Flight Safety Information March 31, 2011 - No. 066 In This Issue Air traffic controller, Southwest pilots suspended Bullet Recovered From US Airways B737 FAA proposes $550,000 civil penalty against Executive Airlines Aeromexico Pilots Suspended After Failing Sobriety Tests Air traffic controller, Southwest pilots suspended after flying too close to another airplane An air traffic controller and two Southwest Airlines pilots have been suspended while officials investigate an incident that saw a Southwest jet fly too close to a small airplane over Florida. The air traffic controller on Sunday asked a Southwest Airlines plane over Florida to check on a small airplane that wasn't responding to radio calls. But, the Federal Aviation Administration said, it appears the controller let the Southwest jet fly too close to the Cirrus SR22 airplane. "By placing this passenger aircraft in close proximity to another plane, the air traffic controller compromised the safety of everyone involved. This incident was totally inappropriate," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement announcing the controller's suspension. "We are reviewing the air traffic procedures used here and making sure everyone understands the protocols for contacting unresponsive aircraft," Babbitt added. Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said the airline has put the pilots "on paid leave pending the conclusion of the investigation." The National Transportation Safety Board also is investigating. According to the FAA statement, the smaller airplane was headed toward Kissimmee, just south of Orlando. Air traffic controllers at the Jacksonville center had been unable to get a response from the airplane for an hour. The controller at the central Florida center asked pilots on Southwest Flight 821, approaching Orlando from Phoenix, to check on the other airplane. The Southwest flight was 10 miles behind the Cirrus and flying at 12,000 feet; the Cirrus was maintaining an altitude of 11,000 feet. "The controller asked the Southwest crew if they could check the cockpit of the Cirrus," the FAA said. "The Southwest crew agreed, was directed towards the Cirrus and reported the aircraft in sight. The Southwest pilots reported seeing two people in the cockpit." However, the airplanes apparently got too close to each other in violation of FAA minimums for separation of aircraft. The FAA declined to disclose how near the airplanes came, but the Southwest pilots were close enough to the private aircraft to clearly observe the Cirrus pilots in the cockpit. The Southwest flight then turned away from the Cirrus and was sent on to Orlando. "Approximately 30 seconds later the Cirrus contacted Jacksonville center who gave them the current frequency. Both aircraft landed safely at their destinations," the FAA said. http://www.dallasnews.com/ Back to Top Bullet Recovered From US Airways B737 Hole Discovered In Fuselage During Pre-Flight A bullet was recovered from the fuselage of a USAirways B737 in Charlotte, NC, after a hole was found above a passenger window during a pre-flight inspection. Federal investigators are still trying to determine if the airplane was shot in flight, or after it landed. It has last flown from Philadelphia to Charlotte. London's Daily Mail reports that ballistics experts say the bullet may have been a stray, and not fired intentionally at the aircraft. The bullet was apparently losing velocity after traveling about three-quarters of a mile when it struck the plane from above taking a front to back trajectory. There is no hard evidence that the bullet found in the plane was the one that caused the hole in the fuselage, but authorities said that it was the most probable cause. There is also no evidence that the airplane was targeted, and terrorism does not seem to be involved. But the hole did extend all the way through the airplane's skin into the cabin area. The investigation is focusing on the possibility that the airplane was struck near the ground, because authorities say the aircrew or passengers would have noticed had it been struck in flight. There were 84 passengers and 5 crew on board the flight from Philadelphia to Charlotte. FMI: www.ntsb.gov Back to Top FAA proposes $550,000 civil penalty against Executive Airlines The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a $550,000 civil penalty against Executive Airlines, Inc., of San Juan, P.R., for allegedly operating two ATR-72 twin turboprop planes when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. The FAA alleges Executive Airlines, a subsidiary of AMR Corporation, failed to complete required periodic, time-specific inspections of the aileron control systems of two aircraft, as ordered by an FAA Airworthiness Directive. Compliance with those directives is mandatory. The FAA alleges that Executive Airlines operated the two aircraft when they were not in compliance with regulations on at least 35 revenue flights between June 13 and June 19, 2009, because the airline exceeded the mandated number of flight hours for a re- inspection. Executive Airlines has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Aeromexico Pilots Suspended After Failing Sobriety Tests (Reuters) Against better judgment, I'm sure that many of us have gotten into a car with a driver that probably had one too many drinks. But an airplane? A line must be drawn somewhere, and 30,000 feet in the air seems to be a good place to draw it. According to The Huffington Post, two pilots, two-co-pilots, and a flight attendant working for Aeromexico were suspended after it was discovered that they operated an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol. There were two separate incidents, one in which three crew members (pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendant) flew from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City, and the other on a flight scheduled to fly from Costa Rica to Mexico. The latter flight never took off and was canceled. In this article, it's reported that the pilots who were flying 101 passengers between Costa Rica and Mexico were reported by cabin crew members on suspicion of drinking. Media reports out of Mexico are claiming that the two pilots partied 7 hours before the Costa Rica flight, a violation of civil aviation rules. How common are pilots under the influence? Perhaps more than we'd care to know. We came across this forum post at the Professional Pilots Rumour Network. Referenced is an article from The Times of India that reported 57 pilots were found to be drunk between January 2009 and November 2010. One member, a professional pilot, stated that pilots in India are tested before almost every flight, whereas when he was working in the US, he was only tested six times in 19 years of flying. So perhaps they just catch more in India. In any case, not the most comforting news. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC