Old MacDonald Had a Fleet

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And on his fleet he had a ship, E-I-E-I-O

With a “leak-leak” here and a “leak-leak” there
Here a “leak” there a “leak”
Everywhere a “leak-leak”

Old Macdonald had a fleet, E-I-E-I-O

Ship leaking fuel off Norway after running aground

Full City, a Chinese-owned dry-bulk vessel, with about 1,120 tons of fuel on board is leaking  after running aground near Langesund on the Norwegian coast during stormy conditions overnight, Reuters reported the rescue authorities as saying on Friday.

“The Joint Rescue Coordination Center said 16 sailors had been evacuated from the vessel and seven remained on the ship. The entire crew are Chinese nationals.” Reuters reported.

“We have put a request to the company (operating the ship) to put pressure on the captain (to abandon the vessel) because Norwegian coast guard reports indicate the ship may not survive,” rescue mission spokesman Stein Solberg told Reuters.

Norway’s television channel TV2 showed pictures of oil reaching the North Sea coastline in southern Norway, reportedly a popular area for holidaymakers west of the Oslo fjord.

“A Norwegian representative of the World Wildlife Fund said the spill could affect a large number of birds from a nearby sanctuary and called on volunteers to help with the clean-up.” The report said.

the Panama-registered “Full City” vessel is operated by Hong Kong-based Cosco shipping.

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Rare Sprinkle of Justice

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Image of the Day: Rare Sprinkle of Justice From the Court of Ghouls

Eighteen families won their case against toxic exposure

Thirteen-year-old Curtis Thorpe shows media his deformed hand outside the High Court in London after a group of eighteen families won their case against Corby Borough Council in Northamptonshire July 29, 2009. A group of 18 young people who blame deformities they were born with on their mothers’ exposure to toxic materials won a court case on Wednesday against their local council. The court was told that toxic material released into the atmosphere during reclamation works at a former steel plant between 1985 and 1999 could have been inhaled and ingested by pregnant women, leading to serious birth defects in their children. REUTERS/Stephen Hird. Image may be subject to copyright.

Airbus Says Change Speed Sensor Switch

The latest recommendation by Airbus is a positive step in airliner safety, but Airbus should go further and replace its ‘faulty’ on-board computers, too!

The following news item was published by BBC UK, which in view of its public safety features is reproduced in full.

For background information see: Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …

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Airbus urges speed sensor switch

The move will affect about 200 long haul Airbus jets

Page last updated at 22:25 GMT, Thursday, 30 July 2009 23:25 UK

Plane manufacturer Airbus has urged airlines to change the make of the majority of speed sensors on about 200 long haul aircraft.

Airbus has issued a bulletin to airlines recommending that they switch the parts, also known as pitots, to those made by US manufacturer Goodrich.

The moves comes as investigations continue into the cause of the fatal crash of an Air France Airbus in June.

Investigators have said speed sensors, or pitots, may have been a factor.

“Airbus has decided to recommend that A330/A340 operators with Thales pitot tubes, exchange at least two of them with Goodrich probes,” the company said in a statement sent to the BBC.

The company said it was making the recommendation “on the basis of the very limited available information” from the Air France accident, and “despite the fact that the pitot tubes meet the certification objectives”.

“This precautionary measure will allow our customers to benefit from the greater in-service experience of the Goodrich tubes on the A330/A340,” it said.

The move would affect about 200 of the A330 or A340 planes which were fitted with sensors manufactured by France’s Thales company, reported Reuters.

No deadline has been issued for the change to be implemented.

Earlier, the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) said it was to make the same recommendation.

All 228 people on board the Air France plane were killed when it plunged into the ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 1 June.

French investigators have said faulty speed sensors were “a factor but not the cause” of the crash.

In the wake of the crash, Air France accelerated an existing programme to replace speed monitors on its Airbus planes.  BBC © MMIX

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• Airlines & Aviation Industry, Airline Safety, Air Travel …