A fire broke out on board USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) while the ship was in Viktor Lenac Shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia

RIJEKA, Croatia (NNS) -- 

A fire broke out on board USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) while the ship was in Viktor Lenac Shipyard (Rijeka, Croatia) July 31, 2015.
There were no personnel injuries in the fire, which was extinguished within 45 minutes by ship's force and shipyard fire brigade personnel.

The cause of fire and extent of damage are under investigation.

 
Mount Whitney has been in Viktor Lenac Shipyard since January 2015 undergoing a scheduled maintenance overhaul designed to extend the service life of the ship to 2039.

Along with enhancing Mount Whitney's C4I capabilities, the scheduled ship upgrades include shell plating, deck house steel renewal and a renewal of the ship's electrical power supply system, as well as the installation of new generators, control mechanisms and the refurbishment of fuel systems.

The Mount Whitney is a Blue Ridge class command ship. The vessel is one of only two seaborne Joint Command platforms in the U.S. Navy.

FAA: Wildfires and Drones Don’t Mix

July 29, 2015
Contact: Les Dorr, Jr. or Alison Duquette
Phone: (202) 267-3883; Email: les.dorr@faa.gov

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WASHINGTON, DC – 

Responding to recent incidents in which unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as “drones,” interfered with manned aircraft involved in wildland firefighting operations, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service in their simple message to drone operators: If you fly; we can’t.

“Flying a drone near aerial firefighting aircraft doesn’t just pose a hazard to the pilots,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “When aircraft are grounded because an unmanned aircraft is in the vicinity, lives are put at greater risk.”

Often a temporary flight restriction (TFR) is put in place around wildfires to protect firefighting aircraft.  No one other than the agencies involved in the firefighting effort can fly any manned or unmanned aircraft in such a TFR. 

Anyone who violates a TFR and endangers the safety of manned aircraft could be subject to civil and/or criminal penalties. Even if there is no TFR, operating a UAS could still pose a hazard to firefighting aircraft and would violate Federal Aviation Regulations.

“The FAA’s top priority is safety.  If you endanger manned aircraft or people on the ground with an unmanned aircraft, you could be liable for a fine ranging from $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “Know the rules before you fly.  If you don’t, serious penalties could be coming your way for jeopardizing these important missions.” 

Since so many people operate unmanned aircraft with little or no aviation experience, the FAA is promoting voluntary compliance and working to educate UAS operators about how they can operate safely under current regulations and laws. The agency has partnered with industry and the modeling community in a public outreach campaign called “Know Before You Fly.”

The campaign recently reminded UAS users to respect wildfire operations.  The National Interagency Fire Center also posted a video warning for users to, “Be Smart. Be Safe. Stay Away.”

Additionally, the FAA provided guidance to law enforcement agencies because they are often in the best position to deter, detect, immediately investigate, and, as appropriate, pursue enforcement actions to stop unauthorized or unsafe unmanned aircraft operations.

So remember this simple message around wildfires: If you fly, they can’t. Keep your drone on the ground and let firefighters and aircraft do their jobs. And, if you see someone flying a drone near a wildfire, report it immediately to local law enforcement and the nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office with as much information as possible. You can find the closest FAA office at: 
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/.

FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Two Companies for Hazardous Materials Violations

July 31, 2015
Contact: Kathleen Bergen
Phone: 404-305-5100; Email: Kathleen.Bergen@faa.gov

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ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes civil penalties of $69,000 and $63,000 against two companies for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials Regulations.
In both cases, the FAA alleges the shipments were not accompanied by shipping papers to describe the type or quantity of the hazardous contents and were not marked, labeled or packaged in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The companies also allegedly failed to provide emergency response information and ensure their employees received required hazardous materials training.

The cases are as follows:

$69,000 against Premier Nail Source, Inc. of Tampa, Fla. 

The FAA alleges that on Nov. 28, 2014, Premier Nail Source offered a box for shipment on a FedEx flight to Nassau, Bahamas.     The box contained six 2-ounce plastic bottles of acetone, and six ½- ounce glass bottles of paint.  Both materials are flammable liquids. Workers at the FedEx facility in Tampa discovered the shipment. 

Premier Nail is scheduled to meet with the FAA in mid-August to discuss the case.

$63,000 against Nanosil of Selangor, Malaysia. 

The FAA alleges that on Oct. 4, 2014, Nanosil shipped a box containing a plastic container of butyl acetate, a flammable liquid, on a DHL Express cargo flight to Brownsville, Texas. Workers at the DHL sort facility in Erlanger, Ky., discovered the container emitting an odor, and found that the contents of the plastic container leaked into the box.

Nanosil has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.

FAA Proposes $177,800 Civil Penality Against TAD PGS Inc. for violating drug and alcohol testing regulations

July 31, 2015
Contact: Ian Gregor
Phone: 310-725-3580; Email: ian.gregor@faa.gov

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SEATTLE, WA

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $177,800 civil penalty against TAD PGS, Inc. of Alexandria, Va., for allegedly violating drug and alcohol testing regulations.

The FAA alleges that TAD, which provides aircraft maintenance workers to airlines and aircraft repair stations, failed to include nine safety-sensitive employees in its random drug and alcohol testing pool. 

Three of these employees performed safety-sensitive functions for three airlines when they were not included in the pool, the FAA alleges.

Additionally, the FAA alleges TAD failed to use a scientifically valid method to select two employees for random testing. One employee was allegedly selected for both drug and alcohol testing but was only given a drug test. The other employee was allegedly selected for drug and alcohol testing once but was given two tests during a two-month period.

Furthermore, the FAA alleges TAD failed to use a DOT drug testing form to document one required test.

TAD has been in communication with the FAA about the case.

1 man killed, 4 children injured in Baytown, Texas high speed rollover, collision with utility pole

By James Pinkerton

Published Saturday, August 1, 2015

 

Baytown police are investigating a one-vehicle rollover that injured four children and killed a Houston man Saturday afternoon, after his SUV veered off a freeway, flipped and hit a utility pole, city officials confirmed.

The fatal accident took place at 2:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of Interstate 10 when a 33-year-old Houston man drove his gold Ford Explorer off the freeway. 

The man, who has not been identified, died at the scene, according to a press release from Baytown city officials.

Three children, ages 1, 6, 12, and 14, were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital in serious condition. Police say excessive speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident.