20 OCT 2009 _______________________________________ *Southwest jet makes emergency landing in Louisville *Airbus, others sued in U.S. over Air France crash *Husch Blackwell Sanders Forms Alliance to Bolster Aviation Defense Practice *US Airways jet won't fly again *American Airlines probed over repairs **************************************** Southwest jet makes emergency landing in Louisville A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 jet was forced to turn back to Louisville on Monday night after the captain reported smoke in the cockpit. None of the 137 passengers on board were injured, said Brandy King, a spokeswoman for Southwest. Flight 69 took off from Louisville bound for Phoenix at 6:40 p.m. The airport received the alert about the smoke at 7:16 p.m., said Trish Burke, a spokeswoman for Louisville International Airport. The plane landed safely before 7:40 p.m., Burke said. http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091019/NEWS01/910190368/1008 *************** Airbus, others sued in U.S. over Air France crash ATLANTA (Reuters) - A U.S. lawyer filed suit against planemaker Airbus SA and many aerospace suppliers on Monday seeking unspecified compensation on behalf of survivors of eight of the 228 passengers who died when an Air France flight crashed off the coast of Brazil in June. The lawsuit said the plaintiffs, relatives of some of the dead from Air France Flight 447, have "suffered a loss of support" and other losses as a result of the deaths. The action was brought under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act and filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The Airbus A330 plane that crashed was "defective and unreasonably dangerous," the complaint states. Other defendants include aircraft parts makers Honeywell International, General Electric Co, Rockwell Collins Inc, Thales SA and chip maker Intel Corp. Airbus, a unit of EADS, had no comment. "We are aware of it. We do not comment on lawsuits," an Airbus Americas communications manager, Mary Anne Greczyn, said in an email. Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean after it took off from Rio de Janiero headed for Paris on June 1, killing 228 people. Investigators have said they do not yet know what caused the crash of the Airbus A330 aircraft, and the investigation could take another year. "We're just seeking fair compensation, financial support for their losses," said Floyd Wisner, the aviation accident lawyer who filed the complaint. He said the plaintiffs included parents, spouses and children of victims of the crash who were from Hungary, France, Argentina and other countries. "There is no evidence that any Honeywell product on board Flight 447 was defective or malfunctioned in any way." Honeywell International said in a statement. "Because neither the black boxes nor the bulk of the wreckage has been found, the complaint filed in Cook County, Illinois, is only speculation. We will aggressively defend our reputation and products and continue to utilize our technologies to help ensure that such a tragic event can be avoided in the future," the Honeywell statement added. Intel said in a statement that after an initial review, it doesn't believe the complaint has merit as it relates to the chip maker. Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said in the statement that the complaint makes no specific allegations against Intel, only general allegations. "Intel has not sold components into the aerospace market for well over a decade," Mulloy said. "So as it relates to Intel, the case is without merit." Among other defendants, Rockwell Collins said it does not comment on pending litigation. Representatives for United Technologies unit Hamilton Sundstrand and GE said their companies hadn't seen the suit and couldn't comment. Motorola Inc, Thales, du Pont Co, Goodrich Corp and Raychem Co did not immediately return requests for comment. Judd Wire Co could not be reached to comment. In August, Reuters reported from France that the family of a flight attendant who died in the crash was seeking legal action against Air France, according to its lawyer. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE59J05620091020 ************** Husch Blackwell Sanders Forms Alliance to Bolster Aviation Defense Practice October 19, 2009-Husch Blackwell Sanders announced today a strategic alliance with Alimonti Law Offices designed to grow its aviation defense litigation practice. Both firms stand to gain from the alliance: Alimonti's New York City location gives Husch Blackwell Sanders major-market, East Coast access to clients; Husch Blackwell Sanders' strength in Midwestern and Mid South markets, as well as its Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., and London offices, increases Alimonti's geographic scope, as well as giving access to regulatory and other related legal areas. Husch Blackwell Sanders' aviation attorneys have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. The firm's practice includes prosecution and defense of aircraft accident and product cases, risk management, aviation hull and liability insurance coverage issues, war risk insurance, resolution of complex insurance claims, and emergency planning and response. Husch Blackwell Sanders also provides transactional and regulatory services to a wide range of commercial and general aviation owners, operators, and MRO and support operations. Alimonti Law Offices firm was founded in March 2001 by Frederick ("Rick") P. Alimonti in White Plains, New York; its primary office is in White Plains with a satellite office in lower Manhattan. Alimonti Law has focused its practice on serving the litigation needs of the aviation community and has grown to an internationally recognized team of lawyers and consultants. Alimonti Law's worldwide clients include airlines, flight schools, fixed base operators, manufacturers, repair stations, charter operators and their respective insurers. For more information about Alimonti Law's aviation practice, visit www.alony.com. Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP is a leading litigation and business services law firm with approximately 625 attorneys. Husch Blackwell Sanders partners with clients to deliver creative but practical advice, uncommon service, and exceptional results. Clients include national and global companies and entrepreneurial start-ups. The firm has offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Jefferson City, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas; Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska; Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago and Peoria, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C., and London, U.K. For additional news releases, visit www.huschblackwell.com/newsReleases.aspx. **************** US Airways jet won't fly again Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger famously landed his US Airways jet on the Hudson River on Jan. 15 after it was disabled by birds flying into the engines. Whatever happened to the plane? Was it repaired and is it now flying again? After the emergency splashdown, the Airbus A320 slowly drifted south in the frigid Hudson. Only about half of the tail fin and rudder were above water when a Fire Department boat tugged the plane to the southern tip of Manhattan and docked it there. Both engines broke off, settling into muck and thick sediment 30 to 50 feet down. After a recovery mission, the National Transportation Safety Board directed a teardown of the plane's engines and found bird remains. The aircraft was moved to a Kearny, N.J., salvage yard. It is expected to remain there while the NTSB completes its investigation, which could take 12 to 18 months. Once the NTSB concludes its investigation, the disassembled plane will be sold for salvage. It will not be repaired and will not fly again, according to Chartis, the company that insured the aircraft. http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/qampa-us-airways-jet-pulled-from- hudson-will-be-sold-for-salvage-in-pieces/1045327 ************** American Airlines probed over repairs AMERICAN Airlines is under investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration over allegations of substandard repairs on its ageing fleet of MD-80 aircraft. US media reports over the weekend said the US regulatory agency was investigating allegations that at least one plane was considered unsafe to fly at normal altitudes because of a structural problem with a rear bulkhead. According to The Wall Street Journal, up to 16 MD-80s, an older style aircraft made by McDonnell Douglas before it was taken over by Boeing, were operated for months with allegedly substandard repairs. The WSJ cites allegations from pilots that one MD-80 was in such poor conditions it was ferried to a maintenance base in Oklahoma at unusually low altitudes to avoid the stress of pressurisation during the trip. It says the FAA is looking whether other planes may have been flown in similar circumstances. Other US media reports said American could face millions of dollars in fines and that the FAA was looking at possible punitive action against individual mechanics or supervisors. The American investigation comes as two other major US carriers are facing multi-million-dollar fines for violations of safety rules. United Airlines, one of several US carriers servicing Australia, is facing a $US3.8 million ($4.12m) fine over a problem revealed after a Boeing 737 engine shut down while on on flight to Denver in April, 2008. Mechanics later found shop towels covering an opening in the oil sump area and the FAA said the aircraft had flown more than 200 times in the unsafe condition before the problem was discovered. United said it reported the incident to the FAA and took measures to prevent a reoccurrence. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26232615-36418,00.html *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC