Flight Safety Information June 21, 2012 - No. 127 In This Issue PALPA Aviation Safety Seminar 21 June 2012 Six crew die in Indonesian plane crash Meteorite report grounds firefighting aircraft in Colorado NTSB Issues Safety Alert ARGUS PROS Aviation Auditing Trial operations of Data Link Communication at Mumbai airport Solar Impulse airplane Deaf, blind student gets to fly plane 2012 First Annual FAA Flight Standards Asia-Pacific Meeting Pakistan Air Line Pilot's Association (PALPA) Aviation Safety Seminar 21 June 2012 - Karachi: Curt Lewis & Masood Karim, both of Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC are speakers at the PALPA Aviation Safety Conference in Karachi. The conference is sponsored by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Back to Top Six crew die in Indonesian plane crash An Indonesian military aircraft has crashed into a military housing complex in Jakarta, killing six of the seven crew members on board, an air force spokesman says. "Six out of the seven crew were killed and one was critically injured. That's all we know so far," spokesman Asman Yunus told AFP on Thursday. "We've found no civilian victims so far." The Fokker-27 crashed into a housing complex within the Halim Perdanakusuma military airport compound at 1745 AEST after taking off from the same airport. "The aircraft was conducting training and there were no passengers aboard," Yunus said. "The plane crashed on eight houses," Yunus told Metro TV, which showed footage of houses ablaze and what appeared to be the plane's wing sticking out from the roof of a brick house. Yunus said the injured crew member had been taken to hospital and added the military would look into the cause of Thursday's crash. Indonesia has one of the world's poorest aviation safety records, and military aircraft crashes are relatively common. In early May, a Russian Sukhoi jet on a promotional demonstration flight slammed into a dormant volcano in Java, killing all 45 aboard. A New Zealand pilot and two Indonesians were killed in March after a helicopter chartered by the Indonesian arm of US mining company Freeport-McMoRan crashed in remote Papua province. Indonesia is in the process of updating its ageing military aircraft and equipment, procuring Russian and American warplanes, boats for its navy and parts for its transport planes. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/six-crew-die-in-indonesian-plane-crash- 20120621-20qos.html Back to Top Meteorite report grounds firefighting aircraft in Colorado Authorities say reports of a possible meteorite or meteor shower briefly grounded firefighting aircraft battling a central Colorado wildfire. Meteorologist Scott Entrekin of the National Weather Service says emergency officials in Chafee County reported a possible meteor in the skies near the Springer Fire. They briefly grounded four single-engine aircraft fighting the 1,100-acre blaze west of Colorado Springs. Entrekin said Wednesday that the crews of two commercial aircraft flying over Liberal, Kan., reported what appeared to be a meteorite at 12:47 p.m. MDT. He said the Colorado sighting occurred at about the same time. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has no confirmed reports of a meteorite. It says there were no reported disruptions to commercial airlines. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/20/meteorite-report-grounds-firefighting-aircraft- in-colorado/ Back to Top NTSB ISSUES SAFETY ALERT TO PILOTS ON LIMITATIONS OF IN-COCKPIT WEATHER RADAR DISPLAYS The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday issued a Safety Alert to warn pilots using in-cockpit FIS-B and Satellite Weather display systems that the NEXRAD "age indicator" can be misleading. The actual NEXRAD data can be as much as 20 minutes older than the age indication on the display in the cockpit. If misinterpreted, this difference in time can present potentially serious safety hazards to aircraft operating in the vicinity of fast-moving and quickly developing weather systems. NEXRAD mosaic imagery depicts weather conditions from multiple ground radar sites. The NEXRAD "age-indicator" on the cockpit display indicates the time that the mosaic image was created, not the time of the actual weather conditions. The NEXRAD image is always older than the actual weather conditions. The NTSB has cited two fatal weather-related aircraft accidents in which NEXRAD images were displayed to the pilot that were presented as one-minute old on the age-indicator, but contained information that was up to five to eight minutes behind the real-time conditions. In addition to raising pilot awareness on this issue, the Safety Alert also reminds pilots of the importance of obtaining a thorough preflight weather briefing. http://verticalmag.com/news/articles/20897-ntsb-issues-safety-alert-to-pilots-on- limitations-of-in-cock.html Back to Top Back to Top Trial operations of Data Link Communication at Mumbai airport Pre-departure clearance to aircraft by Air Traffic Control in the country is all set for a major technology upgradation. Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Mumbai Airport has begun trial operations of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance which will eventually replace the present system of pre-departure clearances being given using voice communication. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh launched the trial operations during his recent visit to Mumbai on 18th June, 2012. Secretary, Civil Aviation Dr. Nasim Zaidi and Chairman, AAI Shri V.P. Agrawal were present on the occasion. The new system will eliminate possibility of human error and will enhance safety and efficiency of operations. Pre-departure clearance is an authorization issued by Air Traffic Control to the Pilot regarding the runway to be used, route to be flown from departure to destination and the cruising level that the aircraft is expected to maintain. At present, Air Traffic Controllers, on request from the Pilot of an aircraft, issue pre-departure clearance through voice communication using VHF radio from tower. The Pilots are expected to read back the entire clearance to confirm correct receipt of the same, again through voice communication. Such a procedure for issue of pre-departure clearances using voice may lead to potential misunderstanding between the Pilot and the Controller. In addition, it also results in loss of valuable time for the Pilot waiting for his turn to get the clearance as it is not possible for more than one Pilot to talk to the Controller at a time. The cockpit communication workload and the Controller's communication workload are also considerably increased. The above limitations can be addressed by using Data link communication instead of voice. In the case of issue of pre- departure clearances using Data Link, the Pilot requests the clearance using the Flight Management Computer in the cockpit. The controller gets the information about the aircraft requesting the clearance on his work-station. The Controller selects the appropriate clearance from the data base and at the press of a button the information goes to the cockpit of the aircraft via Data Link. Getting the information both on screen and print via Data Link confirms issue/receipt of correct clearance, saves time for the Pilot and eliminates human errors thereby enhancing safety and operational efficiency. As the Pilots do not have to wait in the queue for obtaining clearance and many aircraft can simultaneously request and obtain clearances, delay to the aircraft is considerably reduced thereby facilitating on-time departure for passengers. In addition to Mumbai, such Data Link Departure Clearance (DLC) Systems are being deployed at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad International Airports. The minister while launching the trial operations of the Data Link Departure Clearance system at Mumbai appreciated this initiative which is the first of its kind by Airports Authority of India. Trial operations of Data Link Communication at Mumbai airport Pre-departure clearance to aircraft by Air Traffic Control in the country is all set for a major technology upgradation. Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Mumbai Airport has begun trial operations of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance which will eventually replace the present system of pre-departure clearances being given using voice communication. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh launched the trial operations during his recent visit to Mumbai on 18th June, 2012. Secretary, Civil Aviation Dr. Nasim Zaidi and Chairman, AAI Shri V.P. Agrawal were present on the occasion. The new system will eliminate possibility of human error and will enhance safety and efficiency of operations. Pre-departure clearance is an authorization issued by Air Traffic Control to the Pilot regarding the runway to be used, route to be flown from departure to destination and the cruising level that the aircraft is expected to maintain. At present, Air Traffic Controllers, on request from the Pilot of an aircraft, issue pre-departure clearance through voice communication using VHF radio from tower. The Pilots are expected to read back the entire clearance to confirm correct receipt of the same, again through voice communication. Such a procedure for issue of pre-departure clearances using voice may lead to potential misunderstanding between the Pilot and the Controller. In addition, it also results in loss of valuable time for the Pilot waiting for his turn to get the clearance as it is not possible for more than one Pilot to talk to the Controller at a time. The cockpit communication workload and the Controller's communication workload are also considerably increased. The above limitations can be addressed by using Data link communication instead of voice. In the case of issue of pre- departure clearances using Data Link, the Pilot requests the clearance using the Flight Management Computer in the cockpit. The controller gets the information about the aircraft requesting the clearance on his work-station. The Controller selects the appropriate clearance from the data base and at the press of a button the information goes to the cockpit of the aircraft via Data Link. Getting the information both on screen and print via Data Link confirms issue/receipt of correct clearance, saves time for the Pilot and eliminates human errors thereby enhancing safety and operational efficiency. As the Pilots do not have to wait in the queue for obtaining clearance and many aircraft can simultaneously request and obtain clearances, delay to the aircraft is considerably reduced thereby facilitating on-time departure for passengers. In addition to Mumbai, such Data Link Departure Clearance (DLC) Systems are being deployed at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad International Airports. The minister while launching the trial operations of the Data Link Departure Clearance system at Mumbai appreciated this initiative which is the first of its kind by Airports Authority of India. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/- aviation/trial-operations-of-data-link-communication-at-mumbai- airport/articleshow/14315441.cms Back to Top Solar Impulse airplane: its second attempt tomorrow to fly to Ouarzazate After a first unsuccessful attempt to reach Ouarzazate, Solar Impulse remains determined to reattempt the challenge of landing in Southern Morocco, a region rich of turbulences and high wind. The solar airplane of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will take-off from Rabat-Salé International airport in the direction of Ouarzazate Thursday 21 June 2012 at 07h00 (UTC+1). The prototype should land late in the night, after midnight (UTC+1), once the thermal activity has stopped. Two itineraries are being evaluated to fly to Ouarzazate. The final decision will only be made a few hours before departure depending on the intensity of high altitude winds. The first itinerary will mostly follow the route of the flight's first attempt. The aircraft will fly in the direction of Casablanca by quickly ascending to a high altitude, avoiding the thermal currents. It will then go in the direction of Marrakesh at an altitude of 8'600 meters before beginning its slow descent into Ouarzazate International airport. The second itinerary will follow the coastline at low altitude, at approximately 1'000 meters, in order to fly below the high winds until Essaouira. From there, the pilot will fly inland before landing at the final destination of Ouarzazate. This flight is an excellent occasion to bring the Solar Impulse project to the next level by pushing the limits of the aircraft and the team. Having proven the technological performance of the aircraft, the difficult meteorological conditions in the region are meant to deal with the aircraft's aeronautical limits while preparing the Solar Impulse team in crisis and risk management ahead of the 2014 world tour. In case of another failure, Solar Impulse will continue to attempt this flight until 26 June. If the meteorological conditions don't turn out to be favorable by this date, the team will have to renounce and make his way back to Switzerland. The choice to reattempt the flight to Ouarzazate is filled with symbolism. Despite the extreme difficulty of flying in this region, Solar Impulse wants to reach this destination because of what will be the world's largest thermo-solar power plant, planned to start production in 2015, and thus continue to provide its full support to Morocco's overall ambitious solar energy plan launch by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen). http://www.avionews.com/index.php?corpo=see_news_home.php&news_id=1142432&pagina_chiamante=index.php Back to Top Deaf, blind student gets to fly plane Katie Inman climbed into the cockpit of the Piper Warrior airplane and put on a thick pair of headphones. The plane roared to life and began taxiing down the runway for takeoff. With her right hand, Katie guided the nose of the plane into the air. With her left, she reached in the back seat of the four-seater plane where her interpreter, Ashley, signed instructions into her hand. Katie, 15, is deaf and blind. On Tuesday, she flew an airplane. The event was coordinated by Linwood Nooe, the director of Operation P.R.O.P., a nonprofit organization that offers free flights to people with disabilities. Nooe, a former private pilot, founded the organization in 2010 with the intention of exposing people to aviation, especially those who may not have ever been able to fly in an airplane. "When you get in an airplane, you forget about everything else," he said. "That's something I wanted to share with people. It doesn't matter what disability you have, you can still fly in a plane." Katie, who lives with her family in Atlantic Beach, was born blind as a result of a genetic disorder that causes her optic nerve to atrophy. Both her mother and her grandmother suffer from vision loss as a result of the same disorder. This condition eventually led to her hearing loss when she was about 8 years old. Since Katie was born with her hearing, she has always been able to speak. Now, however, Katie "hears" mainly through tactile sign language - a form of sign language used by Helen Keller that is signed into Katie's hand so she can feel the words. In March, Katie had her first cochlear implant, so for the first time in years, she has been able to begin relying tentatively on her hearing again, said her mother, Tracie Inman. Katie is scheduled for her second cochlear implant on Thursday, so her hearing is expected to continue to improve. Nooe first offered the thin, vivacious brunette the opportunity to fly when they met at a convention for deaf-blind people. Katie readily agreed, and preparation for the flight began. "She has absolutely no fear," said her father, Kevin Inman. "It's incredible." Katie was Nooe's first participant who was blind and deaf, but he is hopeful she won't be the last. He said he hopes to work with the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind to establish a way for students to learn to fly at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport. Katie is a sophomore at FSDB. She said her friends from school would like to hear about her flight, "but they'll get really jealous." Pilot Donna Tostevin, assistant flight chief instructor at Florida Aviation Career Training, sat in the dual-control cockpit and oversaw the 15-minute flight. She let Katie help guide the plane during takeoff and landing, and once the plane leveled out at about 2,600 feet in the air, she took her hands off her set of controls. "I said, 'OK, Katie, you're flying now,'" Tostevin said after the flight. Tostevin communicated instructions to Katie through Ashley Dalia, a fourth grade teacher at FSDB who has worked with Katie for years. The small plane circled St. Augustine, and Dalia told Katie when they flew over landmarks like the Castillo de San Marcos, the Bridge of Lions and Katie's school. "It was fun!" Katie said afterward, standing on the red-tipped wing of the plane. "I still wanted to go higher," she said. "Maybe next time we'll do more tricks." Her mother, Tracie Inman, said she is so thankful for people like Nooe who help people with disabilities do things they're often told they can't. She said Katie's experience will send a positive message to the students at FSDB. "It doesn't matter what the obstacles are, there's always a way to overcome them," she said. "I always tell Katie the sky is the limit." http://staugustine.com/news/2012-06-20/deaf-blind-student-gets-fly-plane#.T- MH7RdWqb4 Back to Top 2012 First Annual FAA Flight Standards Asia-Pacific Meeting August 14-16, 2012 Long Beach, CA USA The FAA Flight Standards Service is initiating a meeting with the States from the Asia Pacific Region that will provide a unique opportunity to share information on our best practices in the safety oversight of operations and continuing airworthiness with civil aviation authorities in the Asia-Pacific Region. Continuing a tradition of other FAA international outreach activities, this meeting will provide a forum for aviation safety leaders to delve more deeply into the FAA Flight Standards Service activities as well as receive information on safety oversight topics key to the Region. The first two days of the meeting will be open to civil aviation authorities only. The authority only session will be followed by a half day industry session which will provide additional focus on topics related to air carrier operations into the United States. Mr. John Allen, the Director of the Flight Standards Service, will chair this event. Notional topics to be addressed include: International Aviation Safety Assessment Program Technical Review and Technical Assistance FAA requirements for Foreign Air Carrier Service into the United States International Aviation Safety Data Exchange (IASDEx) Ramp Inspection Data Sharing FAA Certification of Maintenance Repair Organizations Pilot Training and Fatigue Risk Management Update to Rulemaking Activities NextGen Safety Management System ICAO Support Initiatives Model Civil Aviation Regulations Government Safety Inspector Training Safety Inspector Training Profiles Work-Tracking System We are also soliciting additional topics of interest that you would like to have addressed at the meeting. Suggested topics can be sent to the contact listed below. Who Should Attend Government aviation standards, certification, operations, and maintenance personnel Industry Participation Half day session on August 16th open to industry representatives Contact For more information, contact: Daniel Chong (202) 385-8076 daniel.chong@faa.gov Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC