Flight Safety Information March 10, 2010 - No. 052 In This Issue NTSB STUDY SHOWS 'GLASS COCKPITS' HAS NOT IMPROVED SAFETY IN GA AIRCRAFT NATA's Automated Risk Assessment Tool Launched At Safety Symposium FAA NextGen Implementation Plan Released HAI Releases New, Online Aviation Wire Strike Safety Awareness Video AP source: No-fly list nearly doubles since attack Cockpit Voice Recorder Legislation Opposed By CAPA Cuba Names New Civil Aviation Chief ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NTSB STUDY SHOWS INTRODUCTION OF 'GLASS COCKPITS' IN GENERAL AVIATION AIRPLANES HAS NOT LED TO EXPECTED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ****** Washington, DC -- Today the National Transportation Safety Board adopted a study concluding that single engine airplanes equipped with glass cockpits had no better overall safety record than airplanes with conventional instrumentation. The safety study, which was adopted unanimously by the Safety Board, was initiated more than a year ago to determine if light airplanes equipped with digital primary flight displays, often referred to as "glass cockpits," were inherently safer than those equipped with conventional instruments. The study, which looked at the accident rates of over 8,000 small piston-powered airplanes manufactured between 2002 and 2006, found that those equipped with glass cockpits had a higher fatal accident rate then similar aircraft with conventional instruments. The Safety Board determined that because glass cockpits are both complex and vary from aircraft to aircraft in function, design and failure modes, pilots are not always provided with all of the information they need -- both by aircraft manufacturers and the Federal Aviation Administration -- to adequately understand the unique operational and functional details of the primary flight instruments in their airplanes. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman highlighted the role that training plays in preventing accidents involving these airplanes. "As we discussed today, training is clearly one of the key components to reducing the accident rate of light planes equipped with glass cockpits, and this study clearly demonstrates the life and death importance of appropriate training on these complex systems," said Hersman. "We know that while many pilots have thousands of hours of experience with conventional flight instruments, that alone is just not enough to prepare them to safely operate airplanes equipped with these glass cockpit features." Today, nearly all newly manufactured piston-powered light airplanes are equipped with digital primary flight displays. And the number of older airplanes being retrofitted with these systems continues to grow. "While the technological innovations and flight management tools that glass cockpit equipped airplanes bring to the general aviation community should reduce the number of fatal accidents, we have not -- unfortunately -- seen that happen," said Hersman. "The data tell us that equipment-specific training will save lives. To that end, we have adopted recommendations today responsive to that data -- recommendations on pilot knowledge testing standards, training, simulators, documentation and service difficulty reporting so that the potential safety improvements that these systems provide can be realized by the general aviation pilot community." Based on the study findings, the NTSB made six safety recommendations to the FAA: 1) enhance pilot knowledge and training requirements; 2) require manufacturers to provide pilots with information to better manage system failures; 3) incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary flight displays into training materials and aeronautical knowledge requirements; 4) incorporate training elements regarding electronic primary flight displays into initial and recurrent flight proficiency requirements for pilots of small light general aviation airplanes equipped with those systems, that address variations in equipment design and operations of such displays; 5) support equipment-specific pilot training programs by developing guidance for the use of glass cockpit simulators other than those that are approved by the FAA as flight training devices; and 6) inform the general aviation community about the importance of reporting malfunctions or defects with electronic flight, navigation and control systems through the Service Difficulty Reporting system. The complete safety study will be available at www.ntsb.gov [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103168822791&s=6053&e=001bDEW5yXyz9dUTNZz9PDLKhTXFZHqCy-FzhaAQjOkUs24TKVCH2AGStwudIXgfqV88NPt6cEXg88YurMBj4NbqjF-EfwmgjkgPdHOfzRzGOU=] in several weeks. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NATA's Automated Risk Assessment Tool Launched At Safety Symposium FAA Endorsed RA Tool Removes Subjectivity And Streamlines The Process The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) launched a tool which effectively combines safety management system-required risk assessment with convenience at the Air Charter Safety Foundation's 2010 Air Charter Safety Symposium on March 3. The association's new online risk assessment tool, NATA RA Check, combines a highly comprehensive FAA-endorsed risk assessment tool with the automation necessary to make its use quick, easy, and accurate, NATA says. NATA says its RA Check fully automates the FAA-published Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT), a worksheet-based tool designed to consider the probability, severity and weighted value of 38 leading accident causal factors. Developed by FAA officials, respected aircraft operators, and other industry representatives, the FRAT is designed to identify potential hazards prior to flight and weigh the risk associated with each hazard through a five-step process. To use the FAA-published tool, operators must create numerical thresholds that trigger additional levels of scrutiny prior to a flight. RA Check removes subjectivity and standardizes results, saving operators time and money while improving safety. RA Check streamlines data-entry processes and provides further convenience as it is fully integrated with the Computing Technologies For Aviation (CTA) Flight Operating System (FOS). Also at the symposium, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Hart commented on the importance of creating a balance between safety and productivity in the pursuit of safety management. "RA Check fulfills a vital role in safety management programs with the perfect combination of sound safety risk assessment methodology and convenient automation features," said NATA President James K. Coyne. "Safety and compliance tools such as RA Check and IC Check are greatly improving the business balance between safety and productivity." NATA says the RA Check key benefits include: * Streamlines processes. * Automates the criteria of the Turbine Aircraft Operators Subgroup (TAOS) Flight Risk Assessment Tool formula and returns an online response. * Integrates with CTA's FOS, limiting manual data entry. * Features automatic and user-generated email alerts for risk assessment reports and risk factor questionnaires, which may be viewed and addressed on your Smart Phone. * Raises situational awareness by focusing only on factors that pertain to each particular flight. * Alerts crewmember about proactive safety measures for a particular flight. * Reduces training time, standardizes results and removes subjectivity. * Sets realistic operational thresholds. * Takes the most comprehensive risk assessment methodology and makes it as easy to implement as the most basic of models. The program was developed, and is hosted and managed by, NATA. FMI: www.nata.aero/racheck [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103168822791&s=6053&e=001bDEW5yXyz9euYJ2xz4cLittw5mI1yYHSUZZjnjzi6XL_jCFl_C337gvylnAqTF1x-YMhfE1zozlsFkOupLWMFdktBP-Yni4PopCGJ1KfT95Acn41CpLNzQ==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAA NextGen Implementation Plan Released March 10, 2010 - The NextGen Implementation Plan provides an overview of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ongoing transition to NextGen. The Plan lays out the agency's vision for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, now and into the mid-term, which is defined here as 2012-2018. The Plan further identifies the goals the FAA has set for technology and program deployment and the commitments the FAA has made in support of that vision. Through annual updates, the FAA will document their work plan for meeting those goals. The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is the name given to a new National Airspace System due for implementation across the United States in stages between 2012 and 2025. To implement this, the FAA will undertake a wide-ranging transformation of the entire United States air transportation system. This transformation has the aim of reducing gridlock, both in the sky and at the airports. NextGen consists of five elements: Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, System Wide Information Management, Next Generation Data Communications, Next Generation Network Enabled Weather, and NAS Voice Switch. The FAA primary goal is to provide new capabilities that make air transportation safer and more reliable, improve the capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS) and reduce aviation's impact on our environment. The FAA already has achieved a number of critical NextGen milestones. They have initiated and expanded satellite-based surveillance, improved airport runway access, increased safety and efficiency on the ground, and enhanced airspace safety and operations. NextGen technologies and procedures, along with airspace redesign, have enabled more direct routes and more efficient operations, which use less fuel and reduce emissions. The use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to control air traffic in the Gulf of Mexico in December 2009 was an important step forward. But many other recent improvements help lay a solid foundation for upcoming NextGen advances. Airfield construction and improvements around the nation, along with the continued deployment of surface safety technology such as Airport Surface Detection Equipment-Model X have helped increase runway safety and reduce delays. Airspace redesign and Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures already are saving fuel, reducing emissions and managing noise in demonstrations with our domestic and international partners. The FAA has worked closely with European and Pacific Rim operators to ensure that aircraft operating globally are equipped with technology that can function and take advantage of operational benefits in various international air traffic environments. The FAA has moved forward new aircraft and energy technologies to further reduce emissions, achieving the approval of the first aviation alternative fuels specifications in 2009. In September 2009, nearly 300 members of the aviation community who form the RTCA NextGen Mid-Term Implementation Task Force issued a final report that included a number of recommendations that helped the FAA galvanize its plans to deliver tangible near-term benefits today as they build a foundation for the mid-term. The report represents the aviation community's commitment to NextGen, as well as its endorsement of the FAA's incremental approach to NextGen implementation. The FAA's action plans support the operational capabilities the Task Force requested, such as sharing surface movement data for better collaborative decision making. Working to help airports safely increase throughput on closely spaced as well as converging or intersecting runways. Also working to safely increase access to the NAS for all operators, and provide controllers with the tools and operator procedures they need to enable the safest, most efficient, economical and environmentally friendly routes of travel. Our nation's airports are among our most important partners in these endeavors. In the face of increasing demand, airports are being called on to provide additional capacity in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. We will realize significant benefits from integrated airport planning and terminal airspace redesign projects that deliver new airport infrastructure served by PBN capabilities. In this Plan, the FAA highlights the critical contributions America's airports have made in support of the NextGen transformation. This year's update reiterates the FAA vision for the operational environment between now and 2018. That vision includes improvements at every phase of flight, and it fundamentally changes the way things work in the NAS. Common weather and system status information will dramatically improve flight planning. Technologies such as ADS-B and Data Communications, combined with PBN procedures and the policies that enable them, will increase safety and capacity and save time and fuel, decreasing carbon emissions and improving the ability to address noise. With NextGen, the FAA will continue to advance safety as it looks ahead at increasing air traffic and the introduction of very light jets, unmanned aircraft systems and commercial space flights. To continue to minimize risk the FAA will introduce a wave of new systems and procedures over the next decade, the aviation community will continue to rely on Safety Management Systems, integrated safety cases and other proactive management processes that allow the FAA assess the safety risk of all the proposed changes. Policy, procedures and systems on the ground and in the flight deck enable the mid-term system. The FAA will make the most of technologies and procedures that are in use today, as they introduce new systems and procedures that will fundamentally change air traffic automation, surveillance, communications, navigation and the way information is managed. In addition to the advanced systems and procedures develop through the NextGen transformational programs and solution sets, the mid-term system depends on coordination with and support from FAA specialists on safety, airports, the environment, policy development and the other building blocks of a modern air traffic management system. FAA information and management systems must keep all these activities synchronized as they approach the mid-term, reach it and move forward. The FAA will use a strategic Environmental Management System approach to integrate environmental and energy objectives into the planning, decision making and operation of NextGen. Under the Continuous Lower Emissions, Energy and Noise program, the FAA is targeting partnerships with industry to advance noise and emissions reductions, while improving energy efficiency. The FAA will continue to accelerate the certification and implementation of sustainable alternative fuels for use by aircraft fleets. As airports and other segments of the greater aviation community already are starting to reap the benefits of NextGen capabilities, the best is yet to come. The FAA latest estimates indicate that by 2018, NextGen will reduce total flight delays by about 21 percent, providing $22 billion in cumulative benefits to the traveling public, aircraft operators and the FAA. During this same period, it is expect to save more than 1.4 billion gallons of fuel from air traffic operations alone, cutting carbon emissions by nearly 14 million tons. These conservative estimates make the case for NextGen and affirm that the path we are traveling with aviation partners is the right one. As the FAA moves forward, they remain keenly focused on safety as the FAA's top priority. They will vet each new system and procedure through the agency's safety management system process. The FAA's Aviation Safety and Information Analysis and Sharing program, in use today, will monitor the NextGen operational capabilities to identify any precursor risks. NextGen's benefits are not limited to America's borders. Just as they FAA is working with the international community to ensure that their technology systems work seamlessly with one another, the FAA is working to standardize global operational procedures that better protect our environment. The FAA remains confident it will achieve NextGen, but they are fully aware that the road to success will be challenging. Undertaking NextGen is extremely complex, in part because systems in various stages of development and maturity are interdependent and will be implemented in a variety of time frames. NextGen's increasing dependency on aircraft-centric capabilities means that the FAA must rely on operators' willingness to equip. The FAA will not see real performance improvements until operators are properly equipped to reap the benefits of those capabilities. We are managing the uncertainties inherent in such a large-scale undertaking by using a portfolio management approach for NextGen development and deployment. Many people will benefit from the NextGen - whether they travel frequently by air or never fly at all. Travelers will enjoy fewer delays and safer, more predictable trips. People living in neighborhoods near airports will experience less aircraft noise and emissions. And communities will make better use of their airports, strengthening the local economy. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HAI Releases New, Online Aviation Wire Strike Safety Awareness Video Helicopter Association International (HAI) has released a new, online aviation wire strike safety awareness video. "Surviving the Wires Environment" is posted as a streaming video on the HAI Web site www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2736, and can be viewed for free by HAI members and nonmembers. The video was produced in cooperation with Southern California Edison (SCE) and AEGIS Insurance Services, Inc. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, wire and obstruction strikes are the top operational cause for fatal rotorcraft accidents. Over the last decade there has been an average of one aviation obstruction strike every five days in the U.S. Nearly 30 percent of all collisions are fatal and the number nearly doubles when the aircraft is operating in or around instrument meteorological conditions or at night. "There is a tremendous need in the aviation community for a safety awareness tool such as this video," said Ed DiCampli, HAI's Executive Vice President and corporate secretary. HAI reported that the video was viewed more than 4,500 times during the first week it was online, and more than 6,892 times from February 22 through March 8. "Every pilot - fixed-wing or rotary; experienced or newly licensed - needs to watch this video," said DiCampli. He said the wires environment is becoming more crowded with obstructions every day. "The majority of these new obstructions are not indicated on aviation charts, and they are not required to have markings or warning systems," DiCampli said. He added that the low-level air space is becoming increasingly more crowded with man-made obstructions. "About 7,000 new aviation hazards, such as radio antennas and communication towers, are being built every year, and the charts cannot keep up with those changes." In addition, SCE's Chief Pilot 'TC' Corell said the U.S. electric utility grid is expanding dramatically and thousands of new transmission and distribution towers, and thousands of miles of new wires, are being built every year. The safety video identifies the key hazards and issues every pilot needs to know and understand to be safer when operating in low-level flight operations. The story is told through interviews with pilots who have survived obstruction collisions, and features comments from some of the leading experts in aviation collision avoidance. The video explores the intricacies of pilot vision and reviews the key components of a comprehensive utility pilot/ground crew safety training program. The producers emphasize that the video is not a substitute for a formal wire avoidance training program. About HAI HAI is a professional trade association representing 3,000 plus members, in 74 nations, who safely operate more than 5,000 helicopters approximately 2.3 million hours each year. HAI is dedicated to the promotion of the helicopter as a safe, effective method of commerce, and to the advancement of the international helicopter community. About AEGIS AEGIS is a leading provider of insurance coverage and loss control services for energy and related companies. Back to Top [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103168822791&s=6053&e=001bDEW5yXyz9eRFZzcqAN95GpNWEXq0hsiVfJy5KjEwCEGC409Pt5NS6NX6sjgx18uDs_S__lcezK0t49hern3ztKH0XJougRV] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AP source: No-fly list nearly doubles since attack WASHINGTON (AP)- An intelligence official says the government has nearly doubled the number of people on the no-fly list since the attempted Christmas Day attack near Detroit. The official says that in the two months since a Nigerian man tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airplane, the government's list of suspected terrorists banned from flying grew from about 3,400 to 6,000. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues. The list expanded, in part, to add people associated with al-Qaida's Yemen branch and others from Nigeria and Yemen with potential ties to the alleged would-be bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Reviewing and updating the no-fly list were among President Barack Obama's immediate responses to the Dec. 25 attack. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cockpit Voice Recorder Legislation Opposed By CAPA March 10, 2010. The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) which represents over 28,000 pilots, strongly opposes legislation introduced by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) (S.3048) to allow the use of Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR's) as a means of punishing airline pilots found to be violating sterile cockpit and other established procedures while flying. Sen. DeMints' language would turn back the clock on every safety improvement the industry has attained in the last fifteen years of voluntary aviation safety programs. Neither the FAA nor NTSB supports the use of these devices as in-flight monitoring and disciplinary tools. The NTSB supports routine downloading of CVR data for use in voluntary safety reporting programs. Although, they specifically stated that for this information to be useful as a tool in mitigating aircraft incidents and accidents it should be de-identified to protect the confidentiality of the crewmembers and airlines involved. Since its' development as an accident investigation tool, CVR's have always been a forensic method to determine causal matters related to aircraft accidents. Expanding their uses to include the "real time" monitoring and punishment of pilots is misguided, and to expect airline flight crews to work in such an environment as a means of enhancing aviation safety is wrong. Such a measure would actually harm flight safety by suppressing the necessary communications required to effectively manage the cockpit. CAPA's President, "This bill would destroy voluntary safety reporting programs such as Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)" said Captain Paul Onorato. "It would also reduce safety in commercial airline operations by inhibiting the free flow of information required to evaluate and improve system performance; these programs in use by some airlines have led to the evolution of a mature and improved safety culture among the major US Airlines and must not be abandoned", he added. CAPA calls on all each member of the Senate to strongly oppose any measure by Sen. DeMint and others to effect this change and irreparably harm our aviation safety system in America. The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations is a trade association which represents over 28,000 professional pilots at carriers including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, UPS, ABX Air, US Airways, Atlas Air Cargo, Kalitta Air, Polar Air Cargo, and NetJets. Below is a copy of Legislation (S.3048) by Senator Jim DeMint. At this time DeMint has no cosponsors. Feb 26, 2010 - Introduced in Senate. This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the Senate for consideration. This is the latest version of the bill. S 3048 IS 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3048 To improve air safety by authorizing the limited use by air carriers of information collected through cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, to prohibit tampering with such devices, and for other purposes. In The Senate Of The United States: February 26, 2010: Mr. DEMINT introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL: To improve air safety by authorizing the limited use by air carriers of information collected through cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, to prohibit tampering with such devices, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Section 1. Short Title: This Act may be cited as the 'Pilot Professionalism Assurance Act'. SEC. 2. USE OF FLIGHT INFORMATION. (a) Authorization- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, or any provision in a private contract, air carriers may use information obtained from a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder-- (1) To discipline or discharge a pilot or flight engineer for actions that endanger the safety or well being of passengers; (2) To defend itself in any discipline or discharge grievance proceeding; (3) To evaluate or monitor the judgment or performance of an individual pilot or crew member; (4) To justify or require a pilot's submission to a proficiency check or line check; or (5) For any other purpose relating to improving the safety or well being of passengers. (b) Confidentiality- Each air carrier that has obtained information pursuant to subsection (a) shall keep such information confidential and may only disclose such information to the extent required in an administrative or judicial proceeding. SEC. 3. TAMPERING WITH COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER OR FLIGHT DATA RECORDER PROHIBITED. (a) In General- No person may tamper with, disable, or destroy any cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder installed on a commercial aircraft. (b) Penalties- (1) IN GENERAL- Any person who violates the prohibition described in subsection (a) may be fined up to $2,000 and imprisoned for not more than 5 years. (2) COMMERCIAL PILOT- If a commercial pilot violates the prohibition described in subsection (a)-- (A) The air carrier employing such pilot shall immediately terminate such employment; and (B) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall immediately revoke the airman certificate issued to the pilot under section 44703 of title 49, United States Code. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cuba Names New Civil Aviation Chief HAVANA - President Raul Castro named Brig. Gen. Ramon Martinez to head Cuba's Civil Aviation Institute, replacing Maj. Gen. Rogelio Acevedo, state media said Tuesday. The press said that Cuba's Council of State, the communist-ruled island's supreme governing body, decided to "liberate" Acevedo, to whom "other tasks will be assigned," without specifying the reasons for his removal from office after 20 years as head of civil aviation, a Cabinet post. Martinez, up to now deputy commander of Cuban air defense, studied to be a helicopter pilot in the former Soviet Union. The appointment joins a long list of changes that Gen. Castro has made in his Cabinet since he formally succeeded ailing older brother Fidel as president in February 2008. A year ago he announced the most extensive government shake-up in the last 15 years, with the dismissal of four vice presidents and eight ministers. EFE http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=353433&CategoryId=14510 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103168822791&s=6053&e=001bDEW5yXyz9d7LHX0xfwcWusZXnOg-jM4KYue5dOA0weylTD8As0a6GQGVNxQ-SGF0uoIy9qyRP9-kcBBGObpXkSB4DrFeSLTpA5J0rBuAhZinbclvvfQ3y53NiMeULQ_hc8ei-mjKGL6TFflE6VZbwz75TjyNwAsNPoneHOrBdtLGcy3jDBWew==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC