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■ MD-11 Cargo Crashed...(2010-07-28)
A Lufthansa Cargo MD-11F cargo plane was destroyed when it crashed on landing at Riyadh-King Khaled International Airport (RUH), Saudi Arabia. Both crew members survived the accident.
The airplane crashed and caught fire while landing on runway 33L/15R (13,796 ft long, asphalt runway).
The airplane operated on Flight LH8460, a scheduled cargo service every Tuesday operating from Frankfurt to Riyadh. It carried 80 tons of cargo, according to a Lufthansa press release.

■ FAA proposes nearly $2.5 million civil penalty against American Eagle Airlines...(2010-02-03)
published: February 1, 2010, 19:23 UTC
by Harro Ranter, ASN

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a civil penalty totaling almost $2.5 million against American Eagle Airlines for operating flights without adequately ensuring the weight of baggage was properly calculated.

The FAA alleges that between January and October 2008, American Eagle conducted at least 154 passenger-carrying flights when the baggage weight listed on airplane cargo load sheets disagreed with data entered into the company’s Electronic Weight and Balance System.

Entry of erroneous data into the weight and balance system results in an incorrect computation of the weight and balance of a particular aircraft. This can potentially lead to faulty calculations for the proper control settings and reference speeds necessary for safe takeoffs and landings.
The FAA alleges that after the situation was brought to the attention of American Eagle, the company operated at least 39 flights without correcting the problem.

After the FAA’s initial investigation, American Eagle took corrective action by revising its Station Operating Manual to ensure that proper weight and balance information is confirmed, pending automation of its cargo load sheets. However, the violations resulted in a proposed civil penalty of $2,475,000.

American Eagle has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s civil penalty letter to respond to the agency. (FAA)

■ TSA Security Events in 2009e...(2010-01-22)
The TSA is constantly adapting to address evolving threats, according to the TSA. They have a “layered approach to security that allows [them] to surge resources as needed on a daily basis. They use the following measures to ensure the safety of passengers:

1. • Quickly implement additional screening measures
2. • Explosive detection
3. • Canine teams
4. • Law enforcement officers
5. • Gate screening and "behavior detection"
6. • Other measures both seen and unseen

Here is a look back of the TSA incidents and United States Air disaster recap for 2009:

1). January 2- Air Tran Flight 175 January 1, 2009 held nine passengers “for a security related issue onboard the aircraft involving verbal comments made by a passenger and overheard by other passengers”. All nine passengers were later cleared of any wrongdoing according to an Air Tran press release.
2). January 15- US Airways flight 1549—“taking off from La Guardia Airport on Thursday afternoon. The pilot ditched in the icy Hudson River and all on board were rescued by a flotilla of converging ferries and emergency boats, the authorities said” according to a report by the New York times. All 155 onboard were safe.
3). February 12- A “commuter plane crashed while attempting to land in rain and sleet, 6 miles northeast of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, were it was scheduled to land” according to planecrashinfo.com. All 49 onboard were killed.
4). March- Man caught with Cocaine at John Wayne Airport and arrested.
5). April 12- Pittsburgh International Airport a man was apprehended when it was discovered he had stolen airport property.
6). April 16- Pittsburgh International Airport multiple IDs in the man’s wallet, along with numerous credit cards, some having different names
7). April 17- Tampa International Airport Hundreds of pills were found in a passenger’s carry-on bag
8). May 8- Newark Liberty (N.J.) International Airport a man checked in 9 bags and two of the bags contained replica improvised explosive devices, accompanied by inert blasting caps.
9). August 10- ExpressJet Incident- a flight was delayed on the tarmac due to bad weather for “9 1/2 hours — 7 hours on the ground”-- 47 passengers spent the night trapped inside a small plane due to poor airline customer service and lack of appropriate response measures.
10). December 25- Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit a Nigerian man set off a device and was subdued by passengers and crew.
11). December 27- Northwest Flight 253 Incident. A Nigerian man spent an unusual amount of time in the bathroom and was subsequently removed from the plane. It was later determined, according to the TSA, he appeared to have a legitimate illness.

http://www.examiner.com/x-29058-San-Jose-Family-Travel-Examiner~y2009m12d31-2009-Air-disasters-and-security-threats-on-USA-flights

■ Boeing 737-823 Runway Excursion In Jamaca...(2010-01-11)
"The Boeing 737-823 aircraft, registration N977AN, operated by American Airlines Inc. as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 international scheduled passenger flight from Miami, Florida, to Kingston, Jamaica, originated at Miami International Airport at about 8:22 pm eastern standard time (EST) on December 22, 2009. At about 10:22 pm EST the aircraft ran off the eastern end of Runway 12 while landing at the Norman Manley International Airport (MKJP), Kingston.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions prevailed in the area and heavy rain was reported at the airport at the time of the accident. The aircraft was flying on an Instrument Flight Rules Flight Plan.

There were 154 persons on board the aircraft, including the pilot, copilot and four flight attendants. There were no fatalities, but numerous injuries were reported.

According to the Norman Manley Tower Controller, as the aircraft was approaching Jamaica the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) for MKJP, which relays recorded airport and weather information, was broadcasting Runway 12 as the runway designated for arrivals.

The crew contacted Jamaican Air Traffic Control and requested the Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach for Runway 12. The controller advised the crew of tailwind conditions on Runway 12 and offered them a circling approach for landing on Runway 30. The crew repeated their request for Runway 12 and were subsequently cleared to land on that runway, with the controller further advising the crew that the runway was wet. The Captain, who was the pilot flying, reported that he used the Heads Up Display (HUD) during the approach and landing.

The crew reported that after descending through the cloud cover, they made visual contact with the runway at between 1000 feet and 700 feet above ground level. According to the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), the aircraft was traveling at the Vref (landing) airspeed of 148 knots, with a groundspeed of 162 knots, i.e. with a tailwind component of 14 knots, when the wheels made initial contact at about 4,000 feet down the 8,900-foot runway. The FDR further indicated that the aircraft bounced once, then settled onto the runway; the autobrakes then engaged, and reverse thrust and the spoilers were deployed.

The crew reported that at that point they felt that the aircraft did not decelerate normally, and they subsequently applied maximum manual (pedal) braking. The FDR indicates that the aircraft decelerated normally for an autobrake 3 setting. The FDR indicates that during the landing rollout the aircraft veered to the left of centerline and departed the end of the runway at a groundspeed of 63 knots. Examination of the crash site indicates that the aircraft then exited the runway, went through the perimeter fence, crossed a road, and came to rest on a rock-strewn beach about 175 feet beyond the departure end of Runway 12 and about 40 feet from the water line.

The aircraft’s fuselage was broken into three major pieces. The right engine, right inboard aft trailing edge flap and the right main landing gear separated from the aircraft during the accident sequence. The left winglet was almost broken off the wing. The FDR did not indicate any anomalies or malfunctions with the operation of the brakes, spoilers or thrust reversers. The FDR indicates the rate of deceleration appears normal for a wet runway.

An evaluation of the runway surface conditions at the time of landing is in progress, to determine the effect of this on the braking forces. To this point in the investigation, no mechanical problems have been found with any aspect of the aircraft. The ground-based navigation and landing aids were evaluated by a check aircraft after the accident, and were determined to be functioning normally.

The flight plan designated Grand Cayman as the alternate airport and the aircraft had sufficient fuel on board to reach that destination.

The aircraft was slightly below the maximum permitted landing weight when it landed in Kingston.

The wreckage of the aircraft remains under the control of the JCAA, through the NTSB, and will be shipped to the USA. There it will be kept in a secure facility and be available for further examination, until such time as it is no longer required for the investigation.

The JCAA continues its investigation of this event, and will provide additional updates as progress is made."

The METAR issued 20 minutes before the accident:

METAR MKJP 230300Z 32008KT 33000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/20 Q1014 RETSRA

was followed by the following SPECI imediately after the accident:

SPECI MKJP 230325Z 32011KT 22000 +SHRA BKN014 FEW016CB SCT030 BKN100 21/19 Q1014 RETSRA

■ Air safety improves in 2009: IATA...(2009-12-24)
GENEVA: India witnessed only one air accident -- the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and four others -- this year, a period that saw airlines improve their safety record, says IATA. Globally, there were 73 accidents as of November 30 compared to 109 a year ago.
"If you were to fly once per day, it would take 4,807 years for an individual to be involved in an accident," IATA's Senior Vice President (Safety) Gunther Matschnigg told PTI here. "This is the best accident rate ever recorded."
Though the number of fatal accidents was reduced by 30 per cent over 2008, the total fatalities this year were more than last year, he said. As on November 30, there were 16 fatal accidents against 23 in 2008, but the total number of deaths was 680 compared with 502 last year.
Noting that runway excursions were a major cause of accidents, he said out of the 73 accidents recorded this year, 19 were due to runway excursions or when airplanes skid out of runway. Between 2004 and 2008, 139 out of 501 total accidents or about 28 per cent were runway excursions.
In the Asia-Pacific region, there were three accidents, including a fatal one that involved aircraft of Lion Air, Aviastar Mandiri (both Indonesian carriers) and Myanma Airways of Myanmar. Not a single Indian carrier was involved in accidents where fatalities and hull losses occur, the data showed.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/Air-safety-improves-in-2009-IATA/articleshow/5369984.cms

■ Honeywell Wins FAA Approval of Runway Safety Systems...(2009-09-17)
PHOENIX, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced

today that its SmartRunway(TM) and SmartLanding(TM) products, technologies

developed to reduce runway accidents at crowded airports, have received

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Standard Order (TSO) approval,

allowing the company to deliver its runway products to customers for aircraft

installation. Honeywell has the only runway safety products to be certified

by the FAA for production.

SmartRunway provides visual and aural alerts to pilots about runway and taxi

locations and SmartLanding informs pilots of unstable approaches and long

landings, when an aircraft lands too far down the runway to safely stop.

"SmartRunway and SmartLanding address the $1 billion cost of runway excursions

and incursions to the commercial flight industry," said TK Kallenbach,

Honeywell Vice President of Product Management. "This new software provides

added situational awareness at increasingly crowded airports while reinforcing

standard operating procedures."

SmartRunway helps break the chain of events that can lead to a runway

incursion by providing timely advisories -- aural and/or visual -- to the

flight crew about aircraft position compared to runway locations in the

database. SmartRunway is the next generation of Honeywell's Runway Awareness

and Advisory System (RAAS), the first runway advisory system introduced in

2004, and installed on more than 200 air transport and 1,470 business

aircraft, with another 800 airline systems on order. SmartRunway offers two

additional advisories over RAAS, as well as visual advisories. Boeing

recently announced they are offering SmartRunway as an option on the 747-8 and

777 aircraft, and will offer it on the 737 in early 2010.

SmartLanding addresses the chain of events that can lead to a runway excursion

event by notifying pilots through aural and/or visual alerts if the aircraft

has not met established safety criteria on approach, to help prevent the

aircraft from landing too hard or exiting the runway from the end or the

sides. The Flight Safety Foundation reports that in the past 14 years, there

has been an average of almost 30 runway excursion accidents per year for

commercial aircraft.

"The systems support both 'quiet' cockpit and 'heads-up' initiatives while

complementing electronic flight bag technology by providing safety information

to pilots when runway safety is at risk," said Kallenbach. "SmartRunway and

SmartLanding are the latest software enhancements to our EGPWS, which is found

on more than 30,000 business and air transport aircraft."

The systems require just one hour of aircraft downtime for installation and

minimal pilot training, and are software upgrades to Honeywell's Mark V and

Mark VII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), the leading

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) Warning Systems. Honeywell's EGPWS

contains a global terrain, obstacle and runway database and more than 600

million hours of global flight validation.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeywell's aerospace business is a leading global

provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for

aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military,

space and airport operations.

Honeywell International (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified

technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with

aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and

industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based

in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York,

London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges.

For more news and information on

Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking

statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act

of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that

address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends,

expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are

forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions

and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their

perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future

developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The

forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a

number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to

economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our

operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking

statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results,

developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such

forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Honeywell

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS128076+16-Sep-2009+PRN20090916

Karen Crabtree of Honeywell, +1-602-365-5255, karen.crabtree@honeywell.com

■ 5. 168 Feared Dead After Plane Crashes in Iran...(2009-07-20)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A passenger plane bound for Armenia from Iran crashed Wednesday morning in northwest Iran, and all 168 people aboard were believed to have perished, Iranian state media reported. A video grab from the Iranian official English-language satellite television Press TV showing debris from the downed aircraft on Wednesday. The plane, made by the Russian company Tupolev, crashed near the city of Qazvin at about 11:30 a.m. local time after leaving Tehran on a flight to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, Hussein Behzadpour, the police chief of Qazvin, said in comments quoted by Iran’s English language Press TV. The crash site was near Jannatabad, a village just outside Qazvin, Mr. Behzadpour said. The spokesman for Iran’s Aviation Organization, Reza Jafarzadeh, told Press TV that the plane, Caspian Airlines Flight 7908, crashed 16 minutes after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport. Qazvin is about 90 miles northwest of Tehran. The plane was carrying 153 passengers and 15 crew members, state television reported. The broadcast showed wreckage mingled with human body parts, and a fire brigade official was quoted as saying the debris was strewn over a broad area. Among the images was a crater gouged into farmland with mangled pieces of metal scattered about, Reuters reported. News reports said the pilot may have been trying an emergency landing after technical problems occurred. The Associated Press quoted a spokesman for the airline in Yerevan as saying that most of the passengers were Armenians but that some Georgians also were on board. Caspian Airlines is a Russian-Iranian joint venture founded in 1993, The A.P. said. Iran has been plagued by plane crashes in recent years, a record that aviation experts have attributed to the country’s aging and outdated planes, many of them secondhand aircraft leased from Russia. In September 2006, a Russian-made Tupolev plane TU-154 apparently blew a tire while landing in Mashhad, Iran, slipped off the runway and burst into flames, killing 29 of the 148 people on board and injuring 47, state-run television reported at the time. More than 90 people, including 80 journalists, were killed in December 2005 when a military plane crashed into a building in Tehran. In February 2002, a Tupolev TU-154 operated by Iran Air Tours crashed in Khorramabad, Iran, killing all 118 people on board. With no domestic aviation industry, the country is dependent on foreign manufacturers for its planes. But trade sanctions in place for the past three decades have hampered access to spare parts as well as purchases of more modern aircraft, particularly from American manufacturers like Boeing. In 2005, the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations, warned that sanctions flouted international treaties and placed civilian lives in danger. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/world/middleeast/16plane.html?hpw

■ 3. Turtles on runway delay NYC flights...(2009-07-10)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The speed of the world's biggest jets was no match against the slow and steady pace of a group of turtles who delayed flights at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday morning. A runway that juts out into a bay was closed for 35 minutes while 78 diamondback terrapin turtles, each weighing 2-3 pounds (1-2 kilograms), were removed, said a spokesman for airport operator The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "They came up out of the water," the spokesman said. "It happens, but it doesn't happen a lot." The closure caused delays of 1-1/2 hours at the airport, which caters to about 48 million passengers a year. The turtles were taken away and released back into the wild -- away from the airport.

■ 2. Qantas Flight from HK Encounters Severe Turbulence...(2009-06-23)
SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) said Monday that an Airbus A330-300 aircraft flying to Perth from Hong Kong encountered severe turbulence, injuring six passengers and one crew member. The seven people were taken to hospital when the aircraft arrived in Perth but were later released. "The aircraft most likely encountered what is known as convective turbulence, which led to it rapidly gaining around 800 feet in altitude before returning to its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet," said Qantas Group Executive Government and Corporate Affairs David Epstein. "This convective turbulence is not normally visible to weather radar," he said. Qantas reported the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which will investigate. The airline said there was no reason to link the incident to other recent in-flight incidents involving A330 aircraft. There were 206 passengers and 13 flight and cabin crew on the aircraft, which hit the turbulence over Borneo, about four hours out of Hong Kong. The flight captain reported minor damage to two overhead panels in the cabin and two oxygen masks were dislodged. An A330 aircraft owned by Air France crashed into the Atlantic earlier this month on route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro with 228 people on board. The cause of that disaster is unknown.

■ 9. Dornier 328-110 Runway Excursion (Indonesia)...(2009-06-17)
An Express Air Dorinier Do 328 passenger plane was substantially damaged when it ran off the side of the runway after landing at Tanahmerah Airport (TMH). The airplane landed following a domestic flight from Jayapura-Sentani Airport (DJJ). After landing the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The nr.2 prop contacted the ground and separated from the engine. All on board evacuated safely; there was no fire. Tanahmerah Airport (TMH) has a single gravel runway 07/25, 3111 feet (950 m) in length. (aviation-safety.net)

■ 6. Fire forces US jet airliner to land in Canada...(2009-06-11)
MONTREAL (AFP) — An American Airlines jet airliner with 210 people aboard was forced to land late Tuesday in eastern Canada when an electrical fire broke out in the bathroom, airport authorities reported. There were no injuries and the passengers and crew are safe, said a spokesman Peter Spurway of Halifax airport. American Airlines Flight 64 was flying from New York to Zurich when the fire broke out. "We received an advisory at about 7:48 pm Halifax Time," Spurway told AFP. The aircraft landed "without incident," said Spurway, and the passengers "were evacuated to the ground by a set of air stairs." The emergency was caused by "fire in a fan motor in a mid cabin washroom," he added. Paramedics treated one person on the scene, but the patient did not need to be hospitalized, Spurway said.

■ 1. Part of Air France jet's tail found by Brazil navy...(2009-06-10)
The Brazilian air force prepares to tow a piece of the downed Air France Flight 447, which was carrying 228 people when it crashed en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Crews have recovered 24 bodies. The nearly intact vertical stabilizer shows the Airbus probably broke apart in the air, much like one that crashed in 2001 in New York, a U.S. consultant says. Reporting from Los Angeles and Bogota -- The Brazilian navy on Monday found a huge piece of tail section from Air France Flight 447 floating in the Atlantic Ocean, raising hopes that crews will be able to find more wreckage to help determine what caused the plane to crash. One U.S. aviation consultant said the almost perfectly intact vertical stabilizer provides evidence that the jetliner broke apart before hitting the water and said it resembles the condition of a tail that was torn off an Airbus that crashed in New York City in November 2001. The Air France Airbus 330 disappeared May 31 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris over a section of the Atlantic where the ocean floor is between two and four miles below the surface.

■ Air France jet likely broke apart above ocean...(2009-06-04)
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Slideshow:Air France jet crashes into Atlantic Play Video Video:Raw Video: First pic of downed plane's oil slick AP Play Video Video:Flying Into Towering Thunderstorms ABC News AP – A Brazilian air force helicopter departs from a military base during search operations for a missing … By FEDERICO ESCHER and BRADLEY BROOKS, Associated Press Writers Federico Escher And Bradley Brooks, Associated Press Writers – 52 mins ago
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil – Military planes located new debris from Air France Flight 447 Wednesday while investigators focused on a nightmarish ordeal in which the jetliner broke up over the Atlantic as it flew through a violent storm.

Heavy weather delayed until next week the arrival of deep-water submersibles considered key to finding the black box voice and data recorders that will help answer the question of what happened to the airliner, which disappeared Sunday with 228 people on board. But even with the equipment, the lead French investigator questioned whether the recorders would ever be found in such a deep and rugged part of the ocean.

As the first Brazilian military ships neared the search area, investigators were relying heavily on the plane's automated messages to help reconstruct what happened to the jet as it flew through towering thunderstorms. They detail a series of failures that end with its systems shutting down, suggesting the plane broke apart in the sky, according to an aviation industry official with knowledge of the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the crash.

The pilot sent a manual signal at 11 p.m. local time saying he was flying through an area of "CBs" — black, electrically charged cumulonimbus clouds that come with violent winds and lightning. Satellite data has shown that towering thunderheads were sending 100 mph (160 kph) updraft winds into the jet's flight path at the time.

Ten minutes later, a cascade of problems began: Automatic messages indicate the autopilot had disengaged, a key computer system switched to alternative power, and controls needed to keep the plane stable had been damaged. An alarm sounded indicating the deterioration of flight systems.

Three minutes after that, more automatic messages reported the failure of systems to monitor air speed, altitude and direction. Control of the main flight computer and wing spoilers failed as well.

The last automatic message, at 11:14 p.m., signaled loss of cabin pressure and complete electrical failure — catastrophic events in a plane that was likely already plunging toward the ocean.

"This clearly looks like the story of the airplane coming apart," the airline industry official told The Associated Press. "We just don't know why it did, but that is what the investigation will show."

French and Brazilian officials had already announced some of these details, but the more complete chronology was published Wednesday by Brazil's O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, citing an unidentified Air France source, and confirmed to the AP by the aviation industry source.

Air France spokesman Nicolas Petteau referred questions about the messages to the French accident investigation agency, BEA, whose spokesman Martine Del Bono said the agency won't comment. Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim also declined to comment, saying that the accident "investigation is being done by France; Brazil's only responsibility is to find and pick up the pieces."

Other experts agreed that the automatic reports of system failures on the plane strongly suggest it broke up in the air, perhaps due to fierce thunderstorms, turbulence, lightning or a catastrophic combination of events.

"These are telling us the story of the crash. They are not explaining what happened to cause the crash," said Bill Voss, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Va. "This is the documentation of the seconds when control was lost and the aircraft started to break up in air."

Voss stressed that the messages alone were not enough to understand why the Air France jet went down, noting that the black boxes will have far more information to help determine the cause.

One fear — terrorism — was dismissed Wednesday by all three countries involved in the search and recovery effort. France's defense minister and the Pentagon said there were no signs that terrorism was involved, and Jobim said "that possibility hasn't even been considered."

A U.S. Navy P-3C Orion surveillance plane, a French AWACS radar plane and two other French military planes joined Brazil's Air Force in trying to spot debris and narrow the search zone.

Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said debris discovered so far was spread over a wide area, with some 230 kilometers (140 miles) separating pieces of wreckage they have spotted. The floating debris includes a 23-foot (seven-meter) chunk of plane and a 12-mile-long (20-kilometer-long) oil slick, but pilots have spotted no signs of survivors, Air Force spokesman Col. Jorge Amaral said.

"Oil stains on the water might exclude the possibility of an explosion, because there was no fire," Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters Wednesday.

The new debris was discovered about 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of where searchers a day earlier found an airplane seat, a fuel slick, an orange life vest and pieces of white debris. The original debris was found roughly 400 miles (640 kilometers) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha islands off Brazil's northern coast, an area where the ocean floor drops as low as 22,950 feet (7,000 meters) below sea level.

Brazil lacks the equipment needed to reach the ocean floor. If the black boxes are at the bottom of the sea, their recovery will have to wait for the arrival early next week of a French research ship with remotely controlled submersibles that can explore as deeply as 19,600 feet (6,000 meters).

The sturdy black boxes — voice and data recorders — are built to give off signals for at least 30 days, even underwater, and could keep their contents indefinitely.

But the head of France's accident investigation agency, Paul-Louis Arslanian, said in Paris that he is "not optimistic" about recovering the recorders — and that investigators should be prepared to continue the probe without them.

"It is not only deep, it is also mountainous," he said. "We might find ourselves blocked at some point by the lack of material elements."

Arslanian said investigators didn't have enough information to determine whether the plane broke up in the air or upon impact with the sea, and that in the absence of black box data, they are studying maintenance and other records.

"For the moment, there is no sign that would lead us to believe that the aircraft had a problem before it took off," Arslanian said.

He said investigators did not know the exact time of the accident or whether the chief pilot was at the controls when the plane went down. Pilots on long-haul flights often take turns at the controls to remain alert.

If no survivors are found, it would be the deadliest crash in Air France's history, and the world's worst civil aviation disaster since the November 2001 crash of an American Airlines jetliner in the New York City borough of Queens that killed 265 people.

___

Bradley Brooks wrote from Rio de Janeiro. Associated Press writers Alan Clendenning in Sao Paulo; Marco Sibaja in Brasilia; Slobodan Lekic in Brussels, Belgium; Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin; Emma Vandore in Bourget, France; and Angela Charlton in Paris also contributed to this report.

■ Pilots responsible for swine flu alerts...(2009-04-30)
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced the measure at a press conference to outline Australia's response the worldwide outbreak of swine flu, saying it "can be in place by late this afternoon''.

It was unclear how quickly additional clinical treatments would be available at airports.

Four million health declaration cards will be distributed to airports around the country.

Arrangements are also in place to deploy thermal scanners to eight of Australia's international airports.

"They are in transit to airports today and all arrangements are in place for AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) to be standing by to receive that equipment and to use it if that becomes necessary,'' Ms Roxon said.

Ms Roxon said the number of Australians aboard a flight from Mexico to New Zealand with three schoolchildren who contracted the swine flu has been revised down to 15 from 22.

The Australian, 29 Apr 2009 Of those, only two showed any flu-like symptoms but had been cleared by their doctor.

"The reason this number is different is that the authorities couldn't ascertain from the names provided by the New Zealand authorities which were families and which were individuals," she said.

The Australian passengers included four people from NSW, three from Victoria, one from South Australia and seven Queenslanders.

"Two of the passengers in Queensland were showing some flu symptoms but have subsequently been cleared by their GP,'' Ms Roxon said.

"My advice is none of the other passengers that have been contacted so far are showing any flu symptoms but obviously this process is ... still ongoing and a number of people are receiving anti-virals as a precautionary measure.''

Ms Roxon said there were no confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia.

There are 31 suspected cases in Queensland; 19 in Victoria; 14 in South Australia; 10 in New South Wales; eight in WA; four in the ACT; three in Tasmania, and one in the Northern Territory.

The Government had taken additional steps to make swine flu a quarantinable disease, Ms Roxon said.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25404010-29277,00.html

■ Pilot arrested in U.K. on alcohol charges...(2009-04-29)
MONTREAL, April 27 (UPI) -- An Air Canada backup pilot was arrested and removed from an aircraft at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion he had been drinking.

The airline confirmed reports of the April 16 incident, which made British headlines Monday, the Canwest News Service reported.

The unidentified 45-year man was booked to serve as a relief pilot for the 9-hour flight from London to Calgary, Alberta, the report said.

In Montreal, Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told Canwest a Heathrow security guard "reported that they thought they detected an odor of alcohol on the pilot as he was passing through airport security."

He said Air Canada's rules about crew alcohol use before working are more stringent than federal standards.

"The Transport Canada rule is eight hours, but we have that additional buffer for safety reasons," said Fitzpatrick. "The bottom line is that pilots are not supposed to have a drink for 12 hours before they operate an aircraft. "

The pilot was released on bail and must return to the Heathrow police detachment on June 12, the report said.

*****************

Delta, other airlines plan for swine flu pandemic

(AP) Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and other major carriers have contingency plans for how to manage their operations in the outbreak of a pandemic, but industry observers are closely watching to see what impact swine flu could have on carriers’ finances.

Before this week, Delta and other carriers had already seen a significant drop in international travel because of the recession.

Six years ago, the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, contributed to an 18.5 percent drop in global passenger traffic in April 2003, along with declines in later months.

“What we saw in the SARS episode is it took several weeks of flying empty before airlines started to cancel [flights] in advance,” said Port Washington, N.Y.-based airline consultant Robert Mann.

It’s too early to tell what impact swine flu could have on the airline industry.

Investors reacted to news of the outbreak Monday, with Delta shares falling 14.3 percent and AirTran shares falling 6.6 percent. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services in a statement said the outbreak of swine flu raises the risk that airlines could suffer a steep drop in international traffic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Monday recommended no nonessential travel to Mexico, while Delta, AirTran and other carriers have offered to waive fees for travelers who want to change their travel plans to Mexico.

Delta flies to Mexico City and other destinations in Mexico, though it is not one of the largest carriers to the country. AirTran Airways started flying to Cancun in February, and it said at this point it is continuing the flights. “We evaluate every market on a daily basis, and we have to make decisions that are best for the airline,” said AirTran spokesman Christopher White.

If the situation worsens, airlines may waive broader flight cancellation fees, Mann said, which could have a more significant impact on airlines’ finances.

A European Union health commissioner’s comment urging Europeans to postpone nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico could have an effect on carriers, including Delta.

The International Air Transport Association, which developed guidelines for managing communicable diseases, has recommended that airlines review their preparedness plans.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2006 ran through a drill on how to handle an avian flu outbreak. The airport has a special area for incoming flights that need to be handled away from the main terminal and a CDC quarantine facility on Concourse E.

“We feel that we are well-prepared at the airport, because we do have a comprehensive pandemic plan should we need it,” said airport spokesman John Kennedy.



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