News
01 JUL - Air China 767 suffers nose gear collapse at gate - Beijing 03 JUL - FAA raises safety rating for Dominican Republic
04 JUL - Indonesia commits to improving aviation safety - signs declaration with ICAO
04 JUL - Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi below security standards
09 JUL - Japan says Garuda`s safety satisfactory
11 JUL - FAA warns of Embraer jet transponder issue
13 JUL - NTSB investigating runway incursion in Fort Lauderdale
15 JUL - Whistleblowers: Troublesome ATC practices continue at Dallas/Fort Worth
17 JUL - Saudi Arabia may ban Indonesia airlines over safety
21 JUL - South Korea: PMT Air has safety problems, inspection shows
23 JUL - ECAC publishes annual SAFA report 2006
23 JUL - UK removes Mahan Air (Iran) licence over safety issues
24 JUL - FlyAir (Turkey) closely watched over safety issues
26 JUL - U.K.: decline in the number of Airprox
26 JUL - NTSB: Comair 5191 crew failed to use available cues to determine location during
31 JUL - ASC Taiwan releases factual report into near collision
01 JUL 2007 Air China 767 suffers nose gear collapse at gate - Beijing [to table of contents]
An Air China Boeing 767 suffered a nose gear collapse while at the gate at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, China. Boarding of Flight CA941, from Beijing to Dubai, had already taken place and 149 passengers were on board when the incident happened. One crew member and one passenger were slightly injured. (Economic Daily)
The U.S. FAA announced that the Dominican Republic complies with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following a reassessment of the country`s civil aviation authority on April 27, 2007. The Dominican Republic`s safety rating was raised from Category 2 to Category 1. A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, recordkeeping or inspection procedures. (FAA) 04 JUL 2007 Indonesia commits to improving aviation safety - signs declaration with ICAO [to table of contents]
Indonesia and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) signed a groundbreaking declaration whereby Indonesia commits to prompt and wide-ranging action for improving the safety of its civil aviation system. Under the terms of the Declaration, Indonesia will restructure the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, enact the required legal framework for it to better meet international safety obligations, ensure the required human and financial resources, and correct deficiencies identified by ICAO`s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme and other internal or external audits. Indonesia will also implement a proactive and systemic management of safety to comply, in a verifiable manner, with national requirements and ICAO international safety standards and industry best practices. This includes a commitment by Government authorities and the local air transport industry to foster transparency and the sharing of safety-related data to support the safety management process, under guidelines established by ICAO. Indonesia and ICAO have agreed to meet before the end of 2008 to assess progress and to agree onfurther action that may be necessary to achieve the aim of the declaration. (ICAO)
ICAO press release
04 JUL 2007 Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi below security standards [to table of contents] The Bangkok Post reports that security measures at Bangkok`s new Suvarnabhumi Sirport are below standard. This was concluded in an IATA safety study of the airport. The report found there are many spots in the passenger terminal where checked passengers can meet people who have not passed through security, from whom they can receive unchecked parcels or objects and then carry them on board aircraft. (Bangkok Post) 09 JUL 2007 Japan says Garuda`s safety satisfactory [to table of contents]
Satisfied with the results of a safety audit on Garuda Indonesia, Japan`s Civil Aviation Bureau (CAB) announced last week that the carrier was allowed to operate in the country. After a day-long audit, the CAB inspection team concluded that Garuda was committed to complying with Japan's airline security and safety regulations. (The Jakarta Post) 11 JUL 2007 FAA warns of Embraer jet transponder issue [to table of contents]
The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators calling attention to the possibility that a pilot of an Embraer Legacy, EMB-135 or -145 might inadvertently change VHF radio frequencies or place the ATC transponder into standby mode during flight. During an investigation the FAA discovered that crewmembers who had the simple habit of placing their shoe on the footrest just below the instrument panel could inadvertently put the ATC transponder into standby mode, or change radio frequencies without the crew's awareness. Further, they found that pilots might not notice the corresponding indication on the Pilot Flight Display due to the white colored letters, which are not as noticeable as differently colored caution or warning indications. (FAA)
SAFO 07005
13 JUL 2007 NTSB investigating runway incursion in Fort Lauderdale [to table of contents] The U.S. NTSB is investigating a runway incursion in Fort Lauderdale, FL in which two airliners may have come within 100 feet of each other. At about 14:30 on July 11, 2007, the crew of United Airlines flight 1544, an Airbus A-320, received taxi clearance from the terminal to runway 9L via taxiway T7. Delta Airlines flight 1489, a Boeing 757, arriving from Atlanta (ATL) was inbound for landing on runway 9L. As United was taxiing on taxiway D near runway 9L, the tower controller noticed the airplane was going too fast to hold short of the runway and told the ground controller to tell United to stop. United stopped on runway 9L, 30 feet from the centerline. As Delta flight 1489 was touching down on runway 9L, the tower controller instructed them to `go around.` The airplane became airborne and the tower controllers reported that Delta flew over UAL by less than 100 feet. Fort Lauderdale International Airport is not equipped with either a ground safety system such as an Airport Movement Area Safety System or Airport Surveillance Detection Equipment. The United crew stated that they missed the turn onto taxiway B. The FAA has classified this incident as a pilot deviation. (NTSB)
NTSB id.OPS07IA006B
15 JUL 2007 Whistleblowers: Troublesome ATC practices continue at Dallas/Fort Worth [to table of contents] Acting on disclosures by whistleblowers which cast doubt on the safety at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW), the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has directed the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to investigate. Air traffic controllers at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) allege that a management cover-up of air traffic control operational errors, first reported and investigated more than two years ago, continues today. An Operational Error occurs when air traffic controllers fail to maintain safe separation between aircraft under their control. In new disclosures it is alleged that FAA personnel at DFW are routinely identifying operational errors as pilot errors. In some cases, the whistleblowers say that managers have improperly interpreted FAA orders and directives to cover up operational errors. (U.S. Office of Special Counsel)
press release
17 JUL 2007 Saudi Arabia may ban Indonesia airlines over safety [to table of contents] Indonesia`s transport ministry had received a letter from Saudi Arabia`s General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA), warning of a possible ban since the body normally followed EU aviation policy. Because of strong ties between both countries GACA suggested a meeting to explore options and for Indonesia to explain the safety situation. Every year nearly half a million Indonesians travel to Saudi Arabia, mostly to perform the Muslim haj pilgrimage. (Reuters) 21 JUL 2007 South Korea: PMT Air has safety problems, inspection shows [to table of contents]
An inspection of foreign carriers serving South Korea showed that Cambodian airline PMT Air had unattended safety deficiencies. The inspection of seven foreign airlines by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) followed the crash of a PMT Air plane last month in southern Cambodia in which 13 South Korean tourists died. PMT Air topped the list with 10 deficiencies, followed by Russia's SAT Airlines and Cambodia's Royal Khmer Airlines, with seven and five safety problems respectively, the report said. PMT Air was cited because its crew captains, non-maintenance personnel, conducted safety maintenance checks 26 times over the past three months. The company was also found to have not updated its service route guidelines. SAT Airlines was found to have used non-standard parts in the front wheels of its aircraft, while Royal Khmer hasn't updated its service route guidelines. (Yonhap News) 23 JUL 2007 ECAC publishes annual SAFA report 2006 [to table of contents]
The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) published their 2006 annual report on the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) programme. During the year 2006, 34 European member states performed 7,458 ramp inspections. These inspections covered 822 different operators from 127 different states. The overall number of findings per inspection continues to show an increase. On the other hand, the relative increase in the number of Category 1 (minor) findings and relative decrease of Category 2 (significant) and 3 (major) findings may be an indication of an overall improvement in the level of deviation from the ICAO standard. (ECAC)
ECAC/JAA Programme for Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft - SAFA 2006
23 JUL 2007 UK removes Mahan Air (Iran) licence over safety issues [to table of contents] The UK has suspended Iranian airline Mahan Air`s operating permit on safety grounds, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said. The DfT said Mahan had been involved in incidents which suggested a poor level of operational control and planning. It also cited poor safety control, including some aircraft operating without collision avoidance systems. (BBC) 24 JUL 2007 FlyAir (Turkey) closely watched over safety issues [to table of contents]
The Dutch Transport and Water Management Inspectorate and Belgian Transport Ministry have issued a joint `early warning to the European Commission about the safety of Turkish charter airline FlyAir. The airline will be closely monitored in the Netherlands and Belgium. Inspections showed that FlyAir had some administrative shortcomings and for instance did not adhere to procedures relating to refueling and the boarding of passengers. (Transport and Water Management Inspectorate) 26 JUL 2007 U.K.: decline in the number of Airprox [to table of contents]
A report by the U.K. Airprox Board showed, during 2006, there was a total of 159 Airprox compared with 188 in 2005. Of these 159 incidents, 74 involved at least one Commercial Air Transport (CAT) aircraft compared with 87 in 2005. Six of the 74 incidents were judged as risk-bearing, the lowest number recorded in the period 1997 to 2006. There were no Category A (actual risk of collision) events involving CAT aircraft recorded in 2006. (CAA)
press release
26 JUL 2007 NTSB: Comair 5191 crew failed to use available cues to determine location during [to table of contents] The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the Comair flight 5191 accident in Lexington, Kentucky was the flight crew`s failure to use available cues and aids to identify the airplane`s location on the airport surface during taxi and their failure to cross check and verify that the airplane was on the correct runway before takeoff. Contributing to this accident were the flight crew`s nonpertinent conversation during taxi, which resulted in loss of positional awareness and the FAA`s failure to require that all runway crossings be authorized only by specific air traffic control clearances. (NTSB)
press release
31 JUL 2007 ASC Taiwan releases factual report into near collision [to table of contents] The Aviation Safety Council of Taiwan released a factual report of their investigation into the near collision of Far Eastern Air Transport Flight EF306, a Boeing 757 (B-27015) and Thai Airways Flight TG659, a Boeing 777 (HS-TKF). Under control of Incheon ACC flight EF306 was descending to FL 310 from FL390. While EF306 passed FL 338, the crew got a TCAS RA DESCEND warning. During the avoidance maneuver, the maximum negative g experienced was –1.06g and then reversed to +2.48g before level off at FL310. EF306 requested for an emergency landing because 4 passengers were seriously injured, 10 passengers and 6 cabin crew sustained minor injury, with the interior of the aircraft sustained minor damage. TG659 on board occupants sustained no injury and the aircraft sustained no damage. (ASC)
ASC Factual report
