Flight Safety Information May 18, 2016 - No. 097 In This Issue Air France Airbus A320 tail torn by Boeing 777 FAA To Consider Certification For 'Special' Loadmasters Weather remains central to SIA A330 power-loss probe Flydubai crash probe completes cockpit recording transcript Following recent crashes, FAA looks to improve safety culture among Alaska pilots Cleveland to pay reduced FAA fine of $200,000 for Hopkins snow removal issues EAA extending aviation job fair at Oshkosh Aviation Institute of Maintenance Launches Free Online "Human Factors" Safety Course DRONE DETECTION SYSTEM BEING TESTED AT JFK AIRPORT Senator Pressures TSA Head to Resolve Airport Delays or Resign American Airlines receives its first Alabama-made airplane Air Safety After 9/11: Muslims Increasingly Racially Profiled On Planes In 2016 FAA Proposes New Pilot Certification and Training Rules NTSB Cautions on Small Airplane Proposal Female Airline Pilots Still Face Turbulent Skies Despite Progress Pilots 'very likely' to misjudge flying conditions due to irrational decisions SpiceJet flight nearly takes off without 40 passengers, then returns to pick them up First Production Cirrus Jet Flies China to Boost Development of General Aviation Industry GE Aviation enters experimental, kit-built market The FAA Flight Standards Service is pleased to announce the Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting Zodiac Arresting Systems Offers RCAM Training NATA Launches Free Aircraft Operator Safety Resource Call for Nominations For 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award POP UP THUNDERSTORMS...THAT "LOOK OUTSIDE" MOMENT...By Roger Rapoport GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Air France Airbus A320 tail torn by Boeing 777 Two Air France aircraft have been involved in a taxiing collision at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, after the wing of a Boeing 777 struck and tore the tail of an Airbus A320. Images posted on Twitter by French aviation enthusiast @JeanCesarCaron show a large, straight, horizontal tear to the rudder of the A320, registered F-GKXJ. It is unclear what damage was sustained by the 777, a SkyTeam-liveried aircraft registered F-GZNT. "Air France confirms that the tail fin of the Airbus A320 operating flight AF1084 leaving for Tunis was struck by the wing tip of a Boeing 777 at Paris Charles de Gaulle. The Boeing 777 was carrying no passengers and was being moved to a parking stand," Air France said in a statement. The damaged A320 was towed to a parking stand and the passengers were transferred to a later flight. "An investigation is underway to determine the causes of this incident," Air France said. http://atwonline.com/safety/air-france-airbus-a320-tail-torn-boeing-777 Back to Top FAA To Consider Certification For 'Special' Loadmasters WASHINGTON-In response to an NTSB recommendation, the FAA has launched an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to determine within two years whether the agency should create a certification for airline employees who supervise the loading, restraint and documentation of "special" cargo. Improper handling of special cargo-defined in FAA guidance as cargo not contained in unit- load devices and requiring special handling, security and restraining procedures-caused the crash of a National Airlines Boeing 747-400BCF freighter in April 2013 at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was the air carrier's "inadequate procedures for restraining special cargo loads, which resulted in the loadmaster's improper restraint of the cargo, which moved aft and damaged hydraulic systems No. 1 and No. 2, and the horizontal stabilizer drive-mechanism components, rendering the airplane uncontrollable," according to the final report. Investigators determined that the aircraft immediately climbed steeply on departure, then "descended in a manner consistent with an aerodynamic stall." Cargo consisted of five mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles; two 12-ton, all-terrain vehicles; and three 18-ton Cougar infantry mobility vehicles. All were improperly secured using "centerline-loaded floating pallets and restrained to the airplane's main deck using tiedown straps," according to the FAA's task assignment of the ARAC. As a result of its investigation, the NTSB issued a recommendation to the FAA that, in part, called for loadmaster certification. The FAA noted that, currently, there is no certified position for the loading of special cargo; therefore, there are no "specific individual standards or training requirements to ensure adherence to operational limitations." There also is no specific oversight of loadmasters, outside of the FAA's normal surveillance of an airline. The new ARAC subgroup, the Loadmaster Certification Working Group, will study whether "safety would be enhanced" by creating a certification for "persons engaged in the loading and supervision of the loading of special cargo," according to the FAA. If the group does recommend certification, the FAA also is asking it to determine specific operations that will require the use of certified loadmasters, and for the group to spell out the "appropriate knowledge, experience and skill requirements for the issuance of the certifications, and appropriate privileges and limitations." http://awin.aviationweek.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ArticlesStory.aspx?id=f34cd599- b492-4853-91bb-27e0b27c3137 Back to Top Weather remains central to SIA A330 power-loss probe Investigators are concentrating on weather-avoidance procedures as they continue to probe a dual-engine power-loss incident involving a Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300 last year. The Singaporean air accident investigation authority says a report into the event, over the South China Sea on 23 May 2015, is still being drafted. It says the aircraft encountered "adverse weather" while en route to Shanghai, but has not detailed its nature. The authority's update on the circumstances contradicts a previous disclosure, via French counterpart BEA, regarding the power loss sequence. While BEA had stated that the left-hand Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine had stalled, before self-recovering, the Singaporean authority says this event occurred in the right-hand engine, according to the crew's electronic centralised monitoring system. The Singaporean inquiry says the system then informed the crew that the left-hand engine had stalled, and the pilots - having consulted the checklist - determined that this engine needed to be shut down. BEA had stated that the aircraft was cruising at 39,000ft at the time, and the Singaporean probe says the crew carried out a controlled descent to 26,000ft before managing to restart the left-hand engine. "The flight then continued, with both engines running normally, to Shanghai," says the inquiry. It adds that en route weather and weather-avoidance procedures are among the areas on which the investigators are focusing, along with the crew's actions and the Airbus electronic centralised monitoring system. http://flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/425463?context=newsstream Back to Top Flydubai crash probe completes cockpit recording transcript Russian investigators have completed transcription work on the cockpit exchanges between the pilots of the Flydubai Boeing 737-800 which crashed at Rostov-on-Don. The Interstate Aviation Committee says 2h 3min 49s of information from the cockpit-voice recorder have been downloaded and examined. Flydubai personnel have assisted with the identification of the voices recorded during the 19 March accident. Investigators have been analysing why the horizontal stabiliser shifted to a nose-down trim - apparently in response to a manual command - during a go-around, causing the jet to dive into the ground. Flydubai flight FZ981's crew had previously conducted a successful missed approach to the same runway some 2h earlier. http://flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/425455?context=newsstream Back to Top Following recent crashes, FAA looks to improve safety culture among Alaska pilots ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - After seeing a "significant increase" in airplanes in Alaska flying into mountains and other difficult terrain, the Federal Aviation Administration says it will be further engaging air carriers across the state to emphasize a culture of safety. The FAA Alaska division manager penned a letter to pilots and air operators this month expressing concerns about the recent spike in Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) events. The agency reports in the past 12 months, there have been 24 fatalities and serious injuries from accidents, many involving pilots flying into unsafe weather and dangerous flying conditions. One of the most devastating suspected CFIT crashes included in the spike is the June 2015 collision of a sightseeing tour into a mountainside near Ketchikan. Eight tourists and a pilot were killed. In the letter from the FAA, Alaskan Region Flight Standards Division Manager Clint Wease writes, "most CFIT accidents are because of inappropriate or non-existent safety cultures, leaving all decisions up to and placing all responsibilities on a pilot who may have to make split second, life or death decisions." The FAA said it hopes to eliminate CFIT crashes in Alaska by working closely with the nonprofit Medallion Foundation as well as further engaging the industry to bring awareness of the most up to date safety practices in the sky. "It's a combined effort by everyone to really change the culture with these carriers in Alaska," said executive director for the Medallion Foundation Jerry Rock. The Medallion Foundation is a nonprofit operating in Alaska since 2001. It was originally formed by air carriers hoping to make a change in safety culture across the state, working to train pilots through classes on the foundation's 21 flight simulators scattered across Alaska. Rock said since Medallion's inception 15 years ago, CFIT events have been reduced by more than 50 percent, but the recent spike in crashes in the past year shows the necessity to continue to promote Flight Locating Systems, Flight Risk Assessments and weather scenario training. "From our perspective, there shouldn't be CFIT accidents happening. Every pilot can make that conscious choice to turn around when they see [dangerous conditions]," said Rock. The FAA did not immediately respond for comment, but the chief of the Alaska regional office for the National Transportation Safety Board Clint Johnson said he's in support of the FAA's efforts to promote safety culture. "Last year for CFIT accidents, we had a tough year. No ifs, no ands, no buts," said Johnson. "We applaud what the FAA has done here, trying to raise that safety bar." http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Following-recent-crashes-FAA-looks-to-improve-safety- culture-among-Alaska-pilots-379891521.html Back to Top Cleveland to pay reduced FAA fine of $200,000 for Hopkins snow removal issues CLEVELAND - The city of Cleveland and the Federal Aviation Administration have agreed to terms to settle four FAA cases that dealt with violations for deficient snow removal and inadequate staffing at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The FAA announced the terms Tuesday. Cleveland pledges to upgrade its snow and ice removal plans at Hopkins. It will pay a $200,000 fine. Orignally, the FAA proposed a $735,000 fine, which would have been one of the largest penalties ever levied against an airport. FAA administrator Michael Huerta said the city has made needed accommodations to satisfy FAA requirements and is now in compliance.. Last September, the FAA fined Cleveland after discovering instances where Hopkins did not have adequate manpower on duty to remove snow and de-ice runways, causing safety issues and causing some pilots to divert flights to other nearby airports. The city argued that, despite violations, there were no safety issues. The FAA and Hopkins had a previous agreement requiring there to be 46 plow drivers to meet staffing requirements. At the time, the city had 25. Some of the problems were brought to light by a whistle-blower employee. http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/cleveland/cleveland-to-pay-reduced-faa-fine-of-200000- for-hopkins-snow-removal-issues/199110446 Back to Top EAA extending aviation job fair at Oshkosh The many aviation enthusiasts and businesses heading to Oshkosh later this summer for the annual EAA AirVenture convention will have an even greater chance than in the past to find new opportunities within the industry. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) last week announced that the jobs fair in conjunction with the annual aviation fly-in convention has been extended from one day to a full week. The job fair at this year's EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh has been extended from one day to a full week. It will now run concurrently with AirVenture, July 25-31, every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at AirVenture's Aviation Gateway Park. "The more structured job fair at Oshkosh is a great opportunity for companies and potential employees to create career connections," Dave Chaimson, EAA's vice president of marketing and business development, said in a press release. "It's been so successful we're expanding it from a one-day event to a weeklong feature." The job fair will be aided by JSfirm.com, an online employment matching service for the aviation industry. http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2016/05/17/eaa-extending-aviation-job-fair- at-oshkosh.html Back to Top Aviation Institute of Maintenance Launches Free Online "Human Factors" Safety Course VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 12, 2016) - On May 2, 2016, the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) launched a free online course in aviation safety for aviation professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the globe. Understanding that 80% of all aviation-related incidents and injury occur because of human error, oversight, fatigue, and other human- related factors, AIM intends to combat such incidents by offering widespread instruction and guidance on minimizing risk. The school encourages students, professionals, and volunteers to enroll in this free continuing education course by visiting www.Aviation.edu. In addition to the free Human Factors course, AIM has also made available an advanced online professional certification course entitled, "Minimizing the Risk of Incident and Injury due to Human Factors." This certification course provides an in-depth understanding of the twelve most common human-related risk factors for aviation incidents, known as the "dirty dozen." This course draws from the material in the introductory curriculum and allows the trainee to apply their knowledge and experience to numerous scenario-based situations in order to become more aware of accidents, why they happen, and how to avoid them. The instructor-led certification process carries a cost of $49 and awards graduates a certification from Aviation Institute of Maintenance. Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Operations at AIM and author of Plugged In: Succeeding as an Online Learner, states that both the free introductory course and the full certification course are examples of innovative technologies and strong online teaching methods. "Our certification course doesn't have the anonymous feel of a 'MOOC,' where the trainee wades through streams of information with no interaction. It's situation based, there's interaction with the instructor, and the assessments draw directly from the scenarios that the video lectures discuss." The courses feature high definition video instruction, interaction with others in the course, and examples from authentic experiences that help the aviation professional think critically about safety in the workplace. English states, "AIM has always dedicated our instruction to awareness of the possibility for accidents or injury, and we found no reason to keep this innovative coursework to ourselves, when professionals around the industry could benefit." About Aviation Institute of Maintenance Aviation Institute of Maintenance is the United States' largest family of aviation maintenance schools, with headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va. Students learn the skills necessary to become successful in one of the world's fastest growing industries, aviation maintenance and the free Human Factors course and certification are examples of the school's passion and commitment to the aviation industry. AIM graduates are trained to meet the increasing global demands of commercial, cargo, corporate and private aviation employers. AIM's campuses are located in the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Oakland, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Virginia Beach, Va. Learn more at:www.Aviation.edu. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12206959/aviation-institute-of-maintenance- launches-free-online-human-factors-safety-course Back to Top DRONE DETECTION SYSTEM BEING TESTED AT JFK AIRPORT Over the last couple of years, the FAA has received dozens of reports from pilots and residents about unmanned aircraft or drones flying around some of the nation's busiest airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. In response to this, the FAA and its government partners are joining forces to evaluate drone detection technology. "We face many difficult challenges as we integrate rapidly evolving UAS technology into our complex and highly regulated airspace," says Marke Gibson, FAA Senior Advisor on UAS Integration. "This effort at JFK reflects everyone's commitment to safety." On May 2, the FAA began evaluations at JFK to study the effectiveness of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) UAS detection system. Five rotary and fixed wing UAS were part of the evaluations with around 40 separate tests taking place. The tests expanded on research performed earlier this year at Atlantic City International Airport. In addition to the FAA and the FBI, other agencies involved included the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice, Queens District Attorney's Office and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. DHS and the FBI want to identify unauthorized UAS operators for law enforcement purposes. The FAA's mission is to provide a safe and efficient airport environment for both manned and unmanned air traffic. "We applaud the FBI and FAA for their efforts to detect and track unmanned aerial systems (UAS)," says Thomas Bosco, Port Authority Aviation Director. "We look forward to supporting continued U.S. Government efforts to identify and deploy countermeasures to neutralize the threat posed by rogue UASs." As one of six FAA-designated UAS test sites, the Griffiss International Airport test site in Rome, New York, also provided expertise in evaluating the FBI's detection system. It helped in planning the individual tests as well as the flight commander for the tests and two of the UAS. The 2016 Appropriations law mandates that the FAA continue to research the detection of UAS in airport environments. The agency is also continuing to formulate an interagency strategy to evaluate detection systems in a variety of airport environments. http://www.agriculture.com/content/drone-detection-system-being-tested-at-jfk-airport Back to Top Senator Pressures TSA Head to Resolve Airport Delays or Resign Sen. Mark Kirk says the long lines need to stop by Memorial Day. Passengers at O'Hare International Airport wait in line to be screened at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint on May 16, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. As air travelers face increasingly long delays, one U.S. senator is calling for the head of the Transportation Security Administration to fix the problem by Memorial Day - the traditional start of the hectic summer travel season - or step down. Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois Tuesday responded to the frustration of passengers by calling for TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger to resign if he cannot improve wait times. Congress has permitted the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate $34 million in its budget to hire more TSA staff for airports, and Kirk said in his press release that he wants details from the agency on how it will use those funds to reduce delays. "The flying public is experiencing a high security risk and economic burden from unnecessary wait times and missed flights due to insufficient staffing at TSA," Kirk said. "If travelers do not have relief by Memorial Day, TSA Administration Neffenger must resign and be replaced with a leader who can provide fast and secure screening." TSA Sends Dozens of Screeners to O'Hare to Cut Wait Times A spokesman for the TSA said in a statement that the agency "is addressing the growing volume of travelers, with measures including more canine use, overtime, and accelerated hiring." More than 450 American Airlines travelers missed their flights out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Sunday thanks to the extremely long lines at security, even after the airline held 30 flights as long as possible to accommodate the lines, says American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein. American Airlines also set up more than 100 cots for travelers to sleep on if they could not find another flight until the next morning, he says. Feinstein says he cannot remember a time when airport security was so congested, even during the winter "which is generally a slower time for air travel." American Airlines has been speaking with TSA since March about concerns that airports will be unprepared for the busier summer season. TSA insists that they are working to address the issues. This includes accelerating the hiring of 768 new security officers and getting permission from Congress to postpone cutting 1,600 staffers this fiscal year. "Traveler security is TSA's first priority," the TSA said in a statement, adding that while the number of travelers has increased, the TSA's tcurrent screening workforce is at a five-year low. These measures do not address the long-term shortfall of resources faced by the TSA, according to a letter written by American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr., head of the union that represents the agency's workers. Cox sent the letter last week to House and Senate leaders asking them to fund the hiring of 6,000 full- time screeners. "The long wait times we're seeing now are a direct result of Congress' failure to give TSA the money it needs to do its job," Cox said. "Congress needs to provide TSA with stable, long- term funding so our overworked officers can get the help they need and airline passengers don't have to wait hours to get through security lines." The TSA has about 42,000 officers on the job, down from 47,000 in 2013, while the annual volume of passengers has risen from 643 million to 740 million during those years, Cox said. The agency attributes the long waits in part to a 7 percent increase in airline passengers compared with last spring, which means more carry-on bags that take extra time for security staff to clear. "This problem comes down to staffing," Feinstein says. "This increase in passengers does not equate a two and a half hour wait time. Even last summer we never had these lines." The Airlines for America trade association is encouraging frustrated travelers to post photos of long waits on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #IHateTheWait to increase pressure on the federal government to act. Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president of the trade association said in its latest forecast "it has been a challenging spring" because of the security lines. Delta Airlines and American Airlines are both trying to minimize delays by providing staff to help manage lines and move materials through checkpoints, but Feinstein says "that's not enough to solve the problem." The TSA recommends travelers to arrive at airports up to two hours ahead of their flight, and encouraged signing up for expedited security check programs like the agency's PreCheck or similar services including Global Entry or Nexus to reduce wait times. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said during a press conference on May 13 that 10,000 people applied for PreCheck on Thursday alone, up from the rate of 8,500 per day in April and 7,500 in March. Despite this interest among frustrated passengers only 9.3 million people were registered for the service as of March, far from the goal set by the agency in 2012 of enrolling 25 million fliers. "There will be wait times this summer," Johnson said. "We're working hard to alleviate the wait times in partnership with airports and with airlines and to ensure that air travel remains safe and secure in this country." http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-17/senator-pressures-tsa-head-to-resolve- airport-delays-or-resign Back to Top American Airlines receives its first Alabama-made airplane Airbus' largest customer of the A321 single-aisle commercial aircraft received its first U.S.- built plane on Tuesday. A backlog of orders for the same aircraft, led by American Airlines' requests, will keep Mobile's nearly 400 employees busy for the remainder of the year. Officials with Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines were at the Mobile assembly plant Tuesday for the official delivery of a new airplane that will be added to the company's fleet. Airbus, over the years, has built 182 similar planes for American Airlines. "They are our biggest customer," said Daryl Taylor, the vice president and general manager of the Airbus U.S. manufacturing facility in Mobile. "They own the biggest fleet of A321's. They put the trust in us and are willing to take an aircraft so early in the production cycle from Mobile and the comments they've given us ... praising the quality of craftsmanship of our team. To get that from our biggest customer is resounding." American Airlines is expected to receive a majority of the airplanes on order for construction at the $600 million assembly plant, which opened last September south of downtown Mobile. The plane delivered Tuesday will fly to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport before its put into regular service. It had its first successful test flight -- a three-hour voyage -- on April 19. A second American Airlines A321 plan will be delivered before the end of the month. Two more planes will be delivered in June, and the company estimates that 12 will be built in Mobile and delivered to the company before the end of 2016. The Mobile plant is also expected to build aircraft for Spirit and Delta airlines later this year. Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries will all be A320-family aircraft. And while American Airlines is accelerating orders for the larger-bodied A350 aircraft - which are more commonly flown for international travel, but are not built in Mobile - it still covets the A321 aircraft, which are the largest of the single-aisle airplanes. "We don't feel any need at the moment to think about this facility doing anything else than delivering this type of aircraft to our North American customers," Taylor said. "If anything, the capacity here doesn't quite take of the backlog. We have a long, long future in the A320 family." Said David Seymour, senior vice president of integrated-operations with American Airlines: "The 321 market is very strong." Seymour noted that all previous Airbus-built aircraft the company has purchased over the past three decades were built overseas, in countries like Germany and France. The shorter distance to Mobile was "convenient," he said. "It's a less-than-two hour flight from Dallas," Seymour said. "We have a team that comes here to inspect the aircraft, doing cabin checks, etc. Otherwise, (in Germany and France) it's a lot of travel over to Europe and to be away from families to do this." Airbus held a short ceremony to commemorate the first delivery of the American Airlines airplane, which was the second airplane built at the plant. Far fewer people - and no politicians -- attended the ceremony compared a similar event held on April 25 to recognize the first airplane built in Mobile, a commercial jetliner delivered to JetBlue. About the only similarity: Seymour received a portrait of the American Airlines airplane flying over downtown Mobile. A JetBlue executive received a similar gift last month. http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/05/post_54.html Back to Top Air Safety After 9/11: Muslims Increasingly Racially Profiled On Planes In 2016 An increasing number of people have been discriminated against in airports for their race or religion, according to a report released Wednesday by Muslim Advocates and the NAACP. Muslim people and those perceived to be Muslim are increasingly at risk of being racially profiled on airplanes and in some cases forced to leave the aircraft, according to a joint statement released Wednesday by Muslim Advocates and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Department of Transportation should investigate each case in which a passenger was forcibly asked to leave an airplane, the civil rights groups said. "These incidents and countless others not only violate federal law but also send a message to victims that they are second-class passengers," read an excerpt from the statement, adding, "Muslims and people of color - like all other law-abiding travelers - should be able to travel for any purpose without being discriminated against because of their appearance or personal religious beliefs." At least 11 incidents occurred in the past six months, with five incidents occurring in April alone, the statement said. In one highly publicized incident in March, an Arab-American family was asked to leave a plane headed from Chicago to Washington. The flight attendant did not give the Shebley family a reason for the request, saying only that authorities were "investigating." The family was asked to leave for "no reason [other] than how we look," wrote Eaman-Amy Saad Shebley in a Facebook post that has now been shared more than 54,000 times. The airline booked the family on another flight and said they were asked to leave because of an issue with the child's safety seat. Airplane security was heightened in the U.S. after Islamic terrorists hijacked four planes on Sept. 11, 2001, and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, killing nearly 3,000 people. Following terror attacks in Paris, Brussels, London and Spain in the 15 years since, fears concerning terrorism have mounted. It's not the first time civil rights advocates have accused air safety officials and airlines of discriminating against Muslims, and the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month it would examine claims of racial profiling allegedly carried out by the Transportation Security Administration. http://www.ibtimes.com/air-safety-after-911-muslims-increasingly-racially-profiled-planes- 2016-2368053 Back to Top FAA Proposes New Pilot Certification and Training Rules Part 61 changes, including more sim time for instrument training, come in response to a petition by aviation groups led by AOPA. The proposed rule change would allow pilots to complete more of their instrument training an ATDs. New rules proposed by the FAA could soon improve pilot certification and flight training in general aviation. The agency's recently published notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) mainly addresses Part 61, which governs the certification of pilots, flight instructors and ground instructors at smaller flight schools. Proposed rule changes would allow pilots to complete more of their instrument training on aviation training devices (ATDs) and reduce the number of tasks pilots must perform to meet recency requirements in an ATD. Under the proposed rules, applicants for commercial pilot certificates would be able to use a wider range of new technically advanced airplanes instead of older complex or turbine- powered airplanes for training. The NPRM would also affect sport pilots planning to earn a higher certificate level. Pilots could put their hours spent on sport pilot training toward experience requirements for a Recreational or Private Pilot certificate. Some of the FAA's rule changes are in response to a petition by AOPA and other aviation groups in favor of facilitating the training process for pilots. "AOPA has long advocated for many of the changes in the NPRM, and we believe they will benefit the general aviation community," said David Oord, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs. "Many of the proposals in the NPRM will save pilots time and money while making it easier for them to maintain or expand their skills." http://www.flyingmag.com/faa-proposes-new-pilot-certification-and-training-rules Back to Top NTSB Cautions on Small Airplane Proposal While the U.S. FAA's proposed rewrite of small aircraft certification rules has gained wide support from industry, the NTSB is more cautious about the sweeping changes. The FAA in March released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would overhaul Part 23 certification standards, making them more performance-based and less prescriptive. It would enable use of international aviation community consensus standards, rather than be solely FAA-driven. In comments on the NPRM, the NTSB said, "Although we appreciate that the NPRM attempts to address certain issues related to our safety recommendations and accident investigations, we are concerned with and have questions about how the new certification process will work. We urge the FAA to maintain the necessary level of safety as it continues to develop new pathways to airplane certification." The safety board noted that consensus standards have been used with light-sport aircraft, but investigations of in-flight structural breakups involving Zodiac CH-601XL light-sport aircraft revealed "problems, delays and omissions within the consensus standards," according to the NTSB comments. Existing Part 23 regulations likely would not have allowed the certification of this aircraft design, the NTSB said, but ASTM consensus standards "did not provide adequate protection from catastrophic aerodynamic flutter.". While consensus standards provide a collaborative framework for standards development, the safety board added, "We are concerned that design standards important for safety considerations may be overlooked. We encourage the FAA to refine its methodology of how important design considerations are reviewed." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-05-17/ntsb-cautions-small- airplane-proposal Back to Top Female Airline Pilots Still Face Turbulent Skies Despite Progress LISTEN (Audio) Four female pilots of Denver-based Frontier Airlines filed discrimination charges last week. They say Frontiers' policies fail to accommodate breastfeeding pumping at airports or on aircraft. In a statement, Frontier says, "Our policies and practices comply with all federal and state laws." It went on to say, "While there are many workplaces that might allow for nursing mothers to express breast milk during a break from work activities, the duties of a commercial airline pilot present unique circumstances." The complaint will go before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. For now, we wanted some perspective on what it is to be one of the three to five percent. That is, three to five percent of airline pilots are women. Karlene Petitt has flown for eight carriers over three decades. She's still in the skies, but didn't want to identify her employer-- as she's not speaking for an airline. She's also a writer who has put together training manuals and company procedures. "We think we're in the new world, but we're not quite there yet," she said. She spoke to Ryan Warner. Click the audio link above to hear their conversation and read highlights below. On the choice female pilots have to make: "It's challenging to be a mother and a pilot. ... I always knew from 9 years old I was going to be a pilot. And then I thought, 'OK, I'm going to have my kids and I'll start when they're all in school.' ... But you have a choice: Either you wait or you're going to not have children, and give up the chance for a family." On the challenges all pilots face: "Part of being a pilot is the ability to separate your tasks. You go to work and you focus on the job. And so the stigma of, 'well, mothers are going to be an airplane thinking about their kids.' That should be no different than men on the airplane thinking about their kids, or their wife, or their finances." On a possible solution to the pilot shortage: "Where are we going to get the pilots? We can get them from the female population -- except right now women are thinking they don't have the ability to do this." On other jobs female pilots could do after childbirth: "These ladies can be instructors. They can be working in the office. There's numerous jobs behind the scenes at their talents as airline pilots could be utilized as resources. But they're not." On the persistence of sexism in the industry: "I had to prove myself when I got on that 747, as a new hire. The pilots, they looked back and they said, 'Why did you get here? Why are you here? Is it because you are a woman?" That's always been the stigma. So when I was able to say, 'I did this, and this, and this, and this,' all of a sudden, they realized I had more experience than they did. And I'm accepted. So it still is a challenge as you are working up. ... It is better, but we're not there yet." https://www.cpr.org/news/story/female-airline-pilots-still-face-turbulent-skies-despite- progress#sthash.7S9ZQkw2.dpuf Back to Top Pilots 'very likely' to misjudge flying conditions due to irrational decisions 'Pretty much all the pilots we tested fall prey to these biases' Pilots in the study consistently showed the "anchoring effect", "confirmation bias" and "outcome bias" when making decisions Pilots are prone to making poor decisions while flying in bad weather because of irrational thinking habits, according to new research. Three kinds of "cognitive bias" lead even the most experienced pilots to misjudge bad flying conditions in ways that could cause their plane to crash. Like all humans, researchers told The Independent, pilots had a tendency to lean towards the first information that is presented - even if it isn't the most authoritative. That impulse, and the urge to ignore negative advice, plays an important role in whether pilots choose to risk tricky landings or persevere through clouds, the team of experts in New Zealand said. The "anchoring bias", "confirmation bias" and "outcome bias" have all been identified as irrational psychological impulses that stop pilots turning back during a flight when in reality they should. Andrew Gibley, senior lecturer in aviation at Massey University, said these tendencies can be found in all kinds of professions - but the consequences in flying can be much more serious. "Pretty much all the pilots we tested fell prey to these biases," Dr Gilbey said. "And when they do they're likely to continue a flight into deteriorating weather conditions, when in reality they should be taking a diversion or turn back." Controversy has long surrounded the cause of the plane crash into Mount Erebus in New Zealand in 1979, in which 257 passengers and crew were killed, with both pilots and technology being blamed. The study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology asked 754 mostly male pilots to assess the safety of flying situations. It found that when pilots are initially told the weather seems good, they tend to rate the atmospheric conditions as better for flying, and when they hear the weather is bad, they then rate them less favourably - despite the conditions being the same in both cases. This "anchoring effect" describes a human tendency to allow the very first piece of information heard to have an undue influence on how a situation is thought about afterwards, the authors said. Meanwhile the "confirmation bias" sees pilots be as likely to give weight to positive information, such as "it seems safe to land", as negative information, such as "the visibility is very low", when making a decision. This shows that people will rely on reassuring evidence as much as on discomforting evidence, when in fact in high-risk scenarios such as flying they should give more weight to the problematic information. Finally, pilots are likely to assess their flying decision as the correct one if they are told the flight went "well" afterwards, and their decision as dangerous if told that it ended up "crashing". This "outcome bias" shows that people judge their own decision on what happens afterwards, rather than on the information available at the time. According to Dr Gilbey, no method has yet been found to prevent these poor thinking habits. "Only a small minority are an exception to these rules," he said. "We've tried several interventions, including telling people about these biases and what is going on, but it all has pretty much no effect at all. "It's just a very human thing to do." He added that these sorts of situations occurred rarely and were more likely in small than large passenger aircraft. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/pilots-very-likely-to-misjudge-flying-conditions- due-to-irrational-decisions-psychology-study-a7033481.html Back to Top SpiceJet flight nearly takes off without 40 passengers, then returns to pick them up A flight operated by budget airline SpiceJet from Kochi to Mumbai nearly took off without 40 passengers, who were still travelling in a coach from the boarding gate to the aircraft. After the pilots realised what had happened, the plane returned to pick up the stranded passengers. As a result of the ensuing confusion, the flight was delayed by over 75 minutes. The passengers were travelling on the last bus ferrying between the Kochi airport terminal and the aircraft, when they reportedly saw the plane taxiing towards the runway. The bus halted at another SpiceJet aircraft, which was headed to Chennai. When the ground staff realised their mistake, they alerted the crew of the Mumbai-bound plane, which taxied back for the remaining passengers. The confusion has been attributed to heavy rain at the airport, but several flyers found it unbelievable that the crew did not notice a quarter of the seats were empty despite it being a fully booked flight. The airlines has not released any statement on the incident, yet. http://mashable.com/2016/05/17/spicejet-forgets-passengers/#N2GHto.g5GqA Back to Top First Production Cirrus Jet Flies Certification of the SF50 single-engine jet is expected soon. The Cirrus SF50 is nearing FAA certification. The first production Cirrus Vision Jet is scheduled to receive a coat of paint and full interior after making its inaugural shakedown flight in Duluth, Minnesota, on May 5. Next, the SF50 will be be handed over to Cirrus Flight Ops to help develop the Vision flight training program ahead of FAA certification, expected soon. Test pilot Terry LeSage reported that the jet, named P1, performed as expected: "Pilot feedback on P1 is simple; the aircraft handled just great. It was unnoticeably different from C2 (the third of our conforming test-article jets), with handling qualities matching those of its predecessors and all systems working as intended." Cirrus pilots will fly P1 under Experimental status until FAA certification is in hand. The jet will log many flight hours during P1's main mission of proving out the Vision SF50 training program and achieving approval from the Cirrus Flight Safety Board. Cirrus spent a year building P1 to ensure every aspect of the jet was just right. First customer deliveries are scheduled for later this year at the new Cirrus delivery and training center in Knoxville, Tennessee. http://www.flyingmag.com/first-production-cirrus-jet-flies Back to Top China to Boost Development of General Aviation Industry China's Civil Aviation Administration estimates that around 500,000 civil pilots should be trained to meet the market demands by 2035, while the number stands at thousands at present in the country. [Photo: bandao.cn] China is set to boost development of its general aviation industry to create a market worth more than one trillion yuan or about 153 billion U.S. dollars by 2020. New airports will be built to bring the total number up to more than 500 by 2020. China will also support the opening of low-altitude airspace and promote research and manufacturing in the sector. It also plans to increase the number of general aircraft, including helicopters and private jets, to more than 5- thousand by 2020. The government is also encouraging private investment in the sector, boosting pilot training and expanding the use of general aircraft in disaster relief, emergency medical services, environmental monitoring as well as national land and resources exploration. http://english.cri.cn/12394/2016/05/18/4161s927981.htm Back to Top GE Aviation enters experimental, kit-built market GE Aviation is entering the market experimental-rated kit-built aircraft, supplying the H80 turboprop for a high-performance remake of the Turbine Aircraft Legend. The newly-branded Turbine Venom is expected to make a public debut in late July at the GE pavilion of the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual fly-in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The tandem, two-seat aircraft originally launched in 1998 as the Legend with the Walter M601 turboprop engine. GE acquired the Czech engine manufacturer a decade later, then launched the redesigned and improved M601 as the H80 turboprop engine. Meanwhile, deliveries of the all-composite Legend aircraft had stopped, but a private investor, Robert Metzler, acquired one of two remaining plans for the speedy kit-built aircraft. Metzler, now chief executive of the Naples, Florida-based Turbine Aircraft, tweaked the design, adding a 40gal to the 100gal fuel capacity of the Legend. Metzler approached GE to re-engine the M601 with the H80 turboprop. It took almost two years to persuade the manufacturer to enter the experimental aircraft market, offering an engine that comes with a 4,000h time-between-overhaul warranty. "It took a while to blend the two worlds together," Metzler says in an interview. Ultimately, Metzler says he persuaded GE with the argument that the H80 risks being perceived as a "John Deere tractor" engine, due to its affiliation with re-engined crop-sprayer aircraft, among other notable designs. The H80 should significantly improve the performance of the Metzler's kit-built aircraft. The M601 engine lost 300shp of thrust at high altitude, reducing maximum speed. The H80 is de- rated from 1,100shp to 800shp, so has the capacity to offer maximum performance even in thinner air at high altitudes. Metzler also replaced the 84in, three-bladed propeller with a 99in-diameter system, which also required him to increase the length of the landing strut by about 8in. The first engine run for the new Turbine Venom is scheduled for 21 May, he says. Another 20-40h of flight time is necessary to check out the aircraft before making the ferry flight to Oshkosh in July. Turbine Aircraft also is developing an all-composite, four-seat kit aircraft as a follow-on project, Metzler says. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ge-aviation-enters-experimental-kit-built- market-425123/ Back to Top The FAA Flight Standards Service is pleased to announce the Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting is scheduled for July 19-21, 2016 at the Westin City Center Hotel in Washington, D.C. The intent of this meeting is to bring together stakeholders from throughout the Asia-Pacific region to promote collaboration, identify areas of mutual concern, and share best practices in the interest of aviation safety. We anticipate attendees from regulatory authorities across the region as well as the aviation industry. The meeting agenda will include various topics of interest to the flight standards community; such as maintenance repair organization oversight, implementation of modern flight technologies, safety enhancements, regulatory challenges of general aviation, worldwide standardization of flight standards inspector training, and unmanned aircraft systems. The agenda will be posted on the registration website (provided below) and sent with the formal invitation letter through email in the next couple of weeks. We are officially opening the registration for the meeting. This year's meeting registration fee is $300 USD, which includes the cost of your attendance as well as daily lunch service, and AM and PM breaks. To complete your registration, make hotel reservations, or learn more about the meeting, please visit https://www.regonline.com/2016- AsiaPacificFlightStandardsMeeting. The deadline for hotel room reservation is Saturday, June 18, 2016 and the deadline for meeting registration is Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Elizabeth Thomas Caribbean Regional Coordinator International Programs and Policy Division Flight Standards Service (202) 267-0374 Back to Top NATA Launches Free Aircraft Operator Safety Resource Washington, DC, May 10, 2016 - Today, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) unveiled the FBO Status Map - a web-based resource to assist aircraft operators in locating FBOs and ground handlers that are Safety 1st qualified and IS-BAH registered. NATA created the map to supplement the existing processes used by aircraft operators when selecting an FBO. "Safety is a vital consideration in the flight planning process. NATA's FBO Status Map provides operators and pilots a free, easy to use tool to locate Safety 1st qualified and IS- BAH registered FBOs throughout the world," stated NATA President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks. "Safety 1st and IS-BAH are not competing programs, but rather complementary tools that help assure ground handlers are utilizing industry best practices and gold standard training," added NATA Managing Director of Safety and Training Michael France. "Now aircraft operators can verify the status of potential handlers from their tablets, PCs or smartphones in seconds." The map is searchable by airport ID, company name, address and allows for additional details for each FBO. To view the FBO Status Map, please visit www.fbostatus.com or www.groundhandlerstatus.com. NATA, the voice of aviation business for 75 years, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies. For more information about NATA, please visit www.nata.aero, www.twitter.com/nataaero or www.facebook.com/nataaero. 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. GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST: I am a Masters student at City University London and write my dissertation about Aircraft Engine Selection Process. Would you kindly take 10 minutes of your time to help me with a survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Engine_selection_process Curt Lewis