Flight Safety Information February 26, 2015 - No. 038 In This Issue United Airlines Officials Highlight 'Near-Misses' in Safety Message to Pilots Russian Court Says Birds Attracted to Landfill Threaten Air Safety Southwest Airlines grounds 128 aircraft after missing inspections New Titanium-Making Process Could Result in Lighter Aircraft FedEx jet from Memphis forced to land PROS 2015 TRAINING Researchers create world's first 3D-printed jet engines. ICAEA - Istanbul April 2015 Ex-Defense Contractor Admits Sending Jet Information to Iran Graduate Research Survey Upcoming Events Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC - Services United Airlines Officials Highlight 'Near-Misses' in Safety Message to Pilots United Airlines jets sit at gates at O'Hare International Airport on September 19, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson/Getty Images United Airlines officials recently sent a "brutally honest" safety bulletin to pilots following four incidents involving flight crew errors that were classified as "major safety events and near-misses." The Jan. 9 message obtained by ABC News was sent by Howard Attarian, senior vice president of flight operations, and Mike Quiello, vice president of corporate safety. The Wall Street Journal first reported about the message. Two of the events occurred near the ground, according to the bulletin -- with a pull-up maneuver required in one of the incidents. Another incident involved an "undesired aircraft state on departure," with the flight crew contributing to a safety lapse. A fourth incident involved a low fuel state. "The common thread with all of these is that they are preventable," the message stated. A 2013 UPS cargo plane crash in Birmingham, Alabama, which was later blamed on pilot error, was referenced in the message. The plane crashed short of the runway at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, killing two crew members. Pilot retirements, seat movements and new hires were identified in the message as factors that bring added risk to flight operation. "While no one ever shows up to work with the goal of intentionally making a mistake, we are human and mistakes happen. What we can control is how we conduct ourselves on each and every flight," the message stated. United issued a statement to ABC News Wednesday after details of the message were initially reported by the Wall Street Journal. ABC News reached out to the airline early Thursday with calls for further comment, but those efforts were unsuccessful. "As part of our commitment to safety, we constantly monitor flight operations data and regularly communicate the findings with our pilots," the statement read. "Our proactive approach to safety aligns with the FAA's Safety Management System and enables us to recognize potential issues and adjust our actions to further ensure the safety of our customers and coworkers." Here is the full memo: Date: January 9, 2015 SAFETY ALERT: Significant safety concerns Recent events in our operation have dictated that we communicate with all of you immediately. Over the past few weeks, our airline has experienced what we would categorize as major safety events and near- misses. In Flight Operations we have seen two events in close proximity to terrain (one resulting in a GPWS pull- up maneuver), an Undesired Aircraft State on departure and a low fuel state on arrival after a deviation from a Sabre Flight Plan routing. The common thread with all of these is that they are preventable. We must ask ourselves, "Do we have our priorities in line every time we put on our uniforms and strap into the airplane?" While the airline industry always seems to be in a state of flux, the one constant for all of us is that we are professional aviators with the common goal of flying our passengers and crew from point A to point B SAFELY. Another common thread to some of these events is a lack of attention to disciplined Crew Resource Management. Every time we enter the cockpit with the intention of performing our pilot duties, we evaluate risk. Every pilot must be willing to speak up if safety is in question. In the same vein, every pilot must also accept the input of their fellow crewmembers on the flight deck. In most cases, one of the pilots recognizes an unsafe situation. In some cases, a pilot's input is ignored. This is unacceptable. The recent CFIT accident in Birmingham involving another carrier underscores how quickly things can unravel. The approach and landing appeared normal to the pilots until right before impact. Let's not for a moment think something like that could not happen at United. We are currently seeing a lot of movement in the pilot group, such as retirements, seat movements and new hires, that -- while welcome -- introduces significant risk to the operation. While no one ever shows up to work with the goal of intentionally making a mistake, we are human and mistakes happen. What we can control is how we conduct ourselves on each and every flight. If you have ever used the term "Standard Brief" before departure, you have not complied with an SOP. If you have ever exceeded Stabilized Approach Criteria intentionally and not executed a go-around, you are not in compliance. We know this is a brutally honest message and the tendency may be to rationalize why compliance is not occurring in some areas. Bottom line: United is at a critical juncture in its history and we as aviators must adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in the Flight Manuals, FOM, WOM and ALPA Code of Ethics. Reviewing, understanding, and complying with the guidance in company manuals is imperative to returning ourselves, our fellow crewmembers and passengers to their families safely. This is our top priority and greatest responsibility, and we appreciate in advance your continued commitment and cooperation. Fly safe. Howard Attarian, Sr. Vice President Flight Operations Michael Quiello, Vice President Corporate Safety http://abcnews.go.com/US/united-airlines-officials-highlight-misses-safety-message- pilots/story?id=29237744 Back to Top Russian Court Says Birds Attracted to Landfill Threaten Air Safety Flocks of birds attracted to a landfill in the Altai region pose a threat to passing airplanes, a local court ruled, ordering district authorities to equip the site with bird-repellent devices. The district court has also banned a local utility company from using the landfill near Gorno-Altaisk Airport and ordered it to conduct daily cleanups of the site, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday, citing the Barnaul transport prosecutor's office. Safety violations by the utility company created an "unfavorable ornithological situation that presented a hazard to air flights," the prosecutor's office was quoted as saying. The court ruled in the prosecutors' favor, ordering the company and district authorities take responsibility for keeping the birds away, Interfax reported. Gorno-Altaisk was expected to serve 60,000 passengers in 2014, according to projections issued at the start of the year, the Regnum news site reported. The volume marked a two-fold increase from about 31,500 passengers a year earlier, according to the report. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-court-says-birds-attracted-to-landfill-site-threaten- air-safety/516579.html Back to Top Southwest Airlines grounds 128 aircraft after missing inspections (CNN) - Southwest Airlines grounded 128 of its Boeing 737 aircraft on Tuesday after discovering it had missed some required inspections. The airline was overdue for a required maintenance check on the standby hydraulic system for the planes, both the Federal Aviation Administration and Southwest said. "The airline voluntarily removed these aircraft from service while the FAA works with Boeing and Southwest to evaluate a proposal that would allow the airline to continue flying the planes until the inspections are completed over the next few days," the FAA said. Southwest had to cancel approximately 80 flights on Tuesday because of the groundings. Fewer cancellations are expected Wednesday. "The FAA approved a proposal that would allow Southwest to continue operating the aircraft for a maximum of five days as the checks are completed," according to the airline. http://wqad.com/2015/02/25/southwest-airlines-grounds-128-aircraft-after-missing-inspections/ Back to Top New Titanium-Making Process Could Result in Lighter Aircraft A new process could extend the use of titanium for lightweight, more fuel-efficient airplanes. WHY IT MATTERS Air transportation is a fast-growing source of carbon dioxide emissions, and lighter planes would produce less pollution. A new process for producing titanium-a metal that's increasingly used in aircraft to reduce weight and fuel consumption-is significantly cheaper and less energy-intensive than conventional methods. The technique could lead to titanium being used to reduce the weight of cars, helping automakers meet tightening fuel economy regulations.+ Titanium normally takes a significant amount of energy to make. The conventional method, called the Kroll process, involves multiple steps requiring very high temperatures. The new process, being developed by SRI International, takes fewer steps, uses less energy, and produces titanium powder, rather than ingots. The powder can be pressed and fused into something that's very close to the shape of the final product, which reduces the amount of machining required.+ SRI's process uses plasma arcs to facilitate reactions between molecules of hydrogen and titanium chloride, a chemical produced from titanium ore. "Arcs, like lightning bolts, crack the hydrogen, producing atomic hydrogen that can readily react," says Barbara Heydorn, senior director of the Energy Center at SRI. The reactions produce titanium vapor that quickly solidifies and forms titanium powder.+ Carbon emissions limits in Europe have led to increased use of titanium in aircraft. The possibility of similar regulations being introduced in the United States and concerns over volatile fuel prices are also boosting the use of titanium in planes. The lightweight, corrosion-resistant material is ideal for certain engine parts, including fan blades. It also serves as a critical structural material in newer aircraft that use carbon composite materials, since the aluminum ordinarily used in aircraft structures is incompatible with carbon composites (see "Additive Manufacturing Is Reshaping Innovation").+ SRI has so far demonstrated a small-scale version of the process for producing pure titanium. It's currently working on a two-stage process to improve yields and lower costs before attempting to scale it up.+ SRI could face major challenges to bringing the new process to market. Introducing a new metals process is particularly difficult, says Donald Sadoway. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535386/new-titanium-making-process-could-result-in-lighter- aircraft/ Back to Top FedEx jet from Memphis forced to land ST. LOUIS, Mo. - A FedEx cargo plane flying from Memphis to Minneapolis safely landed in St. Louis after smoke was reported inside the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday at Lambert Airport. Lambert spokesman Jeff Lea says four crew members evacuated by emergency slide. One of them was taken to a hospital for evaluation for an undisclosed injury. Lea did not have any details about how the injury occurred or the extent of it. Firefighters boarded the plane but did not find smoke or flames. The plane was towed from the runway and the incident did not delay any other flights. An investigation continues. FedEx released the following statement: "We were notified that a fire suppression safety system activated on the aircraft (Flight 1407 from Memphis to Minneapolis) and was diverted to St. Louis and landed safety. http://wreg.com/2015/02/24/fedex-jet-forced-to-land/ Back to Top Back to Top Researchers create world's first 3D-printed jet engines The world's first 3D-printed jet engine on display at the Avalon International Airshow (Photo: Noel McKeegan/Gizmag.com) Working with colleagues from Deakin University and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), researchers from Australia's Monash University have created the world's first 3D- printed jet engine. While they were at it, they created the world's second one, too. One of them is currently on display at the International Air Show in Avalon, Australia, while the other can be seen at the headquarters of French aerospace company Microturbo, in Toulouse. A team from the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing and spin-off company Amaero started with an older gas turbine engine contributed by Microturbo (Safran). Still in working order, the small engine was used for auxiliary power in aircraft such as the Falcon 20 business jet. Led by Prof. Xinhua Wu, the team proceeded to take the engine apart, and scan all the individual components. Using computer models obtained from those scans, a laser was then utilized to selectively melt metal alloy powder, building up two copies of each component in successive layers. When those parts were subsequently assembled, two metal replicas of the original engine were produced. The project took a year to complete, and received funding from multiple groups including the Australian Research Council. It has reportedly resulted in a number of aerospace companies expressing interest in developing components at the university - using 3D printing, components that previously would have taken months to design and manufacture could be made in weeks. Each component is printed in layers around 0.05 mm thick (Photo: Noel McKeegan/Gizmag.com) According to Wu, the next step will be to fine-tune the finish of the components, with testing of a 3D- printed engine expected to take place within a couple of years. A functioning 3D-printed rocket engine, incidentally, was created by students at the University of California, San Diego in 2013. 3D Printing of a small Jet Engine Prof. Wu discusses the project in the video below. Source: Monash University http://www.gizmag.com/3d-printed-jet-engine/36273/ Back to Top ICAEA - Istanbul April 2015 ICAEA forum - Istanbul, 2015 Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. ICAEA Istanbul 2015 Human Factors, Communications and Safety The International Civil Aviation English Association announces the 17th international forum, hosted by 27-28 April 2015 ** Programme now available ** CLICK HERE TO REGISTER VENUE: Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel, Istanbul Key note speakers, panellists and workshop facilitators will discuss: * The role of English in communication and human factors * Language proficiency and culture in human factors * Training strategies to mitigate safety issues in cross-cultural communications * English as a common link for CRM among international crews * Training for optimum on-board communications * Human factors in air to ground communication - culture, language and the communication interference * The role of English communication in human factors on the flight deck, with ATC and between cabin crew * Communication in the cabin among crew and with passengers For more information and registration details visit ICAEA For more information please contact: info@icaea.aero Copyright © ICAEA 2015, all rights reserved unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences*|IFNOT:ARCHIVview email in browser Ex-Defense Contractor Admits Sending Jet Information to Iran HARTFORD, Conn. - A former defense contractor accused of sending sensitive information about U.S. military jet programs to his native Iran in an effort to land a job there pleaded guilty on Wednesday. Mozaffar Khazaee entered his plea to violating the Arms Export Control Act in federal court and faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing for Khazaee, who's 60, is set for May. Federal prosecutors said Khazaee, who used to live in Manchester, stole information about engines used in the F35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor programs from three employers, including East Hartford- based Pratt & Whitney. He tried to use that information to get a job with multiple state-controlled universities in Iran from 2009 to 2013, authorities said. Khazaee sent emails with information about the Joint Strike Fighter program to a person in Iran in November and December 2009, prosecutors said. In the emails, Khazaee described the knowledge and skills he obtained while working for the U.S. defense contractors, they said. Court documents show that in one email Khazaee wrote to the person in Iran that "some of these are very controlled ... and I am taking (a) big risk. Again please after downloading these two Power Point files delete everything immediately." In November 2013, customs agents in Long Beach, California, seized a shipment prepared by Khazaee that was headed to Iran. Prosecutors said the shipment included numerous boxes and digital media containing thousands of documents consisting of sensitive technical manuals, specification sheets, technical drawings and other proprietary material relating to military jet engines. Khazaee was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in January 2014 before boarding a flight on a trip to Iran. Authorities said they found similar sensitive information on jet engines in his luggage. "The illegal export of our military technology compromises U.S. national security and reduces the advantages our armed forces currently possess," U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly said in a statement. "We will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to steal trade secrets and sensitive military technology from U.S. industries, whether for their own personal gain or for the benefit of foreign actors." Khazaee's lawyer, Hubert Santos, has said the government wrongly inferred that Khazaee was trying to help the Iranian government and falsely accused him because he's an Iranian citizen. He said Khazaee was trying to get a job as a professor and was trying to impress a university in Iran. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/defense-contractor-admits-sending-jet-information-iran-29228841 Back to Top Graduate Research Survey The survey is being conducted as part of a Master's thesis in Human Factors Engineering at Tufts University. It explores differences in opinions and perceived use of voluntary reporting practices at several major airlines that utilize a similar system. The end goal is to recommend best practices for the successful implementation and continued use of such systems to maximize the benefit to an organization and its employees. This survey is voluntary and can be stopped at any time without consequence. Participants only need to answer questions that they feel comfortable answering and Katherine (the creator of the survey), GE Aviation, and Tufts University will have no knowledge of the name or identity of any person who submits a response to this survey. It is completely anonymous. Additionally, airline names will never be disclosed. The survey should take less than 5 minutes. Please contact her if you have any questions: katherine.darveau@ge.com W: 781-594-7799 C: 781-439-7431 Mechanic/Technician survey link: https://tufts.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6x6T69RkMwDJvA9 Manager survey link: https://tufts.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5i5oyQqRSqruyy1 Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO March 5, 2015 HAI Heli-Expo - Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1628315 IS-BAO Auditing March 6, 2015 HAI Heli-Expo - Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1628316 Fundamentals of IS-BAO March 31, 2015 Houston, TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657515 IS-BAO Auditing April 1, 2015 Houston, TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657517 Fundamentals of IS-BAO April 15, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657510 IS-BAO Auditing April 16, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657512 Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) NTSB Training Center, Ashburn, VA March 10-11, 2015 www.acsf.aero/symposium ERAU NextGen 101 Seminar April 21-22, 2015. Washington D.C. http://proed.erau.edu/programs/specialized-industry-training/nextgen-101-seminar/index.html FAA Helicopter Safety Effort three-day safety forum April 21-23, 2015 Hurst, Texas eugene.trainor@faa.gov www.faahelisafety.org ERAU OSHA & Aviation Ground Safety Seminar Daytona Beach, FL Apr.13-17, 2015 www.erau.edu/cmas ERAU Aviation Safety Program Management Seminar Daytona Beach, FL Apr.20-24, 2015 www.erau.edu/cmas ERAU Aircraft Accident Investigation Seminar Daytona Beach, FL Apr. 27-May 1, 2015 www.erau.edu/cmas ERAU Advanced Aircraft Accident Investigation Seminar Prescott Campus, AZ May 4-8, 2015 www.erau.edu/cmas ERAU Aviation SMS Seminar Daytona Beach, FL May 12-14, 2015 www.erau.edu/sms Curt Lewis