Flight Safety Information July 7, 2014 - No. 135 In This Issue Jet parts tumble into Montana river after train derails U.S. Tightens Security on Electronics at Overseas Airports TSA sees surge in credit card knives at airports F-16 fighter jet narrowly misses crowd at Waddington Air Show Malaysian Airlines Flight 370: Probers Believe a Power Outage Hit Jet During Early Flight Stages AirAsia Jet Veers Off Runway in Brunei, Though No Injuries Reported Russian Plane Involved in Near Miss at Barcelona Airport (Video) PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Recreational Pilots Fight Requirement for Medical Exams THE ALPA 60TH AIR SAFETY FORUM Upcoming Events Employment Jet parts tumble into Montana river after train derails SUPERIOR, Montana - A train derailed near Superior Thursday, sending Boeing aircraft fuselages into a river. Nineteen cars on the westbound train derailed. Three of the cars contained aircraft parts and ended up in the Clark Fork River. Boeing said the train was headed from Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita to the Boeing final assembly plant in suburban Seattle. No one was hurt. The cause is under investigation. Boeing said the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train was carrying six 737 fuselages, fuselage panels and a lower lobe for the 777, and a leading edge flight surface for the 747. Boeing said it sent a team of experts to assess the damage. It wasn't immediately clear what impact it would have on production. Trains were re-routed and the tracks were expected to be re-opened Saturday. http://www.kens5.com/news/Jet-parts-tumble-into-Montana-river-after-train-derails- 265971911.html Back to Top U.S. Tightens Security on Electronics at Overseas Airports WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration will not allow cellphones or other electronic devices on U.S.-bound planes at some overseas airports if the devices are not charged up, the agency said on Sunday. The new measure is part of the TSA's effort announced last week to boost security amid concerns that Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamist Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, are plotting to blow up an airliner, U.S. officials said. As part of the increased scrutiny at certain airports, security agents may ask travelers to turn on their electronic devices at checkpoints and if they do not have power, the devices will not be allowed on planes, the TSA said. A U.S. source familiar with the matter said laptop computers are among the devices security screeners may require passengers to turn on. U.S. officials are concerned that a cellphone, tablet, laptop or other electronic device could be used as a bomb. U.S. officials singled out smartphones including iPhones made by Apple and Galaxy phones made by Samsung Electronics for extra security checks on U.S.-bound direct flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The TSA also called for closer checks on travelers' shoes. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-tightens-security-electronics-overseas- airports-n149186 Back to Top TSA sees surge in credit card knives at airports TSA checkpoint TSA security screeners have discovered 491 credit card knives -- knives that fold into a credit card shape -- on passengers so far this year. Credit card knives -- knives that fold into a credit card shape -- are showing up at airports TSA has collected nearly 500 credit card knives from passengers this year The flood of weapons uncovered by airport screeners continues to grow, despite repeated warnings by the Transportation Security Administration. In May, the TSA discovered a record 65 firearms on passengers in one week, including 45 loaded guns. The TSA is now seeing a surge in a new, harder-to-detect weapon: credit card knives. The weapon looks like a thick credit card but becomes a knife with a steel blade once the blade is folded out. The remaining section of the card snaps together in the shape of a handle. No one -- not celebrities, toddlers, or even seniors in wheelchairs -- is exempt from being frisked for hidden weapons by the Transportation Security Administration. Here are 10 weapons -- including a knife in an enchilada -- that the TSA has found hidden under clothes or in carry-on bags. So far this year, the TSA has discovered 491 credit card knives on passengers, through the use of metal detectors and full-body scanners, said Ross Feinstein, spokesman for the TSA. That averages to about 20 card knives per week. TSA officials declined to guess why the knives are showing up at airports. The knives are sold online for $4 to $15 from various retailers. Iain Sinclair, a British manufacturer of one of the most popular devices, describes them as "lightweight surgical knives" that can cut through seat belts in case of emergency. The company could not be reached for comment. http://www.latimes.com/business/travel/la-fi-tsa-surge-credit-card-knives-20140703- story.html Back to Top F-16 fighter jet narrowly misses crowd at Waddington Air Show Turkish F16 Really Low Approach (3 different angle) Spectators threw themselves to the ground as the plane passed overhead Aviation enthusiasts got a bit closer to the action than they expected when an F-16 fighter jet missed their heads by feet as it came in to land. Footage of the moment at the Waddington International Air Show in Lincolnshire show shows spectators waving as the Turkish aircraft approached in the distance. But as it got closer, and lower, some panicked and people can be seen ducking and running for cover. As people recovered after the narrow miss, one man remarked: "That was a bit close, wasn't it." F-16 jets, known as "Vipers", were originally developed for the US Air Force in the 1970s but are still used by several countries. More than 150,000 people were expected at the sell-out 20th annual show, at an RAF base near Lincoln. The Red Arrows put on a display and iconic Spitfires and Typhoons were among the 160 aircraft on show. All proceeds from the two-day event go to the RAF and local charities. Next year's event has been cancelled because of £35 million improvement works on the runway. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/f16-fighter-jet-narrowly-misses- crowd-at-waddington-air-show-9588340.html Back to Top Malaysian Airlines Flight 370: Probers Believe a Power Outage Hit Jet During Early Flight Stages to Avoid Radar Detection Missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will be found along '7th Arc' In the continuing saga of theories put forward by investigators tasked to find the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, Australian authorities said a power outage could have hit the Boeing 777 jet. A man travelling on a stolen passport on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was a young Iranian who has no links to terrorists. Experts think the power outage was deliberate to avoid radar detection. Four months since the plane disappeared without a trace, investigators are apparently returning to the theory that the pilot, X, deliberately hijacked the plane en route to Beijing with 329 people on board and possibly ran out of fuel after he changed course. And like most airplane movie drama, experts believe the jet was flying on auto pilot, while the passengers and crew were unconscious because of lack of oxygen. Based on those assumptions, Australian safety investigation officials would lay the basis for putting in place an underwater search that would extend further south believed to have plunged into the southern Indian Ocean. Probers cited as proof of the power outage the unexpected log-on request by the plane's satellite data to a satellite less than 90 minutes after it left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. The interruption of the jet's power supply is likely the result of a person in the cockpit who attempted to minimise the use of the aircraft's system. David Gleave, aviation expert from the Loughborough University, explained, "It could be a deliberate act to switch off both engines for some time. By messing about within the cockpit, you could switch off the power temporarily, and switch it on again, when you need the other system to fly the plane." Given these theories, ATSB officials believe the ill-fated plane was on an autopilot when it flew across the southern Indian Ocean. Now, the bigger question is would Australian search operation finally locate the missing jet or will it remain one of life's unsolved mysteries? http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/558136/20140707/malaysian-airlines-flight-370-probers- believe-power.htm#.U7p5cfldV8E Back to Top AirAsia Jet Veers Off Runway in Brunei, Though No Injuries Reported An AirAsia jet veered off the runway while landing at Brunei's international airport on Monday, a spokeswoman for the budget carrier said. No one was injured, she added. The Airbus Group NV A320 jet, arriving after a little more than a two-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, carried 102 passengers and seven crew, according to a statement from the Sepang, Malaysia-based airline. The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. local time, it said. All passengers of Flight AK278 have disembarked and the airline is attending their needs, according to the AirAsia statement. The airline is working with authorities to investigate the cause of the incident, it added. http://online.wsj.com/articles/airasia-jet-veers-off-runway-in-brunei-though-no-injuries- reported-1404728912 Back to Top Russian Plane Involved in Near Miss at Barcelona Airport (Video) UTair Aviation 767-300 NEAR MISS? GO AROUND at Barcelona-El Prat A Russian airplane has been involved in an extremely near miss after descending on Spain's Barcelona Airport only to find another passenger plane taxiing across its landing strip. The Russian Boeing 767, operated by UTAir and flying from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, was flying a mere 200 feet above ground on its approach to Barcelona, when pilots saw an Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus taxiing in its path, The Aviation Herald reported Sunday night. A video uploaded to YouTube showed the Boeing tilt up its nose abruptly after spotting the plane on the landing strip, and manage to pass over the Airbus. After initiating the "go-around" - an aborted landing on final approach - the Russian craft positioned for another descent and landed safely 15 minutes later, The Aviation Herald reported. The Airbus was also safe, taking off 20 minutes after the incident, the report added. It remained unclear whether the Argentinian aircraft had received clearance from traffic control to taxi across the descending plane's path, or whether it had proceeded without clearance, The Aviation Herald reported. The company that operates the airport and its traffic control, Aena, said the distance between the airplanes was sufficient for the Boeing to continue landing safely, the report said. Aena also said that neither airline had filed a safety report - an indication that the Airbus had been cleared to cross the runway, The Aviation Herald reported. While not immediately obvious from the video, Itar-Tass cited reports as saying that the planes were more than a kilometer apart at the time of the incident. Readers of The Aviation Herald - an industry source that reports about incidents and critical situations in civil aviation - calculated using estimated speeds and distances that the crash may also have been avoided, if just barely, had the Russian pilots proceeded with the landing. As Barcelona's runway 02 - where the incident occurred - is rarely used, pilots have developed a "habit" of taxiing across it without paying sufficient attention to the so- called holding points, leading to a number of unauthorized runway incursions in the past, the report said. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-plane-involved-in-near-miss-at- barcelona-airport-video/503081.html Back to Top Back to Top Recreational Pilots Fight Requirement for Medical Exams Groups that represent recreational pilots want to eliminate a Federal Aviation Administration requirement for regular medical exams, a change that is being opposed by a group that sets medical standards for the aviation community. If the change were made, recreational pilots' only medical requirements would be the same as for their drivers' licenses, although they would still be required to take regular flight certification tests. That's not enough, says Jeff Sventek, executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association. The group sets medical standards for the aviation community. Its members, about 23,000 physicians, provide funding, and it recommends pilot medical standards to the FAA. The members also test pilots. Sventek is a retired Air Force aerospace physiologist who trained Air Force crews. The change is being sought by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association, groups composed of private pilots. They are seeking support in the House and Senate, and have backing from 117 House members and about a dozen Senators, according to AOPA. Many of the backers, including the authors of the legislation, are themselves private pilots. Under the applicable FAA designation, recreational pilots can fly smaller sport aircraft with one or two engines and can carry family members or friends, but cannot fly for hire. Under current law, every two to five years, with the frequency increasing at age 40, such pilots must undergo a routine medical examination by a certified aviation medical examiner. The proposed change would expand the existing sport pilot designation, already exempt, to include recreational pilots. "As we age, we begin developing chronic conditions that can be identified by a good medical exam," Sventek said. "Some of these chronic conditions -diabetes, dementia, etc., - when identified by a competent physician, should be grounds for removing a pilot from the cockpit. "If a physician does not ground these pilots, many of them will continue to fly and will be a safety hazard to themselves, their passengers, and the ground-based population they are flying over," he said. Ten years ago the medical exam requirement was eliminated for sport pilots, Sventek said, and "there has not been a significant number of mishaps in that group. But the problem is that since they removed all medical oversight, we're not sure that mishaps are being reported. The only way we would know would be if during an accident investigation, a medical assessment was done." Rob Hackman, vice president of regulatory affairs for AOPA, said the proposed elimination of the medical exam requirement would be accompanied by an educational component so that pilots can accurately assess their own medical conditions prior to each flight. He noted that glider and balloon pilots can already fly without a third class medical examination. General aviation safety relies on a system that includes pilot certification requirements, maintenance requirements, air traffic control and other components, Hackman said. Yet "some folks say that without one visit to the doctor, the system may not be as safe." The exams are cursory, he said. Importantly, recreational pilots must take a flight test with a flight instructor, certified by the FAA, every two years. "You would be hard pressed to find another recreational activity that is more controlled than general aviation," said AOPA spokeswoman Katie Pribyl. Sventek said self-assessment provides pilots with knowledge of their medical conditions, and flight testing is of course valuable. But he wonders who is going to ground a pilot who faces potential medical challenges. "I've seen pilots conduct a self-assessment and recognize they probably should not fly, but the drive to go fly overpowers their self-assessment and they fly anyway," he said. Canada has a designation for recreational pilots with a less rigorous medical requirement. "That is what we thought we were moving toward," Sventek said. "There is room for discussion. Our hope would be that cooler heads prevail and that we all sit down and discuss the pros and cons of making changes to the medical certification process and see what adjustments could be made." http://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2014/07/06/general-aviation-pilots-fight- requirement-for-medical-exams/ Back to Top THE ALPA 60TH AIR SAFETY FORUM A Celebration of Pilots Helping Get the Job Done Safely & Securely August 4-7, 2014 | Washington Hilton | Washington, DC SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE Contact Tina Long at tina.long@alpa.org for more information or click here to download the sponsorship brochure. AGENDA AT A GLANCE Visit http://safetyforum.alpa.org for full agendas MONDAY - AUGUST 4, 2014 8:30-9:00 General Session-ALPA Air Safety Organization Update (Open to all ALPA Members Only) 9:30-6:00 ALPA ASO Group Workshops & Council Meetings - (invitation only) 9:30-4:30 Jumpseat Forum (invitation only) 12:00-5:00 Aviation Security Forum (invitation only) TUESDAY - AUGUST 5, 2014 8:00-6:00 ALPA ASO Group Workshops & Council Meetings - (invitation only) 9:00-5:00 Joint Aviation/Security Forum - (invitation only) WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 6, 2014 - 60TH AIR SAFETY FORUM 8:30-9:00 Opening Ceremony 9:00-10:30 Panel: Surviving a Main Deck Lithium Battery Fire: New Technological Solutions 10:30-11:00 Break with the Exhibitors 11:00-12:30 Panel: Smoke In the Cockpit-Where Seconds Matter 12:30-1:45 Keynote Luncheon-100 Years of Commercial Aviation Mr. Paul Rinaldi - President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association 1:45-3:15 Panel: Finding the Runway with a Smoke-Filled Cockpit-Using All the Tools 3:15-3:45 Break With the Exhibitors 3:45-5:15 Panel: Landing A Distressed Airliner-What's Waiting at the Airport? 5:15-5:25 Presentation of the ALPA Airport Safety Liaison and ALPA Airport Awards 5:25-5:30 Closing Remarks 5:30-6:30 Hospitality Reception (Sponsored by Boeing) THURSDAY - AUGUST 7, 2014 - 60TH AIR SAFETY FORUM 8:30- 10:00 Panel - Current Security Threats and Countermeasures 10:00-10:30 Break with the Exhibitors 10:30-11:30 Panel: A Discussion With Key Regulators 11:30-11:40 Presentation of the ALPA Presidential Citation Awards 11:40-1:00 Lunch (on your own) 1:00-2:30 Panel: Pilot Health & Occupational Safety 2:30-3:00 Break with the Exhibitors 3:00-4:30 Panel: Modernizing Our National Airspace System: The Flight Path, The Potholes and the Promise 4:30-5:00 Closing Ceremony 6:00-7:00 Awards Reception (Sponsored by Airbus) 7:00-10:00 Awards Dinner 10:00-11:00 Post Awards Reception Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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: Safety Specialist NetJets Inc. www.netjets.com/careers Position Available: Human Performance Investigator NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/373245800 Curt Lewis This email was sent to fgae@club-internet.fr by curt@curt-lewis.com | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. 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