Flight Safety Information September 8, 2015 - No. 178 In This Issue NTSB to meet on jet crash that killed former Nets owner Lewis Katz TransAsia plane lands in Taiwan with one engine Tension on the tarmac: O'Hare's jet taxi times worst among Big 5 airports American Airlines Plane Lands After Captain Gets Sick Mid-Flight Delta flight passengers evacuated at Sky Harbor Airport UW creating test to measure toxin exposure in airplane cabins Airlines go slow on aircraft tracking Why Would The Private Sector Want The FAA To Go Private? Dragonair flight bound for Hong Kong forced to divert after smoke detected in cabin A320 Evacuation due to Wheel Fire (India) A320 Tire Failure on Takeoff (India) PROS 2015 TRAINING Stay Current on Aviation Safety - Follow FSI on Twitter Small passenger jet market is heating up Regional airlines now pitch for a national licence (India) In-Flight WiFi Is Coming To European Airlines FAA releases updated model aircraft guidance Legal Skills for Accident Investigators Fundamentals of material failures for accident investigators iCRM - HF Training JET BLAST ERAU AVIATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS seminar Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) NTSB to meet on jet crash that killed former Nets owner Lewis Katz WASHINGTON - It was expected to be a routine flight to Atlantic City. New Jersey parking magnate and businessman Lewis Katz-the co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and a former owner of the New Jersey Nets and Devils-had flown with some friends on his private jet to Bedford, Mass., to attend a fundraising event at the Concord home of Richard Goodwin and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, with plans to return the same day. Once on the ground in Massachusetts, the crew of the Gulfstream G-IV jet-two pilots and a flight attendant-had ordered a couple of large pizzas that were delivered to the aircraft, while they waited for their four passengers to return. Delayed for an hour while waiting for some to re-board, they finally started up the engines at 9:30 p.m. and taxied out to Runway 11 for takeoff for the short flight to New Jersey. Throttling up, the jet accelerated down the 7,011-foot runway when one of the pilots suddenly realized the flight controls were locked. His last words were "I can't stop it," and then "Oh, no, no." The plane never lifted off the ground, running off the runway and striking approach lights and an antenna before coming to rest in a ravine and erupting in a ball of fire. All seven on board were killed, including Katz, Anne Leeds, Marcella Dalsey, and Susan Asbell. On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to meet in Washington to determine a probable cause for the May 31, 2014 crash. A link to the webcast will be available shortly before the start of the 9:30 a.m. meeting here: NTSB Live link A preliminary report issued by the staff of the NTSB has already indicated that the pilots-both experienced-did not perform a flight control check before attempting takeoff from Hanscom Field outside Boston, and indicated a possible problem with a mechanical gust lock system on the jet which is meant to protect aircraft control surfaces from wind damage when planes are parked. But the Gulfstream G-IV is designed to prevent the advance of engine throttles while the gust lock is engaged. The plane would have been unable to take off with its control surfaces locked. According to the report, tire-braking marks were found 1,300 feet from the end of runway, indicating efforts to stop the aircraft before the crash. The flight data recorder showed the jet was traveling at 165 knots-nearly 190 miles an hour, before pilots tried to abort the takeoff. It was still moving at more than 115 miles an hour when the aircraft ran out of runway and crashed. Katz, 72, a lawyer who grew up in Camden, had won control of the Philadelphia Inquirer in a court- ordered auction less than a week before the crash. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/ntsb_to_meet_on_jet_crash_that_killed_former_nets.html Back to Top TransAsia plane lands in Taiwan with one engine A Chinese farmer watches a Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways plane prepares to land at the airport in Xiamen, in southeast China's Fujian province on July 4, 2008 (AFP Photo/) A TransAsia Airways plane with 26 people on board landed with only one of its two engines on Tuesday, as the Taiwanese airline faces persistent questions over its safety record after two fatal crashes since July last year. The early morning flight from Taipei to Magong in the Penghu islands was carrying 22 passengers and four crew when the pilot of the ATR 72-500 plane spotted an oil leak, the carrier said. "The pilot found one engine was leaking lubricant oil and had to shut it down in accordance with the standard operation procedures," the statement said, adding that the airline immediately informed the Civil Aeronautics Administration. The incident came after the Taiwanese airline suffered two deadly crashes in the past 15 months that killed a total of 91 people. In February, an ATR 72-600 with 53 passengers and five crew on board clipped a bridge and plunged into a river shortly after taking off from Taipei airport, leaving only 15 survivors. This followed another accident in July last year, when an ATR 72-500 propeller plane -- the same model as the flight involved in Tuesday's incident -- carrying 54 passengers and four crew crashed into houses in Magong on a domestic flight. Ten people survived, some of them badly injured. A "factual report" released in July by Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council showed that one of the pilots in the Taipei crash had shut down the plane's only working engine, without attributing responsibility or drawing final conclusions about the cause. The draft of that report is due out in November with the final version expected in April 2016. TransAsia said they had stepped up pilot training and brought in new safety experts amid public outrage over the two incidents. Taiwan's aviation regulator had also ordered TransAsia pilots to take an oral test on basic operating and emergency procedures for the French-made aircraft after the initial findings of the February crash pointed to pilot error. http://news.yahoo.com/transasia-plane-lands-taiwan-one-engine-104553133.html Back to Top Tension on the tarmac: O'Hare's jet taxi times worst among Big 5 airports O'Hare International Airport has been racking up the worst airplane taxi times among the nation's five busiest airports just as it prepares to launch a new runway that will feature the airfield's longest ride to the gates. On average, it should take 20 minutes to maneuver the winding route to the terminals from O'Hare's $516 million southernmost runway, set to debut Oct. 15, experts estimate. Passengers beware: Bathroom breaks normally aren't allowed during taxiing or landing. The typical trip will be about 4 minutes longer than from O'Hare's northernmost runway, which currently carries the longest taxi route on the airfield, Federal Aviation Administration consultants estimated in a recent re-evaluation of O'Hare's ongoing overhaul. "For those of us who land on the north runway and groan now, the south runway will become the one that makes us all roll our eyes and go, 'Swell,'" said United Airlines pilot Dan Swanson. "[Passengers] will be looking at their watches, worried about their connections and wondering about the people picking them up." The prospect of such a long taxi emerges amid other tarmac tensions: O'Hare posted the worst taxi times, taxi delays and gate delays among the nation's five busiest airports in the most recent 12 months of data available - through May 2015, an analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association indicates. Expand that to the nation's 10 busiest airports, and O'Hare is worst in taxi-in times, taxi-in delays, and gate delays; second-worst in taxi-out delays; and third-worst in taxi-out times. Meanwhile, O'Hare has struggled with overall flight delays even among the 29 largest U.S. airports. There, U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicate, O'Hare's year- to-date on-time departure rate of 70.07 percent is dead last and its on-time arrival rate of 72.42 percent is second to last. Overall performance in 2014 dipped below the last full year before overhaul construction started, when officials said O'Hare delays were clogging the national air traffic system. However, 2014 packed a brutal "Chiberia" winter, bringing numerous weather-related flight problems. Chart of taxiing times for jets at O'Hare and 9 other airports Some wonder when O'Hare's $8.7 billion switch to a mostly east-west parallel runway system will deliver on promises to reduce delays in all kinds of weather. The prospect of a new, unusually long taxi - up to 5.25 miles of pathways would have to be cleared in snowy weather - does little to assuage those concerns, although the FAA anticipates taxi times will improve with the new runway. "We've spent billions and we haven't improved any measure of efficiency," said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.). His district includes parts of Chicago and suburbs hit especially hard by jet noise from O'Hare's new east-west parallel runways. Designers "were thinking about one aspect of O'Hare's efficiency - more runways - and didn't include other things. It is an integrated system," Quigley said. Yet another east-west parallel runway as well as a runway extension are planned, although airlines have yet to agree to help bankroll that $2.32 billion in work. Before funding is discussed, Quigley said, the city should reassess the O'Hare Modernization Program. New Chicago Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans is willing to do that, said her spokesman, Owen Kilmer. Evans "will be examining every option to make O'Hare's airfield more efficient," Kilmer said. A consultant for the Suburban O'Hare Commission, which has fought O'Hare noise, notes that O'Hare's 2014 operations fell far short of overhaul projections. JDA Aviation Technology Solutions contends O'Hare needs more gates to reduce delays - not more runways. Evans says O'Hare needs both, particularly in peak hours. The new runway initially is expected to be used almost exclusively in "east flow," and only for arrivals. In that function, runway 10R should provide a needed boost to east flow arrival rates in good and bad weather, Kilmer said. That improvement will allow "east flow" to be used more than the 30 percent of the year consultants estimated, officials say. East flow departure rates should improve too, Kilmer said. Over the most recent 12 months, Kilmer cautioned, O'Hare has been hampered by a large number of bad-weather operations; disruptions caused by a Sept. 26 fire in an Aurora FAA facility; airline systemwide outages; and a new FAA "converging runway" safety rule that has impeded performance. "Taxi time is only one component of the total traveler experience," Kilmer added in an emailed statement. "Runway 10R will significantly enhance the airfield capacity and improve on-time performance overall. Passengers would much rather spend a few extra minutes taxiing on the airfield than holding in the air, waiting for clearance." Across the airfield, FAA consultants predict, the south runway and other changes should cut average taxi-in times by 1 minute and taxi-out times by almost 3 minutes. Taxiing should be "free-flowing" because most taxiing planes will not have to wait for other aircraft to land or depart runways, FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said. American Airlines gates are among the farthest from the runway's touchdown point. American officials have calculated 10R will add 3 to 5 minutes in taxi time to some arrivals, spokeswoman Leslie Scott said, so "we have made accommodations for that in our schedule." United Airlines wants to see the new runway in action to measure its taxi times, "but that won't be too pertinent to our schedules, as they are based on airport averages," said United spokesman Charles Hobart. Swanson, the United pilot, cautioned that "free-flowing" is a matter of "semantics." After landing on 10R, he said he would stop before crossing one active and another inactive runway unless he heard a long list of route clearances in advance. If the next runway, 9C-27C, is ever built, FAA consultants predict it will shave 40 seconds off the airfield's average taxi-out, but add almost a minute and a half to the average taxi-in. With each new east-west parallel runway, said Darrin Thomas, a leader of the Fair Allocation in Runways citizen coalition, "all they are doing is putting more obstructions in play. When you have those parallel runways, you can't just jog across them." Shorter taxis from diagonal runways are another reason to spare two such runways from demolition, said Thomas. FAIR favors using diagonals to spread jet noise across neighborhoods more evenly; Evans has ruled out that idea, citing new FAA safety rules and other reasons. "By having more parallel runways, you gain more efficiency in being able to land planes, but they still have to be able to arrive at the terminal," Thomas said. "And that's where they are cutting O'Hare off at the knees." With diagonal runways, "when planes landed, they were right by the terminal," said one retired O'Hare air traffic controller who asked to remain anonymous. "Now, they are miles from the terminal. . . . They created a mess on the ground." A common midsize jetliner, the MD-80, will burn about $312 in fuel taxiing from runway 10R, estimates Megan Ryerson, assistant professor of transportation planning and aviation system researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. That's about $60 more - and nearly 200 more pounds of fuel - than needed for the current longest taxi-in from the north runway, Ryerson said. However, Ryerson cautioned, leaving planes circling in the air uses three times more fuel per minute than taxiing-in. Christopher Grant, an associate dean at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus, said the new runway's taxi route is long and circuitous, but that's typical when an airport locked into a specific footprint adds runways. "You're not starting with a blank slate," Grant said. http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/928596/ohare-airport-jet-taxi-times Back to Top American Airlines Plane Lands After Captain Gets Sick Mid-Flight An American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Baltimore turned around in mid-air after the captain reported feeling ill, the airline said Monday. Flight 618, which had 85 passengers on board turned back and landed in Phoenix about one hour and 20 minutes after taking off on Sunday night. "While en route to Baltimore, the captain of American Airlines Flight 618 felt ill and returned back to Phoenix out of precaution," an American Airlines spokesman told NBC News. "The aircraft landed without incident." The flight originally left Phoenix at 4:16 pm local time (7:16 pm ET) Sunday and landed back at the airport at 5:38 pm local time (8:38 pm ET). The flight re-departed at 8:55 pm local time (11:55 pm ET) with another captain. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/american-airlines-plane-lands-after-captain-gets-sick-mid- flight-n422931 Back to Top Delta flight passengers evacuated at Sky Harbor Airport The flight was headed to Salt Lake City and was supposed to depart at 4:50 p.m. A full Delta Air Lines flight headed to Salt Lake City was evacuated at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday evening because of overheated brakes, according to airport staff. Delta Flight 4848, carrying 76 passengers, was scheduled to depart at 4:50 p.m. and had rolled onto the runway around its scheduled time. The Phoenix Fire Department then responded to a call at about 5:20 p.m. that the brakes were overheated, airport officials said. Passengers inside the regional jet were evacuated and taken back to Sky Harbor's Terminal 3. A portion of the runway was closed briefly but later reopened. Some passengers were moved to another airline to get to their final destination, a Delta spokesperson said. Mechanics were working on repairing the plane, a twin-engine CRJ-900, on the airport taxiway before bringing it back to the gate, officials said. The flight was rescheduled to depart at 10:35 p.m., according to the Delta website. Sky Harbor officials could not immediately say why the brakes overheated. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/breaking/2015/09/07/delta-flight-passengers- evacuated-phoenix-sky-harbor-airport/71860620/ Back to Top UW creating test to measure toxin exposure in airplane cabins SEATTLE -- How safe is the air you breathe when you fly? A UW Medicine researcher is developing a blood test to help flight crew and passengers know if they've been exposed to toxic air. It's frightening for a plane's cabin to fill with smoke, forcing an emergency landing. Passengers posting their video to Youtube are usually inconvenienced but not hurt. At his UW Medicine lab, Dr. Clem Furlong and his team are developing a blood test to show what's really happening in the body after what's called a "fume event" on board a plane. "In the airplane, when the engine seals fail or leak, compressed air comes straight on board the aircraft unfiltered," Dr. Furlong said. "Three percent of that oil mist is neurotoxins and tricresyl phosphates. It's a big concern." Dr. Furlong says each person reacts differently to toxic air. Some people will be unaffected, but others metabolize it quickly, with dangerous consequences. "You could end up with short term memory issues, with tremors, with headache, with loss of short term memory all sorts of other issues," he said. Flight attendants have complained for decades about dangerous fumes, saying the standard practice of circulating outside air through the engines and into the cabin puts them at risk. "All aircraft except the Boeing 787 use this system," said Sara Nelson, President of the flight attendant union AFA-CWA. "We have flight attendants who have experienced long term effects, short term effects, but in any case there's no way to definitively define the problem as contaminated air." They hope the blood test will prove the problem is in the air, sparking change for everyone who flies "There is a fix today," Nelson said. "They could put in place a sensor and a filtering system on all that flow from the engine air, and that would fix all potential contaminants that would get into that recirculated air in the aircraft cabin that can cause people to get sick." That's something Boeing is investigating. In a statement to KOMO News, a company spokesman emailed, "Boeing's position on the quality of cabin air is that it is safe. Boeing takes this position because of solid research that says cabin air is safe to breathe. To date, cabin air quality research conducted by independent researchers, universities, industry and government agencies has shown that contaminant levels are generally low and that health and safety standards are met. However, we continue to work with scientists to improve our understanding of cabin environmental factors and study other potential technology such as sensors and advanced filtering." http://www.komonews.com/news/local/UW-developing-blood-test-to-measure-toxin-exposure-in- airplane-cabins-325482671.html Back to Top Airlines go slow on aircraft tracking Air France Flight 447 disappeared in 2009, Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 and Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing last year. The series of deadly accidents brought lack of full-time aircraft tracking into the spotlight and saw International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) come forward in December 2014 with a new standard requiring commercial aircraft to report their position every 15 minutes. Malaysian Airlines and Singapore Airlines were the first to test the FlightTracker developed by SITA in an answer to the call made by ICAO and IATA. The tests were declared successful in February 2015. Since then only 15 airlines have installed the fight tracking system although we are half way through to the deadline set by the flight regulators to November 2016, Tengrinews reports. FlightTracker fuses together existing aircraft positioning sources including ADS-B, ATC radar, ACARS and ADS-C, to provide position data from aircraft to fill gaps in terrestrial coverage and give complete global tracking, even for oceanic routes. Besides, it extrapolates the data on the airline's flight plans and can automatically generate alerts when the aircraft leaves its course. Installation of the system requires no additional equipment and no hardware upgrades either in airplanes or on the ground. All it takes is a software update and personnel training. It takes three days, SITA said at the Air Transport IT Summit. Nevertheless many air transport blue chips have been complaining that the deadline is too soon, and they are finding it had to meet it, IATA DG and CEO Tony Tyler said in June according to AviationBrief.com. SITA does not disclose the cost of the upgrade, but since it uses only the existing equipment, it cannot be the cost issue that is preventing a majority of the companies from stepping up the safety of their flights. Aviation analyst Michael Denis confirmed that real-time tracking of commercial aircraft "isn't a technical challenge, nor a financial challenge - it is only a governance one". As for the governance part, besides the will of the international air traffic regulators and airlines, it also takes the will of local governments to adopt the changes into their national legislations to make the new standards work. 260 airlines are members of the IATA who are supposed to have a flight tracking solution in place before November 2016. The 15 companies that are already using Flight Tracker include Air Asia India, Air Costa, Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Oman Air, Royal Brunei and Singapore Airlines. But they constitute a mere 6% of the number of the airlines up for the upgrade and hold a very modest portion of the passenger transportation market. Airlines worldwide do admit that there is a need for better positioning of aircraft at all time and are willing to improve the security of their flights, but in words only, most of them, not in deeds. Air Astana, the leading airlines in Kazakhstan, the 9th largest county in the world the size of Western Europe with a population of mere 17 million (this spells large remote areas), told Tengrinews that it supported IATA recommendations: "Air Astana will follow the recommendations of IATA to install the Flight Tracker system. At the moment the airlines is studying the market." It seems that the lukewarm excuse is true for most of the air carriers nowadays, they are all "studying the market" in hopes that IATA will move the deadline, or something else might come up. In the meanwhile they continue flying their passengers. In fact, there is actually no market there to study - SITA is the only provider of a low-cost full-time tracking solution and there are no alternatives to consider. Kazakhstan's Air Astana does not do very many over the ocean flights, but they are plenty of air companies that do. Does this mean that they are knowingly putting their passengers at risk while they are "studying the market", or waiting for the deadline to be moved, or just hoping that they won't be the ones to lose an airplane with 239 lives on board like Malaysia Airlines did? After the Indonesia AirAsia flight went missing in early 2014, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation Djoko Murjatmodjo said: "We hope we can find the location of the plane as soon as possible, and we hope that God will give us guidance to find it." With 2015 drawing to the end, passengers of 94% of airlines still have only God to rely on for guidance and aircraft positioning in remote areas. https://en.tengrinews.kz/science/Airlines-go-slow-on-aircraft-tracking-262010/ Back to Top Why Would The Private Sector Want The FAA To Go Private? September 7, 2015 - On Wednesday Allan McArtor, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Group Inc., the U.S. holding company for the North American activities of Airbus Group, spoke at a luncheon at the International Aviation Club Washington, D.C. in which he made it clear the private sector should oversee the functions of U.S air traffic control system. I guess letting the wolves (private sector) oversee the safety and care of the chickens. Oh he throws out the same political lines he wants the FAA "free from political shenanigans... It's high time to move beyond words and into action." McArtor said, "I want the safest ATC system in the world, but I also want the most efficient system in the world. We have the safest system in the world, but that's not the issue. It's about efficiency." McArtor wants the FAA "to get out of the business of controlling air traffic and to focus on what it does best, safety and certification." So what does he really mean? In McArtor's speech he gave no examples on how the private sector would do a better job at making air travel more efficient. There were a lot of buzz words but noting of substance. When McArtor speaks of the private sector he is really saying the airlines would take control. Does that include the private sector paying for ongoing infrastructure costs given their low profit margin? It sounds to me that safety maybe compromised by profits. McArtor stated that when Canada and New Zealand ATC systems turned private they saw reduced delays and greater efficiencies while maintaining safety standards. In 1996, Canada's ATC system went private to a company called NavCanada. At that time there were numerous promises made. For example, better work conditions for air traffic controllers, improved safety conditions, better technology and newer ATC infrastructure. However, when you talk with passengers and air traffic controllers in private they will tell you conditions in many cases have gotten worse and believe that government did a better job. Canada's air traffic controllers work longer days and more consecutive days in a week than U.S. air traffic controllers. Under the NavCanada air traffic controllers went from working 5 days, with 4 days off and they only worked 8 hour shifts. Today controllers work 6 days, with 3 days off and 10-12 hour shifts with a minimum of 10 hours between shifts. Air traffic controllers can work overtime on a regular basis due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. This does not sound like a system that would serve this country well. When the UK privatized its air traffic control system, at that time lots of promises were made. Again when you talk with air traffic controller and passengers they will all say the system was much better when the government ran it. A common theme among countries that have privatized their ATC system is when something goes wrong they like to blame it on the events of 9/11. McArtor wants to see a corporate national ATC system that would include a board of directors representing all aspects of the industry, in other words airline executives. McArtor said, "an all-new company with a fresh start," allowing the FAA, "to get out of the business of controlling air traffic and to focus on what it does best, safety and certification." Remember when Jeff Smisek was CEO of Continental Airlines (now President and CEO of United Airlines) said the tarmac rule was stupid, insane and warned it would lead to a sharp increase in cancellations. Well it turns out it was one of the best passenger safety rules passed by congress and implemented by the FAA. Today passengers no longer sit on the airport tarmacs waiting to disembark or for takeoff in a hot aircraft. See United Flight 270 Passengers Stranded On Tarmac Nearly Nine Hours and also Lowest Numbers Of Tarmac Delays On Record In 2014. Do you remember when Allegiant Air was fined for violating DOT advertising rule in which the company failed to show the true cost of a ticket to its passengers. At the time Maurice J. Gallagher was and continues to be the CEO of the carrier. Just recently the DOT fined Empire Airlines (Tim Komberec, President and CEO) for operating an aircraft after it was hit by lighting. As the maintenance manual requires the propeller must be removed from service and inspected for damage. Empire operated the aircraft on 35 revenue flights before removing its propeller from service and sending it to an authorized repair station for the required inspection. So who would McArtor like to sit on this corporate board? Maybe Smisek, Gallagher, and Komberec? Allan McArtor professional career; From 1987 to 1989 McArtor served as Administrator of the FAA through an appointment be President Ronald Reagan. Remember the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or PATCO strike. During McArtor's tenure he did absolutely nothing to bring back those air traffic controllers. McArtor and the administration were not concerned about safety nor the concerns of air traffic controllers. It was not until the next presidency that the focus of safety and the air traffic controllers' concerns began to be addressed. But now McArtor is concerned with efficiency. From 1989 to 1994 McArtor served in a number of senior management positions at FedEx. In 2000, McArtor founded Legend Airlines. The company was based out of Dallas Love Field, Texas as a regional airline and in 2005, the company filed for bankruptcy. At the luncheon McArtor said under his plan he would like to see congress fund this proposal for five to seven years, giving this private company time enough to be self-funding. He suggested carriers could pay US$50.00 per aircraft. "I don't think there's going to be any resistance from the community. I think you will get applause." Back in June Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., who is chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the ATC system should be removed from the FAA and allow a not-for-profit corporation oversee those functions. He said fees from the airlines would save billions of dollars and provide more stable funding than congressional appropriations. So he supports privatization because "the do nothing congress" can't do its job. This is not about saving taxpayer dollars or safety. This is about airlines doing what they want to do. Like fly unsafe planes, charging exorbitant amount of money for passenger tickets and not having to worry about fines for sitting on a tarmac with passengers for 9 hours. http://avstop.com/september_2015/why_would_the_private_sector_want_the_faa_to_go_private.htm Back to Top Dragonair flight bound for Hong Kong forced to divert after smoke detected in cabin A Dragonair flight lands in Hong Kong A suspected faulty air conditioner forced a Dragonair flight bound for Hong Kong to divert last night after smoke was detected inside the cabin. Flight KA663 from the eastern Chinese city of Fuzhou was diverted to Xiamen, where all 259 passengers onboard evacuated the Airbus A330. No injuries were reported, according to the airline. The aircraft departed around 8.40pm, however, by 9.10pm after reaching cruising altitude, pilots altered course as a precaution, descending rapidly and making a U-turn for Xiamen, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The flight landed at 9.24pm. Technicians inspected the aircraft overnight but could not find a source for the smoke. A Dragonair spokeswoman said the flight was diverted "as a precautionary measure due to suspected defects with the air conditioning system, leading to smoke detected in the cabin." The airline provided accommodation and meals for passengers overnight as a result of the unexpected delay. Flight arrangements were being made this morning for passengers to continue their journeys. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1856200/dragonair-flight-bound-hong-kong- forced-divert-after-smoke Back to Top A320 Evacuation due to Wheel Fire (India) Date: 07-SEP-2015 Time: 19:58 LT Type: Airbus A320-231 Owner/operator: Air India Registration: VT-ESI C/n / msn: 486 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 153 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) - India Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Varanasi Airport (VNS) Destination airport: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) Narrative: Air India flight AI405 was evacuated on runway 27 at Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India according to news reports. A minor fire is said to have occurred in the nose wheel area. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179347 Back to Top A320 Tire Failure on Takeoff (India) Date: 07-SEP-2015 Time: 11:32 LT Type: Airbus A320-231 Owner/operator: Air India Registration: VT-EPB C/n / msn: 045 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 143 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) - India Phase: Take off Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) Destination airport: Bagdogra Airport (IXB/VEBD) Narrative: Air India flight AI879 suffered a tyre burst incident on takeoff from Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, India. The Airbus A320 took from runway 29 at 11.32 hours local time. After takeoff the airplane climbed to 9000 feet and entered a holding pattern to the southeast of the airport. At around 11.50 the crew decided to return to the departure airport. An uneventful landing was made on runway 29 at 12:20. The runway had to be closed for 20 minutes for that airplane to be towed away. The airplane was repaired and was back in service, departing at 17:51 LT as flight AI819. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179349 Back to Top Back to Top Stay Current on Aviation Safety Follow Flight Safety Information on Twitter https://twitter.com/curtllewis01 Back To Top Small passenger jet market is heating up The market for small passenger jets is heating up with two new arrivals about to take to the air and the established producers upgrading aircraft. Japan's Mitsubishi Regional Jet will make its first flight in the second half of October, the Nagoya-based company has confirmed. First deliveries of the aircraft are due in 2017 - 70-90 passengers, it has a 2+2 cabin and orders stand at 223. China's first regional commercial jet, the ARJ21-700, is slightly larger with accommodation for 70-95 passengers depending on specification and will enter service with Chengdu Airlines in February next year. This aircraft is 3+2 with orders standing at 342. The Embraer (Brazil) E series is the most successful small jet airliner with 1,400 firm orders plus around 150 of what it calls the E2 variant due for 2017 with seating up to 144, twice the original EMB 170 - 2+2 once again. Bombardier (Canada) was first out of the blocks with the CRJ200, based on the original Canadair Business jet. Production continuing with 800 orders to date - 2+2 and up to 100 seats. The Bombardier CSeries is getting ready for introduction. Five abreast and 160 passengers at most. The final aircraft is the Russian Sukhoi Super Jet, in service with 343 orders and an upgrade promised - 3+2 and maximum 98 passengers. http://www.eturbonews.com/63469/small-passenger-jet-market-heating Back to Top Regional airlines now pitch for a national licence (India) While a regional licence restricts an airline within a region, national licence allows airlines to operate flights to destinations across the country. NEW DELHI: Regional carriers Air Costa and FLYeasy are working towards spreading their wings across the country. Vijayawada-based Air Costa has applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to get its flying licence upgraded to that of a national carrier. FLYeasy, which is still in the process of getting a regional flying permit from DGCA and will be based out of Bengaluru, is also likely to go for an upgrade to a national licence as it has announced intended launch of flights to destinations beyond the southern region. It has announced flights to Varanasi, Ranchi, Indore and Bhubaneswar, which will require the airline to have a pan-India licence. Regional airlines now pitch for a national licenceWhile a regional licence restricts an airline within a region, national licence allows airlines to operate flights to destinations across the country. "We hope to get our national flying licence very soon," Air Costa chief financial officer Vivek Choudhary told ET. "With a national permit, we will be able to connect destinations like Ahmedabad to Mumbai or Jaipur even as we continue to strengthen our presence in the regional sectors." Air Costa, which began operations in October 2013, is the first regional airline promoted by the LEPL group founded by LP Bhaskar Rao. FLYeasy did not respond to ET's query. An SMS sent to its managing director Rajesh Ebrahimkutty did not elicit any response till late evening on Monday. Ebrahimkutty is one of FLYeasy's three promoters, along with Sanaulla Zulfiqar and Rajesh Balakrishnan. The airline will need to increase its authorised capital to Rs 50 crore to become eligible for a pan-India licence. The minimum authorised capital required for a regional airline is about Rs 30 crore. Analysts said the requirement for regional carriers to procure a national licence in order to expand operations to the rest of the country is part of the reason why India fares so low on the ease of doing business indicators. "There should be no difference between a regional and national carrier. Let airlines fly wherever they want to with a single licence," said Mark Martin, founder and chief executive officer of Martin Consultancy, an aviation consultancy firm. "The government should look at killing the difference between the two. Airlines flying across the country will generate more revenues for airport operators and oil companies and, above all, jobs for people," he said. Bengaluru-based Air Pegasus and TruJet, which have received regional flying permits, do not have any plans yet to seek a national permit. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/regional-airlines-now- pitch-for-a-national-licence/articleshow/48863548.cms Back to Top In-Flight WiFi Is Coming To European Airlines, But Will It Work Better Than The Disastrous U.S. Model? Why are so many Americans tearing their hair out over the quality of the in-flight Wi-Fi service they receive when, according to a recent survey, 66% say Wi-Fi is a key influencer when deciding which flight to take, and almost half say they would be "willing to experience a travel-related inconvenience" in exchange for faster Wi-Fi? A recent Bloomberg exposé suggests the answer dates back to 2006, when Boeing BA -1.55% shelved plans to build a network of satellites called Connexion, deciding to reallocate funding due to a post 9/11 crisis of confidence in the airline industry, and also because the project was well ahead of its time. Passengers weren't demanding an on-board Wi-Fi service back then, they had barely begun to install Wi-Fi in their own homes. It wasn't expected, so why spend billions providing it? Boeing's withdrawal left just one major player in the market, Gogo. Gogo did not use satellites but had installed a network of transmission towers, from the top of the Rocky Mountains to the icy tundra of Alaska, which transmitted their signals upwards to the skies, rather than downwards to the cities. Gogo had the foresight to install FAA-approved antennas on fleets of aircraft and when the demand for connectivity came, they were the only company capable of responding to it. The trouble was, Gogo's monopoly was bad news for customers. Gogo targeted first and business class travelers, for whom money was no object (most pass the costs Gogo charges straight to their employers via the company credit card), and poor connectivity was less of a problem, since they mainly used the service to check emails and access presentations, rather than watch movies or check their social media accounts. So despite the fact that 66% percent of travellers in the US are able to access in-flight Wi-Fi, compared to just 22% in the rest of the world, most users spend the majority of their time furiously hitting the refresh button and competing with other passengers for the limited bandwidth available. Gogo, meanwhile, realising they had a monopoly on services, have pushed prices up and up, employed surge pricing, and placated the airlines themselves by handling all of the repairs, maintenance and pricing, and paying the airlines 20% of whatever they make. As far as the airlines were concerned, the cost of upgrading the technology on their planes were prohibitive. This kind of scenario could never have materialised in Europe because of the difficulty of installing transmission towers in different countries, so travellers have been forced to wait patiently for the price of sending up satellites to drop. Finally, it's happening, and passengers are about to be rewarded for their patience. But, as is so often the way, this exciting new opportunity will come at a price: your personal data, and your attention. Unlike in the US, it's the short haul, economy airlines that are leading the way, and the cynic in me suggests that it is advertisers', not passengers', best interests they have at heart. Nowhere are people more of a captive audience that when they are in the airport or on a flight, so get ready for an onslaught of highly targeted advertising messages before you are allowed access to Netflix NFLX - 3.06% or can check your Facebook FB +0.00% account. Low-budget carrier Ryanair's chief executive has already suggested that advertising will cover the costs of installing the technology required to provide on board Wi-Fi, but that does not necessarily mean the savings will be passed onto customers. It's been revealed recently that airports don't have great form for that kind of thing. Expect to pay for the right to stream. It looks likely that Gogo's dominance in the US will be challenged also, as 2 companies, ViaSat and GEE are rolling out better and better satellite-based services. Gogo, however has tied down most major airlines to long-term contracts, but is due to unroll a new, faster service called 2KU which could supply speeds as fast as 70-100 Mbps. The situation in the US is a cautionary tale that Europe will do well to take note of. What's needed is for airlines like Lufhansa, Air France-KLM , Vueling and British Airways, satellite providers like Panasonic or Inmarsat, who plan to spend £270 million on in-flight Wi-Fi provision across Europe, including launching a new satellite called Europasat, advertisers, and entertainment providers like Global eagle, to work together to ensure that passengers are beneficiaries, and not victims, of the new technology. The idea that Wi-Fi is a basic right, rather than a chargeable service, will probably not cut too much ice with providers, or airlines, that is until advertisers can pay them enough to make them decide otherwise. Gogo's prices for a full day's airborne Wi-Fi access apparently start at $16, whilst Etihad, who have partnered with Panasonic in Europe are expected to offer 2 hours' worth of access for $11.95, but that does not necessarily include streaming. If ever there were a space that needs disrupting with some truly game-changing technology, entrepreneurs, it's this one. Surely there are more inventive or more efficient ways to provide on- board Wi-Fi or to make sure that the advertising passengers must endure is less of an onslaught and more of a service. I welcome anybody to continue the discussion in the comments section below. https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/emcf/email/create?copyUid=1122167998632 Back to Top FAA releases updated model aircraft guidance On September 2, 2015, the FAA issued a replacement for the long standing Advisory Circular 91-57 that was issued on June 9, 1981. Advisory Circular 91-57 (AC 91-57) was originally issued as guidance for model aircraft operators. More recently, AC 91-57 has gained additional notoriety because it has been relied upon in judicial decisions regarding the applicability of the Federal Aviation Regulations to the operation of unmanned aircraft. See e.g. Huerta v. Pirker, NTSB Docket No. CP-217 (Nov. 18, 2014) (concluding that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) meet the legal definition of "aircraft," and that the FAA may take enforcement action against anyone who operates a UAS or model aircraft in a careless or reckless manner); rev'g, NTSB Docket No. CP-217 (Mar. 6. 2014) (finding that FAA has no enforcement authority to fine Respondent because there was no enforceable FAA rule regarding model aircraft at the time of the flight). In cancelling AC 91-57, and issuing its replacement, Advisory Circular 9157A (AC 91-57A), the FAA has updated its guidance with respect to model aircraft to reflect the current law governing hobby or recreational use of unmanned aircraft. Specifically AC 91-57A: Incorporates the provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 that relate to model aircraft (Section 336 of P.L. 112-95). In particular, AC 91-57A provides guidance regarding whether a given unmanned aircraft operation may be considered a "model aircraft operation"; Explains that when Model Aircraft operations endanger the safety of the National Airspace System, such operations may be subject to FAA enforcement action. The FAA specifically cites operations that are careless or reckless and operations that interfere with or do not give way to manned aircraft; Explains that model aircraft operations must comply with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR), which may be issued over specific locations due to disasters, for national security reasons, or when FAA determines necessary for the management of air traffic control in the vicinity of aerial demonstrations or major sporting events; Explains that model aircraft may not be operated in Prohibited Areas, Special Flight Rule Areas, or the Washington National Capital Region Flight Restricted Zone, without specific authorization and that model aircraft operators need to be aware of and follow Notices to Airman ("NOTAM") that address operations near other locations; and Retains the suggestion that model aircraft operators should limit operations to less than 400 feet above ground level. In issuing the revised guidance, the FAA seems to be positioning itself to be able to take additional administrative action against operators of hobby aircraft, but only time will tell if that is truly the case. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e0895d8b-e514-4e17-985f-ffa3fb64605b Back to Top Legal Skills for Accident Investigators Back to Top Fundamentals of material failures for accident investigators Back to Top iCRM - HF Training Back to Top JET BLAST Back to Top AVIATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SEMINAR Aviation SMS: Application and Implementation This three-day Embry-Riddle course provides participants with an expanded background in intermediate and advanced Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts, and supports both implementation and continuous improvement of an active SMS within their organization. Through a focus on practical strategies for maturing safety management practices, attendees will come to develop tools to implement the theory and principles of SMS as well as an understanding of current FAA guidance and requirements for operators and organizations. Participants will receive a copy of Implementing Safety Management Systems in Aviation, authored in part by Dr. A. Stolzer, Department Chair at ERAU. Key Topics: * SMS Structure and Components * Safety Policy and Objectives * Safety Risk Management â€" Moving to Proactive and Predictive Methods * SMS Common Issues and Road-Blocks * Safety Assurance, Promotion, and Culture * Human Factors in SMS * Safety Performance Indicators and Targets * Safety Performance Monitoring and Operational Data * SMS Implementation Guidance NOVEMBER 17-19, 2015 REGISTER TODAY Embry-Riddle Increases Its Commitment to Continuing Education " Embry-Riddle is a premier university for aviation training and education; join us for your professional development needs. " Aviation SMS: Application and Implementation Course Dates: November 17-19, 2015 Course Location: Daytona Beach Campus, FL Course Fee: Early Bird Fee: $1,300 (Prior to Sept. 16, 2015) Standard Fee: $1,400 (includes all learning materials, textbook and copies of presentations) ERAU Point of Contact: Director: Sarah Ochs Email: case@erau.edu Phone: (386) 226-6928 www.erau.edu/sms Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO September 15, 2015 St. Louis, Missouri USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1660854 IS-BAO Auditing September 16, 2015 St. Louis, Missouri USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1660878 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 AViCON - Aviation Insurance Conference September 10th and 11th, 2015 Stevensville, MD 21666 http://www.rtiforensics.com/news-events/avicon Southern California Aviation Association "Safety Standdown" September 14, 2015 Carlsbad, CA http://tinyurl.com/pg2yh4g Regulatory Affairs Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/services/regulatory-affairs.php Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPS) Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/ Safeskies 2015 Aviation Safety Conference 22 to 24 September 2015 Realm Hotel, Canberra www.SafeskiesAustralia.org BARS Auditor Training October 6-8, 2015 Dubai, United Arab Emirates http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training OSHA & Aviation Ground Safety Training Course (ERAU) Oct. 19-23, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aviation Safety Program Management Training Course (ERAU) Oct. 26-30, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aircraft Accident Investigation Training Course (ERAU) Nov. 2-6, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) Seminar (ERAU) Nov. 17-19, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/sms Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Seminar (ERAU) Dec. 8-10, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/uas New HFACS workshop Las Vegas December 15 & 16 www.hfacs.com 'DTI QA & SMS Workshops are Back in Town!' (Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Melbourne FL, and YOUR town just contact us) www.dtitraining.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Staff Engineer ALPA https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1193/staff-engineer/job Curt Lewis