Flight Safety Information April 30, 2012 - No. 086 In This Issue Air India flight makes emergency landing at Kozhikode after bird hit Six die in Piper PA-32 plane crash in Switzerland Pilots: Drones pose major safety threat in civilian air space Thai Air Force aircraft makes troubled landing in Dhaka PRISM CERTIFICATION CONSULTANTS Discovery Channel Crashes a Passenger Jet for Science Documentary United Airlines CEO paid more than $13 million Air India flight makes emergency landing at Kozhikode after bird hit Kozhikode: A Dubai-bound Air India flight with 148 passengers on board landed under emergency conditions at the Karipur International Airport soon after it took off, after being hit by a bird. The Airbus A-321 flight with six crew members on board took off at 10 am before a bird hit the right engine, bending its blades under the impact. Airport sources said that the flight, carrying a full fuel load, dumped fuel into the sea and returned within 40 minutes. All passengers and crew members are safe and have been accommodated in nearby hotels, they said. Engineers are examining the flight and are rectifying the fault, they added. http://www.ndtv.com/article/south/air-india-flight-makes-emergency-landing-at- kozhikode-after-bird-hit-204247 Back to Top Six die in Piper PA-32 plane crash in Switzerland A Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga single-engine light plane, tail number HB-PGA, crashed on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. local time in the village of Chatel-St-Denis, near Tatroz, Switzerland killing all six occupants, including the pilot, as reported on that date by the Aviation Safety Network, the Basler Zeitung, Die Presse, Austrian Wings, and other European media. The high performance civilian aircraft had departed about 30 minutes earlier from La Blécherette Airport in Lausanne on a birthday celebration flight to Ecuvillens, the regional airport in the adjoining canton of Fribourg, located on a plateau to the east, at an elevation of 2,293 feet. The pilot, whose name has not been released, was a Swiss citizen from the French speaking canton of Vaud. According to eyewitness accounts, the plane had flown past a residence with people drinking cocktails on a terrace, waving at the aircraft, and talking to the passengers on cell phones. As the low flying Piper Saratoga circled the village it appeared to clip the roof of a structure, possibly forced into it by a gust of wind, and crashed into an open pasture about 150 feet away, breaking apart and scattering into multiple pieces. Before the plane went down, people reported hearing a loud "boom", followed by a hissing sound as the aircraft stalled, and then dived into the ground. The five passengers who died in the crash were said to be local residents. Two of the bodies were ejected from the aircraft as a result of the impact, while the other four were found still strapped into their seats among the wreckage. The tragic accident took place in the municipality of Attalens in the community of Südfreiburger Tatroz. Attalens has a population of about 2,900 people. Police confirmed that the deceased included four men and two women, and that there were no survivors. The Fribourg cantonal police assisted about 50 local fire and emergency crews in blocking off the crash site, reducing the hazards of leaking fuel, collecting the victims and covering their bodies with blankets. The dead were later taken to the University Center of Forensic Medicine (CURML) in Lausanne for identification and autopsies. Their names have not been released, and will probably not be made public until next Tuesday. A crisis center staffed by psychologists was set up by local authorities. Most people in the small community were impacted by the tragedy, with many residents personally acquainted with some of the victims. The accident is being investigated by the Swiss Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Federal Police of the Canton of Fribourg. The Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga is a six-seat all metal aircraft built between 1980 and 2007 carrying five passengers and a pilot at a maximum speed of 190 miles an hour. The plane has a cruising speed of 160 mph, a range of 1,000 miles, and a service ceiling of 14,600 feet. http://www.examiner.com/article/six-die-piper-pa-32-plane-crash-switzerland Back to Top Pilots: Drones pose major safety threat in civilian air space Allowing widespread operation of drones in the United States amounts to a recipe for disaster, military and private pilots told the Federal Aviation Administration, which has cleared some 60 organizations to operate the remotely piloted planes and plans to set up six test ranges for unmanned aircraft systems this summer. David Bourdon, a pilot who said he has flown surveillance missions in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003, said he has had five "near misses" with drones. Based on that experience, he opposes the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States, except in restricted airspace or along the U.S. border in designated corridors. FAA established a rule-making process in March for developing the six test sites required in the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act prior to integration of drone flights into the national airspace system in 2015. Bourdon, in his comments to FAA, highlighted several key problems, particularly the fact that drone pilots operating from a remote location have limited vision. Bourdon, who did not disclose his military affiliation in the filing, said, "the operators of these aircraft are looking through a soda straw" and "when a UAV loses its data link with its operator, they tend to change altitude on their own and violate other manned aircrafts' airspace." Stefan Werner, who has flown as a spotter and chase pilot on Predator UAV test flights in Southern California around Edwards Air Force Base, said the focus of cameras mounted on drones makes it difficult for operators to adhere to an essential component of flight safety -- the see-and-avoid rule. Werner, in his comment to FAA, said, "the cameras in the UAVs are designed to look forward and below with stunning detail . . . but can't scan the airspace slightly above the UAV. For that reason alone I believe they will be a danger to the flying public if allowed to free fly solely based on [air traffic control] radar returns." He recommended FAA restrict drone operations to high altitudes, far away from manned aircraft flying under visual flight rules. Andrew Moore, executive director of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, which represents operators of crop duster aircraft, which fly under visual flight rules, said FAA must ensure that drones and pilots adhere to see-and-avoid requirements to avert midair collisions. Moore said he considered strict control of drone operations in the planned test sites a "life-and-death issue." Thomas Buchner, a pilot who patrols pipelines for Southern Union Co., which operates 15,000 miles of natural gas pipelines, said FAA should consider the location of pipelines before it selects the six drone test sites. "Pipeline patrol pilots are relatively busy enough dodging antennas, birds, crop dusters, etc., and shouldn't also be required to dodge unmanned test aircraft during our routine patrol work," he wrote. FAA has received only 52 comments on its drone test site plans. Last week, Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Joe Barton, R-Texas, co-chairmen of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, raised serious concerns that drones will be used to spy on Americans in a letter to Michael Huerta, acting FAA administrator. Nonetheless, FAA has received only two comments dealing with potential invasion of privacy by drones. Drone backers in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada, Maine, North Dakota and the Canadian province of New Brunswick used the rule-making process to advocate location of the drone test ranges in their airspace. http://www.nextgov.com/defense/2012/04/pilots-drones-pose-major-safety-threat- civilian-air-space/55455/ Back to Top Thai Air Force aircraft makes troubled landing in Dhaka Dhaka: A Thai Air Force plane with 15 people on board skidded off the runway while landing at an airport here on Monday, injuring three passengers and halting flight operations for some time. Civil aviation and Biman officials said the training aircraft of Thai Royal Air Force skidded off the runway as it was landing at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this morning, injuring the pilot and two others. "The aircraft immediately veered off the taxiway used solely for military planes as it landed," a civil aviation spokesman told reporters. A spokesperson of the state-run Biman supplemented him saying "the training aircraft in type ATR-72, carrying 15 people of Thai Royal Air Force on board skidded off the airport's runway while at least one person received minor injury". Fire engines rushed to the scene fearing a major accident or break out of fire but a civil aviation official said the troubled landing "caused no major damage to the aircraft and no fire broke out in the engines and the situation is under control". He said the technical faults or lack of pilot's skill might have caused the accident that resulted in the halt of departure and landing at the airport for 15 minutes since 8:30 am. The training aircraft of Thai Royal Air Force flight RTF 304 landed at Hazrat Shahjalal Airport as part of their training programme, official sources said. PTI http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/thai-air-force-aircraft-makes-troubled-landing- in_772571.html Back to Top Back to Top Discovery Channel Crashes a Passenger Jet for Science Documentary (Silver Spring, Md.) A Boeing 727 passenger jet has been deliberately crash-landed in a remote and uninhabited Mexican desert as part of a scientific experiment for an unprecedented international television documentary for Discovery Channel, Channel 4in the UK, plus Pro Sieben in Germany. The pilot ejected the 170-seat aircraft just minutes before the collision after setting it on a crash course, it was then flown remotely from a chase plane. The crash went according to plan and there were no injuries or damage to property. Rather than carrying passengers, the plane was packed with scientific experiments, including crash test dummies. Dozens of cameras recorded the crash from inside the aircraft, on the ground, in chase planes and even on the ejecting pilot's helmet. The program is being made by award-winning British production company Dragonfly Film and Television Productions. caida de avion en la salada mexicali 1 The project aims to recreate a serious, but survivable, passenger jet crash landing with a real aircraft in order to allow an international team of experts to study the crashworthiness of the aircraft's airframe and cabin as well as the impact of crashes on the human body, plus possible means of increasing passenger survivability and evaluating new 'black box' crash-recording technology. The plane was crashed in a remote and unpopulated part of the Sonoran Desert of Baja California, Mexico. The location was chosen after an extensive international search to find a suitable location offering the perfect conditions for this groundbreaking scientific project. For safety reasons, an exclusion zone at the crash site was manned by security teams, as well as the Mexican military and police. Ahead of the crash, a full safety review of the project was undertaken by the highly-qualified pilots and commanders as well as the Mexican authorities who concluded that it was safe for all concerned. Following the crash, the aircraft will be salvaged and an extensive environmental clean- up operation is being carried out by a reputable agency with the full co-operation of the Mexican authorities. "This ground breaking project features an actual crash of a passenger jet and explores the big questions about how to make plane crashes more survivable; it's the ideal premiere episode for our CURIOSITY series that stirs the imagination of our audience, bravely asking questions and fearlessly seeking answers. This latest production captures that audaciousness perfectly and I can't wait to share it," said Eileen O'Neill, Group President of Discovery and TLC Networks. "For the first time, leading scientists and veteran crash investigators, who have been enthusiastic supporters of this project, witness a plane crash in real time and explore what happens to the airframe and cabin, as well as the effects on the human body during a catastrophe of this magnitude. We hope to provide new information about how to improve the chances of survival while providing scientific results on passenger safety and new technologies, including new 'black box' flight data recording systems." Executive Producer, Sanjay Singhal, from Dragonfly Film and Television Productions, said: "NASA were the last people to attempt a crash test of a full passenger jet three decades ago. Now, with the improvements in filming and remote control technology we felt that the time was right to do it again. It's never been safer to fly, but we want to use this as an opportunity to provide scientific data that might help to improve passenger safety in those extremely rare cases when a catastrophic aircraft accident does occur. "This has been an extraordinary feat of organization, involving up to 300 people on location, including the production team, pilots, experts, risk management, plus local crew, military, fire teams and police. This is the culmination of four years of planning and hard work. We're particularly grateful to the Mexican authorities for their assistance and support." The crash and the results of the accompanying research will be shown later this year in a feature-length documentary on Discovery Channel in the United States, Channel 4 in the UK plus Pro Sieben in Germany. The program is made by award-winning production company Dragonfly Film and Television Productions. About Discovery Channel Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/29/discovery-channel-crashes-a-passenger- jet-for-science-documentary/131319/ Back to Top United Airlines CEO paid more than $13 million DALLAS - Jeffery Smisek helped put together the world's largest airline with the merger of United and Continental, and the company rewarded him by more than tripling his compensation last year to $13.4 million. Sponsored LinksMore than half the compensation for the airline's CEO came from stock awards, including incentives for the merger that created United Continental Holdings Inc. Smisek's 2011 compensation was disclosed in a proxy statement that the Chicago-based company filed Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. An analysis by The Associated Press calculates the value that the company put on compensation awarded to the CEO in that year and excludes changes in pension value, so it differs from the total that the company reports to the SEC. Smisek, 57, was the CEO of Houston-based Continental Airlines and helped negotiate the combination with United. He was paid compensation valued at nearly $4.4 million in 2010. Last year, Smisek was given stock awards that were valued at $7.53 million when they were granted in February 2011, including $4.4 million in merger incentives. Smisek was paid a salary of $975,000, up from $791,250 in 2010; $4.41 million in separate incentive payments, up from $3.56 million in 2010; and $454,918 in other compensation, up from $9,766 the year before. The other-compensation column included $241,457 for travel and relocation help, as well as $67,947 for insurance premiums paid by the company. Other top United executives also got merger incentives that could become very valuable. The awards for Chief Financial Officer Zane Rowe, Chief Operations Officer Peter McDonald and Chief Revenue Officer James Compton were valued at $1.65 million apiece. Rowe announced this month he is leaving for Apple Inc., For Smisek to get his merger payoff, the company must hit revenue and cost-saving targets over a three-year period ending in December 2013 and achieve merger milestones. Some of those milestones have already been met. One milestone was combining the United and Continental computerized reservations systems. The switchover last month, however, didn't go smoothly, and many customers endured long waits on hold to fix ticketing problems. Smisek apologized this week, saying the airline had failed to deliver adequate customer service. United Continental and rivals such as Delta Air Lines Inc. have benefited from consolidation that has reduced the number of U.S. airlines and made it easier for the survivors to raise fares. United earned $840 million in 2011 and $253 million in 2010 after losing $6 billion the previous two years combined. But lately, even fare increases and a slew of extra fees charged to passengers haven't been enough to offset sharply higher jet fuel prices. This week, United Continental reported that it lost $448 million in the first three months of the year, although the loss was smaller than analysts had feared. Even as United Continental earned money last year, stockholders didn't share in the bounty. The airline's shares lost 26% of their value during 2011, although they have gained most of it back this year. The AP's calculation of executive compensation includes salary, bonuses, perks and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. The amount that Smisek or other CEOs eventually get can differ, depending on the performance of the company's stock after awards are granted. Most companies require an executive to wait a certain amount of time before getting stock grants or exercising options. http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-04-30/United-Airlines-CEO-paid-more- than-13-million/54636280/1 Back to Top China Eastern Airlines says to buy 20 Boeing aircraft HONG KONG (Reuters) - China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd said on Monday it has agreed to buy 20 new Boeing B777-300ER aircraft from Boeing Co , valued at $5.94 billion based on the 2011 price catalog. In a filing to the Hong Kong bourse, China Eastern said the aircraft were expected to be delivered in stages from 2014 to 2018. Boeing said on Friday that China Eastern Airlines had agreed to buy the 20 aircraft, pending Chinese government approval. The Chinese carrier also said it would sell five Airbus A340-600 aircraft, with an unaudited book value of about 4.47 billion yuan ($708 million), to Boeing. China Eastern said the A340-600 aircraft, which mainly serve long-haul international routes such as Shanghai-to-New York and Shanghai-to-Los Angeles, had high operation costs and relatively weak route competitiveness. The Airbus aircraft began service in 2003 and 2004 and had an average usage of about 8.3 years. China Eastern said the purchase of the Boeing aircraft and disposal of the Airbus planes would lower its unit operation costs and optimize the fleet structure for long-haul air transportation routes. For a statement click http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2012/0430/LTN20120430006.pdf China Eastern Airlines posted a 73.7 percent fall in net profit for the first quarter of 2012 to 266.5 million yuan. ($1 = 6.3102 Chinese yuan) http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-chinaeasternboeingbre83t002- 20120429,0,1916558.story Back to Top Indian Air Force short of 363 pilots: Report New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is short of 363 pilots, a shortage that has lingered on for nearly five years owing to a lack of basic trainers. As per data, the sanctioned strength of aviators in IAF as on January 1, 2012, was 3,783. However, the force has only 3,420 in its ranks. The constant delays in the procurement of basic trainers are further making it difficult for the force to cover up the shortfall. Overall, the IAF is short of 800 officers. IAF has been doing without a basic trainer aircraft since its entire fleet of initial trainers HPT-32 was grounded in June 2009, following a series of crashes and over 100 engine failures. It had lost about 11 flying cadets to these aircraft. Three years after the grounding of the fleet, the IAF's selection of Swiss Pilatus aircraft is yet to get approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security. The constant delay in the procurement of basic trainers is further making it difficult for the force to cover up the shortfall. Presently, IAF is training its rookie pilots on Kiran Mk-II, that used to form the second stage of training for IAF pilots. Thereafter, the pilots are either sent to British-built Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) or MiG-21s. Now, in view of the recent spate of accidents involving MiG-21s, IAF has decided that no more pilots will be trained on these Soviet- vintage jets after 2012. The procurement of 75 Pilatus aircraft under the $1 billion deal has become "critical" for IAF as it is likely to face shortage of Kirans. To meet the training requirements of the rookie pilots, the IAF intends to send some of its pilots to Switzerland for training till the delivery of the initial batch of 12 aircraft beginning in 2014. The Comptroller and Auditor General had also punched holes in the training of the IAF pilots. The report pointed out that the IAF was facing an acute shortage of efficient pilots due to failure in imparting quality training, attributed to the lack of adequate state-of-the art training aircraft with the force. As per the CAG's findings, 42 per cent of the 276 aircraft accidents reported during 1995-2005 were attributed to human errors. According to the Parliamentary Panel's report on Defence, "We have issues with AJT. So, our ab initio pilots are going straight from basic to intermediate trainers and then on to the MiG-21 class of aircraft, which was a tremendous jump." http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indian-air-force-short-of-363-pilots/253398-3.html Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC