Flight Safety Information December 6, 2013 - No. 250 In This Issue Asiana Seeks to Boost Safety Record with Foreign Hire Investigative hearing (NTSB) on SFO airline crash will not include pilots Russia fears that some pilots have fake licenses First Ph.D. Students Graduate from Embry-Riddle's Aviation and Engineering Physics Degree Programs Think ARGUS PROS United Airlines longtime COO retires Kuwait's air regulatory system in safe hands with CAAi Watch for: AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Asiana Seeks to Boost Safety Record with Foreign Hire Akiyoshi Yamamura, Asiana Airlines new chief safety and security manager, speaks at a news conference in Seoul this week. Asiana Airlines Inc. is following a familiar plot - hiring a foreigner to improve its safety record. Asiana has hired Akiyoshi Yamamura, a veteran Japanese pilot and safety expert, as its chief safety and security manager. Mr. Yamamura's appointment, the airline's first foreign hire for the job in its 25-year history, comes at a time when the company is striving to improve its image following the crash of an Asiana Airlines' flight in San Francisco on July 6. Asiana is not the first Korean airline to look to an outsider to boost its safety record. Back in 2000, the country's other major carrier, Korean Air Lines Co., employed a U.S. national and retired Delta Airlines executive to bolster its safety and pilot training following three fatal crashes from 1997 through 1999. David Greenberg, too, was the first foreigner hired by Korean Air to take charge of the airline's aviation safety. A Korean Air, Boeing 747 flight struck a hilltop in Guam in August 1997, killing 228 of the 254 people aboard. This was followed by two Korean Air cargo airplane crashes in April and December 1999 that killed three and four people, respectively. Korean Air officials have said the company has had a "stellar" safety record after the company brought in outside pilots and managers and revamped its safety and training. The role of Mr. Yamamura as Asiana's new senior executive vice president is somewhat different. He is not a pilot trainer but in charge of managing and maintaining Asiana's aviation safety standards. At a press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Yamamura refused to associate his appointment with Asiana's San Francisco accident, but said it is a result of Asiana's decision to strengthen its aviation-related safety management system. "I will apply the knowhow I have acquired during my career in aviation safety...Our team is committed to making a thorough and detailed review of processes before implementing a more complete and perfect safety plan," Mr. Yamamura told reporters. He joined Asiana on Monday. Before joining the Korean airline, Mr. Yamamura spent more than 40 years at Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. as a pilot, safety officer and auditor. He has also worked as a safety inspector at the International Air Transport Association. Asiana officials said they expect Mr. Yamamura's extensive experience in aviation safety to boost the company's safety and security records-an area where the airline has a lot of catching up to do after the San Francisco accident. Three passengers were killed in the crash and its aftermath, and more than 180 passengers were injured when the Boeing 777 jet struck a seawall and slammed into a runway while trying to land at San Francisco International Airport. The accident occurred after two Asiana pilots had to use a visual approach because the airport's landing guidance system, which helps line up the correct path to the runway, was closed for construction. The accident raised broad concerns about the heavy reliance of pilots on automated systems and their lack of manual flying skills. Former Asiana pilots and trainers have said the company's pilots are well trained on both automatic systems and manual flying. Mr. Yamamura will attend the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's investigative hearing on the San Francisco accident next week in Washington as an observer. http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/12/06/asiana-seeks-to-boost-safety-record-with-foreign-hire/ Back to Top Investigative hearing (NTSB) on SFO airline crash will not include pilots Survivors of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 that crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport last summer, killing three teenage girls and injuring dozens of passengers, will not hear from the pilots who were at the controls of the Boeing 777 when the National Transportation Safety Board convenes an investigative hearing next week. The four pilots on board -- including a veteran making his first landing at SFO in a Boeing 777 and his supervisor on his inaugural training flight -- spoke privately to NTSB investigators in the days following the crash but have not publicly addressed why the "Triple 7" slammed into the sea wall that abuts Runway 28 Left on July 6 while trying to land after a nearly 11-hour flight from Seoul. "Everybody is still scratching their heads wondering why a 'Triple 7' with clear weather and no cross winds just missed the airport," said Walnut Creek attorney Michael Verna, who filed the first lawsuit stemming from the crash and represents three injured passengers. "The ultimate question that everybody has is, 'What were the pilots thinking?" The only two Asiana pilots who are scheduled to speak at the two-day hearing in Washington, D.C. will be the airline's chief pilot and training manager who will appear on the first day, Tuesday, during a discussion of Asiana pilot training in the Boeing 777 and automated systems and visual approach procedures. Asked about the absence of the pilots flying the plane, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said, "The NTSB investigative team formed the witness list. That's who the investigative team decided they wanted to speak at the hearing." Asiana spokesman Ki Won Suh said in an email to this newspaper that, "We hope that the upcoming investigative hearing will assist in determining the cause of this accident and lead to a productive discussion on actions the entire industry can take to improve the safety of air passengers." http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24664131/investigative-hearing-sfo-airline-crash-will-not-include Back to Top Russia fears that some pilots have fake licenses MOSCOW (AP) - Russian investigators are searching the state aviation agency to see if some pilots may have fake licenses - part of an investigation into a plane crash last month that killed all 50 people on board. Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement Friday that investigators believe some pilots working for Russian airlines have received fake licenses in centers certified by the aviation agency. Markin said there were reasons to believe that the pilot who sent the Boeing 737 into a near-vertical dive after an aborted first landing attempt had received his license illegally in a small training center that was no longer functioning. No criminal charges have been filed yet in the crash, which took place in the city of Kazan, 720 kilometers (450 miles) east of Moscow. http://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Russia-fears-that-some-pilots-have-fake-licenses-5040739.php Back to Top First Ph.D. Students Graduate from Embry-Riddle's Aviation and Engineering Physics Degree Programs Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will reach a proud milestone this month when eight students will be the first to graduate from Embry-Riddle's first-ever Ph.D. programs launched in 2010. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will reach a proud milestone this month when eight students will be the first to graduate from Embry-Riddle's first-ever Ph.D. programs launched in 2010. Ranging in age from 26 to 57, five of the students earned a Ph.D. in Aviation and three earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics. Both programs were created to satisfy the demand for research skills that enable professionals in a variety of positions to approach problems in a more scientific manner, have a greater impact on their industry and advance in their careers. "We are proud of the high level of research that our Ph.D. students have performed," said Dr. Richard Heist, chief academic officer of the university's Daytona Beach Campus, where the Ph.D. in Engineering Physics is offered. "They chose dissertation topics that either added to the body of knowledge of their discipline or that directly related to the solution of real-world challenges in the aviation, aerospace and engineering industries." Ph.D. in Aviation Embry-Riddle's Ph.D. in Aviation is the first of its kind in the nation. Degree seekers can choose one of three specializations: Aviation Safety & Human Factors, Operations or Intradisciplinary. The degree program is delivered primarily online at this time but may be offered at one of the university's residential campuses in Daytona Beach or Prescott in the future. The following individuals have earned the Ph.D. in Aviation: Dr. Carolina Anderson studied the effects of aircraft certification rules on general aviation accidents in her dissertation. She joined Embry-Riddle's Flight Department in 2000, becoming a flight instructor, standards check pilot and training manager. Dr. Anderson is now an assistant professor of aeronautical science at the university's Daytona Beach Campus. Dr. David Freiwald examined the impact of an immediate supervisor's ethical leadership and organizational safety culture on rates of occupational injuries. He was director of safety for a multinational flight training organization before joining Embry-Riddle, where he is now an assistant professor of aerospace and occupational safety at the Daytona Beach Campus. Dr. Benjamin "B.J." Goodheart focused on the prediction of runway incursion risk, assisted by funding from the Transportation Research Board. He is the director of aviation safety and claims management for AirSure Limited and teaches aviation safety online for Embry-Riddle's Worldwide Campus. Dr. Robert "Buck" Joslin assessed the latest technology that alerts pilots when two aircraft are on the same runway. He was previously a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and a military/FAA test pilot. He is now the FAA's chief scientific and technical advisor for flight deck technology as well as an adjunct instructor of aerodynamics for Embry-Riddle's Worldwide Campus at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Dr. William Tuccio used his dissertation to test a low-cost method for novice pilots to learn crew resource management skills. A former computer programmer and airline captain, he now works for the National Transportation Safety Board as an aerospace engineer in the Vehicle Recorders Division of the Office of Research & Engineering. Ph.D. in Engineering Physics This Ph.D. program blends theoretical physics with practical engineering applications and problem-solving with a focus on space. It builds on Embry-Riddle's undergraduate and master's degrees in Engineering Physics and on the university's solid program of space research funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force, among others. It is currently offered at the Daytona Beach Campus. The following individuals have earned the Ph.D. in Engineering Physics: Dr. William Price studied the application of nonlinear control methods to dual quaternion systems, which provide a novel mathematical approach for modeling rigid body motion. Formerly he was a navigator and operations officer on the Navy submarine USS Henry M. Jackson. Dr. Price is now an adjunct instructor in the Physical Sciences Department at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus. Dr. Jaime Rubio Hervas examined the dynamics and control of systems with velocity and acceleration constraints, showing their application in such examples as spacecraft attitude control. His dissertation resulted in around 20 peer-reviewed journal publications and conference proceedings. Currently he is working on landing systems for unpiloted aircraft with his Embry-Riddle Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Mahmut Reyhanoglu, as a research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Dr. Chau Ton focused on the design of robust control methods for systems that contain uncertainties in the dynamic model. He was a graduate teaching assistant at Embry-Riddle while earning his Ph.D. and now holds a postdoctoral position at the University of Florida's Research Engineering & Education Facility. About Embry-Riddle Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. Back to Top Back to Top United Airlines longtime COO retires Chicago-based United Continental Holdings, which operates United Airlines, said Thursday its chief operating officer is retiring after 45 years. Longtime COO Pete McDonald, 62, will be replaced by Greg Hart, 48, United's senior vice president of technical operations. In his new job, Hart will be responsible for airport operations, cargo, technical operations, network operations, flight operations, inflight service, safety and food services. The transition to a new COO will happen through the end of February, a spokeswoman said. United CEO Jeff Smisek said in a statement that McDonald's "leadership and tremendous knowledge of our business have been great assets to United." McDonald joined United in 1969 as a part-time ramp worker and held a variety of roles over the years. The past several years were no doubt among the more challenging, as United merged with Continental Airlines. Among the COO's many jobs is to keep the planes running on time, something the airline struggled with in 2012 as it moved the merged airlines to a common reservation system, the technology backbone of an airline. However, those operational difficulties seem mostly behind United. It has met its goal of at least an 80 percent on-time rate for the past three months straight. Hart earlier held the role of senior vice president network. He joined the airline in 1997 and held various leadership positions including vice president of network strategy, staff vice president of domestic scheduling and managing director of corporate development. Also this week, United named a William Nuti, top executive at ATM maker NCR Corp., to its board. CEO Smisek said that Nuti will be an asset to the company because of his technology knowledge, as the airline further expands its online, mobile and customer self-service options. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-12-05/business/chi-united-new-chief-operating-officer- 20131205_1_united-ceo-jeff-smisek-united-continental-united-airlines Back to Top Kuwait's air regulatory system in safe hands with CAAi Aviation consultancy specialist CAA International (CAAi) has won an exclusive advisory services contract to review and provide recommendations on the update of Kuwait's safety regulatory system in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and harmonised with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The two-year project will see UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) subject matter experts deployed to Kuwait to work side-by-side with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (KDGCA). Following an in-depth assessment of Kuwait's current Air Legislation, Aviation Safety and Security Regulations, CAAi will deliver expert guidance on Airport Regulations, Air Legislation, Air Traffic Standards, Flight Operations, Airworthiness and Personal Licensing, to strengthen KDGCA safety oversight system as national regulator. To support KDGCA personnel on the newly adopted standards, CAAi will deliver a comprehensive training plan led by UK CAA experts. The programme will feature cutting-edge CAAi theoretical and practical training covering all Safety regulation areas, to underpin Kuwait's Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/kuwait-s-air-regulatory-system-in-safe-hands-with- caai.html?utm_source=googleNews&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=news_feed#sthash.qbvbP27N.dpuf Back to Top AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING EXCHANGE Published weekly on Wednesday. Curt Lewis