Flight Safety Information January 27, 2011 - No. 020 In This Issue NTSB CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY... NTSB - Family Assistance Conference UPCOMING INVESTIGATIVE COURSES AVAILABLE AT NTSB TRAINING CENTER Indian air minister pledges safer Gulf flights Plane hit by lightning makes emergency landing GOP-led House Transportation Committee makes FAA bill No. 1 priority Man faces charge after disturbance on plane East Coast snowstorm forces flight cancellations Helicopter pilot was drunk FAA proposes 737 cockpit window checks NTSB CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman stated today that accident investigations highlight the need for a new perspective on safety culture, record- keeping and aging infrastructure. In a speech to the audience at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference, Hersman discussed four investigations across all modes of transportation. She highlighted several accidents that claimed the lives of dozens and encouraged attendees to embrace lessons learned to prevent future accidents. "If you're going to build a transportation project that's going to stand for decades, the foundation of future operating decisions may well be based on the original documentation. Make sure your records stand the test of time," Hersman said. Hersman also emphasized the need for establishing a positive safety culture across all modes of transportation. She noted that 4 years before the fatal transit train collision on Washington's Metro system, a precursor incident led to the development of a test to detect the component failure involved in the 2009 tragedy. However, Metro failed to ensure that the new procedures were adopted and understood by their maintenance crews. "What Metro needed in 2005 was a safety culture that ensured that the lessons learned were communicated to all parts of the organization," she said. During her speech, Hersman recognized the demands presented by aging infrastructure. "We believe - and Americans have the right to assume - that our infrastructure is built to last. And indeed it does last. We definitely got the extended warranty on some of those landmark projects. Unfortunately at the rate we're going we really needed the lifetime guarantee." Concluding, Chairman Hersman commended the work of former FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and former House Committee Chairman James Oberstar, who were honored at the conference for their life-long work in transportation safety. "Let's build on their work by creating a culture of safety, making sure that aging infrastructure is not exempted from safety requirements, and keeping records not just for your successor, but for your successor's successor," Hersman said. "Investing in safety is not discretionary; like justice, safety deferred is safety denied," Hersman said. The complete text of Chairman Hersman's speech may be obtained on the Board's website at http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/hersman/daph110126.html. Back to Top Family Assistance: Promoting an International Approach for the Transportation Industry March 28 and 29, 2011 NTSB Conference Center Washington, DC This two-day conference brings together family members, transportation accident investigation agencies, transportation industry representatives, government agencies, and the media to share perspectives on best practices and lessons learned in providing family assistance following transportation accidents in an international context. Coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act and the 10th anniversary of ICAO Circular 285, the conference will be a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from those involved worldwide in family assistance. This conference is open to those interested in the provision of family assistance in all modes of transportation. The first day will include four panel discussions featuring family members, transportation industry representatives, vendors, non-governmental organizations, transportation accident investigative agencies, and the media examining transportation family assistance from their perspectives. The day's events will be webcast, and links to the webcast will be provided on this page. The second day, a didactic training provided by the NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance staff, will provide an overview of the NTSB model for family assistance operations. Tentative Agenda March 28, 2011 Perspectives from Family Members, Industry, Government, and Media * Welcome and Introductions: The Honorable Deborah A.P. Hersman * Commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act * Four high-level panel discussions designed to share best practices and lessons learned in the provision of family assistance in transportation accidents internationally. o Family Members: Perspectives from those impacted by accidents, a discussion of their needs, and ways in which those needs are met through family assistance programs. o Transportation industry, vendors, and non-governmental organizations: Perspectives on the responsibilities of the industry, their vendors, and non-governmental organizations in providing assistance. o Government transportation accident investigation agencies: How investigative agencies provide information about the accident investigation and their role in family assistance. o Media: How the media reports on family members following accidents and how family assistance has impacted such reporting. March 29, 2011 The NTSB Family Assistance Model: An Introduction * NTSB family assistance legislation overview; information flow and timelines; family assistance operations; conducting effective family briefings; personal effects best practices; victim identification concerns; site visits, memorials, anniversaries. Location NTSB Conference Center 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 www.ntsb.gov/events/newlocation.htm Registration All attendees must register. Registration is free and is being conducted separately for each day. * Register for March 28th * Register for March 29th Important note: Cherry blossom season in Washington is the end of March. Please make your hotel reservations early. More information will be posted as it becomes available. Questions? Email internationalconference@ntsb.gov Registrants with special needs are encouraged to contact us at internationalconference@ntsb.gov so reasonable accommodations may be made. Transportation Disaster Family Assistance Resources NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance Website NTSB Family Assistance Plan for Aviation Disasters US Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act US Rail Passenger Disaster Family Assistance Act Chairman Hersman's speech to the International Air Safety Seminar, Milan, Italy (November 2, 2010) discussing family assistance. NTSB Family Assistance Training Courses * Basic Family Assistance: March 8-10, 2011 and October 4-6, 2011 * Advanced Skill in Disaster Family Assistance: June 7-9, 2011 * Transportation Disaster Response for Emergency Responders: November 15-17, 2011 * Mass Fatality Incidents for Medicolegal Professionals: August 30- September 1, 2011 Back to Top UPCOMING INVESTIGATIVE COURSES AVAILABLE AT NTSB TRAINING CENTER The National Transportation Safety Board is offering two courses for investigators and industry professionals in the next two months. The first course, Cognitive Interviewing for Accident Investigators, will be offered February 23-24, 2011, at the NTSB Training Center, and provides the foundational knowledge and skills needed to conduct interviews of participants in, and witnesses to, transportation incidents or accidents. Emphasis will be on the cognitive interviewing technique to maximize the amount and quality of information obtained during investigative interviews. This course will also focus on refining CI techniques and will provide the participant with numerous opportunities to gain confidence using the CI method through interactive discussion, demonstrations and exercises. The second course, Survival Factors in Aviation Accidents, will be offered March 28-31, 2011, also at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.). The course will cover a wide range of aircraft occupant survivability issues, including case studies highlighting key components of accident survivability, cabin safety and emergency equipment. Complete descriptions of these courses, registration information and cost to attend may be found on the NTSB Training Center Web site at: * IM401S (February 23-24, 2011): http://www.ntsb.gov/TC/CourseInfo/2011- Courses/IM401S_2011.html * AS302 (March 28-31, 2011): http://www.ntsb.gov/TC/CourseInfo/2011- Courses/AS302_2011.html Information about the NTSB Training Center is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/TC/trainingcenter.htm. NTSB Media Contact: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100 hollowk@ntsb.gov ************************************************************ This message is delivered to you as a free service from the National Transportation Safety Board. You may unsubscribe at any time at http://www.ntsb.gov/registration/registration.htm An archive of press releases is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/pressrel/pressrel.htm Current job opportunities with the NTSB are listed at http://www.ntsb.gov/vacancies/listing.htm For questions/problems, contact pubinq@ntsb.gov Back to Top Indian air minister pledges safer Gulf flights DUBAI // India's newly appointed civil aviation minister has promised to make safety a priority for flights from the Gulf and closely examine the findings of an investigation into the May 22 Air India Express crash that killed 158 people. Vayalar Ravi, who was appointed last Wednesday, hinted yesterday that the problem could lie with the airport format itself. The Mangalore Bajpe airport has a table-top landing area, meaning that it is on a hill surrounded by deep gorges on all sides. "This is not because of a mistake of the airport staff or the communication system," Mr Ravi said. "However the table-top landing is a problem. This is something the ministry will elaborate discussion on. "Safety is one of my priorities as far as Air India is concerned and airports are concerned," he said. "Definitely I will discuss the report and introduce some solutions, but safety is an issue of regular monitoring." The report has not yet been made public, but a leaked copy was circulated to Indian media. The pilot, Zlatko Glusica, was blamed for being asleep for half the flight and waking up disorientated and unable to land the plane safely. The Serbian Pilot's Association defended Mr Glusica, saying he had been overworked by his employer. That suggestion was dismissed by Mr Ravi at a press conference at the Indian High School in Dubai, where he attended Republic Day celebrations. "If they don't sleep when they are supposed to, what can I do?" he said. "I can't come and look at whether they are sleeping or not." Mr Ravi, also the minister for overseas affairs said a full copy of the report, drawn up by a six-member panel including India's Civil Aviation Authority, would be publicly available at a later date. A spokesman for Air India could not be reached for comment yesterday, however officials have maintained that the copy leaked to the press was incomplete, and they denied that the pilot was asleep. Mr Glusica attempted to take off shortly after landing, despite having only 244 metres left of the 2.4km runway. "We don't have runway left," his co-pilot, HS Ahluwalia, warned him. The plane crashed through the barrier at the edge of the runway and plunged into the valley below. http://www.thenational.ae/business/ Back to Top Plane hit by lightning makes emergency landing LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- US Airways says an airplane (Dash-8) with 16 people aboard made an emergency landing in Virginia after being struck by lightning. Airline spokeswoman Valerie Wunder says nobody was injured. Wunder says flight 4376 operated by the US Airways subsidiary Piedmont was en route from Charlotte, N.C., to Lynchburg, Va., when it was struck by lightning 20 miles south of its destination Wednesday. She says the pilot declared an emergency and landed at the Lynchburg airport without incident. There were 13 passengers and three crew members aboard the Dash 8-300 twin turboprop aircraft. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters says the pilot reported an electrical failure. Peters says the FAA will investigate. Back to Top GOP-led House Transportation Committee makes FAA bill No. 1 priority WASHINGTON -- Passing a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill will be the House Transportation Committee's first priority, its new chairman said Wednesday at the committee's first meeting of the new Congress. Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., said the aviation industry accounts for 11 percent of the country's gross domestic product and needs "a blueprint" for the future. "The country and the committee deserve as our first objective getting an FAA bill out," Mica said. "We are going to pass a bill some way, so I need everybody on the committee pushing for that. ... It costs money. People aren't working." The FAA bill, which includes provisions for modernizing the nation's aviation navigation systems, has been extended 17 times since it expired in 2007. A contentious labor provision, harmful to FedEx's interests, was a factor in the delays. The provision was championed by the committee's previous chairman, James Oberstar, D-Minn. In a stunning upset, Oberstar was defeated for re-election in November. "You never know what fate has in store," Mica said of that development. After Mica took the committee gavel, he then asked 20 freshmen Republican members, including U.S. Reps. Stephen Fincher of Crockett County and Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, Ark., to introduce themselves and say something of their districts. "Stephen Fincher. Tennessee 8. Frog Jump, Tenn. I look forward to working with the Transportation Committee," Fincher began, then provided a thumbnail sketch. "Bordered on the west by the Mississippi River, the east by the Tennessee River. FedEx. Memphis. Key part of our state and our country moving forward. It's an honor to serve." Fincher will serve on the aviation subcommittee as well as subcommittees dealing with pipelines and hazardous materials and with economic development. Crawford, whose Delta district includes Crittenden County, said it will be "a privilege." Although he, too, is in his first term, Crawford, a former rodeo announcer, was named vice chairman of the subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., is also on the committee. FedEx spokesman Maury S. Lane welcomed the chairman's resolve. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/ Back to Top Man faces charge after disturbance on plane SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A California man traveling to South Florida faces a federal charge following a disturbance this week on a JetBlue flight. The FBI reports that 45-year-old Kevin Theodore Simon was flying Monday from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Authorities say Simon became upset when he wasn't allowed to buy a headset with cash. When flight attendants later decided he seemed intoxicated, they refused to sell him an alcoholic drink. Authorities say Simon then demanded an apology after a flight attendant dropped something on his shoulder. They say he threatened the flight crew and repeatedly shouted, "I will take this plane down." The pilot diverted the plane to Salt Lake City, where Simon was arrested. Simon has been charged with interference with a flight crew. He's scheduled to be arraigned in Utah's U.S. District Court on Feb. 3. It wasn't immediately known if Simon had an attorney. Back to Top East Coast snowstorm forces flight cancellations, including from Seattle Winter storm snarls flights in New York, Philadelphia; some flights to and from Seattle canceled. More than 600 flights to New York-area airports (JFK, LaGuardia and Newark) have been canceled so far Wednesday, and more than 300 flights Philadelphia flights have been canceled. Several flights between Seattle and New York (JFK and Newark airports) on Delta and Alaska Airlines were among those canceled, including this afternoon. Travelers headed to New York or Philadelphia should check the status of flights, including on Thursday, before going to the airport. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ Back to Top Helicopter pilot was drunk, DPS alleges in Ozona arrest (Texas) A Colorado City helicopter pilot was arrested on charges of flying while intoxicated, a Department of Public Safety news release said. The agency was following up reports from Ozona about a low-flying helicopter Saturday. The aircraft, a Robinson R-22, landed on an open field inside the city, and the pilot and a passenger walked from there to a cookout taking place at a house across the street, the release said. Crockett County Sheriff's deputies went to the house, contacted the two men and called the DPS. Troopers conducted field sobriety tests on the pilot, which he failed. The passenger was arrested on charges of public intoxication, the release said. The pilot was Richard Zane Whitesides, 21, and the passenger was Anthony Tell Churchill, 22, from Carlsbad. The helicopter, which was impounded, contained several empty beer cans and firearms. Whitesides also was charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm, the release said. Flying while intoxicated is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by 180 days in jail and a fine up to $2,000. Unlawful carrying of a weapon is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and a fine up to $4,000. Public intoxication is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500. http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/ Back to Top FAA proposes 737 cockpit window checks The US FAA is warning opening and closing of cockpit side windows could lead to electrical arcing, smoke and fire problems in the cockpits of next generation Boeing 737 aircraft. A proposed airworthiness directive (AD) issued by the agency on 26 January would require operators of 687 US-registered 737s to perform inspections of orientation of coil cord connectors of both "number 2" side windows in the cockpit within four years, adjusting or replacing the assemblies if problems are found. The proposed directive occurs after one report of arcing and smoke on a left number 2 window, which was traced to "mechanical damage of the heat-coil assembly at the 90-degree connector back shell," says the FAA. Investigators determined that damage was related to the opening and closing of the windows, an action pilots and mechanics often perform at the gate. "This condition, if not corrected, could lead to injuries to or incapacitation of the flight crew," says the FAA. The agency estimates that corrections could cost as much as $2,100 per aircraft, though Boeing may cover some of the costs under warranty. Boeing issued a service bulletin on 7 July to address the problem. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC