Flight Safety Information June 28, 2012 - No. 131 In This Issue Mexico finds Navy helicopter crash site, no word on crew Air Nigeria fires 12 engineers, pilots Storm researcher calls for new air safety guidelines Inside job?: PIA aircraft carries heroin along with passengers ARGUS PROS Aviation Auditing Boeing Names New Civilian-Jet Chief 8 Newark airport screeners fired by TSA for sleeping on duty, other violations TSA screener spilled grandfather's ashes, then laughed about it, Indiana man says EASA to launch aviation training facility in Karachi Sudan Achieves Advanced Rank on Air Safety, Impact on Aviation Industry Airbus reportedly to announce plans for Alabama plant Mexico finds Navy helicopter crash site, no word on crew MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico says it has sighted the remains of a Navy helicopter that went missing five days ago with four crew members aboard. The Navy says the crash site has been found on a mountaintop in the western state of Jalisco, near the border with Michoacan state. Emergency personnel are trying to reach the scene to determine the fate of the crew and the possible cause of the crash. Navy made the announcement late Tuesday. The Eurocopter Panther helicopter set off from the Pacific coast city of Manzanillo Friday, headed for Morelia, the capital of Michoacan state. Military and law enforcement helicopters have been attacked with small arms fire in the area in the past. ********* Back to Top Air Nigeria fires 12 engineers, pilots The news filtered through the aviation industry, on Wednesday, that Air Nigeria, one of the domestic airlines in the country, had sacked scores of pilots and engineers on its pay roll, that have links with National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE). According to information gathered, those affected were 12 in number, with the allegation that all those sacked belonged to NAAPE, the umbrella body for pilots and engineers in the aviation industry. While it was not specific as to why they were sacked, the NAAPE president, Isaac Balami, confirmed the sack and added that the workers were sacked on Monday. However, he did not speak on the association's next line of action, but feelers reaching the paper suggested that the professional body may have drawn the battle line with the airline. The chairman of Air Nigeria, however, confirmed the sack to the Nigerian Tribune at about 7.56p.m, on Wednesday, saying it was true that the workers were actually sacked. The decision to sack the technical staff might not be unconnected with the role they played in recent strike, which the pilots and engineers embarked upon since November 2011 and backed by their national body, NAAPE. Pilots and engineers in Air Nigeria had embarked on strike for alleged interference and presurising the head of maintenance to operate unserviceable aircraft. The strike, which grounded the airlines operations, also made their passengers stranded as pilots refused to fly the aircraft while engineers did not certify the airplanes for flight operations. The NAAPE president, Engr Isaac Balami, had told journalists then that the technical grounding of the airline's flights became necessary following the sack of the Head of Maintenance of the airlines, James Erigba for daring to tell the management that aircraft with snags and due for maintenance could not be used for flight operations. In his reaction then, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim accused the workers of mischief saying they did not follow due process before embarking on the strike. http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/43304-air-nigeria-fires-12-engineers-pilots Back to Top Storm researcher calls for new air safety guidelines Aircraft turbulence guidelines should be completely rewritten after new research by Centre of Excellence chief investigator Dr. Todd Lane revealed thunderstorms could produce unexpected turbulence more than 100km away from storm cells. The research by Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and The University of Melbourne researcher Dr Todd Lane has highlighted the impact of atmospheric gravity waves caused by thunderstorms and how air safety guidelines have not taken them into account. "It is likely that many reports of encounters with turbulence are caused by thunderstorm generated gravity waves, making them far more important for turbulence than had previously been recognised," Dr. Lane said. "Previously it was thought turbulence outside of clouds was mostly caused by jet streams and changes in wind speed at differing altitudes, known as wind shear, but this research reveals thunderstorms play a more critical role," he said. Dr. Lane said it is now recognised that thunderstorms have far reaching effects, modifying airflow, strengthening the jet stream and enhancing wind shear at a significant distance from the storm cell itself. Flights along domestic Australian routes and international routes across the tropics towards Asia and between Australia and the US regularly detour around storm cells. However, this research indicates they may still be close enough to encounter gravity waves and clear-air turbulence. This unexpected turbulence mid-flight can lead to passenger injuries with around 97% of injuries caused by turbulence during flight occurring because people are not wearing seatbelts. On average, around 15 people are injured every year due to turbulence. Beyond the immediate safety concerns, it has been estimated that turbulence costs the aviation industry more than $100M a year globally due to associated rerouting and service checks. Despite this, little research is being done worldwide on near-cloud turbulence according to Dr. Lane, even though improvements in high-resolution atmospheric modeling could generate important advances. "Ten years ago, we didn't have the computing power and atmospheric models to answer some of the important questions around turbulence," Dr. Lane said. "Now we can answer some crucial questions but there are only a few groups working on this problem. We need more researchers to become engaged to improve the guidelines and passenger safety." Currently, many of the world's guidelines for flying around thunderstorms - including Australia's - are similar to those produced by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, these guidelines do not include information about atmospheric wave processes. "We are working hard to develop new guidelines to recommend to the FAA that include a proper representation of the physics." "We now know a lot more about how thunderstorms cause turbulence than we did when the guidelines were originally introduced," Dr. Lane said. "It is time to alter air turbulence guidelines in light of this knowledge and employ new technologies to forecast where it is likely to occur to improve air safety for all air travellers.". http://phys.org/news/2012-06-storm-air-safety-guidelines.html Back to Top Inside job?: PIA aircraft carries heroin along with passengers Customs officers seize 4.5kg of heroin from panelling in the toilets. KARACHI: Around 4.5 kilogrammes of heroin was seized from a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft in Karachi that was departing for London via Lahore and the airport staff has been identified as prime suspects. "This has happened a hundred times," says Customs Spokesperson Qamar Thalho, while referring to Wednesday's incident on PIA flight PK-787. "About 20 years ago, it used to be gold that we used to find in the toilets of aircraft, up to 140, 000 grams of gold at a time, and now we see that it's mostly heroin being smuggled in the toilet compartments." Thalho says that the heroin was placed within panelling in the toilets and sometimes, it is also put underneath the commode. The heroin, wrapped inside plastic bags, was discovered by the customs Drug Enforcement Cell. "No third party has access to the plane in the hangers or on the runway which means that the heroin could only be put in by a staff member," says Thalho. "People who work in maintenance and repairs are the ones with the easiest access and in the past, we've seen even smuggling goods being brought in through catering trays." Thalho says that such attempts are made quite frequently and boldly, citing the example of a PIA flight in which smuggled gold was found. A case has been registered under the Control of Narcotics Subtances Act, 1997 by the Investigation and Prosecution branch of the customs. "The investigation has just started. First we will determine which crew was working in the hangar at that time and also identify others who had access to the plane. After the suspects are interrogated, we can confirm who was involved," explains Thalho. "The culprit is most probably an insider." The customs register their own FIRs independently and if given remand, the suspects remain in their custody for the duration of the remand. http://tribune.com.pk/story/400203/inside-job-pia-aircraft-carries-heroin-along-with- passengers/ Back to Top Back to Top Boeing Names New Civilian-Jet Chief Boeing Co. BA +0.63%is abruptly changing the chief executive of its commercial unit on the eve of a major air show where the jet maker is expected to announce significant orders for a new version of its 737 Max aircraft. Conner, the senior vice president of sales and customer support for Boeing Comercial Airplanes, was named on Tuesday to replace Jim Albaugh, 62, once considered a CEO candidate. Mr. Conner's promotion is effective immediately and will spearhead the commercial unit's presence at the Farnborough International Air Show. The 57-year-old inherits a business aiming for a 40% production ramp-up across its commercial jets by 2014, including a tripling of its 787 Dreamliner output by the end of 2013. The proposed increase is central to delivering profitability on the company's flagship program. Mr. Albaugh, formerly head of the company's defense and space business, was hired by Chief Executive Jim McNerney in September 2009 to manage the recovery of the commercial unit as costly delays hit its 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 jumbo jet aircraft. An engineer by training, Mr. Albaugh oversaw a resurgence in the commercial unit's engineering, seen as neglected in the wake of significant outsourcing. Mr. Albaugh, who had managed a troubled U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft replacement program while heading the company's defense unit, eventually delivered a win last year. Boeing eventually was awarded the contract against Airbus and its parent company European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EAD.FR +1.66% Mr. Albaugh, who spent 37 years at Boeing, was thought of as a possible successor to Mr. McNerney, having led the company's civil and military businesses, historically a pre- requisite for the top job. He retired three years before mandatory retirement age. A Boeing spokesman called the retirement "a personal decision and we respect that decision." Mr. Conner's role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes has been growing in recent years, standing up the new North Charleston, S.C., Dreamliner factory and overseeing August's 100-jet order by Delta Air Lines Inc. and November's record 230-jet order to Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air. In the near term, Mr. Conner must make major product decisions around the company's plan to update its hot-selling twin-aisle 777 and whether to develop a third version of its 787, seen as crucial to its long term strategy against arch-rival Airbus. Mr. Conner began his career at Boeing as a mechanic on the 727 jet in 1977, a previous role that earned him significant credibility with the rank and file workforce that build's the company's jetliners. During the Lion Air negotiations, Mr. Conner, with the blessing of Mr. Albaugh, was engaging in shuttle diplomacy between Southeast Asia and Puget Sound, secretly negotiating a new contract and labor peace with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. His simultaneous role in both the Lion Air deal, which was trumpeted by President Barack Obama, as well as the labor peace after years of extended strife, raised Mr. Conner's prominence within the company and sparked speculation his next role would be the unit's top job. The company disclosed in São Paulo, Brazil, today it would collaborate with Embraer SA ERJ +0.64%on its development of the KC-390 transport aircraft, which comes amidst a growing push by Boeing to increase its export revenue with declining US defense budgets, and a competition to supply fighter jets to the Brazilian Air Force. Back to Top 8 Newark airport screeners fired by TSA for sleeping on duty, other violations TSA screeners were fired today for failing to follow guidelines. NEWARK - The Transportation Security Administration Wednesday fired eight screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport who have been accused of sleeping on duty and other violations, under an ongoing investigation of security operations at the airport. The TSA said investigators are also looking into photographs of screening supervisors who appear to be sleeping in front of monitors used for detecting bombs and other threats in checked bags about to be loaded onto planes. "TSA holds all of its employees to the highest professional and ethical standards and has a zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace," TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said in a statement. "The decision to take disciplinary action, including the proposed immediate removal of eight individuals from the TSA reaffirms our strong commitment to ensure the safety of the traveling public." The eight Transportation Security Officers fired Wednesday during their morning shifts were videotaped by surveillance cameras sleeping or violating other screening standards in a bag room inside Terminal B last December, the TSA said. Mecca Scott, a national organizer with the Association of Federal Government Employees union, which represents the screeners, said all eight would appeal their terminations. The names of the fired screeners were not released. The Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security is conducting the investigation at the request of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), in the wake of a string of security breeches at Newark Liberty early last year. Prior to the terminations, more than 40 TSA employees in Newark had been placed on restrictive duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Lautenberg, who is vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, released a statement applauding the terminations Wednesday. "TSA is taking tough but necessary corrective action to fix a disturbing pattern of misconduct that threatens security at Newark Airport," the statement read. "The ongoing federal investigation continues to expose serious problems and TSA needs to continue using the results to make changes and finally improve security operations at the airport." The TSA says the probe is intended to improve security by identifying poorly trained or unmotivated employees. But screeners and supervisors in Newark say the management crackdown has hurt morale and pitted employees against one another in a tense atmosphere of suspicion, resentment and reprisal. The photographs the TSA are now investigating contain images of sleeping supervisors. Screening officers tell The Star-Ledger the ongoing probe has focused almost exclusively on their ranks, while ignoring or down playing poor performance by supervisors and managers. "A bag could come through with something in it and get loaded right onto a plane," said one of the officers, who asked that their names not be used because they are not authorized to talk to the press. "It was 2:30 in the morning and I was off duty," said a one of the supervisors who was photographed in the federal inspection station at Terminal B, a room where X-ray images of checked baggage are monitored before the bags are loaded onto planes. The supervisor is pictured wearing the trademark sky blue blouse of the TSA while reclining in an office chair, her hands clasped, her eyes closed and mouth open, her wavy hair silhouetted against the glow of unwatched computer screens on a table next to her. In another photo, a different supervisor is leaning back in her chair, eyes closed, with her hand tucked cozily into the pocket of her dark blue TSA jacket. The second supervisor is a member of the AFGE union. Scott, the union representative, said she was told by the supervisor that she never dozed on duty. Rather, Scott said, the supervisor asserts that at about the time the photo was taken, in late February or early March, she had just come off knee surgery and was on medication that could make her drowsy. Whenever that occurred, Scott said, the supervisor would request a brief break to rest. Scott said there is only one break room in each terminal, and screeners sometimes forced to work overtime or double shifts with only limited break time sometimes choose to remain at their work stations while they rest. Sadly, Scott said, vindictive coworkers have taken advantage of the situation. "At one time, there were supervisors that were going around taking pictures of officers who were sleeping in the bag room, and hold onto them, for blackmail. That's the kind of atmosphere. So the officers are lashing out. They see a supervisor sleeping, so they say, 'If it was us, they would take a picture, so...'" Scott said. "If I get a 5-minute break, and I close my eyes, why should I be made a mockery of?" http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/8_newark_airport_screeners_fir.html Back to Top TSA screener spilled grandfather's ashes, then laughed about it, Indiana man says (CNN) -- An Indiana man is demanding a direct apology from a Transportation Security Administration agent in Florida who, the man says, spilled his grandfather's ashes during an airport bag check and then laughed off the incident. And John Gross is also demanding that the TSA release any security surveillance tapes of the incident, tapes that the federal agency said simply don't exist. Gross, 30, was returning home from visiting family in Orlando, Florida, on June 19, carrying with him a portion of his grandfather's ashes that had been passed along by an uncle -- a "real sentimental kind of guy," said Gross -- when he approached TSA screeners. A female agent wearing blue latex gloves inspected the contents of his bag, says Gross, including the jar clearly labeled "Human Remains." "I said, 'Please be careful, these are my grandpa's ashes,'" Gross told CNN Wednesday. But, he said, the agent proceeded to stick her finger in the jar then accidentally spilled its contents on the airport floor. She then laughed, according to Gross, not an uproarious cackle, but a chuckle that he found offensive nonetheless. "She thought it was funny," he said. "I wanted to smack her." While not directly contradicting Gross, the TSA said it believes his sequence of events is incorrect. Triumphs and woes: A timeline of the TSA's evolution "Our initial review concluded that the circumstances as described in some reports are inconsistent with what we believe transpired," an initial statement from the TSA said. That pronouncement prompted Gross, who said he would otherwise be content to drop his contention, to once again assail the agency. "I don't want this to continue," he said Wednesday in an interview with CNN, but "now I'm really heated because the TSA is coming back and saying there's inconsistencies in the reports." Report: TSA security breaches mishandled The TSA statement added that "under no circumstances should a container holding remains be opened." "TSA recognizes the importance of screening human remains with utmost respect and dignity while remaining vigilant of our security mission to protect the traveling public," its statement said. TSA spokesman David Castelveter said Tuesday that there is no surveillance video relevant to the episode, and the agency followed that on Wednesday by adding that the security cameras in question are being upgraded. Gross, however, said he believes the agency is concealing the truth. "If they don't have any tapes, it obviously shows they are hiding something," he told CNN. The situation calmed later Wednesday, after Gross said he received what he viewed as a "sincere" and "heartfelt" apology from a TSA administrator, but he was still bothered by the federal agency's public declaration that his story had "inconsistencies" with what the TSA said happened. And he still wanted "the apology from the person who did it ..." As for the spilled ashes of his grandfather, Gross said he did the best he could to recover as much as possible. "I couldn't get a broom and dust pan, but I picked up the bigger pieces on the ground and I put them in the jar," Gross said. "But not everything. I tried getting what I could but there was a long line behind me." Back to Top EASA to launch aviation training facility in Karachi UK's EASA will bring AST UK qualifications to Pakistan and provide technical training material, approved examinations and assistance to support the aviation industry in the country. KARACHI: Edulearn Air Services Academy (EASA), in collaboration with Air Service Training (AST), Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, will set up Pakistan's first European Part 147 - a European Aviation Safety Agency regulation - maintenance training facility in Karachi. The facility will provide UK licences to meet the growing demands of aircraft maintenance engineers, technicians, pilots in local and international aviation industries, a press release said on Wednesday. Introduced by UK Trade and Investment Pakistan, United Kingdom's EASA will bring AST UK qualifications to Pakistan and provide technical training material, approved examinations and assistance to support the aviation industry in the country, it said. "We are really delighted to offer this worldwide recognised qualification in Pakistan," said EASA CEO Ibrahim Saghir. This qualification, Saghir said, will encourage Pakistani youth to join the aviation industry and reach the highest standards of academic and technical level. This will benefit not only the industry but also the overall education system in Pakistan, he added. The press release further said the academy will introduce the aircraft maintenance engineering IR Part-66 B1/B2 licence examinations for the first time in Pakistan - this will be done in collaboration with AST Perth, a company approved by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority under the European Part 147 regulations. "The one key issue that has the potential to transform Pakistan's future is education," British Deputy High Commissioner Francis Campbell said. "The UK government is strongly committed in bringing that transformation in Pakistan," he added. Campbell, who is also the Director of UK Trade and Investment, Pakistan, further said that these ventures will not only contribute to the betterment of Pakistan's future but strengthen the bilateral relation between the UK and Pakistan." The local office will also provide a chance to bright and talented students who cannot afford expensive trainings abroad, to receive international qualifications in Pakistan, the press release said. http://tribune.com.pk/story/400264/easa-to-launch-aviation-training-facility-in-karachi/ Back to Top Sudan Achieves Advanced Rank on Air Safety, Impact on Aviation Industry Position achieved by the Civil Aviation Authority in the field of international safety record, announced by the Verification Committee of the International Organization for Civil Aviation this month, is considered stage for the advancement of the country's aviation industry and an important indicator of Sudan upgrade locally and globally. The victory came after the verification done by the committee of the International Civil Aviation at the level of safety in Sudan, in accordance with the International Program for continuous monitoring after more than a visit conducted checks out of Civil Aviation of Sudan in two phases during the past six months, where the team confirmed the decline of the of violations from 55 % to 15%, where the ICVM considered Sudan a unique example in Africa, calling on African countries to stand on the said experience. Civil Aviation Authority had received a report from the Organization announcing that Sudan got high rank in the international safety record, and that the said achievement made Sudan the second in Africa and the twenty-fourth (24) in the world. Director General of Civil Aviation Authority, Mohammad Abdul Aziz stressed that the achievement of Sudan in the field of air safety is considered a strategic and economic turn point that will be reflected positively on several issues, notably security and safety of life and property and promotion of national companies and enhance the overall movement of the air transport and related activities, which serve directly for the benefit of the growth of the Sudanese economy He added that the Civil Aviation Authority has conducted series of essential reforms in civil aviation through (3x3) strategy, which aims to achieve three central goals, which are, safety enhancement and economic operation of airports, revealing that the most prominent results achieved since 2009, which led to overcome obstacles and the stability of the systems and mechanisms and development of infrastructure, along with the restructuring program, which played a pivotal role in the progress that has been made, stressing Sudan move forward in the global aviation industry, in accordance with scientific and international basis. Civil Aviation Authority was reviewed, during Enlightenment yesterday, all steps taken to enhance safety of Sudan air. The international verification includes establishment of aviation infrastructure and the application of international standards in the control of the atmosphere to achieve aviation safety in the region and the world, which represents in (8) elements being under verification to achieve safety, which are: legislation for the regulation of aviation, training of cadres, control of airworthiness and other elements of security, regulatory and air navigation. http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=211824 Back to Top Airbus reportedly to announce plans for Alabama plant The plan reportedly involves an investment of several hundred million dollars in a plant on Boeing's home turf that could eventually assemble dozens of Airbus' popular 150-seat A320 jets each year. PARIS - Airbus, the European plane maker, plans to build its first assembly line in the United States in Mobile, Ala., in an aggressive foray into the world's largest market for single-aisle airplanes, people familiar with the plan said Wednesday. The plan involves an investment of several hundred million dollars in a plant on Boeing's home turf that could eventually assemble dozens of Airbus' popular 150-seat A320 jets each year. Details were expected to be announced as early as Monday, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan was still confidential. In taking the plunge into the United States, Airbus is making a bet that U.S. airlines, many of which are saddled with large fleets of aging jets, will be enticed to consider an A320 that was "made in America" over Boeing's competing 737. By doing the final assembly of the planes with nonunion U.S. workers, and in dollars, Airbus also stands to shave off significant production costs. Globally, Airbus and Boeing split the market for single-aisle planes fairly evenly. But in the United States, Airbus holds just a 20 percent share. North America is the biggest market for the single-aisle category of planes. Airbus has forecast that nearly 70 percent of new jet sales worldwide over the next 20 years - 19,200 aircraft worth $1.4 trillion by 2030 - will be of this type. Forty percent of those planes are expected to be used to replace aging, less fuel-efficient aircraft. Stefan Schaffrath, a spokesman for Airbus in Toulouse, France, said Wednesday that the company had "nothing to announce at this point." But Fabrice Bregier, the new Airbus chief executive, confirmed in a Spanish newspaper interview published Wednesday that a U.S. assembly line was "part of a stream of ideas in our international development." "We are studying what we have to do to be close to our customers," Bregier told the newspaper El Economista. "The U.S. is a major market and we are studying what options would increase our market share there." No timetable It was not immediately clear when Airbus expected the plant to open or how many planes it would initially produce. Its plant in Tianjin, China, now assembles three planes a month, around 8 percent of Airbus' global output of single-aisle planes. An agreement to build an assembly line in Mobile would be the culmination of seven-year on-again, off-again courtship between Alabama officials and European Aeronautic Defense & Space, Airbus' parent company, over locating a major industrial facility in the state. As long ago as 2005, EADS, which already has an engineering site in Mobile, had proposed building a $600 million assembly line for its larger A330 aircraft as part of a bid for a $35 billion U.S. Air Force contract for aerial fueling tankers that was ultimately awarded to Boeing last year. Significant payoffs An earlier move into the United States yielded significant payoffs for the company. EADS' helicopter division, Eurocopter, saw its U.S. market share double to around 50 percent after opening an assembly line in 2004 in Columbus, Miss., for its UH-72 Lakota and A- Star choppers, whose customers include the U.S. military, Coast Guard, local police, hospitals and tour operators. European governments, particularly in Germany and France, are likely to be wary of such a move by a company considered one of Europe's industrial jewels. But according to one person familiar with the plan, the governments are likely to be persuaded of the business case that it could eventually create as many as 10 new jobs in Europe - not only at Airbus, but also for its vast supplier network - for every one job created in Alabama. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018544992_airbus28.html Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC