG) (Kenya) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: ? Destination airport: Lokichoggio Airport (LKG/HKLK), Kenya Narrative: The right wing and no.2 propeller struck the ground on landing. Either the undercarriage collapsed on landing or the airplane made a right-gear up landing. (aviation-safety.net) ************** Antonov 12 Accident (Angola) Date: 29 SEP 2008 Type: Antonov 12 Operator: Força Aérea Popular de Angola Registration: C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Luanda Airport (LAD) (Angola) Phase: Taxi (TXI) Nature: Military Departure airport: Luanda Airport (LAD/FNLU), Angola Destination airport: ? Narrative: This AN-12 suffered a right main gear collapse while turning onto runway 23 at Luanda. This aircraft was then towed off the runway. (aviation-safety.net) **************** Pinnacle Airlines to Temporarily Operate Additional Aircraft for Delta Air Lines MEMPHIS, TN, Oct 01, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Pinnacle Airlines Corp.said today that its Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. subsidiary will operate additional CRJ-900 aircraft for Delta Air Lines on a short-term basis beginning in October 2008. "Delta has asked us to operate additional CRJ-900 aircraft that are being returned from another Delta Connection carrier beginning in October," said Phil Trenary, Pinnacle Airlines Corp.'s president and chief executive officer. "In addition, we are able to put to work two of our CRJ-900 aircraft as needed during the transition. This additional flying is mutually beneficial to Delta and Pinnacle, and we are glad to assist." Pinnacle currently has eleven CRJ-900 aircraft in its fleet, with nine aircraft in service under its Delta Connection Agreement. Pinnacle will receive three CRJ-900s in October and four more in November that were formerly operated by another Delta Connection carrier, temporarily taking the number in Pinnacle's fleet to 18. The aircraft will be leased by Pinnacle from Delta on a short-term basis. Pinnacle will operate these temporary aircraft under the terms of the existing Delta Connection Agreement, although Pinnacle will only pay a nominal rent under the terms of the leases. Pinnacle will operate these seven temporary CRJ-900 aircraft until the five remaining CRJ-900 aircraft that Pinnacle has on order from the manufacturer begin delivering in January 2009. As Pinnacle's aircraft deliver from the manufacturer, the seven temporary aircraft will be returned to Delta to be operated by another Delta Connection carrier. Pinnacle will receive the 16th CRJ-900 from the aircraft manufacturer by May 2009. Two of Pinnacle's existing fleet of CRJ-900 aircraft are currently not in service under the Delta Connection Agreement. Pinnacle will operate these two aircraft from time to time during the fourth quarter as needed to support the transition of the seven temporary aircraft into scheduled service. On days when these two aircraft are scheduled, Delta will reimburse Pinnacle a pro-rata portion of its ownership costs related to these aircraft, in addition to normal variable compensation under the Delta Connection Agreement. These two aircraft will enter permanent service under the Delta Connection Agreement in January, as previously planned. Pinnacle entered into an agreement with Delta in April 2007 to operate 16 CRJ-900 aircraft as a Delta Connection carrier and began operations under the agreement in December 2007. Pinnacle has already taken delivery of 11 of the 16 CRJ-900 aircraft on order. The larger 76-seat CRJ-900 NextGen jet has a redesigned interior for passenger comfort, and has operating costs that are the lowest among comparably sized regional jets, providing for an economic, efficient aircraft in the Delta network. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/pinnacle-airlines-temporarily-operate- additional/story.aspx?guid=%7B2CB8DC78-FD8E-4BD6-84FF-FA111871EE6D%7D&dist=h ppr ************** UAL refinances aircraft, sells assets to raise $275 million United Airlines parent UAL Corp re-financed aircraft deals and agreed to sell "certain assets" to bolster its cash position with $275 million by year-end. The aircraft financing deal means UAL received about $60 million yesterday and will receive another $65 million by mid-October, the company says. The agreement to sell assets will provide about $140 million, of which $30 million was received in the third quarter. Another $110 million will be added in the fourth quarter "subject to reaching final documentation and other conditions" with the buyers. "We are further strengthening our cash position and we are pleased to close this transaction, particularly in this market environment, said Kathryn Mikells, who will become chief financial officer after 1 November. UAL last week announced amending credit cards pacts to add another $1.2 billion of liquidity to its balance sheet. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/10/01/316723/ual-refinances-aircra ft-sells-assets-to-raise-275.html **************** NASA Releases More Pilot Safety Survey Data, But No Conclusions NASA yesterday released more data from a controversial survey of roughly 30,000 pilots conducted from 2001 to 2004. The survey, intended to gather data on aviation safety, raised eyebrows when the Associated Press reported that initial results seemed to suggest flying could be more dangerous than previously thought, with higher numbers of near-collisions, bird strikes and runway incursions. NASA initially declined to disclose the full results of the survey, which it said could diminish public confidence in airlines and harm commercial carriers. In October 2007, Congress launched an investigation into the findings after the agency rejected repeated Freedom of Information requests from the Associated Press. In December 2007, under pressure from Congress, NASA published some results from the survey, albeit in the form of some 16,000 pages of redacted, difficult-to-decipher data. Close observers say the data NASA released this afternoon is hardly better. The space agency still provides no analysis of its findings, nor does NASA give information, such as a technical manual describing the methodology, needed to interpret results of the survey, which cost taxpayers more than $11 million. “Only with complete information about the design of the data collection can analysis be done accurately,” said Jon Krosnick, a Stanford professor of humanities and social sciences who studies research methodologies and helped design NASA’s survey. Krosnick says yesteday’s release is “worse than useless … It will entice people to analyze the data improperly and yield meaningless and misleading conclusions about safety.” The survey program, known as the National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service, is designed to measure trends in aviation safety by regularly asking pilots questions about the occurrence of various events, such as bird strikes, over certain time periods. The survey aimed to track whether the rates of those events increased or decreased over time. Such information would, it seems, be useful to have. But it might have to wait for another survey, since big questions hang over what analysts can actually do with any of the results. While testifying before Congress in November 2007, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin cast doubts upon his own agency’s research by telling lawmakers that NASA does not consider the survey’s methodology or data to have been sufficiently verified, the Associated Press reported. Stanford’s Krosnick contends that the methodology of the survey is valid and he says the Government Accountability Office and the National Academy of Sciences are both looking into the matter and plan to issue reports on the survey methodology, among other things. But neither group will be able to analyze the data, Krosnick says, because NASA still has not released the technical documents required to effectively make sense of the survey results. http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2008/10/01/nasa-releases-more-pilot-safety-s urvey-data-but-no-conclusions/?mod=googlenews_wsj *************** Union: FAA supervisor let manager make big error Will the supervisor and manager get the same punishment as a controller? Will the FAA put a letter in the supervisors file like they do ever time a controller has a deal and after 3 they get fired and loose … read more everything? I would think that since he is a supervisor they can do what ever they want. They are never held accountable for anything but if a controller did this they would immediately be decertified and would go back to training. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A supervisor at Flying Cloud Airport took a call on a cell phone and had his back turned when a manager he was training mistakenly allowed an airport vehicle to cross the runway in front of a plane, the union for air traffic controllers said Wednesday. A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing the incident, which happened Sept. 22 at airport in suburban Eden Prairie. While the National Air Traffic Controllers Association described it as a departing plane, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the single-engine plane was actually stopped on the runway when the truck crossed the runway down at the end, about 2,600 feet away. The pilot had been doing a form of touch-and-go practice landings in which he would come to a stop before taking off again, she said. The truck was off the runway before the pilot started his next takeoff roll, she said, adding that the pilot and truck driver waved to each other as the truck later came down the taxiway parallel to the runway as the plane was moving slowly forward. But failing to hold the truck until the plane took off was an "operational error," and the use of the cell phone in the tower was not allowed either, so both those things are under review, Cory said. "We are treating this very seriously because cell phones are prohibited ... and we take any controller error very, very seriously," she said. The union alleged that FAA supervisors get more lenient treatment than rank-and-file controllers. "If a controller had committed this same unsafe act they would be, at the very least, suspended if not dismissed entirely," Bryan Zilonis, the union's Great Lakes regional vice president, said in a statement. "NATCA wants to see the same treatment for these management officials and we're waiting with bated breath to see what, if anything, the FAA will do." Cory disputed the claim of unequal treatment. "We treat all our employees fairly," she said. http://www.startribune.com/local/30069674.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:D W3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUF ************* NTSB continues to investigate Medevac crash Four people killed, one critically injured National Transportation Safety Board investigators continue to investigate the site of a weekend crash of a state police helicopter that killed four people. Medevac helicopter Trooper 2 had been dispatched at about 11 p.m. Saturday to the scene of a traffic crash in Waldorf from its hangar at Andrews Air Force Base. The NTSB believes the helicopter crashed in Walker Mill Regional Park, located in unincorporated District Heights, between midnight and 12:30 a.m. Sunday, said Keith Holloway, an NTSB spokesman. The park is currently closed to the public. As of Tuesday there were no updates and Holloway said the accident scene should be cleared the same day. SYSCOM, a statewide communications system, lost radio contact with the helicopter at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, and an area-wide search began. At about 2 a.m., a police officer found the crash site on a park trail near the intersection of Berry Lane and Walker Mill Road. During a Monday afternoon press conference, NTSB spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said they have not yet determined what caused the crash and still have not ruled anything out. She said the crew will look at the pilot's flight schedule over the past 72 hours to see when he was awake or asleep to check for any signs of fatigue. The deceased victims are identified as Stephen J. Bunker, 59, of Waldorf, the State Police pilot; Trooper 1st Class Mickey C. Lippy, 34, of Westminster, the State Police flight paramedic; Tanya Mallard, 38, of Waldorf, an EMT-B with the Waldorf Volunteer Rescue Squad; and Ashley J. Younger, 17, of Waldorf, who was a patient being transported, according to a state police news release. All were pronounced dead on the scene. The surviving victim of the crash is identified as Jordan A. Wells, 18, of Waldorf. As of Tuesday Cindy Rivers, a spokeswoman for University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, said Wells is in critical but stable condition. NTSB will also investigate Maryland State Police standard operating procedures for when a pilot cannot tell where the helicopter is positioned vertically. Prior to the accident Saturday evening, the helicopter pilot contacted the Andrews Air Force base communications tower and said he could not find the helicopter's distance from the ground, Holloway said. The helicopter was last recorded at being at 700 feet about 11:57 p.m. before losing contact with the tower. Investigations show the helicopter struck a tree 80 feet above its base before coming to rest on its left side. Hersman said the trail of debris was 181 feet long. A NTSB crew recovered helicopter blades and was able to remove one engine for examination. Hersman said the crew will attempt to remove the second engine by the end of the day Monday. She said a "significant amount" of jet fuel was released following the crash. Hersman said Bunker's log book was recovered from the scene, indicating his last nighttime flight was Sept. 16. The helicopter refueled the night before the accident and had taken no other trips that day prior to the accident. Hersman said three out of the 12 Maryland State Police helicopters are equipped with a Terrain Awareness Warning System that notifies pilots of any obstacles on the flight path and rising terrain and this one was not equipped. Helicopters are not mandated to have TAWS installed. The aircraft was a Eurocopter Dauphin II twin jet engine helicopter, according to the news release. It became a part of the state police fleet in June 1989, and was the second helicopter purchased in the current fleet. The helicopter completed a 100-hour inspection Sept. 24. Hersman said the NTSB has investigated eight fire and emergency medical service helicopter crashes over the past 12 months nationwide that resulted in 31 fatalities, including the crash in District Heights. "We're very concerned about safety in this segment of the industry, and that's why we sent a whole team here," Hersman said. Six people from the NTSB are investigating the crash. Lesley Goldsmith, a nearby resident, was scared the helicopter could have hit a house and was grateful no one was in the park when it crashed. She said she heard a boom when it went down but had no idea what the sound had actually come from. Jessica Lee has lived in the neighborhood near the park for 11 years. She heard the commotion and went out to the crash site, along with 15 to 20 of her neighbors, at about 2 a.m. Sunday and said it was very chaotic. She said she was also scared the helicopter could have hit a house in the neighborhood. "I usually go out and take the dog there. I'm not going back—it's too emotional," she said. Hersman said she does not know exactly when the crew will wrap up collecting evidence and understands the community wants access restored to the park. Hersman said after NTSB leaves the area, control will be handed over to local authorities, who will determine when to reopen. http://www.gazette.net/stories/10022008/lanhnew174220_32486.shtml **************