Flight Safety Information November 1, 2013 - No. 226 In This Issue FAA allowing most electronic device use throughout flights Threatening note diverts Texas-bound commuter jet to Phoenix Pilot Blamed in June F-16 Crash in Arizona Foundation Recognizes Aviation Safety Excellence at IASS Travel Management continues to put safety first by completing an onsite audit conducted by Wyvern Think ARGUS PROS GONE WEST:...Bill Scott, Botswana. FAA allowing most electronic device use throughout flights (CNN) -- Airplane travelers will soon be able to watch videos and play games with their electronic devices throughout their entire flight -- and not just above a certain altitude -- the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday in a long anticipated announcement. But don't expect to be chatting on your cell phone. A ban on using cell phones for voice communication remains in effect. The FAA, following months of study by a group of aviation experts, said that airlines can soon allow passengers to use portable electronic devices such as tablets, laptop computers, e-readers and cell phones in airplane mode throughout the flight -- with some circumstantial restrictions. Can your cell phone bring down a plane? Passengers: You can now keep cells on! Why can't you use your phone on a plane? Until now, passengers in the United States were prohibited from using the devices until their plane rose above 10,000 feet. The timing of the changes will depend on individual airlines, but an FAA statement said it expects "many carriers will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year." "Each airline will determine how and when this will happen," FAA administrator Michael Huerta told reporters at Reagan National Airport. Some fliers admit leaving devices on in flight The periods of flight in question are fairly short. The ascent of an aircraft to 10,000 feet usually takes 10 minutes or less, depending on the airport and weather conditions, said Patrick Smith, a commercial airline pilot and Askthepilot blogger. Delta Air Lines and JetBlue wasted no time announcing Thursday morning that both airlines have filed plans with the FAA to allow for use of approved electronic devices below 10,000 feet on their flights. Both carriers had representatives on the FAA advisory panel. The FAA said Thursday afternoon that it had already received plans from some airlines. "The agency is reviewing the plans to make sure they conform to the guidance we released a few hours ago," the FAA said. "Depending on the condition of the plan, we could approve expanded use of electronic devices very soon." The FAA also permits the use of in-flight Wi-Fi service if the airline offers and allows it. Delta said its service will continue to be available above 10,000 feet. The FAA had long claimed that using electronic devices during takeoff and landing posed a safety issue and that radio signals from the devices could interfere with an aircraft's communications, navigation and other systems. But a panel the FAA established last year to study the issue concluded that most commercial airplanes can tolerate radio interference signals. Before an airline switches to the relaxed rules, it will have to prove to the FAA that its aircraft can tolerate the interference. Airlines have, over the years, built newer planes with portable electronics in mind, hardening them against electromagnetic interference. The FAA did outline an exception to the new rule: "In some instances of low visibility -- about one percent of flights -- some landing systems may not be proved PED tolerant, so you may be asked to turn off your device." An airline pilots union that participated in revising the rules voiced support Thursday for the requirement that airlines prove their fleet's tolerance to signal interference, but expressed reservations about traveler compliance. "We remain concerned that relying on passengers to selectively turn off their devices in areas of extremely poor weather is not a practical solution," the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement. Enforcing the policy Flight attendants' hard jobs just got harder, said travel blogger Johnny "Jet" DiScala. That's because they'll have to ensure that passengers are only using devices in "aircraft safe" mode, not downloading anything from the Internet. "No one turns their devices off anymore," DiScala says. "I don't say anything (to fellow passengers about turning them off) these days because all the studies have shown that it doesn't cause any problems, and the pilots are now using stuff (iPads and other electronic devices) in the cockpit." The Association of Flight Attendants expressed some concerns, asking in a statement that testing be streamlined to ensure that "airplanes can tolerate electromagnetic interference" from passenger devices. Development of crew training and passenger messaging is also needed to ensure passengers pay attention to safety messages from flight attendants, the union said. Opinion: Cell phones on planes? For texting, not gabbing Benefits for travelers, electronics manufacturers It's no surprise that advocates for the travel and electronics industries cheered the easing of the restrictions on devices during flight. "We're pleased the FAA recognizes that an enjoyable passenger experience is not incompatible with safety and security," Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. "What's good for the traveler is good for travel-related businesses and our economy." Travel blogger Brett Snyder said he expects a lot of consumer satisfaction related to the new policy. "This is exactly what travelers have wanted," said Snyder, the Cranky Flier columnist, via e-mail. "It will, however, mean people have more distracting them from paying attention during the safety briefing, so airlines are going to really have to step up their game to make sure people understand how to be as safe as possible." In early October, the Consumer Electronics Association announced support for an FAA committee recommendation that passengers generally be allowed to use typical lightweight electronic devices at all altitudes of flight on airplanes hardened against radio interference. About 69% of passengers traveling with an e-device reported using their devices on a flight, and almost one- third of passengers admitted to accidentally leaving one on in flight, according to a 2013 CEA/Airline Passenger Experience Association study. Back to Top Threatening note diverts Texas-bound commuter jet to Phoenix A commuter flight carrying 42 passengers from San Francisco to San Antonio, Texas, was diverted to the Phoenix airport Thursday after a threatening note was found, authorities said. Flight records showed that United Express Flight 5733, a Canadian-made Bombadier CRJ700 regional jet operated by SkyWest Airlines, landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 4:49 p.m. (6:49 p.m. ET). It had been scheduled to arrive in San Antonio at 9:24 p.m. ET. A spokeswoman for United told NBC News that all passengers were safely off the plane, which was swept after a threatening note was found. Nothing else was found, officials said. The FBI told NBC News it wouldn't disclose the specific nature of the threat. Other flights at the Phoenix airport weren't affected, and no delays were reported, the Federal Aviation Administration said. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/31/21268711-threatening-note-diverts-texas-bound-commuter- jet-to-phoenix Back to Top Pilot Blamed in June F-16 Crash in Arizona An instructor pilot is to blame for the June crash of an F-16 fighter at Luke Air Force Base west of Phoenix because he made a rapid climbing turn after hitting several birds while taking off, robbing the plane of airspeed and the ability to recover, according to an Air Force investigation report released Thursday. The report released by the Air Force Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas said the instructor should have kept climbing straight ahead until the F-16 had enough airspeed to recover and return to the base. There was likely enough engine power to safely land despite a series of engines stalls, the report said. The instructor pilot had taken over the controls from a student for a touch-and-go practice maneuver at the base when the engine lost performance after hitting the birds. The climbing turn meant the nearly $23 million jet lost airspeed and could not maintain altitude, and the two pilots had to eject. The pilot was trying to reach a pre-determined point that would have positioned the fighter for a return to the runway. The plane crashed in a farm field, and the pilots were unhurt. They were not identified. The accident board blamed the instructor for not monitoring airspeed and engine performance while looking outside the jet during the climbing turn. That limited the time available to realize the aircraft's speed had dropped to dangerous levels and prevented recovery from the bird strike. The accident board report also noted that the engine had not failed and was producing enough power when the plane crashed that the pilot should have been able to successfully recover if proper procedures had been followed. The pilot has been grounded during the investigation, but is going through retraining and should return to flight status soon, said Lt. Col. Mike Cowan, the safety officer for the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke. "This is a difficult business, and as much training as we go through and rigorously go through our processes, humans make mistakes," Cowan said in an interview. The instructor pilot had more than 1,000 hours of flight time, including nearly 800 hours in the F-16. The student pilot was actually more experienced, with nearly 2,200 hours of flight time and 1,931 in F-16s. That pilot was going through a re-qualification course because he had been on non-flying assignments for nearly four years and hadn't flown an F-16 since November 2009, the report said. He has since completed re- qualification and has moved on to his new assignment, Cowan said. The student pilot told investigators he was taken by surprise by the emergency and believed he couldn't tell the instructor pilot he should not have started the turn. That pilot also didn't scan the flight instruments, blaming the mistake on lack of recent experience. The base 15 miles west of Phoenix in Glendale trains fighter pilots in the F-16 and had 138 of the jets before the June 26 crash. The base is getting ready to transition to the military's new F-35 fighter and is expected to have 144 of the jets within about 10 years. Base spokesman Capt. Tristan Hinderliter noted that the F-16 came down in open farmland, something the base, nearby cities and the state have worked to maintain as a safety buffer despite the rapid urbanization of the area. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pilots-blamed-june-16-crash-arizona-20744108 Back to Top Foundation Recognizes Aviation Safety Excellence at IASS The Flight Safety Foundation recognized four award recipients during the morning session of its annual International Air Safety Summit. Washington, DC, October 29, 2013 - The Flight Safety Foundation recognized four award recipients during the morning session of its annual International Air Safety Summit. These awards represent many different types of achievement and recognition. The Richard Teller Crane Founder's Award was presented to Cranfield University for its exemplary achievement in combining the human factors interest of Richard Teller Crane with the aircraft safety interest of Jerry Lederer. Full release is here. The FSF-Boeing Lifetime Safety Achievement Award was given to Lee Wan-Lee of the Civil Aviation Authority, Taiwan, China in recognition for his significant contributions in many areas of aviation regulatory action. Full release is here. The FSF President's Citation was given to Capt. Chris Glaeser, recently retired from the International Air Transport Association. He was selected for this honor due to his leadership in advancing data sharing internationally, among other achievements. Full release is here . The 2013 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award was presented to Robert Key Dismukes, Chief Scientist, Human Factors, NASA Ames Research Center in recognition of his leadership and vision spanning more than decades, dedicated to understanding human error in aviation. Full release is here. "All four of these award recipients are tremendously worthy," stated Kevin Hiatt, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "It is always a privilege to be able to give some public recognition to individuals and institutions who have dedicated so much of their lives to safety." Flight Safety Foundation ( www.flightsafety.org) is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11213174/foundation-recognizes-aviation-safety-excellence-at- iass Back to Top Travel Management continues to put safety first by completing an onsite audit conducted by Wyvern. Elkhart, IN - October, 2013 -Travel Management Company, LTD (TMC) has successfully completed its onsite audit to obtain the status of "Wyvern Wingman. Wyvern is a leader in aviation safety auditing, providing one of the industry's most rigorous standards. In achieving this highly sought after standard TMC positively demonstrates their commitment to the safety of their employees and clients. TMC has a clearly defined history of delivering its clients the highest level of safety and customer service in the industry. "Safety is at the forefront of our company culture", said Chip Schultz, Director of Safety. "TMC is committed to ensuring we are operating at the highest levels of safety and efficiency." "We welcome any opportunity to take our safety management system to the next level and remain an industry leader in aviation safety." For Scott Wise, TMC President, safety is the primary focus. "Allowing Wyvern to come onsite to look deep within our operation and validate that we are operating at industry leading levels of performance was a fantastic experience." "Now that we have achieved this accomplishment we will continue to look for new opportunities to further strengthen our commitment to safety." Wise continued, "The work that Scott Henely, Vice President of Operations, and the entire operations team put in to ensure a successful outcome was tremendous and I commend them for the effort. It's truly a testament to their belief in our company." About Travel Management Company TMC, founded in 2006, is the largest privately owned, on demand private jets service for light and mid-size jet charter. TMC has a fleet size of Sixty Eight Hawker 400 and 850/800XP's. The entire fleet of Hawkers are all WiFi equipped. TMC provides point to point on demand pricing for the charter industry and holds the all of the highest safety ratings in the industry. TMC is dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service, availability and consistency at a competitive price. For more information about Travel Management, LTD please visit our website: www.tmcjets.com Contact: Rich Brennan 574-206-5731 info@tmcjets.com Back to Top Back to Top GONE WEST: Bill Scott, Botswana Longtime ISASI Member - Bill Scott of Botswana has recently passed away. He was a fine man, very keen safety adviser. He was still flying his C210 and remained an PPL & Cessna examiner for CAAB in his 80's. He had a successfully business called Problem Solvers in Gaborone. Curt Lewis