Flight Safety Information June 1, 2015 - No. 106 In This Issue FAA reauthorization must put safety first...By Captain Tim Canoll FAA says Allegiant Air failed to do drug and alcohol tests on safety workers Air Methods Corp. medical flight provider facing FAA safety fine Air France faces new safety probe after freighter scare PIA, CAA take no action against violators of air safety law 3 Killed in Small Plane Crash In Plainview (Texas) One person injured in mid-air crash (Alaska) Italy Plane Crash That Killed One Pilot Caught On Video After Aerobatic Aircraft Collide Passenger Jet Nearly Collides with Drone in Mid-Air ICAO commences safety audit of Nigeria's aviation today Fuel leak detected in aircraft before takeoff (India) Aviation Regulator Set to Revise Cabin Crew Duty Norms (India) PROS 2015 TRAINING Air France 447:...In Memoriam Malaysia Airlines CEO says carrier 'technically bankrupt', set to cut jobs, routes Materials Used in Aircraft Fuselages Mitsubishi MU-2 Safety Culture:...Lessons for Success and Accident-Free Flying Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) FAA reauthorization must put safety first By Captain Tim Canoll Anyone who has boarded a plane has been welcomed with the familiar greeting, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking." What those passengers might not be as familiar with is the rigorous training process these pilots have successfully gone through before they qualify for an airline pilot position and allowed to make that announcement. U.S. pilots must complete thousands of hours of flight, simulator, and classroom training to meet strict standards that ensure the United States continues to maintain the safest aviation system in the world. The impressive safety record in the U.S. commercial aviation industry is a direct reflection of the intensive education, exhaustive training, and experience that are at the core of our profession. Whether a pilot flies passengers or freight, safety is the foundation of everything we do. We also know that our success, and the success of our industry, hinges on putting safety first. That's why, as Congress works to create the framework for the FAA reauthorization, we believe safety has to be the top priority. The legislation that allows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate expires at the end of September, in just a few short months. Congressional leaders are deliberating and attempting to create the framework for a bill that will be signed into law before the current authorization expires. Safety must continue to be the central element of any legislative framework of FAA reauthorization. Unfortunately, not everyone in Washington shares the pilots' views. Some are calling for relaxed pilot training and qualification requirements that would streamline and shorten an individual's entry into the airline pilot profession. Any attempt to reduce oversight, relax safety standards for airline pilot licensing, training, and qualification or to weaken the measures that prevent pilot fatigue reintroduce unacceptable risk to the traveling public and our flight crewmembers. Our paramount goal must be to maintain the highest level of safety in order to safeguard passengers, air cargo, and flight crews. We should not settle for anything less. Airline pilots want to see a clean, on-time FAA reauthorization bill this year that puts safety first. The legislation must reinforce science-based flight and duty rules that mitigate pilot fatigue. The bill must also enable the FAA to fully implement NextGen, which will further increase the level of safety in our industry as well as improve the efficiency and capacity of our aviation system and allow our airlines to grow and remain profitable. In recent years, federal regulations have strengthened our system and maintained its status as the safest in the world. But in the past, extraneous measures caused unnecessary and unacceptable delays for completing FAA reauthorization legislation in a timely fashion - including a string of more than 20 stopgap extensions the last time around that prevented the aviation community from making meaningful progress on a number of fronts. In early June, nearly 200 ALPA pilots from across the country will be meeting in Washington, D.C. to call on Congress to prevent attempts to roll back safety regulations that could delay the passage of the FAA reauthorization bill. This year, Congress must provide the FAA with the dedicated, stable funding necessary to both fulfill its mandate and also move ahead with its vital work to enhance safety and system efficiency. We remain hopeful that this FAA reauthorization will be accomplished without numerous delays and extensions required to enact the current law. The FAA reauthorization legislation is typically the vehicle by which the safety and regulatory standards for the industry are updated and improved. We cannot allow this bill to reverse that trend. ALPA will remain a consistent advocate for protecting and promoting the U.S. aviation industry and making the system even safer and more efficient. We will continue to promote additional safety measures and work to prevent any attempts to roll back safety, but Congress must do its part as well. Captain Canoll is president of the Air Line Pilots Association. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/243456-faa-reauthorization-must-put-safety-first Back to Top FAA says Allegiant Air failed to do drug and alcohol tests on safety workers The FAA says Allegiant Air should be fined more than $266,000 for failing to require random drug and alcohol tests for 25 employees in safety-sensitive jobs. In this Thursday, May 9, 2013, photo, a Southwest airliner comes in for a landing as a row of Allegiant Air jets are parked at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Allegiant began direct service from Syracuse to Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 13. (AP Photo | David Becker) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that Allegiant Air should pay a $266,375 penalty for failing to do random drug and alcohol tests of employees whose duties include safety oversight. The Las Vegas-based discount airline should have included in the random testing program 25 employees who had been hired or transferred into safety-sensitive jobs, the FAA said. Allegiant Air began service in February from Syracuse Hancock International Airport direct to Fort Lauderdale. The FAA also said that one Allegiant employee who had a positive drug test was allowed to take a followup test that was not directly observed, as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The employee was responsible for "multiple safety-sensitive duties following the improperly observed test," the FAA said. Eric Gust, vice president of safety and security for Allegiant Air, said in a statement Friday that the company believes the safety of its passengers was never compromised. "The safety of our passengers and crew is always our number one priority at Allegiant," Gust said. "We are currently reviewing all of the records and events associated with the FAA allegation, however, our initial assessment is that the safety of our operation was not compromised." He added, "We are confident that after further investigation and conference with the FAA, we will be able to resolve all of the allegations to the satisfaction of the FAA." The airline's representatives are scheduled to meet with FAA officials in mid-June to review the case. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/ Back to Top Air Methods Corp. medical flight provider facing FAA safety fine One of the nation's largest providers of medical flight services is facing a hefty fine for allegedly using an unsafe aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday proposed a $91,500 civil penalty against Englewood-based Air Methods Corp. for operating a Bell 407 helicopter allegedly "not in an airworthy condition." "Air Methods operated the aircraft on four flights in October ... when a required torque check inspection on its tail rotor drive shaft components was overdue," a statement from the FAA reads. The flights cited by the FAA were not in Colorado, said Air Methods spokeswoman Christina Brodsly. Air Methods president Mike Allen emphasized that the company is fully cooperating with the FAA investigation, adding that the helicopter was in compliance. "We take safety seriously, and the safe return of our crews and the patients we serve is and always will be our highest priority at Air Methods," Allen said in a statement. "In 2013, Air Methods became the first air medical provider and helicopter operator to achieve the highest level within the FAA's voluntary Safety Management System program." Air Methods, which is based out of the Centennial Airport, has been in business since 1980. The company provides medical flight services for three health care organizations in Colorado - St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Centura Health and HealthOne - and has more than 300 bases serving 48 states, Brodsly said. On May 7, the company released promising first-quarter 2015 results. Revenue increased to $238.3 million from $221.1 million, or about 8 percent, and net income was $12.9 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared with $11.6 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, over the same time last year. Air Methods stock closed Friday at $42.16 after opening at $42. The stock's 52-week high was $60.74 in August 2014, and the low was $40.31 in early February. http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_28214403/air-methods-corp-medical-flight-provider-hit-faa Back to Top Air France faces new safety probe after freighter scare PARIS (Reuters) - Air France faces its second safety investigation in as many weeks after pilots were forced to recover in mid-takeoff after entering the wrong data into the computer of a cargo jet, airline and safety officials said. The mistake over the plane's weight was discovered when the Boeing 777 freighter accelerated too slowly on the runway at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on May 22. Underestimating the weight can result in a plane trying to perform its takeoff without enough thrust or speed, increasing the risk of hitting the ground with the tail or overshooting the end of the runway. A person familiar with the matter said the weight entered into the system of the Mexico-bound jet was drastically lower than the correct value, lagging by as much as 100 tonnes, which is more than a quarter of its maximum takeoff weight. To compensate, pilots had to override previous settings and throttle the aircraft's two engines to their maximum to avoid scraping the ground with the back of the plane. Air France confirmed the incident in response to a query from Reuters and said the crew had been taken off flying duties after reporting the error on reaching their initial destination. "Having understood that the airplane was accelerating too slowly, the crew immediately reacted and applied full power. The aircraft then took off normally," an Air France spokesman said in an emailed statement. A spokeswoman for France's BEA air crash investigation agency said it had launched an investigation in addition to the airline's internal inquiries. "I confirm that an investigation has been opened in response to information provided by Air France," she said. It is the second time this month that Air France has grounded one of its crews and faced a BEA investigation after a Boeing 777 jetliner narrowly avoided hitting Mount Cameroon, an active volcano and the highest peak in Central Africa. DATA RISK In both incidents, the airline said crew had identified the problems in time and responded correctly. The BEA has already alerted the industry to the risks of inserting faulty data into modern cockpit systems. Advances in automation since the 1990s are credited with making flying safer, but there have been about a dozen cases in the past two decades when systems were led astray by wrong data. Pilots are trained to overcome this with repeated cross-checks, but there have been concerns about crews being overloaded or distracted during busy flight preparations. Safety experts say the so-called "hurry up syndrome" is a growing concern as traffic increases, though some aircraft now include systems designed to make it harder to enter errors. In a 2008 study, the BEA said that slow and underpowered takeoffs can lead to a "loss of control of the aircraft". In the worst such incident in October 2004, a Boeing 747-200 operated by MK Airlines overshot the runway at Halifax, Canada, and caught fire, killing all seven crew. The latest cockpit scare echoes an accident in 2009 when an Emirates jet hit lights and an antenna at the end of the runway in Sydney. Investigators found that the A340's crew had also been 100 tonnes out when tapping in the crucial weight data. Air France said that, based on current information, "we have not identified a situation that could have led to an accident", but the BEA will examine whether to make new recommendations. After accusations of complacency following the crash of a jet in the Atlantic in 2009, Air France has sought to overhaul its culture and persuade pilots to be frank about errors to help to improve safety, but unions say they remain overstretched. http://www.thestar.com.my/News/World/2015/05/30/Exclusive--Air-France-faces-new-safety-probe-after- freighter-takeoff-scare/ Back to Top PIA, CAA take no action against violators of air safety law The influential pilot had violated air safety laws and put the lives of over 350 Toronto-bound passengers at risk.-Reuters/File KARACHI: Despite a lapse of over six weeks, no action has been initiated by the aviation regulator as well as by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) against the influential pilot, Qasim Hayat, who violated air safety laws and put the lives of over 350 Toronto-bound passengers at risk, it is learnt here reliably. According to highly placed sources, the PIA, succumbing to the pressure of the influential pilot, has put the issue which it earlier considered "sacrosanct", on the backburner, while the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the aviation regulator, did not even bother responding to queries by Dawn about it. Know more: PIA pilot compromises on air safety of travellers The sources said that Islamabad-based pilot Mr Hayat had not taken the mandatory 24-hour rest before he operated the Toronto-bound flight PK 789 on April 7, 2015. The mandatory rest is prescribed in the CAA's laws so that the air crew is not tired during flight duty, as a fatigued crew can result in a disaster. Sources said that PIA, following the 24-hour mandatory rest requirement in mind, had scheduled Mr Hayat to fly from Islamabad to Lahore on April 5, take rest at a Lahore hotel for two days, and then operate the Canada-bound flight on April 7. Instead, Mr Hayat did not fly from Islamabad to Lahore as scheduled on April 5, and stayed back overnight and then flew to Lahore on the evening of April 6, reaching Lahore late at night, and then operated the Toronto-bound flight early on April 7, after hardly taking seven to eight hours rest. Sources added that out-of-station crew members of the flight operated by Mr Hayat be also included in an inquiry as to why they did not raise objections knowing that the pilot had not taken the mandatory rest; the crew had also taken rest in the same hotel. The names of the crew members, as filled in the list by pilot Mr Hayat are: pilots Anwar, Navid and Zain. Cabin crew included Anwer Sultana, Syed Kashif, Uzma Furqan, Sheema Khan, Saima Arshad, Asim Soomro, Aamir Niaz, Sana Aziz, Qudsia Hassan, Samreen, Kanchan, Anila Iftikhar, Ambar Hasan and Yawar Shehzad. Previously responding to Dawn, PIA spokesperson Aamir Memon had said that "your query highlights the concern PIA considers sacrosanct. We are verifying the matter in all areas of airline operations and will conduct a thorough inquiry and take appropriate action." However, responding to the newspaper on Sunday, a couple of weeks after the issue was highlighted in the media and around six weeks after the incident, Mr Memon said the inquiry had not even been initiated yet as Mr Hayat was on vacation. To another question that every information - his travel to Lahore from Islamabad and then his travel to Toronto from Lahore, his stay at Lahore hotel etc - was a matter of PIA's own record and could be verified by the airline without Mr Hayat being present, Mr Memon insisted that Hayat's presence was necessary. To a question by this reporter, the CAA spokesperson Pervez Geroge did not respond though he was contacted repeatedly through telephone as well as email. Mr Pervez always said that he would ask the officials concerned - in this case deputy director general as well as director of flight standards - but he never gave any reply whether the CAA had initiated an inquiry into this serious violation of air safety law committed by PIA pilot Mr Hayat. The sources said that PIA and CAA did not take any action if the violator was an influential person, as apart from Mr Hayat, another influential PIA pilot, Amir Hashmi, who is also president of the Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), had violated the same 24-hour rest law. A few months back he flew from New York to Pakistan and in another incident flew from Lahore to Canada without taking the required duration of rest before operating these Trans-Atlantic long haul flights putting the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk. The sources said that it was high time the federal government launched a high-level inquiry into the affairs of PIA as well as CAA to investigate why no probe by either organisations was conducted against the violators of air safety law when the issues were highlighted by the media. http://www.dawn.com/news/1185388 Back to Top 3 Killed in Small Plane Crash In Plainview (Texas) Officials say a small plane crashed while leaving an airport in Plainview, killing the three people aboard. The Federal Aviation Administration said late Friday that the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza crashed while departing from the Hale County Airport around 9:15 p.m. and that local authorities said the plane was destroyed by fire after the crash. The FAA said according to a flight plan filed by the pilot, the aircraft was flying from Plainview to San Antonio with three people on board. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that Plainview Fire Chief Rusty Powers said three fatalities were confirmed and their names were being withheld until family members were notified. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board would be in charge of the investigation and investigators had been notified. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/3-Killed-in-Small-Plane-Crash-In-Plainview-305557201.html ************** Date: 29-MAY-2015 Time: 21:15 Type: Beech A36 Bonanza Owner/operator: Moto Air Inc Registration: N221D C/n / msn: E-927 Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Hale County Airport (KPVW), Plainview, TX - United States of America Phase: Take off Nature: Private Departure airport: Hale Co (KPVW) Destination airport: San Antonio, TX Narrative: The aircraft impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Hale County Airport (KPVW), Plainview, Texas. The airplane was consumed by the post-impact fire and the three occupants onboard received fatal injuries. Weather may have been a factor to the event. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top One person injured in mid-air crash (Alaska) A Cessna 150 and a Talkeetna Air Taxi Cessna 185 collided at low altitudes at the Talkeetna airstrip about 5 p.m., Sunday. Emergency responders evaluated six people who were flying in the two planes for injuries. One person was transported by ambulance to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer with non-life- threatening injuries, authorities said. TALKEETNA - Authorities reported no serious injuries after two planes collided in mid-air at the airport Sunday evening. Reports for the collision went out over local EMS radio starting about 5 p.m. The planes were both single-engine craft, both blue-and-white, a Cessna 150 and a Talkeetna Air Taxi Cessna 185. Six people were evaluated at the crash site, and one was transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, said Glenn Stevens, EMS Chief. Stevens directed questions about the aircraft involved to the Federal Aviation Administration and Alaska State Troopers. "We evaluated a total of six patients, five of whom are denying injury, one of whom is being transported to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with light injuries," Stevens said. Responders closed the Talkeetna landing strip about 5:30 p.m., according to radio reports. The collision occurred at a very low altitude, according to Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters. There is no air traffic control at the Talkeetna Airport and all pilots flying using visual flight rules. http://www.frontiersman.com/breaking_news/one-person-injured-in-mid-air-crash/article_456a5ed2- 0808-11e5-8ae3-dffb84dfdec0.html Back to Top Italy Plane Crash That Killed One Pilot Caught On Video After Aerobatic Aircraft Collide A pilot has died after two aerobatic planes collided before the start of an airshow in Italy. Footage taken by onlookers on the beaches of Tortoreto on Italy's Adriatic coast, caught the horrific moment on camera. The two planes were performing a stunt over the beach, both flying close together with one inverted. When the upside-down plane attempted to right itself it careered into the path of the other before plummeting into the sea. The pilot of other plane, Luigi Wilmo Franceschetti, 43, managed to make an emergency landing and was hospitalised with minor injuries (see video below). The body of the other was found under the fuselage of his plane around 2km off the coast. He has been named as Marco Ricci, 47. Both pilots were part of the 'Goodfellas' amateur team and were to take part in the Frecce Tricolori airshow which was cancelled because of the tragedy. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/06/01/italy-plane-crash_n_7482366.html ************** Date: 31-MAY-2015 Time: Type: Van's RV-8 Owner/operator: QBRTeam Registration: I-LOVI C/n / msn: 82041 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Sea of Tortoreta, Alba Adriatica, Teramo, Abruzzo - Italy Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Two aircraft were performing an aerobatics display along the coastline at Alba Adriatica, Italy, when they collided in mid-air. One aircraft, Van's RV-8 I-LOVI, lost a wing and crashed into the sea, killing the pilot. The pilot of the other aircraft, Van's RV-7 I-AMEL, managed to make a forced landing on the shoreline, causing the airplane to flip upside down. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Passenger Jet Nearly Collides with Drone in Mid-Air A passenger jet nearly collided mid-air with a drone at 2,700 feet as it approached New York's LaGuardia Airport Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration says. The crew of Shuttle America Flight 2708 reported climbing 200 feet to avoid a collision as the plane made its final approach to the airport around 11 a.m., according to Newsday. The jet, with 70 to 78 passenger seats, was arriving from Washington, D.C. and landed safely without any reported injuries. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said the incident should be a wake-up call for stricter limits on drone use. "Every drone that's sold in the United States, whether it's made here or abroad, can have built into the drone itself a mechanism that doesn't let it fly in certain places," Schumer said, according to NY1 News. Meanwhile, hours before the drone incident five, commercial airline pilots reported being targeted by green lasers that were pointed at their planes over New York and New Jersey Thursday night, the station reported. The green laser light is considered especially dangerous because it can travel for miles and temporarily blind a pilot. The incidents prompted a warning from air traffic control, the station reported. "To try to impede a pilot flying a commercial flight with lots of people on it with a laser is reckless, dangerous behavior," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, according to NY1 News. Schumer also called for the government to ban the lasers. "Unless we do something, there's going to be something very serious and very bad that happens with these green lasers," he said. Lasers and drones are perhaps the two biggest threats faced by the airline industry, Phil Derner Jr., an aviation research and consulting expert told Fox News. Like bird strikes, the danger presented by drones is that they will get near a plane and be sucked into an engine, he told the network. When laser beams hit a cockpit window, the glass acts like a prism and disperses the blinding light throughout the cockpit, he said. "Drones are stronger than birds and people are flying them in restricted airspace more and more," Derner told Fox News. "It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when, one of these hits an aircraft." http://www.wltx.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/30/passenger-jet-nearly-collides-with-drone-in-mid- air/28215659/ Back to Top ICAO commences safety audit of Nigeria's aviation today WorldStage Newsonline-- A team of aviation safety auditors from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will today begin the Universal Security Audit Programme on Nigeria. The safety audit to run for about nine days and terminate on the June, 9, 2014will look at Nigeria's regulatory framework and national civil aviation security systems, train g of aviation security personnel, quality control functions, airport operations and aircraft and in- flight security. The director general of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Mukthar Usman said the team will also look at passenger and baggage security, cargo, catering and mail security , response to acts of unlawful interference and security aspects of facilitation . He listed the members as : Karen Zadoyan, Steven Neu, Nuno Miguel Silva Ferreira Fortes and Wendy Mueller. Usman said the "objective of the audit is to determine a states' capability for security oversight by assessing the implementation of the critical elements of a security oversight system. "Thereafter, recommendations will be provided for contracting states to improve their security systems and oversight capabilities." He reiterated his call on all stakeholders in the industry to join hands with the Authority to ensure another successful outing similar to the preceding audit of 2008. The NCAA boss said: "In our preparations, adjustments have been made in some areas. These are response to ICAO's compliance checklist, state aviation security activity questionnaire, state corrective action plan (CAP) and review of all relevant NCAA aviation security documentation which includes the National Civil Aviation Security Programme. "Others are National Civil Security Training Programme, National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Programme and Scheduled Inspections, Surveys and Audits of Airports nationwide. "The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is the nation's statutory regulatory Authority responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP)." http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=22607&catid=27 Back to Top Fuel leak detected in aircraft before takeoff (India) Passengers of the Singapore-bound Tiger Airways flight CR 2665 had a narrow escape as a fuel leak from the aircraft was detected before takeoff from the Tiruchi International Airport on Saturday. The leak was detected by a technical team, sources said. Most of the 180 passengers had boarded the aircraft, which was scheduled to take off at 11.45 p.m., when the passengers were informed that a technical problem had been detected and the flight had been held up because of a possible fuel leak. After some time, the passengers were asked to deplane and subsequently given accommodation at a hotel along with crew members. Airport sources said that timely detection had prevented a possible untoward incident. The flight was rescheduled and left for Singapore at 7 p.m. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/fuel-leak-detected-in-aircraft-before- takeoff/article7266166.ece Back to Top Aviation Regulator Set to Revise Cabin Crew Duty Norms (India) New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up a high-level internal committee to revisit the duty and rest period norms for cabin crew and formulate fresh and comprehensive rules. The move comes after aviation regulator DGCA received a number of complaints about airlines allegedly violating the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms for cabin crew. "Of late, DGCA has received a number complaints from cabin crew across airlines alleging that the management had been flouting their FDTL rules by forcing them to operate flights, even during the mandated rest period. The regulator has taken a serious note of these allegations and decided to re-look and revise these norms," sources said. The FDTL for the cabin crew is different than those for the pilots as the former are required to work longer hours. Recently, national carrier Air India had terminated the services of a male cabin crew member and 17 air hostesses accusing them of delaying several international flights. The cabin crew members, against whom Air India has taken action, have contested the allegation saying "they were only adhering to FDTL norms as mandated under the civil aviation requirement". "The committee has already got onto the business and recently held a few meetings with some of the stakeholders including cabin crew from both Air India and private airlines," sources said. The sources said that unlike in the past when these FDTL were formulated without delving "much" into the issue, the regulator this time is adopting a more scientific approach before finalising the new norms. "The existing norms give a lot of scope for misinterpretation both by the airline management as well as the cabin crew. So, the DGCA this time round is going deeper into the various International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations to plug such loopholes." "Besides, it is collecting reports from various global airlines to incorporate the best industry practices before giving a final shape to the new guidelines," the sources said. http://profit.ndtv.com/news/aviation/article-aviation-regulator-set-to-revise-cabin-crew-duty-norms- report-767458 Back to Top Back to Top Air France 447: In Memoriam By Roger Rapoport Today, June 1, is the 6th anniversary of the catastrophic crash of Air France 447 on a flight from Rio to Paris. Lost for 22 months in the Atlantic, the plane was recovered after one of the most expensive and difficult sea searches in aviation history. The distinguished French aviation journalist Pierre Sparaco has said that all aviation history will be divided into two chapters, before and after Air France 447. For the friends and families of the 228 passengers and crew lost , this day is an opportunity to memorialize their loved ones. For the aviation safety community today is also a chance to review some of the ways that this tragedy has helped shift the industry to a renewed focus on stick and rudder training as well as more simulator time. The events that led up to the tragic loss have been the subject of two outstanding investigations led by the French BEA and a Paris court. The brilliant 16 month French government analysis concluded that both automation and human errors contributed to the tragedy. While the BEA's work is done, the manslaughter case continues. In the meantime Air France, Airbus, airlines, regulators, pilots, and aviation schools worldwide have all embraced the lessons learned by these investigations. Numerous simulators help pilots learn from the scenario that took the plane from cruise altitude to the Atlantic in a little over 4 minutes. Sadly some of the valuable recommendations from the BEA have not been adopted. At least one, a call for better transoceanic tracking systems, could have made it possible to quickly locate still missing Malaysia Air 370. Fortunately many other suggestions, particularly in the realm of stall recovery procedures, crew resource management, unreliable airspeed training, software and hardware modifications have made flying safer. In addition, one airline, Lufthansa, is now adopting transoceanic weather technology forecasting streamed via satellites. This approach will help pilots avoid the kind of convective storms that triggered Air France 447. The best way to honor those lost is to implement many of the other sound recommendations found in the BEA's first rate report on this accident. If the industry is unable to afford these changes it would make sense to add a passenger surcharge to cover the cost. In future articles we'll take a look at the case for the BEA's timely ideas that can make aviation safer. Roger Rapoport is the author of The Rio Paris Crash: Air France 447 and the producer of the feature film Pilot Error. Back to Top Malaysia Airlines CEO says carrier 'technically bankrupt', set to cut jobs, routes Malaysia Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport July 21, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su The newly appointed chief executive of loss-making Malaysia Airlines said on Monday the carrier is "technically bankrupt", underlining the case for a restructuring to cut a third of jobs, scrap some international routes and review its long-haul fleet. "We are technically bankrupt...the decline of performance started long before the tragic events of 2014," Christoph Mueller said, speaking at a news conference. Already squeezed into years of losses by stiff regional competition, the carrier was seriously affected last year by two separate jet disasters. Mueller was making his first public appearance as CEO since being hired last month by the carrier's owner, Malaysian state fund Khazanah, to lead the restructuring. Khazanah, previously the majority owner, took the airline private last year as part of a 6 billion Malaysian ringgit ($1.63 billion) plan aimed at returning it to profit within three years. The carrier on Monday said its new legal entity is Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB), replacing the previous Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS), with Mueller promising to unveil a full corporate rebranding in future. The carrier also confirmed previously disclosed plans to cut 6,000 jobs, shrinking its workforce to 14,000, are now being implemented. "We will remain a full service international carrier connecting continents," Mueller said, adding that while some international routes will go there were no plans to turn it into a regional carrier. He also said there would be no cutbacks in domestic network. Capacity measures would include "reducing aircraft size on certain routes, reducing frequency on certain routes, and certain cases abandoning the route altogether," he said. As part of the restructuring, the airline will review the fleet of 13 Boeing Co (BA.N) 777-200ER jets it uses on some long-haul routes, while planning to find buyers for two of six Airbus Group (AIR.PA) A380 aircraft it currently operates on flights to destinations like London. It plans to keep the remainder of its fleet intact. Before joining the Malaysian carrier, the 52-year-old German national successfully restructured Ireland's state-backed Aer Lingus [AERLI.UL] and spearheaded a revamp at Lufthansa (LHAG.DE). The executive told Reuters in an interview last week that he was aiming for a much smaller network and fleet, as well as a sharper focus on cost-cutting. In its last earnings announcement as a public company, the airline recorded its worst quarterly loss since late 2011 as passenger numbers and yields dropped further after the loss of the two jets. Flight MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared in March last year, in what has become one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. Last July, Flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, and all 298 aboard were killed. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-malaysia-airline-briefing-idUSKBN0OH1MR20150601 Back to Top Materials Used in Aircraft Fuselages British Airways Airbus A321-231 taking off from Boryspil airport, Ukraine The fuselage is the principal structure of an aircraft and the part to which all other units attach. It supplies room for the crew, passengers, freight, accessories and other important equipment. Aerodynamics mostly dictate the size and layout of the various compartments in fuselages of conventional aircraft. Only highly-specialized, modern planes, like the SR-71 Blackbird, vary distinctly from conventional planes with respect to their design and materials used to build them. During the early days of aviation, primitive fuselages were built with wood. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, airplane manufacturers started producing more fuselages from aluminum and steel. These metals offered more stability and greater protection from the elements. Many military and reconnaissance planes today are made from titanium or carbon composite materials because of the unique advantages these materials offer. Some airplane fuselages are constructed in what is called a monocoque design, a design that relies largely on the strength of the plane's shell to carry different loads. A semimonocoque fuselage has the shell reinforced by a complete framework of structural members. Bending stresses on a semimonocoque fuselage are absorbed by reinforcement beams called "longerons," which usually extend across the width of the plane. These supports are supplemented by other members, called "stringers," which stretch the length of the craft. Stringers are lighter, but used more extensively than longerons. Vertical reinforcements on a fuselage are referred to as bulkheads, frames, and formers. These reinforcements are spaced out to carry stress at points where other units, such as the wings and engines, are attached. Building the Airbus A330-200 from start to finish These elements aid in the construction of a streamlined fuselage, adding to the strength and rigidity of a monocoque design. A typical semimonocoque fuselage can sustain considerable damage and still hold together. Military fighter planes and other small aircraft typically have two or more fuselage sections. Larger planes can have up to six different sections. Maintenance workers may access systems and equipment within the fuselage through several doors, panels, and other openings. The locations of these access points can be found by referencing servicing diagrams and manuals released by the manufacturer for each type of aircraft. It should be noted that aircraft fuselages aren't typically made from a single material. For example, a plane may have structural members made of aluminum and an exterior made of steel. Wooden Fuselage For obvious reasons, the early pioneers of aviation were concerned about the weight of their planes. The Wright brothers and others were limited by the engines of their time, and therefore they built wooden planes to keep the overall weight as low as possible. Aeronautical engineering design and technology improved throughout the first two decades of the 20th century and by the outbreak of the First World War - classic wire-braced, wood-and-fabric biplanes were required. The German military's famed Red Baron flew numerous wooden planes during his legendary dogfights. Wood fuselages are still being made today, albeit often by hobbyists building their own lightweight planes. Aluminum Fuselage Advancements in engine technology in the 1930s allowed engineers to turn to metal designs, and aluminum was the primary metal to usher in the dawn of the all-metal aircraft. The aluminum used to make planes is always blended with other metals to make it strong and light. While aluminum fuselages don't corrode as easily as those made of steel, aluminum isn't used on the surface of many supersonic planes because heat generated by the friction from flying at such speeds causes aluminum's strength to decrease. Boeing's 247D and the Douglas DC-3 are largely credited with the mainstreaming of metal aircraft during the 1930s and these planes don't appear all that different from the aircraft we see today. The 247D was around 50 percent faster than the competition when it was put into service by United Air Lines in 1933. The DC-3 debuted two years later on the 32nd anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic flight. Despite being expected to be retired in the 1950s, the DC-3 has been used for more than 80 years and can still be seen flying today. Steel fuselage Stronger and stiffer, but also heavier, steel aircraft were also built in the 1930s. The heavier weight of steel prevented it from becoming a popular fuselage material. However, the metal is used to make certain parts of an aircraft. Its strength and stiffness make it ideally suited for use in landing gears. The heat resistance of steel also makes it desirable for use in the skin of supersonic planes. Built in 1932, the Beechcraft Staggerwing is a primary example of an airplane with a steel fuselage. The Staggerwing was expansive to produce and became popular as a fast, business airplane. Titanium Fuselages With the same strength as steel and much lighter, titanium and titanium alloys are ideal materials for building aircraft. These metals also resist corrosion better than both aluminum and steel. However, the production of airplanes made from titanium is very costly, which largely prohibits wide commercial use of most titanium airplanes. The most prominent example of a titanium fuselage is the SR-71 Blackbird. First flown in December 1964, the SR-71 was a staple of US air reconnaissance during the Cold War. During its 24 years of service, the Blackbird spent around 2,800 hours in the air. On March 6, 1990, the SR-71 flew its last flight from Los Angeles to Washington DC in 1 hour and 4 minutes, at an average speed of around 2,100 miles per hour. Carbon Composites Fuselages Graphite epoxy, or carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, has become a popular choice for today's state-of-the- art commercial aircraft. Made from resilient carbon fibers embedded in an epoxy resin, carbon composite materials can be stacked in a number of ways to meet the various demands of maintaining integrity during high-speed flight. These carbon-fiber materials are about as strong as aluminum, yet half the weight. Carbon composite materials haven't gained widespread use in the aviation industry just yet, but Boeing's 787 Dreamliner was the first major plane to use the materials in over half of its fuselage. http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=12084 Back to Top Mitsubishi MU-2 Safety Culture: Lessons for Success and Accident-Free Flying By Pat Cannon, President, Turbine Aircraft Services (Article one of a two part series) So, what is a "Safety Culture"? While a number of definitions exist, one of the most common definitions is "The product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization's health and safety management." "Safety Culture" is also defined and demonstrated daily by the Mitsubishi MU-2 product support program consisting of the pilots, owners and service centers along with the support team of the manufacturer and its U.S. subsidiary, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA) and Turbine Aircraft Services (TAS). Through the development of a strong safety culture, there is no argument that the Mitsubishi MU-2 Turboprop now enjoys the reputation of being the safest aircraft in its class. According to Bob Breiling, the industry-wide respected arbiter of everything relating to safety for turboprops; "In my history of gathering and reporting aircraft accident and incident statistics, the turn-around in reducing accidents by Mitsubishi for the MU-2 series airplanes is truly remarkable." According to Breiling & Associates: From 2007 (Year that SFAR 108 aircraft specific training was adopted) through 2014, turboprop accidents per 100,000 flight hours were: Accidents Fatal Accidents MU-2 Series 0.97 0.28 Overall Turboprop[1] Fleet Avg. 1.51 0.50 Breiling remarked, "The MU-2 Accident and Fatal Accident statistics are much better than any other turboprop airplane in its class. I wish other manufacturers would conduct similar programs. The FAA should look to the success of the MU-2 program and consider requiring type specific pilot training and qualification mandates such as the MU-2 SFAR." He also recommends taking to heart lessons learned from aircraft mishaps. HISTORICALLY As many remember all too well, it has not always been that way for the sometimes controversial MU-2 airplane. I found it interesting, from my own informal survey, that when I quizzed those who had only negative comments about the MU-2, I found that they had very little, if any, actual time in operation of the airplane. Most had heard from someone who knew someone else who said that the airplane was really dangerous to operate. So what was done? What turned things around? First, a dedicated pro-active attitude on the part of MHIA in reducing accidents along with the strong support of TAS and the MU-2 owners and operators was the spark that led to the development of such a noteworthy safety culture. As early as the mid 1980s, Mitsubishi Aircraft International (MAI) recognized that the accidents that were occurring were not the fault of the airplane, but rather the lack of proper training and maintenance. Since all that was needed to legally fly a sophisticated twin turboprop was a twin engine rating, pilots often receive their training and rating in a very simple light twin and they would immediately be eligible to step up to a much more advanced high performance twin turboprop. In the late 1980s, prices dropped for all airplanes and as a result, the MU-2 could be purchased for about the same price as a Bonanza. This was a lot of "bang for the buck". The MU-2 was very fast and reliable making it the choice for freight and check hauling, resulting in "buy it cheap, fly it cheap and maintain it cheap". In an effort to offset the lack of a standardized training program that was required for the jet fleet and air carrier fleet, MHIA petitioned the FAA to institute a "type rating" requirement for MU-2 pilots. When the FAA refused to take this action, in 1994, MHIA instituted the Pilot's Review of Proficiency (PROP) seminars free to all MU-2 pilots, owners and operators at three to four locations in the U.S on a biennial schedule. While PROP was not intended to be a training program, it was beneficial in addressing MU-2 operations and providing a forum for frank discussions of past MU-2 accidents and the error chain involved, as well as piloting technique. PROP was immediately successful and the MU-2 accident rate declined significantly. Accidents continued to occur, but not to those who were religiously attending PROP and who were receiving professional training, especially the combination of flying the aircraft and simulator training. When the aircraft specific initial requalification and recurrent training requirements of Special Federal Aviation Regulation 108 (SFAR 108) were finally mandated by the FAA in 2008, a dramatic reduction of MU-2 accidents and incidents resulted. Apparently this standardized training program, with input from the MU-2 community and the FAA, was the final push for safety culture to firmly take hold. There are also less obvious reasons for the MU-2's current stellar record and those reasons lie behind the curtain of engineering, maintenance and training. Pride in ownership supported by an energized public perception campaign, friendly competition among owners and pilots and scheduled fun events all add up to a unique safety culture of the entire MU-2 community. SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS Turbine Aircraft Services (TAS) and MHIA combine to form the backbone of that MU-2 safety culture. With MHIA funding, TAS has been organizing the PROPs since 1994 as part of MHIA's Aircraft Product Support program. As the President of TAS, I am proud that the program has owned the top spot on Aviation International News' owner-polled product support survey for more than a decade. A combination of the PROP program (attendance has never been higher, over 90% of MU-2 owners attend PROP), Fly-ins and constant owner chatter on social media, provide a catalyst where MU-2 pilots can associate with their peers, talk training and develop a safety mentality. I'm proud to be a part of that remarkable culture that makes the plane more fun and safer to fly. Just ask former National Business Aviation Association Chairman of the Board Dick Shine. A former Air Force C-130 driver and MU-2 owner since 1982. Dick uses his MU-2 for his Buffalo, NY business and for pleasure. "I believe that most MU-2 operators actually look forward to the training events as a way to brush up on the airplane and their piloting techniques. In general, I would describe the MU-2 community as one that wants to keep the outstanding safety record intact, and is willing to do the training and maintenance necessary to preserve the great safety record we have achieved over the past eight years. The proof of this is the great turnout we get every two years for the PROP seminars. The great safety record has increased the confidence of the entire aviation community in the airplane, and we are seeing a number of new people considering the MU-2, which would likely not have been the case 8-10 years ago," says the seasoned MU-2 owner/operator Shine. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Mitsubishi continues to step up its public support of the aircraft to promote safety and further instill a sense of pride in being an MU-2 owner and operator. That sense of pride is an important part of the MU-2 equation that has resulted in the safest aircraft in its class. To that end, MHIA and TAS actively fund public relations that puts the MU-2 in the best light and work with Congress, the FAA, and aviation associations like NBAA, GAMA, AOPA , the news media and others. MHIA sponsors aviation hero Barrington Irving, the first African American and at one time the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world. MHIA's Dream & Soar program with Barrington Irving as its spokesperson advocating aviation and Science Technology Engineering and Math careers, has presented an aviation-focused inspirational message to more than 15,000 students around the U.S. during the last 6 years. In its continuing commitment to safety and to the MU-2 flying community, MHI has also recently undertaken a review and updating process for its training video to prepare pilots who encounter icing conditions during flight. The completely updated video will be released in late 2015 and will become the new training standard for encounters with icing conditions. In 1997 MHI was the first manufacturer to introduce such an ice encounter training video which the FAA mandated MU-2 pilots to view at least once every two years. The effect of this video was immediately noticed and there has not been a known icing incident involving an MU-2 since the video's creation and distribution. Other manufacturers have since followed MHI's lead and have introduced similar training videos for icing conditions. Combining statistics, maintenance, training, tangibles and intangibles, the MU-2 experience is spelling unprecedented safety and success for the owners and operators of this very special plane. (Article one of a two article series to be featured in tomorrow's Flight Safety edition. In the next article we read more about what others in the MU-2 family think about their aircraft and the success of the exclusive community's safety culture) [1] Piper PA-46TP Conversion, PA-46 TP 500, Avanti P-180, TBM Series, Turbo Commander Series Back to Top Upcoming Events: IS-BAO Auditing June 10, 2015 Toluca, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1710550 Fundamentals of IS-BAO June 15, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659064 IS-BAO Auditing June 16, 2015 CBAA 2015: St. Hubert, Quebec Canada https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659075 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 Safety Management Systems Training & Workshop Course offered by ATC Vantage Inc. Tampa, FL August 6-7, 2015 www.atcvantage.com/training Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection & Investigation Course 9-11 Sept. 2015 Hotel Ibis Nanterre La Defense (near Paris) France http://blazetech.com/resources/pro_services/FireCourse-France_2015.pdf Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International APPLY HERE Manager Safety & Compliance Maintenance and Continued Airworthiness Air Astana APPLY HERE Director of Safety Haverfield Aviation www.haverfield.com Send CV to: HR@Haverfield.com Curt Lewis