Flight Safety Information June 11, 2015 - No. 114 In This Issue American flight veers off runway at Charlotte airport Delta flight lands safely at Sky Harbor with blown tire Centennial Airport noise-monitor data helping with mitigation efforts Laser pointer targeted at airplane near Fargo airport Air India breaches safety norms again, makes crew member fly on passenger pass Fatal A400M crash linked to data-wipe mistake Mayday: PIA pilots, management heading for confrontation NTSB: No evidence that Amtrak engineer used phone at time of crash PROS 2015 TRAINING Delta to acquire 60 new aircraft upon pilot ratification of tentative agreement Harvard University Pilot Health Study Graduate Research - Pilot Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) American flight veers off runway at Charlotte airport An American Airlines flight headed from North Carolina to Paris on Wednesday evening veered off the runway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, leaving a 15-foot-long hole in the ground but no one was hurt, an American spokeswoman said. Flight 786 was lining up on the runway preparing for takeoff when it veered off as it attempted a U-turn, airline spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello said. The pilot may have miscalculated, causing the mishap, Aran Coello said. Maintenance crews came onto the tarmac to assess the situation and cleared the plane for takeoff about 30 minutes later, she said. According to the Flight Aware flight tracking website, the Airbus 330-300 was due to arrive at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport about an hour late Thursday morning. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2015/06/10/american-flight-charlotte-runway/71047828/ Back to Top Delta flight lands safely at Sky Harbor with blown tire A Delta flight on its way to Phoenix from New York landed safely Wednesday morning, despite a blown tire. Flight 2832 from New York's JFK International Airport landed without incident at Sky Harbor International Airport, after the flight crew received an indication of a deflated tire on one of the aircraft's main landing gear. The Boeing 737-800 was towed to the gate where passengers deplaned normally. Delta maintenance technicians were later seen working on the plane to replace the affected tire. There were 132 passengers and 6 crew members on board the flight. http://www.kpho.com/story/29290152/delta-flight-lands-safely-at-sky-harbor-with-blown- tire#ixzz3ckSPRhKx Back to Top Centennial Airport noise-monitor data helping with mitigation efforts A noise monitor sits near the end of the runway at Centennial Airport on June 4. CENTENNIAL AIRPORT -Considering that some 318,000 flights either took off or landed in 2014, it's unlikely Centennial Airport is ever going to be a quiet neighbor. But thanks to a $1.4 million investment in a noise and operations management system in 2013, complete with 12 strategically placed, pole-mounted noise monitors in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, officials have a more accurate picture than ever before of the aural disturbances in the area and are putting that data to use in community outreach. "Before, we were reliant on people calling in and saying, "Hey, a jet just flew over my house,'" Centennial noise and planning specialist Scott Drexler said last week as he demonstrated the noise software available for public use on the airport website. "Now, when somebody says that, we can correlate that specific noise complaint to a specific aircraft." The system - 95 percent paid for by a Federal Aviation Administration grant - has been connected with FAA radar data and local air traffic control recordings since January 2014. Piecing that source information together allows the airport to directly attribute which noise events - say sounds measured in the 80 to 90 decibel range - were caused by Centennial flights, according to Mike Fronapfel, the airport's deputy director of planning and development. "Before, we couldn't say if it was a DIA aircraft or a Centennial one," he said. "Now we can definitively say, 'This is what's going on.' " The system allows residents to track noise data practically in real time, and file complaints online, which are then automatically logged into a database. An April 2015 report presented to the airport's Community Noise Roundtable group last week showed that of 188 complaints logged that month, 67 of them - more than 35 percent - came from five households in unincorporated Douglas County. Lone Tree City Councilman Harold Anderson, chair of the roundtable and a pilot himself, said the specific data allows for a more targeted response to noise issues. "We're going to approach some people and offer to put one of the portables noise monitors in their backyards," he said. "We will be able to truly measure if they are overly sensitive or if there is a issue with noise in their area." "They're certainly working out," he added of the devices. "They're really giving us some hard data." Drexler debuted the airport's two mobile monitors last fall and said the site specific data is a great tool for land use and development recommendations. Ryan Sarni lives in Cherry Creek Vista South neighborhood, just a few miles north of the airport. He is a liaison to the noise roundtable, and while he said he and other residents are grateful for the monitors and the airport's efforts to limit noise, he sees room to improve. In particular, he said when flight schools engage in "touch-and-go" takeoff and landing practice, the skies can get crowded and planes often expand their circular pattern around the airport, impacting residents to the north of Arapahoe Road. He wants the roughly 3-mile-long flight pattern loop recommended by the airport more strictly adhered to, possibly through imposing a limit on the number of aircraft that can do touch and goes at one time. Fronapfel said the airport cannot legally restrict the number of takeoffs and landings for noise reasons as such an action puts FAA funding at risk, but he said a vast majority of pilots are respectful of Centennial's quiet flying guidelines. "This is something that I plan to work on for years and hopefully come to a better balance," Sarni said. "The airport has a right to do business and we have a right to safety and as little noise as is feasible." Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953, jrubino@denverpost.com or twitter.com/RubinoJC Centennial airport noise To log a complaint, visit the tracking page at dpo.st/noise or call 303-790-4709. http://www.denverpost.com/arapahoeco/ci_28283334/centennial-airport-noise-monitor-data-helping- mitigation-efforts Back to Top Laser pointer targeted at airplane near Fargo airport FARGO (AP) - Fargo police say someone targeted a laser pointer at an airplane when it was about 12 miles south of Hector International Airport late Tuesday. Sgt. Tom Shaw said the pilot reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration tower at the airport, and police were notified. Officers searched the estimated location of the laser pointer but found no one. Lasers pose a safety risk to planes because they can temporarily blind pilots. Pointing a laser into the cockpit of a plane carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/laser-pointer-targeted-at-airplane-near-fargo- airport/article_7cd931fb-fc0b-5869-b7ad-9988472c49e2.html Back to Top Air India breaches safety norms again, makes crew member fly on passenger pass Air India Express flight IX 243, which was supposed to take off at 8.30 am on Friday, was delayed by over 90 minutes as one of the six crew members lacked an Airport Entry Pass; in violation of safety norms, the crew member was allowed to fly after being given a boarding pass meant for passengers It appears that once bitten, twice shy does not apply to officials of Air India Express. On Friday, passengers of a Mumbai-Doha flight had to wait for over 90 minutes at T2 because a crew member did not have the required Airport Entry Pass. The same flight had been delayed for the same reason in January, but it seems no lessons have been learnt. What's even more alarming is that security norms were breached, both in January and on Friday, when crew members were allowed to fly using boarding passes meant for passengers. Air India Express flight IX 243 (Mumbai-Doha) was supposed to take off at 8.30 am, but it left only after 10 am leaving its 96 passengers fuming because one of the two crew members did not have an Airport Entry pass. A source from the airline said, "Two such crew members (without AEP) had been scheduled for the flight. Though the officials were intimated beforehand to replace both of them, they replaced only one. A senior crew member was replaced and the name of a female crew member, who lacked an AEP, remained in the roster." The source also alleged that the administrative section of the airline in Mumbai had failed to keep track of the expired AEPs and coordinate with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for timely renewel of these passes that are issued annually. A senior airport official confirmed that the woman travelled as crewmember using a boarding pass instead of an AEP. He said she was allowed to enter the airport and board the flight after the airline officials personally met the security guard and vouched for her. "She violated the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) safety norms by flying on a boarding pass meant for passengers as a supplementary crew member," the official said. Scheduling troubles A senior official from the airline blamed the problems on new recruits being assigned the responsibility of scheduling the roster "The shifting of the Air India Office to Delhi has resulted in a change of staffers. Here (in Mumbai), retired crewmembers were hired as schedulers. But in Delhi, the job has been handed over to the new recruits. Their lack of experience and knowledge in updating rosters results in such confusions," the officials said. Despite repeated phone calls, none of the airline representatives were available for comments. Even emails went unanswered. mid-day has been trying to contact the airline for three days. Passenger speak One the passengers, requesting anonymity, said, "Apart from offering an apology, the on-duty staff did not give any justification for the delay." Previous incident On January 2, Mumbai-Doha flight IX 243, carrying 161 passengers, was delayed by three hours because four of the six crew members had expired AEPs. Only the pilot and the co-pilot had valid AEPs. Even then, the airline had made the crew members travel using boarding passes meant for passengers. http://www.mid-day.com/articles/air-india-breaches-safety-norms-again-makes-crew-member-fly-on- passenger-pass/16281173 Back to Top Fatal A400M crash linked to data-wipe mistake Three of four propeller engines malfunctioned, causing an A400M aircraft to crash in May A military plane crash in Spain was probably caused by computer files being accidentally wiped from three of its engines, according to investigators. Plane-maker Airbus discovered anomalies in the A400M's data logs after the crash, suggesting a software fault. And it has now emerged that Spanish investigators suspect files needed to interpret its engine readings had been deleted by mistake. This would have caused the affected propellers to spin too slowly. The aeroplane crashed near Seville, during a test flight on 9 May, killing four crew members on board. Several countries that had already accepted deliveries of the plane - including the UK - grounded them following the accident. However, Airbus has announced it plans to fly one of its own A400M aircraft at the Paris Air Show next week. Two pilots and two test engineers were killed in the crash last month "We have complete confidence in the A400M, and we are delighted to fly our demo as planned," said Airbus executive Fernando Alonso in a statement. Stuck in idle The latest revelations about the investigation were first reported by the Reuters news agency. It said the focus of the inquiry was a theory that files known as "torque calibration parameters" had been accidentally deleted during a software installation process ahead of the plane's first flight. A source later confirmed this to the BBC. The control systems of the A400M aircraft are heavily automated. Each engine is run by a separate computer called an Electronic Control Unit. The ECUs take the pilot's inputs and make the engines they control respond in the optimum way. The parameter files are used by the ECUs to interpret sensor readings about the turning force generated by each engine - the torque - which is used to make the attached propellers spin. Without the files, the ECUs cannot make sense of this data. This would explain why three of the plane's four engines did not respond properly to the crew's attempts to adjust their power settings shortly after take-off. Airbus has already confirmed that its pilots had tried switching the malfunctioning engines into "flight idle" mode - their lowest power setting - in an attempt to tackle the problem. The pilots were unable to bring three of the engines back out of "idle mode" Without the parameter files, the engines would have been left stuck in this mode. This is because the planes were deliberately designed to prevent out-of-control engines powering back up, to avoid them causing other problems. It was not foreseen that three propellers would be affected simultaneously, making it impossible to keep the plane airborne. "We are working closely with the official investigation, and we will act in accordance with the information that is discovered but are not able to discuss the findings," a spokesman for Airbus told the BBC. Spain's Ministry of Defence, which is leading the investigation, has said it is not permitted to discuss the matter. Grounded planes A400M planes were created to give Europe's Nato partners independent access to heavy aircraft to transport troops and large weaponry. The UK, France, Malaysia, Turkey and Germany have already taken deliveries of the plane. A400M Airbus is still trying to attract further orders of the A400M The accident involved a model built for the Turkish Air Force. While the investigation continues, Spain has prohibited Airbus from flying other new A400M planes, meaning it cannot carry out the test flights required for dozens of uncompleted orders. The longer the inquiry continues, the greater the financial consequences will be, as Airbus will not be paid until those deliveries occur. Airbus was already under pressure because the A400M project is years behind schedule and hugely over budget. The company can, however, continue to fly its own existing "development" A400M aircraft. It will be one of these planes that appears at the air show in Le Bourget next week. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33078767 Back to Top Mayday: PIA pilots, management heading for confrontation Pilots refuse to operate flights without proper rest, says Palpa. PHOTO: AFP KARACHI: Pilots of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the management are heading for another confrontation on issues ranging from a revision in the agreement covering allowances to mandatory rest before taking flights. The cockpit crew of the airline is clubbed together under the Pakistan Airline Pilots' Association (Palpa), the most influential body representing the aviation industry professionals. Whenever relations between pilots and the management become sour, the airline's operation and revenue take a bad hit. According to Palpa, pilots have started to refuse to operate flights without proper rest and as a consequence at least eight departures including one to London from Lahore have been cancelled on Thursday. But on the other hand, the airline has dismissed the information as a "lie". "No flight has been cancelled. This is a lean season for us, hence we are merging flights together. This will go on for three to four days," said a PIA spokesperson. Nevertheless, Palpa President Amir Hashmi said pilots were not being allowed proper rest and being called to perform duty on short notice in violation of internationally accepted rules. "It's a safety hazard. In some instances, pilots are informed about their schedule two hours before a flight. That's completely unacceptable," he said. PIA has around 450 pilots for a fleet of just 25 operational aircraft at any given time - that's 18 pilots per jet. But Hashmi said the number of senior pilots who can fly bigger jets like Boeing 777 is only 80. "Management wants to talk but what is the point when they are not willing to listen to us," he said. While he didn't talk much about it, the agreement with the management covering the salaries and allowances of pilots also seems to be a point of contention. "Everyone works for money and when it comes to PIA pilots they have genuine demands. Don't forget we have sacrificed much better job offers only to serve our national flag carrier." http://tribune.com.pk/story/901473/mayday-pia-pilots-management-heading-for-confrontation/ Back to Top NTSB: No evidence that Amtrak engineer used phone at time of crash "Analysis of (Bostian's) phone records does not indicate that any calls, texts or data usage occurred during the time the engineer was operating the train," the NTSB said in a statement Wednesday. Amtrak's records show that the engineer didn't use the train's Wi-Fi system while operating the locomotive, the NTSB said. Amtrak Northeast Regional Train No. 188 was bound for New York when it derailed in Philadelphia at 9:21 p.m. The train had just entered a curve at 106 mph, though the curve had a speed limit of 50 mph. The engineer applied emergency brakes as it entered the curve, but the locomotive and all seven passenger cars derailed, the NTSB said in a preliminary report. Laura Finamore, who was born and raised in Queens, New York, was known for her infectious laugh and sparkling smile. While the records show the phone wasn't being used to make or receive calls or texts or download Internet data at the time of the crash, investigators haven't determined whether the phone was off, the NTSB said. An attorney for Bostian, Robert Goggin, said last month that Bostian wasn't drunk, drugged or distracted by his cell phone on the night of the crash. Bostian told investigators he was not ill or tired, felt "fully qualified and ... reported no problems with his train handling," NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said last month. Video shows train speeding up before derailment Investigators have been frustrated by the lack of clarity about what went on inside the cab of the train that crashed. Currently, Amtrak trains have cameras facing outward, along with a so-called black box, or data recorder that measures locomotive and engineer actions. Amtrak announced in late May that it would begin installing inward-facing cameras. After the crash, the Federal Railway Administration also ordered Amtrak to add more speed limit signs along the tracks. Amtrak also has installed technology on the northbound side that would slow a train down automatically as it enters that curve in Philadelphia if it is going too fast. http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/10/us/amtrak-crash-investigation/ Back to Top Back to Top Delta to acquire 60 new aircraft upon pilot ratification of tentative agreement ATLANTA, GA - Delta Air Lines will enter into an aircraft acquisition deal with The Boeing Co. for 20 Embraer E190 aircraft and 40 additional new 737-900ERs upon ratification of a tentative agreement covering more than 12,000 Delta pilots. The tentative agreement was approved for membership ratification today by the Delta Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The tentative agreement provides enhancements to overall pilot compensation-including base pay increases- along with a revision of the airline's profit sharing formula beginning in 2016. Additionally, this accord would secure additional career advancement opportunities for Delta pilots while providing the airline with productivity enhancements and further fleet flexibility across the airline's U.S. domestic system. "Our airline's culture of working and winning together has long set Delta apart from others in our industry," said Richard Anderson, Delta's Chief Executive Officer. "This tentative agreement with ALPA reflects the key role and contributions of our pilots in our excellent financial and operational performance." The MEC will put the tentative agreement out to pilots for a ratification vote. If approved, the agreement would have an amendable date of Dec. 31, 2018. "We fully support the Delta MEC's endorsement of this agreement and are optimistic of its approval by our pilots," Anderson said. "This continues the investments we've made in our people and in our products and services for our customers. These moves will continue to drive the industry-leading performance that has allowed us to return more than $3 billion to shareholders and still reward our employees with industry- leading profit sharing." Upon ratification of the agreement, Delta will acquire 20 Boeing-held Embraer E190 aircraft previously operated by another carrier. The E190s will enter mainline Delta service in the fourth quarter of 2016. "These 98-seat mainline aircraft will be flown by Delta pilots," Anderson said. "The capability and aptitude of all Delta people has already shown that they are the best in the business at managing a diverse fleet while keeping costs in check and never compromising safety. These cost-efficient aircraft will play a key role as we strive to achieve higher returns for our shareholders, and we thank Boeing for their important partnership." The E190 will be deployed on U.S. domestic routes to improve the flying experience for Delta customers and continue the shift of flying away from inefficient 50-seat regional jets as part of the company's successful upgauging strategy. Delta will also order an additional 40 new Boeing 737-900ERs, augmenting an existing order of the efficient and reliable aircraft to 140 in total. Delta plans to deploy these aircraft as replacements for other narrowbody aircraft scheduled to retire through 2019. Negotiating committees for Delta and ALPA reached a tentative agreement on June 4. In the ensuing days, the tentative agreement was reviewed and subsequently approved by the Delta MEC on June 10. http://www.eturbonews.com/60071/delta-acquire-60-new-aircraft-upon-pilot-ratification-tentative- Back to Top Harvard University Pilot Health Study Researchers at Harvard University, are conducting the largest anonymous airline pilot health study to date.(www.pilothealthstudy.org) This study is open to current, retired, and airline and corporate pilots. It will be used to research the environmental effects of the unique cockpit environment. Including fatigue, air quality, radiation, noise, and additional areas. To date, the study has pilots from over 23 countries participating. We would like you to participate and pass it on to your fellow pilots. Safety is enhanced through knowledge! Back to Top Graduate Research - Pilot Survey Dear pilot This survey is part of a research for master degree in safety engineering. In this survey we would like to have your opinion on parameters regarding workload during the following flight phases: approach, landing and missed approach. It is important for us to get your perspective on these parameters according to your own professional experience. This survey is appointed to Air Carrier "GLASS COCKPIT" trained pilots. However, Air Carrier Non "GLASS COCKPIT" pilots are welcome to answer this survey as well. Please note that this survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Kind regards Jack Limor https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1E24NQIZrPQM7tFOCAFz0y4uQvell44TZ2d0ZfSc4Skw/viewform?c=0&w=1 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 Fundamentals of IS-BAO July 7, 2015 Alexandria, VA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659131 IS-BAO Auditing July 8, 2015 Alexandria, VA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659136 Fundamentals of IS-BAO July 21, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659145 IS-BAO Auditing July 22, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659149 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 19, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659089 IS-BAO Auditing August 20, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659096 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: Director of Safety Haverfield Aviation Submit Resume to: hr@haverfield.com NTSB Aviation Accident Investigator (Air Carrier Operations) NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/392318400 https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/398022200 Manager Flight Safety JetBlue APPLY HERE Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International APPLY HERE Manager Safety & Compliance Maintenance and Continued Airworthiness Air Astana APPLY HERE Curt Lewis