News
01 JAN - Record low number of airliner accidents in 2003 02 JAN - NTSB issues recommendation on flight crew seatbelts
04 JAN - Chicago-O'Hare controller errors jump sharply
05 JAN - Crack found in main gear of another JAS MD-81
05 JAN - Malawi government: Mzuzu Airport wrongly and illegally positioned
07 JAN - Study: cockpits should be more human-friendly
07 JAN - Swiss want banned airlines to be named
08 JAN - U.K. will publish list of banned airlines
08 JAN - UK's airline blacklist published
08 JAN - USAF C-5 reportedly hit by missile near Baghdad
10 JAN - Probe: Austrian F70 engine ice impact trays separated
10 JAN - Two planes return to land at Guayaquil
13 JAN - EU calls for airline transparency
14 JAN - Swiss list aircraft banned over safety concerns
15 JAN - 2003 U.S. Counter-drug Caravan downed by engine failure
15 JAN - Iran Air Boeing 747SP suffers nose gear collapse at Beijing
16 JAN - Air safety new top priority in China
16 JAN - Dutch CAA issues Fokker 70/100 AD following F70 incident
19 JAN - P&W engine cracks ground JAS MD-81/87s
19 JAN - Australian near collision incident sparks call for air safety review
19 JAN - Air Malta A.320 collides with pylon while taxiing
20 JAN - Swiss compromise over naming banned aircraft
20 JAN - JAS grounds 12 jets with engine cracks
20 JAN - EU to agree on increased safety checks for foreign airlines
22 JAN - Transport Canada suspends AOC for Georgian Express
22 JAN - Lotus Air A.320 grounded at Paris-CDG after APU fire
23 JAN - FAA issues emergency AD on Embraer 135/145 rudders
27 JAN - Australian Aviation Self Reporting Scheme (ASRS) replaces CAIR
27 JAN - Transport Canada lifts restrictions on Georgian Express
28 JAN - ATSB releases report on Saab 340 in-flight loss of control after icing
29 JAN - EU stengthens rules on safety of foreign airlines
30 JAN - Confusion over possible plane crash in Nigeria
01 JAN 2004 Record low number of airliner accidents in 2003 [to table of contents]
The Aviation Safety Network released last year's airliner accident statistics showing a record low total of 25 fatal airliner accidents, killing a total of 677 passengers and crew members. Africa still is the most unsafe region. (ASN)
press release
Following several incidents the NTSB recommends to FAA to identify all airplanes equipped with unguarded flight crewmember rotary seatbelt buckles and require replacement with guarded buckles that cannot be inadvertently unlatched. (NTSB)
Safety Recommendation A-03-57
04 JAN 2004 Chicago-O'Hare controller errors jump sharply [to table of contents] Air traffic controllers at Chicago-O'Hare Airport made 13 errors in 2003, 10 more than the previous year according to federal officials. The errors generally mean planes have gotten too close together, although that doesn't mean they were about to collide, according to the FAA. (Chicago Sun-Times) 05 JAN 2004 Crack found in main gear of another JAS MD-81 [to table of contents]
A crack was found in the main landing gear of a Japan Air System (JAS) MD-81 jet, the same type of aircraft as the one whose left main gear collapsed on landing January 1. The finding prompted JAS to ground the aircraft and five other MD-81s it has not inspected, forcing the cancellation of 13 flights. (Mainichi) 05 JAN 2004 Malawi government: Mzuzu Airport wrongly and illegally positioned [to table of contents]
The Malawi government has said that Mzuzu Airport, where an Air Malawi Cessna 208 crashed into a minibus on takeoff Dec. 27 is wrongly and illegally positioned as it is at the heart of Mzuzu City and along a main road. Also, the airport has no fence and is not a restricted area. As a result, people, dogs and goats pass through the airport at will. The government intends to construct a new Mzuzu Airport in Ekwendeni within a period of nine to 12 months. (Nation Malawi) 07 JAN 2004 Study: cockpits should be more human-friendly [to table of contents]
Aircraft could achieve an even higher level of safety if cockpit designers took more of the psychological characteristics of pilots into account, according to Newcastle University researchers. They say that, during emergencies, pilots are overloaded with technical information which they are unable to process quickly enough. This could mean that wrong decisions are made at crucial moments – and these cannot be reversed. (Newcastle University)
press release
07 JAN 2004 Swiss want banned airlines to be named [to table of contents] A Swiss consumer group is urging the government to publish the names of airlines banned because of safety concerns. The Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) said it would reveal more information if it were not tied to a European (ECAC) aviation agreement. The call follows revelations that the Flash Airines B737 that crashed was one of 24 aircraft banned from Swiss airspace. (NZZ) 08 JAN 2004 U.K. will publish list of banned airlines [to table of contents]
The U.K. Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, will publish a list of airlines banned from flying in Britain because of safety concerns. Those that have had a licence refused or revoked in the past three years will be named in a written answer to a question from Tory MP David Wilshire. But five airlines blacklisted by other European countries will not be named. (BBC)
news article
08 JAN 2004 UK's airline blacklist published [to table of contents] A list of airlines from eight countries which are banned from flying in UK air space has been published. All aircraft operated by airlines from Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia and Tajikistan have been banned. The others on the blacklist are Sierra Leone's Star Air and Air Universal, Cameroon Airlines, Albanian Airlines and Central Air Express, from DR Congo. (BBC) 08 JAN 2004 USAF C-5 reportedly hit by missile near Baghdad [to table of contents]
The nr.4 engine of a US Air Force Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo plane carrying 63 passengers and crew was apparently hit by a missile as it took off from Baghdad airport a senior US defense official said. The plane landed safely back at Baghdad. (AFP) 10 JAN 2004 Probe: Austrian F70 engine ice impact trays separated [to table of contents]
Preliminary investigation results show that the engine ice impact trays of both engines of the Austrian Airlines Fokker 70 that crash-landed near Munich, had separated and had been ingested by the engines a couple of minutes after the pilots switched on the engine anti-icing system. (BFU)
accident description
10 JAN 2004 Two planes return to land at Guayaquil [to table of contents] An American Airlines Airbus A.300 (N80058, flight 952) returned to land at Guayaquil, Ecuador following nr.2 engine bird strike at 600ft after takeoff. A few hours later a Fine Air Boeing 747 cargo plane returned to land at Guayaquil as well, for unkown reasons. (El Universo) 13 JAN 2004 EU calls for airline transparency [to table of contents]
The European Union should make more airline information available to enhance safety, the European transport commissioner Loyola de Palacio has told MEPs. She also called for holidaymakers to be told which airline they were booked on. (BBC) 14 JAN 2004 Swiss list aircraft banned over safety concerns [to table of contents]
The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation released part of a list of aircraft operated by several airlines which had been barred from Switzerland after checks revealed deficiencies. The Swiss list named aicraft operated by Silk Way of Azerbaijan, Hemus Air of Bulgaria, JR Executive of Lebanon/United States, Premium Air Shuttle of Nigeria, Dniproavia of Ukraine and GIR Jet of Spain. (Bundesamt für Zivilluftfahrt,)
press release
15 JAN 2004 2003 U.S. Counter-drug Caravan downed by engine failure [to table of contents] A report by the US Southern Command states that the U.S. Cessna 208 Caravan that crashed in Colombia while on an counter-drug intelligence operation on February 13, 2003, crashed because of an engine failure instead of ground fire by FARC rebels as previously assumed. (The Times-Picayune) 15 JAN 2004 Iran Air Boeing 747SP suffers nose gear collapse at Beijing [to table of contents]
Iran Air's Boeing 747SP EP-IAC, operating on flight IR800 from Tehran to Tokyo via Beijing, suffered problems with the hydraulic system shortly after departing Beijing. The plane returned to land, during which the nose gear collapsed. None of the 154 passengers and 26 crew members were injured. (Xinhua) 16 JAN 2004 Air safety new top priority in China [to table of contents]
Air safety control has become the top priority on the agenda of General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) in its reform efforts for the nation's civil aviation industry in 2004. A three-tiered safety regulation spelling out responsibilities for top, regional and local safety supervision offices is to be set up and a system is to be established to inspect operational safety of foreign airlines that serve Chinese destinations to issue them operational standards. (China Daily) 16 JAN 2004 Dutch CAA issues Fokker 70/100 AD following F70 incident [to table of contents]
The Dutch CAA issued a Fokker 70/100 airworthiness directive in the wake of the Austrian Airlines Fokker 70 incident at Munich. To prevent further occurrences of engine ice impact tray separation, the AD (BLA 2004-004) requires an AFM amendment with specific procedures for operation in icing conditions. (Civil Aviation Authority Netherlands)
press release
19 JAN 2004 P&W engine cracks ground JAS MD-81/87s [to table of contents] Japan Air System (JAS) canceled more than a fourth of its flights to inspect the Pratt and Whitney engines on its MD-87 and MD-81 aircraft. The action follows two incidents involving JAS MD-81 and MD-87 engine problems on Jan. 6 and 7. Inspections of the two planes turned up cracks in a compressor in their engines and prompted the airline to check all 25 aircraft of the same type. (AP) 19 JAN 2004 Australian near collision incident sparks call for air safety review [to table of contents]
The Australian ATSB investigation has classified the airspace incident near Launceston on 24 December as a serious incident and has recommended a review of certain aspects of NAS airspace implementation in Class E airspace including education, training and chart frequency material. The investigation found that a B737 on IFR descent into Launceston had to initiate an immediate climb to avoid a potential collision with a Socata Tobago travelling under VFR at an altitude of about 7,500 feet in the opposite direction. (ATSB)
Air Safety Occurrence Report 200305235
19 JAN 2004 Air Malta A.320 collides with pylon while taxiing [to table of contents] "An Air Malta Airbus A.320 (9H-ABQ) was damaged when the right wing hit a pylon on the apron while it was taxiing prior to take-off. The incident happened at Luqa airport as the aircraft was preparing for the evening flight KM642 to Catania. None of the 27 passengers and six crew members on board was injured." (The Times of Malta) 20 JAN 2004 Swiss compromise over naming banned aircraft [to table of contents]
Switzerland’s Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) are to reveal information about blacklisted aircraft, but only if asked by passengers. The service is only available to passengers who can prove they are due to travel on the flight in question. (NZZ) 20 JAN 2004 JAS grounds 12 jets with engine cracks [to table of contents]
Japan Air System (JAS) found engine cracks on twelve out of the sixteen MD-81/87 planes checked thus far. In total, 13 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217 engines out of 29 checked had cracks, JAS said. Three planes that were found with one faulty engine, and thus subject to grounding anyway, did not have the other engine checked in the interests of saving time. (AFP) 20 JAN 2004 EU to agree on increased safety checks for foreign airlines [to table of contents]
The Council, the Parliament and the European Commission reached an agreement on the draft Directive concerning the safety of third-country aircraft using EU airports. The agreement should be officially endorsed on 27 January. The directive is designed to put in place safety checks for third-country aircraft using EU airports and provides for the grounding of aircrafts if they do not comply with international safety standards. There are also provisions for better information gathering and sharing between EU aviation authorities and for the publication of an annual public report to help air travellers make an informed choice of airline. (EurActiv)
news article
22 JAN 2004 Transport Canada suspends AOC for Georgian Express [to table of contents] Transport Canada today announced the suspension of Georgian Express Ltd.'s Air Operator Certificate, effective immediately. The decision to suspend the AOC was based on the review of the company's documentation and the department's assessment of the preliminary information following the January 17, 2004, fatal accident involving a Cessna 208B Caravan at Pelee Island. (Transport Canada)
news release
22 JAN 2004 Lotus Air A.320 grounded at Paris-CDG after APU fire [to table of contents] Lotus Air flight 6042 from Cairo to Paris-CDG suffered an APU fire after arrival. The plane, Airbus A.320 SU-LBE, was grounded as personnel also discovered a 40cm hole in the fuselage and after electrical wiring was found on the runway. Reporedly the captain refused to file an incident report and wanted to return to Cairo because he did not have any instrument indications of APU problems. (le Parisien) 23 JAN 2004 FAA issues emergency AD on Embraer 135/145 rudders [to table of contents]
The FAA issued an emergency AD, requiring operators of Embraer 135 and 145 regional jets to inspect the aft rudder control rods and replace them if discrepancies are found. The action is taken following an incident in which an Emb-135 experienced rudder control difficulties during takeoff because the upper and lower control rods for the aft rudder section had failed. (FAA)
AD 2004-02-51
27 JAN 2004 Australian Aviation Self Reporting Scheme (ASRS) replaces CAIR [to table of contents] A new voluntary and confidential aviation reporting system introduced by the Australian Government, entitled the Aviation Self Reporting Scheme (ASRS), is scheduled to begin operation on 21 February 2004. The ASRS will replace the Confidential Aviation Incident Reporting (CAIR) scheme. (ATSB)
media release
27 JAN 2004 Transport Canada lifts restrictions on Georgian Express [to table of contents] Transport Canada today announced the reinstatement of Georgian Express Ltd.'s Air Operator Certificate, effective immediately. The special purpose audit conducted by Transport Canada over the past few days has confirmed that the company has systems in place enabling it to meet all requirements. Transport Canada has increased the frequency of inspection of the air operator and will continue to monitor Georgian Express' operations closely. (Transport Canada)
News release No. ON 02/04
28 JAN 2004 ATSB releases report on Saab 340 in-flight loss of control after icing [to table of contents] "A final ATSB investigation report into a serious incident involving a Saab 340 in June 2002 has found that pilots lost control because of low airspeed, airframe icing and the operation of the aircraft autopilot system, and that they did not receive a prior stall warning. As a result of this serious incident and an ATSB report released in May 2001 into a similar serious incident, the ATSB has made further safety recommendations to operators, to Saab, and to CASA." (ATSB)
media release
29 JAN 2004 EU stengthens rules on safety of foreign airlines [to table of contents] The European Council and the Parliament reached an agreement in conciliation on increasing the safety of foreign aircraft using EU airports. The proposal requires Member States to notify the Commission when an aircraft inspection reveals safety risks. The Commission will be able (through the committee procedure - comitology) to extend a national ban or restriction to the whole territory of the EU. There are also provisions for the publication of an annual public report by the Commission indicating increased safety risks to air travellers. (Euractiv)
news article with links
30 JAN 2004 Confusion over possible plane crash in Nigeria [to table of contents] The Nigerian minister of Aviation denied media reports of a plane crash in the waters off Lagos. Eyewitnesses reported having seen a twin-engine plane crash into the sea, but no trace of wreckage has been found. Also, no operators have reported a missing plane. (This Day)
