Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737 in runway overrun at Jambi, Indonesia

On the afternoon of August 27, 2008, a Boeing 737-200 passenger aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier Sriwijaya Air overran the end of the runway on which it had just landed at Jambi, on the island of Sumatra. The aircraft, operating as Sriwijaya Flight SJ-062, was arriving from Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, at the time of the accident. News reports from Indonesia say that several of the 125 passengers and six crew members on board the flight were injured, as well as two or three people on the ground. The injured, including two flight attendants, were taken to Jambi's Asia Medika Hospital for treatment.

The aircraft (registration number PK-CJG) landed at Jambi's Sultan Thaha Airport (DJB) but failed to stop, departing the end of the runway. The aircraft reportedly hit a house before coming to rest in a field several hundred meters beyond the end of the runway. According to news reports, the weather had been rainy prior to the accident, and the runway may have been wet.

Indonesia's National Flight Safety Commission (KNKT) is investigating the cause of the accident.

Aircraft separation incident: Delta Boeing 737 and Transaero Boeing 747

An aircraft separation incident over the Atlantic Ocean involving two passenger aircraft is being investigated by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The two aircraft involved in the incident were a Boeing 737-800 operated by Delta Air Lines, and a Boeing 747-400 operated by Russian carrier Transaero. No one was injured.

According to information provided by the NTSB, on August 28, 2008, at approximately 18:37 Atlantic Standard Time, the two aircraft "came within zero feet vertical and 1 minute lateral separation at an altitude of 33,000 feet about 179 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico." The incident occurred over the Atlantic Ocean in a non-radar environment where 15 minutes of lateral separation is required.

The NTSB says that the Transaero 747 "descended 200-300 feet after receiving an alert from its Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)." The NTSB statement did not mention what action was taken by the Delta aircraft.

The Transaero Boeing 747-400, operating as Flight TSO 554, was en route from Moscow Domodedovo International Airport to Punta Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic. The Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight DAL 485, was en route from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New york to Piarco International Airport in Trinidad.

UPDATE Feb. 23, 2009: The NTSB reports probable cause for this incident as follows: "The San Juan CERAP controllers failure to ensure the two aircraft were properly separated using non-radar separation standards."

NTSB investigating runway incursion at Fresno, CA

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the circumstances surrounding a runway incursion incident yesterday, Aug. 28, 2008, at Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT). The incident involved a SkyWest regional jet, which nearly collided with a smaller aircraft that had failed to vacate a runway on which the SkyWest flight was landing. No one was injured.

SkyWest Airlines Flight SKW69R, a Canadair CRJ-200 aircraft, was arriving on a scheduled flight from Salt Lake City when the incident occurred. According to information provided by the NTSB, at approximately 21:07 local time a Piper PA-46 landed at Fresno on runway 29R. Before the aircraft had exited the runway, the tower controller cleared the SkyWest CRJ to land on the same runway. The SkyWest crew saw the Piper and veered to the right side of the runway, missing the other aircraft by an estimated 15 feet, wingtip to wingtip.

The NTSB notes that the incident occurred at night with 10 miles visibility.

Preliminary factual report issued for Qantas Boeing 747 depressurization incident

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a preliminary factual report regarding the in-flight decompression of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 last month. Readers will recall that on July 25, 2008, Qantas Flight QF30 experienced a rapid decompression while en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne. The aircraft (registration number VH-OJK) diverted to Manila, where it made a safe emergency landing. Once on the ground, a large hole in the fuselage was discovered. No one among the passengers and crew on board the flight were injured.

The preliminary factual report issued today by the ATSB reviews the course of events on Flight QF30 and confirms that "the fuselage rupture was aligned with the nominal position of the number-4 passenger emergency oxygen cylinder" in the aircraft's forward cargo hold, and that the oxygen cylinder - one of seven in the bank of cylinders that provided emergency oxygen to the passenger cabin - was missing.

Today's report made clear that one oxygen cylinder had ruptured, and was believed to have caused the breach in the aircraft's pressure hull. How or why the cylinder ruptured has not yet been determined.

The ATSB media release accompanying the report says:

On the basis of the physical damage to the aircraft's forward cargo hold and cabin, it was evident that the number-4 passenger oxygen cylinder sustained a failure that allowed a sudden and complete release of the pressurised contents. The rupture and damage to the aircraft's fuselage was consistent with being produced by the energy associated with that release of pressure. Furthermore, it was evident that as a result of the cylinder failure, the vessel was propelled upward, through the cabin floor and into the cabin space. Damage and impact witness marks found on the structure and fittings around the R2 cabin door showed the trajectory of the cylinder after the failure.

The report includes a number of graphics that illustrate the likely trajectory of the cylinder, based on the observed damage (links below).

The ATSB media release goes on to say:

The investigation to date has also identified other damage to the aircraft, including severing and damage to numerous electrical cables and cable bundles, routed through the lower aircraft fuselage near the point of rupture. In addition, both right side (first officer's) aileron control cables, routed along the right side of the fuselage above the passenger oxygen cylinders, were fractured during the rupture event. However, the aircraft control systems have a redundancy arrangement whereby the first officer's aileron control cables are duplicated by the captain's system, the cables from which were routed along the opposite (left) side of the forward cargo hold. Interlinks between the aileron systems provided the necessary redundancy in this instance, ensuring the continued safety of flight after the event.

Another aspect of the investigation entails cabin safety issues, especially the status of the passenger oxygen masks and equipment. The investigation found that 476 passenger oxygen masks had deployed, and 426 of those had been activated. (Days after the incident, the ATSB had reported that "In all, 484 masks had deployed. Of those, 418 had been activated by pulling on the mask to activate the flow of oxygen.") Of note, the report says that forward crew rest and customer support manager station masks had not deployed.

The investigation is ongoing. Still underway are an engineering investigation into the apparent oxygen cylinder failure; examination of cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder and quick access recorder information; and a survey of all passengers on the flight.

Links to information released today by the ATSB:

• Depressurisation, 475 km north-west of Manila, Philippines, 25 July 2008, Boeing Company 747-438, VH-OJK - Media Release 2008/33, Aug. 29, 2008
• ATSB Transport Safety Report: Aviation Occurrence Investigation AO-2008-053, Preliminary - Aug. 29, 2008 (38-page 'pdf' file)
• Slides used in the media conference - Aug. 29, 2008 (11-page 'pdf' file)
• Audio of the ATSB Media Conference - Aug. 29, 2008 (28MB)

Previous articles on Aircrew Buzz about this incident and the investigation:

• Qantas Flight QF30 -- Sudden decompression in flight - July 25, 2008
• ATSB update on Qantas Flight QF30 accident investigation - July 28, 2008
• More information released about the Qantas B747 decompression incident - July 30, 2008

RELATED: Click here to view all posts about Qantas Flt 30 on Aircrew Buzz.

Insolvent transatlantic carrier Zoom Airlines ceases operations

Low fare transatlantic carrier Zoom Airlines suspended operations today due to insolvency. According to a message posted on the Zoom website, the airline suspended operations with as of 18:00 UTC on Aug. 28, 2008. All flights have been canceled and Zoom's aircraft have been grounded.

The message on the website explained, "Both Zoom Airlines Inc. and Zoom Airlines Ltd., the Canadian and UK airlines, will be filing for insolvency proceedings in their home countries today."

News reports, including a story published today by the UK's Times Online, say that two of Zoom's aircraft were refused permission to depart as creditors attempted to seize assets in the hours before the insolvency announcement. From the Times Online:

A Zoom flight from Glasgow to Halifax and Ottawa was grounded by BAA, the airports operator, this morning for non-payment of European and British air traffic control fees, stranding 205 passengers.

A further 156 passengers at Glasgow were also left without a flight when their plane was grounded in Canada for failure to pay aircraft leasing and airport fees.

The Times article went on to say that aviation regulators presumably refused to allow the airline to continue operating without the immediate payment of debts to air traffic controllers, and that suppliers were refusing to refuel Zoom's aircraft unless they were paid in cash, which would have cost about £30,000 per flight. In addition, Reuters reports, Zoom is said to owe Calgary's airport authority C$400,000 ($380,000) in landing fees.

Zoom founders Hugh and John Boyle said in a statement that the airline's demise was due to "the unprecedented increase in the price of aviation fuel and the economic climate." They said they had been trying to obtain re-financing for their financially troubled airline, but had failed to do so. As a result, the airline had to cease operations.

In its story about the demise of Zoom Airlines, the AFP news service quoted an Transport Canada official who said that the carrier had "voluntarily returned its operating license to Transport Canada."

No word yet on the fate of the airline's hundreds of employees. It is not clear if any arrangements were made to repatriate Zoom crews who were at out-stations at the time of the shut-down, or if they have been left stranded. Anyone who has such information is welcome to post it in the comments.

[Photo Source]

United Airlines will furlough 1,550 flight attendants

United Airlines has announced plans to reduce its flight attendant work force by 1,550, effective Oct. 31, 2008. The announcement came in a letter issued this morning to the the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the union representing United Airlines cabin crew.

Today's announcement had been anticipated for many months. United Airlines had suspended recruitment of new flight attendants in March of this year. At that time, the flight attendants' union was notified that the airline was planning to downsize its fleet. In early June, United Airlines first made public its capacity reduction plans, and offered some of its senior flight attendants an 'Early Out' Program that provided incentives to voluntarily separate from the company. Weeks later, United announced that 950 of its pilots would be furloughed in the Fall of 2008.

In accordance with the provisions of the labor contract between United Airlines and the AFA, the airline must first offer voluntary furloughs to its flight attendants before imposing involuntary furloughs. According to the AFA, flight attendants who choose a voluntary furlough will continue to accrue seniority and receive many benefits, including retention of medical and dental benefits as well as travel benefits. Voluntary furloughs of durations ranging from six to 21 months are being offered.

Should fewer than the target number of 1,550 voluntary furloughs be awarded, a secondary method for reducing the number of involuntary furloughs, called the Partnership Flying Program, may be offered in bases with an overage of flight attendants. Partnership Flying, essentially a job-sharing scheme, will be offered only if an overage of flight attendants still exists after all voluntary furloughs have been awarded.

For more information about aspects of the United Airlines flight attendant furloughs, visit the website of AFA's United Master Executive Council.

New details about the Spanair MD-82 crash in Madrid

Spanish officials held a press conference earlier today regarding the fatal crash last week of a Spanair MD-82 aircraft at Madrid's Barajas International Airport. The investigation into the cause of the accident, which happened on August 20, 2008 as Spanair Flight JK5022 was departing Madrid for the Canary Islands, is ongoing. However Francisco Javier Soto of the Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (CIAIAC), the Spanish agency leading the accident investigation, provided some details about what is known so far.

According to an account of the press conference published by the Spanish news service El Mundo, the aircraft was airborne only briefly before hitting the ground tail first, and then bouncing three times across the area adjacent to runway 36 L at Barajas Airport. The aircraft's tailcone is believed to have separated first; subsequently the rest of the aircraft broke up progressively with each bounce and caught fire.

Soto stated that no skid marks or other signs of contact by the aircraft were found on the runway itself, but that the aircraft continued for about 1,200 meters after it left the runway, bouncing over the uneven terrain. Soto indicated that the uneven ground contributed to the destruction of the aircraft.

Both of the aircraft's engines have been recovered, and Soto said that their condition was good enough to expect them to yield important information. Both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR) have been recovered, and data from both devices is being evaluated. The FDR was damaged, but technicians in England are in the process of enhancing the data. Soto indicated that the data obtained from both devices was expected to provide valuable contributions to the investigation.

The Commission expects to issue a preliminary accident report within a month. That report will present factual information, but the investigation into the accident's cause will continue for some time.

The death toll from the Spanair accident has climbed to 154, as one of the initial survivors has succumbed to injuries. Two accident survivors, including a child, have been released from medical care to date.

Names of the crew members have not been officially released, however news reports have said that one flight attendant, identified as Antonia Martinez Jimenez, has survived. She was not working on the accident flight, but was on board as a (dead-heading) passenger.

An online Condolences Book has been established on the Spanair website.

UPDATE Sep. 17, 2008: Aviation news website Flight International published an article today with information from the draft report on the Spanair accident by Spain's Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (CIAIAC). The report includes a timeline of events leading to the crash. Here is the link to the article: Inquiry timeline details Spanair MD-82 crash sequence - Flight International, Sep. 17, 2008

RELATED: Click here to view all posts about Spanair Flt 5022 on Aircrew Buzz.

With union support, Spirit Airlines pilots vow to 'force this company back on track'

The pilots at U.S. low fare carrier Spirit Airlines have been at odds with the airline's management for some time -- and that's putting it mildly. For more than a year, the pilots have been accusing the airline's management of contract violations. More recently, the situation deteriorated further when, among other things, pilots who legitimately called in sick or fatigued were being disciplined and threatened with job loss by Spirit Airlines management. Now the pilots' union is formally stepping in "to support the Spirit pilots and their efforts to fight against the irresponsible actions of Spirit management."

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has authorized a $2 million grant to the Spirit Airlines pilots. According to the union, the grant from ALPA's Major Contingency Fund will fund "training, education, and activities that will shine a spotlight on the activities of Spirit's increasingly out-of-touch management with its workforce, its customers, and its business model."

The pilots contend that, in the two years since Ben Baldanza and his management team took the helm at Spirit Airlines, they have repeatedly disregarded labor contracts and blamed the pilots for service, planning, and staffing failures for which management alone is responsible.

"From the often offensive advertising campaigns to the unethical treatment of their employees, management's actions have destroyed much of the reputation and customer base of Spirit Airlines," said Capt. Sean Creed, chair of the Spirit unit of ALPA. "With the backing of our national union, we will work to restore the proud tradition of Spirit airlines that we helped build and make it a great place to work and a great airline to fly.

"Baldanza appears to be intent on destroying Spirit Airlines," Capt. Creed continued. "Since the investors seem unwilling to rein him in, it's up to the employees to force this company back on track."

This is not the first time in recent months that ALPA's Executive Board has granted money from the union's Major Contingency Fund to one of its units for the purpose of responding to what the pilots see as threats to the pilot profession and to their careers. In May of this year, ALPA announced allocations of $5 million each to the ALPA units at United Airlines and Continental Airlines. At that time ALPA’s president, Capt. John Prater, warned airline managements to include pilots in their business planning, stating, "Those who try to exclude us will fail. We are airline pilots who are determined and committed to restoring our contracts as the foundation of our profession."

[Photo Source]