Pilot fined for radio silence

SAS CRJ 900LR EI-FPV (MSN 15440)

An SAS Connect pilot has been fined $5,800 in the first prosecution of a new 2016 law that requires pilots to keep in radio contact with ATC. Capt. Christopher Hollands didn't check in for more than 30 minutes as he commanded an A320 with 58 passengers aboard from Oslo (OSL/ENGM) to Manchester (MAN/EGCC). 

It resulted in a hijacking scare that led to two RAF Typhoons being scrambled to escort the airliner to Manchester. After landing it was ordered to an isolated area of the airport so law enforcement could investigate.

Hollands' gaffe violated a section of the Air Navigation Order of 2016, and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority says it takes the law, and violations of it, seriously. "Aviation is one of the safest methods of transportation, and it relies on pilots maintaining radio communication with air traffic control through the standard channels during flight," 

CAA's head of flight operations said in a statement. 

"We continue to work with pilots, airlines, and the Government to reduce similar incidents, including by prosecuting offenders when appropriate to maintain confidence in UK aviation's safety and security."

He also noted that Hollands could have gone to jail for two years.

Story sourced from here 

Pilot Fined For Radio Silence - AVweb

United flight turns around after pilot forgets passport

UNITED BOEING 777-322 N2341U (MSN 63721)

A United Airlines Boeing 787 jetliner flying from Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) to Shanghai PVG/ZSPD) had to turn around last weekend after it was discovered one of the pilots had taken off without a passport, the airline told the media in a statement.

Flight UA 198 departed LAX at around 2 p.m. on Saturday from runway 25 right with 257 passengers and 13 crew onboard and headed northwest over the Pacific Ocean, bound for Shanghai.

Almost two hours into the flight the plane turned around and was redirected to San Francisco (SFO/KSFO), where it landed at 4.55 p.m. local time, on runway 28 left according to Flightradar24.

“The pilot did not have their passport onboard,” United said in the statement. “We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”

The flight with the new crew took off around 9 p.m. from runway 28 left and landed in Shanghai about six hours behind schedule. Yang Shuhan, a Chinese passenger on board, told reporters that she heard the pilot’s “very frustrated voice” over the intercom, saying he “forgot his passport.”

The disruptions didn’t stop with UA 198; passengers on the returning flight, UA 199 from Shanghai to Los Angeles, were also affected due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft.

A Shanghai-based business traveler, who requested to stay anonymous over privacy concerns, said that their LA-bound flight was also delayed for about six hours, forcing them to change their ticket to catch a connecting flight.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: United Airlines

Code: UA/UAL

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 

Registration: N35953

Serial Number: 36404

Engines: 2 x GENX-1B75/P2

First Flew: 7th February 2015

Age 10.1 Years

Passenger forcefully pulled from aircraft toilet with his pants down

A passenger is attempting to sue United Airlines, claiming a pilot got him arrested after forcefully pulling him out of the bathroom with his pants still down because he was taking too long while constipated.

New Jersey traveler Yisroel Liebb, was 30 minutes into a flight from Mexico to Texas when he got up to use the bathroom. His seatmate Mr. Sebbag raised concerns with the crew when Liebb not returned 20 minutes later, according to the lawsuit.

Mr. Liebb told the flight attendant he was merely “experiencing constipation” and would be out very shortly — but 10 minutes later, the pilot demanded he leave immediately, the filing said.

In a fit of rage, the pilot forcibly broke down the door and pulled Mr. Liebb out, leaving his pants down and exposing his genitalia to the passengers close by, according to the lawsuit.

As Mr. Liebb embarrassingly adjusted his pants, the pilot stated that he would have him and his seatmate arrested, claiming it was typical behavior for “Jews,” according to the lawsuit.

After landing, both men were arrested by five US Customs and Border Protection agents who boarded the plane and brought them to a detention facility inside the terminal, according to the lawsuit also against the border agency as well as Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration.

The agents allegedly handcuffed Mr Liebb so tight that he yelled out due to the pain, the lawsuit said.

Mr. Liebb and. Sebbag were released without charges following the altercation but missed their connecting flight home. The flight departed for New York while they were still detained, according to the complaint. They were rebooked on another flight leaving the next day for free, but the pair still had to pay additional charges for a hotel and food, the lawsuit stated.

Mr. Liebb and Mr. Sebbag both claim the handcuffs caused persisting “severe wrist pain” and Mr. Liebb suffered injuries to his head and legs when forcefully removed from the bathroom. The pair are seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial, plus lawyer fees.

United Airlines refused to comment only saying “it did not “have anything to share with the media on the lawsuit.”

Remembering Germanwings flight 9525

Germanwings flight 9525 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL), Spain to Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS/EDDL), Germany.

The flight was operated by Germanwings, a low-cost carrier owned by the German airline Lufthansa. On the 24th of March 2015, the aircraft, an Airbus A320-211, crashed 100 km (62 miles) north-west of Nice in the French Alps. All 144 passengers and all six crew members were killed. It was the only fatal crash involving a Germanwings aircraft during the company's 18 years in operation.

The crash was deliberately caused by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, who had previously been treated for suicidal tendencies and declared unfit to work by his doctor. Lubitz kept this information from his employer and instead reported for duty. Shortly after reaching cruise altitude and while the captain was out of the cockpit, Lubitz locked the cockpit door and initiated a controlled descent that continued until the aircraft hit a mountainside.

The collision with the ground was due to the deliberate and planned action of the co-pilot who decided to commit suicide while alone in the cockpit. The process for medical certification of pilots, in particular self-reporting in case of decrease in medical fitness between two periodic medical evaluations, did not succeed in preventing the co-pilot, who was experiencing mental disorder with psychotic symptoms, from exercising the privilege of his licence.
The following factors may have contributed to the failure of this principle:

• the co-pilot's probable fear of losing his ability to fly as a professional pilot if he had reported his decrease in medical fitness to an AME.
• the potential financial consequences generated by the lack of specific insurance covering the risks of loss of income in case of unfitness to fly 
• the lack of clear guidelines in German regulations on when a threat to public safety outweighs the requirements of medical confidentiality.

Security requirements led to cockpit doors designed to resist forcible intrusion by unauthorized persons. This made it impossible to enter the flight compartment before the aircraft impacted the terrain in the French Alps.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Germanwings

Code: 4U/GWI

Airline: Airbus A320-211

Registration: D-AIPX

Serial Number: 0147

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5A1

First Flew: 29th November 1990
Age: 24 years 4 months

It made its first flight on the 29th of November 1990 and was delivered to Lufthansa on the 5th of February 1991. The aircraft was leased to Germanwings from the 1st of June 2003 until mid-2004, then returned to Lufthansa on the 22nd of July 2004 and remained with the airline until it was transferred to Germanwings again on the 31st of January 2014. The aircraft had accumulated about 58,300 flight hours on 46,700 flights.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AS THEY REMEMBER LOVED ONES TODAY

Southwest Airlines tries to depart on taxiway

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BOEING 737-8H4 N8548P (MSN 36968)

The pilots of a Boeing 737 commenced a takeoff from a taxiway at a Florida airport on Thursday before instructed to halt by an air traffic controller the Federal Administration announced, stating that it was investigating the serious incident.

Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 was cleared to take off on runway 17R at approximately 9.35 am at Orlando International Airport (MCO/KMCO), bound for Albany, New York (ALB/KALB), the FAA said in a statement. The plane, however, started to accelerate on a parallel taxiway instead, prompting an air traffic controller to cancel the takeoff clearance.

“3278 stop, 3278 stop. Stop Southwest 3278, stop!” air traffic control said from the tower, according to audio shared online. “Cancel takeoff clearance. You’re on taxiway Hotel Southwest 3278.”

Pilots then slammed the brakes to stop. “Southwest 3278, yes, sir. We have stopped,” the pilot replied.

“The crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway,” the airline said in a statement. Southwest is engaged with the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and FAA to understand the circumstances of the event.

The aircraft’s top speed was 70 knots at the time, (or approximately 80 mph,) according to flight data tracker FlightRadar24. Airplanes typically travel AT about 35 mph on taxiways. A Boeing 737 would need to accelerate to about 150 mph for takeoff.

The plane was meant to be on Runway 17R but was on taxiway Hotel – which runs the same length and parallel to it.

The 737 stopped safely and no other aircraft were involved, Southwest said. 

The airline later flew the passengers to Albany on a different plane, leaving almost 4 hours later, at 1.19 pm. (N8820Q MSN 65437)

Taxiways are used by planes to travel between gates and runways and are not intended for take offs or landings.

Aircraft Information

Airline: Southwest Airlines 

Code: WN/SWA

Aircraft: Boeing 737-8H4

Registration: N8315C

Serial Number: 38811

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B27E

First Flew: 06/07/2012

Age: 12.7 Years 

Overhead bin fire at 30,000 feet

HONG KONG AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-343 B-LNQ (MSN 1668)

A Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320-200, traveling from Hangzhou (HGH/ZSHC) to Hong Kong (HKG/VHHH) had a fire erupt in an overhead bin while cruising at 30,000 feet.

While the cabin crew acted quickly to fight the fire, the flight crew initiated a diversion to Fuzhou FOC/ZSFZ). Cabin crew succeeded in extinguishing the fire. None of the 168 passengers and crew on board were reported injured.

Many airlines are now implementing new rules. The risks associated with portable power banks have come into greater focus after an Air Busan plane caught fire in January, with a hand-held battery re charger the suspected cause of the blaze.

South Korean authorities responded by ordering travelers to seal up ports on chargers or place them in separate plastic bags. Earlier this month, a Batik Air flight filled with smoke from a burning power bank.

Aircraft Information

Airline: Hong Kong Airlines 

Code: HX/CRK

Aircraft: Airbus A320-232

Registration: B-LPC

Serial Number: 5147

Engines:  2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P

First Flew: 07/05/2012

Age: 12.10 Years 

Jetstar outage causes chaos across Australian airports

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VGF (MSN 4497)   

Jetstar customers have once again faced long lines at check-in across Australia after the airline suffered another major system outage yesterday. This is the second time this has happened in less than a month. 

The carrier's check-in and bag-drop systems went offline on Thursday morning, forcing staff to manually enter traveller's details at the desk and process their luggage.

Long queues were reported at Melbourne Airport and it's understood several more facilities were affected by the outage across Australia.

A Jetstar spokesman said  "We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience as our teams worked hard to check them in manually for their flights."

The last time Jetstar faced a complete outage was on the 23rd February this year.