05 AUG 2009 _______________________________________ *Plane wreckage found in Indonesia: airline *Severe turbulence hits Detroit-bound flight *Severe Turbulence May Spark NTSB Investigation *Aero-Instruments Receives FAA Approval For Airbus Replacement Pitot Probes *Tougher limits needed on oil speculators *FAA head calls on congress to rethink new, controversial airline safety legislation *Study proposes pan-European common transition altitude *IATA sees an unusual rise in aircraft removed from storage **************************************** Plane wreckage found in Indonesia: airline (AFP) JAYAPURA, Indonesia - Wreckage from a plane that went missing over Indonesia's rugged Papua region with 16 people on board was found Tuesday in dense jungle, an airline executive said. Search and rescue teams are trying to land in the area by helicopter but there is little hope any passengers or crew, all Indonesians, will be found alive. The Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane crashed into a mountain range Sunday as it flew from Jayapura to Oksibil. "The tail of the plane was spotted at 6:00 am (2100 GMT)," Merpati chief director Bambang Bhakti said. An airborne search team saw the wreckage near Ampisibil village in Bintang Mountains Regency, at a height of 2,850 metres (9,300 feet), he added. The site of the crash is about 37 kilometres (23 miles) south of Oksibil. Indonesia relies heavily on air links across the archipelago but its safety record is one of the worst in Asia and accidents are common. **************** Severe turbulence hits Detroit-bound flight Two people were hurt when a Detroit-bound Delta Air Lines plane ran into severe turbulence and was forced to land in Kentucky, the second time this week a flight was diverted because of turbulence. A flight attendant was knocked over and a passenger injured in the incident aboard Flight 2871, which was forced to land in Louisville. Joe Williams, a spokesman for Pinnacle Airlines, which operated the flight, said the region was getting "hammered" with severe weather. He said the 50-seat regional jet took off from Knoxville, Tenn., about 4:25 p.m. and landed after the injuries were reported. Williams described both injuries as "minor cuts and bruises." Encounters with rough air injure more people on airline flights than any other cause outside of fatal crashes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. On Monday, at least 28 passengers aboard Continental Flight 128 were injured as the plane flew from Rio de Janeiro to Houston. The flight made an emergency landing in Miami. Four people were seriously injured, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Elkin Sierra said. About eight serious turbulence accidents have happened each year since 1990, according to National Transportation Safety Board data. Two people have died during that time, and about 10 people a year suffer severe injuries such as broken bones. Tuesday's Delta flight ran into trouble at 30,000 feet, about 15 miles southeast of Evansville, Ind., according to FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. Williams said the flight carried 24 passengers, two pilots and one flight attendant. The area was getting pounded by a storm front that dropped 4.5 inches of rain in Louisville on Tuesday, setting a mark for the wettest August day on record, according to John Desjardins, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel. "It was awful," he said. The flight attendant was standing in the aisle "doing what flight attendants do" when she was knocked to the ground, Williams said. She was transported to a hospital. Williams said the passenger was treated at the airport. Williams said the passengers would be rerouted to Detroit and the pilots can resume flying Wednesday. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-08-04-turbulence_N.htm ************** Severe Turbulence May Spark NTSB Investigation 26 Injured On Continental Flight From Rio To Houston The NTSB is looking into whether to treat an encounter with clear air turbulence as an accident. A Continental flight en route to Houston from Rio de Janeiro Monday encountered CAT near the east end of the Dominican Republic, and 26 passengers were injured as a result. Bloomberg is reporting that some of the 168 passengers were tossed from their seats during the flight. NTSB is still making a determination as to whether the incident qualifies as an aircraft accident. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said in an interview Tuesday "We're still assessing the injuries and gathering information. We are getting data from the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder." If it is determined that there actually was an accident, the agency will open a formal inquiry, he said, with a decision to be made "within the next few days." An NTSB report issued in March indicates that 22 percent of all airline accidents can be attributed to turbulence, according to Bloomberg. It is cited in 49 percent of accidents resulting in serious injuries. The aircraft, a Boeing 767-200, was diverted to Miami following the incident. FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.continental.com aero-news.net ************** Aero-Instruments Receives FAA Approval For Airbus Replacement Pitot Probes Other Probes Previously Certified For Boeing Aircraft Aero-Instruments of Cleveland, OH announced Tuesday that, after 18 months of rigorous testing and evaluation, the FAA has approved the company's 0851HL-AI Pitot Probe as a replacement part on Airbus S.A.S. airplanes flown worldwide. The Aero-Instruments' 0851HL-AI Pitot Probe can now be installed on the more than 4,500 Airbus A318, A319, A320, A321, A330 and A340 series airplanes in operation worldwide. Each Airbus commercial aircraft has three Pitot Probes, which are the primary air speed sensing components on aircraft and are designed with integrated electrical heaters to prevent icing. "The FAA's approval of our replacement Pitot Probes for Airbus-manufactured commercial aircraft is a significant milestone for Aero-Instruments," said Ryan S. Mifsud, Vice President / General Manager. "These precision-engineered parts were tested to very demanding specifications, in accordance with those required by regulatory agencies and aircraft manufacturers. The ability to deliver such a high performance product and superior customer service is a source of pride for our company." Mifsud said, "Pitot Probes are essential to the safe flight of all aircraft, and we are delighted to play a role in this very important segment of the aerospace market. Our products are flying on tens of thousands of aircraft worldwide because we are able to provide standard or unique Pitot Probes for virtually every aircraft application." In granting Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) for the Aero-Instruments 0851HL-AI Pitot Probe, the FAA concluded that the part meets or exceeds the agreed upon certification plan, which was based on the requirements of TSO C-16A, including the icing requirements outlined in SAE AS393, AS8006, and BS2G.135. 0851HL-AI Pitot Probe With this new FAA-PMA approval for Airbus-manufactured aircraft, Aero-Instruments is able to supply replacement Pitot and Pitot-Static Probes for after-market installation on the majority of aircraft operated by the world's airlines. Aero-Instruments is one of only three companies in the world whose Pitot Probes are approved for Airbus commercial aircraft, and one of only two companies approved for Boeing commercial aircraft. Aero-Instruments received its first FAA certification for replacement parts for Boeing-manufactured commercial planes in 2006. In addition to offering air data sensors for commercial airlines, Aero-Instruments manufactures Pitot Probes and related devices and systems for the general aviation, rotorcraft, defense, business jet and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle markets. FMI: www.aero-instruments.com aero-news.net ************** Tougher limits needed on oil speculators Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways, the two largest carriers in Atlanta, are renewing their push for stronger regulations to limit oil speculation. They say such speculation contributes to huge swings in oil prices and financial losses for airlines -- not just when prices go up but also when they plummet and carriers are stuck paying higher prices due to hedging contracts. Travelers and workers are hurt in the process by flight and job cuts, the airlines say. The airline industry made a big push for tighter oil speculation regulation a year ago, when oil prices peaked. But the campaign didn't succeed in getting the new regulations it sought, said Air Transport Association spokesman David Castelveter. Airlines -- which often oppose new regulation of their own industry on matter such as customer service -- want the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Congress to limit the positions of speculative traders to prevent them from disproportionately controlling commodities markets and close loopholes. They point to the effects of oil prices on consumers' costs at the gas pump and for heating and air conditioning. Airlines are cutting flights and jobs, making moves "they otherwise wouldn't have done if not for oil price volatility," Castelveter said. Generating much grassroots support may be more challenging when oil prices are far below the high of around $147 a barrel last summer. Delta general counsel Ben Hirst testified in support of tougher regulation of the oil futures market at a hearing by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last week. It was one of three hearings being held by the commission, whose chairman Gary Gensler said "there are significant gaps in our financial regulatory system." The final hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Representing the Air Transport Association, a major airline industry lobbying group, Hirst told the commission that the airline industry "has been devastated in the past two years by the high price of fuel and volatility in oil markets," which have "destroyed some airlines and deeply damaged the rest." Fuel is typically an airline's single largest expense, equivalent to about 40 percent of revenues, he said. Atlanta-based Delta, like other airlines, suffered when oil prices went up, but also when oil prices went down and it lost $1.7 billion on fuel hedges -- or contracts to buy fuel at pre-set prices. Hirst said the "oil price bubble" cost Delta $8.4 billion in total since mid-2007, including fuel expense and hedge losses, leading the company to cut flight capacity by 10 percent and eliminate 10,000 jobs. Castelveter said because airlines plan flight schedules months in advance but don't know if oil prices are headed up or down, "that makes it very difficult to plan." AirTran, which has its largest hub in Atlanta, last week sent an e-mail message to frequent fliers asking them to contact Congress through the web site of the Stop Oil Speculation Now coalition organized by the Air Transport Association. CME Group, which operates major trading exchanges, said in its testimony to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that limiting speculators' access to the futures markets will impede hedging. But it said it is prepared to respond by administering its own limits. Jeffrey Sprecher, chief executive of the Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange, in his testimony said limits should be set and administered by the commission, rather than by a competitor. He also cautioned that regulations not carefully tailored to address problems can lead to greater price volatility. Delta's Hirst acknowledged that speculators "play a valuable role by providing the liquidity needed for hedging." He said the commission should "ensure there is enough speculation in the market to provide liquidity, but no more than that." http://www.ajc.com/business/atlanta-107408.html **************** FAA head calls on congress to rethink new, controversial airline safety legislation A new bill introduced in the House would raise the minimum flight hours needed by a first officer to1500 on an air transport pilot rating. Currently a first officer can have as little as 200 hours, usually with 100 hours of multi-engine time, and a commercial license. Common practice, in effect since almost the beginning of commercial aviation in the United States, has a more experienced pilot acting as captain who mentors the copilot, or first officer. The Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009 also proposes to force the FAA and most air carriers to increase stall recovery training and fatigue countermeasures, among other things. The bill will be debated when Congress reconvenes from its summer recess in the fall. However FAA head Randy Babbitt says the proposed legislation, especially the 1500-hour requirement, is unnecessary. Babbit says that the quality of training is more important than the quantity of training or total time and adds that the FAA has already asked airlines to voluntarily take part in programs such as the Flight Operations Quality Assurance and the Aviation Safety Action Program. "In the pilot community I think it is acknowledged that simply raising the total amount of time by over half is not really a good benchmark for how good the quality of the pilot is" he says. The new bill was prompted after the fiery crash in February of a Colgan Air Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 near Buffalo, NY. All aboard the aircraft and one person on the ground were killed when the airplane stalled due to icing and plunged into a house. Lack of proper flight training and crew fatigue were cited as contributing factors in the crash. Babbitt is the previous head of the Air Line Pilots Association. Ironically, the ALPA says it supports the new legislation. http://www.examiner.com/x-7773-Phoenix-Aviation-Examiner~y2009m8d3-FAA-head- calls-on-congress-to-rethink-new-controversial-airline-safety-legislation ************** Study proposes pan-European common transition altitude Representatives of the Nordic and Baltic countries have carried out a feasibility study that recommends adopting a common regional transition altitude (TA) of either 10,000ft or 18,000ft instead of the disparate and much lower TAs that they use now. The civil aviation authorities of Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden have worked with Eurocontrol to examine the feasibility of adopting a common regional TA, and perhaps extending it eventually across all of Europe. Transition altitude is a published height above sea level at which pilots climbing to their cruising level change their barometric altimeter datum from the regional pressure setting to the common international standard setting of 1013.2hPa, so that all altimeters above that altitude give identical readings. Above the TA, altimeter readings are communicated as common flight levels. During descent, pilots change the altimeter datum back to the regional pressure setting when passing through the transition level, the lowest flight level above the TA. Transition altitudes are local, regional or national, and vary considerably between about 3,000ft and 18,000ft. The USA and Canada have a common TA of 18,000ft. Eurocontrol has itself conducted a study looking at the issues that such a change would involve. The main arguments for changing the system of national or regional TAs include the benefits of commonality, and the elimination of the need for pilots to adjust their altimeter pressure settings at low levels - notably during climb and descent, where workload is high and collision with terrain is a greater risk. Having a low TA that affects most standard instrument departures and arrivals is also undesirable, the study notes. The report says that ICAO guidance, recommending TAs should be set as low as possible above 3,000ft, is based on the fact that aircraft performance was much more modest at the time. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations and the UK Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators backs a TA of at least 10,000ft in Europe, which is also the altitude recommended by the Nordic feasiblity study, with 18,000ft as the alternative if 10,000ft is not judged acceptable. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** IATA sees an unusual rise in aircraft removed from storage A net of 68 aircraft were removed from storage in June of this year even as carriers move to adjust their supply to match demand in a still-weak economy. IATA in its latest financial update cites the uptick in removals, and along with 124 new aircraft delivered in June, "that shows a significant increase in the size of the fleet". The association does think there could be some under-reporting of unused aircraft at the moment, "but that does not seem to explain the net withdrawals". IATA's data suggest the worldwide fleet this year has expanded by almost two percent "at a time when airlines have been trying to shrink capacity in response to the slump in demand". Expansion of the global fleet count is contrasting with capacity levels that are higher than demand. Although passenger capacity has remained 4%-5% below 2008 levels for the past few months, demand is still trending below those levels, and "as a result excess capacity is still growing", IATA explains. As fuel costs are roughly half of 2008 levels, IATA says aircraft costs are once again fixed, "which together with slot reduction hinders capacity reduction". IATA does believe passenger markets appear to be stabilising, but also cautions that is largely attributable to substantial fare discounting. "Moreover, H1N1 remains a downside risk." Examining second quarter financial results of US carriers, IATA estimates that H1N1 accounts for $300 million of the total net $373 million in losses recorded by those airlines during the June quarter. Carriers typically log 80% of the year's profits during the second and third quarters, IATA says, warning that the fall in yields and the effects of H1N1 during the second quarter have more than offset any improvements in costs. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC