AINalerts: November 7, 2006 | Printer Friendly

Poorly Trained ‘Cabin Aide’ Factor in TEB Accident
Included in the several factors that the NTSB says contributed to the Feb. 2, 2005 crash of a Challenger 600 at Teterboro Airport was its determination that the third crewmember, or “cabin aide,” was not properly trained. According to the Safety Board’s final report on the accident, the cabin aide “did not perform a seatbelt compliance check before the accident flight, which resulted in two passengers being unrestrained during the accident sequence.” In addition, the cabin aide’s training “did not adequately prepare her to perform the duties with which she was tasked, including opening the main cabin door during emergencies.” Thus, the NTSB is recommending that the FAA require that cabin personnel who are intended to be “qualified flight attendants” on Part 135 flights receive basic FAA-approved safety training in preflight briefing and safety checks; emergency exit operation; and emergency equipment usage. The Safety Board also said Part 135 certificate holders should be required to “ensure that seatbelts at all seat positions are visible and accessible to passengers before each flight.”

Wind Played Role in East River Cirrus Crash
An excerpt from the NTSB’s update on its investigation into the crash of the Cirrus SR20 that hit the 30th floor of an apartment building on October 11 while trying to make a U-turn over the East River provides insight into the role of the wind. “Radar data indicate that the airplane was flying over the east side of Roosevelt Island prior to initiating a 180-degree turn. At this location, there would have been a maximum of 2,100 feet clearance from buildings, if the full width of the river had been used. However, from the airplane’s mid-river position over Roosevelt Island, the available turning width was only 1,700 feet. The prevailing wind from the east [given as 095 degrees at 13 knots at 700 feet by an aircraft landing at Newark at the time of the accident] would have caused the airplane to drift 400 feet toward the building during the turn, reducing the available turning width to about 1,300 feet. At an airspeed of 97 knots, this turn would have required a constant bank angle of 53 degrees. If the initial portion of the turn was not this aggressive, a sufficiently greater bank angle would have been needed as the turn progressed, which would have placed the airplane dangerously close to an aerodynamic stall.”

GAO Further Muddles FAA Funding Debate
The Government Accountability Office’s October 30 report “Observations on Potential FAA Funding Options” repeats some information the GAO released September 27 in airspace system modernization testimony. But an odd graphic in the new report might add confusion to the user-fee debate. Figure 1 on page 5 illustrates the FAA paying for airport, ATC and safety activities. The ATC section’s “IFR Operations Commercial” shows an airliner flying above a “VFR Operations General Aviation” piston single. GA turbine aircraft (and pistons) are not shown interacting in the “IFR Commercial” part of the diagram, which some might interpret as supporting the Air Transport Association’s claims that airliners operate in what it calls “commercial airspace.” The GAO’s Rich Swayze, who wrote the report, told AIN that it would have been clearer to show business jets and piston airplanes in the IFR section but added that the FAA had not mentioned that GA piston aircraft operate in airspace the airlines use.

FAA Promotes Safety System Implementation
The FAA released Notice 8700.49, effective October 11, to guide FAA inspectors in helping operators develop Safety Management Systems (SMS). An SMS advisory circular–AC 120-92–was released on June 22, and since then the FAA has promoted the SMS concept industry-wide, at meetings such as the Bombardier Safety Standdown in early October and the Nascar race team SMS Safety Summit on October 20. Organizations that participate in the NATA Safety 1st program and the IBAC International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) are already using SMS tools. While SMS isn’t mandatory, “the FAA encourages the aviation industry to consider the benefits of an SMS and the development and implementation of associated principles,” the agency said in its notice. NBAA said, “While implementation of an SMS may seem onerous to operators at the first assessment, those who have implemented an SMS have found significant benefit as a result.”

Lockheed Martin Unveils ADS-B Team
Lockheed Martin at the Air Traffic Control Association Convention on Monday announced its bidding team for the FAA’s nationwide automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) program. The team includes ground station manufacturers Sensis and Rannoch, and avionics integrator Honeywell and secure network communications specialist Harris. The FAA plans to award a “performance-based” contract next July, under which the winner will fund, build and operate some 500 ground stations, with the FAA certifying them and then purchasing their signals in space. Adding strength to Lockheed Martin’s bid was Rannoch’s announcement on Monday that it had acquired Czech company ERA, the major European ADS-B manufacturer. Sources told AIN that Raytheon and, separately, ITT plus Thales would shortly announce their bidding intentions. There was also speculation about Northrop Grumman interest in the reportedly $2 billion ADS-B contract.

Operational Alert

Getting Cold Sober About Icing – Four new icing safety sources are available for this coming winter. NASA’s online course “A Pilot’s Guide to Ground Icing” has been updated for all pilots, including business aviation pilots. Also available is “A Pilot’s Guide to In-flight Icing,” which is intended primarily for GA pilots who fly aircraft certified for flight in icing. The FAA just published a safety alert for operators (SAFO 06016) that provides further guidance specifically to pilots of turboprops to prevent in-flight icing incidents. Meanwhile, FAA Notice 8000.329 is a 37-page document providing information on ground de-icing holdover times, a listing of qualified de-icing/anti-icing fluids, and recommendations on various other ground deicing/anti-icing issues for the coming winter.

Also Noted...

The FAA introduced another information-dissemination vehicle on October 30, this one called Information for Operators (InFO). An InFO provides commercial operators information “that should help them meet certain administrative, regulatory or operational requirements with relatively low urgency or impact on safety,” the FAA explained.

Two business aviation leaders died last week. Alan Conklin, founder of business aircraft performance and cost comparison research company Conklin & de Decker, died Wednesday at the age of 86. Donald Baldwin Sr., formerly head of Texaco’s flight department and a member of the NBAA board for 10 years, also died Wednesday. He was 88 years old.

The Corporate Angel Network, the White Plains, N.Y.-based charity that provides free air transportation for cancer patients traveling to treatment facilities by using empty seats on corporate and fractional aircraft, arranged a record-breaking 257 patient flights in October. The previous monthly record of 253 flights was set last year.

Stage III Technologies, which received an STC 18 months ago for its combined hush kit/cascade thrust reverser for Gulfstream IIs and IIIs, plans to have its long-awaited first installation under way in February at Western Jet in Van Nuys, Calif. See AIN for an article on Stage III and QTA hush kits.

Comments are due tomorrow on Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s petition filed with the FAA requesting permission to operate without a rotating beacon. To date, only one comment has been filed (by a Delta Air Lines pilot opposed to the request).

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