Flight Safety Information November 15, 2016 - No. 227 In This Issue 2 injured as Toronto-bound passenger jet narrowly avoids collision with 'drone' Poland Exhumes President Killed in Russia Plane Crash Laser Xmas light displays can pose problems for pilots Smoggy conditions force brief ground stop at Charlotte airport Germany Certifies Lufthansa Technik for A350 Maintenance Irish aviation software firm Arconics bought by ViaSat Malaysia Airlines Mulling Purchase of 25 Widebody Jets Next Year More Flight Attendants Reporting Issues With American Airlines' New Uniforms Business aircraft shipments continue to slide First flight for new jet-powered Avenger UAV Alaska Airlines makes history with first commercial flight using jet fuel made from tree EasyJet to Set Up Operating Company in Another EU State 2 injured as Toronto-bound passenger jet narrowly avoids collision with 'drone' A Porter Airlines plane in Canada with 54 passengers on board took a risky maneuver, plunging at the altitude of just 3,000 meters in a bid to avoid a midair collision with what seemed to be a civilian drone east of Toronto on Monday. Two flight attendants who carried on with their duties during the maneuver to make sure the cabin is ready for landing were hurt and taken to the hospital, but have since been released, Metro News reported. There have been no reports on any injuries sustained by any of the passengers. Thanks to the prompt response from the pilots, the plane landed safely at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport at about 7:31 a.m. local time. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada launched an investigation into the incident, saying that it has yet to ascertain what type of the object disrupted the flight and how deep the plane dived to avoid being hit. "It happened so quick, they have no idea what it was. It's just something that they knew they were going to hit unless they took evasive action," Peter Rowntree, a senior investigator with the board told The Canadian Press, adding that the contact was "very close" at the time of the incident. The investigators will now have to study voice recorders and flight-data recorders they retrieved to determine the circumstances of the daring maneuver, although there is a chance that it will still not possible to find out exactly with what type of object the pilots had to deal with. "We may never be able to determine what exactly they saw," he said. For its part, the Canadian government dubbed the incident as "serious" with the parliamentary secretary to Canadian Transport Minister Kate Young pointing out that "drones can be dangerous if they get too close to aircraft," as cited by CBC Canada. The minister also said that the government is preparing new legislation concerning drone flying as their use by ordinary Canadians is getting more widespread. The government mulls restricting the use of such devises by putting additional responsibility on the owners, such as making them to pass a knowledge test, obtain an insurance and register unmanned vehicles, CBC reported. At present, no special permit is needed to possess a drone weighting less than 35 kilograms, although the owners must not fly them close to airports. https://www.rt.com/news/366941-toronto-jet-drone-near-collision/ Back to Top Poland Exhumes President Killed in Russia Plane Crash Autopsies on President Lech Kaczynski and others killed in the 2010 crash have been ordered amid a probe into possible foul play The wreckage of the Polish presidential plane on a transporter just outside Smolensk airport, western Russia. Poland's government has opened a new investigation into the 2010 plane crash in Russia that killed President Lech Kaczynski, the twin brother of the chairman of the country's ruling party. ENLARGE WARSAW-Polish authorities on Monday began exhuming the remains of a late president, his wife, and other victims of a 2010 plane crash in Russia, rekindling a probe that has become a political flashpoint, to investigate whether the crash involved foul play. Prosecutors have ordered the opening of the sarcophagus of Lech Kaczynski, who was Poland's president at the time, to perform an autopsy. The Polish government said it was necessary to establish what brought down the aircraft. Many senior figures in the conservative government that took office last year have consistently challenged official reports, by the previous Polish administration and a Moscow-based committee which blamed thick fog and a pilot error. The Polish report also put part of the blame on a decrepit Russian airport and misleading communications with Russian flight controllers on the ground. Soon after coming to power in November, Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz formed a committee of experts from various fields to look into the crash once again. Mr. Macierewicz has said he believes the airplane may have disintegrated midair and that traces of explosives had been found on the wreckage, which remains in Russia. Investigating teams in Moscow and Warsaw have refuted those claims. The bodies of 83 of the 96 victims of the crash are set for exhumation over the course of about a year. Prosecutors said they would be looking into errors that may have been made six years ago, which include possible mistakes in identification of victims. The decision to exhume victims has caused great controversy. Some families vehemently oppose the plan while others want to put to rest suspicions that Russian investigators were careless in the chaotic aftermath of the crash. "I'll be getting a chance to find out whom I buried, and to bury my husband with dignity," said Magdalena Merta, the widow of Tomasz Merta, a deputy minister of culture who was on the doomed flight. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of Poland's ruling party, said recently he agreed with the prosecutor's plan. Scores of officials from his Law and Justice party and his twin brother President Lech Kaczynski died in the Polish military aircraft. Cockpit recordings showed no evidence of foul play, instead revealing nervousness among the crew about poor weather in Smolensk, a provincial town in western Russia. President Kaczynski was on route to a commemoration of more than 20,000 Polish prisoners of war shot by Soviet secret police in what is now known as the Katyn Massacre of 1940. The remains of Lech Kaczynski and his wife are expected to be interred again at a crypt of Krakow cathedral later in November. http://www.wsj.com/articles/poland-exhumes-president-killed-in-russia-plane-crash- 1479145204 Back to Top Laser Xmas light displays can pose problems for pilots FAA: Christmas light display can be dangerous for pilots. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A warning was issued for shoppers getting ready to set up Christmas lights this holiday season. If you have a laser light display or you're thinking of buying one, be careful where you aim it. The Federal Aviation Administration says if they point into the sky, it can be dangerous for pilots. Lisa Wagner owns Mystic Fire Lights were some of these displays are sold. "They fire about 250 feet on the laser units," Wagner said. "That's not really enough to go up into the air but it will go a short distance." But the FAA is sending out a reminder to anyone installing the popular displays to make sure the lasers are pointed on only their homes and not into the sky. In a statement from the FAA, a spokesperson said: "The problems we've experienced were the results of lasers shining above the level of the roof. The light energy can travel several miles." The laser lights are adjustable and can be moved up or down. To make sure they don't shine into the eyes of a pilot, keep those laser lights low enough that they aren't pointed up into the sky. "Try to be responsible and not shoot it in the air," Wagner said. As more Christmas laser light displays go up around the city, police and pilots say the growing danger in the sky is likely to only get worse in the coming weeks. http://www.wcnc.com/news/community/laser-xmas-light-displays-can-pose-problems- for-pilots/352000854 Back to Top Smoggy conditions force brief ground stop at Charlotte airport CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Heavy smog conditions in Charlotte forced a ground stop at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Tuesday morning. The conditions were caused by patches of dense fog and smoke created by the wildfires burning in western North Carolina. Air quality advisories are currently in effect for the Charlotte area. The ground stop lasted for a little under an hour as visibility increased, a source at the airport told NBC Charlotte's Rachel Rollar. According to AirNow, the Charlotte region is now in a "Code Orange," which means that people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/faa-issues-ground-stop-at-charlotte-airport/352319274 Back to Top Germany Certifies Lufthansa Technik for A350 Maintenance Lufthansa Technik Hamburg technicians work on an Airbus A350 APU. (Photo: Lufthansa Technik) The German Federal Aviation Office (LBA) has issued Lufthansa Technik a base maintenance approval certificate for the Airbus A350-900, effectively ending more than 18 months of preparations for supporting the new widebody jet, the MRO specialist announced Monday. Lufthansa has ordered a total of 25 A350s to replace its A340-600s on routes such as Munich-Delhi and Boston. During its preparations, more than 100 Lufthansa Technik employees worked on eight related subprojects. Lufthansa plans to roll out the first of 10 A350s stationed in Munich ahead of first revenue service in January, creating what Lufthansa Technik calls a special challenge for the 28 employees in the Bavarian capital already qualified for the type. Plans call for another 200 or so technicians to train in areas such as new methods of damage detection and repair for carbon-fiber- reinforced structures. The company said it will invest just under 10,000 course days in such training. In terms of new tools, equipment and procedures, Lufthansa Technik calls a new engine transport stand on which technicians can split the engine in two for transport in Lufthansa cargo aircraft "the most significant resource." Meanwhile, the Munich facility alone carries more than 5,000 part numbers. The new maintenance concept came about as a result of close cooperation between Lufthansa Technik Aircraft Maintenance in Munich and Engineering in Frankfurt. Plans call for engineers to relocate their offices from Frankfurt to Munich when the A350 operations start, while employees from Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Panasonic support the Munich staff on location during the first few weeks. Separately, a number of different units have begun preparing the remaining upgrade of the new aircraft. Engineering in Frankfurt has identified special fittings requested by Lufthansa such as self-service racks, for example, for installation by engineering in in the Hamburg aircraft modifications unit. The company has dedicated an entire class for the first time to perform the remaining upgrade because Airbus will supply the aircraft without premium economy class. Because the adaptations equate to a modification, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) must approve a supplemental type certificate (STC). Lufthansa Technik already received an extension of its approval as a design organization for the A350 from EASA at the start of the year. According to the EASA Part 21/J provisions (design organization approval), Lufthansa Technik may develop and approve repairs and modifications to a limited extent under its own responsibility. Although aircraft usually undergo maintenance in accordance with the manual, a maintenance company with design organization approval can independently approve minor repairs without involving the relevant aviation authority. The privilege accelerates the restoration of airworthiness, thereby positively affecting flight operations in terms of punctuality and completion rates. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-11-14/germany-certifies- lufthansa-technik-a350-maintenance Back to Top Irish aviation software firm Arconics bought by ViaSat Arconics's clients include Ryanair and Aer Lingus Tens of thousands of pilots, ground staff and cabin crew depend on Arconics software to safely and efficiently operate aircraft US satellite broadband group ViaSat has bought Irish aviation software provider Arconics, whose customers range from Ryanair to Cathay Pacific. The deal, unveiled this week, builds on Arconics's existing partnership with ViaSat, mainly in the provision of wireless in-flight entertainment that relies on wifi on airlines. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Arconics is registered in Ireland as Aerodocs Ltd, which was set up in 2010. However, the team, headed by chief executive Niall O'Sullivan, has been involved in aviation software since 2001. Tens of thousands of pilots, ground staff and cabin crew across airlines including Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus, Philippine Airlines and Tigerair Australia depend on Arconics software to safely and efficiently operate their fleets. "We believe combining our strengths with Arconics will position ViaSat to be the market leader for connectivity, passenger services and flight-deck applications and operations," said Don Buchman, vice-president and general manager of ViaSat's commercial mobility business. Satellite network The deal will also allow Arconics to tap into ViaSat's high-capacity satellite network, which, according to the US company, has more capacity in orbit than any other in-flight wifi provider. More than 30 Arconics team members will join ViaSat, including Mr O'Sullivan and chief commercial officer Fergal Murray. It will retain its base in Dublin and office in Sydney. IBI Corporate Finance and law firm Byrne Wallace advised Arconics, while solicitors at Arthur Cox are understood to have worked with ViaSat. http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/irish-aviation-software-firm- arconics-bought-by-viasat-1.2868742 Back to Top Malaysia Airlines Mulling Purchase of 25 Widebody Jets Next Year Malaysia Airlines CEO: We'll Be Profitable in 2018 Looking to replace aging planes with A330s, A350s and B787s CEO Bellew sees unprecedented tourism opportunity in China Malaysia Airlines Bhd. is considering ordering as many as 25 widebody aircraft as the nation's flag carrier, recovering from two fatal air crashes in 2014, looks to meet growing travel demand. The airline will replace 15 of its aging planes and add 10 to fuel growth, Chief Executive Officer Peter Bellew said in an interview in Singapore Tuesday. It may look at Airbus Group SE's A330s and A350s, and Boeing Co.'s 787s, with a decision due by the middle to end of next year, he said. "I am short of widebody aircraft," said Bellew. Besides the current Kuala Lumpur-London flights, "we won't do other long-haul routes until 2020, 2021 because the aircraft will be available at the right price, at the right time and at the right configuration." Bellew, who became Malaysia Air's third chief executive officer in two years in July, is tasked with the job of restoring confidence in the carrier that lost two planes two years ago -- one that vanished over the Indian Ocean and another that was shot down over Ukraine. The airline is likely to become profitable in 2018 before it relists its shares in the first quarter of the following year, Bellew said. Fully owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd. after being taken private in 2014, Malaysia Air has cut long-haul flights and eliminated about 6,000 jobs as part of its restructuring. After scrapping some European routes, it signed a code-share deal last year with Dubai- based Emirates for longer-haul destinations, eschewing its traditional model of linking Europe and Australia via Southeast Asia. The Asian carrier flies to London from Kuala Lumpur using the Airbus A380s and plans to replace them with A350s in April 2018, Bellew said. To claw back some of its lost business, Malaysia Air has been offering promotions on its business and economy cabins to lure passengers, Bellew said in a separate interview with Bloomberg Television's Haslinda Amin. With round-trip tickets between Kuala Lumpur and London for as low as $450, the airline now has a market share of about 60 percent on its London flights, compared with about 45 percent in May, Bellew said. "The competition is very intense on direct routes to Europe," Bellew said. "But I think there will be a place in the future for Malaysia Airlines to look at direct long haul services back to Europe." Malaysia Air ordered 25 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets, worth $2.75 billion at list price in July with options for 25 more to compete against a slew of budget carriers in the region. The carrier doesn't have enough planes to meet the unprecedented opportunity in China, Bellew said. If 12 percent of the mainland Chinese get passports in 10 years, as per a government target, that would translate to 150 million more potential tourists flying to Malaysia, he said. "The global mega trend in tourism is in China," Bellew said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-15/malaysia-airlines-mulling- purchase-of-25-widebody-jets-next-year Back to Top More Flight Attendants Reporting Issues With American Airlines' New Uniforms ITCHY & SCRATCHY UNIFORMS AMERICAN AIRLINES AIRLINES TRAVEL Although American Airlines previously said issues flight attendants were having with the new uniforms - like causing hives and headaches - were limited to about a dozen people with wool allergies, a union that represents flight attendants says there have now been 1,300 complaints over the clothing. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants says it's also had the clothing tested and found that it contains detectable levels of chemicals that are usually found in pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, the Los Angeles Times reports. "We will continue to invest the resources necessary to get to the bottom of this and we fully expect the company and Twin Hill to do the same," the union told its members last month. American says the complaints only represent about 1% of the 70,000 employees who are now wearing the uniforms, but adds that it's tested the garments twice and is waiting for results on a third. "We want our employees to be happy with their new uniforms," an American spokeswoman said, noting that if the new uniforms are making workers uncomfortable, they can wear their old uniforms instead. https://consumerist.com/2016/11/14/more-flight-attendants-reporting-issues-with- american-airlines-new-uniforms/ Back to Top Business aircraft shipments continue to slide Worldwide shipments of fixed-wing business and general aviation aircraft fell across all segments during the first nine months of 2016, as economic and political instability continued to squeeze demand for new platforms. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), deliveries of piston- engined, turboprop and jet-engined business aircraft dropped by 3.5% to 1,504 units between January and the end of September - representing a 14.5% fall in the total shipment value to $13.4 billion. "There's no way to sugar-coat the fact that these numbers are not what we had wanted to see," says GAMA president and chief executive Pete Bunce. "Unfortunately, they reflect the instability of the used aircraft market, coupled with complicating global economic and geopolitical factors." The association, headquartered in Washington DC, recorded 429 business jet deliveries in the nine months ending 30 September 2016 - 36 fewer than in the same period a year earlier. Bombardier shipped 109 Learjets, Challengers and Globals during the period - a fall of 26 units year on year - while Gulfstream saw its deliveries slide by 28 aircraft to 88. The poor salesperformance of the G150 and G450 is behind the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer's recent decision to cease production of the midsize and large-cabin types: the final G150 will roll off the production line in 2017 after a 10-year run, while the 14-year- old G450 will bow out 12 months later. Gulfstream GAMA's report does not include shipments of Dassault Falcon business jets for the full nine months, as the French airframer releases its deliveries and earnings at six-month intervals. However, Flight Fleets Analyzer records 27 Falcon deliveries for the period -five fewer than last year. Elsewhere in the business jet sector, Cessna shipped 14 more Citations, almost entirely on the back of demand for its Latitude midsized business jet, which entered service in September 2015. Honda Aircraft, which began deliveries of its HA-420 HondaJet last December, handed over 16 units between January and September, including the first models into Europe. Deliveries of One Aviation's Eclipse EA550 very light jet remained stable at five aircraft, while Embraer'snine-month total slid by a single unit to 74. Soft demand for VIP airliners from the traditionally strong markets of China, Russia and the Middle East has hit Airbus and Boeing particularly hard, with the former delivering no green ACJ models between January and September. This compares with two units during the same period last year. Shipments of BBJs fared a little better, at two aircraft - a 737-derived BBJ and a widebody BBJ777-300ER - although this is significantly lower than the eight green aircraft delivered in the first nine months of 2015. Piston aircraft deliveries slid by 3.2% year on year to 696 units, triggered by a downturn in private flying and falling demand from international training schools. Only Cirrus bucked the downward trend, shipping 226 of its SR family of piston singles during the nine months covered by the report, GAMA reveals, compared with 204 units during the same period last year. The turboprop sector generated what GAMA describes as a "bright spot" for the fixed-wing aircraft market, recording a 1.3% hike in deliveries to 379 units. The uptick was due entirely to a stellar performance from Pilatus: the Swiss airframer shipped 58 of its enhanced PC-12NGs - introduced in January - during the period, 21 more than during the first nine months of 2015. Daher's TBM 900 was one of the worst performers, recording a drop of 30 units year on year to six. This was a result of the introduction in April of the new flagship TBM 930, to which many of its TBM 900 orders were transferred. Overall, TBM deliveries fell by only four aircraft for the nine-month period, GAMA reveals, with 32 shipments recorded. Despite the industry's lacklustre performance, Bunce remains positive: "What is encouraging is that every GAMA airplane manufacturer has a new product development programme recently completed or currently under way, so optimism for the future runs high," he says. Bunce is referring to a host of new designs set for introduction over the coming five years, including the Gulfstream G500/600, Cessna Citation Longitude and Hemisphere, Dassault Falcon 5X and Cirrus Vision Jet, deliveries of which are imminent. He says the industry "is looking forward to working with the incoming Trump administration, the new US Congress, and other governments across the globe to highlight the importance of a vibrant general and business aviation industry with manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul jobs at its core". https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/business-aircraft-shipments-continue-to-slide- 431443/ Back to Top First flight for new jet-powered Avenger UAV GA-ASI announces a successful first flight for its Avenger Extended Range jet-powered drone. The prototype jet-powered Avenger Extended Range remotely piloted aircraft. Photo by GA-ASI SAN DIEGO, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- A turbojet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has successfully completed its first flight. The aircraft is called the Avenger Extended Range, a variant of the company's jet- powered Predator C Avenger, which has accumulated over 13,000 flight hours to date. GA-ASI said the flight occurred late last month at its Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. "The first flight of Avenger ER is a significant achievement in the evolution of Predator C's proven performance and multi-mission capability," said Linden Blue, GA-ASI's chief executive officer. "The increased endurance and high payload capacity will deliver tremendous capability to our customers, who need persistent situational awareness and strike mission affordability." The aircraft has a wingspan of 76 feet and carries 2,200 pounds of additional fuel. Its flight endurance is 20 hours, five more than the legacy Avenger. The remotely piloted aircraft also features a wide array of sensors and weapons payloads to perform ISR and ground support missions. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2016/11/14/First-flight-for-new- jet-powered-Avenger-UAV/8361479133464/ Back to Top Alaska Airlines makes history with first commercial flight using jet fuel made from trees Alaska Airlines has broken new ground this week, with one of its commercial flights using renewable fuel made from "forest residuals." The fuel, according to the Washington state-based airline, is composed of the limbs and branches left over after the harvesting of managed forests. The airline claims that it was the first commercial flight using the world's first renewable, alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals. The flight Monday was between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Reagan National Airport, which serves Washington, D.C. It used a 20 percent blend of sustainable aviation biofuel, which Alaska Airlines said was "chemically indistinguishable from regular jet A fuel." The fuel was developed thanks to the work of the Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), Alaska Airlines added. "This latest milestone in Alaska's efforts to promote sustainable biofuels is especially exciting since it is uniquely sourced from the forest residuals in the Pacific Northwest," Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' senior vice president of communications and external relations, said in a statement. "NARA's accomplishments and the investment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide another key in helping Alaska Airlines and the aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels." The airline said that if it replaced 20 percent of its total fuel supply at Seattle-Tacoma, greenhouse gas emissions would be slashed by roughly 142,000 metric tons of CO2, equivalent to taking 30,000 passenger vehicles off the road for an entire year. Alaska Airlines' announcement comes in the wake of October's landmark agreement to control CO2 emissions from international aviation. The deal, which was reached at the International Civil Aviation Organization's 39th Assembly in Montreal, saw 191 countries agree to a global market-based measure to control CO2 emissions from flying. http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/15/alaska-airlines-makes-history-with-first-commercial- flight-using-jet-fuel-made-from-trees.html Back to Top EasyJet to Set Up Operating Company in Another EU State LONDON - Budget airline easyJet says it plans to set up an operating company in another European Union member state to ensure that it can continue serving the market after Britain leaves the bloc. EasyJet, in results released Tuesday, says the move will "secure the flying rights of the 30 percent of our network that remains wholly within and between EU states, excluding the U.K." Chief Executive Officer Carolyn McCall says the change won't prevent easyJet from being based in Britain and that the company's headquarters will remain in Luton, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of London. The company did not say where the new entity would be based. EasyJet says setting up the company will cost it about 10 million pounds ($12.4 million) over two years, mostly to re-register aircraft. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/11/15/world/europe/ap-eu-britain- easyjet.html?_r=0 Curt Lewis