Flight Safety Information September 1, 2014 - No. 179 In This Issue After nearly 6 months, new clue in Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 search India safety head of Air Asia Sumant Mishra resigns Yellowstone enforcing ban on unmanned aircraft operation Alaska Airlines flight makes unscheduled landing at KCI because of unruly passenger PIA secures safety certificates Japan allows electronics on flights PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus Offers Aviation-Focused Professional Programs for 2014 Small UAS Challenge ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 - Early Bird Registration Deadline Upcoming Events Employment After nearly 6 months, new clue in Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 search CANBERRA, Australia -- Just weeks before the hunt for the missing Malaysian airliner is set to resume, an Australian official said Thursday that the sprawling search area in the southern Indian Ocean may be extended farther south based on a new analysis of a failed attempt to call the plane by satellite phone. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the analysis of the call, attempted by Malaysia Airlines officials on the ground soon after Flight 370 disappeared from radar, "suggests to us that the aircraft might have turned south a little earlier than we had previously expected." The Boeing 777 disappeared after veering off its northerly course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, and has become one of aviation history's most stunning mysteries. It is thought to have crashed 1,100 miles off Australia's west coast, but no trace of the plane or the 239 people aboard has been found. The overall search area remains unchanged, Truss said. However, Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Martin Dolan said he would meet with international experts next week to decide whether the 23,000-square mile targeted search area should be extended or shifted south based on the new analysis. "We think we may extend that area farther south; that's the thing we're currently considering," Dolan told The Associated Press. The new analysis applies to satellite data from the first of two satellite phone calls Malaysia Airlines ground staff attempted to make to Flight 370's crew. Investigators have long been aware of the phone calls, but it has taken until recently for them to develop methods to analyze the phone data to glean clues about the plane's direction. It was through a similar analysis of satellite data from the plane's jet engine transmitter that investigators were able to define the current search area. By the time the calls were attempted, the plane had become invisible to civilian radar. It had flown west without communications past Sumatra and beyond the range of Malaysian military radar. Dolan said the new analysis suggested the jet was already flying south when the first phone call was attempted, less than 20 minutes after the plane dropped off military radar. "Previously, there was the possibility that it could have been quite a bit later, so we had to do our modeling based on a range of possibilities as to where the aircraft turned," Dolan said. "We're now more confident that it turned comparatively early. That does make a difference to how we prioritize the search along the seventh arc," he added, referring to the broad area where investigators believe the flight ran out of fuel and crashed, based on the last ping from the jet engine transmitter. After spending weeks combing through satellite data, investigators said they are confident the plane was on autopilot when it crashed. "Certainly for its path across the Indian Ocean, we are confident the aircraft was on autopilot until it ran out of fuel," Dolan said in June. CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues reported that authorities expect the search to take up to a year, maybe longer. Investigators are attempting to calculate which parts of the search area should be examined first. The analysis adds weight to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau crash investigation report in June in which most of the modeling of the plane's potential flight paths factored in a relatively early switch to a southerly course. The current search area covers a swath of ocean 435 miles long and 50 miles wide. An initial search of 330 square miles of seabed to the north ended with officials concluding that they were focusing their efforts in the wrong place. Truss and Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai signed an agreement Thursday in Canberra on sharing the ongoing costs between the two countries as the search progresses to the expensive next phase, which could take up to a year and cost 52 million Australian dollars ($48 million). Until now, each country involved in the search has been bearing its own costs. In three weeks, Dutch contractor Fugro Survey Pty. Ltd. will begin the operation with three vessels towing underwater vehicles equipped with side-scan sonar, multi-beam echo sounders and video equipment, Truss said. Liow said investigators had advised that success in the undersea search for wreckage and the aircraft's black boxes with cockpit voice recordings and flight data is crucial to solving the mystery of the disaster. "The investigation cannot continue without the search result," Liow said. "We need to find the plane, we need to find the black box in the plane so that we can have a conclusion in the investigation," he added. Malaysia, as the country where the Boeing 777 was flagged, has overall responsibility for the crash investigation. But Australia has search and rescue responsibility. Chinese Vice Minister of Transport He Jianzhong, who also attended the Canberra meeting, said the ministers agreed that the search will not be interrupted or given up. Most of the passengers - 153 - were Chinese. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-phone-call-data-may-alter- jet-search-area/ Back to Top India safety head of Air Asia Sumant Mishra resigns; carrier refuses to confirm reports Air Asia India, the Malaysian airline that began its operations just six months back, is rumoured to have see the first high level exit. The PTI reported that the India safety head Sumant Mishra resigned from the airlines. PTI quoted a source saying Mishra was now serving the mandatory six month notice period with the company and will remain with the carrier till January, 2015. The source also told PTI, "The airline with just three months into operations, is in transition phase where a number of people are joining it and some may leave it as well. It has already found a replacement for Mishra and he will be joining as the head of safety very shortly." However, AirAsia India CEO Mittu Chandilya said in a statement, "Capt. Sumant Mishra is a dear friend and as such we don't discuss on our current employees. As we scale up our operations we would be building our scalability and strengthening our operations and changes are a critical part of the process . I am very excited about what we have planned for our operations and believe we would be continuing to develop the best class processes and systems. Sumant is one of the best persons we have and we are fortunate to have him with us and in a role that would continue to allow him to grow". DNA got in touch with Air Asia, but the company did not confirm or deny the reports of the resignation. They merely said, that Sumant Sharma continues to serve the company as of now. http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-india-safety-head-of-air-asia-sumant-mishra- resigns-carrier-refuses-to-confirm-reports-2015290 Back to Top Yellowstone enforcing ban on unmanned aircraft operation (Yellowstone National Park) - This past June, due to concerns about public safety, wildlife disturbance and potential impacts to the visitor experience and park resources, the National Park Service enacted an interim policy banning the operation of unmanned aircraft. While taking a largely educational stance during the early phases of publicizing the ban, Yellowstone rangers have developed several criminal cases involving egregious violations of this ban. World-wide attention was drawn to an incident where an unmanned aircraft crashed into Grand Prismatic Spring the afternoon of August 2. Theodorus Van Vliet of the Netherlands crashed his unmanned aircraft into the iconic hot spring. Van Vliet, who is cooperating with the ongoing investigation, has been charged with several violations of federal law and if found guilty faces up to $5,000 in fines and/or six months in jail and/or five years on probation. Park staff members are still trying to determine if the material from which the unmanned aircraft is constructed poses a threat to the hot spring. Attempts to locate the device both from the ground and from a manned helicopter overflight have turned up possible areas in the pool where the unit may have come to rest. If its location can be confirmed, park staff members will determine if there is a way to safely remove the device without damaging the thermal feature. Last week, rangers responded to another incident regarding the illegal operation of an unmanned aircraft in the park. Donald Criswell of Molalla, Oregon, was charged with violating the ban after he flew his unmanned aircraft over the crowded Midway Geyser Basin and close to bison on August 19. Earlier this week, charges were filed against a German national for a July 17th incident in which an unmanned aircraft crashed into Yellowstone Lake near the West Thumb Marina. Andreas Meissner faces several charges including violating the ban on operating unmanned aircraft, giving a false report to a government employee and commercial filming without a permit. In all criminal cases, the accused is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty, and the government always has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The prohibition on operation of unmanned aircraft in Yellowstone National Park was included in the 2014 update to the Superintendent's Compendium, which can be found online at http://go.usa.gov/mzRV. It is also highlighted on the front page and inside the fall edition of the Official Park Newspaper which is distributed to visitors at park entrance stations and is also posted to the web at http://go.usa.gov/mzRH. This ban is being enforced at Yellowstone. Violators will be contacted, investigated and may be subject to confiscation of their unmanned aircraft, a mandatory court appearance and fines. -Provided by Yellowstone National Park http://county10.com/2014/08/30/yellowstone-enforcing-ban-unmanned-aircraft- operation/ Back to Top Alaska Airlines flight makes unscheduled landing at KCI because of unruly passenger KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Alaska Airlines flight made an unscheduled stop at KCI on Sunday afternoon because of an unruly passenger. Flight 746, en route from Seattle to Atlanta, landed in Kansas City at about 2 p.m. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Holly Knagge said the diversion was made because a man was making other passengers very uncomfortable. Knagge said the man was escorted off the aircraft by law enforcement and medical personnel. The flight has since left KCI for Atlanta. The FBI is investigating the incident. FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton said the man was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for evaluation. No charges have been filed against him and he is not in custody. http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/alaska-airlines-flight-makes-unscheduled- landing-at-kci-because-of-unruly-passenger Back to Top PIA secures safety certificates KARACHI: Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given away certificates of safety and navigation standards to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), said a media release on Saturday. PIA became the only airline in South Asia to clinch the certificates - Air Navigation Orders (ANO) 145 and 147, said the release. The CAA teams performed extensive audits of PIA engineering and maintenance facilities and PIA Training Centre before the issuance of the orders. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation initiated the ANO programme as South Asian Regional Initiative in 2008 to harmonise the aviation regulations in all the member states and align them with the European aviation safety agency standards. These certificates are a step towards the acquisition of international approvals, such as European Aviation Safety Agency 145 and 147. Director General CAA Air Marshall (Retd) Muhammad Yousuf gave away ANO certificates to Managing Director PIA Shahnawaz Rehman, according to the release. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem was present on the occasion. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-270040-PIA-secures-safety-certificates Back to Top Japan allows electronics on flights Japan is moving to let airline passengers use smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices during flight, but only if they are switched to flight mode during take-off and landing, according to the country's transport ministry. Japan is moving to allow the use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets in-flight, following similar moves by Australia, the United States, and the European Union. From today, passengers are allowed to use a wide range of mobile electronic devices if they are switched to 'flight mode' during take-off and landing on newer planes, the transport ministry has said. This mode disables cellular service, so passengers will still not be able to make calls or send texts. Under previous rules, mobile phones, computers, and other digital audio-visual devices that emit radio waves were supposed to be switched off during take-off and landing. They were allowed to be used during the flight. "The new rules do not apply to some aeroplanes with an old design," a ministry official said. The changes came after similar decisions by the US and EU last year, and after Australia last week relaxed similar rules for passengers on Qantas and Virgin. Last Tuesday, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) put in new procedures for airlines to allow passengers to keep their devices switched on. Under the old rules, passengers were required to turn off mobiles during take-off and landing, but after investigation, and following the US and Europe, CASA has ruled that the devices can be left on, albeit in flight mode. "CASA has put in place procedures to allow the airlines to let passengers leave their devices turned on from gate to gate," a CASA spokesperson told ZDNet last week. "CASA and international aviation safety regulatory authorities have determined that wider use of Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) can be allowed without adverse safety impacts. CASA assessed this will not compromise Australia's high safety standards," the Authority said in a statement. "The devices will need to remain in 'flight mode' throughout the flight." http://www.zdnet.com/japan-allows-electronics-on-flights-7000033165/ Back to Top Back to Top Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus Offers Aviation-Focused Professional Programs for 2014 SOURCE: EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY AUG 27, 2014 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - As part of Embry-Riddle's commitment to continuing professional education and lifelong learning, the university is hosting a variety of aviation-focused short courses and workshops at the Daytona Beach Campus taught by aviation industry subject-matter experts. These Professional Programs courses are designed for industry professionals involved in the operation, management and supervision of aviation organizations. The staff at Professional Programs can also create specialized programs to offer on-site, customized education and training in a variety of aviation, safety and security subjects. "Embry-Riddle's professional programs are offered through all three campuses and provide an opportunity for aviation professionals to continue their education past the 'traditional' university level," said Sarah Ochs, Director of the College of Aviation's Professional Programs in Daytona Beach. "A great example of a customized curriculum from this past year is the aviation operations and safety workshop organized for South African aviation and regulatory agencies that was held at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus." For a complete list of professional and corporate education programs at our Daytona Beach, Prescott and Worldwide Campuses, go to: http://proed.erau.edu/index.html. Fall 2014 Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety Short-Courses* at Daytona Beach Campus Oct. 20-24, 2014: OSHA/Aviation Ground Safety This course gives the participant working knowledge of OSHA's General Industry Safety and Health standards. In addition, participants will gain a fundamental working knowledge of an aviation ground safety program. Participants will also receive the OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Safety & Health Card. Oct. 27-31, 2014: Aviation Safety Program Management Participants will gain working knowledge of the development and management of an effective safety program. Topics include economics of safety; risk management; safety climate; regulatory safety and health programs; safety analysis techniques; and safety management systems. Nov. 3-7, 2014: Aircraft Accident Investigation and Management This course will teach the fundamentals required to conduct or manage an aircraft mishap/accident investigation. The participant will review the investigation sequence from the preplanning stage through the general survey and specific analysis of a mishap/accident, culminating with the determination of contributing factors and probable cause/s. *The above series of courses can be completed independently or as part of the Embry- Riddle Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety; discounts are available for multiple course selection. Fall 2014 Workshops at Daytona Beach Campus Oct. 2-3, 2014: Airline Network Planning This short course is intended for air transport industry managers and aviation professionals entering a management role and focuses on airline schedule planning framework, profitability forecasting models, fleet assignment and revenue management. Nov. 17-18, 2014: Introduction to Aviation Safety Management Systems Participants will gain a solid foundation in basic Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts that will support further implementation of SMS within their organizations. Topics include safety culture; human factors; reactive, proactive and predictive safety management tools; external audits; safety assurance; and SMS implementation overview. Nov. 19-21, 2014: SMS: Applications & Implementation This course will give participants an expanded background in intermediate and advanced Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts, and will support both implementation and continuous improvement of an active SMS within their organization. Attendees will be able to implement the theory, principles and applications of SMS as well as the current FAA guidance for operators and organizations. Dec. 9-11, 2014: Unmanned Aircraft Systems The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) course identifies the key concepts, attributes and challenges of UAS operations. Topics include core concepts; UAS regulation; sensors, payloads and geospatial data; human factors in UAS; and national airspace integration. For detailed course descriptions and dates, and to register online, go to: www.proed.erau.edu. For more information, please contact Sarah Ochs, Director of Professional Programs at (386) 226-6928 or case@erau.edu. About Professional and Corporate Education at Embry-Riddle Facilitated by industry leaders from around the globe, the curriculum at Embry-Riddle covers the operation, engineering, research, manufacturing, marketing and management of modern aircraft and the systems that support them. Individuals and organizations benefit from professional development courses offered on two residential campuses and at classrooms around the world. Learn more about upcoming seminars and workshops at www.proed.erau.edu. Daytona Beach, Fla., Campus Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus offers participants world-class technical and research lab facilities led by a team of leading industry experts and top academics. Prescott, Ariz., Campus The Prescott Campus is home to the Robertson Safety Institute (RSI), a nationally recognized center for research, development and corporate outreach in safety education. The Institute includes the Robertson Crash Lab, aviation safety and security archives and access to advanced engineering, scientific and forensic resources. Worldwide Campus With more than 150 campuses across the globe and the option to take online courses, Embry-Riddle Worldwide's Professional and Corporate Education Program offers over 25 targeted courses in aviation, aerospace UAS and business management that can deliver professional development solutions via classroom, online, a live webcast or a blended training approach. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 70 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering, and Security and Intelligence. Embry- Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and https://www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at https://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. www.erau.edu Back to Top NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AIR RACES EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO Small UAS CHALLENGE OVERVIEW: The objective of the sUAS ERAU Challenge held in conjunction with the National Championship Air Races is to educate the public on UAS opportunities and operations, highlight the rapidly expanding business opportunities of UAS, highlight Nevada's and ERAU's leadership in the field, and showcase the innovative developments in multiple areas of UAS design (e.g., system, subsystem, and element development and configuration, verification and validation testing, application, and integrated system demonstration). Participants of this inaugural event will benefit by displaying their sUAS and its capabilities to a broad range of aviation enthusiast, businesses, governmental and media organizations. Two major issues surrounding the use of sUAS in national airspace system (NAS) are safety and liability;concerns that are also paramount to the Reno Air Races. To mitigate these concerns (i.e., Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations governing the use of UAS are in the development phase), an indoor facility (hangar) and/or an outdoor facility with safety nets and other safety precautions will be used. Since no flying will occur outside a controlled area, the FAA rules would not apply and competitors can participate in the challenge knowing their safety and legal concerns are mitigated. However, participants are required to sign an acknowledgement of liability and that they are entering the challenge at their own risk. The race course will be challenging and damage to participant's sUAS is possible. PARTICIPANTS: The Challenge is open to any private, academic or commercial participant, limited to one vehicle per entity and a maximum field of 20 entries or as determined by the event staff. The sUAS must be able to take off and land vertically (VTOL), be less than approximately 36 inches in major axis, less than 18 inches in elevation, and weigh less than 10 pounds. The sUAS will be required to use an electric propulsion, actuation, and powersystem, controlled by remote transmission using the FCC unlicensed bands (operators for all entries will be required to hold at least a Technician Class Amateur Radio license, show documentation or demonstrate that transmission power levels of their design conform to unlicensed requirement levels). To ensure control reliability, a spectrum analyzer will be employed to ensure deconfliction. CHALLENGE: The Challenge will be composed of three separate events combining for an overall and individual event champion. The events will be (subject to change): - Obstacle Course (emphasizing agility and maneuverability, time measured) - Dead Lift (lifting ability, weight measured both maximum and specific weight) - Time Trial (speed over a closed course, time measured) Initial inspection of each sUAS will occur prior to the competition start from 9:00am to 10:00am each morning to ensure compliance with size and modification rules. A full list of rules will be available upon request. The Challenge will take place over three days with check in at 9:00am and the competition from 10:00am to 1:00pm daily. The course will be open for practice on Thursday of race week. Thursday, Sep 11: Registration and practice Friday, Sep 12: Qualifications Saturday, Sep 13: Eliminations Sunday, Sep 14: Finals There will be no charge for entry in the ERAU sUAS Challenge and each entry will receive complementary general admission tickets to the National Championship Air Races for Thursday through Sunday. Back to Top INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS ISASI 2014 45TH ANNUAL SEMINAR "Investigations and Safety Management Systems" This year's seminar will take place at the Stamford Hotel in Glenelg, near Adelaide, Australia, from 13 -16 October, 2014. All current information regarding seminar registration, hotel reservations and speakers can be found on the official seminar website at www.asasi.org. Please note the deadline for Early Bird Registration and the discounted rate at the hotel is midnight September 4. Questions can be directed to: Mr. Lindsay Naylor ISASI 2014 Seminar Chair lindsaynaylor77@gmail.com or Ms.Barbara Dunn International Seminar Chair - ISASI avsafe@shaw.ca Back to Top Upcoming Events: ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition Atlanta, GA September 7 - 10, 2014 http://annual.aci-na.org/ Small UAS CHALLENGE September 11-14, 2014 Reno, NV 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 FAA Helicopter Safety Effort three-day safety forum April 21-23, 2015 Hurst, Texas eugene.trainor@faa.gov www.faahelisafety.org Back to Top Employment: ARGUS PROS CHEQ Manager Please submit your cover letter and resume at: https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=13469062 Curt Lewis