Saturday, February 24, 2018

‘The Triangle’ poses unique local air traffic challenges

Bounded roughly by Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Destin Executive Airport, the skies above this part of Northwest Florida are teeming with military, commercial and private aircraft.

FORT WALTON BEACH — It’s informally known as “The Triangle,” and it encompasses some of the most complex airspace in the nation.

Bounded roughly by Eglin Air Force Base (which includes Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport), the Air Force Special Operations Command’s Hurlburt Field and Destin Executive Airport, the skies above this part of Northwest Florida are teeming with military, commercial and private aircraft.

An informal training area for private pilots lies to the east of The Triangle, and banner-towing airplanes and tour helicopters buzz along its beaches. Boat-towed parasails don’t routinely pose any hazard, but pilots coming into the area are routinely advised to watch out for them, anyway.

Within all that, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport handles 800,000 commercial airline passengers each year, along with considerable business traffic. Destin Executive Airport handles 65,000 “operations” — takeoffs are considered a single operation, as are landings — each year, in a mix of private and business aircraft, including large numbers of private pilots bringing family and friends to the local beaches for vacation.

The airspace is “really pretty unique,” according to Bill Castlen, a local flight instructor.

Castlen has written a Federal Aviation Administration-sanctioned online course to familiarize private pilots with the area. The course, on the Destin Executive Airport website at http://bit.ly/2Hx0Gru, can provide even the general public with a sense of how tricky it can be to navigate local airspace.

Here is part of the first paragraph of the online course: “Destin, Florida, is a very attractive destination and has a very convenient airport literally within walking distance of beautiful beaches and deep-sea fishing facilities. Destin is also located within and near unusual and complex airspace. While using this airspace is quite straightforward, the unknowledgeable pilot can easily be overtaken by events and — at the least — be embarrassed, or — at worst — become involved in a serious safety event.”

In some instances, that embarrassment has come from landing at the wrong airport. On occassion, private pilots have landed at Eglin, according to Staff Sgt. Kyle Reiss, an air traffic controller with Eglin’s 96th Operations Support Squadron. Reiss is among the mix of military and civilian Department of Defense air traffic controllers who direct aircraft using Eglin and the adjacent Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.

“It’s happened before,” Reiss said. Now, though, Eglin controllers routinely ask pilots if they have both the Eglin complex and Destin Executive in sight to ensure they’re headed for the correct airport, Reiss added.

And “every once in a while there’s a close call,” he said.

That’s not as discomforting as it may sound, since a near-miss is defined officially as aircraft coming within three miles of one another with less than 1,000 feet of vertical separation.

Technically speaking, the airspace in and around the local military installations is one of a dozen sections of the sky over the United States designated in Part 93 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Each of the Part 93 areas — including parts of New York City, Washington, D.C., the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles — comes with strict rules for aircraft operations.

In the local airspace, flights into or across the area are limited to two corridors. One of the corridors, extending upward to 18,000 feet, runs north to south and takes air traffic to the east of Eglin. The other corridor, designed to keep air traffic organized in the vicinity of Hurlburt Field, takes aircraft east to west along the beaches all the way to Laguna Beach. Depending on where an aircraft is in the east-west corridor, it extends upward to either 8,500 feet or 18,000 feet.

Adding to the complexity of navigating the local airspace is that Eglin will occasionally close off some airspace, likely between some specific altitudes, to accommodate some of its missions. Those closings are communicated to pilots and air traffic controllers within at least a half-hour of when they occur, according to Reiss.

Since Nov. 1, Reiss and other air traffic controllers at Eglin and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport have had some help from Destin Executive Airport. That’s when Destin Executive’s $6 million control tower became operational. Now, from 6 a.m. tol 10 p.m. daily, Destin Executive air traffic controllers handle aircraft near that airport.

Castlen is cautiously optimistic the new tower will improve conditions.

“My expectation is that it will help a lot,” he said. “But ask the same question after spring break.”

Tracy Stage, Okaloosa County’s airports director who oversees Destin Executive Airport and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, is more optimistic that air traffic safety during vacation season will be enhanced with the new tower. Destin Executive controllers will have a direct line of sight with air traffic in their vicinity, and can safely sequence takeoffs and landings, he said.

A major local issue, Castlen said, is pilots flying under federally defined Visual Flight Rules (VFR) as opposed to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which are no problem in navigating local airspace. Generally, that means they must have certain distances of unobstructed vision and must maintain awareness of nearby air traffic. VFR pilots comprise the majority of pilots coming into the Destin area for recreational purposes. Many of them come here from several states away, Castlen said, and aren’t familiar with the special rules for local airspace

When flying VFR, “you don’t have to talk much to anybody, and therein lies the problem.” Castlen said.

VFR pilots can familiarize themselves with Destin airspace in advance of flying into the area, and can tell local controllers when they arrive in local skies that they are aware of the specific flight corridors. But many pilots don’t take that step, and have to be talked through the area by controllers, Castlen said.

Stage disagreed somewhat with Castlen’s assessment.

“If you’re a pilot, you have to file a flight plan,” he said. “You cannot fly into this airspace without knowing” about its Part 93 status. According to Destin Executive records, there were more than 3,028 operations at the airport in January, more than a thrid of which were IFR operations.

Like Castlen, Reiss sees education and awareness as the best tools for pilots flying into Northwest Florida. He had five words of advice: “Definitely be researching the area,” he said.

Original article can be found here ➤  http://www.nwfdailynews.com

New Tax Law Could Spur Swap Meet for Used Business Equipment: Companies get big tax incentive to buy, sell used airplanes and other goods



The Wall Street Journal
By Richard Rubin and  Andrew Tangel
February 24, 2018 8:00 a.m. ET


Jamie Knorring, president of commercial shelving maker B-O-F Corp. in the Chicago area, is planning to buy a used factory machine to make clamps as part of a broader plan to boost worker productivity.

Making workers more efficient isn’t the only factor that makes it a good purchase for him. Buying the equipment can also lower his tax bill.

The new tax law allows firms to claim an immediate 100% deduction when they buy an asset, including purchases of used equipment that have already been written off by previous owners.

“It sweetens the deal,” Mr. Knorring said of the tax benefits of buying the equipment. The company, which has about 70 employees and took in revenue last year of approximately $20 million, is planning to buy other equipment including a welding robot, purchases made easier to justify given the new tax incentive, he said.

Tax planners say the market for used equipment—including railcars, airplanes and industrial machines—is likely to heat up in the months ahead as firms try to take advantage of changes in the tax law. It could mean a shuffling of assets by companies purely for tax reasons and mergers and acquisitions that exploit new tax edges.

Before now, smaller companies could fully deduct purchases of used equipment, but larger firms had to spread those deductions over many years, and faster depreciation schedules applied only to new assets.

Under the new law, one company’s gently worn asset could be worth more in another company’s hands. That situation creates an incentive for deals that get tax deductions to companies that can use them and income to companies that already have lower tax rates.

Tax lawyers say they are flagging the possibilities to clients.

“We might well see the development of a kind of swap meet for slightly depreciated business assets,” Chris Sanchirico, a tax law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Because the law is still new, the market hasn’t yet caught fire.

Tax lawyers said one asset class that could get attention is airplanes.

Consider a case of a company that borrowed money to buy a $10 million airplane that is now worth $9 million. For tax purposes, depreciation deductions have already lowered its value to about $4 million. The tax law’s new limits on business interest also limit the company’s ability to deduct its interest costs.

The company might enter into a sale-leaseback deal that replaces the borrowing arrangement with a leasing deal that shares the tax benefits between both firms. A bank could buy the plane and take a full $9 million deduction on the aged plane right away. The company would owe taxes on its $5 million gain, but the new lease payments would be tax deductible for the airline, while the interest payments wouldn’t have been.

“The assets now in the hands of the buyer are worth more than they were in the hands of the seller,” said Eli Katz, a tax lawyer at Latham & Watkins LLP in New York.

The tax changes will likely accelerate purchases of new and used aircraft, said Michael Morgan, an investment banker at Burnham Sterling who advises airlines.

“It’s certainly going to be helpful on the margin and we’ll see more acquisition of aircraft because of this,” Mr. Morgan said.

Sale-leaseback deals and other transactions that take advantage of the new rules could also make sense in the rail and energy industries, tax lawyers said.

The Internal Revenue Service has sometimes looked askance at sale-leaseback transactions as tax shelters, depending on how they are structured, and has created an “obstacle course” of rules that businesses must traverse, Mr. Sanchirico said.

Randolph Smith, a national practice leader at Grant Thornton, LLP, said any transactions would likely have to meet a test for having a business reason other than tax avoidance.

“It seems like another of these things that will be industry-specific and it will be relatively easy in some cases based on the idiosyncratic character of certain industries and might be harder or impossible in others,” said Ari Glogower, a tax law professor at Ohio State University.

For now, the swapping and leasing markets are quiet as lawyers work through the possibilities.

“I haven’t seen a groundswell of sale-leasebacks of used assets but I think we are going to see that type of thing,” said David Burton, a tax lawyer at Mayer Brown LLP in New York who specializes in lease transactions. “It’s coming. It’s all coming.”

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wsj.com

Vape pen battery blamed for Denver International Airport (KDEN) fire



DENVER - A lithium ion battery used to power a vape pen is being blamed for a fire last month at a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport.

“Situations like the fire we experienced at DEN on Jan. 30 are very unique,” said Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade in a news release.

The cause of the brief fire was a mystery until Friday when the Denver Fire Department and federal and airport authorities revealed what happened at the south TSA checkpoint. They said a passenger had disassembled an electronic vaping device for travel and placed it in his carry-on bag.

But the exposed lithium ion battery “likely made contact with conductive materials in the bag, causing the battery to create a ‘dead short.’ The short caused the battery to heat up combustible materials within the bag, leading to a fire just as the bag passed through a TSA X-ray machine.”

TSA employees used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames within sixty seconds. Passengers at the security checkpoint fled as the fire burned. Nobody was hurt.

The FAA prohibits electronic cigarettes, vaping devices and lithium ion batteries from being placed in checked bags, but they are allowed in carry-on bags.

Denver Fire Captain Greg Pixley said lithium ion batteries are generally safe, unless they malfunction.

“Lithium battery issues are uncommon,” said Pixley.

CBS News reported that in 2015, there were issues with lithium ion batteries on passenger planes eleven times.

Last November at the Orlando airport, a lithium battery that was powering a camera caught fire at a security checkpoint causing an airport shutdown.

The FAA requires lithium ion batteries and vape pens and e-cigarettes be transported in carry-on bags, and not in checked luggage.

In this case, the DIA passenger did everything right according to investigators, but something went wrong inside of his carry on.

Still, Pixley points out that it was fortuitous that this incident happened at a TSA checkpoint, and not 30,000 feet in the air.

”Something on an aircraft in an overhead bag storage area might be catastrophic. We’re lucky that didn’t happen here.”

Original article can be found here ➤  http://www.ktvq.com

Consolidated B-24J Liberator "Witchcraft": Incident occurred February 24, 2018 at Cecil Airport (KVQQ), Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida

A World War II bomber in Jacksonville for an aviation exhibition was forced to circle Cecil Airport for about an hour Saturday morning because of landing gear problems.

The B-24 named Witchcraft ultimately landed safely. None of the three crew members nor six passengers on board were injured, said Michael Stewart, spokesman for Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

The last Liberator that can still fly is part of the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour, which is spending the weekend at the Jacksonville Jet Port at the airport.

A Times-Union message seeking comment from Collings Foundation officials wasn’t returned by 7 p.m. Saturday.

Stewart said the warbird’s crew notified the airport about 10 a.m. that the landing gear wouldn’t deploy.

“They were up in the air for an additional hour as they attempted to lower the landing gear,” said Stewart, noting the flight carrying exhibition visitors normally is about 30 minutes.

The aircraft circled for about an hour — using up fuel as a precaution should it become necessary to make an emergency landing with some or all of the landing gear unable to deploy. Stewart said also as a precaution, the airport scrambled its emergency first responders, but they didn’t have to put any foam on the runway.

Stewart confirmed the warbird is equipped with a manual crank system to lower the landing gear in case of a hydraulic failure.

“They were able to get the main gear down and locked in place. It took them a little longer to get the nose gear down and locked in place,” said Stewart, noting the plane landed without incident about 11:30 a.m.

He said he didn’t know what caused the problem.


Original article can be found here ➤  http://www.jacksonville.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A WWII bomber participating in an aviation exhibition at Cecil Airport safely landed Saturday after experiencing landing gear issues in flight, officials said. 

The B-24 Liberator reportedly had issues lowering its nose gear and was forced to circle the airport for over an hour while sorting out the issue, according to airport officials. 

Airport officials said they were notified about 9:58 a.m. The bomber was carrying two crew members and five passengers. The flight was offered to exhibition visitors as part of the show. 

Officials said the bomber landed safely about 11:35 a.m. The B-24 is equipped with a manual crank to lower landing gear in case of hydraulic failures. 

The pilots circled the airport to burn fuel in case they were unable to lower the landing gear. In the instance that the gear couldn't be lowered, the pilots would have performed an emergency landing in the grass next to the runway.  

News4Jax spoke to passenger Heather Graves, who said she was not nervous because of the pilots' demeanor. 

"At first, we realized something was going on, but didn’t get nervous because you knew that the pilots knew what they were doing," Graves said. "Once you realized they we're going to fly around and burn off fuel, you got extra time in the air, you knew it was awesome." 

Officials with the exhibition said they are working to get rides for people who want to still ride the aircraft. 

The B-24 was flown in Friday by the Collins Foundation to support the living history event. The aircraft is billed as the last flying B-24 in the world. All others are on display at museums.  

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.news4jax.com

Financial loss anticipated for Revelstoke’s air charter service: Future potential of the air charter service to be discussed in March



Flight diversions and issues with the shuttle service have negatively impacted Revelstoke’s air charter service over the winter. As a result, the service is anticipated to operate at a loss for 2018.

Poor weather conditions resulted in just over half of the air charter flights being diverted.Out of 20 scheduled flights, 11 were diverted and only nine arrived directly in Revelstoke.Of the flights diverted one was diverted to Kamloops and 10 were diverted to Kelowna.

In a report to council, Nicole Fricot, Director of Community Economic Development said passengers from diverted flights are shuttled to Revelstoke by Revelstoke Connection Limited.

“Over the course of the season quite a few of the shuttles while on route to pick up and drop off customers have been stuck behind avalanche control or accidents on the highway and as a result it has taken many hours for guests to make it through to Revelstoke,”Fricot said in her report.

Fricot said it is city staff’s belief that the number of issues this year have created a challenge when it comes to the ability to market the charter flight service.

The air charter service is a partnership between the City of Revelstoke, Revelstoke Mountain Resport Limited Partnership, The Revelstoke Accommodation Association and Revelstoke Connection limited. The service is offering flights between Revelstoke and Vancouver three to four times a week between January and March, 2018.  The total cost of providing the flight service for 2018 is estimated at$242,0002. Under the terms of the agreement, if the service incurs a loss The City of Revelstoke has agreed to pay a maximum of $89,800 to Revelstoke Connection limited for provision of the air charter service

The partners will be meeting with Pacific Coastal in March to discuss the future potential of the air charter service for Revelstoke.

Original article  ➤ https://www.revelstokemountaineer.com

Envoy Air, Embraer ERJ-145: Incident occurred February 24, 2018 at Sioux Gateway Airport (KSUX), Sioux City, Iowa

SIOUX CITY | An autopilot problem on a flight from Dallas to Sioux City caused emergency responders to gather at the Sioux Gateway Airport Saturday afternoon as a precaution.

Envoy Flight 3529 out of Dallas, which carried 28 people, left Dallas shortly before 12:30 p.m. Saturday. It was scheduled to arrive in Sioux City at 2:23 p.m., but did not actually land until 2:53 p.m.  The flight landed without incident in Sioux City, according to officials.  

During the course of the flight, the airplane's autopilot experienced an unknown issue. John Backer, Sioux Gateway airport operations manager, said the pilots were forced to manually fly the airplane when the autopilot trouble arose. 

"From what I've heard, (the pilot) landed fine," Backer said. What exactly went wrong with the autopilot is difficult to say with certainty at this time. 

"There's just a large variety of things that could have (caused) it," he said. 

The airplane is out of service for the time being, Backer said, but otherwise business as usual will continue at the airport. 

"Tomorrow it should be running normal," he said. 

Brenda Stille of Storm Lake had planned to fly out of Sioux Gateway to Dallas Saturday afternoon -- but she kept getting alerts on her phone that the flight time was changed. Originally scheduled at 2:50 p.m., the flight became 3:30 p.m., then 3:15 p.m. 

Paula Hinds of Elk Point, a fellow would-be passenger, said it wasn't really clear to the people in the airport what was happening as Flight 3529 was landing. 

"You guys knew before we did!" Hinds said. 

Original article can be found here ➤  http://siouxcityjournal.com

Ahmedabad- Diu flight: Aviation experts concerned over maintenance of 18 year old aircraft

Air Odisha’s flight connecting Ahmedabad with the touristy town of Diu, a goto place for Amdavadis when public holidays lead to extended weekends, was inaugurated on Saturday. Just 65 minutes of air travel for a fare of Rs 2,050 would now take you to Diu which otherwise takes seven hours of road journey. Sounds good so far. But aviation experts are concerned about the operation and maintenance of the 18-seater twin-engine Beechcraft 1900D, the production of which was discontinued 17 years ago.

This particular aircraft, operated by Air Odisha on the Ahmedabad- Diu route, is in service since year 2000. Experts say the maintenance of the aircraft, which is already 18 years old, is going to be difficult if a sensor or an engine part requires replacement. Shaishav Shah, director, GSEC, the strategic partner to Air Odisha and Air Deccan said, “The same model of aircraft is used world over as air taxi.

We wanted an aircraft with a smaller seating capacity as it is our first flight. “Our flight to Mundra was fully booked and we got over 50 per cent passengers for Jamnagar route. Our first flight to and fro Diu is also packed and we may upgrade the aircraft. As of now, the manufacturing company has promised us they will supply any spare part that is required.”

Other major operators use Q-400 72 seat aircraft by Bombardier and the 42-seat ATR aircraft for their short distance flights under UDAN scheme. “If the Beechcraft 1900D goes under maintenance or develops a technical snag, it may take considerable time to import a specific part or sensor. This means operations to all routes will be suspended till the aircraft is back in service,” said an official involved in aircraft operation and maintenance.

Beechcraft stopped manufacturing the 1900D model in year 2001, said a top official associated with the flight operations. “Aircraft maintenance will be difficult if a sensor or an engine part needs replacement as it is not easy to procure these,” he said. Efforts in Past Interestingly, efforts to start an intrastate airline in Gujarat were made thrice in the past but each time it failed.

In 2014, the service was scrapped after the operator failed to pay the staff as it had not received deposits from the state government. PM Narendra Modi launched heli service from Daman to Diu and the flight from Diu to Ahmedabad on Saturday. Addressing a large gathering PM said, “Daman and Diu will get a major tourism boost with the launch of the helicopter and flight services.” He further added, “Tourists visiting Daman from Maharastra and South Gujarat will now be able to fly to Diu and further travel to Gir and Somnath.

Along with leisure tourism, religious tourism will also get a boost.” The maiden flight from Diu to Ahmedabad reached with a few passengers and several guests on board. In the coming days, the airline faces yet another challenge as it will be operating on three routes, Ahmedabad to Jamnagar, Mundra and Diu starting from Monday. “Before adding a sector to our operation, we will have to work out flight timings to ensure we do not discontinue any of the routes. This, because Ahmedabad airport runway will not be operational from March 1 to April 15 between 10am and 7pm as resurfacing work will begin,” said Shah.

Original article ➤ http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com

As Southwest Airlines Enters Hawaii, Alaska Airlines May Be the Biggest Loser

Over the past decade, Alaska Airlines has built up a nice business flying to Hawaii from California's second-tier airports. However, Southwest Airlines' entry into the Hawaii market may force Alaska to retreat.

Southwest Airlines is steadily working through the regulatory process so that it can start flying to Hawaii near the end of 2018 or in early 2019.

When its Hawaii service finally arrives, the biggest casualty probably won't be either of the current market leaders -- Hawaiian Holdings and United Continental. Instead, Alaska Air appears to be the most vulnerable carrier to Southwest's growth in Hawaii.

An accidental leader in the California-Hawaii market

A decade ago, Alaska Airlines had just begun flying to Hawaii from its core hubs in Seattle and Anchorage. However, the twin bankruptcies of Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines within the span of a week in early 2008 created a massive void in the California-Hawaii air travel market, particularly outside of the big hubs, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Beginning in 2009, Alaska Airlines seized this opportunity by adding numerous routes to Hawaii from the top secondary markets in California. Today, it flies to Hawaii from Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego. (Meanwhile, Alaska Air's Virgin America subsidiary flies to Hawaii from San Francisco and Los Angeles.)

Alaska Airlines capitalized on two 2008 airline bankruptcies to grow in Hawaii. Image source: Alaska Airlines.

In total, flights to Hawaii -- mainly from California -- now account for 14% of Alaska's capacity. Alaska Airlines has particularly high market share from Oakland, San Jose, and San Diego to Hawaii.

A formidable competitor is coming for this traffic

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly has stated that the company plans to enter the Hawaii market with flights from one or two cities in California. Unfortunately for Alaska Airlines, Oakland and San Diego are two of the most logical Hawaii gateways for Southwest Airlines.

Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego are Southwest's largest bases in California. The carrier currently operates between 115 and 130 daily departures at each of the three airports. However, while Southwest will probably fly from Los Angeles to Hawaii sooner or later, L.A. not quite as attractive a departure point for Hawaii flights as Oakland or San Diego for two reasons.

First, Southwest Airlines controls just 13 gates in Los Angeles, which limits its ability to expand. This means that adding flights to Hawaii would come at the expense of flights to other cities, at least to some extent. Second, there are already five airlines flying from Los Angeles to Hawaii. By contrast, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are currently the only airlines offering scheduled service to Hawaii from Oakland and San Diego.

Southwest Airlines may soon start flying from Oakland and San Diego to Hawaii. Image source: Southwest Airlines.

Southwest absolutely dominates Oakland International Airport, with roughly 70% market share. As a result, it has a huge built-in customer base there. It will also be able to draw connecting traffic from the nearly three dozen other cities it serves nonstop from Oakland, whereas Alaska only offers flights to Hawaii and its Seattle and Portland hubs from Oakland.

Alaska Airlines has a more defensible position in San Diego, where it operates about 40 flights a day. Still, Southwest has nearly three times as many flights there and a commanding market share of nearly 40%. This will give it a natural advantage in competing for Hawaii-bound traffic.

Will Alaska Airlines retreat?

As noted above, Southwest Airlines' strong market position in Oakland and San Diego should give it a revenue-production advantage over Alaska if it flies from those cities to Hawaii. Southwest will also have a unit cost advantage due to its somewhat denser seating configuration, purchasing scale, and overall cost discipline.

In recent months, Alaska Air's management has emphasized that it will be aggressive in cutting capacity when necessary to improve profitability. In the long run, Alaska may significantly reduce its capacity from California to Hawaii if Southwest's growth puts too much pressure on pricing and load factors. Alaska Airlines could even exit the Oakland-Hawaii market entirely, as it doesn't seem to have a competitive advantage there relative to Southwest Airlines.

The good news for Alaska Air shareholders is that the company's acquisition of Virgin America has given it a strong foothold in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As a result, Alaska Airlines should have plenty of options for profitably redeploying planes that are no longer needed for flights to Hawaii in the coming years.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.fool.com

Cargo operator’s status at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport raises red flag

Only Kenya Airways, Siginon Freight, Swissport International, DHL and Africa Flight Services (AFS) have officially achieved all the requirements needed in order to get access to the airside.



A cargo operator has been granted access to the airside at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi under controversial circumstances, the Sunday Standard can report. The decision, we understand, may have been made in order to keep miraa exports flowing to Somalia just two weeks after an aircraft was grounded for flouting flight security rules.

The decision, we understand, may have been made in order to keep miraa exports flowing to Somalia just two weeks after an aircraft was grounded for flouting flight security rules. 

Jetways has for the last one week been flying miraa to destinations in Somalia even before the setting up of its premises at the Kenya Airfreight Handling Ltd (KAHL) centre is complete, potentially violating aviation rules. 

Our investigative team established that the company’s warehouse was yet to have a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Customs centre as required by law on bonded warehouses for monitoring what is going into or out of the country through the company.

When Sunday Standard sought the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority’s (KCAA) take on the issue, its director general, Gilbert Kibe, promised to respond to the issues at a later date. “Let us talk Monday morning,” he said in a text message last night.

However, following the complaints, the Sunday Standard’s Investigation’s desk set out to determine their veracity and several visits to the cargo section of Kenya’s biggest and busiest airport revealed security lapses.

Our teams witnessed truckloads of miraa arriving every day between 2am and 4am, which are then packed before being loaded to planes without screening by KRA officers.

Bonded warehouses are required by law to have KRA centres within their premises, and officers from this desk are among the few officers allowed access to the airside, according to industry insiders. This is because the airside, which is the section where planes are loaded, is considered international space.

It takes rigorous assessment by both local and international aviation regulatory bodies to get clearance to set up an airside shed. This includes getting the coveted RA3 status issued to airlines that are allowed to send cargo to European Union countries after passing security assessments.

"Air carriers that fly cargo or mail from a non-EU airport to an EU airport must ensure that all cargo and mail carried to the EU is physically screened or comes from a secure supply chain validated according to the EU regulations,” says EU aviation security validation rules.

Only Kenya Airways, Siginon Freight, Swissport International, DHL and Africa Flight Services (AFS) have officially achieved all the requirements needed in order to get access to the airside. All the other Regulated Agents (RAs), according to aviation parlance, pass their goods through these five operators. 

In spite of these strict requirements, our investigations team was able to walk with ease through Jetways’ premises and continue all the way to the company’s airside.

Its door access control systems was yet to be set up as required by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), and it had no separation for imports and exports. Yet the company has for the past five days been shipping goods out of the country. 

“Before landing obviously the control tower will ask the pilot their identity, but then, what prevents them from saying I am with the first officer alone because there is no mechanism to verify?” said a source working at the cargo centre.

KAHL, where Jetways has set up its cargo handling facility, was until July last year under full control of Kenya Airways. It is owned by KAA who in turn decide whom to rent it out to. The section of the warehouse rented out to Jetways was originally being used by KQ for their mail service. On Wednesday, Kenya Airways wrote to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) over activities at its former warehouse which the national carrier say contravene set regulations.

By the time of going to press, Kenya Airways had not responded to a series of questions we sent to them. Sunday Standard was, however, able to independently obtain a letter the airline wrote to KAA raising concerns similar to those brought to our attention earlier. 

“Control of the airside access is now in the hands of the authority, which has in turn leased it to a different entity. Consequently, our span on control as a Regulated Agent at KAHL has shrunk,” said the letter signed by Martin Kampala, the KQ security manager JKIA and cargo. 

“Note that as a registered RA3, we currently share a common border with Jetways and we have ceded control of airside access to the area under their charge. Should you have any queries pertaining to regulatory compliance for the same area, please deal directly with the new occupants,” said KQ. 

Further investigations revealed that the national carrier has now opted to put up a wall between them and Jetways, in what industry insiders said was an attempt at separating their base of operations from the new player. 

KAA has denied getting any application for the construction of a wall at the KAHL to separate Kenya Airways from Jetways. This is despite the fact that Sunday Standard had earlier obtained the approval letter by KAA not only authorising Kenya Airways to construct the wall, but also proposing modifications. 

“We have approved the construction to proceed as per the approved design with the following comments: Make the second level of the wall of a lighter material but secure and can allow for cross ventilation and light,” said the letter sent on Thursday by Dokers Chemo, the acting airport manager.

But despite all these, KAA -- which is in charge of running all the public airports in the country -- referred us to KCAA, whose officials declined to talk to us earlier, before Director General Kibe promised to engage us on Monday. “KAA allocates space to KCAA licensed and certified operators to carry out their cargo operations. The security certification is done by the regulator,” said KAA.

Original article ➤ https://www.standardmedia.co.ke

GoAir, Airbus A320-200N, VT-WGB: Incident occurred February 24, 2018 at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh, India



JAMMU/NEW DELHI: A Jammu-bound GoAir A320neo, with 112 passengers and crew on board, on Saturday returned to the Leh airport shortly after takeoff due to a “technical glitch”, the airline said.

Powered by Pratt and Whitney engines, A320neo, which are being operated in the country by GoAir and IndiGo, have been facing engine problems.

The Delhi-Leh-Jammu flight took off from Leh at 9.20 am but had to return shortly after due to a technical snag, airline officials said.

On the glitch, a GoAir official said there was an indication” in the oil chip detection system and spare parts would be flown in. In a  statement, GoAir said, “G8 205 (Leh-Jammu) with 112 passengers had a technical glitch right after becoming airborne. The flight crew chose to return to Leh. The aircraft is on ground and being inspected.”

It did not specify the nature of the technical issue the plane suffered.

The airline said the passengers were being looked after.

“We are ensuring the next available flight options as well as hotel accommodation for passengers,” it said.

A GoAir aircraft had earlier this month repeated glitches in oil chip detection system — as many as three in a span of two days.

There are a total 45 A320neos in the country. Out of them, 32 are with IndiGo and 13 are with GoAir.

Pratt and Whitney-powered Airbus A320Neos have been facing engine problems for the past more than two years.




Following a slew of engine issues, the civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation had last year ordered more frequent borescope inspections as well as grounding of aircraft on illumination of “oil chip lights”.

Earlier this month, European aviation safety regulator EASA had issued an emergency airworthiness directive for A320neo planes fitted with PW1100 engines having a particular serial number.

The European aviation watchdog’s directive came in the wake of instances of engine in-flight shut-downs and rejected takeoffs involving A320neo family planes.

Following that directive, IndiGo had grounded three A320neo planes while GoAir had said that none of its planes has “two of these engines on the same aircraft”.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://news.statetimes.in

Fatal accident occurred at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, California

Lt. James E. Mazzuchelli


SAN DIEGO — A 32-year-old Navy Officer and flight surgeon who died after being struck by a spinning helicopter blade at Camp Pendleton was identified Sunday.

Lt. James E. Mazzuchelli was a flight surgeon assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, according to a statement issued by military officials.

“My heart goes out to our Sailor and his family as we support them through this difficult time,” Maj. Gen. Mark Wise said.

Mazzuchelli was a native of Orange Park, Florida and was commissioned in the Navy in June 2010. He was deployed to Japan in 2016.

“Lt. James Mazzuchelli was an incredibly talented physician and sailor,” said Col. Matthew Mowery, commander of MAG-39. “His contagious enthusiasm, motivation and love for the Marines and sailors of HMLA-267 and MAG- 39 has been evident in the outpouring of grief at his loss and the support being shown to his family and close friends.

“His willingness to join the Navy and elect to serve faithfully with the Marines should give a sense of pride to all of us who serve our country that we are surrounded by heroes every day. James and his contribution to our Corps will be sorely missed,” Mowery continued.

The accident occurred around 6 p.m. Wednesday. The sailor was struck by a spinning UH-1Y “Venom” tail rotor blade, according to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing public affairs.

Paramedics took Mazzuchelli to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he was pronounced dead at about 5:45 a.m. Saturday — a little more than two days after the incident.

The incident remains under investigation.

Original article can be found here ➤  http://fox5sandiego.com

Maule MX-7-180A Sportplane, N61SR and Piper PA-20 Pacer, N1562A: Accident occurred December 18, 2017 at Willow Airport (UUO), Alaska

Additional participating entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska

N61SR Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 


http://registry.faa.gov/N61SR


Location: Willow, AK

Accident Number: GAA18CA087A
Date & Time: 12/18/2017, 1120 AKS
Registration: N61SR
Aircraft: MAULE MX7
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Ground collision
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under:  Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis


The pilot of the Piper airplane reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun". He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of a Maule airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway.

The pilot of the Maule airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt, when his airplane was struck from behind.


The Piper sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the Maule sustained substantial damage to the empennage.


The Piper and Maule pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.


Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The other pilot's failure to see and avoid another airplane parked on the taxiway while taxiing in sun glare conditions. 

Findings

Personnel issues
Monitoring other aircraft - Pilot of other aircraft (Cause)

Environmental issues
Aircraft - Effect on operation (Cause)

Glare - Effect on personnel


Pilot Information


Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor

Age: 62, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s):  Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/01/2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Manufacturer: MAULE

Registration: N61SR
Model/Series: MX7 180A
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1994
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 20016C
Landing Gear Type: Ski; Tailwheel
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/24/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2400 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3800 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer:  Lycoming
ELT: C91  installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-C4F
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135) 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan


Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions

Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PAWS, 354 ft msl
Observation Time: 1956 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 18 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 126°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: -9°C / -11°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.15 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Willow, AK (UUO)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Destination:
Type of Clearance:  Unknown
Departure Time: 1120 AKS
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information


Airport: WILLOW (UUO)

Runway Surface Type: Snow
Airport Elevation: 215 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Snow
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: None 

Wreckage and Impact Information


Crew Injuries: 1 None

Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire:  None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:  61.751944, -150.053056 (est)

N1562A  Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N1562A

Location: Willow, AK
Accident Number: GAA18CA087B
Date & Time: 12/18/2017, 1120 AKS
Registration: N1562A
Aircraft: PIPER PA 20
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Ground collision
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The pilot of the Piper airplane reported that, while taxiing from the runway to his tie-down space, he was taxiing "into the sun". He added that, before he could react, he struck the tail of a Maule airplane, which was stopped on the taxiway.

The pilot of the Maule airplane reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he was planning to depart and had stopped on the taxiway to put on his seat belt, when his airplane was struck from behind.

The Piper sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut; the Maule sustained substantial damage to the empennage.

The Piper and Maule pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to see and avoid another airplane stopped on the taxiway while taxiing in sun glare conditions.

Findings

Personnel issues
Monitoring other aircraft - Pilot (Cause)

Environmental issues
Aircraft - Effect on operation (Cause)

Glare - Effect on personnel

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 56, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/17/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 06/16/2017
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 719.2 hours (Total, all aircraft), 356.2 hours (Total, this make and model), 615.8 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 1.5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0.4 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER
Registration: N1562A
Model/Series: PA 20 150
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1954
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 20-768
Landing Gear Type: Ski; Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 12/02/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1950 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3326.33 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91  installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320-A2B
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 150 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PAWS, 354 ft msl
Observation Time: 1956 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 18 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 126°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: -9°C / -11°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.15 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Trail Lake, AK
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Willow, AK (UUO)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1100 AKS
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: WILLOW (UUO)
Runway Surface Type: Ice; Snow
Airport Elevation: 215 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Snow
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:   61.751944, -150.053056 (est)