'Coyote ugly' incident at DEN

We've all heard of 'bird strikes' -- birds being ingested into jet engines -- but this time it was a coyote that suffered that fate.

The incident happened at Denver International Airport on Sunday, November 26, 2006. A coyote crossed paths with a United Airlines B737 that was taking off, and the poor critter was sucked into the aircraft's number two engine.

The pilots were able to complete the takeoff and then returned to the airport for a "successful emergency landing," according to a story posted on the Aero-News Network. Save for the unfortunate coyote, no one was injured.

Aero-News Network says, "We do not envy the mechanics who now have to return the engine to service. And no word if any roadrunners were involved."

Source: Coyote Ingested Into 737 Engine During Takeoff At DEN - Aero-News.net

Technorati Tags: air travel, airlines, animal stories, coyotes, DEN, Denver International Airport, United Airlines

Investigation: Airline caterer security

A Dallas-Ft. Worth television station has carried out a 'hidden camera' investigation of airline catering company Sky Chefs. A brief report has been posted to the CBS 11 TV website. Here are some excerpts:

Armed with a hidden camera, CBS 11 investigative producer Brent Flynn walked into the building where Sky Chefs prepares the passengers' meals.

Flynn roamed around food carts and encountered two workers on the loading dock who never gave him a second look.

After a second trip inside, a chef — not a security guard — finally asked Flynn for identification. "You can’t just walk in here," the employee told the CBS 11 producer.

...

CBS 11's hidden camera walk through of the facility follows a similar investigation by our sister station, WCBS-TV, in New York earlier this month. That report also found gaping holes in security at the Sky Chefs' plant at JFK International Airport.

In response to that report, Nancy DuLaney, Sky Chefs' human resources director at its Dallas headquarters, sent an email out to all of the managers at the facility reminding them of the "importance of security at the Dallas facility."

CBS 11 reports that Sky Chefs declined their request for an on-camera interview but issued this written statement:

"We are in the process of conducting large-scale security audits, and have a plan in place to inspect each facility around the country. In the specific case of our DFW Airport facility, we were already in the process of reviewing and implementing a plan to secure all dock areas prior to the CBS 11 report, and will complete this process within days."

Read the whole article here: CBS 11 Investigation: Airline Caterer Security - CBS11tv.com

Technorati Tags: air travel, airline caterers, airline security, airport security, airports, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, DFW, Sky Chefs

NBAA to Brazilian President: Release pilots

Mr. Ed Bolen, President of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has sent a letter to the President of Brazil asking for the release of the two American pilots who were flying the business jet involved in the mid-air accident in late September that resulted in the loss of a Gol Airlines Boeing 737-800 and all aboard. The pilots of the Embraer Legacy 600, and their passengers, survived the accident. The pilots have been prohibited from leaving Brazil while the accident investigation is underway.

The Aero-News Network published this text of Bolen's letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva:

This letter requests your immediate action to secure the return to the United States of two American pilots being detained in your country in conjunction with the tragic accident between a business aircraft and a Gol Airlines aircraft on September 29th.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) supports a thorough, fair, accurate and transparent investigation into the accident. We expect nothing less.

It is our understanding that the pilots and their attorneys have fully cooperated with investigators from your government. Yet, despite their cooperation, the pilots are being held in contravention of internationally recognized practices and with no date certain for their release. This is an unacceptable situation that must not continue.

Based on the public reports of the accident, it is clear there was no intentional wrongdoing in this case. Preventing the pilots from returning to the United States is neither appropriate nor beneficial to the investigation.

NBAA urges your prompt intervention in this matter so that the pilots can be returned home in time for the holidays.

Thank you for your time and assistance with this critically important issue.

Source: NBAA's Bolen Calls On Brazilian President To Release Pilots - Aero-News.net

Technorati Tags: accident investigations, aircraft accidents, airlines, Boeing 737-800, Brazil, Embraer Legacy 600, Gol Airlines, National Business Aviation Association, NBAA, pilots

O'Hare runway incursion animation

Here's a link to the NTSB's three dimensional animated reconstruction that shows the runway incursion incident between an Atlas Air B747 and a United Airlines B737 at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on July 23, 2006.

NTSB Animation

The video includes a soundtrack with ATC communication. One can only imagine what was heard when they played back the tape from the CVRs on those aircraft. I'm sure the language was not polite!

Technorati Tags: airports, Atlas Air, aviation safety, aviation safety incidents, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, O'Hare International Airport, runway incursions, United Airlines

Brazil: Warning systems failed in midair accident

The two American pilots involved in Brazil's worst air disaster are still stuck in Rio, but now an Associated Press article posted on the Airport Business website says that "Warning systems failed on both an executive jet and a commercial airliner before the two planes collided..."

Brazil's Col. Rufino Antonio da Silva Ferreira, President of the Commission of Investigation of the Air Force, is quoted in the article. He said that neither crew saw the other plane coming. "No one saw anyone," he said. "No one tried evasive action."

Ferreira said he had not interviewed the air traffic controllers and was waiting for a technical report on the condition of the transponders, devices that signal a plane's presence and altitude.

The two American pilots were interviewed and were "cooperative," Ferreira said. The U.S. pilots

The U.S. pilots union and their international umbrella federation released a statement calling for the release of the two.

"Thus far, only contradictory facts, rumor and unsupported allegations have been forthcoming from Brazilian government officials," the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, which represents more than 100,000 airline pilots in more than 95 countries, said in a statement.

The federation "calls on the Brazilian authorities to expedite the conclusion of an independent technical investigation into (the crash) ... and that these pilots be allowed to return to their homes forthwith."

Ferreira also noted that the investigation could take 10 months to conclude.

Source: Brazil Probe Says Warning Systems Failed in Midair Crash - Airport Business

Technorati Tags: accident investigations, aircraft accidents, airlines, Boeing 737-800, Brazil, Embraer Legacy 600, Gol Airlines, pilots

Runway incidents on the rise at U.S. airports

While near collisions on airport runways are very rare -— about one for every 2 million takeoffs and landings -- the number of high-risk runway incidents rose to 31 in fiscal 2006, up from 29 in 2005 and 28 in 2004.

A USA Today article, commenting on this year's NTSB Most Wanted List of aviation safety enhancements, quotes National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Mark Rosenker on the issue of runway close-calls: "It's unacceptable. We've been running on luck for far too long." As an example, Rosenker cites an incident in Chicago on July 23, 2006 when two jets missed each other by 35 feet.

For its part, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it is pursuing new technologies that will help reduce the danger. According to FAA Deputy Administrator Bobby Sturgell:

The agency is testing lights embedded in runways that flash red to warn pilots when another plane gets too close. A navigation system expected in planes by 2014 will allow pilots to track other planes on the ground, Sturgell said.

"All of this demonstrates that the FAA is aggressively attacking the problem," he said.

Sturgell cautioned that the solutions are costly and the agency needs time to fully test them before they are put into the field.

Source: Runway incidents rise for 2nd year - USA Today

Technorati Tags: aviation, aviation safety, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, runway incursions

NTSB 'Most Wanted' List for aviation

Each year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issues its Most Wanted List of safety improvements, "a list that calls for action by federal agencies on the most critical transportation safety issues."

The NTSB is concerned with safety for all modes of transportation in the United States, but for our purposes, let's have a look at the issues raised for aviation.

The NTSB says that, in addition to pinpointing important safety issues, the Most Wanted List also rates agencies by the timeliness with which they act to implement the recommendations. The Federal Aviation Administration received five unacceptable timeliness ratings.

Here are the issues on the Most Wanted List for Aviation:

Runway Incursions -- This issue has been on the Board's list since it's inception in 1990. The FAA completed action on a number of objectives to make ground operation of aircraft safer. However, these incidents continue to occur with alarming frequency. The FAA indicates that during fiscal year 2005 there were 327 incursions, and during 2006 there were 330. A system introduced by the FAA provides warning to air traffic controllers, but not to the flight crews, a fact that severely reduces the amount of time that pilots have to react to an impending incursion. Recommendation: Implement a safety system for ground movement that will ensure the safe movement of airplanes on the ground and provide direct warning capability to the flight crews. Timeliness Classification: Unacceptable.

Fuel/Air Vapors -- Operating transport-category airplanes with flammable fuel/air vapors in fuel tanks presents a risk of explosion that is avoidable. Center wing fuel tank explosions have resulted in 346 fatalities in four accidents since 1989. There also have been several non-fatal fuel tank explosions, the latest of which occurred earlier this year in India. After the TWA 800 accident in 1996, the Board issued both short and long term recommendations to reduce the potential for flammable fuel/air vapors in aircraft fuel tanks. The short-term recommendation was closed in an unacceptable status because the FAA took no action. The FAA has committed to action on the long term recommendation by Fall 2007. Recommendation: Complete rulemaking efforts to preclude the operation of transport-category airplanes with flammable fuel/air vapors in the fuel tank on all aircraft. Timeliness Classification: Acceptable (progressing slowly).

Aircraft Icing -- The consequences of operating an airplane in icing conditions without first having thoroughly demonstrated adequate handling/controllability in those conditions are sufficiently severe that they warrant a thorough certification test program. The FAA has not adopted a systematic and proactive approach to the certification and operational issues of airplane icing. Recommendation: Complete research on aircraft structural icing and continue efforts to revise icing certification criteria, testing requirements, and restrictions on operationsin icing conditions. Evaluate all aircraft certified for flight in icing conditions using the new criteria and standards. Timeliness Classification: Unacceptable.

Audio, Data and Video Recorders -- Investigators must have information rapidly, effectively and efficiently in order to determine the factors related to an accident. Automatic information recording devices, such as Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Flight Data Recorders (FDRs) have proven to be very useful in gathering pure factual information. This information results in the development of timely, more precise safety recommendations that are likely to reduce future similar accidents. Recommendation: In addition to adopting a 2-hour CVR requirement, require the retrofit of existing CVR's with an independent power supply, and require that existing FDRs and CVRs be on separate generator busses, with the highest reliable power so that any single electrical failure does not disable both. Require the installation of video recording systems in small and large aircraft. Require the recording of additional needed FDR data for Boeing 737s. Timeliness Classification: Unacceptable.

Crew Resource Management (CRM) Training for Part 135 Flights -- Part 121 and scheduled Part 135 operators are required to provide pilots with CRM training in which accidents are reviewed and skills and techniques for effective crew coordination are presented. The Safety Board has investigated several fatal aviation accidents involving Part 135 on-demand operators (air taxis such as that involved in the crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone in 2002) where the carrier either did not have a CRM program, or the CRM program was much less comprehensive than would be required for a Part 121 carrier. Although the FAA has agreed in principal with the recommendation, no discernible progress has been made. Recommendation: Require that Part 135 on-demand charter operators that conduct dual-pilot operations establish and implement an FAA-approved CRM training program for pilots in accordance with Part 121. Timeliness Classification: Unacceptable.

"Our Most Wanted List puts extra pressure on our nation's transportation safety regulators to act more quickly on our recommendations," said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. "We've made progress, but this year's list again shows that there are numerous areas that need improvement and they need improvement now. The Board will continue to push aggressively for implementation of the measures needed to make our safe transportation system even safer."

Let's get busy, FAA!

Source: NTSB WARNS THAT RUNWAY COLLISIONS REMAIN A REAL DANGER; NOTES PROGRESS ON DRUG/ALCOHOL TESTING OF SHIP CREWS - NTSB News

Technorati Tags: aviation, aviation safety, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB

DHS: Airport anti-missile program

An item from Airport Security Report, republished by Airport Business, says:

With shoulder-fired missiles having already killed more than 640 people in 35 attacks on civilian jets, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is launching an 18-month program evaluating technologies to protect commercial fleets. It awarded $7.5 million contracts to Raytheon, Northrop Grumman Space Technology and L-3 Communications AVISYS.

DHS will also work with the U.S. Department of Defense to assess the "maturity and effectiveness of relevant technologies, application of resources to determine potential system approaches and suitability in the civilian aviation environment."

...

Raytheon plans on using Vigilant Eagle Airport Protection System. Deployed around an airport, the system uses passive infrared trackers scanning for missile exhaust. It steers a beam of electromagnetic energy to divert the threat from the aircraft, although it is unclear if this will impact aircraft systems as well. It is ground-based and thus does not have to be fitted to the aircraft. Northrop Grumman is using an infrared anti-missile system designed to divert missiles that is being put on FAA aircraft.

Over 20 terrorist groups are believed to possess shoulder-launched missiles, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Source: Homeland Security Launches Airport Anti-Missile Program - Airport Business

Technorati Tags: airport security, airports, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, terrorism