Flight Safety Information June 30, 2014 - No. 131 In This Issue Obama to nominate Hart as NTSB chairman Emergency Evacuation Slide Deploys Midair On United Flight Former Air Safety Official Suggests Better Plane Automation Ryanair jets damaged in Stansted Airport collision 'Lives could have been saved by jet collision warning system' (U.K.) America's $400 Billion Stealth Jet Fleet Is Grounded Small plane makes emergency landing on Arlington freeway (Texas) PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA FAA Announces Aviation Safety Rating For The Republic Of Serbia Dutch find aircraft autopilot bug Honda Jet Makes Successful Test Flight Former DG, NCAA, Demuren Wins African Achievement Award (Nigeria)...Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren Etihad's Fleet Expands To 101 Aircraft Alcoa to Buy Jet-Engine Component Maker Firth Rixson Upcoming Events Employment Obama to nominate Hart as NTSB chairman US President Barack Obama will nominate Christopher Hart to be chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Hart, NTSB's vice chairman, has served as acting chairman since former chairman Deborah Hersman resigned from the board on April 25. Hart this week oversaw the NTSB's public hearing releasing the board's investigative findings on the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash. He has been a member of the board since August 2009 and was also a member from 1990-1993. Hart has previously served as FAA deputy director-air traffic safety oversight and as FAA assistant administrator-system safety. His term as an NTSB member runs to Dec. 31, 2017. Hart's nomination to be NTSB chairman will have to be confirmed by the Senate. http://atwonline.com/people/obama-nominate-hart-ntsb-chairman Back to Top Emergency Evacuation Slide Deploys Midair On United Flight June 30 (Reuters) - A United Airlines flight bound for southern California with 101 people on board was diverted to Wichita, Kansas on Sunday night after an emergency evacuation chute inflated inside the aircraft in mid-flight, the airline said. United flight 1463, which was carrying 96 passengers with five crew members on board, was bound for Orange County's John Wayne Airport, south of Los Angeles, when the emergency chute accidentally deployed, the airline said. "The flight diverted to Wichita ... No one was injured and the flight landed safely," United said in a statement. The Boeing 737-700 took off from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. United said all passengers were seated at the time of the incident and added that earlier reports that a passenger had attempt to open the door in flight were false. It said its maintenance team would inspect the aircraft to determine what happened. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/emergency-evacuation-slide-deploys_n_5542665.html Back to Top Former Air Safety Official Suggests Better Plane Automation WASHINGTON - Earlier this week, the NTSB -- the National Transportation Safety Board -- determined the cause and subsequent safety regulations from last year's fatal Asiana crash. The Boeing 777 aircraft crashed on landing at the San Francisco airport, killing three and injuring nearly 200. The former NTSB chairman, who was in charge of the investigation, says the report could change the design of future airplanes. The National Transportation Safety Board report says the flight crew mismanaged the Asiana plane's descent and did not monitor airspeed, causing the 777 to crash. Deborah Hersman was the head of the NTSB at the time of the crash and was the voice of the agency, briefing the public on the investigation. She is now President and CEO of the National Safety Council. Hersman said she knew from her first week at the scene of the crash that the pilots did not understand what was going on with the aircraft's automated systems and did not know how to intervene to regain control of the plane. "This crew was extremely experienced. They had a lot of hours, but they just didn't have the ability to understand what was happening in the critical few seconds before the crash," said Hersman. "It wasn't just one person in the cockpit that didn't understand. There were three experienced people in the cockpit that didn't understand what was going on." Hersman said the pilots' confusion could be traced to airplane manuals and simulator training. She said her investigators found instructors who also were unclear about how the 777's auto throttles perform in different modes. The Asiana pilots disabled the auto throttles, but expected them to maintain speed. They didn't and the plane crashed. Hersman said the industry needs to make sure pilots understand the automated systems as well as the engineers who designed them, and that could mean a change in how airplanes are built. "It starts with a good design to make sure you keep the human being in the loop, that the design is human-centered," she said. "And then, it goes through to the process of what is the manufacturer communicating to the operator, what is the operator communicating to its pilots." The 777 was introduced to commercial aviation nearly 20 years ago -- the Asiana accident is its first fatal crash. Boeing manufactures the 777 and writes the flight manual, with the airline's input. Boeing disagrees with the NTSB finding that its automation systems contributed to the crash. It says it worked with pilots, unions, and safety agencies to design the systems and says any changes to the design will be reviewed with care. The pilots who spoke with VOA are split. Some say they, too, find the auto throttle modes complex. Others side with Boeing and say it is up to the individual pilot to study the manuals and to totally understand the airplane and its systems before ever carrying hundreds of people on board. http://www.voanews.com/content/article/1946793.html Back to Top Ryanair jets damaged in Stansted Airport collision Ryanair is investigating the collision involving its planes Two Ryanair jets were damaged when they collided on the ground at London Stansted Airport. One plane was approaching the stand and the other was "pushing back" when the incident happened at about 06:45 BST. The wing-tip of one plane and the tail-cone of another "made contact", said Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely. No passengers or crew were injured, an airport spokesman confirmed. The Air Accident Investigation Board is investigating. Three-hour delay Essex Police said it had conducted "routine breath tests" on both pilots after the incident, but there was no evidence of alcohol consumption. Mr Kiely said passengers were put on other planes after a three-hour delay. He said Ryanair's engineering team were "investigating, and will repair both aircraft and return them to service as soon as possible". The crash involved a plane heading to Warsaw and an aircraft from Frankfurt Hahn that had just landed. Both were Boeing 737-800 models, which can carry up to 189 passengers. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-28072770 Back to Top 'Lives could have been saved by jet collision warning system' (U.K.) Air accident investigators will reportedly level strong criticism at Ministry of Defence over fatal collision of two RAF Tornado GR4s The RAF will take part in military operations against Colonel Gaddafi's regime in Libya, the PM told the House of Commons Two RAF Tornado GR4s, similar to the one pictured, collided over the Moray Firth in bad weather Photo: EPA By Ben Riley-Smith, Scottish Political Reporter5:36PM BST 29 Jun 2014 Comments67 Comments Lives could have been saved if a fleet of RAF Tornados were installed with collision warning systems, a major jet crash investigation will reportedly reveal on Monday. Air accident investigators will criticise the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) "smoke and mirrors" over delays in adopting the safeguard, according to the BBC. A long-delayed report into the fatal collision of two RAF Tornado GR4s in July 2012 is published on Monday by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA). Three airmen based at RAF Lossiemouth died in the accident, which happened during bad weather over the Moray Firth, north east Scotland It was said the highly critical report will list 19 contributory factors in the mid-air crash and more than 50 recommendations, including urgent implementation of collision warning systems. Kit designed to prevent mid-air crashes was reportedly recommended for the Tornado fleet as early as 1990 and identified again in 2008 - years before the accident. Safeguards have subsequently been approved. Angus Robertson, SNP Westminster leader and defence spokesperson, said if true the conclusions would be a "damning incitement" on the MOD's approach to the safety of service personnel. "It raises very serious questions about the decision making processes which recommended the installation of a collision warning system in Tornado aircraft in the 1990s, yet they are still not installed," Mr Robertson said. He called for a fatal accident inquiry, saying on BBC Scotland's Sunday Politics that more needed to be done to understand how this came about. "We need to get to the bottom of this. People's lives were lost, millions of pounds' worth of taxpayer equipment was lost and it would appear the decision-making systems in the Ministry of Defence have broken down," Mr Robertson said. "We need to understand this so that this never happens again. We cannot ask our service personnel to put their lives on the line and then lose [them] because frankly pretty basic safety equipment is not installed in aircraft." However there are fears that because the 300-page report is so thorough the Crown Office may reject calls for a fatal accident inquiry. Bob Stewart, a Tory MP and former United Nations commander, appeared to link concerns over the quality of safety equipment with cuts to the defence budget. "[Collision warning systems] should have been installed and it should have happened a long time ago," Mr Stewart said. "The big problem is that people have to make decisions on what they can afford. I would love to see far more money spent on defence. Too much of our defence policy is done on the cheap." There have been previous accidents involving RAF Tornado aircraft in recent years. In January 2011, a Tornado GR4 crashed into the sea off north west Scotland after an uncontrollable engine fire broke out during a training mission. The following month the training crew on a Tornado was forced to eject after problems while attempting to land at RAF Lossiemouth. The 2012 crash over the Moray Firth triggered a widespread recovery operation and drew a public statement of condolence from Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister. "This is clearly a very serious incident and my thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected," Mr Salmond said after the news broke. "I understand rescue services have done all they can to help with the situation and offer my thanks to all those involved." The three airman died in the Moray Firth crash: Flt Lt Hywel Poole, 28, from Bangor; Sqn Ldr Samuel Bailey, 36, from Nottingham; and Flt Lt Adam Sanders, from Lancashire. Sqn Ldr Paul Evans, from RAF Lossiemouth, survived but was badly injured. A spokesman for the MOD declined to comment. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10934121/Lives-could-have-been-saved-by-jet- collision-warning-system.html \ Back to Top America's $400 Billion Stealth Jet Fleet Is Grounded Plagued by delays and cost overruns that turned it into the most expensive weapons program in history, the F-35 program is on hold after a fire nearly destroyed a plane. The U.S. Air Force has grounded its fleet of stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) after one aircraft caught fire on takeoff Monday at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. While the pilot got out of the stricken jet without injury, the roughly $200 million machine could be a total loss. "The airplane aborted during takeoff due to a fire in the rear of the aircraft, the pilot egressed safely without injury, and the fire was extinguished," Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Natasha Waggoner told The Daily Beast. Monday's fire is one of the most serious incidents suffered by the long-troubled and expensive F-35 program, and it could be the first time an aircraft has been lost. The jet was originally conceived in the 1990s as a relatively low-cost way to replace the Pentagon's myriad fleet of ageing fighters with a single common design. The Pentagon hopes to buy 2,443 of the jets to replace everything from A-10 Warthog ground-attack planes, to multirole F-16 and F/A-18 fighters, to the AV-8B Harrier jump jet. There are three versions of the F-35: one version designed for flying from normal land bases, another to fly off aircraft carriers, and another that can land vertically. But the JSF program has been plagued with repeated delays and numerous technical problems over it is 12 year history. Many of the problems stem from the fact that the Pentagon decided to design, built, test and fly the F-35 all at the same time rather than sequentially like a normal program. The F-35 was originally intended to be operational with the U.S. Marine Corps by 2010. Now, the Pentagon hopes to have a basic version in the hands of Marine operators by the mid-2015. A fully capable jet won't be available until 2018. The original idea to replace different combat aircraft with a single design has resulted in the most expensive defense program in the history of mankind, with the price tag ballooning from $220 billion to about $400 billion. The Pentagon has effectively bet the future of American airpower on the F-35 though. Despite the astronomical cost, numerous delays, and technical hiccups, the Pentagon has no choice but to continue with the mammoth program: neither the Air Force nor the Marines have a backup if the F-35 program were to die. Only the Navy has the short-term ability to buy additional Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets- which are far cheaper than the F-35 but may not be useful past about 2030. The Pentagon has effectively bet the future of American airpower on the F-35. So even though the F-35 continues to suffer glitches in testing-such as cracks being discovered in the airframe or fuel line failures-the program continues with Monday's incident being just one in a long line of malfunctions. As for Monday's incident, sources said the damage to the F-35 was severe and the jet could be a total loss. At the very least, the damage amounts to what the Air Force calls a Class A mishap, which causes more than $2 million in damage. While officials would not comment on the extent of the damage or the cause of the fire, one source suggested that the jet's integrated power pack could be the cause. The integrated power pack, which is basically a combination of a 200 horsepower gas turbine, battery, and cooling system, has caused problems in the past-including a 2011 fire. Congressional sources told The Daily Beast that the fire was in the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. "The pilot had an engine fire indication on take-off. He safely egressed the aircraft and the fire was extinguished. It is SOP [standard operating procedure] to sequester aircraft for investigation purposes," a Senate aide said. That is not inconsistent with what sources told The Daily Beast earlier, which could mean that a fire that originated in the Honeywell-built integrated power pack spread to the engine and the rest of the aircraft. The F135 engine has had several teething problems over the course of its development. Earlier in flight- testing, the engine suffered from vibrations at supersonics speeds in a phenomenon engineers have dubbed a "screech". Additionally, fan and turbines blades have cracked in testing and on at least one flight test aircraft. But overall development of the F135 has gone relatively smoothly. If the investigation into the fire were to show that a design or manufacturing flaw in the engine or integrated power pack caused the fire, subcomponents might need to be redesigned and older aircraft may have to be modified to meet to the new standard. However, because the Pentagon is solely responsible for its hardware once the contractor delivers it, the taxpayer is ultimately on the hook to pay for those modifications. That would be the case even if Pratt & Whitney or Honeywell had designed or built flawed hardware. "We are aware of the incident at Eglin AFB," Pratt & Whitney said in a statement. "We stand ready to assist the Air Force in their investigation." As a result of the incident, the Air Force has decided to "temporarily suspend" flying its version of the F-35 while it investigates what went wrong. Initially, the Air Force suspended flying only at the unit where the fire occurred, but the service extended the grounding to the all of its F-35s until it is sure the aircraft is safe to fly. "As a precautionary measure, the Air Force has decided to temporarily suspend all F-35A operations until it is determined that flights can resume safely," Waggoner said, noting that such practice is common in aviation. "It ensures the safety of our crews and our aircraft so we can determine there is no fleet-wide issue that needs to be addressed." The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), which manages the roughly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter program for Air Force, Navy and Marines, does not consider the F-35 to be formally grounded however. "No F-35s have been grounded. Air worthiness authorities did not direct a fleet stand down," said Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the F-35 program office in an emailed statement. "We expect flights to resume in the coming week." The fact that the F-35 JPO has not directed the F-35 fleet be formally grounded suggests that the fire might be traceable to a one-off failure rather than a fundamental design defect. The F-35 JPO could provide no additional information on what caused the F-35 to catch on fire. Nor would they confirm the extent of the damage to the jet. "We will not speculate on cause of the fire while the investigation is underway," Hawn said. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, which also fly their own versions of the F-35, have not suspended their flying operations. There are currently 104 F-35 in the Pentagon's arsenal - split between Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps variants, according to Lockheed. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/28/america-s-400-billion-stealth-jet-fleet-is- grounded.html Back to Top Small plane makes emergency landing on Arlington freeway (Texas) ARLINGTON - A motorist was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Friday afternoon after a small airplane made an emergency landing on a west Arlington freeway. The single-engine Cessna was towing an advertising banner and apparently lost oil pressure, said Jim Self, an Arlington assistant fire chief. The aircraft released the banner in flight before landing just before 5 p.m. on a ramp at northbound U.S. 287 just north of Interstate 20, authorities said. "He appeared to have his sight set on the road, and he clipped a couple of vehicles," Self said. The pilot and the driver of the other vehicle that was struck were not injured, Self said. The pilot told air traffic controllers that the aircraft had lost oil pressure and he would be making an emergency landing while he was in the vicinity of the freeway interchange, according to an email from Lynn Lunsford, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. The freeway ramp was closed until about 8 p.m. when airplane was removed. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, Lunsford said. http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/06/27/5934639/small-plane-makes-emergency- landing.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Back to Top FAA Announces Aviation Safety Rating For The Republic Of Serbia WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that the Republic of Serbia complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards and has been granted a Category 1 rating. The Republic of Serbia has held a Category 2 rating since 2006. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority - equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters - is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures. The Category 1 status announced today is based on a March 2014 FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by the Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia, and an FAA verification of necessary corrective actions during a follow on visit to the Republic of Serbia this month. A Category 1 rating means the country's civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, the Republic of Serbia's air carriers, which are able to secure the requisite FAA and DOT authority, can establish service to the United States and carry the code of U.S. carriers. The Republic of Serbia currently has no carriers providing service to the United States. As part of the FAA's IASA program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to fly to the United States, currently conduct operations to the United States or participate in code sharing arrangements with U.S. partner airlines and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations. In order to maintain a Category 1 rating, a country must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations' technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance. IASA information is posted at www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/iasa/. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11537535/faa-announces-aviation-safety-rating-for-the- republic-of-serbia Back to Top Dutch find aircraft autopilot bug AMSTERDAM (AP) - The Netherlands' air safety agency says it has detected a glitch that can cause airplane autopilot systems to respond in a dangerous way when a plane is attempting a steeper than normal landing approach. In a report published Thursday, the Dutch Safety Board, which investigates disasters and potential accidents, said the glitch in some runway technology systems can cause the autopilot to pull up a plane's nose at the wrong moment during a steep approach, potentially leading to a stall. The agency has notified airline safety organizations globally of the issue. Its investigation stemmed from a May 2013 incident at Eindhoven Airport, and it examined four similar incidents in Europe and 19 in the United States involving different aircraft, airports and airlines. Agency spokesman Wim van der Weegen said none of the incidents caused a crash. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 major runways worldwide use an Instrument Landing System, or ILS. Describing the problem in more detail, the Dutch agency report said the ILS sends out two radio signals, one to "fly higher" and another to "fly lower," which work together to help planes coming in for a landing center on a downward glide slope of 3 degrees. The study found that planes coming in at a slope of between 3 and 9 degrees are correctly instructed to fly lower. But if a plane approaches above a slope of 9 degrees, instruments are liable to read a false "reverse" signal instructing them to fly up. When a plane is on autopilot, its nose will pitch up, causing it to lose speed or even stall. The agency said the essence of its recommendation is that "pilots and other professionals in the aviation sector should be aware of the existence of reversed signals ... and of the response to such signals by the autopilot." The agency added a warning that it is generally worried that overreliance on autopilots is leading to a reduction in pilots' skills. http://www.neurope.eu/article/dutch-find-aircraft-autopilot-bug Back to Top Honda Jet Makes Successful Test Flight Production model of HondaJet took its first flight on June 27 at North Carolina. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Honda Motor Co. took a step closer to realizing its "Civic of the Skies," the unofficial nickname for the private jet in development by the Japanese car maker. The production version of the HondaJet made its initial flight on June 27, according to the company, which hopes to get the plane certified and put into service next year. Michimasa Fujino, president of Honda's aircraft unit, called the flight "an important achievement in bringing the world's most advanced light jet to market." The plane lifted off from Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina and climbed to 15,500 feet during the 84-minute flight, reaching a speed of about 644 kilometers per hour, according to Honda. The unusual design of the jet, which mounts the engine over the wing instead of under it, is aimed at maximizing cabin space, reducing cabin sound and boosting fuel efficiency. The plane seats up to five passengers. Honda is taking orders in North America and Europe for the aircraft, which is priced at $4.5 million. It will compete with other small jet planes from established manufacturers including Textron Inc. Cessna Aircraft Co., Embraer and Cirrus Aircraft Co. Honda has said it thinks some customers will buy the plane for personal use like family trips, as the WSJ reported last year. Honda Aircraft Co.'s headquarters are in Greensboro, N.C., the state where the Wright Brothers made the world's first airplane flight in 1903. Japanese companies are looking to take a bigger role in a global aircraft market currently dominated by a handful of players in North America, Europe and Brazil. On June 26, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.7011.TO +0.48% mounted engines on its first test aircraft in the Mitsubishi Regional Jet program, which seeks to build 70- to 90-seat aircraft for regional airlines. http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/06/30/honda-jet-makes-successful-test-flight/ Back to Top Former DG, NCAA, Demuren Wins African Achievement Award (Nigeria) Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren The former Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and currently Chief Executive Officer of Harold Demuren Consulting, Dr Harold Olusegun Demuren, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding services to African aviation development. The Award was presented during the African Aviation Summit 2014 and 23rd Annual 'Air Finance for Africa' Conference and Exhibition held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia recently. As Director-General of the NCAA, Dr Demuren transformed the Nigerian aviation industry by strictly enforcing safety and security regulations and ensuring compliance with international best practices in the Nigerian airline industry. In addition, he sucessfully led Nigeria through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Audit in 2006, the ICAO Security Audit in 2008 and the attainment of the United States Federal Aviation Aministration/ International Aviation Safety Assessment (FAA/IASA) Category One Certification by Nigeria in 2010. He also secured the adoption of the Cape Town Convention by the Nigerian government which paved way for the unprecedented modernisation of airline fleets in Nigeria during his tenure. Announcing the Award, the CEO of African Aviation, Mr Nick Fadugba, congratulated Dr Demuren for his outstanding achievements in particular as Director-General of NCAA and for his role in championing the Nigerian airline industry at the global level. Demuren thanked African Aviation for recognising his contribution to the African aviation industry after he had retired as Director General of the NCAA and noted that former officials in Africa are often not recognized for their earlier contributions. He reiterated his continued commitment to promoting aviation safety and security both in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole. He has served on several ICAO Council Working Groups on Environment including the GIACC and informal DGCA Climate Group and also served as the Chairman, ICAO African Indian Ocean Regional Aviation Safety Group (AFI-RASG). He was elected President of the 37th ICAO General Assembly in Montreal in October, 2010 and awarded the prestigious Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety award from the FlightSafety Foundation (FSF) for his contribution to aviation safety globally. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of FSF. Demuren has been a Regional Team Leader working vigorously for the Capacity Building Progamme for the Supervision of Aviation Safety in West and Central Africa (COSCAP)/Banjul Accord Group and its successful transition to BAGGASOO, (BAG Regional Safety Oversight Organization). He has played a remarkable role in the implementation of the Global Aviation Safety Roadmap, the AFI - Plan and the enhancement of aviation security measures in the aftermath of Christmas Day (25th December, 2009) Bombing attempt on the US Bound North West Flight 253 and Removal of Nigeria from "US Countries of Interest Watch List". He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Frontier Service Group (FSG). The African Aviation Awards were introduced in 1999 by African Aviation in order to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to aviation development in Africa. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/former-dg-ncaa-demuren-wins-african-achievement-award/182222/ Back to Top Etihad's Fleet Expands To 101 Aircraft The Abu Dhabi state carrier received two new Airbus aircraft - a A321-231 and a A320-200, that expanded its fleet to over 100 planes. Etihad Airways' fleet size expanded to 101 aircraft following the delivery of its 100th and 101st aircraft on Monday, June 30, the airline said in a statement. The state carrier received a new Airbus A321-231 followed by an Airbus A320-200, making them the 100th and 101st aircraft respectively in Etihad's fleet. Etihad currently operates three Airbus A321 with seven more on order, a statement said. The airline will take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A380 aircraft in October and December of this year respectively. The A380 aircraft will also feature Etihad's new luxury suites, which include a three- room cabin featuring a living room, bathroom and double bedroom. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier placed its largest ever order, valued at $67 billion, for 199 aircraft and 294 engines last November. Etihad, which began operations in 2003, now has more than 220 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777-X, 62 Airbus A350s and 10 Airbus A380s. The airline is expanding opeartions globally and is growing its network by acquiring equity stakes in carriers such as airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia, Aer Lingus, Air Serbia and Jet Airways. Etihad recently annouced that it is moving ahead to acquire a stake in loss-making Italian carrier Alitalia. The airline, which recorded a 48 per cent jump in 2013 net profits to $62 million, carried 11.5 million passengers last year. It flies to over 100 (existing or announced) destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. http://gulfbusiness.com/2014/06/etihads-fleet-expands-101-aircraft/#.U7FMc_ldV8E Back to Top Alcoa to Buy Jet-Engine Component Maker Firth Rixson Deal Furthers Aluminum Maker's Transition From Low-Margin Basic Materials PITTSBURGH- Alcoa Inc. took a big step toward reducing its dependence on low-margin basic materials by agreeing to buy a maker of jet-engine parts for $2.85 billion in cash and stock. The Pittsburgh-based aluminum company said Thursday it would buy Firth Rixson Ltd. from private-equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners LP for $2.35 billion in cash and $500 million in common shares. Alcoa agreed to pay as much as an additional $150 million, depending on the Sheffield, England, manufacturer's performance through 2020. The agreement represents a big bet by Alcoa on continued rapid growth in the production of commercial jets and engines. The purchase would boost aerospace-related sales to about 20% of Alcoa's total from 17%. It also would bring the aluminum company more expertise in making aerospace parts from titanium and nickel alloys. "Now they're a diversified metals company, not just a primary aluminum producer," said Andrew Lane, an analyst at Morningstar Inc. That makes Alcoa less vulnerable to swings in the global market for aluminum, he said. A global glut in capacity has pushed down aluminum prices in recent years, hurting Alcoa's earnings. Goldman, Sachs & Co. also welcomed the deal. "We see this proposed acquisition as potentially transformational for Alcoa, giving it the capability to become a major player in the aerospace jet-engine market," it said in a research note. Alcoa's shares rose 39 cents, or 2.7%, to close at $14.94 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was taken out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in September. Alcoa projected 7% annual growth in the market for commercial jets through 2019. Firth Rixson sales are forecast to rise more than 12% a year through that period, Alcoa Chief Executive Klaus Kleinfeld said in a call with investors. About three-quarter's of Firth Rixson's 2013 sales of $1 billion came from aerospace products, Alcoa said. The rest came from parts used in power-generation and mining equipment, among other sources. Firth Rixson is projected to add $1.6 billion in revenue and $350 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2016, Alcoa said. Alcoa has tried to expand in what it calls engineered products, such as lightweight fasteners used in making aircraft. Such items accounted for about 25% of the company's sales last year, up from 21% in 2008. The Firth Rixson purchase, which is expected to be completed by year-end, would accelerate Alcoa's growth in engineered products, Morningstar's Mr. Lane said. Alcoa also is counting on faster growth from auto-related sales. About 18% of all vehicles in North America will have all-aluminum bodies by 2025, up from less than 1% now, according to a recent report by consultants Ducker Worldwide LLC. Oak Hill bought Firth Rixson in 2007 for the equivalent of about $2 billion from a group of investment funds. Firth Rixson traces its history to John Brown & Co, a steelmaker formed in Sheffield in 1837, whose products included armor plating for Royal Navy ships. http://online.wsj.com/articles/alcoa-to-buy-jet-engine-component-maker-firth-rixson-for-2-35-billion- 1403781638 Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 Managing Safety for High Performance Jul 14-15, 2014 London-Stansted Airport, UK http://www.universalweather.com/aviation-sms/education/managing-safety-for-high- performance/?utm_source=externalemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DBTKP007 International System Safety Society Annual Symposium 04-08AUG2014 - St. Louis, MO http://issc2014.system-safety.org ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition Atlanta, GA September 7 - 10, 2014 http://annual.aci-na.org/ IFA - Maintaining Airworthiness Standards and Investing in the Most Important Asset 'The Human Element' 17 - 18 September, 2014 Emirates Eng Facility, Dubai www.ifairworthy.com Public Safety and Security Fall Conference Arlington, VA October 6 - 9, 2014 http://aci-na.org/event/4309 Back to Top Employment: Position Available: Assistant Chief Flight Instructor LeTourneau University www.letu.edu/jobs Position Available: Internal Evaluation Program Auditor Allegiant Airlines https://rn22.ultipro.com/ALL1015/jobboard/NewCandidateExt.aspx?__JobID=2207 Position Available: Safety Specialist NetJets Inc. www.netjets.com/careers Position Available: Human Performance Investigator NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/373245800 Positions Available: Abu Dhabi University Aviation Department Senior Faculty Abu Dhabi University laurie.earl@adu.ac.ae Position Available: Director, System Safety Bristow Group http://www.bristowgroup.com/about-bristow/jobs/ Curt Lewis