Flight Safety Information September 23, 2014 - No. 195 In This Issue Plane evacuated due to smoke smell at Metro Airport FAA: Airplane Makes Emergency Landing in Omaha 2 American Airlines Planes Turn Back to Dallas After Technical Issues After deadly gyrocopter crash at Reserve airport, FAA searches for clues Swiss International Air Lines terminates deal with Aeropers pilots PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA "Sun Flyer" Solar-Electric Training Airplane Enters Next Development Phase ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop Graduate Survey Research Request AIRPORT WILDLIFE HAZARD MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP ISASI 2014 - Annual Seminar, October 13-16, 2014 - Early Bird Registration Deadline Upcoming Events Employment Plane evacuated due to smoke smell at Metro Airport ROMULUS, Mich. (WJBK) - Delta Flight 4103, bound for Cincinnati, Ohio, did not take off as planned Monday. Passengers and crew members reported smelling smoke from the rear of the plane. No smoke or flames were seen and there were no injuries. The crew popped the stairs and all 54 people evacuated the plane, a Canidar regional commuter jet. Michael Conway, Metro Airport's director of public affairs, praised the airplane personal for their quick response. "Safety is our top priority, safety is Delta's top priority," Conway said. "They had an unusual situation they did the thing that was safest for the passengers, which is to get them all off the aircraft." "All the passengers were loaded into shuttle buses by the airport authority," Conway said. "Delta came out and got all their luggage, reunited the passengers with their luggage at Concourse C, at the McNamara Terminal." The fire department showed up quickly and assessed the situation. "They did detect a heat source in the back of the plane and they could smell the same smoke, the crew and that the passengers were smelling." But no one saw smoke or flames. "Everything turns out to be ok," Conway said. "We have no reported injuries, so the end of the story is good." http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/26598336/plane-evacuated-due-to-smoke-smell Back to Top FAA: Airplane Makes Emergency Landing in Omaha A commercial airplane traveling from Boston to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Nebraska on Monday, officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Virgin America flight made the unscheduled landing Monday morning at Omaha's Eppley Airfield following a medical emergency on board. The agency didn't provide additional details, but passengers say a man had tried to open an emergency exit door. The U.S. Attorney's Office told KETV in Omaha that a passenger was taken to the hospital for observation. Sam Slater, an LA film producer who videotaped police officers boarding the plane in Omaha and taking a man away in handcuffs, said the passenger was wearing a hospital bracelet and sat behind him on the plane. "He asked if he could use the restroom. He'd been mumbling about not wanting to be violent," Slater told KCAL-TV. Slater's business partner, Paul Bernon, said the man returned from the bathroom and began arguing with a woman sitting next to him and tried to tell an attendant that he wanted her to move. A doctor examined the passenger, who was taken to a back row of seats that had been cleared for him. "He at that point was fidgeting and began to remove the plastic covering from the emergency exit door and tried to pull to open the door," Slater said. "Fortunately there were a couple of Boston police officers on the flight that were there at that point to help as well." http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/faa-airplane-makes-emergency-landing-omaha-25686435 Back to Top 2 American Airlines Planes Turn Back to Dallas After Technical Issues, Land Within 2 Minutes of Each Other Two American Airlines flights flew back to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport early Monday because of unrelated technical issues. The passenger jets landed within two minutes of each other. Flight 1359 made an emergency landing at 12:21 a.m. CT after the pilot was alerted to a mechanical issue, airline spokeswoman Laura Masvidal said. The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 plane had left for Fresno, California, with 140 passengers and five crew members an hour earlier. Masvidal did not say what the mechanical issue was. The second flight, AAL 997, was over the Gulf of Mexico on its way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, when a problem with pressurization turned up. The Boeing 777-200, carrying 223 passengers and 14 crew members, turned back to have the issue checked out but did not have to make an emergency landing, Masvidal said. It arrived at 12:23 a.m. Both planes landed safely, and the flights were rescheduled for later times. http://ktla.com/2014/09/22/2-american-airlines-planes-turn-back-to-dallas-after-technical-issues-land- within-2-minutes-of-each-other/ Back to Top After deadly gyrocopter crash at Reserve airport, FAA searches for clues It took a crane and more than four hours Monday to recover the wreckage of an unusual aircraft that crashed in a Reserve drainage canal, killing a 47-year-old pilot and his 13-year-old passenger. And it could be weeks before authorities determine what caused the two-seat gyrocopter to plunge into the water after taking off. The pilot was identified as Darren Mahler of Metairie, his passenger as a family friend and neighbor, Payton Wilt. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. "The aircraft was pretty much submerged," said Vincent Caire, director of St. John the Baptist Parish Airport. "It was pretty much in the center of the drainage canal." Representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration and St. John Parish used a crane to hoist the aircraft from the water to land, where investigators will examine it for clues. "Right now they are looking at the wreckage and will determine where they want to go," Caire said. "They are going to do an extensive look at the wreckage to see if they can determine a cause. That may take some time." Caire said he was not certain whether the aircraft would remain at the St. John airport or be moved elsewhere while the investigation continues. Gyrocopters are slim, light helicopters equipped with a both propeller and a rotary blade. They are classified as experimental because they often are built by amateurs from kits, and the FAA does not certify either the kit or the builder. "They are not uncommon. It's a popular aircraft for experimental owners," he said. The one that crashed in Reserve was built by an amateur and first registered with the FAA as flight worthy in 2003 under the name of Chris Brupbacher. It was registered under Mahler's name in June. Caire said it was housed at the Reserve airport in a tenant's hangar. Joey Murray, a Port of South Louisiana commissioner and chairman of that agency's Aviation Committee, witnessed the Sunday evening takeoff and the crash. He said it appeared the gyrocopter had mechanical problems, and he doubted pilot error was to blame. He said the aircraft made it about 300 feet down the runway, rose about 30 feet and then flew for about 1,000 feet. It climbed 300 feet as it crossed the end of the runway and turned west. But as it changed direction, its top blades "folded upward" and it quickly fell into the canal, Murray said. Sheriff's deputies and port officials helped secure the site. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were promptly notified, according to a port news release. "We at the port are doing everything in our power to assist in the investigation and quickly determine what happened yesterday afternoon," said the port's executive director, Paul Aucoin. "We would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of the victims." Because the crash resulted in a fatality, an FAA spokesperson said the safety board will be in charge of the investigation and all updates on its progress. The safety board did not send investigators to the site but will use the FAA's report in its inquiry, said Arnold Scott, a spokesman at the safety board's Denver office. The crash bewildered regulars around the Reserve airport. "He's been flying around for several months," said Gene Borne, who owns and operates an aviation supply shop down the street from the airport and said he'd seen the pilot but didn't know him. "That's just completely out of the ordinary. ... Normally a plane runs out of fuel and has to land. Or it's the weather. "It was a beautiful day. For that to happen, it's a very unusual thing." http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/09/deadly_crash_reserve_airport_gyrocopter.html Back to Top Swiss International Air Lines terminates deal with Aeropers pilots Swiss International Air Lines will terminate its collective labor agreement (CLA) with the Aeropers pilot union at the end of November 2016 following the failure of the latest round of talks. The Lufthansa subsidiary cited "irreconcilable differences" and Aeropers' repeated announcements it would take legal action against the airline as reasons for the termination. The agreement (CLA 2011), which was signed in October 2013, is due to expire at the end of November 2016. Until then, all provisions will remain fully in force, including the reciprocal commitment to maintaining full industrial peace. "We will continue to talk with Aeropers and we are open for discussions, provided these are based on constructive and forward-looking proposals," a Swiss spokesperson in Zurich told ATW. In June, Aeropers rejected a proposed new trilateral CLA with Swiss and the IPG pilots' association. As a result, Swiss and IPG concluded a separate new CLA covering future aircraft deliveries of the Bombardier CS100, Airbus A320neo and Boeing 777. At the same time, discussions resumed with Aeropers to find a means of integrating the pilots represented by the association into the new CLA. Unfortunately, the airline said the differences between the negotiating parties on key issues "proved insurmountable." Swiss said it must be able to operate its future fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs, Bombardier CS100s and Airbus A320neos within forward-looking parameters to secure jobs for the longer term. "European carriers are in danger of missing out on future growth possibilities if they don't change from their old, established structures," Swiss CEO Harry Hohmeister told ATW in June. "Times have changed and we have to be more competitive and better positioned in the markets," he said, adding that airlines need people who are focused on the future. Given the upcoming deliveries of its new Bombardier CS100s and Boeing 777s, Swiss said it will continue to pursue the adoption of its new CLA with IPG, which remains open to accommodate the company's Aeropers pilots. http://atwonline.com/labor/swiss-international-air-lines-terminates-deal-aeropers-pilots Back to Top Back to Top "Sun Flyer" Solar-Electric Training Airplane Enters Next Development Phase DENVER, Colorado - Sept. 22, 2014 - Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. (AEAC) has entered the next phase of development for its high tech solar-electric training aircraft called "Sun Flyer." AEAC, in conjunction with its development partner, Bye Aerospace, is performing initial R&D flight test operations with the solar-electric technology demonstrator at Centennial Airport near Denver. The single- seat technology demonstrator, which is the basis for the Sun Flyer, made its debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in late July. Flight tests will continue for the next 6 to 9 months while the 2-seat prototype Sun Flyer is being assembled. George Bye, CEO of AEAC, said initial test results are confirming the overall benefits of solar-electric propulsion, especially the very low operating costs. Additional benefits include reduced maintenance due to fewer moving parts, low-noise flight and solar recharging on the ground and in flight. "The support and interest we are receiving from the general aviation community is tremendous," Bye said. "The consistent feedback we receive is this new electric approach is more practical from both an economics and operations perspective. The solar-electric Sun Flyer is a critically important product - a true breakthrough training aircraft when general aviation needs it most." AEAC is primarily targeting flight schools for Sun Flyer, the first U.S.-sponsored, practical, all-electric airplane serving the training, recreational and general aviation markets. The company is also collaborating with Redbird Flight Simulations and Spartan Aeronautical College to offer a comprehensive pilot training system. ABOUT AERO ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT CORP. Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. was created to produce, under license, the 2-seat Sun Flyer aircraft and bring it to market. For more information, go to www.AEAC.aero. ABOUT BYE AEROSPACE, INC. Bye Aerospace, founded in 2007 and headquartered near Denver, is applying clean energy solutions to innovative aircraft designs for the general aviation and defense markets. For more information, go to www.ByeAerospace.com. "AEAC solar-electric technology demonstrator. Photo courtesy of Deborah Smith, Centennial Airport." Back to Top ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop Buenos Aires, Argentina. International Civil Aviation English Association Workshop, hosted by Argentina ANAC and CIPE. "Skills and competencies needed in aviation communications: The Latin American Challenge." Open to anyone interested in aviation English. Nov. 20-21, 2014. www.icaea.aero Back to Top Graduate Survey Research Request Dear fellow pilots/Dear Colleagues: Apart from still very actively flying airplanes like all of us, in my case the Airbus, I'm also about to write a thesis with the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich, Switzerland, on the topic of culture and Crew Resource Management. Part of my research consists of a questionnaire for pilots, which takes about 10 minutes to fill in and is completely anonymous. Not even the IP-address is logged or traced, absolutely nothing. It would be great if you could take a few minutes to answer the survey which can be accessed using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UNI-HWZ Every additional reply is of great help. So, please feel free to answer my questions. For any feedback, comment or expression of doubt, just drop me a line. Many thanks and very kind regards, Thomas Thomas Häderli Captain Hadlaubstrasse 39 8044 Zürich Switzerland Cell +41 79 638 48 38 tom.h@me.com skype: thaederli Back to Top 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: 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 SMS Seminars Daytona Beach, FL Nov. 17-18 & 19-21, 2014 www.erau.edu/sms ICAEA-ANAC-CIPE Aviation English Workshop. Buenos Aires, Argentina. International Civil Aviation English Association Workshop, hosted by Argentina ANAC and CIPE. "Skills and competencies needed in aviation communications: The Latin American Challenge." Open to anyone interested in aviation English. Nov. 20-21, 2014. www.icaea.aero 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: Positions Available: Pilots (India) TATA SIA Airlines Limited pilots@airvistara.com www.airvistara.com Curt Lewis