Flight Safety Information April 29, 2015 - No. 083 In This Issue Drone Flies Above Landing Airplane: Dallas An iPad glitch grounded several dozen American Airlines planes Raju chairs meeting on safety measures in aviation sector (India) Greek Air Traffic Safety Engineers to Hold Three-Hour Work Stoppage on April 30 United Flight From NC To Newark Makes Emergency Landing In Philly Ranger uses stun gun on man operating drone over lava lake US Air Force refuelling jet lands safely at British base after disappearing off radar PROS 2015 TRAINING NASA's shape-shifting plane wings pass initial flight tests Michael Barrett Rejoins USAIG as Senior Vice President, Claims Attorney United Airlines CEO Smisek Received a Hefty Pay Raise in 2014 Research Request Society of Air Safety Investigators Pakistan, announce: Aviation Security Management Course at Ramada Plaza Karachi 8th to 12th June, 2015 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Drone Flies Above Landing Airplane: Dallas Police Authorities say a pilot reported that a drone flew above an airplane trying to land at Dallas Love Field Tuesday night. (April 29, 2015) A drone flew above an airplane that was descending toward a Love Field runway Tuesday night, authorities said. Dallas police said they flew their Air One helicopter near the area to find the drone and tweeted a photo at about midnight. The drone was about 600 feet off the ground, according to Dallas police, which was high enough the be "above the plane as it landed," as the pilot initially reported. The Federal Aviation Administration has yet not responded for comment. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Drone-Flies-Above-Landing-Airplane-Dallas-Police-301664531.html Back to Top An iPad glitch grounded several dozen American Airlines planes American Airlines flights experienced significant delays this evening after pilots' iPads-which the airline uses to distribute flight plans and other information to the crew-abruptly crashed. "Several dozen" flights were affected by the outage, according to a spokesperson for the airline. "The pilot told us when they were getting ready to take off, the iPad screens went blank, both for the captain and copilot, so they didn't have the flight plan," Toni Jacaruso, a passenger on American flight #1654 from Dallas to Austin, told Quartz. "The pilot came on and said that his first mate's iPad powered down unexpectedly, and his had too, and that the entire 737 fleet on American had experienced the same behavior," said passenger Philip McRell, who was also on flight #1654. "It seemed unprecedented and very unfamiliar to the pilots." Other passengers in New York and Chicago also said they were being affected by the outage. The airline issued this message on Twitter in response to a stranded passenger: American switched its pilots to an iPad-based "electronic flight bag" in 2013, replacing the heavy paper- based reference materials that pilots carried previously. American said the change would reduce the frequent injuries incurred by pilots from carrying heavy flight bags, and would also save time by making revisions electronically. American Airlines now using Apple's iPad in all cockpits Jacaruso and McRell tweeted about their predicament, as did other passengers. http://qz.com/393909/american-airlines-planes-are-grounded-because-their-pilots-ipads-have-crashed/ Back to Top Raju chairs meeting on safety measures in aviation sector (India) In order to execute India's obligation to the Chicago Convention, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today said DGCA has issued various regulations and advisories to the industry with regard to safe flying. Also known as the Convention on International Aviation, the Chicago Convention had established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, and details the rights of signatories in relation to air travel among others. "In accordance with the standards and recommended practices of ICAO, DGCA has developed State Safety Programme for India," Raju said while chairing a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee, attached to his ministry, on 'Safety Measure in Civil Aviation Sector'. Raju also said that during the current year, cargo sector has registered a phenomenal growth of 10 per cent over the previous year, according to an official release. He also informed the commitee members that the government plans to replace Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with Civil Aviation Authority of India to ensure efficiency in its procedures with ease of recruitment of skilled manpower. "It will strengthen the system's ability to cope with emerging safety challenges of the growth of the sector in the long run," he said. In accordance with the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, India has also established State Safety Programme which is to be implemented in the phased manner, he said. As part of phase III implementation, DGCA has established seven key state safety priorities including airborne conflict, controlled flight into terrain, runway excursions and overruns among others, he added. "To meet the safety target for the years 2015 and 2016, safety action plan has been developed in association with the stake holders," he said. The DGCA has also strengthened its voluntary reporting system under which occurrences that are not required to be reported under regulations, but are safety related and may be potential hazard, can be reported via voluntary (and anonymous) reporting system to DGCA (HQ), Raju said. With the implementation of GPS-aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), Raju said India has become the fourth country in the world to provide the certified satellite base augmentation services over Indian Flight Information Region. The meeting was attended by several MPs - A P Jithender Reddy, E Ahamed, FS Kulaste, S Rajendran, T Chhewang, V B Raut, Praful Patel, P C Gupta, V J Darda and V P Nishad. Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma delivered the vote of thanks, the release said. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/raju-chairs-meeting-on-safety-measures-in-aviation- sector-115042801217_1.html Back to Top Greek Air Traffic Safety Engineers to Hold Three-Hour Work Stoppage on April 30 The Greek Air Traffic Safety Electronic Engineers Association called a three-hour "warning work stoppage" for Thursday to protest staff and equipment shortages. The work stoppage has been called from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on April 30. The safety engineers service, part of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (YPA), expressed its concern over safety issues related to the increased summer passenger traffic because of "significant delays in upgrading and modernizing the VAR and PALLAS air navigation systems" and staff shortages, especially substitute and standby staff units. http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/04/28/greek-air-traffic-safety-engineers-to-hold-three-hour-work- stoppage-on-april-30/#sthash.j0TUqEQb.dpuf Back to Top United Flight From NC To Newark Makes Emergency Landing In Philly A United Airlines propeller plane headed to Newark had to land in Philadelphia due to an engine fire on Tuesday, April 28. (Credit: CBS2) NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A United Airlines jet bound for Newark Airport made an emergency landing in Philadelphia Tuesday. Flight 4882, a United Express flight operated by Republic Airways, was en route from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina to Newark when the plane had engine trouble and the pilot declared an emergency, according to the FAA. The plane landed safely in Philadelphia without further incident. There were 75 people on board. Firefighters placed foam on the runway when the plane landed. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/04/28/united-flight-emergency-landing/ Back to Top Ranger uses stun gun on man operating drone over lava lake HONOLULU (AP) - A park ranger used a Taser on a man flying a drone over a lake of lava at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, then arrested the man in front of several hundred people after telling him that flying an unmanned aircraft at a national park is prohibited. Crowds have been flocking to an overlook area at the park to watch a steadily rising lava lake at the summit of Kilauea volcano. Travis Ray Sanders brought his family to the park on Saturday evening to record the lava with his drone and didn't realize the man yelling at him to bring it down was a ranger, he told Hawaii News Now. "He sounded very angry, confrontational - like he wanted to fight - and I didn't really want to stick around for it so I just told him, 'I don't have ID and I'm leaving," Sanders told the Honolulu news station. The ranger asked Sanders three times to bring the drone down, and Sanders eventually brought it down, park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane told The Associated Press Tuesday. "The ranger identified himself and approached the individual, who refused to identify himself," Ferracane said. Because Sanders fled and was near the edge of the caldera rim - where there's a 500-foot drop - the ranger deployed a Taser, she said. Another visitor to the park, Randy Horne, was setting up his camera and tripod at the overlook when he heard a commotion. He heard someone yell stop and when he turned around, he saw the ranger pull out a stun gun. He saw the weapon's "sparkly, glowing blue" wires attached to a man on the ground. "I really didn't see there was any severe threat going on," Horne, of Honokaa, Hawaii, told the AP. "In my opinion, I thought it was a severe overreaction." Horne watched as Sanders was handcuffed, checked by paramedics and then put into a police car. Sanders, 35, of Pahoa, Hawaii, was arrested and cited with interfering with agency functions and operating an aircraft on undesignated land. He was taken to a Hawaii County police cellblock where he spent the night and was released in the morning on $500 bond, Ferracane said. He has a July 22 court date. "He was described as being very unpredictable, belligerent," Ferracane said of Sanders. "The ranger felt he needed to be stopped for the safety of himself and others." http://news.yahoo.com/ranger-uses-stun-gun-man-operating-drone-over-215856601.html Back to Top US Air Force refuelling jet lands safely at British base after disappearing off radar over English Channel * Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker left Amiens in northern France at 0.05am * Last reported on flight tracking website south of Dover 15 minutes later * It's unclear why QID72 plane declared an emergency early this morning * But US Air Force confirmed that it landed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk A US Air Force refuelling aircraft disappeared off the radar over the English Channel last night but has since landed safely in Britain. The Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker left Amiens in northern France at 0.05am local time (11.05pm BST) and was last reported on a flight tracking website between Dover and Calais 15 minutes later. It is not yet known why the plane - flying under the code QID72 and based at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk - fell off the radar at 0.20am. Despite the confusion the jet landed safely at its base in East Anglia an hour later, the US Air Force confirmed. Refuelling aircraft: The Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (file picture) left Amiens in northern France overnight - but it has since landed safely A spokesman said the aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency over the Channel. But he said they are investigating what happened, and why the plane disappeared off radar. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3060026/US-Air-Force-refuelling-aircraft-falls-radar-English- Channel.html#ixzz3YhJnliA7 Back to Top Back to Top NASA's shape-shifting plane wings pass initial flight tests After six months and 22 flights at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA has announced the successful completion of testing for its morphing airplane wing design. Known as Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) flight control surfaces, they replace a plane's conventional, rigid flaps with a flexible composite material. Not only are they designed to significantly reduce an aircraft's weight (as well as the noise it generates during flight), these flaps could save the industry millions of dollars annually in fuel savings. In tests, the wings curve remained set anywhere from -2 to 30 degrees but it can be adjusted as needed, even in midflight. Eventually, flexible wings can make for lighter, more fuel-efficient planes as well as quieter takeoffs and landings. FlexFoil Control Surface: Uncompromising Strength and Flexibility "The completion of this flight test campaign at Armstrong is a big step for NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project," said ERA project manager Fay Collier in a statement. "This is the first of eight large-scale integrated technology demonstrations ERA is finishing up this year that are designed to reduce the impact of aviation on the environment." The ACTE results are to be integrated into future design trade studies conducted by NASA's Langley Research Center. SOURCE: NASA http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/28/nasas-shape-shifting-plane-wings-pass-initial-flight-tests/ Back to Top Michael Barrett Rejoins USAIG as Senior Vice President, Claims Attorney New York, NY (April 28, 2015)...We are pleased to announce that effective April 28, Michael Barrett, former Global Chief Claims Officer, Aerospace Lines of AIG Property Casualty, has rejoined the USAIG team as Senior Vice President, Claims Attorney. Mr. Barrett will be based out of USAIG's Atlanta office. "Mike spent his first 18 years in the business with USAIG and we could not be more excited that he is back with us. His great depth of experience and global reach within the business makes our already impressive team that much stronger" stated David L. McKay, President and Chief Executive Officer of USAIG. While in the industry, Mr. Barrett has held a series of senior management positions handling complex claims and litigation matters. He is a graduate of Georgia State University College of Law and is a member of the State Bars of Florida and Georgia. www.usaig.com Back to Top United Airlines CEO Smisek Received a Hefty Pay Raise in 2014 Well, at least the United Continental board was apparently happy with Jeff Smisek and the airline's trajectory in 2014. United CEO Jeff Smisek explaining the company culture in a promotional video. United Airlines The CEO of United Airlines got a 39 percent increase in compensation last year, to more than $11.3 million, according to an Associated Press analysis. Jeffery Smisek also benefited from an increase in the value of pension benefits granted before 2014, but that change is not included in the AP's calculation for last year. The bulk of Smisek's compensation was in stock options that the company valued at $7.7 million. He also received the same $975,000 salary as before, plus more than $2.3 million in incentives, and $302,277 in other compensation, about half of which was matching contributions to retirement plans. Parent company United Continental Holdings Inc. disclosed the payments in a regulatory filing on Friday. Including the change in value of previously granted pension benefits, United reported Smisek's compensation at nearly $12.8 million. United doubled its net income in 2014, to $1.13 billion. Its stock price gained 77 percent - about the same as Delta but less than Southwest and American. U.S. airlines have achieved record profits as mergers reduced competition, making it easier to limit the number of flights and push fares modestly higher. In late 2014, they also benefited from a steep drop in the price of jet fuel. Chicago-based United is the second-largest airline company behind American. Smisek, 60, is also chairman and president. He was named CEO at Continental shortly before that airline merged with United in 2010. The Associated Press calculates executive compensation by including salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. It does not include changes in the present value of pension benefits, so the AP total can differ from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission. http://skift.com/2015/04/27/united-airlines-ceo-smisek-received-a-hefty-pay-raise-in-2014/ Back to Top Research Request Research Request for Pilots Assistance in Validating a Prototype Knowledge & Competency Exam The Center for Aviation Safety Research (CASR) at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO (USA) requests your help recruiting volunteers to validate a new exam they have just created to test pilot's knowledge in certain topic areas. Professional Aviation Board of Certification (PABC) is a recruiter and registrar for this research effort and we hope you will: (1) take the exam yourself, (2) invite your fellow pilots to take it, or (3) both. Please note: All testing must be completed by May 29, 2015. * Qualifications to Participate - Pilots who hold current Commercial Licenses / Certificates with Instrument Ratings and higher, including: o A Multi-crew Pilot License (MPL) or ATP-level license with type ratings on modern jet transport aircraft o Retired ATP-holders who currently serve as Type Rating Instructors/Evaluators or Simulator Instructors/Evaluators. * This Exam is: o For research by CASR, with the pilots' answers kept anonymous and the study findings only showing data in aggregate form. o Conducted on a computer in testing centers located around the world. o Taken at a time and place that are convenient for each individual pilot. o Free - no cost to the pilot. o Expected to be completed in 1-3 hrs, but allow 4 hrs if needed. o To support follow-on research on aviation training, testing and safety. * In Return - Volunteers will not be paid, but will be given a letter of appreciation by PABC for their contribution to the vital air safety study. If you are willing to serving as a volunteer, please email the Registrar at: pjwolfe@pabc.aero If you know of other pilots who might be interested and willing, please pass this notice on to them. Thank you in advance for considering this request Pete Peter J. Wolfe, PABC Executive Director & Exam Registrar PO Box 58250, Houston, TX 77258 (O) +1 281-326-3938 Skype: pjwolfe pjwolfe@pabc.aero Back to Top Society of Air Safety Investigators Pakistan, announce "Aviation Security Management Course" To be conducted by IATA at Ramada Plaza Karachi, Pakistan (8th to 12th June, 2015). Objectives * Combine security with customer service , * Select AvSec contractors and create RFPs * Manage human factors in aviation security * Implement quality control measures to improve security * Conduct vulnerability assessment of your organization * Evaluate screening points and procedures for passenger and cargo Target Audience * Managers from airports, airlines or civil aviation authorities , service providers * Ground Handling agencies. * Civil organizations who play vital role in responding to major security emergencies * Airport and Airlines administration representatives * Custom and immigration personnel. Key Topics * Implementing international and national security legislation (EU, TSA) * Applying Annex 17, ICAO and IATA security manuals * Contract management and Service Level Agreements (SLA) * In-house versus outsourced aviation security * Controlling the flow of passenger and baggage * Evaluating facilitation and Security Management Systems (SeMS) * Ensuring the security of cargo, catering and stores * Vulnerability assessments of airport facilities and Guaranteeing asset protection * Preventing fraud and smuggling and Responding to major security emergencies What you get - Participants will receive a consolidated reference binder of class material with CD and a certificate by IATA. Course Location Karachi -A shopper's paradise. The cheapest city of the world has a wide range of activities for visitors; eating out is a fun in Karachi. Shopping malls and traditional bazaars where you can buy carpets, wooden articles and leather products. Cost - 1,695 US $ per person. It includes course material, snacks during tea and coffee break and lunch during course days. It also includes a welcome breakfast on first day and course dinner with a boat trip at "Port Grand" the land mark of Karachi. Free pick and drop from airport and two guided tours of the Karachi city on weekend For Registration rashidabhatti@hotmail.com for details Visit: www.sasi-pakistan.org Back To The Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Hello, you are receiving this message as a courtesy to Mr. Hussain Alhallaf, a Ph.D. candidate at Florida Institute of Technology's doctoral program in Aviation Sciences in the College of Aeronautics. He is examining the relationship between factors affecting the aviation profession and the concept of aviation professionalism, specifically understanding aviation professionalism, and is seeking your assistance to complete an online questionnaire, which would take 10-15 minutes to complete. Mr. Alhallaf endeavors to understand why the aviation profession is such an important career and how can we improve ourselves as professionals within the aviation profession. In addition to taking the survey we also are seeking your generosity in distributing the survey's link. Your assistance and participation are totally appreciated. To participate, you may access the online survey via the following link: http://questionpro.com/t/ALRnkZSa9Y If you have any questions or are unable to distribute the email to your members, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at halhallaf2014@my.fit.edu or by Cell phone at (386) 847-7671. Thank you for your cooperation. Yours faithfully, Hussain Alhallaf Ph.D. candidate in Aviation Sciences Back To The Top Upcoming Events: ISASI MARC Meeting/Dinner April 30, 2015 Herndon, Virginia http://isasi.org/Documents/EventsAndAlerts/ISASI%20MARC%202015%20Dinner.pdf GWBAA Safety Standdown April 30th NTSB Academy www.gwbaa.com ERAU Advanced Aircraft Accident Investigation Seminar Prescott Campus, AZ May 4-8, 2015 www.erau.edu/cmas IATA Cabin Operations Safety Conference May 5-7, 2015 Paris, France www.iata.org/cabin-safety-conference ERAU Aviation SMS Seminar Daytona Beach, FL May 12-14, 2015 www.erau.edu/sms Aircraft Accident Investigation - Fire and Material Failures New course offered by BlazeTech Corp. Woburn MA USA 19-21 May 2015 www.blazetech.com 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 6th Pan American Aviation Safety Summit June 22-26th Medellin, Colombia http://www.alta.aero/safety/2015/home.php Fundamentals of IS-BAO April 23, 2015 PCAT Safety Smackdown, San Antonio TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657525 IS-BAO Auditing April 24, 2015 PCAT Safety Smackdown, San Antonio TX USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1657526 Fundamentals of IS-BAO May 12, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1698113 IS-BAO Auditing May 13, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1698115 Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Aviation Technical Writer Garmin www.Garmin.com/careers Curt Lewis