Flight Safety Information October 22, 2015 - No. 210 In This Issue Unruly Passengers Can Cost Airlines Up to $200,000 for Diversions San Diego Airport - Lawsuit: 3 downtown SD cranes are too tall Passengers forced to breathe through seat covers as smoke fills airplane cabin US: Drones will soon need distinctive markings, just like aircraft tail numbers A Major Problem With the FAA Plan to Register All Drones Airline loses safety licence over flights between Cardiff and North Wales US to audit air safety standards (Thailand) Improper cargo loading blamed in 2013 Soldotna air taxi crash that killed 10 Adverse Weather and its Effects on Air Safety PROS 2015 TRAINING Stop By and Visit At NBAA - Booth N812 China-made regional jet set for delivery, but no U.S. certification UND maintains partnership to train pilots for Japan Magazine vote: Virgin America, Singapore Air are top airlines China Said to Consider Consolidation Among Big 3 Airlines SAVE THE DATE...ISASI-2016 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST (1) Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Unruly Passengers Can Cost Airlines Up to $200,000 for Diversions Passengers can be fined $25,000 for each incident Unruly Passenger Diverts Flight From San Jose An American Airlines flight from San Jose to Dallas was diverted to Phoenix Tuesday afternoon because of an unruly passenger, the airline confirmed. When an American Airlines flight from San Jose, California, was diverted to Phoenix on its way to Dallas on Tuesday because an apparently drunk passenger was yelling and had to be restrained, the man was taken off the plane and sent to a hotel. The airline would not press charges, police said. Two days earlier, a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco had to turn around after a passenger allegedly choked the woman in front of him for reclining her seat. In that case, the FBI detained the man for questioning. Unruly Passenger Diverts Flight From San Jose "I am sure it was annoying for everyone around them but that is ridiculous to let that everyone miss their connections," wrote one commenter on NBC Bay Area's Facebook page after the latest case. "How can it be serious enough to divert the flight but then not to press charges?" When to pursue prosecution is a line that airlines "always have to walk because you do want there to be consequences for bad behavior," said Seth Kaplan, the editor of Airline Weekly. Not only are diversions disruptive for other passengers but they are pricey for the airline. The cost of unscheduled landings to disembark or deliver passengers typically is borne by airlines and can be between $10,000 and $200,000, according to Perry Flint, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association. Passengers can be fined $25,000 for each incident, Kaplan said. He said he did not know how often airlines went after passengers for the cost of diversions. As with any business, there is what the airline is entitled to and how its actions appear to the public, he said. Southwest Passenger Allegedly Chokes Woman For Reclining in Seat: Witness[BAY] Southwest Passenger Allegedly Chokes Woman For Reclining in Seat: Witness "They are always weighting those kinds of considerations," Kaplan said. In February, USA Today reported that the Federal Aviation Administration rarely issued hefty fines. A review of documents found that of about 750 crew reports filed from 2009 to 2013, only one in six had resulted in civil fines. The FAA levied about $1 million in fines, but billed about $435,000 after settlements, the paper found. American Airlines makes its decisions on a case-by-case basis, according a spokesman, Ross Feinstein. Costs vary depending on such factors as the time it takes and the size of the aircraft. Southwest Airlines trains its employees to deny boarding to passengers who appear to be drunk, and to handle unruly passengers aboard its flights, said spokesperson Brandy King. The captain, working with FAA Air Traffic Control, has a range of options available, from landing at the nearest airport to arranging for law enforcement officers to meet the aircraft. Southwest Airlines Flight Diverted After Altercation on Plane[CHI] Southwest Airlines Flight Diverted After Altercation on Plane A call to the FBI office in Los Angeles about whether charges were brought against the Southwest Airlines passenger was not immediately returned. Melanie Hinton, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, an industry group, said such diversions were rare, affecting 1 in 130,000 flights. The group supports vigorous prosecution of passengers charged with disruptive behavior as well as international efforts at the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association to assure that other countries also appropriately deal with these situations, she wrote. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Unruly-Passengers-Can-Cost-Airlines-Up-to- 200000-for-Diversions-335256931.htm Back to Top San Diego Airport - Lawsuit: 3 downtown SD cranes are too tall The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is suing the Judicial Council of California because the cranes being used to build a new downtown courthouse expansion are too tall. The lawsuit argued the FAA gave the Judicial Council and its contractors permission for a single crane no taller than 511 feet. As of this week, three cranes surrounded the $500 million, 22-story tower. The lawsuit said each tower could reach a height of 650 feet. "Any time that you have obstacles that come close to the final approach path, it's of great concern to me," said pilot and Aviation Week editor Fred George. George has flown dozens of planes, including some that land at San Diego's Lindbergh Field. He explained the cranes might be too high for FAA standards in the event there is bad weather and visibility becomes an issue. "That may mean that we have to divert to another airport if the weather is gooey enough," said George. That would cause epic delays at the airport. An FAA spokesman said the developer filed an application to put up the three cranes and extend them 695 feet. The spokesman said the FAA was reviewing the request "when the developer went ahead and put up the cranes." The FAA had not yet determined what effect cranes that tall could have on San Diego's airspace. The spokesman added the company might have already lowered the cranes. An unidentified worker told a 10News reporter the cranes have not operated since Friday because of the height. A Judicial Council of California spokesman told 10News he expected the lawsuit to be resolved Thursday morning during the hearing. http://www.10news.com/news/lawsuit-3-downtown-sd-cranes-are-too-tall-102115 Back to Top Passengers forced to breathe through seat covers as smoke fills airplane cabin A Q400 lands at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport. HALIFAX - A passenger is questioning why there were no oxygen masks aboard a Porter Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing Monday after smoke filled the aircraft. Don McDonald of Paradise, N.L., was flying with family members from Halifax to St. John's, N.L., when someone noticed smoke coming from the front of the cabin about 30 minutes after takeoff. "The fire alarm was going off, the red light was flashing," said McDonald. MacDonald said as smoke gradually began to fill the cabin area the flight crew instructed passengers to use the cloth material draping the headrests of their seats to breathe through. The 61-year-old said he wasn't all that surprised by the instructions because he had seen nothing mentioning the use of oxygen masks in the aircraft's safety instructions. "There was nothing about a mask dropping down," said MacDonald. In an e-mailed statement Porter Airlines said the aircraft in question, Bombardier's Q400, operates below 25,000 feet and is therefore not required to have drop-down oxygen under regulations administered by Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. "For aircraft that operate above 25,000 feet, drop down oxygen is mandated due to the time it takes for the aircraft to conduct an emergency descent to a safe altitude (typically 14,000 feet or less)," the statement said. "This is not a factor for the Q400." MacDonald estimates the turbo prop landed in Sydney about 12 to 15 minutes after the initial alarm, by which time the 66 passengers on board were told to adopt the brace position by the flight crew and the thickening smoke had gotten "quite intense." "If the flight lasted another 15 or 20 minutes I think there would have been a different outcome because the smoke was getting more intense all the time. Even breathing through the fabric you could still sense the smoke." MacDonald, travelling with his wife, sister-in-law, a niece and her 10-month-old baby, said he thinks there should have been some kind of mask or safety device available. MacDonald said he has a scratchy throat, but can't say for sure whether it's a result of the incident. He also commended the crew as "very professional" and said he wouldn't hesitate to fly with Porter again. "I reported this just for regulators to look at it and see if something can be done." Transport Canada couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday. The airline said that oxygen masks are not typically deployed in the event of smoke on aircraft equipped with them. It said in the case of Monday's flight the pilot was able to land safely soon after the emergency was declared. But passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs said he was shocked to learn the Q400 doesn't have oxygen masks. Lukacs said although the aircraft doesn't fly as high as many commercial planes there is an element of passenger safety that from his point of view appears to be lacking, despite regulations. "I would say that an aircraft that carries passengers and that operates as a commercial entity should be carrying oxygen masks," he said. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. http://globalnews.ca/news/2291076/passengers-forced-to-breathe-through-seat-covers- as-smoke-fills-airplane-cabin/ Back to Top US: Drones will soon need distinctive markings, just like aircraft tail numbers FAA currently has a hard time identifying, prosecuting unsafe drone pilots. GOT A DRONE? YOU'LL HAVE TO REGISTER IT WITH THE US GOVERNMENT "Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability." In a new regulatory filing, the Department of Transportation has suggested that it will require new drone owners to have "aircraft identification and marking" on their aircraft, similar to tail numbers on manned planes. Earlier this week, the DOT announced the creation of its new "national registry" of drones. The document, which was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, cites the rapid increase in the numbers of airborne drones spotted by pilots-apparently double the rate in 2015 compared to 2014. The DOT writes: As evidenced by the recent reports of unsafe [Unmanned Aerial Systems] operations, the lack of awareness of operators regarding what must be done to operate UAS safely in the NAS, and the lack of identification of UAS and their operators pose significant challenges in ensuring accountability for responsible use. Without increased awareness and knowledge of the statutory and regulatory requirements for safe operation, the risk of unsafe UAS operations will only rise. Aircraft identification and marking will assist the Department in identifying owners of UAS that are operated in an unsafe manner, so we may continue to educate these users, and when appropriate, take enforcement action. The department outlined a number of questions that its new drone task force will have to evaluate, such as when such drone registration should occur: at the point-of-sale or prior-to-operation? What happens when a drone is resold? What type of information about the drone's owner should be collected? The document does not explore if drones that have already been sold will have to retroactively be registered. The task force is set to provide answers to these questions and other recommendations by November 20. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/10/feds-suggest-drones-will-soon-need- identification-and-marking/ Back to Top A Major Problem With the FAA Plan to Register All Drones It will be very difficult to figure out what to do about the DIY ones. Some drone hobbyists think that it's cheating to buy one. It's all the drone world can talk about: The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that all drones-not just those used for commercial purposes-would soon have to be registered, with the hope of providing a way to link badly behaved drones to their pilots. The new system, FAA representatives (optimistically) said, is hoped to be in placed by mid-December, to anticipate the hordes of underage children and overconfident dads expected to get drones for Christmas. There are lots of potential problems with this plan, which other experts have admirably described. But I want to focus on one particular obstacle. What should the FAA do about registering DIY drones- the flying objects that people make in their garages, instead of running out and buying? Consumer-level drones are new to most Americans. But the drone craze really began with garage-dwelling hobbyists-much like the birth of personal computing. While it's now possible to simply purchase a high-quality drone that works right out of the box, the drone community still has a huge contingent of ardent DIY drone builders, ranging from engineering-minded middle-schoolers to hot-blooded competitive racers to retirees with a tinkering bent. Although it's difficult to count how many DIY drone builders are out there, former Wired editor Chris Anderson's DIY Drones site has been around since 2007 and currently counts 71,816 members while dozens of stores-both online and brick and mortar-sell component parts to interested hobbyists. Thanks in large part to the rise of inexpensive smartphone components, (such as tiny processors and tiny sensors), making a drone yourself has gone from an esoteric pursuit to the sort of thing a student might do with her mom or dad after school. As someone without any tinkering background, I was surprised at how easy do-it-yourself drone building was when I tried it at my graduate school's drone club-sure, there was a tiny bit of soldering, but mostly the process involved hot glue, duct tape, and connecting different electrical components in the right places. In some DIY circles, going out and buying a drone is considered a bit of a cheap move, an admission you can't be bothered to learn some relatively simple tech skills. So, how is the FAA going to keep up with drones built with parts bought from different locations, borrowed from other people, or even 3-D-printed? I went searching for other DIY devices that are regulated in the United States, looking for parallels-and it turns out there are a number of them, given that the currently hip maker movement is really just a resurrection of some hoary American traditions. The founding fathers were disappointingly silent on the topic of flying camera-carrying multicopters. A logical place to start seemed to be with amateur-built manned aircraft. A kindly representative for the Experimental Aircraft Association told me that roughly 30,000 DIY actual airplanes are registered in the U.S. at any given time, a number that's grown slightly over the past decade. Before they're legally allowed in the air, though, such aircraft need to undergo a considerable process of inspection and certification by the FAA. A similarly comprehensive process is required in the case of homemade cars and motorcycles-the state's Department of Motor Vehicles must inspect the vehicle before it's allowed on the road. Considering just how many DIY drones are already out there, and how quickly and easily they can be built and repurposed in comparison with human-size conveyances, it seems unlikely the FAA will be able to inspect every new build. Irritated drone pilots like to mention that certain single-occupant manned aircraft designated as "ultralight"-this would include some gliders and gyrocopters-are designated not as aircraft but as vehicles. Most ultralight vehicles don't have to be registered with the FAA, and you don't need a license to fly one. Another parallel might be DIY guns, which have made headlines in recent years due to the massive headaches they cause firearms regulators. A YouTuber identified only as "xtamared" has been attracting considerable attention this month for his homemade, partially 3-D-printed railgun-an invention both indisputably awesome and deeply worrisome. Less tech-savvy marksmen are able to purchase gun components known as "unfinished receivers" or "80 percent lower receivers," which do not have to bear a serial number and are very hard to trace as a result. In 2013, a Mother Jones writer demonstrated how he was able to construct his very own untraceable AK-47 at a "build party." Still, consumer drones aren't the same as guns for many reasons. There is no federal gun registration system (except for certain types of controlled weapons) and very little political will to introduce one. Further, gun ownership is constitutionally protected while the founding fathers were disappointingly silent on the topic of flying camera-carrying multicopters. Yet another problem with DIY drone registration comes down to definition. The very word drone still doesn't have a fixed definition in American culture, and the FAA's announcement did not define which flying devices would be subject to the new rules. What qualifies as a drone and what doesn't, and what part of a drone "is" the drone- especially when the device is cobbled together from various parts, from different sources? A drone could perhaps be defined by its flight controller, which is best understood as the drone's "brain," controlling all the other components and helping the craft stay stable in the air. The problem here is that flight controllers can be swapped from drone to drone in a matter of minutes, and some multipurpose controllers can be used inside of both land and air vehicles that are very different from one another. Another problem: Flight controllers are easy to make and cheap to acquire from many different, small-time sources-and as this 16-year-old kid in the Philippines demonstrates, it's quite easy to just make your own with an Arduino-based module if you don't want to buy one. So, there's some precedent for registering DIY devices and maybe some ideas on how it could be done, but it remains to be seen how exactly the FAA will go about registering drones that don't come from a store. There is little precedent for the FAA's goal of registering every single drone: While a number of nations already have drone laws in place (like Australia, France, and Canada), none have attempted a universal registration requirement. Drone builders, many of whom have been calling for final regulations for years, are understandably wary-concerned that strict registration policies could legislate the DIY hobby out of existence. That would be a real loss. The vast majority of DIY drone-makers are innocent, inquisitive geeks. They've also got skin in the game: Due to the time and sweat equity they've invested in their home-built devices and in the hobby as a whole, they're generally much less likely to do dumb or risky things when they fly, as opposed to someone whose interest in drones only extends to picking up a cool toy for the holidays. Making it harder for DIY builders to operate would target the exact wrong trouble- making demographic. What's more, cracking down on DIY electronics would impact more people than just drone-makers. Many DIY drone components can be used for a wide range of projects, from ground-dwelling remote control cars to electronic jewelry. The surging maker movement-ferried along both by a slouching economy and an increasing cultural emphasis on tech and DIY skills-now attracts thousands upon thousands to its worldwide gatherings, which highlight homemade projects from across the spectrum. Many people of all ages say they've felt empowered by learning how to make their own stuff, from drones to pickles to hydroponic gardens to giant flame-breathing robots. I'm in that group: Thanks to drone building, I've gone from a total electronics ignoramus to someone who can actually explain how an electronic speed controller works. While the FAA absolutely needs to regulate drones, it's imperative that the new registration requirement will be well thought out and carefully implemented. New drone regulations and requirements should be accompanied by a full-court-press effort at educating the public, many of whom remain unaware that there are any drone restrictions at all. The learning opportunities, innovation, and fun of DIY drones shouldn't be erased by overzealous regulation-and aspirant drone pilots shouldn't be restricted to off-the-rack options. http://www.slate.com/ Back to Top Airline loses safety licence over flights between Cardiff and North Wales AN AIRLINE which offers flights between Cardiff and North Wales has lost its safety licence. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has taken the step of revoking LinksAir's safety certificate to "protect the travelling public." But Welsh Business Minister Edwina Hart has underlined to AMs that another airline is ready to take off instead. A CAA spokesman said: "The UK Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the safety certificate for UK airline Linksair. "Safety is always our first priority and we will always take action when necessary to protect the travelling public." Mrs Hart said the route would continue. She added: "These are matters for the Civil Aviation Authority. "We have obviously been appraised of the situation. "We are looking at one airline in one particular route and the CAA has obligations that it has to adhere to. "There is another provider in place to carry on with the route." It was back in 2014 that LinksAir took over the service from their previous partnership with operator Citywing. They renewed their contract to offer two return flights each weekday for the following four years. Welsh Conservative Leader, Andrew RT Davies AM, said: "Labour ministers must clarify the situation surrounding LinksAir immediately. "The company's contract was renewed just last year - at significant cost to the taxpayer. Now it appears the entire deal is up in the air. "Communities deserve to know if the route is continuing to operate within the current framework or if additional money is being used. "At a time when we have called for Labour's entire business grants system to be reviewed, this is further evidence of a clear need to ensure boosted transparency in value for public money. "Given the CAA's decision around safety approval for LinksAir, communities will rightly ask questions and Labour ministers must provide swift assurances." A Welsh Government spokesman added: "We are aware of the decision of the Civil Aviation Authority in relation to the operator of the Intra Wales Air Service. "A replacement operator with the necessary accreditations was secured to ensure the service continued from Tuesday. "LinksAir informed passengers in advance of the cancellation on Monday and passengers were offered tickets for replacement train services or refunds." The route is being subsidised by the Welsh Government despite falling passenger numbers. LinksAir offers flights from Anglesey to Norwich, through Cardiff Airport, but the route was scrapped earlier this year after only two passengers booked to use it. http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Airline-loses-safety-licence-flights- Cardiff/story-28033682-detail/story.html#ixzz3pIRE5aUa Back to Top US to audit air safety standards (Thailand) Aviation authorities are gearing up for a make-or-break re-audit by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) scheduled to take place next week. The US Federal Aviation Administration will begin a three-day audit of safety standards next Monday (Oct 26), a "make-or-break" test for Thai aviation. (Bangkok Post file photo) Yesterday (Oct 21), Air force chief ACM Tritos Sonjaeng, in his capacity as head of the command centre to address civil aviation problems, met officials in the sector, including the Office of Civil Aviation (OCA) to make sure they are ready for the inspection. The US aviation regulator will conduct a three-day examination of Thai aviation safety standards on Oct 26-28, just over two months after its last audit in July in which the FAA found faults in the country's air safety standards. Following the inspection, it gave Thailand 65 days to address the problems to avoid a potential flight ban to the US for Thai-registered carriers. ACM Monthon Satchukorn, the command centre's spokesman, said the OCA has given assurances it has fixed the flaws identified by the FAA in the previous audit and is ready for next week's inspection. Among the flaws identified in the last FAA audit were a shortage of qualified staff to carry out airline air safety inspections - a concern which was also raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ACM Monthon said yesterday's meeting agreed the upcoming FAA inspection could have a profound impact on the country's efforts to address civil aviation problems. But if the country passes the FAA audit, there is a good chance it will pass an inspection by the European Aviation Safety Agency scheduled to take place next month, he said. ACM Tritos has told the OCA to inform the command centre if it needs any assistance ahead of the FAA visit, ACM Monthon said. The command centre was set up last month under Section 44 of the interim charter by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to help save the aviation industry. The OCA was also formed recently to act as a regulator in line with an ICAO suggestion to seperate the civil aviation regulator from the airport operator. http://www.thephuketnews.com/us-to-audit-air-safety-standards- 54638.php#sthash.vkmgGB5i.dpuf Back to Top Improper cargo loading blamed in 2013 Soldotna air taxi crash that killed 10 National Transportation Safety Board investigators on the scene a plane crash in Soldotna in July 2013 that killed 10. The NTSB released a report Wednesday concluding that improperly loaded cargo was likely to blame for the crash. An investigation into a July 2013 air taxi crash in Soldotna that killed all nine passengers and the pilot has concluded that issues with the weight and balance of cargo and baggage were directly to blame, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a new report released this week. Inaction by the Federal Aviation Administration also contributed to the crash, the NTSB concluded. The FAA doesn't require documentation of the weight-and-balance configuration for air taxi and commuter services operating single-engine planes, even though it's a requirement for multi-engine aircraft. The NTSB has been urging the FAA to change that since 1989. "It seems likely that if the FAA had taken the recommended action in the 26 years since the NTSB first recommended it, the accident in Soldotna would have been prevented," the NTSB said in an Aug. 21 safety recommendation to the FAA. The flight, which crashed on takeoff July 7, 2013, was operated by Rediske Air Inc., an on-demand charter service based in Nikiski. The plane had too much weight in the rear, "which resulted in an uncontrollable nose-up pitch leading to an aerodynamic stall," said the report, posted on the NTSB website Tuesday and publicized on Wednesday. Two families from Greenville, South Carolina, were killed when the plane went down seconds after takeoff. The two couples with five children between them were headed across Cook Inlet to Bear Mountain Lodge for an overnight trip that included bear watching. The 42-year-old pilot, Walter "Willie" Rediske, was an experienced airman, son of the air charter's founder and its co-owner when he was killed. The NTSB put the direct cause of the crash on Rediske Air's failure to determine the actual weight of cargo, including groceries for the lodge, and properly load it onto the single-engine, turbine-powered de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. The plane ended up slightly overloaded but significantly off-balance, the NTSB said in its final report on the crash. Because the cargo and passengers weren't weighed beforehand, the NTSB used a variety of means to figure weights. For instance, investigators went to the store where grocery items were bought and, using a receipt provided by the lodge, weighed the items. "This was a very exhaustive, very labor-intensive investigation," said Clint Johnson, chief of the NTSB regional office in Alaska. The NTSB released about 400 pages of key documents in September 2014, including the results of several tests and studies, but only now is announcing its conclusions. The flight load manifest listed the weight of the lodge's cargo at 300 pounds, but the NTSB investigation found it was more than double that. In all, the NTSB estimated that the loaded Otter likely exceeded the 8,000-pound maximum weight by just 21 or so pounds. But the center of gravity was off by at least 5.5 inches -- and that was enough to doom the flight, under the NTSB's analysis. The NTSB couldn't determine where all the cargo and bags were placed. The center of gravity on a plane is like the fulcrum on a teeter-totter. If there is a large child on one end and a small child on the other, the latter end will go up, Johnson said. Key evidence came from a smartphone video shot during takeoff, which investigators used to determine the plane's angle and air speed. The video also revealed that the flaps were down, in the landing position. The improperly loaded plane would have crashed even with the flaps in the correct position, the report said. Efforts to reach Rediske Air directly were unsuccessful. An Anchorage attorney representing the Rediske family group that owned the plane said that the NTSB report is inconclusive. "Willie Rediske was a very, very fine pilot," said the attorney, Robert Richmond. "We are not aware of anything he did that was inappropriate." The NTSB first recommended the FAA require weight-and-balance documentation for single-engine planes in 1989 and did so again 10 years later. In August, as a result of the Rediske crash, the NTSB once again pushed the FAA to act and it underscored the issue in the new investigative report. The FAA provided a brief statement Wednesday. "The FAA will evaluate the report to determine if we need to take any safety actions," the agency said in an emailed response to questions. "Further, we take NTSB recommendations very seriously and will respond to them within the required 90 days." Rediske Air did not weigh the passengers or cargo, and it didn't add 10 pounds to each passenger's estimated weight, another approved method, the NTSB said. "The NTSB's investigation found that the load manifest that was prepared for the accident flight was grossly inaccurate," the August NTSB safety recommendation said. The operator also didn't perform balance calculations, the NTSB said. Had an accurate manifest been required, "it would have been clear that the airplane was loaded beyond its operational limitations," the NTSB said in August. The crash has generated a number of lawsuits in state and federal court, most of which were filed just before the two-year statute of limitations ran out and are in early stages. Representatives of the passengers have sued Rediske Air, the family partnership and the pilot's estate, and, in a separate but parallel suit, sued Bear Mountain Lodge, the plane manufacturer and companies involved with converting the original Otter to a turbine plane. Among other issues, they claim defects in the plane. The pilot's estate -- represented by his sister, Lyla -- is suing, too, in a case that names the manufacturers, Bear Mountain Lodge and even the family partnership for which she's still the agent. The NTSB investigation didn't name any manufacturing defect or maintenance issue as a factor in the Otter crash. The Otter is considered a reliable and versatile plane for Alaska air taxi and commuter services and not one especially tricky to load correctly, said Paul Roderick, owner of Talkeetna Air Taxi, which has four Otters in its fleet. A requirement for operators to document the weight and balance of each flight would mean extra paperwork but wouldn't be too burdensome, he said. Before the fatal crash, the Bear Mountain Lodge owner had brought supplies to load onto the plane in Nikiski. The pilot then made the short flight to Soldotna to pick up the passengers. Seconds after takeoff, the plane's nose pitched up and it stalled. Even when the pilot pushed the control column all the way forward, he couldn't bring the nose down, the NTSB found. http://www.adn.com/article/20151021/improper-cargo-loading-blamed-2013-soldotna- air-taxi-crash-killed-10 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Stop By and Visit At NBAA DATE Nov. 17 - 19, 2015 LOCATION Booth N812 Las Vegas Convention Center 3150 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Back to Top China-made regional jet set for delivery, but no U.S. certification Models of the ARJ21 regional jet from Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) are displayed at the Aviation Expo China 2015 in Beijing SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) - China's first domestically designed passenger jet will be delivered without U.S. certification, a potential dent to both the aircraft's international credibility and to joint safety efforts by Chinese and U.S. regulators. The Comac ARJ-21 regional jet, which can seat up to 90 passengers, received the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) type certification last December and will be delivered to launch customer Chengdu Airlines shortly, two people familiar with the plane's program told Reuters. The plane will fly without U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification despite a five-year effort to have the FAA endorse CAAC's certification procedures, the people said. An FAA type certificate would have boosted the reputation of the airplane's developer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) and cleared the way for the plane to be sold and operated globally - though expectations for foreign sales had been low. Without it, the aircraft can operate only in China and some Asian, African and South American countries that recognize the CAAC's certificate. Chengdu Airlines, a low-cost carrier, is expected to fly the plane on commercial domestic operations in the first quarter of 2016. Comac has received nearly 350 orders for the ARJ-21, mainly from Chinese airlines and leasing firms. SHADOWING Since 2010, the FAA has undertaken a shadow certification process to assess the CAAC's ability to conduct a technical assessment of aircraft. But tensions arose between the two regulators last year over various technical and bureaucratic issues, before the process ended in early 2015, those familiar with the program said. People close to Comac believe the FAA also was dragging its feet in part because of bilateral political and economic considerations. "While the CAAC wanted to learn from the FAA, they felt the Americans were too rigid and unnecessarily delaying things. And the longer the delay, the greater the embarrassment to the Chinese," said one of those individuals. However, a CAAC official responsible for certification and people close to the FAA stressed that the two regulators were still working to resolve outstanding issues as a "top priority". In an emailed response to Reuters for this article, the FAA said the ARJ-21 was never intended to be certificated by the FAA under the shadow evaluation process, and Comac planned a derivative model of the plane to comply with FAA standards. "The FAA enjoys a good working relationship with CAAC and we continue to work together to develop a path to work towards certification of the derivative model of the ARJ-21 and, possibly, the C919," the FAA said referring to a narrow-body jet China is developing to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 models. Also, the FAA said it could certify an airplane after it enters service if it can be shown to comply with all relevant airworthiness and manufacturing standards. AVIATION COOPERATION Putting the ARJ-21 into service without FAA certification would be a setback to U.S. and China aviation cooperation, arguably one of the outstanding achievements since the two governments re-established diplomatic relations in 1979. Chinese airlines have bought hundreds of Boeing jets as the country's aviation sector opened up and boomed, and Boeing plans to open a completions and delivery centre in China for its 737 aircraft, its first plant outside the United States. U.S. aerospace firms have also invested heavily in China, and companies such as General Electric , Rockwell Collins , Honeywell and United Technologies are suppliers for the ARJ-21 and C919 jet. "It could be seen as a loss of face for the Chinese given they deem FAA certification a key rite of passage for what will be the first domestically built jet to enter commercial service," said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor at Flightglobal, an industry news and data service. Comac could eventually ask the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to certify the ARJ-21 once it has been delivered, and ask it to help with the C919 as well, the people familiar with the program said. "Given the effort and prestige China is pouring into the C919, getting FAA or EASA certification is a definite requirement both for the image of the program and the ambition to garner foreign sales," said Waldron. "We don't know if and when the Chinese authority will apply to us for a certification," an EASA spokesman said. "LEARNING EXPERIENCE" China has been working for 40 years to produce and deliver a homegrown commercial airliner. It first developed the Y-10, a four-engined jet, in the 1970s but never delivered it to customers. It has exported some MA-60 turboprop planes, a civil version of the license- produced Soviet-designed Antonov AN-24 military transport. Comac plans to eventually upgrade the ARJ-21 so it's closer in performance to regional jets made by Embraer , Mitsubishi Aircraft and Bombardier . The current version of the ARJ-21 and the program itself is a "learning experience," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst at the Teal Group. "Any airline forced to operate this jet will be at a severe competitive disadvantage against any airline with a modern aircraft." That means China's hopes may rest on the C919. Comac aims to complete its flight test and certification program in less than half the time it took with the ARJ-21, say those familiar with the company's plans. "It has engaged foreign suppliers experienced in global aircraft programs with Airbus and Boeing much earlier, and they're far more involved in the C919," said one of those familiar with the program. "FAA or EASA certification would legitimize the program and create interesting new opportunities for China's aerospace sector. Such certification would be a watershed development," added Waldron at Flightglobal. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-china-made-regional-jet-set-for-delivery- but-no-us-certification-2015-10 Back to Top UND maintains partnership to train pilots for Japan UND is in its 10th year of a partnership with Japan's Tokai University for bringing students to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. The agreement, which, according to Herald archives, was started in 2005 to address a pilot shortage in Japan, allows Tokai students attend UND's aerospace school for 15 months of training to become commercial pilots. According to a news release, students leave UND with both a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certificate and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau credentials. "It's a testament to our core values and the excellent education we provide students from all over the world," UND aerospace Dean Bruce Smith said in the release. http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/education/3865168-campus-und-maintains- partnership-train-pilots-japan Back to Top Magazine vote: Virgin America, Singapore Air are top airlines This photo from April 24, 2014, shows a Virgin America plane at Dallas Love Field. (Photo: Virgin America via AP) There are no shortage of lists attempting to rank the world's best airlines. The latest comes from Conde Nast Traveler, which has revealed its top airlines as rated in its "2015 Readers' Choice Awards." The magazine's readers tabbed Virgin America as the top U.S. carrier and Singapore Airlines as the top global carrier. That matched the findings at T+L magazine, another prominent travel publication that also put those airlines at the top of its ratings for 2015. Among the other ratings out so far this year are rankings by J.D. Power - JetBlue and Alaska Airlines were tops in the USA - and Skytrax, which named Qatar Airways as the best in the world. Yet another rating -- the scientific Airline Quality Rating report -- tabbed Virgin America as the top U.S. carrier, followed by Hawaiian Airlines and Delta. As for Conde Nast Traveler's ratings, Virgin America and Singapore Air are familiar names at the top. Virgin America has won the U.S. category every year since it began flying in 2007. Singapore Airlines has won the global category in 27 of the 28 years that the magazine has produced the ratings. Conde Nast Traveler says its ratings were tabulated based on the submissions from more than 128,000 respondents who identified themselves as regular travelers. The results were not scientific, but Conde Nast Traveler says individuals were limited to a single vote during the April 1-June 1 submission period. Here are the top five airlines in the domestic and international categories for Conde Nast Traveler: Domestic 1. Virgin America 2. JetBlue 3. Hawaiian Airlines 4. Southwest Airlines 5. Alaska Airlines International 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Emirates 3. Qatar Airways 4. Virgin Atlantic 5. Etihad http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/10/21/magazine- vote-virgin-america-singapore-top-airlines/74320888/ Back to Top China Said to Consider Consolidation Among Big 3 Airlines Beijing Airport A China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines airplanes are parked at Beijing Capital International Airport. Combining the three would create Asia's only airline with more than 1,000 planes, lagging behind only the three big U.S. carriers. Photographer: Nelson Ching/Bloomberg ANTARCTICA - 2010/10/21: Antarctica, Antarctic Peninsula, Paulet Island, Adelie Penguins Pygoscelis adeliae On Icefloe, Jumping Into Water. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images) The Strongest El Nino in Decades Is Going to Mess With Everything China Plans 2020 Deadline for Dismantling Capital Controls Air China, China Southern, China Eastern make up the Big Three China is considering combining some operations of the nation's three biggest airlines as part of a broad reform of its state-owned enterprises, people familiar with the plans said. A plan to merge the cargo operations of Air China Ltd., China Southern Airlines Co. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. has been circulated among regulators for their opinions, said the people, who asked not to be named as the discussions are private. Other options include combining the passenger business of some or all of the three state-owned airlines, or completely combining at least two of the Big Three, the people said. All options are still under discussion and no decision has been made, the people said. Mergers in the airline industry would follow similar moves in other sectors. Earlier this year, China combined its two biggest railway manufacturers to set up an entity that can compete with General Electric Co. and Alstom SA for international orders. Consolidations also are being prepared in the shipping and aerospace sectors, people familiar with the matter have said. Shares of China Eastern and China Southern extended Thursday's gains after the Bloomberg story. China Southern rose 11 percent to close at HK$6.73 in Hong Kong, while China Eastern gained 5 percent to HK$5.04. Air China shares advanced 7.8 percent to HK$7.34. China Southern Air and its controlling shareholder haven't received "any written or verbal information" or have any "intention involved" in relation to speculation of a possible merger between Air China and itself, the carrier said in a Hong Kong exchange filing after market hours. Thousand Planes Air China's controlling shareholder has no government information on merger plans, the airline said in a Thursday filing to the Shanghai exchange. Calls and e-mails earlier in the day seeking comment from China Eastern, and calls to the civil aviation administration, weren't immediately returned. China Southern is already Asia's biggest airline by passengers and fleet size. Beijing- based Air China is the country's flagship carrier, while China Eastern dominates the financial hub of Shanghai. Combining the three would create Asia's only airline with more than 1,000 planes, lagging behind only the three big U.S. carriers. The three Chinese airlines have expanded along with the world's fastest growing aviation market, and a combination would give them a virtual monopoly in what is set to become the world's biggest air travel market within the next two decades. The official Xinhua News Agency reported in June that China was looking to merge the Big Three's cargo operations. The civil aviation administration said at the time that it hadn't released any news on the matter. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/china-said-to-consider- consolidation-among-big-three-airlines Back to Top SAVE THE DATE ISASI is pleased to announce that our 2016 seminar will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland from October 17 - 20, 2016 The theme for the seminar is "Every Link is Important" Details for the hotel, technical program, including the Call for Papers, companion program, and social events will be available on the ISASI web site in the near future We look forward to seeing you all next October Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a Senior First Officer with British Airways (BA), based at London, Heathrow flying the B777. I have been with BA for 15 years and have been flying the 777 for 6 years. Before that I was flying the 747-400. Prior to BA I flew the 747-400 with Virgin Atlantic, B757s and B767s with UK charter airline 'Airtours' (now part of Thomas Cook) and my professional flying career started as a manufacturer's pilot - flying Jetstream turboprops for British Aerospace. Before flying commercially, I worked with British Aerospace within the Technical Sales discipline and was, in my leisure time, involved with general aviation as an flying instructor. I am completing a Master's degree (MSc) in Air Transport Management with City University London and the final piece of that jigsaw is a project/dissertation and I have chosen the subject of 'Ice Crystal Icing'. Rather than the complex aero/thermodynamic concepts involved, I am exploring the operational and training challenges that airline flight crews face with this phenomenon. This qualification is not being sponsored by my employer; I have undertaken to finance it myself - the rationale being that as I intend to retire from airline flying in 5 years from now that new aviation challenges may become available to me based on this contemporary qualification and my aviation background (that is the plan any way!) the survey link follows https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ice-crystal-icing Sincere thanks, Mike Skelhorn 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 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 Curt Lewis