[simpits-chat] Fwd: Fw: Flight Safety Information (08JAN03-009) (fwd)

[Gene Buckle]

>Flight Safety Information (08JAN03-009)
>_________________________________
>
>*Tajik jet makes emergency landing in Kazakhstan
>*Russian jet with hundreds aboard returns to airport
>after technical problem
>*United pilots approve 29 percent pay cut
>*After two days of weather woes, Copenhagen airport heads back to normal
>*Plane Skids Off Runway At Hopkins Airport
>*Northwest Retires Its Boeing 727 Fleet
>*United Airlines Issues Statement on Emergency Landing
>*Lockheed Martin Delivers First F/A-22 Raptor for the Air Force's
>Air Warfare Center
>*ANA, United to double code-sharing flights to 510
>*Afghan Plane in Bomb Scare Lands Safely
>*NATCA, FAA Reach Tentative Deal on Two-Year Contract Extension
>*Seats Empty As Flights Link Taiwan, China
>*Links of Interest
>*Today in History
>***********************************************
>
>Tajik jet makes emergency landing in Kazakhstan
>
>MOSCOW - A Tajik jet carrying 24 passengers made an emergency landing at
an
>airport in Kazakhstan after the pilots discovered a minor malfunction in
its
>hydraulic systems, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency reported Tuesday.
Nobody
>was hurt.
>
>The twin-engine Yak-40 of the Tajikistan's state airline had taken off
from
>the Kazakh city of Almaty on a flight to Kurgan-Tyube in Tajikistan on
>Monday when the problem was discovered, the news agency said. The plane
>returned to Almaty.
>
>The Russian-made jet had been refueled and serviced before taking off,
>ITAR-Tass reported. A commission was investigating the incident.
>****************
>
>Russian jet with hundreds aboard returns to airport after technical
problem
>
>MOSCOW - A Russian jet headed for Thailand with 357 people on board
returned
>to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on Tuesday after suffering a
>technical problem, officials said.
>
>The Ural Airlines Il-86 returned to Yekaterinburg nearly five hours
taking
>off en route to U-Tapao Airport in Thailand, said the airline's deputy
>director, Vladimir Chikilyov. He said one of the plane's four hydraulic
>systems was not working properly.
>
>Nobody was hurt, and most of the 337 passengers headed for vacations in
>Thailand were put on another plane that left later Tuesday, Chikilyov
said.
>Two of the passengers decided not to take the flight.
>
>Chikilyov said the malfunction was not dangerous because the plane has
three
>backup systems, but that the pilots decided to return anyway. There were
20
>crew members aboard.
>
>The only serious crash of an Il-86 came last August when a plane went
down
>just after taking off from Moscow, killing 14 of the 16 crew members
aboard.
>
>Officials said that crash might have been caused by pilot error or a
>technical problem.
>***************
>
>United pilots approve 29 percent pay cut
>
>CHICAGO - United Airlines' pilots have approved the 29 percent interim
pay
>cuts proposed by the carrier as part of its push to slash costs heavily
in
>bankruptcy, the pilots' union said Tuesday.
>
>Totals from the weeklong voting were not announced.
>
>The 8,800 pilots are the first of United's employee groups to approve
wage
>cuts and, as the highest-paid, will see the most taken out of their
>paychecks even if other unions follow suit. While longer-term reductions
are
>negotiated, they will give up scheduled raises and take immediate pay
cuts.
>
>United's flight attendants also have been voting since last week on
whether
>to accept a 9 percent wage reduction, as agreed to by union leaders. Two
>smaller unions, representing flight dispatchers and meteorologists, also
are
>conducting ratification votes.
>
>Results from those votes are expected to be announced Wednesday.
>
>The Machinists' union, however, has objected to United's proposal that
its
>members take 13 percent pay cuts, saying the company has not provided
>sufficient evidence that double-digit reductions are needed.
>
>United says it must reduce wages by $2.4 billion a year through 2008. It
>plans to file a response to the machinists in federal bankruptcy court
on
>Wednesday.
>
>Bankruptcy Judge Eugene Wedoff then is expected to rule later this week
on
>whether to impose the pay reductions on the machinists ¯ 37,000
mechanics,
>baggage handlers and other ground workers.
>
>United has said that if Wedoff doesn't impose the pay reductions on the
>machinists or any other union fails to ratify them, it will begin the
legal
>process of nullifying the labor contracts and imposing new ones.
>
>Top leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
>Workers began negotiating with the company Tuesday in Chicago, although
a
>spokesman said there was no change in the union's opposition to United's
>proposed temporary cuts.
>
>United, the world's second-largest carrier, filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy
>protection on Dec. 9 after losing $4 billion since the middle of 2000.
It
>hopes to emerge from bankruptcy sometime next year.
>*******************
>
>After two days of weather woes, Copenhagen airport heads back to normal
>
>COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Traffic at Copenhagen's international airport
returned
>to normal Tuesday, after two days of heavy snow and strong winds that
left
>more than a hundred flights canceled and thousands of passengers
stranded.
>
>Snow and gusts of up to 60 kph (37 mph) forced the cancellation of 115
>flights out of the Danish capital Sunday and Monday, said Hans Christian
>Stigaard, the airport's traffic manager. There were delays of up to 20
hours
>and more than 2,500 passengers were stranded.
>
>Stigaard said a combination of heavy snow and strong southeastern winds
>forced the airport to use only one of its three runways. Neary 15
>centimeters (six inches) of snow fell Sunday and Monday over Copenhagen.
>
>After the snow stopped midday Monday, the Nordic region's hub airport
>continued to struggle with removing snow from taxiing lanes and parking
>areas for planes. To let the backlog of planes on the ground depart, all
>landings were briefly suspended Monday afternoon.
>
>However, Scandinavian Airlines System said Tuesday it was still
experiencing
>delays and expected to be back to normal Friday. Most SAS planes out of
>Copenhagen would be delayed, said SAS spokesman Thomas Brinch.
>******************
>
>Plane Skids Off Runway At Hopkins Airport
>
>A plane has skidded off the runway at Cleveland Hopkins International
>Airport.
>
>A Continental Express jet, Flight 2051 from Hartford, Conn., experienced
>trouble landing at the airport. Its nose gear collapsed and the plane
>skidded off the runway.
>
>There were 51 passengers on board. No one was hurt in the incident,
airport
>officials said.
>
>The runway has been closed and several flight delays are being reported
>because of the incident. Delays could be as much as an hour for arriving
>flights. Check with your airline before leaving for the airport.
>
>The plane landed on the new runway, 6 Left, at Hopkins. A navigation
device
>was damaged in the accident.
>
>Engineers are evaluating the problem, but an airport worker said that
all
>NAVAIDS were damaged. They are the electronic navigational aids on the
>runway. They control the radar and lighting. It reportedly could take
months
>to repair.
>
>The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
>******************
>
>Northwest Retires Its Boeing 727 Fleet
>
>MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northwest Airlines
(Nasdaq:
>NWAC - News) today announced that it retired the last aircraft of its
Boeing
>727 fleet from scheduled service when flight 560 arrived at
Minneapolis-St.
>Paul International Airport from Denver at 9:38 a.m., CST.
>
>Northwest began operating the three-engine 727 aircraft in 1964 with the
>original 727-100, an earlier and shorter version of the 727-200 aircraft
>retired today. Its 727 fleet eventually grew to as many as 92 727s. In
June
>1999, Northwest announced that it would retire its 727-200 fleet and
replace
>it with quieter, more efficient Airbus A319s and A320s. The airline
>currently operates 76 A320s and 57 A319s. With 133 aircraft in total,
the
>A320/319 is now the airline's second largest fleet type.
>
>"Replacing the Boeing 727 with the A319/A320 aircraft family provides
>customers with added space and comfort, reduced noise levels in the
>communities we serve, and allows Northwest to operate a more
cost-efficient
>and reliable fleet," said Tim Rainey, senior vice president flight
>operations and System Operations Control.
>
>Because the A319 and A320 are members of one aircraft family, training
and
>scheduling of flight and cabin crew for both aircraft types is nearly
>identical, creating efficiencies for Northwest. The aircraft
similarities
>also allow Northwest to seamlessly replace one aircraft with the other
to
>adjust to customer demand and meet maintenance requirements.
>
>Simplifying fleet types is an important step in Northwest's continuing
cost
>reduction efforts. Transiting from five domestic fleet types to three
>including the 757 (-200 and -300), Airbus A319/320, and DC-9 (-10, -30,
-40,
>-50), will move Northwest closer to achieving its goal of becoming the
>lowest operating cost major hub and spoke air carrier in the United
States.
>
>Northwest retired its DC10-40 fleet late last year.
>
>Rainey added, "The Boeing 727 served us well at Northwest. It was a
great
>pilot's aircraft and played a significant role in the development of
today's
>commercial air transportation system by enabling all-weather jet service
to
>smaller communities. The 727 was among the first of the passenger jet
>aircraft able to arrive and depart on shorter runways than the first
>commercial jetliners such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8."
>
>The 727 entered service in 1964. Boeing built 1,832 aircraft through
1984.
>
>Northwest Airlines is the world's fourth largest airline with hubs at
>Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and
>approximately 1,500 daily departures. With its travel partners,
Northwest
>serves nearly 750 cities in almost 120 countries on six continents. In
2002,
>consumers from throughout the world recognized Northwest's efforts to
make
>travel easier. A 2002 J.D. Power and Associates study ranked airports at
>Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul, home to Northwest's two largest hubs,
tied
>for second place among large domestic airports in overall customer
>satisfaction. Business travelers who subscribe to OAG print and
electronic
>flight guides rated nwa.com as the best airline Web site. Readers of TTG
>Asia and TTG China named Northwest "Best North American airline."
>***************
>
>United Airlines Issues Statement on Emergency Landing
>
>CHICAGO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines has confirmed one of its
>flights had an emergency landing at Los Angeles International airport
after
>the flight crew reported a problem with one of the aircraft's 10 tires.
The
>flight landed safely and without incident at 7:36pm PST.
>
>UA 16, a 767-200, carrying 75 passengers and 11 crew members, originated
in
>Los Angeles and was bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in
New
>York. The flight departed Los Angeles at 4:00pm PST and was scheduled to
>arrive in New York at 12:04am EST.
>
>United is planning to reaccomodate the passengers on another aircraft
with a
>scheduled departure time of 9:00pm PST with an estimated arrival time in
New
>York of 5:37am EST.
>
>SOURCE United Airlines
>*****************
>
>Lockheed Martin Delivers First F/A-22 Raptor for the Air Force's Air
Warfare
>Center
>
>MARIETTA, Ga., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Lockheed Martin led
>F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter team has delivered its first
aircraft --
>Raptor 4012 -- to the U.S. Air Force's Air Warfare Center (AWFC) with
the
>recent signing of formal acceptance documents here by government
officials.
>The aircraft will soon be flown to AWFC's 422nd Test & Evaluation
Squadron
>at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada.
>
>"Lockheed Martin is proud to deliver the first of several F/A-22 Raptors
for
>use by the Air Warfare Center," said Ralph Heath, Lockheed Martin
>Aeronautics Company executive vice president and F/A-22 program general
>manager. This delivery also marks the first F/A-22 delivery to Air
Combat
>Command, the lead command for continental U.S.-based fighter, bomber and
UAV
>aircraft operated by the Air Force.
>
>At Nellis, Raptor 12 -- the twelfth F/A-22 built -- will be used
initially
>to teach Operational Test pilots and maintenance personnel how to safely
and
>effectively fly and repair the aircraft. Eventually, AWFC pilots will
use
>Raptor 12 (Air Force serial number 00-012) and the other seven F/A-22s
>assigned to the unit to develop the tactics, techniques and procedures
for
>the entire Combat Air Forces (CAF). In addition, these aircraft will be
used
>to train the initial cadre of Air Education and Training Command
instructor
>pilots stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
>
>The F/A-22 Raptor is built by Lockheed Martin in partnership with
Boeing,
>powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, and made from parts and subsystems
>provided by approximately 1,200 subcontractors and suppliers in 46
states.
>Principal aircraft production activities take place at Lockheed Martin
>facilities in Marietta, Ga., Fort Worth, Texas, and Palmdale, Calif., as
>well as at Boeing's plant in Seattle, Wash. The engines are built in
East
>Hartford, Conn.
>
>Final assembly and initial flight testing of the Raptor occurs at the
>Marietta factory, production headquarters for the F/A-22 program's
>contractor team. The Raptor's low-observable control surface edges,
antennas
>and radomes are built in Palmdale, while its mid-fuselage is built in
Fort
>Worth. Boeing builds the aircraft's aft-fuselage and wings, while
Lockheed
>Martin is the program's principal systems integrator.
>
>The Raptor, scheduled to become operational in 2005, has unprecedented
>fighter and attack capabilities with its balanced design of stealth,
>supercruise speed and extreme agility, along with advanced integrated
>avionics and the pilot-friendly cockpit. These attributes make the
Raptor
>truly transformational and will support the goal of quick, decisive
victory
>in future conflicts, saving American and allied lives.
>
>Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is
a
>leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and
>support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its
>customers include the military services of the United States and allied
>countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35
JSF,
>F-117, T-50, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2.
>
>Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp.,
>headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise
>principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture
and
>integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Employing
>about 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales of $24
>billion.
>
>For more information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit:
>http://www.lockheedmartin.com
>
>For more information on Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, visit:
>http://www.lmaeronautics.com
>
>For more information on the F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter program,
>visit: http://www.fa22raptor.com
>****************
>
>ANA, United to double code-sharing flights to 510
>
>TOKYO, Jan. 7 (Kyodo) - All Nippon Airways (ANA) and United Airlines
said
>Tuesday they will double the weekly number of flights they will operate
>jointly in the United States under code-sharing arrangements to 510,
from
>Jan. 25.
>
>The agreement is apparently designed to help United rehabilitate itself
and
>expand the network of ANA flights.
>
>On Dec. 9, UAL Corp., the parent company of United, the world's
>second-largest airline, landed in a U.S. bankruptcy court to seek
protection
>from creditors. United says the carrier's services have not been
affected.
>
>ANA and United said they will add a total of 231 flights under
code-sharing
>arrangements on the 33 routes linking Washington and other major U.S.
>cities,
>particularly in the East Coast.
>
>At present, United outsources operation of the 231 flights under its own
>name
>to Atlantic Coast Airlines, a regional carrier based in Virginia, mainly
on
>50-seat planes, under the United Express brand.
>
>ANA said earlier it will operate flights on the Honolulu-Kansai
>International
>Airport route under a code-sharing arrangement with United, starting in
>March. The flights on the route have so far been operated by United.
>****************
>
>Afghan Plane in Bomb Scare Lands Safely
>
>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan airlines plane carrying Muslim
pilgrims
>was hijacked on Tuesday, but the incident ended after the plane landed
in
>the
>United Arab Emirates and all aboard were reportedly safe, the airline
said.
>
>All the hijackers were removed from the plane after it touched down in
>Dubai,
>said Khalil Ahmad Najimyar, president of Ariana airlines, the Afghan
>national
>carrier.
>
>The plane was carrying pilgrims on their way to Mecca, Saudi Arabia,
with a
>scheduled stopover in Dubai.
>
>``We are sure that our plane is safe. All the pilgrims are safe. There
were
>no injuries, and nobody was killed,'' Najimyar told The Associated
Press.
>
>In Abu Dhabi, an official at the Afghan Embassy who spoke on condition
of
>anonymity said the plane was an Airbus 300 carrying 150 passengers to
Mecca
>for pilgrimage.
>
>The official characterized the incident as a bomb scare rather than a
>hijacking and said the plane landed at a military air base. No bomb was
>found, the official said, and the plane was due to take off again later
in
>the day.
>****************
>
>NATCA, FAA Reach Tentative Deal on Two-Year Contract Extension
>
>WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Air Traffic
Controllers
>Association announced today that it has reached a tentative deal on a
>two-year extension of its collective bargaining agreement with the
Federal
>Aviation Administration.
>
>The current five-year agreement, signed in 1998, is set to expire in
>September. The new deal would extend NATCA's agreement with the agency
>through September of 2005.
>
>Calling it an "agreement in principle," reached after amicable
conversations
>with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, NATCA President John Carr
expressed
>strong support for the deal and praised Blakey for her commitment to
>ensuring
>the continued positive relationship between the FAA and the union.
>
>"With the enormous amount of work we are doing with the FAA on a wide
array
>of subjects, from modernizing the National Airspace System, to
redesigning
>the airspace to enhancing the safety of air travel in the skies and on
the
>runways and taxiways, it was vitally important to us to resolve the
issue of
>our collective bargaining agreement as efficiently as possible," Carr
said.
>"I'm pleased to report Administrator Blakey felt the same way."
>
>Carr said he and Blakey also agreed on the need for a new staffing
agreement
>to coincide with the extension. The current agreement raised the maximum
>number of controllers working in the system to 15,606, a number which
NATCA
>and the General Accounting Office believe will not adequately meet the
>future
>demands of the system.
>
>"We will be working on a new staffing agreement as the new year
unfolds,"
>Carr stated. "Staffing is one of our most pressing concerns. Not only do
>we
>need more controllers, we need to hire replacements for the 5,000
>controllers
>the GAO says will be eligible to retire within the next five years. It's
>critically important to the continued safety and efficiency of the
system
>that we have enough qualified and trained controllers working."
>****************
>
>Seats Empty As Flights Link Taiwan, China
>
>SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Hundreds of seats remained unbooked Tuesday on
the
>first-ever flights between Taiwan and communist China, and organizers
blamed
>requirements forcing time-consuming stopovers in Hong Kong or Macau.
>
>The indirect charter flights, which will serve Taiwanese businessmen
flying
>home from Shanghai for the Chinese New Year holiday beginning Feb. 1,
are
>the
>first such air service between the two sides since they split during a
civil
>war 53 years ago. Approval of the flights has raised hopes of an
eventual
>lifting of a half-century ban on direct air links.
>
>But 500 of the 2,000 seats on the eight flights between Shanghai and
Taipei
>remain untaken, said Wu Kuo-jong, deputy manager of Shanghai Straits
>Exchange
>Co., a Taiwanese travel agency that helped organize the flights.
>
>He said the seats likely will be filled before the first flight on Jan.
26.
>But most of the 26,000 Taiwanese in the Shanghai area are expected to
head
>home for the Chinese-speaking world's biggest holiday as they have
always
>done - changing flights in Hong Kong or Macau.
>
>``They're going to stick to their usual routes,'' Wu said.
>
>Taiwan, wary of Beijing's threats take over the island by force, will
>require
>the charter flights to land in Hong Kong or Macau instead of flying
>directly.
>The detour will add hundreds of miles and several hours to the trip.
>
>That makes the charter flights not all that different from existing
routes,
>which now require changing planes at a third point, usually Hong Kong.
The
>charter flights' only improvement, say Taiwanese living in China, is
that
>passengers will be able to fly the same plane the entire trip.
>
>``The flights themselves are not much different from what already
exists.
>But
>they're a big step forward in government cooperation. They make us hope
to
>see direct flights one day,'' said Yang Ta-cheng, honorary director of
the
>Shanghai Taiwan Business Association, Taiwan's chamber of commerce here.
>
>Six Taiwanese airlines have received permission from Beijing to operate
the
>flights, including China Airlines, Taiwan's largest carrier; Mandarin
>Airlines, which is affiliated with China Airlines; and Far Eastern Air
>Transport Corp.
>
>It's the first time the island's carriers have been allowed to fly
>passengers
>to and from the mainland. Chinese airlines are not permitted to make the
>flights, and only Taiwanese are allowed onboard.
>
>At least 300,000 Taiwanese now live in the Shanghai area, since
investments
>and factories were relocated factories to the mainland. They have
pressured
>their government to lift its ban on direct flights.
>
>Under new Taiwanese regulations, the charter flights can start Jan. 26
and
>must end by Feb. 10.
>
>Taiwan has long been reluctant to allow direct flights, partly because
of
>concerns that China would use the air route to attack the island.
>*****************
>
>Links of Interest:
>
>http://www.geocities.com/donuts13/
>*****************
>
>Today in History:
>
>Date of Accident: 08 January 1989
>Airline: British Midland Airways
>Aircraft: Boeing 737-4Y0
>Location: Leicestershire, England
>Registration: G-OBME
>Flight Number: 92
>Fatalities: 47:126
>MSN: 23867
>Line Number: 1603
>Engine Manufacturer: CFM International
>Engine Model: CFM56-3C1
>Year of Delivery: 1988
>Accident Description: After a no.1 engine failure, the crew mistakenly
shut
>down engine no.2, losing all thrust. The aircraft crashed into an
embankment
>1000 feet short of the runway.
>