News
01 DEC - Report on Saab 340 loss of control accident released 02 DEC - NTSB to host forum on air cargo safety
03 DEC - Swearingen Metro cargo planes collide on Denver taxiway
07 DEC - East African Safari F-28 overshoots runway at Lokichoggio
12 DEC - November 2002 Luxair Fokker 50 crash report released
15 DEC - NTSB reports lowest number of open recommendations since 1975
17 DEC - Report: SIA tailstrike caused by miscalculated rotation speed
24 DEC - Namibian Cessna Caravan CFIT crash report released
24 DEC - FAA further delays SDR changes to 2006
27 DEC - China Airlines to pay 5 billion yen for 1994 crash
01 DEC 2003 Report on Saab 340 loss of control accident released [to table of contents]
The Swiss AAIB released the report of their investigation into the January 2000 crash of a Crossair Saab 340 near Zurich. The aircraft entered a spiral dive because the captain probably had lost spatial orientation after switching off the autopilot in IMC. Prior to that the first officer had made an incorrect entry into the FMS after a change in departure clearing. (BFU)
The NTSB will host a forum on safety issues related to the U.S. air cargo industry on March 30 - 31, 2004, at the new NTSB Academy in Ashburn, Virginia. The forum program will consist of presentations by industry and government representatives focused on four main topic areas - Operations, Maintenance, Human Factors, and Regulatory Requirements. (NTSB)
media release
03 DEC 2003 Swearingen Metro cargo planes collide on Denver taxiway [to table of contents] A Keylime Air Metro (N60U) struck a company Metro (N340AE) that was waiting on taxiway M for takeoff at Denver, CO. As much as 10 feet of the right wing of the trailing plane was severed, and its propeller struck and damaged the left wing of the plane ahead of it. The accident happened at 5:55 am. (FAA) 07 DEC 2003 East African Safari F-28 overshoots runway at Lokichoggio [to table of contents]
East African Safari Air Flight 812 from Nairobi overran the runway after landing at Lokichoggio. The Fokker F-28 went through a fence and came to rest in a ditch. Five of the 44 occupants were injured. (East African Standard) 12 DEC 2003 November 2002 Luxair Fokker 50 crash report released [to table of contents]
"According to the accident investigation report, the November 2002 Luxair Fokker 50 accident near Luxembourg Airport was caused by the pilot's override of the primary stop on the power levers during an improperly prepared approach. The propeller pitch went into beta mode, causing a decrease in speed and altitude from which recovery was not accomplished." (ASN)
ASN Accident Description
15 DEC 2003 NTSB reports lowest number of open recommendations since 1975 [to table of contents] "For the first time since 1975, the number of ""open"" safety recommendations on the National Transportation Safety Board's books has dipped below 1,000. Of the 989 open recommendations, 335 relate to aviation." (NTSB)
press release
17 DEC 2003 Report: SIA tailstrike caused by miscalculated rotation speed [to table of contents] Acording to N.Z. investigators, the March 2003 Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 tailstrike at Auckland occurred because the rotation speed was 33 knots less than the 163 knots required. The rotation speed had been mistakenly calculated for an aeroplane weighing 100 tonnes less than the actual weight. The system defences did not ensure the errors were detected, and the aeroplane flight management system itself did not provide a final defence against mismatched information being programmed into it. (TAIC)
Occurrence Report 03-003
24 DEC 2003 Namibian Cessna Caravan CFIT crash report released [to table of contents] According to the investigation report, the CFIT accident involving a Cessna Caravan on a night-time medevac flight in Namibia in June was caused by poor ground and sky illumination and the fact that the pilot's difficulty in seeing the instrument panel without his glasses. (The Namibian)
ASN accident description
24 DEC 2003 FAA further delays SDR changes to 2006 [to table of contents] The FAA is further delaying the effective date of a final rule that amends the Service Difficulty (SDR) reporting requirements for air carriers and repair station operators to January 2006. This action is prompted by the FAA's decision to address industry concerns about the final rule. Delaying the effective date of the final rule will allow the agency time for consideration of industry concerns. (Dept. of Transportation)
Document FAA-2000-7952-61
27 DEC 2003 China Airlines to pay 5 billion yen for 1994 crash [to table of contents] The Nagoya District Court ordered China Airlines to pay a combined 5 billion yen in compensation over the 1994 crash at Nagoya airport that killed 264 people. China Airlines announced that it accepted the ruling, saying it would not appeal. (Japan Times)
