United Airlines Airbus A320 in Jackson Hole runway excursion

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a pair of investigators to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in response to an incident in which a United Airlines A320 aircraft veered off a runway after landing. The incident occurred on the evening of January 25, 2008 as the Airbus (registration number N442UA), arrived at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) after a scheduled flight from Denver.

In a press advisory announcing its investigation of the incident, the NTSB says that the aircraft, operating as United Airlines Flight UA 267, "departed the right side of runway 19 during landing at Jackson Hole Airport."

The airplane departed Denver at 7:44 pm MST with the intended destination of Jackson Hole. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the nighttime landing. The reported weather at the airport about the time of the incident was wind calm, visibility of 10 miles, and overcast clouds at 3200 feet above the ground.

The airplane came to rest on its landing gear at about a 90 degree angle to the runway in snow about three feet deep. An initial examination of the aircraft revealed no readily visible signs of structural damage or evidence of fire.

The six crew members and 119 passengers evacuated the aircraft using emergency slides. The NTSB noted that one of the emergency slides did not deploy. According to both the NTSB advisory and the FAA preliminary report about the incident, no injuries were reported, however local news media in Jackson Hole reported that a passenger had sustained a sprained wrist during the evacuation.

An article about the incident in the Jackson Hole News & Guide pointed out that, "The incident is the fourth time an airplane has gone off the runway since December. Two weeks ago, a SkyWest CRJ700 was involved in a less serious mishap."

The Jackson Hole News & Guide article also includes comments about the incident from airport ground personnel, and quotes from passengers who were on board the flight.

The air traffic control tower at JAC was closed at the time of the accident. A news report quoted an airport official who said that first responders had to radio an incoming SkyWest flight to warn it not to land.

UPDATE - February 29, 2008: Today the NTSB released the following factual information from their ongoing investigation of the United Airlines A320 runway excursion at JAC, which occurred on February 25:

The airplane came to rest 116 feet past the end of the runway and 140 feet to the right of the runway centerline. A heavy skid mark was found on the runway associated with the inboard tire of the left main landing gear. This tire was found deflated and showed wear consistent with a skid. Upon exiting the runway, both engines ingested snow and sustained internal damage. The aircraft itself was not substantially damaged.

Examination of the left main landing gear brakes revealed that the inboard and outboard wheel speed tachometer wires were cross-connected. Such a configuration would be likely to cause the antiskid system to use the inboard wheel speed to control the outboard braking, and vice versa. In such a situation, it would be likely that when the inboard tire began to skid, the antiskid system would release the pressure on the outboard brake instead of the inboard brake.

Examination of maintenance records indicated that both main landing gear units were replaced on the incident airplane in early February 2008. The Safety Board is also investigating another United A-320 incident with similar circumstances that occurred on October 9, 2007.

The earlier incident mentioned by the NTSB was reported here on Aircrew Buzz in October.

Videos: Bumpy landings

From time to time, readers send interesting links and other information to me, and once in awhile it's something to me that I just have to share. This time it's a short video of what starts out as a crosswind landing, and ends up as a very bumpy hard landing indeed at London City Airport (LCY) by a Swiss Avro RJ. I know the runway at LCY is short, but YIKES!



(If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view the 'very bumpy landing' video on YouTube.)

While I was on the YouTube website, I also noticed this video of a very bumpy landing, too:



(If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view 'a very bumpy landing' on YouTube.)

A tip of the hat to the reader who sent me the link to the first video.
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UPDATE Mar. 3, 2008: Did you happen to see the TV news reports of the Lufthansa A320 attempting to land at Hamburg in incredibly gusty crosswinds? If you didn't see this one, click on over to this post to view the video.

Confiscated: One hot wallet!

We've all heard the expression about money burning a hole in one's pocket, but this is over the top. Last month a screener at an airport security checkpoint confiscated a flaming wallet from a passenger. No joke! That's it in the photo at right.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website has a section where interesting stories about TSA employees are posted. That's where I found this tale about the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) who intercepted the flaming wallet.

As the TSA explains, Zigmund Piech, the Lead TSO at Burlington (VT) International Airport "observed a passenger with unusual bulges in his back pockets." During a pat-down it was discovered that the passenger was carrying two packs of playing cards and a wallet in his pockets.

Piech noticed a gasoline odor coming from the items, as did Supervisory TSO Cindy Bevins, who put the items through the X-ray. The wallet produced an unusual image and as they were examining it, burst into flames.

It turns out that the owner of the wallet claimed to be a magician, and said he uses the wallet in his act. Well, that magician is going to have to change his act, because law enforcement made the wallet disappear. That is, they confiscated it. (No surprise there!)

After the magician was relieved of the tools of his trade, he was allowed to board his flight and continue his journey. In that sense he was more fortunate than the man caught at LAX last year with a magnet in his rectum. Last I heard, that guy was facing deportation.

[Photo Source]

ALPA launches runway safety campaign

Just in case you haven't yet seen it (or haven't even heard about it) I'd like to encourage all readers of Professional Pilot News to go and take a look at Hold Short for Runway Safety, a new website run by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). ALPA recently launched a campaign intended "to raise the awareness of the measures that can prevent runway hazards." The organization has launched this interesting website in support of their campaign.

The Hold Short for Runway Safety focuses on safety during ground operations. The stated goal is to prevent runway incursions, excursions, and confusion. It offers commonsense guidance for operating in the period "between getting in the cockpit and hitting Vr."

In addition to excellent background information about runway safety, runway incursions and pilot deviations, the interactive website features several runway incursion re-enactment videos, and a quiz about situational awareness through airfield signs and air traffic control instructions.

You can take an Online Runway Safety Education Program via the website and print out your certificate after completion. ALPA says, "If you are involved in a runway incursion event, this satisfies the FAA 'seminar' requirement for participation in the Runway Incursion Information Evaluation Program (RIIEP)."

Click on over to ALPA's Hold Short for Runway Safety website and get busy!

Boeing delivers KLM's first Boeing 777-300ER

The Boeing Company recently delivered a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The extended range passenger airliner is the first of this type for KLM, which also operates 15 Boeing 777-200ERs.

The B777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine airplane. A Boeing news release about the aircraft says that in KLM's configuration, it is capable of carrying 425 passengers in a two-class configuration with a maximum range of 14,685 kilometers (7,930 nautical miles) at a cruising speed of 0.84 Mach.

The aircraft arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on February 13, 2008.


[Photo Source]

TSA to test airport employee screening methods

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that seven airports in the United States will be taking part in pilot programs to test various employee screening techniques, as required by the Omnibus Appropriations Act passed by Congress in January 2008. The seven airports are Boston's Logan International, Denver International, Jacksonville (Fla.) International, Kansas City (Mo.) International, Eugene (Ore.), Southwest Oregon Regional (North Bend, Ore.) and Craven Regional (New Bern, N.C.).

The new legislation mandates that 100% employee screening be evaluated at three airports and alternative employee screening at four other airports. A TSA news release about the airport employees screening pilot programs explains:

Use of multiple security measures will enable TSA to evaluate the most effective manner of screening airport employees. Airport employees and other employees including concession workers who have access to secure areas of the airports will be screened before they can enter those areas.

TSA currently deploys a layered approach to airport employee security that includes random and roving screening, checkpoint screening for certain populations and “surge" inspections. Random screening ensures that at any time airport employees may encounter security on the airport grounds. In addition, TSA has made strides in improving the airport employee badging process. TSA requires all badged airport employees to have a clear security threat assessment before a badge can be issued and audits are underway at airport badging offices across the country to verify adherence to this measure.

Three types of screening programs will be tested and evaluated.

• 100 Percent Perimeter Screening - Boston's Logan Airport
• 100 percent employee and vehicle screening at airport perimeter entrances
• Use of biometric access control
• 100 Percent Checkpoint Screening - Jacksonville; Craven Regional
• 100 percent physical employee screening from the public area to the secure area (known as SIDA)
• Enhanced Security Screening - Denver; Kansas City; Eugene; Southwest Oregon Regional
• Random screening
• Behavior detection programs
• Employee security awareness training
• Deployment of portable screening equipment
• Use of biometric access control (Denver only)

Each screening pilot program will last for ninety days. TSA is required to report to Congress before Sept. 1, 2008 on the cost and effectiveness of the pilot programs at each airport.

ASTAR Air Cargo pilots reach contract agreement

A tentative contract agreement between ASTAR Air Cargo and its pilots has been announced. The agreement, which is subject to ratification by the pilots, was the culmination of several years of negotiations between the freight carrier and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the pilots.

Contract negotiations, which began in 2005, have at times been contentious. Since April of 2006, negotiations between the pilots and ASTAR management have been conducted with the assistance of the National Mediation Board. ASTAR pilots have not had a pay raise since 2002.

A media release about the ASTAR contract issued by ALPA describes the new contract terms this way:

Under the terms of the agreement, the ASTAR crewmembers will receive retro pay and more than 20% in pay increases over the course of the 4-year agreement. In addition, the pilots will receive furlough protections and a commitment by the company to secure new aircraft. The same minimum credit per day was retained.

Regarding the new agreement, Captain Earl Smith, chairman of the ASTAR crewmembers, said, "I am pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement that offers ASTAR Air Cargo crewmembers improvements in job security, growth, pay increases, and retro compensation. Most of all, this tentative agreement, if approved by the pilot membership, will give ASTAR crewmembers a new and well deserved combination of job security and economic advancement."

ASTAR Air Cargo operates 44 aircraft from its hub in Wilmington, OH. It provides scheduled and charter services on a contract basis to DHL Worldwide Express, the U.S. military and the United States Postal Service.

UPDATE March 6, 2008: ASTAR pilots have ratified the new labor contract. According to a news release issued by ALPA, nearly 89 percent of the 427 eligible crewmembers voted, with 93 percent voting in favor of the agreement.

Belavia CRJ-100 crashes on takeoff in Armenia

A Bombardier CRJ-100 aircraft operated by Belavia, the national airline of Belarus, crashed on takeoff as it was departing the Armenian city of Yerevan, en route to Minsk, Belarus. All of the 18 passengers and three crew members on board Belavia Flight B2-1834 survived, although many suffered burns and other injuries. The aircraft, which caught fire as it hit the ground, was destroyed.

The accident happened on February 14, 2008, at 04:15 local time at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport. According to news reports, the aircraft rolled to the left just after rotation, and fell to the ground completely inverted.

Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport was closed for several hours after the accident, and several incoming flights were said to have been diverted to Gyumri. The airport reopened later the same day.

An article on the ArmeniaLiberty.org website quoted Artyom Movsesian of Armenia’s Civil Aviation Department, who said that members of the accident aircraft's crew told him that "the plane gravitated leftwards during the takeoff and that they had trouble keeping it on the runway. " Government officials from both Armenia and Belarus will participate in the accident investigation, assisted by representatives of Bombardier Inc., the Canadian company that manufactured the aircraft.

[Photo Source]