Flight Safety Information August 20, 2014 - No. 171 In This Issue Gulfstream Warns Pilots About Jet Design After Katz Crash New rocket parachute technology saving pilots' lives Jenni Rivera plane-crash investigation still not complete Airlines on Alert Amid Threat of Iceland Volcano Eruption Lasers pointed at 3 aircraft approaching Salt Lake City airport PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Aviation analyst sees slow growth in business jet market Bombardier Replaces Commercial Aircraft Marketing Vice President The 11th International Symposium of the Australian Aviation Psychology Association ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 Upcoming Events Gulfstream Warns Pilots About Jet Design After Katz Crash By Alan Levin and Thomas Black The twin-engine General Dynamics Corp. Gulfstream IV never left the ground Gulfstream jet pilots received notice from the company that a safety device designed to prevent accidents like the one that killed sports-franchise mogul Lewis Katz can be foiled in some circumstances. The system is supposed to keep pilots from setting engines for takeoff power if control panels on the wings and tail are locked, Gulfstream told operators in an Aug. 18 letter obtained by Bloomberg News. Instead, it may be possible to add thrust "if proper unlock procedures are not followed," it said. The letter helps explain why Katz's Gulfstream IV reached a speed of 190 miles (306 kilometers) an hour on the ground without lifting off as it tried to depart Bedford, Massachusetts, on May 31. It's too early to determine if Gulfstream needs to modify its planes or pilots' preflight procedures, said Steve Cass, a company spokesman. "We'll need to continue to get input and once we have sufficient input then we'll decide if there's any type of change that we need to make either to our procedures or to the aircraft itself," Cass said by telephone. "I think it's premature to make that conclusion right now." Gulfstream, a General Dynamics Corp. (GD) unit, has more than 2,000 aircraft in operation and all the company's aircraft have the gust-lock except for the G650, which uses different technology, he said. Pilots are supposed to lock control panels on the wings, tail and other surfaces of the airplane when it's parked at an airport to eliminate the risk of wind damage. Gulfstream's flight manual requires pilots to switch off the gust-lock before starting the engines. NTSB Probe Information released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board so far has focused on actions by the pilots. There was no evidence the cockpit crew attempted to check whether the control surfaces were working after starting the engines and taxiing to the runway, according to the safety board's review of the crash-proof flight data recorder. Katz's jet slid across a field, slammed into a gully and burst into flames. He and six others died in the crash. The NTSB isn't commenting on the accident beyond its previous statements and updates, Keith Holloway, a spokesman, said yesterday. Nose Down When flight controls are held in position by the gust-lock mechanism, the nose of the airplane is forced down and liftoff is prevented even after the plane accelerates. The Gulfstream notice reminded pilots to ensure they have switched off the gust-lock before starting the engines and to always check the flight controls before takeoff. Katz, 72, had flown to Bedford to attend an event at the Concord, Massachusetts, home of Richard Goodwin and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Katz was a lawyer and businessman who once owned the New Jersey Nets basketball team, New Jersey Devils hockey team and ran a billboard company and parking-lot operator. He won control of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper and its sister publication at a court-ordered auction four days before the crash. The other passengers were Susan Asbell, 67, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Marcella Dalsey, 59, of Williamstown, New Jersey, and Anne Leeds of Longport, New Jersey. A flight attendant, Teresa Ann Benhoff, 48, of Easton, Maryland, was also aboard. The business jet was being flown by Captain James McDowell, 51, of Georgetown, Delaware, and co-pilot Michael De Vries, 45, of Marlton, New Jersey, according to the Middlesex County district attorney's office. Both pilots had more than 10,000 hours of flight experience, according to the NTSB. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-20/gulfstream-warns-pilots-about-jet- design-after-katz-crash.html Back to Top New rocket parachute technology saving pilots' lives SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -A tragic plane crash in Natchitoches over the weekend is not only affecting pilots there, but also across the rest of the ArkLaTex. Even pilots like Colten Cavanaugh, who flies nearly 70 miles away, are feeling the loss. "A lot of us are friends, family, we know each other," he said. "So whenever we hear about something like that, it's tragic." Although the exact details of what happened on Sunday are still under investigation, Tubreaux Aviation is offering us a unique look inside the cockpit during an emergency situation. Now in the flight simulator, where pilots train for emergencies, Cavanaugh said that most accidents happen within the first few seconds of take-off due to engine failure, "majority of engine failures happen because of a fuel failure." He said three things he keeps in mind during emergency training are to always fly the plane, check your instruments and look for a safe place to land. There is new technology that is saving pilots lives across the globe. It's called CAPS short for Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. It's a rocket propelled parachute from the top of the plane that can safely bring the plane back to the ground. Cavanaugh said it sets his mind at ease having the technology on board. " If something happened, and you felt like your aircraft is unrecoverable, you have that safety system to take care of that for you," he said. http://www.ksla.com/story/26320843/new-rocket-parachute-technology-saving-pilots- lives Back to Top Jenni Rivera plane-crash investigation still not complete Jenni Rivera and six others died in a 2012 Learjet crash in Mexico. LOS ANGELES - An investigation of the 2012 Learjet crash near Monterrey, Mexico, that killed Long Beach-based singer Jenni Rivera and six others is not finished, an attorney representing relatives of Rivera's entourage said today. Steven Archer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig that parts of the 1969 Learjet 25 aircraft are in Mexico and that other parts are in Kansas. Members of Rivera's immediate family have yet to sign on to the lawsuit, pending the completion of the crash investigation. Killed with Rivera were her publicist, Arturo Rivera; makeup artist Jacobo Yebale; hairstylist Jorge Armando Sanchez Vasquez; and Mario Macias Pacheco, her attorney. In January 2013, their relatives sued the owner of the plane, Starwood Management LLC, claiming wrongful death, loss of support and punitive damages. Pilot Miguel Perez and co-pilot Alessandro Torres also died in the crash. Kendig said she would not decide on a trial date until Sept. 9, when she is set to hear a motion by Archer to strike legal documents previously submitted on behalf of Starwood Management LLC, which would begin the default process. Archer maintains the eight-passenger, twin-engine jet was poorly maintained and unsafe to fly. Starwood has not participated in the case since February, when Kendig granted a request by attorney Mark Velasquez to withdraw from the case. Velasquez said a dispute arose between him and Starwood over his pay. Kendig told lawyers to report to her Sept. 9 how long they expect the trial to last and the length of time needed to gather information from all sides. The crash occurred Dec. 9, 2012, when the jet crashed about 3:30 a.m., 15 minutes after leaving Monterrey in the mountains of northern Mexico. Rivera had just performed in Monterrey and was on her way to Mexico City to appear on the Mexican version of "The Voice." Family members of one of two pilots killed have joined the case. Rivera's husband, former Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Esteban Loaiza, filed a separate wrongful death suit against Starwood. His attorneys also are seeking a default judgment against Starwood. http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20140819/jenni-rivera-plane-crash- investigation-still-not-complete Back to Top Airlines on Alert Amid Threat of Iceland Volcano Eruption Partly aerial view of the glacier of Skaftafel National Park in Iceland. Airlines are on alert as one of Iceland's biggest volcanoes rumbles to life, threatening ash clouds that could force flight cancellations across the North Atlantic, the busiest international travel market. Air France (AF), Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) are among carriers watching Bardarbunga volcano for an eruption, the latest in a series of actual or potential hazards to interfere with commercial air routes. Iceland's Civil Protection Agency began evacuating the area north of the volcano yesterday. The seismic activity raised concern that airlines may face a repeat of the 2010 disruptions when a cloud belched from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano forced carriers to erase more than 100,000 flights and caused about $1.7 billion in lost revenue. Ash is a menace to jetliners because the glass-like particles can damage engines by melting and congealing. "If the volcano erupts -- which we don't know -- how explosive or non-explosive the eruption is depends entirely on where the magma reaches the surface," Melissa Anne Pfeffer, atmospheric volcanologist at the Icelandic Met Office, said in a phone interview. Bardarbunga lies beneath Vatnajokull, Europe's largest glacier. Molten rock bubbling up under the icecap would create "a more explosive eruption," with the mix of high heat and a sudden meltdown of frozen water, than one occurring in the open, Pfeffer said. Northern European air traffic would be affected if yesterday's winds continued during an eruption, she said. 'Seismic Swarm' While regional air-traffic manager Eurocontrol said the volcano isn't affecting aviation now, the "seismic swarm" of earthquakes recorded around the caldera's rim this week is the largest seen since the last eruption, in 1996, according to the website of FutureVolc, a European safety monitor. Iceland increased the eruption risk to "orange," the second- highest level, on Aug. 18. The specter of ash clouds is the latest worry for airlines that have had to divert flights in recent weeks around war-torn Syria, Iraq and Ukraine; weigh whether to fly to Tel Aviv after a missile struck near the airport; and adjust Africa operations as Ebola infections trigger public-health alerts. Russia also has threatened to limit flyovers across Siberia by some airlines. Investors are monitoring the risk of volcano travel tie-ups in Europe with 2010's mass flight cancellations in mind, Helane Becker, a New York-based aviation analyst with Cowen & Co., wrote in a note to clients yesterday. 'Potential Impact' "We have gotten more than a handful of calls on this subject, and while the potential impact could be significant, it is tough to handicap how this even will play out," Becker said. "The European airlines have the most exposure." The three biggest U.S. carriers -- American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta -- also serve Northern Europe. Representatives for the U.S. airlines and Federal Aviation Administration said operations were continuing as normal while they monitored the volcano. "We're in dialogue with authorities awaiting their directions in case of eruption," Trine Kromann-Mikkelsen, a spokeswoman for Sweden's SAS AB (SAS), said by e-mail. "We are always prepared for irregularity and have experience from last time." The Eyjafjallajokull blowup prompted European officials to close the majority of airspace in the region for six days, stranding 10 million passengers. There was less disruption to travel from a 2011 eruption, which was smaller and only affected airports in Iceland and northern Germany for a few hours. "Europe is more prepared to deal with volcanic ash these days," Eurocontrol said in a statement. "We have better mechanisms in place than we did in 2010." Detection Technology EasyJet Plc, a Luton, England-based budget carrier, said that in the event of an Bardarbunga eruption, it plans to work with partners including Icelandic officials, FutureVolc, planemaker Airbus Group NV (AIR) and Nicarnica Aviation, which developed technology to detect airborne volcanic ash. The team will "ensure that ash from it is detected and charted from space, using infrared cameras on European weather satellites or through the potential airborne deployment AVOID technology," EasyJet said in an e-mailed statement. The acronym refers to the Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector. NetJets Inc., the luxury aviation unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has a crew of meteorologists to track disruptive weather and incidents like the 2010 ash cloud, said Christine Herbert, a spokeswoman. During the 2010 flight shutdown, NetJets helped clients relocate outside of the ash zones so they could be picked up in private jets, Herbert said. "We are watching it, and our customers that may be affected will be advised based on the recommendations of our weather team," Herbert said by e-mail. "We are in contact with the local authorities so we can react instantly if the situation changes, but at present this is not affecting any operations." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-19/airlines-on-alert-amid-threat-of-iceland- volcano-eruption.html Back to Top Lasers pointed at 3 aircraft approaching Salt Lake City airport Blinding » Planes land safely, police seek culprit. Three aircraft approaching Salt Lake City International Airport on Sunday evening were targeted with a laser pointer from the ground, which could have potentially blinded the pilots. "The airplanes landed without incident and there were no injuries," said airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann. "It happened between 8 and 8:15 p.m. with a green laser beam," she said. "It occurred about 6 miles south of the airport." Gann added that police are investigating. Pilots who have suffered similar attacks have described them as the equivalent of a camera flash going off in a pitch black car at night, disorienting and temporarily blinding them. Congress in 2012 passed a law making it a federal felony to knowingly point the beam of a laser at an aircraft. Earlier this summer, the FBI launched a national campaign against the practice, including offering rewards of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of people who conduct such attacks. "Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law," said Joe Campbell, assistant FBI director of its Criminal Investigative Division, when the campaign launched. Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration began tracking laser strikes in 2005, they have increased twelvefold. Last year, 3,960 laser strikes against aircraft were reported nationally. As of last December, the FAA had documented at least 35 incidents where pilots required medical attention after a laser strike. "I can't stress enough how dangerous and irresponsible it is to point a laser at an aircraft," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said when the FBI launched its campaign against the practice. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58308962-78/laser-aircraft-fbi-airport.html.csp Back to Top Back to Top Aviation analyst sees slow growth in business jet market When it comes to aviation, Wichita is not the next Detroit, an aviation forecaster said Tuesday at the Wichita Aero Club luncheon. "No. Absolutely not," said Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates. He hears the question, and it bothers him. "We're very optimistic about Wichita," Vincent said. Vincent forecasts demand for 9,391 business jets in the 10 years from 2014 to 2023 valued at $257 billion. He predicts the biggest portion of the deliveries - 39 percent - to be ultra-long-range jets, followed by large long-range jets at 18 percent. Large jets will take 10 percent of the market, super-midsized 13 percent, midsize jets 8 percent and light jets 4.5 percent, the forecast said. He expects makers of business jets to deliver 718 this year, up from 678 last year. The market for business jets has not rebounded for a number of reasons. For one, buyers are flush with cash, but they're risk averse. They've lived through the worst economic downturn of their lives and are still trying to recover, Vincent said. Operators aren't flying as much or, in some cases, at all. "We're still not seeing flight operations back where we'd like to see it," he said. Twenty to 30 percent of the fleet is inactive relative to 2007 levels, he said. There's also an oversupply of used light and midsize jets on the market. In addition, there's new competition, especially from Brazil-based Embraer, which has taken some market share from Wichita manufacturers. "More of that is coming," Vincent said. Plus there are stricter credit requirements by aircraft lenders. During the recession, orders cratered, backlogs evaporated, used inventory on the market spiked, and prices for used planes plummeted, he said. The good news is that the U.S, which operates 60 percent of the world's business jet fleet, is showing signs of economic recovery. The stock market has recovered nicely, and corporate profits are in good shape, Vincent said. Latin America has a high concentration of business jets among wealthy individuals. And China's growth in its gross domestic product, while down, is the best in the world. China is going to be Wichita's export market for years to come, Vincent said. The country is building 70 airports right now, he said. At the same time, the business jet customer is evolving, and so are manufacturers. In the past 50 years, people have become taller and heavier, and they want planes with larger cabins. They also want airplanes with longer range. "But that's not what we do here - yet," Vincent said. Wichita concentrates on the light and midsize part of the market. "The market has paused" on those segments, he said. Textron Aviation, however, has the new Citation Latitude and Longitude in the works, which have stand-up cabins. The merger of Beechcraft Corp. into Cessna Aircraft is good news, Vincent said. "There's a lot of strength there," he said. Commercial aviation When it comes to commercial aviation, the Boeing 737 has been a staple in Wichita for decades. Spirit AeroSystems builds dozens of the fuselages each month. "This town loves single-aisle airplanes," Vincent said. Boeing has steadily ramped up deliveries as orders continue to climb, he said. "They've reached stratospheric levels," Vincent said. Boeing and Airbus have seven to nine years of work ahead of them based on their order books. Although the current market is not sustainable, Vincent said, he expects a good run over the next seven to 10 years. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1257107.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Bombardier Replaces Commercial Aircraft Marketing Vice President Ross Mitchell to Succeed Philippe Poutissou as Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Marketing A plane flies over a Bombardier plant in Montreal, in this file photo taken January 21, 2014. Bombardier said it has replaced commercial aircraft marketing chief, Philippe Poutissou. Bombardier Inc. has replaced its commercial aircraft marketing chief as the Canadian transportation company works to accelerate sales while it struggles to complete its first direct challenge to Boeing Co. BA +0.48% and Airbus Group NV, according to a company spokesman. Vice president of commercial aircraft marketing Philippe Poutissou left the company yesterday, along with an additional commercial operations director as part of broader changes to the marketing division, according to a person familiar with the change. A Bombardier spokesman confirmed Mr. Poutissou's departure, but said the company was "not going to explain or discuss the change." Ross Mitchell will take over as head of marketing the company's commercial aircraft, which includes the new larger CSeries and regional jet and turboprop products, the spokesman confirmed following an earlier report by The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Mitchell has held various sales positions across both commercial and business aircraft units, most recently as vice president of business acquisition for Bombardier Business and Commercial Aircraft. Mr. Poutissou didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The CSeries jetliner was originally due to airlines at the end of 2013, but slipped while the company matures the jet's systems and software. The aircraft made its first flight in September 2013, but has been grounded since late May following a major engine failure on one of its CSeries test aircraft at its Mirabel, Quebec facility. No one was hurt during the incident, but the flight test program has been subsequently grounded as engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney test and develop a modification to the engine's oil system. Bombardier made no changes to its most recent schedule and has maintained that the jet will still enter service in the second half of 2015, an expectation that predates the engine failure. Pratt & Whitney is a unit of United Technologies Corp. UTX +0.43% The 125 to 160 seat jetliner is aimed at challenging the smallest jets from Airbus and Boeing, which has prompted an aggressive competitive response from the aerospace industrial giants to keep the all-new CSeries from gaining market traction. In late July, Bombardier reorganized its corporate structure, splitting its aerospace operations into a business aircraft and commercial aircraft units and eliminated the chief executive role of its once-combined aerospace unit, while adding a new engineering and services pillar. A fourth transportation unit, focusing on its train business, remains a stand-alone unit. http://online.wsj.com/articles/bombardier-replaces-commercial-aircraft-marketing-vice- president-1408480397 Back to Top The 11th International Symposium of the Australian Aviation Psychology Association. The theme for AAvPA 2014 is Consolidation, Complacency or Innovation: Our Challenge for the Future and features keynote presentations from Professor Neville Stanton, Dr Barbara Burian, Dr Key Dismukes and Professor Don Harris. The symposium is being held from 10-13 November 2014 in Melbourne. The web link is: http://conferenceworks.net.au/aavpa/ 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 Forward email This email was sent to fgae@club-internet.fr by curt@curt-lewis.com | Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Curt Lewis and Associates, LLC | Post Office Box 120243 | Arlington | TX | 76012