Flight Safety Information May 31, 2016 - No. 106 In This Issue Doomed EgyptAir plane's black box FOUND as harrowing photos emerge of wreckage EgyptAir crash: doomed plane's distress signal 'picked up by satellites' Virgin jet forced to land at fog-bound airport after 'inaccurate forecasts' Sudden Lightning Strikes Aircraft In Guangdong, No Casualties Vueling airplane crushes tow truck at Manchester Airport Some airlines don't think Venezuela is worth the trip Menzies Aviation to handle all nine Omani airports Nabbed M'sia IS suspect handled air safety for VIP flights Nigeria: 'Enforcing Expatriate Quota Will Tackle Pilots' Unemployment' PhD Research Request Doomed EgyptAir plane's black box FOUND as harrowing photos emerge of wreckage Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on Sunday no particular theory is being favored to explain why EgyptAir MS804 plunged into the Mediterranean, after sending out an automated message signaling smoke on board. EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed in the Mediterranean Sea on its way to Cairo from Paris, killing all 66 people onboard. Egypt's aviation minister on Thursday said investigators hadn't ruled out any scenario, but that terrorism was a more likely cause than mechanical failure. Sisi said "it is very, very important to us to establish the circumstances that led to the crash of that aircraft" even as he pointed out it "will take time" to determine the exact cause of the tragedy that has seen no survivors. Speaking of Egypt's dedication to the search, Sisi said: 'They have a submarine that can reach 3,000 metres under water. On Friday, search teams found wreckage including seats and luggage about 290 kilometres north of Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt's military said. The Daesh group was quick to claim responsibility for that attack, but there has been no such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash. The data came through the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, which sends messages between planes and ground facilities. It disappeared from radar early Thursday as it flew to Cairo - what should have been about a 3½-hour flight. The 262-foot ship will aim to identify the sound of the underwater location beacons fitted to the crashed plane's cockpit voice and flight data recorders, known as black boxes. A French navy spokesman said a French maritime surveillance plane "on Sunday (yesterday) detected a lot of floating objects, probably related to the aircraft, in the search area". There were indications of problems with a heated window in the cockpit, a sliding window in the cockpit, smoke in the lavatory, smoke in the avionics compartment below the cockpit, a fixed window, the autopilot and the flight control system. The official website of the Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Directorate, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, gave details of a 2013 incident in which the plane in question had to make an emergency landing. On Friday, IS issued a statement on clashes with the Egyptian military in Sinai, but said nothing about the plane crash. The number of tourists fell 40 percent in the first quarter of 2016 compared to past year due in large part to the suspected bombing of a Russian plane carrying 224 people from a Red Sea resort in late October. As of now, investigators have found nothing implicating the flight crew or security officials aboard the plane, an Egyptian official said. An global flotilla of search ships, aided by surveillance planes, was scouring a section of sea 180 miles north of the port city of Alexandria, and retrieved some wreckage, belongings and human remains over the weekend. "Most of the data is sensed and acquired at the front of the aircraft and travels by datalink to the recorders at the rear which are in simple terms, very large capacity non-volatile memory sticks", he added. EgyptAir said 30 Egyptians, 15 French passengers, two Iraqis, and one passenger from Britain, Sudan, Chad, Portugal, Algeria, Canada, Belgium, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were on board. The report further said there has been no official confirmation, and EgyptAir did not confirm or deny that the black boxes have been located. I told her to switch off her phone, but she said: "What if Samar calls?" The European Space Agency says one of its satellites has spotted a possible oil slick in the same area of the Mediterranean Sea where Flight 804 disappeared. http://info-europa.com/sports/doomed-egyptair-planes-black-box-found-as-harrowing- photos-emerge-of-wreckage/273575 Back to Top EgyptAir crash: doomed plane's distress signal 'picked up by satellites' Reports say aviation authorities have confirmed that the EgyptAir plane which crashed into the Mediterranean earlier this month emitted a distress signal. Authorities in the US and Egypt have said that satellites picked up an emergency beacon after the airliner disappeared from radar on its way from Paris to Cairo. The passenger jet with 66 people on board is thought to have plunged into the sea about 180 miles north of Alexandria. Investigation teams are on their way to the area with deep water detection systems that it is hoped will help locate the flight recorders. Debris including seats and luggage as well as body parts have already been found. The French aviation safety agency has said the plane transmitted messages indicating smoke in the cabin and a fault in the flight control unit minutes before losing contact. Egyptian and American investigators have claimed an emergency transmitter sent an automatic distress signal - according to a US official, seven minutes after the plane vanished from radar. It's not known what caused the plane to come down so suddenly. http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/31/egyptair-crash-doomed-plane-s-distress-signal- picked-up-by-satellites/ Back to Top Virgin jet forced to land at fog-bound airport after 'inaccurate forecasts' A Virgin 737-800 similar to the one pictured had no choice but to land at Mildura because it was close to running out of fuel Inaccurate forecasts were partly to blame for a Virgin Australia jet making a last-ditch attempt at an emergency landing as it nearly ran out of fuel, air-safety investigators have found. Passengers on board the Boeing 737-800 endured a terrifying ordeal as they were told to "brace, brace, brace" and keep their heads down as the plane was forced to land at a fog- bound Mildura Airport on June 18, 2013. The Virgin jet, which had 85 passengers and six crew on board and was on route from Brisbane, had earlier diverted from landing at Adelaide Airport due to fog. Location of the fuel quantity indication on the upper display unit (circled in yellow). A Qantas 737 carrying 152 people bound for Adelaide from Sydney had also re-routed to Mildura, only to find fog and cloud had enveloped the Victorian town's airport. Once circling above Mildura, the two planes had no choice but to land because they did not have enough fuel left in their tanks to divert to other airports. In one exchange between the two planes, the Qantas pilots told their counterparts on the Virgin 737 that they were going to land at Mildura "due [to] fuel". The Virgin pilots replied that they were "in the same boat" but decided to let the Qantas plane land first, which it managed to do safely. Shortly afterwards, the Virgin plane made a "missed approach" during which the pilots were able to confirm that they were aligned with the runway as they looked directly down. The Virgin pilots then briefed cabin crew to prepare for an emergency landing, and passengers were told to "brace". The plane eventually landed safely at Mildura. In a final report released on Tuesday, the Australian Safety Transport Bureau found the deterioration in weather at Adelaide did not appear on the forecast when the two planes took off. An updated forecast also predicted that the fog would lift at Adelaide sooner than it actually did. It led to the Qantas jet flying on to Adelaide because the crew had reasoned that the fog would clear by the time they had reached South Australia's capital. Investigators said the forecasting also influenced the decision making of Virgin's flight watch staff who did not pass the amended weather report onto the pilots of the airline's 737 en route. By the time the planes reached Mildura, the weather was "significantly worse" than originally forecast, and they were forced to land in conditions below the level usually allowed for planes do so. In response to the incident, the manager of the country's airspace, Airservices Australia, said it will look at "feasible options" to provide information about significant deteriorations in weather to solve limitations of automated broadcast services. The Bureau of Meteorology has also said it has made "various system changes". The final report from the ATSB comes two years after it was scheduled to be released. http://www.smh.com.au/national/virgin-jet-forced-to-land-at-fogbound-airport-after- inaccurate-forecasts-20160531-gp82j8.html#ixzz4ADy17drR Back to Top Sudden Lightning Strikes Aircraft In Guangdong, No Casualties An airplane in south China's Guangdong Province was hit by lightning yesterday afternoon, local officials said. There were no casualties. The Boeing 737 aircraft, which belongs to China Southern Airlines, was undergoing maintenance at the Chaoshan Airport in Jieyang when lightning struck the craft in the midst of heavy thunderstorm at about 3pm. There were no crew or passengers on board. The maintenance staff too were away because of the heavy showers. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/viral/wtf/Sudden-Lightning-Strikes-Aircraft-In- Guangdong-No-Casualties/shdaily.shtml Back to Top Vueling airplane crushes tow truck at Manchester Airport The Airbus 320's nose rests on the roof of the truck. A Vueling flight had to be evacuated when an airplane crashed into a tow truck that was guiding it away from the terminal. The Airbus 320 bound for Barcelona was full of passengers when the incident happened on May 28 (local time) at Manchester Airport. It was thought that a pin connecting the tow truck to the plane snapped while the aircraft was still on the apron, the Mail Online reported. All passengers were evacuated from the plane. One passenger went on Twitter after the incident and said: "My plane at Manchester Airport has just crashed in to a tow truck....expecting a long delay, probably effect other flights." Manchester Airport issued a statement shortly after the incident and said the issue did not cause a delay in the airport's operations except for the affected flight VY8749. "The passengers who were due to fly out this morning to Barcelona will be taken this afternoon on a replacement aircraft, which has now arrived at the airport." A full investigation is expected to be launched but no injuries were reported. Airlive reported that the tow vehicle had issues and the plane didn't stop when the tow stopped. http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/80525030/Vueling-airplane-crushes-tow- truck-at-Manchester-Airport Back to Top Some airlines don't think Venezuela is worth the trip Traveling by air to Venezuela just got trickier for some. Two major airlines announced they're suspending service to the country. On Monday, the largest Latin American carrier - LATAM Airlines - said it will stop flying to Venezuela's capital by August. German airline Lufthansa also plans to suspend its tri-weekly flights to the country. Bloomberg reports a spokesperson with the airline blamed Venezuela's struggling economy and a "sharp dropoff in ticket demand." Venezuela's economy is in trouble - in part due to its dependence on oil. As oil prices have dropped, the country's economy has tanked. As a result, electricity is rationed, food is sparse, medical supplies are running out, and a huge percentage of the country's workers are unemployed. But as CNN points out, a weak economy isn't the only reason why airlines are jumping ship. A Lufthansa spokesperson told the outlet the company is "having trouble converting Venezuelan currency." The converting-currency issue has been around for a while. Several airlines halted service to Venezuela in 2014 after the country's government said it couldn't cash in their profits in dollars. It's not clear when or if LATAM or Lufthansa will resume flights to the country. http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/some-airlines-dont-think-venezuela-worth- trip/nrXNs/ Back to Top Menzies Aviation to handle all nine Omani airports Menzies Aviation and Oman Air have now entered into a period of due diligence with a view to forming a joint venture "within the last quarter of 2016" Logistics group John Menzies Plc has signed a memorandum of understanding with Oman Air to provide ground handling services at all nine airports across Oman. Menzies Aviation and Oman Air have now entered into a period of due diligence with a view to forming a joint venture "within the last quarter of 2016". The joint venture will offer ground handling at nine airports across Oman, including Oman Air's key hub operation in Muscat, and forms part of Oman Air's reconfiguration of its handling businesses. Edinburgh-based John Menzies said the venture will employee around 2,500 people and handle more than 50,000 aircraft turnarounds per annum. Menzies Aviation president and managing director, Forsyth Black, said: "We're very excited by the opportunity to work with Oman Air. "This venture represents real progress against our strategy by securing a hub location and by expanding in emerging markets. "There is a great tradition of co-operation between British and Omani partners; we hope to add this new joint venture to that list." Oman Air chief executive, Paul Gregorowitsch, said: "We are pleased to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Menzies Aviation which will see us form a joint venture partnership by the end of this year. "Menzies Aviation is a highly professional, global company with a proven track record. "Our partnership will enable us to access new technology, improve training and achieve the highest standards with regard to ground handling operations." Shares in John Menzies were up 0.4 per cent in early trading on Tuesday. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/business/business-news/menzies-aviation-handle-nine- omani-8086252#xFvIQyOqDSTZOS1a.97 Back to Top Nabbed M'sia IS suspect handled air safety for VIP flights: Report KUALA LUMPUR - A man arrested in Malaysia for Islamic State (IS) links is an aviation technician responsible for local flights carrying business and political leaders, according to the South China Morning Post. The 49-year-old, a former Royal Malaysian Air Force technician, has been employed for 13 years by a firm servicing planes used by the VIPs, and was responsible for determining airworthiness. One unnamed security official said the man could have sabotaged an aircraft and smuggled weapons onto a plane. "The suspect is a senior technician whose responsibility was to check that an aircraft is safe for use." "He is the person who gives the green light whether an aircraft is safe to take off or not," a security official was quoted as saying by the SCMP in its report Friday (May 20). The report said the aircraft maintenance company services chartered flights for "VVIPs" to travel domestic routes. According to the report, the man was arrested in late March together with 14 others in several location in Malaysia over suspected link with the IS terrorist group. It added that while 14 others have been charged in court, investigation into the engineer was still underway. "He has conducted religious classes where he propagated IS ideology," the official was quoted as saying. "He is known to actively support IS via his Facebook account. He has shown IS videos on his mobile phone to his friends with the aim of promoting ISIS," the official added, using an alternative name for the militant grooup. Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Singapore, who also spoke to SCMP, said the discovery raised concerns of "insider threat of transnational terrorism". "Such a person would have the ability, at least in theory, to sabotage an aircraft with VVIPs on board either through by deliberately tampering with onboard systems, causing them to fail in mid-flight, or by placing an improvised explosive device onboard, assuming that he can gain access to one, or has the ability make one himself," A/Prof Kumar was quoted as saying. The news report said the engineer was the second suspect in the aviation industry to have been arrested over alleged support for IS. It said that, an armed auxiliary policeman was arrested last year at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after he had allegedly helped the departure of his brother-in-law to Syria to fight for IS. The police have, so far, arrested more than 160 IS suspects and based on the news report, at least 19 Malaysians are known to have died in Iraq and Syria fighting for the IS cause. http://www.todayonline.com/world/nabbed-msia-suspect-handled-air-safety-vip-flights- report Back to Top Nigeria: 'Enforcing Expatriate Quota Will Tackle Pilots' Unemployment' Lagos - The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has called for the support of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and other relevant bodies towards the implementing expatriate quote system to provide jobs for Nigerian pilots and engineers. This was the focus of NAAPE recent meeting with the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, according to the Acting General Secretary of NAAPE, Comrade Aba Ocheme. In recent times, the list of unemployed pilots has grown to as high as 700 from 500 two years ago and this has been a concern to industry stakeholders. With 27 foreign airlines operating in Nigeria, the association believes unemployment among aircraft pilots and engineers would have been minimal if expatriate quota system was implemented to the letter. Ocheme who spoke with Daily Trust in Lagos said the body was working towards the creation of a platform to address "the flagrant abuse of expatriate quota which had led to the theft of Nigerian jobs by foreigners." http://allafrica.com/stories/201605310451.html Back to Top PhD Research Request Fellow Helicopter Crewmember, This is a request for you to participate in a research study for my doctoral degree, the purpose of which 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. To participate, you must be between age 21 to 60 (federal/university requirement), had some type of aircrew experience with a small civil helicopter organization (less than 5 aircraft) 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 for your participation! Principal Investigator Scott Burgess Doctoral student at Northcentral University S.Burgess4793@email.ncu.edu Curt Lewis