Flight Safety Information March 12, 2015 - No. 048 In This Issue Marine killed after civilian jet crashes at Yuma Plane that crashed in Spokane wrongly filled with jet fuel, report says FAA urges light sport makers to move on ADS-B, angle of attack Hundreds of Security Badges Missing From Atlanta Airport Could a Jet Engine Survive Sucking Up a Drone? PROS 2015 TRAINING China's first female J-10 pilots make overseas debut Changi Airport voted world's best airport for third year running Graduate Research Study/Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Marine killed after civilian jet crashes at Yuma A Marine was killed Wednesday after a civilian T-59 Hawk jet crashed at the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The aircraft crash "impacted a government vehicle, resulting in a Marine fatality," according to a statement from Marine Corps public affairs. The Marine was taken from the vehicle to Yuma Regional Medical Center and was pronounced dead upon arrival. The T-59's pilot and passenger were examined and released by MCAS Yuma's emergency personnel. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Marine we lost in this tragic accident," said Col. Ricardo Martinez, commanding officer of MCAS Yuma. "We, at MCAS Yuma, stand ready to provide support to his family." Marines have shared the airfield with civilian aviators since 1956. Gen Grosse, a corporate account manager at Yuma International Airport, said the Marine who was killed was overseeing construction vehicles in use near one of the facility's four runways. The aircraft is owned by a civilian contractor, but Grosse said the airport was instructed to not yet identify the company. A statement from the airport said the T-59 is used by a contractor to provide close air support training for military personnel working for a joint terminal attack control qualification. Many other details about the death, including the cause of the crash, the identification of the pilot and passenger, what the jet was doing in the moments before the crash, and the make of the government vehicle that was struck, were not immediately available. Per government policy, the identity of the Marine who was killed has not been released, pending a 24-hour waiting period after notification of the next of kin. Immediately after the accident, airport officials contacted federal authorities to alert them of what happened. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive at the scene Wednesday evening, Grosse said. The crash was in a "segregated area" of the airfield and did not impact commercial flights at the airport, she said. Marines, airport officials, and local emergency response agencies regularly train to respond to accidents at the airport. The most recent session was on March 4, a week before the mishap, and attendees discussed several scenarios and the responsible parties' roles, responsibilities and tasks, Gross said. The T-59 Hawk is a British, single-engine, advanced jet trainer. Created by aerospace company BAE Systems, it is primarily operated by the Royal Air Force. The Hawk isn't operated by the U.S. military, but the U.S. Navy trains with the T-45 Goshawk, a derivative of the Hawk that can land on aircraft carriers. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/03/11/marine-killed-after-jet-hits-ground-vehicle/70173038/ Back to Top Plane that crashed in Spokane wrongly filled with jet fuel, report says A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board confirms the plane that crashed in downtown Spokane last month was filled with jet fuel before taking off. The plane was a single-engine Piper Malibu Mirage, a model sold with a piston-powered engine that runs on aviation gas, according to the manufacturer's website. Pilot Michael Clements crashed Feb. 22 north of East Sprague Avenue at North Erie Street, near the Hamilton Street bridge over the Spokane River. He died from his injuries on Feb. 24 at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. The plane lost power while climbing after takeoff and was destroyed after hitting a railroad track during the attempted emergency landing, the report said. The NTSB report said Clements' plane was refueled with 52 gallons of jet fuel at Western Aviation, the fuel concessionaire for Felts Field, prior to takeoff. The report does not indicate who fueled the plane. Clements was from Stony Plain, Alberta, and stopped at Felts Field en route to Stockton, California. Piper makes another plane, the Malibu Meridian, which runs on jet fuel and looks similar to the Mirage, though the propellers are different. "From 100 yards away, an ordinary person would probably not pick up on the difference. A trained technician on the line servicing airplanes should know the difference," said Mark Pierce, a commercial aviation instructor and attorney. Pierce is representing the family of a man killed in a plane crash in New Mexico last August in a wrongful death lawsuit against the fixed-base operator at Las Cruces International Airport. The plane, which was transporting a patient for cancer treatment, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all four people on board. A preliminary NTSB report said a line technician had mistakenly filled the plane with jet fuel instead of aviation gas. Phillips 66, a Houston-based energy company, is the fuel provider at Felts Field and also co-owned the fuel truck allegedly used to fuel the Las Cruces plane. Pilots conduct preflight safety checks before takeoff, which are supposed to catch problems like misfueling. The most common method is checking fuel color by taking a small sample using a cup with a needle inserted under the wing. Pure jet fuel is clear or straw-colored, while aviation gas is blue. But a mixture of the two is usually still blue, Pierce said, which can fool pilots. "A piston pilot who believes he's getting regular aviation fuel might be fooled into thinking it's pure when in fact it's contaminated with jet fuel," Pierce said. To avoid fueling errors, it's common for jet fuel pumps to have nozzles that won't fit into the tanks of piston-engine planes. Western Aviation has not returned calls asking whether those nozzles are in use at Felts Field. A Phillips 66 spokesman declined to answer questions about whether the company uses different nozzles to distinguish fuel types, citing pending litigation. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/mar/12/plane-that-crashed-in-spokane-wrongly-filled-with/ Back to Top FAA urges light sport makers to move on ADS-B, angle of attack The FAA is urging the manufacturers of special light sport aircraft (SLSAs) to establish pathways for the installation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) equipment and angle of attack indicators in their aircraft. The FAA's Small Aircraft Directorate sent 65 SLSA manufacturers a letter encouraging them develop plans for the installation and airworthiness approval of ADS-B Out equipment and an attachment providing equipment certification and installation information. The letter also asked the manufacturers to promote the installation of angle of attack indicators in new and existing aircraft as a way to reduce general aviation loss-of-control accidents-a priority for the FAA, industry, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Under certification requirements for SLSAs, the manufacturer is responsible for the design, continued operational safety, and quality of all equipment installed in the aircraft. The manufacturer must also review any changes to existing aircraft to ensure they still meet the requirements of the applicable FAA accepted consensus standards. As a result, until manufacturers take action to approve the installation of ADS-B equipment, individual owners cannot meet the FAA's mandate. "If you have not already done so, you may want to begin formulating a plan for the initial installation and airworthiness approvals of ADS-B Out equipment on your aircraft-to be ready for requests from owners/operators," the letter said. The letter also noted that the ADS-B equipment to be installed must meet the "performance" requirements of the technical standard order (TSO) for ADS-B Out, meaning TSO approval is not necessary. "The FAA is already in consultation with recognized aviation groups and the aviation industry to discuss ways to meet the requirements of the ADS-B rule, specifically for application to SLSA," the letter said. Aircraft must be equipped with ADS-B Out by Jan. 1, 2020, in order to continue operating in airspace where a Mode C transponder is required today. For many LSA owners, there is currently no path to compliance with the 2020 mandate, an issue raised by AOPA and 13 aviation groups in a joint letter sent to the FAA administrator on Jan. 23. In that letter, the groups emphasized their support for universal participation in ADS-B, but pointed out that significant hurdles to compliance remain. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/March/11/FAA-urges-LSA-makers-to-move-on-ADS-B-and-AOA Back to Top Hundreds of Security Badges Missing From Atlanta Airport Hundreds of ID badges that let airport workers roam the nation's busiest hub have been stolen or lost in the last two years, an NBC News investigation has found. While experts say the missing tags are a source of concern because they could fall into the wrong hands, officials at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport insist they don't pose "a significant security threat." The wayward badges came to light when NBC-DFW asked airports across the country to reveal how many of them were unaccounted for. Only one, Atlanta, provided numbers before the Transportation Security Administration blocked the release of more data. But at that single airport, where almost 60,000 people work, some 1,400 badges that allow employees to access secure areas like runways and boarding gates have gone missing over roughly two years. "It's very, very serious. Without question," said Larry Wansley, who headed corporate security for American Airlines until 2004 and still consults for airports. Image: TSA screening at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ERIK S. LESSER / EPA A passenger's identification and travel documents are verified at the Transportation Security Agency passenger screening area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. Experts noted that the badge alone would not allow a worker to access areas off limits to the public. Major airports also use biometric screening and PIN numbers at entry points. "Badges are deactivated as soon as they are reported lost or stolen," the Atlanta airport said in a statement. "Secured areas of the airport can only be accessed with a valid badge and PIN, and each badge has a photo of the employee on it. Due to these safeguards, we do not believe that lost or stolen badges pose a significant security threat to the airport." There is no guarantee a lost or stolen security card will be reported immediately. At Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport, one set of lost employee credentials were not deactivated for three days because the worker was "hoping someone would turn them in," according to police reports obtained by NBC-DFW. Experts say that even without a PIN, a purloined ID card could be a problem because it might give an intruder a better chance of sneaking in an open perimeter gate or blending in on the tarmac. "Anytime you can acquire uniforms, badges any official sort of indication of authority that's a huge problem, that's a huge threat." And it's not just the badges that disappear. Airline shirts, a FedEx pilot's uniform, TSA identification have all been reported missing by Dallas airport workers. Even a federal flight deck officer's credentials - which allow a pilot to carry a gun on a plane - had vanished, NBC-DFW found. "Anytime you can acquire uniforms, badges any official sort of indication of authority that's a huge problem, that's a huge threat," said Jeffrey Price, who teaches Aviation Security at Metropolitan State University in Denver. Chaim Koppel, a security expert who consults with airports and airlines around the world, pointed to an attack in Pakistan last year where terrorists dressed as security workers laid siege to Jinnah International Airport, killing more than a dozen people. "These few seconds that people are hesitant to act against them, that's going to be the key to success for them," Koppel said. Under TSA rules, if more than 5 percent of the badges at one airport are lost or stolen, the entire inventory must be cancelled and reissued. The agency declined to comment on the lost-ID data from Atlanta, pointing to a statement it released in January that said it's considering additional measures to check IDs and screen workers. The Department of Homeland Security "has requested the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to conduct an expedient and comprehensive review of the issues related to the security of the sterile areas at airports nationwide in order to identify all viable means for the Department to address any potential vulnerability," the statement said. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hundreds-security-badges-missing-atlanta-airport-n319906 Back to Top Could a Jet Engine Survive Sucking Up a Drone? You can say goodbye to the quadcopter. That much is obvious. But what about airplanes? Passengers on commercial airlines actually have little to worry about, as IEEE Spectrum explains today. IEEE Spectrum put the drone-airliner crash question to George Morse, founder of Failure Analysis Service Technology, a company that specializes in analyzing foreign- object damage to airplanes. Morse hasn't dealt with any drone collisions, but he has investigated a lot of birdstrikes-a lot because it's an incredibly common problem. The biggest hazard is when birds, or in this case drones, are sucked whole into an engine. Here's what Morse has to say to IEEE Spectrum: The drone will hit the leading edge of the fan blades and would probably break up into small pieces. The fan blade itself is not likely to break, in Morse's view. "There's a good chance it'll take the engine out at high power," says Morse, but not necessarily. "It's absolutely amazing how they will still run."...But what about the lithium-ion batteries that these little drones carry? Aren't they hard enough to create real problems for a turbofan engine? "Ice can be hard, too," says Morse. And as for the worry about the volatile material from a battery ending up in the combustion chamber: "The engine will probably burn it up." Even if the drone does take out an engine, the plane is not going to fall out of the sky. Modern airliners are designed to fly even with one engine down. (They usually have two or four.) In cases where birds have taken down planes, such as the US Airways flight that emergency landed on the Hudson in 2009, a whole flock of birds took out all the engines. Quadcopters at least don't fly around in huge swarms-well, as least not yet. But today's drone collision question is a fascinating window into the world of hardcore engine testing. Birdstrikes are a serious enough problem that chickens are sacrificed to the cause. A chicken gun shoots real or simulated birds made of gelatin into engines-often the last step in extensive engine testing process. Here's Mythbusters shooting some frozen and thawed chickens out of a gun: MythBusters- Chicken Gun | MiniMyth But even if drones are unlikely to take down an airplane engine, they can still cause expensive damage and delayed flights. And they pose a bigger hazard to smaller planes with smaller engines that may not be able to handle several pounds of plastic or metal. This isn't an idle problem either. The number of drone sightings by pilots has been creeping up, with 193 sightings in a period of less than a year. Buckle up, guys. [IEEE Spectrum] http://gizmodo.com/could-a-jet-engine-withstand-a-drone-1690833795 Back to Top Back to Top China's first female J-10 pilots make overseas debut Four female acrobatic pilots will perform at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia next week, in China-made J-10 fighters. China's female acrobatic pilots Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei, He Xiaoli have left for Malaysia on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, where they will be performing at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) next week. [Photo: Chinanews.com] The four members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force acrobatic team left for Malaysia on Wednesday in the J-10 fighter jets, said Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke. Pilots Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei and He Xiaoli's stunt show will be the first time China's female fighter pilots have performed abroad, Shen said. The four women, with an average of more than 800 flight hours, participated in a high-profile military parade marking the People's Republic of China's 60th anniversary in 2009. They also performed with J-10 fighters at the 10th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last November. The Air Force acrobatic team's participation in the LIMA air show will help consolidate ties with Malaysia, enhance political and military mutual trust, build on the image of the Chinese military and showcase China's aeronautic equipment and military spirit, Shen said. The five-day LIMA show, held since 1991, will open next Tuesday. Stunt flying of fighter jets from Malaysia, the United States and France will be staged. Shen said the Air Force had in recent years paid more attention to international exchanges. The Air Force acrobatic team gave its first overseas performance at the Moscow air show in 2013. J-10 jet fighters of the Bayi Aerobatic Team of the Air Force of the Chinese People J-10 jet fighters of the Bayi Aerobatic Team of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army exercise a flight training, March 3, 2015. Pilots Yu Xu, Tao Jiali, Sheng Yifei and He Xiaoli, members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force acrobatic team, left for Malaysia Wednesday to perform at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in the J-10 fighter jets. Their stunt show will be the first time China's female fighter pilots have performed abroad. (Xinhua/Zhang Pengyan) http://english.cntv.cn/2015/03/12/VIDE1426110970629737.shtml Back to Top Changi Airport voted world's best airport for third year running This is the sixth time that Changi Airport has won this title at the awards. SINGAPORE - Changi Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport by travellers for the third year in a row at the 2015 World Airport Awards. This is the sixth time that Changi Airport has won this title at the awards, which were held at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France. Mr Edward Plaisted, chief executive of UK-based consultancy Skytrax, which organised the awards, said the repeat win was no surprise. "Rather than dwell on earlier success, the airport continues to innovate and concentrate on making the customer experience in the airport environment the most enjoyable," said Mr Plaisted. Changi Airport also won Best Airport for Leisure Amenities for the seventh time, based on its facilities such as music bar lounges, swimming pool, and the in-terminal Transit Hotel. Changi Airport Group chief executive Lee Seow Hiang said the recognition was "particularly pleasing", since it comes during significant development projects such as Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport, which have had works taking place amid ongoing airport operations. "We are most grateful to all our passengers and partners who have, nonetheless, continued to give us their strongest support," said Mr Lee. The World Airport Awards is the largest annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. The results are based on 13.02 million customer nominations across air travellers of 112 nationalities, and include 550 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service and product, from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, to departure at the gate. http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/transport/story/changi-airport-voted-worlds-best-airport-third-year-running-20150312#sthash.pzfgBAIQ.dpuf Back to Top Graduate Research Study/Survey You are receiving this message as a courtesy to Ms. Ulreen Jones, a PhD candidate at Florida Institute of Technology's doctoral program in Aviation Sciences in the College of Aeronautics. She is investigating the possible causal factors associated with runway incursions, specifically pilot deviations, and is seeking your assistance to complete an online questionnaire. Ms. Jones endeavors to understand why pilot deviations occur and how airfield design, marking, lighting, and signage may contribute to runway incursions. Please note that this organization does not necessarily support Ms. Jones' study and your participation is strictly voluntary. If you wish to participate, you may access the online survey via the following link: http://pdris.questionpro.com 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