AIR SAFETY WEEK :: FEBRUARY 18, 2008

Union and Consumer Group Criticize Airline Maintenance Outsourcing
A powerful labor union and a consumer group have called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to do a better job monitoring aircraft maintenance performed overseas. The call came from the Teamsters Union and the Business Travel Coalition, which co-sponsored a national summit on aircraft maintenance...

Philippines Vows to Boost Air Safety
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo recently fired the country's aviation chief and ordered improvements in aviation safety within three months. This action was taken after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) citing "serious concerns" ruled that the Philippines no longer complies with...

Airport Safety: Magnetic Fingerprinting In The Fog?
By monitoring tiny fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field caused by a passing plane, a team of European researchers believe they have developed an innovative system to increase airport safety even in the worst weather conditions. Using magnetic field detectors, a team of researchers, led by Uwe Hartmann...

Turbulence Blamed in Fatal CAP Crash
Strong winds and turbulence played a role in the fatal crash of a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cessna 182R (N6109N) that killed three people in the Big Horn Mountains near Dayton, Wyoming on Aug. 20, 2007, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The National Transportation Safety Board...

New Simulators for U.S. Controller Training
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will install new air traffic tower simulators at 19 locations around the country to help train new air traffic controllers in an operational environment. The new simulators will be deployed over the next 18 months at airport towers nationwide. The FAA will install an...

Jetstream Landing Incident Produces Recommendations
British air accident investigators have made a series of recommendations after a landing gear mishap at Wick Airport, Caithness, Scotland on Oct. 3, 2006. The crew of the Eastern Airways British Aerospace Jetstream 3202 (G-BUVC) was unaware the landing gear was not in the down position when they attempted to...

TSA Tests Airport Employee Screening at Seven U.S. Airports
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says seven airports will take part in airport employee screening pilot projects as a requirement of the Omnibus Appropriations Act passed by Congress in January 2008. Airline pilots want to be part of the project. TSA will test various screening techniques for...

Accidents & Incidents
Date Aircraft Type Narrative Death/Injury Remarks "On 4 November 2007, a Boeing 7772D7 aircraft, registered HS-TJW, was being operated by Thai Air on a scheduled passenger service from Bangkok, Thailand, to Melbourne, Vic, with 17 crew and 277 passengers on board. During a non-directional beacon (NDB)...

Significant Regulatory Activity
The European Aviation Safety Agency has handed the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority 26 notices of deficiencies, based on inspections carried out last November. Two of the warnings are for serious incidents. The Finnish Civil Aviation Authority emphasizes that passenger safety was never at risk...

Safety News in Brief
AIRPORT FIRE-RESCUE USA 5th International Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Conference & Exhibits program is being held on May 5-7th at the Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For a speakers/topics list: AFJ2008ConfenceSpeakers.pdf can be viewed on the website...

Security Roundup
Date Incident 13 Feb The European Commission on Wednesday said it plans to fingerprint all inbound foreigners visiting Europe's 24-nation border-free area as part of a plan to fight terrorism, illegal migration and organized crime. The plan, which would create an entry/exit electronic register, could take...