Airline News

FAA proposes major revamp of airline pilot & flight attendant training
May 11, 2011

Airline pilots and flight attendants would have to learn how to respond to "real world" scenarios and demonstrate those skills in flight simulators and in emergency drills under proposed FAA rules.

Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt called the changes to pilot training, proposed Wednesday, "the most significant changes" to crew training in 20 years.

In the past, officials said, pilots were required to learn how to recognize and recover from problems such as aeronautic stalls or flight upsets. Under the proposed rule, they will also have to demonstrate their skills in flight simulators.

Additionally, flight crews, flight attendants and even ground-based airline dispatchers will have to train as a team on how to respond to emergencies.

The proposed rule is a mash-up of a rule first proposed in January 2009 and newer proposals prompted by the crash just one month later of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York. That crash, which killed 50, brought to public attention disparate training practices between small carriers and the large airlines.

FAA announces review panel, management shuffle

"It's clear to us in looking at (the Colgan crash) that there are things we should be doing now," Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard."

The FAA said the proposed rule, published Wednesday in the Federal Register, addresses changes mandated by Congress and more than 25 recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The changes "are intended to contribute significantly to reducing aviation accidents," the proposed rule states.

The FAA says 178 accidents from 1988 to 2009 were the result of inadequate training, incomplete operating manuals, inadequate training standards and operating procedures. The accidents resulted in 492 fatalities, 196 serious injuries and 615 minor injuries.

Babbitt said the rule addresses a change in training philosophy designed to produce qualified crews. Officials also said it reflects advancements in aircraft simulator technology, which create realistic flying experiences. When possible, airlines must use simulators to train flight crews, the rule says.

The proposal also would require remedial training for pilots with performance deficiencies such as failing a proficiency test or check, or unsatisfactory performance during flight training or a simulator course.

"The United States has the world's safest aviation system, but we are continually seeking ways to make it even safer," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This proposal will make U.S. pilots and other crew members even better equipped to handle any emergency they may encounter."

A public comment period on the rule closes on July 19, after which the FAA will spend time addressing the comments before publishing a final rule.

The training rule is one of three major proposed rules at various stages of development that are expected to have a significant impact on airline training and safety. The FAA is working on a separate rule that addresses pilot fatigue by regulating flight time and rest periods, and a rule setting minimum pilot qualifications.

URL:  http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/11/faa.pilot.training/

Prosecutors argue against bail for man accused of rushing cockpit
May 10, 2011

The man accused of trying to force his way into the cockpit of a commercial airliner bound for San Francisco made his first court appearance Tuesday, during which federal prosecutors argued that the suspect is a risk to flee and should be denied bail.

Rageh Al-Murisi, 28, carries a Yemeni passport and -- aside from cousins with whom he had lived in Vallejo, California -- has no close ties in the United States, federal prosecutors said in arguing for him to be held until trial.

He is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants in the incident, which occurred about 20 minutes before American Airlines Flight 1561, inbound from Chicago, was scheduled to land at San Francisco International Airport Sunday night.

During Tuesday's hearing before Magistrate Judge James Larson in U.S. District Court, federal prosecutors drew comparisons to high-profile terrorism cases, saying Al-Marisi was saying "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") as he approached the cockpit door and tried to force it open, CNN affiliate KGO-TV reported.

However, a law enforcement official said Monday that police have seen nothing to indicate links to terrorism or that the incident was a possible "trial run" -- a mission to test security responses in preparation for an actual attack later.

According to the criminal complaint, the flight's purser said a man got up from his seat near the rear of the airplane, entered the first-class cabin and proceeded to the cockpit door, where he tried the door handle.

The purser, thinking the man was looking for the lavatory, informed him that it was to his left, according to the complaint, but he again tried to open the cockpit door.

After the purser again told him the restroom was to his left, the man "made eye contact with him, lowered his left shoulder and rammed the cockpit door," the complaint states. The purser got between the man and the door and called for help as he continued to push forward against the locked door. Several passengers responded and managed to restrain the man, though he repeatedly tried to break free and open the door.

Al-Murisi had flown from New York to Chicago on Sunday to catch the flight to San Francisco. According to prosecutors, when he boarded in New York, Al-Murisi had no baggage, and though he told investigators he was on his way to visit his cousins, they said they didn't know he was coming, KGO-TV reported.

Musari had drivers' permits to two New York addresses, a New York driver's license, a California ID and two post-dated checks -- one for $5,000 and another for $8,000 -- according to KGO-TV.

The incident was one of two Sunday in which a passenger described by authorities as disorderly was restrained.

Continental Flight 546 bound for Chicago from Houston made an unscheduled stop in St. Louis because of an "unruly passenger," a St. Louis airport spokesman said.

Reynel C. Alcaide, 34, of Burbank, Illinois, got out of his seat and rushed toward the front of the airplane, according to a statement from the Justice Department released Monday.

A flight attendant who confronted him was pinned against a wall, the statement says, and Alcaide repeatedly tried to unlatch and open a flight door on Flight 546. He was charged with crimes involving an aircraft and interference with flight crew members and attendants, both of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Also on Sunday, a Delta flight was diverted after a flight attendant found a suspicious note in a lavatory, a TSA official told CNN. The flight from Detroit to San Diego was diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, the FBI said, adding that it was informed of "a potential security threat" on the plane.

URL:  http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/10/california.passenger.subdued/