08 JUL 2009 _______________________________________ *Yemenia Crash Bodies, Debris Believed Found at Tanzanian Island *NTSB: Airbus A330 Experienced An 'Airspeed Anomaly' *NASA Funding Air Turbulence Prediction System *Air Charter Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud *Air China To Have Boeing's Airplane Health Management On 737s *Plane returns to Md. airport after bird strike *2009 Star Alliance Fires Back at Justice Department *XL Insurance Expands US Aviation Team *EASA gets tough as US maintenance bilateral hangs in the balance *FAA issues new $13 million rulemaking for 737 operators *Airport Executives Concerned Over Costs of New ARFF Standards *New safety initiatives considered post Air France, Yemenia crashes **************************************** Yemenia Crash Bodies, Debris Believed Found at Tanzanian Island July 8 (Bloomberg) -- At least eight bodies and debris that fisherman discovered off a Tanzanian island in the Indian Ocean are believed to be from the Yemenia Airbus that crashed on June 30, local authorities said. Fishermen in small vessels spotted bodies floating around Mafia Island south of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and alerted the authorities yesterday, the island's district commissioner, Manzie Mangochie, said today in a phone interview. Rescuers have gone to the site to conduct a search, he said. "Because the bodies appear to be a mixture of Europeans and Africans, and there hasn't been any other known cause, we believe they are from the airline crash," Mangochie said. A Yemeni Airbus crashed into the Indian Ocean with 153 people aboard about 15 minutes from landing in the Comoros Islands' capital, Moroni. One girl survived. **************** NTSB: Airbus A330 Experienced An 'Airspeed Anomaly' Northwest Flight Crew In Japan Noted Airspeed Fluctuations The NTSB has released a preliminary finding in an incident involving a Northwest Airlines Airbus A330 on a flight in Japan last month in which the onboard computers switched off the aircraft's autopilot possibly due in part to inconsistent airspeed indications. The report reads: NORTHWEST AIRLINES INC Incident occurred Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in Kagoshima, Japan Aircraft: AIRBUS A330-323, registration: N805NW Injuries: 217 Uninjured. This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. On June 23, 2009, at 0303 UTC, an Airbus 330-323, U.S. registration N805NW, operated by Northwest Airlines as flight 8 from Hong Kong, China, to Tokyo, Japan, experienced an airspeed anomaly while in cruise flight at FL390 approximately 50 miles southwest of Kagoshima, Japan. The crew reported that they were in normal cruise at FL390 and in visual conditions with some convective weather displayed on radar about 25 miles north of track, with thin cirrus clouds ahead. After entering the cirrus and moderate precipitation and turbulence, the crew observed, and FDR confirms, the autopilot and autothrust switch off, and the aircraft switched to Alternate Law. The master caution and warning messages were activated. The crew followed flight manual procedures and the autopilot and normal law returned in about one minute, however the event quickly repeated itself, lasting for about 2 minutes. The crew turned the airplane 60 degrees off course to exit the weather as soon as the anomalous indications were observed. The autopilot, autothrust and other controls returned to functioning, but the airplane remained in alternate law for the rest of the flight. The crew observed, and FDR confirms, large airspeed fluctuations, small altitude fluctuations, and an overspeed alert. The flight continued to Tokyo, Narita airport and landed with no damage or injuries to the 9 crew and 208 passengers on board. The incident occurred in Japanese airspace, and the investigation was delegated to NTSB by the Japanese Transportation Safety Board, who assigned an Accredited Representative to the investigation. FMI: www.ntsb.gov aero-news.net **************** NASA Funding Air Turbulence Prediction System In wake of Air France crash, weather scientists are applying artificial intelligence to satellite data and computer-generated weather models. NASA is funding a project run by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, to identify areas of rapidly developing turbulence and storms over remote areas of the ocean. The idea is to guide pilots around these areas and avoid a disaster like the one that occurred in June, when 228 people were killed after an Airbus A330 jet flown by pilots from Air France hit a storm and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Scientists are working to predict areas of turbulence, both in clear skies and within storms, by applying artificial intelligence to satellite data and computer generated models of weather, NCAR scientists said. NCAR already has a system that alerts pilots and air traffic controllers to turbulence at various altitudes over the continental United States. But alerting pilots who fly over open oceans is harder. A graphic of the path of the Air France flight based on satellite data analyzed by NCAR after the crash shows that the plane flew right through the highest storm clouds, which are often associated with the most intense storms. "It seems likely that the information provided by a real-time uplink of weather conditions ahead would have, at a minimum, improved the pilots' situational awareness," said NCAR scientist John Williams. Pilots flying over oceans do get information from weather satellites, but the satellites don't provide as many images as they do over land and don't measure turbulence, according to NCAR. They may also be updated on weather every four hours and have radar that detects clouds and precipitation. But turbulence and precipitation are not always located near each other. The new weather system is expected to be tested by pilots next year. So far, scientists have created global maps of turbulence in clear air -- winds that may buffet planes -- and global views of the tops of storm clouds. Now they're looking for turbulence within and around intense storms. They're analyzing the data using an artificial intelligence technique called "random forests," which creates a series of yes-or-no votes on how elements of a storm may behave, said NCAR scientist Cathy Kessinger. Also participating in the project are scientists from MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, the Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218400831 **************** Air Charter Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud An executive of a jet charter company involved in a 2005 crash at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to defraud charter customers and brokers and obstruct the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the Acting U.S. Attorney in Newark, N.J. Joseph Singh said during his plea in U.S. District Court in Newark that he dispatched unqualified or unrested pilots to fly charter customers for Platinum Jet Management LLC. Singh, age 37, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine, and must pay restitution to victims. The Boca Raton, Fla., resident will be sentenced Oct. 26. Singh's attorney didn't return phone calls Tuesday. Last month, the co-founder of now-defunct Platinum pleaded guilty to the same charges, and admitted that the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company flew for a year without proper certification. Andre Budhan, who faces a prison sentence of 46 to 57 months, said the company booked and flew about 100 uncertified flights in 2002 and 2003. Four other defendants in the case, which resulted from the Teterboro crash investigation, have pleaded not guilty and are slated to go to trial in January. After a crash earlier this year of a commuter airline turboprop in Buffalo, N.Y., the FAA has embarked on a major campaign to inspect pilot training programs at regional airlines and to come up with better regulations to guard against pilot fatigue industrywide. In the 2005 Teterboro accident, no one was killed but the two charter pilots were seriously injured, as were two occupants of a vehicle on the ground that the plane struck after an aborted takeoff. The eight passengers and one flight attendant suffered minor injuries. The Bombardier Challenger corporate jet ran off the departure end of the runway, plowed through an airport fence, crossed a six-lane highway and ran into a warehouse, where another person received minor injuries. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilots' failure to ensure the plane was loaded within weight and balance limits and their attempt to take off with the center of gravity too far forward prevented the airplane from lifting off at the intended speed. The airplane was destroyed. The NTSB also found that Platinum used its pilots and planes without proper FAA certification and on for-hire flights in which they didn't meet FAA charter regulations. An Alabama company that failed to control the charter flights being operated under its certificate by Platinum also was faulted, as was the Birmingham, Ala., FAA office for failing to provide adequate oversight of the arrangement between the two companies. Singh said he dispatched the pilot on the ill-fated flight while knowing he wasn't qualified, and admitted assigning the pilot on other Platinum charter flights. As director of charters for Platinum, Singh said in court that he also dispatched other unqualified pilots, while representing to charter brokers that Platinum was in compliance with federal law. According to the NTSB accident report, the 58-year-old captain who was flying the plane that crashed in 2005 had more than 16,000 flight hours in his career, including nearly 3,400 hours on the Challenger jet. But he hadn't received all the company-specific training in cabin evacuation, emergency equipment, preflight planning and emergency drills that he needed to be cleared to flight charter passengers. The NTSB also found that the pilot had been let go from two prior jobs for safety-related issues, poor airmanship and interpersonal difficulties. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124700219862707821.html *************** Air China To Have Boeing's Airplane Health Management On 737s (RTTNews) - Plane maker Boeing Co. (BA: News ), Tuesday said it entered into an agreement with the Beijing-based Air China Ltd (AIRYY.PK), for providing its Airplane Health Management system or AHM. Air China would use the AHM to monitor in-flight condition of its Next-Generation 737 fleet. The agreement covers a total of 117 Air China 737 planes that are in service and on order. Air China would use the AHM system to monitor critical real-time in-flight flying condition data, and to minimize or eliminate scheduling problems that would benefit passengers, while improving overall airplane availability. The company indicated the AHM system with capability to support long-term fleet reliability stating that it would help airlines identify and respond to faults proactively. AHM is also expected to provide fleet-wide history and knowledge from multiple operators that would be instrumental in taking repair decisions on same-model airplanes. Earlier this year, Boeing announced Next-Generation 737 performance enhancements, indicating a 2% reduction in fuel consumption by by 2011 through a combination of airframe and engine improvements. Nearly 450 Next-Generation Boeing 737s are in service with China-based customers. http://www.rttnews.com/Content/BreakingNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=998714%20&Catego ry=Breaking%20News **************** Plane returns to Md. airport after bird strike LINTHICUM, Md. (AP) - Southwest Airlines officials say a flight headed to Providence, R.I., has returned safely to Baltimore's airport after at least one bird hit an engine. It happened about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger says Flight 69, a 737, was carrying 137 passengers. Airport spokesman Jonathan Dean says one or more birds hit the engine while the plane was taking off. Eichinger says the plane landed safely back at BWI and there were no injuries. She said mechanics were checking the aircraft. Planes hit birds every day in the U.S. A bird strike was responsible for the landing of a jetliner in the Hudson River in New York last winter. Everyone survived. ***************** 2009 Star Alliance Fires Back at Justice Department Nine airlines in the global Star Alliance, plus aspiring member Continental Airlines Inc., criticized the Justice Department for philosophical bias and faulty analysis in its objections to their plan to cooperate more closely on international routes. In early April, the Department of Transportation provisionally granted the airlines' request for antitrust immunity for their cooperation plan. By statute, the DOT, which has sole authority over such arrangements, was supposed to issue a final ruling June 1. But on June 26, the Justice Department's new antitrust chief, Christine Varney, weighed in with a broadside against the airlines' plan, saying it would lead to higher fares, hinder competition and hurt consumers. Ms. Varney wasn't confirmed in her new post until late April, after the DOT had given the plan its provisional approval. The Justice Department recommended the airlines limit their cooperation plan to trans-Atlantic markets. It also listed several overseas routes it said should be "carved out" of the agreement because they are served by Continental as well as current members of the Star group, implying that the alliance partners would likely reduce competition on these routes once Continental joined. Although the timing of the department's objections was irregular, the DOT quickly reopened the long-closed comment period, giving the parties until Monday to respond to them. In their comments, the Star airlines and Continental said the Justice Department was incorrect in its conclusion that the cooperation plan would boost airfares. In a 52-page document, they said the Justice Department had wrongly urged the DOT to abandon almost two decades of successful international aviation policy and "substitute a narrowly focused and ill-conceived policy that ignores unique considerations affecting international aviation." "Such a myopic policy," the airlines said, would hobble Continental and the Star members in their efforts to compete with the rival SkyTeam alliance, which is led by Delta Air Lines Inc. and Air France-KLM SA and already has U.S. antitrust immunity for some of its members. They said the Justice Department's position also would discourage foreign governments from entering liberal aviation treaties with the U.S. Other countries typically consider U.S. antitrust immunity for airlines participating in global alliances a condition for such treaties. Continental, UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, ACE Aviation Holdings Inc.'s Air Canada and six European carriers, in essence asked the DOT to ignore the Justice Department's opinion and give prompt final approval to their cooperation plan. A DOT spokesman said his department doesn't comment on pending cases. Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona reiterated her agency's position Monday. "The department's filing speaks for itself," she said. "We believe DOT should limit the immunity." It isn't clear what the DOT will do -- or when. Continental is in the process of leaving SkyTeam to join the Star alliance. Watering down the plan would reduce the revenue benefits and marketing clout that fellow U.S. carrier United had hoped to attract by having Continental in its club. Some people familiar with the airlines' views think the DOT will have to make a few concessions to the Justice Department, given Attorney General Eric Holder's statement at a June 17 congressional hearing that the DOT had said it would work with his department on a "joint resolution" of the matter. Such cooperation arrangements among airlines are under pressure elsewhere. In April, the European Commission, the European Union's executive arm, said it began a probe of the Star Alliance, as well as the planned expansion of the oneworld alliance, led by British Airways PLC and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines. Those two carriers, along with Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA, also are seeking DOT approval for antitrust immunity to cooperate more closely across the Atlantic. While European regulators aren't expected to disband the alliances or fine members, according to people familiar with their plans, they could curb some existing or planning cooperation. American, in a filing with the DOT Monday in the Star matter, said the Justice Department's "late-filed comments asking the [DOT] to retreat from its alliance policy could not come at a worse time." American at present has no antitrust immunity with trans-Atlantic partners and fears the door could slam shut before it catches up with its rivals. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124691564076802251.html ************** XL Insurance Expands US Aviation Team NEW YORK, July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Capital Ltd (NYSE: XL), today announced the expansion of its US Aviation operations with four new appointments to its New York-based underwriting team. Eric Donofrio, US Regional Manager for XL Insurance's Aviation unit, welcomed the appointments of three Class Underwriters -- Armand Ferranti, Jr., Eileen Mitchell and Charles Koehler, and business analyst Isabel Marin. "Our team's technical underwriting skill and industry knowledge is the foundation of our success in today's competitive aviation insurance market," said Mr. Donofrio. "We're building on that base with the addition of seasoned professionals like Armand, Isabel, Chuck and Eileen whose experience continues to add strength to our in-house underwriting capabilities." "With our experienced aviation underwriting and claims staff located in New York, London, Toronto, and Munich, we are able to provide our brokers and clients direct access to our expertise," Mr. Donofrio said, noting that XL Insurance's global Aerospace operations provide a broad spectrum of aviation coverage for clients around the world. "We anticipate that the team will continue to grow in 2009 and 2010," he added. Mr. Ferranti joins XL Insurance from Global Aerospace where he worked as a general aviation underwriter. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he is a licensed commercial pilot. Mr. Ferranti also holds an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic certificate. Ms. Mitchell brings aviation brokerage experience having worked most recently for Integro as well as Marsh. She has also worked with law firm Mendes & Mount as a paralegal working in aviation litigation management. Ms. Mitchell is a graduate of Marist College. Mr. Koehler joins XL Insurance from William Gallagher Associates where he worked as an aviation broker. He brings previous experience as a general aviation underwriter having worked with Global Aerospace. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he is a licensed commercial pilot and certified flight instructor. Ms. Marin joins XL Insurance with more than a decade of aviation industry experience including her most recent position with FWS Aerospace, an aerospace consulting firm. She is a graduate of Dowling College in Oakdale, New York. "XL Insurance" is the global brand used by member insurers of the XL Capital Ltd (NYSE: XL) group of companies. More information about XL Insurance is available at http://www.xlinsurance.com/aviation. Through its operating subsidiaries, XL Capital Ltd is a leading provider of global insurance and reinsurance coverage and services to industrial, commercial and professional service firms, insurance companies, and other enterprises on a worldwide basis. More information about XL Capital Ltd is available at www.xlcapital.com. SOURCE XL Insurance ************** EASA gets tough as US maintenance bilateral hangs in the balance European regulators are issuing a strong stance against foreign repair station inspection provisions in the US House of Representatives version of FAA Reauthorization ahead of the Senate introducing its version of the bill later this week. The House bill would require twice-yearly inspections of foreign repair stations by FAA staff, and drug and alcohol testing for individuals performing safety-sensitive functions at those facilities. If the Senate chooses to preserve that language in its version of FAA Reauthorization, a bilateral between the EU and US could implode. Under the bilateral FAA would be allowed to conduct inspections on behalf of EASA at US-based EASA-approved stations. But the language proposed by the House would preclude the mutual recognition of standards that serves as the foundation of the bilateral. Recently EASA executive director Patrick Goudou in a letter to air transport officials at the European Commission said the changes proposed by the House will "contravene the confidence built into the regulatory oversight carried out by both parties". It remains to be seen if the Senate plans to include the inspection language section in its version of FAA Reauthorization. Director of government affairs for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association Matt Hallett points out Senator Byron Dorgan has commented that the legislation needs to focus on tangible safety issues. The proposed legislation has the potential to jeopardise more than just the EASA-FAA bilateral. ARSA points out a recently-released European Commission report characterising the language applied to foreign repair stations as a "potentially trade restrictive and/or distortive measure". US manufacturers also have concerns over the potential changes as chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association and former FAA administrator Marion Blakey recently said the group vigorously opposes the legislation. "It is a very costly scenario not only for not only our manufacturers, but for all the operators in the system if in fact we go to negate the system now of reciprocity," she explained. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** FAA issues new $13 million rulemaking for 737 operators The US FAA is set to release a final airworthiness directive tomorrow requiring operators of more than 500 legacy Boeing 737 models (-100 though -500) to replace certain wire bundles in the outboard landing light and fuel shutoff valve wire harnesses within five years at a total cost of approximately $13 million fleet-wide. The required replacements, outlined in a 2007 Boeing Service Bulletin, occur after reports of uncommanded engine shutdowns due to "hot shorts" caused by burned and damaged wires in bundles that run to the aircraft's landing lights and engine fuel shutoff valves. As a preliminary safety measure, FAA is requiring the same operators to deactivate or modify the wiring to the outboard landing lights within six months of the rule's mid-August effective date to prevent a short circuit and possible engine shut down. FAA warns operators that aircraft, with the outboard landing lights disabled, cannot be released for night flights if either of the inboard landing lights has failed. Other anomalies addressed in the AD include inspections for broken, damaged or missing electrical leads, grommets and wires in four electrical junction boxes of the main wheel well, and replacement of certain electrical connectors in US-registered aircraft. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Airport Executives Concerned Over Costs of New ARFF Standards The American Assn. of Airport Executives (AAAE) is worried that a congressional requirement to comply with proposed new National Fire Protection Assn. and airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) standards will have a severe financial impact on airports. The AAAE says its concerns are validated by a June 26 Transportation Research Board (TRB) study. The board's research indicates that the new standards would require airports to build nearly 600 additional ARFF facilities, buy 1,000 vehicles and hire more than 11,000 firefighters. This, in turn, would increase operating expenses by almost $1 billion a year. AAAE President Chip Barclay is urging lawmakers to reject the provisions in the House FAA reauthorization bill, which would require airports to comply with the new standards. He says the guidelines would force airports to pass operating costs onto airlines "at a time when large and small airports are doing everything they can to keep costs low." The TRB report indicates the cost per enplaned passenger would be increased by more than $25 at smaller airports-leading to higher ticket prices and, in some cases, loss of air service, especially in small communities. According to the AAAE, the study indicates that despite the enormous costs associated with implementing new standards, the requirements would have a negligible impact on safety. http://www.aviationweek **************** New safety initiatives considered post Air France, Yemenia crashes Yemenia, Air France Airbus disasters prompt calls for safety reforms Pressure is mounting to overhaul core elements of the air transport industry's approach to aviation safety management in the wake of two fatal crashes of Airbus widebodies within a month. One initiative that is gaining traction is finding a way to transmit from the aircraft to the ground information now stored on cockpit voice and flight data recorders. The interest in such a system has been driven home by the inability to locate the so-called black boxes from Air France Flight 447 a month after the Airbus A330-200 crashed into the ocean, raising the prospect of not being able to adequately establish a probable cause. Airbus officials have suggested that a move to provide some sort of backup was all but inevitable, and the aircraft maker now has decided to take the initiative to try to find a fix. "Various technical means for reinforcing flight data recovery and data transmission to ground centers are principally available," says President and CEO Tom Enders, noting that "we will now study different options for viable commercial solutions, including those where our experience with real-time data transmission from our own test aircraft could support the further development of such solutions." Airbus has not yet decided whether to limit its initiative to relaying data via existing communications means or to pursue new links. However, company personnel point out that "existing air-to-ground links for 'Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System' (Acars) maintenance data transmission do not offer the bandwidth that would be needed for a fully real-time transmission of all the data stored" on recorders. Aviation information technology provider SITA has just begun investigating what data could be collected and linked to the ground, says CEO Francesco Violante. "We are just at the beginning," he notes. Among the issues being looked at is how bandwidth-intensive such a service might be, although he suggests that one option might be to downlink only a critical subset of the data stored on flight data recorders (FDRs). An industry official points out that a data link would never be more than a backup to FDRs because signals could be degraded when flying through storms. However, many unanswered questions crop up when it comes to real-time telemetry, says John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and a former safety executive for the Air Line Pilots Assn. Because FDRs are almost always recovered, he questions whether the cost of such a backup can be justified. Other issues need addressing, particularly when it comes to pilot concerns about data misuse. Cox says that management of the collected data domestically and internationally is one, as is whether airlines would try to use the telemetry to act punitively against pilots. A regulatory push could spark a rift with the pilot community similar to the cameras-in-cockpits debate. Back-up data recorders are not the only topic coming to the fore. Safety concerns existed regarding Yemenia Airways even before the June 30 crash of its Airbus A310-300 with 153 on board and are driving the European Union to urge for an expansion of its aviation blacklist to a global one. When the European Union created the blacklist, the move was not without controversy, in part because of a sense it was mainly punitive and did not do enough to improve safety at blacklisted carriers. The U.S. also maintains a list of barred carriers, although it uses a different methodology. European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani vowed to push the subject of a global blacklist with the International Civil Aviation Organization. Yemenia Flight IY626 went down on approach to the Comoros' Moroni Airport at 1:51 a.m. local time while making its second landing attempt. The A310-300 (registered 70-ADJ) left Sana'a in Yemen with 142 passengers and 11 crew on board; one survived. Airbus says the aircraft, MSN535, rolled off its Toulouse assembly line in 1990 and has been in service with Yemenia since 1999. The aircraft had logged around 51,900 flight hours and 17,300 flights and was powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4152 turbofans. It was one of four A310s Yemenia operated and one of two the carrier acquired used. French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau says the mishap aircraft, in 2007, had drawn critical scrutiny from the French civil aviation agency, DGAC, causing Yemenia to be considered for inclusion on a blacklist of carriers banned from operating in the EU. Yemenia was operating its A330-200s in France due to concerns there about its A310s. Yemenia had passed the International Air Transport Assn.'s (IOSA) operational safety audit, which has become a standard for the airline industry. But aviation safety officials were wary of the airline. A year ago, the European Commission scrutinized the carrier's safety record, but only requested that corrective actions be taken. At the time, the EC argued that "there is verified evidence of non-compliances with specific safety standards established by the Chicago Convention on the part of the carrier Yemenia," problems French, German and Italian officials identified during ramp inspections. The airline then took corrective measures. Meanwhile, investigators released an interim report on the crash of AF 447, and disclosed they believe the A330 impacted the Atlantic at high velocity in the direction of flight and with the underside of the fuselage striking the sea first. Visual examination of debris, including the tail fin and parts of the galley, suggested that impact pattern. They noted, too, that the aircraft did not break apart in flight, says Alain Bouillard, lead investigator for the French air accident bureau (BEA). Also, no signs of fire or an explosion have been detected. The speed at impact and time the aircraft hit the surface are not established, nor is whether more passengers were alive at impact. Some clues to those questions may lie in personal effects now held by Brazilian authorities and pending autopsy results of the 51 bodies recovered. Debris and 24 Acars fault messages broadcast just before all communication was lost remain the primary areas of investigation. France will continue until July 10 to try and locate cockpit voice and FDRs by searching for signals from the attached beacon, but they are now beyond the 30-day required operational life. Starting this week, the search effort will shift to using sonar and other systems to try to find debris. The focus is largely on a 40-naut.-mi.-sq. area and Bouillard is hopeful more wreckage can be recovered. The search will run until mid-August, with a decision due then on whether to continue. The BEA report confirms the known problems with anomalous speed information, but investigators point out that they still have no data to suggest a pitot tube failure or that a mandatory replacement of the Thales-designed probes is needed. They merely note that the tubes remain under examination as part of the chain of events to have led to the crash. Bouillard says the BEA is in touch with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which is reviewing two other cases when Airbus A330s had pitot tube problems (see story, below). Prior to the sequence of Acars messages, there were no indications of anything wrong with the flight, although two Acars messages were transmitted early on, related to the configuration of lavatories. The aircraft also dispatched that it experienced an issue on one of three radio control panels, but investigators do not see a link to the accident there, either. Beyond what may have brought down the Rio de Janeiro-Paris-bound AF 447, investigators are also looking at why it wasn't properly handed off from Brazilian to Senegalese ATC authorities. Bouillard notes that inquiry has nothing to do with the crash, per se, but could have led to rescue operations beginning more promptly. Those did not commence until Madrid and Brest ATC personnel sounded the alarm 6 hr. later. The crew of the mishap aircraft also tried unsuccessfully to contact-for a third time-ATC at Dakar, around 2:01 or 13 min. before the last Acars message was sent. http://www.aviationweek.com ***************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC