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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A man whose behavior caused a flight from Orlando, Fla., to be diverted to Charlotte last year has been sentenced to seven months in prison for intimidating a flight attendant.

Mark McGovern was accused of urinating in an airplane aisle and lighting a cigarette during a November flight from Orlando, Fla., to Dulles International Airport outside Washington. Because of McGovern’s unruly behavior, the pilot of the United Airlines flight landed the plane in Charlotte so McGovern could be removed.

The flight, with 117 passengers aboard, later continued to Dulles.

McGovern, a Florida resident, pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Conrad, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert.

Conrad said McGovern should be released directly into an alcohol rehabilitation program when he finishes his sentence and ordered that he pay $7,339 in restitution to United.

Original Article

A 78-year-old woman died onboard a flight to Salt Lake City, but no one noticed until after the plane landed.

The woman was traveling on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale last weekend. Because of fuel problems, the plane was diverted to Dallas, where it was on the ground for about two hours.

It wasn’t until the plane was on the ground in Salt Lake City and the woman didn’t get out of her seat that the flight crew and other passengers noticed the woman had passed away.

It’s not yet known what time during the trip the woman passed away.

An autopsy is being performed to determine time and cause of death.

Original Article

A 78-year-old woman died onboard a flight to Salt Lake City, but no one noticed until after the plane landed.

The woman was traveling on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale last weekend. Because of fuel problems, the plane was diverted to Dallas, where it was on the ground for about two hours.

It wasn’t until the plane was on the ground in Salt Lake City and the woman didn’t get out of her seat that the flight crew and other passengers noticed the woman had passed away.

It’s not yet known what time during the trip the woman passed away.

An autopsy is being performed to determine time and cause of death.

Original Article

Man Says Screenings Of Employees, Belongings Lacking

POSTED: 7:29 pm EDT May 9, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS — In a demonstration for 6News, an airline employee loaded an unscreened bag onto an airplane to highlight what he says are security risks at Indianapolis International Airport.The ground crew employee, who spoke to 6News on condition of anonymity, said workers access the airport's restricted areas by swiping a badge through a machine but encounter no metal detectors or guards. They also can ship packages to friends and relatives by putting them with a plane's cargo without any security personnel checking the bag, he said.

The worker said he put an unscreened bag onto a plane bound for Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. He gave 6News' Jeremy Brilliant the flight number, a claim ticket and a description of the bag.

Brilliant went to the Cincinnati airport and picked up the bag, which was unloaded with the rest of the flight's luggage.

The bag contained nothing sinister — it had a cell phone and some batteries — but the employee said he and other ground crewmen can send just about anything because they and their belongings are not physically checked.

"I know that my airline and the other airlines all kind of have the same act that takes place," the worker told Brilliant.Earlier this week, 6News reported that the worker used a hidden camera to record himself boarding two empty planes without submitting to physical checks.David Kane, the federal security director for Indianapolis International, said regular physical inspections aren't necessary, in part because workers are subject to random searches and undergo extensive background checks. He said workers' names are continually checked against terrorist watch lists.

"The risk analysis that's been done for this location (indicates) the system we have is adequate," Kane said. Criticism of airline worker screenings isn't confined to Indianapolis. In an evaluation of security, the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association gave the aviation industry a failing grade for employee screenings. The report noted that badge-swiping is usually the most stringent measure workers face to gain access to restricted areas.

"A single plastic ID card — with not actually inspecting the people themselves and ensuring that the individual with the card is the real person and making sure that the ramp is secure — leaves openings," the coalition's Jay Norelius said.

Tim Ferrell, a former ramp agent with Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines, said he won't take commercial flights because he believes employee screenings are not stringent enough.

"I wouldn't encourage anyone in my family to fly commercially until they get something better done security-wise," Ferrell told 6News.

A few U.S. airports have physical screening programs in place for employees, Brilliant reported. They include San Francisco International Airport, Miami International Airport, and Denver International Airport.

Original Article 

^{By Guy Norris in Los Angeles}

Airbus is working on a dramatic redesign of its planned A350 long-range widebody twin that is aimed at an all-new aircraft family capable of leapfrogging the rival Boeing 787 as well as the 777, Flight International reveals in this week’s issue.

Airbus went back to the drawing board on the A350 after vocal criticism from key customers such as International Lease Finance, and is expected to reveal details of the initiative in July.

The new family is expected to comprise three versions, the A350-800, -900 and -1000. Key design changes from the earlier A350 include a wider fuselage cross-section, larger all-composite wing, higher Mach 0.85 cruise speed and more powerful engines in the 85,000-90,000lb (380-400kN) thrust class.

The -800 is aimed at the 787-3/8/9 and will continue to be billed as Airbus’s A330-200 replacement. The -900 is similarly aimed at the 777-200ER and 787-10, while the -1000, with seating for around 350, will for the first time give Airbus a very large twin with the range and similar payload capability of the 777-300ER.

Flight International understands Airbus internal planning documents claim new technology engines and lighter structural weight will enable it to achieve up to 20% lower fuel burn than the 777-300ER. The adoption of the new cross-section, the first change for any new Airbus single-deck widebody since the original A300 design of the late-1960s, is particularly significant.

The new fuselage, although close to the 777 diameter with the addition of around 500mm (19in), is expected to retain the same materials technology as the original A350. The move to the larger twin concept also means the formal abandonment of Airbus’s fundamental belief in its long-range four-engined policy.

It is understood that the common cross-section is likely to be adopted over an alternative study that favoured retaining the original diameter for the smaller -800/900 and increasing it for the -1000.

While dramatically enhancing the product’s overall competitiveness against both the 777 and 787 families, it will also inevitably delay the development schedule. Under the original A350 plan, Airbus expected to put the first aircraft into service in late 2010. Under the revised schedule, first delivery is expected to be no earlier than 2012.

The new plan would call for the introduction of the -900 first, with the -800 following and the -1000 coming last in late 2013 or early 2014. The move is also pivotal on the engine makers which, in the case of General Electric and Rolls-Royce, were already  well-advanced on powerplants. The thrust requirement is now well above the mid-70,000lb level originally expected.

One option would be to retain the existing GEnx-1A72 and Trent 1700 engines for the new A350-800/900 – taking advantage of integration work already completed – and develop modified, higher-thrust derivatives for the -1000. Another would be to develop new baseline engines in the 90,000lb-thrust class and derate them for the smaller models.

The engine requirement for the revamped A350 has also attracted the attention of the GE Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance (see related story).

Airbus says: “There has definitely been no decision on the A350 taken yet. We have an A350 already which has been successful in the marketplace. We are talking to customers to see if we should do any optimisation. When we have a clearer picture we will take an internal decision on this.”

Original Article 

THE body of a man was found at Waimalika, Sabeto, in Nadi, yesterday morning.

West crime officer Vijay Singh said the body was found with facial and stomach injuries.

Acting Assistant Superintendent Singh said police believed the man had been murdered.

"The identity of the deceased is known.

"He is Solomoni Saukuru, a cabin crew member with Air Pacific and who lives in Vatutu Village, Nadi.

"He was last seen in Nadi Town at 10pm coming out from a nightclub," he said.

ASP Singh said police were seeking information from people concerning the deceased's movements after he left the nightclub on Friday He said 30 police officers from Lautoka, Nadi and Namaka and a forensic team from Suva were working on the case.

The deceased's younger brother Jerry Batirua, 28, said his brother had flown into the country on Monday morning from Los Angeles and was supposed to fly out again today for Sydney.

"We spoke on the phone yesterday (Friday) and he was telling me to come and see him.

"But I didn't because I was working.

"The last I heard about him was when a cousin of mine who works at a nightclub in Nadi said he saw him (the deceased) leaving around 10pm.

"Until the police came home this morning that was the last I had heard," he said. Mr Batirua said since the deceased had arrived on Monday they had not met and kept missing each other at home.

He said when the deceased went missing from home for two days or more, they did not really care because he would be with friends.

"I still can't believe it.

"We were very close.

"I'm going to miss him very much.

"I did everything for him," he said.

He said the deceased was the second eldest of seven siblings and was the first to die among the four brothers and three sisters.

He said the late Mr Saukuru was single and in the middle of building his home when he died.

Original Article 

YEREVAN (Reuters) - An Airbus A320 plane belonging to Armenian air company Armavia and identical to its airliner which crashed two days ago, burnt down overnight in Belgium during maintenance works, an Armenian official said on Friday.

The plane, made in 1996, was being serviced by Sabena Technics, said Armenian civil aviation spokeswoman Gayane Davtyan, giving no further details.

"This was a reserve airliner. We hope this accident will not wreck our overall flight schedule, and we will try and make up for the losses," said Armavia press secretary Zhasmin Vilyan.

Russia's ORT First Channel television ran video footage of a smouldering plane body and an engine painted in Armavia's hallmark white and orange colours. It said four local workers had been injured in the accident.

Sabena Technics' facilities are located at Brussels National Airport where it serves the aviation industry at large, the independent aviation maintenance firm said on its Web site www.sabenatechnics.com. Company officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Another Armavia Airbus A320 crashed into the Black Sea off the Russian coast on Wednesday, killing all 113 passengers and crew on board as it tried to land in torrential rain.

Armavia's Vilyan said the two planes had been insured but declined to give any further details.

Before this week's accidents, Armavia's fleet had counted five Airbus airliners and two Soviet-made Yakovlev Yak-42 planes.

Original Article 

By Stephen Moynihan

FOR the first time thousands of aviation employees including pilots, flight attendants and baggage handlers will be forced to undergo drug and alcohol testing.

All employees who work on or in close proximity to aircraft will be tested under new Federal Government regulations.

Under the plan, to be phased in over the next 18 months, security staff, air traffic controllers and ground refuellers will also be tested.

Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss announced the proposal yesterday following a recommendation by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

The Department of Transport and CASA estimate that 8 per cent of pilots are alcohol dependent, with similar figures for flight attendants and maintenance workers.

The Australian and International Pilots Association, which represents Qantas pilots — has accepted the proposal but is concerned guidelines for the testing have not been established and the tests will play down other factors in aviation safety.

"The key issues that should not be lost sight of include fatigue and the level of training and experience of flight crew," union vice-president Jeff Lunt said.

Qantas, the country's largest employer of commercial airline pilots and flight attendants, has welcomed the move, saying it will complement an existing drug and alcohol program introduced in 2003.

Drug and alcohol testing has already been implemented for workers in the road transport, mining and forestry industries and a similar "broad approach" to testing will be implemented in the aviation sector.

The secretary of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia, international division, Michael Mijatov, said the new regulations would have to ensure that all aviation employees were treated fairly and reasonably.

Lawrie Cox, manager of industrial relations for the Australian and International Pilots Association, said it was a "knee-jerk" reaction to the death of a pilot flying a light plane at Hamilton Island in 2002 who tested positive to traces of cannabis and alcohol following an autopsy.

"We're not opposed to drug testing … but as a profession as a whole, pilots undergo far more rigorous medical testing than other occupations," Mr Cox said.

Original Article 

Dominic O’Connell

A BRITISH airline has been blocked by the Department for Transport from carrying out a contract to help expand the national airline of Afghanistan.

Astraeus, a Gatwick-based carrier, has been in negotations for several months with Ariana Afghan Airlines. It had secured a deal to support two Boeing 757 aircraft for the fledgling airline.

The aircraft are owned by Boeing Capital, the American aerospace giant’s leasing arm, and will be leased to the Afghan company. Astraeus was to provide flight crew, training, maintenance and other technical support.

But the Department for Transport has refused to sanction the arrangement. Yesterday the DfT refused to comment on its decision, saying it did not comment on applications by individual airlines.

Astraeus said it was told permission had been denied because DfT security officials did not think it was safe for UK-registered aircraft to fly in Afghanistan. Executives said that they were mystified by the decision.

“It is a ridiculous situation,” said Jonathan Hinkles, Astraeus’s commercial director. “We have carried out our own safety assessments, and identified areas that need to be worked on with Ariana. For the DfT to say that UK aircraft cannot fly there, even when those aircraft are not even flying back to the UK, seems a bit strange.”

The two Boeing 757s that were to have gone to Afghanistan have been refurbished in Britain, and have been sitting on the ground for three months waiting for the green light from the DfT.

Ariana already has a similar technical-support deal in place with a French airline, Eagle Aviation. Industry sources said the Astraeus contract may now be offered to a US company, with Omni Air International, a charter airline based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tipped to get the job.

Hinkles said Astraeus would have initially provided flight crew for the two aircraft, but that the contract aimed to have local staff trained by the UK company eventually take their place. The main maintenance base for the aircraft would have been in Dubai, not Afghanistan, he said.

Ariana has been flying scheduled services since 1955, and from 1957 was developed under a joint venture with the famous American airline, Pan Am.

Under the Taliban regime, the fleet shrank back to eight aircraft, six of which were destroyed on the ground during the American-led overthrow of the Taliban after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Ariana has since gradually rebuilt its network, and currently flies from Kabul to several international destinations including Frankfurt, Moscow and Istanbul.

Original Article 

DENVER — A passenger who claimed to have a bomb aboard a United Airlines flight was subdued by passengers as the California-bound plane was diverted to Denver International Airport, airport officials said.

Two F-16 fighter jets from Buckley Air Force Base scrambled to escort the plane as it flew into Denver Friday, according to Lt. Commander Sean Kelly, a spokesman for NORAD.

"They followed to make sure nothing untoward was going to happen," he said.

Jose Manuel Pelayo-Ortega was arrested after the plane landed around 4:30 p.m., FBI spokeswoman Monique Kelso said.

Three Secret Service agents traveling between assignments who happened to be on the plane helped detain the passenger, said Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren.

After the A-320 Airbus landed, it taxied to a remote part of the airport where the passengers got off and were bused to the terminal.

None of the 138 passengers or six crew members was injured, airport spokesman Chuck Cannon said. The flight was headed to Sacramento, Calif., from Chicago.

Authorities searched the aircraft for explosives and re-screened luggage and passengers before they reboarded the plane, which took off for its original destination around 7:30 p.m., Kelso said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192696,00.html