Flight Safety Information May 3, 2013 - No. 091 In This Issue U.S. Military Jet Crashes In Kyrgyzstan Corporate jet makes emergency landing in Pittsburgh Pilots sleep as flight attendant turns off autopilot on Bangkok-Delhi flight Airline Safety System Comes to Helicopter Sector Passenger arrested after bloody fist fight on American Airlines flight PROS IOSA Audit Experts Boeing plans to build world's longest-range passenger jet GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Position Wanted:...Pilot Position-First Officer...(Airline/Cargo) U.S. Military Jet Crashes In Kyrgyzstan KC-135s on the tarmac at the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. A U.S. Air Force refueling jet has crashed in Kyrgyzstan near the Manas air base, according to Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS). The plane exploded in mid-air, said a local official, reports Kloop.kg: "The former mayor of the Panfilov region Taalaybek Sydykov said in an interview with Kloop.kg, that... 'Residents of the region who were working in the fields say that there was an explosion in the air and the plane fell behind the mountains.'" A couple of twitter users reported the same. An MChS official told AFP that the plane, apparently KC-135 Stratotanker, crashed after taking off: "According to my information, the plane broke up into three pieces. Information on the dead or wounded is being clarified. All the rescue services have gone to the scene," the ministry's press secretary Abdisharip Bekilov said. The plane crashed near the mountain village of Chaldybar, around 200 kilometres from the capital Bishkek and close to the border with Kazakhstan, the emergency ministry spokesman said. Information about who may have been on board is still sketchy, but CA-News reports, citing MChS sources, that there were five crew members on the flight. The last crash of a KC-135 seems to have been in 1991. So far there is no word from the U.S. military officials at Manas. http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66919 Back to Top Corporate jet makes emergency landing in Pittsburgh A corporate jet made an emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Thursday afternoon after a warning light went on in the cockpit, officials said. The jet landed safely at about 2:20 p.m., with no injuries reported, said airport spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny. It then taxied to Atlantic Aviation, the terminal for private and corporate jets in the former airport passenger terminal, to unload passengers. Atlantic Aviation Operations Manager Jay Hickson said there were no obvious problems with the plane except for the warning light. He had no information on the plane's owners, any passengers, destination or point of origin. No other information was immediately available. http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/3952954-74/airport-corporate-jet#ixzz2SEbSH5vr Back to Top Pilots sleep as flight attendant turns off autopilot on Bangkok-Delhi flight MUMBAI: Two Air India pilots put the lives of 166 passengers on a Bangkok-Delhi flight in danger by taking a 40-minute break from the cockpit and getting two flight attendants to operate the plane in their absence. Their stunt almost ended in disaster after one of the flight attendants accidentally turned off the auto-pilot, forcing the pilots to rush back to their seats. The incident took place 33,000 feet in the air on Air India flight AI 133 (an Airbus 321) from Bangkok to Delhi on April 12, which took off from Bangkok on schedule, at 8.55 am. Thirty minutes later, First Officer Ravindra Nath excused himself from the cockpit for a bathroom break and got flight attendant J Bhatt to occupy his seat in his absense. "According to the guidelines it is a standard procedure to ensure the presence of second person in the cockpit so that if the pilot is not able to operate the aircraft for some reason, the other crew member in the cockpit can immediately call for the other pilot. But what actually happened after this made a mockery of air safety," said a a source in Air India, who did not wish to be named. Minutes after his co-pilot left the cockpit, Captain B K Soni called another flight attendant, Kanika Kala, and asked her to take his seat. Captain Soni did not leave the cockpit immediately; instead, he spent a few minutes teaching the two flight attendants how to operate the aircraft. He left the cockpit after putting the plane on auto-pilot, leaving the flight attendants to operate the flight by themselves for the next 40 minutes while he and his co-pilot took a nap in business class. Putting an aircraft on auto-pilot does not exempt pilots from remaining in the cockpit; their presence is required to monitor the flight's status and turn off auto-pilot if required. This was illustrated perfectly when Captain Soni and First Officer Nath were forced to rush back to their seats after one of the flight attendants accidentally switched off the auto- pilot, endangering the lives of everyone on board. "A senior cabin crew member witnessed the entire drama unfold and brought the matter to the notice of the airline's management. All four were derostered and later suspended for this violation," added the Air India source. Director General Arun Mishra of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), confirmed that all four employees had been suspended. "Following a safety violation, the airline has already suspended the people in question. We are conducting a inquiry into the matter," Mishra told Mumbai Mirror. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, member of a government-appointed aviation safety panel, blamed the 'lackadaisical attitude' of the DGCA for the increase in air safety violations. "The DGCA should be held responsible for the increase in such cases as they have failed time and again to effectively enforce safety guidelines," said Ranganathan. K Swaminathan, deputy general manager (corporate communications), Air India, did not comment on the incident, saying, "Your query has been referred to the concerned department for comment. We will revert to you on receiving their reply." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pilots-sleep-as-flight-attendant-turns-off- autopilot-on-Bangkok-Delhi-flight/articleshow/19860300.cms? Back to Top Airline Safety System Comes to Helicopter Sector The FAA is planning to expand a new safety data collection and analysis system beyond scheduled air carriers to all elements of the aviation community, including helicopters. The move comes as the helicopter industry formally acknowledged earlier this year that, while it has made considerable progress, it will likely fall short of the International Helicopter Safety Team's (IHST) goal of reducing the helicopter accident rate by 80 percent by 2016. Industry efforts to date have resulted in a 30-percent reduction since 2005. The Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system collects information from a wide variety of sources, including flight data recorders. Initially, when the program began in 2007, thirteen airlines and the FAA joined the initiative. The FAA's role is non- punitive. Today, membership has grown to 44 airlines representing 96 percent of commercial airspace operations and 131 safety data sources, according to the FAA. The Mitre Corp. analyzes and safeguards proprietary airline data; integrates it with Mitre's own aviation safety databases covering weather, radar tracks, airspace and traffic and other public data; conducts studies; and builds analysis capabilities. Airline data is shared over Mitre secure servers and includes pilot safety reports and FDR data. Mitre began delivering safety studies generated by the program to the FAA and stakeholders in 2008. The studies had an immediate benefit, including the redesign of airspace in select regions to thwart false Taws alerts. ASIAS also establishes safety measurement benchmarks that allow individual operators to see where they stack up against the industry as a whole. The data trove collected to date is huge. It includes 125,000 aviation safety action program reports, 10 million flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) reports, and 50,000 air traffic safety action program reports. Although the system is relatively new, to date, seven of the 76 safety enhancements proposed by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (Cast) have been derived from ASIAS data. ASIAS also tracks the effectiveness of those enhancements as well as 51 distinct metrics. Twice annually, 500 airline aviation safety professionals share safety information at closed-door "Infoshare" meetings. Issues discussed are linked to ASIAS for early detection and analysis. Helicopter Applications ASIAS is scalable to the helicopter industry, particularly in areas where there is a high concentration of operations such as the Gulf of Mexico, according to several sources familiar with the program. Preliminary discussions have already begun with the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), said Stan Rose, director of safety for the Helicopter Association International (HAI). Morphing ASIAS for helicopters would involve different metrics and data, but similar analysis tools could be used. "The reason the Gulf is attractive is that it is a big enough [data set] and accounts for approximately 25 percent of the helicopter flight hours in the U.S.," Rose said. To a certain degree, major operators in the Gulf are already sharing safety data and other information through the HeliShare program and its quarterly meetings, said Stuart Lau, chairman of the IHST's helicopter flight data monitoring committee. Lau said that current plans are to integrate HeliShare members and their data fully into ASIAS by the third quarter and add major helicopter EMS providers into the group. "The FAA has funded the rotorcraft segment to be included in ASIAS, and we are currently working with operators on memoranda of understanding and other logistical details." Lau said Gulf operators are a natural starting point because they have "the most mature flight data monitoring programs. It's really the beginning stages of ASIAS for us and we are going to continue the quarterly HeliShare meetings. So far it has been successful and at every meeting more events are shared operator to operator. Once we get ASIAS involved we will have the opportunity for directed studies." NTSB member Robert Sumwalt told AIN he thinks the application of ASIAS to the helicopter industry will add to safety management initiatives and be a good way to prevent data siloing. "If you are just stove piping and not sharing information" accidents can result. "You need to collect, analyze and disseminate the information," Sumwalt said, adding that "protocols need to be put in place to make sure that information is not being misused. The ASIAS protocols have been vetted. The air carrier industry has been doing this for a number of years. The ASIAS executive board decides the cases it wants to study and queries its members to check their databases. Nobody at the FAA or at Mitre can tap into member databases. It's been really successful." "This is one of the next steps" the helicopter industry must make to further reduce its accident rate, Sumwalt said. "Until it does it is not going to make any appreciable improvement on the accident record until it is willing and able to go to this next step. The IHST effort has been fairly successful, but if they want to continue the uphill climb, they have to go to the next level, which is something like [ASIAS]." Sumwalt said that for the helicopter industry to hit a plateau in the accident reduction rate is not unusual, based on the airlines' experience with safety goals set by Cast, widely acknowledged as the model for the IHST, in the 1990s. "Even that model had to move the goal post a couple of times, but they still did a heck of a lot and they still did make a difference. Good safety is good business. ASIAS is a good model to share information in a non-threatening way." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-05-02/airline- safety-system-comes-helicopter-sector Back to Top Passenger arrested after bloody fist fight on American Airlines flight DALLAS -- Two first-class passengers on an American Airlines jet got into a bloody fist fight during a short flight from San Antonio to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Tuesday. Scott Warren Prascher, 33, of McKinney had been drinking either before or during American flight 1554 before it arrived at 6 p.m. on April 30, according to a report from DFW Airport Police. Deacon Cooper, also 33, said Prascher was sitting across the aisle from him in first-class and kept interrupting Cooper's conversation with another passenger. "Cooper stated that Prascher was extremely intoxicated and would not stop cursing and bothering him," the police report stated. "When Prascher called Cooper a 'fat f**ker,' Cooper stated he had enough and backhanded Prascher in the face with his right hand." Prascher then removed his seat belt and jumped on top of Cooper trying to hit him, police said. Cooper never left his seat, according to investigators. A witness told News 8 that he and a U.S. Army brigadier general aboard the flight pulled Prascher off Cooper and held him down until the plane arrived at Terminal A, Gate 33. The American Airlines captain radioed the FAA Tower of the incident and two D/FW Airport police officers were awaiting the flight. Officers said Cooper had Prascher's blood on his face and shirt. The FBI declined to prosecute Cooper for assault and released him, the report stated. But D/FW Airport Police charged Prascher with public intoxication. The McKinney man did not immediately return messages left for him. Cooper, who was not charged, sai d he is considering his legal options. http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Victim-arrested-after-bloody-fist-fight-on-American- Airlines-flight-205856461.html Back to Top Back to Top Boeing plans to build world's longest-range passenger jet A worker stands in front of an engine on the Boeing 777 at their assembly operations in Everett, Washington, October 18, 2012. PARIS/DUBAI (Reuters) - Boeing has shown airlines a blueprint for the world's longest- range passenger jet, adding spice to a long-awaited revamp of its 777 wide-body jet, people familiar with the matter said. Boeing on Wednesday launched a race against Airbus for sales of the newest long-haul jets by announcing it had begun selling an upgraded aircraft family code-named 777X. First seen in the 1990s, the 777 cornered the market for large twin-engine aircraft able to fly routes previously only possible with four engines, earning it the nickname "mini- jumbo." Analysts say the 777 is Boeing's most profitable plane, thanks largely to the 777-300ER, a 365-seat version that began operations in 2004. Most of the industry's attention is now focused on a future 400-seat version known as the 777-9X, which is Boeing Co's response to a growing challenge from the largest version of Europe's newest aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000. But talks between Boeing and potential buyers have also generated interest in a 777-8X that would be a successor to the 777-200LR, the industry's current distance champion, with a range of more than 9,300 nautical miles, people briefed on the talks said. The 777-8X, boasting a range of 9,500 nautical miles, would be designed for some of the world's longest trips such as from the Middle East to South America. "They are offering an ultra-long range aircraft in the 777-8X," said an industry source briefed on the plans. "It'll be the longest range aircraft in the business." Boeing declined to comment on specifics, but spokeswoman Karen Crabtree said the company is working with customers to fine tune the details. Experts say ultra-long range planes deliver mixed benefits to airlines and so far the market for them remains a niche, overshadowed by the juggernauts designed for trunk routes. That is because when modern aircraft fly the longest 15-hour flights, the first few hours are spent mostly burning the fuel needed to carry even more fuel for the rest of the flight. These aircraft "carry more fuel to carry more fuel," said consultant Richard Aboulafia of Virginia-based Teal Group. "They need a very big wing with lots of (fuel storage) capacity, which means lots of structure and weight." Fuel is not the only source of extra weight. The long journey times also mean loading extra meals and a reserve crew, so that the fuel burned per hour - a measure of efficiency - can end up greater than if the plane simply stopped en route. Airlines must balance this against any extra revenue they can charge for a direct flight and the ability to eliminate the fuel wasted in climbing and descending twice, as well as en-route landing fees and other costs linked to a stopover. NICHE MARKET Proof that ultra-long haul is not for everyone is contained in a quick comparison of sales for comparable existing models. Boeing has sold 59 of its 777-200LR endurance jet, which entered service in 2007, compared with 687 of the shorter-range but highly popular 777-300ER. Air India has announced plans to sell 5 777-200LR's and one industry source said some or all could end up being acquired by the government for VIP transport. Air India declined comment. Before the 777-200LR, the industry's previous long-distance record-holder, the Airbus A340-500, was capable of flying 9,000 nautical mile on polar routes yet notched up fewer than 40 sales. Production was halted in 2011, driven also by a wider slowdown in sales for all but the largest four-engine aircraft. Reflecting thinner demand for super-long haul, the 777-8X is expected to take a backseat to the 777-9X, which is seen as the main weapon in an all-out defense of Boeing's mini- jumbo franchise. The main model is slated to enter service at the end of the decade. Nonetheless, recent public presentations suggest Boeing is confident the significantly enlarged wing and more powerful engines designed for the main 777-9X model will give airlines the flexibility to use the 777-8X spin-off more efficiently. Randy Tinseth, vice president of Boeing marketing, told financiers in January the 777X would have "significantly lower operating cost" and greater payload and range ability. Airbus says its 350-seater is the right size and costs less to run. As both sides trot out competing claims, the 777 vs A350 contest is likely to spark a fierce debate on technology - just as the industry digests the lessons of recent technical troubles on the 787 Dreamliner and, before that, the A380 superjumbo. Boeing is expected to argue that its decision to keep the 777's metal fuselage and focus on new carbon-fiber wings will marry increased performance with a proven record of reliability. Airbus argues its A350-1000, the largest variant of its A350 family, will be cheaper to run because the whole plane, not just the wings, will be mainly built of lightweight carbon fiber. Ironically, the two rivals are taking roughly opposite positions at the smaller end of the market for wide-bodied jets, where Boeing is pushing a possible all-composite stretched version of its 787 Dreamliner against the traditional A330, an older plane marketed on reliability and availability. Both the 777 and A330 are important cash cows, helping to produce the funds needed to pay for ground-breaking developments such as the 787 and A350. http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-plans-build-worlds-longest-range-passenger-jet- 063257587.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST: Department of Systems Design Engineering University of Waterloo PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR INVESTIGATING INTEGRATION OF NON-COOPERATIVE UAVS INTO CONTROLLED AIRSPACE We are looking for volunteers to take part in an online survey study examining controllers and pilots' perspectives on the information about non-cooperative object (i.e. birds, unmanned aircraft systems, weather, etc.) that should be gathered by surveillance systems. The results will be used as a foundation to provide mitigation strategies for current radar surveillance systems on how the non-cooperative objects, especially unmanned aircraft, should be displayed. This project is conducted under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Histon. In order to participate in the study, you are expected to have professional working/training experience as an air traffic controller or pilot. In the survey, you would be asked to answer questions about your experience with non-cooperative unmanned aircraft, your preference of information level of detail regarding the display of unmanned aircraft, and potential factors that would affect your communication with the pilots/controllers. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, which can be finished whenever and wherever at your convenience, as long as you have the access to the internet. Please be noted that no login and passwords are required, therefore the survey has to be completed at one sitting. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Although no monetary remuneration will be given, your commitment is greatly appreciated. To volunteer for this study, please click: http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1118696/Registration For more information about the study, please contact: Xiaochen Yuan Systems Design Engineering at xiaochen.yuan@uwaterloo.ca This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the Office of Research Ethics, University of Waterloo. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST: Asking for your Participation in an Online Questionnaire regarding Air Rage during Commercial Air Transportation My name is Peter Kneer. I am a retired German Air Force jet pilot currently working at the German military aviation test center at Manching, Bavaria. I am also working on my Capstone Project at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The intent is to look into Air Rage / Unruly Passengers in order to get a more thorough understanding of the phenomena, to see and predict trends, and to possibly provide recommendations. With this in mind I would kindly ask airline and airport representatives engaged with this topic to participate in this online survey. Please use the following link to access the AIRLINE SURVEY or paste https://www.umfrageonline.com/s/82349f1 in your browser. Please use the following link to access the AIRPORT SURVEY or paste https://www.umfrageonline.com/s/21d105f in your browser. All responses you provide for this study will remain confidential. If you have any question, concern, or suggestion, please feel free to contact my using my ERAU address kneerp@my.erau.edu Thank you very much for your participation in this research project. Kind regards Peter Kneer Back to Top Position Wanted: Pilot Position-First Officer (Airline/Cargo) Experienced international airline aviator with 8,000+ total flying hours; in excess 2000 hours of B777, 2200 hours of B737, and 1800 hours of A310 experience. Verifiable record of no violations. Solid training record- has passed all commercial airline and check rights on first attempt. Continuous employment in aviation. Dependable employee- 0 no. - Shows throughout career. Facilitate open communication and mutual respect among all work groups. Committed to Safety First. Firm Advocate of Crew Resource Management. U.S. Citizen Contact: jahanzeb737@yahoo.com Curt Lewis