UPDATE: NTSC says PILOT ERROR may have doomed Virgins' SS1. Test Co-Pilot dead and Test Pilot severely injured in Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test mid air explosion

LATEST: PILOT ERROR may have been cause of incident says NTSC investigators

Breaking News Developing Story

Julian Bray added (on November 3rd 2014)

Investigators from the NTSC working from datasets transmitted from the Virgin Galactic SS1 Rocket powered craft, suggest that pilot error might have contributed to the catastrophic failure of the Virgin Galactic SS1.

The failure, it is alleged, was possibly caused by the co-pilot prematurely switching on a feathering process, which required two deliberate sequential switch actions by the co-pilot.  

Second pilot arrested over alcohol concerns

 

A second pilot over the past three days has been arrested over concerns about alcohol levels in his body.

Ian Jennings, 47, from Gale Moor Avenue, Gosport, Hampshire, was arrested at Norwich Airport yesterday afternoon after landing a private plane.
 

RAF JETS GO SUPERSONIC TO ESCORT TROUBLED ANTONOV TURBO-PROP TO STANSTED AIRPORT; BOOM HEARD OVER KENT

RAF FIGHTER JET PILOT to Latvian pilot: "Do not cross into UK air space as you will be shot down."

Julian Bray writes: Stansted Airport has confirmed that two RAF Typhoon jets from RAF Conningsby have 'accompanied' a Latvian Antonov An-26B cargo twin turbo-prop plane registration YL-RAA which 'strayed into UK airspace' and landed under RAF fighter escort at the airport at around 5:20pm in a designated security area.

It is thought that on-board communications failed and the Antonov aircraft did not respond to UK air traffic control as required. The RAF jets were then scrambled and authorised to fly 'supersonic.'

FLYBE snubs Glasgow & Prestwick as it launches new raft of London City to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness flights.

 

A major row is brewing tonight as the FLYBE airline has seemingly snubbed the West of Scotland by launching a series of new routes connecting the East of Scotland directly with the City of London.

 

 

The flight schedule  from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness to London City Airport started today but exclude both Glasgow and Prestwick but represents a “major expansion”, the operator said.

Flybe are offering up to four flights a day from Edinburgh, while Inverness and Aberdeen will cater for two flights a day depending on demand.

The outgoing First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, during the official launch in London, said it was an “exciting” time for Scottish aviation: “We have long stressed the economic benefits of improving Scotland’s connectivity, so these services will no doubt be welcomed by companies in the central belt, the north east and the Highlands who are looking to do business in London and further afield.

Rolls Royce Trent 556 engine fails in flight on ex London Heathrow Etihad Airbus A340-600 to Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airbus A340-600

 




On October 24th 2014, an Etihad Airbus A340-600, registration A6-EHI on flight EY-12 from London Heathrow, to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, maintaining flight level 350 about 50 nm northwest of Bratislava (Slovakia) after the hand over from Czech to Slovakia's air traffic control when the number 2 engine (Rolls Royce Trent 556, inboard left) failed.

Baggage Computer Glitch virtually shuts down Heathrow Airport on a Saturday Night

London Heathrow Airport has one of the worlds largest baggage computer systems and when it crashed on Saturday (October 25 2014) night it not only caused widespread disruption, and a security alert,  but stranded several BBC TV crews in the system.

AMC Networks is investing $200M for a 49.9 percent stake in BBC America, which is part of the BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation

 

Amazing isn't it? Although we all own the BBC, the public service broadcaster, we in cash strapped UK cannot buy shares in it!  However if you live in the USA, nearly half of BBC AMERICA is being sold off according to highly respected sources:

BOSTON LEGAL even if Mums going via Iceland ? WOW Budget flights to Boston USA from UK for £99...

 

Video loading

 

 

Savvy Budget airline WOW! operating an Airbus A 320 has really hotted up the air wars in UK flights to the USA with a one-way ticket from Britain to the US starting at just £99. (REPEAT NINETY NINE POUNDS!)

 

RYANAIR FIXES NOSE PROBLEM IN FLIGHT FROM MALTA TO EDINBURGH

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EPC, flight number FR-6696 on October 17th 2014,  from Malta (Malta) to Edinburgh,SC (UK), was climbing out of Maltas' runway 13 when the crew called an emergency, and stopped the climb at 8000 feet.

They reported a technical problem/signal alarm with the nose landing gear.

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES HURRICANE GONZALO TO HIT THE UK TUESDAY EVENING RUSH HOUR...

 

 

London Heathrow Airport [LHR] is cancelling flights as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo are expected to hit the UK on Tuesday.  Inbound flights are also being diverted to Europe. Already 10 per cent of flights at LHR will be affected. Passengers can expect widespread disruption to scheduled  services, as aircraft will need to be repositioned, and advised to telephone their airline first.

 

CEO of Frances' Total dies in executive jet crash 'fireball' at Moscows' Vnukovo Airport

                                       

The CEO of France’s oil and gas giant Total, Christophe de Margerie, was reportedly among four people killed in a business jet crash at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow after the aircraft hit a snowplough on take-off.

Total’s chairman and CEO was the only passenger in the Falcon 50 business jet in addition to 3 French crew members.  TASS news agency confirmed that de Margerie was the only passenger who boarded the private flight to Paris. Despite Western-imposed sanctions on Russia prohibiting  western financing and technology transfer to some Russian energy projects, Total is continuing to pursue a natural gas project in Yamal, a joint venture with Russia's Novatek and China's CNPC.

A French-built Falcon 50 executive jet 

During take-off at around 0:10am Moscow time on Tuesday, the light aircraft, struck a snow-clearing machine with its landing gear. The pilot reportedly decided to turn back and land.

Whilst still in the air, the aircraft sent distress signals reporting an engine fire and fuselage damage.

Attempting a hard landing but crashing, onto the runway, the aircraft already on fire, burst into flames, killing everyone on board.

Vnukovo Airport temporarily suspended all flights following the incident, after 2 hours, the airport reopened and operations restored.

“A criminal investigation has been opened into the violation of safety regulations after a light aircraft crash in the capital's Vnukovo airport,” transport official Tatyana Morozova told RIA.

An investigation group is working at the crash site, Morozova added. Earlier in the day, due to bad weather conditions at least 18 planes were diverted from Vnukovo to other Moscow airports.

Some twelve planes have been received by Domodedovo airport while 6 landed at Sheremetyevo as dense fog and winter weather conditions make landing difficult. Some 80% of the diverted flights were reported to be private business jets.

De Margerie, 63, joined Total in 1974 after graduating from the École Supérieure de Commerce in Paris. He served in several positions in the Finance Department and Exploration & Production division. In 1995, he became President of Total Middle East before joining the Total's Executive Committee as the President of the Exploration & Production division in May 1999. In May 2006, he was appointed a member of the Board of Directors. He was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Total on May 21, 2010.


Sources: RT/Tass/CNS

 

JULIAN BRAY [ 01733 345581 ], Journalist, Broadcaster, Aviation Security &Operations, Travel / Cruise Industry Expert, Writer and Coach EQUITY, NUJ, Broadcast ISDN changed number 01733 345020) SKYPE: JULIAN.BRAY.UK e&oe A later updated version is always on the Website

Aircraft Pilot twiddled wrong knob confusing Autopilot

A Jetstar Airbus A320-200, registration VH-VFJ on flight JQ-248 from Christchurch to Auckland (New Zealand), was on DAVEE3C standard arrival route to Auckland with the intention to join the RNP Y approach to runway 23L, the first officer was pilot, flying with autopilot and autothrust engaged.

ATC had instructed the crew to maintain their speed of 280 KIAS down to 5000 feet. Descending through 6800 feet the crew armed the approach mode after having received clearance for the approach.

CARNIVAL MAGIC CRUISE SHIP IN EBOLA MEGA MEDIA SCARE puts wind up Belize premier...

Constant on board cleaning - first line of defence...

It is easy to see how some commentators who have never set foot on a cruise ship, let alone cruised on one, can easily beat up an Ebola story, and that is precisely what has happened to the Carnival Cruise Ship Carnival Magic. What was supposed to be a week long cruise around the Caribbean turned into a surreal nightmare fanned by a baying American media storm.

Four days after the Carnival Magic set sail from Galveston, Texas rumours began circulating that all was not well on board.

The Captain over ship TV and Stateroom audio channels, and the all decks/public areas  loudspeaker system confirmed that a woman who professionally worked as a lab supervisor at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, was on board.

 

 

 ...and if that's not enough, the deep clean
isolation medical team moves in..

EBOLA INCIDENT AT MADRID, SPAIN INVOLVES AIR FRANCE FLIGHT

Madrid's Barajas international airport activated emergency measures on Thursday after a passenger arriving on an Air France flight was suspected of possibly having Ebola, a spokeswoman for airports operator Aena speaking to Reuters said.
 

Departing Glasgow from Madeira on October 13th, Jet2 Boeing 737-800 near Funchal, Madiera, engine shuts down in flight

 

One aviation story that seems to have slipped through the news net, concerns this Jet2 Boeing 737-800 out of Glasgow Airport on October 13th....

October 13th will long be remembered by passengers on board a Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-GDFY flight LS-155 from Glasgow,Scotland to Tenerife Sur Sofia Reina,CI  with 197 people on board.

The Boeing 737-800 was enroute at Flight Level 350 over the Atlantic Ocean about 80nm north of Funchal (Madiera) when the crew declared an emergency, reporting an engine failure.

Cleaners mop results in Quantas A380 business class 'swimming' in 700 litres of water...

A CLEANING mophead  has been blamed for loosening pipes on a Qantas A380 that resulted in 700 litres of water leaking into the cabin during a flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne. 
              
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has today released its final report on the incident which occurred on July 2nd.  The leak became apparent to flight crew shortly after take off, as a crew members were preparing hot towels for business class passengers.

Despite turning off the leaking water valve relatively quickly, it was noted only 40 per cent of the potable water supply remained — half of what was available on takeoff.

    

 

“As a precaution, the cabin crew switched off the in-flight entertainment system and the power to all controls in the seats,” the report said.

“The water had progressed through the upper deck floor and water was ‘raining’ on passengers in the vicinity of row 65 of the main deck.

“With the potable water supply switched off, there was no water available for the toilets or basins for the duration of the flight.”

Dying moments of doomed Air France Flight 447 revealed by new investigation

 

Two out of three Air France pilots were sleeping minutes before one shouted ‘F**k, we’re dead!’ and their Airbus 330 aircraft plunged into the sea, with the loss of 228 passsengers and crew on board.

Details of the last moments of Air France Flight 447, which claimed the lives of five Britons and three Irish doctors, have emerged in a new investigation into the 2009 disaster involving an Airbus 330.  The investigation is published in the October edition of Vanity Fair magazine, it raises important questions about safety protocols in civilian aviation.

EBOLA "The law of natural selection" but the simple solution is all at sea....

Julian Bray writes: Its hard to believe that no one has come up with a foolproof system to counteract the spread of Ebola and few of our politicians (at a local level anyway) are taking the threat seriously. Someone raised a question in Council of what to do if Ebola was discovered in our local hospital; a few of the elected members of Peterborough City Council just laughed... that was a few days ago, hopefully they are not laughing now.

But having over the years been lecturing on cruise ships, the current sight of people in contamination suits, goggles and breathing apparatus is nothing new. In any confined environment (such as cruise ships and hospitals) any form of virus can spread like wildfire. So the methodology of isolation and containment is well rehearsed in some quarters.

AIRBUS A320-200 BURSTS INTO FLAMES FOLLOWING SAFE LANDING AS WHEEL BRAKES LOCK UP

One of the items overlooked due to the exceptionally heavy news agenda of the last few weeks is this report from Iran.  On October 8th, an IranAir Airbus A320-200, [EP-IEB] flight IR-423 from Shiraz to Tehran Mehrabad (Iran) with 150 people on board, landed at Tehran. On exiting the runway smoke emitted from the right hand main landing gear.

Ryanairs' damaged wingtips may have to revert to an old fashioned bolt-on repair as bonding 'not airworthy' says Regulator

Julian Bray writes: You spend countless milions of aviation dollars developing bonded lightweight composites for your latest state of the art lightweight aircraft type but when something breaks off or gets damaged (as recently happened to two Ryanair aircraft constructed of bonded primary composites, when wingtips touched during a ground airport taxiway manoevre); you don't repair by bonding the primary composite material but send for a technician armed with a 20th Century metal patch and an olde fashioned  bolt gun! Otherwise the repair won't be passed as safe by the regulators....madness! According to a recent presentation at the industry MRO Europe Convention, reported by Aviation Week:  Bolt-on metal repairs made to aircraft originally constructed of bonded primary composites could soon become a thing of the past, as work to improve the acceptance and standardization of bonded repairs progresses, specialists Lufthansa Technik (LHT) suggest. They were speaking at the recent MRO Europe conference.

Traditional bolted on repairs can be conter-productive or detrimental, cutting the composite structure’s residual strength by up to 50% and also adding extra weight. But amazingly regulators still do not accept bonding as an airworthy repair mothodology.

LHT is a member of the Composite Adaptable Inspection and Repair (CAIRE) project team, which includes Airbus and many other industry stakeholders. CAIRE seeks to automate and standardize bonded composite repairs thus gaining certification and quality assurance approval.

“The only repair that is certifiable at the moment is bolted, meaning that just like a standard metallic aircraft you put a bolted patch on it,” he explained. “The problem is bonding -- which we believe is the best way to repair composite aircraft -- isn't allowed by the regulators.”

Bonded repairs are largely done as required, manually, strength and durability are hard to verify without physically breaking the repair.

Using technologies from the CAIRE project, LHT and its partners claim to have developed an automated system for assessing, designing and repairing damage to composite structures. It optimizes the repair before scanning the surface for contaminants, grinding out the damaged material and creating the fix, which is applied manually.

Courtesy: http://aviationweek.com/MROEurope 

JULIAN BRAY [ 01733 345581 ], Journalist, Broadcaster, Aviation Security &Operations, Travel / Cruise Industry Expert, Writer and Coach EQUITY, NUJ, Broadcast ISDN changed number 01733 345020) SKYPE: JULIAN.BRAY.UK e&oe A later updated version is always on the Website

HRH Prince Charles' spokesman heading for Weber Shandwick PR

According to the influential New York published O'Dwyer Newsletter.. for PR types (Writer - Greg Hazley)  Prince Charles' Spokesman is turning his back on Royal Palaces and heading to PR agency Weber Shandwick. Nothing wrong in that, but with the recent explosive revelations from another Palace mouthpiece Dickie Arbiter, can Prince Charles ever be certain he won't be featured in the Mail on Sunday ?   This is how O'Dwyers broke the news:

Patrick Harrison, longtime spokesman for Prince Charles, is moving to Weber Shandwick in London in January as director of reputation management and strategic media relations. Harrison's exit follows the departure of Ed Perkins, communications advisor for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Duchess Kate), for London-based PR giant Portland last month. Harrison has held a press role for Clarence House for the past 14 years, including through the death of Princess Diana and speaking for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, whom Charles married in 2005. He took the reins in 2012, when Paddy Harverson left to set up Milltown Partners with Google UK PR alum D-J Collins. Harrison was previously assistant director of communications for the UK's Dept. of Envrironment, Transport and the Regions and press officer for the Home Office, the British government's law enforcement and immigration agency.      NO PRESSURE THERE THEN - COLAS ALL ROUND!

JULIAN BRAY [ 01733 345581 ], Journalist, Broadcaster, Aviation Security &Operations, Travel / Cruise Industry Expert, Writer and Coach EQUITY, NUJ, Broadcast ISDN changed number 01733 345020) SKYPE: JULIAN.BRAY.UK e&oe A later updated version is always on the Website