Flight Safety Information January 27, 2014 - No. 019 In This Issue Small plane crash in Romania causes uproar Aircraft crashed on touchdown, No casualties reported Small Plane Crashes Into Milan Field Save the Date: 6th Annual Aviation Human Factors and SMS Seminar - Dallas, TX Plane crashes in Snohomish lake, 2 aboard OK Movie to depict Air India Express crash from Dubai to Mangalore Think ARGUS PROS Jet Airways to launch flights from Bangalore, Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi ALPA, ex-TWA pilots agree to $53 million settlement in American Airlines seniority dispute Ban on Airbus A380 superjumbos lifted, Air India flights set to be negatively impacted Small plane crash in Romania causes uproar BUCHAREST, Romania - A small plane crash on a remote mountain wouldn't normally be enough to anger an entire country or threaten the government. Romania, however, is dealing with just this scenario. So far, four senior officials including the interior minister have resigned or been fired after all those onboard a medical flight initially survived Monday's crash in thick fog. One of the pilots and a medical student later died of hypothermia among other causes after waiting for hours in deep snow to be saved. Romanians reacted with fury, taking to social media and talk shows to accuse the government of incompetence and complacency after it emerged the least injured of the survivors called emergency services six times. It took 4 ½ hours for local villagers and a woodcutter to locate the plane in Transylvania after it lost altitude and crashed at 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level. But medical teams arrived hours later and were reportedly ill-equipped. The plane, carrying two pilots and five medical workers, was on its way to pick up a liver for a transplant. "The government generally does nothing, and in this case they did nothing to locate the plane. A woodcutter had to find them," aviation professor Nicolae Serban Tomescu said. "The rescue operation was like Swiss cheese. There were holes everywhere." But some officials have defended the government's response to the crash, saying rescuers were working in difficult weather conditions and in darkness. Nonetheless, public ire has reached a crescendo because many believe the government was unable to muster up-to-date equipment to rescue the crash victims, but is willing to invest its resources heavily on surveillance. Romania, a country of 19 million with no foreign enemies, has seven intelligence agencies, including the main domestic and foreign spying agencies. Democracy activists claim that those in power use intelligence to gain unfair advantages over opponents and dig up compromising data. A political cartoon on the front page of Romanian daily Jurnalul National on Wednesday suggested the crash victims would have been found sooner if someone on the flight had been under surveillance. The caricature had two well-equipped secret agents joking, "How the hell can we locate the crashed airplane? Hmm, had there been a journalist, a deputy or a Senator on it, well . !!!" There is also anger because the elite telecommunications agency - one of the seven intelligence agencies - invested 40 million euros in the country's national emergency number, and the six calls one of the survivors made didn't appear to be enough to get help there quickly enough. The blowback has taken its toll on the government, which is vying to win a presidential election in November. Interior Minister Radu Stroe handed in his resignation to the prime minister Thursday to become the highest- ranking government official to leave his post in the scandal. The country's air traffic control chief, the head of the emergency services and another senior Interior Ministry official have also lost their jobs. Prime Minister Victor Ponta fired two of those officials and called for the resignations of others not under his authority. Addressing the national mood Thursday, he used his strongest language to date pointing to "serious errors in the rescue operation ... particularly the techniques used for identifying the wreckage." He promised that in the future authorities would be "much more efficient." Ponta is also trying to save face because it was he who went on a talk show Monday evening to initially say all seven people on the flight had survived. Romanians had been glued to TV news bulletins, and the story was at first presented by the government as one with a happy ending. "The pilot did everything he could to save their lives but the authorities were negligent," said Iuliana Popescu, a security guard. "Why did it take them so many hours? Even if they got lost, they should have got their earlier. Nobody had to die." But former emergency services chief Ion Burlui, who resigned Wednesday, said authorities had done their job properly in difficult conditions, including deep snow, dense fog and darkness. "Winter is not like summer and the mountain is not like the plains," he said. "These people intervened ... risking their lives to save other people." The pilot who was killed, Adrian Iovan, had 30 years of experience and was well known in Romania as an aviation expert who went on TV whenever there was an accident. He died of hypothermia and from numerous fractures. Aurelia Ion, a 23-year-old volunteer medical student in her fifth year, died from hypothermia and multiple injuries. No official has said that their lives could have been saved if rescuers had arrived earlier, but many blame the slow response on their deaths. Cristian Tudorica, a 36-year-old bank clerk, summed up the public mood. "Those doctors were on the flight to save others," he said. "It is right that the (interior) minister resigned. These people should not have died." http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/small-plane-crash-romania-causes-uproar Back to Top Aircraft crashed on touchdown, No casualties reported A jet cargo freighter operated by Toll of Australia has crashed while attempting to land at the Honiara international airport Sunday morning with no one being injured. The Boeing 737-300F aircraft was on touch down at Henderson when its right side gave way. The incident occurred at about 10:30 am. All flights in and out of Honiara international airport were cancelled as a result. Air Niugini flight from Port Moresby into Honiara bound for Nadi, Fiji was cancelled. While the Solomon Airlines service operated by its A320 airbus from Nadi to Honiara was also affected. Report said the flight had to be diverted to Port Vila, Vanuatu with most passengers and crews being accommodated at a hotel there. Reports by Fairfax NZ News said the Auckland based Airworks Group confirmed the aircraft had lost its right undercarriage during landing. The New Zealand registered aircraft, flying from Brisbane to the Solomons, was in the livery of Toll Group, an Australian based freight company. "Shortly after landing while the aircraft was on rollout the right hand main landing gear collapsed causing the aircraft to slide to a halt on the runway," an Airworks spokesman told Fairfax news yesterday. "None of the three crew on board were injured in the incident. All required authorities have been informed and full investigations are in process. " An eye witness Joseph Abana told the Solomon Star that he was at the eastern end of the airport when the incident occurred. Abana claimed the aircraft was hit by a strong wind to its right side when it was about to land. "When it landed its tyres appears to have collapsed so it slides on its right side till it stops near the domestic terminal. "Its right wing also crashed to the ground and as a result damaged its turbine engine." He said it took some few minutes before the fire service responded and rushed to the scene. "Fortunately the crash did not ignite fire and none of the three crews on board were injured." Mr Abana also called on the aviation fire service to pull up their socks and to be on alert every time. Late yesterday aviation permanent secretary Francis Lomo said that work to remove the aircraft was in progress. He said the removal of the aircraft will take time because of safety reasons. "We must make sure the aircraft is safe and secure in terms of its cargo and fuel before any removal is done. "Arrangement is made to move the aircraft to the Solomon Airlines hangar for fixing." He said about 13 tonnes of cargo was on-board so all precautionary measures needs to be taken when removing all cargoes. "We must ensure that goods and flammable items are removed safely so that engineers can do their work," said Lomo. RAMSI personnel and fire service officers were at the scene yesterday to inspect the aircraft. All international flights were cancelled until further notice. A full scale investigation is also underway to find out the cause of the incident. The disruption yesterday had affected passengers mostly students and working people bound for Nadi and Brisbane on services operated by Air Niugini and Solomon Airlines respectively. Many passengers who turned up at the Honiara international terminal were turned back after learning about the crash and advice from their airlines' agents. Both airlines are believed to be working on ways to get most of the disrupted passengers in and out of Honiara and into their respective destination. Services in and out of Honiara international airport will resume once the aircraft is cleared from the runaway. Meanwhile the incident yesterday had prompted calls by member s of the public to the government to quickly work on the recently upgraded Munda airport and have it certified so that is can cater for international flights. "When such incidents like the one today (yesterday) happened we can still have another airport on standby to allow international flights to land there," one Honiara resident said. http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/21547-aircraft-crashed-on-touchdown-no-casualties- reported Back to Top Small Plane Crashes Into Milan Field The Illinois State Police is releasing more information on a small plane crash that happened on Sunday, January 26th, 2014. Officials say a fixed wing single-engine plane was traveling from Davenport to Moline when it experienced engine failure and was forced to land in a field in Milan. The pilot, 65-year-old Larry Roth of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and one other passenger were not injured in the crash. The incident remains under investigation and the Illinois State Police is handling the crash. EARLIER STORY: A small plane made a rough landing on Sunday, January 26th, 2014. According to the Milan Police Department, it happened just before 5:30pm in a field located at 929 32nd Avenue East. Two people were on the plane - a pilot and a passenger. Police say both were not injured, but there is damage to the front of the plane. Police say they are not sure if weather played a factor in the crash. http://wqad.com/2014/01/26/small-plane-crashes-into-milan-field/ Back to Top Back to Top Plane crashes in Snohomish lake, 2 aboard OK EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say a plane crashed in a Snohomish County lake and the two people aboard have been left cold and shaken up but otherwise OK. The Sheriff's Office says witnesses reported the crash around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Lake Goodwin, about 10 miles north of Everett. The two occupants were in the water a short period of time before being picked up by a resident and taken to shore. The office says the pilot is 51, but did not provide any other identifying details. It says the aircraft involved is a float plane with a boat hull. Authorities say any potential environmental issues related to the crash are under investigation. There was no immediate word on what caused the crash. http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Plane-crashes-in-Snohomish-lake-2-aboard-OK-5178026.php Back to Top Movie to depict Air India Express crash from Dubai to Mangalore Three and half years after 158 passengers of Air India Express flight from Dubai to Mangalore were killed in an early morning plane crash on May 22, 2010, many of the victims families are yet to get a due compensation and a group of Indian social workers who have surveyed the plight of these families after their bread earning members death in the plane crash have a lot of painful stories to reveal. Now a youth human rights activist under the Human Rights Foundation, India and a film enthusiast has decided to tell the story of expatriate families, who have suffered the maximum loss from the Mangalore Plane crash. Shaheer Ummer, General Secretary of the Youth Human Rights organization and the director of the proposed film says: "After visiting families of Air India express passengers who died in the plane crash, we feel sorry about their life after the crash. Many families are yet to get any compensation and advocates, politicians and some so called social workers are every day bargaining about the price of their dear and near ones who have died in the plane crash." "While the international aviation rules specifies that each victim should be paid Indian Rupees 70,00000 plus Indian Rupees 70000 for the lost baggages, many families are yet to get their due compensation. "We are working closely with the Air crash Victims' Families Association and All Kerala Pravasi Association and the most under privileged families of the air crash victims will be selected to give the support within our resources," said Ummer, who used to work in Dubai when the plane crash happened. "I have worked in the UAE for seven years earning a small salary and know the financial compulsions of an expatriate family. The idea for this movie came when I was asked to visualize a lullaby for an expatriate mother whose husband died. I have developed this into a story about the real pain of an expatriate family whose bread earner died after reaching too close to his home. The emotional stress facing such single women whose husbands have died in the plane crash is too strong," he said. Ummer who has acted the lead role in the Tamil movie, Kattu Vali (Forest Way) and UAE based Indian businessman, Abdul Rasheed will be producing the movie under the Golden Seven Productions banner. "Now it is time for me to give back something to the expatriate community and I am devoting my first commercial movie to give some lessons to the community," he added. "There are many movies that tell the expatriate worries and problems. This movie will be telling a different story about the mental agony of expatriate passengers in the background of the Manglore plane crash. The movie will tell some really touching real life stories form the plane crash and its impact on the victims families," added Anil Vadakkekkara, an Indian photographer turned cinematographer, who will be doing the camera for the new movie. http://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/movie-to-depict-air-india-express-crash-from-dubai-to- mangalore-2014-01-27-1.536244 Back to Top Back to Top Jet Airways to launch flights from Bangalore, Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi BANGALORE, JAN 27: Jet Airways has launched two new international flights - Bangalore to Abu Dhabi and Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi, effective March 1. According to Gaurang Shetty, Senior Vice President - Commercial, Jet Airways, these two new routes will be serviced by Boeing 737 - 800 aircraft and also enhances flight connectivity beyond Abu Dhabi to destinations in West Asia, North America, Europe and Africa. Jet Airways operates a daily flight each from Delhi, Kochi and Chennai and 11 flights a week from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi. The new route from Bangalore will be Jet Airways' first international flight from Bangalore to the Gulf. Flight 9W 504 will depart from Bangalore at 8.30 p.m., and arrive at Abu Dhabi at 11.30 p.m. (local time). On the return journey, the flight 9W 503 will depart Abu Dhabi at 10.30 a.m. (local time) and arrive in Bangalore at 4.20 p.m. To celebrate the launch of these two new routes, Jet Airways has announced a special return Economy introductory fare of Rs 21,725 (including taxes) on the Bangalore-Abu Dhabi sector. While the return Première introductory fare for the same sector would be Rs 42,440 (including taxes). Services between Hyderabad and Abu Dhabi will be by Jet Airways flight 9W 550 departing Hyderabad at 20.25 p.m. to arrive in Abu Dhabi at 11.10 p.m. (local time). On the return journey, the flight 9W 549 will depart Abu Dhabi at 10.45 a.m. (local time) and arrive in Hyderabad at 4.10 p.m. For Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi special inaugural return Economy fare will be of Rs 22,615 (including taxes). Premiere fare from Hyberabad to Abu Dhabi and return, is Rs 48,578 (including taxes). These fares will be valid for travel from March 1 onwards. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/travel/jet-airways-to-launch-flights-from- bangalore-hyderabad-to-abu-dhabi/article5623345.ece Back to Top ALPA, ex-TWA pilots agree to $53 million settlement in American Airlines seniority dispute A group of ex-Trans World Airlines pilots who sued their former union nearly 11 years ago over their American Airlines seniority will split a proposed $53 million settlement with the Air Line Pilots Association. The two sides agreed to the settlement Thursday, less than two months before the two sides were to face off in U.S. District Court in New Jersey to decide how much ALPA should pay the ex-TWA pilots. The plaintiffs were expected to seek damages of about $250 million. The agreement must be approved by U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas before it would become final. The case involves American Airlines' 2001 acquisition of TWA assets, the hiring of TWA employees and the seniority given TWA's 2,300 pilots by American's pilot union, the Allied Pilots Association. APA placed the 2,500 most senior American pilots at the top of the list. It then folded in about 1,100 of the most senior TWA pilots into the AA list at a ratio of about one TWA pilot for every eight AA pilots. The American union then put the remaining TWA pilots at the bottom, after the most junior American pilots. In 2002, a group of unhappy TWA pilots filed the federal lawsuit accusing ALPA of violating its duty of fair representation (DFR) to its members, saying the union had not acted properly in its dealings with the Allied Pilots Association. American and APA were also named as defendants, but a judge subsequently excused them. After a six-week trial in 2011, a jury found ALPA guilty of its DFR obligations. The trial to establish damages was set to begin March 17. Allen Press, lead counsel whose St. Louis law firm took over the pilots' case in 2006, said the settlement was a fair one that will put money in hands of ex-TWA employees hurt after the 2001 takeoff of TWA. "We're very pleased to accomplish something meaningful for a large group of pilots that really suffered as a result of that merger, and we're pleased by that," Press said. ALPA president Lee Moak said ALPA's decision to settle the case "is in no way an admission of guilt." The union, which represents pilots at a number of U.S. airlines, will pay about half the settlement from its general fund, with no assessment or additional dues needed from its members . The rest will be paid through reinsurance. "There are those who thought this would impair our future, and it won't. In fact, the settlement we secured in the lawsuit will allow us to move forward in a very strong position and continue our work on behalf of our members," Moak said. From the $53 million will come money to administer the fund and pay the fees and expenses of the plaintiffs' attorneys. "ALPA will not object to any request for attorneys' fees that does not exceed one-third of the Settlement Fund," the agreement stated. Press said the parties will file a plan on how the award will be allocated to the pilots in the near future. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/alpa-twa-pilots-agree-to-53-million-settlement-in-american- airlines-seniority-dispute.html/ Back to Top Ban on Airbus A380 superjumbos lifted, Air India flights set to be negatively impacted Idia will lift ban and allow Airbus A380 planes to land at the country's four main airports, the civil aviation ministry said on Monday, lifting restrictions on the superjumbos flying into the country, which may end up hurting domestic carrier Air India. The four airports equipped to handle the A380s are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, the ministry said. The ban on A380s was mainly due to concerns that foreign carriers may further hurt state-run Air India by grabbing a larger share of international traffic. The rule change will benefit carriers like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa and British Airways that operate the super-jumbo and fly to India, as well A380 customers like Etihad and Qatar Airways who have yet to take delivery of the aircraft. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said earlier this month the government was considering removing the restrictions. "Now, flights of A380 to India will be allowed to airports which are equipped to handle them," the civil aviation ministry statement said. "The operations of A380 aircraft would be subject to overall traffic entitlements within the bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with different countries," it said. Aviation Ministry allows operation of Airbus A-380s (PTI) After several years of demands by some major foreign carriers, Civil Aviation Ministry today approved the operations of Airbus A-380s in India at four airports currently equipped to handle these super jumbos. The restrictions on the fully double-decker planes were lifted after weeks of consultation between Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Air India and Airports Authority of India. An A-380 can seat 850 passengers in an all-economy configuration, but those having a three-class configuration can accommodate between 550-600 passengers. The operations of the A-380s would be subject to overall traffic entitlements within the bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with different countries, an official spokesperson said. Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Lufthansa have been pressing the government for several years to allow them fly these super jumbos into India. The A-380s would now be allowed to airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, which are equipped to handle them and have the required infrastructure. It has also been decided that wherever the entitlements were not expressed in terms of seats per week, these would be rationalised and converted into seats per week before allowing A-380 operations to India from these countries. This exercise would be carried through mutual negotiations between India and other countries through Memorandums of Understanding, the spokesperson said. The ASAs, which specifically prohibit A-380 operations to India, would be amended before the operations of these airplanes from any country are allowed. All the four airports would also have to get DGCA certification and make adequate preparation in terms of various services required, he added. Nine of the 10 international airlines that currently fly the A-380s have scheduled flights into India. There are over 110 A-380s currently flying worldwide. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/govt-lifts-ban-on-airbus-a380-superjumbos-may-hurt-air- india/1220953 Curt Lewis