Flight Safety Information March 21, 2016 - No. 056 In This Issue FlyDubai Jet Crash Kills 62 in Failed Russia Landing Attempt Chubb is lead underwriter for crashed Flydubai jet-sources Russia tries to decipher crash plane pilots' final conversations Russia plane crash: Flight recorders 'significantly damaged' Anchorage air traffic controllers avert disaster by guiding low-on-fuel jet to Unalakleet Chinese airplane under probe over unauthorized runway approach (Korea) U.S. serviceman arrested in Japan after allegedly 'groping and punching' a Japanese woman The world's least safe airlines for 2016 revealed Learn How to Survive a Plane Crash With This Free App...Prepare For Impact Airbus A321 Test Flight Today (Alabama) Dubai summit to discuss aviation safety World's best airports for 2016 announced Sky is the limit for jobseekers in aviation industry (China) British plane spotters fined in Kenya for taking airport photos EAAP Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management...and Safety Investigation - Training Hangar Rash Research Request Interesting! -...Watch The Amazing Way Information Spreads On Twitter FSI Twitter Feed ISASI Military Air Safety Workshop - 19-21APR (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY Back to Top FlyDubai Jet Crash Kills 62 in Failed Russia Landing Attempt Russian emergency rescuers and forensic investigators work on the wreckage of the FlyDubai passenger jet in the city of Rostov-on-Don on March 19, 2016. Source: AFP via Getty Images A passenger jet operated by Middle Eastern budget carrier FlyDubai broke apart while trying to land in high winds in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Saturday morning, killing all 62 people on board. Flight FZ981 was making a repeat landing attempt in poor weather at about 3:40 a.m. when it crashed and burst into flames, the Rostov branch of the Emergencies Ministry said on its website. The Boeing Co. 737-800 was carrying 55 passengers and seven crew when it came down about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Moscow. Human error, technical failure and difficult weather conditions are among possible causes under scrutiny, according to the Investigative Committee, the main Russian investigating authority. Rossiya-24 state television, citing a local weather service, said winds in Rostov- on-Don exceeded 20 meters per second (about 45 miles per hour) about the time of the accident. "As far as we know, the airport was open and we were good to operate," FlyDubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said at a news conference in Dubai. "This investigation will take time until all facts are collected. Before we commit and say anything, we have to be sure. If weather wasn't suitable, the plane wouldn't have flown." While authorities said the wing came in contact with the ground, independent tracking service Flightradar24.com posted data suggesting that the approach was unusual even before the jet reached the airport. Flightradar24 showed the plane circled for about two hours after an initial landing attempt -- consistent with a report by Rossiya-24 -- and then descended and slowed down before abruptly pulling up and accelerating at the last minute. The final Flightradar24 readings then showed the plane losing altitude and still gaining airspeed. FlyDubai said both flight recorders, the plane's so-called black boxes, have been recovered. They have been sent to Moscow, where they may be analyzed as early as Sunday depending on their condition, the Interfax news service reported, citing an unidentified emergency official. Preliminary List Two hours is in general an unusually long time for circling, Ismail Al Hosani, a representative of the U.A.E.'s civil aviation body, said at the Dubai news conference, in response to speculation that the plane had been delaying its final approach. A preliminary list showed 33 women, 18 men, four children and seven crew on the single- aisle 737, which Ghaith said was inspected on Jan. 21. The passengers were mostly Russian, with Ukrainian, Uzbek and Indian nationals also on board. The Cypriot pilot and Spanish co-pilot were "quite experienced," having logged more than 11,000 flying hours between them, Ghaith said. The pilot was identified as Aristos Sokratous, Ria Novosti reported, citing transportation prosecutors. 'Unstable Approach' Bad weather "may have resulted in an unstable approach situation leading the crew to initiate a go-around, execute a missed approach procedure and review the options to either divert or attempt another landing," said Mark Martin, an aviation analyst and founder of Dubai-based Martin Consultancy. Rostov-on-Don Airport is considered a straightforward airport to land at, Viktor Gorbachev, head of a Russian airport lobby group, said in an interview with Rossiya-24. The only danger could have been a crosswind, he said. There were several airports within 30 minutes flying time that could have been used instead, Gorbachev said. "Holding a plane for whatever convenience, weather or slots, is a judgment call at the moment," FlyDubai's Ghaith said. "As far as we're concerned, we've not seen anything that would suggest that an alternative airport was on the cards, but again we'd not know until all the information is put in front of us." Rostov-on-Don airport is expected to reopen on Monday morning, Russian Transportation Minister Maxim Sokolov said Sunday, Interfax reported. A group of representatives from FlyDubai have arrived in the southern Russian city to take part in the investigation, it added. The identification of body parts found near the wreckage has begun, Sokolov said. Insurance Coverage FlyDubai is covered by insurance worth $500 million, Sokolov said during a news conference broadcast by Rossiya-24. The airline will arrange hardship payments of $20,000 per passenger to the families of those killed in the crash, according to an e- mailed statement from the company. Rostov-on-Don Airport, near the Black Sea, not far from the border with Ukraine in the south of the country, is operated by a unit of billionaire Viktor Vekselberg's Renova Group. It has two runways and serves more than 2 million passengers per year on domestic and international flights. In between the FlyDubai jet's first attempt to land and the crash, another plane made three landing efforts and then diverted, FlightRadar 24, which tracks airline movements, said in a Twitter posting. "Diversion is a judgment call," Ghaith said in a statement. Boeing Aware Boeing is aware of the incident and is gathering further details, the planemaker said in an e-mailed statement. The 737 is the workhorse of the global airline fleet, and the model is Boeing's biggest source of profit. The United Arab Emirates' civil aviation authority has sent representatives and advisers to work closely with the Russian authorities to conduct the investigation under international standards, Saif Mohamad Al Suwaidi, director-general of the regulatory body, said. FlyDubai, owned by the government of Dubai, is one of two no-frills airlines in the United Arab Emirates. It began operations in 2009 and has an all-Boeing fleet of 50 aircraft with a network of about 90 destinations. The year 2015 was pronounced one of the safest years for airlines globally by the International Air Transport Association. The number of fatal accidents fell by two thirds last year, excluding more than 300 deaths resulting from a pilot suicide and possible terror attack. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-19/flydubai-jet-crashes-at-russian- airport-kills-61-sputnik-says Back to Top Chubb is lead underwriter for crashed Flydubai jet-sources Insurer Chubb is the lead underwriter for the Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai which crashed at the weekend killing all 62 people on board, two insurance industry sources said. Russian investigators on Monday were trying to restore the damaged cockpit voice recorder of the jet, in an effort to understand why it had tried to land in southern Russia in strong winds. One source said the jet was insured for $48.99 million. Aviation insurance cover is typically shared out among a group of underwriters, with the lead underwriter taking a larger proportion. A Chubb spokesman declined to comment. Willis Towers Watson is the broker on the insurance cover, a Willis Towers Watson spokesman said. (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; additional reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengalaru) http://www.reuters.com/article/russia-crash-insurance-idUSL5N16T1ZU Back to Top Russia tries to decipher crash plane pilots' final conversations Emergencies Ministry members work at the crash site of a Boeing 737-800 Flight FZ981 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia, March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Russian investigators on Monday were trying to restore the damaged cockpit voice recorder of a passenger jet which crashed at the weekend killing all 62 people onboard, in an effort to understand why it had tried to land in strong winds. The Boeing 737-800, operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, crashed in the early hours of Saturday at Rostov-on-Don airport in southern Russia in strong, gusting winds on its second attempt to land. The stricken plane's flight data recorder survived largely intact, but the cockpit voice recorder - which should shed crucial light on the pilots' final conversations before the crash - was badly damaged and needs to be restored. That process could take weeks, officials have said. There is so far no suggestion of terrorism. Russian media say the two main theories under consideration by investigators, who have opened a criminal investigation into the tragedy, are possible pilot error or a technical failure. Flydubai's CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith said on Saturday it was too early to determine why the plane, which was just over five years old, crashed. One of the big unanswered questions is why the plane attempted to land in what were reported to be fiercely strong winds and did not divert to a nearby airport. An Aeroflot plane had earlier made several aborted landing attempts and been diverted. Investigators are likely to focus, among other issues, on how the decision to land was reached, why the plane circled above the airport in a holding pattern for over two hours, and on the precise thinking of the pilots and the airport's landing tower. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-crash-idUSKCN0WN0OP Back to Top Russia plane crash: Flight recorders 'significantly damaged' (CNN)Investigators working to extract data from flight recorders from a flydubai jet that crashed in Russia say they are "significantly damaged." Flight FZ981 from the United Arab Emirates was making its second attempt to land in Rostov-on-Don early Saturday when it crashed about 250 meters (800 feet) from a runway, killing all 62 people on board. The flydubai plane had aborted an initial scheduled landing and circled for more than two hours in poor weather conditions above Rostov-on-Don airport. Russian state media reported strong winds and poor visibility at the time. The search operation at the crash site ended Sunday, with investigators moving on to the cause of the accident and identification of bodies, officials said. The airport is expected to reopen on Monday morning, Russia's Emergencies Ministry said. Specialists from Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, the United Arab Emirates and France had started inspecting the damaged flight recorders, opening and extracting the memory modules from the devices in preparation for downloading the data, the IAC said in a statement. The preparation for the data extraction was expected to be completed Sunday, it said. The plane crashed amid strong winds early Saturday. Identifying bodies Russia's Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov announced the end of the airport search operation Sunday, government news agency Tass reported. The ministry will focus on helping Russia's investigative committee, interstate aviation committee, insurers and Boeing representatives, Deputy Emergencies Minister Leonid Belyaev said. "We shall also continue studying the plane's fragments to clear out reasons of the crash, will continue working on identification of the bodies, on collecting the DNA, and working with the families of the victims," Tass quoted him as saying. Day of mourning Russia has declared Sunday a day of mourning in the Rostov administrative region, which borders the Sea of Azov and eastern Ukraine. "State flags of Russia, flags of the region and municipalities will be flown at half-mast across the region. An event dedicated to the memory of the victims will be held outside the international terminal of the Rostov airport," a regional official said, according to Tass. Tass said Russia's transport minister and the regional governor would be among those attending the event. Crash victims Flydubai said 44 of the passengers who died were Russians, along with eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one Uzbekistani. Four children were among the victims. The airline said Sunday it would provide "hardship payments" of $20,000 per passenger to relatives of those killed in the crash, to help address immediate financial needs. Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith told a news conference in Dubai that the final compensation amount would be decided after the crash investigation had concluded. In a statement on the airline's website, Ghaith said flydubai was focusing on caring for those affected by the accident and supporting those investigating its cause. "We now have our own specially trained Care Teams both on the ground in Rostov-on- Don and in Dubai. We are making arrangements for the families who wish to visit the scene of the accident, to do so," he said. Flydubai was still contacting relatives of victims and would not release the names of passengers until families had been informed, he said. Russian state media earlier reported that family members of the victims would receive 1 million rubles (about $15,000) from Moscow. Possible causes of crash Authorities have ruled out terrorism as a cause of the crash. The Russian Investigative Committee has said it will be looking at three possibilities: technical issues, severe weather and human error. Its investigation will take at least two months, as required by Russian law, according to state-run Sputnik news. Investigators will also be coming from the UAE and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, as well as technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. Pilots' experience Flydubai's Ghaith told reporters Saturday the plane had passed a comprehensive inspection on January 21. The pilots were "quite experienced," he said. The Cypriot captain had flown 5,965 hours while the Spanish co-captain had 5,769. Ghaith said he was not aware of a distress call made. As far as the airline knew, he said, "the airport was open and we were good to operate." http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/20/europe/russia-plane-crash/index.html?eref=edition Back to Top Anchorage air traffic controllers avert disaster by guiding low-on-fuel jet to Unalakleet Air traffic controllers Mike Thomas, left, and Ron Sparks, photographed at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center on Wednesday, Mar. 16, 2016. Late last year the pair guided the pilot of a corporate jet to a safe landing in Unalakleet, a close call with a scant five minutes of fuel left on board. Loren Holmes / ADN The corporate jet came into Alaska from Russian airspace last November -- bound for Nome, headed into rapidly deteriorating weather and apparently lacking navigational aids for nearby airports. By the time the Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10 carrying three people landed in Unalakleet, the aircraft was down to about five minutes of fuel. But the jet was down, safely, with the help of two Anchorage air-traffic controllers who guided the out-of-state pilot to within sight of Unalakleet after convincing him not to turn back for Nome to try to land one more time. The two controllers with 56 years of experience between them will receive an award from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at the group's convention in Las Vegas later this month. Anchorage resident Ron Sparks, 51, and Mike Thomas, a 53-year-old from Eagle River, ultimately prevented a tragedy, said association spokeswoman Sarah McCann. The pair found an alternate landing location in Unalakleet, 100 miles to the east, when the weather soured in Nome, then encouraged the pilot not to turn back because they "knew at that point, the aircraft was running low on fuel and would not make it," McCann wrote in an email. "Sparks' and Thomas' calm and steady direction saved the pilot's life that day." The two sat down on a break this week and recalled the details of the flight in a phone interview with Alaska Dispatch News. "We're just glad that everything turned out OK for this guy and he was able to get on the ground," Sparks said. They didn't know the pilot's name, and still haven't spoken him with him. The jet is registered to Nick Gitsis at an address in the Philippines, according to a Federal Aviation Administration database. Gitsis is a Greek-American businessman who co- founded a Philippine airline called South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), and also owns a restaurant in New York state, among other holdings. He did not return calls made to Silverlake Family Restaurant asking for an interview. The controllers work at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center on Boniface Parkway outside the gates of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The center controls 2.4 million square miles of mostly high-altitude airspace -- an area larger than that covered by the Lower 48. The sector this flight entered takes up a swath of Alaska sky nearly the size of Texas. The jet emerged onto their radar in late November, coming from Russia about 150 miles southwest of Nome, Sparks said. It was flying at about 27,000 feet. The pilot missed his first approach into Nome, unable to get the airport in sight due to heavy weather. He tried another approach and missed again, the men said. "That's where the weather really went bad in Nome," Sparks said. The pilot told them he was getting low on fuel. So the controllers looked up other approaches with enough runway -- 3,500 feet -- for the jet to land. Weather was bad all along the coast except for Kotzebue and Unalakleet, which was closer. Sparks, who was communicating directly with the pilot while Thomas worked the phones to gauge local conditions, suggested Unalakleet. They had called over a supervisor who was also monitoring the tense situation. The pilot was reluctant to give up on Nome, Sparks said. "He wanted to do the approach again. About halfway to Unalakleet he wanted to turn around and do the approach again. We told him the weather was a quarter-mile. It wasn't likely he was gonna get into Nome." The controller said it wasn't clear just how much information the pilot had on other airports in the area. There was a bit of a language barrier that made communication difficult, he said. The pilot said he didn't have instrument approach procedure charts for Unalakleet that would give him detailed navigational information to find his way down even in low- visibility conditions. But he said he did have "the database" for the airport, according to a transcript of the conversation between the pilot and Sparks. Both controllers said this week they weren't sure what he meant by that. The pilot didn't fly like he had detailed information about the Unalakleet airport, the men said. The transcript shows he made several requests for fairly basic information like the airport identifier letters and runway vectors. Sparks tried to "steer" the pilot down to the approach path but had to repeat specific instructions after he appeared not to follow the directions, Thomas said. About 45 miles out from the airport, the controller and pilot had a brief but dramatic exchange, the transcript shows. Sparks, using the federal "N" registration number on the plane's tail, asks for an update: "N256V, how much fuel in time do you have?" The pilot answers: "We have maybe 15 minutes." Sparks: "N256V Roger. And how many souls on board?" "Three." The pilot was looking at about 10 minutes flying time to Unalakleet's airport at that point, Sparks said. The plane was high -- above 20,000 feet -- when it started its descent. That may have been because the pilot was worried about running out of fuel and wanted to be able to glide down, Sparks said, though the two didn't talk about that. It's unusual for a pilot to cut it so close in terms of fuel, the controllers say. Federal fuel requirements for flying in instrument conditions require a plane to carry enough fuel to fly to a pilot's intended airport and an alternate airport, and then fly another 45 minutes at normal cruising speed. The controller continued to provide instructions on the right vectors and talked the pilot down to 3,000 feet, according to the transcript. The airport was straight ahead, 10 miles away. Then 5 miles away. That's where Sparks lost radar contact with the jet as it descended. "We have the airport," the pilot is heard saying. "N256V, I understand you have the airport in sight?" Sparks asks. "Affirmative," the pilot replies. Minutes later, the jet was on the ground. "We were very relieved when the guy said, 'We got on the ground' and thanked us," Thomas said. "It was a lot better than what could have happened." The two controllers immediately moved on to a growing list of other aircraft that needed their help. Sparks said he had asked at least two pilots to stand by as he worked the jet's approach into Unalakleet. "All the pilots throughout that sector heard what was going on and heard the urgency," he said. "They put off their requests ... Those pilots were real patient." Sparks and Thomas will join 13 other controllers receiving the Archie League Medal of Safety Award on March 23. The award, named after the country's first air-traffic controller, recognizes controllers who performed "above and beyond" under extraordinary circumstances. https://www.adn.com/article/20160320/anchorage-air-traffic-controllers-avert-disaster- guiding-low-fuel-jet-unalakleet Back to Top Chinese airplane under probe over unauthorized runway approach (Korea) Korea's transportation ministry has launched a probe into an incident involving two aircraft that almost collided on Friday in fog on the runway of a provincial airport. A passenger airliner belonging to China Southern Airlines almost cut off one from Korea's largest airline Korean Air on the runway at Cheongju International Airport on Friday night, according to South Korea's transportation ministry. There was no reported injury. There was heavy fog at the time of the incident, making it hard to discern other airplanes with the naked eye, according to witnesses. The Chinese plane carrying about 90 passengers appeared to have approached the runway from the right while the Korean Air airliner was making a landing at the airport in Cheongju, some 137 kilometers south of Seoul, it said. The Chinese plane had planned to take off for Dalian after the Korean-flagged aircraft with 137 people on board passed the airstrip. The collision was averted when the pilots of the Korean Air flight veered left as they were landing to keep as much distance as possible from the Chinese airplane. Dense fog could be blamed for the Chinese airliner entering the runway, as it went passed the stop line before receiving approval for take-off from the control tower, according to a government source. The ministry said that it has launched an investigation into the incident, based on the communication records of the two airplanes' pilots with the airport's control tower and other evidence. If China Southern Airlines is found to have violated relevant aviation law, the government plans to request Chinese authorities take punitive actions, it said. (Yonhap) http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/03/116_200718.html Back to Top U.S. serviceman arrested in Japan after allegedly 'groping and punching' a Japanese woman on a commercial flight to Tokyo A 33-year-old serviceman allegedly groped a 19-year-old Japanese student's thigh while on a flight before punching her in the head The serviceman, a U.S. Navy officer, was flying from San Diego, California to Tokyo when the alleged incident occurred He was arrested and placed in U.S. custody once he landed in Japan The 33-year-old U.S. military servicemember was arrested at Narita International Airport early Friday after he is alleged to have repeatedly touched a 19-year-old Japanese college student. The woman, who was sitting next to him on the plane, was touched on the thigh, then the serviceman punched her in the head several times, according to Japanese news reports. The alleged assault took place over a period of about 90 minutes. Flight attendants helped the student move to a new seat and reported the incident to police upon arrival in Tokyo. The serviceman, a U.S. Navy officer, was arrested on Friday and was released into U.S. custody in Okinawa. A spokesperson for U.S. Naval Forces-Japan said a Navy lieutenant assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Five One, based at the Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan, was handed over to U.S. authorities late Saturday. The Navy officer was able to be handed over to the American authorities under terms of the Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Japanese governments. The officer's alleged victim is a 19-year-old female college student, who was flying from San Diego to Japan, according to Japanese press reports, The incident happened on a flight from San Diego, California (pictured) to Japan. The man was released into U.S. custody when the flight landed in Tokyo This arrest is the second of a U.S. serviceman for a sexually offense in Japan in less than a week. The U.S. is attempting to locate an airbase on the island of Okinawa and the sexual attacks could complicate the negotiation. Navy Commander Ron Flanders told USA Today the unidentified officer was being held at the Atsugi airbase, located near Tokyo. 'We are investigating for potential violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and if we determine there were violations we will take disciplinary actions that we deem appropriate,' Flanders said. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3502192/U-S-serviceman-arrested-Japan- allegedly-groping-punching-Japanese-woman-commercial-flight- Tokyo.html#ixzz43X3yLPgd Back to Top The world's least safe airlines for 2016 revealed An annual survey of the world's biggest airlines has revealed those with the worst safety records. AirlineRatings.com examined audits from aviation governing bodies and lead associations, as well as government audits and fatality records for each airline. It also looked at airlines' operational histories, incident records and operational excellence. The website provided safety ratings for 407 airlines, awarding them up to seven stars. Of those, 148 were given the top rating, while almost 50 had just three stars or less. A total of 10 airlines, all from Nepal, Indonesia or Surinam, qualified for just one or zero stars for 2016: 1) Batik Air 2) Bluewing Airlines 3) Citilink 4) Kal-Star Aviation 5) Lion Air 6) Sriwijaya Air 7) TransNusa 8) Trigana Air Service 9) Wings Air 10) Xpress Air The announcement follows a troubling year for aviation that included two significant disasters, both of which reignited debate surrounding issues of security and concerns over pilot's mental well being. On 3 January it was revealed that for the second year running, the main cause of aviation deaths in 2015 was "unlawful interference" - in other words, murder - according to a report by leading air safety firm To70. The consultancy cited the still-unsolved disappearance of MH370 and MH17 which was shot down over Ukraine in 2015, as well as the Germanwings and Metrojet crashes in the Alps and Sinai respectively. 224 people were killed when the Russian Metrojet Airbus A321-231 broke apart shortly after its departure from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport in Egypt. In March 2015, a Germanwings Airbus A320-211 crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. It was later revealed that pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had suicidal tendancies, had caused the crash deliberately. AirlineRatings.com editor Geoffrey Thomas explained that Germanwings has retained its seven star safety rating for 2016 because the incident was caused by pilot suicide. "In our rating system, which is endorsed by aviation's governing body the International Civil Aviation Organisation, if deaths occurred through acts of terrorism, high jacking or pilot suicide, they are not included in the crash record," he said Some aviation-safety specialists have questioned the basis for the AirlineRatings survey, because it does not appear to prioritise what many passengers regard as the most significant safety consideration: an airline's track record of flying millions of missions with no loss of life. By such a measure, the US carrier Southwest is way ahead of all other airlines. It has operated more than 22 million flights and carried 1.5 billion passengers since its foundation in 1971, without a single fatal accident. The two leading European budget airlines, easyJet and Ryanair, also have fatality-free records, and last year safely flew around 180m passengers between them. The three carriers from the British Isles included in the AirlineRatings "top ten safest low-cost airlines" - Aer Lingus, Flybe and Thomas Cook Airlines - carried only about 22m between them. Malaysia Airlines, struck by two incidents that left all passengers on board dead or missing in 2014, was given five stars out of a possible seven in the ratings: the same as Ryanair and Thomson Airways. If an airline has a crash that involves the death of a passenger and/or crew members it will automatically lose a star from its safety-rating rankings. Iraqi Airways was last month banned from operating in EU airspace, due to "unaddressed safety concerns", and has been given two-star safety rating by AirlineRatings.com. Thailand's aviation industry was placed under "special measures" in 2015 after issues were flagged by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Carriers including Thai Airways, which was awarded four out of seven stars for safety, were spared being placed on the EU blacklist. Officials said they would "closely monitor future developments" and would consider bans if air passenger safety was deemed to be at risk. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/The-worlds-least-safe-airlines-for-2016- revealed/articleshow/51495351.cms Back to Top Learn How to Survive a Plane Crash With This Free App Prepare For Impact started life as an unsettling Oculus Rift virtual reality demo that simulated what it was like to be inside a plane during an emergency landing in water. But its creators have since expanded the project into a free app that simulates countless ways your next flight could go wrong. So why would anyone want to download the app for their iOS or Android mobile devices? To scare themselves into never stepping onto a plane again? Just the opposite. The Prepare For Impact app, developed at Italy's University of Udine's HCI Lab, simulates emergencies such as a fire on the plane, or a collision during takeoff, from a first-person perspective. And as the emergency unfolds, players are able to control their character as they're given instructions and directions on how to best survive the incident, and how to escape the plane when it's all over. It might sound morbid, but research accompanying the simulator has found that passengers are more likely to properly learn safety procedures from a 3D game like this, than from a safety card placed in the seatback in front of them once they're on a plane. Just think back to how many times you've tuned out the safety demonstration on a flight. After having played through the simulated disasters, it was also discovered that travelers were less doom and gloom about something going wrong during a flight, because they had already experienced the possible dire outcomes, and were more confident about surviving them. When you think about it, the pilots who will be at the controls of your next flight were trained on a simulator, so why shouldn't the passengers be too? PREPARE FOR IMPACT http://gizmodo.com/download-this-free-simulator-app-that-teaches-you-how-t- 1764985867 Back to Top Airbus A321 Test Flight Today (Alabama) The first Airbus A321 assembled in Mobile, AL is ready for its first test flight on Monday. The first Airbus A-321 aircraft assembled in Mobile will make its first test flight Monday morning. The flight is scheduled to take off from Brookley Field in downtown Mobile at 9:15. A six man crew will check the control and the performance of the aircraft during the three-hour test. The test flight is nearly a decade in the making- you may remember back in 2008 when Airbus and Mobile lost out to Boeing on a $40 billion Air Force tanker contract. Fortunately for Mobile, the company didn't give up on building planes on U.S. soil and announced plans in 2012 to assemble commercial planes in the Port City. The company broke ground on their first North American assembly plant in Mobile in April 2013. The aircraft being tested this morning will be delivered to Jet Blue. http://wkrg.com/2016/03/21/airbus-a321-test-flight-today/ Back to Top Dubai summit to discuss aviation safety DUBAI - The ongoing safety challenges facing the global aviation industry, will be addressed by the the World Aviation Safety Summit (WASS), being hosted in Dubai, UAE, next month, by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. WASS 2016, taking place on April 25 and 26, will engage local and international stakeholders from regulatory authorities, airline operators, airport operators, aircraft manufacturers, pilot associations, safety organisations and air traffic control service providers to highlight key strategies for the safety culture of the future. The summit, organised by Streamline Marketing Group, will address how the aviation industry ensures that safety is standardised and best practice is implemented worldwide, particularly considering the impact of rapid growth of airlines in emerging markets, and how airports with increasing levels of traffic and new routes must enhance and optimise their safety practices. The summit will also look at how airlines and airports measure their own performance and implement effective predictive measures and pressure checks to prevent incidents before they happen. The year 2015 saw significant events including the German Wings crash in France and the Metrojet terrorism event over Egypt. Other fatal incidents on revenue fare paying flights all involved propliner aircraft and, although there was a good reduction from previous years, incidents that could result in fatalities continue to occur. These include a mid-air collision over West Africa between a business jet and a B737. The business jet crashed into the sea and the B737 managed to land safely without any fatalities. This event may be an extreme occurrence but the possible consequences of an incident of this nature are catastrophic, said a statement. Runway excursions and incursions are still occurring, along with aircraft operating from closed runways or even taxiways. Serious injuries to passengers and cabin crew as a result of turbulence also appear to be increasing and a recent ground handling incident in India shows that flight safety does not just occur in the flight phase. WASS will analyse how all parties must respond to ensure continued safe operation, it said. Consumer drones, UAVs and the illegal operation of lasers present a current and growing danger to air transport, especially in locations where the industry operates in close proximity to large urban populations. The experts gathering at WASS will debate what regulations and educational programmes are needed to ensure safety. Some of the sessions at WASS include creating a just culture, effective crew management strategies for safe operations, risk management and predictive safety, assuring air cargo safety, as well as inflight tracking and safety. Mohammed A Ahli at Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said: "Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is committed to support the on-going development of safety in the aviation sector across the world. We believe that a global gathering of safety experts will make a genuine difference to the industry, enhance performance levels and celebrate best practices, so we are dedicated to backing the World Aviation Safety Summit. We look forward to supporting the learning and innovations that come out of the Summit, highlighting Dubai's commitment to ensure a safe and secure future for air travel." Nick Webb, managing partner at Streamline Marketing Group, said: "WASS has been established as the ideal platform for thought leaders of the global aviation safety sector to come together. It is where they discuss the safety measures and processes necessary in order to efficiently manage threats, risks and road blocks challenging aviation safety professionals worldwide. Air traffic is projected to double in the next 15 years and WASS is giving the industry's leaders an opportunity to discuss solutions to the demands of the booming industry. We look forward to welcoming the world's global aviation safety experts in Dubai for the fourth edition of the summit." According to Iata, the number of air accidents and resulting fatalities dropped in 2015 from the previous year, and was well below the five-year average. Iata said the 2015 global jet accident rate, measured in hull losses per 1 million flights, was 0.32, compared with 0.27 in 2014 and 0.46 in the previous five years. In his recent report, Tony Tyler, director general of Iata commented that 2015 was another year of contrasts when it comes to aviation's safety performance. In terms of the number of fatal accidents, it was an extraordinarily safe year and the long-term trend data show us that flying is getting even safer. Tyler added that everyone is shocked and horrified by two deliberate acts -- the destruction of Germanwings 9525 and Metrojet 9268. "While there are no easy solutions to the mental health and security issues that were exposed in these tragedies, aviation continues to work to minimise the risk that such events will happen again," said Tyler. - TradeArabia News Service http://tradearabia.com/news/TTN_303190.html Back to Top World's best airports for 2016 announced Singapore Changi Airport is world's No. 1 airport for the fourth year in a row The awards are based on passenger surveys conducted by SkyTrax (CNN)Singapore's reign continues. For the fourth year in a row, Singapore Changi Airport has clinched the World's Best Airport title at the annual SkyTrax World Airport Awards, announced Wednesday in Cologne, Germany. The Skytrax awards are based on millions of votes collected in passenger surveys. Many of those passing through the island city-state are clearly pleased with the airport's innovations, such as two 24-hour movie theaters screening the latest blockbusters for free, a rooftop swimming pool and a butterfly garden. "To be named the World's Best Airport by SkyTrax for the fourth year running is a significant achievement for Changi Airport and a clear affirmation that we continue to hit the right notes in our pursuit of service excellence," airport CEO Lee Seow Hiang said in a statement issued by SkyTrax. "We do not take this recognition for granted; it is the extraordinary effort and commitment of the entire airport community that drives Changi's success." Coming second is South Korea's Incheon International Airport, which has held the No. 2 spot since 2013. This year's top 10 list hasn't changed much from previous years, though the addition of Doha's Hamad International Airport, from 22nd place last year, marks the first Middle East airport to join the ranks. Airport authorities in Japan are getting things right, too, with three of its airports among the top 10. Once again, North America failed to have an airport in the top 10. Vancouver International Airport, the No. 1 airport in North America for a record seventh consecutive year, fell from 11th place to 14th in this year's rankings. 2016 SkyTrax World Airport Awards 1. Singapore Changi Airport 2. Incheon International Airport (South Korea) 3. Munich Airport (Germany) 4. Tokyo International Airport Haneda 5. Hong Kong International Airport 6. Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya, Japan) 7. Zurich Airport (Switzerland) 8. London Heathrow Airport 9. Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan) 10. Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar) http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/16/aviation/worlds-best-airports-skytrax/ Back to Top Sky is the limit for jobseekers in aviation industry (China) (Xinhua) - Private pilots are expected to be in high demand in China as the government plans to further open up low-altitude airspace. With China's plans to open up low-altitude airspace ready for takeoff, the general aviation sector is making a promising contribution to the country's lofty goal to add 10 million new jobs each year. Looking to help cultivate the country's first generation of private pilots, the Yuying Vocation School in eastern Zhejiang province is recruiting students for a three-year helicopter training course. It enrolls up to 30 high school graduates. The course costs 56,400 yuan ($8,600) for three years. The school says graduates can expect an annual salary of more than $30,000 in return. "We believe there's a remarkable market ahead. Our students won't need to worry about a job once they get the license," said Zhang Shengqiang from Yuying's recruitment office. Private pilots are expected to be in high demand in China as the government plans to further open up low-altitude airspace. Under the current regulations, private aircraft have to go through complex procedures to get permission from China's aviation authorities before they can fly in airspace below 1,000 meters. Expansion of private aviation is expected to contribute towards the country's ambitious plan to create more than 10 million urban jobs in 2016 and 50 million over the next five years. Industrial sources estimate that 2,000 to 3,000 new pilots will be needed every year in the next five to 10 years. Excluding public services, such as medical transport or firefighting, private flying is expected to create a market worth more than 1 trillion yuan. The sector is expected to create more than one million jobs, from pilots to maintenance and ground crew, when fully developed, according to Tong Gang of Shenyang Aerospace University. Jobs will also be created in general aviation aircraft manufacturing as well as airport construction and management, which is currently at a very early stage of development in China. "With the same amount of investment needed to create one job in the traditional sectors, 12 jobs could arise from the general aviation industry," said Tong. By 2015, there were 239 companies in the general aviation industry in China with 13,000 employees and 1,600 aircraft. Already, Chinese companies are looking to cash in on the future potential. In 2015, ride-hailing service Didi offered a two-day trial program that allowed the public to hail helicopters, attracting over 10,000 requests for 100 rides. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-03/21/content_23983076.htm Back to Top British plane spotters fined in Kenya for taking airport photos Accused plane spotters in court The plane spotters admitted to trespassing and taking pictures of aircraft Four British plane spotters in Kenya have been ordered to pay £1,400 ($2,000) or face a year in jail for trespassing at an airport in Nairobi. The four men from Greater Manchester were caught taking pictures at Wilson Airport in the capital and have been in custody for more than a week. They remain in detention at the police cells at the main international airport until the fine is paid. The men said officials at the airport had given them permission to film. But they sparked a security alert after they were spotted from the airport bar. The BBC'S Alastair Leithead in Nairobi says in the end they admitted to two charges in court - of trespassing, and taking pictures of aircraft - which each carried a fine of £700. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35861504 Back to Top EAAP Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management and Safety Investigation - Initial Training Course, Barcelona, 23-27 May 2016 Special Note: An Early Bird discount of 200 EUR will apply to all registrations received by 15 April 2016. The course will be kindly hosted by the Barcelona-based airline Vueling, at their modern airline headquarters and ?ight training facility close to Barcelona El Prat Airport, just 12 kilometres from the centre of Barcelona. Full details of the course, including the Registration Form, are contained in the 2016 Course Information Brochure, which is available from the EAAP website: http://www.eaap.net/read/2981/initial-human-factors-in-flight-safety.html Please note that completion of this training course is recognised by EAAP (the European Association for Aviation Psychology) as contributing towards certification requirements for those wishing to become an EAAP-certified Aviation Psychologist or Human Factors Specialist. The experienced team of Dr Rob Lee, Kristina Pollack and Brent Hayward will conduct the course on behalf of EAAP. The first of these courses was conducted by the same team at Ispra, Italy in 1999, and since then the course has been held regularly in locations including Luxembourg, Stockholm, Madrid, Lisbon, Interlaken, Dublin, Dubai and Barcelona, with more than 400 participants attending to date. Each year the course is updated to reflect the latest thinking and developments in human factors and safety management in civil and military aviation. As detailed in the Course Registration Brochure, EAAP members are offered reduced registration fees for the course, and there is also a significant additional "Early Bird" discount for those who register by 15 April 2016. Course participant numbers are limited, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Those with any questions about the course, please email Brent Hayward: bhayward@dedale.net Back to Top Hangar Rash Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding 'hangar rash', a term commonly used to describe the unecessary damage that many aircraft sustain on the ground, while being maneuvered in the airport environment. The survey takes less than thirty seconds to complete. I hope to shed some light on this subject and would be happy to share my paper with anyone who is interested. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TLW5KZ6 Back to Top Interesting! - Watch The Amazing Way Information Spreads On Twitter Click the screen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-twitter- works_us_56ec6480e4b084c672204d74 Back to Top FSI Twitter Feed - Flight Safety Information can be found on a daily Twitter feed at: curtllewis01 https://twitter.com/curtllewis01 Back to Top Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Cordially invites you to attendour spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Location: Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel Herndon, Virginia, 20170. Date/Time: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 - 9:30 pm Guest Speaker Honorable T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Vice Chair, National Transportation Safety Board To: ISASI Members, Associates, and Guests: Please plan to attend this important annual event. We anticipate a large turnout for this event because our distinguished guest speaker. Please make your reservations early; as space will be limited and I must confirm the dinner numbers with the hotel by Thursday, April 21st. Don't forget that companions and other guests are most welcome. From: Ron Schleede President, MARC; Vice President, ISASI (H) 1-703-455-3766; (Cell) 571-212-4255; Email: RonSchleede@aol.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016 Times: 6:00 pm-Reception with cash bar 7:00 to 8:00 pm-Full buffet dinner ********************************************************** RESERVATION FORM The International Society of Air Safety Investigators Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 pm Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel There will be a "networking" cash bar beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by a full buffet dinner beginning at 7:00 pm. The program will begin about 8:00 pm. Adjournment anticipated about 9:30 pm. Yes, I will be attending: Name__________________________ Telephone___________________ Email Yes, I will be bringing a guest (s): Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Payment Method: Check, or Credit Card. Badge Name Company Name______________________________________ If paying by check, please make checks payable to ISASI-MARC, in the amount of $50.00 per person, if paid before April 21, 2016. The cost after April 21, 2016, will be $55.00, if space is available. This includes dinner, taxes, gratuity, and routine function expenses. Please mail checks to: Ms. Ann Schull, ISASI International Office, 107 E. Holly Avenue, Suite 11, Sterling, VA, 20164. (Telephone: 703-430-9668; FAX: 703-430-4970) If paying by credit card, please provide your reservation information, along with the following credit card information directly to Ms. Ann Schull by telephone, FAX, email, or regular mail. Curt Lewis