Flight Safety Information April 13, 2011 - No. 075 In This Issue Air France Superjumbo Spins Commuter Jet Like A Top Ageing Air NZ pilots 'refuse to retire' Air France crash: Tail section found on Atlantic seabed Aviation safety: New computer tool forecasts icing hazards FAA assigns Barbados Category 2 ENAC suspends ItAli Airlines' AOC Graduate Research Survey (ERAU - Prescott) Safety Science Department Holds Safety Day Graduate Research Survey Air France Superjumbo Spins Commuter Jet Like A Top Experts: Design Flaws, Congestion Likely Part Of JFK Mishap The damaged left wing of the Air France A380 Airbus that clipped a commuter jet on the tarmac at JFK Airport on April 11, 2011. (Image: NTSB) NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Call it a hit and spin. How did a jumbo jet collide with a commuter plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport? Video shows the giant Air France A380 Airbus clipping the smaller plane, tossing it around like a toy, reports CBS 2's Marcia Kramer. Federal investigators are leaving no stone unturned as they probe the freak accident from Monday night. They'll listen to the black boxes and the air traffic control tapes, and hear words people in the airline industry hope they never hear: Pilot: "Commerce 563 just hit us." That radio transmission from the pilot to the tower was the first alert to air traffic controllers that something terrible had happened on the tarmac at JFK - that the world's largest passenger plane collided with a smaller commuter plane. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, and the video, the 800-person capacity Air France mega plane was taxiing to its takeoff position when its left wing clipped the tail of a Comair 120-passenger CRJ 700 commuter plane that had just landed from Boston. The collision spun the smaller plane 90 degrees and heavily damaged both planes. "This was not just two aircraft rubbing up against each other. This was a collision that had quite a bit of energy to it," Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, told 1010 WINS. The big question for investigators is how did the planes collide on the ground. An audio recording of conversations between the JFK controller responsible for coordinating the movement of planes on the tarmac and the two aircraft indicates the Comair plane was trying to exit the taxiway but may have stopped short because of congestion on the ramp - the area where planes park, Voss said. "It was a dark and rainy night and I've been an air traffic controller in a busy facility and I've taxied as a pilot in those circumstances and all you really see is a sea of blinking lights it's difficult to discern exactly where aircraft have stopped," Voss said. "The combination of the congestion, possible distractions and the impediments to visibility probably all played a roll." Aviation expert Norman Cousins told Kramer there is a design flaw in the Airbus. The end of its wings turn up, creating a blind spot. The Airbus pilot couldn't see the smaller plane, he said. "Even if he opened the window on the pilot side and stuck his head out he couldn't get sharp angel to see behind him," Cousins said. Other planes besides the A380 have similar upturned wings - or winglets - including the 727, 747, DC-11 and all the Airbus planes. According to the NTSB there were 18 taxiway collisions nationwide involving 36 planes between 2005 and 2010. Cousins said the Federal Aviation Administration is partially to blame for not requiring cameras or fiber optics that allows pilots to see what's behind their wings. The FAA is participating in the investigation, but a full report may not be ready for months. Cousins said the combined damaged to the planes could near $1 million. The agency confirmed none of the 62 passengers or four crew aboard the Comair jet were hurt in the collision but said it was clear the incident needed to be investigated. "There is a clear understanding between pilots and air traffic controllers on the things to look out for when operating on a congested airport and an accident of this severity on ground control is certainly unusual," Voss said. Back to Top Ageing Air NZ pilots 'refuse to retire' Air New Zealand has dozens of pilots aged over 60, and some over 70, flying some of its biggest planes because they're "creaming it" and refuse to quit. That's according to one pilot who has told the Nelson Mail their refusal to retire was hampering the career prospects of others - like him - and causing headaches for the airline. His revelations follow an Employment Court case in which eight pilots are suing Air New Zealand for millions, claiming they retired or were demoted between 2003 and 2006 without being told that international rules were changing that would have allowed them to continue in their positions. Air New Zealand, like other airlines around the world, promotes its pilots according to seniority and the lifting of retirement age restrictions has seen many hang on to top earning positions longer than they might have otherwise expected. An Air New Zealand pilot who did not wish to be named said the company had about 850 pilots, with more than 100 of these aged over 60 and about three over 70. "For the last 10 years no-one has been retiring. Everyone's been stuck where they are. Air NZ has not hired a pilot in over three years and any hiring in the last five to eight years was primarily due to new aircraft expansion." The most senior pilots captain the biggest planes - those being 747s and now 777s - and they earn between $200,000 and $300,000 a year for doing so. It made no sense for them to retire when they were in such lucrative positions, the pilot said. "The company can't make a redundancy package attractive enough to encourage older pilots to leave. It's all about the money. They're creaming it." While New Zealand has a liberal approach to retirement, international aviation rules prevent anyone over the age of 65 captaining a plane and the combined captain and first officer age is not allowed to exceed more than 120 years. This generated "horrendous rostering problems" for Air New Zealand, the pilot said. "The company has to fudge admin days, which no-one comes to work for, to make the rosters look legitimate." It meant that older pilots barely had to work and the younger ones, those under 60, often got horrible rosters to accommodate their senior peers, he said. The pilot argues that many of those aged over 60 had been employed in their 20s on the premise that the retirement age was 55 and this had created promotion opportunities for them at an early age. "So why should they continue on until 70 and beyond? These pilots do not represent the average Air NZ pilot both in attitude, income and work." Ad Feedback An entry-level pilot on Air New Zealand's jet operations earned about $77,000. The pilot said it was no longer a valid career option, taking into account the cost of training, the low pay received while building up enough flying hours to gain employment with Air New Zealand and the slow career progression. "My career is stuffed, basically, because there's not enough movement in the industry. I probably would have been better off being a plumber." Air New Zealand spokeswoman Tracy Mills declined to discuss the issues raised by the pilot, instead issuing a statement saying the company operated under the rules and regulations set out by the relevant civil aviation authorities. "Air New Zealand has a comprehensive policy for our pilots which exceeds the regulatory requirements," she said. New Zealand Airline Pilots Association acting president Glen Kenny, of Nelson, said Air New Zealand's promotion regime was no different to that used by other airlines around the world. New Zealand had led the way with human rights legislation preventing age discrimination, he said. "You have to look at the big picture." The pilots now at retirement age were part of the baby boomer generation and had "probably enjoyed one of the best periods of prosperity in the industry that we'll see". "They will eventually move on. I do know the younger generation, they want everything now. It's almost the green-eyed monster. They can see what's occurred and they wish it could have occurred for them." But there will still be opportunities for young pilots down the track, Mr Kenny said. The aviation industry in Asia-Pacific was expected to almost double in size during the next 20 years. "We're seeing more pilots effectively work offshore but live in New Zealand. They enjoy far superior remuneration and working conditions than they will ever enjoy working for a New Zealand company. We're just becoming a far more globalised workforce. I think that's what the younger pilots have to keep in mind." http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4882356/Ageing-Air-NZ-pilots-refuse-to- retire Back to Top Air France crash: Tail section found on Atlantic seabed (BBC) The bodies of many of the 228 victims were also found on the ocean floor Continue reading the main story Related Stories The tail section of an Air France plane which crashed over the Atlantic in 2009 has been found on the ocean floor, relatives of those killed have said. Investigators had told them the section was "relatively intact", they added. The discovery has raised hopes that the "black boxes", which were located at the rear of the jet, may be recovered. The voice and data recorders could yield crucial clues about the cause of the crash that killed 228 people on the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. There has been speculation that malfunctioning speed sensors were to blame, but officials say other factors must also have contributed. Wreckage retrieval Nelson Marinho of the Brazilian victims' family association said French Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA) officials had told them during a meeting in Paris on Monday that the "tail section had been found and that it was relatively intact so the black boxes are possibly still attached to it". "I am 99% certain the black boxes will be recovered," he said. BEA spokeswoman Martine Del Bono urged caution about the news. "We are working intensely under a very short time span to have a maximum amount of information to able to find the black boxes," she said. "But we don't know where they are right now - we have to find them at the site." Maarten Van Sluys, another member of the Brazilian victims' family association, said there was also concern about the condition of the black boxes after two years sitting in corrosive seawater under immense pressure, nearly 4km (2.5 miles) below the surface of the ocean. "They made it clear that they could not guarantee that the content of the black boxes would be able to be retrieved," he told the Associated Press. Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic north-east of Brazil on 1 June 2009, after running into an intense high-altitude thunderstorm. Automatic messages sent by the Airbus 330's computers showed it was receiving false air-speed readings from its sensors. The French transport ministry has said that the ship Ile de Sein, which is equipped with a remotely-operated submarine, will leave Cape Verde on 21 April to begin retrieving parts of the wreckage. The bodies of many of the victims were also found at the site. Back to Top Aviation safety: New computer tool forecasts icing hazards BOULDER-Aircraft safety is getting a boost from a new computer-generated forecast that provides pilots with critical weather information on the likelihood of encountering dangerous in-flight icing conditions. Each year in the United States, 20-40 aircraft accidents are linked to in-flight icing encounters. Icing conditions, created by water droplets from clouds that freeze on the surface of an aircraft, can affect air travel anywhere, especially during colder months. Hazardous icing conditions cost the U.S. aviation industry an estimated $20 million annually in injuries, aircraft damage, and fuel. Icing buildup on the wing of a small aircraft. (ŠUCAR. This image is freely available for media use. For more information, see Media & nonprofit use.*) The Forecast Icing Product with Severity, or FIP-Severity, provides 12-hour icing forecasts that are updated hourly for pilots, air traffic controllers, and other users of aviation weather information who plan their flight paths over the continental United States. It was developed by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), with funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. "In-flight icing can create extremely dangerous conditions for pilots," says NCAR scientist Marcia Politovich, who leads in-flight icing research at NCAR. "Recognizing the potential for icing conditions to develop over time and the degree of severity are both crucial for safe flight planning." FIP-Severity will most benefit commuter planes and small aircraft, says Politovich. Such aircraft are more vulnerable to icing hazards because they cruise at lower, ice-prone altitudes, below 24,000 feet. They also may lack mechanisms common on larger jets that prevent ice buildup, such as heated wing edges. In January, the Aviation Digital Data Service began displaying icing products generated by the FIP-Severity program. ADDS, which operates out of the National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, provides digital and graphical weather forecasts, analysis, and observations to the aviation community. FIP-Severity is a computer-based forecast of the probability of icing based on an analysis of temperature and humidity data associated with clouds, which are the source of in- flight icing. The automated algorithm gathers real-time information from satellites, radars, weather models, surface stations, and pilot reports, and determines the probability of encountering icing, its expected severity, and the likelihood of large droplet icing conditions. This capability is an update to NCAR's original Forecast Icing Product (FIP), which has been in operation for several years but only calculated an uncalibrated icing "potential." The Current Icing Product (CIP) depicts severity and probability of an encounter with icing, but only for current conditions. Requests from users for more detailed information led to the development of FIP-Severity. "This tool improves users' abilities to map flight paths across the country with safety and efficiency in mind," says Politovich. Mechanisms of icing Icing conditions require supercooled liquid water drops-cloud drops, drizzle, or rain that exist at temperatures lower than 32°F (0°C). In-flight icing occurs when water droplets from clouds freeze on the surface of an aircraft. "Supercooled" large drops with diameters greater than 50 microns are particularly dangerous because they rapidly impede an airplane's aerodynamics. Icing can increase drag and decrease lift, ultimately causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. Both local- and regional-scale weather patterns, particularly air rising over frontal systems or mountain ranges, play a role in creating icing conditions. "We often see warm or cold fronts, low pressure systems, and rising convective air masses associated with icing encounters," Politovich says. Commercial jets generally fly above 29,000 feet, much higher than typical icing altitudes, and are equipped with de-icing systems. Even with these systems, however, commercial pilots prefer to avoid icing risks. Adding severity information to FIP assists pilots in safe and efficient route planning around potential hazards. Solving data conflicts The FIP-Severity computer software incorporates measurements of temperature at the tops of clouds, humidity levels in vertical columns in the atmosphere, and other atmospheric variables. It then employs a "fuzzy logic" algorithm, somewhat similar to the human thought process, to identify cloud types and the likelihood of precipitation aloft. "Fuzzy logic helps us analyze and discern among information that can sometimes conflict so we can more accurately identify those clouds that present an especially high risk of icing," Politovich says. "The program weighs each factor associated with icing, and once all the data have been examined, it provides a probability and severity forecast." A study in 2004 by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that in-flight icing was responsible for dozens of accidents a year, mostly among smaller, general aviation aircraft. An estimated 819 people died in accidents related to in-flight icing from 1982 to 2000, with most accidents occurring between the months of October and March, according to the study. This research is in response to requirements and funding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the FAA. http://www2.ucar.edu/news/4296/aviation-safety-new-computer-tool-forecasts-icing- hazards Back to Top FAA assigns Barbados Category 2 US FAA assigned Barbados a Category 2 safety rating, which means that Barbados does not comply with international safety standards set by ICAO, based on an assessment by Barbados' civil aviation authority. As a result, Barbados' air carriers, which do not currently serve the US, cannot establish US service. An International Aviation Safety Assessment Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping or inspection procedures, FAA stated. http://atwonline.com/international-aviation-regulation/news/faa-assigns-barbados- category-2-0412 Back to Top ENAC suspends ItAli Airlines' AOC Italian carrier ItAli Airlines has had its air operator's certificate revoked by the country's aviation regulator. Italy's civil aviation administration ENAC says in a statement that ItAli's AOC was suspended on 11 March due to the carrier's "critical situation". Earlier this year it emerged that ItAli, which became the first Western customer for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in 2007, had been dropped from Superjet International's firm order book. A Superjet International spokeswoman told ATI in January that the order was "on hold" because ItAli was facing difficulties and was in the process of establishing itself under new management. Pescara-based ItAli had ordered 10 Superjet 100s with 10 options, which it had been planning to use to replace its fleet of Boeing MD-80 and Dornier 328Jet aircraft. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Graduate Research Survey The research I am conducting is on how automation effects pilot situational awareness and workload. My target population is pilots with experience flying automated flight decks. The link to the survey is below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G3YFC86 Thank you, Chris Hawzen Back to Top (ERAU - Prescott) Safety Science Department Holds Safety Day The Safety Science Department held its inaugural Safety Day last Friday. Under the supervision of the American Society of Safety Engineers and help from the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, graduate students in the Safety Science Department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott campus helped organize the event, which showcased the students' projects and facilities, and featured several presentations regarding the critical role of safety in the aviation industry. As part of the Safety Day, Captain Al Haynes, a former airline pilot who, with the rest of his crew, greatly reduced the loss of life by crash-landing a stricken DC-10 jetliner at Sioux City Airport, spoke about his experiences during that flight and the importance of emergency preparedness and crew training. Additionally, professor Bill Waldock of the Safety Science Department also gave a presentation about aviation safety. Tours of the Robertson Aviation Safety Center were also held, and included the ergonomics lab, the UAV flight simulator, the aviation accident archives, and a special camera used at the Thermodynamics Test Facility near the Robertson Aviation Safety Center. Due to the poor weather, however, all outdoor activities were moved inside, a planned analysis of a real aircraft wreckage being cancelled. Inside, countless damaged or destroyed aircraft components were exhibited as part of the educational experience centered on aviation safety. A free lunch meal was also provided along with prizes. The Master of Science in Safety Science Program, the only graduate program offered at ERAU Prescott, is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious degrees offered at the university. Leela Laxpati, a student in the MSSS program and organizer of Safety Day went as far as to say, "Some students don't even know we exist!" Therefore, Safety Day was a calculated and effective method of generating interest in the Safety Science Program. With the intentent of making Safety Day an annual event, the Safety Science students hope to provide a fun and educational experience with which to showcase their projects and teach the community about the critical importance of safety in all industries. http://media.www.eraunews.com/ Back to Top Graduate Research Survey This survey is part of the research being collected for a Graduate Research Project at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, entitled "Improving Safety and Efficiency of Aerial Firefighting Operations Through Smart Contracting". It is intended for all members of your organization. Please contact me for any questions regarding this survey or my research project, or if you are willing to provide input beyond the scope of this survey. All questions are optional; however I hope that you are willing to complete all that you are able in the name of research. It is expected that less than one hour will be necessary to complete the survey. All information will be anonymised unless specifically authorized by your company not to do so. As a thank-you, all participants will receive a summary of the findings of the project, or the entire report if desired. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/68FMSD9 Frank Shetler (520) 909-1272 Frankshetler@gmail.com Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC