Flight Safety Information March 3, 2016 - No. 045 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Australia to test debris found two years after Malaysian jet disappeared Flight Attendant Started Fire in Lavatory on American Airlines Jet: FBI Phantom 4 Review: DJI's New Drone Outsmarts Bad Pilots Two air force pilots injured in crash-landing near Langebaan (South Africa) More grief for Nepal's air safety SpiceJet plane tyre damaged; aircraft lands safely U.S. issues new e-cigarette regulations for airlines Emergency Declared on Flight to Indiana, Plane Diverted Explorer, Physician and Leadership Expert - Dr. Joe MacInnes...to Share Lessons in Safety Leadership at CHC Summit 2016 Research Survey Request RESEARCH SURVEY...MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY Australia to test debris found two years after Malaysian jet disappeared A piece of debris found off the southeast African coast that could be from a missing Malaysia Airlines flight is being sent to Australia for testing, officials said on Thursday, two years after the plane carrying 239 people disappeared. A white, meter-long chunk of metal was found off the coast of Mozambique earlier this week by a U.S. adventurer who has been carrying out an independent search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The debris will be tested by officials in Australia, with help from Malaysian authorities and representatives of manufacturer Boeing Co (BA.N). "It is too early to speculate on the origin of the debris at this stage," Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester told parliament. However, the piece was found in "a location consistent with drift modeling commissioned by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau", he said. Chester's comments added to a fresh sense of optimism after Malaysia's transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, said on Wednesday there was a "high possibility" the metal chunk belonged to a 777 jet, the same type of aircraft as MH370. Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing. It is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean and an initial search of a 60,000 sq km (23,000 sq miles) area of sea floor has been extended to another 60,000 sq km. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said he had "noted" the report about the new possible piece of debris. "We will closely track the development of the situation, and maintain close contact with relevant sides. We will also work with relevant countries to make great efforts to continue the search work for MH370," he told reporters in Beijing. A piece of the plane's wing washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, on the other side of Madagascar, in July 2015. Voice370, a group representing families of those on board the missing plane, said the discovery meant the search must focus on the coastlines of Mozambique and Madagascar. "Debris fields, though subject to some degree of dispersal by the elements, generally tend to make landfall in close proximity," the group said in a statement. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airlines-australia-mozambiqu- idUSKCN0W5030 Back to Top Flight Attendant Started Fire in Lavatory on American Airlines Jet: FBI A flight attendant started a fire in an American Airlines plane's lavatory and then pretended to discover and extinguish it, the FBI said Wednesday. Johnathan Tafoya-Montano is charged with "destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities" and lying to investigators, investigators said in a news release. A court document states he was working on Flight AA1418 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit on Feb. 1 when he reported there had been a fire in a rear lavatory and that he had extinguished the flames. The captain notified air traffic controllers and declared an emergency but the plane, which was already on approach to Detroit, landed without incident and all passengers safely disembarked. NTSB investigators later concluded that the fire was started deliberately and that nobody else had been in the lavatory for at least 15-20 minutes prior to the blaze. Tafoya-Montano was arrested Tuesday and interviewed in Detroit where he admitting previously lying about the fire, according to the court document. It added that Tafoya-Montano said he used a green Bic disposable lighter to set fire to paper towels in the lavatory and then "pretended to discover the fire" before putting it out with a fire extinguisher and notifying other crew members of an emergency. He was charged and released on bond on condition that he was prohibited from flying without permission from a court, the FBI said. His court-appointed attorney was not available for comment, according to the Detroit Free-Press which reported that Tafoya-Montano was aged 23 and from Texas. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/flight-attendant-started-fire-lavatory-american- airlines-jet-fbi-n530841 Back to Top Phantom 4 Review: DJI's New Drone Outsmarts Bad Pilots The drone makes awesome aerial photography safer with five cameras that sense and avoid obstacles including trees, buildings and people The new Phantom 4 drone from DJI keeps pilots from getting into crashes with computer vision that can sense and avoid obstacles including trees, buildings and people. WSJ Personal Tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler takes it for a test flight, including a head-on game of chicken. The first thing I did with DJI's new Phantom 4 drone was fly straight toward a tree. Not the best way to treat a $1,400 flying camera, sure. But this quadcopter can do something other drones can't: keep you and me from being idiot pilots. My Phantom 4 made a beeline toward a cypress, then screeched to a halt a few feet before it. A spider-like array of cameras built into its body can see obstacles in 3-D and make split-second decisions to pause or veer to a new flight path. After a rash of drone crashes and injuries, these flying lawn mowers needed a breakthrough. It's computer vision. The Phantom 4, arriving in Apple stores March 15, is the first consumer drone that can sense and avoid trees, buildings and moving objects. A novice can tap on an app and have it trail someone like a flying paparazzo. To put it to the test, I even challenged it to a game of chicken. The Phantom 4 isn't foolproof-it can't see power lines or other thin obstacles, and there are no cameras in the rear, so it could back into things. Yet even in this early application of computer vision, it's the first drone I've flown that didn't make me feel like I'm one wrong move away from catastrophe. That's important, because the broad appeal of drones isn't flying, it's the view. A drone lets anyone get over, around and through things in a way that previously required a helicopter. Up there, everything looks epic, be it your house, vacation or wedding. I've used drone selfies-"dronies"-for my last two Christmas cards. The Phantom 4 is a creative tool, not a toy. A sleeker body and larger battery help it stay aloft over 28 minutes. A camera built into its undercarriage records lovely 4K video and 12-megapixel still shots. It's got a new wide-angle lens that's sharper in the corners than predecessors. And its video has a smooth Hollywood Steadicam look, thanks to a motorized gimbal that keeps the camera remarkably balanced, even in buffeting winds. Not everybody was born to be a pilot, which is probably why most of my photographer friends who bought drones have ended up crashing them. (My own first dearly departed in a tree.) DJI's earlier Phantom controllers had enough dials and switches to require flight school, and demanded crackerjack spatial perception from day one. It's no wonder the Federal Aviation Administration now requires drone owners to register, or that U.S. national parks have banned the machines. (You can check which areas allow drone flights at the airmap.io website.) The Phantom 4 simplifies flying with propellers that twist on in a way that's hard to screw up. On its front, the controller has just two joysticks, a power button and a just-land-this- thing button. You connect your iOS or Android device via USB to the controller and use it to see, in real time, what the drone is seeing. Learning to use this while keeping your eyes on the drone in the sky definitely takes practice. A free app has extra automatic flight modes and guided tutorials, though DJI still has room to improve in helping novices sort through it all. Operating a Phantom 4 has a lot in common with those luxury sedans that moms and dads coo over. There's serious horsepower in there: In the intimidating sports mode, it can zoom up to 45 miles an hour and rise 20 feet in a second. Yet like the latest lane- keeping and self-braking Volvo, the Phantom 4's real star is tech to save us from ourselves. As you're getting the hang of those joysticks, the Phantom 4's new Obstacle Sensing System keeps you from getting into too much trouble. Unlike robot vacuum cleaners and autonomous cars that use laser radar to watch for obstacles, the Phantom 4 uses up to five of its optical cameras to build-and constantly update-a volumetric map of objects between 2 and 49 feet away. If they spot one, the OSS decides whether to stop and hover, or redirect the aircraft around impediments. An autonomous function called TapFly uses four cameras to find an unobstructed path to a spot you send it to. Just tap a destination on the app screen. The coolest and creepiest new autonomous mode is called ActiveTrack. Draw a box around people (or bikes or cars) in the app, and the Phantom 4 will keep its camera trained on them, even as they move. Unlike some other follow-me drones, the target doesn't need to carry a phone or special piece of equipment. Running around a field with ActiveTrack on me, I felt like a Jedi, using the Force to either call the drone my way or make it jump back when I lunged toward it. All you have to do is put your faith in the OSS. I was that guy in the park last weekend repeatedly aiming his drone at trees. I survived that game of chicken, too, though I made sure an expert pilot was in control during the test. I definitely advise not trying it at home. There are some important limitations of the Phantom 4's OSS. Since it lacks cameras on the back and top, you could still hit a tree while flying backward or rising up into branches. The two front cameras, all that's used in regular flight, can only see obstacles in a 70-degree left-to-right field of view-basically, what's right in front. It can't detect power lines or small branches, and if you ever want to catch a drone, use a net. (It can't see that either.) And since it relies on visible light, it only works during the day-and can get confused if it's pointed at the sun or a reflective building. Even with those limitations, OSS on the Phantom 4 gives novices and even experienced pilots unprecedented help. This is the drone I'd recommend for any newcomer willing to spend $1,400. That is a hefty sum, considering that the Phantom 3 4K, similar in many ways except for the computer vision, costs just $800. Some other companies, like the $550 Bebop 2 maker Parrot, focus on safety by making drones so lightweight they can be used indoors. If you did come into contact with the very fast, strong propellers on the Phantom 4, you could get hurt. In the interest of science, I stuck a hot dog in its blades, and the result wasn't pretty. I definitely wouldn't fly it indoors. Making blades safer might limit the damage drones can inflict, but doesn't address the human error that causes crashes in the first place. Many drone makers and tech firms like Intel have said they are getting closer to sense-and-avoid drones-and even touted them in demos-but the Phantom 4 is the first consumer drone that comes with the capability out of the box. The company, one of China's largest startups, says it developed the proprietary technology itself. DJI says it doesn't know how many smashed drones OSS might save. You still have to pay attention, but the Phantom 4's computer vision is a big step forward for keeping us out of trouble. As the technology evolves, I'm sure we'll soon think of drones less like helicopters and more like cameras. http://www.wsj.com/articles/phantom-4-review-djis-new-drone-outsmarts-bad-pilots- 1456848437 Back to Top Two air force pilots injured in crash-landing near Langebaan (South Africa) Benoni aircraft only in flight for three minutes before crash Civil Aviation Authority to investigate aircraft crash Cape Town - Two South African Air Force pilots were seriously injured when their plane crash-landed in Langebaan on Thursday morning. The Cessna Caravan landed on a private farm shortly after midnight while on a routine night flying exercise at the Langebaanweg base, said SA National Defence Force spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini. "Both pilots sustained varying degrees of injuries and they are currently hospitalized." According to the unofficial South African Air Force website, a lieutenant colonel and a captain were critically injured. Dlamini said internal defence force processes were initiated to convene a board of inquiry, in order to determine the cause of the accident. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/two-air-force-pilots-injured-in-crash-landing- near-langebaan-20160303 ***************** Date: 03-MAR-2016 Time: Type: Cessna 208 Caravan Owner/operator: South African Air Force Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Langebaanweg Air Force Base, Western Cape - South Africa Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Langebaanweg Air Force Base, Narrative: A South African Air Force Caravan aircraft crash landed on a private farm just past midnight whilst on a routine night flying exercise at Air Force Base Langebaanweg. The pilots were recovered by the Base Rescue Capability. Both pilots sustained varying degrees of injuries and they are currently hospitalized. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185110 Back to Top More grief for Nepal's air safety KATHMANDU, 3 March 2016: A plane with nine passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing at Kathmandu airport Wednesday, an aviation official said, a week after two deadly crashes highlighted Nepal's dismal air safety record. The 19-seater plane was taking off for Lukla, known as the gateway to Mount Everest, when a bird struck its right wing, Kathmandu airport official Ranjan Bhattarai said. "The Lukla-bound Goma Air plane made an emergency landing... within three to four minutes of take-off, due to a bird hit," Bhattarai told AFP. inside no 8"No passengers were harmed," he said, adding that engineers were inspecting the grounded aircraft for signs of damage. The incident comes a week after two deadly plane crashes in the impoverished Himalayan nation, that has a dismal safety record. Critics point to inadequate maintenance, inexperienced pilots and poor management. A Twin Otter turboprop aircraft slammed into a mountainside in Nepal last Wednesday killing all 23 people on board. Two days later, two pilots were killed when a small passenger plane crash-landed in the country's hilly mid-west. Birds have traditionally posed a serious safety concern for Kathmandu's airport, which is located close to forested hills. In 2012, a plane crashed shortly after taking off from the airport when it hit a bird, killing all 19 people on board. An investigation concluded that the pilot panicked, causing the plane to crash. Despite the risks, air travel is popular in Nepal, which has a limited road network. Many communities, particularly in the mountains and hills, are accessible only on foot or by air. The European Union blacklisted all Nepal's airlines in 2013. http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2016/03/more-grief-for-nepals-air-safety/ Back to Top SpiceJet plane tyre damaged; aircraft lands safely A SpiceJet aircraft with 211 passengers onboard which had departed from Bengaluru landed safely at Kolkata airport despite a few rubber pieces of the main wheel tyre coming off and falling on the runway during the departure. The DGCA is probing the incident, which happened on Tuesday. "Some worn out pieces of the main wheel tyre of aircraft of the flight SG 517 from Bengaluru to Kolkata were noticed at the Bangalore airport post departure," SpiceJet said in a statement. Director General of Civil Aviation M Sathiyavathy said that DGCA has started probe into the incident after it was brought to its notice. The airline said that all necessary actions were taken immediately as per the standard Operating Procedure (SOP), adding "the aircraft landed safely at the Kolkata airport." There was no harm to any passengers whatsoever, it added. "The passengers and baggage were deplaned from the aircraft in normal course," SpiceJet said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/spicejet-plane-loses-tyre-but-lands-safely-dgca- probing-incident/story-KtVxobZ2HNch5Xel85RYeJ.html Back to Top U.S. issues new e-cigarette regulations for airlines A man smokes an electronic cigarette vaporizer, also known as an e-cigarette, in Toronto Aug. 7, 2015. REUTERS/MARK BLINCH WASHINGTON -- Electronic cigarettes are prohibited on any domestic or foreign airline flying to, from or within the United States under a final rule the government issued Wednesday. "This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. The department has long prohibited the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products on planes, and has interpreted that ban to include e-cigarettes. The regulations issued Wednesday are designed to eliminate any confusion over whether the previously existing ban actually included e-cigarettes, Foxx said. Passengers are allowed to carry e-cigarettes with them onto planes, but are not allowed to charge their batteries during flight. The Federal Aviation Administration also prohibits passengers from packing e-cigarettes in their checked luggage under an interim final regulation adopted last year by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is part of the Transportation Department. The regulation was a response to instances in which e-cigarettes have set suitcases on fire. Earlier this year, Hawaiian Airlines said one of their flights was forced to make an emergency landing after an e-cigarette that was illegally put in a checked bag caused the captain to activate the plane's fire-suppression system. E-cigarettes are typically powered by lithium batteries, which can self-ignite if damaged, exposed to excessive temperatures or have a manufacturing defect. Fire officials have said they've been unable to determine if the fires were caused by batteries that self- ignited, or if passengers had left the cigarettes switched on when they were packed and the heat set nearby contents on fire. There was an attempt in the House transportation committee last month to add a provision to an aviation policy bill to allow the use of e-cigarettes on planes, but it was defeated. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-ban-electronic-cigarettes-domestic-foreign-airlines/ Back to Top Emirates completes world's longest nonstop flight An Emirates Airbus A380 flew direct between Dubai and Auckland. * Emirates makes world's longest direct flight, between Dubai and New Zealand * Flight took 17 hours, 15 minutes for 14,000-kilometer journey * Flight eclipses Qantas' Sydney-Dallas flight as world's longest (CNN)Love to travel but dread delays and stopovers on long-haul flights? There's possibly exciting news for you. Emirates has launched the world's longest nonstop commercial flight by distance between Dubai and New Zealand. An Airbus 380, the world's largest passenger plane, left Dubai and touched down in Auckland Wednesday, after traversing 14,200 kilometers. Taking 17 hours and 15 minutes on the stretch from Auckland back to Dubai, Emirates claims it's a more fuel-efficient way to complete the journey, as well as being the quickest. "Emirates will be using flexible routes, which can vary by day, taking advantage of tail winds and avoiding head winds to reduce the time in the air," it said. Scheduled daily, the new flight shaves three hours from Emirates' existing services that include a stopover in Australia. A double-decker A380 was used to celebrate the debut but the Boeing 777-200LR will fly the route regularly. To help you get through those uninterrupted, layover-free hours, Emirates assures that "gourmet meals and fine wines" will be on offer, along with "more than 2,000 channels of entertainment and information" on individual screens. Emirates was poised to break another record when it announced daily service between Dubai and Panama City would begin on February 1, opening up connections between the Middle East and Central America. Taking an incredible 17 hours and 35 minutes to travel 13,800 kilometers, the flight would eclipse Qantas Airways' service between Sydney and Dallas, which takes a little under 17 hours. However, Emirates has delayed the planned service until late March, pending codeshare approvals from Latin America. http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/aviation/emirates-longest-flight-dubai-new- zealand/index.html Back to Top Emergency Declared on Flight to Indiana, Plane Diverted The emergency was declared due to a pressurization issue, the airline said An airline ground worker guides an incoming Allegiant Air jetliner at McCarran International Airport, in Las Vegas in this Thursday, May 9, 2013 file photo. An emergency was declared on a flight from Orlando to Indianapolis Wednesday morning for a pressurization issue, forcing the plane to be diverted. Allegiant Air Flight 758, with 155 passengers and six crew members onboard, landed safely at Jacksonville International Airport just before 8:45 a.m., according to the airline. The aircraft was taken out of service and was scheduled to be inspected by maintenance. The cause of the pressurization issue was not immediately known. A replacement aircraft was being sent to the Jacksonville airport and is scheduled to depart at 12:40 p.m., arriving in Indianapolis two hours later. The airline said passengers will be given the option to change their flight and will receive $50 travel vouchers from the company. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Emergency-Declared-As-Flight-to-Indianapolis- Diverted-370797681.html#ixzz41qbhC96N Back to Top Explorer, Physician and Leadership Expert - Dr. Joe MacInnes to Share Lessons in Safety Leadership at 2016 CHC Safety & Quality Summit March 2, 2016-Vancouver, British Columbia - Dr. Joe MacInnes, a medical doctor, undersea explorer, author and leadership expert, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the gala dinner at the 12th-annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The Tuesday, April 5, dinner at the Westin Bayshore hotel is expected to attract up to 600 people - most of whom will also be attending what is recognized as the world's premier safety conference for rotary-wing aviation. Dr. MacInnes' medical research is focused on human factors in the use of complex technologies in the deep sea. Between 1964 and 1994 Dr. MacInnes led 30 research expeditions, logging 5,000 hours, in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, Pacific and Artic Oceans. He built the world's first undersea polar station, was among the first to dive the Titanic and was journalist-physician on the James Cameron National-Geographic project that made the first-ever 11 kilometre solo dive into the Mariana Trench. Since 1994, Dr. MacInnes has studied leadership in lethal environments, looking to improve the relationship between humans and the natural world. Throughout his career Dr. MacInnes has worked on projects with the U.S. Navy, the government of Canada and the Russian Academy of Sciences. With hisextensive experience in, and researching, extreme situations, Dr. MacInnes has developed a unique approach to leadership that is expected create insightful discussion at the April event. Past speakers at the CHC Safety & Quality Summit's gala dinner have included astronaut and physician Dr. Dave Williams, commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield, leadership author Simon Sinek, commercial airline Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, U.S. Navy Commander Fred Baldwin, safety experts Dr. Scott Shappell and Dr. Jerry Cockrell, and aviation leader Sergei Sikorsky. Details about the dinner, including how to purchase tickets, are available at www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com About CHC CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The company has a fleet of more than 220 aircraft and operates on six continents. Contact Information: SUMMIT Irina Sakgaev Safety & Quality Applications Specialist CHC Helicopter +1.604.232.7302 summit@chc.ca MEDIA Liam Fitzgerald Communications Advisor +1.778.999.2923 Liam.Fitzgerald@chc.ca INVESTORS Laura Campbell Director, Investor Relations +1.604.232.7316 Laura.Campbell@chc.ca Back to Top Research Survey Request For my Research on future cockpit layouts, I kindly request 10 minutes of your time to answer the attached survey. The topic Gamification might surprise some, but it is a growing discussion for modern workplaces and its often fatiguing conditions. http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PilotInteractionInModernCockpits/ Thank you, Capt. Tilmann Gabriel MBA FRAeS ISO/IEC 17024 Certified Global Aviation Expert Assistant Professor Programme Director MSc Air Transport/Aircraft Maintenance Management City University of London Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY Hi, my name is Daniel Danczyk. I am soliciting participation in my survey on mental health and flying. If you are involved in seeing pilots with mental health or substance abuse issues, or are involved in their cases, please complete my anonymous survey (link below). On average, completion takes no more than 5-7 minutes. You do not need to be a clinician to participate; I am looking for anyone that is involved in the medical treatment or certification of pilots, whether they are doctors, airline employees assisting with monitoring, private consultants, HIMS participants, government, or other experts. Below the survey link is a more detailed description of my study including consent and contact information. Thank you so much for your time! Daniel Danczyk, MD Fellow in Aerospace Medicine AME/Flight Surgeon/Pilot/Psychiatrist Mental Health and Flying Survey https://src.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0xLGAkp4CAtv36d STUDY/CONSENT INFORMATION IRB #: 15-008911 Mayo Clinic: Office for Human Research Protection Protocol Title: Airline transport pilots and mental health: A Comparison of the medical certification process between the U.S. and various European countries. Principal Investigator: Lawrence Steinkraus, MD You are being asked to participate in a research study about pilots and their mental health. The purpose of this research is to study how mental health medical certification is processed for pilots in their respective country. You are being invited to participate because you are involved in some aspect of their aeromedical-mental health certification. If you agree to participate you will be asked to complete an online anonymous survey questionnaire. This will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time. No information will be recorded about you other than your country of origin. Confidentiality will be maintained by NOT being able to trace back your responses to you. In other words, your survey response will be assigned a random number for tracking/statistical purposes but cannot be traced back to you. You will receive no payment for your participation. There are no known risks to you from taking part in this research study. You may refuse to answer any question(s) that you do not wish to answer. The benefits which may reasonably be expected to result from this research study are to improve the process for mental health medical certification of pilots in your country. Please understand your participation is voluntary and you have the right to withdraw your consent or discontinue participation at any time without penalty. Your submission of the survey questionnaire signifies your consent to participate. Moreover, your current or future medical care at the Mayo Clinic will not be jeopardized if you choose not to participate. If you have any questions about this research study you can contact my co-investigator, Dr. Daniel Danczyk, at danczyk.daniel@mayo.edu. If you have any concerns, complaints, or general questions about research or your rights as a participant, please contact the Mayo Institutional Review Board (IRB) to speak to someone independent of the research team at 507-266-4000 or toll free at 866-273-4681. Curt Lewis