Flight Safety Information March 31, 2016 - No. 064 In This Issue Missing MH370: Mozambique debris matches Boeing 777 aircraft Magdalen Islands fatal crash has aviation experts questioning decision to take off Emergency escape slide from jumbo jet falls from plane and hits Mesa home Airlines In South Korea Are Losing Their Pilots To China Which Offers Double Pay Egypt defends air safety after hijacking FBI: Man arrested after doing yoga, meditating on airplane Airplane passenger finds great spot for her hair: your seat American Airlines flight to Memphis grounded in Little Rock Himalaya Airlines makes proving flight to Delhi Boeing projects Latin America will need 3,050 new aircraft by 2036 Hangar Rash Research Request (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY Missing MH370: Mozambique debris matches Boeing 777 aircraft The Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield is among the ships searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which has been missing since March 2014. Australian officials on Wednesday confirmed two pieces of debris found in Mozambique matched parts used by Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. CANBERRA, Australia, March 30 (UPI) -- Australian officials on Wednesday confirmed debris recovered from Mozambique in February matched that of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, further corroborating it could have come from Flight 370. Two pieces of debris recently found in Mozambique were examined at the Geoscience Australia and Australian Transport Safety Bureau facilities in Canberra by international experts from a Malaysian MH370 safety investigation team, the ATSB, Boeing and the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation. "The dimensions, materials and construction of both parts conform to the specifications of a Boeing 777 aircraft; the paint and stencilling on both parts match those used by Malaysia Airlines; and as such, both parts are consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, and are almost certainly from MH370," the Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team said in a statement. Underwater search operations for the missing airliner continue. Nearly 37,000 square miles of seafloor have been searched so far. The search for MH370 will likely end in July. "In the event the aircraft is found and accessible, Australia, Malaysia and the People's Republic of China have agreed to plans for recovery activities, including securing all the evidence necessary for the accident investigation," the ATSB said in a statement. MH370 disappeared March 8, 2014, after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia en route to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The pilots last communicated with air traffic control 38 minutes after takeoff. Three minutes later, the plane's transponders were turned off and the plane disappeared from air traffic controllers' radar screens. Malaysian authorities concluded the flight had ended in the Indian Ocean, but no confirmed MH370 debris was found until last year when a right wing flaperon was discovered on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/03/30/Missing-MH370-Mozambique-debris-matches- Boeing-777-aircraft/2111459333144/ Back to Top Magdalen Islands fatal crash has aviation experts questioning decision to take off Small plane crashed in bad weather, killing all 7 aboard including political pundit Jean Lapierre While a joint investigation led by the Transportation Safety Board is underway in Quebec's Magdalen Islands to determine what caused the crash that killed all seven people on board, some pilots and other aviation experts are questioning why the flight took off in bad weather. The plane left St-Hubert Longueuil Airport on Montreal's South Shore at 9:30 a.m. ET. It went down at around 11:40 a.m. AT just three kilometres from the Magdalen Island airport, in freezing fog and rain. All seven people on board - including political pundit and former cabinet minister Jean Lapierre, his wife, three siblings and two crew members - were killed. Investigators who arrived at the crash site Wednesday afternoon said it is too soon to know for sure if weather was the cause of the crash. Magdalen Islands plane crash investigation underway Other flights cancelled Some pilots at St-Hubert airport told CBC News they didn't want to risk flying in the bad conditions. Michel Turcotte, pilot 'The clouds were low and visibility was reduced,' said Michel Turcotte, a pilot for Pascan Aviation, a regional airline based in St-Hubert, Que. (CBC) "The wind was blowing at 45 knots during the day, the clouds were low and visibility was reduced," said Michel Turcotte, a pilot for Pascan Aviation, a regional airline based in Saint-Hubert. Pascan Aviation cancelled its Tuesday flights for the Magdalen Islands. "If the clouds are high enough that we can see the runway, we can land. But if they drop a bit, we can't," Turcotte said. In Canada, when it comes to small aircraft, it's up to the pilot to decide whether to fly, according to Daniel Adams, an aviation security analyst. "It's always the pilot who has the last word. Based on weather data that existed [Tuesday], it is clear in my mind that I would not have [made an] approach to the Magdalen Islands," Adams told Radio-Canada. Pilot was always prudent, friend says The pilot, Pascal Gosselin, and co-pilot, Fabrice Labourel, were both killed in the crash. Christian Guy, a friend of Gosselin, said he believes the pilot was a victim of his own generosity. "Pascal wore his heart on his sleeve and I think he really wanted to help Mr. Lapierre and his family," Guy said. Lapierre, his wife and three of his siblings were on their way to the Magdalen Islands for their father's funeral. Pilot Pascal Gosselin and co-pilot Fabrice Labourel were the two crew members killed when the small plane crashed Tuesday in the Magdalen Islands. (Radio-Canada) Despite that, Guy said, his friend was prudent and never took unnecessary risks. "If he decided to take off yesterday, it's because he was certain he could have done it in complete safety." Gosselin owned Aero Teknic, the company operating the flight. Aero Teknic would not comment. Other experts are raising questions about the plane itself - a Mitsubishi MU-2. "This is not an airplane that is made to fly in our weather conditions. This is a plane that is made to be fast," said Charles-Eric Lamarche, an air operations consultant for Octant Aviation. "They do have small wings and it's a little tougher for them to sustain a small amount of ice." In a statement, the plane's manufacturer Mitsubishi said, "The aircraft has a best in its class safety record during the last eight years." Mitsubishi said it is sending its own investigators to the crash site as well, and will collaborate fully with the TSB investigation. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/magdalen-island-crash-pilots-react-1.3513601 Back to Top Emergency escape slide from jumbo jet falls from plane and hits Mesa home An aircraft's emergency slide hit near a Mesa home (Source: KPHO/KTVK) The emergency slide landed right outside a Mesa homeowner's door (Source: KPHO/KTVK) MESA, AZ (KPHO/KTVK) - It's really rare to hear of things falling from airplanes and hitting the ground, but that's what happened to one Mesa homeowner who says an aircraft's emergency slide hit her house. A Buddha statue and some angels usually are the only things sitting outside Andrea Self's front door. "It's definitely a blessing that the damage is a tree and not a person," Self said. Even though she lives directly under a flight path, the most she ever hears are jet engines. "It was a loud bang and then the house actually shook," Self said. It's been windy this week but what hit her house Wednesday afternoon was anything but a downed tree. "It just smelled like sulfur burning," she explained. Mesa police officers responded and did some digging. "Someone else had called 911 and said that they had seen an object falling from an airplane," Self explained. It landed right outside Andrea's front door. "They kind of put two and two together that this must be the emergency slide," Self said. The Federal Aviation Administration confirms it was. The agency tells us an Atlas Air Boeing 767 was on final approach to Sky Harbor Airport when the right over-the-wing emergency escape slide deployed. The plane was at 2,800 feet and was able to land without any trouble. Only the crew was onboard. But concern set in for Self and not just for the passengers on the plane. "Did they hear something? Did the captain know something was going on?" Self asked. She was equally concerned how this could have potentially hurt people on the ground. "There's Riverview Park literally in my backyard and the Cubs are currently playing games right now," Self said. "If it had fallen on a car, it still would have been devastating." The FAA is investigating what caused that slide to deploy. http://www.azfamily.com/story/31606314/emergency-escape-slide-from-jumbo-jet-falls-from-plane-and- hits-mesa-home Back to Top Airlines In South Korea Are Losing Their Pilots To China Which Offers Double Pay Airlines In South Korea are losing their pilots to China which offers double pay and better workplace. In this photo, a Korean Air jet taxis at O'Hare International Airport on September 19, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo : Scott Olson | Getty Images Korea) Major airlines in South Korea, especially Korean Air and Asiana, are losing their pilots to foreign or Chinese airline companies. Thanks to conflicts between airline management and pilot unions, South Korean aviators get bigger paychecks and better workplaces. Industry officials said Tuesday, it is feared that the exit of experienced pilots will be accelerated after pay hike negotiations failed at big airlines in South Korea and success stories of pilots relocating to China have emerged. South Korea's two major airlines are losing their pilots to some 50 Chinese airlines, said industry sources. China is foreseen to create severe pilot shortage since it has a demand for 6,330 new aircrafts over the next 20 years, said Boeing of the United States. The country's airline firms are offering more than double the salary paid by their South Korean rivals. Chinese airline firms reportedly offer up to 300 or 400 million won ($261k or $349k) to pilots, depending on the aircraft type; while an average pilot-in-command receives about 100 million or $85,763 yearly at Korean Air. Speaking to Yonhap News, a former pilot of Korean Air identified as Kim, who moved to a Chinese airline company two years ago said he still has no regrets in relocating. "Along with the double wage, (Chinese airlines) tend to put more priority on safety. Following the sharp growth of China's aviation industry, the demand for pilots is also soaring." He explained Chinese companies prefer South Korean pilots because they have excellent flight capabilities as well as English skills, plus a similar cultural background. However, salary and workplace are not the only factors that made the pilots transfer. "For me, I could not bear (Korean Air's) culture of treating flight control like driving a car," said Kim who apparently referred to a recent comment by Korean Air CEO Cho Yang Ho on Facebook which said: "What pilots have to do is just to decide to go or no-go, but are you saying that it is hard? Flying is done by auto pilot, which is easier than driving a car." Kim said he decided to move when he nearly fell asleep during a flight due to their busy schedule. The health of pilots was not even considered, he added. According to some pilots, the hierarchical atmosphere in South Korean airlines also caused them to leave. Kim said Chinese airlines respect pilots and do not question them when they make decisions for safety, even if that means economic loss. Pilots are free to speak their minds, he added. Airlines in South Korea could be left with inexperienced pilots, due to rapid exit of experienced aviators, Korea Portal reported early this year. http://en.jknus.com/articles/2870/20160330/airlines-south-korea-pilots.htm Back to Top Egypt defends air safety after hijacking The hijack of EgyptAir Flight MS181 on Tuesday after its take-off from Alexandria may have ended safely. But security questions raised are likely to deal another blow to the Egyptian tourism industry. Speaking to reporters as the hostage drama at Larnaca, Cyprus, came to an end, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said that the hijacker at one point demanded a meeting with a representative of the EU and at another point demanded that the plane leave for another airport. "In general there was no specific demand," Ismail said. "He is an Egyptian and obviously there will be a thorough investigation to find out the reasons behind such an act." Egypt is eager to demonstrate that security at its airports is good and Ismail said stringent measures were in place. TV channels have been showing video footage posted by Egypt's Interior Ministry on its Facebook page in which a man presented as the suspected hijacker is seen passing through a scanner and being searched before the plane took off amid security checks at Alexandria. http://www.euronews.com/2016/03/29/egypt-defends-air-safety-after-hijack-drama/ Back to Top FBI: Man arrested after doing yoga, meditating on airplane HONOLULU - A Japan-bound airplane returned to Hawaii because of a violent passenger who wanted to do yoga instead of sit in his seat, the FBI said. The pilot of the March 26 United Airlines flight from Honolulu International Airport to Narita International Airport turned the plane around after hearing that Hyongtae Pae was yelling at crew members and shoving his wife, the FBI said in a criminal complaint. Pae told the FBI he didn't want to sit in his seat during the meal service, so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate. He became angry when his wife and flight attendants told him to return to his seat. "Pae pushed his wife because she was trying to make him stop," the complaint said. "He felt that she was siding with the flight crew." He tried to head-butt and bite Marines who were passengers on the flight and tried to force him back to his seat, Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Ching said at Pae's detention hearing Wednesday. According to the complaint, he threatened to kill passengers and was yelling that there is no god. Pae went into a rage because he felt the flight crew was ordering him around, Ching said. Ching said Pae shouldn't be released because he's a danger to his wife, himself and others. Pae urinated on himself and was on suicide watch at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center, Ching said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang ordered that Pae be released on $25,000 bond, but with certain conditions including not leaving the island of Oahu and undergoing a mental health evaluation. Since the arrest, Pae's wife has been staying at the Waikiki Gateway Hotel, defense attorney Jin Tae "J.T." Kim told the judge, who asked whether Pae had financial resources to continue staying there after his release. Kim said he's working with the consulate to transfer more money to Pae's wife and find alternate, temporary housing. Chang denied Kim's request to allow Pae to return home to Korea, because that would involve getting on a plane again. Outside of court, Kim said his client is a 72-year-old retired farmer who traveled from South Korea to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary with a Hawaii vacation. It was the couple's first trip to Hawaii. Pae only recently took up yoga to help with anxiety, Kim said, adding that he was sleep-deprived during the vacation. Pae told the FBI he hadn't been able to sleep in 11 days. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/03/30/fbi-man-doing-yoga-on-plane- arrested/82453132/ Back to Top Airplane passenger finds great spot for her hair: your seat Welcome to coach seating, here is your complimentary hair. Dante Ramos captured this particularly enraging scene aboard a flight on March 28, of a passenger resting a full head of hair into another passenger's seat space. Reclining your seat back all the way is one way to ruin someone's flight, removing your shoes is another, but placing literally as much of your hair as you can into the seat behind you is probably the worst of the bunch. Commenters responding to Ramos told him to "cut her hair off" or "stroke it gently," revealing that the human mind absolutely cannot handle a lapse in inflight etiquette. What is it about planes that makes us lose our humanity? According to Ramos, the passenger was eventually asked to move her hair and she complied. http://mashable.com/2016/03/29/hair-in-seat-airplane/#4qWX97hCDiq4 Back to Top American Airlines flight to Memphis grounded in Little Rock LITTLE ROCK - An American Airlines flight was forced to land after turbulence injured two attendants. According to THV11, the plane was heading to Memphis from Dallas when it hit rough weather. The intense turbulence forced American Airlines flight 3358 to ground in Little Rock. American Airlines released the following statementL: "American Eagle Flight 3358, operated by Envoy Air, from Dallas/Fort Worth to Memphis, Tenn., encountered turbulence and diverted to Little Rock, Ark. The Embraer E175 aircraft landed without incident at 12:02 p.m. CT, and safely taxied to a gate. Two Envoy flight attendants were transported to a local hospital, and no passengers reported any injuries." http://wreg.com/2016/03/30/american-airlines-flight-to-memphis-grounded-in-little-rock/ Back to Top Himalaya Airlines makes proving flight to Delhi During a proving flight, an aircraft is loaded with passengers and baggage and flown on routes that it is intends to serve Mar 31, 2016- Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China joint venture, conducted a proving flight on Wednesday on the Kathmandu-Delhi-Kathmandu sector with its Airbus 320. The test flight is usually made to prepare for commercial operations. During a proving flight, the aircraft is loaded with passengers and baggage and flown on routes that it is intended to serve. The carrier said it would apply for permission to conduct regular flights on the sector after the test flight. Himalaya Airlines said that the proving flight of the new aircraft with Nepali registration 9N-ALM was conducted under the supervision of inspectors from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. "The proving flight was successfully conducted today, and we will commence commercial operations soon," said Vijay Shrestha, Vice President Administrations said. The airline has fixed Delhi and Doha as its first destinations which it will start serving in April. Flights to Lhasa, Chengdu and Beijing in China will be started a few months later. Himalaya will be the sixth airline to operate on the Delhi sector after Nepal Airlines, Jet Airways, Air India, Druk Air and IndiGo. It plans to expand services to Doha on April 12. Himalaya will be the second carrier to connect Doha from Nepal after Qatar Airways. The airline received its first aircraft on March 9. It was used to fly Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his entourage on an official visit to Beijing on March 20. Himalaya had previously planned to launch scheduled flights in October 2014, but the plan was deferred due to technical problems. The launch date was pushed back further by the devastating April 25 earthquake last year. The company plans to link various Asian and Middle Eastern cities initially. It has aimed to acquire 15 Airbus aircraft, including the long-haul A330, to extend its network to Japan, Korea, Europe, Australia and America in the next five years. Himalayan Infrastructure Fund Aviation Investment and Yeti World Investment hold a 51 percent stake in the company while Tibet Airlines owns 49 percent. The company has a paid-up capital of $25 million. It is the biggest foreign direct investment from China in Nepal's aviation sector. Currently, 25 international and two Nepali airlines connect Kathmandu with 23 destinations in 13 countries. http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-03-31/himalaya-airlines-makes-proving-flight-to- delhi.html Back to Top Boeing projects Latin America will need 3,050 new aircraft by 2036 Boeing has forecast that Latin American airlines will need 3,050 new aircraft valued at $350 billion in the next two decades, tripling the region's current fleet size. "Over the long term, Latin American economies will grow faster than the rest of the world," Boeing president-Latin America Donna Hrinak said. "This growth will create increased passenger traffic in the region and drive Latin American airlines to expand and compete for business that has traditionally been dominated by foreign operators." To meet increased passenger traffic, Boeing said the region will require more than 2,500 new single-aisle aircraft over the next 20 years, reflecting the continued growth of low-cost carriers and further expansion of networks in the region. Widebody demand is forecasted at 340 new aircraft as regional carriers continue to compete more strongly on long-haul routes. Currently, over two-thirds of twin-aisle departures from Latin America are on Boeing products. According to Boeing, Latin America and the Caribbean now feature a younger fleet than the world average. Average airplane age in the region's fleet continues to drop, going from more than 15 years in 2005 to less than 10 years today. The region has been in a steady replacement cycle since the mid-2000s and that trend will continue as nearly 60 percent of the current fleet is replaced over the next two decades. The addition of the 787 Dreamliner to the LATAM, Avianca and Aeromexico fleets has allowed the airlines to open new routes and gain access to markets that were previously not possible. Aeromexico operates a nonstop 787 Dreamliner flight from Mexico City to Tokyo, a route that previously required a refueling stop. In 2015, LATAM operated the world's first 787 ETOPS mission beyond 180 minutes from Santiago, Chile to Auckland, New Zealand. Later this year, LATAM will utilize the full 330 minute ETOPS on the same route, trimming 90 minutes off the flight tame and saving up to 2,500 gallons of fuel per trip. According to Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner's capability and low-cost economics allow Latin American airlines to "unlock more point to point connections over remote regions of the world, allowing the airlines to expand their business and attract more customers." http://atwonline.com/manufacturers/boeing-projects-latin-america-will-need-3050-new-aircraft-2036 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 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