Flight Safety Information March 11, 2015 - No. 047 In This Issue Army Helicopter Crashes in Florida: 7 Marines, 4 Soldiers Missing 2 people, including a child, hurt when tug hit jet bridge at OIA. Is Asia's pilot shortage putting passengers at risk? Harrison Ford Plane Crash: NTSB Releases New Details About Crash-Landing. Aircraft makers seek lithium-ion battery shipment ban PROS 2015 TRAINING SpiceJet operations chief seeks to recruit more women pilots. Nine-kg gold seized from aircraft at Hyderabad airport. Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Army Helicopter Crashes in Florida: 7 Marines, 4 Soldiers Missing 11 feared dead in Army helicopter crash in Florida Seven Marines and four soldiers were missing early Wednesday following an Army helicopter crash in Florida, officials said. Aircraft debris washed up on shore after one of two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters participating in a routine nighttime training mission crashed, Eglin Air Force Base spokesman Andy Bourland told NBC News. Bourland said a search and rescue operation was underway and that it was too soon to say what caused the crash, but there were "weather issues" overnight. "This is search and rescue," he stressed, adding that visibility was limited due to darkness and fog. "We have not declared the status of the 11 personnel on board at the time." A Coast Guard vessel recovered debris including the downed chopper's tail rotor overnight, officials told NBC News. The missing Marines were from a special operations regiment out of Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, Bourland said. The helicopters and air crew were assigned to the Army National Guard unit out of Hammond, Louisiana. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/11-military-missing-after-chopper-crash-florida-n321286 Back to Top 2 people, including a child, hurt when tug hit jet bridge at OIA Two people, including a child, were hurt Tuesday when an aircraft tug hit a jet bridge at Orlando International Airport, officials said. The tug, a vehicle that moves jets, hit the accordion-style hallway as passengers were getting off United Airlines Flight 1294 from Houston just after 11 a.m. at Gate 44 The crash hurt the tug driver, who was sent to the hospital with an injured leg. A 9-year-old boy was also hurt. his parents refused treatment, said OIA spokesman Rod Johnson. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-tug-hit-jetbridge-oia-20150310-story.html Back to Top Is Asia's pilot shortage putting passengers at risk? (CNN)We're taking to the skies in ever-increasing numbers, and increased demand for commercial flights -- which is pushing down prices -- is creating a stranglehold that may ultimately lead to unsafe skies for all of us. As a former pilot and current industry consultant, I have learned that nothing is ever the same on any day in aviation. Change is inevitable and learning never ceases. My colleagues and I thrive on this change and work with airlines and governments to manage it. The number of high-profile air accidents involving Asian carriers last year, and the attendant coverage that these tragedies generated, has placed a lot of focus on air travel in the Asia-Pacific region. Yet even as we reel from coverage of yet another accident, airlines are expanding rapidly, particularly in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East in order to meet unprecedented growth in passenger demand. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger numbers rose almost 6% for Asia-Pacific in 2014, and a staggering 13% jump for the Middle East that year. The big question is: Can carriers square this increase in demand with training commitments that don't compromise air safety and security? Demand taking off IATA states that global passenger traffic grew 6.1% in 2014, which represents some 170 million more passengers than the year before. IATA has stated that Asia-Pacific accounts for 31% of global air passenger traffic now, and in 20 years that figure is forecast to be 42%. The Chinese market, particularly, drove growth in Asia. Dominated by domestic travel market, the IATA says it expanded by some 11% in 2014. This all looks good, economically, for the airlines and the aircraft manufacturers, but there is a problem. For every aircraft that is introduced to service an airline will need a minimum of six pilots on its staff to crew that one aircraft 365 days a year, around the clock. They will also need engineers to maintain it, cabin crew to look after the passengers and manage safety on board and all the necessary ground staff to deal with operations, passenger services and cargo handling. An efficient airline will operate with about 35 -- 40 staff per aircraft, and even more for the large B747 and A380-size planes, which can require more than 100 personnel per aircraft to allow round-the-clock operations. Herein lies a problem. Reaching retirement age There are mandatory age limits for senior airline pilots. That age was 60 until 2007 when ICAO recommended an increase to age 65, subject to satisfactory medical screening each six months. Despite raising the retirement age, there are many "baby boomer" pilots moving into retirement and there are not enough young entrants to the profession to replace them. Add the rapid growth rate in the industry and it becomes evident that there is a significant pilot shortage starting which is about to become more serious. IATA has estimated that 19,000 new pilots need to be trained annually for the indefinite future to replace retirees and meet growth requirements worldwide. Some other industry organisations put this figure higher with emphasis on China, India and Indonesia. Even if these pilots are trained and qualified, as with all professions, the new pilot graduate is faced with an experience problem: Airlines are seeking pilots with as many flying hours as possible. A newly qualified pilot with a commercial pilot licence, (CPL) has only a basic qualification gained with approximately 220 hours of practical flight training experience, which would allow new pilots to join a charter company or small regional commuter airline as a junior pilot or co-pilot and to gain flight experience under supervision for as long as it takes to gain sufficient experience to move up the ladder. This acceptable level of experience will vary from country to country and with the airlines, and will also vary with the demand for pilots at the particular time. Route to the top So, the traditional progression for a new pilot has often been from light aircraft charter operations to a "third tier" or regional commuter airline, operating aircraft such as twin turbine propeller aircraft like the ATR42 or SAAB 340 on short distance domestic services, and then to a major airline operating large jet aircraft such as the Airbus A320 or Boeing B737. This might be with a so-called Low Cost Carrier (LCC) and will be as a co-pilot initially with promotion to captain on selection and with greater experience. Since 2006, a new Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) has been under development by ICAO, IATA and training organisations. Students are now being trained and issued with this new licence in some countries. The concept of the MPL is that the student pilot will be trained to be a co-pilot on a modern jet airliner and, essentially, to be the assistant to the experienced captain in the left seat. IATA has stated that its goal is to increase the pool of candidates and training capacity whilst improving safety standards. However, there is an argument that while traditional pilot training is not designed for modern high-tech aircraft it is still essential to teach basic flying skills, rather than leaving much of it to the computerized systems. Irreplaceable skills It is argued that they must be taught basic flying skills which are then supplemented, at a later stage, with the necessary training in the high-tech systems, in effect blending the old form of pilot training with the new systems. The concern of many industry professionals is that it may leave the average pilot trainee short on essential flying skills which have been taught since the beginning of manned flight. The MPL is understandably being promoted by aircraft and simulator manufacturers and airlines who need to get aircraft out of the factories and into service. They are relying on modern technology and computers on board the aircraft to handle most aspects of flight control and safety and to automate and reduce pilot workload as much as possible. However, there is now clear evidence that the IT systems cannot predict certain problems and a human element is essential to ensure safety. There have been several incidents such as Air France 447, Qantas 32 and the recent TransAir ATR72 crash, which have proven that the computers are not capable of handling all emergencies. The human pilot is still, at this point, an essential part of the safety system on modern aircraft, but it is a fact that the great majority of accidents are caused by human error of some kind, and the key to reducing human error is in the training and in gaining experience. Under-trained? The new MPL co-pilots will be, in many cases, new recruits to the airline with as little as 12 months experience and basic flight training with a minimum of 240 flight hours. Some aircraft, therefore, will be flying with two pilots who, together, may have only six or seven years of flight experience between them. Industry experts are concerned that if the older and experienced captain should run into some difficulty such as a medical problem, the young and inexperienced co-pilot will then become the commander of the aircraft and be responsible for landing safely. Airlines will generally try to attract the most experienced pilots that they can find. Since pilots perceive flying the big jets as being more interesting, prestigious and certainly better paid, it means that the major airlines which can offer prospects of promotion to the very large jets such as the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 or even the A380, will easily attract the pilots away from the smaller regional carriers. Learning the ropes The reality is that the charter operators and small regional carriers are the ones which will continue to train the new pilots and then lose them to the major airlines in an inevitable cycle that results in most of the experience being with the major airlines while many of those smaller regional carriers and LCCs are struggling to find enough pilots to crew their daily services. Unfortunately, many of the accidents which we have seen in recent times are often associated with smaller regional airlines and low cost carriers. So, the question comes back to one of pilot training and engineering quality associated with some of these airlines. Corporate safety culture The safety culture of the airline involved is also a critical factor in all accidents. This is not well understood by most people and even within many airlines -- it starts with the senior management, at CEO and board level. When pilots and engineers are subject to pressure to save money at every turn, it can and will have an impact on their decisions regarding safety. Pilots should never be expected to fly into marginal weather conditions, or to avoid making a missed approach to a runway when conditions to land are not ideal, because of pressures to save on fuel costs. Considerations of costs and job security have caused accidents and cost lives and there are plenty of examples of such incidents in the accident data available at ICAO. The need is to manage the industry's growth safely, with great emphasis on the quality of training and how the new recruits gain experience in their various fields. At the end of the day, however, it must be realized -- by all interested parties -- that having an accident is far more costly to an airline than maintaining high levels of operational safety and security. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/intl_opinion/desmond-ross-pilot-training/ Back to Top Harrison Ford Plane Crash: NTSB Releases New Details About Crash-Landing Federal investigators revealed just how lucky actor Harrison Ford is to be alive after crash-landing his plane in southern California last week. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the crash Tuesday, stating that Ford had no choice but to try and land the aircraft after it lost power. Ford's World War II-era Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR "sustained substantial damage following a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing after takeoff from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport." Shortly after takeoff, Ford reported having engine problems and requested to try and return to the airport. When he couldn't make it back, Ford had to put the aircraft down on Venice's Penmar Golf Course, about 800 feet southwest of the nearest runway, according to the report. The plane clipped the top of a tree just before it crash- landed. READ THE NTSB REPORT HERE Dr. Sanjay Khurana, who happened to be at the golf course, told reporters that the plane "dropped like a rock" onto a nearby green. "It felt like an earthquake," Khurana told the Los Angeles Times. He rushed to the scene and found Ford bleeding from a gash in his head. A photo of Ford's plane, which crashed on Penmar Golf Course last Thursday. Both Ford's publicist and son, chef Ben Ford, later confirmed that the 72-year-old "Indiana Jones" star's injuries weren't life-threatening, and he was going to be "OK." Investigators will continue examining the 1942 vintage plane, its engine and flight controls, according to the LA Times. A final NTSB report could take up to a year to complete. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/harrison-ford-plane-crash_n_6844952.html Back to Top Aircraft makers seek lithium-ion battery shipment ban Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON - Aircraft makers are urging a ban on bulk lithium battery shipments on passenger planes, calling the threat of fires "an unacceptable risk," according to an industry position paper obtained by The Associated Press. The International Coordination Council of Aerospace Industry Associations, which represents aircraft companies such as Boeing and Airbus, also is calling for stronger packaging and handling regulations for batteries shipped on cargo planes. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations, an umbrella group for pilot unions, joined the aircraft makers in issuing the paper. The paper cites recent testing by the Federal Aviation Administration that shows the batteries emit explosive gases when overheated. It's common for tens of thousands of batteries to be packed into a single shipping container. In the tests, a buildup of gases inside the containers led to explosions and violent fires. The tests show aircraft fire protection systems "are unable to suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries, resulting in reduced time available for safe flight and landing of an aircraft to a diversion airport," aircraft makers said. "Therefore, continuing to allow the carriage of lithium batteries within today's transport category aircraft cargo compartments is an unacceptable risk to the air transport industry." The call for a ban applies to both lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and are used in products ranging from cellphones and laptops to power tools. Lithium metal batteries are not rechargeable, and are often used in toys, watches and some medical devices, among other products. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, decided last year to change its shipping standards to prohibit the shipment of lithium metal batteries aboard passenger planes. The aircraft industry paper obtained by the AP was drafted for presentation at an upcoming meeting of the agency's dangerous goods panel in April. In recent weeks, two major U.S airlines - Delta and United - have announced they will no longer accept rechargeable battery shipments. The aircraft makers' call for a ban puts further pressure on international carriers around the globe to refuse battery shipments or appear indifferent to safety. The shipments are less of an issue for domestic or regional carriers who generally fly smaller planes with less room for cargo. Also, the demand for air shipments of batteries tends to be for flights across oceans. Passenger and cargo airlines generally fly the same types of planes, although they are configured differently inside. The fire protection capabilities of the planes were "developed considering the carriage of general cargo and not the unique hazards associated with the carriage of dangerous goods, including lithium batteries," the paper said. Temperatures in some of the government testing reached nearly 1,100 degrees. That's close to the melting point of aluminum, about 1,200 degrees. The FAA tests show "the uncontrollability of lithium battery fires can ultimately negate the capability of current aircraft cargo fire suppression systems, and can lead to a catastrophic failure of the airframe," the position paper said. U.S. and international officials have been slow to adopt safety restrictions that might affect the powerful industries that depend on the batteries. About 4.8 billion lithium-ion cells were manufactured in 2013, and production is forecast to reach 8 billion a year by 2025. A battery contains two or more cells. Lithium batteries dominate the global battery industry because they're cheap to make, lightweight and can hold a lot more energy than other types of batteries. Cargo airlines are continuing to transport the batteries even though they are believed to have either caused or contributed to fires that destroyed two Boeing 747 freighters in recent years, killing their pilots. The pilots of a third freighter managed to escape after landing in Philadelphia, but that plane was also destroyed. UPS recently completed a round of tests on a shipping container that was adjusted to allow gases to escape while continuing to contain a battery fire. UPS officials said the company was encouraged by the results of the tests. Pilot unions in the U.S. have been pressing for a single safety standard for both passenger and cargo airlines. U.S. regulators' hands are tied by a 2012 law that Congress enacted in response to industry lobbying. It prohibits the government from issuing regulations regarding battery shipments that are any more stringent than standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, unless an international investigative agency can show the batteries ignited a fire that destroyed an aircraft. That's difficult, since in the three cases thus far in which batteries are suspected of causing fires, the planes were too damaged to determine the source of the blaze. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/03/09/aircraft-makers-lithium-ion-ban/24674309/ Back to Top Back to Top SpiceJet operations chief seeks to recruit more women pilots NEW DELHI: Mention the words 'Woman Pilot' and the name of Amelia Earhart, stuck in history archives like an olive in brine, might be flung at you. Not so much in India, which has seen definite growth in the number of women serving as pilots, with percentages running into the double digits. By comparison, women account for a meagre 6% of pilots globally. And though it might be paradoxical that a developing country - which is under scrutiny for its treatment of women after a number of brutal, high-profile assaults - could well have the highest percentage of women pilots, India is also the second nation in the world to have had a woman prime minister in 1966 after Sri Lanka. Sanjiv Kapoor, COO of budget carrier SpiceJet, tells RGN: "India is a complex country that operates at many levels. There is a professional class that is progressive and then, there is an underbelly..." Following his gut sense and using Twitter as a tool for "creating awareness and recruitment" among the younger generation, Kapoor asked women SpiceJet pilots and cabin crew to address queries about women and aviation for the full day yesterday, which was International Women's Day. The aim was "to bring into open the mystique and glamor of the profession", says Kapoor. The carrier also yesterday operated 16 all-women crew flights. Passengers applauded when they learned the news, and the crew "took a bow. Now the stupid jokes about women pilots are on their way out," says Kapoor, who later noted on Twitter that all-women flights are "a common occurrence" throughout the year, but on International Women's Day "we just do a lot more". http://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/2015/03/09/spicejet-operations-chief-seeks-to-recruit-more-women-pilots/ Back to Top Nine-kg gold seized from aircraft at Hyderabad airport Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 9 kgs gold, worth Rs 2.39 crore, from an aircraft which landed at Rajiv Gandhi international airport from Delhi at Shamshabad here. Based on a specific intelligence, the DRI officers thwarted the attempt to smuggle gold into the country when they made a seizure of unclaimed gold weighing 9 kgs last night from a private aircraft arriving from Delhi to Hyderabad, said DRI's Hyderabad Zonal unit Additional Director M K Singh. This aircraft was earlier on an international run from Dubai to Ahmedabad, he said. On rummaging the aircraft about 9 kgs of gold were found concealed behind the pushback cushion of two seats of the aircraft. The entire quantity of seized gold is valued at Rs 2.39 crore, the senior DRI official said in a statement. The matter is being investigated, it said. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/nine-kilo-gold-seized-from-aircraft-at-hyderabad-airport/ Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAH March 31, 2015 Houston, TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657518 IS-BAH Auditing April 1, 2015 Houston, TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657519 Fundamentals of IS-BAH June 15, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659069 IS-BAH Auditing June 16, 2015 St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659079 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 Safety Smackdown Partnership for Corporate Aviation Training San Antonio, TX April 20-22, 2015 http://www.p4cat.org/ 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 Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: AOD Safety Specialist Fedex Express https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=1013504 Safety Management System (SMS) Analyst Piedmont Airlines WWW.PIEDMONT-AIRLINES.COM/CAREERS Vice President Aviation Aerosafe Risk Management recruitment@aerosafe.com.au MID-LEVEL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR/MISHAP INVESTIGATOR General Atomics Aeronautical Systems https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25539&siteid=5313&AReq=4926BR&Codes=ICLC EXPERIENCED AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR/MISHAP INVESTIGATOR General Atomics Aeronautical Systems https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25539&siteid=5313&AReq=4927BR&Codes=ICLC Manager Airport Operations Safety in Portland Oregon Alaska Airlines https://tam.alaskaair.com/psc/asjobs/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=25161&SiteId=10&PostingSeq=1 ? Safety Risk Manager Air Astana http://www.aviationjobsearch.com/job/safety-risk-manager/3104396 Curt Lewis