Flight Safety Information April 14, 2014 - No. 076 In This Issue Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Search for Missing Jet Enters New Phase Unruly man forces Southwest jet to divert flight American Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Norfolk FAA Files Appeal Brief In Closely-Watched Drone Pilot Case FAA to establish center of excellence to deal with issues of military and civil unmanned aircraft operations PRISM SMS Upcoming Events Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Search for Missing Jet Enters New Phase Six Days Since Last Pings Detected; Authorities to Deploy Underwater Vehicle to Examine Sea Floor SYDNEY-An unmanned vehicle was due to begin searching the Indian Ocean seabed for wreckage from Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU -2.33% Flight 370 on Monday, as authorities lost hope of detecting any new signals from the missing jet's black-box flight recorders. Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is leading the multinational search, said a series of "ping" signals detected last week by a U.S. Navy black box detector remains the most promising lead in the search for the plane, which disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8. But as the search entered its 38th day-more than a week beyond the estimated battery life of the black boxes' emergency locator beacons, and six days after the last signal was detected-it makes sense to turn to the underwater Bluefin-21 vehicle, the former chief of Australia's defense forces said. "Aircraft wreckage needs to be visually identified before we can say with certainty that this is the final resting place of Flight 370," he said. "I would caution you against raising hopes that the deployment of the autonomous underwater vehicle will result in the detection of the aircraft wreckage-it may not. However, this is the best lead we have and it must be pursued vigorously." He added that the search of an unmapped area of the sea floor-estimated to be as much as 3 miles (4,800 meters) deep in places and possibly covered in silt-would be a "slow and painstaking process." The Bluefin-21, provided by the U.S. Navy, was expected to be launched at 0900 GMT Monday, according to a release from the U.S. Seventh Fleet. It added that scanning the entire search area is expected to take between six weeks and two months. The only other development in the past 24 hours was the discovery of an oil slick in an area where the Australian navy vessel Ocean Shield has been towing the U.S. black box detector since April 4. Air Chief Marshal Houston said authorities would analyze a sample of the oil, which he said wasn't likely to have come from ships involved in the search. Retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, leading the multinational search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, said Monday that the time had come to send a vehicle to map the sea floor. Associated Press "At the moment this is really all we've got," he said. "We've got no visual objects; the only thing we have left at this stage is the four transmissions and an oil slick in the same vicinity. We will investigate those to their conclusion." Investigators believe Flight 370 ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean after vanishing from civilian radar as responsibility for communicating with the plane was being handed from Malaysian ground control to Vietnam. It was carrying 239 passengers and crew. Charitha Pattiaratchi, an oceanographer at the University of Western Australia, said the oil slick is likely to turn out to be another false lead in a search that has so far yielded no hard evidence of the missing jet. Not only was the plane thought to have run out of fuel before it crashed, but the search area was recently buffeted by a major storm that would have churned up the sea surface. "If there was oil, or small amounts of hydraulic fluid, it wouldn't last long. It would evaporate and form into small pieces and sink," he said. Authorities have narrowed the search zone for the unmanned submersible to an area of about 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers), based on a series of signals detected last week they think came from the flight recorders. That is still vast, given that the Bluefin-21 moves at walking pace. Air Chief Marshal Houston said it would first attempt to scan an area of up to 15 square miles, focusing on where authorities believe the plane went down. "Each of these operations is going to be different, but if you take a look at Air France 447, [the black box] was just a couple of miles away and it took two years to find," said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Matthews, who is coordinating the underwater search from Perth, referring to an Airbus A330 that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. "We've got more uncertainty in this case, and if we found it on day one I'd be shocked." Indeed, in the Air France crash, hundreds of pieces of floating debris were found within days. A week ago, after Ocean Shield picked up the first of a series of electronic signals-the longest lasting more than two hours-officials appeared confident of a breakthrough. Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday he was "very confident" the signals came from the plane's black boxes. Until now, though, authorities had delayed the switch to the submersible because of its limited range. A handout image released by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Sunday shows the current planned search area in the Indian Ocean. European Pressphoto Agency The Bluefin-21 can be programmed to conduct a specific search mission of about 20 hours, using side-scan sonar to pick out unique features on the ocean floor. Once hauled back on board, its data are downloaded and analyzed over a four-hour period. Authorities say the Bluefin-21 can produce a high-definition, three-dimensional map of the seabed. If the data show an anomaly on the seabed, the Bluefin-21 would have its sonar equipment replaced with a high-grade underwater camera. The submersible can accommodate only one of the two systems at a time. Further complicating the search is uncertainly about conditions on the seabed. Authorities expect to encounter a blanket of silt, which may be covering part or all of the plane debris, and possibly strong currents. Still, they are relying heavily on calculated guesswork: Expectations of silt are based on a seabed survey many years ago of an area more than 60 miles away from the current search zone. "This is an area new to man," Air Chief Marshal Houston said Monday. An air and sea search for debris continued Monday, with up to 12 aircraft and 15 ships scouring a stretch of ocean northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth. Air Chief Marshal Houston said that within three days search crews will complete the search for floating material in an area where investigators believe the plane went down. After that, he said that portion of the operation may be called off. "The chances of any floating material being recovered have greatly diminished," he said. Military aircraft have been flying daily sorties from Western Australia since March 18, after satellite data suggested the plane may have deviated sharply from its original course. At its peak, eight nations including the U.S., China and the U.K. were involved in the air and sea search of the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysian authorities are stepping up preparations for a future phase of the investigation: consulting with international legal experts over which country would get custody of the black boxes if they are retrieved. Precedent in airline crashes would give the country overseeing the investigation-in this case, Malaysia-authority to determine how the black boxes are recovered and analyzed. Kuala Lumpur has delegated large parts of the search and investigation to countries and agencies with greater technical resources, and it is expected to designate foreign experts to download data from the devices. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303887804579500360700972606?mg=reno64- wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303887804579500360700972606.html Back to Top Unruly man forces Southwest jet to divert flight SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A California-bound Southwest Airlines flight was diverted to Omaha, Neb. on Sunday after witnesses said a passenger tried to open a door. The captain of the Chicago-to-Sacramento flight landed on Eppley Airfield to "have an unruly passenger removed" before continuing on to Sacramento, the airlines said in a statement. The flight with 5 crew members and 134 passengers arrived safely at its destination about two hours behind schedule. "Some gentleman just decided that he wanted us to visit the Lord today and ... open up the back hatch while we were all already up in the air," Monique Lawler told KABC-TV after reaching her final destination in Los Angeles. She said the man acted strangely during the flight, and that at one point he came out of the bathroom soaking wet. She said when he went to the back of the cabin to try to pry open the door, a flight attendant screamed for help. A doctor told KCRA-TV in Sacramento he and two other passengers tackled the man and restrained him until air marshals led him in handcuffs off the plane. "He was going to do bad things to the plane so it was pretty scary," Scott Porter said. The airline had no further details about the incident. http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Unruly-man-forces-Southwest-jet-to-divert-flight-5399936.php Back to Top American Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Norfolk An American Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport made an emergency landing in Norfolk on April 12, 2014. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - An American Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport made an emergency landing in Norfolk Saturday morning. The pilot of American Airlines flight 950 reported a mechanical indicator light on the Boeing 777-200 aircraft came on, which prompted him to seek an emergency landing at Norfolk International Airport just before 6 a.m., according to Dori Alvarez, a spokeswoman for the airline. Robert Bowen with Norfolk International Airport said the indicator light, in this case, signaled a possible fire in the cargo area of the plane. The pilot activated fire suppression in the cargo compartment. According to Bowen, the fire suppression consists of two bottles of a chemical that extinguishes any fire in the compartment. The pilot made the decision to land "out of an abundance of caution," said Alvarez, and the plane landed safely around 6:20 a.m. Once the plane landed, Bowen told WAVY.com airport fire crews inspected the plane and found no indication of smoke or fire. 242 passengers and 15 crewmembers were on board, and no one was hurt. The airline is sending another plane to take the passengers to New York, which was expected to arrive in Norfolk around 2 p.m. http://wavy.com/2014/04/12/american-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-norfolk/ Back to Top FAA Files Appeal Brief In Closely-Watched Drone Pilot Case By: John Goglia In an indication that the FAA is not going to give up on its test case against Raphael Pirker for operating a small drone in the vicinity of the University of Virginia, the FAA filed its brief specifying the legal bases for its appeal of the National Transportation Safety Board judge's decision dismissing the FAA's $10,000 civil penalty. The appeal will be decided by the Board's Members who are charged with reviewing appeals of FAA cases. The FAA raises two issues in its brief: 1. that the judge erred in determining that Pirker's small drone was not an "aircraft", as defined by the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and 2. that the judge erred in determining that the small drone's operation was not subject to the FARs. The FAA's arguments are familiar to many who have been following this case. The FAA believes that drones or unmanned aircraft systems (its preferred term) are aircraft and that as aircraft are subject to the requirements of federal regulations, including the requirement that aircraft not be "operated in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another." The FAA contends in its brief that the NTSB judge was wrong to conclude that Mr. Pirker's drone was a model aircraft and that the FAA had effectively waived any right to enforce its rules against model aircraft operators, regardless of whether they are operated as a hobby or for commercial purposes. While the FAA claims that Mr. Pirker's drone was an aircraft and that he acted as pilot-in-command when he was not licensed, the FAA does not charge him with violations related to the drone's lack of certification or his lack of a pilot's license. The FAA's sole charge against Mr. Pirker is careless or reckless operation of an aircraft. As a Board Member for almost ten years, I reviewed hundreds of appeals of FAA cases against pilots and mechanics. Most often, the FAA's cases were properly brought and the legal and factual bases were appropriate and I would vote to sustain the FAA's position. On occasion, the FAA's legal arguments defied logic and I would vote to reverse the action. This case appears to me to be one that defies logic. How can the FAA suddenly claim that a small unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft when for decades it has allowed them to be operated - albeit under the term "model aircraft" - without complying with any of the regulatory requirements for aircraft, such as type certificates, airworthiness certificates, maintenance requirements, pilot licenses and so on? The distinction the FAA has made between commercial and non-commercial when it comes to the operation of model aircraft doesn't make sense to me, when the issue is really whether they are aircraft at all. That being said, I am concerned with the manner in which this drone was allegedly operated, especially if it was operated too close to people or property. But even if the drone's operation was unsafe, unless that operation is covered by a rule, FAA enforcement would be inappropriate. Since I'm not a lawyer, I checked with Loretta Alkalay, former top attorney for the FAA in New York and an adjunct professor at Vaughn College of Aeronautics (where we co-teach) what she thought of the FAA's legal arguments. This is her response. "The FAA clearly has the statutory authority to regulate commercial unmanned aerial vehicles of any size. (Congress recently took away the FAA's authority to regulate model aircraft operated for hobby or recreational purposes.) The question is whether it has properly promulgated regulations to do so. I do not believe it has when it comes to small UAVs to the extent that they can be considered model aircraft, as in the case of Mr. Pirker's. Although I am sympathetic to the FAA wanting to prohibit unsafe operation of these aerial vehicles that may endanger persons or property - as it clearly believes was the case here- it has to do so via properly enacted regulations. Unfortunately, the FAA created its own legal confusion by relying on advisory (as opposed to regulatory) methods for distinguishing model aircraft (which could include the small drone operated by Mr. Pirker) from other aircraft beginning in 1981. Its attempt to retroactively distinguish model aircraft based on the nature of their operations (commercial vs. non-commercial) is unenforceable as that distinction has only been made via public notices (first starting in 2007) and not by rulemaking. Since notices are not rules, they are legally unenforceable. Fortunately, the remedy for the problem created by the FAA also lies with the FAA. And that is to issue legally promulgated rules to cover small, commercially-operated drones." It seems to me that it would be a better expenditure of FAA time and resources to focus on issuing regulations allowing the safe operation of small commercial drones than continuing this case against Mr. Pirker. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/2014/04/12/faa-files-appeal-brief-in-closely-watched-drone-pilot-case/ Back to Top FAA to establish center of excellence to deal with issues of military and civil unmanned aircraft operating together ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., 13 April 2014. U.S. aviation authorities say they will create a center of excellence for unmanned aircraft within the next year, consisting of representatives from government, academia, and industry to conduct unmanned aircraft research, education, and training. FAA officials say they will establish the Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and conduct a competition to determine the organization that runs it. Representatives of the FAA's W.J. Hughes Tech Center in Atlantic City, N.J., have released a presolicitation (13-C- UAS-PRESOL) to establish the FAA Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The FAA is a bureau of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington. The FAA initially will issue cooperative agreements to selected university teams, as well as define and pay for UAS projects through matching grants over the life of the COE, which will be responsible for matching all money granted to establish, operate and conduct related research, and may contract with others as appropriate, officials say. Related: Unmanned vehicle industry stands at the doorstep of a fundamental transformation The FAA Administrator will choose the COE team based on how well the applicant can: -- represent regional needs of the the applicant's home state; -- lead on national and regional issues involving UAS and aviation; -- run an established air transportation program; -- disseminate pertinent research through regional continuing education programs; and -- carry out its proposed research projects. FAA officials primarily are interest in carrying out UAS-related research in air traffic control interoperability; airport ground operations; command and control (C2); detect and avoid (DAA); human factors; system performance; privacy practices for UAS operations; system engineering; unmanned aircraft pilot training and pilot certification including other unmanned aircraft crew members. FAA officials want to attract COE members such as industrial groups, government agencies, and colleges that want to work together on research aimed at solving UAS-related problems. These organizations may be considered as affiliate members by the COE core universities and may provide matching contributions and receive funding from the COE. Related: FAA to work with industry, DOD, DHS, NASA, and others to integrate unmanned aircraft in national airspace In May the FAA will issue a draft solicitation, take public comments, and conduct a public meeting in the Washington, D.C., area to discuss the COE and UAS technical requirements. More information is on the COE UAS Website at http://faa-uas-coe.net. For questions or concerns contact the FAA's Jessica Shaw by phone at 202-385-6727 or by email at jessica.shaw@faa.gov. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOT/FAA/WJHTC/13-C-UAS-PRESOL/listing.html. http://www.avionics-intelligence.com/articles/2014/04/faa-uas-coe.html Back to Top Back to Top Etihad Airways' Emirati Female Engineers Attend Global Women Aviation FLORIDA, April 14 (Bernama) -- Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), recognised its top ten performing Emirati female engineering trainees by giving them the chance to attend the 25th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference in Orlando, Florida, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. The conference was organised by Women in Aviation International, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting women who are building their careers in the competitive aviation and aerospace industry. This year the conference was held under the theme "Honouring the past, guiding the present, and planting seeds for the future'. More than 4,500 participants attended the conference sessions and workshops which took place over a period of three days. There were inspirational keynote speakers from all walks of life including astronauts, adventurers, engineers, authors and pilots. In addition to the conference sessions and workshops, the Etihad trainees were able to network with female aviation specialists from around the world. The Etihad Airways representatives visited the Kennedy Space Centre and the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where they met the Deans of the engineering and aviation faculties. Etihad Airways' Chief People and Performance Officer, Ray Gammell, said: "Developing the capabilities, expertise and knowledge of young UAE nationals wishing to build a career in the aviation industry, has always been at the top of our priorities. "We are proud of the individual and collective achievements of these talented young Emirati women and are confident they will be further motivated and inspired to continue their path to a long and rewarding career as aircraft engineers." The Etihad Airways Graduate Engineering Programme is now offered in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technologies and the Al Ain International Aviation Academy, allowing trainees to obtain a B1 (Engineering License in Airframe and Engines) or B2 (Avionics) license in Aviation Engineering Technology. The programme is accredited by both the EASA and GCAA. Currently Etihad Airways has 252 engineering trainees enrolled in the programme, of whom 28 are females. http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=1030460 Back to Top Calls for Application for The ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship DEADLINE for filling application 15 April, 2014 The 2014 ISASI Seminar will be held in the Stamford Hotel in Glenelg, near Adelaide, Australia 13-16 October 2014. INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS 2014 The ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship (In memorial to all ISASI members who have died) Purpose: To encourage and assist college-level students interested in the field of aviation safety and aircraft occurrence investigation. Funding: The ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship fund will be established through donations and will provide an annual allocation of funds for the scholarship if funds are available. Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled as full time students in a recognized (note ISASI recognized) education program, which includes courses in aircraft engineering and/or operations, aviation psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation, etc., with major or minor subjects that focus on aviation safety/investigation are eligible for the scholarship. A student who has received the annual ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship will not be eligible to apply for it again. Administration of the Fund: The President of ISASI will appoint a two person committee to be executors and administrators of the fund. The ISASI Treasurer will oversee all expenditures. The Scholarship Fund Committee will check that the education program is at a recognized school and applicable to the aims of the Society, assess the applications and determine the most suitable candidate. Donors and recipients will be advised if donations are made in honor of a particular individual. Annual Scholarship: Funded attendance at ISASI Annual Seminar An award of $2000 will be made to each student who wins the competitive writing requirement, meets the application requirements and will register for the ISASI annual seminar. ************ The award will be used to cover costs for the seminar registration fees, travel, and lodging/meals expenses. Any expenses above and beyond the amount of the award will be borne by the recipient. ISASI will assist with coordination and control the expenditure of funds. In addition, the following are offered to the winner(s) of the scholarship. 1. A one year membership to ISASI 2. The Southern California Safety Institute (SCSI) offers tuition-free attendance to ANY regularly scheduled SCSI course to the winner of the ISASI Scholarship. This includes the two-week Aircraft Accident Investigator course or any other investigation courses. Travel to/from the course and accommodations are not included. More information at http://www.scsi-inc.com/ 3. The Transportation Safety Institute offers a tuition free course for the winner of the Scholarship. Travel to/from the course and accommodations are not included. More information is available at http://www.tsi.dot.gov/ 4. The Cranfield University Safety and Accident Investigation Centre offers tuition-free attendance at its 5-day Accident Investigation course which runs as part of its Masters Degree program at the Cranfield campus, 50 miles north of London, UK. Travel to/from the course and accommodation are not included. Further information is available from www.csaic.net/ Application requirements: 1. A full time student who meets the Eligibility requirement stated above and has been enrolled for a duration of one year 2. The student is to submit a 1000 (+/- 10%) word paper in English addressing "the challenges for air safety investigators" 3. The paper is to be the students own work and must be countersigned by the student's tutor/academic supervisor as authentic, original work 4. The papers will be judged on their content, original thinking, logic and clarity of expression 5. The essay and application must be submitted in a format that can be opened by Microsoft Word. 6. The student must complete the application form with their paper by April 15, 2014 and submit it to ISASI by mail, fax, oremail to isasi@erols.com. ISASI contact information - Ann Schull, International Office Manager 107 E. Holly Avenue, Suite #11 Sterling, VA 20164 703 430 9668 (Main) 703 430-4970 (FAX) Some advice to those applying: 1. Late submissions are not advisable 2. Handwritten applications are not advisable 3. Make sure to include your email address as indicated above ****************** Application Form 2014 INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS The ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship (In memorial to all ISASI members who have died) Name: Date: Address: Course enrolled for: Year /Subjects Studied: Academic Institute: Address: Email: Telephone number: Student Signature:_____________________________________________________________ Tutor/Academic Supervisor title and signature:________________________________________ 1000 Word Paper ""the challenges for air safety investigators" NOTE: Students who wish to apply for the scholarship should visit www.isasi.org or send email to isasi@erols.com. The ISASI office telephone number is 1-703-430-9668. www.isasi.org Back to Top Embry-Riddle Worldwide to offer UAS workshop in San Diego April 24, 25 Daytona Beach, Fla., - Professionals looking to gain a better understanding of the emerging unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry can take advantage of a two-day course being offered in San Diego April 24 to 25 by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide. Topics to be discussed include: introduction and impact of UAS; UAS designs; legislation, certification and regulation; industry concerns; applications; operational profiles; business opportunities; and the future of UAS. The course is developed and taught by Embry-Riddle Worldwide faculty with UAS operations and research experience. The cost of the course is $550, and continuing education units are available. For more information, click here or email training@erau.edu. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 60 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real- world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.worldwide.erau.edu , follow us on Twitter (@ERAUworldwide) and www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleWorldwide , and find expert videos at http://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. Back to Top Upcoming Events: Middle East Air Cargo and Logistics Exhibition & Conference 2014 April 9-10, 2014 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) http://cargomiddleeast.com Flight Safety Foundation Business Aviation Safety Summit 2014 April 16-17, 2014 San Diego, CA http://flightsafety.org/files/doc/2014FSF_Prospectus.pdf Embry-Riddle Worldwide to offer UAS workshop San Diego April 24, 25, 2014 www.erau.edu Airport Show Dubai May 11-13, 2014 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) www.theairportshow.com/portal/home.aspx International Humanitarian Aviation Summit 12-14MAY Toledo, Spain wfp.org 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/ Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 21-22 May 2014, Bangkok, Thailand http://bit.ly/APASS2014 Curt Lewis