06 FEB 2009
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*New Name Emerges For FAA Administrator
*American Airlines urges pilots to restart safety program
*FAA releases ATC recordings of US Airways flight
*Oxygen masks deploy on Las Vegas-bound flight
*Europe To Mandate ADS-B Five Years Ahead of FAA
*Interfering with flight crew draws 5 years probation
*"THE HUMAN SIDE OF AVIATION"
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New Name Emerges For FAA Administrator
Randy Babbitt Said To Be Favored By Garvey
The naming of a new FAA Administrator by the Obama administration was once
thought to be a formality for former pilot union president Duane Woerth.
Then, longtime Senate aide Robert Herbert came highly recommended by his
boss, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Now, the Wall Street Journal reports the administration has the FBI vetting
Randy Babbitt, an aviation consultant and also a former head of the Air Line
Pilots Association.
The Journal quotes "people familiar with the matter" in reporting that
former FAA chief Jane Garvey is in line to get the number-two job at the
Department of Transportation, and wants Babbitt at the FAA.
While all three candidates are accomplished aviators and appear otherwise
qualified, union old-timers remember Babbitt for his role in battling
management at Eastern Airlines back in the day, and industry insiders say he
has more support than Woerth.
DOT chief Ray LaHood reportedly told FAA officials he wasn't satisfied with
a choice between Woerth and Herbert. LaHood told Senators during his
confirmation hearing that settling the chronic conflict between the FAA and
the unions representing its employees would be an early priority.
Given recent turmoil regarding executive appointments in the Obama
administration... let's hope Babbitt is current on his taxes.
FMI: www.faa.gov
aero-news.net
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American Airlines urges pilots to restart safety program
American Airlines Inc. urged its pilots' union Thursday to restart a safety
program that expired last October when the carrier and union couldn't agree
on changes.
However, an Allied Pilots Association spokesman said the union won't go back
to the old program, adding that American's management had tried to unfairly
discipline pilots for safety problems the pilots themselves had reported.
Both sides are under pressure from the new leadership at the Federal
Aviation Administration, which recently helped push Delta Air Lines Inc. and
the Air Line Pilots Association into reviving their Aviation Safety Action
Program more than two years after they let it lapse.
In a statement Jan. 28, new U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged
US Airways Inc., American and their pilot unions to follow the lead of Delta
and its union.
The safety program encourages pilots to report safety issues, including
mistakes they made, so that they, other pilots, their airline and other
carriers can learn from and avoid similar problems and mistakes.
American's program, started in 1994, expired Oct. 13 after the APA refused
to accept any further extensions. American wouldn't accept proposed changes
that the union said were needed to protect pilots; the union wouldn't accept
changes that American said were needed to discipline the really bad pilots.
In a statement Thursday, American said it has asked APA president Lloyd Hill
"to join us in seeking FAA approval to reinstate" the original safety
agreement.
"Fifteen years ago, American Airlines and its pilots helped create ASAP,
which now stands as a model for our industry, providing increased protection
to our pilots and dramatically enhancing aviation safety," the carrier said.
Extending the program would allow all parties to protect pilots, the
industry and travelers "while allowing us to continue work on a new ASAP
agreement that maintains our industry-leading position," American said.
APA spokesman Sam Mayer said the union won't revive the safety program under
the old language. It sent American chairman and chief executive Gerard Arpey
a revised proposal several weeks ago, he said.
Mr. Mayer said the union likes much of what it has seen in the Delta-ALPA
agreement, which gave Delta pilots protection in a side letter to the main
agreement.
"If they wanted to negotiate it like Delta in a side letter, I think we'd be
fine with that," he said. "We don't care how we get there as long as we can
develop those protections to the pilots."
In a communication to pilots, American officials said their proposal offered
more protections to pilots than the Delta ASAP agreement did.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/020609dnbusasap.3a8f
08b.html
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FAA releases ATC recordings of US Airways flight
It was an afternoon with routine instructions, requests and acknowledgements
at the New York Tracon on Jan. 15, including the takeoff of US Airways
Flight 1549, known as Cactus 1549 in air traffic control lingo.
But the routine callouts and responses were interrupted at 3:27 p.m. EST by
a quick transmission from the US Airways cockpit:
"Cactus 1549, hit birds. We lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back
towards LaGuardia."
That began an urgent few minutes as air traffic controllers offered the
crippled flight some options, and one of the pilots concluded quickly that
the Hudson River was the airplane's only option.
The Federal Aviation Administration has released a recording and transcript
of the conversation from the Tracon, the traffic control center, and the
flight.
Keep reading for a recap of the three minutes between bird strike and the
airplane's landing in the Hudson. The recording is filled with routine
transmissions before we get to the interesting parts.
After the US Airways flight informs the controller of the bird strike, the
controller starts working the emergency.
"Okay, yeah, you need to return to LaGuardia. Turn left heading of 220," the
controller immediately responds. He orders all LaGuardia departures stopped.
It's an emergency return, he says.
"Who is it," the LaGuardia control tower asks.
"It's Cactus 1549," the Tracon controller replies. "He lost all engines. He
lost thrust in the engines. He is returning immediately."
"Cactus 1549, which engines?" LaGuardia asks.
"He lost thrust in both engines, he said," the controller replies.
The controller then asked the pilot of the Airbus A320 if he would like to
return to Runway 13, LaGuardia's northwest-southeast runway that would have
him landing with Flushing Bay to his left, the airport terminals and Queens
to his right.
"We're unable," the US Airways pilot responds, 35 seconds after his first
emergency transmission. "We may end up in the Hudson."
The controller directs the US Airways airplane to Runway 31: same runway,
just landing from the other direction.
"Unable," the pilot responds.
"Okay," the controller responds. "What do you need to land?" He offers
LaGuardia's southwest-northeast runway instead.
"I'm not sure we can make any runway," the US Airways pilot interrupts. "Oh,
what's over to our right, anything in New Jersey, maybe Teterboro?"
In a quick conversation with the Teterboro air traffic control tower, the
Tracon controller lays out the emergency and secures Runway 1 for the US
Airways jet. He gives the heading to the airplane.
"We can't do it," the pilot informs him.
"Okay," the controller replies, "which runway would you like at Teterboro?"
"We're going to be in the Hudson," the pilot replies.
"I'm sorry - say again, Cactus?"
That's the last transmission between Tracon and the airplane. Less than 20
seconds later, the controller notes that he's lost radar contact with the
flight, but offers runways at Newark to the airplane's right and about seven
miles ahead.
A pilot on American Eagle flight in the vicinity says: "I don't know. I
think he said he was going in the Hudson."
"Cactus 1549, you still on?" asks the controller. But by that time, the
airplane was in the river.
As I listened, I was struck by the tone of the controller. At first,
business-like, perhaps a little bored by the routine. Then all business,
quick, thinking, offering options. And gradually, as more time passed from
the last transmission heard from the US Airways, a dejected, defeated tone.
"They find that A320?" a pilot in a Boeing 737-400 asks at 3:36 p.m.
"I'm not sure yet," the subdued controller says.
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/02/faa-releases-atc-recordi
ngs-of.html
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Oxygen masks deploy on Las Vegas-bound flight
LAS VEGAS (AP) -Authorities say an electrical problem aboard a Southwest
Airlines flight caused oxygen masks to deploy as the Las Vegas-bound plane
began its final approach.
The plane from Kansas City landed safety Thursday evening and parked away
from the terminal as emergency personnel responded.
Lt. Loren Napier says the 116 passengers and crew left the plane unharmed
and were bused to the terminal.
Authorities say passengers complained of an odor like pepper spray at the
back of the plane
Airport spokesman Chris Jones says the plane's crew reported the smell about
20 minutes before it landed, just before 6 p.m.
A Southwest West spokeswoman says the airline is investigating.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11639748
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Europe To Mandate ADS-B Five Years Ahead of FAA
Europe's regulatory body, the European Commission, has issued a Eurocontrol
notice of proposed rulemaking (ENPRM) mandating ADS-B after Feb. 5, 2015.
At that time, all aircraft operating in European airspace must transmit
ADS-B Out signals and meet Eurocontrol's enhanced mode-S surveillance
standards. Currently in the public comment stage until April 8, the final
rule is expected in late 2010.
While broadly similar to the earlier FAA NPRM, there are several
differences. Neither WAAS nor Europe's equivalent EGNOS is required; less
demanding GPS performance criteria are specified; ADS-B Out is clearly
described as an interim stepping stone to ADS-B In; and aircraft with an
mtow of less than 12,500 pounds and with a cruise speed of less than 250
knots are exempt.
But user community rejection of the NPRM, as happened with the FAA, is
unlikely, since the document has been developed from the outset with
extensive user and service provider participation. Earlier this week, the
FAA issued an updated NextGen implementation plan that includes a goal of
full ADS-B ground station coverage in the U.S. by 2013, though the agency
isn't targeting mandated aircraft equipage until 2020 at the earliest.
http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/europe-to-mandate-ads
-b-five-years-ahead-of-faa/
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Interfering with flight crew draws 5 years probation
(CNN) - A 35-year-old New York woman was sentenced Thursday to five years
probation for interfering with a JetBlue flight crew, the Department of
Justice said.
Christina Elizabeth Szele, of Woodside, New York, was ordered to participate
in drug and alcohol abuse treatment and anger management programs and not to
fly on commercial aircraft during the five years of her probation.
U.S. District Court Judge John L. Kane also ordered her to pay restitution
totaling $7,987.40 to Jet Blue.
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"THE HUMAN SIDE OF AVIATION"
With much anticipation stirring amongst its membership, the Pacific
Northwest Business Aviation Association is pleased to announce "The Human
Side of Aviation" Safety Event, scheduled for March 5, 2009 at Seattle's
Museum of Flight. The event, sponsored by Gulfstream Aerospace, Embraer,
CAE SimuFlite, Clay Lacy Aviation, USAIG, AirBP and the National Business
Aviation Association expects to draw some 150 participants to the all-day
event, as they come together to hear safety experts and aviation notables
such as Dr. Tony Kern, Dr. Robert "Key" Dismukes, Mr. Hugh Mills Jr, Dr.
Mark Rosekind, Mr. David McKay and Dr. Earl Weener.
"This PNBAA event, 'The Human Side of Aviation' raises the bar for aviation
safety programs in the industry," remarked Jim Bennett, President of the
Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association. "No other event in the
country brings together so many aviation safety experts in a one-day event,
or at one location. We are pleased to be able to present programs such as
this to our membership, and the aviation community-at-large."
Online registration for the event is now available, and seats are expected
to fill very quickly, as seating is limited to the first 150 registrants.
To learn more and to register, visit
www.pnbaasafetyevent.com .
For questions about the event, contact co-chairs Douglas Wilson, Richard
Keltner or David Lehman at
www.pnbaasafetyevent.com/contactus.aspx
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Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP
CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC