Flight Safety Information August 22, 2014 - No. 173 In This Issue TSB calls on government to fix 'troubling' aviation safety deficiencies Drone flying near LAX sparks alarm from jet pilot Chinese pilots told to ditch regional accents Helicopter Safety Effort. PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA NTSB Course -...Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident The 11th International Symposium of the Australian Aviation Psychology Association ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 Upcoming Events TSB calls on government to fix 'troubling' aviation safety deficiencies The independent safety watchdog listed four major areas of concern : crashes into land or water; collisions on runways; landing accidents; and the lack of safety management systems at small carriers. The Transportation Safety Board says it's "troubled" by unsafe practices in Canada's air travel sector and called on the government to take action in order to prevent serious accidents. "The slow pace of movement to address safety deficiencies in aviation compared to other modes of transportation is troubling," the TSB said in its annual report, released Wednesday. "The board will continue to push hard for change." The independent safety watchdog listed four major areas of concern : crashes into land or water; collisions on runways; landing accidents; and the lack of safety management systems at small carriers. In particular, the board drew attention to the fact that Transport Canada doesn't require small carriers like commuter airlines, helicopter operators and flight training schools to have safety management systems in place. Together, these smaller carriers are responsible for 94% of all commercial aviation accidents and 96% of all commercial aviation deaths, the TSB said. Major airline safety flaws at Transport Canada could lead to more accidents: AG "The board is concerned that, in the absence of [Transport Canada] requirements, the passengers and aircraft of these smaller operators are being placed at unnecessary risk," according to the report. The TSB added that Transport Canada has done little to encourage airports to prevent collisions on runways, of which there were 381 in 2013, and called for improved procedures and enhanced collision-warning systems. The annual report also pointed out that Canada lags international standards when it comes to preventing landing accidents and runway overruns. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The TSB annual report comes one day after the board released its final report into the Lac-Mégantic derailment and explosion that killed 47 people last summer. It blamed many factors, but singled out Transport Canada for not forcing Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway to improve its safety record. According to the TSB's annual report, only 3 of 11, or 27%, of its rail safety recommendations have been addressed by Transport Canada in a "fully satisfactory" manner. The board said it's concerned that there is no requirement for on-board video and voice recorders on locomotives. It also said further safety measures should be implemented to ensure signals are consistently followed by train crews and to prevent passenger trains from colliding with vehicles. In 2013, 1,067 rail accidents were reported to the TSB, up 4% from 2012. Accidents involving dangerous goods totaled 144, up from 119. There were 275 aviation accidents in 2013, down 5% from a year earlier. The 57 fatalities was slightly higher than the 2012 total of 54. http://business.financialpost.com/2014/08/20/tsb-calls-on-government-to-fix-troubling- aviation-safety-deficiencies/ Back to Top Drone flying near LAX sparks alarm from jet pilot Technology journalist Tim Stenovec controls a Parrot Minidrone "Rolling Spider" during a demonstration June 10 in New York. The small consumer drone will fly like a helicopter and is controlled by a smartphone. Police officials say the sighting of a personal drone in restricted Los Angles International Airport air space and another over City Hall support the need to clarify civilian drone use laws. In the first incident on Aug. 4, police said a personal drone was spotted by a Canadian jetliner hovering about 10 miles east of LAX at 4,000 feet - an altitude outside Federal Aviation Administration guidelines for hobbyists with drones and and also within the airport's Class B air space. To fly that high and close to LAX brings with it a host of responsibilities, including having a transponder on the aircraft and two-way communication with air traffic controllers, federal officials said. Los Angeles police learned of the drone when the airline pilot asked air traffic controllers if it was a police drone. The LAPD's two drones are locked away in a federal building and have not been used. In the second incident, employees on the LAPD's 10th floor on the northwest side of the building said they looked out their window Aug. 14 to see a drone hovering outside their window. As hobby drone use increases, so do concerns about privacy, security After some in the office waved at it and snapped pictures, it flew across the street to City Hall and got close to the rooftop antennae. While authorities say the drone spotted near LAX violated FAA regulations, the one downtown does not appear to have violated any laws. There are plenty of restrictions on law enforcement's use of drones and a permitting process for commercial operators. But not so for public users, something police have had to come to terms with recently. "Everyone is going to suffer because of a reckless pilot," said LAPD Air Support Capt. Gary Walters. "You don't expect to see one at 1,000 feet when you're doing 130 mph going to an emergency call to the Coliseum." The department is talking with the FAA and local lawmakers about what can be done to bring existing laws up to date so they apply to drones, officials said. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drone-debate-civilian-lax-city-hall- 20140821-story.html Back to Top Chinese pilots told to ditch regional accents China Eastern Airlines Corp. airplanes are parked on the tarmac at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. Chinese airlines have become large customers for Boeing and Airbus as the nation's economic growth spurs travel demand. The country will probably order 5,000 planes in the 20 years ending 2030, according to a Boeing forecast. Strong regional accents have long been a handicap in class-ridden Britain. Now pilots in communist China face ejection from the cockpit if their accents fail to pass muster. Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a "level four" test of Mandarin Chinese, China's official language. Those who speak with an accent that "often impedes" comprehension will not pass. The CAAC communicated the requirement, which takes effect in January 2016, to pilots in a teleconference earlier this week. "This is really bad news for anyone with a heavy accent," one pilot said on his Weibo account, adding an emoticon with sweat pouring off its face. China's 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible. One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms enter the equation. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or "there isn't". But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as "may day" - unwittingly parroting the universally recognised distress call. Like their international counterparts, Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion stemming from homonyms or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused. The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their licence every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession. This year Chinese pilots for flag carrier Air China issued an open letter complaining about the "longer rest, easier routes and higher pay" enjoyed by the airline's growing number of expatriate hires. They added that the stress on local pilots could "eventually threaten flight safety". Chinese pilots must already contend with frequent and lengthy delays, as illustrated by the recent disruption caused by People's Liberation Army exercises in eastern China, and the irate reactions these often provoke among passengers. Aviation communication in China can also be affected by factors other than the country's various accents and dialects. In early July, a China Eastern aircraft's arrival at Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, was delayed after an apparent radio blackout with air traffic control that lasted 12 minutes. The two air controllers on duty had fallen asleep. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ae778d8-29bf-11e4-8139- 00144feabdc0.html#axzz3B7UPQRH8 Back to Top Helicopter Safety Effort The Federal Aviation Administration's Rotorcraft Directorate is seeking comments from helicopter pilots, mechanics, flight safety officers and others associated with personal/private, instructional/training and aerial application industries about what you would like to see in a safety forum. The Rotorcraft Directorate will host a three-day safety forum April 21-23, 2015, in Hurst, Texas, a Fort Worth suburb. The forum's purpose is to discuss ways to improve flight safety particularly among personal/private, instructional/training and aerial application industries. These three industries have consistently high accident numbers. Before we begin planning the forum, we want to know what lectures, displays, events and programs would encourage you to attend and what topics you think would be of the most value. Also, what forums have you attended that you particularly liked and why? Please contact me directly at eugene.trainor@faa.gov or at the FAA Rotorcraft Directorate, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. F or information about our safety conference visit, www.faahelisafety.org . Back to Top Back to Top NTSB Course - Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident Title Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates, Tuition and Fee October 23-24, 2014 $1034 early registration, by September 20, 2014 $1084 late registration,between September 21 and October 20, 2014 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend SIGN UP HERE CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others > Comments from course participants > See the 235 organizations from more than 30 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation. * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend This course is targeted to who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities. Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email StudentServices@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 Courses, forums and symposia are added to the schedule throughout the year. Subscribe to the e-newsletter to learn about upcoming events and new programs: http://www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/list/list_mw020207.htm www.ntsb.gov/trainingcenter/list/list_mw020207 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