Flight Safety Information September 26, 2013 - No. 199 In This Issue Offshore helicopter operators announce joint review to enhance flight safety Both pilots fell asleep on jet leaving plane in autopilot Registration Now Open For NASA's 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Challenge twelve architects win bid to build airport in russia Taiwan's Participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) FAA Panel to Propose Limits on In-Flight Internet Use Think ARGUS PROS Flight Safety Foundation's Summit Set For Busy Agenda Female flight attendants for Qatar Airways must seek permission from airline before marrying NTSB Communications Course Position Available:...Airport/Aviation Safety - SMS Manager Watch for: AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Offshore helicopter operators announce joint review to enhance flight safety Offshore helicopter operators Avincis Group, Bristow Group and CHC Helicopter announced today they have launched a review of safety practices that will deepen their commitment to share best practices and consistently operate at the highest possible level of safety. The three companies leading this effort will reach out to other helicopter operators to encourage them to join the review group. The joint review of safety-related processes, procedures, training and equipment will identify best practices on the ground and in the air, combining the operators' collective experience. Experts in safety, training and flight operations from the three companies will participate in the review initially, with subsequent involvement to include their maintenance personnel and other key industry professionals. The group first will focus on European operational procedures, but will explore and adopt best practice from the global industry and scale its review accordingly. The review will include Automation Training Manufacturing Excellence Human Factors Safety Communication Emergency Equipment/Training Emergency Response Planning The collaboration is an outcome of ongoing dialogue among chief executives of Avincis Group, the corporate parent of Bond; Bristow Group and CHC, but is expected to extend to other operators that can contribute to the group's work. It is anticipated the review will be conducted under the auspices of European Helicopter Operators Committee (EHOC). Plans for collaboration by the operators will complement a just-announced review of North Sea helicopter operations by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) -- in partnership with the Norway CAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) -- and will be done in cooperation with the International Oil & Gas Producers Association (OGP). Findings from investigations by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and others into past incidents will also be incorporated into the group's work. Avincis Group CEO James Drummond said, "This initiative has our full support. There is no doubt in my mind that the combined efforts of the operators will further enhance safety for everyone in the industry." Bristow Group President and CEO Bill Chiles said, "By sharing best practices, we can effectively enhance safety for our clients and our crews. This initiative will combine the expertise and talents within our industry and will complement and fully support the work being done by HSSG and broader industry forums to identify best-in- class technologies, processes, procedures and training to meet the objectives of achieving better safety performance." CHC President and CEO Bill Amelio added that the joint effort will deepen the commitment of the three industry leaders to collaborate on safety. "There are and will continue to be plenty of bases for healthy competition between our companies, but safety must never be one of them. Everyone benefits when the people who rely on us for their livelihoods are able to return home safely, and it remains our obligation to do everything humanly possible to fulfill that expectation." http://skiesmag.com/news/articles/19971-offshore-helicopter-operators-announce-joint-review-to-enhan.html Back to Top Both pilots fell asleep on jet leaving plane in autopilot One pilot awoke to discover both he and his colleague had been asleep in the cockpit Two pilots have admitted both falling asleep in the cockpit, leaving a 325-seat passenger plane on auto-pilot. The incident reportedly occurred on board an Airbus A330 operated by a British based airline on 13 August, shortly after the plane had taken off. The co-pilots had allegedly agreed to alternate sleeping whilst leaving the plane on auto-pilot during the long- haul flight. Instead, one of the pilots awoke to find they had both been asleep, and did not know how long the plane had been flying unsupervised for. The pilots voluntarily reported the incident to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Airlines must, by law, report any potentially dangerous conduct to the regulator. The report compiled by the CAA, which has chosen not to identify the airline involved, following the incident said flight crew were suffering from symptoms of "severe fatigue", according to the Sun. A spokesman for the CAA said they would be "very surprised" if any disciplinary action is taken against the pilots. "Perhaps the airline in question may have looked at their rosta or shift system as a result", the spokesperson said. "In potentially critical safety situations like this, we aim to learn from what happened and ensure it will not happen again." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/both-pilots-fell-asleep-on-jet-leaving-plane-in-autopilot- 8840868.html Back to Top Registration Now Open For NASA's 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Challenge NASA has opened up registration for the 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Airspace Operations Challenge. Teams competing in the UAS challenge will be traveling to Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center for the competition. In the end, the first place team will earn themselves a $500,000 prize. "One way NASA can help with tough technology challenges is through prize competitions," Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington said in a statement. "This challenge can help to stimulate private sector investment that is many times greater than the cash value of the prize and increase the number and diversity of individuals, organizations and teams that are addressing advancement of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems technology." NASA said it is providing the prize money to the winning team as part of the agency's Centennial Challenges competitions, which aims to bring solutions to problems of interest to the agency and the nation. The space agency said that prizes will only be awarded after solutions are successfully demonstrated. "NASA Aeronautics has recently rolled out an exciting new strategic vision to strengthen the benefits of our research for society and our nation's economy," said Thomas Irvine, NASA's deputy associate administrator for aeronautics research in Washington. "One of the new elements of our vision will be to leverage technologies from other areas or disciplines, such as autonomy, and to bring solutions to the civil aviation arena. Through the UAS Airspace Operations Challenge, we seek to find out whether autonomy, and possibly other technologies, can aid in removing the barriers that exist to unmanned aircraft systems having full and ready access to the National Airspace System." Teams are being asked to develop technologies that may reduce the technical challenges of safely operating autonomous unmanned aircraft systems in commercial airspace. The Phase 1 competition will be taking place from April 28 through May 2, 2014. A Phase 2 competition will be following a year after the successful completion of Phase 1, and this phase is expected to have up to an additional $1 million in prize money for the winning participants. Development Projects Inc. (DPI) is partnering up with NASA for the competition. DPI will be managing the competition and will cover the cost of operations through commercial or private sponsorships. "DPI is very pleased to partner with NASA to help demonstrate these critical technologies," Jeff Hoagland, president of DPI said in a statement. "The Ohio-Indiana UAS Center and Test Complex will provide the ideal airspace and venue to support the flight competition." http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112957707/nasa-2014-unmanned-aircraft-challenge-092513/ Back to Top twelve architects win bid to build airport in russia London-based twleve architects are set to build a new transport hub in southern russia's rostov province. The yuzhny greenfield airport--funded by the airports of the regions, part of the renova group, the largest airport holding company in russia--will be completed over two phases, and is set to meet the initial demand of 5 million passengers a year. the architecture is informed by the notion of an airport being a 'sky-bridge', connecting individuals, cities and countries, making formal references to the city's river don, a major landscape feature of the masterplan that links the various programs: train station, car park, accommodations and office buildings, together. The roof is composed of a series of four repeated arched elements the roof structure is composed of a series of bridged arches--four repeated elements that are arranged in an asymmetric composition--whose orientation and 8m wide glazed skylight indicates the division of the international and domestic zones. three large, distinct vaults soar above, expressing the principal routes for passengers travelling between arrival and departure process, while also providing covered areas for the drop-off and adjacent hotel and business centre. organized on an orthogonal and repetitive 16 x 16 grid so that any future expansions can be easily made, the terminal will respond to the extreme climates of the region through a passive design with integrated renewable energies. the rostov-on-don aiport's projected completion date is 2018, just in time for the FIFA world cup. http://www.designboom.com/architecture/twelve-architects-win-bid-to-build-airport-in-russia-09-26-2013/ Back to Top Taiwan's Participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Press Statement Jen Psaki Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC We welcome the invitation from ICAO Council President Kobeh to Taiwan's civil aviation authorities to participate as guests in the 38th ICAO Assembly in Montreal September 24-October 4, 2013. We are encouraged to see that this arrangement was reached through international cooperation and appreciate the flexibility and support of both ICAO and its members. We continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in multilateral organizations that do not require statehood for membership. Taiwan's active participation in this year's Assembly will promote global aviation safety and security, and will strengthen ICAO as an institution. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/09/214658.htm Back to Top FAA Panel to Propose Limits on In-Flight Internet Use By ANDY PASZTOR and JACK NICAS A federal advisory committee is expected to call for expanded use of personal electronics during takeoffs and landings, but some key restrictions on voice calls and Web use are bound to remain. The industry-government panel, which Thursday is expected to decide on specific recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration, is looking to ease controversial restrictions that currently prohibit passengers from turning on any electronic devices below 10,000 feet. Personal Electronics Debate is Decades Old Despite the anticipated changes, onboard Internet connections likely would remain banned or inoperable on most flights below 10,000 feet for the near future, limiting the devices' usefulness in that airspace. The committee and the FAA are likely to maintain the current prohibition on the use of cellular connections throughout the flight-whether for voice or data-and they may even require fliers to disable Wi-Fi capability on all types of devices during takeoffs and landings. Even if Wi-Fi is allowed, Gogo Inc., the largest provider of in-flight Internet in the U.S., said its system isn't optimized for service below 10,000 feet. Such regulatory revisions also pose potentially thorny enforcement issues. Flight attendants would be required to continue policing the use of devices during certain phases of flight, though checking whether fliers were in compliance could become far more nuanced than it is now. Cabin crews might have to determine whether a device's Wi-Fi or cellular connection has been deactivated. Even before the panel wraps up its work, some airlines and leaders of flight-attendant unions have expressed concerns about how they will be able to make sure the revised rules are followed, and how passengers are likely to react. "It would be impossible to enforce," said Julie Frederick, spokeswoman for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, with 18,000 members working for AMR Corp.'s American Airlines. She said that sort of system would assume "a flight attendant could go through and examine each electronic device and know how to evaluate it and indicate to that individual that it needs to be in X or Y mode." Airlines and airline labor unions have seats on the advisory committee and have been discussing enforcement concerns, people familiar with the meetings said. The recommendations are likely to be delivered Monday to the FAA, but the agency could take a long time to make a final determination. Douglas Kidd, a panel member and executive director of the National Association of Airline Passengers, said the group will recommend that the FAA should approve the use of devices below 10,000 feet after testing aircraft to ensure that flight-control systems won't be affected. He said it is likely to take "months if not years" for any changes to be implemented. The FAA has declined to comment on the status of the report, except to say that agency officials will study it before deciding on what to do. In addition to the engineering challenges of developing tests and design standards covering a wide range of aircraft and personal devices, the anticipated regulatory shift also could test the technical mettle of some passengers. A draft copy of the report presented to the committee members in June but bearing a July date emphasized that "it would be very difficult for the standard set of passengers on an aircraft" to confirm that all of their devices were "in some type of safe airplane operational mode." To support what it called "the expanded gate to gate use recommendations," the draft document called for systematic safety analyses to determine what impact, if any, passenger devices could have on various onboard navigation and instrument-landing systems. The broad outlines of the draft haven't changed, according to people familiar with the matter. Reflecting intense interest in the general issue, after soliciting public input, the FAA received more than 200 separate written comments from individuals, airlines, trade associations, equipment makers and other groups. Robert Apodaca, who identified himself as a senior flight test engineer for Lockheed Martin Corp., said he has "never encountered an instance" of personal computers, radios and cellphones interfering with the safe operation of military aircraft. Urging the FAA to lift the current restrictions, he concluded: "Let's get back some common sense." Though some fliers won't have to power down an e-book or a game they were looking at prior to takeoff of landing, most passengers probably would still have to take at least a limited break from connectivity-and attendants would still question them about their devices. Almost a year ago, United Continental Holdings Inc. voiced concerns about how to enforce more nuanced rules. In public comments to the committee, United said that "the challenge for cabin crews to discern one device from the next...can not be understated and would be difficult to manage." Attendants wouldn't be able to monitor the use of devices during takeoffs and landings because they must first complete cabin checks and then be seated with safety belts, the airline said. The current system of banning all devices below 10,000 feet "provides the clearest and most direct instruction to passengers," the company said, and pilots always should retain authority to unilaterally prohibit electronic devices at their discretion. On Wednesday, a JetBlue Airways Corp. spokeswoman said attendants already face difficulties enforcing the current ban on devices, and any new "enforcement challenges will likely mirror what we see today." Both JetBlue and Global Eagle Entertainment Inc., which provides in-flight Internet to Southwest Airlines Co., said their Wi-Fi solutions can be adjusted to function below 10,000 feet. Still another U.S. carrier said that regardless of what the FAA eventually does, during takeoffs and landings it likely will keep Wi-Fi disabled and make passengers stow their electronic devices. Delta Air Lines Inc., which has one of its senior safety officials as the co-chair of the committee, filed public comments last year emphasizing the importance of expanding approval for cellular phone calls "to all phases of ground operations"-presumably including after the boarding doors are closed and planes are moving around on the ground. One more tough issue confronting the FAA stems from passengers potentially being hit by laptops and tablets in rough air. Qantas Airways Ltd. filed comments with the FAA saying the "risk of physical injury is still a factor for" devices "which are large." Another committee member, Paul Misener, vice president of global public policy at Amazon.com Inc., said in public comments filed last year that electronic devices could be divided into categories, perhaps displaying some type of seal indicating approval for use only during certain phases of flight or in certain modes. To help ease the enforcement burden for attendants, Mr. Misener said such restrictions could be detailed "in seat-back literature or printed on the backs of tickets." The July draft includes recommendations for regulators and industry officials to collaborate on public education efforts using "in seat-pocket magazines," ticketing counters and automated kiosks. A spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said the union has warned authorities that replacing the blanket ban on devices with a policy that allows devices to be used only under certain conditions would be difficult to enforce because "it would be nearly impossible to just tell from physical appearance that a certain device was being used properly." The spokeswoman said that if the rules change, new training programs will likely be needed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304795804579097792647474448.html Back to Top Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation's Summit Set For Busy Agenda Sharing the skies with remotely piloted aircraft, factors leading to runway excursions, pilot fatigue management and fostering a safety culture will top the agenda at the 66th annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) organized by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) from October 29 to 31 in Washington, D.C. FSF president and CEO Kevin Hiatt told a press conference last week that the event also will feature a keynote from National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener on the theme of "Is Safety Cyclical?" The IASS will also review the go-around project being led by FSF's European Advisory Committee. "If you take a look at the majority of accidents over the past 10 years, then coming forward to 2011, 68 percent, or in plain numbers 63 accidents, occurred during that [go-around] phase of flight, which is the approach phase of flight and landing," Hiatt explained. "We feel that the lack of a go-around decision is the leading risk factor in landing accidents." But he quickly pointed out that 97 percent of all approaches are stable and successful, which he called "a great good news story." However, "in that 3 percent that were unstable, 96 percent of those continued on for landing," he added, "which means that only 4 percent elected to go around. What we're trying to do now is focus on that unstable section and target that 96 percent that continued to [the runway]." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainsafety/2013-09-23/flight-safety-foundations-summit-set-busy- agenda Back to Top Female flight attendants for Qatar Airways must seek permission from airline before marrying, says report A report released by the International Transport Workers' Federation claims the airline requires female flight attendants to seek permission from the airline before getting married. (REUTERS) Qatar Airways is being criticized for claims that it requires its female workers to seek permission from the company when they decide to get married. According to Al Arabia English, the International Transport Workers' Federation released a report Tuesday to the Canadian-based International Civil Aviation Organization stating that the airline also mandates that women tell a supervisor if they become pregnant -- and could face termination if they fail to do so. According to the ITF, a standard hiring contract for the airline's female workers reads: "You are required to obtain prior permission from the company, in case you wish to change your marital status and get married. "The employee shall notify the employer in case of pregnancy from the date of her knowledge of its occurrence. The employer shall have the right to terminate the contract of employment from the date of notification of the pregnancy. Failure of employee to notify the employer or the concealment of the occurrence shall be considered a breach of contract." The report notes that many of the airline's female employees are non-Qatari nationals and "rely on obtaining temporary work visas under a sponsorship programme." "We would expect that the airline will try to paint a picture of their operations and say [that the allegations] are essentially not the truth," International Trade Union Confederation general secretary Sharan Burrow told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday. FoxNews.com reached out to Qatar Airways on Wednesday and has not yet received comment. http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/09/25/flight-attendants-for-qatar-airways-must-seek-permission-from- carrier-before/ Back to Top NTSB Communications Course Title Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates, Tuition and Fee October 24-25, 2013 $1034 early registration, by September 24, 2013 $1084 late registration, between September 25 and 12:00 pm (noon) ET on October 23, 2013 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Oct. 24: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Oct. 25: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend October 24-25, 2013 CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others * Course Agenda > Comments from course participants > See the 219 organizations from 28 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation. * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend This course is targeted to who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities. Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email TrainingCenter@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 Courses, forums and symposia are added to the schedule throughout the year. Subscribe to the e-newsletter to learn about upcoming events and new programs: http://www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/list/list_mw020207.htm Back to Top Position Available: Airport/Aviation Safety - SMS Manager Direct link to the posting: https://www.austincityjobs.org/postings/39398 Back to Top AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Published weekly on Wednesday. Curt Lewis