Flight Safety Information August 15, 2014 - No. 168 In This Issue Chile fires airport security chief after huge robbery FBI: 2 airplanes hit by laser beams over Portland NTSB releases new report on Steve Appleton fatal airplane crash 2 Vietnam Airlines pilots have licenses withdrawn after near miss Secretary of State John Kerry has to fly commercial after Air Force jet breaks down PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Gulfstream develops new technologies for supersonic jet FAA Approves Avionica's satLINK ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 Upcoming Events Chile fires airport security chief after huge robbery Chilean police inspect a vehicle which was used to in the robbery, August 12, 2014. Gang robs $10m in record Chile theft Chile has fired the security chief of the country's main airport after an "embarrassing" robbery of more than $10m (£6.2) at the cargo terminal. Chilean Defence Minister Jorge Burgos said a probe had been launched into how eight armed men had managed to steal the money from a security van at the airport in the capital, Santiago. He called Tuesday's incident "unfortunate and serious". Security footage showed the gang had acted disguised as airport workers. "While the investigation is being carried out, the security chief of Arturo Merino Benitez Airport (Rolando Alegria) has been relieved from his duties," Mr Burgos told a news conference. He also pledged that the airport's security measures would be "revised, modified and altered". No shots fired Dressed as ground personnel, the robbers entered the cargo area of Santiago's international airport and intercepted the armoured vehicle carrying the money. It was being loaded onto a plane bound for banks and mining companies in northern Chile. The gunmen held up the guards, who had left their weapons at airport security, and emptied the security truck, before running away without firing any shots. The robbery itself - one of the biggest in Chilean history - was not captured on camera, but the footage showed the bandits fleeing in two white vans two minutes after the theft. On Tuesday, Chilean Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy called security at the airport "an embarrassment". The size of the loot surpasses that of a similar robbery in 2006, when thieves stole $1.6m from a Brink's delivery at the same airport terminal. The men behind that robbery were eventually captured and are serving time in prison. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28783027 Back to Top FBI: 2 airplanes hit by laser beams over Portland Los Angeles Police Air Support Division helicopter pilots listen to law enforcement agents, as they announce a 60-day FBI campaign, "Don't Let a Prank Lead to Prison, Aiming a Laser at an Aircraft is a Federal Crime,'' to publicize the problem of pointing lasers to aircraft, during a news conference at the Los Angeles International airport Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014. The FBI announced today that it will offer rewards up to $10,000 for people who report others for shining laser pointers at aircraft. A handheld laser can temporarily blind pilots who sometimes need to depend on their vision for orientation. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN 6) - Two airplanes were hit with lasers early Tuesday morning, federal officials confirmed. Beth Anne Steele, a spokesperson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said agents are looking into the matter. Steele said the two commercial airplanes were hit with lasers around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. Officials with the Port of Portland confirmed that the incidents were reported to air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the FBI. Steele said today's laser strikes appeared to originate south of Gresham. Specific details could not be released pending the investigation. Neither aircraft sustained any damage, an official said. Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft is a federal offense and is very dangerous. Shining a laser into an aircraft cockpit and blind a pilot and distract crew. (KOIN) Nationally, since 2005 the FBI and FAA report the number of deliberate laser strikes on aircraft by people with handheld lasers has increased by more than 1,100%. The FBI reports nationally in 2013, there were a total of 3,960 laser strikes reported: an average of almost 11 incidents per day. Agent in Portland investigated 139 strikes in 2013, data released by the FBI states. The laser strikes happen between midnight and 7 a.m., with the greatest number of strikes occurring between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., the FBI said. "Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot, jeopardizing the safety of everyone on board," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said Feb. 11, 2014. Last month, Stephen Francis Bukucs, pleaded guilty after FBI agents arrested him Oct. 18, 2013 on charges of aiming a laser pointer at two aircraft. Court documents show Bukucs aimed a laser pointer at United Airlines Flight 1406 and JetBlue Flight 1205 in Portland on October 13, 2013. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 24, 2014. Anyone with information on the most recent case, or any other laser strike should call the Portland FBI 24- hour tip line at (503) 224-4181. http://koin.com/2014/08/12/fbi-investigating-2-airplane-laser-strikes-over-portland/ Back to Top NTSB releases new report on Steve Appleton fatal airplane crash The National Transportation Safety Board conducts an initial aircraft layout examination of the wreckage of a Lancair experimental aircraft that crashed on Friday, inside a hangar at the Boise Airport on Saturday Feb. 4, 2012, in Boise, Idaho. The crash killed both the pilot and Micron CEO Steve Appleton. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Joe Jaszewski, Pool) BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) -- The National Transportation Safety Board has released a new report on the plane crash that killed Micron CEO Steve Appleton. In February of 2012, Appleton's single-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Boise Airport. KBOI 2news obtained a copy of the 23-page report Tuesday evening. The report indicates previously released details about the moment leading up to the crash. "The airplane completed about one revolution and impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. The airplane came to rest in a dirt area between runways 10R and 10L, and a fire started upon impact." The report also sheds light on Appleton's love of flying and adventure and how everything in his personal life seemed to be fine. "Various sources indicate that the pilot had owned over 20 airplanes and participated in various air shows," the report states. "The pilot was described as having a passion for high-risk recreation." The cause of the crash not not been determined at this time, but investigators are now one step closer to finding out what happened. The NTSB also interviewed a corporate pilot for Micron, who manned the controls on the plane involved in the crash. "The corporate pilot further stated that the accident airplane was the most responsive airplane he had ever flown," the report states. "He described the airplane as characteristically having an abundant amount of power and that the controls needed very little pressure/manipulation to maneuver the airplane." http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Steve-Appleton-Micron-CEO-Airplane-Crash-271079571.html Back to Top 2 Vietnam Airlines pilots have licenses withdrawn after near miss The two are the chief and deputy chief pilots of Flight 320 that flew from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on August 7. That flight was conducted on a plane coded HVN1203 of the Vietnamese national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. When the plane was flying through the sky of Ho Chi Minh City, it received an order of the local air traffic control station to travel at flight level 320 (32,000 feet) to avoid another VietJet Air plane that was flying in the opposite direction. But the two pilots mistakenly navigated their aircraft down to flight level 300, exposing itself to a risk of hitting the VietJet Air plane. The collision warning systems of both planes were immediately activated, requesting them to follow instructions to help avoid a collision. After an investigation, the CAAV concluded that the pilots of the HVN1203 plane violated the standard on minimum separation between flying aircraft, presenting a high-level threat to flight safety. Deputy chief of the CAAV Dinh Viet Thang initially signed decisions to revoke the licenses of the two pilots for three months. However, the penalty was later stiffened to an indefinite revocation. "The two pilots will be re-trained. When the CAAV recognizes that they are qualified for resuming work, the agency will re-license them," Thang told VnExpress newswire. http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/21687/2-vietnam-airlines-pilots-have-licenses-withdrawn-after-near-miss Back to Top Secretary of State John Kerry has to fly commercial after Air Force jet breaks down HONOLULU - Flight delays stink, no matter who you are. Secretary of State John F. Kerry flew around the world over the past week, zipping hither and yon for nine days on his Air Force jet till the plane broke down Thursday. Kerry was supposed to fly home to Washington from Hawaii early in the morning but instead took a commercial United Airlines flight hours later. "Finally, some frequent-flier miles," Kerry said when his staffers explained the alternate arrangements, according to a senior State Department official. The State Department official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record, said an electrical problem with the Air Force Boeing 757 forced it to remain on the ground at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. The glitch came on the very last leg of a trip that took Kerry to Afghanistan, Burma, Australia and the Solomon Islands. Most of his staff trundled onto the United flight, along with reporters who had traveled with Kerry. He was in first class; most everyone else was not. Kerry has often expressed frustration with his aging plane, which has previously run into technical problems during his global journeys that have made him one of the most traveled U.S. secretaries of state. While waiting for his flight, Kerry received a briefing from U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and spoke with several administration and foreign officials, Reuters reported, citing a spokesman. Since assuming office Feb. 1, 2013, Kerry has juggled priorities amid a virtually nonstop travel schedule that has left many around him often exasperated and exhausted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-has-to-fly- commercial-after-air-force-jet-breaks-down/2014/08/14/51034e1e-2421-11e4-958c- 268a320a60ce_story.html Back to Top Back to Top Gulfstream develops new technologies for supersonic jet Gulfstream's "Quiet Spike" shown being tested on the nose of a NASA plane. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has made further advances toward its goal of developing a "quiet" supersonic business jet. According to new U.S. patent applications first made public on Aug. 14, Savannah, Ga.-based Gulfstream says it has found a way to control the magnitude of a sonic boom caused by an aircraft traveling beyond the speed of sound. In addition, Gulfstream says it's developed a new propulsion system for a supersonic aircraft. Gulfstream has been working for years to develop a supersonic business jet. Atlanta Business Chronicle reported two years ago that the company had developed a "Quiet Spike," a retractable nose tip that reduces the noise of a sonic boom. Gulfstream won a patent on the technology on July 29. In recent years, Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD), has filed patents for engine design to hush the sonic boom and boost propulsion. Read more about Gulfstream's supersonic technology program here. Gulfstream's new technique for controlling the magnitude of sonic booms works by counteracting the physical forces that cause wings to twist and the distribution of "lift forces" on an aircraft to change. One way that it works is by moving fuel into and out of wings, moving the wings, and counteracting the twisting of wings. http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2014/08/14/gulfstream-develops-new-technologies-for.html Back to Top FAA Approves Avionica's satLINK as World's First Safety Service Qualified Air Transport Iridium SATCOM Avionica adds another STC to its growing list with new satLINK MAX MIAMI, Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Avionica announced the FAA issuance of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for satLINK MAX, the industry's first Iridium based ATS SATCOM for air transport aircraft. Avionica also announced United Airlines as the launch customer. The FAA granted design approval for the Avionica satLINK MAX SATCOM communications system as the first RTCA/DO-262A compliant voice and data SATCOM system for air transport aircraft. This confirms satLINK MAX's compliance with the FAA's Advisory Circular AC20-140B guidance for Data Link Communication systems supporting Air Traffic Services (ATS) and its adherence to the stringent RTCA/DO-262A Minimum Operational Performance Standard required to support FANS 1/A over Iridium operations (FOI). The Supplemental Type Certificate was issued for the installation of Avionica's satLINK MAX solution on all Boeing 777-200, -300, -300ER, -200LR and 777F series aircraft. Additional aircraft type approvals are pending. "We designed satLINK MAX from the ground up based on empirical data gleaned from our customers operations. satLINK MAX improves every criteria of our original miniQAR satLink Classic installed on over 700 aircraft. It also directly enables further capabilities of Avionica's complimentary products such as AID cockpit devices," said Anthony Rios, Vice President of Engineering at Avionica. In addition to enabling FANS 1/A over Iridium, Avionica's satLINK MAX customers can leverage its four Iridium transceivers to simultaneously provide multiple voice and data services with a single dual-element antenna. Typical applications include two flight deck voice channels, one FOI datalink channel, and one voice and data capable cabin service channel. "Building this product, completing installation and certification testing in Hong Kong, while complying with the strict aviation industry standards is a true indication of Avionica's capabilities and thoroughness of its certification processes. We demonstrated that satLINK MAX is the optimal solution for today's airlines data connectivity challenges," stated Simone Drakes, FAA DER and Avionica's Director of Aircraft Engineering. Raul Segredo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avionica, added, "This STC marks a new milestone in Avionica's successful trajectory of over twenty years developing innovative and robust data and communication management solutions. Our team is proud to have installed avionics in over 7,000 aircraft, with over 500 customers worldwide and 15 FAA STC's. And yet, there is even more to come. satLINK MAX incorporates additional functionality to fulfill emerging Onboard Network System (ONS) requirements such as EFB AID, QAR, ADL, and 4G access to Avionica's global wireless data network." About Avionica Avionica is the world's leading data collection and data transmission manufacturer, producing innovative, affordable solutions that are revolutionizing air transportation. Over 22 years, Avionica has earned 15 Supplemental Type Certificates from the FAA and multiple certification approvals from Canada, EASA and China and is approved on over 250 different models of aircraft under the FAA's Approved Model List (AML). Avionica created the market for value oriented aerospace data equipment with the design, certification and delivery of the Mini Quick Access Recorder (QAR) - the industry's first miniature data recording device. Avionica applies advances in technology, business practices and AS9100C manufacturing processes to create products that are twice as capable at half the weight. For more information please email us at sales@avionica.com and visit our website at www.avionica.com . http://www.marketwatch.com/story/faa-approves-avionicas-satlink-as-worlds-first-safety-service- qualified-air-transport-iridium-satcom-2014-08-14 Back to Top 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 ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar October 13-16, 2014 Adelaide, Australia www.isasi.org IASS 2014 Abu Dhabi, UAE November 11-13, 2014 http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2014 ERAU UAS FUNDAMENTALS COURSE December 9 - 11, 2014 ERAU Daytona Beach Campus, FL www.daytonabeach.erau.edu/uas Curt Lewis