AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*ARIK AIR will ferry its Boeing 737-700 to Germany for inspection and repairs after a car slammed into the aircraft on a tarmac in Nigeria. The incident on Wednesday March 31 damaged the fuselage belly of the 737, Arik Air said. LUFTHANSA Technik engineers completed ferry repairs at the damage site in Calabar, Nigeria. Arik AIr said the engineers are expected to carry out a non-destructive test series on the aircraft and certify the aircraft on completion of the repairs. After arriving in Germany, the aircraft could be out of service for about 30 days. A taxi driver reportedly claiming to be Jesus Christ slammed his car through to sets of security gates to reach the 737 on the tarmac. No one onboard the aircraft was injured in the incident, and the taxi driver was taken into custody immediately. Nigerian government officials are investigating.

*The FAA has created a website that directs Airline officials to a large number of documents and studies the agency says can be considered best practices in the areas of checklist design, training, procedures, crew resource management and error trapping. The action comes as a result of initial findings from the August 20, 2008 crash of SPANAIR Flight 5022 on takeoff from Spain's Madrid Barajas International Airport. The MD82 failed to gain lift and crashed off the departure end of the runway, killing 154 of the 172 passengers and crew on board. "This investigation in ongoing, but initial findings identify the need for safety improvements in carrier operations," said the FAA. "Consolidation of the numerous resources which provide information and guidance on air carrier operations and procedures, including checklist design, facilitates the use of these resources." Preliminary reports from the Spanish authorities have indicated that the Pilots failed to carry out the required flap and slat position checks before departure, and likely attempted to takeoff with the high-lift devices stowed.

*A NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE Boeing 737 had to make an emergency return, yesterday, April 2. Flight 3802 was on International Service from Alicante, Spain, to Stockholm, Sweden, with 100 passengers and crew onboard. Just as the aircraft reached 3000 feet on its initial climb, the crew requested return due to a fire alert from a wheel well. The 737 touched down at Alicante 45 minutes after its initial departure and the crew ordered an evacuation. Media report that 4 people suffered injuries in the evacuation. The aircraft has been removed from service for a full inspection.

*A GOL TRANSPORTES AEREAS Boeing 737 suffered a bird strike, on Thursday, April 1. Flight 1605 was on Domestic Service from Fortaleza to Salvadro, Brazil, when it ingested a bird into 1 of its engines while on rotation for takeoff from Fortaleza. The crew climbed to a safe altitude, shut the engine down, and returned to Fortaleza without incident. The 737 was removed from service for a damage assessment.

*A UNITED AIRLINES Boeing 747 had Emergency Services responding after a landing incident, on Thursday, April 1. Flight 881 was on International Service from Chicago OHare to Tokyo, Japan, with 348 passengers and crew onboard. The 747 had just touched down on Tokyo Narita runway 16, when a huge plume of smoke began to come from the left hand main gear, as seen in photo above. As the aircraft slowed, the smoke began to dissipate. Emergency Services responded and could find no trace of fire. The aircraft was able to vacate the runway. In a brief statement, UAL said that high friction between the tires and the runway surface caused the smoke.