Special team assigned to probe plane crash in Bandung

Antara News, Friday, September 24, 2010 15:19 WIB

Bandung,West Java (ANTARA News) - The National Committee for Transportation Safety(KNKT) has assigned a team to investigate the plane crash that happened duringthe Bandung Airshow (BAS) at Husein Sastranegara airport on Friday.

Fortunately,the happening did not disrupt the airport`s flight schedules or the program ofBAS ITSELS, the commander of the Husein Sastranegara air base, Col Asep Dadang,said.

"Thesituation in the airport has turned to normal," Asep said here on Friday.

A Cessnaaircraft crashed while flying low over the Bandung Air Show 2010 arena hereFriday at around 10.15 am local time.

Dark andthick smoke billowed from the ill-fated plane as it hit the ground at theairport where the show is being held.

The fateof the pilot was still unknown. Evacuation cars were still on standby near thescene of the accident.

Light aircraft crash-lands during training

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 09/20/2010 10:18 AM

JAKARTA: An unpowered glider used to train aviation students crash-landed Sunday at a golf course in Pondok Cabe in Pamulang in South Tangerang.

“The aircraft went down from an altitude of between 500 meters and 750 meters,” Pondok Cabe Airfield chief Swarop Widodo was quoted as saying by news portal tempo-interaktif.com.

Aviation instructor Rudi Ardi sustained minor injuries while his student, Ivan Ardiananda Garuda, broke a leg during the incident.

“They were taken to Fatmawati Hospital for treatment,” Swarop said.

He added that the aircraft was owned by the Indonesian Aerosports Federation (FASI).

Police are investigating the incident.

“We have deployed a team to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident,” Pamulang Police chief Comr. Agus Widartono said.

Witnesses said the glider appeared to lose control and crashed into a large tree. — JP

Makassar’s Sultan Hasanuddin Airport ‘Embarrassed’ by Flooding Incident

Jakarta Globe, Rahmat & Putri Prameshwari | September 19, 2010

Makassar. Indonesia’s already much-derided airport network received another blow over theweekend as the international airport in Makassar found itself underwater .

Departuredrop off - Sultan Hasanuddin International
Airport

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, the main gateway to the eastern half of the country and one of five airports being prepared for inclusion in the Asean Open Skies scheme, was flooded in up to half a meter of water until Saturday following heavy rains on Friday.

Airport operator Angkasa Pura I, which manages airports in Indonesia’s east, said a 2.5 kilometer storm drain that was supposed to carry rainwater away overflowed after particularly heavy rain.

The result was ankle-deep flooding in three of the airport’s waiting rooms, as well as in the international departure lounge.

The airport’s apron was also flooded in up to 30 centimeters of water, while the airport’s basement bore the brunt of the inundation with 50 centimeters of water.

Purwanto,the general manager for Angkasa Pura I’s Makassar office, said the storm drain could not cope with the heavy rain. “The airport wasn’t designed to take a huge amount of water,” he said. “We have four water pumps, but we couldn’t use anyof them because the water volume was too high.”

Officials declined to state how many flights were affected.

The flooding also forced airport authorities to turn off the electricity to several sections of the terminal building, adding to passengers’ inconvenience.

Hakamuddin Jamal, an Angkasa Pura I commissioner present at the airport at the time, acknowledged that the incident “embarrassed” them.

“This isone of Indonesia’s biggest and most luxurious airports,” he said.

The airport said it would be adding more storm drains next month as well as repairing the roof and the network of drains running beneath the terminal in abid to prevent more flooding.

The flooding happened a day after the country’s main gateway, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, suffered a second blackout in as many months.

However,Tri Sunoko, director of Angkasa Pura II, which manages airports in the western part of Indonesia, said that Friday’s two-minute blackout did not disrupt flights or passenger services .

“Reports that up to 112 flights were delayed are not true,” Angkasa Pura II corporate secretary Harry Cahyono said.

Nearly 300 U.S. pilots have attempted suicide - Ufos?

Disclose.tv, Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:35 am

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Is it possible that pilots see other craft and are suffering because of the pressure not to talk?

Granted they may see secret military projects but what about UFOs?

Is there a connection?

UFO Images From Recent Airliner Flights

At least 292 American pilots have attempted suicide in the past three years.

Another fifteen U.S. pilots have been diagnosed with, or been treated for, schizophrenia.

The shock figures have been revealed by the Boston Herald, quoting figures from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The news follows a serious incident at Boston's Logan International Airport in May when a distraught JetBlue pilot threatened to “harm himself in spectacular fashion” an hour before takeoff.

The Herald's Jessica Heslam's review of FAA medical records for 2008, 2009 and 2010, found that 2,700 pilots have been treated for alcohol abuse, and that nearly half of these have been diagnosed as alcoholics.

A similar number, 1,377 pilots, were found to be abusing drugs, while another ninety four were diagnosed as being drug-dependent.

23 pilots have been treated or diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, while another eighty have suffered major affective disorders, including bipolar disorder, and another two have been diagnosed with paranoia.

The Boston Herald article said the FAA was unable to confirm what number, if any, of the affected pilots had been grounded.

More than half-a-million pilots are certified medically fit to fly in the United States. “The FAA is committed to making sure our nation’s commercial and general aviation pilots are medically fit to fly,” FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown was quoted by the Boston Herald as saying. “We have rigorous medical standards and will not issue medical certificates if the pilot has a condition that would create an unsafe situation for the pilot or passengers.”

Pilots are required to undergo medical evaluations every year. Once they turn forty they are subjected to bi-annual tests.

If a pilot is determined to be an alocholic, he or she is disqualified from flying, and must go through an “extensive” medical re-certification process and post-rehabilitation follow-up program before they are recertified to fly, according to the FAA.

Source: http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=685233

Secondary Source: http://www.beamsinvestigations.org.uk/hilary-porter.html

Related Article:

Chilling account by a pilot in Holland in 1997 flying by night. In the video (2) there is mention of a "holding" (stated by military) which is called dubious by pilots and the source of the tape.

Another UFO shuts down another airport, this time in Mongolia

The voice of Tucson, by Cherlyn Gardner Strong on Sep. 13, 2010, under UFOs

Saturdaynight saw the shutdown of another airport, due to another UFO.

Reports from People’s Daily Online and Shanghai Daily confirm these reports from the news outlet Dbw.cn. The airport in Baotou in Inner Mongolia was forced to delay the landing of three planes originating from Shanghai and Beijing. The airport was shutdown for nearly an hour, due to the appearance of an unidentified flying object.

According to reports, the object was seen hovering about four kilometers east of the Baotou airport at around 8:00 pm, with the three planes delayed for safety reasons.

China’s Xiaoshan Airport was also shutdown for about an hour earlier this year, on July7th, due to a UFO.

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Empty street

The Jakarta Post, Antara | Fri, 09/10/2010 11:32 AM 

Few vehicles are seen passing Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, a main thoroughfare Central Jakarta which is usually congested, during the Idul Fitri holiday on Friday. Millions of Jakarta residents had left the city to go to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday. Antara/Yudhi Mahatma

Two Lion Air planes have engine trouble

Antara News,Tuesday, September 7, 2010 04:42 WIB

Banjarmasin,S Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Two Lion Air planes on a flight on theBanjarmasin-Surabaya route have been interrupted on their scheduled flights fortwo days in a row at Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

Hundredsof passengers were stranded a few hours due to engine failure, said theinformation from reliable sources, Monday.

Irlan,the South Kalimantan Branch Manager of Lion Air, in Banjarmasin said that oneof the aircraft were being repaired.

"Asa result of the engine problem, about 165 passengers had been stranded onSunday, but they were later transferred to another plane," he said.

200 China pilots 'falsified resumes'

The Sydney Morning Herald, AFP, September 6, 2010

China said on Monday it is investigating the qualifications of the nation's
commercial pilots after revelations that more than 200 of them had falsified their resumes.

The probe comes after 42 people died on August 24 when a Brazilian-made regional jet flown by Henan Airlines crashed at a small airport in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province.

At least half of the pilots in question worked for
Shenzhen Airlines

Fifty-four passengers and crew survived the crash, in which the plane missed the runway, sparking speculation that pilot error was to blame.

The investigation was launched by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country's aviation regulator, the central government's news website said.

The resumes of more than 200 Chinese commercial pilots were found to have been falsified, the report said, with some of them embellishing their flight histories.

At least half of the pilots in question worked for Shenzhen Airlines, which owns Henan Airlines, the government report said.

Investigators were looking into the possibility of pilot error in the Henan Airlines crash, it added.

The crash was China's first major air disaster in nearly six years.

Authorities have already ordered safety checks of the country's fast-growing civil aviation fleet of 1300 planes in the wake of the disaster.

Last week, the aviation administration said it was looking for crash clues related to the plane's manufacturer, operator, crew, maintenance record, and with air traffic management and the airport authorities.

Authorities in central Henan province have also ordered the airline to change its name to prevent the crash from tarnishing the province's image. The company had previously been known as Kunpeng Airlines.

The accident occurred after the plane missed the runway and crashed into a field next to the airport, cracking the cabin and triggering an explosion and subsequent fire, state media reported earlier, citing an initial probe.

Two killed as light planes collide on Isle of Wight

BBC News, 4 September 2010

Two people have died after a collision between two light aircraft over the Isle of Wight.

The crash was witnessed by people in the Havenstreet area, between Newport and Ryde, just after 1700 BST.

One aircraft, carrying two people, came down in remote woodlands in the Haven street area and both occupants were killed.

The other aircraft was damaged, but landed safely at Bembridge Airfield. One person was taken to hospital.

Hampshire Police are at the scene of the fatal crash.

They said they were working to identify the victims of the crash.

Officers are due to stay at the scene overnight.

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2 lawmakers among 6 dead in Mexico plane crash

MSNBC, 9/3/2010 9:52:08 PM ET 

OAXACA, Mexico — A plane crash in southern Mexico killed all six people on board Friday, including two federal legislators and two mayors-elect.

Oaxaca state Public Safety Secretary Javier Rueda said the aircraft went down as it neared the airport in the Pacific coast beach town of Huatulco.

Reps. Guillermo Zavaleta and Juan Huerta were killed along with the mayors-elect of Huatulco and Juquila, another town in Oaxaca state, Rueda said.

Zavaleta and Huerta both belonged to the National Action Party of President Felipe Calderon, who issued a statement sending his condolences to the families.

The pilot and a local coffee grower were the other two people killed.

The plane took off from Mexico City on Friday morning. The cause of the crash was unknown, but authorities said inclement weather and possible pilot error were being investigated.

President: Relocating the capital city an option

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 09/03/2010 8:21 PM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono offered on Friday to relocate the capital from Jakarta as one of options to overcome problems facing the metropolitan city, particularly traffic congestion.

"Build a completely new capital, which will serve as the real capital, the real government center," the president was quoted by Antara during a breaking of the fast gathering with members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) at the Jakarta Convention Center.

He said Indonesia could learn from Australia and Turkey, which relocated the capital and government center altogether to solve various problems.

Another option is maintaining Jakarta as the capital but moving the center of government to a new place as Malaysia did, the president said.

He said it would take around 10 years to realize any of the options.

The president called for a thorough discussion to decide which option would be chosen, saying it would cost the country a lot. Malaysia, for example, spent Rp 80 trillion to relocate the government center from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya.

"I will listen to inputs from many parties," he said.

Related Articles:

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Jakarta Predicted to be Underwater By 2012

Nine dead in New Zealand skydive plane crash

BBC News, 4 September 2010 Last updated at 05:21 GMT

Ninepeople, including four foreigners, have been killed in a light aircraft crashin New Zealand, say reports.

Theplane, owned by a skydiving company, burst into flames shortly after taking offat the tourist spot of Fox Glacier on the South Island.

The deadtourists were from Britain, Ireland, Australia and Germany, said police. Thepilot and the other four passengers were all local.

None ofthe passengers has yet been identified.

Theplane was reported to be a Fletcher fixed-wing aircraft, commonly used in thearea.

Officialssaid it crashed shortly after leaving the Fox Glacier airstrip at about 1330local time (0130GMT).

Aneyewitness told the New Zealand Herald: "It was like a fireball and thenthere was big puffs of smoke going up. [The plane] was engulfed inflames immediately."

Related Article:

Strong earthquake rocks New Zealand's South Island

Cargo plane crashes near Dubai motorway killing two

BBC News, 3 September 2010 Last updated at 18:46 GMT

The Boeing 747-400 crashed inside a military air base

A cargoplane has crashed after take-off near a motorway in Dubai, killing two crewmembers aboard, officials say.

The plane was operated by the delivery service UPS

Theplane, operated by the delivery company United Parcel Service (UPS), crashednear the Emirates Road.

Somereports said a fire had broken out in the plane just after it took off fromDubai airport.

Theofficial news agency WAM said the plane had come down in an unpopulated area onFriday evening.

TheBoeing 747-400 crashed into the ground inside the fence of a military air base,reports say.

Fireball

Theplane flew near a residential area popular with expats where residents saw itslast desperate moments.

"Isaw the explosion from my balcony and felt the blast," said Tony Meechan,a British expat living in Silicon Oasis, a technology park on the EmiratesRoad.

"Therewas a big fireball that lit up the full sky in orange. After that there wassmoke and the smell of burning plastic.

"I'mstill feeling a bit shaken up."

Theplane was on its way to the company's European hub in Cologne, a spokeswomanfor UPS said.

In 2009a Sudanese cargo plane crashed in the Dubai desert, killing six crew.

Thecompany was subsequently barred from operating in the Emirates.

Seven airports offered up for private investment

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 09/02/2010 9:16 AM

The director general of air transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Herry Bakti S Gumay, said Wednesday the government had offered up seven airports across Indonesia to be managed by foreign investors.

“The airports are in South Banten, Bali, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan and West Java. All require the construction of new terminals,” Herry told reporters.

He said it was also possible that Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali would be offered up as both were in need of massive improvement.

According to Herry, an Indian investor had shown interest in investing in Indonesian airports and had met with the government to submit proposals.

It is believed the involvement of foreign investors is due to a limited state budget and provisions outlined in the aviation law.

“There is no regulation barring foreign investors from majority holdings in airports,” Herry said.

“The airports will stay in Indonesia and bring many benefits to Indonesians. We’ll just share the revenue with foreign investors.”

Previously, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar said the government was looking for local and foreign investors to develop the airports, which have been operating for 25 years.

Herry said the public private partnership (PPP) mechanism would be used to partner state airport operators with foreign investors. “Foreign investors will invest their money in the airports, not invest their money through airport operators.”

Based on Indonesia National Carrier Association (INACA) data, currently Indonesia has 210 airports.

State airport operators PT Angkasa Pura I and PT Angkasa Pura II oversee 13 and 12 airports respectively.

The Transportation Ministry has eight airport projects under the PPP mechanism this year, all of which are expected to be done by 2014.

The projects include New Samarinda in East Kalimantan, South Banten, Kertajati in Cirebon, West Java and two cargo terminals at Sentani and Tarakan airports.

Ignatius Bambang Tjahjono, the airport director at the Transportation Ministry, said PPP mechanisms were being used because building airports required huge investments.

“Kertajati requires Rp 5 trillion and South Banten needs Rp 1 trillion. That’s why we need to encourage investment,” he said.

The Transportation Ministry aims to operate all those airports not only in the wake of the growth of the national airline industry, but also to accommodate ASEAN’s Open Sky policy in 2014.

The government is also increasing the capacities of major airports such as Juanda in Surabaya, Ngurah Rai in Denpasar, Polonia in Medan and Sultan Hasanuddin in Makassar.

The Indonesian airline industry has seen significant growth in the past five years.

INACA records show that national airlines carried 43.8 million passengers in 2009, an increase of 17 percent compared to 2008 figures of 37.4 million passengers.

Lion Air opens new terminal at Balikpapan

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 09/02/2010 10:36 AM

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: Lion Air opened a new terminal at Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan on Wednesday.

Terminal B, which cost US$11 million and can hold 600 passengers, stands on a 2,400 square meter plot adjacent to Terminal A.

The old terminal hosts carriers operated by Garuda, Batavia, Mandala airlines and other small flight operators.

“The facilities in Terminal A and Terminal B are the same. The only difference is in atmosphere. Terminal A already looks old and crowded. Terminal B will reduce 40-50 percent of Terminal A passenger load. Lion Air contributes 40-50 percent of the airport’s 3,000 daily passengers,” said Mardani, airport operator Angkasa Pura I general manager.

Sepinggan International Airport said it expected a 12 percent increase in passengers from Sept. 3-17 during the peak of Idul Fitri.

Lion Air also announced additional flights for its routes from Balikpapan to Makassar, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. — JP