Flight Safety Information November 17, 2014 - No. 233 In This Issue Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 debris collected, 4 months later Airplane Warning After Alaska Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash Laser defense for pilots Cargo Pilots Say Fatigue Leading To Big Danger Below PRISM TO HELP PREPARE FOR E-IOSA AIRCON3 - Pre-Conference Workshop UAE GCAA FLIGHT OPERATIONS INSPECTORS COURSE. Upcoming Events Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 debris collected, 4 months later Ministry team workers of the emergency situation of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic collect parts of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 at the crash site near the village of Grabove, in eastern Ukraine as they load them on a truck, on November 16, 2014. HRABOVE, Ukraine - Workers in rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine began to collect debris from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on Sunday, four months after the plane was brought down. The operation is being carried out under the supervision of Dutch investigators and officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The recovered fragments are to be loaded onto trains and taken to the government-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The investigation into the cause of the crash is being conducted there and in the Netherlands. Alexander Kostrubitsky, the head of the emergency services in the rebel-held areas of Donetsk region, said at the site that gathering debris could take around 10 days. The debris is being sawn into smaller pieces to facilitate its transportation, Kostrubitsky said. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 report released All 298 people aboard the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed when it was shot down July 17 over a rebel-held area. Charred remains of the aircraft are scattered around fields over an area of 8 square miles. The first batch of plane debris was delivered from an area near the village of Hrabove to a lumber warehouse in the town of Torez shortly after lunchtime Sunday. They were due to be put onto cargo trains later in the day. Efforts to conduct investigations and recovery operations have been delayed amid continued fighting between government troops and separatist fighters. A truce was agreed in September, but hostilities have raged on nonetheless. Ukraine and the West have blamed the downing of the MH17 flight on Russia-backed separatists using a ground-to-air missile. Russian state television has released a satellite photograph it claims shows that a Ukrainian fighter jet shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. But the U.S. government dismissed the report as preposterous and online commentators called the photo a crude fake. The photo released Friday by Russia's Channel One and Rossiya TV stations purportedly shows a Ukrainian fighter plane firing an air-to-air missile in the direction of the MH17. The channels said they got the photo from a Moscow-based organization, which had received it via email from a man who identified himself as an aviation expert. Several bloggers said the photograph was a forgery, citing a cloud pattern to prove the photo dates back to 2012, and several other details that seem incongruous. Some saw the photo as a propaganda effort intended to deflect criticism over the tragedy that Russian President Vladimir Putin faced as he attended the Group of 20 summit in Brisbane, Australia. Putin was the first leader to depart the summit Sunday. He told reporters that he left ahead of a final leaders' lunch because he wanted to rest before returning to work. Amateur footage, filmed by a resident of Hrabove and obtained by the Associated Press, shows people reacting in alarm as wreckage blazes only a few meters away from their homes on the afternoon of July 17. The video is perhaps the first taken immediately after the plane came down and suggests that residents first assumed it was a Ukrainian military plane that had been struck. In the video obtained on Sunday, residents of the village of Hrabove can be heard asking about the whereabouts of the pilot. This is significant because multiple Ukrainian military planes had been shot down by this time, and their pilots and crew regularly taken prisoner by rebel forces. The U.S., Australia and Japan issued a statement condemning Russia for its actions in Ukraine, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reacted to an offer of a handshake from Putin by responding, "I guess I'll shake your hand, but I have only one thing to say to you: You need to get out of Ukraine." Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been particularly strong-worded in his criticism of Russia since the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down. There were 38 Australian citizens and residents on the plane when it was downed. Abbott said he and Putin had engaged in a "very robust" discussion about the situation in Ukraine. "I utterly deplore what seems to be happening in eastern Ukraine," Abbott said. "I demand that Russia fully cooperate with the investigation, the criminal investigation of the downing of MH17, one of the most terrible atrocities of recent times." Dutch authorities said in late October that 289 victims of the crash had been identified. They said work on concluding the identification process was hampered by lack of usable DNA profiles and because not all remains had been collected from the crash site. At the wreckage site, Kostrubitsky said more bone fragments were discovered Sunday after part of the plane was lifted away. Investigators revealed in October that the body of one passenger of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was found wearing an oxygen mask, raising questions about how much those on board knew about their fate when the plane plunged out of the sky above Eastern Ukraine in July. The passenger, an Australian, did not have the mask on his face, but its elastic strap was around his neck, said Wim de Bruin, a spokesman for the Dutch National Prosecutor's Office which is carrying out a criminal investigation into the air disaster. Dutch air crash investigators said last month it was likely struck by multiple "high-energy objects from outside the aircraft," which some aviation experts say is consistent with a strike by a missile. The head of the criminal investigation said the most likely of possible scenarios being investigated is that the Boeing 777 was shot down from the ground. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-17-debris-collected-4-months-later/ Back to Top Airplane Warning After Alaska Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash The National Weather Service on Saturday warned airplanes to avoid airspace near an erupting Alaska volcano as it spewed ash 30,000 feet above sea level. Winds were blowing ash from Pavlof Volcano to the west and southwest. Pavlof began erupting, pushing lava out from a vent near its summit, on Wednesday. On Friday, the ash cloud reached 16,000 feet. The eruption intensified at 6 a.m. Saturday, sending the ash cloud higher, said Dave Schneider, a geophysicist at Alaska Volcano Observatory. It's not clear how long this eruption will last, Schneider said. Pavlof's eruptions may last for weeks or months with varying levels of intensity, he said. Pavlof is Alaska's most active volcano and is located about 625 miles southwest of Anchorage. It's had more than 40 recorded eruptions, including earlier this year and last year. The eruption has had little effect on people on the ground. The closest community, Cold Bay, is 40 miles away. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/airplane-warning-after-alaska-volcano-erupts-spewing-ash- n249421 Back to Top Laser defense for pilots Canadian product shows promise for civilian use Aircraft landing at night are particularly vulnerable to laser attack. AOPA file photo. A laser attack can be terrifying. Incidents causing sudden blindness at low altitude with critical seconds of lost situational awareness have left surviving pilots badly shaken. Photographs and videos cannot capture the impact. The typical weapon of choice is a laser designed for boardroom presentations, astronomy, or a similar legitimate use, and the perpetrators may be as ignorant as many pilots about the effects on a flight crew during a critical phase of flight. (Aircraft are nearly always targeted at low altitude.) The beam from a low- power device can spread over distance from a pinpoint source to cover a windshield. Green lasers that have grown in popularity in part because they are cheap to make are also the most destructive. The number of laser attacks on aircraft has increased sharply in the past decade, from 283 in 2005 to nearly 4,000 in 2013, according to the FAA. At least half a dozen companies currently advertise laser-blocking eyewear online, though these glasses are generally adapted from other applications - essentially modified sunglasses that use older technologies. They block a significant amount of non-laser light, and have not been certified for aircraft use. The FAA has provided advice for pilots on how to respond to a laser attack in this document (that makes no mention of eye protection already on the market). "Green is the color the human eye is most sensitive to. We see more green information than any other color," said George Palikaras, a physicist and CEO of Metamaterial Technologies, Inc., and its subsidiary Lamda Guard, based in Nova Scotia. Palikaras' company anchors a coalition including the Canadian government, various university laboratories, helicopter operators, and aerospace giant Airbus that aims to equip civilian pilots with protection from laser attacks that can have profound psychological as well as physical effects. "We have had discussions with pilots who were in tears," Palikaras said. The memory of pain, blindness, inability to see even cockpit instruments carried "such a psychological impact from this that they were in tears telling the story." While law enforcement efforts have increased in response to a fourteen-fold increase in laser attacks reported between 2005 and 2013 (rewards of up to $10,000 for information that leads to arrest of those who intentionally target aircraft with laser pointers were announced in June), Palikaras said those with malicious intent will not be swayed by public service announcements or the threat of jail. Glasses, goggles, and other eye protection that filters out the laser beam have long been used to protect eyesight, though it has proved challenging to engineer eyewear for aviators that blocks a laser light while still allowing enough other light through-including the lights used to mark runways, obstacles, and cockpit instruments at night. Palikaras' company has developed a thin film (made with a process called 3-D holography) that can be applied to curved surfaces (similar films made by others have so far been limited in how much they can curve), block both green and blue laser light simultaneously (many products currently available block only one color), and retain at least 80 percent transparency to other kinds of light. He said products currently on the market offer no more than 70 percent transparency, and, along with products developed for military use, have other limitations: laser beams striking from angles beyond 10 degrees may not be reflected effectively, while metaAIR, as Lamda Guard's patented thin-film coating has been dubbed, can reflect beams striking at angles up to 45 degrees. "We believe we can improve on that as well," Palikaras said. Nano technology The desired properties of selective reflection are achieved by creating a specific geometric arrangement of extremely tiny particles within a clear substrate. The nano-composites (also referred to as metamaterials) reflect laser light but allow other light to pass through a film that can be 100 times thinner than a human hair. Palikaras said Airbus will lead the effort to test and certify a windshield application for fixed-wing aircraft, and the companies hope to have a windshield film ready for certification testing in 2015. The company is meanwhile working with Canadian police agencies to test a visor coated with the same thin film. "They have, right now, the most important role in this ... to find the culprits," Palikaras said. That task is complicated by current protective eyewear technology. A police helicopter crew struck by a laser needs time to don protective gear, and will generally respond first by turning away from the light source. Palinkaras said a visor transparent enough to be worn throughout the flight will make an important difference in identifying and arresting perpetrators: "The impact of this custom solution is that they can turn into the beam right away." The U.S. Air Force has developed eyeglasses able to block laser light while remaining mainly transparent to other visible light. U.S. Air Force photo. Military option The U.S. Air Force has also been contracting for thin film technology to protect pilots' eyes from lasers in recent years. Lt. Col. Scott Bergren of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, offered (through a spokesperson) brief, written responses to questions about the laser-blocking glasses made by Teledyne Technologies Inc., which was awarded a contract worth up to $20.4 million in 2012 to develop, test, and deploy up to 8,500 pairs of laser-blocking eye protection. Bergren said eyewear has been developed in preference to a windshield treatment because it may be cheaper to produce (the aforementioned Teledyne contract works out to $2,400 per pair), and eyewear can be donned or doffed at the pilot's discretion. Palikaras said the advantage of a windshield treatment is that pilots do not need any extra tasks (finding glasses, cleaning them, putting them on)-particularly during phases of flight that are already busy. "All the pilots have such a high workload already we don't want to burden them further," Palikaras said. "We don't really believe that the goggles are the right product for the pilots even though we could be selling now hundreds of pairs of goggles which are transparent enough, by the way." Palikaras said it remains to be seen how expensive this thin film will be by the time it is fully developed, tested, and certified for aircraft installation. He said there is growing interest from aircraft manufacturers, and expects to find ways to make it available to private aircraft owners as well as commercial operators. "If I knew that I had ... 100 small planes that would be interested, we can do some kind of arrangement," Palikaras said. While investors rightfully expect profits, "our goal here is not to make a profit from the smaller planes." Bergen said there are no plans to make the spectacles developed through the Air Force program available for civilian use. Frost & Sullivan applauded Lamda Guard for developing a specialized film that can protect pilots from laser attack. PRNewsFoto/Frost & Sullivan. Palikaras would also like to help educate pilots who have not found out firsthand just how dangerous a laser strike can be, and is working to create a realistic simulation of the experience using eye-safe lasers that would show a pilot just how hard it can be to see runway lights, instruments, and other critical details in case of an unblocked laser attack. "We're happy to give this as a service free of charge," Palikaras said. "We are interested in solving the problem, but also creating the awareness within the pilots group. And get them as a partner to help us make the product the right fit." Lamda Guard has yet to bring its thin film metamaterial solution to market, but it is already winning kudos for the effort: Frost & Sullivan, a California firm with a global focus on technology, market research, and growth consulting, recognized Lamda Guard Nov. 4 with an award for global product leadership. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/November/12/Laser-defense-for-pilots Back to Top Cargo Pilots Say Fatigue Leading To Big Danger Below SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Dozens of huge cargo jets fly over Bay Area neighborhoods daily, and the pilots flying them say lack of rest is creating a big danger below. Federal regulations don't require cargo pilots to get as much rest as passenger pilots. "Fatigue is an integral part of the job," UPS Pilot Bob Matchette told KPIX 5. "It's managing that fatigue, that is where the challenge lies." A route from Oakland to Ontario, back to Oakland, then onto Ontario has been dubbed the Oakland death march by Matchette's fellow pilots. The FAA failed to include cargo pilots when it tightened rest rules for passenger pilots last year. Passenger pilots are limited to nine hours of duty during the night. Cargo pilots can be scheduled for 16 hours. Steve ALterman with the Cargo Industry Association says cargo pilots don't need the extra rest. "Our pilots already fly only about half the time than the passenger pilots do, so it's a completely different model." But, Matchete disagrees, saying "We fly the same equipment, land on the same runways, flying over the same neighborhoods. I think it's absolutely safe to say that it could be a lot safer." http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/16/cargo-pilots-say-fatigue-leading-to-big-danger-below/ 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