Flight Safety Information March 12, 2014 - No. 052 In This Issue Malaysia Airlines Missing Plane: Officials Not Sure Which Way Jet Was Headed Q. and A. on the Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Missing Malaysia Airlines plane's legal limbo hampers probe Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: A pilot suicide mission? FAA Warned of 'Cracking And Corrosion' Problem on Boeing 777s Air traffic controller leaves control tower unattended Passengers Help Save Baby on Diverted US Airways Flight Fresno Laser Striker Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison PRISM SMS National Safety Council Names Deborah Hersman as New President FAA Appeals Court Decision Allowing Commercial Drone Flight Gulf Aviation Safety Council backs IATA criticism of safety league tables Florida Tech Earns European Aviation Authorization ERAU Research Survey Upcoming Events Malaysia Airlines Missing Plane: Officials Not Sure Which Way Jet Was Headed KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - More than four days after a Malaysian jetliner went missing en route to Beijing, authorities acknowledged Wednesday they didn't know which direction the plane carrying 239 passengers was heading when it disappeared, vastly complicating efforts to find it. Amid intensifying confusion and occasionally contradictory statements, the country's civil aviation authorities and the military both said the plane may have turned back from its last known position between Malaysian and Vietnam, possibly as far as the Strait of Malacca, a busy shipping lane on the western side of Malaysia. How it might have done this without being clearly detected remains a mystery, raising questions over whether its electrical systems, including transponders allowing it to be spotted by radar, were either knocked out or turned off. If it did manage to fly on, it would challenge earlier theories that the plane may have suffered a catastrophic incident, initially thought reasonable because it didn't send out any distress signals. Authorities have not ruled out any possible cause, including mechanical failure, pilot error, sabotage or terrorism in the disappearance of the plane. Both the Boeing 777 and Malaysia Airlines have excellent safety records. Until wreckage or debris is found and examined, it will be very hard say with any level of certainty what happened. The search for the missing aircraft was begun from the spot it was last reported to be over the ocean between Malaysia and Vietnam. But they have also said search operations were ongoing in the Strait of Malacca. Scores of planes and aircraft have been scouring waters in both locations. The country's air force chief, Gen. Rodzali Daud, released a statement denying remarks attributed to him in a local media report saying that military radar had managed to track the aircraft turning back from its original course, crossing the country and making it to the Malacca strait to the west of Malaysia. The Associated Press contacted a high-level military official, who confirmed the remarks. Rodzali referred to a statement he said he made March 9 in which he said the air force has "not ruled out the possibility of an air turn back" and said search and rescue efforts had been expanded to the waters around Penang Island, in the northern section of the strait. It is possible that the radar readings are not definitive or subject to interpretation, especially if a plane is malfunctioning. "There is a possibility of an air turn back. We are still investigating and looking at the radar readings," the country's civilian aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said Wednesday. The Strait of Malacca that separates Malaysia from Indonesia's Sumatra Island is some 400 kilometers (250 miles) from where the plane was last known to have made contact with ground control officials over the Gulf of Thailand at a height of 35,000 feet (almost 11,000 meters) early Saturday. Adding to the confusion, Indonesia air force Col. Umar Fathur said the country had received official information from Malaysian authorities that the plane was above the South China Sea, about 10 nautical miles from Kota Bharu, Malaysia, when it turned back toward the strait and then disappeared. That would place its last confirmed position closer to Malaysia than has previously been publicly disclosed. Fathur said Malaysian authorities have determined four blocks to be searched in the strait, which Indonesia was assisting in. Vietnam continued to search for the plane on land and sea. In its area of responsibility, some 22 aircraft and 31 ships from several countries were involved, according to Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnamese People's Army. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, who has been ordered to look at possible criminal aspects in the disappearance of the plane, said hijacking, sabotage and issues related to the pilots' psychological health were being considered. An Australian TV station reported that the first officer on the missing plane, Fariq Abdul Hamid, had invited two women into the cockpit during a flight two years ago. One of the women, Jonti Roos, described the encounter on Australia's "A Current Affair." Roos said she and a friend were allowed to stay in the cockpit during the entire one-hour flight on Dec. 14, 2011, from Phuket, Thailand, to Kuala Lumpur. She said the arrangement did not seem unusual to the plane's crew. "Throughout the entire flight, they were talking to us and they were actually smoking throughout the flight," said Roos, who didn't immediately reply to a message sent to her via Facebook. The second pilot on the 2011 flight was not identified http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/12/malaysia-airlines-missing-plane-direction- unknown_n_4946232.html Back to Top Q. and A. on the Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 By MATTHEW L. WALD A Vietnamese military helicopter on Monday flew over the Gulf of Thailand. Planes and copters from nine nations are scouring the waters near a Malaysia Airlines flight's last reported location. The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has left investigators, aviation experts and the authorities in several countries at a loss to explain what happened. As the search and inquiry continue, Matthew L. Wald, a correspondent for The New York Times, answers a few basic questions: Q. How could a Boeing 777 simply vanish? Aren't they always tracked by radar or satellites? A. Radar coverage is not universal, especially over water. In areas without radar, pilots are generally required to radio in their positions at fixed intervals, mostly to assure that air traffic controllers can keep aircraft out of one another's way. Between intervals, something could go wrong. A member of the military looked out of a helicopter during a search-and-rescue mission off the Tho Chu Islands of Vietnam on Monday.False Leads Set Back Search for Malaysian Jet Planes like the 777 also have automatic systems that send out data on engine performance and other technical functions. Those signals go to a maintenance base, not to air traffic control. Air France used those signals to help determine what happened when its Flight 447 disappeared over the equatorial Atlantic. Investigators may be doing something similar in Kuala Lumpur. Q. Plane crashes most often happen on landing or takeoff, but this flight vanished almost an hour after takeoff when it was cruising. What could cause a plane to crash at that point in a flight? A. In three crashes at sea in the last few years, the aircraft's speed-sensing systems have malfunctioned. In two of those cases, crews failed to diagnose and cope with the problem. (In the third, there was probably nothing they could have done.) A deliberate act by a pilot, terrorism or an attack in the cockpit could be other causes. Q. Shouldn't the signals from transponders or "black boxes" have pinpointed the aircraft by now? A. If the black boxes are in water, "pingers," which emit a tone, are activated. But these are audible only in a limited area. And the plane may not be in the water. Q. Why would the authorities not have found debris after so many hours of searching? A. They may not be looking in the right place. The plane flies at 10 miles a minute, and no one knows exactly when it crashed, or whether it departed its assigned track before doing so. Q. How far from its last known location could the aircraft have strayed? A. While we know where the last radio contact was, we do not know how long after that the airplane crashed, so it is hard to say. A jetliner cruising at 35,000 feet could glide as far as 80 or 90 miles after losing engine power if the pilots still had control. Q. Are there any signs that terrorism might have been involved? A. No group is known to have claimed to have destroyed the plane. Beyond that, not enough is known to speculate. Q. If the plane had a major malfunction, wouldn't the pilots have called for help and sent distress signals? A. Pilots have a mantra for setting priorities in an emergency: aviate, navigate, communicate. The first priority is to fly the airplane. Telling air traffic controllers on the ground what is going on comes third, since doing so is unlikely to instantly yield any help with the crisis in the cockpit, whatever it may be. If the pilots are fighting to keep the plane aloft, they may not have time to use the radio. Q. Could one of the pilots have crashed the plane deliberately? A. It's been known to happen: The crashes of an EgyptAir flight from Kennedy International Airport in 1999 and a SilkAir flight in Indonesia in 1997 were attributed to intentional acts by cockpit crew members. But nothing is yet known publicly to suggest that that happened on the Malaysia Airlines flight. Q. Have other planes disappeared in this way in recent years? A. There is no record of big planes simply disappearing, though they may take some time to find. A few pieces of debris from Air France Flight 447 were spotted floating in the Atlantic the day after the plane crashed in June 2009, but it took five days to find most of the wreckage. Small aircraft may be missing for much longer if they go down in remote areas. Steve Fossett, the daredevil adventurer who flew around the world solo in a plane and set records in a balloon, took off in his private plane in Nevada on Sept. 3, 2007, and his remains were found in October 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/world/asia/q-and-a-on-the-disappearance-of-malaysia-airlines-flight- mh370.html Back to Top Missing Malaysia Airlines plane's legal limbo hampers probe Kuala Lumpur: Investigators trying to solve the disappearance without trace of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner face an extremely rare challenge that could hinder their efforts: they lack the powers of a formal air safety investigation. Malaysian authorities could not yet convene a formal investigation due to a lack of evidence on where - namely, in which national jurisdiction - the jet crashed. Four days after Flight MH370 went missing in mid-air with 239 people on board, no nation has stepped forward to initiate and lead an official probe, leaving a formal leadership vacuum that industry experts say appears unprecedented. Malaysian officials are conducting their own informal investigations, in cooperation with other governments and foreign agencies, but they lack the legal powers that would come with a formal international probe under UN- sanctioned rules. Those powers include the legal rights to take testimony from all witnesses and other parties, the right to have exclusive control over the release of information and the ability to centralise a vast amount of fragmentary evidence. A senior official familiar with the preliminary Malaysian probe said Malaysian authorities could not yet convene a formal investigation due to a lack of evidence on where - namely, in which national jurisdiction - the Boeing 777-200ER jet crashed. Deputy commander of Vietnam Air Force Do Minh Tuan (third from left) speaks during a news conference after a mission to find missing Malaysia Airlines flight. He said this was not hampering their work, that preliminary investigations had begun and that they were working with their neighbours, US officials and the jet's maker, Boeing. The Malaysians have begun collecting information from neighbouring countries without any problems, including air-traffic control communications and radar data, he said. "There have been no issues in getting that information." But Southeast Asian waters are rife with territorial disputes, and any decision by Malaysia to unilaterally open a formal investigation under UN rules could be seen as a subtle assertion of sovereignty if the crash site turns out to be inside another country's territory. Without a formal investigative process being convened quickly under rules set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency, there is a risk that crucial early detective work could be hampered, and potential clues and records lost, air accident experts said. Witnesses such as cargo handlers, mechanics and company officials might be reluctant to speak to Malaysian investigators who were operating outside a formal ICAO-sanctioned probe which could offer them some protection from law suits, experts said. "The sole objective of an accident investigation is to prevent future accidents and not to apportion blame or liability," said aviation lawyer Simon Phippard of international legal firm Bird & Bird. "The international standards attempt to provide a degree of protection, for example from criminal prosecution, for individuals who give statements to the enquiry." The lack of a formal investigation also means Malaysia does not have exclusive control over the release of information or the ability to centralise fragmentary evidence such as wreckage parts and witness accounts, effectively relying for cooperation on other parties' good-will, the experts said. Under a formal investigation, a board is set up to designate parties to the investigation, including the plane maker, engine maker, unions, the airline and aviation safety regulatory agency of the country where the airline is based. Each of these parties typically has a representative on each of the working groups. "If they haven't even decided what country is in charge of the investigation, then whatever is being done at this point is probably suffering from a severe lack of top-down control and coordination," said Ted Ellett, an aviation lawyer at Hogan Lovells in Washington and a former Federal Aviation Administration chief counsel. US investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, FAA and Boeing arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday and, according to the official familiar with the Malaysian probe, have been talking with the Malaysian investigators. An NTSB-led team, including the FAA and Boeing officials, is "standing by for when the aircraft is located and they are in touch with Malaysian officials and have offered our assistance and support for anything they may need," NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Boeing and FAA declined to comment. China and Malaysia A lack of clarity over the investigation already appears to be a source of tension between Malaysia and China, which had up to 154 citizens on the Beijing-bound flight and is pushing for a significant role in the investigation. China's Foreign Ministry urged Malaysia on Monday to step up its search efforts and start an investigation "as soon as possible and correctly". The deputy head of China's civil aviation authority urged Malaysia to help a team of investigators it has said is ready to fly to the Southeast Asian nation to help with the probe. Governments usually step forward quickly after an accident to claim leadership of the investigation, based primarily on the territory where the plane crashed. That crucial information remains unknown in this case, as navies, military aircraft, coastguard and civilian ships from 10 nations scour a huge swathe of the sea from the South China Sea to the Strait of Malacca off Malaysia's western coast. The official familiar with the preliminary Malaysian investigation said the Malaysian government could not launch a formal probe until the crash site had been found, and that it planned to work closely with US authorities and Australia. "If we wait, we will lose precious time. We know that. That is why our guys have been gathering all of the records and data," the official said. Under UN rules, if a plane crashes in international waters, the country where the aircraft is registered - in this case, Malaysia - is in charge of the investigation. So, for example, Air France quickly took control of the official investigation when its passenger jet crashed in waters far out into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, even though no wreckage had yet been found. Legal protection Vietnam would have jurisdiction if the plane crashed in its territory, but it does not have the resources to lead an investigation and would likely have to get outside help, two regional aviation officials said. Under rules governed by ICAO, setting up an investigation grants "unhampered access" to all relevant materials including wreckage and data and "unrestricted control" over the evidence and public communications. "Parties don't relish the idea of their officials or employees being queried or formally interviewed in these accident investigations," Mr Ellett said. "If there's any question about who has the authority to do it, the parties involved could say we're not going to participate until we know who's really in charge." With lawsuits potentially swirling, the investigation is meant to encourage witnesses to speak freely about the incident in the interests of airline safety. Investigators will typically "freeze" documents and records, especially the maintenance records of the aircraft, and acquire radar images and air traffic control recordings. Groups specialising in operations, maintenance and sometimes human factors are set up to sift through each scrap of evidence. "I can't remember anything like this. Usually it is pretty clear who is responsible for the investigation and they get to work straight away," said one European air safety official, who asked not to be identified. "It is very important to get all the factual information as soon as possible." http://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-malaysia-airlines-planes-legal-limbo-hampers-probe-20140312- hvhny.html#ixzz2vjya0wNc Back to Top Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: A pilot suicide mission? Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: The missing aircraft is now prompting theories that the aircraft was hijacked or the crew chose to change course. Could Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 be similar to SilkAir Flight 185, a pilot suicide tragedy in 1987? On Dec. 19, 1987, SilkAir Flight 185 took off from Indonesia, bound for Singapore. There were 97 passengers and seven crew on board as the flight lifted off at 3:37 p.m. local time. Thirty-five minutes later, the aircraft mysteriously and suddenly dove vertically into Musi River in Sumatra. All on board perished. The Indonesian government investigation said the cause of the crash was "inconclusive." But the US National Transportation Safety Board, which worked jointly with the Indonesian team, concluded that the pilot committed suicide. In a letter to the Indonesian safety committee, the NTSB wrote: The examination of all of the factual evidence is consistent with the conclusions that: 1) no airplane-related mechanical malfunctions or failures caused or contributed to the accident, and 2) the accident can be explained by intentional pilot action. Specifically, a) the accident airplane's flight profile is consistent with sustained manual nose-down flight control inputs; b) the evidence suggests that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was intentionally disconnected; c) recovery of the airplane was possible but not attempted; and d) it is more likely that the nose-down flight control inputs were made by the captain than by the first officer. There are a number of parallels that are now being drawn in online aviation forums between the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the SilkAir 185 tragedy. The only new information in the last 24 hours is that military radar tracks the aircraft making an abrupt change of course and flying for an hour and 10 minutes west over the Malaysia peninsula and into the Strait of Malacca. At that last known position, presumably when the military radar lost contact, the aircraft was at 29,500 feet, according to Malaysia's Air Force chief Rodzali Daud. Why no radio communication? Why not transponder signal? Why no contact at all with the ground as the plane continued at just a few thousand feet below cruising altitude for more than an hour? Most aviation professionals suggest that a flight crew member would know how to turn off or disable radio, transponder, and the Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), the on-board systems monitoring equipment that transmits information back to the airline. "Hijacking or a pilot going rogue would explain the transponder and ACARS not transmitting. If this is what actually happened, I fear the CVR and FDR would have been turned off also, thus giving the authorities very little chance of knowing what actually happened," writes "garpd," an aviation graphics designer in the UK on Airliners.net. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) could be turned off by tripping a circuit breaker. In the SilkAir investigation, the pilot was suspected of manually tripping the circuit breaker on the CVR and then, the FDR, thus eliminating any recording of events during the final minutes of that flight. Malaysian authorities say they are now doing deeper background checks on passengers and crew. "Maybe somebody on the flight has bought a huge sum of insurance, who wants family to gain from it or somebody who has owed somebody so much money, you know, we are looking at all possibilities," Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told a news conference Monday. "We are looking very closely at the video footage taken at the KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), we are studying the behavioral pattern of all the passengers." Again, there's the echo of SilkAir Flight 185. Capt. Tsu Way Ming, the pilot of SilkAir 185 reportedly had $1 million in security trading losses 10 days before his last flight. He bought a life insurance policy the week before his last flight, according to Macarthur Job, who wrote about the incident for Flight Safety Australia in 2008. But if the Malaysia Airlines flight was a planned suicide, why did whomever was at the controls turn the aircraft west and fly for at least another hour? If it was a hijacking, then based on the original flight plan and fuel, the search area could be much larger - as large as 3,000 miles in diameter - or all the way to India or deep into China. In the unusually long absence of information about the location of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, speculation continues. And the search by authorities is turning inward - toward examining more closely the crew and passengers - for clues to the cause of the flight's disappearance. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2014/0311/Malaysia-Airlines-Flight-370-A-pilot-suicide-mission- video Back to Top FAA Warned of 'Cracking And Corrosion' Problem on Boeing 777s BY ALASTAIR JAMIESON A cracking and corrosion problem on Boeing 777s that could lead to the mid-air break-up of the aircraft prompted a warning from air safety regulators weeks before the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, federal records show. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered checks on hundreds of U.S.-registered 777s after reports of cracking in the fuselage skin underneath a satellite antenna. In an airworthiness directive, it said the extra checks were needed "to detect and correct cracking and corrosion in the fuselage skin, which could lead to rapid decompression and loss of structural integrity of the airplane." The directive, first drawn up in September, was approved in February and was due to take effect on April 9. A worker stands near the front of a Boeing 777 jet under construction It warned that one operator of the jet "reported a 16-inch crack" in the skin of the fuselage on an airplane that was 14 years old with approximately 14,000 total flight cycles." The missing Malaysia Airlines jet, registration 9M-MRO, was 12 years old and had completed 7,525 cycles, the airline said. It was not immediately clear if the airline had already begun to implement the extra checks as part of its maintenance routine. The airline said the missing aircraft was serviced on February 23, with further maintenance scheduled for June 19. An earlier draft of the directive said that the operator that first reported the 16-inch crack "inspected 42 other airplanes that are between 6 and 16 years old and found some local corrosion, but no other cracking." Airworthiness directives are commonplace, similar to car recalls. In the majority of cases, airlines are told to look for faults during maintenance. Orders that require the grounding of an entire fleet of aircraft are rare. The FAA directive on cracks applies to all Boeing 777-200, -200LR, -300, -300ER, and -777F series airplanes. The missing jet is a 777-2H6/ER. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/faa-warned-cracking-corrosion-problem-boeing-777s-n50591 Back to Top Air traffic controller leaves control tower unattended as Boeing 737 passenger plane comes in to land because his relief worker was late An air traffic controller has been suspended after leaving his control tower unattended as a flight was approaching the airport in Guyana, South America. The Ministry of Transport in Guyana said the controller and two other staff members have been suspended pending an investigation. The controller abandoned his post ten minutes before a Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 from Trinidad was due to land at the airport. An air traffic controller has been suspended after leaving his control tower ten minutes before a Caribbean Airlines flight from Trinidad was due to land at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana According to the Jamaica Observer, the flight had to circle Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown until a manager was able to guide the flight safely from the tower. A Guyana Ministry of Transport spokesman said on Tuesday that the other two staff members who were suspended were a supervisor and a co-worker who had been scheduled to relieve the controller. The controller walked off the job apparently out of frustration that his co-worker did not show up to relieve him of his duties last Friday. At the time, a Caribbean Airways Boeing 737 with about 100 people on board was ten minutes from landing. A manager went to the tower and took over. Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Guyana warned last month that it had received 'unconfirmed threat information' about Caribbean Airlines flights from the South American country to the United States. Americans were subsequently told to avoid using the carrier until the issue is resolved. The warning about the unconfirmed threats was posted on the embassy's website, but no specific details have been released. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2578855/Air-traffic-controller-leaves-control-tower-unattended- Boeing-737-passenger-plane-comes-land-relief-worker-late.html#ixzz2vjipxbll Back to Top Passengers Help Save Baby on Diverted US Airways Flight A US Airways flight was diverted to Houston after a baby reportedly stopped breathing - with passengers on board coming to the baby's rescue. Flight 678 departed from Tampa International Airport Tuesday en route to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. As the plane neared Houston, a baby on the flight stopped breathing and turned purple, passengers told KSAZ FOX10 in Phoenix. Two people with medical training responded, rushing to help. As rescue efforts continued, the pilots prepared for an emergency landing. "When we heard the baby cry, it was just ... it was a teary moment for everybody," a female passenger told FOX10. After the baby started crying, the passengers cheered. The passenger was taken off the flight when the plane landed in Houston, and EMTs attended to the passenger, US Airways spokesman Liz Landau told ABC News. US Airways declined to release any information about the passenger. There's no word on the baby's condition. The plane landed safely in Phoenix at about 9 p.m. local time. http://abcnews.go.com/US/us-airways-flight-diverted-due-passengers-medical-emergency/story?id=22871058 Back to Top Fresno Laser Striker Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison Believed to Be the Longest Sentence in a Laser-Strike Case FRESNO, CA-Sergio Patrick Rodriguez, 26, of Clovis, California, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for aiming a laser pointer at Fresno police helicopter Air 1, and attempting to interfere with its operation, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Calling him a "walking crime spree," United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill said the crime was serious with potentially deadly consequences. Rodriguez and his girlfriend, Jennifer Lorraine Coleman, 23, were both convicted by a federal jury after a three- day trial in Fresno in December 2013. According to evidence presented at trial, Rodriguez and Coleman used a high-powered green laser pointer to repeatedly strike the cockpit of Air 1 during a clear summer night in 2012. Air 1 had responded to the apartment complex where Rodriguez and Coleman resided near the Fresno Yosemite International Airport to investigate the report of laser strikes on Air George, an emergency transport helicopter for Children's Hospital of Central California. The laser pointer that Rodriguez and Coleman used was 13 times more powerful than the permissible power emission level for hand-held laser devices. The crew members of both Air 1 and Air George testified that the laser strikes caused significant visual interference. In imposing the sentence, Judge O'Neill considered not only the severity of the offenses but Rodriguez's significant criminal history, numerous probation violations, and Bulldog gang affiliation. In addition, Dr. Leon McLin, a senior research optometrist for the Air Force Research Laboratory who testified at trial, indicated at sentencing that the laser pointer that Rodriguez used was an instrument capable of inflicting serious bodily injury and, indirectly, death due to a high potential for crash caused by visual interference. "We in federal law enforcement understand the dangers posed by laser strikes on aircraft," U.S. Attorney Wagner stated. "This is not a game. It is dangerous, and it is a felony. Those who aim lasers at aircraft should know that we will seek to convict them, and we will seek to send them to prison. The safety of aircraft and the people in them demands no less." "Lasing aircraft is not a joke or a casual prank. It is reckless behavior that can have fatal consequences for air crew, passengers and the public on the ground," said Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the FBI's Sacramento field office. "Rodriguez's sentence clearly demonstrates the seriousness of his actions and that the FBI will work with its law enforcement partners to locate and arrest those who engage in dangerous, improper use of hand-held lasers that puts us all at risk." "Deliberately pointing a laser at an aircraft is a criminal act with serious safety repercussions," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "We applaud law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their efforts to combat this serious problem." This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Clovis and Fresno Police Departments, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Assistant United States Attorneys Karen A. Escobar and Michael G. Tierney are prosecuting the case. Sentencing for co-defendant Coleman is set for May 12, 2014. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. According to the FAA, there were 3,960 reports of people shining lasers at aircraft in the United States in 2013. The Eastern District of California, which encompasses 34 counties in the eastern portion of California, reported 94 laser strikes, with the largest number of laser incidents reported by the Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Bakersfield Meadows Field Airport. Law enforcement and emergency transport helicopters are particularly vulnerable, since they typically fly at lower altitudes. Their convex-shaped windows also cause greater refraction and visual interference when the beam of a laser strikes. Night-vision goggles can also amplify the beam and pose a greater threat of visual interference. On February 11, 2014, in 12 cities, the FBI, in collaboration with the Air Line Pilots Association International and the FAA, announced the Laser Threat Awareness campaign, a nationwide effort to alert the public to the threat that aircraft laser illumination poses and the penalties for such activity. The FBI will offer up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of any individual who intentionally aims a laser at an aircraft. If you have information about a laser strike, contact your local FBI office. Tips can also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov. If you see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call 911. http://www.fbi.gov/sacramento/press-releases/2014/fresno-laser-striker-sentenced-to-14-years-in-prison Back to Top Back to Top National Safety Council Names Deborah Hersman as New President ITASCA, Ill., March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council (NSC) announced today the appointment of Deborah A.P. Hersman as the president and CEO of the 100-year-old organization chartered by Congress to prevent unintentional injury and death. Ms. Hersman, who is currently the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will be joining NSC at its headquarters in Itasca, IL, in suburban Chicago. "Debbie is a recognized leader in safety, with a frontline understanding of the value of protecting human life through thoughtful attention and management of risk," said Jeff Woodbury, chairman of NSC board of directors. "Her proven leadership and expertise made her the ideal candidate to take the Council successfully into its second century." Ms. Hersman is acknowledged as a visionary and passionate safety leader who advocates for safety across all modes of transportation. At NTSB, the preeminent accident investigation organization, she has been on-scene for more than 20 major transportation accidents, chaired scores of NTSB hearings, forums and events, and regularly testifies before Congress. Ms. Hersman was first appointed as a NTSB board member by President Bush in 2004 and was reappointed to two additional five-year terms by President Obama in 2009 and 2013. She was appointed chairman by President Obama in 2009, 2011 and 2013, with unanimous Senate confirmation votes. Previously, Ms. Hersman was a senior advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation from 1999-2004 and served as staff director and senior legislative aide to former U.S. Rep. Bob Wise (D. - W.Va.) from 1992-1999. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead an organization dedicated to saving lives and preventing injuries," said Deborah Hersman. "The National Safety Council vision of 'making our world safer' has the potential to improve every workplace, every community and the way we travel every day." About the National Safety Council Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas that can make the most impact - distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities. SOURCE National Safety Council http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-safety-council-names-deborah-hersman-as-new-president- 249450811.html Back to Top FAA Appeals Court Decision Allowing Commercial Drone Flight Raphael Pirker, the target of the FAA fine, operates one of his drones The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is pushing back at a major federal court decision from Thursday that ruled the agency did not have the right to fine a commercial photographer for flying a commercial drone. "The FAA is appealing the decision of an NTSB Administrative Law Judge to the full National Transportation Safety Board, which has the effect of staying the decision until the Board rules," the FAA said in a statement released one day after the ruling. News photographers, surveyors and nearly any company interested in using drones for commercial purposes rejoiced following the ruling that promised to unlock the skies to a myriad of new commercial ventures. Until Thursday, most would-be commercial drone users were expecting to wait until 2015 - when the FAA plans to release new guidelines for commercial drone use - for a legal framework allowing commercial drone flights. But Thursday's ruling, which slapped down the FAA's $10,000 fine against Raphael Pirker for unauthorized commercial use of a drone, offered hope to U.S. drone enthusiasts and companies, like Amazon, looking to add some innovation to their businesses using drone technology. Judge Patrick G. Geraghty found that "there was no enforceable FAA rule or FAR Regulation, applicable to model aircraft or for classifying model aircraft as an UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System]." New York City 2 Pirker, the founder of Team BlackSheep, a video recording company that focuses on using drones to capture unique footage (see video above), was originally fined for using a remotely controlled drone in 2011 to record a promotional for the University of Virginia. After the ruling overturning the FAA's fine was announced, Pirker released a statement on his company's website: "Team BlackSheep is relieved that the motion to dismiss has been granted. We are impressed with the U.S. legal system to give people a chance to obtain their rights." However, Pirker, and others like him, may need to pause their celebrations now that the FAA has made it clear that it has no intentions of allowing the regulation of commercial drones to fall out of its jurisdiction. "The agency is concerned that this decision could impact the safe operation of the national airspace system and the safety of people and property on the ground this decision could impact the safe operation of the national airspace system and the safety of people and property on the ground," the agency wrote on Friday, further explaining its decision to appeal the decision. "The announcement to appeal was expected," Pirker told Mashable. "We are not too concerned as the administrative law judge has confirmed our arguments, the decision was not a close call. "The FAA, in filing an appeal, risks losing more than they can gain at this point, so I am not sure if they will go through with it. In any case, we are prepared to respond and we hope the FAA does not resort to delay tactics, as the UAS industry is anxiously awaiting a final ruling." http://mashable.com/2014/03/08/faa-drones-appeal/ Back to Top Gulf Aviation Safety Council backs IATA criticism of safety league tables The Gulf Aviation Safety Council (GFSC) has called for greater cooperation and exchange of information by all aviation stakeholders both regionally and internationally and also lodged support for IATA's criticism of websites that create a ranking of air carriers on safety records. Speaking after the first of this year's quarterly GFSC council meetings - held at GCAS in Al Bateen Airport, Abu Dhabi - the council's chairman, Captain Mohammed Ahmed Malatani, said the GFSC strongly supports and encourages all possible mechanisms to exchange information that enhances flight safety, but seconded IATA's point of view that it does not endorse the approach of safety ranking of air carriers conducted by some websites, and agrees with the airline community that safety is not a competitive issue. 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, Among the recent activities of the GFSC, which aims to improve flight safety in the Gulf region, was the organisation of the aviation safety management systems course delivered 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 programme in the Gulf region. http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/gulf-aviation-safety-council-backs-iata-criticism-of-safety-league- tables.htmlutm_source=googleNews&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=news_feed#sthash.XhX8i4X4.dpuf Back to Top Florida Tech Earns European Aviation Authorization Florida Institute of Technology's flight training organization, FIT Aviation, has earned Approved Training Organization (ATO) authorization from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-and is the first flight training organization certified under new European standards. Pursues Airbus Partnership - FIT Aviation First to be Certified Under New European Standards BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA - Florida Institute of Technology is pioneering new partnerships aimed at enhancing its role as an international leader for flight training. Florida Institute of Technology is pioneering new partnerships aimed at enhancing its role as an international leader for flight training. The university's flight training organization, FIT Aviation, has earned authorization from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to become the first Approved Training Organization (ATO) to achieve compliance under new European standards. Founded at the dawn of the Space Race in 1958, Florida Tech is the only independent, technological university in the Southeast and is ranked in the top 200 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. "This gives us the authority to provide flight training towards EASA pilot certificates and ratings," explained Ken Stackpoole, Florida Tech vice president for aviation programs. "Florida Tech is the first university with an independently approved EASA ATO certification in the United States. This is important because the European airlines operating the European, Middle East and Asiatic routes in many cases require EASA pilot certification to pilot their airliners. All three of those markets are rapidly expanding, and Florida Tech is excited to be part of this new endeavor." Stackpoole said Airbus heard of Florida Tech's progress towards gaining EASA ATO authorization and asked to visit the campus and flight training operation. "Airbus and Florida Tech are working hand-in-hand to create a training solution that will appeal to Airbus' customers," Stackpoole said. "Florida Tech's expertise and new EASA certification were key in the discussions with Airbus." Florida Tech is currently in a contract with Turkish Airlines to train Turkish cadets to receive an Airbus A320 type rating. Turkish Airlines is one of Airbus' largest customers. "Florida Tech is pleased to be on the leading edge of these developments with EASA and Airbus," said Anthony J. Catanese, Florida Tech president and CEO. "We are excited to be a unifying force in the aviation industry, with the goal of offering the best aviation training programs possible to a range of clients from around the world." http://spacecoastdaily.com/2014/03/florida-tech-earns-european-aviation-authorization/ Back to Top ERAU Research Survey Researchers with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide are requesting that Aircraft Maintenance Technicians and Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics participate in their research study titled "Prevention of Back Injuries in Technicians and Mechanics". The purpose of the study is to identify protective factors and risk factors associated with back pain and back injury. The ultimate goal is to identify factors that are protective so that they can be implemented within organizations to curtail back pain and back injuries and to identify factors that can be improved to enhance safety for aircraft maintenance technicians and airframe and powerplant mechanics. Participation in the study is strictly voluntary. You will briefly answer questions about your work activities, perceptions of your workplace and your health. This questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous as no personally identifiable information is collected. To participate in this important study please access the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CT8G2LH Thank you, Todd. D. Smith, PhD, CSP, ARM Principal Researcher Program Chair - Master of Science in Occupational Safety Management Program todd.smith2@erau.edu Back to Top Upcoming Events: North Texas Business Aviation Safety Show-Down is set for April 3rd http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11327425/north-texas-business-aviation-safety-show-down-is-set- for-april-3rd 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 National Safety Council Aviation Safety Committee Annual Conference Savanah, GA - May 14-15, 2014 Contact: tammy.washington@nsc.org http://cwp.marriott.com/savdt/artexmeeting/ Curt Lewis