Dangerous 747 Operation

[B747 Plumber]

I'm requesting guidance.

I am aware of a person (Imad Saba) that is operating a B747 on a contract from Tripoli to Jeddah moving Muslim Umrah pilgrims that is extremely unsafe! The aircraft is currently registered in Swaziland as 3D-BOX. It had previous registrations as YA-EAH and N158UA. This aircraft is not current on any checks (A,B,C+D). All aircraft records have been falsified. The flightdeck crews are not current. I'm not sure, but I doubt that he has any insurance. Any replacement parts that have been replaced on this aircraft come from very questionable sources. There are not enough O2 masks for each passenger. It goes on and on. I don't see how someone like this is allowed to operate! If anything happens to this aircraft would give us all a bad name. He should be put in a Libyian Jail! The lives of approx. 500 pilgrims are being put at risk each time this aircraft takes flight.
I have contacted the Lybian Civil Aviation Authority-no response!
I have contacted the Saudi Arabia Civil Aviation Authority-no response!
I have contacted the Swailand Civil Aviation Authority-no response!
I am not sure where next to go! I believe I have done what I need to do to clear my conscious. Any help would be appriciated.

The Plumber

[autoflight]

I assume the accuracy of this post in responding. The aviation business, like the medical profession and some others, is full of those who will accept the status quo. Nobody likes a "whistle blower" Its so difficult to get those in authority to listen. If they officially acknowledge your complaint and an accident results because of innaction, their positions is are risk. Simple. Even happens to a lesser degree in substantial flag carrier airlines.

[Rollingthunder]

This aircraft is not current on any checks (A,B,C+D). All aircraft records have been falsified. The flightdeck crews are not current. I'm not sure, but I doubt that he has any insurance. Any replacement parts that have been replaced on this aircraft come from very questionable sources. There are not enough O2 masks for each passenger. It goes on and on.

Bloody hell, I didn't realize things like this still went on.

(Assumption) (- All true.) Get on to the media if the other actions haven't worked. Try the BBC. Yell loud and hard.

[Bushflier]

B747 Plumber


I suggest you contact Bureau Veritas. This private company is often contracted to oversee small countries' aviation regulation, often also mandated by ICAO. If they are not responsible to oversee Swaziland's aviation matters, they could steer you in the right direction.

good luck

[andyb79]

i have to ask where this aircraft is currently registered? because surely it cant be in an ICAO country and should not be allowed to pass through airspace belonging to any country that has signed up to it (as most of the world has!)

[FlapsOne]

Assuming the above is all true, it is a sad fact that the best way forward might be to contact a reputable newspaper or TV source.

Like it or not, they have access to research outlets that we do not, and they often succeed where official routes fail.

Again, assuming what you say to be accurate, keep this thing on the ground!

[Stratocaster]

I'm not sure Bureau Veritas would be of any help. They've been involved in a few "scandals" themselves and have quite "bizarre" practices. Do you remember those super-tankers and ferry boats that sank recently in Europe ? Bureau Veritas was asked to certify some of those boats. They refused (clever move since the boats were good for the trash), but told the customer to go to another company that would certify them without any further questionning. That "company" was actually a subsidiary of Bureau Veritas, so the money came into their (deep) pockets anyway, the boats sank, people died, etc. but Bureau Veritas' reputation was never in danger.

Back to the topic... Who chartered the planes ? Maybe there's a card to play over there ?

[Bzulu]

Seems this 747 is pretty old. Most of it's contemporaries have already been scrapped.

This 747 238B was originally owned by Qantas in Australia.

VHEBJ delivered to Qantas 30 May 1975

N158UA to United Airlines 1 June 1991

Seems to have been sitting at Marama, Arizona for some time.......at least between 7 October 2001 and 16 January 2003

Was registered with Afghanistan YA-EAH sometime between 16 January 2003 and 2 November 2003.

So, when did it get the Swaziland registration 3D-BOX......and one has to ask........why register it in maybe only the last few weeks and then fly it from Tripoli? Someone wants to make a fast buck perhaps......and kill people in the process.

Surely this 747 is past its use by date and shouldn't be flying anyone anywhere.

[Buster the Bear]

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=57049

[126.9]

This sort of thing has been going on for ages, and I'm sure it's not going to stop in the forseeable future. Transjet got away with doing the same sort of thing a couple of years ago out of numerous bases. Right now, the Swiss FOCA (Federal Office for Civil Aviation) turn a blind eye to the unsafe operation at Farnair Switzerland, as long as they don't compete with Swiss. :yuk:

[Bzulu]

Interesting B Bear.

YA-EAH registered 28 January 2003 to Ariana Afghan Airlines.

Pic at Sharjah, UAE.

Hope this is not one of the fleet owned by Victor Bout.

[Boss Raptor]

Contact the FAA International Field Office used to be JFK details on the FAA website, I believe they provide safety oversight for Saudi DCA, they'll jump it so quick you wouldn't believe...under the circumstances I would think.

If they dont have the safety oversight connection any longer they'll no doubt inform Saudi DCA of your concerns through the proper and direct channels.

http://aea.faa.gov/aea200/ea29/

PS. they still do the Saudi oversight it seems

http://aea.faa.gov/aea200/ea29/docs/duties.doc

[m&v]

One wonders if Boeing themselves are aware of the 'details'..
They will be the first on the site to check it's airworthiness.
I believe they have a very good 'customer service'address in their Web.
Cheers:confused:

[GlueBall]

M&V: "One wonders if Boeing themselves are aware of the 'details'..
They will be the first on the site to check its airworthiness..."

I doubt that a private manufacturing company would have legal access to this equipment and its records without the owner's permission!

Boss Raptor: "Contact the FAA International Field Office at JFK; details on the FAA website. I believe they provide safety oversight for Saudi DCA. They'll jump it so quick you wouldn't believe..."

The FAA has no jurisdiction over foreign owned and foreign registered airplanes in foreign, sovereign lands. The agency can only "jump on it" if and when the airplane is operated into USA airspace!

[Boss Raptor]

Glueball as I stated FAA carries out safety oversight on contract to Saudi DCA, this function is co-ordinated from FAA Intl. Field Office JFK, confirmed and detailed in the links posted above.

As such Saudi DCA (FAA) will jump the aircraft in JED which they are entitled to do and FAA IFO JFK are a good course of communication for someone in the USA

My suggested course of action is correct and viable.

[Bubbette]

What about contacting the Saudi embassy in the US?

[B767Longhaul]

Kabo Crashed a 747 in Nigeria 2 years ago and it never hit the press

I remember last year when a guy out of Texas, (initials BK) was looking for 747 crews. **** pay and to fly 2 ex United 747's that had been sitting in the desert for several years. The job was to fly the Afghanistan Hadj. I heard from reliable sources (the crew) that they did as little maint to the aircraft as possible. Now it looks like they are back at it again this year.

While Kabo Air has put substantial funds into their aircraft to keep them going, they fall short by hiring Indonesian crews who give them selves check rides in the pub. They crashed a 747 in Maidugari, Nigeria 2 years ago and kept it quiet. Had their insurance company found out, that is if they had insurance, then surely they would have been grounded for some time or you would think, and that the Saudi's would ban them from entering Saudi Airspace.

It's all a matter of bribing the right Saudi's.

I have flown 5 hadj operations on the 747 and never once have the Saudi's done a ramp check on the aircraft, and I don't expect to see one this year as well.

These people think it's all up to ALLAH.
If the plane crashes, then it's God's will that it happened, not that their crew flew the aircraft into the trees off the side of the runway. As was the case in Nigeria.

[Woodman]

Send the story to Al Jazeerah (www.aljazeerah.net) as the best arab language news agency. They'll get the arab governments moving.

[Boss Raptor]

Back in the early 90's the Okada Air B747...(correction from 727 typo) ... 5N-EDO was flying Haj reconfigured from its' original 360 seats to 420 something seats and again as described with this aircraft no extra PSU's added...we decompress you might die, have a nice flight insalah! :mad:

[homesick rae]

It appears this chap is the same one that was involved in the last Hajj and took the money and ran! Leasing companies in the US are aware of him and word is getting around.

[epreye]

Boss Raptor, Okada Air B727 5N-EDO, I'd like to see that one with 420 pax!!

I'm sure you meant this one: http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=5N-EDO&distinct_entry=true

[Boss Raptor]

Yep typo, of course 747 5N-EDO... :ugh:

[GlueBall]

Boss Raptor: You may be deficient in International Law and International Protocol when you suggest that the American FAA somehow has jurisdiction over a foreign owned and foreign registered airplane in a foreign country. Let me ask you: Under what U.S. Federal rules and under which U.S. Federal regulations could an FAA inspector even board, much less stop the airplane?
There is FAR Part 129 which governs foreign air carriers:

FAR 129.1... "a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part prescribes rules governing the operation within the United States of each foreign air carrier holding a permit issued by the Civil Aeronautics Board or the Department of Transportation under section 402 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1372) or other appropriate economic or exemption authority issued by the Civil Aeronautics Board or the Department of Transportation.
"(b) Sections 129.14 and 129.20 also apply to U.S.-registered aircraft operated in common carriage by a foreign person or foreign air carrier solely outside the United States. For the purpose of this part, a foreign person is any person, not a citizen for the United States, who operates a U.S.-registered aircraft in common carriage solely outside the United States."

The only authority is given to U.S. registered aircraft in the case of foreign operators in foreign lands.

The Saudi DCA has jurisdiction in the Kingdom over this B747, 3D-BOX.

[mutt]

Glueball,

The Saudi Presidency of Civil Aviation has a long-term memorandum of agreement with the FAA. As such the FAA have a lot of clout in Saudi and there would be nothing stopping them from getting a PCA representative to accompany them on a ramp check.

B747Plumber.

Forward your complaint and EVIDENCE to:

[email protected]

or

Captain Mohd Berenji at the PCA. (email [email protected] and ask for his contact details)

or, if the aircraft is operating for Saudia.

[email protected]

Good Luck.

Mutt.

[Boss Raptor]

Thank you Mutt...

Saves me having to re-iterate the direction of my two previous posts for Glueball a third time :confused:

'Glueball as I stated FAA carries out safety oversight on contract to Saudi DCA, this function is co-ordinated from FAA Intl. Field Office JFK, confirmed and detailed in the links posted above.

As such Saudi DCA (FAA) will jump the aircraft in JED which they are entitled to do and FAA IFO JFK are a good course of communication for someone in the USA'

[NAP2003]

DEAR PLUMBER:

THIS ALLEGATIONS ARE VERY SERIOUS. I WONDER HOW YOU CAME ABOUT THIS INFORMATION? IS IT FROM A VALID SOURCE? IT SOUNDS VERY DETAILED, I IMAGINE YOU EITHER HAVE SOMEONE ON THE INSIDE OR YOU WORK FOR THEM. ADDITIONALLY, DO YOU HAVE PROOF OF ALL THIS IN YOUR POSSESION?

JUST WONDERING.. YOU WILL NEED ALL THIS INFORMATION TO FOLLOW IT WITH THE CIVIL AVIATIONS OF ALL THREE COUNTRIES THAT YOU ADVISED.

ADDITIONALLY COULD YOU LET US KNOW THE NAMES OF THE FLIGHT DECK THAT ARE FLYING WITHOUT BEING CURRENT? I THINK WE ALL WANT TO KNOW..

GOOD LUCK!!!

[LGW Vulture]

Hmmmm........Miami eh?

Am I putting two and two together and making five?

....p.s. No need to shout, we know you're annoyed!

[MaxBlow]

126.9,

unsafe Farnair Suisse? More details please...Thank you!:confused: