Flight Safety Information May 30, 2014 - No. 110 In This Issue Ex-NTSB chair: Close calls in the sky a "grave concern" Virgin Galactic signs spaceflight deal with US authority Chilean regulator suspends PAL Airlines' AOC Austin man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at aircraft IATA AGM 2014: Aviation safety tops agenda Did ocean device capture Flight MH370's end? British Airways Turns Garbage Into Jet Fuel: Sustainable Solution or Incineration in Disguise? PRISM SMS Manufacturers Must Prove Commercial UAS Flight Safety Says FAA IJAAA Article Submissions Gulf Flight Safety Council to meet in Doha, Qatar..22nd of June 2014 ERAU Unmanned Aircraft Systems Short Course, Seattle Campus Upcoming Events Ex-NTSB chair: Close calls in the sky a "grave concern" After a reported near collision between an Alaska Airlines passenger jet and a cargo plane over Anchorage's Fire Island on Tuesday, the former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said such near-collisions is what "keeps a lot of people up at night" in the aviation community. Deborah Hersman, who was chair of the agency until March 2014, appeared on "CBS This Morning" Thursday to discuss the latest incident in which Alaska Airlines Flight 135 barely avoided an Ace Air Cargo Beechcraft 1900 prop-jet taking off from a runway at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Both planes veered right putting them just a quarter-mile apart at the same elevation. The jet with 148 people on board landed safely. "Airport environments are inherently risky," Hersman said. "There's so much going on, and that's an area where something can happen. The NTSB has had this issue on their most-wanted list consistently since its inception. So it's something that is of grave concern to everyone in the aviation community. In fact, it's probably what keeps a lot of people up at night, is making sure that as traffic increases -- that's good news for the economy -- but as traffic increases, where are the risks in our system?" Hersman said that there are thousands of "near events" every year but only about 40 of those are as severe as the Alaska Airlines incident. She stopped short of saying these types of incidents are on the rise but said that it's crucial that they are being reported. "That's the first step in determining what happened to make sure that they don't happen again. But I think what's concerning people is that we've heard about a lot of them in the recent weeks," she said. Last week, the FAA revealed that two commercial jetliners came dangerously close to a collision near Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. In April, there was another hauntingly similar close call between two passenger flights. "The good news is, that we haven't had one of these turn into an actual event that's resulted in fatalities," Hersman said. "The bad news is we still see some of the same things happening year in and year out, and we've got to do a better job of preventing them in the first place." The NTSB is investigating the latest incident in Alaska. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-ntsb-chair-close-calls-in-the-sky-a-grave-concern/ Back to Top Virgin Galactic signs spaceflight deal with US authority WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, sits on display outside the hangar facility at Spaceport America, northeast of Truth Or Consequences, on October 17, 2011 in New Mexico Spaceport America, in southern New Mexico, is the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport Virgin Galactic has signed a deal with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), which will allow it to charter space flights from its base in the US state of New Mexico. The agreement lays out rules for how the flights will be integrated into US air space. In a statement, Virgin Galactic said the deal brings it "another step closer" to commercial space flights. The firm hopes to launch its first flight by the end of 2014. The agreement with US authorities outlines how the FAA's air traffic control centre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the state's Spaceport Authority, will work with Virgin Galactic to make sure there is safe airspace for Virgin Galactic's space plane, the SpaceShipTwo. Virgin Galactic, which is co-owned by Richard Branson and Abu Dhabi's Aabar Investments, also has agreements with the US state of California to allow test flights. Safe for birds In a separate development on Thursday, the FAA found that Virgin Galactic rival SpaceX's plans to build a spaceport in Texas would not have adverse consequences on the environment. SpaceX has proposed launching 12 rockets per year from a site near Brownsville in southern Texas, but has not promised to build there just yet. US regulators found that while the proposed site would create noise for residents of a nearby neighbourhood and alter the landscape, most other environmental impacts could be mitigated. The firm, which was founded by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, is set to unveil the latest model of its Dragon ship, which is designed to ferry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27628476 Back to Top Chilean regulator suspends PAL Airlines' AOC PAL Airlines (5P, Santiago de Chile Int'l) has had its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) suspended by Chile's civil aviation regulator (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil - DGAC) for "breaching technical requirements" that could "endanger safety." Following an audit of PAL and its facilities, the DGAC said the airline's failure to satisfy unspecified technical requirements, as laid down in its AOC, could put its safety and security at risk if they are not resolved. "Therefore, citizens are informed that all air operations of this company are suspended until it demonstrates compliance with the technical requirements of aviation regulations," the DGAC said in a statement. For its part PAL, which had operated two B737-200Advs and three B737-300s on charter flights throughout Chile, said it is committed to resolving the issues as soon as possible. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/28362-chilean-regulator-suspends-pal-airlines- aoc Back to Top Austin man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at aircraft AUSTIN, Texas -- FBI agents arrested Grabriel Soza Ruedas, Jr., 25, in Austin on Thursday for allegedly pointing a laser at an aircraft flying overhead, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office. It is considered a federal crime to aim a laser pointer at an aircraft, according to a reform act that President Obama signed in Feb. 2012. On Wednesday, federal officials filed a criminal complaint charging Ruedas with violating that provision. The complaint alleges that on Feb. 15, 2014, Ruedas knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer multiple times at an APD helicopter that was about to land at the Austin airport. "Laser strikes can pose serious risks to flight crews, passengers, and even individuals on the ground. They are a serious public safety hazard and will be treated as such by law enforcement officials," United States Attorney Robert Pitman said. Upon conviction, Ruedas faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. "Shining a laser at aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot which could result in the loss of aircraft control and human life. This case should serve as a warning to others who engage in this dangerous criminal activity. The FBI will continue to investigate and pursue prosecution of offenders who threaten aviation safety," Christopher Combs, FBI special agent in charge, said. This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by agents with the FBI together with APD and the Texas Attorney General's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Sofer is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government. "It's a maximum of five years, the fine, and then there's a potential for supervised release if he does ultimately get a prison sentence but right now we're at the very initial stages," said Ashley Hoff, division chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Ruedas is scheduled to make his initial appearance at 2:00 p.m. Thursday in Austin before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Austin. http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Austin-man-arrested-for-allegedly-pointing- laser-at-aircraft-261228091.html Back to Top IATA AGM 2014: Aviation safety tops agenda The International Air Transport Association has released 2013 commercial aviation safety performance, revealing there were 210 fatalities from commercial aviation accidents in 2013, reduced from 414 in 2012. The 2013 global Western-built jet accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jets) was 0.41, the equivalent of one accident for every 2.4 million flights. This was a step back from 2012 when the global Western-built jet accident rate stood at 0.21 - the lowest in aviation history. Looked at over the five-year period (2009-2013), 2013 shows a 14.6 per cent improvement on the five-year average of 0.48. The 2013 Western-built jet hull loss rate for members of IATA was 0.30, which outperformed the global average by 26.8 per cent and which showed an improvement over the five-year average of 0.32. "Safety is our highest priority. "The aviation industry is united in its commitment to ensure continuous safety improvement. Importantly, that commitment has made flying ever safer. "Accidents, however rare, do happen. "We release this data as the world continues to focus on the search effort for MH370. "The airline industry, its stakeholders and regulators are in the beginning of the journey to unravel this mystery, understand the cause and find ways to ensure that it never happens again," said Tony Tyler, IATA director general. Safety in Numbers More than three billion people flew safely on 36.4 million flights (29.5 million by jet, 6.9 million by turboprop). There were a total of 81 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built), up from 75 in 2012, but below the five-year average of 86 per year. Some 16 of these were fatal accidents (all aircraft types), versus 15 in 2012 and the five-year average of 19. A fifth of all accidents were fatal, unchanged from 2012 and below the five-year average of 22 per cent. A total of 12 hull loss accidents involving Western-built jets were recorded, compared to six in 2012 and the five-year average of 13. Six fatal hull loss accidents involving Western-built jets, raised from three in 2012, unchanged from the five-year average. IOSA Airlines on the IATA Operational Safety Audit Registry experienced six Western-built jet hull loss accidents. The total accident rate (all aircraft types) for IOSA-registered carriers was more than two times better than the rate for non-IOSA carriers (1.46 vs. 3.60). Today, 391 airlines are on the IOSA registry. For IATA's 240 airlines, IOSA is a requirement for membership in the association. That some 151 non-member airlines are also on the registry is a clear indication that IOSA is the global benchmark for airline operational safety management. "The overall performance of IOSA airlines shows that the audits are among the factors having a positive impact on safety. "To increase the effectiveness of the IOSA process, we are upgrading to Enhanced IOSA which incorporates systems to monitor compliance across the two-year audit cycle. "This is moving IOSA from a once-every-two-year snapshot to a continuous management process," said Tyler. http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/iata-agm-aviation-safety-tops- agenda/ Back to Top Did ocean device capture Flight MH370's end? An Australian university is studying underwater listening devices to help find the jet Early in the search, the U.N. said it had not detected any explosions or crashes from its sensors "It's not certain if there was an impact we would detect it," says seismic acoustic analyst An re-examination of data relating to Air France 447 could not detect crash signals from under water Washington (CNN) -- Was the sound of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 striking the water captured by ocean devices used to listen for signs of nuclear blasts? It's a long shot, but an Australian university is studying records from underwater listening devices in an effort to help find the missing plane. "One signal has been detected on several receivers that could be related to the crash," said Alec Duncan of Curtin University's Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST). Researchers are studying a very low frequency sound to see if it was "the impact of the aircraft on the water or the implosion of parts of the aircraft as it sank," Duncan said. Pings were not from Flight 370... now what? Officials: Flight 370 not in search area Expert: The frequencies were never right Bajc: 'This is intentional misdirection' "But (the source of the noise) is just as likely to be a natural event," he said. Low frequency signals can travel thousands of kilometers through water under favorable circumstances, Duncan said. But "at the moment (the sound) appears to be inconsistent with other data about the aircraft position," he said. Martin Dolan, the Chief Commissioner with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the organization leading the search into MH370 at the request of Malaysia, agreed with Duncan¹s analysis of the sound. "We think that those detections may have been interesting from the point of view of the direction they came, but other characteristics make it unlikely that they are associated with MH370," he said. The ATSB first referenced these signals in a document posted on its website on Monday. The research is continuing, Duncan said, and investigators may release additional information about their findings in the coming days. As was the case with the Inmarsat satellite -- a communications satellite whose data was analyzed by Malaysia Airlines MH370 investigators as a navigational aide -- this study involves the use of technology for a purpose that it was not originally intended for. One of the devices, operated by Curtin University and located some 20 kilometers off Perth, is designed to listen to whales and other marine life. The other is for signs of underwater nuclear explosions, one of 11 operated worldwide by the U.N.-chartered Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) as part of the International Monitoring System. Search area 'can now be discounted' Gleaning the data Early in the search for Malaysia Flight 370, the United Nations reported it had not detected any explosions or plane crashes on land or water from its sensors around the globe. Some family unsatisfied with MH370 data Exclusive: MH370 satellite data released But the recent efforts involve pairing CTBTO data with other sources to see what can be gleaned, officials said. "One can always be hopeful," said Mark Prior, a seismic acoustic analyst with the CTBTO. The CTBTO's hydro-acoustic stations detect low frequency sound in the 0-100 Hz range, and can't detect black box "pings" in the 30-40 kHz range, officials said. "It's possible (to detect a plane crash), but the circumstances that would allow it would have to be very particular," said Prior. Prior said some of those circumstances might include a sloping sea bed. Another possible scenario: the origin of the sound would need to be near the listening device. The CTBTO's system near Cape Leeuwin, the southwestern-most point of Australia, regularly captures signals of ice breaking noise from Antarctica and seismic activity from Indonesia, he said. "There are other scenarios that would allow (the hydrophones to detect a crash). But it's not certain if there was an impact we would detect it," Prior said. Attempts were made following the 2009 crash of Air France 447 in the southern Atlantic Ocean to see if underwater listening devices had detected the plane's impact. No data could be found. Years later, after the plane was located, CTBTO again checked its data, and still was not able to identify signals related to the crash. On Friday, Beijing put pressure on Malaysia to start a new search, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. "We expect Malaysia to take the leading and coordinating role, come up with a new search plan for the jet at an early date, and take the investigation seriously," Premier Li Keqiang told Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was on a diplomatic visit. The largest contingency of passengers on board MH 370 were from China. http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/29/world/asia/mh370-sound-search/ Back to Top British Airways Turns Garbage Into Jet Fuel: Sustainable Solution or Incineration in Disguise? British AirwaysCan garbage power your plane ride from New York to London? That's the idea behind a new production plant that will transform waste from London's homes and businesses into a jet fuel that costs about the same price as conventional petroleum- based fuel but burns cleaner and produces fewer carbon emissions. Solena Fuels, a company that produces aviation and marine fuels made from solid waste, expects to break ground on its new GreenSky jet fuel facility next year on the site of a former oil refinery outside of London. British Airways has made a $550 million commitment to purchase all the fuel produced by the plant in the 11-year period after it opens in 2017-equating to about 50 tons of fuel per year. The city of London generates approximately 18 million tons of trash per year, according to Fast Company, and once the jet fuel facility is open for business, will send about a half a million tons of garbage originally destined for the landfill to GreenSky. Solena will turn this trash into 120,000 tons of jet fuel, first using its patented high-temperature plasma gasification technology to convert the waste into a synthetic gas; then the company will utilize various third-party technologies to transform the gas into a liquid fuel. The resulting synthetic fuel works like those produced from coal and natural gas that airlines already use and, unlike biofuels such as ethanol, can be used thousands of feet up in the air, Fast Company reported. Solena's product is considered a "drop-in" fuel, meaning airlines can use it without modifying their plane engines or fueling infrastructure. Solena says its fuel produced from garbage burns cleaner than crude-based jet fuels, with virtually no sulfur emissions, a minimal amount of particulate matter and lower nitrogen oxide emissions during plane take-off. While British Airways is starting off small with this project (it will source only about 2 percent of its total fuel from GreenSky), the airline hopes to increase the amount of trash-based jet fuel it uses over time, Fast Company reported. Too good to be true? Clean-burning jet fuel from trash-it almost sounds too good to be true. And it might just be, according to anti-incineration activists who say that the kind of gasification technology Solena uses is just incineration in disguise. Wherever you sit on the debate about waste-to-energy or waste-to-product facilities, we can all agree that the GreenSky facility and Solena's jet fuel will have environmental impacts, and it's unclear, without further study, if this project is the most sustainable solution. The jury is still out on which waste management method emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions: a landfill releasing the potent greenhouse gas methane as garbage decomposes or a gasification facility that produces carbon emissions as it converts waste to a product. Different studies come to various conclusions-usually in favor of the opinion of the report's funders. Either way, we can't be sure if GreenSky's carbon footprint would be smaller than the amount of methane produced if the garbage was sent to the local landfill. Like other incineration-like facilities, GreenSky will most likely produce a waste byproduct called fly ash that typically contains high concentrations of toxic metals from products like batteries and paints that end up in the waste stream. Solena Fuels' CEO Robert Do told Fast Company that recyclables like bottles, glass and cans will be sorted out of the waste stream coming to GreenSky, but even with the best efforts of residents or waste management workers, it's nearly impossible to extract every possible contaminant in the garbage that could result in toxic residue. Anti-incineration advocates also point out that incinerators and gasification facilities undermine local recycling programs, essentially competing for the same feedstock. "London has a very strong recycling program, so the waste all goes into a recycling center first," Do said. "Everything that can be recycled-bottles, glass, cans-will be recycled. The material that's left over, that would normally go to a landfill, that's the stuff they take to our plant." Do and Solena seem supportive of London's recycling efforts now, but what would happen if the city ramps up its waste reduction efforts or adopts a zero waste goal? While it's encouraging that British Airways is thinking outside the box to reach its sustainability goals, the airline might have missed the mark on the best ways to reduce waste and cut carbon emissions. http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/05/british-airways-turns-garbage-jet-fuel- sustainable-solution-incineration-disguise/ Back to Top Back to Top Manufacturers Must Prove Commercial UAS Flight Safety Says FAA Jim Williams, manager of the FAA UAS Integration Office Jim Williams of the FAA's UAS Integration Office spoke Monday at the Unmanned Systems conference. Commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is possible once manufacturers demonstrate the airworthiness of their designs, according to the manager of the FAA's UAS Integration Office. "It's a two-way street," advised Jim Williams. "The FAA can't pull the industry up." Williams spoke during a May 12 "Civilian Applications for UAS" workshop held in advance of the Unmanned Systems 2014 conference in Orlando. He later faced several testy questioners from an industry audience clearly dissatisfied with the FAA's progress in opening the airspace system to commercial UAS operations, which the agency currently prohibits. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International organized the half-day workshop. One questioner from Australia said that country's aviation authority legalized commercial UAS operations in 2002. "My question is: What is your best estimate of when commercial drone activities will be able to take place over populous areas in the United States?" he asked. "And, if I may, do you think the United States is at risk of losing this industry to countries with more forward-looking regulatory environments?" The remark was met with applause by the audience. "Commercial aircraft operations for unmanned aircraft could be happening today if a manufacturer were to get their aircraft certified and come up with a means of operation over populated areas," Williams replied. "There are companies that are in discussion with the FAA to do just that. There is no restriction against it. What most people see as the limitation is really the airworthiness certification rules, which admittedly were not created for unmanned aircraft operations. They were created for manned aircraft operations." Williams said Part 21.17 of federal aircraft certification regulations provides a route for new entrants to propose a set of standards and undergo an approval process to earn a type certificate. "Every airship out there is certified using those methods. There are industry consensus standards that are used to certify airships," Williams said. "I believe it's a matter of a company with the wherewithal coming forward with an aircraft, taking it through the certification process, demonstrating to the FAA that it will be a safe operation and it will not put people on the ground or in the air at risk." Another questioner asked why only two of the six UAS test ranges the FAA selected on December 30-those in North Dakota and Alaska-have received certificates of authorization (COA) from the agency and started operations, when Congress required operations to begin 180 days after site selection, or by late June. "Out of six sites that were awarded, there's two sites operational with three COAs within that," he said. "Why wasn't that approved as part of the process of selection? Why didn't the FAA visit those sites to verify they had what they needed before selection, and how can we go out there as industry and get certified when you have two of six sites [operational] five months after selection?" Williams said the 180-day deadline Congress inserted in the 2012 FAA reauthorization act required that the first site begin operating in that time. "The bottom line was the congressional mandate was 'one test site up and running' within 180 days, which we've achieved, plus one," he said. "We think they'll all get there and we have confidence in the success of the program overall." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2014-05-12/manufacturers-must-prove- commercial-uas-flight-safety-says-faa Back to Top Back to Top Gulf Flight Safety Council to meet in Doha, Qatar 22nd of June 2014 The Gulf Flight Safety Council will have it's next meeting in Doha, Qatar on the 22nd of June 2014. Key Guest Speakers for the meeting are Captain John Cox and Captain John Ranson from Safety Operating Systems. They will be presenting two topics that are key concerns in aviation safety today - cause and effects of lithium battery dangers on aircraft and smoke evacuation. The meeting is an excellent opportunity for safety professionals from regional operators, military units, regulators and air service providers to network and share information. This meeting is also the AGM for the GFSC. If you are interested in attending please contact GFSC Secretary, Captain Mark Trotter on membership@gfsc.aero 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 Gulf Flight Safety Council Doha, Qatar 22nd of June 2014 membership@gfsc.aero 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