Travel Safety & Security Update August 2005.

France names blacklisted carriers: France has forbidden six airlines from landing on its soil. The French civil aviation authority said the airlines are unsafe and announced the blacklist after a string of five recent aviation accidents. The airlines are Air Koryo of North Korea, Air St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands, International Air Services of Liberia, Phuket Airlines of Thailand, and Linhas Aereas de Mocambique and Transairways, both of Mozambique. Aug 30, 2005

Airport security should be reprivatized. The government has gone overboard on aviation security, and the Transportation Security Administration should be abolished, writes Ivan Eland in an opinion piece in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Eland, a senior fellow at the Independent Institute, also writes that changes in passengers' responses to hijackings make terrorist attacks less likely. Aug 30, 2005

Groups question whether airline blacklist will improve safety. Some groups representing airlines are questioning whether a blacklist of airlines will improve safety. France and Belgium have named 14 companies forbidden from using their airports or airspace. The European Union is considering a similar move. However, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association said a blacklist does not encourage safety and called it a "political reaction." A spokesman for the Association of European Airlines said the need for a blacklist reflects different safety standards in different countries. "There is something wrong with the system that allows (some countries) to certify an airline that we (in Europe) don't think is safe," AEA spokesman David Henderson said. Aug 30, 2005

New deadline set for passport requirement for Caribbean travel. The State Department has pushed back the date requiring U.S. travelers to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda to carry passports. Complaints from Caribbean tourism officials spurred the U.S. to set a new "firm deadline" of Jan. 1, 2008. The former deadline of Dec. 31 was announced in April. The new rules are an effort to improve security. Aug 26, 2005

France to publish names of unsafe airlines on Web site. France will publish a list of airlines it considers too unsafe to operate starting Monday. The list will appear on the French civil-aviation authority's Web site and will include unapproved and approved airlines as well as air transport companies the government considers safe. France hopes the measure will improve airline safety. Aug 26, 2005

FAA will not require child safety seats. The Federal Aviation Administration has decided not to require children flying on commercial planes to sit in safety seats. Requiring the seats would force parents to buy an extra ticket for their child. The FAA said such a requirement would deter cost-conscious travelers from flying. Aug 26, 2005

Experts see no link among recent airline crashes. There are no obvious links among four plane crashes which have occurred within the past month, safety experts said. The accidents have killed more than 320 people. No one died in the crash of an Air France jet in Toronto. "Rare events can clump together -- there's an old wives' tale that accidents come in threes," said George Donahue, a former Federal Aviation Administration official who is now a professor at George Mason University. "I can't tell you that I think there's any kind of common thread." Aug 25, 2005

International group opposes EU plan to blacklist unsafe carriers. The International Air Transport Association opposes a plan by the European Commission to create a blacklist of airlines that fall short of safety standards. IATA called blacklisting "punitive" and said it would not improve safety. Aug 25, 2005

Group opposes TSA proposal to lift ban on knives. Some family members of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks oppose a plan by the Transportation Security Administration to allow travelers to take knives on commercial jetliners. A TSA panel has recommended lifting the ban on knives and scissors less than five inches long. One member of Families of September 11, the group opposing the changes, said the proposal indicates the government has become too relaxed on security issues. Aug 25, 2005

Busy travel season, pay cuts stress flight attendants. The busy summer travel season, steep pay cuts and the airline industry's financial instability has some flight attendants feeling overworked and worried about job security, writes Chris Elliott in The New York Times. The result is a decline in customer service, he notes. Flight attendants say they often encounter angry passengers who wait in long lines and receive fewer amenities from the carriers. Aug 23, 2005

Airlines will pay less for insurance this year, observers say. Aviation insurance premiums are expected to decline this year because the U.S. commercial aviation industry has experienced one of its safest periods in history. The industry has not recorded a major accident since late 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York. Recent crashes in Toronto, Greece and Venezuela will not boost rates for U.S. carriers, one observer said. Aug 23, 2005

Federal officials lobby for access to fliers' personal data. The Department of Homeland Security is again trying to gain access to travelers' personal information, including credit reports and shopping histories, in an effort to keep terrorists from boarding commercial jets. The agency is banned from getting that information, and key members of Congress support the ban. Airlines check passenger names against a government no-fly list, but the list excludes classified information about terrorists. Aug 23, 2005

Travelers sue TSA over Secure Flight privacy issues. A group of Alaskan travelers has sued the Transportation Security Administration to find out what information the TSA gathered about them while it tested Secure Flight, a new terrorist-watch database. The plaintiffs also claim TSA violated the Privacy Act. Officials from TSA declined to comment. Aug 22, 2005

New radar system will detect tiny pieces of runway debris. A new radar system will detect tiny pieces of debris on a runway and help avoid accidents similar to the crash of the Concorde in 2000 at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, officials at Vancouver International Airport said. The Vancouver airport has purchased four Tarsier radar units. Next year, it will become the first airport in the world to operate them. Aug 19, 2005

Black boxes remain best option for cockpit data, regulators say. Despite some limitations, black boxes remain the best option for storing cockpit information, the National Transportation Safety Board said. A new series of black boxes are more likely to stay intact after a crash, the board said. Meanwhile, Greek officials investigating a crash on Sunday still have not recovered one of the two black boxes containing important flight data. An alternative to the black box is a communications network that would beam data back to the ground every few seconds. However, U.S. officials say the cost of a reliable system is too high. Aug 19, 2005

Safety records do not provide enough data. Aviation experts say it is difficult to draw conclusions about an airline based on its safety records. To make evaluating safety easier, France wants to give the safest carriers a government seal of approval, and the European Union wants to blacklist unsafe airlines. The EU Commission has acknowledged the need to improve "the area of safety supervision." Nearly 300 people died in recent airline crashes in Greece and Venezuela. Aug 18, 2005

TSA's "no-fly list" includes names of infants, critics say. Critics of the government's "no-fly list" say the list includes the names of infants and has prevented them from boarding airplanes. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the list has grown to include more than 100,000 names, The Associated Press reported, citing unnamed sources. Not all the names come with details that can help security personal identify the person on the list. The Transportation Security Administration said it has told airlines not to keep children under 12 from boarding, even if their name matches one on the list. Aug 18, 2005

TSA hopes to develop less invasive X-ray machines. The Transportation Security Administration has hired two companies to modify X-ray machines that it uses to search for weapons. Currently, the machines are able to detect weapons, but they also detect certain body parts. The American Civil Liberties Union has called the process "a virtual strip search." The TSA hopes to test modified X-ray machines in a few airports this fall. Aug 17, 2005

Complaints fall after TSA amends pat-down policy. The number of complaints about pat-down searches has declined since the Transportation Security Administration scaled back the practice. Complaints fell to 25 in July from 427 in November. The TSA changed the pat-down policy after many female passengers complained that the process was inappropriate and humiliating. Aug 16, 2005

More than 300 U.S. runways lack appropriate overrun, report says. More than 300 runways at U.S. commercial airports do not have enough overrun space to help avoid accidents, writes The Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney. Airports are not required to retrofit runways that do not have the 1,000 feet of overrun area currently required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA is encouraging airports to install a mix of water, foam and cement that can quickly stop jets if they skid off a runway. The FAA says the material is an acceptable alternative to a full runway overrun. Aug 16, 2005

Registered Traveler program shines spotlight on biometric identification. The Registered Traveler test program, in which airline passengers become "trusted travelers" and are given a biometric identification card if they consent to government background checks, is designed to help shorten the time it takes passengers to pass through security checkpoints. Proponents of the biometric identification technology associated with the program say it can be useful in many facets of life, but others say widespread use of such technology is a threat to privacy. Aug 15, 2005

TSA chief orders broad review of airline security. The head of the Transportation Security Administration has called for a broad review of the air security system. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley said the review may result in changes to the way the TSA screens travelers. His staff already has made recommendations in an Aug. 5 document, and TSA officials will meet later this month to consider the proposals, which include lifting the ban on scissors, razor blades and knives. Aug 15, 2005

FAA launches detailed review of contracts. The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an extensive review of its contracts with hundreds of private companies. On Aug. 11, FAA administrator Marion C. Blakey said the FAA would start using new procedures to protect itself against abuse by contractors and to control expenses. Aug 15, 2005

FAA revises guidelines to calculate weight before flight. As the average passenger and associated carry-on items weigh nearly 200 pounds, airlines are looking to shed some extra weight by removing magazines, seat phones, life vests from some aircrafts and even a row of seats. Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration has revised its guidelines for how the airlines are to calculate the weight and center of gravity of planes before takeoff. "Maybe instead of just using those [metal boxes] at the gates to limit carry-on bags to certain sizes, the airlines need to have a people-sizer with a sign asking, 'Do you fit into this?'" said Dave Grotto, a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association in Chicago. Aug 12, 2005

Pentagon, states battle over Air National Guard overhaul. As the Pentagon and state officials go head-to-head over the Defense Department's proposal to reorganize dozens of Air National Guard bases, a commission questioned whether the changes would pose new risks for homeland security. Both sides were given the chance to state their case before the panel presents the report to President George W. Bush. The Pentagon reassured the changes would not pose any additional problems, while state officials claim security efforts will be hampered if the proposal is accepted. Aug 12, 2005

How much of an impact did bombings have on London bookings?. Overseas visitors appear somewhat more hesitant about traveling to London in the wake of the attacks on the city's transit system in July, reports say. Though fears of mass cancellations haven't materialized, experts say future bookings could decline. Many adults in France, Britain and Germany are putting off travel to London, one survey found, but airfare comparison Web site Cheapflights said the city remains the fourth-most popular destination among U.S. users of the cheapflights.com site. Aug 11, 2005

TSA looks to improve shoe-removal procedures at checkpoints. The Transportation Security Administration is asking businesses to voluntarily participate in a test program to create "Shoe Weapons Inspection Systems (SWIS) that can inspect footwear for weapons without passengers having to remove or divest them from their feet," according to a federal business opportunities Web site. The most consistent complaint the TSA receives from passengers is having to walk barefoot on the linoleum floors. Aug 11, 2005

Chertoff downplays privacy concerns about Secure Flight. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said travelers should relax their privacy concerns regarding information the Transportation Security Administration seeks to obtain as part of its Secure Flight program. "The average American gives information up to get a CVS (drugstore discount) card that is far more in-depth than TSA's going to be looking at," Chertoff said. Opponents of the plan, which asks travelers to disclose their full name and birthday when purchasing a ticket, say it doesn't work because terrorists can use a fake ID or keep their criminal records clean. Aug 10, 2005

New chip makes passports more secure. The State Department is ready to unveil new passports embedded with a "smart-card" chip that is thought to be tamper-proof. The chip in new passports will contain the traveler's personal data and digital photo, and the department is hoping to issue them in February. Aug 10, 2005

Readers weigh in on air-traffic controllers. In this Wall Street Journal column, concerns and questions from the public are raised over the state of air-traffic controllers. One reader asserts, "Names should be named and the threshold for firing air-traffic controllers should be lowered." Aug 5, 2005

State Department advises Americans to use caution in Britain. The State Department this week issued a public announcement urging Americans in Britain to "maintain a high level of vigilance, take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness, and exercise caution in public places or while using public transportation." The announcement warns of the possibility that terrorists will attack "soft targets" such as restaurants and shopping districts. Click here to read the announcement. Aug 5, 2005

NYC tests to track patterns of potential harmful gases. The Department of Homeland Security this weekend is conducting tests in New York City to simulate how potentially harmful gases could be dispersed. Colorless, odorless and harmless "tracer" gases will be released and then tracked at ground level and in the subway tunnels. To see a graphic of possible test sites, click here. Aug 5, 2005

FAA chief says Congress should consider changes to aviation trust. Congress should consider changing the aviation trust fund when it begins work on laws to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration next year, Federal Aviation Administrator Marion Blakey said. Blakey said Congress should consider "a different set of structures of taxes and fees that ties the cost of the system more closely to the revenue that is coming in." Aug 5, 2005

FAA proposes permanent restrictions over Washington airspace. Citing continued threats from terrorism, the government wants to permanently restrict a zone of airspace over Washington, D.C. The proposal also would make it a crime for a private pilot to knowingly enter a zone extending from Maryland to Virginia. The government temporarily restricted the airspace before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, but pilots have flown into the area hundreds of times. Aug 4, 2005

Private guards in California get terrorism training. California's Department of Consumer Affairs now requires private security guards to receive counterterrorism training. The guards receive training on potential terrorist weapons, weapons of mass destruction and how to respond to a terrorist attack. Aug 3, 2005

Aviation security is function of national security. Air Transport Association Chief Executive James May is lobbying Congress to ease the burden of security taxes and fees imposed on the airline industry after Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, May said airlines do not have the pricing power to pass on fees to travelers. He said lawmakers seem willing to keep fees steady, but it is unclear whether they will reduce what the carriers are paying.

Aug 2, 2005

Poor management may have compromised flight safety. A new internal Federal Aviation Administration report found weak management at some air-traffic-control facilities may have compromised flight safety, writes The Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney. In Dallas, controllers made numerous errors but did not report them as required. Dallas controller Anne Whiteman, who is now a supervisor, has said some of the errors were not mistakes and that controllers may have intentionally endangered planes. The FAA has said the errors are simply honest mistakes. A report by an FAA supervisor found the errors were the result of poor supervision.

Aug 2, 2005

Airlines re-establish security lanes for elite fliers. The Transportation Security Administration is allowing airlines to re-establish "elite" lines that speed first-class travelers or club members through security checkpoints. The government eliminated the lines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Critics say the lines extend the airlines' class system to security, which taxpayers fund. Aug 2, 2005

Passengers keep packing prohibited weapons. The Transportation Security Administration continues to confiscate thousands of weapons from airline passengers each year. A TSA spokeswoman said many travelers forget weapons are prohibited. Others are simply not preparing properly for security checks, she said. TSA screeners typically collect 7.7 weapons per 1,000 passengers at a large hub airport. Aug 1, 2005

New laser scanner may help detect forged passports. British scientists have built a laser scanner to detect forged birth certificates, passports and other documents. The device sweeps across the surface of a piece of paper and records all natural imperfections. The scanner could detect a forged passport by scanning the page at a predetermined spot. The result would be compared with a scan made when the document was issued.

Aug 1, 2005

Risk of runway incidents may be rising at JFK. Some experts say the risk of runway collisions may be growing at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. Two new air traffic control systems could reduce the risk of collisions, but it is unclear when Kennedy will have access to the systems. Aug 1, 2005

Air France probe finds jet landed too far down runway. An investigation into the Air France plane crash is looking to the pilots for answers on why the aircraft was landed halfway down the runway in heavy rain conditions, instead of circling the area to land safely. One expert familiar with preliminary data from the ground radar said the aircraft accelerated briefly after landing in a half attempt to circle, but the Transportation Safety Board team is still looking at data from the black boxes. Aug 8, 2005

Investigators look at failed chutes in Toronto crash. Officials are investigating why two escape chutes failed to inflate properly after an Air France plane skidded off the runway and crashed last week in Toronto. Investigators also are looking at why the pilot attempted a relatively short landing in bad weather. Aug 9, 2005

American, French investigators join accident investigation. French and American investigators have joined their Canadian counterparts in examining wreckage, the weather conditions at the time and the pilot's actions in Tuesday's accident where an Airbus A340 skidded off the runway in Toronto. An official report won't be available right away, but The International Herald Tribune writes the inquiry is likely to focus on the pilot's decision to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport rather than circle until the weather improved or land at an alternate airport. Some aviation experts said the crash could have been avoided if the Toronto airport had installed a new kind of concrete at the end of its runways, The Washington Post reports. Aug 5, 2005

Canadian officials start investigating Air France incident. Canada's Transportation Safety Board has started investigating the crash of an Air France jetliner earlier this week at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Investigators have recovered the plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. The plane overran a runway during a thunderstorm. All of the more than 300 passengers and crew members survived the incident. Aug 4, 2005

Air France jetliner skids off runway; all aboard survive. An Air France jumbo jet skidded off a runway during a thunderstorm and broke into pieces Tuesday afternoon in Toronto. The Airbus A340-300 caught on fire, but all of the more than 300 passengers and crew members survived. Only minor injuries were reported. Still, the accident shows why stopping a loaded jetliner on a wet runway in poor weather remains a serious danger for commercial airlines. Runway issues may now get more scrutiny from regulators in the process of certifying the Airbus 380 superjumbo jet. Aug 3, 2005

American's flight attendants oppose end of ban on sharp objects. Flight attendants at American Airlines say they are opposed to a plan by the Transportation Security Administration to lift a ban on sharp objects on commercial airlines. The proposal has not been finalized, but it would allow knives under five inches long, bows and arrows and ice picks. Aug 19, 2005

Screener cuts may lengthen lines in Atlanta, officials say. Crowds at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have been larger than officials expected so far this summer. Officials say most passengers have not experienced long delays in security lines despite the record number of passengers passing through. However, Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta said cuts in the number of security screeners have boosted wait times during peak hours. Aug 1, 2005

Boeing unveils composite section of 787. Boeing on Thursday unveiled the nose, cockpit and forward fuselage of its 787 jetliner, a one-piece structure made of composites. The 787 will be the first jetliner with its fuselage and wings made out of composite materials. The fuselage was unveiled at Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing's former commercial airplanes division in Wichita, Kan. Aug 26, 2005

Boston[sup.1]s Logan Airport to implement new runway safety plan after latest incident. Following another near-collision when a mechanic taxied a FedEx cargo plane across the runway, forcing a passenger plane at Boston's Logan International Airport to delay takeoff, federal, state and airline officials will design a runway safety plan. No details of the plan or a timetable for the review were released. Aug 9, 2005

DHS relaxes dress code for air marshals. The Department of Homeland Security has changed the dress code for federal air marshals, the Washington Post's Stephen Barr reports. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association had protested that the previous dress code was too formal and made it difficult for the marshals to blend in with regular travelers. The new policy broadens what a marshal may wear, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said. He would not discuss the specifics of the dress code because of security concerns. Aug 15, 2005

EU to name airlines that fall short in safety. The European Union said it will blacklist airlines that do not meet basic safety requirements. The decision comes after a Helios Airways crash Sunday killed 121 people. On Tuesday, 160 people died in a West Caribbean Airways crash in Venezuela. EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot has promised a proposal by October for a public Web site that will allow more information sharing by European air safety authorities. Aug 19, 2005

Passenger or crew member may have attempted to rescue Greek jetliner, reports say: A crew member or passenger aboard a Cypriot passenger jetliner may have tried to save the plane before it crashed into a mountain Sunday, according to news reports. All 121 people aboard the plane were killed. F-16 pilots sent to shadow the plane said they saw two unidentified people in the cockpit trying to regain control of the plane. The F-16 pilots also saw an empty pilot's seat and a co-pilot slumped over the controls. Aug 18, 2005

Boeing says it did not declare Greek jet airworthy: Boeing said it did not recently certify the Helios Airways 737-800 that crashed Sunday as airworthy, contradicting statements made by the chairman of Helios in published media reports. A Boeing spokeswoman pointed out that regulators certify maintenance work. She also noted that if the owner of an aircraft does not seek Boeing out, it has no idea how the plane is maintained.

Aug 17, 2005

Greek crash turns attention to oxygen safety systems. The fatal crash of a Helios Airways Boeing 737 has focused attention on oxygen safety systems. Most of the plane's 121 passengers lost consciousness before the plane crashed into a hillside near Athens. Investigators believe the plane lost cabin pressure at high altitude, and autopsy reports show passengers may have been unconscious at the time of the impact. Aug 16, 2005

Aviation safety oversight may fall short outside U.S., experts say. Aviation safety is not as closely regulated in some international markets as it is the U.S., safety experts say. Two jetliners have crashed in recent days, and both were flown by new, low-cost regional airlines. A West Caribbean Airways jet crashed Tuesday, and a Helios Airways jet crashed on Sunday. A total of 281 people died in the two incidents. The recent crashes may leave the impression that airline safety worldwide is eroding, but accident statistics show safety is improving. The worldwide accident rate is the lowest since 1945, reports The Washington Post.

Aug 17, 2005

Federal judge dismisses privacy lawsuit against JetBlue. A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways, Acxiom data management company and others, ruling former passengers did not prove they were harmed by the use of their personal information in a security study. The passengers said the airline helped defense firm Torch Concepts and SRS Technologies build a database of passenger information. JetBlue asked that the suit be dismissed because there was no valid claim under federal or state law. Aug 2, 2005

Union vote for Missouri screeners causes national debate: Kansas City International Airport is one of just five airports that contracted with a private company for security screeners after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In June, the screeners, who work for FirstLine Transportation Security, voted in a union-representation election. The result of their vote is unknown because the company appealed the National Labor Relations Board's decision to hold the election. The matter has escalated into a national debate over whether the private screeners should be treated the same as federal screeners, who are not allowed to unionize. Aug 31, 2005

Lockheed receives contract to secure NYC subway system. A group of companies led by Lockheed Martin received a $212 million contract to heighten security in New York City's subway system. The system will be equipped with 1,000 video cameras and 3,000 motion sensors. It will also enable cell phone service in 277 of the transit system's underground stations. The city hopes the plan will protect the subway system from terrorists. Aug 24, 2005

Collision alarm system was "suppressed" at Kennedy. When a DC-8 cargo jet nearly collided with a Boeing 767 passenger liner July 6 at Kennedy International Airport, the system installed by the Federal Aviation Administration to warn of runway collisions remained silent, experts involved in the investigation have reported. The alarm system was "deliberately suppressed," due to the heavy rain, an FAA spokeswoman said. In bad weather, false alarms sounded so often that it rendered the system useless, she said. Aug 5, 2005

Northwest attendants ask FAA to investigate replacement plan: Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines asked the Federal Aviation Administration to look into the airline's plan to replace them if they strike in sympathy with mechanics. In a petition, the workers said they are concerned the airline is releasing safety information to trainees who have not been hired. Aug 3, 2005

San Francisco's airport to drop private screeners. San Francisco International Airport said it will no longer use private security screeners because the Transportation Security Administration will not offer blanket protection from lawsuits stemming from possible terrorist attacks. The airport is part of a pilot program testing private screeners; most airports use federal screeners. San Francisco's decision could hurt efforts to replace federal screeners with private screeners at other U.S. airports.

Aug 31, 2005

Southwest would fly over water to cut noise in Seattle move. Part of Southwest Airlines' plan to keep noise levels down if it moves to Seattle's Boeing Field involves flying over the area's Elliott Bay. City officials say any noise-reduction agreement must be enforced by a contract. Southwest said it is willing to agree to over-water flights in a contract and expects weather to prevent the approach over the bay less than 10% of the time. Although the FAA approves flight plans, FAA Operation Support Specialist Barry Davis said it's up to individual pilots to choose a route into the airport. Aug 24, 2005

Peru[sup.1]s state-owned airline Tans lost one of its two Boeing 737-200 aircraft last week, the 'plane coming down in the jungle as it flew the approach to the regional city of Pucallpa from the capital Lima. 39 people were killed in the accident but 59 miraculously survived. Questions are already being raised as to the quality of the airline, a former military operation which became a proper airline in 1999. http://www.tansperu.com.pe Aug 25, 2005

Peruvian jetliner crashes during storm, killing 41. TANS Peru Flight 204 crashed Tuesday during a storm about 20 miles from the jungle city of Pucallpa. At least 41 people on the Boeing 737-200 died; some passengers walked away from the wreck unhurt. There were 100 people on board the plane. Before the crash, the pilot radioed that strong winds and torrential rains were preventing him from landing the plane. The crash was the fifth major airline accident this month. Aug 24, 2005

Tuninter, the regional division of Tunisair, lost one of its two ATR 72s on Sunday August 7 when the aircraft ditched in the sea eight miles north of Palermo, Sicily. It was on its way from Bari to the Tunisian resort island of Djerba. There were 39 passengers and crew on the aircraft of which 23 survived. The aircraft itself had been built in 1992 and had a total flight time of 30,000 hours. Initial reports have confirmed both engines cutting out which would indicate a fuel problem but a more detailed analysis will have to wait until the Italian and French authorities have made a full inspection of the wreckage. http://www.atraircraft.com http://www.tunisair.com.tn Aug 12, 2005