Flight Safety Information February 28, 2014 - No. 043 In This Issue Qantas collision in Los Angeles causes millions of dollars damage Language of air travel: How traffic control keeps you safe Korean Air to allow PED use for whole flight duration MEPs vote for improved aviation safety (EASA) Boeing's Huge Commercial Airplanes Backlog Will Feed Its Growth In The Coming Years World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer' GAO Report: Airline Pilot Shortage? PRISM SMS Jumbo jets to join the Navy: $2.4 billion in Poseidon aircraft ordered from Boeing GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Qantas collision in Los Angeles causes millions of dollars damage A Qantas A380 superjumbo has collided with another of the airline's Boeing 747-400 jumbos at Los Angeles International Airport, causing damage to the wing tips of both planes and forcing the cancellation of flights. The incident occurred at 9pm local time (4pm AEST time) on Thursday while the aircraft were being towed out of a hangar. Sources said they believed the planes had suffered "millions of dollars" worth of damage. No passengers were on board either aircraft but as result of the collision, Qantas has cancelled QF94 from Los Angeles to Melbourne and QF16 to Brisbane. The incident caps off a woeful week for Qantas, which on Thursday confirmed it will axe 5000 jobs, cancel planes orders and retire gas-guzzlers in an attempt to strip $2 billion in costs out of the business. A Qantas spokeswoman said the airline would accommodate passengers in hotels overnight and put them on the next available flights out of Los Angeles. "Qantas apologises for the inconvenience to our passengers," she said. Air safety authorities in Australia have been notified of the accident and a full investigation is under way. The wing span of a Qantas A380, which can carry 484 passengers, is almost 80 metres. The A380 (QF94) was due to depart Los Angeles at 11.30pm local time and arrive in Melbourne at 10.20am (AEST) on Sunday. The 747-400 (QF16) was due to depart at 11.50pm local time and arrive in Brisbane at 8.00am (AEST) on Sunday. Scrapes and close shaves between planes at airports often occur when planes are pulled back from terminals or out of hangars. In August, a Virgin Australia plane carrying 175 passengers to Maroochydore collided with an empty Jetstar plane at Melbourne Airport. The incident occurred when the Virgin jet was being pushed back on the tarmac in preparation for takeoff. No one was injured in that incident but the damage bill was put at $3 million. http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-collision-in-los-angeles-causes-millions-of-dollars- damage-20140228-33r3w.html#ixzz2ucQ7yK3P Back to Top Language of air travel: How traffic control keeps you safe Nine instances of "pilot error" in Hong Kong last year are being investigated, but they rarely impact safety. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department reports pilots disobeying traffic control orders Traffic controller admits errors occur on "daily basis," often due to language barrier Technology helps avert errors, but most important is trust between pilots and controllers (CNN) -- Events in Hong Kong in 2013 served as a reminder that pilots are human, too. Hong Kong Airlines was involved in nine incidents in which pilots apparently disregarded instructions from air traffic controllers (ATCs), including a plane taxiing onto a runway without permission and failure to follow instructions about altitude and direction. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department is still investigating those incidents. Other recent cases of miscommunication between pilots and ground controllers include: * July 2010: The captain of an Air Blue flight disregards instructions from traffic control and crashes into mountains near Islamabad, killing 152. * June 2013: Two Boeing 747s narrowly miss colliding over Scotland when one plane turns right and the other left -- effectively doing the opposite of ATC instructions. * December 2013: A British Airways jumbo jet crashes into a building at Johannesburg airport when the pilot goes down the wrong taxiway. According to Ady Dolan, an air traffic controller at London Heathrow Airport who spoke with CNN for this story, human errors between pilots and air traffic controllers occur on "a daily basis." But while common, most errors go unnoticed and are of no threat to safety, thanks to established systems of communication and technology. English ... but whose English? English is the language of the skies. According to Dolan, controllers at Heathrow deal with 85 airlines and 1,350 flights a day. Controllers need to be able to communicate with pilots of many different nationalities, he says. English is the language of aviation and vital for pilot-controller communication. "We're lucky that English is the language of the air," says Dolan. "If English is not the pilot's first language and they only come to Heathrow occasionally, we need to afford extra care to that pilot. "We can't speak with speed and abbreviation as we would to someone who comes here several times a day." A pilot who often flies to China and Southeast Asia, and who spoke with CNN on condition of anonymity, says pilots and air traffic controllers generally enjoy a good relationship, especially in Hong Kong where ATC standards are high. "But China can be a bit of an issue," he says. "We should all be speaking English, but for a lot of people it's their second language." The pilot says airlines have varying policies on recruiting pilots with good English, and this can cause problems. Patter and chatter The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency that sets and regulates standards of air safety, says standardized phraseology is an important part of pilot-controller dialogue. For example, before the 1977 KLM-Pan Am crash, the pilot reportedly told traffic control, "We are now at takeoff" as he moved down the runway. The controller understood this to mean the plane was ready to take off, but was still stationary and waiting for further instructions. At any airport if you have humans involved there are going to be errors. For this reason the controller didn't warn the pilot about another plane on the runway, which was obscured by thick fog. "Pilot and air traffic controller radiotelephony communication is an important part of training leading up to licensing for both functions," says an ICAO spokesperson. "ICAO guidance requires that both controllers and pilots use standardized phraseology in their communication exchanges. "ICAO is continuously reviewing and updating its standardized phraseology guidelines to better meet the needs of the air transport system and ICAO language proficiency requirements have been in place since March 2008." The relationship between controllers and pilots functions well generally, says South African Airways pilot Sarah Jones, who flies across South Africa and Africa. "There are lots of structures in place to try and prevent miscommunication between us. Obviously, there has to be trust," she says. While Jones says ATC standards are high in airports such as OR Tambo in Johannesburg, they're not as good at some other African airports. She says it can be challenging when controllers and other pilots don't speak English. "You have to be very vigilant, listening to the other traffic and having good situational awareness," she says. "It's an issue when they are speaking, say, French or Brazilian, and you can't understand what other pilots are telling ATC in airports where you would be more naturally cautious anyway." Human error inevitable Pilot errors are common, says one air traffic controller, but rarely dangerous or even noticed. Pilot errors are common, says one air traffic controller, but rarely dangerous or even noticed. Errors that occur as a result of pilot-controller misunderstandings are normal, but go largely unnoticed by passengers, according to the pilots and controllers interviewed for this story. As air traffic increases, so does the potential for poor communication. That's why it's important to have solid backup procedures in place, says Heathrow air traffic controller Ady Dolan. Dolan works for UK-based NATS, a provider of air traffic services in the UK and more than 30 other countries. The company also provides strategies for dealing with potential problems. "At any airport if you have humans involved there are going to be errors," he says. "Our job as an ATC provider is to spot the potential for that error before it takes place and then when it does happen to have mitigations in place to correct that." He says typical errors might be "simple," like a plane ending up facing south instead of north on a stand. "Safety has not been compromised, but you as an ATC need to have in mind the aircraft may end up facing south instead of north. It's the kind of human error that takes place on a daily basis; it has no impact (but) is not noticed." The pilot who flies to China and Southeast Asia says the nature of flying and human beings means "dozens" of small mistakes are made regularly. "There are mistakes, but we are there to manage it and that's where standards of training and checking and a rigorous operating procedure come in," he says. "It means you can get on the deck with a pilot you have never flown with before. "It's only a minor risk, but there is always the potential for things to go wrong and to escalate into a position where things could be harmful. "That's why it's positive that cases like the ones in Hong Kong have come to light and are being investigated. "As far as ATC goes, if they tell you to descend to a certain level, one pilot sets the level and the other gets the reading and repeats it and then the other repeats it again. It's a system of double checking. "That doesn't mean we never have 'altitude busts' [aircraft descending to altitudes for which they aren't given clearance] but there is very good backup with Traffic Collision Avoidance System and Ground Proximity Warning System." Sarah Jones agrees on the potential for errors. The aircraft may end up facing south instead of north ... it has no impact (but) is not noticed. "If ATC gives you a climb instruction and a heading instruction you could get those confused," she explains. "That's why you always have one pilot flying and one monitoring. "Mistakes can happen regularly but they get corrected quickly. If there is any possible confusion you always double check with ATC quickly, that's the system." Electronic communication replacing human contact The daily process of handling weather, delays, spacing aircraft evenly for landing and takeoffs and squeezing maximum capacity for runways is getting more complicated. Sarah Jones says that the balancing act between safety and keeping traffic moving is maintained by mutual respect. ICAO also believes the potential for things to go wrong can be handled. "The role of effective communication has long been considered a key component of safety," says the spokesperson. "ICAO has dedicated and continues to dedicate much effort and resources to ensuring our guidance in this area is comprehensive and aligned with operational needs." The increasing use of technology over human voices to communicate with the flight deck offers one solution. For example, Heathrow conveys electronic clearances for takeoff directly to the flight deck. Even so, it's unlikely we'll see computers completely taking over traffic control in this generation. "You've got to be able to trust the information that is being passed to you or the whole system falls apart," says Dolan. "If the pilot is in any doubt as to the safety of the instructions and is having to second guess things you know you are in a bad situation." http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/travel/traffic-control-air-safety/?hpt=tr_c2 Back to Top Korean Air to allow PED use for whole flight duration Korean Air has announced that it will allow the use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) for the entire duration of the flight starting from 1 March. Korean Air has obtained approval of the 'safety evaluation for expanding the use of PEDs' from the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accordingly, both international and domestic passengers traveling with Korean Air will be allowed to use PEDs during all phases of flight including takeoff and landing. PED means any piece of lightweight, electrically-powered equipment such as smartphones, PCs, electronic books and MP3 players. So far, passengers have not been permitted to use PEDs even though the devices are operated in "airplane mode" during takeoff running or in preparation for landing. In addition, heavier electronic devices such as full-sized laptop computers should be kept safely under seats or in overhead bins during taxi, take-off and landing. Devices such as FM/AM radios, portable TV receivers, walkie-talkies and radio-controlled toys are not permitted to be used in-flight. On occasions, the flight attendants will have the authority to restrict the use of PEDs in-flight, such as when the aircraft is performing landing in low visibility, or if the device is affecting the aircraft's navigation system. In such instances, the flight attendants can ask passengers to turn off their devices immediately. http://www.eturbonews.com/43208/korean-air-allow-ped-use-whole-flight-duration Back to Top MEPs vote for improved aviation safety (EASA) The European Parliament adopted today new rules to help prevent aircraft accidents. With the "Regulation on the reporting, analysis and follow up of occurrences", information on aviation safety incidents will flow more efficiently and faster, allowing for a thorough analysis and adoption of necessary action to help prevent similar incidents from happening again. European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: "Most aircraft accidents result from a combination of smaller errors or malfunctions which, taken together, cause an accident. By gathering more information about isolated safety incidents, and taking action to address them, we will help to prevent future accidents. With the expected increase in air traffic in the next two decades, we need to deliver such a system, and make sure that the EU remains the leading region in the world for aviation safety. I am glad the European Parliament shares our vision and fully supported our proposal." The system involves all actors in the aviation sector - airlines, manufacturers, air traffic controllers, aircrew, mechanics, national authorities and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); they must gather and exchange incident information, and ensure that action is taken where it is most effective. A European network of safety analysts will be hosted by the EASA. It will be charged with detecting trends and safety issues of pan-European significance and with recommending appropriate action. The new system is a cornerstone of a modern approach to safety policy that seeks to improve safety further by learning not only from accidents but also from small incidents and occurrences even if they have not had serious consequences in themselves. Following the vote in the European Parliament, the Council is expected to endorse the text as adopted by the Parliament, in accordance with the informal agreement reached between the two institutions in December 2013. The new regulation is expected to enter into force in May 2014. It will apply in full 18 months later. In the meantime, preparations will be made to adopt the necessary implementing regulations and to develop necessary guidance material and IT applications for the recording, exchange and analysis of information. http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2014/02/meps-vote-for-improved-aviation-safety/ Back to Top Boeing's Huge Commercial Airplanes Backlog Will Feed Its Growth In The Coming Years Boeing's revenues and earnings are set to grow in 2014 as it delivers more airplanes to airlines on the back of its highest backlog in years. At the end of January 2014, the airplane manufacturer had a backlog of 5,070 commercial airplanes, which is equivalent to around seven years of its production at current rates. We figure driven by this record backlog, Boeing BA +1.54% will continue to raise its production rates through 2014 and the next few years. In turn, these higher production rates will drive growth in the company's commercial airplanes segment, which constituted more than 60% of its top line last year. Looking back, over the past three to four years, this trend has been the primary driver of growth at Boeing's commercial airplanes segment where both revenues and earnings have grown in double digits annually. Here, we highlight the key factors that will sustain Boeing's backlog at levels that will allow it to raise its production rates over the coming years. We figure that the recent airplane launches from Boeing such as those of the 777X and the larger 787 will compel airlines to place additional orders with the airplane manufacturer, thereby supporting its backlog. Additionally, the steady increase in global air passenger traffic driven by economic growth, increased trade and globalization will provide confidence to airlines about future air travel demand. This in turn will also drive them to continue to upgrade and expand their fleets and thus driving new orders and backlog for Boeing. We currently have a stock price estimate of $135 for Boeing, around 5% ahead of its current market price. Recent Airplane Launches Will Support Backlog In The Near Term Since 2010, Boeing's commercial airplane backlog has surged every year as order inflows have exceeded airplane deliveries. During 2010-2013, the company received orders for 3,893 airplanes and it delivered 2,188 airplanes. As a result, its backlog surged during this period despite steady hike in its production rates. These strong order inflows, among other factors, were driven by the launch of new airplane models, particularly the narrow body Boeing 737MAX in late 2011. Late last year, the company launched the next generation of its best selling wide body 777 - the 777X. Boeing also launched a larger version of its current 787 Dreamliner - 787-10. Both these airplanes are promised to be more fuel efficient than their current counterparts with the 777X promised to be 12% more fuel efficient and 10% more cost efficient than its competitors. We figure as airlines face increasing pressure from high fuel costs, which constitute around a third of their total operating expenses, these new fuel efficient planes will go a long way in relieving pressure off their margins. Thus, it is highly likely that orders for these recently launched airplanes will propel Boeing's backlog through the next few years allowing it to continue to hike its production rates. Rising Global Passenger Traffic Will Propel Airlines To Continue To Invest In New Airplanes Another factor we perceive as equally important in sustaining Boeing's backlog is the steadily growing global air passenger traffic. Higher passenger traffic enables airlines to raise their revenues and book higher profits. In 2013, according to figures released by International Air Traffic Association, global air passenger traffic rose by 5%, from 2012. It is forecast to grow by 6% annually in 2014 and by 5% annually over the next two decades driven by growing global economy, rising trade and liberalization of air travel industry.This growing global air passenger traffic is helping airlines strengthen their financial health, which plays a key role in demand for new airplanes. As a result, airlines with stronger financials, seeing rising demand for air travel, will likely continue to place orders for new airplanes. Boeing being a leading airplane manufacturer with over 40% market share in global commercial airplane deliveries will certainly benefit from these order inflows. In all, we figure higher production rates at Boeing backed by its colossal backlog will continue to drive growth in its results for the foreseeable future. A similar trend is expected to drive growth at Boeing's European competitor, Airbus, together with which it controls over 80% of global commercial airplane deliveries. We figure this ongoing upcycle in the commercial aviation industry driven by development of more fuel efficient airplanes and growing global demand for air travel will continue to push global airplane deliveries higher in the coming years. http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/02/26/boeings-huge-commercial-airplanes-backlog- will-feed-its-growth-in-the-coming-years/ Back to Top World's largest aircraft unveiled and hailed 'game changer' The world's longest aircraft, consisting of part airship, part helicopter and part plane, has been unveiled and could be the key to greener more efficient planes in future The HAV Hybrid Aircraft The world's largest aircraft which can stay airborne for up to three weeks and will be vital in delivering several tonnes of humanitarian aid has been unveiled. The 300ft (91m) ship is part plane, airship and helicopter, and there are plans to eventually use it to transport 50 tonnes of freight. It is environmentally friendly and will be used for surveillance and communications as well as delivering aid. Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, compared the ship to Thunderbird 2 and described the craft as a "game changer." "It will be able to cross the Atlantic and launch things right where they need to be," he told Radio 4's Today programme. "It can reach about 100mph and stay airborne for about three-and-a-half days." The low carbon ship, known as the HAV304, is about 70 per cent more environmentally friendly than a cargo plane and doesn't need a runway to take off. The HAV304 hull and mission module arriving at Cardington It has been displayed at Cardington in Bedfordshire in the only hangar big enough to accommodate it. It is due to fly in the UK later this year and the project has just received a £2.5 million Government grant to fund research into energy efficient and quieter planes. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, said: "The growing aerospace sector has the potential to generate thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds to the UK economy in contracts. "That is why so much effort is being put in by government and industry to ensure we stay ahead of the competition and build on our strong position as second in the world for aerospace." The ship has been Created by Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd and first flown in the USA. It will eventually lead to the development of the Airlander 50, which would be able to transport 50 tonnes of freight. The company plans to make between 600 and 1,000 of these aircraft in future. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenertransport/10667081/Worlds-largest-aircraft-unveiled-and- hailed-game-changer.html Back to Top GAO Report: Airline Pilot Shortage? Not Clear By JOAN LOWY Associated Press (AP) It's not clear there is a shortage of airline pilots even though regional airlines report difficulty over the past year in finding enough pilots to hire, according to a draft report by a government watchdog obtained by The Associated Press. The U.S. airline industry will need to hire 1,900 to 4,500 new pilots annually over the next 10 years due to an expected surge in retirements of pilots reaching age 65 and increased demand for air travel, the Government Accountability Office said. The report, obtained late Thursday, was to be released Friday. Eleven out of 12 regional airlines failed to meet their hiring targets for entry-level pilots last year, the report said. However, no major airlines were experiencing problems finding pilots. Some airline officials did express concern that service to some cities might have to be cut back if their regional partners cannot hire enough pilots, the report said. Major airlines generally pay significantly higher salaries than regional carriers. The average starting salary for first officers at regional airlines is $22,400, according to the Air Line Pilots Association. "Data indicate that a large pool of qualified pilots exists relative to the projected demand, but whether such pilots are willing or available to work at wages being offered is unknown," the report said. And, the size of these pools of pilots has remained steady since 2000, the report said. There are currently 66,000 pilots working for U.S. airlines, but there are 109,465 currently active pilots with a first class medical certificate that are licensed to fly passengers, the report said. Plus, there are more than 100,000 other pilots with commercial licenses that might at some point choose to pursue an airline career, the report found. The unemployment rate for professional pilots is very low, only 2.7 percent. That would normally indicate a shortage, but there are other reasons to believe that may not be the case, according to the report. Average professional pilot salaries went down 9.5 percent from 2000 to 2012, while the number of pilots employed went up 12 percent. Both trends are inconsistent with a shortage, the report said. Airlines used to be able to hire first officers with as few as 250 hours of flying experience. New regulations that went into effect last year require that all airline pilots now have a minimum of 1,500 hours. Previously, only captains were required to have that much experience. Major carriers typically hire both captains and first officers with far more than 1,500 hours. But regional carriers often drop well below that when hiring entry-level first officers. The new regulations were required under an aviation safety law Congress passed more than three years ago in response to a 2009 crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., that was blamed on pilot error. All 49 people on board and a man on the ground were killed. A subsequent investigation revealed that the first officer had been paid only about $16,000 the previous year, which was her first year at the airline. The captain was earning about $63,000. The Continental Connection flight was operated by the now-defunct regional carrier Colgan Air Inc. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that both pilots were suffering from fatigue, although the board stopped short of citing fatigue as a contributor to the crash. Neither pilot had sleep in a bed the night prior to the fatal flight. The captain appeared to have tried to nap in a pilot lounge where sleeping was discouraged. The first officer, who lived at home with her parents, commuted across the country over night in a jump seat in order to make the fatal flight. In congressional hearings afterward, some lawmakers questioned whether the pilots couldn't afford hotel rooms on their salaries. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/airline-pilot-shortage-report-clear-22712230 Back to Top Back to Top Jumbo jets to join the Navy: $2.4 billion in Poseidon aircraft ordered from Boeing Looks like your average jumbo jet. Acts like a state-of-the-art war machine. The U.S. Navy has ordered $2.4 billion worth of a new reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft that resembles the plane you might fly on to Cancun for a spring break. On Wednesday, Boeing announced it will produce 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for this order. Ultimately, the Navy plans to purchase 117 of the aircraft, which will replace its P-3C fleet. The P-3C Orion is a four-engine, anti-submarine/surveillance aircraft that has acted as a maritime patrol plane for about half a century. It has advanced submarine detection sensors, such as directional frequency and ranging sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection equipment. But the Poseidon will boost maritime patrol capabilities even more. It will serve the military as a long- range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. Poseidon's power Maritime patrol aircraft act as the eyes of the fleet; the Poseidon will fly farther and cover greater distances, scouring the world's oceans for any potential threat and able to respond very quickly if spotted. Based on Boeing's 737-800 commercial airplane, the P-8A Poseidon holds a crew of nine and can operate as an armed platform to take on targets while getting critical data to everyone on the network at the same time. It can communicate with unmanned aircraft and will leverage enhanced technology with even more capable weapons and sensors, all of which will contribute to a single fused tactical situation display that can be shared over both military standard and civilian Internet data links. From jumbo jet to armed warrior Ever flown in a 737? The P-8A is a derivative of this aircraft. It marks the first time Boeing has taken a commercial aircraft and modified it for war. The P-8A has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900. Its two engines are made by CFM International and provide about 27,000 pounds of takeoff thrust each. At 130 feet long and with a wingspan of 124 feet, it can travel 564 miles per hour. The aircraft's range is greater than 1,200 nautical miles, and it has a flight ceiling of 41,000 feet. The Poseidon is a team effort from Boeing partners, including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation. Raytheon provides Poseidon's MK 54 lightweight torpedo and the AN/APY-10 radar that gives it all- weather, day and night multi-mission surveillance capabilities over land, sea and rivers. The directional infrared countermeasures, the electronic support systems and data links are all Northrop Grumman contributions. GE Aviation's electronics provide a control system for integrated weapons. BAE Systems provides the mission computing and display system, flight deck panels and data diode. In January 2009, Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I versions of this aircraft to the Indian navy. Other countries, including Italy and Australia, have also shown interest in the aircraft. Boeing has already delivered 13 P-8As to the U.S. Navy. In December, the first patrol squadron was deployed to Kadena, Japan, where it has since been conducting operational missions. http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/02/27/jumbo-jets-to-join-navy-24-billion-in-poseidon-aircraft- ordered-from-boeing/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Greetings! My name is Cristina Gonzalez, and I am a Master of Science in Safety Science student at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott Campus. I Am basing my final research on the Standardization of English in International Aviation for my Graduate Research Project. This survey is completely anonymous and directed at Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers. It is designed for people who work or have worked in international aviation. The purpose of it is to see how people in the international aviation arena feel about the Language Proficiency Requirements (LPR\'s)required by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to fly or be a controller, and also to find out what the general opinion is on English Standardization in International Aviation. In the history of aviation many accidents and serious incidents have occurred due to problems in understanding communications due to language barriers. A prime example is the Tenerife disaster in 1977. By completing this survey you implicitly give your consent for the use of the information answered. Thank you for your help. Here is the link for the survey!! https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/snBVsl Curt Lewis