The Possible Reasons Behind This Civil Aviation Disaster-Plane Crush

 

A chartered plane with a Brazilian first division football team crashed on its approach to the Colombian city of Medellin while on its way to the finals of a regional tournament. Sputnik takes a look at the possible reasons behind this civil aviation disaster.

The British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by a charter airline named LaMia, declared an emergency and lost radar contact because of an electrical failure, aviation authorities said.

The plane known as Avro RJ85 (Regional Jet 85) was a medium-range passenger aircraft. The crashed airliner made its debut flight in 1999.

There were 387 aircraft of this series that were made. The slightly modified Avro RJ85 can accommodate from 85 to 112 passengers.

The Avro RJ is designed for smaller airports located in the city, so it needs little distance in order to take off and land.

Amount of  Fuel

Brazilian aviation safety expert and former civil and military aircraft pilot Milian Heymann spoke to Sputnik Brazil about the possible causes of the crash saying that the RJ-85 is a reliable aircraft for such types of flights over mountainous Terrain.

“What draws attention is the fact that the plane did not burst into flames after the crash. This is a possible sign that there was a small amount of fuel, it was just enough to arrive at the destination. A lack of fuel may explain possible problems with electricity,” Heymann said.

He further said that without the necessary amount of fuel, the four engines aircraft could have stopped, which could have led to a loss of control by the pilot and eventually the crash of the aircraft. He stressed that this is just his personal opinion.

Crash Site and Mountainous Terrain

Honored Pilot of the USSR, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Board of Public Transport Supervision, Oleg Smirnov, in conversation with RT said that it was “a good plane, it had been in service for a long time and it has shown to be safe and comfortable for passengers.”

The wreckage of the aircraft, bodies of the passengers and a few survivors were found by Colombian rescue services in mountainous Terrain.

It is possible that the pilot was looking for a landing site. “If the pilot knows that he doesn’t have enough fuel to fly till the landing strip he starts looking for more or less flat area for emergency landing,” distinguished test pilot Magomed Tolboev told RT.

According to him if a pilot flies through mountains, he marks some plateaus on the map where in the case of emergency, the plane can land.

Technical Malfunction

Fligtradar24 portal reported that on approaching the Medellin airport the plane started to fly in circles. This is usually done by the pilots in order to get rid of excess fuel so that the plane doesn’t explode on landing https://t.co/ayIDZCJVZs and   flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/cp-2933/#bbef1b9 …

However, Tolboev noted that when the pilot does that, he loses a lot of fuel and it is very important to remember not to overdo it as the fuel might finish before the plane manages to actually land.

So far, the voice recordings of the pilot with the dispatcher have not yet been made available so no conclusions can be made based on the technical characteristics of the aircraft. That leads to the biggest question.

Long Distance of Flight

According to the documentation, the practical range of Avro RJ85 with 85 people onboard is 2963 km. However, the distance between the point of departure of the plane and destination in Medellin was 2975 km.

The long distance of the flight and possible required maneuvers due to poor weather could have led to the plane running out of fuel, according to Smirnov.

The expert added that the fact that there are survivors from the plane indicates that it did not completely breakdown and did not catch fire. This gives hope that the flight recorders will be intact.

Their decoding will give a better picture of what actually went wrong. According to the expert it is possible that the decryption of the data will take place very quickly.

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Lack of sleep costs U.S. economy up to $411 billion a year

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30, 2016 -- Too little shut-eye can have far-reaching effects -- even financial ones, a new report says.

Reduced productivity and an increased risk of death linked to lack of sleep among U.S. workers cost the nation's economy as much as $411 billion a year. That's more than 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), the report revealed

Lack of sleep leads to the loss of about 1.2 million working days a year in the United States. Sleep deprivation-related productivity losses are caused by employees missing work or working at less than ideal levels, said the study authors from the RAND Corp., a nonprofit research organization.

Compared to someone who sleeps an average of seven to nine hours a night, the risk of death is 13 percent higher for those who sleep less than six hours a night, and 7 percent higher for those who sleep six to seven hours a night, the report said.

"Our study shows that the effects from a lack of sleep are massive. Sleep deprivation not only influences an individual's health and well-being but has a significant impact on a nation's economy, with lower productivity levels and a higher mortality risk among workers," report lead author Marco Hafner said in a RAND news release.

"Improving individual sleep habits and duration has huge implications, with our research showing that simple changes can make a big difference. For example, if those who sleep under six hours a night increase their sleep to between six and seven hours a night, this could add $226.4 billion to the U.S. economy," he added.

The United States suffers the largest economic toll and most working days lost due to sleep deprivation, compared with four other developed countries examined by the researchers.

Japan is second, losing up to $138 billion annually, which is nearly 3 percent of its GDP. Japanese workers lose around 600,000 working days to a lack of sleep, the report found.

Germany loses up to $60 billion a year, or about 1.6 percent of its GDP. Just over 200,000 working days are lost to sleep deprivation in Germany, according to the report.

The United Kingdom loses up to $50 billion annually, or 1.86 percent of its GDP to a lack of shut-eye. Approximately 200,000 working days are lost as a result of poor sleep in the United Kingdom, the study found.

Canada was last on the list, but still loses about $21 billion to sleep deprivation. That's 1.35 percent of Canada's GDP. Just under 80,000 working days are lost, the study authors said.

Brazil officials find 'black boxes' in wreckage from plane crash that killed 71

Medical staff from the San Juan de Dios hospital transport Brazilian soccer player Alan Ruschel as he arrives in La Ceja in Colombia on Tuesday, after surviving a plane crash. The Chapecoense team were scheduled to play in the Copa Sudamericana final against the Medellin's Atletico Nacional on Wednesday. Photo by Luis Eduardo Noriega A/European Photo Agency

RIONEGRO, Colombia

Investigators have located the critical flight recorders from the chartered jetliner that crashed in the mountains of Colombia Tuesday, killing 71 people -- including nearly all of a Brazilian soccer team.

The British-made Avro RJ85 jet, carrying members of the Chapecoense soccer club, was headed from Bolivia to Medellin, Colombia, when it went down, Monday night. Several members of the media were also aboard.

Officials said the pilots requested an emergency landing due to an electrical problem, but the nature of the problem was not immediately known. The "black boxes," the flight data recorder and cockpit recorder, might illuminate where the power fault was.

The data recorder shows how the plane was operating before the crash and the cockpit recorder captures conversations on the flight deck before impact.

Six people  survived the crash, officials said.

"We are praying for everyone who has not yet been rescued, and for their families," Amanda Ruschel, the wife of one of the players, wrote to a social media account Tuesday. "It is a complicated and difficult situation. Only God can give us strength."

The survivors were taken to local hospitals and a search was mounted in the rugged terrain for the rest of those on the plane.

The team was traveling to play in the final game of the Copa Sudamericana tournament.

Emergency officials initially announced five people survived the crash, but a sixth person was found alive under the fuselage of the plane.

A Colombian air force search-and-rescue helicopter mission was canceled due to poor visibility, and getting to the crash site has been difficult because of the weather, officials said.

Airport authorities gave the plane, operated by LaMia, priority to land after the pilots reported an emergency, but the plane never got close to the runway. There were conflicting reports that the plane ran out of fuel or that there was an electrical problem.

Electrical malfunctions in flight is not unusual. In certain cases, it has led to crashes before.

In 1998, 229 people died when Swissair Flight 111 crashed in the waters ofF Nova Scotia. As with the Brazil flight, the pilots had reported severe electrical failures before it crashed. A subsequent investigation found that a fire had burned through bundles of electrical wires and systematically cut power to several flight controls. The flight crashed before it could land in Halifax.

Trump asks for unity in Thanksgiving message: 'We have a chance to make history'

We are very blessed to call this nation our home, and that's what America is -- it is our home," the president-elect said in the video's introduction. "It's where we raise our families, care for our loved ones, look out for our neighbors and live out our dreams."

"It's my prayer, that on this Thanksgiving we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by shared purpose and very, very common resolve," he continued.

"In declaring this national holiday, President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with one voice and one heart. That's just what we have to do."

Trump added at least two members to his administration earlier Wednesday -- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as UN ambassador and GOP heavyweight donor Betsy DeVos as education secretary. It was also reported that former GOP candidate Ben Carson had been offered the appointment of housing secretary.

Some of Trump's White House appointments have drawn substantial criticism, which has concerned many in the Democratic Party and non-Trump supporters.

"We have just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw and tensions just don't heal overnight. It doesn't go quickly, unfortunately," Trump added.

 "But we have before us a chance now to make history together, to bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities and real prosperity to our communities -- including our inner cities. [It's] so important to me and so important to our country.

"This historic political campaign is now over, but now begins a great national campaign to rebuild our country and restore the full promise of America for all of our people.

"I'm asking you to join me in this effort. It's time to restore the bonds of trust between citizens, because when America is unified there is nothing beyond our reach -- and I mean absolutely nothing.

"Let us give thanks for all that we have, and let us boldly face the exciting new frontiers that lie ahead."

Education Officer – Kibondo,Tanzania (National Position) - Tanzania Norwegian Refugee Council

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, emergency food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors. 
The Norwegian Refugee Council has approximately 5000 committed and competent employees involved in projects across four continents. In addition, NRC runs one of the world’s largest standby rosters, NORCAP, with 650 professionals, ready to be deployed on 72 hours’ notice when a crisis occurs. 

In mid-April 2016, NRC conducted a pre-assessment mission in the refugee camps in north western Tanzania and the assessment revealed that the humanitarian situation for the refugees requires urgent intervention and NRC therefore decided to establish an operational office in Kibondo town, to respond in Mtendeli and/or Nduta refugee camps. The initial interventions will focus in three sectors; shelter, WASH and education (initially construction of permanent classrooms). NRC is therefore seeking a Procurement Officer for the NRC Office in Kibondo, Tanzania. The Procurement Officer reports to the Logistics Manager.

Job description

·        Ensure adherence with NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines

·        Implement delegated education project portfolio according to plan of action (according to strategy, proposals, budgets, plans and donor requirements)

·        Coordinate with relevant partners within the Education sector and represent NRC at relevant meetings

·        Involve and inform communities and community leaders about the activities

·        Provide expertise within the Teacher Training program, by defining training contents, coordination with partners, delivering of training, and monitoring and evaluation;

·        Contribute to comprehensive education assessment for potential new education activities or in new locations;

·        Break down the annual operational plans into weekly, monthly and quarterly implementation plans

·        Ensure that procurement and distribution of education materials and equipment are timely and according to procedures

·        Supervise, train and develop field teams

·        Prepare and develop status reports as required by management (i.e. progress reports)

·        Ensure proper filing of documents

·        Ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need, and explore and asses new and better ways to assist

Qualifications

·        Minimum of three years’ teaching experience

·        Experience from working with education projects in a humanitarian/recovery context.

·        University degree or Certificate in Education as a qualified teacher from a recognized institution

·        Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities

·        Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile

·        Managing resources to optimize results

·        High-level competency in computer skills (Microsoft Office applications)

·        Fluency in English and French, both written and verbal

·        Fluency in one or more of the national/regional languages

Education level

·        College / University, Bachelor's degree

Personal qualities

·        Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision

·        Highest standards of ethics and integrity, and communicating with impact and respect

·        All employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council should be able to adhere to our Codes of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable

Language

·        French

·        English

We offer

·        Duty station: Kibondo, or another location in North Wester Tanzania, where NRC supports the refugee response

·        Commencement: As soon as possible

·        Contract period: 3 months (with possibility of extension)

·        Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s general directions. The candidate will observe NRC’s code of conduct and working hours for the NRC Tanzania

Miscellaneous info

·        Travel: Some travelling must be expected

Education Assistant – Kibondo,Tanzania (National Position) - Tanzania 
Norwegian Refugee Council

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, emergency food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors. 
The Norwegian Refugee Council has approximately 5000 committed and competent employees involved in projects across four continents. In addition, NRC runs one of the world’s largest standby rosters, NORCAP, with 650 professionals, ready to be deployed on 72 hours’ notice when a crisis occurs. 

In mid-April 2016, NRC conducted a pre-assessment mission in the refugee camps in north western Tanzania and the assessment revealed that the humanitarian situation for the refugees requires urgent intervention and NRC therefore decided to establish an operational office in Kibondo town, to respond in Mtendeli and/or Nduta refugee camps. The initial interventions will focus in three sectors; shelter, WASH and education (initially construction of permanent classrooms). NRC is therefore seeking a Procurement Officer for the NRC Office in Kibondo, Tanzania. The Procurement Officer reports to the Logistics Manager.

Job description

·        Adhere to NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines

·        Assist with the implementation of the education portfolio according to plan of action

·        Contribute to technical implementation of the teacher training program, through daily supervision, coordination with partners, and provide support to schools and incentive staff in line with NRC quality standards

·        Assist NRC Education team in daily field activity planning and implementation

·        Carry out data collection to inform project design

·        Assist in mobilizing the community for proper participation and contribution to activities initiated by NRC in the camps

·        Responsible for provision and supervision of distributed education materials

·        Prepare and develop status reports as required by the supervisor

·        Ensure proper filing of documents

·        Promote and share ideas for technical improvement

Qualifications

·        Minimum three years’ teaching experience

·        Experience from working with education projects in a humanitarian/recovery context.

·        Qualified teacher with a Certificate in Education from a recognized institution

·        Previous experience from working through community-based approaches

·        Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities

·        Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile

·        Managing resources to optimize results

·        Fluency in English and French, both written and verbal

·        Fluency in Kirundi language is an advantage

Personal qualities

·        Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision

·        Highest standards of ethics and integrity, and communicating with impact and respect

·        All employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council should be able to adhere to our Codes of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable

Language

·        French

·        English

We offer

·        Duty station: Kibondo, or another location in North Wester Tanzania, where NRC supports the refugee response

·        Commencement: As soon as possible

·        Contract period: 3 months (with possibility of extension)

·        Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s general directions. The candidate will observe NRC’s code of conduct and working hours for the NRC Tanzania

Miscellaneous info

·        Travel: Some travelling must be expected

Apply on line visit this webpage https://www.nrc.no/vacancies/

 Deadline  1st December 2016