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Incident: Canada B763 at Madrid on Feb 3rd 2020, engine shut down
in flight, burst tyre on departure
An Air Canada Boeing 767-300, registration C-GHOZ performing flight
AC-837 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 128 passengers on
board, was departing Madrid's runway 36L when the left hand engine suffered a
number of compressor stalls emitting bangs and streaks of flames. The crew shut
the engine down, levelled off at 5000 feet initially, later entered a hold at
8000 feet to burn off fuel and had the landing gear inspected by fighter
aircraft. The fighter aircraft confirmed one of the left main tyres was blown.
The aircraft landed safely on Madrid's runway 32L about 4:10 hours after
departure.
The airline already reported the aircraft experienced an
engine issue shortly after takeoff, a tyre reportedly ruptured on takeoff. The
crew decided to return to Madrid and is currently holding to burn off fuel. The
aircraft is designed to operate on one engine. An emergency was
declared.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2d213f&opt=0
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Accident: Kalitta B744 at Los Angeles on Feb 3rd 2020, rejected
takeoff due to trash bin on runway
A Kalitta Boeing 747-400, registration N703CK performing flight
K4-368 from Los Angeles,CA to Honolulu,HI (USA) with 7 crew, was accelerating
for takeoff from Los Angeles' runway 25R at about 03:06L (11:06Z) when the crew
rejected takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground) after colliding
with an object on the runway. The aircraft slowed and stopped on the runway, the
crew reported severe damage to the aircraft after hitting something big on the
runway, they were considering to evacuate the aircraft and requested assistance
to check the aircraft for damage and fire. Tower reported there was excessive
smoke coming from the nose gear while slowing to a stop. Emergency services
responded and found a trash bin, that had been blown onto the runway and had hit
the nose gear of the 747. Both tyres of the nose gear had blown as
result.
The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Los Angeles
about 11 hours after landing.
A replacement Boeing 747-400 registration
N741CK is estimated to reach Honolulu with a delay of 9
hours.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2d41d8&opt=0
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Accident: Rusline CRJ1 at Tomsk on Feb 3rd 2020, nose gear collapse
on landing
A Rusline Canadair CRJ-100, registration VQ-BNB performing flight
7R-823 from Ekaterinburg to Tomsk (Russia) with 32 passengers and 3 crew, landed
on Tomsk's runway 21, touched down safely and slowed when at about 80 knots over
ground the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded to a stop on the runway.
There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial
damage.
Rosaviatsia reported the nose gear collapsed at about 80 knots
during roll out, the passengers were evacuated. No injuries occurred, the
aerodrome needed to be closed until the aircraft could be moved off the runway
onto taxiway D (about 1500 meters/5000 feet down the runway).
The West
Siberian Transport Prosecutor ordered an examination of the
runway.
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http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2d3e7f&opt=0
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Aircraft Lands Safely In Austin After Cockpit Smoke
Reported
A flight from Houston carrying 78 passengers
aboard landed safely in Austin just before 11 a.m. on Monday, an airport
official told Patch.
AUSTIN, TX - A United Airlines aircraft landed
safely in Austin after smoke was reported in the cockpit on Monday morning,
officials confirmed.
In a response to questions from Patch,
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials said the arriving flight from
Houston to Austin with 78 passengers on board prompted mobilization of emergency
crews at the ready after the report of smoke. The incident occurred at 10:52
a.m., an airport spokesperson told Patch.
"The aircraft landed safely,
and the alert 2 has been canceled," Austin-Bergstrom spokesperson Mandy McLendon
told Patch. She said the cause of the smoke was not immediately determined
pending further evaluation.
https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/aircraft-lands-safely-austin-after-cockpit-smoke-reported
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Charlotte-based pilot shot and killed in Puerto Rico, family
says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Charlotte-based pilot was
shot and killed in Puerto Rico, a family member told WBTV Monday.
Family
members say 48-year-old Matthew Stapula, a pilot for American Airlines, was
killed in a shooting during one of his layovers. The family has a lot of
questions, but right now they are in shock and grieving the loss of someone they
loved dearly.
Stapula's father, Eric Stapula, said Matthew died near some
sort of bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"You're in shock at first, and of
course you feel overwhelmed. You don't know what to do," Eric Stapula said in a
phone interview with WBTV Monday night.
Eric Stapula says his son had a
passion for the aviation industry and loved to fly, even getting a chance to
occasionally work with his daughter who had worked as a flight attendant. The
elder Stapula noted that his son was a family man.
"I'm losing a very
close friend and obviously my firstborn son," Eric Stapula said.
The
grieving father said he learned about his son's death Monday morning, but wasn't
given a lot of information.
Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied
Pilots Association, told WBTV that the association is aware of Matthew Stapula's
death, and is looking into every detail to make sure other pilots and passengers
are safe. He said the association is also focused on supporting Stapula's
family.
Eric Stapula said he plans to be at the airport when his son's
body is brought back to Charlotte. Right now he has several unanswered
questions.
"I would really like to know the whole and true story, but
right now it's just a tragedy that's left everybody here numb," Eric Stapula
said. "He knows that we love him. He knows that he was my best friend, and he
knows that God loves him."
WBTV reached out to American Airlines Monday
and officials provided the following statement:
"On Sunday, we lost a
Charlotte-based member of the American Airlines family in a tragic incident
which occurred in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our thoughts and prayers are with our
colleague's family, friends and loved ones. We have mobilized teams to provide
care to his family, as well as fellow team members during this difficult time.
Local law enforcement is investigating this incident, which occurred during the
early morning hours of Feb. 2. We are providing any investigative assistance
possible."
Eric Stapula said his son was a husband, father and
grandfather and has another grandchild that's set to be born in the next week or
so.
There's no word yet on when Matthew Stapula's body will be returned
to Charlotte.
https://www.wbtv.com/2020/02/04/charlotte-based-pilot-shot-killed-puerto-rico-family-says/
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FAA Abruptly Stopped Enforcement Action Against Hawaii
Helicopter Tours
The agency took 24 actions against three of the
four helicopter tour companies with the most crashes over the past 20 years but
stopped in 2013.
LIHUE, Kauai - The Federal Aviation Administration
disclosed Monday that in 2010 it revoked the license of the pilot of the
ill-fated Safari Helicopters tour that crashed on Kauai on Dec. 26, killing all
seven people onboard, after he tested positive for drugs.
His license was
restored a year later, but FAA inspector Joseph Monfort had concerns as recently
as last year that the pilot's performance had "deficiencies." Monfort emerged
last week as a whistleblower who alleged his supervisors interfered with his
efforts to pursue enforcement actions against Safari Helicopters and Novictor
Aviation in Hawaii.
The action against Safari pilot Paul Matero was one
of 24 enforcement actions since 2000 the agency took against the four tour
helicopter companies in Hawaii that had the most crashes over the past two
decades, according to FAA records released to Civil Beat under the Freedom of
Information Act.
The FAA took 24 enforcement actions since
2000 against the four helicopter tour companies with the most crashes in
Hawaii.
Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat
Civil Beat sought enforcement
action data for Safari; K&S Helicopters, which does business as Paradise
Helicopters; Helicopter Consultants of Maui, which does business as Blue
Hawaiian Helicopters; and Novictor Aviation.
The records show enforcement
actions stopped after 2013 and no actions were taken at all against Novictor,
which operated the helicopter that crashed last April in Kailua and killed all
three people onboard.
The Matero action was one of two drug-related
license revocations imposed by the FAA against Safari personnel. In 2007, the
agency revoked the aircraft mechanic's license of Aaron Moniz, after he, too,
failed a drug test. Agency records show Moniz's license was restored in
2010.
The agency said Matero became eligible to reapply for his private
and commercial pilot certificates a year after the revocation and he got new
licenses in June 2011.
The FAA said that under its procedures, Matero
first had to apply for an interim medical clearance, which he received in 2011.
It was upgraded to a full medical clearance in 2012. The FAA said that under
agency policies, Matero was required to undergo treatment "for substance abuse
and
dependency."
In all, the FAA records identified five enforcement
actions against Safari, from 2000 to 2013. In one other, the FAA took no action
while it issued correction letters in two others.
Safari Helicopters'
owner, Preston Myers, did not return calls seeking comment. It was not possible
to determine if Moniz still works for the company. Civil Beat was also unable to
contract anyone at Sunshine Helicopters.
The records also show FAA
enforcement actions from 2000 to 2013 against Paradise Helicopters, ranging in
severity from no action ultimately taken to a 120-day suspension of the license
of one of its pilots after he allowed the helicopter he was flying to run out of
fuel and crash. The incident
occurred near Hilo in July 2013.
The
MD369 helicopter sustained substantial damage when it landed hard and rolled
over. A skid collapsed. Neither the pilot, Kyuwon Lee, nor any of his four
passengers, was injured, according to a report of the National Transportation
Safety Board.
The NTSB declined to comment on the new FAA documents
received by Civil Beat.
The board has called on the FAA to provide
stricter oversight of tour aviation companies for years. In June, NTSB officials
criticized the FAA for weak regulations after a skydiving plane crashed in
Mokuleia and killed 11 people.
Records for Sunshine Helicopters include
13 enforcement actions from 2002 to 2013, including suspensions of the licenses
of three pilots, who were unnamed, and fines assessed against four unnamed other
pilots.
The suspensions ranged from 15 to 30 days and the fines from
$1,000 to $2,500. The FAA records attributed all but one of the actions to
"maintenance" issues, which were not identified.
There was only one minor action against Blue
Hawaiian, involving a warning related to flight operations in
2013.
Paradise Enjoyed Monfort's Oversight
At Paradise Helicopters,
Calvin Dorn, the company's president, speculated that the absence of enforcement
actions against his company after 2013 coincided with its decision to hire a
full-time safety officer.
But he also said that the FAA's safety
inspector workforce for Hawaii appears to have undergone significant attrition
during the same period, declining from what he believes was "four or five"
inspectors to two.
The FAA disputed that estimate and said its Honolulu
office currently has seven safety inspectors and is trying to hire four more. A
spokesperson said the agency transitioned in about 2015 to a system that uses a
more multifaceted approach to "identify the most effective means to address
non-compliance with the regulations."
Allan Parachini/Civil Beat
Under
this new system, he said, "the FAA uses tools like training or documented
improvements to procedures to ensure compliance."
In the case of Hawaii
air tour operators, the spokesman said the FAA has pushed for voluntary
compliance with "a set of policies and processes that enables operators to
identify potential hazards in their operations, assess the risks from those
hazards, implement measures to address those risks and ensure those measures are
effective."
Dorn said Paradise was founded in 1999 and grew rapidly until
2013, and, in the process, experienced what he called "growing company
syndrome."
"We matured as a company and had much better record keeping
and fully embraced the safety program," he said.
Dorn was particularly
positive about his company's work with Monfort, the FAA inspector who came to
prominence in the nationwide controversy over helicopter safety.
A report
by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee detailed actions Monfort said his
superiors took to thwart his ability to regulate the two companies. In
particular, the report said, Monfort was forbidden to travel to Kauai to conduct
an inspection at Safari when he concluded after going on a check ride with
Matero that the pilot's performance had "deficiencies."
Monfort told
investigators he had made attempts to come to Kauai to check on Safari and
Matero in September and November of last year.
Dorn credited the
inspector with improvements in safety performance by Paradise.
"I worked
with Joe Monfort for a number of years," Dorn said. "He was not the easiest. He
held us to a very high standard. He worked toward making sure we met or exceeded
standards."
Federal Shutdown And Helicopter Safety
Another possible
explanation may be that 2013 was the year in which the federal government
underwent a massive budget "sequestration" in which the FAA furloughed air
traffic controllers and safety inspectors. Its budgets have struggled in the
intervening years.
In 2017, Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air
Traffic Controllers Association, alluded to the lingering effects of the budget
sequestration and budget cuts in years after 2013 as having seriously damaged
the FAA's safety program.
Danger labels mark the tail of a helicopter
on Maui.
Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat
His testimony before the U.S.
House Transportation Committee was similar to positions articulated by the union
in testimony before a U.S. Senate committee last year and today on its
website.
The organization says it "believes that the most serious
challenge facing the FAA ... today is the absence of a stable, predictable
funding stream. The most recent illustration ... occurred from Dec. 22,
2018-Jan. 25, 2019 when the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history
ended after 35 days. That shutdown was tremendously harmful."
Dorn said
the public has become hypersensitive to problems in the helicopter aviation
industry as a result of a spate of crashes, including 10 in the last two years
in Hawaii that killed 10 people.
He said the crash last month in Los
Angeles of a chartered helicopter carrying former NBA star Kobe Bryant, in which
nine people died, has further intensified public scrutiny of helicopter
flying.
"The crashes involving Safari and Kobe Bryant may look as if
(people) have a way of knowing why something happened," he said. "But there are
always more factors involved and we can be jumping to conclusions. We are not
just a bunch of cowboys. Our people all live here. We're a local
company."
https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/02/faa-abruptly-stopped-enforcement-action-against-hawaii-helicopter-tours/
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Flight attendants ask Hawaiian Airlines to permit expanded
mask usage amid coronavirus concerns
A flight attendants union is asking Hawaiian Airlines
to allow its crew to go the extra mile when protecting against
coronavirus.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents
flight attendants from Hawaiian and more than a dozen other airlines, is asking
the airline to allow flight attendants to wear masks on flights to and from
Asia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that face
masks should be used for airline crew members when they "are helping sick
travelers with respiratory symptoms such as coughing or sneezing." They're also
advised for sick travelers and those sitting near sick travelers. The CDC's
recommendations related to the new coronavirus reiterate using protective
equipment when tending to a sick traveler, including face mask, eye protection,
disposable gloves and a gown to cover clothing.
"The CDC only recommends
the use of masks when assisting a passenger who may be showing symptoms of being
ill," Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex da Silva said. "We always carry masks
and gloves onboard our aircraft as part of our standard medical kits, which are
reserved for use when warranted."
But that doesn't go far enough,
according to the union, which would like flight attendants to be able to wear
masks at any time during Asia flights, beyond just time spent interacting with
someone who may be exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, which include fever, cough,
shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
"Hawaiian must allow and
provide masks and gloves to flight attendants during this outbreak, at the very
least on flights to and from Asia," Taylor Garland, spokesperson for AFA-CWA,
told USA TODAY. The airline does not fly to mainland China but does have Asia
flights.
Infectious-disease experts say a face mask can offer only
slight protection against airborne illness. A more effective defense against a
virus is washing your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after using the
restroom and before eating.
As of Monday, coronavirus had killed 362
people. There are 17,308 cases in mainland China with another 183 spread across
27 countries. There are now 11 confirmed cases in the United
States.
"They are still refusing to allow flight attendants to wear
masks," Garland said of the airline. "This is unacceptable." The request comes
ahead of a planned meet-up to "fight for a fair contract" at Hawaiian Airlines'
corporate offices on Tuesday, according to the union on Twitter.
Hawaiian
Airlines is "closely monitoring" developments surrounding the virus, da Silva
said, adding that the airline follows CDC guidance by making masks and gloves
available for use when warranted.
American Airlines said last month it
planned to allow flight attendants to wear face surgical masks on Hong Kong,
Beijing and Shanghai flights. That was before American, Delta and United - the
only three U.S. airlines that have nonstop China flights - canceled all mainland
China flights due to the outbreak.
Though the CDC isn't recommending that
airline crews wear masks, many American crew members were concerned and asked
about the mask policy, American spokesman Curtis Blessing said at the
time.
"As a result, we have adjusted our policy on a short-term basis as
the situation evolves,'' Blessing said in a statement.
The policy shift
came after the union representing American flight attendants put pressure on the
airline.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/02/03/coronavirus-hawaiian-airlines-not-letting-crew-wear-face-masks-union-says/4648100002/
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More Charges in Hansen Helo Fraud Case
The federal government is turning up the heat on
defendants in the Hansen Helicopters case in Guam. Last month the federal
government added new charges to indictments originally levied in 2018 covering a
plethora of federal aviation regulations violations. The new charges cover
aircraft parts fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, aircraft
registration violations, and employing an unlicensed pilot and mechanic. The
revised charges were levied against Hansen owner John Walker, and three company
employees-executive vice president Marvin Reed, director of operations Kenneth
Crowe, and director of maintenance Phillip Kapp-as well as a company vendor,
Randall Rodgers, of Valdosta, Georgia. Rodgers operates Vanguard Aviation and is
accused of providing Hansen with unairworthy helicopters and parts in 2015 and
2016.
According to the initial May 2018 indictment, beginning as early as
1997, Walker, Reed, Crowe, and Kapp circumvented U.S. aviation safety
regulations to maximize profits at Hansen Helicopters. They allegedly used
aircraft that had been deregistered-because they were destroyed, scrapped, or
otherwise deemed not airworthy-and concealed that fact in documents and records
submitted to the FAA.
Late last year Hansen defendant attorneys sought to
have the original indictments dismissed, arguing that the helicopters at the
nexus of the charges were registered to companies located in the Pacific tax
haven Vanuatu and operated in international waters off commercial tuna fishing
boats, and therefore outside U.S. jurisdiction. The attorneys also argued that
since the helicopters in question held invalid FAA registrations, they were
being operated outside the scope of FAA oversight authority. Hansen is
headquartered and operates a maintenance base in Harmon, Guam and has operated
in the U.S. territory since 1985.
Most of the charges in the original
indictment stem from an NTSB investigation of a 2015 fatal accident of a
Hansen-operated Hughes 369HS, N9068F, on a fish-spotting contract in the Pacific
near Manra Island, Kiribati. The NTSB determined, "The pilot did not hold a
pilot certificate issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration,
which is required to operate a U.S.-registered aircraft while in international
airspace." Nor could the NTSB locate any personal flight records for the pilot
at all, including a logbook. Both Crowe and Kapp are accused of lying to
investigators and falsifying records in connection with the investigation into
the crash, which killed the pilot.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2020-02-03/more-charges-hansen-helo-fraud-case
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ICAO Issues Travel Advice for Stakeholders and Public as
Novel Coronavirus Declared a Global Emergency
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
is continuing to assist in the coordination of the international response to the
Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak through the ICAO Collaborative
Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil
Aviation, or 'CAPSCA' network of governments and international
organizations.
ICAO is also directly transmitting Electronic Bulletins on
the Coronavirus to its Member States, and these are also made available for
public view on the CAPSCA website.
With the World Health Organization
(WHO) now classifying the Coronavirus as a Public Health Emergency of
International Concern (PHEIC), and in light of the fact that civilian air
transport is the most widely-used means of international travel, ICAO is
strongly urging its Member States to monitor the WHO website for updated
information and to adhere to the recommendations and guidance provided by the
WHO.
ICAO is also calling on governments to comply with ICAO's Standards
and Recommended Practices (SARPs) concerning the preparedness and management of
public health emergencies. These were detailed in ICAO's first Electronic
Bulletin dated 24 January.
States are also now being advised by ICAO to
implement multi-sector communication and to collaborate with all their relevant
stakeholders, at the national and international levels, to keep updated with
recent developments in both the aviation and public health sectors.
"ICAO
recognizes the urgent and important value of cooperation, coordination, and
reliable information to help control the international spread of contagious
outbreaks such as the Coronavirus," underscored the UN aviation agency's
Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu.
"The CAPSCA network is designed for this
purpose, and its information is made rapidly available to key global aviation,
medical, and travel organizations, as well as being posted online for prompt and
easy access by anyone in the world."
In addition to the WHO and other
public health response bodies such as the United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), CAPSCA members also include critical organizations
involved in the international movement of people and goods such as the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing scheduled
commercial airlines, and the Airports Council International (ACI) for global
airports.
ICAO and WHO outbreak advisories, in addition to separate
health and travel advice from CAPSCA members such as the US CDC, IATA, ACI, and
the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are also made freely available
to be consulted by any government, aviation company, or member of the general
public directly from the Coronavirus area of the CAPSCA website
https://www.hstoday.us/channels/global/icao-issues-travel-advice-for-stakeholders-and-public-as-novel-coronavirus-declared-a-global-emergency/
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FAA To Propose Safety Standards For Delivery
Drones
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning
to enact new standards for unmanned drones, which could be the first step toward
the eventual mainstream acceptance of deliveries via drones, according to
reports.
The proposal was disclosed on Monday (Feb. 3) in a Federal
Register filing. In the dry and technical language, Amazon scores a win, along
with other companies that want to use drones to deliver packages.
The
policy lays out a set of rules for drones similar to those used to regulate
gliders and other light-weight aircrafts. Under the new standards, the FAA
certifies the safety of some types of drones, and gives operators some leeway to
decide how they're flown. After a model is flown, the FAA would apparently allow
it to fly throughout the country if the required maintenance, pilot procedures
and other such things were checked off properly.
With the rules being
proposed in an official capacity, the FAA is moving to classify drones as a
"special class" of aircraft, which would give drones the kind of regulatory
certainty currently enjoyed by aircrafts like airliners, helicopters, business
jets and small private planes.
The FAA's standards don't specify a
timeline, and widespread drone delivery for common retail use is still years in
the future. There are still numerous issues that the FAA has admitted it needs
to work on, such as completing rules for the remote registration of hundreds of
thousands of drones used for commercial operations.
The proponents of
drone deliveries, like Amazon and other such companies, have argued that some
specific models of drones are needed for the promotion of a more rapid growth of
package delivery options. The FAA said it supports transitioning drones into
widespread use, along with airborne taxis. For now, though, this policy will be
the extent of its action.
Drones are increasingly being used to fly
medical products, grocery deliveries and more as the technology becomes more
advanced. |
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Flight Safety Information 
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