Flight Safety Information May 5, 2016 - No. 088 In This Issue Eagle hit Alaska plane before crash that killed 4 Pilot killed in helicopter crash was stringing wire for American Transmission Co Europe s air safety agency to study aircraft-drone collision risk China to invest $11.9 billion in aviation infrastructure in 2016 31 injured by severe turbulence on Indonesia flight May/June 2016 Issue of FAA Safety Briefing - New Technologies Call for Nominations For 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award PhD Research Request Eagle hit Alaska plane before crash that killed 4 ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - A small airplane hit a bald eagle before it crashed and burst into flames just north of Anchorage last month, killing all four people on board, authorities said Wednesday. It is the nation's first civilian plane crash to result in deaths after an impact with a bald eagle, said Shaun Williams, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator. There have been other crashes involving eagle strikes that resulted in serious injuries, he said. Remains of the eagle were found on the plane's tail structure, Williams said. The fire after the crash makes it hard to know for sure, but evidence indicates that's where the eagle initially struck the aircraft. If so, it could have altered the plane's path or damaged its tail structure, causing control issues for the pilot, Williams said, adding the agency is looking into it. Also part of the investigation over the next 10 to 12 months will be determining if the bird struck the airplane before or after the Cessna 172 hit a 100-foot spruce tree, which investigators determined to be the plane's initial impact point in the preliminary report released last week. The pilot, co-pilot and two passengers died in the April 20 crash near a small airport about 20 miles north of downtown Anchorage. They were conducting an aerial survey for a private firm. The discovery of the eagle's involvement came when investigators found an unidentified substance on several portions of the plane's frame and sent samples to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for forensic analysis. "There, they were able to determine that the portions of feather and other material came from an immature bald eagle," Williams said. Other eagles were observed over the crash site and in the immediate vicinity, he added. Killed in the crash were the pilot, George Kobelnyk, 64; co-pilot, Christian Bohrer, 20; and two passengers, Sarah Glaves, 36, and Kyle Braun, 27. The pilot was formerly with the NTSB and retired from the Federal Aviation Administration, Williams said. The four were taking aerial photographs from an area near the Birchwood airport to the northern part of Cook Inlet. Much of the wreckage was found in an area of dense spruce and birch trees. The post- crash fire consumed most of the fuselage. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's website says Alaska has the largest population of bald eagles, which are found only in North America. It puts the Alaska bald eagle population at about 30,000 birds. http://www.wral.com/agency-bald-eagle-caused-alaska-plane-crash-that-killed- 4/15682329/#UPEzYaD8oH3qSD1g.99 Back to Top Pilot killed in helicopter crash was stringing wire for American Transmission Co. A pilot helping with the installation of transmission lines was killed when the helicopter crashed in Manitowoc County Wednesday morning. Tonight, investigators are trying to learn why the helicopter went down. At about 10 a.m., the chopper went down in a "remote and swampy area" at 19420 Marquette Road in Maple Grove, near Reedsville, the sheriff's office said. The Federal Aviation Administration says the MD 369E helicopter "crashed under unknown circumstances." It came to rest on its side in trees just feet from the tower the crew was working on. The pilot was the only person on-board. So far the person hasn't been publicly identified. Video provided by local viewer Jesse Jossart taken shortly before the crash shows the helicopter hovering above a crew installing a communication line between the Point Beach nuclear plant and Forest Junction substation. The work was part of a project by the American Transmission Company. The video does not show the crash. Neighbors say they've been watching this pilot and his crew for the past couple weeks and admiring the pilot's skill as crews worked to install wires on transmission towers. Steve Sorenson, who lives down the road, told us, "The helicopter pilot was able to hover in one spot and be able to drive guys in there and hold that helicopter steady, and then I saw him trimming the lines back and forth with a big pole trimmer, and he was able to go on both sides of that, and he was a very skilled pilot in my mind." "I've been watching the guy for a month working around here, and I was pretty impressed with his skills. It's pretty sad news." Sorenson said the last time he saw the helicopter it had dropped off the crew and was hovering over a neighbor's shed. He didn't see it crash. "The next thing I know, the ambulances were showing up." American Transmission Company released a statement to Action 2 News, saying the helicopter is owned by Rotor Blade, a South Carolina-based company. Rotor Blade, a subcontractor for Henkels & McCoy, provides services to utilities. "An internal team has been assembled to respond to the emergency at the scene and to investigate the accident," reads a statement from ATC. The FAA is responding to the scene to begin an investigation, which will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB says an investigator is en route from Denver and will be here by Thursday morning to start their investigation. ATC says it's assisting both agencies during this investigation. "It's a tragedy," ATC spokesperson Jackie Olson said. "We take pride in our safety record at American Transmission Company. Even our office meetings begin with a safety briefing, so it's a very high priority, and it's a very sad day when something like this happens." Officials say the NTSB's report will be made public within 10 days. The Manitowoc County coroner was on the scene. The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office received help at the scene from Reedsville Fire Department and First Responders, Collins Fire Department, Kellnersville Fire Department, Wayside Fire Department, and Valders Ambulance. http://wbay.com/2016/05/04/crews-respond-to-helicopter-crash-in-manitowoc-county/ Back to Top Europe s air safety agency to study aircraft-drone collision risk Berlin (AFP) - Europe's air safety watchdog Wednesday said it would examine the risk of collision between drones and aircraft, as the use of such unmanned flying devices grows. A task force of aircraft and engine manufacturers will look into the "vulnerabilities of aircraft" including their windshields, engines and airframes, said the European Aviation Safety Agency in a statement. The group will also "review all relevant occurrences" and analyse existing studies on impact between drones and aircraft. Results of the taskforce will be published in July and a workshop held to discuss its findings. The EASA last year said it was developing a set of regulations governing usage of drones, in a bid to limit the risk of collision with aeroplanes. "A combination of measures are envisaged such as: operate in visual line of sight, fly under 150 metres (500 feet) height above ground, be equipped with identification and geo-limitation functions and be registered," it said. Under the rules, usage of drones close to aerodromes would also require special authorisation. As private use of drones grows, authorities are anxious to avoid any risk of accidents. The biggest risk to a plane would be a direct hit on a jet engine because the batteries of drones contain highly flammable lithium. Last month, a drone flying at more than 2,000 metres altitude came close to an Aer Lingus plane as it approached Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. The UK Airprox Board, an air safety agency, said last month there were 23 near-misses between drones and aircraft in the six months between April and October last year. https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/31522730/europes-air-safety-agency-to-study- aircraft-drone-collision-risk/ Back to Top China to invest $11.9 billion in aviation infrastructure in 2016: Xinhua A security guard keeps watch at Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE) at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China will invest 77 billion yuan ($11.9 billion) this year in building aviation infrastructure, the official Xinhua news agency reported late on Wednesday, citing the country's civil aviation regulator. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said the investment, which will focus on airports, will initially lead to 11 key construction projects and 52 aviation-related upgrades to existing facilities, Xinhua reported. "The general aviation sector, especially aircraft research and manufacturing, has became a hot spot of both industrial upgrading and social concern," Feng Zhenglin, head of the CAAC, told the official news agency. China's cabinet separately said late on Wednesday it would support the development of the country's aviation industry and opening up low-altitude air space, an issue that constrains a fledgling market for helicopters and small aircraft. It did not provide details. "Opening up will especially benefit China's tourism, emergency medical services and pilot training sectors, which operate light aircraft and helicopters," said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor at industry publication Flightglobal. Civilian air traffic controllers handle low-altitude air space and work with the military to manage both civil and military traffic in most parts of the world. China's military controls the country's air space, and its planes have priority over civil aircraft. Special military-only zones also force other aircraft to take a longer route. Over the last few years, Beijing has relaxed some restrictions on flights below 1,000 m (3,280 ft) - although civil aircraft still need military approval to fly through some areas. Industry observers expect the approval process to be further relaxed and the ceiling to increase to 3,000 m, in line with Western norms. Some, however, are cautions. "I doubt they will let people get into their aircraft and fly off without approval like in Australia and the U.S. This is still China and there will still be restrictions," Waldron said. The relaxation could boost demand for light aircraft. China had only 1,600 light aircraft and around 80 airports to handle them in 2013. It will need 10,000 light aircraft this decade to meet demand, according to some projections. The U.S., by comparison, had about 300,000 GA aircraft and 24,000 airports for them in 2013. Since 2000, Western firms like America's Cessna and Austria's Diamond Aircraft have set up joint ventures with Chinese partners to produce light aircraft in the country. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-to-invest-119-billion-in-aviation-infrastructure- in-2016-xinhua-2016-5 Back to Top 31 injured by severe turbulence on Indonesia flight (CNN)Severe turbulence on an Etihad Airways flight to Indonesia left 31 passengers injured on Wednesday. Flight EY474 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta encountered severe and unexpected turbulence about 45 minutes before its arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the airline confirmed in a statement. The A330-200 Airbus landed safely at the airport in Jakarta, where nine passengers were taken to hospital. 22 others have been released from the airport clinic after being treated by paramedics for minor injuries. Cabin storage areas were also damaged as a result of the turbulence. Twitter user @NasserRomaithy posted photos of a hole in an overhead luggage bin and dangling oxygen masks that were purportedly taken by a passenger. Another, @anjarmaladi, posted this image claiming it was also taken by someone on board. The caption refers to "severe turbulence over Sumatra." As a result of the incident, flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on May 4 has been canceled. Etihad Airways said it had deployed a support team on site and was assisting affected passengers by booking them onto alternative flights or providing hotel accommodation. Passengers are advised to contact Etihad Airways' global contact center on +971 (0) 2 599 0000 or visit etihad.com for more information. http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/04/aviation/turbulence-etihad-flight-jakarta/index.html Back to Top May/June 2016 Issue of FAA Safety Briefing - New Technologies Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) are now accepting nominations for the 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 69th Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 14-16 in Dubai, UAE. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2- page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/ or the Flight Safety Foundation website at http://flightsafety.org/aviation-awards/laura-taber-barbour-air-safety-award. Nominations will be accepted until June 1, 2016. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.com. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Back to Top PhD Research Request Helicopter Pilots, This is a request for you to participate in a research study for my doctoral degree. The purpose is to study the relationship between safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance for small helicopter companies with less than 5 aircraft and in the last 10 years. This research is in conjunction with safety efforts by the US Helicopter Safety Team and the Helicopter Association International. There are series of questions regarding safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance. To participate, you must be between age 21 to 60, had some aircrew experience with any type of small civil helicopter organization (5 aircraft and under) and in the United States in last 10 years. Current helicopter student pilots can participate. Please follow the link below and fill but if you start, please finish the survey. It will only take about 12 minutes to complete. The survey does not include any identifiable data about the crewmember, places of employment, or OEM. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5VPCZZ5 Thank you very much for your participation! Principal Investigator Scott Burgess Doctoral student at Northcentral University S.Burgess4793@email.ncu.edu Curt Lewis