Briefcase
Pilots say poor training is endangering safety
CHICAGO – Pilots at United Airlines say that poor training is causing safety problems, including three flights that almost landed without putting their wheels down.
United pilots are learning new procedures for flying their planes, which can be a big adjustment. The United branch of the Air Line Pilots Association released a 105-page report on safety issues on Tuesday.
The union has said the airline is training pilots with computer slideshows instead of practicing in a simulator or with classroom time.
The report comes at a time when the pilots are in difficult contract talks with United, although they have said their safety concerns have nothing to do with the negotiations.
The company said the union’s claims are baseless and part of an attempt to influence contract negotiations.
The report said pilots on two flights were so distracted by the new procedures that an alarm went off just seconds before landing, indicating that they had not yet put down the wheels. A third incident was prevented when pilots noticed the mistake. The union said such incidents usually are rare.
The report also said that three other crews were so distracted as they tried to complete their new after-landing checklists that they taxied onto or across runways without permission from air traffic controllers.
Associated Press
Apple board member to be new chairman
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple has named board member Arthur Levinson as its non-executive chairman to fill the vacancy left open when co-founder Steve Jobs died last month.
Levinson is chairman of Genentech Inc., a pharmaceuticals company he joined as a research scientist in 1980 and led as chief executive from 1995 to 2009. Levinson has been co-lead director on Apple Inc.’s board since 2005. He joined the board in 2000.
Robert Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Co., was tapped as a director.
The appointments were announced Tuesday.
Associated Press
Wal-Mart revenue up but overall profit down
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted a quarterly gain in revenue at U.S. Walmart stores open at least a year, reversing nine straight quarters of declines, but its overall third-quarter profit fell 2.9 percent.
Wal-Mart’s return to offering “everyday low prices” and many of the items culled during an overzealous bid to de-clutter stores is helping turn around its U.S. business.
For the current quarter, Wal-Mart expects revenue at stores open at least a year to be flat to up 2 percent for its U.S. namesake division.