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The probable cause of the Colgan Air crash that killed 50 people near Buffalo, N.Y., a year ago was the
captain's inappropriate response, characterized as "startle and confusion," after the stick shaker was activated, the NTSB
reported in a hearing on Tuesday. The captain pulled back when he should have pushed forward, the board said, causing an accelerated stall. Contributing factors included the crew's failure to
monitor airspeed and their violation of the sterile-cockpit rule. In the daylong hearing, which ran past 7 p.m., the board split over the issue of whether or not fatigue was a contributing factor in
the accident. Board chairman Deborah Hersman argued that several factors, including the crew's sleep deficits and the time of day the accident took place, indicated that fatigue was present, and
should be counted as a contributing factor to the crew's performance. But the view of board member Robert Sumwalt prevailed -- he said just because the crew was fatigued, that doesn't mean it was a
factor in their performance.
Documents filed prior to the hearing also showed that the first officer sent two texts from the cockpit prior to takeoff, according to the Buffalo News. One text was sent at 7:58 p.m., prior to taxi, and the second was at 9:13 p.m., just five minutes
before takeoff. The board issued more than 20 recommendations to the FAA for changes that should be made to prevent similar accidents. Hersman, however, told reporters that the FAA fails to act. "It's the same thing over and over again," she said. "[Our
recommendations] have not been heeded by the FAA." The presentations from the meeting are posted online,
as well as the complete docket of documents. The NTSB animation of the final moments of the flight was posted several months ago. A summary of the
board's findings is now posted online; a full probable-cause report will be posted in a few weeks. On Feb. 12, the
anniversary of the crash, friends and relatives of the victims of the crash are planning to walk the final miles of the
uncompleted Colgan flight, to protest what they say was a preventable tragedy, according to NBC New York.
Reacting to Tuesday's conclusions from the NTSB blaming the flight crew for the fatal crash last February, Colgan Air released a statement saying the crew had been properly trained. "They knew what to do in the situation they
faced that night a year ago, had repeatedly demonstrated they knew what to do, and yet did not do it," the company wrote. "We cannot speculate on why they did not use their training in dealing with
the situation they faced ... We want to make clear again that our pilots are highly trained to handle all situations they may encounter." The FAA also issued a statement, saying they will soon publish proposed federal rules to prevent pilot fatigue and further
improve training. "Airline passengers deserve an expertly trained and well-rested crew, whether they are flying on a major or a regional jet," the FAA said. "Pilots must be trained for the
mission they are flying and the FAA already is working to further improve their professional qualifications." The NTSB report also prompted response from lawmakers in Washington.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he wants the FAA to require pilots to log 1,500 hours to get a commercial pilot's license. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she will sponsor a Flight 3407
Memorial Act to make NTSB safety recommendations mandatory, according to the New York Daily News.
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Air traffic controllers in Ohio are protesting a move by the FAA to consolidate operations from several locations in the northern part of the state to a central facility in Cleveland. The
consolidation would mean poorer service to pilots, a loss of local knowledge among controllers, and degraded safety and efficiency, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. NATCA
has been meeting with local pilots and government officials in the region to encourage opposition to the FAA plans. Under the current setup, controllers are familiar with the area around the airports
where they work. That could change if controllers are consolidated, NATCA spokeswoman Alex Caldwell told a local news site. The FAA's proposed plan establishes large controller
stations in Columbus and Cleveland, but doesn't provide redundant support in case of a problem at one of the locations, she said. FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory told the Toledo Blade that no final decisions have been made regarding consolidation, but some NATCA
members said plans are already in place for controllers to be moved as soon as this summer.
NATCA has created a Web site to protest the FAA's plans to consolidate TRACONs across the country. "Local airport knowledge is
CRUCIAL to the continued safe and efficient operation of our local airports," the site reads. "Additionally, the current combined Tower/radar system is cheaper and safer to maintain and operate than a
system of large consolidated radars." NATCA asks pilots to write their congressional representatives and send letters to the editor at local newspapers to protest the FAA plan. The issue is not about
a loss of jobs, the union said. Job cuts are not included in the FAA plans, only a consolidation of facilities.
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Nearly 10 years after an Air France Concorde crashed and burned near Paris, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground, a trial began this week in France to determine who will be held
responsible. Six defendants have been charged with involuntary manslaughter -- two maintenance workers employed by Continental Airlines who were involved in installing a titanium strip that fell off a
DC-10 onto the runway, allegedly causing the damage to the Concorde that led to the crash; two former engineers at Aerospatiale, the company that built the Concorde; a former official of the French
civil aviation authority who oversaw Concorde operations; and Continental Airlines itself. All of the accused have denied the charges. A French investigation found the installation of the metal strip
on the Continental jet did not meet FAA standards. Continental's lawyers say they have witnesses who will testify that the Concorde engine was already on fire before it struck the debris.
"I question the independence of the investigators, I question those who did not want the truth, I question Air France, and it is evident that on July 25, 2000, the Concorde should never have been
allowed to take off," said Olivier Metzner, Continental's lawyer. He said the supersonic jet suffered from flaws that were covered up in an effort to protect the "image of France" that the Concorde
represented. The trial is expected to take about four months.
The budget plan released by the White House this week drops last year's proposal to impose aviation user fees, and instead retains the traditional FAA funding formula of taxes on tickets and fuel
plus a general-fund contribution. "We have waged a 12-month campaign since the moment we learned of a planned $9.6 billion fee," AOPA President Craig Fuller said on Monday. "General aviation organizations worked together to prevent the
realization of a policy that could have crippled GA." Other advocacy groups expressed similar relief, while noting that the budget addresses the issue only for the next fiscal year. "The industry must
remain vigilant to ensure that any future user fee proposals are unsuccessful," said James Coyne, president of the National Air
Transportation Association. Ed Bolen, president of NBAA, also advised caution. "Whether or not this is an indication
of a permanent policy shift on user fees, or a one-time development remains to be determined," he said. "Our industry must continue to make its voice heard on this and other issues."
The administration's budget request, according to AOPA, includes $16.5 billion for the FAA in fiscal
year 2011, a 3-percent increase over 2010. Out of that total, $1.1 billion would go for NextGen air transportation system modernization, a 32-percent increase over last year. Those funds would help to
support the transformation from a radar-based system to a space-based system, the development of more efficient air traffic routes, and the improvement of aviation weather information for pilots. The
funding also includes $3.4 billion for the Airport Improvement Program and $2 million for research and development of alternative fuels for GA. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association noted
that the proposal would extend bonus depreciation for GA aircraft sales and increase funding to hire additional FAA safety inspectors. On the military side, the budget would increase spending
for drone aircraft and drop Boeing's C-17 cargo
aircraft program.
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.
Add AVwebBiz to your AVweb subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."
Piper Hosts Wichita Engineering Job Fair
Meet representatives on Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6 from 8:00am to 6:00pm at the Broadview Hotel, located at 400 W. Douglas Ave. E-mail your resume to
wichitajobfair@piper.com
to be considered for a scheduled interview with hiring managers. For more information and a list of available positions,
visit the careers
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The Super Bowl, coming up this Sunday, is not only a big event for football teams, TV advertisers, and pizza delivery drivers, it's a big deal for general aviation, with lots of extra traffic
expected for south Florida and special flight rules in place. The FAA will establish a TFR around Dolphin
Stadium effective two hours before the Super Bowl begins until one hour after the game ends, approximately 4 p.m. to midnight local time. The TFR consists of two rings of protected airspace, 10
nautical miles and 30 nautical miles in diameter, from the ground up to 18,000 feet surrounding the stadium. The only flights permitted within the 10-mile ring will be public safety, military, and
commercial passenger, cargo, and private charters operating under a TSA-approved security program. Flights by media, banner towers, blimps, general aviation, or any other flight activities, are
prohibited. The 10-mile ring includes Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Opa-Locka Executive Airport and North Perry Airport. GA aircraft at those three airports will not be able to
arrive or depart while the TFR is in effect.
Flights will not be permitted at North Perry Airport while the TFR is active, but authorized flights will be permitted at Ft. Lauderdale and Opa-Locka. Within the 10- to 30-mile ring, general
aviation pilots must tune their transponders to a discreet beacon code assigned by ATC, and pilots must communicate with air traffic controllers. FAA Flight Standards aviation safety inspectors will
conduct intensive airfield surveillance at many South Florida airports this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Inspectors will be at Hollywood, Opa-Locka, Ft. Lauderdale International, Ft. Lauderdale
Executive, Homestead General, Tamiami, Pompano Beach and Boca Raton airports daily. During the game, FAA aviation safety inspectors will be stationed in Dolphin Stadium with the Miami-Dade Police
Dept. and other law enforcement organizations to conduct surveillance of potential TFR violators, and to be available immediately to law enforcement if necessary. The FAA did make one exception -- it
issued a waiver to allow a USAF B-2 Stealth Bomber to overfly Dolphin Stadium before the Super Bowl begins.
Howard Levy, of Freehold, N.J., who died at home last week at age 88, took his first airplane photograph at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, in 1936, when he was just 15 years old. He sold his
first picture a year later. Over his long career, his work appeared in the Smithsonian Magazine, AOPA Pilot, Sport Pilot, Private Pilot, Kitplanes, and dozens more. He was a staff editor at Look
magazine for 25 years. Among many other awards, the staff of Kitplanes presented him with a Silver Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2005. He was a founding member of the American Aviation
Historical Society in 1956 and a founding member of the Aviation/Space Writers Association. He served in the Air Corps as a photographer in World War II in Africa, Sicily and Italy. He remained
active, shooting pictures at EAA AirVenture last summer, and attending local EAA chapter meetings monthly.
Levy is survived by a son-in-law and two grandsons.
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The National Aeronautic Association this week released its list of nominees for the 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy, long considered one of the more prestigious awards in the aviation world. The
Collier Trophy aims to honor "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value
of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year." This year's nominees are: Aircell, which offers inflight
communications services; NASA's Ares 1 crew launch vehicle; Lockheed Martin's C-5M Super Galaxy cargo airplane; the Kandahar Airfield [Afghanistan] Operations Team; the International Space Station; the MC-12W Project Liberty Enterprise Team, which developed a variant of the King Air 350 for military use; the SpaceX Falcon 1 Development Team; and former Senator John Warner and the Excalibur Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.
The Collier Trophy has been awarded annually for 99 years. Past winners include the crews of Apollo 11 and Apollo 8, the Mercury 7, Scott Crossfield, Burt Rutan and Howard Hughes. Projects and
programs which have been the recipient of the Collier include the B-52, the Polaris Missile, the Surveyor Moon Landing Program, the Boeing 747, the Cessna Citation, the Gulfstream V, the Eclipse E500
and the F-22. The selection committee comprises 31 leaders representing organizations in aviation and aerospace and is led by NAA Chairman Walter J. Boyne. "We are extremely pleased with the list of
nominations we have received for the Collier this year," said Boyne in a news release this week. "These projects reflect the extraordinary diversity of individuals and achievements found in our
aviation and aerospace industry." The Selection Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 2, in Arlington, Va., and the winner will be announced the next day, March 3, at the NAA Spring Awards Luncheon.
The formal presentation of the trophy will take place May 13 at a dinner in Arlington.
Last week, we asked AVweb readers what the various GA groups should make their top priority in 2010.
The biggest segment of those who answered (37% of the total) said fighting user fees should top the list — and effort that seems to be off to a good start for the year. Garnering almost as many votes was correcting the public misconceptions about the
value of GA, which accounted for 30% of responses.
The nominations for the prestigious Collier Trophy, given annually by the National Aeronautic Association for "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with
respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year" were released Wednesday. Who or what is your pick for aviation's most prestigious prize?
Have an idea for a new "Question of the Week"? Send your suggestions to
.
NOTE: This address is only for suggested "QOTW" questions, and not for "QOTW" answers or comments.
Use this form to send "QOTW" comments to our AVmail Editor.
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Now's your chance to win 100,000 Air BP Bravo Rewards Points as we celebrate our 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your
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In the latest installment of the AVweb Insider blog, Paul Bertorelli recounts a conversation he recently had over Matt and Chet Pipkin's upcoming shot at the world flight endurance record.
The record attempt is unquestionably a stunt — but is that a bad thing?
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Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips
via email to newstips@avweb.com. You're a part of our team ... often, the best part.
Aviation Consumer is conducting a survey to hear your experiences with engine overhaul shops. Whether the experience was propulsion bliss or aggravation of a new order, please take a couple
minutes to let others know how it went. Your response will help inform an article on engine shops for Aviation Consumer magazine.
(The results will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click
here.)
Peter Drucker Says, "The Best Way to Predict the Future Is to Create It"
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What's special about preflighting the Rotax engines found on most LSAs? Tim Brooks, Director of Maintenance for Heart of Virginia Aviation, takes you on a just-the-facts tour
explaining what you're looking for and why it's important.
Don't see a video screen?
Try disabling ad blockers and refreshing this page.
If that doesn't work, click here to download the video directly.
AVweb reader Charles "Doc" Truthan told us how StarPort USA at the Orlando-Sanford International Airport (KSFB) is
"providing fuel at cost to pilots with Angel Flight Southeast/Mercy Flight Southeast who are flying Haitian refugees ... to their Florida destinations." But that's not all:
[T]hey are [also] delivering the fuel to the aircraft at the terminal gate we are operating from, so the pilot does not have to spend time and fuel taxiing between the FBO and the pickup gate.
For their "outstanding service and American spirit," StarPort is our latest "FBO of the Week."
Each week, we go through dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of reader-submitted photos and pick the very best to share with you on Thursday mornings. The top photos are featured on
AVweb's home page, and one photo that stands above the others is awarded an AVweb baseball cap as our "Picture of the Week." Want to see your photo on
AVweb.com? Click here to submit it to our weekly contest.
*** THIS WEEK'S WINNERS ***
Putting together a weekly selection of reader-submitted photos can be a demanding job — especially when you have a readership as talented and prolific as AVweb's. Once
again, we find ourselves forced to choose among top-notch submissions and somehow select one as our "Picture of the Week."
Oddly enough, refueling was something of a theme in this week's submissions. We had three great photos of mid-air refuelings, but this one from Christopher
Kosseff of Monroe Township, New Jersey stole our breath and cinched the top spot.
"Who needs advanced avionics when you have a bobble-head dog and fuzzy dice in cockpit?" asks Suzy Kryzanowicz of Bay City, Michigan. "The dog
doubles as a turbulence indicator; if his head is missing, it's severe turbulence — at least for a Taylorcraft."
Speaking of "idyllic," Eric Cobb of Santa Ynez, California has his own entry in that category. No worries, though — as any AVweb reader
knows, you can never have too many blue skies.
AC-130 Gunship Shooting Touch-and-Goes at Brookley Field
Rick Mahoney of Mobile, Alabama know just what to do with those blue skies, too — if you can't fly 'em, grab your camera and get a few mementos
of the day.
We were stretched a little tight at press time this week, but don't despair. If there are no fresh pics in the "POTW" slideshow on AVweb's home
page, there will be on Thursday evening. Don't forget to check back! (And remember that we occasionally get sneaky a slide a few in there during the week ... .)
A quick note for submitters: If you've got several photos that you feel are "POTW" material, your best bet is to submit them one-a-week! That gives your photos a greater chance of
seeing print on AVweb, and it makes the selection process a little easier on us, too. ;)
A Reminder About Copyrights:
Please take a moment to consider the source of your image before submitting to our "Picture of the Week" contest. If you did not take the photo yourself, ask yourself if you are indeed authorized to
release publication rights to AVweb. If you're uncertain, consult the POTW Rules or or send us an e-mail.
AVwebFlash is a weekly summary of the latest news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.
The AVwebFlash team is:
Publisher Timothy Cole
Editorial Director, Aviation Publications Paul Bertorelli
Editor-in-Chief Russ Niles
Contributing Editors Mary Grady Glenn Pew
Features Editor Kevin Lane-Cummings
Webmaster Scott Simmons
Contributors Jeff van West Mariano Rosales
Click here to send a letter to the
editor. (Please let us know if your letter is not intended for publication.)
Comments or questions about the news should be sent here.
Have a product or service to advertise on AVweb? A question on marketing? Send it to AVweb's sales team.
If you're having trouble reading this newsletter in its HTML-rich format (or if you'd prefer a lighter, simpler format for your PDA or handheld device), there's also a text-only
version of AVwebFlash. For complete instructions on making the switch, click here.
or call 1 (877) REMOS-88.
Search for aircraft (hourly updates). Find companies, products, and services. Locate dealers/brokers. Call or e-mail sellers, and click directly to their web sites. With our web and mobile
editions, you can view all of our ads at no cost, all the time! Call (800) 337-5263, or
Have you signed up yet for AVweb's no-cost weekly business aviation newsletter, AVwebBiz?
to be considered for a scheduled interview with hiring managers. For more information and a list of available positions,
As a Mooney owner himself, Wayne can guide you through the purchase process.
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips
via email to 
