Flight Safety Information June 12, 2013 - No. 117 In This Issue Europe's airports snarled over air traffic control system dispute Pilot Crashes into Deer on Vinton Airport Runway Small plane crashes near Lac du Bonnet Cirrus SR22 Crash: Flight Data Reveals Low Aerobatics ANA Scraps 787 Dreamliner Flight as Engine Fails to Start Annual SMS Audit Results Released Sierra Nevada to flight test synthetic vision to help helicopter pilots land in zero visibility Embry-Riddle Capstone Survey Europe's airports snarled over air traffic control system dispute PARIS - A massive battle is taking place in the skies over Europe - and airplane passengers across the continent are feeling its effects. A plan to simplify the European Union's patchwork air traffic control system and open up more air traffic duties to private enterprise has sparked strikes and job actions by controllers that began Tuesday in France and were to spread Wednesday to 10 other European nations. Nearly two decades after the 27-nation EU began eliminating checks along its land borders, its airspace remains a contentious issue. At the heart of the dispute is the idea of a single European sky - consolidating the continent's hodgepodge air traffic control systems under a sole authority, turning its many scattered air traffic zones into a few regional blocs, opening up bidding on services like weather forecasting and navigation, and easing what European officials say is a looming capacity crunch. About 27,000 flights a day now cross European airspace, for a total of over 9 million a year and most are flying under air traffic management systems that were designed in the 1950s, the European Commission said. Air traffic control workers, however, don't necessarily want to adapt to new proposals put forward by the European Commission on Tuesday. They say they fear threats to passenger safety and to their jobs and claim the EU is yielding to industry pressure to cut costs. "This is a dispute between European technocrats who know nothing about air traffic control and highly trained specialists," said Olivier Joffrin, a French union leader in Paris. Air traffic controllers in France began a series of strikes on Tuesday, forcing the country's main airports to cut their flight timetables in half just as the busy tourist season was beginning. Some 1,800 flights were cancelled. "When I came here they told me the flight was canceled. So I had to buy another ticket ... I couldn't wait for a flight next Saturday," stranded passenger Ahmed Adouani said at Orly airport in Paris, where he was trying to fly to Algiers. Air traffic workers elsewhere in Europe were expected to join over the next 24 hours to varying degrees - from working strictly by the book, to picketing and distributing leaflets, according to the European Transport Workers Federation. The strikes came the same day that EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas called for the speediest possible implementation of the centralization plan, saying the current system's inefficiencies are costing airlines and customers 5 billion euros ($6.6 billion) annually. "The time has come for more decisive action. If we leave things as they are, we will be confronted with heavy congestion and chaos in our airspace," Kallas told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, as he introduced the latest plan. Due to national borders, many flights over Europe take less than ideal routes that the EU has estimated add an average of 42 kilometers (26 miles) to each flight. With jet fuel making up an increasing portion of airlines' costs, and Europe's air traffic expected to increase by 50 percent over the next two decades, the European Commission said acting quickly was crucial. Some aviation experts blamed Europe's zigzag air routes and overlapping controls for the chaos that followed the April 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland. More than 100,000 flights were canceled at the time, affecting an estimated 10 million passengers, as EU countries each imposed different restrictions about how airlines should handle the dangerous volcanic ash floating in the atmosphere. National air traffic controllers are also often very highly paid, an issue that grates in recession-weary Europe. Despite Kallas' plea for speed, transport ministers in France and Germany on Tuesday asked for new delays to the EU airspace program that has already been under discussion for nearly 15 years. Coupled with the strikes, a continued impasse seemed a likely outcome. French Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier said France and Berlin were seeking a formal postponement of the airspace plan at the next European summit. "The plan to create a single European sky is a worthy goal that France initiated, but it has to take into consideration national interests, notably our history of civil aviation," Cuvillier told RTL radio. "This regulatory harassment isn't corresponding to the human side of things, which takes time." France in particular is extremely wary of any plans that could cut French jobs. Kallas countered that even the speeded-up airspace plan would only take full effect in 2020 - giving plenty of time for workers to adjust. "What is the problem? It is a very highly skilled group of people who are doing their job in a very sophisticated area of responsibility," he said. Under the European plan, the continent would be divided into nine airspace blocs, instead of the 27 currently in place. The European Commission estimated that, fully implemented, safety would be improved tenfold, airspace capacity would be tripled and air traffic management costs would be reduced by 50 percent. Francois Ballestero of the Brussels-based European Transport Workers Federation said the European Commission was being unnecessarily confrontational and provoking the controllers' anger. "We don't want it forced on the countries. Why do they have to force us? This is really a dogmatic approach to liberalization," he said. Ballestero said air traffic control workers in 11 countries would take part in the job action, including Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Portugal and Slovakia. But participation was varying widely. In France, entire control towers walked out while in Italy, for example, union members agreed only to distribute information about their concerns. There was no job action in Spain, where air traffic controllers became extremely unpopular after a wildcat strike in 2010 and revelations that they were earning an average of 350,000 euros ($463,600) a year with overtime even during the country's severe economic crisis. Government restrictions on overtime have cut those salaries nearly in half but the air traffic controllers are still reviled by the many Spaniards. Gesine Meissner, a German member of the European Parliament, said the issue has dragged on for years because it's a power struggle. "It is not a technological problem. It is a problem of power," Meissner said. "The United States has the same amount of airspace. It is by far more efficient. It is less costly and better for the environment. It is so bad for Europe that we don't succeed." http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500395_162-57588804/europes-airports-snarled-over-air-traffic-control- system-dispute/ Back to Top Pilot Crashes into Deer on Vinton Airport Runway VINTON, Iowa - A Vinton pilot is still reeling after he struck a deer while trying to land his small airplane this weekend. He had barely touched down when a handful of deer ran across the runway. "It was quite a collision," said Pilot John Stiegelmeyer. According the Federal Aviation Administration's website, there hasn't been a report of a plane hitting a deer at an Iowa airport since October 2006. That accident at the Nash Field Indianola Airport left minor damage to the plane. A plane struck a deer at the Waterloo Regional Airport in 2003 and again at Keokuk Municipal Airport in 2004.There have only been seven reports since the beginning of 2001. Now there's one more for the list, in Vinton. "I didn't have much time," said John Stiegelmeyer. Stiegelmeyer has been a pilot for fifty years. Never once did he think about keeping an eye out for deer. "That's something you never consider, you never think about hitting. Birds yea, there's a lot of birds around this airport," Stiegelmeyer said. Chairman of the board at the airport Tom Boeckmann said he doesn't think anyone has ever hit a deer at the airport. Ironically enough, Boeckmann said the board has been discussing more precautions due to a deer population on the rise. "We have done everything short of having an open season, and that's something we'll certainly explore if it means having a safer place for pilots," Boeckmann said. John now has his hands full with a mangled airplane. The plane, perhaps, means a bit more than others. Stiegelmeyer built it. As John's pilot friends examine the damage, they know it's tough for him. "It's more than just money," said Pilot & Airport Board Member Leon Whelchel. "It's blood sweat and tears, as well." "I'm 72 now, almost 72," said Stiegelmeyer. "It took me six years to build this. Maybe I'll try to buy one or maybe I'll say 'okay maybe this is the way to end my career'." Everyone at the airport said John was lucky to walk away. He did some quick thinking when the deer ran out, but he also knows he had a little help. "Every aviator has some close calls, and I think I have an angel on my left should, I think," Stiegelmeyer said. The airport leaders said the FAA will be out to examine the plane later this week. http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Pilot-Crashes-into-Deer-on-Vinton-Airports-Runway-211121481.html Back to Top Small plane crashes near Lac du Bonnet Two men are in hospital with undetermined injuries after a plane crash about 10 km east of Lac du Bonnet. RCMP said the single engine float plane went down in a field shortly after takeoff around 9 a.m. The Transportation Safety Board's Peter Hildebrand said the crash presents challenges to investigators. "The one thing that happened here, the floats were broken off during the landing. That's why the airplane is sitting right down on its belly, so to speak," Hildebrand said. "That's going to make it a little tougher because we can't look at the bottom of [the plane] very well." Nieghbours said that the owner of the plane is an experienced pilot, however, it is not yet clear if the owner was the one flying the plane at the time of the crash. Police are still at the scene, and the Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/06/11/mb-plane-crash-bonnet.html Back to Top Cirrus SR22 Crash: Flight Data Reveals Low Aerobatics The computers driving modern avionics systems are capable of serving as flight data recorders, and in this case, they reveal the final moments that lead to the death of two pilots in a Cirrus SR22 crash. A video account of the accident is available on YouTube (see below). The cousins, aged 23 and 34, died when their rented Cirrus SR22T crashed after performing an aileron roll that started at a GPS-recorded altitude of less than 250 feet. The Nov. 13, 2011, flight took place in central Florida. Flight data show that, two days before the crash, the pair had rolled the non-aerobatic airplane, as well as flown for extended periods of time at less than 1,000 feet agl and executed 70-degree steep turns close to the ground. The 34-year-old right-seat pilot, who signed the rental agreement for the Cirrus, had logged 4,384 flight hours, including 183 in the make and model. He held extensive pilot ratings, including helicopter, multi-engine and instrument endorsements. According to the NTSB report of the accident, his record also shows that he had submitted a "letter of surrender" to the FAA in 2006, equating to an "unequivocal abandonment" of his commercial certificate. The letter was submitted as a "voluntary surrender in anticipation of FAA certificate action." The NTSB included no further explanation of the circumstances. On the accident flight, a pilot witness said he saw the Cirrus SR22 pitch up to about 30 degrees, then roll to inverted, reverse the roll and then pitch down, hitting the ground in an approximately 80-degree nose-down attitude. The Cirrus Aircraft Owners Association used the flight data from the accident airplane to create the video simulation of the accident flight. Cirrus Fatal #80 Aerobatics in SR22 N661FT near Boynton Beach, FL [13 Nov 2011] http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/accidents/cirrus-sr22-crash-flight-data-reveals-low-aerobatics Back to Top ANA Scraps 787 Dreamliner Flight as Engine Fails to Start ANA Holdings Inc. (9202), operator of the world's biggest fleet of Boeing Co. (BA) 787s, scrapped a service with the Dreamliner today, the third cancellation for the aircraft in Japan this week after a four-month grounding. ANA couldn't use the 787 for the flight from Ube, western Japan, to Tokyo's Haneda airport as the right engine failed to start, said Megumi Tezuka, a spokeswoman at the company. The airline is looking into the cause and said it was separate from the battery issues that had plagued the Dreamliner earlier. Japan Airlines Co. (9201), the world's second-largest Dreamliner operator, also canceled a service with the 787 yesterday after an indicator on a flight bound for Singapore showed problem with the engine anti-icing system. ANA and Japan Air both restarted flights with the plane June 1 after battery malfunctions kept their Dreamliner fleet grounded for more than four months. "I can't imagine there's anything out of the ordinary," said Peter Harbison, executive chairman at the Sydney- based CAPA Centre for Aviation, an industry consultant. "The positive thing is it's not a battery system problem. I wouldn't expect it to affect demand." No Investigation The Japan Transport Safety Board isn't investigating this week's 787 problems in the country as there was no accident and doesn't think they are related to the battery, Masahiro Kudo, an aircraft accident investigator for the agency, told reporters in Tokyo today. Boeing is aware of the issue and was working with ANA to resolve it as soon as possible, Rob Henderson, a Tokyo-based spokesman for the company, said by e-mail. Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc (RR/), the maker of ANA's 787 engines, is also aware of the problem and is working with the airline to support them and understand the problem, Erin Atan, a Singapore-based spokeswoman said by e-mail. ANA cancels about eight to nine flights a day, out of 812 domestic flights, for reasons ranging from weather delays to maintenance, Tezuka said. ANA had a reliability of 98.9 percent on domestic flights in April, she said. On June 10, ANA scrapped a 787 flight to Tokyo from Fukuoka after a sensor next to an engine indicated a possible problem. Boston, San Jose Both carriers, which have a total of 27 Dreamliners, are flying the fuel-efficient aircraft to cities such as Boston and San Jose, California, that wouldn't be profitable with larger planes. The four-month suspension of 787 services cut sales this year, ANA and JAL said, after melting batteries on two jets spurred regulators to park all the planes in January. Japan has been the biggest market so far for Boeing (BA)'s plane, the first jetliner made chiefly of composite plastic materials. That meant ANA and JAL had the broadest disruptions while the aircraft were grounded and Boeing was rushing to find a fix for the lithium-ion batteries. Among the eight Dreamliner operators whose fleets were grounded by the battery problems, Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise began flying again in April while Qatar Airways Ltd., Air India Ltd. and United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) resumed service last month. One of ANA's 787s made an emergency landing on Jan. 16 after smoke from a lithium-ion battery was detected. Nine days earlier, a battery had caught fire on a JAL 787 in Boston. No one was injured in either incident. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered 787s in domestic service grounded, the first such action for an entire model since 1979, and regulators around the world followed suit. The Dreamliner is the only large commercial jet equipped with lithium-ion batteries as part of its power system. The groundings may have reduced ANA sales by about 16 billion yen ($166 million), according to figures from the company. JAL's probably lost 6.5 billion yen in sales due to the groundings, it has said. Boeing redesigned the battery to include more protection around individual cells to contain any overheating, added a steel case to prevent fire and a tube that would vent any fumes outside the fuselage. Carriers began 787 test flights after the FAA approved the battery upgrades. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-12/ana-scraps-787-dreamliner-flight-after-engine-fails-to-start-1- .html?cmpid=yhoo Back to Top Back to Top Sierra Nevada to flight test synthetic vision to help helicopter pilots land in zero visibility FORT EUSTIS, Va., 12 June 2013. U.S. Army helicopter avionics experts say they plan to ask Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, Nev., to integrated and test a prototype synthetic-vision system on a Sikorsky UH-69 helicopter that is designed to help helicopter pilots land safely in zero-visibility conditions. Officials of the Aviation Applied Technology Directorate of the Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command at Fort Eustis, Va., have announced their intention to award contract worth between $2 million and $8 million to Sierra Nevada to integrate and test the company's Helicopter Autonomous Landing System (HALS) aboard an Army UH-60A/L helicopter. The Sierra Nevada HALS avionics uses a 3D image-rendering 94 GHz pulsed radar, global positioning system (GPS), inertial sensors, and cockpit displays to help helicopter pilots view geographic features outside the aircraft during brownouts and whiteouts from dust, snow, or other visual impairments. Landing a helicopter in choking dust or blinding snow can be particularly difficult because pilots can become disoriented easily near the ground as they lose view of the horizon and other visual cues. The HALS system uses radar data translated to color graphic representations on cockpit displays to help helicopter pilots control the aircraft's roll, pitch, and yaw based on radar-generated graphic representations of the ground and nearby geographic features in zero-visibility conditions. Sierra Nevada Corp. has been developing a 94 GHz imaging radar system for synthetic-vision helicopter landing aids since 2005. Army officials say Sierra Nevada is uniquely qualified to integrate and test the HALS prototype on an Army helicopter, and so plan to award this contract sole-source. Sierra Nevada experts will develop HALS software and sensors in support of the Army Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center's Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) mitigation effort, Army officials say. Sierra Nevada will integrate government-furnished radome, two cockpit displays, and radar system electrical harness interface aboard the test UH-60 helicopter. The company also will perform software updates, imagery system enhancements, and engineering support for ground and flight testing. The HALS avionics enables helicopter pilots to take off, land, and fly in all degraded visual conditions, provides visual situational awareness to enable pilots to see and avoid wires, cables, and terrain, and well as follow landmarks in poor visibility. The system also includes Brownout Symbology Software (BOSS), precise guidance to landing in zero visibility, and safe transition from visual to instrument flying conditions. http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2013/06/sierra-nevada-hals.html Back to Top Embry-Riddle Capstone Survey Greetings, My name is Mitchell Serber, and I am a former air carrier pilot and longtime air safety advocate, currently working on my Capstone project through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Worldwide campus. I am a candidate for the Master of Aeronautical Science (MAS) degree with a concentration in Human Factors and have designed this survey around one of my areas of interest related to Loss of Control - Inflight (LOC-I) accident precursors. To be eligible to take this survey, I ask that you meet all of the following criteria: 1. You are a current and qualified FAR Part 121, 125 pilot with an air carrier registered in the United States of America. 2. Your primary air carrier assigned aircraft is multi-engine, turbine powered. 3. Your primary air carrier aircraft is equipped with an autopilot. Your participation in this survey may help advance the research understanding into causal factors of LOC-I accidents and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey is certified anonymous and the SurveyMethods software ensures that I will not be able to identify you or your computer IP address. Any results will be completely de-identified, analyzed, and aggregated prior to publication. There is no remuneration for taking this survey; you are free to withdraw from this survey at any time without any negative consequence If you meet the above criteria, please click on the link below to begin the survey: http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?88ACC0D98CCAD4DC8C Feel free to forward this message to other potential participants. Thank you for your participation! Mitchell L. Serber Curt Lewis