Flight Safety Information September 26, 2011 - No. 198 In This Issue No survivors reported from Nepalese Beech 1900D crash LA woman allegedly pointed laser beam at aircraft 19 dead in Beechcraft crash in Lalitpur Jet emergency: Cabin crew mistook light for fire, says DGCA DGCA gets tough with airlines over air safety norms 10 radio stations in Batam banned for jeopardizing flight safety Boeing formally delivers first 787 to ANA Another 747-8 headache For Boeing Training Rules Are Newest Battle In Airline-DOT Regulatory Rift Brazil airplane maker Embraer estimates selling 975 planes to China over 20 years Helicopter Flight Data Monitoring Steering Group announces the release of "HFDM:...Industry Best Practices Funds sought to retrieve submerged Boeing Flying Clippers No survivors reported from Nepalese Beech 1900D crash No survivors have been reported from a sightseeing aircraft, said to be a Beech 1900D turboprop operated by Nepalese carrier Buddha Air, which crashed near Kathmandu airport. While details remain sketchy local reports suggest the aircraft had been carrying 19 occupants, and returning from a flight to view the mountain scenery when it came down south of the city. Meteorological data from Kathmandu airport for the reported time of the accident, 07:30, indicates light rain in the vicinity and visibility of 6km, but few clouds at lower heights. Buddha Air operates tourism flights to view the Himalaya mountain range, using Beech 1900Ds, according to the carrier's Internet site. The carrier says it conducts these flights during the early morning hours because strong winds create "snow plumes which block the view as the day progresses". One unconfirmed report indicated that the aircraft involved is registered 9N-AEK, which Flightglobal's ACAS database last listed as a 14-year old example leased from Raytheon Airline Aviation Services. Buddha Air has a fleet of nine aircraft which comprises four Beech 1900Ds and five ATRs. It acquired its ninth, a second ATR 72-500, in August. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top LA woman allegedly pointed laser beam at aircraft LOS ANGELES (AP) -A Los Angeles County woman is behind bars for allegedly pointing a laser beam at an airliner and a sheriff's helicopter. Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said Sunday that 27-year-old Kimberly Rogers was arrested Friday night at a home in Compton. Officials say air traffic controllers at Los Angeles International Airport reported that an airliner had been targeted by a laser. A sheriff's helicopter was dispatched to the area and soon it was targeted as well. The helicopter's pilot managed to direct patrol deputies to the origin of the laser beam and Rogers was arrested. Parker says she is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail. The powerful lasers are marketed as tools to point out stars at night. When aimed at aircraft, they can temporarily blind pilots and cause retina damage. Back to Top 19 dead in Beechcraft crash in Lalitpur KATHMANDU, Sept 26: A 9N AEK-B190 Beechcraft of Buddha Air hit a tree and then crashed into Kotdanda hill of Bishankhunarayan-2, Lalitpur district, at 5,400 feet Sunday morning leaving all 19 on board dead. Among those killed are 10 Indians, three Americans, a Japanese, and two Nepali nationals, apart from three Nepali crew members. While 18 died on the spot, Niranjan Karmacharya, a passenger who was rescued alive by locals from the wreckage, died in the course of treatment at B & B Hospital. The aircraft had left Kathmandu at 6:49 am for mountain flight. It was returning to Kathmandu following zero visibility of Mt Everest when it lost contact with the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) tower at 7:31 am and then crashed. A Tara Air Pilatus aircraft that was flying from Lukla to Kathmandu and was tailing the Beechcraft first reported the crash to the airport tower at 7:50 am, according to Bimalesh Karna, Air Traffic Control (ATC) manager at TIA. But confirmation of the crash came only at 8:50 am from the police and locals who had reached Kotdanda by then. The aircraft´s black box, or Flight Data Recorder, has been recovered from the crash site. What happened? According to ATCs at the airport, the aircraft flew two additional miles south of the airport and was at the wrong elevation for that point. This led to the crash. "The pilots were asked to fly four miles south of the airport tower and align with the runway for landing," said Karna. "But the crew flew the plane six miles south of the airport tower. The right elevation for that point is 6,500 feet. But the plane was at 5,400 feet, which was wrong for six miles south of the tower," he said. The elevation would have been right had the plane been flown just four miles south of the tower. In September 1992, a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed at Bhattedanda, located nine miles south of the airport tower killing all 167 on board. Raj Kumar Khatri, resident of Lamatar VDC, and an eyewitness of Sunday´s crash, saw the Buddha Air Beechcraft fly just about 200 meters above him. "There were some branches on top of the plane´s front. The plane had already lost balance. By the time we overcame our surprise over the low elevation of the plane, it crashed at Kotdanda hill in front of our eyes," Khatri said. Though Sunday´s visibility cannot be called poor, hanging clouds on the Valley´s sky were repeatedly enveloping the aircraft, which could have led to human error as the plane was flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), one of the two basic regulations governing civil aviation operations around the world. Flights are conducted under VFR when visibility is over five kilometers, according to ATC manager Karna. At the time of the crash, visibility around the airport was six kilometers, said Karna. Under VFR, a pilot navigates an aircraft solely by reference to outside visual cues. But visual cue is difficult to get when a plane is enveloped by cloud and fog. There was plenty of fog around Kotdanda at the time of the crash, locals said. The other flight regulation, called Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), is applicable when visibility is less than five kilometers. Under IFR, pilots operate flights solely based on data provided by flight instruments. An Agni Air turboprop that crashed in Makawanpur district in August 2010 killing 14 people was flying under IFR owing to poor visibility. Last contact There were absolutely no duress signals from the cockpit, according to ATCs. The tower had two sightings of the plane after it entered Kathmandu Valley, said Purushottam Shakya, another ATC manager, who was marshalling the tower at the time of the crash. The first sighting was after the plane had entered five miles inside Kathmandu Valley, Shakya said. This was minutes before the tower lost contact with the aircraft. After seeing the aircraft, the tower instructed Captains J B Tamrakar and Padma Adhikari to fly the aircraft to a point four miles south of the airport from where all planes flying under VFR are aligned with the airport´s runway for landing when the airport uses the 02 runway, or instructs planes to land from the south, like on Sunday. The alignment is different when planes are asked to land from the north, or use the 20 runway. Thereafter the tower lost sight of the aircraft and also verbal and radar contact. "But even after that, the aircraft briefly appeared from the clouds and again disappeared to never reappear," said Shakya. Following loss of all contact with the aircraft, the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) at the airport was immediately brought into operation and all plane activity at the airport was halted for half-an-hour. The Tara Air Pilatus aircraft that was tailing the Beechcraft was then asked to try to have a visual of the Beechcraft, according to Karna. "This is common practice," said Karna. "The Pilatus hovered over Kathmandu´s sky for about 20 minutes and reported to the tower that the Beechcraft may have crashed in the area where the crash was later confirmed," he added. Bodies of 18 who died on the spot were airlifted to the airport by a RAN 38-M18 chopper of the Nepal Army. The bodies were later taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for postmortem. Karmacharya´s body was separately taken to TUTH from B & B hospital for postmortem. The government has formed a three-member committee led by Rajesh Raj Dali, former director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, to probe the crash. Beechcraft safety The Beechcraft 1900D that was introduced in 1991 following substantial redesigning of Beechcraft 1900C is still regarded one of the safest planes. The US-based manufacturer Raytheon Company built around 440 1900D aircraft and it is estimated that around 400 of them are still in operation worldwide both in military and non-military services. Impressed by its safety records, the US military has been operating the Beechcraft under the designation of C-12 for its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions both in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sunday´s Beechcraft crash is the first of a Buddha Air-operated aircraft in 14 years of its operation. http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=36509 Back to Top Jet emergency: Cabin crew mistook light for fire, says DGCA The cabin crew of a Jet Airways flight mistook a flickering red light for a fire in the aircraft's engine just before take-off after which the pilot over-reacted and ordered emergency evacuation that resulted in injuries to 25 passengers last month, a probe report has said. It was found that there was no blaze or even smoke in the cabin of the 9W-2302 Mumbai-Chennai flight, which was then taxiing to the runway and was stopped on the taxiway by the pilot, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The red flicker emanating from the anti-collision light at the bottom of the Boeing 737- 800 fuselage created an optical illusion that was mistaken for a fire by the crew members, the final probe report on the August 27 incident at the Mumbai airport said. The DGCA blamed the captain for "over-reacting" to the situation and ordering evacuation even after all indicators inside the cockpit showed there was no fire. There were 139 passengers on board. The cabin crew was also blamed for not ensuring proper preparation for evacuation and failing to give proper instructions to the panic-stricken passengers, leading to "chaos inside the cabin." Four passengers were seriously hurt and 21 received minor injuries as they rushed out through the over-wing exit and jumped off the slide chutes that were deployed and inflated, the 35-page report said. "It is the illusionary situation due to the red light emanating from the anti-collision light at the bottom of the fuselage in line with the wing, which reflected on the bottom of the wing with quick intermittency," it said. "All the crew also realised their unawareness about the effect of the anti-collision light," the DGCA report said. The Captain "completely relied on the illusionary information, failed to judge the situation" and ordered precautionary evacuation. Noting that evacuation is ordered only in an emergency, it said in such a "non- emergency" situation, "the Captain could have returned to the bay on single engine for normal de-planing of passengers." The pilot "made wrong decision of carrying out evacuation" without situational awareness, the report said. While the cabin crew was trained for evacuation, they were "not given training to recognise fire from the engine", nor were they taught to identify "the locations and the importance of certain navigational aids and anti-collision lights during their training", the probe report said. The crew members also "failed to ensure orderly and injury-free evacuation", it said, adding that one of the additional crew members "made unwanted movements towards the over-wing exit" which adversely attracted the passengers "leading to the chaos in the cabin." The aviation regulator, besides recommending action against all those involved in incident for their lapses, suggested a review of the Safety and Emergency Procedure training for the crew members by the airline. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2484462.ece Back to Top DGCA gets tough with airlines over air safety norms NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has read out the riot act to airlines to comply fully with all safety-related issues and asked them to cover the deficiencies in a time-bound manner. Airlines have been directed to complete all pending probes into incidents that have been delayed for very long periods of times due to non-receipt of reports on spare parts from aircraft manufacturers. They have also been asked to have proper safety departments and get the regulatory nod for such sections and their heads from the DGCA at the earliest. When contacted, DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan said: "Our stand is of zero tolerance as far as air safety goes. All the laid down procedures and requirements have to be met and their compliance is being checked on a regular basis. Failure to do so would invite strict action. Everyone - airlines and airport operators - have to work together to ensure full safety for air travel." The DGCA has come down heavily on airlines for either not having proper flight safety manuals or approved chiefs of safety. "Both AI and AI Express do not have an approved safety manual or chief and deputy chief of safety sections. Jet has submitted its safety manual to us. The AI top brass led by its new CMD Rohit Nandan is scheduled to meet this and some other safety-related issues with DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan on Monday," said sources. Airlines probe incidents through their permanent investigation boards (PIB). Any probe requires feedback on the parts that are feared to have malfunctioned and caused the problem from aircraft manufacturers. But very often, the big plane makers don't bother giving such reports and hence these probes, and corrective follow up action to be taken on their basis, gets delayed. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/DGCA-gets-tough-with-airlines-over-air-safety- norms/articleshow/10121499.cms Back to Top 10 radio stations in Batam banned for jeopardizing flight safety The Communications and Information Ministry, through the Batam office of the Satellite Orbit and Radio Frequency Monitoring Agency (Balmon), has banned 10 licensed private radio stations in Batam, Riau Islands, for impacting on flight safety at Changi Airport in Singapore and Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. Two-hundred people have subsequently lost their jobs. Agency head Muhammad Sopingi told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the ministry's Directorate General of Post and Telecommunications had received letters of complaint from the Singapore and Hang Nadim Airport flight authorities in June about a radio communication interruption between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATC) due to the frequency synchronization problems caused by the radio stations in Batam. During takeoffs and landings, pilots often heard songs aired from radio stations, so they could not clearly hear traffic guidance from the ATCs on their radios. "We have closed the 10 private radio stations although they are equipped with radio broadcasting licenses, because their equipment has disrupted flights at both airports. We are currently conducting study on whether it is feasible for them to broadcast again," said Sopingi. "The closure of the 10 private radio stations in Batam is purely law enforcement," he said. Sopingi said Balmon and the police turned off the radio stations' transmitters as of Sept. 14. All are equipped with radio broadcast licenses, including several that have been operating for more than 14 years. However, their equipment is faulty, causing leakages, thus disrupting various other frequencies, including civil flight frequencies located at 117.00 Mhz. "If this continues unchecked, we fear that flight disruptions in Singapore and Batam could cause casualties," said Sopingi. Riau Islands National Private Radio Station Association (PRSSNI) head Kristianto said the closure by Balmon was shocking as at least 200 people working for the radio stations lost their jobs. "We came to the Balmon office to ask for further explanation on its reasons to close our radio stations, which have operating licenses. Balmon has explained to radio operators about the flight disruption at the airports in Singapore and Batam. Balmon promised to allow us to operate again if our equipment worked as it should," said Kristianto. He said his radio station, Kei FM, had been operating for more than 11 years without causing disruptions, but on Sept. 14, Balmon closed it unilaterally. He said he would ask the ministry to allow private radio stations in Batam to resume operation. "We agree to a temporary closure on the grounds of flight safety, but please let us know how to broadcast safely, because based on information from our technicians, there is no leakage of frequency," said Kristianto. Based on PRSSNI data, the 10 licensed private radio stations and state-run Radio Republic of Indonesian are broadcasting in Batam, excluding at least seven other illegal radio stations. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/09/20/10-radio-stations-batam-banned- jeopardizing-flight-safety.html Back to Top Boeing formally delivers first 787 to ANA All Nippon Airways, launch customer for the Boeing 787, has taken contractual delivery of its first of 55 aircraft three and a half years late. Boeing completed the transaction early on 25 September in Everett, Washington, officially giving ANA ownership of the aircraft maker's majority composite flagship product, said Scott Fancher, 787 programme vice president and general manager. Fancher announced the historic step while briefing reporters shortly after 09:00, local time. "Just about an hour ago we did sign the contract with ANA," Fancher said. "The title has been transferred of the first vehicle to ANA, so we're real excited about that." ANA became launch customer on 26 April 2004, launching the then-dubbed 7E7, in a deal for 50 aircraft, the first of which was due for delivery in May 2008. After years of delays due to supply chain issues and design changes, Boeing's delivery concludes the long wait by its launch customer, which was deeply involved in the design of the aircraft. ANA is also Boeing's first non-US launch customer for a new widebody aircraft in its history, underscoring the international nature of the programme's partner base, 35% of which is built by Japanese supplier Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Fuji Heavy Industries. The first 787, Airplane Eight registered JA801A, will arrive in Japan at 09:00 Tokyo local time on 28 September. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Another 747-8 headache For Boeing As it reeled from launch customer's Cargolux's sudden demand for a renegotiation of its 747-8 agreement, Boeing learned that another of the new freighter's customers was cancelling a quarter of its orders. Atlas Air informed Boeing on Sept. 16 - the same day Cargolux said it was not going to take its initial two deliveries - that "lengthy delays in delivery" and "performance considerations" have prompted it to cancel the first three of the 12 orders it placed in September 2006. Cargolux was to take delivery on Sept. 19 and 21 of the first two 747- 8Fs. All deliveries are now on hold while Boeing renegotiates with Cargolux. Atlas says the three airplanes it anticipates receiving in October and November will include upgrades not yet in manufacture when the three it cancelled were in production, a point Boeing denies. "We don't believe there is any significant difference between the first three airplanes and the following three," a Boeing official says. General Electric and Boeing are developing a performance improvement package (PIP) for the 747-8's engines that is to address an acknowledged 2.7% fuel burn shortfall. But the PIP is not due into service until the third quarter 2013. It is designed to meet only 1.6% of the performance shortfall, leaving another 1.1% to be found elsewhere, according to program officials. Atlas Air, which saw its shares tumble 13% on news of the cancellation, is leasing its initial aircraft to British Airways. Coming as they did alongside Cargolux's performance dispute, the Atlas Air cancellations have probably drawn more attention than they otherwise would have. Assuming the Atlas Air cancellations hold and Cargolux retains all 13 of the freighters it ordered, Boeing's order book for the new four-engine jet stands at 111 airplanes. The 747-8's development is unusual because the initial deliveries are for the dedicated freighter version. The passenger version is to debut late this year when Lufthansa takes the first of 20 it ordered. Meanwhile, Boeing is trying to resolve Cargolux's contract concerns. Except for first deliveries, Boeing does not normally reveal details of its delivery schedule. So the identify of the second delivery customer has not be stated officially but is expected to be Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong, which is due to get its first freighter in October. "We are satisfied that our commercial arrangements with Boeing take account of the known and disclosed specification and performance characteristics of the aircraft," says Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung. Whether the disruptions mask uncertainty in the freight market is unclear, but analysts are projecting flat growth through the end of the year. As it transitioned to the 747-8 program, Boeing delivered its last two 747-400ER Freighters to Kuwait's LoadAir Cargo in November 2009. But they never entered service and have been parked in Mariana, Ariz., alongside other, older, freighters hit by the 2008 global recession. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Training Rules Are Newest Battle In Airline-DOT Regulatory Rift The number of disputes between airlines and the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) over proposed new regulations keeps growing. In recently submitted comments, many U.S. carriers are objecting to a proposed new DOT rule that would overhaul training requirements for pilots, flight attendants and dispatchers. The objections mean airlines-to one extent or another-now are engaged in battles with the DOT over new rules or proposed rules on training, pilot fatigue, ancillary revenue reporting and passenger rights, with a potential fifth battle in the offing on making websites and check-in kiosks more accessible to disabled travelers. On the proposed new training requirements, the airlines criticize many of the plan's components as unjustified, ineffective and inordinately expensive. "Air Transport Association members are supportive of FAA's effort to improve aviation safety by enhancing traditional training programs," the largest trade group for U.S. airlines says in a filing with the DOT on Sept. 19-the deadline for submitting comments on the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FAA-2008-0677). But the ATA adds that most elements of the proposal "will not substantively support the FAA and industry's joint goal to enhance cabin safety beyond gains already being realized through analysis of voluntary safety reporting, and data-driven, risk-oriented efforts." It also argues that the FAA underestimates the costs and overstates the benefits of the changes, and that the costs exceed the benefits if calculated correctly. The ATA adds that the changes would create "administratively burdensome" requirements, draining resources that could otherwise be used for training opportunities identified through the analysis of incident reports and voluntary Aviation Safety Action Program reports. And it asserts the proposals "inappropriately inject pilot training elements into training for flight attendants" even though their training needs are markedly different. The new training requirements proposed by the DOT are the outgrowth of a congressional mandate to update the rules. As part of the proposal, flights crews would have to demonstrate critical skills in "real world" training scenarios and pilots would be required to train as a complete flight crew and fly scenarios based on actual events. But the proposal has many other requirements, too. The Regional Airline Association complains that the proposal "drills far too deeply into training program minutia." The DOT should focus more on training outcomes, it argues, and let individual airlines determine how best to meet those standards "in the context of their own unique airline operations and cultures." American Airlines complains that many of the requirements "have zero known or documented benefit to training or safety, have no data to support implementation, have no history in incidents or accidents, and create huge administrative and cost burdens to air carriers." American cited one requirement-to conduct all simulator training with paired crews-that it says could cost the larger carriers about $10 million apiece, on average. Numerous carriers urged the DOT to take a different tack on training requirements by reconsidering its prior decision not to mandate the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) as the single means of achieving one level of safety in air carrier operations. Those carriers already make use of AQP, a voluntary alternative to the traditional regulatory requirements for pilot training and checking. Under the AQP, the FAA is authorized to approve significant departures from traditional requirements, subject to justification of an equivalent or better level of safety. Participating carriers must design and implement data collection strategies that are diagnostic of cognitive and technical skills. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Brazil airplane maker Embraer estimates selling 975 planes to China over 20 years RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazilian airplane maker Embraer estimates it will sell about 975 new passenger planes to China over the next 20 years. The report issued Wednesday by the Brazilian company highlights China as one of the world's fastest-growing markets for air transport. The company projects it will sell 15 planes with 30 to 60 seats, 440 with 61 to 90 seats, and 520 with 91 to 120 seats. In April, Embraer SA sold China 30 planes with capacity for up to 114 passengers. The Brazilian company is already China's main supplier of planes under 120 seats. Embraer is one of the world's principal manufacturers of medium-sized commercial planes. Back to Top Helicopter Flight Data Monitoring Steering Group announces the release of "HFDM: Industry Best Practices" and "HFDM Equipment and Services Matrix." Visit us at Helitech 2011! The Global Helicopter Flight Data Monitoring Steering Group announces the release of the Best Practices document to aid helicopter operators in implementing an FDM program. The document is a compilation of recognized best practices collected from aircraft operators, industry groups, regulatory agencies, educational organizations and individual experts in this field. It provides useful information to those entities who wish to implement or improve their Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) programs. The Equipment and Services Matrix is a compilation of equipment and service provider information for operators to determine which products and services are available for aircraft and operation types. This information will be expanded as new products and services become available for operators. The complete and official editions of both documents plus other HFDM resources and information is available on the Global HFDM Community's website: www.HFDM.org. Hosted by Helitech, Duxford 27-29 September, 2011: (http://www.helitechevents.com/) The Global HFDM Steering Group will provide a free full day workshop on September 27 to give operators an overview of how to implement an HFDM program in their organization. Case studies from companies successfully using this system, technical information, customer perspectives and HFDM for risk management is included in the program. A number of the HFDM suppliers listed in the Matrix will also be present at the end of the sessions to answer specific questions. Please plan to visit the Global HFDM Community booth on the 28th and 29th of September to talk to the HFDM experts! The Global HFDM Steering Group is a dedicated group of professionals in the rotor-wing aviation sector with expertise in Flight Data Monitoring. The Group is made up of representatives from large and small helicopter operators, helicopter manufacturers, FDM service providers, national civil aviation authorities and safety management system specialists, and is closely aligned with the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST). Visit www.HFDM.org for a list of Who's Who. Back to Top Funds sought to retrieve submerged Boeing Flying Clippers A Kirkland-based nonprofit wants to recover the Honolulu Clipper, Pan American World Airways' "flying boat" which sank in the South Pacific in 1945. A 1938 photo shows the Boeing 314 "flying boat" in Lake Washington. The aircraft eventually was christened the Honolulu Clipper. Boeing made only 12 of the water- landing planes. The Honolulu Clipper is submerged 18,000 feet in the South Pacific. Deep in the Pacific Ocean lies an estimated 18 tons of history - a "flying boat" credited with being among the first aircraft to bring the people of the world closer by reducing overseas travel time. The flying boat is one of only 12 Boeing 314 Flying Clippers made, although there were some Clippers made by other companies. The Clippers flew for little more than a decade before planes with extended flying range and more destinations with runways made the water-landing aircraft obsolete. Today, a Kirkland-based nonprofit wants to retrieve the two that remain. One is submerged in the North Atlantic and the other in the South Pacific. Underwater Admiralty Sciences (UAS) hopes to find someone to underwrite the estimated $8 million or more needed to retrieve the Honolulu Clipper, which sank in the Pacific in 1945, 530 miles northeast of Hawaii and at a depth of 18,000 feet. UAS specializes in recovering submerged cultural artifacts, using new technology that makes such retrievals possible, says the nonprofit's president, Mark Allen. The first step is to find the exact location of the plane, then use a miniature, remote- controlled submarine fitted with a camera to determine its condition. "It's like a game of poker," said Bob Bogash, a retired Boeing engineer helping with the project. Bogash, a volunteer at Seattle's Museum of Flight, has been responsible for obtaining most of the museum's restored planes and would like to see a Clipper in the collection. Allen and the director of UAS, Bob Mester, got the idea of rescuing the Clipper after Capt. Jeff Johnston, an Alaska Airlines pilot and consultant to the group, approached then with the idea. Johnston loved the plane's Art Deco style. "You could get up and walk around. It had a salon where people could come and play cards and converse ... the glamour of it all." The B-314 had 22 square feet per passenger, compared with 6 feet per passenger in coach seats in commercial jets today, according to the UAS team. Boeing's B-314 flying boats, which were rolled out in 1939, weren't the first in Pan American World Airways' Clipper fleet, but they were considered by many to be the ultimate in Clipper luxury. The Sikorsky and Martin companies made the first 16 Pan Am Clippers, but they differed from Boeing's planes. "It was the space shuttle of its time," Allen said. It carried 72 people, had a dining salon, dressing rooms, separate men's and women's bathrooms and sleeping berths. The Clippers were designed to land behind a breakwater, making it possible to take passengers to destinations that didn't have runways able to accommodate commercial aircraft. It took 18 hours to fly from San Francisco to Honolulu. Flying to China was also possible, by stopping for refueling and letting passengers spend the night in Hawaii and the Philippines. Finding investors and strategizing economical ways to find and recover the plane are only part of the project. The rest is the human story, and UAS has collected first-person accounts of those who flew, or flew on, the Clippers. Among them is Diane Jorgenson, of Port Angeles, whose father, Capt. Sannis "Robby" Robbins, was the pilot who flew the Honolulu Clipper when it had to ditch in the South Pacific. Father and daughter Robbins was an experienced pilot who learned to fly in a Fairchild 71 in the Alaskan bush. Jorgenson would sometimes fly with him then and also when he flew the Clipper. "I'd climb into the (Clipper's) wings. They weren't hollow. They were filled with all kinds of pipes and wires and were really very interesting," she said. During World War II, the Clippers were used to transport troops. On what would become its final flight, when the starboard engines quit, the Honolulu Clipper had 13 Navy officers aboard who were being flown back to San Francisco. First Officer Wally Reed, now 93 and living in Santa Rosa, Calif., was in charge when the first sign of a problem occurred. "There was a vibration, a noise and the airplane made a little jerk to the right," Reed recalled. "I took the search light and watched the engines. ... I could see them jerk a little bit." He told a crew member to get Robbins, who was on a break. Flames began shooting from the engines and the plane began losing altitude. Robbins sent a mayday call and they began tossing out mail, baggage and fuel to make the plane lighter. In the dark and using only the landing lights and an altimeter, Robbins landed the Clipper in a trough between the waves. There were no injuries or damage to the plane, and the passengers were rescued four hours later. Over a number of days, a troop transport ship and later a seaplane tender tried to tow the Clipper. But in high seas, the Clipper rammed into the tender. A starboard wing tip broke off, and an engine snapped off and tore through the Clipper's bow, Reed recalled. Since a plane of its size drifting aimlessly on the ocean was considered a hazard to navigation, a decision was made to sink it. After having flown 18,000 hours and countless passengers, and opening new possibilities in the world of aviation, the Clipper submitted to 1,300 20-mm explosive shells and sank. Now, UAS wants to bring it back. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016319373_clipper26m.html Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC