Flight Safety Information August 16, 2012 - No. 166 In This Issue Jet Forced to Land After Bomb Threat Gulfstream jet and Beechcraft in dramatic collision at Nashville, Tenn. airport Afghan helicopter crash kills 11 in Kandahar TSB...pushes for more safety measures in North (Canada) Plane hits birds over SC, returns safely Air France flight to Beirut lands in Damascus after Lebanese capital airport road blocked PRISM Certification Support Ethiopian Airlines Takes Delivery of Their First Boeing 787 Dreamliner UK Civil Aviation Authority investigating phony airline FAA To Decommission Last Direction Finders Jet Forced to Land After Bomb Threat MOSCOW (WSJ-Europe)-A passenger jet flying from New York's John F. Kennedy airport to Moscow carrying more than 250 passengers and crew made an emergency landing in Iceland on Thursday after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat. "During the flight from New York to Moscow, the New York police received an anonymous call about explosives on board," said Irina Dannenberg, spokeswoman for the Russian carrier Aeroflot-Russian Airlines. "The captain decided to make an emergency landing in Reykjavik. At the moment the passengers have been taken off the airplane." Russian news agency Interfax, citing an unnamed source, reported that an anonymous caller told a U.S. law-enforcement agency that the plane carried five suitcases filled with explosives that would detonate upon arrival in Moscow. The New York Police Department declined to comment. Vidir Reynisson, chief inspector and head of the Civil Protection and Emergency Management department of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, said a bomb squad from the national police and coast guard would search the plane after the 242 passengers and 11 crew members had been through security checks. No one on board was suspected of involvement at this stage, he said. "Everybody is safe and seems rather calm under the circumstances, no one seems very shocked," Mr. Reynisson said. The plane, an Airbus A330, was parked in a "hot cargo" area about 800 meters from the airstrip, pending the search for explosives, Mr. Reynisson said. He said police were working with U.S. and Russian authorities to pin down the nature of the threat. The Aeroflot captain requested permission for an emergency landing at 5.30 a.m. Icelandic time and landed the plane safely at 6.27 a.m., said Fridthor Eydal, a spokesman for the Keflavik airport in Reykjavik. Airport traffic is currently unaffected following a short delay to flights earlier Thursday when the plane landed. Iceland's police have dealt with similar bomb threats in the past five years, and had recently finished a similar emergency exercise. "Everything seems to be going according to plan," Mr. Reynisson said. Back to Top Gulfstream jet and Beechcraft in dramatic collision at Nashville, Tenn. airport A Gulfstream GV-SP corporate jet that was being towed, tail number N557H, ran into a parked Beechcraft King Air C90A turbo-prop, N928TT at Nashville International Airport on Tuesday, August 14, 2012. A 2008 Gulfstream GV-SP (G550), N557H, and a 1992 Beechcraft King Air C90A, N928TT, collided with each other while the Gulfstream executive jet was being towed by Atlantic Aviation on the general aviation ramp of Nashville International Airport (BNA) in Tenn. The bizarre accident happened on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at about 3 p.m. local time, as reported on that date by the Aviation Safety Network, Kathryn's Report, New York Daily News, WKRN-TV and other news agencies. The G550 business jet was registered to the H.J. Heinz Company, a multi-national food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Penn., and was owned by Bank of America. The company issued a statement, saying, "Heinz is launching a thorough investigation into the incident and we are cooperating fully with the FAA and officials. Safety is paramount at Heinz and we are taking this matter seriously." Both the FAA and Nashville airport operations officials are investigating the accident. Other than damage to both planes, and dramatic images of the collision, there were no injuries reported to persons on the ground or other property. The twin-engine Beechcraft is registered to West Air Holdings, a real estate investment firm based in Memphis, Tenn. It was scheduled to takeoff from Nashville at 3:40 p.m. CDT and return to Memphis. A Federal Aviation Administration reported that the Gulfstream was being towed on the Atlantic Aviation ramp when it apparently broke loose from the tug and collided into the parked Beechcraft. The nose of the Gulfstream wedged beneath the Beech twin- turboprop, lifting the rear of the smaller plane off the ground. We had previously reported on a collision of two wide body commercial aircraft on a taxiway at Shanghai Pudong Airport on Thursday, August 9, 2012 in which both planes were damaged. Last Friday, August 10, a Lufthansa Airbus A330 and a United Express Bombardier Q40 clipped wings while taxing on a runway at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), also damaging both planes. Runway incursions are a growing aviation safety hazard, but usually do not involve aircraft which are under tow. http://www.examiner.com/ Back to Top Afghan helicopter crash kills 11 in Kandahar (BBC) Eleven people have been killed after a Black Hawk helicopter carrying foreign troops crashed in southern Afghanistan, the Nato-led coalition force says. Those killed include three US soldiers and four other foreign troops, as well as four Afghans, the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said. The crash took place in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, the Afghan authorities said. Isaf said it was investigating the cause of the crash. Three of the Afghans killed were members of the security forces, while one was a civilian interpreter, Isaf said in its statement. The nationalities of the non-US foreign troops have not yet been disclosed. The Taliban said it carried out the attack but its claim could not be verified. Correspondents say the group is prone to exaggeration. Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Afghanistan, where international forces depend heavily on air transport. ************ Date: 16-AUG-2012 Type: Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk Operator: ISAF Fatalities: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province - Afghanistan Phase: En route Nature: Military Narrative: A NATO helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday 16 August 2012, killing seven international soldiers and four Afghans, the International Security Assistance Force said. Three US soldiers, four other members of the US-led NATO mission, three members of the Afghan security forces and an Afghan civilian interpreter were killed, ISAF said. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top TSB pushes for more safety measures in North (Canada) Landing accidents and collisions continue to be a problem in region The Iqaluit airport. TSB spokesperson John Lee said many airports in the North do not have big enough safety areas at the end of their runways. Canada's Transportation Safety Board says it is continuing to push for aviation safety across the country and the Arctic. Two safety issues remain conspicuous on the board's Watch List. The first is landing accidents and runway overruns, and the second is collisions with land and water, both of which apply to the Arctic. "And in both of those issues, the Safety Board has identified those types of accidents which we haven't seen a decrease in the numbers. So, by identifying them in our Watch List, we're more or less communicating to the industry and the regulator, Transport Canada, that there is a concern there," said TSB spokesperson John Lee. Earlier this summer, the New Democratic Party criticized the Conservative government for being slow to push for new safety measures in the North. Transport Canada had just introduced mandatory Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems for smaller planes - 16 years after the TSB first recommended such a system. Lee said that until all planes are equipped with the systems, the risk of collisions remains a concern. On runway overruns, the TSB wants pilots to get better information on runway-surface conditions, such as ice and snow. Lee said the TSB also wants bigger safety areas at the ends of runways. But Lee did acknowledge the challenge of implementing these kinds of safety measures in the North. "Now, of course, in remote areas the cost of designing and building runways is such that perhaps it's very expensive to include these large overrun areas, or larger overrun areas, and even the terrain and geography might preclude making these overrun areas due to geographic features such as rivers and creeks." Lee said these issues remain on the TSB's Watch List because it does not feel Transport Canada has dealt with them to the board's satisfaction. The Air Line Pilots Association International has also recently been urging Transport Canada and the government to move faster on implementing safety measures. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/08/15/north-tsb-air-safety- measures.html Back to Top Plane hits birds over SC, returns safely CHARLESTON, S.C. - An airplane bound for New York from Charleston returned to Charleston International Airport safely after running into a flock of birds shortly after takeoff. A Delta jet was about two miles from the airport and flying about 3,000 feet when it happened Tuesday. Airport spokeswoman Becky Beaman said the aircraft returned to the airport safely so mechanics could check on the damage. There were no injuries. Shuttle America spokesman Peter Kowalchuk said the 63 passengers were put on other flights. He said a number of birds hit the right engine of the Embraer 170 aircraft. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120815/us-travel-brief-airplane-birds/ Back to Top Air France flight to Beirut lands in Damascus after Lebanese capital airport road blocked PARIS (AP) - Air France says a flight to Lebanon's capital was forced to land briefly in Syria after protesters blocked the road leading to the Beirut airport. A spokeswoman said the plane took off Wednesday from Paris, but was diverted when it was an hour from Beirut because of concerns passengers would be trapped if it landed. Personal Post Syria's civil war has ignited long-simmering tensions in Lebanon in recent days, including the protests that closed the airport road. The spokeswoman - speaking on condition of anonymity, citing company rules - said air traffic control suggested the plane land in Jordan, but it didn't have enough fuel. Instead, it touched down in Damascus. After refueling, it went to Cyprus, where passengers spent the night. The plane plans to head to Beirut on Thursday. Back to Top Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines Takes Delivery of Their First Boeing 787 Dreamliner Yesterday, Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field in Everett, WA. The aircraft is named "Africa First." "Today begins the first day in a new era of flying for our passengers and brings us even closer to our vision for the future, Vision 2025," said Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. "We are pleased to be the first airline in the world outside Japan to receive this technologically advanced aircraft. We have been waiting for this airplane and now that we officially have it and will show it to the world, I can say with pride, it was worth the wait. This airplane is going to move Ethiopian Airlines to the forefront of aviation leadership around the globe." The aircraft landed in Washington DC and will continue heading west to Bole Addis Ababa International Airport (ADD) in Ethiopia tomorrow. "Today marks not just another milestone for Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines, but a new beginning in our 65-year partnership," said Van Rex Gallard, vice president of Sales for Africa, Latin America, & Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes during the delivery ceremony. "Ethiopian Airlines continues to show their strong leadership in African aviation and their growing presence around the globe. Being the first in Africa and one of the first in the world further confirms their position globally." Ethiopian is the first non-Japanese airline to take delivery of the Dreamliner and they have nine additional 787s on order. The airline will begin daily flights between DC and Addis Ababa using the 787 on October 20th, a route that is currently operated by a Boeing 777-200LR. Ethiopians 787 is laid out with 24 seats in Cloud Nine and 246 seats in economy. http://blog.seattlepi.com/airlinereporter/ Back to Top UK Civil Aviation Authority investigating phony airline Fair Airways UK is advertising for staff on its website and candidates must pay £75 up- front. But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it had never heard of the airline and trading standards is trying to identify the people behind it. Fair Airways has not responded to any calls or emails from the BBC. The Fair Airways website states its flights to more than 36 countries will start on 1 November. 'Not realistic' It directs potential cabin crew, ground and customer care staff to its Fair Academy website which offers theory courses in India and Switzerland, and practical courses in the UK. The site states training registration costs £75, plus an optional £250 for food and accommodation if training in India. Binod Hyoju, from Nepal, who applied for a post, said: "When they asked for £250 I was really shocked that this company is asking for money for a job. "I didn't send money because it was my suspicion that it was like a scam." Somerset trading standards was tipped off about the website by a complaint from Kathmandu. Team manager Andy Fowler from Somerset Country Council said: "The thought of basing a UK Royal Airline, as it says, in a market town in Somerset is not perhaps a realistic one. "Our job now is to work with the internet service providers to identify the individuals behind it. "One of our first jobs will be, if we can prove that it's bogus, to get the website taken down." 'No operating licence' A spokesman for the CAA said: "In order to operate services legally, UK-based airlines are required to hold both an operating licence and an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) - issued by the CAA. "To obtain these, airlines must meet strict criteria to demonstrate that the company is financially sound and is able to deliver services safely. "The CAA can confirm that Fair Airways holds neither an operating licence nor an AOC, and has not submitted applications for either." Alin Voion, who lives in Massingham Park, where Fair Airways states its corporate base is, said he was shocked his address was being used in such a way. "I hope somebody's going to do something about it," he said. Source: bbc.co.uk Back to Top FAA To Decommission Last Direction Finders The FAA has asked for comments on its plan to take the last Direction Finders in U.S. airspace offline. Twenty-nine DFs remain operational in Alaska, along with their associated approaches, but the FAA says nobody has used them since 2008. GPS and ADS-B have reduced the need for DF steers, the FAA says, and Flight Service Stations have other tools available to assist lost or disoriented pilots, such as VOR, ADF, and GPS. "DF equipment is beyond its useful lifecycle," the FAA says. If you disagree, or have any opinion on the matter, the FAA is ready to hear your comments until Sept. 10. DF sites outside Alaska were shut down in 2007, and AOPA said it doesn't oppose the plan to shut down the remaining facilities. However, AOPA asked the FAA to apply whatever money it saves to expand ADS-B coverage in Alaska. DF is used to help lost pilots get back on course even if they have no navigation gear other than a radio. The system detects the aircraft's radio transmissions and provides a bearing to the aircraft, AOPA said. One station can pinpoint the aircraft's position by having the pilot make turns, then assessing the bearing change. If two DF stations are in range, the bearings can be plotted on a chart. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC