Flight Safety Information May 21, 2014 - No. 103 In This Issue NTSB: Burning balloon left fire extinguisher in debris path The Aviation Industry Nearly Had Two Midair Plane Collisions in Two Days U.S. Forest Service Adding 4 Aircraft to Firefighting Fleet Air safety rating: India's FAA upgrade plan could be delayed PRISM SMS China's Comac Set to Deliver First Passenger Jets Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet gets extra engine and cabin space Airbus: Aircraft serving Germany to nearly double by 2032 ERAU Unmanned Aircraft Systems Short Course, Seattle Campus Upcoming Events NTSB: Burning balloon left fire extinguisher in debris path (CNN) -- A hot air balloon that crashed and killed three people left propane tanks and a fire extinguisher along a 1.75-mile debris path after striking power lines and catching fire, the National Transportation Safety Board reported Tuesday. The NTSB preliminary report did not provide a cause for the May 9 crash near Ruther Glen, Virginia, that occurred during a hot air balloon festival. The crash killed the balloon pilot and two passengers, both staff members of the University of Richmond women's basketball program. The debris included two stainless steel propane fuel tanks, a handheld fire extinguisher, the instrument panel and pieces of the charred balloon fabric, the report said. The NTSB said a handheld global positioning system and three cell phones were located but didn't specify whether they were found in the debris path or the wreckage. Those objects were sent to the NTSB lab. The report didn't say what information, if any, had been downloaded. Not recovered were the balloon crown, crown ring, deflation port, the burner and two other propane fuel tanks, the report said. The report said witnesses reported seeing the balloon approach a field where another balloon had landed. The pilot engaged the burner and the balloon struck power lines, causing the balloon and a section of the basket to catch fire, the report said. The balloon climbed and drifted out of sight, the report said. It took two days for searchers to find the pilot's body. The balloon was last inspected August 5, 2013, and had accumulated 270.4 hours of flying time. http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/us/ntsb-report-on-balloon-crash/ Back to Top The Aviation Industry Nearly Had Two Midair Plane Collisions in Two Days The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed this week that on two separate occasions last month, passenger planes nearly collided in midair in U.S. airspace. Which is two times too many, as far as we're concerned. The first incident occurred near Newark on April 24. The AP reports that according to the NTSB report, a United flight heading to the airport from San Francisco narrowly passed an outgoing ExpressJet flight heading towards Memphis. There was only about 200 feet laterally, and 400 feet vertically dividing the two planes - far less than the usual minimum two miles between passing flights. The NTSB report indicates that timing mishaps led to the near-accident: An air traffic controller waited for another plane to land on the east-west runway, then cleared the ExpressJet to take off heading north. At that point, the United flight was about three miles away. By the time the ExpressJet flight started its takeoff roll, the United flight was about one mile away. As the two planes approached each other, the United flight was ordered by the tower to abort its landing and go back up. The ExpressJet pilot can be heard on radio telling air traffic controllers he was keeping the plane's nose down as he climbed. At one point he tells the tower the United flight came "real close" to him. CBS New York reports that, according to sources, the United pilot was ordered to circle the airport but did not do so, instead opting to land the plane. That flight was carrying 155 passengers and six crew members, and the ExpressJet flight had 47 passengers and three crew members on board. The second incident took place one day later, north of Hawaii. Disturbingly, both those flights were flying at heights assigned them by air traffic control, NTSB representatives told CNN. The incident is still under investigation, but it was clear to those on board that something had gone terribly wrong. In a blog post that brought the event to national attention, passenger Kevin Townsend described what it felt like on board one of the planes, heading from Hawaii to LAX, when it dropped 600 feet in less than a minute. Thirty-three thousand feet up in a cloudless sky, our plane had suddenly pitched into a steep dive. I felt my body float upwards and strain against my seatbelt. Passengers around me screamed.The voice of an audibly flustered flight attendant came over the speaker. "OK. That was obviously unexpected." An understatement. The fasten-seat-belt sign was still off. A moment later, after we'd laughed and settled back into the friendly fiction of air travel as a mundane commute, her voice returned to notify us that "the pilot took evasive action to avoid an aircraft in our flight path. CNN has more technical details on the incident, as well: United Airlines Flight 1205, which was headed east to Los Angeles from Kona International Airport on the Big Island of Hawaii, had to descend quickly to avoid a westbound US Airways jet, approximately 200 miles northeast of Kona. The United pilots received an audible warning that the plane was in danger from its traffic collision avoidance system, which monitors airspace around a plane. Both planes were Boeing 757s. Had two fully loaded Boeing 757s collided over the Pacific Ocean, it almost certainly would have been the deadliest air disaster in history. CBS reported last week that the event was blamed on errors on the ground - mainly, an air traffic controller working in Honolulu failed to realize that the planes were headed towards a collision. Still, former head of the NTSB Mark Rosenker told CBS News that the traffic collision avoidance system "gave the appropriate instructions to both pilots," adding that human error was unavoidable but the technology successfully prevented a disaster. "We have seen a significant reduction in mid-air collisions since we have adopted these programs and this technology on-board commercial aircraft," said Rosenker. Forgive us if we think that two close calls in two days isn't the most comforting example of aviation safety in action. http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/05/planes-almost-crash-midair-hawaii-newark/371254/ Back to Top U.S. Forest Service Adding 4 Aircraft to Firefighting Fleet The U.S. Forest Service says it is adding four aircraft to its firefighting fleet as California recovers from a series of blazes, and other states brace for another hot, dry summer. That brings the total to 21 large airtankers and more than 100 helicopters. The announcement comes as the Obama administration pushes Congress to ensure that enough money is available to fight destructive wildfires. The Forest Service expects to exceed this year's budget in July, two months before this fiscal year ends. http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/us-forest-service-adding-4-aircraft- 12374945/#ixzz32LlLUjRG Back to Top Air safety rating: India's FAA upgrade plan could be delayed India is now in the same bracket as Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Paraguay after FAA downgraded the country's air safety rating.India is now in the same bracket as Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Paraguay after FAA downgraded the country's air safety rating. FAA had downgraded India's air safety rating on January 31 after a series of audits in 2013. The civil aviation ministry's plan to approach the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in June for restoring the country's air safety rating to category 1 could get delayed by a few months. This is because the domestic regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is behind its schedule of completing the hiring of 75 Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs), a primary requirement for the upgrade. In fact, over 50% of the 613 sanctioned posts for technical staff at the regulator are still vacant. A civil aviation ministry official told FE that a review meeting on the hiring of FOIs by the DGCA was held on Tuesday, and that the hiring of all 75 is likely to be done by May-end. In the first lot, DGCA has already hired 29 Senior FOIs and FOIs of the planned 75, while it has also received a further set of applications for the second lot of FOIs. "Unless we feel we are completely ready and have our preparedness verified by another agency, we cannot go to the FAA seeking a fresh audit. We will take a call by month-end depending on where we stand on the hiring. The delays are happening both because it is tough to find the qualified people and also it takes time for them to finish their notice period at the current job and join the DGCA," the official said. He added, "DGCA has had a shortfall traditionally of people. Like in the technical staff, we have about 300 which is far less than the sanctioned strength of 613. We are constrained by not having the enough number of people eligible to be promoted at the senior levels within the technical staff". The FAA had downgraded India's air safety rating on January 31 after a series of audits in 2013, putting India in the same bracket as Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Paraguay. While being a sore point in terms of national self esteem and business sentiments, the downgrade also meant that Air India and Jet Airways cannot add any new flights to the US. Existing code-share pacts for Jet with US-based airlines also stand suspended, while there is a looming threat that aviation regulators from the European Union, Japan and other developed nations may follow the FAA with further downgrades. There was also a worry that the downgrade may lead to a delay in Air India's integration with Star Alliance, though that has been put to rest, with Star Alliance officials announcing that Air India will join from July. As of January, two requirements remained down from an initial list of 31 presented in September 2013 by the FAA, these are the hiring adequate number of FOIs on permanent basis and training airworthiness officers for different types of aircraft used by both charter and scheduled operators. While the latter part is complete, the DGCA has been facing numerous challenges in hiring FOIs. This is despite the Cabinet approving the hiring of 75 Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) at industry-competitive salaries on January 29. Since the downgrade in January, the DGCA has turned the heat on US aviation companies. In March, it warned Boeing that it could take "any action" if teething problems with its B787 Dreamliner aircraft in the Air India fleet were not fixed soon. In February, it had also grounded a United Airlines flight from Newark to Mumbai citing damages to the engine cover. To improve its image, DGCA has also been getting strict with non-scheduled operators at home, pulling up various corporates like GMR, Reliance and Bajaj Auto for operating flights without mandatory tests, required equipment or paperwork, and in some cases, for having alcohol on board, which is prohibited under Indian aviation laws. While the civil aviation ministry hopes to regain its Category 1 air safety rating in about six months' time after the downgrade, other countries in a similar position had taken a longer time. Israel took four years to regain the Category 1 status after a downgrade in 2008, while it took Venezuela 11 years after a downgrade in 1995. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/air-safety-rating-indias-faa-upgrade-plan-could-be- delayed/1252969/0 Back to Top Back to Top China's Comac Set to Deliver First Passenger Jets SHANGHAI May 21, 2014 (AP) - A state-owned aircraft maker said Wednesday it is ready to deliver China's first homegrown regional airliner and should complete a bigger plane in 2018. The first two of the ARJ21-700 regional jets have been completed for a Chinese carrier, Chengdu Airlines, and are coming to the end of the certification process, according to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. The company said it has 252 orders. China launched the ARJ21 project in 2002 in an attempt to break into the Western-dominated aircraft market. The plane was promised for 2007 but delivery was pushed back due to technical problems. China is expected to become one of the world's biggest aircraft markets over the next two decades. Boeing Co. forecasts total demand at 5,580 planes worth a total of $780 billion. The ARJ21-700 can seat 78 to 90 passengers depending on its configuration, with a range of 2,225 to 3,700 kilometers (1,300 miles to 2,300 miles). Comac said it successfully completed test flights in North America in March and April and has flown 13,000 kilometers (8,000 miles). The company is targeting China's domestic market and flights to Southeast Asia. "We first want to develop our business in China and then gradually we will go to the international market," Comac executive Tian Min told reporters at Comac's assembly and manufacturing center in Shanghai. Comac's larger C919 is a single-aisle jet meant to compete with Boeing and Airbus Industrie. It can seat up to 168 passengers and has a planned range of 4,000 to 5,100 kilometers (2,500 to 3,200 miles). The C919 is an official initiative "for China to re-capture the value in aircraft manufacturing that currently goes offshore to Airbus and Boeing," said industry analyst Will Horton of CAPA Centre for Aviation. "With such a large objective, accomplishments will come gradually." The company has received 400 orders from 16 customers, including aircraft leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services. Low cost carrier Ryanair and British airlines have signed memorandums of understanding about their intention to purchase planes, Tian said. He wouldn't disclose price but said developers were focused on controlling costs. Most orders have come from China's state-owned airline industry under government instructions to support the program. "Global aviation remains pessimistic on the C919, given the ARJ21 delays," said Horton. On May 15, the first front fuselage of a C919 was delivered by a supplier to Comac, Tian said. He said the plane will be assembled in the second half of 2014, its maiden flight is due at the end of 2015 and the first delivery to a customer is slated for 2018. Longer term, Comac is cooperating with Russia to build a next-generation wide-body plane. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China. Tian said Comac is working on a feasibility study with Russia. From its beginning in 2008, Comac has focused on developing the two passenger planes. It has grown from 3,800 employees to 8,300. Earlier news reports said the C919 maiden flight was due in 2014, with delivery in 2016. Tian said those reports were wrong, and Comac always planned for its maiden flight to be 90 months from the project launch. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/chinas-comac-track-deliver-c919-jet-2018-23806064 Back to Top Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet gets extra engine and cabin space The Aerion AS2 will now use a set of three smaller jet engines for quieter running, improved take-off performance, and longer range Aerion Corporation has upped the cabin size and added an extra engine to the first in its planned range of supersonic business jets currently on the drawing board. Designed with Supersonic Natural Laminar Flow (SNLF) wing technology that was tested in transonic wind tunnel tests and in NASA flight trials, the Aerion AS2 will now use a set of three smaller jet engines in place of its previous large two-jet design to provide quieter running, improved take-off performance, and longer range. The AS2 will be capable of a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. With its new three engine configuration, the AS2 is able to take greater advantage of the unique Aerion "unswept" SNLF (Supersonic Natural Laminar Flow) wing design. This sees the wing feature upper and lower surfaces that are slightly curved, ensuring a smooth flow of air across them that continues to travel in relatively undisturbed layers. Aerion claims this results in a 90 percent reduction in drag over more conventional swept or delta wing designs and helps reduce total airframe drag by as much as 20 percent. As a result, it is expected that the AS2 will not only be fast, but super-efficient as well. Capable of a maximum speed of Mach 1.6, the AS2 has been designed to travel at two optimal cruising speeds where range and efficiency are at their best: Mach 0.95 where supersonic flight is prohibited, and at Mach 1.4 where the SNLF wing characteristics will be at their most efficient. Dimension-wise, the fuselage is 160 ft (48 m) long and maximum take-off weight is expected to be around 115,000 lb (52,000 kg). With these figures, the minimum projected range is predicted to be approximately 4,750 nautical miles (8,800 km), though the company is hoping to achieve an ultimate range of around 5,000 nm (9,260 km). With a 30-ft (9.1-m) cabin in a two-lounge configuration, cabin dimensions widen from entryway to the rear seating area where height is about 6.2 ft (1.9 m) and cabin width around 7.2 ft (2.2 m). When fully fueled, it is expected that the AS2 will require a take-off length of roughly 7,500 ft (2,286 m), though this is expected to drop to only 5,000-6,000 ft (1,500-1,800 m) at take-off weights below 100,000 lb (45,000 kg), while still maintaining trans-Atlantic and transcontinental US capability. This should allow the aircraft to operate from medium-sized aviation hubs as and when necessary. With a 30-ft (9.1-m) cabin in a two-lounge configuration, cabin dimensions widen from entr... According to the company, the new AS2 configuration draws on worldwide operator input from a market study conducted by Aerion in the first quarter of 2014 to assess demand for a supersonic business jet. "The message from many of today's long-range business jet operators is very clear," says Aerion CEO Doug Nichols. "They want a supersonic jet sooner rather than later; a cabin comparable in comfort to today's long-range jets; a range of 5,000 nm or better; and they are willing to pay more than US$100 million for such an aircraft. That is the supersonic jet we are working to deliver." The AS2 will be capable of a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 Whilst the AS2 is still in the design stage, Aerion does have plans to form an industrial collaboration with aerospace firms capable of supplying engines and airframe structures before the end of 2014. The release date for entry into service, provided certification is achieved, is 2021. Given that there are also a number of other supersonic business jet concepts on drawing boards around the globe - such as the Spike S-512 and the Hypermach SonicStar - which are also aiming at a takeoff date somewhere in the same time-frame as Aerion's offering, the period up to 2021 promises to be a very interesting time for aviation watchers. And, if all comes to fruition, it's also an exciting time for those of us who look forward to the ushering in of a new age of supersonic travel. Source: Aerion (PDF) http://www.gizmag.com/aerion-as2-supersonic-business-jet/32149/ Back to Top Airbus: Aircraft serving Germany to nearly double by 2032 According to Airbus' latest Global Market Forecast (GMF) in the next 20 years (2013-2032), the traffic to and from Germany is set to grow at 3.5 percent per annum (global average 4.7 percent), driving a need for 1,821 aircraft to address the country's rising international and domestic air travel requirements. The fleet of aircraft serving Germany will grow by 80 percent from todays' 1,013 to 1,821 aircraft by 2032 and is forecast to consist of 1,338 single-aisle, 386 twin-aisle and 97 very large aircraft (VLA). Demand in Europe for 5,950 new passenger and freighter aircraft, represents 20 percent of world-wide demand with a market value of US$803 billion (North America at 20 percent and Latin America at eight percent). This compares to emerging markets where growth is stronger such as in Asia-Pacific which represents 38 percent of the global demand. "Germany is the fifth largest aviation market in the world and will continue its upward trend, but its growth is less than the world average," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers. ''With its airport infrastructure being constrained we see the need for bigger, quieter and more eco-efficient aircraft as confirmed by the number of VLA's increasing by five times from todays 21 to almost 100 aircraft by 2032.'' Germany today is the largest export country in Europe and enjoys the strongest economy. It is the world's fourth-largest economy and because it is driven by exports the importance of aviation for Germany cannot be underestimated. By 2032, Dusseldorf will have joined Frankfurt and Munich to become one of the World's aviation mega-cities' Germany has seven main airlines: Air Berlin, Condor, Germanwings, European Air Transport, Germania, Hamburg Airways and Lufthansa. Each airline relies on Airbus aircraft for part if not all of their fleets. With 387 Airbus aircraft in operation (279 A320 Family aircraft, 19 A300/A310s, 77 A330/A340s, and 12 A380s) with German carriers, Airbus has gained a market share of more than 65 per cent underlining the preference of German carriers for Airbus aircraft. To date, there are nearly 180 aircraft in Airbus' backlog for delivery to German carriers (150 A320 Family aircraft, 25 A350s and 2 A380s). http://www.eturbonews.com/46004/airbus-aircraft-serving-germany-nearly-double-2032 Back to Top View this email in a web page TWO-DAY CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT (CEU) COURSE UAS Applications, Operations and Support: Key Topics of Industry This two-day, continuing education unit (CEU) course is specifically designed for professionals and specialists seeking to expand their understanding of the application, operation and support of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Discussions will focus on the considerations, regulations, policies, business opportunities and challenges of the industry. This course is developed and taught by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide faculty with UAS operations and research experience. Who Should Attend: ? Business Developers ? Executive Leadership ? Small Business Owner/Entrepreneur ? Engineers (including aerospace, communications, electrical, GNC, hardware, logistics, software, systems, quality assurance and test) ? UAS Operators, Pilots, Sensor Operators ? Analysts (system, data management, manufacturing, operations, procurement, research and quality) ? Managers (account, contracts, program, project and operations) ? Training Developers/Coordinators ? Administrators (government, contracts, IT and property) ? Planners (mission, facilities, schedule and strategic) ? Technicians (avionics, electronics, manufacturing and radio frequency) ? Writers (technical, grant and proposal) Key Topics: ? Introduction and Impact of UAS ? UAS Designs ? Legislation, Certification and Regulation ? Industry Concerns ? Applications ? Operational Profiles ? Business Opportunities ? Future of UAS When: Where: Course Fee: Thursday, June 5 to Friday, June 6 Embry-Riddle Worldwide Seattle Campus 1000 Oakesdale Avenue SW Suite 110 Renton, WA 98057 USD $700 Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with an hour lunch For more information: Al Astbury, Office of Professional Programs Tel: (866) 574-9125 * email: training@erau.edu CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND REGISTRATION Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 600 S Clyde Morris Boulevard Daytona Beach, FL 32114 USA If you wish to be removed from this group's mailing list, click here Upcoming Events: SMS & Risk Management Training Tampa, FL June 4-5, 2014 http://atcvantage.com ERAU Unmanned Aircraft Systems Short Course Seattle, WA June 5-6, 2014 http://proed.erau.edu/programs/specialized-industry-training/unmanned-aircraft-systems-workshop-nv/index.html 6th Annual Aviation Human Factors & SMS Seminar June 24th & 25th 2014 Dallas, TX www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1384474 21st Century Pilot Reliability Certification Workshop June 30th and July 1st, 2014 Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07605 Please contact Kacy Schwartz kacy@convergentperformance.com 719-481-0530 International System Safety Society Annual Symposium 04-08AUG2014 - St. Louis, MO http://issc2014.system-safety.org Curt Lewis