SafeSkies Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 6
SAFESKIES NEWSLETTER
Volume 1, No. 6
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October 15, 2009
In this Issue
- Latest News from SafeSkies
- Industry News
LATEST NEWS FROM SAFESKIES
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Welcome to the sixth issue of the SafeSkies Newsletter.
By now we hope you have all had the opportunity to view the Fifth Estate season opener, "Riding on Risk", to read the Walrus article "Fly At Your Own Risk" and that you are aware of the Notice of Motion presented to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities by NDP Transport Critic Dennis Bevington. Please see the SafeSkies "Latest News" for more information and links.
As noted in our Urgent message dated October 7th, we encourage our readers to contact the SCOTIC with respect to the Motion. Please see http://safeskies.ca/content/letter_to_scotic to view the submission prepared by SafeSkies. Information on how to contact SCOTIC members can be found on the new page, http://safeskies.ca/content/scotic-committee.
Whether or not the Motion passes on October 19th, collection of signatures for the Petition for a judicial inquiry into aviation safety oversight will continue. Please do not forget to download the petition and follow the instructions found here: http://safeskies.ca/content/sign_the_petition.
Past Newsletters have suggested several ways in which visitors and supporters can help SafeSkies reach their objectives. As a result, a new page has been added to the website. Please visit http://safeskies.ca/content/how_you_can_help and let us know if you can help.
Please send your comments, questions and story ideas to Kirsten.stevens@safeskies.ca.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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FROM CANADA
We regret to report two fatal accidents since the beginning of October.
The first took place on October 3rd when 70-year-old Tom Capstick's Spezio Sport crashed at Summerside, PEI after reporting problems. The TSB Occurrence number and Class of Investigation have not yet been added to the CADORS. Please see http://safeskies.ca/content/2009A0949 for more information.
The second accident took place on October 11th. Kevin and Laurie Houle, their daughter Emily and her boyfriend Michael Rollins were all killed when their privately-registered Piper PA28R 180 crashed in Algonquin Park after a Thanksgiving weekend visit to family. TSB information is not yet available. Please see http://safeskies.ca/content/2009O2284 for more information.
We wish to express our condolences to those affected by these most recent tragedies.
This brings us to a total of 22 accidents of Canadian registered aircraft leading to 34 fatalities since the Air Safety Round Table in April. Please see http://safeskies.ca/content/fatal for a complete list.
On October 14th, the TSB released its Final Report into the fatal medevac crash at Sandy Bay, SK on January 7, 2007. The TSB report indicates lapses in Standard Operating Procedures, Cockpit Cross-Gradient, operational control and Transport Canada oversight during SMS implementation, among other concerns. The TSB has recommended Transport Canada require Crew Resource Management training for pilots under subpart 703 air taxi and subpart 704 commuter. Industry insiders have already expressed concern that Transport Canada will deal with these issues through SMS, rather than through regulation. The Report has been posted to the TSB website at http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2007/a07c0001/a07c0001.asp.
"A damning report about a fatal 2007 plane crash in northern Saskatchewan was released Wednesday, taking aim at the airstrip, the private airline, federal regulators and the pilots themselves." Full article here: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Many+parties+blamed+plane+crash/2104976/story.html
According to this link, http://www.newstalk980.com/story/20091014/23852, the TSB has also released its final report into the August 18th fatal ultralight crash at Corman Air Park, SK (details here: http://safeskies.ca/content/2009c2273). According the the link, there were structural failures, but due to lack of records for home-builts there is "little else to go on".
Our sympathies go out to the loved ones who are reliving their losses with the release of TSB final reports.
In other news, at a recent Air Line Pilots Association (Canada) convention, Capt. Dan Adamus remarked, "It promises to be another busy year. From jumpseat issues to defending cockpit voice recorders and unwarranted discipline to pilots due to improper interpretation of the Safety Management System (SMS). We have a lot of work to do." See: http://www.alpa.org/portals/alpa/pressroom/pressreleases/2009/CanadaBd_10-1-09.htm.
In addition, the Air Canada Pilots Association is calling on Transport Canada to implement updated fatigue regulations, rather than relying solely in the SMS-based Fatigue Risk Management System. According to the National Post article found here, http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=2079534, "The federal government has said they lacked the scientific data to update the current regulations, and would not commit to the Nov. 19 (International Civil Aviation Organization Directive) deadline ... "
As a final note, on October 14th an Air Transat Airbus 310 made an emergency landing in Newfoundland after the windshield burst over the Atlantic Ocean. Article here: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289987,airbus-makes-emergency-landing-in-canada-windshield-broken.html
FROM THE UNITED STATES
==>House Passes Bill to Toughen Regulations on Pilot Training, Qualifications and Hours<==
WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to toughen regulations on pilot training, qualifications and work schedules, a response to a fatal crash in upstate New York in February and other accidents involving regional airlines.
The bill, which was approved 409-11, would require all pilots that fly for a passenger-carrying airline to have an Air Transport Pilot certificate, effectively raising the number of flying hours an entry-level airline pilot must have from the current 250 hours to 1,500 hours.
The bill allows the FAA to credit course work at specific flight training schools toward the requirements for receiving an Air Transport certificate. The schools had expressed concern that would-be pilots would skip the schooling to concentrate on accumulating flying time.
The sponsors of the bill, Reps. James Oberstar, D-Minn., and Jerry Costello, D-Ill., have said that by boosting the experience required to become a pilot, they hope to indirectly increase the salaries of regional airline pilots. If airlines have to pay higher salaries to attract more experienced pilots, that will increase the overall caliber of pilots in the profession, they reasoned.
The bill also requires the Federal Aviation Administration to update rules governing how many hours airlines may require a pilot to fly before the pilot is permitted rest. Airlines would also have to put in place fatigue risk management plans — programs that use scientific research on fatigue to assess pilot hours and alert airlines to schedules that are likely to induce fatigue.
FAA would also be required to ensure airlines conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening of prospective pilots, create mentoring programs between experienced pilots and newly hired pilots, and provide remedial training for pilots who have performed poorly on skills tests.
Pilots would also have to be trained to recover from a full stall. Until recently, training at many airlines have emphasized avoiding conditions that lead to a stall, with little hands on experience in how to recover from one.
"This is the strongest aviation safety bill considered since the creation of the FAA in 1958," Costello said.
Read the whole article here: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ap/house-passes-bill-to-toughen-regulations-on-pilot-training-qualifications-and-hours-64261397.html
==>Is 2009 Becoming a Record Year for Airplane/Airliner Crashes?<==
Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt recently called for the need to “step up professionalism” in citing crashes that occurred due to preventable negligence. “The biggest factor I think for all of aviation is the need to step up professionalism in the workplace,” Mr. Babbitt said in prepared remarks. “It’s definitely there in the vast majority of the aviation workforce, but it’s not uniform throughout the industry.”
There are few professions where the consequences of lack of professionalism on human life are greater than with flying an airplane. Throw in bad weather, long commutes, inexperience, low wages, sleep deprivation and antiquated rules, and you have a recipe that is sure to produce some disasters.
Read the whole article here: http://miami.injuryboard.com/mass-transit-accidents/is-2009-is-becoming-a-record-year-for-airplaneairliner-crashes.aspx?googleid=272266
==>FAA Proposes $9.2 Million in Fines for United, US Airways<==
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it proposed $9.2 million in civil penalties against United Airlines and US Airways for allegedly operating planes that weren't in compliance with their own maintenance procedures or federal airworthiness directives.
The agency said it is proposing a $5.4 million fine against US Airways Group Inc. for allegedly operating eight aircraft on nearly 1,700 flights from October 2008 to January 2009 while the planes were out of compliance with regulations or procedures.
The FAA alleged that United, a unit of UAL Corp., operated a Boeing 737 on more than 200 flights between February and April of 2008 after the carrier violated its own maintenance procedures on one of the plane's engines. The agency is proposing a $3.8 million fine against United.
Read the whole article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204574473324211809970.html
FROM OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA
==>Pilots and Cabin Crew Demonstrate Over EU Duty Rules<==
Pilots and cabin crew from 36 nations are protesting today over European Union plans for new flight and duty time regulations that crews believe will raise the risk of fatigue-induced accidents.
Members of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) European representative body, the European Cockpit Association, together with colleagues from the European Transport Workers' Federation, are demonstrating at airports across the continent against both the current and proposed regulations.
IFALPA today reiterated its opposition to the current EU stance on new flight and duty time regulations, which it says ignore independent, EU-funded research into fatigue factors affecting aircrew.
Read the whole article here: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/10/05/333079/pilots-and-cabin-crew-demonstrate-over-eu-duty-rules.html
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CONTACT US
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