21 AUG 2009 _______________________________________ *Pilot killed in firefighting tanker crash in NV *FAA Extends Boeing's Self-Certification Authority *Air France 447 Voice And Data Recorders Still Missing *Research ship ends hunt for Air France *Search team consider options for broadening AF447 hunt *Incident: Southwest B737 near Oakland on Aug 20th 2009, unruly passenger *Gulfstream proposes paying less than 1 percent of FAA fine for violating aviation regulations *Teterboro racks up safety problems *FOCUS: Air France-KLM's CSA Decision Highlights Airline Woes *Japan Airlines, Nippon Yusen may merge cargo businesses *Airbus To Improve Environmental Performance Of Aviation *LAPD helicopter hard landing injures 3 officers *China Southern selling five MD-82s *Second Boeing 787 Begins Taxi Ground Tests *L-3 To Supply Bombardier CSeries Cockpit Recorders *IATA Highlights Brazilian Aviation Policy Concerns *************************************** Pilot killed in firefighting tanker crash in NV RENO, Nev.(AP)—An air tanker battling a wildfire crashed about 125 miles northeast of Reno late this afternoon, killing the pilot. Bureau of Land Management spokesman Mark Struble says the pilot was taken to the Lovelock hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The pilot's name was not immediately released. Kai Olsen of the Central Nevada Interagency Fire Dispatch Center says the plane was a converted one-seat crop duster used for fire suppression. The single-engine aircraft, an Air Tractor 802, is owned by Minuteman Aviation. Other aircraft continue to fight the 600-acre fire in the northern end of the Clan Alpine Range. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified about the 4 p.m. crash. No structures were threatened by the fire. *************** FAA Extends Boeing's Self-Certification Authority Increases Authority Of In-House Inspectors The FAA has granted Boeing Organization Designation Authorization, giving the plane maker the ability to conduct design reviews, oversee testing to ensure all applicable product standards are met, and sign off on certification. The designation will take effect August 31st following training and readiness reviews. The Seattle Times reports that the new designation extends the authority previously granted to Boeing by the FAA, in which much of the oversight and inspections work is the responsibility of over 400 in-house inspectors. While they are appointed and approved by the FAA, the inspectors report their findings primarily through an internal organization. The new safety oversight plan allows Boeing engineers to perform such tasks as signing certificates which approve new designs, as delegated by the FAA. FAA will set up the Boeing Aviation Safety Oversight Office to monitor the internal certification process. The oversight office will conduct audits and review the written reports generated by the inspectors. It will eventually grow to 30 new employees as the system is phased in. FMI: www.faa.gov, www.boeing.com aero-news.net *************** Air France 447 Voice And Data Recorders Still Missing Second Extensive Search Fails To Turn Up "Black Boxes", Plane Wreckage The French Air Accident Bureau BEA said Thursday it has completed another fruitless search for the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from Air France flight 447, which went down in the Atlantic Ocean in June. The first search phase ended over a month ago, when it was assumed that the batteries powering the locator signals would have expired. The second phase utilized underwater ROV's searching with sonar for wreckage from the plane, but nothing has yet been found. "The search having failed to locate the wreck of the aircraft, the BEA will gather an international team of investigators and experts in the coming weeks to exploit the data gathered with a view to launching a third search phase, and to determine its modalities and means," the BEA agency said. The international news agency AFP reports French investigators caution that the chances of finding the devices are small, given that debris from the crash was found scattered over 600 miles of ocean off the coast of Brazil, the water depth, and the extreme underwater terrain. Airbus chief executive Thomas Enders said in an interview last month the company was willing to spend up to 20 million Euros to fund the search. FMI: www.airbus.com, http://www.bea-fr.org/anglaise/ aero-news.net *************** Research ship ends hunt for Air France By Alan Levin, USA TODAY The search for wreckage from the Air France jet that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1 has failed to find a trace of the airliner on the ocean floor, French investigators announced Thursday. A research boat spent weeks studying the ocean bottom with sonar in a circle 47 miles from the last known position of the Airbus A330 jet, said the French accident investigation agency, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA). Searchers also used high-tech equipment to scan an even wider area in less detail, the BEA said. The French research vessel Pourquoi pas? that conducted the research is heading to port, leaving investigators to contemplate their next step, the investigative agency said. Over the next few weeks, the BEA will consult with international experts and plan for the next phase of the search, it said. Jet manufacturer Airbus has said it will help pay for additional searches because finding what happened to the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris is considered critical. All 228 people aboard Air France Flight 447 died when the jet went down in storms. Without access to significant pieces of the jet's wreckage or the two crash-proof recorders, investigators have been unable to say what happened. Suspicion has focused on speed sensors that malfunctioned, triggering a cascade of problems that could have led the pilots to lose control of the jet. Even as the search for wreckage has stalled, aviation regulators have pressed forward with safety improvements. European regulators said earlier this month they intend to require an emergency replacement of speed sensors on Airbus A330 jets. The order, which will go into effect as soon as next month, would also apply to the similar Airbus A340. The search has been conducted in one of the most rugged undersea zones in the world. Depths range from 9,500 to 14,000 feet in that area of the Atlantic and the terrain is equivalent to a steep mountain range, said Dave Gallo, director of special projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He said that searching the area, which has numerous rock slides and steep canyons, would be similar to trying to map Manhattan's skyscrapers with a submersible robot in total darkness. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-08-20-air-france_N.htm *************** Search team consider options for broadening AF447 hunt French investigators are to consider options for expanding the search for the flight recorders of Air France flight AF447 after ending a second phase of undersea operations. Search teams in the South Atlantic have completed stages designated Phase 1A and 1B in the hunt for the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders of the Airbus A330 lost on 1 June. France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses says the search, undertaken in co-operation with oceanographic institute IFREMER and hydrographic service SHOM, has focused on a 75km-radius circle around the aircraft's last known position. The BEA says that the search "did not make it possible to locate the aircraft wreckage". It says it will draw a team of investigators together over the next few weeks to analyse data retrieved so far "with a view to a third search phase". BEA says it will determine "requirements and means" to proceed. Airbus has already indicated a willingness to provide funding to extend the sonar search. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Incident: Southwest B737 near Oakland on Aug 20th 2009, unruly passenger A passenger on board of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, flight WN-947 from Oakland,CA to Las Vegas,NV (USA), obviously confused the airplane with a strip club when the airplane was about 30 minutes into the flight. After harrassing a female passenger by showing his private parts and punching the woman the cabin crew went to subdue the man with the help of other passengers however could not prevent the man to completely undress before he was subdued. The airplane landed safely back to Oakland, the male passenger was arrested, the woman brought to a hospital. The airplane reached Las Vegas with a delay of 2:45 hours. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA947/history/20090820/1425Z/KOAK/KLAS **************** Gulfstream proposes paying less than 1 percent of FAA fine for violating aviation regulations Gulfstream International Airlines said record-keeping errors and other improper practices should cost the airline less than 1 percent of the $1.3 million fine the government has proposed as a penalty. The Fort Lauderdale-based regional carrier said $12,500 is a "reasonable" fine, according to the 215-page rebuttal filed with regulators in June. The Sun Sentinel this week obtained a copy of the airline's detailed response to the Federal Aviation Administration through the Freedom of Information Act. Gulfstream previously disclosed its response letter to the FAA and issued a news release on the matter. However, the airline did not reveal the specific dollar amount it would negotiate with the agency and declined to provide the full response to media. The FAA cited Gulfstream for hundreds of discrepancies between its computer records and manual flight log times for pilot scheduling. The discrepancies were part of a June 2008 inspection of company records in which the FAA said it also found problems with dispatcher scheduling and aircraft maintenance. "We are still in the relatively early stages of discussions with the FAA regarding their proposed fine so it would be premature to discuss how it may be resolved," airline spokesman Bruce Hicks said in an e-mail. He also noted the company looks forward to continued negotiations with the agency. An FAA spokeswoman could not be reached for comment. Gulfstream mostly flies 19-seat aircraft in Florida and the Bahamas. The airline has 157 daily departures and employs about 600 people. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-gulfstream-response-082009,0,251479 0.story *************** Teterboro racks up safety problems Federal officials have probed more than twice the number of incidents that raised safety concerns at Teterboro than they have at New York City's two major airports since 2004, according to National Transportation Safety Board records. Those airports -- John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia -- have more than twice the amount of traffic and, unlike Teterboro, cater to larger commercial aircraft. One Teterboro incident that prompted an NTSB probe involved the Aug. 8 fatal mid-air collision over the Hudson River. The NTSB has said a Teterboro controller failed to warn a pilot of "potential traffic conflicts" before his plane crashed, killing nine. The NTSB investigates incidents that severely impact the safety of flight crews, airport employees and passengers, said Keith Holloway, a board spokesman. Those incidents involve "fatalities, substantial damage to an aircraft" or close calls between airplanes and people and equipment on the ground. "An aircraft tire blowing out may not rise to that level," Holloway said. The investigations underscore the concerns aviation advocates, controllers and experts have raised about Teterboro, which caters to smaller general aviation but, nevertheless, is one of the busiest airports in the nation. "It's just so congested," said Matthew Ziemkiewicz, president of the National Air Disaster Alliance, a group that represents pilots and travelers. "I'm not convinced they (Teterboro's staff) have the latest and greatest technology to do the job effectively." Newark Liberty International Airport also has a better record than Teterboro in terms of incidents that have sparked a federal probe over the past five years -- despite having nearly three times the amount of air traffic, according to NTSB records. The NTSB has completed investigations into 13 incidents that raised safety concerns at Teterboro since Jan. 1, 2004, compared to 10 at Newark, 5 at JFK and 4 at LaGuardia. Nearly all of the incidents involved either controller error or pilot mistakes, according to the NTSB's conclusions identified in the "probable cause" component of its investigation reports. Jim Peters, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, declined to comment other than saying: "The NTSB did its investigations and issued its probable cause (reports) for those accidents." Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the focus on Teterboro's safety concerns is "unfortunate" because his organization believes the airport's controller staff had nothing to do with the Aug. 8 crash. Veteran New Jersey flight instructor and pilot Joseph Blakaitis, who has flown to Teterboro "many times," said the airport involves "a lot of attention to detail" because of its close proximity to three major airports that have heavy commercial air traffic. "It's a confined airspace -- you have to be where you're supposed to be and do what you're supposed to do," he said. "If a pilot doesn't like the airport, the best thing is to stay the hell out of it." But George Weng, a Rutgers University professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said the airport could improve its safety by having airplanes land with less frequency. He said the FAA allows too many to land too close together -- particularly at Newark. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-14/125081851022970 0.xml&coll=1 ************** FOCUS: Air France-KLM's CSA Decision Highlights Airline Woes PARIS (Dow Jones)--Air France-KLM's (AF.FR) decision, announced Wednesday, to walk away from a potential takeover of Czech Airlines JSC highlights the fragile financial health of the Franco-Dutch airline as it struggles with declining traffic and shaves margins to attract passengers and cargo, analysts say. The Franco-Dutch airline announced Wednesday it was no longer interested in taking up the Czech government's 91.5% stake in CSA, a move that industry analysts say could have obliged Air France-KLM to pay out some $270 million at a time when its finances are in the red and there's no sign of an industry upturn in the near-term. "When Air France-KLM entered into the CSA privatization process, it made perfect sense to be investigating that opportunity," commented RBS airlines analyst Andrew Lobbenberg. But the decision to walk away from CSA "isn't surprising," he said, given the deterioration in the airline industry's business environment. "Air France-KLM's cash position is under greater strain, and the relative strategic value of having cash in your pocket has increased" since the CSA privatization process began in February, Lobbenberg went on. Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline by passenger revenue, has issued a series of profit warnings over the past year, and last month surprised investors again by releasing results for the three months through June 30 that were far worse than expected. It posted an operating loss of EUR496 million for the period, leading to a string of recommendation downgrades as analysts raised their projections for more red ink through the 2010-2011 financial year. Like its industry peers, the airline is struggling with collapsing passenger and cargo revenue, and most analysts don't see a pick-up in traffic before the second quarter of 2010, even if economic activity is starting to show signs of reviving before then. Acting OECD chief economist Joergen Elmeskov said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires that forward-looking economic indicators from major countries suggest the lowest point of the nearly two-year economic downturn may have been reached already or could occur a few months earlier than previously expected. Airlines have had difficulty adapting their capacity to the sharp decline in traffic, and Air France-KLM is no exception. Its revenue is falling faster than it can cut capacity, and it can't reduce operating overheads - particularly labor costs - fast enough. The carrier is trying to reduce headcount by 3,000 through attrition this year, but French press reports have signaled that it is mulling tougher job-cutting measures that would increase this figure by 50%. At the same time, net debt is rising, with gearing expected to peak at the end of the 2010-2011 financial year. Air France-KLM predicted last month when it gave out its first-quarter earnings that its passenger revenue will continue to deteriorate in the quarter to Sept. 30 and stabilize over the next six months, provided the global economy bottoms out and start recovering toward the end of the year. With the sour business environment pushing the potential for synergies further into the future, analysts say it isn't surprising that the airline backed out of the Czech Airlines deal and the cash outlay - together with extensive restructuring costs into the future- that it would imply. "From that perspective, the Czech decision was sensible. They have far better things to spend their money on these days," commented a London-based analyst who declined to identified. Explaining its decision over CSA, Air France-KLM said Wednesday: "The current economic environment has significantly impacted the airline business. Under such circumstances, Air France-KLM believes that CSA might focus on developing and implementing a stand-alone recovery plan aimed at restoring its profitability." After an 82% surge over the three months through the end of May, Air France-KLM's share price has dropped by 13% since. On Thursday it closed at EUR10.13, up 0.8% on the day. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090820-710786.html **************** Japan Airlines, Nippon Yusen may merge cargo businesses Airlines Japan Airlines Cor Japan Airls Corp Nippon Yusen Kk Story Quotes Comments Screener Alert Email Print ShareBy MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Japan Airlines Corp. and Nippon Yusen KK are planning to integrate their air-cargo businesses early next year, according to an unsourced report by the Nikkei business daily. In an article Friday morning, the Nikkei reported that the two firms plan to have the businesses integrated by April. The companies hope the move will turn around the unprofitable operations by reducing costs, eliminating overlapping routes and disposing of unnecessary planes, the report said. The most likely plan would be for Japan Airlines /quotes/comstock/!9205 (JP:9205 168.00, +2.00, +1.20%) /quotes/comstock/11i!jalsf (JALSF 1.78, +0.01, +0.57%) to spin off its air cargo business and merge it with Nippon Cargo Airlines Co., a subsidiary of shipping giant Nippon Yusen /quotes/comstock/!9101 (JP:9101 399.00, +3.00, +0.76%) /quotes/comstock/11i!npnyy (NPNY.Y 8.46, +0.01, +0.12%) , the report said. JAL and Nippon Yusen will each take a stake of slightly more than 45% in the new firm, with the rest to be held by Nippon Cargo shareholders such as Nippon Express Co. /quotes/comstock/!9062 (JP:9062 378.00, -1.00, -0.26%) and Yamato Holdings Co. /quotes/comstock/!9064 (JP:9064 1,467, +40.00, +2.80%) /quotes/comstock/11i!yatry (YATR.Y 43.75, +0.85, +1.98%) . JAL expects this restructuring measure will lead to savings of about 20 billion yen ($212 million). http://www.marketwatch.com/story/japan-airlines-nippon-yusen-may-merge-cargo -units-2009-08-20 ************** Airbus To Improve Environmental Performance Of Aviation KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Airbus is looking into all kinds of future aircraft concepts to improve the environmental performance of aviation even further. In a statement, Airbus said its new A380 consumed less than 2.9 litres per passenger and 100km, and was ready to fly with alternative fuels. Airbus said biodiversity, which was essential for safeguarding the planet, was in serious decline and it was taking this challenge seriously. "Through continuous innovations, Airbus has managed to reduce fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions of its aircraft by 70 per cent over the past 40 years," it said. It said developing environmentally-sound technologies, however, was only one part of the company's strategy to shape a sustainable future of aviation. Airbus said to create awareness on the need to conserve the fragile biodiversity, it has teamed up with the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and National Geographic Society, to launch a worldwide biodiversity photography contest. "Ending Sept 8, the 'See the Bigger Picture' contest calls children of six to 16 years old, to take photos of biodiversity, to illustrate the diversity of nature around them and to consider their role in conserving it," it said. *************** LAPD helicopter hard landing injures 3 officers A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter crash injured three officers at Fox Field. California aviation accident injury news-Los Angeles Police Deparment helicopter crash at Fox Field sent three training exercise officers to hospital. Los Angeles, CA–A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) training exercise ended with three officers injured after the chopper crashed at Fox Field around 12:30 p.m., on Thursday, August 13, 2009. As reported by L.A. Now, an air support division of the LAPD was in a training exercise when the “hard landing” of the helicopter occurred at General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster located about 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Fire Department officials confirmed three people on board the helicopter were injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. None of the injuries have been reported as life-threatening and the names of the injured have not been released. The Los Angeles area helicopter crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) http:www.faa.gov. Preliminary reports from FoxNews claim the training crew was practicing controlled landings without power when they lost control and slammed onto the taxiway. http://www.newyorkinjurynews.com/2009/08/19/LAPD-helicopter-hard-landing-inj ures-3-officers_20090819754.html **************** China Southern selling five MD-82s China Southern Airlines is seeking to sell five Boeing MD-82s, the last of the type in its fleet. The five MD-82s are for sale as are five spare engines, says China Southern project manager Zhong Cheng, the executive responsible for helping to market the aircraft. He says China Southern did have 12 MD-82s altogether but has already sold seven. Zhong declines to say who bought the aircraft. According to Flightglobal's ACAS database the 12 MD-82s were built between 1990 and 1992. China Southern's outfit in Shenyang, China Northern Airlines, previously operated the MD-82s. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Second Boeing 787 Begins Taxi Ground Tests Boeing’s second test 787, ZA002, began its first phase of taxi ground tests on Aug. 19 after two days of delays believed to have been linked to issues with nose gear steering and thrust reversers on the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The short taxi test plan is aimed at basic systems check-out and is not directly linked to the larger aircraft test and certification plan, which is on hold pending the completion of the wing root structural modification. Boeing meanwhile declines comment on reports suggesting the company is internally aiming for a first flight target of late November/early December. Boeing says a revised timetable will likely be announced in September, the exact details of which will be determined by the results of structural tests getting under way on the side of body wing root modifications. Once the revised design has been approved for installation in the initial test aircraft, the run-up to flight tests is expected to begin again with ZA001. Given the potential restart of flight tests by the end of the year, the revised delivery schedule to launch customer All Nippon Airways would likely see the first 787 handed over at the end of 2010. Boeing originally expected to start deliveries to the Japanese carrier around May 2008. http://www.aviationweek.com ************** L-3 To Supply Bombardier CSeries Cockpit Recorders L-3 Aviation Recorders, the Sarasota, Fla.-based division of L-3 Communications, will provide the voice and data recorders for Bombardier’s latest commercial jet family, the 110- to 130-seat CSeries. The manufacturer, which already provides similar systems for most of Bombardier’s commercial and business aircraft, in a release said its L3AR system will record digital air traffic and ground control data messages and high-fidelity voice recordings. L-3’s flight data recording system “will record at the highest data rates currently specified for new-design aircraft,” the company added. http://www.aviationweek.com *************** IATA Highlights Brazilian Aviation Policy Concerns The International Air Transport Association is urging the Brazilian government to reform some aviation restrictions and fees, and to steer clear of introducing new measures that would be harmful to the industry. In a speech in Sao Paulo this week, IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani noted that Brazil can “build a more competitive industry by overcoming major fiscal and infrastructure handicaps.” Bisignani highlighted progress that has been made in liberalization and the adoption of the IATA Operational Safety Audit. Proposals to increase foreign ownership limits to 49% and a new bilateral aviation agreement with Chile are “steps in the right direction,” he said. Bisignani also praised a recent government decision to remove a specific jet fuel tax that was yielding $100 million a year. However, another, larger fuel surcharge that adds 30 cents a gallon needs to be reconsidered, IATA believes. The group estimates that fuel accounts for 32% of Brazilian airline costs, compared with the global average of 23%. “We must find a policy that brings prices in line with market realities,” Bisignani said. On the airport side, IATA is closely watching the debate over privatization. The government is considering offering concessions for outside interests to run some airports. IATA doesn’t object to this process, but stresses that any semi-privatized airports need to have “robust economic regulation” to prevent the overcharging that occurs in other regions. IATA is encouraging the government to use its World Scheduling Guidelines as a way to manage congestion at Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport. The government is open to introducing the WSG system, but it still needs greater political acceptance. Bisignani stressed that congestion pricing — which has already been introduced for domestic services — is not an effective solution. A government-mandated airport surcharge also concerns IATA. Not all of this revenue is being spent on aviation infrastructure, in a country where underinvestment in aviation facilities is a major problem. IATA advocates a full cost-recovery system, with transparent charges. http://www.aviationweek.com **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC