Flight Safety Information June 14, 2011 - No. 121 In This Issue WWII B-17 bomber crashes outside Chicago Federal Investigator: Too Soon to Say What Caused B-17's Emergency Landing Pilot Fatally Injured In Goodyear Blimp Accident In Germany Qantas, Virgin Take Different Routes on Ash Fish cargo airplane crashes Frankfurt Tower Opening To Cause Flight Cancellations Airports boss lambasts air traffic problems FAA reiterates measures to prevent runway incursions UAE's first black box laboratory to be set up Emirati woman becomes first Etihad co-pilot WWII B-17 bomber crashes outside Chicago Back to Top OSWEGO, Ill. (AP) - A B-17 bomber that dates to World War II crashed and burned Monday morning in a cornfield outside Chicago, aviation officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration believes the seven people on board the plane escaped uninjured, spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said. "The plane is burning," Cory said. The vintage plane took off from Aurora Municipal Airport on Monday morning and crashed about 20 minutes later in Oswego, Cory said. The pilot reported a fire shortly after taking off, said Sugar Grove Fire Chief Marty Kunkle. "He attempted to make a return to the airport, but couldn't make it so he put it down in a cornfield," Kunkel said. Firefighters from Oswego, Sugar Grove and Plainfield responded to the crash. Fire officials said they were having difficulty accessing the crash because of wet fields. The aircraft was made in 1944 and is known as the "Flying Fortress." It is registered to the Liberty Foundation in Miami, Cory said. *********** Date: 13-JUN-2011 Time: 09:30 Type: Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Operator: Liberty Foundation Registration: N390TH C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 3 mls SE of Aurora Municipal Airport, IL (ARR/KARR) - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Aurora Municipal Airport, IL (ARR/KARR) Destination airport: Narrative: Force-landed in a cornfield and burned. www.aviation-safety.net Federal Investigator: Too Soon to Say What Caused B-17's Emergency Landing Full report on Monday incident could take up to nine months. An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday afternoon it is too early to tell what forced the emergency landing of a vintage B-17 bomber off Minkler Road about a mile from Hunt Club Elementary School. Timothy Sorensen, an air safety investigator with the NTSB, said the plane received maintenance work over the weekend at the Aurora Municipal Airport, but that its pilot deemed it ready to fly Monday morning when it took off at about 9:30 a.m. bound for Indianapolis. "I do know there were some maintenance issues with the aircraft this weekend and I understand it did not fly this weekend because of that," Sorensen said. "I was informed that those issues were addressed and this morning the aircraft was deemed safe to fly." Sorensen said preliminary reports from another plane that was flying in the area at the time were that smoke was coming from the plane shortly after takeoff. The majority of the fire damage to the aircraft happened after it landed, Sorensen said. Only one of the seven people aboard the plane was injured and that injury was sustained while the person was exiting the aircraft, said Kendall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Craig French. That person has since been treated and released from Rush-Copley Medical Center, according to hospital spokeswoman Courtney Satlak. None of the passengers on the plane were local residents and Sorensen said they were all in some way affiliated with the Liberty Foundation, which travels the country to for exhibitions of vintage aircraft. Sorensen said the fact that the plane was able to make a safe landing in a cornfield just off Minkler Road is a credit to the pilot. "He did a real good job," Sorensen said. "He picked a nice field and had perfect weather." A preliminary investigation into the emergency landing will be complete in about a week and the complete investigation will wrap up in about nine months, Sorensen said. Meanwhile, the plane is planned to be removed from the field Tuesday and taken to a facility where the investigation will continue, Sorensen said. The Liberty Belle B-17 was available for flights and tours through the Liberty Foundation. It was on its way to Indianapolis for its next scheduled show Saturday. Flights on the Liberty Belle were $430 for nonmembers of the Liberty Foundation. http://montgomery.patch.com Back to Top Pilot Fatally Injured In Goodyear Blimp Accident In Germany Three Journalists Able To Safely Exit The Airship One of Goodyear's blimps operating in Germany suffered fires in both engines Sunday night. The pilot of the airship was fatally injured in the accident, but three journalists who had been taking aerial photographs of a local music festival were able to jump to safety. The German newspaper Speigle reports that the airship was on approach to land when the fires broke out about six feet above the ground. The pilot told the passengers to jump while he tried to land the airship, but after they were able to exit the gondola, he climbed back to about 150 feet, and was unable to get out of the burning airship. It became engulfed in flames and fell to the ground. One of the journalists said the pilot was having difficulties as he attempted to land the blimp after the photo shoot. The Bild newspaper in Germany reports that the airship was leased by Goodyear from Lightship Europe for marketing and advertising purposes. In a statement issued Monday, Goodyear said "As is customary in incidents involving aircraft, the aviation and local authorities have initiated an investigation. Goodyear and Lightship Europe Limited can not speculate on causes." FMI: www.lightships.com ********** Date: 12-JUN-2011 Time: 20:15 Type: American Blimp Corporation A-60+ Operator: Lightship Europe Ltd. Registration: G-TLEL C/n / msn: 003 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Reichelsheim Airfield - EDFB - Germany Phase: Landing Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Oberursel Destination airport: EDFB Narrative: Airship was flying to display advertisement at a folk festival in Oberursel. Three press and TV reporters were on board to take aerial shots of the event. When the airship returned to Reichelsheim airfield (EDFB), it was damaged during landing and caught fire. Pilot advised passengers to jump to safety from low altitude. All three passengers survived. Loss of weight then caused the airship to ascend quickly before the pilot could escape. The hull caught fire, the airship crashed and burnt completely, killing the Australian pilot (52). www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Qantas, Virgin Take Different Routes on Ash SYDNEY (WSJ) -Australia's two largest airlines made different decisions on how to deal with ash from a Chilean volcano Tuesday, with Qantas Airways Ltd. continuing to suspend some flights but Virgin Australia Ltd. resuming all services. Qantas's more-cautious approach comes after its safety image took a hit in November when an engine explosion on an A380 superjumbo forced the temporary grounding of its fleet of the double-decker aircraft. The airline suspended flights to and from New Zealand, the South Australia state capital of Adelaide, and Tasmania state all day Tuesday as a safety precaution after the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano complex started erupting more than a week ago. "We're putting safety before schedule and won't be resuming services until we're satisfied we're safe to fly," a Qantas spokesman said. The airline said later Tuesday that it would resume services to and from Adelaide Wednesday, but flights in and out of Tasmania and New Zealand would remain suspended for the morning. Virgin Australia said some reinstated services will take amended flight paths. "We're flying under it and around it," a Virgin Australia spokeswoman said. "We have no doubt we're operating safely." More than 50,000 passengers were stranded in Australia and New Zealand as flights were canceled on Sunday and Monday, with many Australians who had gone away for the Queen's Birthday long-holiday weekend unable to return to home. The large ash cloud hovering over southeastern Australia is expected to remain there for at least another 24 hours, said Gordon Jackson, the supervising meteorologist at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's volcanic ash unit in Darwin. "But we're actually starting to see some of it disperse, so we're keeping a close eye that," he said. Mr. Jackson said a second ash cloud currently west of Perth could reach the Western Australian state capital in the next 24 to 48 hours. "There's a good chance that it might move to the south and miss Perth," he said. Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd., which is 33% owned by Singapore Airlines Ltd., canceled flights to and from Adelaide and some between Perth and Melbourne on Tuesday. It said late Tuesday that it expected all Australian flights but one to operate as scheduled Wednesday, subject to a final risk assessment. The exception was the evening flight from Melbourne to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. Air New Zealand is continuing to operate on schedule but is adjusting cruising altitudes to avoid the ash. "Lower cruising altitudes mean we need to burn around 10% more fuel than normal, but we don't believe that's a reason to stop flying when there are perfectly safe flight paths available below the level of the ash," its general manager of airline operations, David Morgan, said in a statement. Although Puyehue is still erupting, the most recent ash clouds it is producing aren't shooting up as high into the air, Mr. Jackson said. "So therefore the chance of the new plumes actually coming all the way round to Australia is a lot less," he said. Back to Top Fish cargo airplane crashes Federal aviation officials said a Universal Airlines plane crash landed in Cold Bay without landing gear extended. COLD BAY (AP) -- Federal aviation officials said a Universal Airlines plane crash landed in Cold Bay without landing gear extended. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said none of the four people on board the DC-6 were injured in the mishap Sunday afternoon, but the plane sustained substantial damage. Kenitzer said fuel spilled on the runway was cleaned up. He said the runway was closed for several hours until the plane was moved. KTUU-TV said the DC-6 was in Cold Bay to pick up salmon from Peter Pan Seafoods. Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/13/1704835/fish-cargo-airplane-crashes.html#ixzz1PFzj38xz Back to Top Frankfurt Tower Opening To Cause Flight Cancellations German air traffic control provider DFS says about 100 of the 1,400 daily flights at Frankfurt will be canceled this week. DFS is opening a new tower for the airport on June 14. With controllers having to get used to the new systems, spacing between aircraft departing and arriving will be increased. Airline officials say they have some understanding for the decision, but would be concerned if the measure would last for more than a few days. Lufthansa is most affected with about 40 daily flights. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Airports boss lambasts air traffic problems Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) must shift their focus from short-term operational concerns to long-term strategy in order to avoid becoming the single point of failure for the entire air transport industry, according to Dubai Airports' chief executive officer Paul Griffiths. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) in Bangkok on 12 June, Griffiths said ANSPs needed to show the same sense of urgency as airlines and airports in meeting the booming demand for air transport. CANSO represents the interests of ANSPs worldwide. Its members handle more than 85% of world air traffic. Pointing out that aviation globally accounted for some 8% of GDP and that air travel was projected to double by 2025, Griffiths said that airspace was "not currently configured to support" such growth. Carriers and airport operators such as Dubai Airports were investing heavily to cope with these growing numbers and its own masterplan sought to address runway throughput and airspace capacity requirements through measures such as arrival and departure sequencing, optimised flow and performance-based navigation. "Our major overriding concern is the lack of an effective interface to define a clear road map of how progress is going to be made to solve this problem. Previously, most of our problems have existed on the ground, now the biggest strategic threat to the growth of aviation is in the air." There were several root causes for this, he said, notably an outdated regulatory environment, together with nationalism and politics - notably over airspace sovereignty - getting in the way of logic. "We urgently need ANSPs to recognise that they are a vital component of an integrated supply chain and that all critical components are serving the same end customer. ANSPs need to become an integrated international community that is not held back by political or bureaucratic boundaries. More investment must be made in the strategic development of both technology and process within air navigation services, to complement the current focus on day-to-day operations. There needs to be a cohesive strategic plan. "ANSPs have traditionally concentrated on the day-to-day business of operational delivery and very few have any depth of strategic planning capability to develop detailed plans for capacity and efficiency increases. This is holding back the pace of reform and investment. "There is a critical gap between politics and operations at both government and operating level in presenting the compelling economic case for an efficient airspace environment. We simply cannot wait for the political wheels to grind so slowly. "Do ANSPs want to become the single point of failure for the entire industry? There is an opportunity for ANSPs to work together and become a global force in their own right - they should work together with airports and civil aviation authorities both locally and globally to bring the future of aviation within our grasp." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top FAA reiterates measures to prevent runway incursions The FAA have released Safety Alert for Operators 04/2011 reiterating measures to prevent runway incursions. The FAA listed in particular recommendations to flight crew: Planning: - Review the meaning of airport signage, markings, and lighting. - Review airfield NOTAMS and current ATIS for any taxiway closures, runway closures, construction activity, or other airfield specific risks. - Review the current airport diagrams, and planned taxi route, including Hot Spots. - Be aware that hold short lines may be located as far as 400 feet from runway edge. - Before initial taxi out, or before landing, brief a plan to include location of hold short lines. - Plan to complete as many checklist items as possible at the gate before initial taxi. Situational Awareness: - All pilots display the current airport diagram for immediate reference during taxi. - Cross reference the heading indicator to assure turns are being made in the correct direction and you are following the assigned taxi route. - Exercise increased awareness when taxing between parallel runways. - Wait until you have exited the runway and you are sure of your taxi clearance prior to beginning an after-landing checklist, or non-essential communications. Written Taxi Instructions: - Write down the taxi clearance or enter it into the FMC "scratch pad." - Clarify complex, or lengthy taxi instructions, or request "progressive taxi". Crew Resource Management (CRM): - Use CRM to control crew workload, and reduce distractions. - Keep other crewmembers in the loop by announcing when going "heads down" and also reporting "back up, are there any changes?" - Approaching a clearance limit, verbalize the hold short clearance limit. - Prior to crossing any hold short line visually check to ensure there is no conflicting traffic on the runway. Verbalize "clear right, clear left" Communication: - Adhere to proper radio terminology guidelines set forth in the aeronautical Information Manual. - Be alert to similar aircraft call signs operating on the field. - STOP aircraft on the taxiway and request ATC clarification if there is confusion regarding aircraft position or ATC taxi clearance. - If you have been holding in position on the runway for more than 90 seconds, or upon seeing a potential conflict, contact the Tower. - When assigned a departure at an intersection, state "intersection departure" during the clearance read back. Taxi: - Maintain appropriate taxi speed. - Avoid transferring aircraft control at unsafe speeds or in turns. - Have a heightened situational awareness of hold short line location when using high speed taxiways or during shorter taxi distances. Exterior Lighting: - Taxi with taxi light on when moving, off when stopped. - Turn on all exterior lights when crossing any runway. - If cleared to "Line Up and Wait", turn on all exterior lights except landing lights. - When "Cleared for take-off", turn on all exterior lights, including landing lights - If you see an aircraft in take-off position on a runway with landing lights ON, that aircraft has most likely received its take-off clearance and will be departing immediately. http://avherald.com/h?article=43e2377f Back to Top UAE's first black box laboratory to be set up The laboratory will help reconstruct aviation-related incidents and accidents in the region Dubai: A "black box" laboratory will soon be up in Abu Dhabi to analyse aviation incidents or accidents as the Middle East region faces a boom in air travel, a senior official of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has told XPRESS. Esmael Abdul Wahed, Executive Director for Investigation at GCAA, has outlined for the first time the job of the flight data recorder laboratory, expected to be ready by the end of June in Abu Dhabi. "The lab will help reconstruct aviation-related incidents and accidents in the region and help reduce dependency from Western investigation bodies," said Abdul Wahed. "The purpose of an Accident Investigation Department (AID) in an aviation authority is to investigate incidents and accidents, analyse the causes of and then formulate safety recommendations to enhance safety," he added. In an exclusive preview to XPRESS of the flight data lab, Abdul Wahed said GCAA's Flightscape Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) lab has similar capabilities as other investigation bodies, such as the US National Transport Safety Board, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch and France's Le Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA). "It is a significant enhancement of the air accident/serious incident investigation department's ability to interpret, analyse and qualify data downloaded from the aircraft's 'black boxes'," he said. Despite a worldwide slump, the Middle East's aviation sector has grown from 5 per cent of global passenger traffic in 2000 to 11 per cent in 2010, according to International Air Travel Association. While the political turmoil has briefly hit aviation, the region's carriers have booked $200 billion worth of aircraft until 2020, with an additional $100 billion in airports expansion projects, and a projected 400 million air passengers at the end of this decade. In the past, all aviation-related incidents and accidents in the UAE - such as the Sudan Airways B707 which crashed in Sharjah in 2009, UPS B747 which crashed in Dubai in September 2010 - were analysed abroad. Abdul Wahed said the GCCA's flight data lab has the capability to read out of flight recorders for almost all UAE national carriers and it can also read damaged flight recorders. The lab will also be useful to analyse air safety issues to enhance aviation safety in the UAE, in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) State Safety Program, a global initiative to enhance flight safety. A technical library of flight recorder data from previous incidents/accidents is also used for training and refresher courses. What a flight data lab does Download data from the flight recorders ("black boxes") - data from the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) Read the data taken from all phases of a flight. Analyse audio recordings - such as the conversation between the flight crew, radio communications with the air traffic control, and any sounds generated by the aircraft engine, control switches and levers, system warnings and announcements, etc. Provide the interface that allows investigators to interrogate data, perform analysis and run calculations on the aircraft parameters Listen to the cockpit voice communications between the crew and the radio communication with the crew and air traffic control Represent data to provide real-time flight animation of an event Give detailed analysis of an accident http://gulfnews.com/ Back to Top Emirati woman becomes first Etihad co-pilot ABU DHABI - Etihad Airways is celebrating the success of its first Emirati female to graduate from the airline's cadet programme as a co-pilot. Salma Al Baloushi operated her first flight as a first officer on Thursday, June 9, on flight EY 091 from Abu Dhabi to Athens. "This is a proud time for Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airway," Captain Richard Hill, Chief Operations Officer of Etihad Airways, said. Etihad currently has five UAE national female pilots training to fly for the airline. The airline recently recruited over 85 UAE national cadet pilots in its expanding flying programme. "Salma is a leader in our expanding female Emirati community and will be an example for her colleagues to follow. We wish her the best of luck in her career as she joins us in the rank of First Officer on Etihad's Airbus A320 fleet," Hill added. Al Baloushi joined Etihad in 2007 as part of the airline's second group of cadet pilots. Following over two years of training, Salma received her wings and was promoted to second officer. She later continued her training at the Etihad Training Academy, completing further ground school technical and aircraft systems training. "It was such an honour to be awarded with the rank of First Officer. We all worked extremely hard to reach this point and my family, who have fully supported me from day one, are extremely proud of me. I can only hope my accomplishment encourages many of my Emirati sisters and brothers to push the boundaries and reach their goals," Al Baloushi said. Etihad also recently launched a call centre in Al Ain, managed and operated by only UAE national women. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.asp?xfile=/data/business/2011/June/business_June219.xml§ion=business Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC