[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 6933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02407]


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NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD


Investigative Hearing

    On Thursday, February 20, 2014, the National Transportation Safety 
Board (NTSB) will convene an investigative hearing to gather additional 
factual information for the ongoing investigation of the UPS Airbus 
A300-600 accident at Birmingham, Alabama, that occurred in August 2013. 
The NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman will preside over the 
investigative hearing.
    On August, 14, 2013, about 0447 central daylight time, UPS flight 
1354, an Airbus A300-600, N155UP, crashed short of runway 18 while on 
approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), 
Birmingham, Alabama. The two flight crewmembers were fatally injured, 
and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. 
The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of 
Federal Regulations Part 121 and originated from Louisville 
International Airport, Louisville, Kentucky. Instrument meteorological 
conditions existed in the area at the time of the accident.
    The flight crew was landing the airplane on runway 18 because the 
longer runway at BHM was closed for repairs at the time of the 
airplane's arrival. Review of the cockpit voice recorder and the flight 
data recorder indicated that the flight crew was executing a non-
precision localizer approach using vertical VNAV guidance, and 
continued the descent below the decision altitude. Despite not having 
reported the airport in sight, the crew continued the descent and 
received enhanced ground proximity warning system sink rate warnings; 
they then indicated that they had the airport in sight. The airplane's 
vertical speed began to reduce as the airplane contacted trees and a 
power line; the airplane then impacted the ground about 0.75 nautical 
mile from the threshold of runway 18.
    The investigative hearing will discuss the following issue areas:
     Execution of nonprecision approaches, including initial 
and recurrent training, adherence to standard operating procedures, and 
proficiency
     Human factors issues associated with effective crew 
coordination and resource management applicable to this accident, 
including decision-making, communication, fatigue, fitness for duty, 
and monitoring and cross-checking, and policies, standard operating 
procedures, guidance, and training provided to UPS crewmembers.
     Dispatch procedures, including the training, evaluation, 
roles, and responsibilities of UPS dispatchers, and the limitations of 
dispatch-related software.
    Parties to the hearing will include the Federal Aviation 
Administration, UPS, Independent Pilots Association, Transport Workers 
Union, and Airbus. The accredited representative from the French Bureau 
d'Enqu[ecirc]tes et d'Analyses pour la s[eacute]curit[eacute] de 
l'aviation civile will participate on the technical panel.
    At the start of the hearing, the public docket will be opened. 
Included in the docket are photographs, interview transcripts, and 
other documents.

Order of Proceedings

1. Opening Statement by the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry
2. Introduction of the Board of Inquiry and Technical Panel
3. Introduction of the Parties to the Hearing
4. Introduction of Exhibits by Hearing Officer
5. Overview of the incident and the investigation by Investigator-In-
Charge
6. Calling of Witnesses by Hearing Officer and Examination of Witness 
by Board of Inquiry, Technical Panel, and Parties
7. Closing Statement by the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry

    The hearing docket is DCA13MA133.
    The Investigative Hearing will be held in the NTSB Board Room and 
Conference Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza E SW., Washington, DC, 
on Thursday, February 20, 2014, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The public can 
view the hearing in person or by live Webcast at www.ntsb.gov. Web cast 
archives are generally available by the end of the next day following 
the hearing, and webcasts are archived for a period of 3 months from 
after the date of the event.
    Individuals requiring reasonable accommodation and/or wheelchair 
access directions should contact Ms. Rochelle Hall at (202) 314-6305 or 
by email at [email protected] by Friday, February 14, 2014.
    NTSB Media Contact: Mr. Eric [email protected]
    NTSB Investigative Hearing Officer: Mr. John Lovell_
[email protected]

Sheryl L. Chappell,
Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2014-02407 Filed 2-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7533-01-P