Flight Safety Information January 22, 2014 - No. 017 In This Issue Video released of jet crash at Aspen Airport Another 787 problem: Fuel leak delays flight Runway overshoot flags up Philippines air safety concerns (Philipines) Okla. man arrested at Mid-Continent Airport after driving truck through fence Angry Ryanair passengers revolt and 'pillage' aircraft Dubai to host Second Aviation Safety Culture Summit next month Think ARGUS PROS Announcing...The Annual "Moral Courage Safety Awards" Former American Airlines maintenance VP goes to JetBlue Airways Video released of jet crash at Aspen Airport Aspen Plane Crash ASPEN, Colo. - The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport released video of the deadly jet crash on a runway that happened Jan. 5. The video was released as a result of a Colorado Open Records Act request from Aspen Journalism. The video is from five infrared cameras located at different places on the airport property. Heat shows up as bright white, otherwise the infrared cameras display the video in black and white images. The video shows the plane come in, bounce off the runway back into the air and then it goes back down nose- first. It bursts into flames and slides down the runway. It looks like the pilot may have applied power to the engines in an attempt to abort the landing. One of the three pilots on board the airplane died in the crash. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board Jan. 17 says the plane had a tailwind of at least 19 knots with gusts to 25 knots. That report indicates the weather played a role in the crash of the Challenger-600 CL jet. http://kwgn.com/2014/01/21/video-released-of-jet-crash-at-aspen-airport/ Back to Top Another 787 problem: Fuel leak delays flight Discount airline Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA said on Tuesday that a fuel leak on a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner caused a flight from Bangkok to Oslo to be delayed by 19 hours. The aircraft was preparing for departure on Sunday with passengers on board when crew members noticed a fuel leak, a Norwegian spokesman told Reuters. The leak was caused by a problem with a fuel valve, the spokesman said. Passengers were taken off the plane, which was taken out of service. The flight departed 19 hours later and the jet was later sent to a maintenance facility in Stockholm. Norwegian said it did not have more detail about the problem because Boeing is responsible for maintenance of the airline's 787 fleet. Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The incident is one of a number of problems that 787 operators have experienced with Boeing's newest jetliner. Technical problems are not unusual when new aircraft enter service. Just over a year after the 787 began commercial operation in late 2011, the worldwide fleet was grounded in January 2013 after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two 787 jets in less than two weeks. In October, Norwegian Chief Executive Bjorn Kjos praised the jet's flying performance and fuel efficiency, but expressed concern that the airline was forced to take one of the new $200 million jets out of service for two weeks and lease an alternative jet because of problems with a hydraulic pump. Boeing redesigned the pump to solve the problem. Last week, a battery melted and emitted smoke from a parked 787 Dreamliner operated by Japan Airlines. The incident at Tokyo Narita airport caused the jet to be taken out of service. The fuel leak on the Norwegian jet in Bangkok, and other incidents, have combined to lower the plane's ability to consistently depart on time on scheduled flights. Most older aircraft are highly reliable, able to leave the gate on time more than 99 percent of the time. In October, Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney said the company was "making good progress" on improving the reliability of the 787, but that he was not yet satisfied with the performance, which was about 97 percent on time. That means for every 100 flights, three are unable to leave on time due to mechanical issues with the plane. Norwegian did not provide a reliability level, but spokesman Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen said, "Recently, the overall reliability of our 787 fleet has not been satisfactory." http://www.cnbc.com/id/101353181 Back to Top Runway overshoot flags up Philippines air safety concerns (Philipines) A runway overshoot in December has reinforced concerns about the operations of Filipino private and low-cost airlines, following a spate of accidents and safety oversights. The incident on 19 December involved an AirAsia Zest (AAZ) Airbus A320-200 at Kalibo International Airport in Aklan. The aircraft went off the runway onto the grass alongside as it turned to line up for take-off to Busan, South Korea. According to the deputy director of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), John Andrews, the pilot probably made a miscalculation of speed or allowance during the 180-degree turn. All 144 people on board evacuated safely. The two pilots were grounded immediately. CAAP declined to comment on the extent of the damage to the aircraft. This is the fourth such incident in six months involving aircraft belonging to Filipino carriers. In June a Cebu Pacific Airbus A320 skidded at Davao International Airport while attempting to land. Two months later a TigerAir Philippines A320 went off the runway at Kalibo after miscalculating a turn. In October, a 94-seat Sky Jet Airlines BAe 146-200 overshot the runway at Balesin Island after landing. Andrews emphasised that CAAP is closely monitoring the operations of all the airlines concerned. That will include crew proficiency. AAZ is a joint venture between Filipino businessman Alfredo Yao, who holds a 51 per cent stake, and AirAsia Philippines. On 16 August 2013 AAZ had its air operating certificate suspended for a week because of safety oversights, with its entire fleet of 10 A320s grounded. On the long-haul front, Cebu Pacific's plan to introduce flights to Europe has hit turbulence as the airline is still on the EU's latest blacklist. Philippine Airlines is the only Filipino carrier allowed to fly to Europe. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Philippines' civil aviation safety to Category 2 in November 2007. An FAA team is expected in Manila to conduct a safety audit and review corrective measures made. http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2014/jan/Philippines-airlines-safety.cfm Back to Top Okla. man arrested at Mid-Continent Airport after driving truck through fence Authorities said Tuesday its remains unclear why an Oklahoma man drove through a fence at Wichita Mid- Continent Airport over the weekend. Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. David Mattingly said security personnel found the 26-year-old Marlow, Okla., man "talking to himself" about 12:30 a.m. Sunday after he apparently rammed a pickup through a fenced-in area near the 6800 block of West K-42. The man, Mattingly said, drove on an airport taxiway and approached a small, private jet before authorities caught him. He later was arrested by sheriff's deputies called to the scene, Mattingly said. Authorities recovered a handgun in the truck. Sheriff's detectives still "were trying to contact" the man Tuesday to determine his motives, Mattingly said. He did not think the man's actions were terrorist in nature. The airport shares at least some of the breached area with Cessna Aircraft Co., Mattingly said. The man remained in Sedgwick County Jail on Tuesday evening in lieu of $15,000 bond. He is being held on suspicion of criminal trespass and criminal damage to property. Mattingly did not know whether the man would face any federal charges. As of Tuesday, he had not been charged in Sedgwick County District Court. Sunday's break-in is among at least three recent incidents leading to arrests at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Early Monday morning authorities arrested a 64-year-old man who tried to pass an airport checkpoint with a loaded .22-caliber Derringer in his carry-on bag. He was jailed on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm. In December, following a sting operation, FBI agents captured 58-year-old Terry Lee Loewen, an avionics technician accused of trying to carry out a suicide bombing on the airport. Loewen is facing federal charges of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted use of an explosive device to damage property, and attempted material support to the terrorist group al-Qaida. http://www.kansas.com/2014/01/21/3241595/okla-man-arrested-at-mid-continent.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Angry Ryanair passengers revolt and 'pillage' aircraft Scores of angry passengers on a Ryanair flight from Morocco to Paris "took the plane hostage" after a five- hour delay and a diversion to Nantes in western France, where they had to spend a night. According to French daily Metronews, the plane, carrying 170 people on January 11,was forced to drop off a sick passenger in Madrid en route to Paris. Because of night-time noise restrictions at Paris's Beauvais airport, the aircraft was forced to stop in Nantes. The passengers, told they would be taken to Paris by bus the following day, rebelled and decided to help themselves to the aircraft's onboard supplies. One Nantes airport employee told "Metronews" some of the passengers behaved "extremely disrespectfully". "The plane and its crew were effectively taken hostage by a group of disgruntled passengers," the unnamed source said. "They pillaged the aircraft for food, drinks - especially alcoholic drinks - cigarettes and perfumes; anything of any value. They behaved like animals towards the plane, the crew members and members of the airport's ground staff." One passenger, again unnamed, defended their actions: "I'm neither a thief nor a hostage-taker. We were tired, on edge because the situation was badly managed, we were hungry and thirsty and no one was giving us any information. "After seven hours locked in a plane - instead of the scheduled two-and-a-half - people need to eat," said another, who insisted that only a minority of the passengers took non-essential items. "We simply helped ourselves." http://www.france24.com/en/20140120-angry-ryanair-passengers-revolt-pillage-aircraft/ Back to Top Dubai to host Second Aviation Safety Culture Summit next month Under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman, Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, Dubai will host the second Aviation Safety Culture Summit next month. The event hosted by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and organised by Streamline Marketing Group, will run on February 3-4, 2014 at Park Hyatt in Dubai. It is expected to attract more than 300 local and international stakeholders from regulatory authorities, airlines, airport operators, aircraft manufacturers, pilot associations, safety organisations and air traffic control service providers to discuss key strategies and challenges in improving safety culture across the industry. The two-day summit will comprise panel discussions covering a range of topics, including initiatives that are currently in place to improve aviation safety. The sessions will focus on how to develop a global aviation safety plan, how to improve co-operation between partners in the industry and the importance of developing the necessary human capital and creating training programmes to create a safety culture among the workforce. "Safety is the number one priority for air transport and aviation is the safest means of transport," said Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director-General at the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. "To continue this lead and ensure air transport continues to play a major role in driving sustainable economic and social development, collaboration and sharing of best practice, is required among all partners of the industry.'' "The first edition of The Aviation Safety Culture Summit proved its success as a strategic global platform for industry leaders to discuss safety issues and find ways of collaboration. The agenda for the upcoming event has been built around the results from the first edition," he added. The summit will also comprise four sessions focusing on areas including adapting and implementing international safety culture best practices for local workforces and implementing systems to manage human error effectively and to avoid future accidents. Applying diverse perspectives on culture in an aviation environment and understanding the benefit of technology as a catalyst for improving safety in the aviation industry will also be areas for discussion. The event is sponsored by Honeywell, Boeing, AAL Group, dnata, Maximus Air, Chevron and Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies and supported by AviAssist Foundation. http://www.emirates247.com/business/economy-finance/dubai-to-host-second-aviation-safety-culture- summit-next-month-2014-01-21-1.535560 Back to Top Back to Top Announcing The Annual "Moral Courage Safety Awards" Presented at Heli-Expo 2014 Presented by the US DOT - Transportation Safety Institute Call For Nominations The purpose of the award is to promote and foster positive safety culture in the rotorcraft industry by recognizing those individuals and organizations that make sometimes difficult operational decisions based on continued safe operations. Example of a deserving individual and organization - I learned of a HEMS pilot who aborted a critical neonatal transport because of unforecast bad weather. It was a tough call and one that haunted him, but he knew it was the right decision to ensure a safe outcome. His organization supported the decision and went so far as to recognize him for making the tough call. In this case both the individual and the organization should be recognized. Let's face it; it's always easy after the accident to second guess the decisions that put a crew in trouble. What our industry needs is to reward those who make the tough decisions that keep them out of trouble. That's walking the talk of positive safety culture! Sometimes choosing the safest course of action can be difficult, especially if it means modifying the mission. Bottom line, it takes moral courage to do the right thing. You can help - nominate someone today! Who is eligible? Any Crew, Crew Member, Maintainer, Supervisor, Manager, employee and or their organization who demonstrates commitment to a positive safety culture. Email Mr. D Smith for a nomination form. D.smith@dot.gov Or call (US) 405.694.1644 Back to Top Former American Airlines maintenance VP goes to JetBlue Airways David Campbell, who started out as a mechanic at American Airlines in 1988, is the new vice president of technical operations at JetBlue Airways. Dave Campbell (American Airlines) JetBlue announced that Campbell will take over immediately in his new job. "David's technical expertise and extensive leadership experience are a perfect fit for JetBlue," JetBlue senior vice president of operations Jeff Martin said. "He brings a wealth of safety, operational and regulatory experience to this key position. His leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow our network and fleet." "I am excited to take on this challenging role," Campbell said in JetBlue's announcement. "I look forward to providing a hands-on leadership style and ensuring the airline's high standards of safety." Campbell had been vice president of safety and operations performance at American when American and US Airways announced their merger in February 2013. He was among the group of senior AA executives passed over when the top US Airways executives picked the team of US Airways and American people who would run the combined airline. At JetBlue, Campbell replaces Dave Ramage. The airline said Ramage is retiring later this year after more than 10 years at JetBlue, and will advise Campbell during the transition. Among Campbell's positions at American: - Mechanic at Tulsa base - Supervisor at Tulsa and Alliance bases - Manager of quality assurance at Alliance and Tulsa - Director of quality assurance in 1996 - Vice president of base maintenance for Alliance - Senior vice president of technical operations for American Eagle Airlines - Vice president of safety, security and environmental for American - Vice president of safety and operations performance for American. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/former-american-airlines-maintenance-vp-goes-to-jetblue- airways.html/ Back to Top Boeing Seeks FAA Approval for Biodiesel Boeing is working with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other stakeholders to obtain approval for its planes to fly on green diesel. The company named green diesel as a "significant" new source of aviation biofuel, one with at least 50 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuel during its lifecycle. Boeing's researchers have found that green diesel (made from oils and fats) is chemically similar to current aviation biofuel. If green diesel is approved it could be blended with traditional aviation fuel. Green diesel can be used in any diesel engine and is chemically different than biodiesel. Green diesel production in the U.S., Europe, and Singapore could supply up to one percent, about 600 million gallons, of jet fuel demand. The wholesale cost is about $3 a gallon with U.S. government incentives. "Boeing wants to establish new pathways for sustainable jet fuel, and this green diesel initiative is a groundbreaking step in that long journey," said Julie Felgar, managing director of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Environmental Strategy and Integration, in a statement. "To support our customers, industry and communities, Boeing will continue to look for opportunities to reduce aviation's environmental footprint." "Green diesel approval would be a major breakthrough in the availability of competitively priced, sustainable aviation fuel," said Dr. James Kinder, a Technical Fellow in Boeing Commercial Airplanes Propulsion Systems Division. "We are collaborating with our industry partners and the aviation community to move this innovative solution forward and reduce the industry's reliance on fossil fuel." Boeing is part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), whose goal is to develop sustainable jet fuel. Formed in 2008, SAFUG members are committed to accelerating the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation biofuel. United Airlines and Lufthansa are SAFUG members and both airlines have committed to using biofuels. In 2011, Lufthansa tested biofuels in regular flight operation, and became the first airline to do so. The airline used a 50/50 mix of regular fuel and biosynthetic kerosene made from jatropha, camelina and animal fats produced by Finnish company, Neste Oil. Last summer, United signed an agreement with Seattle based AltAir Fuels to purchase 15 million gallons of biofuel. The biofuel is produced using camelina as feedstock. United will buy the biofuel over a three-year period beginning in 2014. The cost of fossil fuels is driving the aviation industry to explore alternative fuels. A 2008 study cited the "high cost of petroleum combined with aviation's total dependence on petroleum-based fuel" as the largest driver for developing and adopting alternative aviation fuels. The other drivers include environmental impacts and the possibility of disruptions of petroleum supplies. By reducing dependency on fossil fuels, alternative aviation fuels can lessen the industry's environmental impact, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/01/boeing-seeks-faa-approval-green-diesel/ Curt Lewis