Flight Safety Information March 11, 2016 - No. 050 In This Issue Flight MH370 Update: Malaysia Analyzing Mozambique Debris For Links To Missing Jet Heathrow passenger jet declares emergency shortly after take-off United Airlines Is Powering A Flight With Garbage?. HAL seeks new joint venture partner for 50-80 seat aircraft (India) All-female flight crew inspires new generation of women pilots Royal Jet steers towards steady stream of contracts Jet Aviation Acquires Avjet NASA Prepares to Fly - First RS-25 Flight Engine Test Set for March Aviation Research Request Aviation Safety Specialist Available Immediately Flight MH370 Update: Malaysia Analyzing Mozambique Debris For Links To Missing Jet; More Wreckage Report Surface The head of Mozambique's Civil Aviation Institute, Comandante Joao Abreu, shows a piece of debris found on a beach that could be from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Maputo, March 3, 2016. A piece of debris found in the southeast African nation of Mozambique arrived in Malaysia Thursday for analysis into its links to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, officials reportedly said. The news comes as search teams continue to locate the wreckage of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft which went missing two years ago. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai reportedly said that experts in Malaysia will examine the 3.3-foot piece of metal, which was found two weeks ago on a sandbank in the Mozambique Channel - the ocean strait between Mozambique and Madagascar. After Malaysia completes its analysis, the debris will be sent to Australia for further verification about its origin, Liow said, according to local reports. "Malaysia retains responsibility for the overall investigation into the disappearance of MH370 and the coordination of other nations' input," Daniel J.T. O'Malley, the communications officer for Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the search for Flight MH370, had told International Business Times. Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A multimillion-dollar search operation has been ongoing in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean, with no concrete clues as to what happened to the plane. Search vessels have so far scoured 34,749 sq. miles of the total 46,332 sq. miles of designated search area, while authorities have said the search is due to be called off in June if no wreckage is found. So far, the first and only piece of physical evidence to be recovered from the missing plane is a flaperon that washed ashore on France's Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean - about 2,300 miles away from the current search area - in July 2015. "Negotiations are occurring with relevant authorities to arrange for examination of the debris," the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, said in its search update Wednesday. French officials had confirmed that the flaperon found on Réunion Island came from a Boeing 777-200, the same type of plane as the missing Flight MH370, but they are yet to release their final investigation report on the wing flap's origin. Meanwhile, as authorities continue their work to examine the Mozambique debris, a new report claimed more wreckage may have been found on the coast of the southeast African nation. East Coast Radio Newswatch, a radiostation in the South African province of KwaZulu- Natal, reported that a family had found another piece of debris on a sandbank off Mozambique and has contacted South African and Australian authorities. The South African Civil Aviation Authority's Accident and Incident Investigations Division confirmed to East Coast Radio Newswatch that they are sending an official to pick up the debris, before passing it on to international investigators looking into the disappearance of the plane. http://www.ibtimes.com/flight-mh370-update-malaysia-analyzing-mozambique-debris- links-missing-jet-more-2334534 Back to Top Heathrow passenger jet declares emergency shortly after take-off An engine fire is believed to have broken out on the American Airlines Boeing 767 travelling from Heathrow to Chicago An American Airlines passenger plane has been forced to return to Heathrow after reporting engine fire on take-off. The Boeing 767 took off from the airport at 8.40am on Friday heading for Chicago in the US before declaring an emergency shortly after. It was diverted back to Heathrow and landed safely at 9.22am. Airlive.net reported passengers on-board AA87 and locals near Heathrow reported hearing a banging noise described as back fire from the engine. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviation/12190868/Heathrow-passenger-jet-declares- emergency-shortly-after-take-off.html Back to Top United Airlines Is Powering A Flight With . . . Garbage? United's LAX-SFO route (and soon all of their Los Angeles flights) are switching to biofuels-biofuels that come from a surprising source. When United Airlines flight UA708 flies from Los Angeles to San Francisco this Friday morning, there will be something different about the plane. The commuters for the heavily traveled route, which takes a little more than an hour to fly between the cities, won't notice anything. But the flight won't be running on its usual jet fuel. Instead, it will be running on biofuel converted from trash and farm waste. The initiative, which will continue for the route and is planned for expansion to all of United's jet-fuel supply for LAX in the coming months, replaces conventional jet fuel with a 70% to 30% mix of petroleum-based fuel and biofuel. United refers to the fuel as "renewable jet fuel," and it's part of a growing industry trend of finding nonpetroleum- based sources for airplane fuel. United is working with two vendors, AltAir Fuels and Fulcrum Bioenergy, on the project. AltAir provides biofuel to the U.S. Navy to fuel aircraft carriers. Fulcrum Bioenergy has received significant investment from both United Airlines (which has $30 million of equity in the company) and Cathay Pacific Airlines. Other airlines have already begun acquiring biofuel from other sources. Alaska Airlines, for instance, recently inked a test agreement with a third company called Gevo. Both Fulcrum and AltAir specialize in turning trash-literal trash-into fuel that can power a large passenger aircraft. AltAir's process is based around converting inedible animal fat, grease, and oil into fuel, while Fulcrum converts what they call "municipal solid waste" into jet fuel. AltAir has a refining facility located just outside of Los Angeles, while Fulcrum's facility is located in Reno. As part of United's investment in Fulcrum, the company is also planning additional facilities to be located near United hubs, such as New York/Newark, Chicago, and Houston. United Airlines managing director of environmental affairs and sustainability Angela Foster-Rice says that this is the first time there's been full commercial deployment of renewable biofuel for jets at an airport in the United States. Following the Friday morning flight, United plans to run two more weeks of flights based on a dedicated fuel blend AltAir provides the airline. Once the two weeks are up, United says it will then add the fuel into their hydrant system, which will be used to refuel all of the airline's flights that fuel at LAX. The launch, which was originally planned for this summer, was delayed until March. United says Fulcrum plans to begin commercial operations at their first plant in 2017, and for Fulcrum to start supplying the airline with fuel in 2018. In the past, the airline also experimented with other alternative fuel methods, such as a flight powered by algae- derived fuel in 2009. As to why United, Cathay Pacific, Alaska, and other large airlines are interested in alternative fuels, it's partly strategic, partly to work better with governments, and partly for public relations. Apart from the good press of fueling passenger jets with alternative fuels, airlines are being pressed by both national governments and international regulators to reduce their carbon emissions. Adopting ahead of the curve means fewer costs later on-and gives airlines a hedge against rising oil prices and limited petroleum availability in the future. But in the here and now, there's just one problem: Oil prices dropped significantly in late 2014. This means that airlines have one less reason to adopt biofuels on a mass basis at the moment. However, Fulcrum, AltAir, and their competitors hold the possibility of producing fuel at considerably lower prices than airlines currently source it. In 2014, United Airlines burned a staggering 3.9 billion gallons of fuel. With all that said, however, circumstances (and oil prices) change. In the meantime, airlines have gotten hip to something of increasing importance: It might just be cheaper to fly a plane on trash from the dump than it is on fossil fuel. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3057039/united-airlines-is-powering-a-flight-with-garbage Back to Top HAL seeks new joint venture partner for 50-80 seat aircraft (India) India's plans to develop a home-grown regional transport aircraft (RTA) appear to have been scrapped, with state owned airframer Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) releasing a new request for information for the manufacture of a 50-80 seat dual-role regional aircraft in India. The RFI follows an announcement last year that plans to develop the RTA in partnership with the Bangalore based, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) would not move ahead. Instead, the airframer is now looking a new joint venture partner to produce a 50-80 seat regional aircraft, under the 'Make in India' initiative proposed by the government. "Considering the current situation where a limited number of models of 50-80 seater aircraft are already developed and in service, HAL intends to form a joint venture in India with the OEM to manufacture and supply 50-80 seater aircraft," says the RFI, for which responses need to be submitted by 11 April. HAL has asked for an airplane not only capable of regular passenger and cargo operations but also have the ability to be configured for military roles such as: transport, maritime surveillance and electronic intelligence gathering. The RFI asks for, "provision for a ramp door/sliding door option, bubble window radome etc" which could allow for air-drop operations. The aircraft could be either a twin-engine turbofan or turboprop, with the ability to operate from short and semi-prepared runways. HAL says that there should be adequate ground clearance for installation of radar/equipment in the aircraft belly for non-civil versions. The aircraft must also be capable of fitment with under-wing pylons for carriage of stores, including light armament and rocket pods etc, for military roles. The military requirement is surprising, as Airbus Group has bid to produce the C295W in India together with Tata Advanced Systems to cater for the Indian air force requirement to replace its obsolete HAL-built HS-748 'Avro' transports. New Delhi's decision last May to proceed with the acquisition of 56 C295Ws to replace the Avros was the first instance where HAL would not participate in the local assembly of a military aircraft type for the nation's armed forces. HAL has worked on two civilian transport types over the last five decades: producing 89 Avros between 1964 and 1984, followed by manufacture of the Dornier Do-228 passenger/utility aircraft from 1984. Only 22 Avros and 14 Do-228s were ever delivered to civilian customers. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/hal-seeks-new-joint-venture-partner-for-50- 80-seat-a-423020/ Back to Top All-female flight crew inspires new generation of women pilots Airlines are looking to diversify their pilot corps, but women still make up only a fraction of the applicants. In the U.S., women make up only about six-and-a-half percent of all pilots. But on one San Francisco-to-Maui United Airlines flight, the pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and even some of the ground crew were all women - a rare occurrence in the male-dominated world of aviation. "I never thought it would be like this but it's really wonderful that it is," said United Airlines Captain Wanda Collins. Collins joined the airline in 1999 and is a former Army reservist. Before coming to United, she competed in air shows. "I'm really looking forward to it and seeing more women in the future. Just being a female pilot gives you the opportunity to prove to people that you can be strong," Collins said. The number of women licensed to fly an airliner has grown by more than 800 between 2010 and 2014, but make up only about 4 percent of licensed airline pilots. Studies like one from 2006 found that "in aviation, masculine beliefs, values and perceptions... appear to continue to dominate the industry," and "has led to female pilots experiencing sexism, discrimination, prejudice, hostility and inappropriate discourse." "Sometimes it's hard because you feel like nobody takes you serious, but for as many times as you get that feeling, you also get the feeling of people looking at you and they're inspired by you," Collins said. Major U.S. airlines are looking to replace as many as 18,000 retiring pilots over the next seven years. But even as airlines are poised to hire thousands of new pilots, the number of women remains small. Of the 1,700 pilots attending the job fair at the Annual Women Aviation Conference, just 200 are women. "We still have a ways to go," said Peggy Chabrian, the group's president and founder. "When women first became airline pilots back in the 1970s, sometimes senior level management asked them not to make the PA announcements. They were afraid that the general public would be afraid that there was a woman flying the airplane. I think those perceptions will start to change." Pilot Shannon Gross came to the conference hoping to land a job with JetBlue. "I think it's the serenity that I felt up in the air. I get up there and everything just goes away," Gross said. On that full flight to paradise, the fact that the entire crew were women got the attention of seven-year-old Faith Glatzhofer. "There's not many pilots around that are women," said Faith, who says she is inspired that she could one day become one too. That's exactly what Captain Kim Noakes wants to hear. "You can do this. We did it. Hey, I did it. So anybody can do it," Noakes said. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-airlines-all-female-flight-inspire-more-women- pilots/ Back to Top Royal Jet steers towards steady stream of contracts Dubai Airshow: Abu Dhabi's Royal Jet to press on with $700 million fleet renewal Luxury charter-flight operator Royal Jet expects to turn a profit this year, despite a slowdown in business, because of the downturn in economic activity. Patrick Gordon_ Royal Jet_s chief executive_ at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi "We had a slowdown in charter flights this year and this is to be expected," said Patrick Gordon, Royal Jet's chief executive, at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo. "I think the slowdown is affecting everybody, it is all the customers that we have, including high networth individuals." But the head of the Abu Dhabi company asserted the profitability of his company despite the outlook. "Check the books. We were profitable last year and this year we expect to be profitable again. But we are starting off slower this year," he said. For the first time since 2009, the corporate jets business is seeing a slowdown because of falling commodity prices that is weakening demand in emerging markets for business travel. In its annual survey, Honeywell International, the maker of engines for business jets, said that a weaker economy in Russia, Brazil, China and the political conflicts in the Middle East is affecting business travel this year. To mitigate the tapering in business jet travel, which can sometimes be affected by seasonal factors, Royal Jet wants to focus on developing "mid-range, steady-income, revenue-producing projects", said Mr Gordon. The company, jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Presidential Flight Authority, started a contract for the UAE military on March 5 to provide all flight clearances, flight plans, crew and fuel purchases. "It's not a gigantic contract, but it is a nice, steady contract to fill the middle range," said Mr Gordon. "There are talks for similar contracts for non-government entities," he added. The company also expects its medical evacuation services to grow by about 20 per cent this year. In terms of its fleet-renewal programme, Royal Jet has taken delivery of two Boeing Business Jets and Lufthansa is working on their interiors. The first delivery will be in September and the other in October, said Mr Gordon. Since 2014, Royal Jet has been in the middle of a US$700 million renewal programme, so far using $200m to purchase five aircraft. Mr Gordon told The National in November that the goal is to have a fleet of 20 jets by 2020. http://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/royal-jet-steers-towards-steady-stream-of- contracts Back to Top Jet Aviation Acquires Avjet Jet Aviation has bolstered its U.S. aircraft management and charter services with today's announcement of the purchase of Los Angeles-based provider Avjet. Upon regulatory approval, the deal whose value was not disclosed, will provide a key addition to the company's existing charter/management operations, which includes locations in Teterboro, N.J., Van Nuys, Calif., Zurich, Hong Kong, and Dubai. "Avjet's 37-years of experience in aircraft management and charter services and impressive fleet of 45 aircraft makes it the perfect complement to Jet Aviation's operations," said David Paddock, the General Dynamics subsidiary's senior vice president and general manager for U.S. aircraft services. "This acquisition will provide excellent benefits for Avjet's customers by providing access to Jet Aviation's global network of service facilities." Avjet's fleet ranges from Boeing Business Jets and Gulfstream 650's down to Hawker 800's. Current Avjet chairman and CEO Marc Foulkrod will retain ownership of the company's aircraft sales and brokerage unit, which will continue to operate under the name Avjet Global Sales. "This acquisition meets my plans to expand our global sales, acquisition and brokerage services while allowing Jet Aviation to continue Avjet's tradition of excellence in aircraft management and charter services," Foulkrod said. This latest purchase is part of Jet Aviation's recent focus on the "left coast." Last month, it received permission from authorities to establish its first West Coast FBO, a $40 million facility at Van Nuys Airport, which will also include a Gulfstream service center. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-03-08/jet-aviation- acquires-avjet Back to Top NASA Prepares to Fly - First RS-25 Flight Engine Test Set for March RS-25 engine No. 2059 arrives at the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis Space Center on Nov. 4, 2015. NASA is scheduled to test the engine March 10. It will mark a major milestone as the first test of a RS-25 flight engine for the new Space Launch System, being developed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before, including to an asteroid and Mars. Image courtesy NASA/SSC. For a larger version of this image please go here. It is business as usual as NASA engineers prepare for an upcoming RS-25 rocket engine test at Stennis Space Center. They are well-versed on all of the pre-test work to be done, having conducted a very successful series of tests on an RS-25 developmental engine just last year. Nevertheless, the lead-up to this March 10 engine test on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis has a very different - and exciting - feel about it. This RS-25 engine will fly. "Every test is important, but there really is a different energy level associated with flight engines," said Ronnie Rigney, RS-25 project manager at Stennis. "It's hard to describe the feeling you get knowing you're going to see that engine lift off into the sky one day soon. It's a very exciting time for all of us here." The flight certification test of RS-25 engine No. 2059 marks a major milestone in NASA's return to deep-space exploration and its journey to Mars. Four RS-25 engines - all tested at Stennis - will help power the core stage of NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), being built to carry humans on future deep-space missions. The RS-25 engines used on the initial SLS missions are flight engines remaining from the Space Shuttle Program. The engines are among the most proven in the world, having logged more than 1 million seconds of hotfire time during ground tests and 135 space shuttle missions. For the SLS vehicle, the engines will be fired at 109 percent thrust level. Together, four SLS engines will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust and operate in conjunction with a pair of solid rocket boosters to power the SLS launch to space. The RS-25 engine gives SLS an experienced, high performance main propulsion system for deep space exploration, said Steve Wofford, SLS engines manager. "This year is all about collecting the data we need to adapt these proven engines for SLS's first flight." The early SLS flights are focused on developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and to Mars in the 2030s. The SLS Block I configuration will have a minimum 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capability and be powered by twin boosters and four RS-25 engines. The next planned upgrade of SLS, Block 1B, would use a more powerful exploration upper stage for more ambitious missions with a 105-metric-ton (115-ton) lift capacity. Block 2 will add a pair of advanced solid or liquid propellant boosters to provide a 130-metric-ton (143-ton) lift capacity. In each configuration, SLS will continue to use the same core stage and four RS-25 engines. In that final version, SLS will be the most powerful rocket in the world. NASA conducted a series of RS-25 developmental tests last year at Stennis to validate the capabilities of a new controller - or "brain" - for the engine and to verify the different operating conditions needed for the SLS vehicle. The test series concluded in August; removal of the developmental engine from the A-1 stand cleared the way for installation of flight engine No. 2059. After testing is completed, that engine is scheduled to fly on the second SLS exploration mission (EM-2), planned as the first crewed flight of the new space vehicle. It is expected to carry four astronauts into lunar orbit to test key elements of the spacecraft. "This is what the testing we do is all about - preparing engines to fly into space," Stennis Space Center Director Rick Gilbrech said. "You can't help but be excited about the test on A-1, especially when you realize that the engines that carried us to the moon and that carried astronauts on 135 space shuttle missions were tested on this very same stand. We're just adding to a remarkable history of space exploration." There are more chapters to come. Following the March 10 firing, Stennis will continue to test RS-25 flight engines and conduct a development engine series to test new flight engine controllers. In 2017, Stennis will also test fire the core stage ahead of SLS's first flight, EM-1 mission. The testing will involve installing the core stage on the B-2 Test Stand and firing its four RS-25 flight engines at the same time. In addition, NASA is working with Aerojet Rocketdyne, who built the RS-25 engine, to test new RS-25 engines being built for future missions. "It is a great time to be on this integrated test team, which includes NASA, S3 (Syncom Space Services) and Aerojet Rocketdyne working together," said Rigney. "We're not just dreaming of the future. We're enabling it to happen right now." http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/ Back to Top Aviation Research Request I am Mohamed Hassan Elmugamer Taha, having many years of experience in aviation safety. I would like to request your participation in my Survey Questionnaire (Linke Attached) regarding the imposing of ban on re-registration of aging aircraft for commercial/ public transport category as part of my degree in: MSc Aviation Safety BY Emirates Aviation University Dubai UAE. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L5SCDF6 Once again thank you for your kind assistance. Mohamed Hassan Elmagamer Taha Msc Aviation Safety Emirates Aviation University Back to Top Aviation Safety Specialist Available Immediately - Captain Samir (Sam) Kohli Over 30 years of senior management experience in the aviation industry. Extensive exposure to airport and airline management. In-depth operational experience: · 21 years of military service as a pilot; · Aviation safety manager; and · Air accident investigator. Upper Management Experience bestows an ability to · Focus on core issues · Take correct decisions balancing the needs to safety and continuity of operations with the financial aspects of aviation businesses, delivering high value to investors and shareholders safely. Experience in various business cultures, including: · Asia, · Middle East, · Africa, · Europe and · South America. Proven ability to negotiate with unions and politicians make him the ideal executive to manage a high-value and high-risk operation. Available immediately. Please click here to view detailed CV: http://1drv.ms/1USoisM Curt Lewis