13 JAN 2010 _________________________________________ *NTSB investigating emergency landing at Newark airport *Many Caribbean, Latin America airports lack safety zones *Brazilian Court Rules 2 U.S. Pilots Should Face Negligence Charges in Deadly Crash *FAA Lights Up ADS-B System In Houston *Sick Man On 'Do Not Board' List Flies From Philly *Pilot error led to fatal F-16 crash *Newport News-based AeroTech receives NASA contract for airport safety *US business aviation safety improves in 2009 *Bahamas lacks 61% of aviation safety elements *Another disturbance reported on a Detroit-bound flight; no arrests ***************************************** NTSB investigating emergency landing at Newark airport newark-united-airline-emergency-landing.JPG A United Airlines Airbus 319 sits on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport after making an emergency landing in Newark on Jan. 10. Landing gear problems forced the flight to make an emergency landing. NEWARK — The National Transportation Safety Board said today it is investigating Sunday's emergency landing of a United Airlines flight at Newark Liberty International Airport after a landing gear malfunctioned. NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said today that the agency has pulled the recorders from the Airbus A319 and was looking at airworthiness and cabin safety. The aircraft carrying 48 passengers and five airline employees from Chicago to Newark landed safely, but part of its belly struck the runway on touchdown and the right wing was damaged. United said it was not immediately clear what caused the malfunction. The Federal Aviation Administration said today that it was inspecting the plane and would interview the pilots. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/ntsb_investigating_emergency_l.html **************** Many Caribbean, Latin America airports lack safety zones A crane lifts the tale and fuselage of an American Airlines plane to a truck as it is moved to a hangar at the international airport in Kingston, Jamaica, Dec. 27, 2009 Many of the busiest airports in the Caribbean and Latin America lack basic safety features that could have prevented the recent crash of an American Airlines jet in Jamaica, according to pilots, aviation safety experts and public documents. No one died when the American Boeing 737-800 slid off a wet runway and slammed onto an adjacent rocky beach on Dec. 22, but dozens were hurt and the jet's fuselage was torn open in several places. It was the most serious accident involving a U.S. carrier since 50 people died in a commuter plane crash near Buffalo on Feb. 12. As a result of a string of similar crashes in this country, Congress and U.S. regulators have required airports to install safety zones at the end of each runway by 2015 to minimize the chances of damage when a jet skids off the pavement. However, despite years of pressure from the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), few airports south of the border have built safety zones. Each year, 23.6 million people travel from the U.S. to these destinations, according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "The problem has been there for a long time and it cuts into the margin of safety," said Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 50,000 pilots, has long called for safety enhancements at these airports. "It's a huge concern that these (accidents) continue to occur, and we want to do what we can to mitigate that," said union safety chief Rory Kay. Like many airports in island resorts, Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport was built in a harbor and is hemmed in by water. After leaving the runway, the American jet dropped off an embankment, sped across a roadway and plopped onto the adjacent rocky beach. At least 29 commercial airports in the Caribbean and Latin America lack adequate safety zones at the end of runways, according to a Sept. 29, 2009, report by the ICAO. The organization, which has been pushing for safety upgrades for years, wrote that the list of deficient airports "is still very extensive." Airports on the list include some of the Western Hemisphere's most-visited vacation destinations, such as Cancun in Mexico and St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. They also include such South American capitals as Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and Guatemala City. Manley airport's runways also do not have grooved pavement, according to Oscar Derby, director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. The grooves allow rainwater to flow off more quickly, giving aircraft tires more traction when pilots apply the brakes. Virtually all large U.S. airports have grooved runways. After the accident, American's pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association, posted a list of airports without grooved runways where the carrier lands. Out of 53 airports the union listed in the region, 45 lack grooved runways, according to the posting. The Airports Council International branch representing Latin American and Caribbean airports did not respond to requests for comment. As in most runway accidents, the actions of the American pilots will be closely scrutinized. The pilots touched down 4,000 feet from the start of the runway, well past the optimal landing zone, the Jamaican authority said. Several serious accidents have occurred at airports in this region in recent years. On July 17, 2007, 187 passengers and crew aboard a Brazilian domestic flight died along with 12 people on the ground when it skidded off a runway at São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, slamming into a warehouse and bursting into flames. The airport has no safety zones, and its runway was not grooved. Five people were killed on May 30, 2008, when a TACA Airlines jet skidded off a runway in Tegucigalpa. The jet struck cars on a road just off the airport. Because many older urban U.S. airports, such as Chicago's Midway, are hemmed in by development, airports have turned to new technology to improve safety. Zodiac Aerospace ESCO makes a foam bed that can be placed at the end of a runway that safely stops planes that skid too far. The firm has installed 50 of the foam devices around the world, but none in the Caribbean or Latin America, said Kent Thompson, vice president for airport sales. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-01-12-airport_N.htm ***************** Brazilian Court Rules 2 U.S. Pilots Should Face Negligence Charges in Deadly Crash SAO PAULO — A Brazilian appeals court has ruled two American executive jet pilots should face negligence charges for a 2006 midair collision that killed 154 people. The ruling overturns a judge who dismissed those charges in 2008 against Joseph Lepore of Bay Shore, New York, and Jan Paladino of Westhampton Beach, New York. Defense lawyer Joel Weiss said Tuesday he would likely appeal the new decision. The executive jet collided over the Amazon with a Boeing 737 on Sept. 29, 2006 — killing all aboard the Boeing. Prosecutors accused the pilots of accidentally turning off a transponder that transmitted the smaller jet's location and failing to follow their flight plan. Weiss says Brazilian controllers set the planes on a collision course. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582891,00.html **************** FAA Lights Up ADS-B System In Houston Satellite-Based Tracking Monitors Air Traffic Over Gulf Of Mexico FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt announced Tuesday that Houston air traffic controllers are beginning to use an improved satellite-based system - Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) - to more efficiently and safely separate and manage aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico. "Safety is our highest priority at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and this new satellite-based technology will help the FAA improve the safety of flights over the Gulf even as air traffic increases," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This is a significant, early step toward NextGen," Administrator Babbitt said in a press conference at the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center. "We're delivering on time, a system that's not only more accurate than radar but comes with significant safety and efficiency benefits. This will save time and money for aircraft operators and passengers and reduce our carbon footprint." ADS-B, which is one of the technologies at the heart of the transformation to NextGen, brings air traffic control to the Gulf of Mexico, an area that has not had the benefit of radar coverage. Before ADS-B, controllers had to rely on an aircraft's estimated or reported - not actual - position. Individual helicopters flying under Instrument Flight Rule conditions at low altitudes to and from oil platforms were isolated within 20x20 mile boxes in order to remain safely separated from other helicopters. The complex, manual nature of these operations severely reduced capacity and efficiency for the 5,000 to 9,000 daily helicopter operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Aircraft equipped with ADS-B in the region will now know where they are in relation to bad weather and receive flight information including Notice to Airmen and Temporary Flight Restrictions. Prior to ADS-B, commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes were kept as much as 120 miles apart to ensure safety. Controllers are now able to safely reduce the separation between ADS-B equipped aircraft to five nautical miles, significantly improving capacity and efficiency. The new technology will also allow the FAA to provide new, more direct routes over the Gulf of Mexico, improving the efficiency of aircraft operations while using less fuel. The FAA was able to install ground stations on oil platforms as part of an agreement with the Helicopter Association International, oil and natural gas companies and helicopter operators. A network of ground stations was deployed on oil platforms and the surrounding shoreline, bringing satellite-based surveillance to an area with almost as much daily air traffic as the northeast corridor. The Gulf of Mexico is the second key site where ADS-B is being used by controllers to separate aircraft. The new technology is also being used by controllers in Louisville, KY, chosen in part because UPS voluntarily outfitted much of its fleet with ADS-B avionics. Four ground stations give controllers at the Louisville International Airport and the Louisville Terminal Radar Approach Control facility an ADS-B coverage area extending 60 nautical miles around the airport up to 10,000 feet. Controllers in Philadelphia will begin using ADS-B in February and the system will become operational in Juneau in April. ADS-B is expected to be available nationwide by 2013. The FAA first established an ADS-B prototype in Alaska, outfitting numerous general aviation aircraft with ADS-B avionics. The improved situational awareness for pilots and extended coverage for controllers resulted in a 47 percent drop in the fatal accident rate for equipped aircraft. In South Florida, the installation of eleven ground stations now gives pilots in equipped aircraft free traffic and weather information. Controllers will soon begin using ADS-B in that region to separate aircraft. FMI: www.faa.gov aero-news.net *************** Sick Man On 'Do Not Board' List Flies From Philly The Centers for Disease Control said a passenger with tuberculosis has been detained after boarding a flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco despite being on a "do-not-board" list. CDC officials said the passenger was detained and taken to a local hospital after a U.S. Airways flight arrived in San Francisco Saturday night. The unidentified male passenger was apparently placed on a do-not-board list submitted to the TSA and CDC on January 8, 2010. Investigators are trying to determine how the noticeably ill man made it through security checkpoints and onto the flight. Travelers at Philadelphia International Airport want to know how a man who was on the "no-board-list" was able to clear security and get on the plane. CDC officials said the risk to other passengers aboard the plane with the man for the six-and-a-half-hour flight was low, because the flight was less than eight hours. The airline told Eyewitness News it is up to the TSA to enforce the "no board list," but a TSA spokesperson says it is the airlines' responsibility. TSA released the following statement about the incident: "We are just a conduit. We receive information and provide it to the airlines. All proper protocols were followed." The CDC and the airlines emphasized passengers faced little or no risk. Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially deadly infectious disease that typically affects the lung, but can attack the rest of the body. It was once the leading cause of death in the U.S. Symptoms include a cough, sometimes with blood, that lasts more than three weeks, chest pains, chills and fever. http://cbs3.com/topstories/tuberculosis.flight.cdc.2.1420810.html **************** Pilot error led to fatal F-16 crash Air Force report also cites radar failure in mid-air collision Air Force officials have determined that pilot error and radar failure caused the deadly October mid-air collision between two F-16 fighter jets from Shaw Air Force Base. The crash, which took place on Oct. 15 off the coast of Charleston during nighttime training maneuvers, resulted in the death of Capt. Nicholas "Nick" Giglio of the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw. Giglio's jet hit the underside of his wingman's F-16, which landed safely at nearby Charleston Air Force Base and sustained only moderate damage. The second F-16 was flown by Capt. Lee Bryant of the 77th Fighter Squadron, who was uninjured. After striking Bryant's plane, Giglio's aircraft reportedly plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean about 19,000 feet below and disappeared into the water, which was as deep as 50 feet, said Coast Guard Commander of Section Charleston Capt. Michael McAllister, after the search was suspended. Giglio was not able to eject. Despite an extensive search involving aircraft, helicopters, cutters and boats from the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, law enforcement and good Samaritans, who combed 8,000 square miles of the Atlantic during a collective 167 hours, neither Giglio nor his aircraft has ever been recovered. The loss of the jet is estimated at more than $26.9 million According to the Air Force's Aircraft Accident Investigation Board report, which was released Monday, the collision took place about 126 nautical miles southeast of Shaw, over the ocean. The pilots were involved in close air support training at the time, and Giglio, 32, was attempting to rejoin Bryant, who was leading the mission. The two pilots were on their return to Shaw. "I find, by clear and convincing evidence, this mishap was caused by (Giglio's) improper night rejoin," wrote Maj. Gen. Stanley T. Kresge, president of the Accident Investigation Board, in the report's statement of opinion. "Specifically, (Giglio) failed to reduce airspeed and establish the proper flight vector relative to (Bryant's) aircraft. I also find that channelized attention substantially contributed to the mishap. (Giglio) experienced a radar failure which diverted his attention from completing a safe rejoin." Kresge wrote that both pilots were "well prepared for the mission," and that Bryant was an experienced instructor pilot and flight examiner. Although Giglio was "inexperienced in the F-16," he wrote, the pilot had nevertheless flown three night training exercises during the eight days before the incident. Giglio also demonstrated "average performance" during his mission qualification training, which he had completed one month before, Kresge said. At the time of the crash, Lt. Col. Lance Kildron, commander of the 77th Fighter Squadron, told The Item that Giglio has been a fighter pilot for 18 months. "During that short time, he'd distinguished himself as being a fine F-16 fighter pilot, and overall, personality-wise and just attitude, a great guy, and I'm happy to have him as part of my team," Kildron said. According to the accident report, both planes were fully operational, with the exception of Giglio's radar. Giglio's flight data recorder began transmitting a series of radar anomalies about 27 minutes before the crash, and was in the process of a "computer reset ... which rendered it periodically inoperative," the report says. Giglio's computer did not communicate any radar problems to Bryant's computer until "just prior to the collision." "(Giglio) was wearing night vision goggles, which enable the pilot to maintain visual contact with another aircraft," Kresge wrote, "but would not enable him to assess range and closure rate until very close range." Kresge concluded that the mishap was caused by Giglio's "improper rejoin." Kresge said Giglio "failed to slow" to the prescribed airspeed as he was trying to meet back up with Bryant's jet. "(Giglio's) high power setting is inconsistent with a safe rejoin," Kresge wrote. Further, Kresge determined, "channelized attention prevented (Giglio) from recognizing and correcting the airspeed and flight path errors." "Channelized attention occurs when an individual focuses all conscious attention on a limited number of cues to the exclusion of others of a higher priority, leading to an unsafe situation," he explained. "(Giglio's) improper power setting, airspeed, flight path, his final radio call initiated five seconds prior to collision, and the lack of reaction to an impending collision, clearly indicate (Giglio) was not focused on accomplishing a safe rejoin." The F-16 was determined to have been destroyed upon impact. Giglio is survived by his wife, Leigh, and their 15-month-old daughter, Grace, who are both residents of Sumter. The couple had been married for about 10 years at the time of the collision. Leigh Giglio, who was pregnant at the time, is due to give birth in the coming weeks. http://www.theitem.com/article/20100113/ITNEWS01/701139924 *************** Newport News-based AeroTech receives NASA contract for airport safety Newport News - AeroTech Research has received a NASA contract to develop a system that will increase safety of operations around airports. AeroTech, a Newport News-based company that specializes in aircraft safety systems, will design a system to detect and transmit reports of wake encounters from an aircraft to other aircraft and air traffic controllers. All aircraft in flight leave a pair of strongly spinning wakes from their wing tips. Other aircraft encountering these wakes could lose control. That's why aircraft are spaced out. Large spacing doesn't maximize capacity. The intent of the two-year NASA Phase II Small Business Innovative Research grant is to develop a system that would ensure safe operations while maximizing arrival and departure rates. http://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-biz_bizbrfs_01130jan13,0,4576075.story *************** US business aviation safety improves in 2009 Despite a marked reversal in 2007-08, the accident figures for US business aviation seem to have resumed their gradual long-term improvement. This is indicated by figures from the US National Transportation Safety Board and the analyst Robert E Breiling Associates. US-registered business jets suffered five fatal accidents in 2008, but there was only one in 2009. There were fewer flights last year, so the rate improvement - when it has been confirmed - will be less dramatic than the raw numbers, but preliminary NTSB figures suggest it will still be good. Breiling says the total number of US-registered business jet accidents - both fatal and non-fatal - in 2009 was eight, compared with 23 the previous year. The figures for 2008 were particularly bad: NTSB accident rates per 100,000 flying hours jumped to 1.27 from 0.72 in 2007, the latter being more representative of the figures since 2003. Breiling's 2009 figures for business turboprop accidents also show improvement, but less dramatic than for jets. In 2009 there were 36 turboprop accidents, including seven fatal crashes, compared with 41 - of which 18 were fatal - in 2008. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/01/13/337067/us-business-aviation- safety-improves-in-2009.html ****************** Bahamas lacks 61% of aviation safety elements The Civil Aviation Department's (CAD) budget is insufficient to fulfil its "safety oversight" responsibilities for all aviation activities in the Bahamas, an international regulator has found, with this nation lagging the global average by lacking more than 61 per cent of the key safety elements required. The International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) audit of the Bahamian civil aviation system's safety oversight regime, conducted early in 2009 but only just published, found that the Bahamas lacked 61.31 per cent of the key safety elements required, compared to the 41.85 per cent average for the 136 states audited by ICAO. In particular, the Bahamas was found to lack 80.77 per cent of the necessary safety oversight elements when it came to the qualification and training of technical staff; 73.53 per cent of the critical elements required for the civil aviation system's safety oversight functions; and 68.15 per cent of the required operating regulations. The ICAO audit, a copy of which has been obtained by Tribune Business, found that the Civil Aviation Department's organizational structure "does not reflect in sufficient detail and does not clearly define the regulatory and safety oversight functions and responsibilities" in a number of key areas. It added: "Furthermore, the Bahamas has not established a distinct separation between the regulatory/safety oversight entities and the service providers in the areas of air navigation services (ANS) and airports (AGA). "While the Flight Standards Inspectorate (FSI) is funded by an impress fund to cover the cost for training, travel expenses and investigation of aircraft accidents and incidents, the Civil Aviation Department depends entirely on State budget allocations to fund its operations, and its financial resources are not sufficient to enable it to fulfil the state's responsibility for safety oversight." Remedying the deficiencies identified by ICAO is vital for the Bahamas, given that civil and commercial air transportation is the lifeblood of this nation's economy, especially when it comes to the tourism industry. The sector itself employs hundreds of Bahamians, and plays a key role in inter-island travel and commerce. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, minister of tourism and aviation, and Civil Aviation officials last year told Tribune Business that work was already underway to address ICAO's concerns. Among the actions being taken were to transform the Civil Aviation Department into an Authority, separate from central government, and the separation of its regulatory/safety oversight functions. One area where the minister and his team appear to have moved quickly is on reforms to the Bahamas' aircraft register. The ICAO report found: "A review of the aircraft register revealed incomplete essential information for a large number of aircraft on the register, and discrepancies on the electronic register. "In particular, neither the actual number of aircraft registered in the Bahamas, nor the current status of these aircraft, can be accurately determined. In addition, a registration mark in use can easily be confused with urgent signals. Furthermore, the official aircraft register is not kept in a secure location that provides protection from fire and theft." The Bahamas' response appears to have been swift. In its reply to the ICAO report, this nation acknowledged that the findings in relation to the aircraft registry were "critical", and that "immediate measures were taken to correct". A number of measures were completed by the deadline of March 30, 2009, and June 30, 2009, with further deadlines scheduled to be met at end-October and November 2009. It is not known whether those deadlines were met, but the Bahamas said: "A complete review of the Bahamas Aircraft Registry has been carried out to reliably determine the number and status of all aircraft currently registered in the Bahamas. "During the review of the aircraft registry, any aircraft whose status could not be reliably determined has been deregistered and the owners notified. During the aircraft registry review, any aircraft found to have been issued with a registration mark that might be confused with urgent signals has been deregistered." Another weakness identified by ICAO was that the Bahamas had not certified any of the airports in this nation, leaving it in non-compliance with Annex 14 to the Chicago Convention. "At the time of the audit, the Bahamas has 19 aerodromes for international operations, 39 aerodromes for domestic operations and no heliports," the ICAO audit found. "Some aerodromes are in the process of developing an aerodrome manual. However, the Civil Aviation Department has so far not yet received any aerodrome manual for its acceptance or approval. "While most of the aerodrome operators have drawn up an airport emergency plan (AEP), these AEPs do not include all of the provisions of Annex 14 to the Chicago Convention. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Department has not ensured AEPs have been tested in compliance with Annex 14 of the provisions to the Chicago Convention. "The Civil Aviation Department also does not ensure that the plans for signs, markings and lightings meet international standards, and are integrated as a whole into the runway incursion programme in order to prevent vehicles or aircraft from inadvertently entering a runway or taxiway." To remedy this state of affairs, the Bahamas pledged to draft an Aerodrome Certification and Operations Regulation to comply with the Chicago Convention, with all the necessary steps to achieve this supposed to be taken by September 30, 2010. An aerodrome certification process was supposed to begin by July 2010, the Bahamas agreeing with ICAO's findings. http://www.tribune242.com/business/01112010_Aviation-Page-1-3_Business ***************** Another disturbance reported on a Detroit-bound flight; no arrests What's up with the flights to Detroit? That may be the question many are asking following yet another incident reported on a Detroit-bound flight. The Detroit Free Press writes Delta/Northwest "reported a minor disturbance aboard a flight today from Amsterdam to Detroit Metropolitan Airport that landed around 1:30 p.m., but the incident resulted in no arrests or charges, federal authorities said." That marks at least the fourth incident in the past three weeks, going back to the failed Christmas Day terror attack on a Detroit-bound Delta/NWA flight from Amsterdam. Another less-serious incident followed a day later – also on a Detroit-bound Delta/NWA flight from Amsterdam. And this past Thursday, a man created a security scare on a Miami-to-Detroit Delta/NWA flight after proclaiming: "I want to kill all the Jews." As for today's incident – which also came on a Delta/NWA Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight – four passengers "did not comply with crew member instructions and out of an abundance of caution the crew requested authorities meet the flight upon arrival," the airline says in a statement quoted by the Free Press. The paper says that after today's "Flight 243 landed …, it was held in an area a safe distance from the McNamara Terminal while federal authorities investigated 'behavior thought to be suspicious,' airport spokesman Michael Conway said. 'After about 15 minutes, the aircraft was cleared to taxi to the gate, just like any other international flight.' " http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=14770.blog **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC