Flight Safety Information June 14, 2016 - No. 116 In This Issue New data suggest EgyptAir Flight 804 didn't explode; cause of crash still unknown EgyptAir Crash Black Boxes Will Stop 'Pinging' in 10 Days: Investigators FAA May Hit Amazon With $350,000 Fine for Package that Burned Handlers AIRLINE GROUPS FORGING MENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS FOR PILOTS NASA enlists the United Arab Emirates' help for mission to Mars 2016 FAA Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting July 19-21 PhD Research Survey (I) PhD Research Survey (II) New data suggest EgyptAir Flight 804 didn't explode; cause of crash still unknown Egyptian officials probing the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 said Monday the plane veered off course before plunging into the sea, suggesting an abrupt in-flight explosion didn't bring down the aircraft. The Airbus Group SE A320 plane bound for Cairo from Paris deviated from its course while flying at 37,000 feet, first turning left before rolling to the right and completing a full circle, investigators said in their latest update into the May 19 crash that killed all 66 people onboard. The finding confirms statements initially made by Greek officials about the last seconds of flight but initially rejected by Egyptian authorities, who suggested contact was lost more abruptly. Investigators have spent the past few days going over all available radar information to reconcile the conflicting theses. The Egyptian finding does little to explain why the plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. No cause has been ruled out, Egyptian officials have said, including potential hostile action. The radar findings suggest, though, that there wasn't a sudden explosion that tore the plane apart midair. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-data-suggest-egyptair-flight-804-didnt-explode-cause-of-crash- still-unknown-2016-06-13 Back to Top EgyptAir Crash Black Boxes Will Stop 'Pinging' in 10 Days: Investigators CAIRO - The "black boxes" from an EgyptAir jet that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea last month are expected to stop emitting signals on June 24, investigators said. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) likely hold vital information about what caused Flight MS804 to crash on May 19, killing all 66 people on board. The task of recovering the devices from the sea floor would be much harder without the battery-powered "pings" indicating their location. Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee also said it had accepted a request by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to have an American representative join the investigation team because the Airbus A320's engines were built by a consortium that includes Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney. In a statement issued Monday, the agency said it had received Egyptian military radar images confirming that the aircraft deviated from its planned course and turned a full circle before disappearing on route from Paris to Cairo. "This comes in accordance with [earlier] British and Greek radar images," it said. Egyptian officials had previously said that the plane suddenly disappeared off the radar at cruising altitude around 37,000 feet. France's air accident investigation agency, which is advising Egypt on the underwater search, has said that one of the search ships has continued to pick up "ping'"signals from one black box whose position has been narrowed to within just over a mile. To recover the black boxes from the seabed, almost 10,000 feet below the surface, investigators will need to pinpoint the signals to within a few meters and establish whether the "pingers" are still connected to the devices. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/egyptair-crash/egyptair-crash-black-boxes-will-stop-pinging-10-days- investigators-n591781 Back to Top FAA May Hit Amazon With $350,000 Fine for Package that Burned Handlers The Federal Aviation Administration said it is proposing a $350,000 civil fine against Amazon for shipping a product that allegedly violated hazardous materials regulations and injured several UPS workers who handled the package. The penalty is the largest fine the FAA has proposed imposing on Amazon, which the agency said has had a series of at least 24 hazardous materials violations in recent years. The FAA alleged on Monday that on Oct. 15, 2014, Amazon sent a UPS package with a one-gallon container of "Amazing! LIQUID FIRE," a corrosive drain cleaner for transportation by air from Louisville, Kentucky, to Boulder, Colorado. The package leaked and nine UPS employees who came into contact with the box reported feeling a burning sensation and were treated with a chemical wash, the FAA said. The FAA said the shipment was improperly packaged, not accompanied by a declaration for dangerous goods and not properly labeled to indicate the hazardous contents. Amazon declined to answer questions about the incident or prior fines, but said in a written statement that "we ship tens of millions of products every day and have developed sophisticated technologies to detect potential shipping hazards and use any defects as an opportunity for continuous improvement. We will continue to partner with the FAA in this area." UPS spokesman Mike Mangeot in a statement declined to discuss the incident "other than to say our employees were fine after receiving treatment." UPS is committed to the safe transportation of hazardous materials, he said. "We expect our customers to follow hazmat regulations, and when incidents or discrepancies occur, we report those situations," Mangeot said. The FAA alleged Amazon failed to provide emergency response information with the package, and Amazon employees who handled the package had not received required hazardous materials training. The FAA said that from February 2013 to September 2015, the government found Amazon had violated the hazardous materials regulations 24 other times seeking a total of nearly $1.3 million in fines. In at least 15 instances, hazardous material leaked, the FAA said in its notice of violation reviewed by Reuters. It was not clear how many total times Amazon paid fines or admitted responsibility, since the FAA does not issue press releases for fines below $50,000, an FAA spokesman said. The company did pay $91,000 in April 2014 for a 2013 incident. The agency is continuing to investigate Amazon's compliance with hazardous shipment rules. In April 2014, Amazon paid a $91,000 fine to the FAA after its employees improperly shipped a package in 2013 containing flammable liquid adhesive by air on Federal Express from Whitestown, Indiana, to Boulder, Colorado. http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/faa-may-hit-amazon-350-000-fine-package-burned-handlers- n591796 Back to Top AIRLINE GROUPS FORGING MENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS FOR PILOTS Spurred by plane crashes involving pilots suffering from mental health issues, airline groups and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking for solutions that encourage improved medical screening by doctors and increased self-reporting by pilots. If an airline pilot is struggling with mental illness or is going through a difficult time, more than just the pilot may be in danger. That possibility was tragically realized in March 2015, when Andreas Lubitz, the copilot of Germanwings Flight 9525, intentionally crashed the plane into a mountain, killing 144 passengers and six crew members. Prior to the crash, Lubitz consulted with numerous doctors and was recommended for treatment in a psychiatric hospital, but he kept his mental health issues and suicidal tendencies from his employer. That tragedy was one of the main reasons a coalition of aviation stakeholders developed new training standards for doctors directly involved in assessing pilots. Last week, the Aviation Rulemaking Committee released recommendations that suggest improved mental health evaluations and push pilots to voluntarily report mental health issues. Its proposals were built from recommendations by trade groups, pilots' unions, and the federal government. "The report reflects the strong collaboration among airlines, airline employees, safety organizations and government that has made the U.S. aviation system the largest and safest aviation system in the world," Billy Nolen, Airlines for America's senior vice president of safety, security, and operations, said in an FAA news release [PDF]. One trade group in particular, the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), has been called on to assist in setting reporting standards for aviation doctors, which has included the presentation of a resolution to the American Medical Association. In a September letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, AsMA President Kris M. Belland noted that the group favors stronger standards for targeting mental health issues. "We recognize that there are no simple solutions, that testing for mental illness is not infallible, that some measures will take time without showing immediate effect, and that the risk of hazards in flying will never be zero, but we believe these implemented recommendations should help reduce the already low flight safety risk due to mental illness," Belland wrote in the letter [PDF]. In comments last week, Huerta emphasized that although commercial pilots already "undergo vigorous and regular medical screening," the aviation world could do more to better handle mental health disorders- many of which are treatable. "We need to do more to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness in the aviation industry so pilots are more likely to self-report, get treated, and return to work," Huerta said in the FAA's news release. http://associationsnow.com/2016/06/airline-groups-forging-mental-health-standards-pilots/ Back to Top Jet Returns to Phoenix After Losing Part of Engine Cover Authorities say an American Airlines plane bound for San Francisco had to return to Phoenix's airport after losing part of an engine cover. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the incident occurred about 8:30 a.m. MST Monday and the plane landed safely about 20 minutes later at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. American Airlines spokeswoman Polly Tracey says the carrier is working to determine what caused the part - a removable engine cover known as a cowling - to come loose during takeoff. Gregor says the FAA also is investigating. Tracey says the part was recovered on Sky Harbor property, and no one was injured. Flight 403, with 136 passengers aboard, was delayed almost three hours before it departed Phoenix for San Francisco International Airport. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jet-returns-phoenix-losing-part-engine-cover-39829017 Back to Top The deadline is fast approaching to reserve your hotel room for the 2016 FAA Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting July 19-21 at the Westin City Center Hotel in Washington, DC. A special discounted rate of $174/night (exclusive of taxes) has been reserved for conference participants. This rate includes daily breakfast for one person. Click here to reserve your room now! To receive this special rate, you must reserve your room by June 18(subject to availability). Still haven't registered to attend the conference? Please visit the conference website to get the latest information and to register: www.regonline.com/2016-AsiaPacificFlightStandardsMeeting. The deadline to register for the conference is Wednesday, June 29. Questions? Email us at ConferenceSupport@sidemgroup.com. Back to Top PhD Research Survey (I) Cranfield University Research: Do you or have you worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering? My name is Steve Daniels, PhD researcher at Cranfield University, and ground crew for Lightning T-5 XS458. As part of my PhD, I am investigating how many aircraft design professionals have had some form of flying experience, and what effect this may have. If you currently work, or have previously worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering (e.g: Conceptual Design, Aerospace Engineering Consultancy, Structural Engineering, Systems/Sub- Assembly Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Tooling Design, Flight Testing) I'd be grateful if you could spare some time to complete the survey by following the link below. If you know of anyone working in these areas who might also be interested, please share the link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_82LinCFK4OdpEJn This research has been approved by the University's ethics committee, and will not record sensitive personal or commercial data. If you have any queries or comments, I welcome any contact at - s.daniels@cranfield.ac.uk Back to Top PhD Research Survey (II) Survey Link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d4IlfWhuMW3RgRn Curt Lewis