Flight Safety Information November 14, 2014 - No. 232 In This Issue Asiana Gets 45-Day Ban on SF Flights Over Crash Major Improvements Needed in Air Safety Emergency Procedures, Report Says Orbitz predicts LAX will be busiest airport in U.S. over Thanksgiving Passenger racks up $1200 bill for in-flight Wi-Fi. PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA AIRCON3 - Pre-Conference Workshop UAE GCAA FLIGHT OPERATIONS INSPECTORS COURSE. Upcoming Events Asiana Gets 45-Day Ban on SF Flights Over Crash South Korean officials said Friday they will ban Asiana Airlines from flying to San Francisco for 45 days as punishment for a deadly crash in July last year. An official from Asiana Airlines said the company will appeal the decision by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's disciplinary committee, and will consider legal measures if the committee rejects the appeal. She did not want to be named citing company rules. A ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing office rules, said if the company does appeal, the ministry will make a final decision within one month. The official said the committee considered the number of deaths and injuries and the amount of property damage in deciding on the length of the flight ban. If the appeal is rejected the ministry will ask the company to choose a period in the next six months to serve the suspension, he said. Asiana said it sells about 170,000 tickets a year for its flights between Incheon and San Francisco, with 70 percent of the customers being non-South Koreans. After an investigation that took nearly a year, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board concluded in June that the pilots on Asiana Flight 214 caused the crash by making errors during a landing in San Francisco. Of the 307 people on board, three people were killed and nearly 200 were injured. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/asiana-45-day-ban-sf-flights-crash-26905189 Back to Top Major Improvements Needed in Air Safety Emergency Procedures, Report Says Report Urges Near Two Dozen Recommendations to Improve Aviator Performance By ANDY PASZTOR Abu Dhabi-Major improvements in pilot training, flying procedures and management oversight are needed to ensure airline pilots properly monitor automated flight-controls and react appropriately in emergencies, according to a report released on Thursday by a global air- safety advocacy group. The wide-ranging study-drafted over two years by representatives of industry, labor, academia and the U.S. government-sets a new benchmark emphasizing the importance of monitoring activities performed by pilots. It also includes nearly two dozen immediate and longer-term recommendations to improve aviator performance, ranging from changing jetliner design to reducing cockpit distractions, to enhancing collaboration between captains and co-pilots. On airliners, historically one pilot has operated flight controls and issued commands while the other monitors systems, checks instruments, helps troubleshoot problems and performs other tasks that don't require actually flying the aircraft. In the U.S. and many other countries, captains and co-pilots typically switch between those roles. But over the decades, as automation has grown increasingly more complex and essential for routine flight, safety and human-factors experts have advocated more of a team approach with the nonflying, or monitoring pilot, assuming a substantially more active role. "It must become accepted that monitoring is a core skill," just as important as manipulating controls or exercising proper decision-making, according to Helena Reidemar, the study group's co-chair and director of human factors for the Air Line Pilots Association. "Pilot monitoring is more than observing," she told the conference. "It is an active role." Released here by the independent Flight Safety Foundation during its annual global safety conference, the study seeks to extend that trend further than ever and sketch out a trajectory for substantial change. Many problems stemming from poor cockpit communication and teamwork "we've been ignoring and pushing aside for a long time," said Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline pilot and Ohio State University faculty member. How well average pilots monitor highly automated flight-control systems-and why accidents frequently stem from inadequate attention to that task-are at the center of discussions about maintaining and even improving record low accident rates world-wide. Monitoring lapses have led to some of the highest-profile commercial aviation accidents in recent years around the globe, including the July 2013 crash of an Asiana Airlines widebody jet short of a San Francisco runway. Investigators determined the crew failed to properly monitor the plane's speed. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board previously identified 84 major accidents over 12 years in which pilots failed to adequately monitor systems or forcefully alert each other about a serious hazard. The two-person cockpits of commercial planes are designed to be operated by "a main (pilot) and a hot spare," joked Michael Snow, a Boeing Co. human performance expert. But if a co- pilot doesn't speak up, identify hazards or otherwise proactively participate in establishing or checking the flight path, he told the conference, passengers on that aircraft effectively are left vulnerable to mistakes as if there was only a single pilot up front. The report, among other things, determined that pilots often have "inadequate mental models" of how automated flight-control systems function while some aviators work "in a corporate climate that doesn't support emphasis on monitoring." Called "A Practical Guide For Improving Flight Path Monitoring," the report is the strongest bid yet to fundamentally shake up long-standing roles and practices of pilots, instructors and airline executives. The group that wrote it has no authority to mandate acceptance of its recommendations, but the broad array of participants makes it likely that airlines and regulators world-wide will adopt at least some suggestions. "Pilots often are unaware when monitoring has lapsed," Mr. Reidemar told the conference. "We know we have an industrywide monitoring problem." Earlier reports have concentrated on potential pitfalls of undue pilot reliance on automation, urging increased manual flying both in simulators and with passengers onboard. The latest report tackles some of the same thorny issues from a different perspective, by focusing on the importance of both pilots mentally tracking the position and speed of their aircraft and anticipating dangerous deviations from its anticipated path. http://online.wsj.com/articles/major-improvements-needed-in-air-safety-emergency- procedures-report-says-1415890603 Back to Top Orbitz predicts LAX will be busiest airport in U.S. over Thanksgiving Los Angeles International Airport An airline trade organization predicts 24.6 million people will fly over the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. Orbitz makes this forecast for people who will be flying over Thanksgiving: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be the busiest in the nation and John Wayne Airport (SNA) among the least-crowded. It's the second year that LAX was predicted to be the top airport based on passenger volume. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and JFK (JFK) in New York City came in next, followed by San Francisco International (SFO) and Boston Logan International (BOS). "We're seeing the same high-traffic holiday destinations this year as we did last with only two newcomers to the busiest airports list," said Jeanenne Tornatore, Orbitz's senior travel editor. "Thankfully, there are a number of new additions to the Least Busy Airports lists, with several offering alternative options to large metro areas." Airports in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Syracuse, N.Y., are forecast to be the least busy, followed by John Wayne in the No. 3 spot, and then the airports in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Oakland. Airlines for America, a trade organization for U.S. carriers, predicts 24.6 million fliers will take to the skies from Nov. 21 through Dec. 2. It says busiest days will be the Sunday (Nov. 30) and Monday (Dec. 1) after Thanksgiving and the day before (Nov. 26). So what should you do if you're flying in or out of the busy airports? Plan ahead and allow plenty of time for your trip to or from the airport. Here are some more tips: -- Check in for your flight online before you get to the airport, and sign up for electronic alerts that will keep you apprised of the status of your flight. -- Make sure your carry-on bag meets your airlines' guidelines and doesn't contain anything that could slow you down through airport security. (Travel light if you want to save on airline fees for checked baggage.) -- Arrive at the airport two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights if you're traveling during peak hours. At LAX, those hours are 6 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. -- Enroll in the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck Program to get through airport security more quickly. PreCheck travelers keep their shoes and coats on and aren't required to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bag. It costs $85 to enroll. http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-thanksgiving-traffic-orbitz-20141111-story.html Back to Top Passenger racks up $1200 bill for in-flight Wi-Fi The bill that sent this passenger into shock. Source: Twitter A PASSENGER on Singapore Airlines was left gob smacked after receiving a $US1171.46 (AUD$1344) bill for using the plane's in-flight Wi-Fi. Reported on Trend Hunter, Jeremy Gutsche was on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore when he decided to use the plane's Wi-Fi to check his emails. Claiming to make just 155 page views, Jeremy was outraged to receive the whopping bill when he stepped off the plane. "I wish I could blame an addiction to Netflix or some intellectual documentary that made me $1200 smarter. However, the Singapore Airlines internet was painfully slow, so videos would be impossible and that means I didn't get any smarter ... except about how to charge a lot of money for stuff. I did learn that," he wrote. "At one point, I spent about an hour uploading one 4mb power point doc. That doc probably cost me $100 to upload, so I hope my team liked it. I actually even emailed them a warning that my upload was taking a while. That email probably cost me $10. And yes, the pricing per mb was disclosed on sign-up, but I bought the $30 package, slept through most the flight, and really didn't think I'd end up a thousand bucks past the limit." You might think twice about using wi-fi on your next flight after seeing this. http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/passenger-racks-up-1200-bill-for-inflight- wifi/story-e6frfq80-1227122774487 Back to Top Back to Top Pre-Conference Workshop: Thursday, January 15th: Investigations in support of Safety Management Systems (SMS): The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines SMS as "A systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures." Most Civil Aviation Authorities support the implementation of SMS in aviation training organizations and service providers. Many also include the provisions for a Safety Manager within those safety programs. This workshop will investigate the attributes of a supportive Safety Culture along with the competencies and skill-sets required of the Safety Manager to appropriately collect, analyze and take actions on safety information. The outcomes of this workshop will be assembled and distributed to participants in order for their consideration for inclusion into existing and future aviation programs and curricula. Workshop Leaders: Stewart Schreckengast, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Aviation Department, University of South Australia & Douglas Drury, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Aviation Department, University of South Australia are hosting. Free conference add on- but space is limited. Sponsored by the Robertson Safety Institute Registration Back to Top UAE GCAA FLIGHT OPERATIONS INSPECTORS COURSE To start on Sunday the 16th of November The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates added another milestone to its list of achievements in 2014 when they announced to offer their very own Flight Operations Inspector course to the Civil Aviation Authorities of the region. This course is designed to equip Flight Operations Inspecting staff and delegates from other aviation regulatory and Operational organizations with the necessary knowledge and background in order to perform routine surveillance activities in accordance with the ICAO DOC # 8335. Under the guidance of Captain Mohammed Al Saadi, Director Flight Operations of the GCAA, a holistic course was designed in-house to provide knowledge and guidance required to understand the process for being compliant with the GCAA requirements in respect to the Air Transport (AT) Operations through lectures, practical exercises, workshops etc. Mr. Ismaeil Mohammed Al Blooshi, Assistant Director General of Aviation Safety Affairs confirmed that this year the GCAA has offered the course to Civil Aviation Authorities in the region and looks forward to their participation which will encourage sharing of experiences, challenges and bringing forth further opportunities of collaboration and maintain similar safety standard throughout the region. He commended the leadership of Captain Al Saadi and the hard work of each and every SME who contributed towards the development of the course, whilst extending his appreciation to Dr. Captain Andreas Mateou for coordinating the entire programme. He said and I quote "given the success of the previous courses and based on the outcome of this course, the GCAA may extend its invitation to other international CAAs in the near future". www.gcaa.gov.ae Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 2014 Global FOD Prevention Conference Birds, Bolts, Budgets - Tracking the Dangers of Foreign Objects and What We Can Do About It Reagan National Airport 2 December 2014 www.stopfod.com ERAU UAS FUNDAMENTALS COURSE December 9 - 11, 2014 ERAU Daytona Beach Campus, FL www.daytonabeach.erau.edu/uas Event: "The Future of Regulation of SMS and QA" Symposium. Keynote: Mr. Martin Eley, Director General Transport Canada. Location: Coronado Resort Hotel @ Disney World, Orlando Florida. Date: Jan 4-6, 2015 info: http://www.dtiatlanta.com/symposium.html A3IR CON 2015 January 16-17, 2015 Phoenix, AZ http://commons.erau.edu/aircon/2015/ Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) NTSB Training Center, Ashburn, VA March 10-11, 2015 www.acsf.aero/symposium FAA Helicopter Safety Effort three-day safety forum April 21-23, 2015 Hurst, Texas eugene.trainor@faa.gov www.faahelisafety.org IS-BAO Workshop Information and Registration 12 - 13 Nov. 2014 Omaha, Nebraska USA 18 - 19 Nov. 2014 Houston, TX USA 2 - 3 Dec. 2014 Orlando, FL USA 6 - 7 Dec. 2014 Dubai, UAE 13 - 14 Jan. 2015 Baltimore, MD USA https://www.regonline.com/CalendarNET/EventCalendar.aspx?EventID=1592658&view=Month Curt Lewis