AVIATION/ NTSB REPORT ON NWA 1411 OUT

The NTSB has released its final report on an incident on May 18, 2007, that involved an NWA DC9. Flight 1411 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Syracuse, New York, to Detroit, Michigan, with 95 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, when the incident took place. While climbing thru 20000 feet on departure from Syracuse, the aircraft suffered a severe explosive decompression. The crew donned their oxygen masks and declared an emergency. The masks in the passenger cabin were also deployed. The crew then performed an emergency descent to 10000 feet. The DC9 was immediately diverted to Buffalo, New York, where it landed without incident. No one onboard the aircraft was injured. A post flight inspection by a FAA inspector revealed a 12 by 5 inch fuselage skin tear about 6 feet forward of the right forward cargo door. A crease existed forward of the tear consistent with damage by a foreign object. Metal shavings were also found at the tarmac at Syracuse, where the DC9 had been parked. The NTSB report states: "Examination of the belt loader used during the loading process revealed that the belt loader had red paint flakes adhering to the front right hand corner, which matched the height of red paint scrape marks on the front left bumper of a luggage tug. The top right-hand forward corner of the luggage tug exhibited scrape marks, missing paint, and exposed metal. Tire marks, consistent with luggage tug tire tread markings, were found on the tarmac forward of the belt loader’s normal loading position, and beneath the area were the damage to the accident aircraft occurred. Measurements of the top of the luggage tug cab were consistent with the height of the aircraft damage." Interviews with the luggage handlers revealed, that the belt loader had stopped somewhere in the loading process, manual attempts to remove the belt loader had failed. A tug was used to push the loader away, the tug however contacted the airplane's fuselage. The senior ground agent then advised his collegues "Don't say anything". The NTSB determined as probable cause in their final report: "The senior ground agent's failure to follow written procedures and directives." There is no word from the Airline on the employment status of those involved. The incident aircraft, N1799U, is seen above in an undated photograph.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

GEAR TROUBLE ON AW CRJ200: AIR WISCONSIN Flight 3918 was on Scheduled Domestic CRJ200 Service on behalf of US AIRWAYS, from Norfolk, Virginia, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when it suffered substantial damage upon landing at Philadelphia last evening. Flight 3918 was going to be delayed departing Norfolk, thus the Airline booked all of the passengers on earlier flights. The CRJ then departed Norfolk with 2 Pilots and a Flight Attendant, to position for further service from Philadelphia. The crew declared an emergency on approach to Philadelphia after they could not deploy the left main landing gear. The aircraft circled the Airport while the crew attempted to rectify the situation. The CRJ conducted 2 low fly overs, and the tower confirmed that the landing gear was not down. Unable to fix the problem, the CRJ touched down at 5:22pm on its right main landing gear only, and slid down the runway. The aircraft was met by emergency services who foamed down the jet. None of the 3 crew members onboard Flight 3918 were injured in the incident. The Airport was shut down for nearly 2 hours while emergency services cleared the aircraft and restored the runway to normal service. The Airlines involved, along with the NTSB, will investigate the incident.
CHINA-TAIWAN FLIGHTS BEGIN: Taiwan and China have launched direct daily flights and cargo shipping, the first time in nearly 60 years that such direct transport links been allowed. The 2 sides have been ruled separately since the end of a Chinese civil war in 1949. In a landmark visit by a top Chinese negotiator to Taiwan last month, the 2 sides agreed to ease long restricted transportation. The agreement allows up to 108 flights each week between Taiwan and China. China and Taiwan are separated by a body of water just 100 miles wide. But, because of tense relations between the rivals, flights and shipping routes have had to make detours through 3rd countries or territories, usually Hong Kong or Japan to reach their destinations. Now passenger flights from Taiwan and China will finally be able to fly directly to each side's cities daily, while cargo planes and ships will also no longer have to make long detours off their route.
AIRTRAN ADDS BRANSON: An investor group planning the nation's only privately developed and operated commercial Airport, in Branson, Missour, has recruited AIRTRAN as the resort destination's first Airline. The carrier will operate 1 r/t flight a day from its hub in Atlanta starting May 11, when the $150 million Branson Airport opens for commercial service. The fares will start at about $200 r/t, and the Airline may launch other routes in Branson. The executive director of Branson Airport, says talks are continuing with other Airlines to also begin service to Branson. To attract AirTran, Branson Airport gave the Airline exclusive rights to serve the airport from Atlanta and other cities for "a period of time".
INCIDENTS
AIR FRANCE FLIGHT 2585: The A321 was on Scheduled International Service from Tunis, Tunisia, to Paris, France, when it had to make an emergency return to Tunis, yesterday, December 14. Flight 2585, with 209 passengers and crew onboard, declared the emergency after suffering unspecified engine problems. The A321 landed back at Tunis about 14 minutes after its initial takeoff. Local media reported that passengers said they saw an engine emitting smoke and fire, along with a loud bang shortly after takeoff. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. AF will investigate the incident.
MANDALA AIRLINES FLIGHT 89: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Medan to Padang, Indonesia, when the crew rejected takeoff due to passenger behaviour. Flight 89 was cleared for takeoff and aligned on the runway for its takeoff roll. The crew aborted its takeoff and returned to the gate after reporting problems with a passenger. The passenger was using his cell phone, and despite attempts to get the passenger off his phone by staff and other passengers, he refused stating it was "important business". At the gate, the passenger and his family who were traveling with him, were taken off the aircraft. The A320 departed about an hour behind schedule. There is no comment from the Airline or Indonesian Avaition officials on the status of the passenger.

SNAPSHOTS

THE ART OF NATURE. A FROZEN WINDOWPANE PHOTOGRAPHED THIS MORNING IN WINNIPEG, CANADA.

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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/ALEXANDRA WINS X FACTOR: Alexandra Burke was crowned The UK X Factor winner of 2008 last night, live on British TV. The North London singer beat out competition from fellow finalists JLS and Eoghan Quigg to land the prestigious pop honour.The win means the 20-year-old, who was mentored by Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole, has landed a £1million record contract. Down to the last two alongside JLS, both acts competed against each other with versions of Leonard Cohen's classic track "Hallelujah". According to the producers, Burke secured the majority of the 8 million votes cast, with JLS coming in a distant 2nd. Burke's version of "Hallelujah" will be released tomorrow as a single and is expected to be the Christmas #1 in the UK.
MUSIC/LEONA AND TAKE THAT #1 IN UK: Leona Lewis's version of Snow Patrol track "Run" has claimed a 2nd week on top of the singles chart. The download-only track fought off competition from Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" to stay at #1. But the 2006 X Factor winner is likely to have to make way for her successor Alexandra Burke's "Hallejulah" in next weekend's Christmas countdown. Lewis's album "Spirit rose" to #2 in the album chart, while Take That's "The Circus" remained at #1. Britney Spears' "Circus" fell heavily in its 2nd week on release, dropping 10 spots to #14. Her single "Womanizer" remains in the top 10, at #4. Sir Terry Wogan returns to the chart for the 1st time in 3 decades performing "Little Drummer Boy"/"Peace on Earth," alongside Aled Jones for Children in Need.
THEATRE/"CARNAGE" BROADWAY BOUND: Yasmina Reza's "God of Carnage," which ended its run at London's Gielgud Theatre in June, will arrive on Broadway in spring 2009. Matthew Warchus, who directed the London production, will also helm the Broadway staging. Theatre and casting will be announced shortly. The play, according to press notes, "deals with the aftermath of a playground fight between 2 boys and what happens when their parents meet to talk about it." Although the London company featured Ralph Fiennes, Tamsin Greig, Janet McTeer and Ken Stott, the New York Post recently reported that James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") and Marcia Gay Harden ("Pollock") would star in the New York "Carnage," which features a translation by Christopher Hampton. Reza is a Paris-based playwright whose hit play "Art" became a global success after its first West End production at Wyndham's Theatre in 1996.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

Two incidents in September 2008 involving Passenger Service jets have just come to light on aviation news wires.
DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 964: The Boeing 767 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Orlando, Florida, to Atlanta, Georgia, when it suffered multiple bird strikes on takeoff, on September 21. Flight 964, with 262 passengers and 8 crew members onboard, declared an emergency moments after takeoff, after striking a flock of birds, which hit the left engine and radome. The 767 landed back at Orlando 12 minutes after its intial takeoff without incident or injury. Passengers reported that after liftoff, 2 loud bangs could be heard, followed by vibrations lasting about 1 minute. A very foul odor filled the passenger cabin. The Captain informed passengers that the left engine had struck the birds, and they were returning to Orlando. Upon inspeciton of the aircraft, visible dents and damage could be seen just below the cockpit window, as seen in the photo above. The aircraft was removed from service and has since been repaired. It is not known what type of investigation Delta conducted.
HONGKONG AIRLINES FLIGHT 2634: The Boeing 737 was on Non-Scheduled International Service from Hong Kong to Cheongju, South Korea, when it was involved in a potentially serious incident in Hong Kong, on September 12. Flight 2634, with 122 passengers and crew onboard, attempted to takeoff from the taxiway at Hong Kong. The Air Traffic Controller observed the jet beginning its takeoff roll, and commanded the airliner to cease movement. The aircraft was then allowed to continue to taxi and takeoff from the runway for Cheongju. In the investigation that followed, the Captain and First Officer stated that they were not attempting to takeoff, they were only on a rapid taxi. Examination of the flight data recorder showed that the aircraft was moving at a much faster pace than any typical taxi for takeoff position. The Airline has not said how fast the 737 was moving. Both Pilots were fired by the Airline this month. The Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement the despite the Pilots claim's that they were only on taxi, it believed that the jet was in takeoff mode when ATC stopped the aircraft.

SNAPSHOTS

THE FULL MOON IS CAPTURED LAST NIGHT OVER WINTERBERG, GERMANY.

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MUSIC HISTORY/ 30 YEARS AGO

BILLBOARD TOP 10 SINGLES FOR WEEK ENDING DEC 13,1978:
1. YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS--STREISAND & DIAMOND
2. LE FREAK--CHIC
3. TOO MUCH HEAVEN--BEE GEES
4. I JUST WANNA STOP--GINO VANELLI
5. MY LIFE--BILLY JOEL
6. I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE--ALICIA BRIDGES
7. TIME PASSAGES--AL STEWART
8. SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER--DR HOOK
9. OUR LOVE, DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY--ANDY GIBB
10. MACARTHUR PARK--DONNA SUMMER

TV/ TOP 10 PROGRAMS 12-13-08

1. STORMCHASERS (Discovery) *
2. THE AMAZING RACE (CBS) *
3. SURVIVOR GABON (CBS)
4. CSI (CBS)
5. CHUCK (NBC)
6. THE MENTALIST (CBS)
7. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
8. HEROES (NBC)
9. THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (CBS)
10. CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)

*--Season Finale

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/VAN JOHNSON DIES AT 92: Van Johnson, a disarming and popular Hollywood star of 1940s musicals and comedies who later proved effective as a GI grunt in "Battleground" and a conflicted Naval officer in "The Caine Mutiny," has died. He was 92. Johnson died yesterday at Tappan Zee Manor, a senior citizens home in Nyack, New York. No cause of death was immediately reported. Starting in the late 1940s, Mr. Johnson took many viewers and reviewers by surprise for his dramatic performances. He was especially good as a presidential candidate's wily campaign manager in Frank Capra's "State of the Union" (1948) with Spencer Tracy as his client. Mr. Johnson also portrayed a sneaky aide to a general in "Command Decision" (1948); and a cynical rifleman in William Wellman's "Battleground" (1949), a film praised for its harrowing depiction of combat during the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Johnson was singled out by critics as the executive officer who sells out the paranoid Capt. Queeg (played by Humphrey Bogart) in "The Caine Mutiny" (1954), based on a best-selling novel by Herman Wouk. All of those films almost totally reversed the screen persona Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio chief Louis B. Mayer first established for Mr. Johnson, a onetime Broadway chorus boy elevated to immediate stardom during World War II. Injures from a car crash prevented Mr. Johnson from being drafted during the war. In the absence of many male rivals, he was heavily promoted and became extremely popular. Tall and freckled, with strawberry-blond hair, he was called "The Voiceless Sinatra" because of his appeal among bobby-soxers. He was an easygoing fit for musicals with Judy Garland ("In the Good Old Summertime"), Esther Williams ("Easy to Wed," "Thrill of a Romance," "Duchess of Idaho") and June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven ("Two Girls and a Sailor"). He also played romantically inclined wartime pilots in "A Guy Named Joe" and "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," both dramas in which he showed he could hold his own against co-star Spencer Tracy. Johnson's film work dwindled after the 1950s, but he returned for a small role in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985) as a patrician 1930s film character who has trouble improvising when one of the cast members (Jeff Daniels) jumps offscreen into reality. Johnson began to call himself the King of Dinner Theater, as he spent decades as a fixture on the regional stage. He also became a mainstay of guest spots on television dramas, notably on "Murder, She Wrote," which starred his old MGM colleague Angela Lansbury.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

QANTAS BLAST PROMPTS BULLETIN: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has released a Safety Information Bulletin regarding inspection of the type of steel oxygen cylinder, that had ruptured on board QANTAS FLIGHT 30, a Boeing 747-400 on July 25, stating that a "potential risk has been identified associated with the use of these cylinders". Flight 30 was on Scheduled International Service from London, England, to Melbourne, Australia, with a stop in Hong Kong, when the incident took place about 30 minutes after departure from Hong Kong. Flight 30, with 346 passengers and 19 crew members, was climbing thru 29000 feet, when an explosive decompression took place. The crew initiated an emergency descent to 10000 feet, and the aircraft made a safe emergency landing in Manila, The Philippines. There were multiple injuries onboard, but none of them life-threatening. The blast was blamed on an exploding oxygen canister. In the Bulletin, the EASA urges all maintenance organisations taking care of such cylinders to take note of the preliminary report released by the ATSB with the aim to ensure that "all oxygen cylinders and cylinder installations are maintained in full accordance with the relevant manufacturer's requirements, prevailing European regulations, and established best engineering practises." The operators are also asked to forward information about oxygen cylinders, that have been produced in the same batch as the ruptured oxygen cylinder on board of the Qantas flight. A full copy of the report can be found on the EASA website.

VF UNDER FIRE OVER GOL ARTICLE: Vanity Fair magazine is under fire from Aviation professionals over an article in the January 2009 issue about the crash of GOL AIRLINES Flight 1907 in September 2006. All 154 people onboard Flight 1907 were killed in the crash on September 29, 2006, when the Boeing 737 collided with an EXCELAIRE Legacy 600 jet over Brazil. The Legacy landed safely despite substantial damage. A Final report into the crash was just released this week. Actual black-box audio is used in Vanity Fair's coverage of a story titled, "The Devil at 37,000 Feet," about the midair collision. The article includes a transcript, and the entire audio recording itself is featured on the magazine's website. In the US, public release of the actual audio recordings would be illegal. However, Brazilian aviation law is considerably different. The magazine defends its use of the recordings. A spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said that the magazine chose to make the recordings available, "...because they are newsworthy and serve as documentation..." But Gideon Ewers of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations is outraged that the last few moments of a pilot's life could become a public novelty. "They should never be used ... as a means to provide what can only be described as voyeuristic entertainment to the public at large."

ALITALIA TAKEN OVER: ALITALIA, Italy's troubled national flag-carrier, has been taken over by the Italian Air Company (CAI), a consortium of investors. The long-running deal had been delayed by opposition from employees, but 2 major unions representing flight attendants backed the deal yesterday. The consortium also bought Alitalia's smaller rival AIR ONE on Thursday and will now merge the 2 carriers. The new owners may now link up with with LUFTHANSA or AIR FRANCE-KLM.

INCIDENTS

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1683: The MD82 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Minneapolis/St Paul to Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas, when it had to make an emergency return to MSP, yesterday, December 12. Flight 1683, with 117 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared an emergency 4 minutes after takeoff due to a fire onboard. The aircraft landed safely back at MSP 10 minutes after its initial takeoff. Passengers reported that they heard a loud bang followed by blue smoke entereing the passenger cabin. AA reported that duct work had failed or blown a hole, in the cargo hold, which triggered a smoke detector. The blue smoke was from an automatic fire retardent. AA said that there was no fire. The MD82 has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. AA is continuing its investigation.

COPA AIRLINES FLIGHT 722: The ERJ190 was on Scheduled International Service from Panama City, Panama, to Guadalajara, Mexico, when it had to make an emergency diversion while enroute, yesterday, December 12. Flight 722, with 49 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, was diverted to Managua, Nicaragua, after developing unspecified engine problems. The ERJ landed without incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. Copa is investigating the incident.

AEROGAL FLIGHT 22: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Quito to Guayaquil, Ecuador, when it had to make an emergency landing, yesterday, December 12. Flight 22 reported unspecified problems with its landing gear while on approach to Guayaquil. The 737 was diverted to a Military Base, Taura at Manta, where the aircraft landed without incident. Once on the ground, the aircraft began to heavily leak hydraulics fluid. The 737 has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. Aerogal is investigating the incident.

SARAVIA FLIGHT 766: The Yak42 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Saratov to Moscow, Russia, when it had to make an emergency return to Saratov, yesterday, December 12. Flight 766, with 55 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, made a safe landing back at Saratov about 55 minutes after its initial departure. The Airline reported that the aircraft returned to Saratov due to bad weather at Moscow. However, the Saratov Southern Investigative Service reported the the cockpit instruments detected problems with the left hand engine, followed by a similar indication for the right hand engine. The Service detected metal chips in the left hand engine in a post flight inspection. The aircraft has been removed from service for further inspection. The Investigative Service has announced that it will conduct a full investigation into the potentially "serious" incident.

COMAIR FLIGHT 6631: The CRJ 100 was on Scheduled International Service from Toronto, Canada, to New York JFK on behalf of DELTA AIRLINES, when it had to make an emergency return to Toronto, on Thursday, December 11. Flight 6631 declared an emergency shortly after takeoff due to problems with the anti-icing systems. The aircraft circled the Airport at 10000 feet to burn off fuel, before making a safe landing. The CRJ has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. Comair is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

THE SPINNAKER TOWER IN PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND, IS CAPTURED IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN THIS EVENING.

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LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#5)

5 AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

PEOPLE/BETTIE PAGE DIES AT 85: Legendary pinup queen Bettie Page died of pneumonia at the age of 85 in a Los Angeles, California, hospital yesterday, a week after suffering a heart attack. Page, said to be one of the most photographed people of the past century, became a recluse in recent decades. Yet, her images continued to be used around the world to market Bettie Page action figures, clothing lines and other merchandise. The Web site, BettiePage.com, logs about 20 million hits a month, Roesler said. A TVGuide.com poll recently placed Bettie Page as the "ultimate sex goddess," outscoring others such as Marilyn Monroe. Page was born to a poor family in Tennessee on April 22, 1923. While her birth certificate spelled her name "Betty," she changed the spelling later in life to "Bettie." At a time when few women pursued a college education, Page earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Peabody College in Tennessee in 1944, according to her official biography. Her teaching career, however, was hampered by her looks, she said. "I couldn't control my students, especially the boys," she is quoted as saying. After her modeling career ended, Page returned to Peabody College to work on a master's degree, the bio said. Page said she regretted not accepting studio boss Jack Warner's offer of another screen-test, but it came while she was trying to save her marriage to her first husband, Billy Neal. Her modeling breakthrough began after she divorced Neal in 1947 when she met a police officer whose hobby was photography. He suggested the black bangs, which became her trademark, her bio said. Not long after, her images were everywhere, gracing magazine covers and locker pin-ups. Page wore nothing but a Santa hat in Playboy's January 1955 centerfold. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said her appearance in his magazine's first year was a milestone. "She became, in time, an American icon, her winning smile and effervescent personality apparent in every pose," Hefner said. Perhaps the most memorable photos of Page were her bondage poses, which she said were all pretend. "I never understood how anyone believed those poses were sexy," she later said. "To be tied up? I don't get it." Saucy photos of Paige in skimpy clothing or none at all helped to lead the way for the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Page suddenly disappeared from the scene in 1958. It was only decades later revealed that she re-emerged to explain that she underwent a religious conversion and moved to Florida. Page reappeared in public in December 2003 for Playboy's 50th anniversary party, where she made a grand entrance with Anna Nicole Smith. It was the only time in the past 50 years that Page allowed her photograph to be taken, Roesler said. A private funeral service is planned for Tuesday. Page will buried at Westwood Cemetery in Los Angeles, just a few feet away from Monroe.
FILM/JACKMAN TO HOST OSCARS: Hugh Jackman will be the host of the 2009 Academy Awards. The 40-year-old star has not hosted the event before, although he presented the award for best original score in 2007. Best known for playing Wolverine in the "X-Men: films, the actor can currently be seen in Baz Luhrmann's epic "Australia". Jackman, whose other film credits include "Van Helsing" and "The Prestige," was recently named People magazine's "sexiest man alive".
MUSIC/BROWN NAMED 08 TOP SINGER: R&B singer Chris Brown has been named Billboard magazine's artist of the year for the 2nd time. The 19-year-old also won the accolade in 2006. Rapper Lil' Wayne, whose hits this year include "Lollipop," was the #2 artist with Brown's girlfriend Rihanna at #3. Billboard's artist rankings are determined by album sales as well as digital downloads, radio airplay and internet streams. Rounding out the top 5 were Alicia Keys and country singer Taylor Swift. Brown has had a successful 2008 with solo hits "With You," "Forever" and "No Air," a duet with Jordin Sparks. Last month, he also won 3 American Music Awards, including artist of the year.
MUSIC/BRIT CRITICS CHOICE AWARD: Pop singer-songwriter Florence and the Machine has won the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice prize for the new act most likely to be big in 2009. Londoner Florence Welch, aged 22, was picked by a panel of 50 newspaper and magazine critics and heads of music from major UK TV and radio stations. Known for her stage shows, her debut single "Kiss With a Fist" was used in a TV trailer. She has been signed by Island Records, home to Amy Winehouse, U2 and Mika. This is the 2nd year the Brit Awards have handed out their Critics' Choice prize, which was won by Adele last year. Florence and the Machine will perform at the Brit Award nominations on January 20, and will receive her award at the main ceremony on February 18.

AVIATION/ BRAZIL RELEASES GOL 1907 REPORT

The Brazilian Centro de Investigacao e Prevencao de Acidentes Aeronauticos (CENIPA) have released their final report of the investigation into the mid-air collision between GOL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1907, a Boeing737-800, and an EXCELAIRE Embraer Legacy jet N600XL on September 29, 2006. Flight 1907 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Manaus to Brasilia, Brazil, when it collided with the Legacy, about 19 miles from Peixoto Azevedo, Brazil. After the collision, the GOL 737 went into a tailspin, and crashed upside down in the jungle, killing all 148 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. The Legacy, which was on its delivery flight to the US, was able to make an emergency landing at a nearby Airport. No one onboard the Legacy was injured, however the aircraft did suffer substantial damage. The collision occured at 37000 feet. The GOL 737 was approved to fly at 37000 feet, while the Legacy jet should have been flying at 36000 feet.

The CENIPA report describes the causal factors in detail. Conslusions were drawn pertaining to the flight crew of the Legacy jet and the air traffic controllers. The report states the following active failures of the Legacy crew: "lack of an adequate planning of the flight, and insufficient knowledge of the flight plan prepared by the Embraer operator; non-execution of a briefing prior to departure; unintentional change of the transponder setting, failure in prioritizing attention; failure in perceiving that the transponder was not transmitting; delay in recognizing the problem of communication with the air traffic control unit; and non-compliance with the procedures prescribed for communications failure. On the part of air traffic control the report states that "By failing to perform the prescribed procedures for the loss of Transponder and radar contact, as well as for communications failure, the ATCO ... allowed N600XL to maintain the incorrect flight level (FL370)... Deviations from the procedures regarding the prescribed phraseology were observed, in various situations of the air traffic control activity and in the various control units involved in the accident."

Commenting on the CENIPA report, the NTSB proposes the following probable cause: "The evidence collected during this investigation strongly supports the conclusion that this accident was caused by N600XL and GLO1907 following ATC clearances which directed them to operate in opposite directions on the same airway at the same altitude resulting in a midair collision. The loss of effective air traffic control was not the result of a single error, but of a combination of numerous individual and institutional ATC factors, which reflected systemic shortcomings in emphasis on positive air traffic control concepts. Contributing to this accident was the undetected loss of functionality of the airborne collision avoidance system technology as a result of the inadvertent inactivation of the transponder on board N600XL. Further contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between ATC and the N600XL flight crew."

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

CREW GROUNDED OVER ERROR: Taiwan has grounded the crew of TRANSASIA AIRWAYS Flight 214 after an incident that took place yesterday. Flight 214 was on Scheduled Domestic ATR72 Service from Kaohsiung to Makung, Taiwan, with 72 passengers and crew onboard. Upon landing at Makung, all 4 tires blew on the jet. No one onboard was injured. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority grounded the crew this morning after it was determined that the Captain had activated the emergency brakes while inflight, which is a violation of established procedures. The Captain was demonstrating to the Co-Pilot emergency procedures, however he forgot to release the emergency brake prior to landing. The ATR72 has been removed from service for repairs.

INCIDENTS

DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 1112: The MD88 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Washington Dulles to Atlanta, Georgia, when it had to divert while inflight, yesterday, December 11. Flight 1112, with 140 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared an emergency while inflight, due to smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft was diverted to Greenville, South Carolina for an emergency landing. Upon landing, the aircraft blew 4 tires and passengers and crew were evacuated via slides. Fire services began to foam the aircraft while the evacuatino was taking place. No one onboard was injured in the incident. The aircraft has been removed from service. It is not known how much damage the MD88 sustained, or the source of the smoke. Delta will investigate the incident.

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 85: The Boeing 767 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from New York JFK to San Francisco, California, when it had to make an emergency return to JFK, yesterday, December 11. Flight 85, with 207 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency about 1 minute after takeoff, after a strange smell and white smoke began to appear in the passenger cabin. The aircraft was met by emergency services at JFK upon landing, about 10 minutes after its intial takeoff. The 767 was allowed to go to the gate and unload passengers and crew. The 767 has been removed from service for inspection. AA will investigate the incident.

SHUTTLE AMERICA FLIGHT 7584: The ERJ175 was on Scheduled International Service from Washington Dulles to Montreal, Canada, when it had to make an emergency landing in Montreal, yesterday, December 11. Flight 7584 was on finals, when the crew detected a problem with the flaps, and abandoned the approach. About 5 minutes later, the crew declared the emergency and asked for emergency services to be on standby for the landing. The ERJ landed without incident about 14 minutes after declaring the emergency. It is not know what type of problem the crew encountered with the flaps, however the aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. Shuttle America is investigating the incident.

AVIANCA FLIGHT 9236: The Boeing 757 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Cali to Bogota, Colombia, when an incident on taxi forced the aircraft to be removed from service, yesterday, December 11. Flight 9236, with 170 passengers and crew onboard, was on taxi at Cali for departure. The crew were turning onto the departure runway, when the aircraft went off the runway, and became mired in mud. The passengers and crew had to be deplaned on the runway, and the aircraft was later towed off for inspection. No one was injured in the incident. Avianca is investigating the incident.

LUFTHANSA FLIGHT 469: The A330 was on Scheduled International Service from Portland, Oregon, to Frankfurt, Germany, when it had to divert to Winnipeg, Canada, while enroute, last Saturday, December 6. Flight 469, with 156 passengers and 14 crew members onboard, requested the emergency diversion after the crew received an alert of a possible oil leak in the engines. The A330 landed without incident or injury in Winnipeg. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board stated that the crew noticed a rising oil temperature and dropping oil pressure in engine No.1. They shut down the engine, and declared the emergency. Initial maintenance on the aircraft was not satisifactory, thus the A330 has been removed from service and will receive an entire new engine. Lufthansa is continuing the investigation.

SNAPSHOTS

THE 2008 CHRISTMAS TREE AS CAPTURED BY YOURS TRULY.

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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM&TV/GOLDEN GLOBE NOMS OUT: The nominations for the 66th annual Golden Globes were announced this morning. The multi-winning film "Milk" was snubbed in the picture competition, as was the years biggest hit, "The Dark Knight". The nominees for best drama are "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionaire." The nominees for best comedy or musical are "Burn After Reading," "Happy-Go-Lucky," "In Bruges," "Mamma Mia!" and "Vicky Christina Barcelona." The nominees for best director are Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Stephen Daldry ("The Reader"), David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon") and Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road"). The nominees for best actor in a drama are Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road"), Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon"), Sean Penn ("Milk"), Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler"). The nominees for best actress in a drama are Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt"), Kristin Scott Thomas ("I've Loved You Too Long") and Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road"). The nominees for best actor in a comedy or musical are Javier Bardem ("Vicky Christina Barcelona"), Colin Farrell ("In Bruges"), James Franco ("Pineapple Express"), Brendan Gleeson ("In Bruges") and Dustin Hoffman ("Last Chance Harvey"). The nominees for best actress in a comedy or musical are Rebecca Hall ("Vicky Christina Barcelona"), Sally Hawkins ("Happy-Go-Lucky"), Frances McDormand ("Burn After Reading"), Meryl Streep ("Mamma Mia!") and Emma Thompson ("Last Chance Harvey"). The nominees for best supporting actor are Tom Cruise ("Tropic Thunder"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder"), Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt") and Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight"). The nominees for best supporting actress are Amy Adams ("Doubt"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Christina Barcelona"), Viola Davis ("Doubt"), Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler") and Kate Winslet ("The Reader"). The nominees for best animated film are "Bolt," "Kung Fu Panda" and "Wall-E." The Globes also give out awards for TV series. Nominees for best comedy series are "30 Rock," "Californication," "Entourage," "The Office" and "Weeds." Nominees for best drama series are "Dexter," "House," "In Treatment," "Mad Men" and "True Blood." The awards will be presented on January 11 on NBC. The full roster of nomineess can be found on the Golden Globe website.
MUSIC/LEONA WINS BILLBOARD AWARD: Leona Lewis has been named Billboard magazine's Top New Artist of 2008. The award is to recognise her worldwide success in the past year. She said: "I'm just going day by day and just enjoying everything. I got a fantastic opportunity to come here and do this and so far it's been going really well." The 23yr old singer has sold more albums than any other new artist and last week received 3 Grammy Award nominations, for Record of the Year, Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Album.
THEATRE/HBO TO SHOW FERRELL "LIVE": HBO will air a live telecast of Will Ferrell's upcoming Broadway solo show, "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush". No air date has been announced for the live broadcast of the upcoming show, which will open February 5, 2009, after previews from January 20 at the Cort Theatre. The first day of Broadway previews, Janurary 20, coincides with the United States Presidential Inauguration. The limited engagement of "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush" (the odd punctuation is the creators' wish) will run through March 15, 2009, a brief stay by Broadway standards. The telecast will likely air toward the end of the Broadway run.

WORLD NEWS/ MOSCOW WARNS EURO GAYS

The Mayor of Moscow has used a Eurovision Song Contest ceremony to warn gay people visiting the city for the event next year that they are not welcome on the streets. Yuri Luzhkov was receiving a set of symbolic keys from the Mayor of Belgrade, Dragan Dilas, in recognition of Russia's success at this year's Eurovision in Serbia. The winning country usually hosts the contest the following year. Speaking at a press conference after the ceremony the Mayor, who has banned every gay rights march in Moscow since 2005, gave some advice to gay people coming to the city for Eurovision: "Entertain yourself, no problem, but not on the streets, squares, marches and demonstrations. We never introduced any limitations in their respect except public actions. We do not allow gay parades." Moscow Pride organisers are confident that after years of bans, the eyes of the world on Russia may mean they can finally march. Russian and Belarussian activists are planning a Slavic Pride event in Moscow to coincide with the Eurovision final on May 16th. The semi-finals will be held on May 12th and 14th. "Gay Pride public action during the final of Eurovision will take place in any circumstances," said Moscow Pride organiser Nicolas Alexeyev. "We are not going to surrender our right to freedom of assembly and expression because it is given to us not by Mayor Luzhkov but by the Constitution of this country. I will be shocked if these words from Moscow's Mayor do not lead to any reaction from the General Secretary of the Council of Europe and Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe." Mr Alexeyev said he would also push for the EU to ban Mr Luzhkov from travelling to member states. The Mayor has implied gays are behind the spread of AIDS in Moscow and said condoms should not be advertised as 100% safe as "contemporary science" proved they are not. He has previously referred to gay rights marches as "Satanic." Activists have tried to have the Mayor prosecuted under Article 149 of the Russian Criminal Code for using his political power to prevent legal public events for the LGBT community in the city. Moscow Pride organisers have various lawsuits pending at the European Court of Human Rights contesting the legality of the bans.

AVIATION/ BOEING DELAYS DREAMLINER AGAIN

Boeing said today it has further delayed the initial test flight and delivery of its highly anticipated 787 jetliner, citing the impact of a recent strike and production problems. The Chicago-based aerospace company said it was pushing back the inaugural flight of the next-generation passenger jet to the 2nd quarter of 2009 and the 1st delivery to between January and March of 2010. The delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for the 787, which has been touted for its expected high fuel efficiency due to its construction from lightweight carbon fiber composite parts. Last month, Boeing said it was postponing the 787 test flight, delayed 4 times previously, until next year because of an 8 week strike by Machinists' union workers that began September 6. The flight had been scheduled for the 4th quarter of this year, with the 1st delivery slated for the 3rd quarter of 2009.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

EMIRATES TO LAUNCH GREEN SFO SERVICE: On December 15th, EMIRATES AIRLINES, with one of the world's youngest fleets, will trial a new environmental program to execute the longest green journey. The program, to be analyzed and reviewed on the Airline's inaugural flight from Dubai to San Francisco, will represent the world's first cross-polar green flight. Emirates worked closely with government agencies in Dubai, Russia, Iceland, Canada and the United States and other countries to plot what is appropriately hailed as the Environment flight, the most environmentally-sophisticated route and trip possible to help save an estimated range of approximately 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000 pounds of carbon emissions on the 16-hour direct service. More information on the service can be found on the Emirates website.

FLYBE MAY 2008 INCIDENT REPORT: The European AAIB has released a report into the tailstrike incident onboard Flybe Flight 1505, on May 28, 2008. Flight 1505 was on Scheduled International Dash 8-400 Service from Exeter, England, to Paris, France, with 37 passengers and 4 crew members onboard that day. The Dash struck the runway tail first when it landed at de Gaulle Airport. No one onboard was injured in the incident, however the bottom of the Dash did sustain substantial damage. The Report states that the incident was related to Pilot Error. The Report said that the approach and landing into de Gaulle was not stable, and should have been abandoned.

MY TRAVEL JULY 2007 INCIDENT REPORT: The European AAIB has released a Report on the incident involving My Travel Flight 495, on July 5, 2007. Flight 495 was on Non-Scheduled International A320 Service from London Gatwick to Kos, Greece, with 180 passengers and 6 crew members onboard that day. The A320 touched down heavily at Kos, with a high rate of descent, causing substantial damage to the main landing gear. No one onboard the A320 was injured. The Report states that the approach was normal until about 50 feet above the runway, when the aircraft went into a high sink rate. The Report states that the wind and other weather conditions were not a factor and blamed the incident on Pilot Error.

INCIDENTS

CARGOJET FLIGHT 1575: The Boeing 757 was on Scheduled Cargo Service from Hamilton to Calgary, Canada, early this morning, when it had to make an emergency return to Hamilton. While inflight at 36000 feet, about 150 miles NW of Toronto, the crew received an open cargo door warning indication. The crew returned to Hamilton, where the 757 landed without incident about 30 minutes later. The 757 has been removed from service for inspection. Cargojet will investigate the incident.

CITYJET FLIGHT 5011: The RJ85 was on Scheduled International Service on behalf of AIR FRANCE, from Dublin, Ireland, to Paris, France, when it had to divert to London Stansted Airport, yesterday, December 9. Flight 5011 was diverted to Stansted due to a malfunction with the fuel systems. The crew squawked Code 7700 for General Emergency while flying over London. The RJ85 landed without incident, and was removed from service for inspection and repairs. According to press reports, the aircraft has already been repaired and has been returned to service. Cityjet will investigate the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

A MOTHER AND HER 1 YEAR OLD CUB AT PLAY TODAY AT THE STUTTGART ZOO IN GERMANY.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

MUSIC/ TOP 20 SINGLES 12-10-08

1. RUN--LEONA LEWIS
2. HUMAN--THE KILLERS
3. CRACK THE SHUTTERS--SNOW PATROL
4. I CAN FEEL YOU(remix)--ANASTACIA
5. JOYFUL SOUND(remix)--DEBBY HOLIDAY
6. HEAVEN FOR THE WEATHER--THE STREETS
7. SINGLE LADIES(PUT A RING ON IT)--BEYONCE
8. FAME(THE GAME)(remix)--DONNA SUMMER
9. RAIN ON YOUR PARADE--DUFFY
10. SO SOLL ES BLEIBEN--ICH & ICH
11. DREAM ON(remix)--CHRISTIAN FALK w/ ROBYN
12. GREATEST DAY--TAKE THAT
13. IF I WERE A BOY--BEYONCE
14. IF IT ISN'T LOVE--JENNIFER HUDSON
15. NEVER(remix)--KRISTINE W
16. DADDY'S GONE--GLASVEGAS
17. REHAB--RIHANNA
18. KISS AND TELL(remix)--WIN w/ GIOIA BRUNO
19. RIGHT HERE(DEFINED)--BRANDY
20. USE SOMEBODY--KINGS OF LEON

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

CHARTBOUND
* ALLA MIA ETA--TIZIANO FERRO
* DOG DAYS ARE OVER(remix)--FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
* EPIC(remix)--RANNY w/ RACHEL PANAY
* HOSTAGE OF LOVE--RAZORLIGHT
* LOVE LOVE LOVE--JAMES BLUNT
* PERFECT SYMMETRY--KEANE
* THE FEAR--LILY ALLEN
* THE GREATEST--MICHELLE WILLIAMS
* ULYSSES--FRANZ FERDINAND
* YOU'RE MY STAR--STEREOPHONICS

MUSIC/ TOP 20 ALBUMS 12-10-08

1. A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS--SNOW PATROL
2. AND WINTER CAME--ENYA
3. WETT SINGEN--SOHNE MANNHEIMS & XAVIER NAIDOO
4. VON SELBEM STERN--ICH & ICH
5. THE STEADY RHYTHM--IVRI LIDER
6. GLASVEGAS--GLASVEGAS
7. EVERYTHING IS BORROWED--THE STREETS
8. DECADE IN THE SUN/THE BEST OF--THE STEREOPHONICS
9. DAY & AGE--THE KILLERS
10. SPIRIT(DELUXE EDITION)--LEONA LEWIS
11. GREATEST HITS--ENRIQUE IGLESIAS
12. HEAVY ROTATION--ANASTACIA
13. E2--EROS RAMAZZOTTI
14. ONLY BY THE NIGHT--KINGS OF LEON
15. THE PROMISE--DEBORAH COX
16. PROSPEKTS MARCH(EP)--COLDPLAY
17. HUMAN--BRANDY
18. CADILLAC RECORDS--SOUNDTRACK
19. SLIPWAY FIRES--RAZORLIGHT
20. LET IT GO--WILL YOUNG

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

BOOKS/ TOP 20 BOOKS 12-10-08

1. DEWEY--VICKY MYRON
NonFiction/The small town library cat that touched the world.
2. THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED--WALLY LAMB
Fiction/A question of faith and the future by a family rocked by tragedy.
3. THE GR BOOK OF THE DEAD--MARION WINK
NonFiction/Rememberances of lives lived and lost.
4. DEAR FATTY--DAWN FRENCH
NonFiction/Autobiography of the iconic British Comedian.
5. PORTOBELLO--RUTH RENDELL
Fiction/Secrets shaken by the impact of chance of conincidence.
6. WESLEY THE OWL--STACEY O"BRIEN
NonFiction/The story of a barn owl and the woman who raised him.
7. JUST AFTER SUNSET--STEPHEN KING
Fiction/A new collection of stories from the master of suspense.
8. THE PYRAMID--HENNING MANKELL
Fiction/Stories that detail the early years and cases of Inspector Wallender.
9. EXECUTIVE MEN--MAP
NonFiction/A new portfolio from Men At Play productions.
10. THE PRIVATE PATIENT--P.D. JAMES
Fiction/Adam Dalgliesh and his team investigate a murder at a private clinic.
11. ALL THE COLOURS OF DARKNESS--PETER ROBINSON
Fiction/Inspector Banks investigates a murder, staged as a suicide.
12. SANTA CLAWED--RITA MAE BROWN
Fiction/Harry and her brood investigate murder during the holidays.
13. A LION AMONG MEN--GREGORY MAGUIRE
Fiction/The continuing series that began with "Wicked".
14. FIRE OVER HEATHROW--SUSAN OTTAWAY
NonFiction/The tragedy of BOAC Flight 712 in 1968.
15. THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD--JK ROWLING
Fiction/A companion piece to the "Harry Potter" series.
16. PIEDMONT AIRLINES--RICHARD E ELLER
NonFiction/A history of the Airline from 1948 thru 1989.
17. YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME--DEAN KOONTZ
Fiction/A heart transplant survivor faces unspeakable horror from the donor.
18. PAWPRINTS OF KATRINA--CATHY SCOTT
NonFiction/The story of the pets of Hurricane Katrina and the lessons learned.
19. THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT--STEVE BERRY
Fiction/Cotton Malone in a dangerous quest to Antarctica.
20. FINDING MY VOICE--RUSSELL WATSON
NonFiction/Autobiography of the world famous British Tenor.

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/NY FILM CRITICS AWARDS: "Milk" and its star Sean Penn won top honors from the New York Film Critics Circle, as the Gus Van Sant-helmed film took home best actor and best feature trophies. Mike Leigh won the best director prize for "Happy-Go-Lucky." The film's star Sally Hawkins picked up the trophy for best actress. In the supporting categories, Josh Brolin was honored for his perf in “Milk” while Penelope Cruz won for her turn in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” “Wall-E” continues to rack up honors as the Disney/Pixar cartoon won for best animated feature, and "Man on a Wire" won best documentary. A full list of winners can be found at the Critics website.

FILM/LA FILM CRITICS AWARDS: The Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. has named Disney/Pixar's "Wall-E" the best picture of the year, marking the first time in its history that it has given its top prize to an animated film. Danny Boyle took the directing award for Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire." Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight," was the runner-up for both pic and director. Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" received 2 awards, for actress Sally Hawkins and Leigh's screenplay. Sean Penn took actor for "Milk". Heath Ledger won Supp Actor for "The Dark Knight," while Penelope Cruz took Supp Actress for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". Jia Zhangke's "Still Life" won for foreign-language film and Yu Lik Wai's cinematography. "Slumdog" also won the music prize for A.R. Rahman's score. A full list of winners can be found on the critics website.

FILM/PITT TAKES ON "Z": Paramount has set "We Own the Night" director James Gray to direct "The Lost City of Z." Gray will adapt the David Grann book for Brad Pitt to star in as British soldier and spy Percy Fawcett. The nonfiction book by Grann, a staffer at the New Yorker, will be published in April by Doubleday. Fawcett left Victorian society to explore in the Amazon, and he became obsessed by the idea of an advanced civilization he called Z, which he believed existed in the depths of the jungle. Along with his son, Fawcett headed into the jungle in 1925 in search of Z and was never seen again. No start date has been set for filming.

THEATRE/"PRISCILLA" BOOKS TORONTO: The Musical version of “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” is coming into Toronto in fall 2009, making its North American premeire in a run that seems a likely precursor to Broadway. A hit in Oz, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical” will be a part of the 2009-10 season of Toronto’s Mirvish subscription series. No theater has yet been confirmed. “Priscilla” has taken in $90 million at the Aussie box office since its 2006 preem in Sydney. A West End version is already slated for March, with a Swedish staging on the horizon for 2010. Based on the 1994 film that starred Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving, the “Priscilla” musical score comprises disco hits including “I Will Survive,” “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “Shake Your Groove Thing.” Plot centers on three drag performers who take the titular bus on a road trip across Oz.

PEOPLE/ROBERT PROSKY DIES AT 77: Robert Prosky, a character actor with hundreds of credits on stage and screen including "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Hill Street Blues," has died in a Washington hospital. He died at the age of 77 on Monday night. Prosky appeared in more than 200 plays on Broadway and with Arena Stage, a regional theater company in Washington. He appeared in 38 films and numerous television shows. On Broadway, Prosky's credits included "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "A View from the Bridge." He also completed a long run in Michael Frayn's play "Democracy." In the 1980s, Prosky spent 3 years on the NBC television series "Hill Street Blues" as a police sergeant. He later appeared as a priest on trial for murder in ABC's legal drama, "The Practice." In "Mrs. Doubtfire," Prosky played the TV station owner who hired Robin Williams, who dressed as a nanny. His other film credits include "Dead Man Walking" and "The Natural." Prosky is survived by his wife and 3 sons.

POLITICS/ OBAMA TELLS BLAGO TO STEP DOWN

Illinois continues to reel in the arrest of Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich yesterday. The Governor has issued no statements and is said to be at work today. Calls for his resignation have come in from all over the state for him to resign, with President-Elect Barack Obama stating this afternoon that Blagojevich should "step down". Chicago Mayor Daley, himself the target of gossip about his own corrupt administration, said that Blagojevich "has to figure out what's best". One of the main sections of the corruption charges has to do with the Governor attempting to "sell" the Senate seat being vacated by Obama. Blagojevich was supposed to nom someone to fill the seat until the 2010 election, however that seems unlikely now. The Illinois legislature will go into special session this coming Monday to vote on impeaching Blagojevich if he does not resign, and to strip him of the ability to fill the Senate vacancy. Legislators are said to be considering a special election in February. This afternoon, rumours are circulating in Chicago that a person named only as Candidate 5 in the charges, is Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Candidate 5 in the charges against Blagojevich talked about giving a $500k donation to Blagojevich for the Senate seat. Jackson hired a Chicago lawyer yesterday after federal prosecutors unveiled criminal charges against Blagojevich, sources said. His attorney said today that Jackson is completely "guiltless". Full coverage of the growing scandal can be found on the Chicago Tribune website.

AVIATION/ NTSB INVESTIGATING ROLL DOWNS

A pattern of similar incidents this year of engine roll downs involving Boeing 767 and 777 aircraft has begun to emerge, prompting investigators to search for possible cause. In the latest incident, DELTA AIRLINES Flight 18, was on Scheduled International Service from Shanghai, China, to Atlanta, Georgia, on November 26. The 777 was enroute at 39000 feet, N of Denver, Colorado, when the right hand engine experienced an uncommanded roll down. The crew descended the aircraft to 31000 feet and performed checklists, after which the engine recovered and responded normally. The flight continued to Atlanta without further incidents. The incident is similar to the crash landing of the BRITISH AIRWAYS Boeing 777 at London Heathrow last January. after both engines rolled down while on short final at about 700 feet. The NTSB has dispatched their investigator, who participated in the AAIB investigation of the BA Boeing 777, to investigate the roll down of the Delta Boeing. Flight data recorders and other applicable data and components were retrieved from the aircraft for testing and evaluation. Other uncommanded roll downs occured on another British Airways Boeing 777 on June 29th 2008 and on an AIR CANADA Boeing 767 on November 24, 2008. Another unexpected roll down of an engine on board an AMERICAN AIRLINES Boeing 777 on February 28, 2008.

AVIATION/ REPORT OUT ON ETIHAD A340 MISHAP

A final report in the accident involving a ETIHAD A340 at Toulouse, France, on November 15, 2007, has just been released. The A340 was undergoing final testing at Airbus in Toulouse, prior to delivery to Etihad. 9 engineers were working on the aircraft and did not follow required testing procedures. They performed a "fuel and oil leak test" under high engine power without chock blocks. the thrust exceeded the brakes capabilities, and the aircraft started to move. The A340 crashed into a sound barrier, and was totalled. Of those working onboard, 4 people suffered serious injuries, and 5 suffered minor injuries. The French Agency BEA, in its final report just released, said that the cause of the incident was: 1:The implementation of the test without chocks and all 4 engines operating at once at a power setting, which was close to the capacity of the parking brake. 2:The lack of detection and correction of abuses while carrying out the test in a context of pressure and industrial innovation led to execution of the test outside established procedures. 3:The surprise led the technician in charge (right hand seat) to focus on the braking and forget about reducing engine thrust.

AVIATION/ 2006 S7 CRASH REPORT RELEASED

A final report has been released in Russia on the July 9, 2006 crash of S7 AIRLINES Flight 778 in Irkutsk, Russia. Flight 778 was on Scheduled A310 Service from Moscow to Irkutsk, when the accident took place. Of those onboard, 120 of the 195 passengers, and 5 of the 8 crew members, including both Pilots, were killed in the crash. The 78 survivors suffered minor to critical injuries. On its last flight, the day before the crash, the A310 was released with 6 defects as per minimum equipment list (MEL), including the deactivated state of the left engine thrust reverser. The previous 2 flights had been carried out with a deactivated right engine thrust reverser. On July 9, the A310 was approaching Irkutsk in rain, with a thunderstorm in the area. Visiblity was reported to be down. Upon landing at Irkutsk, the A310 overran runway 30, collided with barriers, broke apart and burst into flames. In the initial report into the crash, released last year, investigators placed the blame of the crash for errors made by the Pilots during approach and landing in regards to the thrust reversers. However, a criminal investigation was just completed and the results of that investigation were released yesterday. That investigation has concluded that a computer failure had caused the crash. The prosecutor's office released a statement saying, that according to forensic and technical investigation the cause of the crash were design and logic flaws in the onboard computers resulting in "declined" braking action. There was no human error by either the flight crew or anyone on the ground. "The accident is due to the unexpected reaction of the software during the landing", the prosecutor said.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

ENGINES FAILED IN SD CRASH: Investigators remain on the scene in San Diego, where a Military F/A 18D Hornet crashed on Monday into a residential area, killing 4 people on the ground. Both engines of the jet fighter failed before the aircraft crashed into 2 houses and burned, a congressional aide said yesterday. All 4 people who died, a Mother, her 2 young children, and her Mother, were in 1 house. The other house was unoccupied at the time. The twin-engine Hornet went down around 12 Noon, about 2 miles from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. No official initial finding of the cause of the crash was given, but a congressional aide who had been briefed on the crash said the Pilot was trying to land at Miramar after his right engine malfunctioned. While the Pilot was on final approach to the runway, the aircraft lost thrust from its left engine, and the Pilot ejected, the aide said. The Pilot ended up suspended by his parachute in a tree. He was being treated at a hospital.
INCIDENTS
GULFSTREAM FLIGHT 9290: The Beech 1900D was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Dubois to Franklin, Pennsylvania, when it had to make an emergency return to Dubois, on Monday December 5. Flight 9290, with 9 passengers and 2 crew members onboard, was on approach to Franklin, when the crew returned to Dubois for unspecified reasons. The Beech circled the Airport for 40 minutes, before landing. Upong landing at Dubois, the nose gear collapsed, damaging the aircraft. No one onboard was injured. Gulfstream International Airlines is investigating the incident.
GOL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1629: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Belo Horizonte to Sao Paulo, Brazil, when it had to make an emergency return to Belo Horizonte, on Sunday, December 7. Flight 1629, with 137 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency about 15 minutes after departure. Toxic smoke had begun to emit from the air conditioning system within the passenger cabin causing panic among the passengers and several reports of breathing difficulties. The oxygen masks were not deployed. As the aircraft descended for landing, the smoke dispersed. The 737 landed without incident at Belo Horizonte, and was met by emergency services. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspections and possible repairs. Early indications are that the smoke could have been caused by hydraulics oil. GOL and Brazilian Aviation Authorities are investigating the incident.
JAZZ FLIGHT 8318: The AIR CANADA JAZZ CRJ 700 was on Scheduled International Service from Vancouver, BC, to San Diego, California, when it had to make an emergency return to Vancouver, on Saturday, December 6. Flight 8318, with 81 passengers and crew onboard, returned to Vancouver, when the landing gear would not retract after takeoff. The aircraft circled the Airport to burn off fuel in preparation for the landing. Prior to touching down, the crew received a cockpit warning that the nose gear steering was also not working. The CRJ landed without incident, with the assistance of the thrust reversers. No one was injured. The aircraft had to be towed off the runway. Inspection revealed the the nose gear oleo was flat, and that while the oil level was normal, the nitrogen was depleted. The CRJ has since been repaired and returned to service.
PINNACLE AIRLINES FLIGHT 2836: The CRJ 400 was on Scheduled International Service from Memphis, Tennessee, to Toronto, Canada, when it had to make an emergency landing in Toronto, on Friday, December 5. Flight 2836, with 13 passengers and crew onboard, declared the emergency while on approach to Toronto. When the crew selected "Flaps Down" for landing, the cockpit indicator said "Flaps Fail". The crew made a flapless landing with emergency services on standby. The CRJ landed without incident or injury. Inspection could find no problems with the flaps, however the investigation into what may have caused the incident, continues.

SNAPSHOTS

A SCENE FROM THE ANNUAL "HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS" ON THE GROUNDS OF HONOLULU HAILE. THE HOLIDAY FESTIVAL RUNS FROM TODAY THRU JANUARY 1.