Flight Safety Information October 7, 2015 - No. 199 In This Issue FAA PROPOSES RECORD $1.9M FINE AGAINST DRONE OPERATOR FOR 'UNAUTHORIZED' FLIGHTS Trigana Air Flight 267 Crash: Indonesia To Send Black Box To France After Data Retrieval Process 'Unsuccessful Manufacturer inspecting other engines after Las Vegas jet fire Polish Air Force F-16 jet collided with drone United Airlines says flight diverted because of ill crew member Hawaiian Airlines Flight to Maui Diverted Back to O?ahu After Engine Trouble Person who pointed laser at aircraft sought (South Dakota) China launches cube satellites for tracking aircraft Malaysia Airlines 737 Pilots Brace for Latest Shakeup American Airlines pilot was 1 of 8 US pilots to die in flight since 1994 FAA's Compliance Philosophy Signals Safety Evolution Cleveland allows more lead time to recruit 'seasonal' trash collectors than airport snowplow operators Afterlife: how hip replacements can end up in jet engines NTSB Releases Agenda, Call for Questions, for General Aviation Safety Forum AAIB Centenary Conference...'100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?' PROS 2015 TRAINING Airbus, Bombardier end talks over CSeries jet investment Canadian Family Donates $700,000 Aircraft to Okanagan College Alcoa lands $1B airplane fastener contract from Airbus Neptune Aviation awarded contract with Forest Service FAA approves AA Cargo for cool-chain container use Airport Cooperative Research Project iSMS - Safety Management System Training Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) FAA PROPOSES RECORD $1.9M FINE AGAINST DRONE OPERATOR FOR 'UNAUTHORIZED' FLIGHTS So this is what happens if you push the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) too far on the issue of commercial drone flights. The agency on Tuesday proposed a colossal $1.9 million fine for Chicago-based drone operator SkyPan for allegedly "endangering the safety of our airspace" during unauthorized flights over New York City and Chicago. The figure is thought to be a record for a civil penalty against a drone operator. SkyPan has 27 years of experience in the aerial photography business and offers clients "bird's-eye views" using a range of platforms, drones among them. The FAA claims SkyPan's 65 offending flights took place between March 2012 and December 2014 "in some of our most congested airspace and heavily populated cities, violating airspace regulations and various operating rules," adding, "These operations were illegal and not without risk." Forty-three of the alleged incursions took place in the highly restricted New York Class B airspace - usually areas close to busy airports - without receiving clearance to access it, the FAA said. In addition, the agency says SkyPan's flying machines were operating without the using the necessary equipment, such as a two-way radio, transponder, and altitude-reporting device. Commenting on the case in a release, the FAA's Michael Huerta said, "Flying unmanned aircraft in violation of the Federal Aviation Regulations is illegal and can be dangerous," adding, "We have the safest airspace in the world, and everyone who uses it must understand and observe our comprehensive set of rules and regulations." SkyPan has 30 days to respond to the FAA's enforcement letter. The proposed fine comes as the FAA continues work on drawing up a comprehensive set of rules for the commercial operation of drones. The agency has for some time been accused of dragging its feet on the issue as a growing number of businesses interested in using the technology call for more rapid progress. A set of proposed rules released earlier this year by the FAA include a speed limit of 100 mph and an altitude limit of 500 feet for commercial drone flights. In addition, it suggests drones will have to be flown within the line of sight of the operator and in daylight hours only. Further disappointment came last week when the FAA missed a deadline - set by Congress in 2012 - to publish a definitive set of guidelines for drone flights. The agency said the rules should be in place by "late next spring." Until then, the FAA is offering drone permits to a number of companies on a case by case basis. About 1,800 have been granted to date, though each comes with a set of strict rules governing flights. http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/faa-proposes-record-1-9m-fine-against-drone- operator/ Back to Top Trigana Air Flight 267 Crash: Indonesia To Send Black Box To France After Data Retrieval Process 'Unsuccessful' Trigana Air Indonesia will be sending the black box of a crashed Trigana Air Service flight after failing to retrieve its data. The plane crashed in August killing all 54 people on board. In this photo, a man walks past the Trigana Air Service logo at the airlines office in Jakarta, Aug. 16, 2015. Indonesia will send the black box from a plane that crashed in a remote and mountainous region in the country's eastern region in August to France after failing to retrieve its data, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday. Flight TGN267, a Trigana Air Service turboprop plane, was flying from Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, to Oksibil, about 175 miles south of Jayapura, when it crashed, killing all 54 people on board. Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) said, in the report, that it made several attempts to download the flight data recorder (FDR) but failed. "The downloading process to retrieve data from the FDR was unsuccessful. For further examination, the FDR data will be downloaded at BEA facility in Paris, France," the report said. The preliminary report shed little light into the cause of the crash. The NTSC recommended Trigana Air to make sure crew members "comply with the company procedures such as crew briefing, checklist reading, approach procedure and visual flight rules," and have its maintenance records up to date. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers on Aug. 16 and its wreckage was found two days later in the mountainous region. Oksibil was experiencing heavy rain and strong winds when the plane lost contact with air traffic control minutes before the scheduled landing of the 42-minute flight. The report also said that the cockpit voice recorder, which is part of the plane's black box, has two hours of recording, but it did not have information about any warning by crew members. The voice recorder indicated that the pilot deployed the plane's landing gear before it approached the airport. http://www.ibtimes.com/trigana-air-flight-267-crash-indonesia-send-black-box-france- after-data-retrieval-2130438 Back to Top Manufacturer inspecting other engines after Las Vegas jet fire Firefighters stand by a British Airways plane that caught fire Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015, at McCarran International Airport. An engine on the plane caught fire before takeoff, forcing passengers to escape on emergency slides. The company that made an engine that caught fire as a British Airways plane was taking off from Las Vegas is inspecting other engine parts as part of a federal investigation of the incident. On Sept. 8, British Airways flight 2276 was on a McCarran International Airport runway bound for London when the crew screeched the plane to a halt as flames billowed. All 157 passengers and 13 crew members survived, some with minor injuries. Updated findings released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board indicated the fire started with the spool in the left engine. The spool's function in the high-pressure compressor gives the plane power, making it a key part of the engine. "We're doing a full pare down of the spool and analysis of the components," said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for GE Aviation. The twin-engine Boeing 777 was built in 1998 and registered to British Airways a year later. By the end of 2013, it had flown nearly 77,000 hours, according to the British Civil Aviation Authority. GE90 engines are used in most Boeing 777s. GE Aviation said that the spool, which holds the blades in the GE90-85B engine, was among the first ever made for that model in 1995. The manufacturer is voluntarily analyzing 38 similar spools that are about the same age but are out of service awaiting maintenance and repairs. Other inspections of working engines are expected. "The 38 will help us decide what engines might need to be inspected," Kennedy said. GE said this is the first engine failure of its kind, as spools can be similar in design but are not built identically. There are about 400 base GE90 engines being used to power 167 planes. NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said there's no talk about grounding any planes with similar spools. The NTSB also said the case will be analyzed to determine a probable cause after the current fact finding process. A final report won't be issued for several months. British Airways and Boeing declined to comment. The Federal Aviation Administration couldn't immediately be reached. http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/oct/06/manufacturer-inspecting-other-engines- after-las-ve/ Back to Top Polish Air Force F-16 jet collided with drone Mid-air with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for a Polish F-16. According to the reports published by several Polish media outlets, on Sept. 15 a Polish Air Force F-16 fighter stationed at Krzesiny Airbase, near Poznan, collided with a small drone. The mid-air impact, whose evidence was discovered by ground crews during the post- flight checks, exposed damages to the airframe protective coating and to the fuel tank. The official version of the incident, given by major Dariusz Rojewski of the Krzesiny AB, is that the jet collided with an unknown aerial vehicle; damage assessment highlighted that the overlay of the Viper's fuselage and fuel tank (probably the CFT) were damaged. The Air Force refused to provide any further information. With free, unregulated access to the UAV systems, incidents like this can happen. The Polish legislation assumes that the drone operator is always responsible for the flights conducted by the UAV. Uncontrolled, unauthorized flights in no-fly zones around airfields are punished. According to the Polish Aviation Law Act and the Polish Civil Aviation Authority, a person charged with causing an aviation incident may be sanctioned with 12 years of imprisonment, while sole flight inside the controlled airspace of an airfield, may face 5 years of imprisonment. Polish media outlet G?os Wielkopolski notes that the only areas where drone are allowed to fly around Poznan include the Morasko, Suchy Las, Lubon and Komorniki regions, all of those are located far away from the ?awica (EPPO) and Krzesiny (EPKS) airfields. As a consequence, any drone-related activity in Poznan is banned, even in the areas that are relatively safe, as Miko?aj Karpinski of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) told in an interview for G?os Wielkopolski. Any legal drone operation would require an authorization from PANSA , and this authorization must be obtained at least five days ahead of the planned flight. http://theaviationist.com/2015/10/07/polish-f-16-collided-with-drone/ Back to Top United Airlines says flight diverted because of ill crew member A United Airlines flight from Houston to San Francisco was rerouted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday when a crew member became ill, the airline said. United said in a statement that the crew member was unable to continue on the flight and received assistance. CNN reported that the crew member was the co-pilot, who was able to walk off the plane. After stopping in Albuquerque, the plane continued on to San Francisco, United said. The incident came one day after an American Airlines pilot died in the cockpit during a flight. United Airlines is part of United Continental Holdings Inc. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/06/us-usa-airlines-pilot- idUSKCN0S02H420151006 Back to Top Hawaiian Airlines Flight to Maui Diverted Back to O?ahu After Engine Trouble A Hawaiian Airlines flight that was bound from Honolulu to Kahului this morning was diverted back to O?ahu after experiencing engine trouble. The flight reportedly landed safely and there were no injuries reported. Maui Now spoke to passenger Mollie Bruhl who described a "sudden, loud, whining" noise that she said was, "so loud, I couldn't hear my own voice." Bruhl said the noise continued for a while, the plane slowed, and there was a slight tilt. "We could all tell something wasn't right," said Bruhl. According to Bruhl, the plane started turning around slowly and the pilot announced there was engine trouble, the flight would be returning to O?ahu, and they were expected to have a safe landing. "The pilots and crew handled everything really well and everyone was very calm," said Bruhl. Ann Botticelli, SVP Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Hawaiian Airlines issued a statement this afternoon saying, HA114 was 17 minutes into its flight this morning when the captain decided to return to Honolulu "due to an engine compressor stall, which is an interruption in the flow of air to the engine." Botticelli said the pilot shut down the engine to avoid damage and the plane returned safely to Honolulu. "As you know, safety is our priority," said Botticelli in an email communication to Maui Now. KHON2 reports the flight was #114 aboard The flight was a Boeing 717-200 aircraft that departed from Honolulu International Airport and safely landed at 6:32 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Bruhl, who works with the Special Olympics Hawai?i, was flying to Maui to attend meetings. She switched planes and arrived on Maui aboard a second flight that departed at 8:30 a.m. The second flight, she said, was not as full as the first. http://mauinow.com/2015/10/06/hawaiian-airlines-flight-to-maui-diverted-back-to- o%CA%BBahu-after-engine-trouble/ Back to Top Person who pointed laser at aircraft sought (South Dakota) Laser has been pointed at officers and aircraft over the last several weeks MITCHELL - Police in Mitchell are looking for the person who has pointed a green laser at an aircraft and officers. Lt. Don Everson tells KORN-AM the incidents involving the laser have happened over the last several weeks. Everson says someone has pointed the laser at officers in the vicinity of the softball diamonds near the Highway 37 bypass. But, Everson says, authorities are most concerned about the incident in which the laser was pointed at an aircraft west of Mitchell. Laser pointers are legal and are commonly used in classrooms, but it's a felony to aim them at aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has reported an increase in people pointing lasers at aircraft in recent years. Everson says anyone with information about the incidents in Mitchell should contact police. http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/07/person-pointed-laser- aircraft-sought/73502628/ Back to Top China launches cube satellites for tracking aircraft Representative image: China has launched three cube satellites (CubeSats), which are expected to help track civil aircraft and ships and avoid tragedies like the missing flight MH370. BEIJING: China has successfully launched first of its kind of three cube satellites (CubeSats) which will help in tracking civil aircraft and ships and avoid tragedies like the missing flight MH370, official media said. The three CubeSats in a mission coded STU-2 were launched on September 25 and have entered their designed orbit, according to the mission's chief designer Wu Shufan. The three spacecraft - weighing only 6.8 kgs in total - are equipped with polar region observation cameras as well as automatic identification system receivers for information from ships and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers for messages sent from civil flights. The ADS-B system was developed to be installed on civil aircraft and transmit readings of the flight's position, height, speed, direction and other information automatically every second to receivers on the ground or in the air. Currently, more than 70 per cent of aircraft have such systems installed. As of September 28, the STU-2 CubeSats had collected hundreds of thousands of ADS-B messages from more than 12,400 aircraft flying within receiving range, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The paths and traffic flow of civil flights within the satellites' monitoring area may be collected in real time. "If there are enough satellites in orbit to cover a region wide enough, a specific flight could be tracked and that may help with spotting, search and rescue in cases like Malaysia Airlines flight MH370," Wu said. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, MH370 went missing with 239 people on board, including five Indians, on March 8, 2014 enroute to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Some aircraft wreckage discovered on Reunion Island in France were from the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370. CubeSats may also be used to provide information support for ship operations such as the Chinese icebreaker Xuelong (Snow Dragon) in polar regions. Wu said the STU-2 mission, the first of its kind by China, is a step in the country's satellite network development for civil aircraft and ship monitoring. China is currently developing its own global position system (GPS) Beidu to rival US GPS. Wu also called for more international cooperation to expand the network's reach. Like a Rubik's cube, a CubeSat is a satellite composed of smaller cubic units. Depending on its different uses, a CubeSat may contain two, three or more such units. Compared with other integral satellites, cube spacecraft are generally smaller, lighter and much more economical in development and production costs. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/china-launches-cube-satellites-for- tracking-aircraft/articleshow/49256705.cms Back to Top Malaysia Airlines 737 Pilots Brace for Latest Shakeup A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from China's Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by byeangel) As a result of its latest moves to shed excess capacity, Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has hatched plans to offer 100 to 120 Boeing 737-800 pilots for secondment next year to interested airlines. If the plan does not materialize, the company would offer pilots either a two-year leave without pay or a 15-day work month at half salary. According to an official at the carrier's flight operations center in Sepang, two miles outside Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the excess crew resulted from a reduction of the 737-800 network as part of an exercise that started in late August. The airline plans further reductions in the coming months "where necessary." The official said the airline will know exactly how many pilots it will need to offer for secondment by the end of the year. Some have already served the required three months notice to resign, and the precise number will depend on how many more follow suit. The official did not know whether MAB had identified any airlines for the secondment or whether any had expressed interest. [The airline is] facing stiff competition on domestic and regional routes from low cost carriers Malindo Air, AirAsia and full-service carriers," he noted. Meanwhile, the depreciation of the local currency, the ringgit, has increased the airline's operating costs. In August MAB arranged to send 50 to 70 Boeing 777 pilots to Korean Air on temporary assignment. That plan met with opposition from Korean Air's pilots' union, despite a shortage of cockpit crew at that airline. This marks the first time in the history of Malaysia Airlines that pilots on the 777-200ER and 737-800 fleets have felt the effects of now five restructuring exercises since 2000. The then-Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) started operations in October 1974. Administrators established a new company in August and renamed the carrier Malaysia Airlines Berhad on September 1. MAB currently operates 56 737-800s, 41 of which it leases. It plans to eventually reduce the fleet to 35 aircraft by the end of next year as part of its aim to cut operating cost. The airline also has canceled an option for 10 Boeing 737-800NGs. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2015-10-06/malaysia-airlines- 737-pilots-brace-latest-shakeup Back to Top American Airlines pilot was 1 of 8 US pilots to die in flight since 1994 SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The American Airlines pilot who died yesterday was one of only eight pilots to die mid-flight in the past 21 years. Michael Johnston, the captain of American Airlines flight 550, was the eighth pilot to die during a flight since 1994, said the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilots died during flights, not during crashes or accidents, said the FAA. The FAA doesn't keep track of how pilots die in flight. Flight 550 made an emergency landing at Syracuse Hancock International Airport around 7:13 a.m. after Johnston, 57, became ill and died, the airline said. The co-pilot of the Airbus A320 safely landed the plane. The plane carrying 152 people took off in Phoenix, Arizona and was headed for Boston, Massachusetts. Onondaga County's medical examiner said Johnston died of natural causes. His cause of death, however, was not specified. http://www.syracuse.com/ Back to Top FAA's Compliance Philosophy Signals Safety Evolution FAA Administrator Michael Huerta The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta announced the next step in the FAA's continuing evolution of working with those it regulates. Speaking at the Flight Safety Foundation's Newsmaker Breakfast at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C, Huerta said the FAA developed the new compliance philosophy to enhance the ability to find safety problems before they result in an incident or accident, use the best tools to fix those problems, and then monitor the situation to ensure that no new problems develop. This approach recognizes that most operators comply with the rules and use safety management systems to identify hazards. They then assess the risks from those hazards, and put measures in place to mitigate the risks, according to Huerta. The FAA says it wants safe operators, not operators who inadvertently make a mistake and then hide it because they're afraid they will be punished. Based on cooperation and trust, it encourages an open and transparent exchange of information and data between the FAA and industry. The Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) successfully used this approach to reduce the risk in U.S. commercial aviation by 83 percent over 10 years, according to the FAA. "The FAA's compliance philosophy helps the FAA and industry to use critical thinking to work smarter and more efficiently to get to the bottom of potential safety problems," said Huerta. "It's about finding a problem, fixing a problem, and making sure it stays fixed." Huerta stressed that the FAA will continue to have zero tolerance for intentional reckless behavior, inappropriate risk-taking, repeat failures, falsification, failure to fulfill commitments, or deviation from regulatory standards. The FAA will continue to vigorously pursue enforcement action in these circumstances. http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/FAAs-Compliance-Philosophy-Signals- Safety-Evolution_86222.html#.VhURx_lVhBc Back to Top Cleveland allows more lead time to recruit 'seasonal' trash collectors than airport snowplow operators Snowplows clear the hangar area at Hopkins International Airport in this 2009 photo. The Federal Aviation Administration recently fined the airport for understaffing its snow removal teams during the past two winters. (John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland city officials said Monday that they soon will begin recruiting seasonal trash collectors to have them ready to hit the streets when residents set out yard waste next spring. But the city didn't give itself the same lead time on staffing airport maintenance crews to keep runways at Hopkins International Airport free of snow and ice this winter. The Federal Aviation Administration fined Hopkins $735,000 last month for violating an agreement to adequately staff snow removal teams and deice runways for the past two winters, causing planes to become stranded on slick pavement during winter storms and forcing dozens of flights to divert to other airports. Three days later, the city announced that it would begin hiring the 46 seasonal snowplow operators it needs to meet the minimum staffing requirements per shift established by the FAA agreement. The city started accepting those applications Friday, and candidates have until Oct. 15 to apply. Then they must take a civil service exam, pass the Transportation Security Administration's 10-year employment background and fingerprint-based criminal history check, and undergo extensive training to understand airport communications - all before the snow begins to fall. The city's Division of Waste Collection and Disposal plans more in advance when hiring its seasonal trash collectors, according to testimony at a City Council Municipal Services and Properties Committee meeting Monday. City officials told council members that it takes about 90 days to hire those sanitation workers, who help collect yard waste and leaves during the spring and fall. The new hires need background checks and physical exams before they hit their routes, said Darnell Brown, chief operating officer for the city. City spokesman Dan Williams said in an interview Monday that the Public Works Department is conscientious about preparing the roster of workers for the next peak season. "As soon as they're done and off the books, we start looking for next year," Williams said. "We give it a buffer of at least 90 days." When asked why the city does not follow a similar timeline for hiring snowplow drivers at Hopkins, Williams declined to answer. "We're in the process of hiring them," he said. "So we'll see how that turns out." http://www.cleveland.com/ Back to Top Afterlife: how hip replacements can end up in jet engines OrthoMetals is working with more than half of the UK's crematoriums to melt down and sell on replacement hips and knee joints Hip implant in xray Profiteering from implant recycling is frowned upon so the schemes operate on a charitable basis. Save for later Our bodies might not live forever, but the prospect of an afterlife beckons for the metal hips or knees we might be carrying. The recycling of prosthetics such as titanium hip replacements and cobalt chrome knee joints from crematoriums is a growing trend across the UK and in some parts of Europe where cremation rates are high. Nobody wants their garden of remembrance to be listed as a landfill site. Tim Morris, chief executive of the ICCM Traditionally buried in crematorium grounds - a practice now viewed as unsustainable due to space constraints -metal implants separated from cremated ash are classed as waste and must be treated in accordance with waste legislation, according to a guidance note from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM). But, given sensitivities, there is little enforcement of these regulations and many crematoriums are still burying the metals illegally, according to Tim Morris, chief executive of the ICCM. "The metal and ash is separated, it always has been ... because the bereaved never show any interest in wanting those metals back," he says. "If you want the cold law, a crematorium would have to apply for a landfill licence to [bury separated metals]. But nobody wants their garden of remembrance to be listed as a landfill site." Melting metals Since 2005 the ICCM has facilitated a recycling scheme to recover metal implants, and 57% of the UK's 272 crematoria are signed up. Meanwhile Dignity Pet Crematorium has become the first animal crematorium in the UK to engage in the practice. sustainable business Join Guardian Sustainable Business Sign up today and receive exclusive member newsletters, networking opportunities, member-only discounts and more. Both projects are run in partnership with Dutch-based metals recycler OrthoMetals, which operates similar schemes in 17 other European countries, as well as in the US, Canada, Australia and South America. The company says it works with around 750 crematoria in total. Metals received by OrthoMetals are weighed and sorted at its Meppel recycling facility in the Netherlands before being sold on to foundries (factories that produce metal castings) - often for a fraction of the virgin metal price. Co-founder Ruud Verberne says that "although prices might be better selling to scrap dealers, we prefer to sell directly to foundries where we make sure that the material is remelted." Verberne admits he knows little about where the remelted metals eventually end up. "Our control on the metals more or less stops at the foundries," he says. However, he believes some of the higher value metals are sold on to casting companies which make component parts for the aerospace and automotive industries - cobalt alloys, for instance, are used in the manufacture of aircraft turbine blades and engines. It's important that none of the recovered implants are reused again in their original form as medical implants. There is a risk of infection due to improper decontamination and a higher chance of implant failure. A review paper in the International Journal of Oral Health Sciences, points to instances of implants disposed in the open air being found by garbage pickers and sold on the black market. But, if the metals were smelted, could they be fashioned into new implants as a form of closed loop recycling? Verberne says the strict specifications demanded by medical casting producers would prevent this. "When collected from crematoria, the characteristics of the metal have been changed by the heat," he explains. Simon Duddy, a circular economy adviser with experience in the procurement and supply of orthopaedic implants, agrees. "Given legal considerations around management of waste and medical standards, it is sensible that valuable metals such as titanium are recycled for non-medical use." OrthoMetals is a niche business model and there are few competitors according to Verberne, who estimates his company has a 60% global market share. He says that collection volumes for OrthoMetals have risen significantly in recent years, from 250,000kg of metals in 2013 to a projected 450,000kg by end of 2015. Schemes offered by OrthoMetals and others such as Implant Recycling and Alternative Solutions USA operate on a semi-charitable basis. Metals are collected free-of-charge and, once operating costs are deducted, most of the remaining proceeds are returned to participating crematoria to spend on charitable projects. Although OrthoMetals isn't set up as a not-for-profit, Verberne says that on average 80% of the value of the metals after sale is returned to the crematorium. ICCM will have donated around £3m to death and bereavement charities by next summer as a result of its recycling scheme, and Morris hopes more crematoria will come on board. "I've only heard of two cases where the [deceased] families asked for the metals back. Charities are not benefiting when the metals are buried in the ground," he says, adding that, unlike recycling, interment of metals is often done without consent of the bereaved. "I am not aware of any crematorium that buries metals having a section on its form giving the options of burying or returning metal." Dying out Ironically, this type of specialist metals recovery may be destined to die out. The use of metal-on-metal (MoM) prosthetic devices has been declining due to concerns over adverse health reactions. According to a spokesperson from the National Joint Registry, 83,125 primary hip implants were recorded in the UK in 2014 and less than 1% were MoM - fewer than 80 implants. Alternative materials such as ceramics and polymers are now increasingly being used for hip replacements. Duddy predicts future implants that utilise these materials will become personalised, lighter and may also contain biosensors. He believes many hospitals are overstocking on metal implants that may be superseded by these newer innovations over the next five years and this could lead to a surplus. "The current orthopaedic supply chain is awash with metal implant inventories, joint replacement kits, instrumentation and fixings. These items will become obsolete as we move towards a future of personalised procedures, but they still have value in alternative, secondary markets outside of healthcare." http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/oct/06/metal-body-parts-hip- knee-replacements-cremation-circular-economy-recycling Back to Top NTSB Releases Agenda, Call for Questions, for General Aviation Safety Forum WASHINGTON-The National Transportation Board has released the final agenda, including the participants' names and affiliations, for its forum, Humans and Hardware: Preventing General Aviation Inflight Loss of Control. The event, which was announced earlier this month, will be held on October 14 in Washington, D.C. In addition, the NTSB is inviting pilots and others in the aviation safety community to send their questions related to inflight loss of control issues to LOCForum@ntsb.gov. To be considered for inclusion, questions must be submitted via email not later than 3:00 pm ET on October 13. "Understanding questions that pilots have will be critical to the forum's success," said NTSB Member Earl Weener, who will chair the event. The forum will include panels on four broad areas of discussion: - Industry and Government Perspectives and Actions; - Human Performance and Medical Issues; - Pilot Training Solutions; and - Equipment and Technology Solutions. An end-of-day roundtable beginning at 4:05 p.m. will bring back panelists from throughout the day to discuss crosscutting issues and the day's takeaways. This year's forum offers participants a new level of digital accessibility. The forum webpage includes links to add individual panel sessions or the entire forum to calendars on computers and mobile devices. Pilots can also share the forum page with other pilots or student trainees through email or social media. "We've added the new digital functionality to make it easy to share the event with other pilots," said Weener. "Those with compatible calendar software can also save the date and time directly to their device." The forum, which will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington (429 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington D.C.) will run from 9:00 am ET to 5:00 pm ET. The agenda, including names of panelists and NTSB forum staff, is available at http://go.usa.gov/3tfse. More information about the forum can be found at http://www.ntsb.gov/LOCforum. The forum is free and open to the public. There is no registration for this event. Directions to the forum site are available at http://go.usa.gov/3tfBB. The event will also be webcast live. An archive of the webcast will be available on the NTSB website after the event. A link to the webcast is available at http://www.capitolconnection.net/capcon/ntsb/ntsb.htm. RELATED MATERIAL General Aviation Inflight Loss of Control on NTSB Most Wanted List: http://go.usa.gov/3tfZJ PRESS RELEASE (9/8/15): NTSB to Hold Forum Addressing Inflight Loss of Control in Fixed-Wing General Aviation Aircraft: http://go.usa.gov/3tfZ9 ************ Contact Information Office of Public Affairs 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 Peter Knudson peter.knudson@ntsb.gov (202) 314-6100 Back to Top AAIB Centenary Conference '100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?' Royal Aeronautical Society, London - 14 October 2015 To mark the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) centenary year and to celebrate 100 years of safety investigation in the UK, the AAIB is holding a one-day conference on 14 October 2015, entitled '100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?'.The conference will take place at the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) at 4 Hamilton Place, London. The programme includes speakers from government investigation agencies, regulators, aircraft and engine manufacturers, operators, the media, academia and the legal profession. Places are limited. To find out more about the programme or to register click: http://aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/1994/100-Years-of-Accident- Investigation-Whats-Next Back to Top Back to Top Airbus, Bombardier end talks over CSeries jet investment A Bombardier aircraft lands in Mirabel, Quebec September 16, 2013. Airbus (AIR.PA) on Tuesday called off talks with Bombardier (BBDb.TO) over propping up the troubled CSeries jet, leaving the Canadian plane maker facing dwindling options to keep alive its dream of competing in the aerospace big league. The latest blow to Bombardier, which has been trying to shore up its shrinking cash reserves for months, came after Reuters reported exclusively that Bombardier had made an offer to Airbus. Both companies acknowledged that talks had taken place. A person familiar with the situation said Airbus had ended the talks shortly after they became public. Under the proposed tie-up, Airbus would have helped Bombardier complete development of the troubled aircraft in exchange for a controlling stake in the program, effectively ending Bombardier's independent efforts to break into the lower end of the global airplane market dominated by Airbus and Boeing (BA.N). Bombardier is likely to take a strategic pause and regroup after the sudden end to what some executives had seen as a promising possibility, according to one source. Among the options were reviving contacts with Chinese investors, and potentially Boeing (BA.N), as well as a renewed drive to sell stakes in the company's rail and business jet units, the source said. Boeing enjoys closer relations with Bombardier's arch-rival Embraer (EMBR3.SA) of Brazil, and is seen as less likely to be interested in any tie-up with Bombardier. Bombardier shares jumped 13 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange immediately after Reuters reported the approach, ending the day up 15 percent at C$1.77. The shares are still worth less than a quarter of their value in July 2008, when Bombardier officially launched the CSeries jet. After the report, Airbus confirmed that it had been exploring business opportunities with Bombardier but that such discussions were no longer being pursued. Bombardier then confirmed it had held talks with Airbus about "certain business opportunities," but those discussions were no longer under way. It said it would continue to "explore initiatives, such as a potential participation in industry consolidation" but gave no further details. The Montreal-based company, which has so far received a total of 243 firm orders for the jet, was unable to win a single order at the Paris airshow in June and is still short of its target of 300 firm orders by the time the aircraft enters service, set for 2016. Even for an industry prone to long delays and cost overruns, the development of the CSeries has been rocky. The project has battered Bombardier's balance sheet. As of June 30, Bombardier had $9 billion in long-term debt and $3.1 billion in cash on hand, after burning through some $808 million in free cash flow in the quarter. Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier said investors would question why Bombardier would sell a majority stake in the CSeries just months before first delivery, given that much of the investments had been made. "The willingness to sell a majority stake to Airbus with a minimal amount of cash could reflect management's increased concern for the company's financial position," he wrote in a note. DEFENSIVE APPEAL The proposal came as the CSeries faces the most vulnerable phase of its development: after huge one-off costs but before revenues from deliveries, and without the cushion of airline deposits that would come with a fatter order book. The 110-130-seat CSeries jet competes against the smallest models of Airbus and Boeing - part of the A320 and 737 families, respectively - using a lightweight design and new engines from Pratt & Whitney, part of United Technologies Corp. (UTX.N). Airbus and Boeing have booked a combined 7,000 orders for their latest versions of those medium-haul jets. Although Bombardier and Airbus have clashed in the jet market, sources said a deal could have had merits for both sides. Airbus would effectively have been buying a fully developed plane, which its manufacturer says is exceeding performance targets, at a discount to its development cost. And Bombardier would have gained the support it needs to complete its biggest ever plane, and benefited from the powerful Airbus sales machine led by John Leahy, who recently conceded that Bombardier had a "nice little plane". Both sides could have benefited from some cost savings in combined supply chain management and procurement. Any deal would have also carried defensive appeal to Airbus by keeping the CSeries away from China, a long-term competitor with deep pockets. One source told Reuters that Bombardier had also approached an unspecified Chinese buyer about acquiring a stake in the CSeries, but those discussions ended three to four weeks ago. Bombardier is also exploring the sale of stakes in other units or a possible cash injection by Quebec's public pension fund manager, sources said last week. It is also boosting efforts to generate orders for the CSeries, after refusing under a previous management to offer steep enough discounts, financiers said in Europe on Tuesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/us-bombardier-airbus-group- idUSKCN0S02MF20151007 Back to Top Canadian Family Donates $700,000 Aircraft to Okanagan College The Vernon campus for Okanagan College received an out-of-this-world donation on Tuesday: a world-class aircraft. The incredibly valuable piece of equipment was unveiled at the Vernon Aerospace campus, and was donated by the Swanberg family of Grande Prairie and Fort St. John in memory of Sylvan and Dorothy Swanberg. Coined the British Aerospace Model Jetstream 31, this piece of equipment is valued at nearly $700,000. Loran Swanberg passing Jim Hamilton the keys to the aircraft. Sylvan and Dorothy's son Loran Swanberg was joined by family members on Tuesday to announce the massive donation, which will support the College's Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) M-License program. The program trains students in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. "Our family is very proud to be able to support the next generation of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers,"said Loran. "Continuous education and hands-on training is so important in the aviation industry. "We are delighted that this aircraft, donated in honour of my parents, has found a wonderful home at Okanagan College, where it will inspire and enrich the learning experience for students for years to come." "This gift will enrich the training experience for our students for years to come," added Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton. "On behalf of Okanagan College, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the Swanberg family for this support." In accordance with Transport Canada regulations, the Jetstream was disassembled in Calgary and shipped by truck to its new home at the College's AME hangar in Vernon for reassembly. Students were included in the reassembly process and are already at work on maintenance projects on the aircraft. Sylvan Swanberg was the founder of Swanberg Air in Grande Prairie, Alberta in 2000. The company offered cargo, scheduled, and charter passenger services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia for 11 years. "We hope that link resonates with the students," said Loran. "Our family is very excited about the legacy behind these aircraft and the connection between them. These donations are meant to celebrate and carry on my parents' strong belief in higher education and lifelong learning." For more information about the AME program, click here. https://www.kelownanow.com/ Back to Top Alcoa lands $1B airplane fastener contract from Airbus Alcoa Inc. will make bolts and other fasteners for Airbus planes under a $1 billion deal announced Monday that highlights the growing importance of the company's aerospace business. The contract, which the New York-based company said is its biggest with Airbus Group SE for fasteners, was announced a week after Alcoa disclosed plans to split into two companies next year. The split will separate its legacy mining and smelting operations from a faster-growing segment that supplies components to the aerospace and automotive industries. The fasteners, which Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld called "breatkhrough technologies" are made from materials such as stainless steel, titanium and nickel-based superalloys. They are used to hold or join airplane panels and components. Alcoa, which has about 2,000 employees in the Pittsburgh area, said the fasteners will be manufactured at 14 global aerospace plants, but none of them are in the Pittsburgh area. They will be used on the popular A330 and some of the newest high-growth Airbus planes, including the A350 wide-body jet and the A320neo family, Alcoa said. Most of the work will be completed in California, said Mary Anne Greczyn, spokeswoman in the Herndon, Va., office of France-based Airbus. Airbus last month opened an assembly plant in Alabama, its first in the United States. At the end of last month, the company said it had a backlog of 6,755 aircraft on order. Last year, Alcoa announced a $1 billion contract to supply sheet and plate products to Boeing Co. for commercial airplanes. It also announced a $1.1 billion, 10-year deal that year with jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney to provide components, including fan blades using aluminum-lithium produced at Alcoa Technical Center in Upper Burrell. Aerospace and automotive components, such as aluminium for auto body parts, are contributing a growing share of Alcoa's revenue and profit. The company said its value- add business, which includes those two units, contributed 51 percent of overall after-tax operating income last year, more than double its contribution to earnings in 2008. Alcoa is moving to unlock the potential of these fast-growing segments with its plan to split into two publicly traded companies. Its commodity mining and smelting business, hurt by falling aluminum prices and weak demand, will retain the Alcoa name. Alcoa has not yet named the company that will include the business units that make parts for airplanes and automobiles. http://triblive.com/business/headlines/9212072-74/alcoa-airbus- company#ixzz3nsrcnA6D Back to Top Neptune Aviation awarded contract with Forest Service MISSOULA, Mont. - The Forest Service will double the number of next generation air tankers it uses against wildfires. The aircraft can fly faster and carry more retardant than older firefighting aircraft that are still in use. Neptune Aviation in Missoula was selected for a five-year contract to supply four of the air tankers. Neptune has been in the business of flying air tankers for 23 years. Each summer they fly air tankers to fight forest fires under temporary contracts. Neptune officials said being selected for a five-year contract for four air tankers is a big deal. It means stability for the company to grow and build. "We're excited about it. We've been working four years to get these five-year contracts, so it's been a long effort. It's been very satisfying and rewarding to get them. So we're excited about going forward," said Neptune Aviation CEO Ron Hooper. Neptune Aviation works with the Forest Service during fire season. They have an exclusive-use contract, which means the Forest Service decides where the aircraft go and what fires they are assigned. Neptune Aviation provides the flight crews and all the maintenance on the aircraft. Over the summer, Neptune had 12 aircraft fighting fires. Currently, workers are adjusting the planes and doing winter maintenance on all the aircraft after a busy summer. "(It's been a) very busy year. We flew primarily in California, Oregon, Washington, but we flew over 2,160 hours with that fleet of 12 aircrafts, so it's been a very busy year," said Hooper. Hooper said the company is grateful for the contracts. It means they can watch the business grow for many years to come. The new addition of the four air tankers means Neptune Aviation will now have 11 air tankers under contract with the Forest Service. http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/neptune-aviation-awarded-contract-with-forest- service/35689634 Back to Top FAA approves AA Cargo for cool-chain container use American Airlines Cargo has become the first U.S. passenger carrier to receive approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use the RAP e2 cargo containers, made by Envirotainer. The RAP e2 can fit a maximum of five European pallets or four U.S. pallets. The airline can begin using the e2 containers for temperature-controlled cargo shipment beginning Nov. 1. AA Cargo has also begun adding Envirotainer's RKN e1 containers, which use compressor cooling and electric heating.The larger RAP e2 units are temperature-controlled with an insulated shell and can maintain product temperatures between 32 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit in nearly any ambient conditions, according to the manufacturer. These containers are part of AA Cargo's ExpediteTC° program, which was designed to ensure the safe delivery of time- and temperature-sensitive shipments. http://aircargoworld.com/faa-approves-aa-cargo-for-cool-chain-container-use/ Back to Top Airport Cooperative Research Project Back to Top iSMS - Safety Management System Training Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO November 2, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724162 IS-BAO Auditing November 3, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724176 BARS Auditor Training Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April 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 Air Cargo Safety and Security Symposium ALPA Washington, DC November 5, 2015 http://aircargoconference.alpa.org 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 2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium January 3, 4, & 5 2016 Disney World, FL 1-866-870-5490 www.dtiatlanta.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Aerospace Tenure-Track Faculty Middle Tennessee State University http://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu/postings/2124 Aerospace (UAS), Tenure-Track Faculty Middle Tennessee State University http://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu/postings/2125 *IOSA FLT Auditors *Experienced Trainers in the area of Safety Management Systems *Quality Control Specialist *Manager Quality Assurance and Quality Control Aviation Quality Services GmbH www.aviation-quality-services.com Flight Training Human Factors Specialist Emirates www.emirates.com/careers Curt Lewis