Flight Safety Information August 4, 2014 - No. 159 In This Issue French Fighter Jet Crashes in Training, Pilots Eject Safely Pilot's License Revoked After Flight Over Maryland Disruptive passenger diverts American Airlines jet to Nashville Indian pilots who did not serve notice period to join foreign airlines could lose their licences In-flight battery fires stir safety questions 14 aircraft grounded in 2014 after DGCA surprise checks (India) PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Aviation insurance rates set to rise at renewals after slew of airplane losses Cheung Kong in Talks to Buy Planes From AWAS Aviation BGSU aviation program adding partnership, flight simulator Embry-Riddle Debuts Free Online Aviation Class Upcoming Events French Fighter Jet Crashes in Training, Pilots Eject Safely Avignon: A French Mirage fighter jet crashed in an uninhabited area during a training exercise on Monday but the two pilots ejected safely, the air force said. The Mirage 2000B crashed on the border of the Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence regions in the south of France, the air force press service and a source close to the investigation said. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. The incident follows another crash of a Mirage 2000 during a training exercise on May 12 in northeastern France. In that case the pilot also ejected safely. The Mirage 2000 is a multi-role jet fighter and mainstay of the French air force, which has more than 300 deployed. It first flew in the late 1970s and entered service in 1982. http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/french-fighter-jet-crashes-in-training-pilots-eject-safely-570537 Back to Top Pilot's License Revoked After Flight Over Maryland SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Public records show the pilot of a US Airways flight was stripped of his flying certificate for a year after he lowered his plane to fly over his Maryland home in 2012. The Daily Times obtained Federal Aviation Administration documents from an investigation into a Dec. 21, 2012 flight. Documents show the pilot flew dangerously low over Salisbury's The Center shopping mall and his home while landing a flight from Philadelphia. About 24 passengers and two crewmembers were aboard the flight operated by Piedmont Airlines. Investigators found the pilot operated "with reckless disregard for safety," endangering passengers and the shopping mall. The FAA revoked Edmund Draper's pilot certificate in June 2013. Draper doesn't appear to have a listed phone number. Piedmont Airlines says Draper no longer works for them. http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/08/03/pilots-license-revoked-after-flight-over-maryland/ Back to Top Disruptive passenger diverts American Airlines jet to Nashville A Boston-bound American Airlines flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was diverted to Nashville, Tennessee after police said a passenger ran toward the cockpit on August 2, 2014. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - An American Airlines plane flying from Dallas to Boston was diverted to Nashville after a passenger became disruptive and allegedly ran toward the plane's cockpit. American Airlines spokesman Kent Powell told The Associated Press on Sunday that Flight 2214 landed in Nashville around 9 p.m. Saturday. Powell did not identify the passenger or provide details about what she did. However, according to WKRN-TV, police identified the woman as 55-year-old Mary Lentz of New Mexico. Police said she ran toward the cockpit of the Boeing 737 aircraft, and allegedly kicked several officers during her arrest. Lentz was charged with three assaults on an officer, assault bodily injury, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. She was being held in the Davidson County Jail on $30,000 bond. Jail records did not list an attorney for Lentz. http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Disruptive-passenger-diverts-American-Airlines-jet-to-Nashville--269739861.html Back to Top Indian pilots who did not serve notice period to join foreign airlines could lose their licences (DGCA) has asked all Indian carriers to give a complete list of commanders ho have joined foreign airlines without giving the mandatory six-month notice. NEW DELHI: This is possibly one of the strongest steps taken to prevent poaching of highly trained HR resource that the Indian aviation industry needs, especially as it is all set to expand its wings with new airlines. Indian commanders who have joined foreign airlines without giving the mandatory six-month notice before quitting their desi employers could now end up losing their licences. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has asked all Indian carriers to give a complete list of such commanders. "India faces a serious shortage of commanders while we have surplus co-pilots. The country has in all about 1,200-1,500 commanders, of which 277 are expats. We want to phase out all expat pilots. In such a situation, people leaving without giving notice and denying airlines to make alternate arrangements is not acceptable," said a senior DGCA official. The situation is worsening in India due to two factors. Gulf carriers are expanding their fleets manifold and poaching commanders from Indian airlines with impunity. "Indian carriers pay commanders in a range of Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per month, on which tax at the highest tax slab has to be paid. All Gulf airlines like Emirates and Etihad, on the other hand, give commanders a tax free salary of Rs 13-14 lakh per month," said a senior commander. Hence, the regulator has decided to brush up the old rule or else action would be taken under rule 39A (2) of the Aircraft Act. The maximum punishment under this provision is cancellation of a pilot's licence. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/indian-pilots-who-did-not-serve- notice-period-to-join-foreign-airlines-could-lose-their-licences/articleshow/39604108.cms Back to Top In-flight battery fires stir safety questions By: ANDY PASZTOR LITHIUM batteries that power the ubiquitous electronic devices passengers take on-board planes pose an increasing, but little-publicised fire hazard. Comprehensive data on how often there are problems with the batteries in flight aren't available but experts say that each year, carriers confront several dozen serious, in-flight instances of smouldering, smoking or even burning batteries inside aircraft cabins worldwide. In the US alone, the Federal Aviation Administration's website lists 17 significant incidents on passenger planes in the past decade, including an American Airlines jet that had a fire in an overhead compartment last September and made an emergency landing en route from Chicago to St. Louis. There were no injuries. With more than 1.3 billion rechargeable batteries manufactured annually around the globe and many travellers routinely bringing multiple personal devices into aircraft cabins, safety experts agree the potential for trouble is escalating. As power packs grow more powerful, they present greater challenges if something starts heating up in the overhead bin or some device casually slipped into the seat pocket suddenly begins to spew smoke or fumes. Such events constitute one of the big emerging safety questions facing the industry. "Batteries are a big deal" and airborne cabin incidents involving them "clearly are big issues," according to Nancy Graham, the top safety official at the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations. "We don't have enough data" yet to make long-term policy decisions, she said, adding that "industry needs to help us understand and measure what the risks are." This week the US Department of Transportation issued new standards for air-cargo shipments of various types of lithium batteries, including packaging requirements and safeguards for power cells that have been damaged or are headed for recycling. The rule, however, stops short of imposing limits advocated by pilot-union leaders on how many batteries or cellphones can be carried on a US cargo aircraft. US regulators don't allow lithium batteries to be shipped in the cargo holds of passenger jets, but many other countries permit such packages. As part of the rule - slated to go into effect early next year - regulators embraced industry positions and dropped earlier proposals for more-stringent package-labelling requirements, verification of manufacturing-quality controls and classification of lithium batteries as hazardous goods. Among the senior ranks of Google executives, according to industry officials, the emerging threat was considered real enough to prompt swift action. The company, these officials said, recently moved to equip jets that fly its executives with portable, fire-resistant aluminium sleeves. Dubbed "PlaneGard," they also include gloves, a visor and a system to keep toxic fumes from spreading - all designed to protect passengers and crew from overheating batteries and help extinguish fires by pumping water into the sealed receptacle. Other companies previously offered protective systems, but Michael Gilchrist, a Highwater partner, said "it's certainly a red hot topic now." He said the company is talking to airlines and corporate fleets, adding "we have seen a tremendous amount of attention." Safety advocates say battery hazards are underreported and few carriers highlight the topic in passenger-safety cards or during briefings by flight attendants. Air France, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic are among the handful of airlines that have gone the furthest to alert crews, provide protective equipment or explicitly warn passengers about potential risks. Airliners have been diverted for battery problems, but there is no case of a commercial aircraft crashing due to a battery fire. Sometimes, even airline-accident investigators get involved. French authorities issued a formal incident report about a fire in the business section of an Air France Boeing 777 in December 2010, while it was cruising at 38,000 feet across the Atlanticto Paris from Atlanta. A battery was crushed and burst into flames after getting jammed in a seat mechanism. Such events could prompt revised firefighting procedures. So far the focus has been on keeping burning batteries, which can reach 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, in one place. But many air safety experts now are considering if the new systems warrant changes. An FAA spokeswoman said "we will update our firefighting and fire prevention guidance as new technologies become available." The FAA also said that the new fire-suppression systems were still early in the development process, and the agency continues to work with ICAO, other regulators and industry representatives to "address the threat of aeroplane fires, including those associated with personal electronic devices." Keeping track of cabin events is particularly tough. Unlike cases of in-flight entertainment systems heating up, there aren't any established, industrywide procedures for tracking similar battery malfunctions related to mobile phones, laptops, tablets or the many devices they power. After a fire is put out using a Halon extinguishing agent, current US and international safety documents call for dousing overheated batteries with water, and instruct crew members to avoiding picking the batteries up or moving them. Experts agree ice should never be used to cool a burning or smouldering battery, because it will serve as insulation and increase the likelihood of a flare-up. Cathay Pacific, which ships huge volumes of batteries out of China, has what is widely regarded as the industry's most extensive safety programs for cargo and passenger flights, according to independent safety experts. The Hong Kong-based carrier, among other things, tells passengers on its website to check if their carry-on lithium batteries meet UN test specifications. For spare batteries packed in checked-in luggage, the airline requires them to be protected from damage or short-circuits. In an April 2013 presentation to an industry conference, Cathay's general manager of corporate safety reported a cellphone "was so red hot it started smoking" earlier that month on a regional airline flight between two Australian cities. The device "had to be dropped to the floor of the cabin shortly after landing," according to his PowerPoint presentation. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wall-street-journal/inflight-battery-fires-stir-safety-questions/story- fnay3ubk-1227012552192 Back to Top 14 aircraft grounded in 2014 after DGCA surprise checks (India) Civil Aviaition Minister Pusapati said 2,394 surveillance audits and 20 regulatory audits have been planned under annual surveillance programme during 2014. NEW DELHI: A total of 14 aircraft have been grounded by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation this year following surprise checks conducted as part of its oversight activity to ensure strict compliance of safety regulations. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati said in Lok Sabha that the aircraft were grounded after DGCA conducted 55 surprise special surveillance drive till June. "Safety is a prime concern. There is no compromise on safety and we are second to none in the world in the matter of aircraft security," he said during Question Hour. DGCA carries out surprise checks to ensure strict compliance of safety regulations in aircraft. The Civil Aviation Minister said 2,394 surveillance audits and 20 regulatory audits have been planned under annual surveillance programme during 2014. Interestingly, no aircraft was grounded between 2011 and 2013 despite 820 surprise checks of aircraft. The Minister said a total of 277 foreign pilots are currently working in different aviation companies, including 121 in Jet AirwaysBSE 1.20 % -- the highest among all airlines. Replying to a supplementary, the Minister said government is making every effort to increase connectivity in all parts of the country. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/14-aircraft-grounded-in-2014- after-dgca-surprise-checks/articleshow/39613520.cms Back to Top Back to Top Aviation insurance rates set to rise at renewals after slew of airplane losses Malaysia Airlines expected to see sizable increase As the commercial aviation sector approaches its busiest renewal period, insurance rates are set to increase - with the war risk portion jumping by up to 300% - following a series of major losses, including the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over strife-torn Ukraine. The losses look to end a prolonged soft market for aviation insurance buyers that has lasted for at least eight years, according to experts, though they say the size of the increases will depend on an airline's underlying risks. About 75% of the world's airline fleet renews its coverage in the final quarter of the year, including Malaysia Airlines, which is certain to face higher rates (see related story) due to two major losses in recent months. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down July 17 in Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing the 283 passengers and 15 crew aboard. While no group has claimed responsibility, U.S. and other officials said pro-Russia separatists shot the jet down with a surface-to-air missile. In a statement, Richard Harries, CEO of London-based Atrium Underwriting Group Ltd., whose Lloyd's of London syndicate 609 leads the war risks policy for Malaysia Airlines, said it had agreed to settle the hull war loss portion of the loss. The commercial hull war loss from the tragedy is likely to be about $97 million, sources said. Malaysia Airlines' insurance program is brokered by Willis Group Holdings P.L.C. The downing of flight MH17 followed the March disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with 239 people presumed killed, the mid-July attacks on planes at Tripoli International Airport in separatist fighting, the loss of an Air Algerie flight in Mali during a sandstorm killing the 118 aboard and the late-July crash of a TransAsia Airways plane in Taiwan that went down trying to land in typhoon conditions and killed at least 48. According to several London underwriters, the MH17 loss will affect the aviation war risks market, which could filter to the aviation hull and liability market. "For a number of years, abundant capacity has placed considerable pressure on pricing, as well as terms and conditions, across all aviation lines," said Catherine Thomas, director of analytics at A.M. Best Co. Inc. in London. "At the beginning of 2014, rates were significantly below peak levels," and the market still was profitable, despite some large losses, until the recent crashes. "For the niche war risk market, losses this year will considerably outweigh premiums written, and insurers are expected to react with substantial rate increases," Ms. Thomas said. Annual premiums for the global war risk market were about $60 million for 2014, sources said. In total, so far this year the commercial hull war market has suffered losses of between $500 million and $600 million, sources said. Those losses include at least $108 million from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, as much as $500 million from the attacks on planes at Tripoli airport, and about $97.3 million from the loss of flight MH17, experts say. The losses probably wiped out about five years' of aviation war risks premiums, said a London underwriting source who asked not to be named. "While the losses will be spread, there will be a correction" in rates, he said. Since the 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks, most insurers underwriting war risks have reinsured that book of business, one source noted. Given the recent losses vs. premiums collected, that would suggest aviation insurance rates in general will increase, said Dominic Burke, CEO of London-based brokerage Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C. However, "the aviation market behaves in its own distinctive way," he said. In a conference call, Chris O'Kane, CEO of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd., said the recent losses will put upward pressure on aviation rates. He said Aspen will look for rate increases around 100% for primary aviation war risks, while rates for aviation war risk reinsurance could increase 200% to 300%. "In the aviation hull and liability insurance market, there will be a reaction in terms of pricing levels, but at this point it is too early to say what that will be," said Philip Smaje, London-based global head of transportation broking and CEO of aerospace at Willis. "The abundance of capacity could limit the extent to which insurers can hike rates." Sources said that for 2014, worldwide primary hull and liability premium, excluding hull war and excess third party liability, totaled about $1.35 billion. For aviation war risks, some underwriters may boost rates by as much as 300%, Mr. Smaje said. The recent losses also are expected to affect rates for aviation hull and liability insurance, sources said. Insurers likely will approach underwriting in a rational manner and will not overreact to the recent losses, so sweeping rate hikes are unlikely, said Garrett Hanrahan, Dallas-based U.S. aviation practice leader at Marsh L.L.C. Underwriters will need to re-examine their books of business and price according to the underlying risk of an airline, he added. But plentiful capacity could blunt increases, Mr. Hanrahan said. According to an Aon P.L.C. report, lead premiums in the global aviation market totaled about $1.4 billion in 2013. Commercial aviation rates will increase, but the increases will not be uniform, said Nigel Weyman, chairman of the aerospace division at JLT in London. "We are hoping that the recalibration of the market, when it happens, will be quite measured," he said. Underwriters likely will more strictly differentiate between risks, examining factors such as the types of aircraft in a fleet and the liability they might face, Mr. Weyman said. While the attack on flight MH17 in particular will prompt underwriters to re-evaluate the risks facing airlines, surface-to-air missiles have long been a threat, said Marsh's Mr. Hanrahan, such as the 1983 case of a Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. flight from New York to Seoul that was shot down by a Russian interceptor aircraft. "So these types of risk are out there," and rerouting flights to avoid dangerous airspace is one risk mitigation strategy, he said. Airlines' vulnerability to ground-to-air attacks has always existed, but the aviation market deals in catastrophic risks and will not exclude such attacks, Mr. Weyman said. http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20140803/NEWS07/308039982?tags=%7C312%7C76%7C313%7C303# Back to Top Cheung Kong in Talks to Buy Planes From AWAS Aviation LONDON - Li Ka-shing, Asia's richest man, is in preliminary talks to acquire aircraft being sold by AWAS Aviation Capital, the aircraft leasing company owned by Guy Hands's private equity firm, Terra Firma Capital Partners. In a statement on Monday to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Mr. Li's Hong Kong-listed company, Cheung Kong, said it had submitted a "very preliminary" nonbinding proposal to acquire a portfolio of planes from AWAS. "There is no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into for the proposed acquisition," the company said. The proposed sale includes a portfolio of about 100 planes that are less than two years old and valued at an estimated $5 billion, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The negotiations come after a strategic review that recommended that 'the company's portfolio be split in two between its younger fleet of planes and its older aircraft. AWAS, based in Dublin, has a fleet of 300 aircraft that are leased to more than 100 airlines in 50 countries. In recent months, Mr. Li's companies have sold or spun off assets in mainland China and Hong Kong, while making a series of acquisitions in Europe and North America. Mr. Li's companies own a variety of businesses, including power plants, hotels and port operators. His companies also acquired a Canadian operator of airport parking garages this year. Cheung Kong, through its various subsidiaries, operates in 52 countries and employs about 280,000 people. Mr. Li, a native of China who has adopted Hong Kong as his base, is worth an estimated $35 billion, according to Forbes. The deal, if concluded, would match two of the more dynamic personalities in finance. Terra Firma is run by Guy Hands, who was known as one of Britain's shrewdest investors before a disastrous deal to acquire the music company EMI at the top of the market in 2007. Facing a huge amount of debt, EMI was seized by its lenders in 2011. The failed EMI deal dramatically reduced Mr. Hands's personal wealth and spawned a nasty court battle with Citigroup, a lender on the deal and a longtime adviser to Terra Firma. The sides agreed to end a lawsuit in the United States in March and allow Mr. Hands to pursue claims in Britain. Mr. Hands has been working to rebuild his reputation through a series of smaller but profitable investments in garden centers, health care facilities and renewable energy. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/cheung-kong-in-talks-to-buy-planes-from-awas-aviation/ Back to Top BGSU aviation program adding partnership, flight simulator Bowling Green State University's aviation program will feature new partnerships and facilities in the coming year. Venu Dasigi, dean of the college of technology, architecture and applied engineering at BGSU, said changes planned include a partnership with North Star Aviation (NSA), a private company based in Mankato, Minnesota. NSA will operate the aviation training department under the title Bowling Green Flight Center. "They are actually creating two new complexes - an instructional building and a hangar," Dasigi said. "We're very excited about it." NSA will provide services such as maintaining planes and equipment upgrades at no extra cost to students. "Now, with the partnership with North Star, we are in a position to expand the program as needed," Dasigi said. Christine Doering, marketing manager for BGSU Aviation, said the project will also add another classroom and a "Redbird" full-motion flight simulator. "You'll actually move as you would in a plane," Doering said. "If you bank to the right, you will actually bank to the right." The aviation school broke ground for the new facilities in June. According to Dasigi, construction should be completed by end of the year. Last spring, the aviation school also announced a partnership with the University of Toledo to offer flight instruction for students in Asia, including China's Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shenzhen Campus. "Students from there will be receiving flight instruction from this combined program we have with UT," Dasigi said. Students from China will begin the program at UT, where they will earn an associate degree, then work toward a bachelor's degree while receiving flight instruction at BGSU. BGSU has offered an aviation program since 1978, and about 120 students are currently in the program, he said. BGSU offers bachelor of science degrees in flight technology and operations, as well as aviation management and operations. "With flight operations, students can go into corporate or commercial flying, owning their own planes, and there are quite a few aviation options like working for UPS or FedEx," Doering said. "For management, they can be an airport manager, or go into corporate management. There are different avenues they can take." Doering said the new buildings will be primarily associated with the flight operations program. Dasigi said that while BGSU is not the only aviation program in the region, its facilities make it stand out. "We're one of two programs in the entire nation, I believe, that has an airport right on campus, so that's a very distinguishing feature for us," he said. BGSU's airport currently boasts a total of six planes - four Cessna 172s, a Piper Arrow, and a Piper Seminole - all with recent paint jobs and interior equipment updates. Doering added that hands-on instruction begins immediately for would-be pilots. "If they're in the flight program, they start flying the first week they are here." For more information, visit www.bgsu.edu/aviation. http://www.toledofreepress.com/2014/08/02/bgsu-aviation-program-adding-partnership-flight-simulator/ Back to Top Embry-Riddle Debuts Free Online Aviation Class With the education of students about aviation as one of the goals at EAA AirVenture 2014, which is being held this week in Oshkosh, Wis., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University chose the venue to announced the launch of its free online Aviation 101 course aimed at introducing high school and middle school students to the aviation industry. The class consists of 12 high-definition video lessons that cover topics such as aircraft systems, aerodynamics, flight instruments, airports, airspace, air traffic control, aeromedical factors and aviation weather. Students who complete the program could receive one hour of course credit at the school's Daytona Beach, Fla., or Prescott, Ariz. campuses. "Aviation 101 is a great example of what Embry-Riddle can offer to students who are interested in pursuing a career in aviation," said Ken Byrnes, the university's Daytona Beach campus flight department chair. It's professionally delivered, high-quality education that ensures that each student becomes a knowledgeable, safety conscious aviator." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/eaa-airventure/2014-07-30/embry-riddle-debuts-free-online-aviation- class Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 IASS 2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE November 11-13, 2014 http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 Curt Lewis