ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/STARS LINE UP FOR BASSEY: The Manic Street Preachers are among a host of stars who have contributed songs to Dame Shirley Bassey's new record. "The Performance," her 1st full studio album for 20 years due for release in November, also features a song by the Pet Shop Boys. The Manic Street Preachers' track is called "The Girl From Tiger Bay," and marks 1st first writing credit for another artist since Kylie Minogue's "Some Kind Of Bliss" in 1997. The Pet Shop Boys, who have previously worked with Liza Minelli and Dusty Springfield, contributed a song called "The Performance Of My Life". Other writers on Dame Shirley's album include KT Tunstall, Richard Hawley and "Diamonds Are Forever" composers John Barry and Don Black. Their track, "Our Time Is Now," is the first song they have written for the diva since the 1971 James Bond theme. The 72-year-old last hit the charts in 2007, with an album of covers and remixes called "Get The Party Started".

MUSIC/SURVIVING BEE GEES TO PERFORM: The surviving members of the Bee Gees are to perform together again, 6 years after the death of bandmate and brother Maurice Gibb. "The two of us are getting back together again as we speak," Robin Gibb said today. He and brother Barry had "got through the breakwater of emotions" following their sibling's 2003 death, he said. He revealed the band were planning a series of live dates. He said Maurice, his twin, had been "not just a brother but a comrade in arms really". "It's an emotional thing when you lose someone that close." fter Maurice's death, his brothers said they would no longer use the Bee Gees name. However, last year Robin said they would perform again "when the time is right". Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb were one of the biggest acts of the 1970s and won multiple Grammy awards during their career.

FILM/GREAT REVIEW FOR "UP IN THE AIR": Variety has released the 1st review of the upcoming George Clooney film, "Up In The Air". The film, which stars Clooney and Vera Farmiga, is about a man obsessed with getting as many air miles as he can. In its review, Variety said: "The tale of an aloof, high-flying exec whose millions of frequent-flyer miles can't keep him permanently above the emotional turbulence he seeks to avoid, “Up in the Air” is a slickly engaging piece of lightweight existentialism highlighted by winning turns from George Clooney and Vera Farmiga. Just as “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno” did in their own ways, Jason Reitman's third film cleverly taps into specific cultural aspects of the contemporary zeitgeist, although in a somewhat less comically convulsive manner. Unlike many of the characters onscreen, nobody is going to lose any jobs on the basis of their work here, as a buoyant commercial flight lies ahead". The film is not yet rated, and runs 109 minutes. It is due for release later this autumn.

FILM/SO-SO NOTICE FOR "THE INFORMANT!": Variety has released the 1st review of the upcoming Matt Damon autumn release, "The Informant!". Based on a true story, Damon plays Mark Whitacre, a VP at a Decatur, Ill.-based agribusiness firm, Archer Daniels Midland, where “corn goes in one end and profit comes out the other.” A career biochemist entirely behind the promotion of such food additives as lysine, Mark unleashes a staggering corporate and legal tsunami when he tells his boss he’s detected a mole in the ranks that’s allowing a Japanese competitor to mess with their lysine manufacturing. In well publicized events, the story took a major turn when Whitacre turned into an FBI informant. In its review, Variety said: The wacky little brother of “Erin Brockovich,” “The Informant!” goofs around lightheartedly while still doing some justice to the true-life story of a zealous but wildly delusional corporate whistle-blower. A larky outing for director Steven Soderbergh after the somber rigors of “Che” and “The Girlfriend Experience,” the pic showcases an excellent performance by a chubbed-out Matt Damon as a Midwestern executive who’s so smart he’s dumb. Amusingly eccentric rather than outright funny, this Warner Bros. release will have to rely mostly on Damon for its B.O., which looks to be modest". The film is rated R and runs 108 minutes.

WORLD NEWS/ 3 GUILTY IN JET BOMB PLOT

UK courts have found 3 men have been guilty of plotting to kill thousands of people by blowing up planes flying from London to America with home-made liquid bombs. A Woolwich Crown Court jury today, convicted Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, Tanvir Hussain, 28, and Assad Sarwar, 29, of conspiring to activate bombs disguised as drinks. 4 other men were found not guilty of involvement in the suicide bomb plot. The men's arrests in August 2006 led to new Airport restrictions on liquids and brought chaos to travelers. The jury heard that at the time of his arrest, plot ringleader Ahmed Ali had identified 7 US and Canada-bound flights to blow up over the Atlantic within a 2.5 hour period. They were flights from London's Heathrow airport to San Francisco, Washington, New York, Chicago, Toronto and Montreal. His so-called "quartermaster", Sarwar, had secured bomb ingredients at his home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and a flat in the Walthamstow area of east London had become the bomb factory. There the men put together a special mixture of chemicals that they planned to take onto planes in ordinary sports drinks bottles stored within land luggage. The plot is believed by intelligence sources to have been directed by al-Qaeda. With thousands killed in the air, the explosions could have caused more devastation than the September 11 attacks on the US. UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the plot had sparked the largest counter-terrorism investigation in UK history, known as Operation Overt.

THE 7 FLIGHTS FROM LONDON HEATHROW, TARGETED FOR DESTRUCTION, ARE SHOWN ABOVE. THEY WERE:

1. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 931: DEPARTING FOR SFO AT 2:15PM.

2. AIR CANADA FLIGHT 849: DEPARTING FOR TORONTO AT 3:00PM.

3. AIR CANADA FLIGHT 865: DEPARTING FOR MONTREAL AT 3:15PM.

4. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 959: DEPARTING FOR ORD AT 3:40PM.

5. UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 925: DEPARTING FOR WASH DC AT 4:20PM.

6. AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 131: DEPARTING FOR NYC AT 4:35PM.

7. AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 91: DEPARTING FOR ORD AT 4:50PM

AS PRESENTED IN THE TRIAL, THE THEROY OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOMBS IS SHOWN ABOVE. PRECISE DETAILS, WHICH WERE SHOWN TO THE JURY, HAVE BEEN OMITTED FROM PUBLIC VIEW.

AVIATION/ TENTARA NOMAD CRASHES

A TENTARA NASIONAL INDONESIA Nomad N24A crashed today while on a military flight within Indonesia. The Indonesian Navy aircraft departed Tarakan-Juwata Airport at 11:11am with 6 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, for a flight to Long Bawan Airport. According to Indonesian media, the Nomad was due back at Tarakan at 2:30pm, but crashed at 2:28pm at in the Bulungan district. Of those onboard, 4 of the 6 passengers, and 1 of the 3 crew members onboard, were killed in the crash. The 4 survivors, including both Pilots, suffered minor to serious injuries. The wreckage of the plane was found upside down in a fish pond in Sekatak in the district of Bulungan, East Kalimantan. According to villagers the Nomad broke into 2 as it hit the pond. There has been no word on what may have brought the plane down. Tentara has launched a full investigation into the crash, the 2nd fatal accident for the military this year.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

AIR INDIA PAX'S TAKE TO THE RUNWAY: Passengers onboard an AIR INDIA flight last week took matters into their own hands, when the Airline failed to promptly take care of them. The incident, which was widely reported in Indian media today, took place last Wednesday, September 2, onboard AI Flight 971, on Scheduled Domestic Service from Chennai to Mumbai. According to media reports, Flight 971 was delayed departing Chennai by about 2 hours, and finally arrived without incident at Mumbai at about 11:30am. The aircraft parked at a remote stand to offload passengers, and 1 transport bus showed up promptly, to take the 1st load of passengers to the terminal. After that bus departed, no other buses showed up. After waiting for 20 minutes, and without any Air India staff to explain the delay, passengers departed the aircraft and began to walk across the runways towards the terminals. According to local media, the passengers said they began to walk as some had connecting flights, and some were just plain angry at the wait. Airport officials were quoted as saying that this is dangerous. “Passengers walking down the tarmac is a serious safety issue as planes and vehicles move in and out of the area. Even Airline staff is expected to take a dedicated route to walk to the remote bays. They have to wear fluorescent jackets while on the tarmac,” one official said. Alarmed Airport officials stopped the passengers, and ordered Air India buses to the scene to pick up the passengers. Some passengers refused, and kept walking until they reached the terminal. Air India refused to comment on the incident, which came to light just days after 1 of their Boeing 747s caught fire on a Mumbai runway.

HYDRAULICS PROBLEMS ON LUFTHANSA 737: LUFTHANSA Flight 1268 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Munich to Cologne, Germany, when it had to make an emergency landing in Cologne, yesterday, September 6. Flight 1268 declared the emergency while on approach, with the crew reporting unspecified problems with the hydraulics systems. The 737 landed without incident, and was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

WINDSHIELD CRACKS ON BULGARIA 737: BULGARIA AIR Flight 763 was on Scheduled International Boeing 737 Service from Varna, Bulgaria, to Moscow, Russia, when it had to make an emergency return to Varna, yesterday, September 6. Flight 763, with 106 passengers and crew onboard, requested return after the cockpit window cracked while climbing thru 25000 feet. The 737 landed back at Varna without incident, and was removed from service for repairs.

SNAPSHOTS

DAVID BECKHAM IS A GUEST ON THE UPCOMING SEASON PREMIERE OF ELLEN DEGENERES' TALK SHOW. ELLEN SURPRISES BECKHAM WITH THIS POSTER, A TAKEOFF ON HIS EMPORIO ARMANI AD, IN WHICH SHE HAS PHOTOSHOPPED HER OWN HEAD OVER THAT OF BECKHAM'S WIFE, VICTORIA.

LUXE MEN/ THE MEN OF SUMMER: PART I

ITS LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN THE STATES. THE "UN-OFFICIAL" END OF SUMMER. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO BID ADIEU TO THE WARMTH, THEN THE MEN OF SUMMER.

MEDIA/ VF COVERS JACKIE O AND "THE" BOOK

The September 2009 issue of Vanity Fair, on newstands this weekend, features Jackie O on the cover. The inside story covers a long time coming book on JFK that she had hoped would never see the light of day. The thorn in Sarah Palin's side, Levi Johnston, is profiled, as is Henry Paulson, the man many say made the financial crisis even worse. Nobody covers True Crime quite like VF, and this month they prove it again with a look at how the police tracked down the "Craigslist" killer.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/VERA LYNN HAS THE HOT UK ALBUM: The Kings of Lean make huge leaps on the UK music charts this week, while at the same time, Jay Z comes in at #1 on the singles chart. But, its a 1940s singer, who makes the biggest splash of all. Vera Lynn, who debuted on the album chart last week at #20 with "We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn," soars all the way up to #2 this week. The album, which is #1 on Amazon UK, is kept out of the top spot by the Arctic Monkeys new album, "Humbug," which records at 2nd week at #1. "Only By The Night," the Kings of Lean album, leaps all the way from #22 to #4 in its 50th week on the chart. On the singles chart, KOL's year old, "Sex on Fire," returns to the chart, and its in at #6. Jay Z's new single, "Run This Town," which features Rihanna & Kanye West, debuts at #1 on the singles chart. The Sugababes new single, "Get Sexy," has to settle with a #2 debut. Last weeks #1, "Holiday," by Dizzee Rascal, falls to #4.

FILM/VARIETY REVIEWS "CAPITALISM": Variety has released the 1st review of Michael Moore's new documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story," which opens on October 2. This time Moore, who in the past has taken on guns, health care insurance, and George Bush, takes on Wall Street. In its review, Variety said: "By returning to his roots, professional gadfly Michael Moore turns in one of his best films with "Capitalism: A Love Story." Pic’s target is less capitalism qua capitalism than the banking industry, which Moore skewers ruthlessly, explaining last year’s economic meltdown in terms a sixth-grader could understand. That said, there’s still plenty here to annoy right-wingers, as well as those who, however much they agree with Moore’s politics, just can’t stomach his oversimplification, on-the-nose sentimentality and goofball japery. Whether "Capitalism" matches "Fahrenheit 9/11" or underperforms like Sicko" will depend on how much workers of the world are ready to unite behind the message". The film runs 117 minutes.

THEATRE/"9 to 5" SHUTTERS TODAY: "9 to 5," the Broadway musical based on the movie comedy about women in an oppressive office workplace, closes today at the Marquis Theatre. The musical features brand new songs by Dolly Parton,who starred in the hit 1980 film that inspired the musical. However, that was not enough to keep the musical alive on Broadway, as the show received lukewarm reviews from the critics. The Broadway run of "9 to 5" will have played 148 performances and 24 previews. A national tour will launch the week of September 20, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. A cast album was recently released on Parton's own record label.

AVIATION/ RUSSIA SHUTS DOWN KD AVIA

One of Russia's oldest carriers, KD AVIA, has had its operators certificate revoked by the Russian Government, effective September 14, 2009. This is effect, shuts the Airline down for good. It is not known if the move was related to the report released Friday on an incident involving a KD Avia Boeing 737 on October 1, 2008. That report blames the crash landing of Flight 794 at Kaliningrad, Russia, on multiple errors made by the Pilots. The report, released by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), basically said crew accidentally landed with the gear retracted after being distracted by an apparent asymmetric flap problem which, in reality, did not exist. No one onboard the passenger aircraft was injured, however the 737 was destroyed. Russian media also reported that the carrier filed for bankruptcy last week, but it is not known if that move contributed in any way to the revocation of the operators certificate. KD Avia was established on October 8, 1945 as KALININGRAD AVIA, and began domestic operations in 1946. It did not begin international service until 2004. The Airline served multiple cities within Russia from its hub in Kaliningrad, and also served 15 international destinations.

AVIATION/ A.I. FL829 PILOTS SUSPENDED

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced that both Pilots at the controls of AIR INDIA Flight 829, the Boeing 747 that caught fire on Thursday at Mumbai, India, have been suspended. According to the preliminary investigation, there were "lapses" by the Pilots in the incident. Sources within India said that the Pilots were inattentive during taxi, and failed to respond to another Air India Pilot who attempted to contact them to tell them that their aircraft was on fire. According to Indian media, an Airport employee in a jeep also spotted the fuel trickling out of the aircraft wing and alerted the control tower, which then instructed the Boeing Pilots to switch off the engine. "During all this while, the Pilots were clueless about the fuel leakage even though the indicator should have alerted them. Also, nobody knows who opened the left door of the aircraft when it was known that the left engine had caught fire," said a source within the DGCA. The suspension of the Pilots follows the suspension of the engineer who cleared the 747 for service. The DGCA also said that it expects to release preliminary information on the incident early this coming week. Air India Flight 829 was on Scheduled International Service from Mumbai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when its left wing caught fire just prior to taking off from Mumbai. The fire is believed to have started from a fuel leak, which was ignited by heat generated from the engine. The aircraft suffered substantial damages in the fire. The 229 passengers and crew were evacuated using the slides, with nearly 2 dozen people receiving minor injuries while evacuating. The DCGA is also coming under fire from Indian media, as the agency certified the Boeing 747 as airworthy only 2 days before the fire. A Pilot told 1 Mumbai newspaper that the Airport in Mumbai alone has over 650 flights a day. The DGCA currently has 120 inspectors responsible for aircraft operations thru-out the entire country. They currently have over 400 inspector jobs vacant, but have not been allowed to fill them due to budget issues.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

NEW LIFE FOR OLD TUPOLEV: A Tupolev TU154, used as the personal transportation for former Bulgarian Dictator Todor Zhivkov, will have a new lease on life when it is sunk next week in the Black Sea. According to media reports from Sofia, Bulgaria, Zhivkov's Tupolev will be used as the basis of an artificial reef. With its wings removed, the aircraft is currently being transported to a construction barge, where it will be stripped of all cables and cleaned of all fluids. It will then be towed about 500 yards way from the Galata Cape, south of the Golden Sands beach resort, and sunk in Varna Bay in about 70 feet of water. Over time, it will become home to a variety of sea life, and a tourist attraction for recreational divers. Zhivkov ruled Bulgaria with an iron fist from 1954 to 1989. He had a reputation as one of the most authoritarian of East European communist leaders, although not as brutal as Nikolae Ceausescu of Romania. Zhivkov died in 1998.

FIRE ALERT DIVERTS SKY KING 737: SKY KING Flight 1471 was on Scheduled Domestic Boeing 737 Service from Greenville, South Carolina, to Greensboro, North Carolina, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, September 5. Flight 1471, with 78 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency due to a fire alert in the passenger cabin. The 737 was diverted to Hickory, North Carolina, where it landed without incident. Emergency Services responded and could find no trace of smoke or fire. After a post-flight inspection, the fire alert was determined to be in error. The aircraft was cleared to resume its flght, and arrived in Greensboro without incident.

ENGINE FAILS ON RED WING TU204: RED WINGS Flight 9811 was on Scheduled International Tupolev TU204 Service from Nizhniy Novgorad, Russia, to Antalya, Turkey, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, September 5. Flight 9811, with 208 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency after 1 engine failed while inflight. The Tupolev was diverted to Moscow, Russia, where it landed without incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repairs.

BA ERJ SUFFERS BIRD STRIKE ON DELIVERY: BA CITYFLYER Flight 01D, its delivery flight from Embraer in Brazil to BRITISH AIRWAYS in the UK, suffered a bird strike, on Friday, September 4. The ERJ, the very 1st Embraer ERJ170 to be purchased by the Airline, was on the 1st segment of the flight, from San Jose dos Campos to Recife, Brazil. According to press reports, the bird strike occurred sometime after departure from San Jose dos Campos. The ERJ returned to the Airport, and landed without incident about 90 minutes after its initial departure. In a brief statement, Embraer said that the aircraft suffered minor damage to the nose cone, and will resume its flight, once the damage is repaired. The picture of the ERJ was taken on September 4, the day of the incident. It is believed to have been taken prior to the bird strike.

SNAPSHOTS

LIGHTNING OVER TUCSON, ARIZONA, IS CAPTURED IN THIS AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN LAST EVENING. REMANTS FROM HURRICANE JIMENA HAVE BROUGHT MONSOONS BACK TO ARIZONA.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

MUSIC HISTORY/ 30 YEARS AGO

BILLBOARD TOP 10 SINGLES FOR WEEK ENDING SEPT.5,1979:
1. MY SHARONA--THE KNACK
2. GOOD TIMES--CHIC
3. MAIN EVENT/FIGHT--BARBRA STREISAND
4. AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE--EARTH, WIND, & FIRE
5. DON'T BRING ME DOWN--ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
6. THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA--CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
7. LEAD ME ON--MAXINE NIGHTINGALE
8. SAD EYES--ROBERT JOHN
9. MAMA CAN'T BUY YOU LOVE--ELTON JOHN
10. I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN--DIONNE WARWICK

TOP DEBUT ON HOT 100: #80--VOULEZ VOUS--ABBA

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/LEONA'S "HAPPY" ARTWORK: Leona Lewis has released artwork for her 1st single, "Happy," which precedes her new album, due in November. Despite its title, "Happy" is actually a lyrically downbeat song. The lyrics to the chorus are: "I can't stand by your side / And watch this life pass me by / I don't care about all the pain in front of me / I just want to be happy". In an inteview, Leona said the vocal was "totally spontaneous". The album, "Echo," is tipped to be one of this year's biggest-selling British and US albums.

MUSIC/SUSAN BOYLE'S ALBUM IS HOT SELLER: Its the most hotly anticipated album release of the year in the UK. And the success of Susan Boyle's 1st album is now beyond all doubt, after it topped Amazon's bestsellers list, albeit briefly, nearly 3 months before release. "I Dreamed A Dream" does not even go on sale until November 23, but tens of thousands of copies have been sold to fans pre-ordering on Amazon. Since hit #1 in sales, the album has rested comfortably in the top 10 album chart. 1 song confirmed for the album is a cover of Madonna's 1995 hit, "You'll See". According to UK media, Boyle chose the song herself, saying that she has loved the song for years.

THEATRE/"ENRON" IS BROADWAY BOUND: Lucy Prebble's "Enron," which premiered to rave reviews at Chichester's Minerva Theatre in London, in July, is now booked to transfer to the West End, with Broadway to follow. The show will transfer to London's Royal Court Theatre beginning September 17, prior to an official opening September 22. The show will run through October 31. Not suprisingly, the show has already sold out its Royal Court run. Current plans have "Enron" opening on Broadway in April 2010. The play utilizes music, movement and video to explore one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, reviewing the tumultuous 1990s and casting a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world finds itself in 2009.

WORLD NEWS/ PET QUAKE KITS NOW ON SALE

Animal lovers living in earthquake-prone regions can now buy special kits to ensure the survival of their most cherished pets should the earth begin the tremble. Manufacturers Oyagokoro, from Japan, have released 3 types of earthquake packs for dogs and cats of different sizes. The kit contains a padded jacket and rain hat, special boots to protect paws, and aromatherapy oil to soothe stressed out cats and dogs. Also included in the pack, which doubles as a carry case for smaller pets, is a waterproof ID capsule with the animal's details and a bell should they become lost in rubble. Food, water and bowls for feeding and a muzzle to prevent spooked pets from biting rescuers also are included. The product comes in Ultimate, Basic and Life styles and range from £100 to £400. Owners are encouraged to keep an item of worn personal clothing in a section of the pack, to let panicky animals smell it and be calmed as buildings collapse around them. The packs are being in stocked in stores around the globe.

AVIATION/ FUEL LEAK LIKELY CAUSED A.I. FIRE

Passengers onboard AIR INDIA Flight 829 are reporting that they feel lucky to be alive, after the 747 they were on caught fire while taxiing for takeoff yesterday at Mumbai. Authorities in Mumbai said today, that their initial investigation points to a fuel leak as the cause of the fire. Flight 829 was on Scheduled International Service from Mumbai, India, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with 213 passengers and 16 crew members onboard, when the accident took place. At 10:22am as the 747 taxied for takeoff, passengers looked on in shock after a fuel leak in 1 of the left engines led to a fire, that caused flames and smoke to pour from the wing. The plane was brought to a halt and 4 fire trucks came to the rescue of the passengers onboard. While firefighters began to extinguish the flames, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation from the 747 via the slides. Authorities report that 21 people suffered minor injuries while evacuating. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes, however it had already caused substantial damage to the airliner. Indian media report that there are 2 versions on how the fire was initially detected. 1 report says that it as a passenger who alerted the crew to the flames, while the more accepted version is that tower staff notified the crew of Flight 826 to abort its takeoff immediately due to the fire. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident and has ordered the Airline to de-roster a maintenance engineer. The departure of Flight 826 was delayed by over 8 hours as its cargo fire indicator was showing the red signal before its scheduled takeoff. The Captain of Flight 829, which was scheduled to depart at 2:00am, detected the warning signal and asked the engineers to check and rectify the problem. Contrary to reports yesterday, engineers did not assign a replacement aircraft for the flight, instead they inspected the assigned aircraft to determine the cause of the cargo fire indicator. The engineers checked the Boeing and found no fault, saying that it was a false warning as the indicator was faulty. The engineer that was suspended, then signed off on the aircraft, and the 747 was delivered to the gate to load passengers and begin its journey to Riyadh.

AVIATION/ MAK REPORTS ON KD AVIA FL794

The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) has released its final report into a serious accident involving a KD AVIA Boeing 737 at Kaliningrad, Russia, on October 1, 2008. On that date, KD Avia Flight 794 was on Scheduled International Service from Barcelona, Spain, to Kaliningrad, with 138 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. The crew of Flight 794 declared an emergency while on approach to Kaliningrad due to an unsafe gear indication. The crew performed a low fly-over the tower, which confirmed that the gear was not down. As the aircraft circled, the Airport declared an emergency and deployed Emergency Services in preparation for a possible crash landing. On the 2nd approach, the 737 landed on its belly, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. No one onboard was injured in the incident. However, other media reports disputed the initial reports of what took place, and reported that the aircraft landed hard, with ALL gear down. Passengers reported that they were not aware of any problem prior to landing, and that no announcement had been made from the cockpit. Both Pilots in the cockpit were suspended, pending the investigation. In its report, MAK concluded that the most probable cause of the accident was: "Landing without deploying landing gear resulting in damage to the aircraft construction and engines". Contributing to the accident were multiple errors made by the Pilots. The MAK report states the the aircraft had been suffering problems with flaps asymmetry during previous flights. The flap problems surfaced on Flight 794, and the crew did abandon their first approach and went around. It was during the go-around, that the flight crew made multiple errors in the policies and procedures, as their stress level increased. The most critical area, was the failure of the crew to interpret that the landing gear was not fully down. MAK points out that the landing gear was able to be deployed, and that there was nothing wrong with the gear itself. On touchdown at Kaliningrad, the 737 hit the runway at an indicated airspeed of 158 knots with no deviation from the centerline, and skidded 1440 meters. MAK states that the Pilots had no idea that they had landed without the gear deployed, and that they told the tower that they would taxi off the runway on their own. A copy of the full report, which goes into detail all events/errors that led to the accident, can be found on the MAK website.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

IRAQI AIRWAYS RESUMES BAHRAIN SERVICE: In another step forward, IRAQI AIRWAYS resumed flights to Bahrain for the 1st time in nearly 20 years yesterday. The Airline's fleet was grounded by United Nations sanctions in 1991 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The resumption of flights is part of an air transportation agreement between Bahrain and Iraq to boost trade and tourism links with the Gulf. Iraqi Airways, founded in 1945, is one of the oldest Airlines in the Middle East. The Airline re-launched international operations in 2004 with a flight between Baghdad and Amman, Jordan and has operated commercial domestic flights since 2006. The resumption of service came 1 day after Bahrain based GULF AIR resumed flights to Iraq with 5 times per week service. Gulf Air suspended commercial flights to the country in 1991 but continued to run cargo operations until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

RYANAIR UPS LUGGAGE SURCHARGES: Irish Airline RYANAIR announced that it is increasing its baggage surcharges by 50%, effective October 1. The fee for the 1st checked bag, will rise from £20 to £30 for passengers who check in at the Airport. A 2nd bag will raise the total charge to £70. For those passengers who check in at home online, the charge for 1 bag will be £15, while 2 bags will cost £35. Consumer groups in the Europe said the move fuels concerns that budget Airlines are attempting to "pull the wool over the eyes of customers with cheap headline fares that carry huge stealth charges". Ryanair claims the increased fees are necessary to subsidise cheap fares and to reflect the cost of dealing with baggage.

WTO RULES ON BOEING & AIRBUS DISPUTE: The World Trade Organization (WTO) has given its long-awaited ruling on the biggest trade dispute in its history. The decision, which is officially confidential, is over whether the European Union gave illegal subsidies to Airbus. Media reports said that the WTO had found in favor of the US position. However, according to British media, the WTO verdict was much more of a "mixed outcome". The decision really questions the wisdom of taking this to the WTO in the first place. Both US and European diplomats have declined to officially release the ruling, which is more than 1000 pages long. The decision is not expected to be officially made public for at least several months. The EU has also made a counter claim against the US for its support of Boeing. A ruling on the EU's claim against the US is due in the next 6 to 8 months. The ruling on Airbus comes after 5 years of deliberations. The US had argued that direct financial assistance from the European governmental partners of Airbus had represented an unfair launch subsidy that has allowed Airbus to increase its market share in the large civil aircraft market and to steal US aircraft manufacturing jobs. Experts say the WTO's decision will set the boundaries for acceptable government funding in civil aviation. The case is far from over, as the WTO process is expected to continue until a final settlement is reached, most likley not before 2013.

AA & THE FAA IN DISPUTE OVER REPAIRS: AMERICAN AIRLINES is in a rising dispute with the FAA, over allegedly improper repairs to at least 16 aircraft. Media reports this week said that FAA officials suspect 1 of those planes was abruptly retired to get it out of sight of government inspectors. The probe, which began several months ago, has raised red flags at the FAA about the carrier's willingness to properly disclose potential safety problems. The latest case is viewed as particularly serious because some FAA inspectors think the circumstances under which the Airline suddenly chose to mothball 1 plane show the move was part of an effort to hide the extent of suspected defects. The plane was ferried to the New Mexico desert in March for storage. In a brief statement, AA said: "The FAA has provided American the opportunity to respond to its investigation, and we are in the process of doing so."

SWEDISH AIB REPORTS ON MAP EXECUTIVE FL7634: The Swedish Statens Haverikommission (Swedish AIB) has released its final report into an incident involving a MAP EXECUTIVE FLIGHT SERVICE MD83 at Ostersund, on September 9, 2007. On that date, MAP Flight 7634 was on Scheduled International Service from Ostersund, Sweden, to Antalya, Turkey, on behalf of ATLASJET, with 169 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. The MD83 struck approach lights 85 meters past the runway end during takeoff from runway 30 in night conditions. Neither the Pilots or ATC reported the incident, thus the aircraft continued on to Antalya, where it landed without incident. The Swedish AIB report states that the probable cause of the incident was: "Shortcomings in handling the balance between flight safety and flight economy. The shortcomings led, amongst others, to performance calculations, that omitted certain constraints leading to a takeoff weight above the maximum allowable for the present conditions". The loadsheet specified a takeoff weight of 154557 lbs, with an incorrect maximum takeoff weight of 155620 lbs. The loadsheet listed only 134 of 163 checked bags and used standard passenger weight. The AIB found that the passenger weight computation was 568 kg short of the actual passenger weight. Taking the passenger weight, weight of unlisted bags and the corrections for weather data (wind, temperature and pressure) the AIB concluded that the aircraft was 3148kg heavier than would be permitted for takeoff on runway 30. According to the flight data recorder, the rotation began 630 meters before the runway end, the nose gear became airborne 250 meters before the runway end, and the main gear left ground 30 meters before the runway end. The aircraft passed the runway threshold at less than 1 foot above ground.A postflight inspection revealed no damage to the aircraft.

ENGINE TROUBLE ON CIRRUS DORNIER: CIRRUS AIRLINES Flight 1567 was on Scheduled Domestic Dornier Do328 Service from Berlin to Mannheim, Germany, when it had to make an emergency return to Berlin, yesterday, August 4. Flight 1567, with 21 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency shortly after takeoff, with the crew reporting 1 engine had lost power and had to be shut down. The Dornier landed back at Berlin without incident, and was removed from service for inspection and repair.

ENGINE TROUBLE ON BA 747: BRITISH AIRWAYS Flight 87 was on Scheduled International Boeing 747 Service from London Heathrow to Vancouver, BC, Canada, when it had engine trouble on approach to Vancouver, on Thursday, September 3. Flight 87 had just begun their descent for approach into Vancouver, when the crew reported that they had to shut 1 engine down due to engine surges. The crew did not declare an emergency, and the 747 landed without incident. The aircraft was then removed from service to determine the source of the engine surges.

FLAPS FORCE CIRRUS ERJ RETURN: CIRRUS AIRLINES Flight 3295 was on Scheduled International ERJ170 Service from Katowice, Poland, to Frankfurt, Germany, on behalf of LUFTHANSA, when it had to make an emergency return to Katowice, on Thursday, September 3. Flight 3295, with 55 passengers and crew onboard, requested return after the flaps would not retract after takeoff. The ERJ landed without incident back at Katowice, and was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs.

SNAPSHOTS

AFTER A LONG WEEK, THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. I'M WITH THIS FELLA, TIME FOR A NAP!