Flight Safety Information March 5, 2014 - No. 046 In This Issue Russian Aviation Authority Concerned About Superjet 100 Safety Heads of Aviation agencies sacked by President Jonathan (Nigeria). Ethiopian Airlines Appoints New Vice-President Flight Operations SkyWest flight slides off runway at Missoula airport Australia suppresses criticism of its aviation safety body Recon Air rebuilds Otter aircraft for celebrities, mining companies PRISM SMS Facebook Drones to Battle Google Blimps in the War of Airborne Internet Gulf Flight Safety Council meets in Abu Dhabi Upcoming Events European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) - Courses Russian Aviation Authority Concerned About Superjet 100 Safety MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian air safety regulator expressed concern Monday about the safety of the country's new Superjet 100 regional airliner. The Interstate Aviation Committee said on its website that it had notified the plane's maker, United Aircraft Corporation, about "issues related to the safe operation of the RRJ-95B [Superjet 100]." The problems were uncovered during tests conducted in collaboration with the Federal Air Transport Agency and other agencies to investigate a "substantial increase in the number of incidents connected with the RRJ-95B." The statement did not specify the issues identified in the tests. Another midrange jet liner, the Tupolev Tu-204, was even less fortunate. The IAC said it was considering suspending production of the aircraft over structural problems with its horizontal tail stabilizers. The Superjet 100 is built by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, owned by United Aircraft Corp., in cooperation with US and European partners to compete in the medium-haul airliner market. The plane entered into commercial service two years ago and can seat up to 110 passengers. In May 2012, one of the planes crashed into a mountainside in Indonesia during a promotional flight killing all 45 people on board. In July, a Superjet 100 made a belly-landing in Iceland when its landing gear failed to extend. http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140203/187170977/Russian-Aviation-Authority-Concerned-About-Superjet-100- Safety--.htm Back to Top Heads of Aviation agencies sacked by President Jonathan (Nigeria) In what appears like a move to cleanse the aviation sector, President Goodluck Jonathan , Tuesday sacked the heads of four aviation parastatals in the country. Those affected include Mr George Uriese of FAAN, Mr Fola Akinkuotu of NCAA, Engr. Nnamdi Udoh of NAMA and Mrs Chinyere Kalu of NCAT. This was contained in statement issued in Abuja, Tuesday by Mr. Sam Nwaobasi, Special Adviser on Media to Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. According to the statement, Engr. Saleh Dumona (Director Projects, FAAN) is to replace Mr. George Uriesi as Managing-Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). The statement further showed that Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam (General Manager, Procurements, NAMA) is to replace Engr. Nnamdi Udoh as Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) while Capt. Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick (Government Safety Inspector & ICAO Focal Point for Nigeria on line Aircraft Safety Information Systems, OASIS) is to replace Capt. (Mrs.) Chinyere Kalu as Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT). In the same vein, Capt. Muhktar Usman (Commissioner, Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau, AIPB) is to replace Capt. Fola C. Akinkuotu as Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). However Usman's appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate. In the meantime, Engr. Benedict Adeyileka is to act as DG, NCAA pending Usman's confirmation by the Senate. Dr. Engr. Felix A. Abali (Director Licencing, NCAA) has also been appointed to replace Capt. Usman as Commissioner, Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB). However, Dr. Tony Anuforo retains his position as Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET). It would be recalled that President Jonathan had barely three weeks ago sacked the former Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah following her indictment over allegations that she used public funds to purchase two bullet-proof BMW cars at an inflated cost of N255 million. The House of Representatives which probed the scandal had also discovered that some of the Heads of parastatals under the ministry were also involved in the scandal. Source: VANGUARD http://www.osundefender.org/?p=153140 Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines Appoints New Vice-President Flight Operations Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Ethiopian Airlines has appointed Captain Yohannes Hailemariam as Vice-President Flight Operations effective 3 March 2014. Captain Yohannes is a graduate of Ethiopian Pilot Training School and has over 30 years experience with the airline. He joined Ethiopian in 1984, has served in various capacities, including Director Flying and Training as well as Captain B777 and Check Airman before assuming his new position. Captain Yohannes is replacing Captain Desta Zeru, who left the position of Vice-President for personal reasons but remains a line pilot with the airline. Captain Yohannes will continue the work of his predecessor and the successful implementation of the Ethiopian fast, profitable and successful growth strategic roadmap, Vision 2025. About Ethiopian Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its operations in the past close to seven decades, Ethiopian has become one of the continent's leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian commands the lion share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 79 international destinationsacross five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as the Boeing 787, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200LR Freighter and Bombardier Q-400 with double cabin. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with seven business centers: Ethiopian Domestic and Regional Airline; Ethiopian International Passenger Airline; Ethiopian Cargo; Ethiopian MRO; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering Services; and Ethiopian Ground Service. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years. http://www.ethiosports.com/2014/03/04/ethiopian-airlines-appoints-new-vice-president-flight-operations/ Back to Top SkyWest flight slides off runway at Missoula airport Crews pull a SkyWest Airlines CRJ-200 toward the tarmac at Missoula International Airport on Tuesday morning after the plane slid off the runway while taxiing for takeoff. Passengers had to be unloaded from the plane so that it could be towed from the snowbank. No one was injured in the accident. SkyWest slide-off at Missoula airport Missoula airport moves ahead with projects as carriers, flights increase As Missoula International Airport adds carriers and flights, it faces a number of significant challenges associated with the higher volume of ... Read more Planes fly amid Missoula blizzard, coffee and cross-country skis hot items Despite Friday's blizzard conditions, it was business as usual most of the day at the Missoula International Airport. Read more Frontier announces nonstop flights from Denver to Missoula Frontier Airlines on Monday announced it will offer direct flights between Denver and Missoula International Airport four days a week beginnin... Read more A SkyWest Airlines flight bound for Salt Lake City slid off the runway early Tuesday at Missoula International Airport, leaving the plane stuck in deep snow and passengers startled but uninjured. The flight, scheduled for a 7:30 a.m. departure, left the gate on time. Minutes later, as it turned onto the runway for takeoff, it skidded on a sheen of ice and became stuck in a bank of snow. "You could see where he was turning up the runway to take off, but the plane didn't turn," said passenger Dave Keck. "I was looking out the window and saw we were going sideways rather than forward. When it hit the bank, it came to a lurch stop." The National Weather Service reported 27-degree temperatures at the airport at the time. A freezing fog hung over the airfield and a light sheen of ice coated the ground. The airport suspended inbound and outbound flights for roughly two hours after the accident. Passengers continued checking in for outbound flights on other carriers, despite the closure. "Given the conditions we've been fighting for the last week or so, this isn't a good thing, but the outcome is that nobody was hurt," said airport director Cris Jensen. "It didn't appear there was any damage to the aircraft." Operating as Delta Connection Flight 4600, the CRJ-200 went off the runway at the west end of the airfield. Airport officials ferried the flight's 44 passengers back to the terminal on a borrowed school bus roughly one hour after the mishap. An ambulance waited on standby, though Jensen aid nobody was hurt or required medical attention. Crews checked the runway for damage. "What got us this morning was that we had some freezing fog that coated some things," Jensen said. "We're evaluating all our surfaces, not just the runway but the taxiways and ramps as well. Our crews have been out there all night and will continue to be out there as long as they need to be." SkyWest spokesman Wes Horrocks said maintenance crews inspected the jet and returned it to service at roughly 11 a.m. The flight arrived in Salt Lake City after noon. *** Cindy Kagan, a Missoula resident heading to Orlando, Fla., praised the flight crew for keeping passengers informed and accommodating them during the delay. She missed her connection in Salt Lake City and decided to return home. "The pilot and crew were great," said Kagan. "We're all going to have to rebook. They gave us coffee and water and biscuits." Brandy Campbell also missed her Salt Lake connection to Orlando for business. She was watching a movie before takeoff when the plane slid off the runway. Several passengers said the pilot attempted to work the plane from the snow. Passengers were unloaded to lighten the plane so it could be towed back to the gate. "We were suddenly stopped, and they came right out and told us we'd slid off into the snow," Campbell said. "The pilot also announced that it was his last flight - he's retiring. We all cheered for him. They've been incredibly gracious and helpful in getting people to go where they were going." Herrocks said the pilot had been with SkyWest for 12 years. Jensen said it was the first time in his nine years as airport director that a mishap has occurred on the airfield. "We've been real fortunate that we haven't had a lot of issues and incidents," he said. "We have situations where an aircraft calls for standby, but they land with no incidents. This is the first time we've had an actual response and had to address an aircraft off the runway." http://missoulian.com/news/local/delta-flight-slides-off-runway-at-missoula-airport/article_a7e4f186- a3b3-11e3-b76f-001a4bcf887a.html Back to Top North Korean missile 'could have struck' passing Chinese airplane, Seoul official says Shenyang-bound flight missed shot by minutes, but could have been hit on rocket's descent A China Southern Airlines airplane carrying 220 passengers passed through the trajectory of a North Korean rocket launched seven minutes earlier, but could have been struck on the rocket's way down, a South Korean official said on Wednesday. China Southern flight CZ628 was headed to Shenyang after taking off from Narita airport in Japan when North Korea fired the missile at 4.17pm on Tuesday, South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min- seok said. North Korea had not given any warning. It was an unexpected and immoral act that goes against international norms KIM MIN-SEOK, DEFENCE SPOKESMAN The jet, flying at an altitude of 10 kilometres at 4.24pm crossed the path of the missile, which reached a height of 20 kilometres, Kim said. "The rocket could have hit the plane on its way down," Kim said. "North Korea had not given any warning. It was an unexpected and immoral act that goes against international norms." The ministry has notified China through "certain channels" of the closeness of the trajectory, he said. The North Korea missile launches coincide with joint US- South Korean military drills that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime has denounced as a rehearsal for war. The rocket launches began on February 21, disrupting a period of easing tensions between the two Koreas, which gave rise to the first reunions in more than three years of families divided by the 1950-1953 Korean war. The public relations department of China Southern Airlines, the nation's biggest domestic carrier, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the flight. Mao Lixing, from the company's investor relations department, said she could not immediately respond. The Chinese embassy in Seoul did not answer a call seeking comment. North Korea fired a total of seven short-range missiles into the sea on Tuesday, including four that South Korea's Defence Ministry estimated flew more than 150 kilometres, far enough to reach Seoul. The rockets hit their targeted areas off the eastern coast "precisely", the official Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday, citing an unnamed North Korean military spokesman. North Korea has the right to launch rockets in self- defence and will not abandon its nuclear deterrent for the sake of dialogue, the spokesman said in the report. All North Korean troops are on "special alert" in response to the US-South Korean drills that began on February 24, senior South Korea defence official Kim Kwang-woo said on Wednesday at a parliamentary hearing. The North also continues construction at its long-range missile launch site, he said. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1441024/north-korean-missile-could-have-struck-passing- chinese-airplane-seoul Back to Top Recon Air rebuilds Otter aircraft for celebrities, mining companies Greenstone, Ont. company goes all over the world to find Otter aircraft that can be brought back to life Recon Air president Roy Leuenberger says the Otter, a military aircraft manufactured in Toronto, stopped being built in about 1967. The planes are well known for being able to take off in a small space. A company in Greenstone is carving out a niche for itself by making old planes new again. Recon Air specializes in rebuilding Canadian Otter aircraft. Company president Roy Leuenberger said the planes are sought after by mining companies, tourism operators, and even stars. "We've done some for several celebrities, and they're using them in different parts of the world," he said. "We have one that's being used in the Bahamas on a daily basis that flies celebrities to their islands, because there's so many islands in the Bahamas." Leuenberger said his company has rebuilt close to 70 planes so far - and they can sell for up to $2 million each. Recon Air Otter When Recon Air is finished rebuilding the planes, they're "as new as they can be," company president Roy Leuenberger says. The company is based in Greenstone, in northern Ontario. They're a very good airplane." The planes are good for landing on the ice, and for landing on small lakes, because they can take off in a small space, Leuenberger said. They can also haul quite a bit of weight. They're sought after for bringing mining equipment into the bush, and for bringing tourists to resorts. Leather interiors, flat screen TVs The Otter, a military aircraft once manufactured in Toronto, stopped being built in about 1967. Fewer than 500 of the Otters were originally built, and they made their way all over the world. Leuenberger finds them and collects them - and sometimes they're in very rough shape. "Sometimes they've been sitting around for years. I mean, we've got a couple out of India that were just sitting around for years and years," he said. recon air otter Recon Air's rebuilt Otter aircraft can sell for as much as $2 million. "They were used by the Indian military over the years. And, in fact, we got one quite a few years back and somebody was using it as a chicken coop and we got it back here, and took it all apart and cleaned all the chicken stuff out of it, and got it back flying again." When Leuenberger is finished with the planes, he says they're very modern ... "as new as they can be." Some planes receive new engines and others are refurbished with leather interiors and outfitted with flat screen TVs. "You know this aircraft is pushing 60 years old, and I would imagine they're still going to be flying when I'm gone," Leuenberger mused. Leuenberger employs 12 people at his company, which usually takes orders a year in advance to rebuild the aircraft . http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/recon-air-rebuilds-otter-aircraft-for-celebrities-mining- companies-1.2559688 Back to Top Back to Top Facebook Drones to Battle Google Blimps in the War of Airborne Internet Titan Aerospace unveils the world's first solar-powered UAVs The race for the airborne internet is on. According to multiple reports, Facebook is in talks to buy a drone maker whose solar-powered aircraft could operate as high-altitude wireless hot spots, circling in the stratosphere for years without refueling. That may seem far-fetched, but it's not entirely surprising in the context of today's online rivalries. Witness Google, Facebook's chief nemesis, which is already running its own high-speed internet service down here on the earth - the ehver-expanding Google Fiber - not to mention the balloons it's building to bring internet access to more remote locations from high in the sky. Instead of the intensive, intrusive labor of digging trenches and laying pipes, just send more drones up in the air to bring more homes online. In revealing that Facebook is exploring a $60 million acquisition of drone maker Titan Aerospace, Techcrunch reports that the deal is a way of giving wings to Mark Zuckerberg's Interneth.org initiative, another effort to bring the net to those parts of the globe that are still offline. Zuckerberg describes this as a philanthropic effort - and it may well be. But it's certainly in Facebook's interest as a business to expand the reach of the internet, just as it is for Google. Google and Facebook are primarily in the business of running web services - and delivering ads on those services. But if these two public companies are to keep expanding, as their shareholders crave, that growth may ultimately depend on the spread of the internet itself. The more people that have access to the internet, the more potential Facebook and Google users. In some respects, this gives the two companies more incentive to grow the net themselves rather than waiting for the old-school ISPs of the world - and they have to money to grow it. At the very least, drones as a way to deliver internet access makes more sense than drones as a way to deliver toothpaste. Leaving Earthbound ISPs Behind Last year, Google began testing Project Loon balloons over New Zealand. The project is an offshoot of the secretive Google X skunkworks, which takes seemingly crazy ideas (self-driving cars, Google Glass) and tries to make them real. Much like Facebook, as it prepares to bring the internet to the hinterlands, Google gives this effort an altruistic veneer. But it's worth pointing out that this is the company's second internet service initiative. The first is Google Fiber, the search giant's ultra-high-speed gambit to become an internet service provider by laying its own cables in the ground. A few U.S. cities already have the promised 1-gigabit-per-second service, and Google recently announced it's exploring plans to bring Fiber to many more. The company says it wants to see what kind of civic good can come to cities wired up with even faster internet speeds. But establishing such an infrastructure also pushes telecom and cable companies to offer their own high- speed services, which helps Google deliver its own services faster. Ultimately, Fiber may even give Google insurance against the hassles it could face from incumbent ISPs newly empowered to set up internet roadblocks as net neutrality protections disappear. For now, net neutrality isn't necessarily as big an issue for Facebook. After all, status updates don't take up nearly as much bandwidth as YouTube videos. But a company as ambitious as Facebook is always thinking ahead, and drones could give the social network a way to go one better than Google by focusing on putting the internet in the air instead of in the ground. The idea of an airborne internet has been discussed for a long time, but it will likely take a company with the resources of a Facebook or a Google to bring the concept into the real world. From a logistics standpoint, the sky seems like much more efficient, scalable way to build connectivity. Instead of the intensive, intrusive labor of digging trenches and laying pipes, just send more drones up in the air to bring more homes online. If the drones can really stay aloft the way Titan says they can, there's way more space available in the sky than there is down below. As they become the world's largest companies, all the internet giants will likely want to control as much of the infrastructure between themselves and their users as possible. For Larry Page or Mark Zuckerberg, the idea of depending in any way on old-school outfits like Verizon or Comcast must grate. For both, taking to the skies must seem an especially gratifying way to leave such earthbound adversaries behind. http://www.wired.com/business/2014/03/facebooks-drones-launch-race-airborne-internet/ Back to Top Press Release - Gulf Flight Safety Council meets in Abu Dhabi The Gulf Flight Safety Council (GFSC) has conducted its first meeting for the year 2014 on Sunday 2nd of March in Gulf Center for Aviation Studies (GCAS) building in Bateen Airport (Abu Dhabi). The Council conducts its meeting periodically every three months to exchange information on Flight Safety issues among more than two Hundred Members (200) representing more than Eighty (80) different agencies from around the world that have interest in the Gulf region Flight Safety. Among the recent activities of the GFSC, which aims to improve Flight Safety in the Gulf Region, was the organization of the Aviation Safety Management Systems course delivered last week in Dubai by the University of Southern California (USC). This is the first course of an ongoing educational partnership between the GFSC and the USC that will deliver the Safety and Security Program in the Gulf region. The Gulf Flight Safety Council has addressed many regionally and internationally important Flight Safety issues in its Sunday meeting. The Council has emphasized the importance of the continuous cooperation and exchange of information among all stakeholders in the Aviation field as a cornerstone in building the highest possible level of safety regionally and internationally, the attendees also agreed on seconding the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) point of view that does not endorse the approach of Safety Ranking of Air Carriers conducted by some Websites; and stand with the view of the airline community that safety is not a competitive issue. GFSC strongly supports and encourages all possible mechanisms to exchange information that enhances flight safety, said Captain Mohammed Ahmed Malatani the Chairman of Council after the Sunday meeting. For additional information, contact Captain Mohammed Ahmed Malatani: chair@gfsc.aero or +966 505 356760 About the Gulf Flight Safety Council The Gulf Flight Safety Council began over a cup of coffee several years ago in Oman, when a small group of individuals sought to establish a focus for Gulf regional flight safety issues. From those humble beginnings the GFSC has grown into a diverse organization consisting of members from all over the region and around the world, including manufacturers, regulators, air traffic service providers, business jet and VVIP operators, airli Back to Top Upcoming Events: 25th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference March 6-8, 2014 Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA www.wai.org/14conference/index.cfm 8th World Cargo Symposium March 11-13, 2014 Los Angeles, California https://www.iata.org/events/wcs/pages/index.aspx Middle East Air Cargo and Logistics Exhibition & Conference 2014 April 9-10, 2014 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) http://cargomiddleeast.com Airport Show Dubai May 11-13, 2014 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) www.theairportshow.com/portal/home.aspx Back to Top European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) - Courses "Human Factors in Flight Safety: Safety Management Systems (SMS), Risk Management and Safety Investigation" training courses to be conducted in Dubai and Barcelona, May 2014. Registrations are now open for these popular and internationally respected courses, to be held from: 11 - 15 May 2014, in Dubai, kindly hosted by Emirates, and, 19 - 23 May 2014, in Barcelona, kindly hosted by Barcelona-based airline, Vueling. Full details on the 2013 EAAP courses are included in the Registration Brochures for both the Dubai and Barcelona courses, which are now available for download from the EAAP website at: http://www.eaap.net/read/1801/human-factors-in-flight-safety-courses.html The experienced team of Dr Rob Lee, Kristina Pollack and Brent Hayward will again be conducting the 2013 courses on behalf of EAAP. The first of these courses was conducted at Ispra, Italy in 1999, and since then the course has been continually updated, and held regularly, in locations including Luxembourg, Stockholm, Madrid, Lisbon, Interlaken, Dublin and Dubai, with a total of more than 320 participants from civil and military aviation attending, as well as from other high technology industries. The course is recognised by EAAP as contributing towards certification requirements for those wishing to become an EAAP-certified Aviation Psychologist or Human Factors Specialist. As detailed in the Registration Brochure, EAAP members are offered reduced registration fees for the course, and there is also a significant additional "Early Bird" discount for those who register early. Course participant numbers are limited, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible to secure a place. Those with any questions about the course, please email Brent Hayward: bhayward@dedale.net Back to Top Curt Lewis