Flight Safety Information November 21, 2016 - No. 231 In This Issue Air ambulance plane crash kills 4 in northern Nevada Passenger jet in five hour delay and emergency UK landing after ALL toilets blocked Emirates crash investigation to take up to three years Zimbabwe: Chinese-Built Airport Inaugurated in Zimbabwe Frustrated by search efforts, MH370 families will launch own hunt U.S. House votes to bar sales of commercial aircraft to Iran ICAO seen to conduct air safety audit in 2017 (Philippines) HK skies safe, aviation chief insists Pel-Air Aviation appeals nurse's $5 million crash PTSD compensation Watch: Automated Taxi Drone's Successful Test Spells Trouble For Pilots Boeing's 10 Largest Customers American Airlines pilots upset with holiday bid schedule Japan's Peach Aviation Orders 13 Airbus Jets Graduate Research Survey Research Survey Air ambulance plane crash kills 4 in northern Nevada A medical plane crashed in northern Nevada, killing four, late Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. KTVN Comment Share Tweet Stumble Email ELKO, Nev. -- An air-ambulance plane taking a heart-disease patient to a Utah hospital crashed in a parking lot in northern Nevada, killing all four people aboard and sending up explosions and flames. Three crew members and a patient were killed in the Friday night crash in Elko, American Medflight said Saturday in a statement. According to Elko cardiologist Dr. Rodney Badger, the plane was carrying a heart patient to the University of Utah, CBS affiliate KTVN reports. "There was not a lot left of the aircraft," said Elko Fire Chief Matt Griego. Elko police Lt. Rich Genseal said the twin-engine plane apparently "experienced mechanical problems" as it was climbing after taking off on a flight for Salt Lake City, then lost altitude and crashed, the Elko Daily Free Press reported. The identities of the victims were not released by authorities, but Debbi and Jim Urresti of Elko, said their 29-year-old daughter, Tiffany, was killed in the crash. The twin-engine plane crashed in a mining company's parking lot near a casino and other businesses near Elko Regional Airport and Interstate 80. American Medflight, which is based in Reno, Nevada, did not immediately respond to email and telephone requests for comment. But President John Burruel said in a statement that the company was cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration as they investigated the crash. "As an air medical family, we are mourning the loss of our crewmembers and patient. Their families have been notified, and they are in our thoughts and prayers," Burruel said. Tiffany Urresti's parents said she was a former hospital ER nurse who dreamed for years of working as a flight nurse. Urresti achieved her dream, starting work for American Medflight two months ago, and she was engaged to be married in May, Debibi Urresti said. "She found the love of her life." Local authorities did not immediately respond to email and phone requests for comment, but Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said nobody on the ground was hurt. "There was not a lot left of the aircraft," Elko Fire Chief Matt Griego said after the flames were extinguished. A photograph published by the Elko Daily Free Press showed mostly burned wreckage on pavement in front of a line of vehicles, including at least one charred pickup. The plane's tail was one of the few recognizable parts. Hillary Walker, a manager at a grocery store about 200 yards from the crash, told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the crash caused parked vehicles to catch fire and then dozens of rounds of ammunition to go off. Walker noted that said a number of vehicles in the parking lot for mine workers likely had ammunition in them. "It's hunting season out here," she said. Dr. Rodney Badger of Northeastern Nevada Cardiology told the Daily Free Press that the plane had just taken off from the nearby airport to transport a patient to the University of Utah Medical Center. Badger said his patient suffered from coronary artery disease and was experiencing chest pains and rapid heartbeat around 5:30 p.m., after which the decision was made to transport him to Utah. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-ambulance-plane-crash-kills-4-in-elko-northern- nevada/ *************** Date: 18-NOV-2016 Time: 19:15LT Type: Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II Owner/operator: American Medflight Inc Registration: N775MF C/n / msn: 31T-7920079 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Elko, NV - United States of America Phase: Take off Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Elko Regional Airport (KEKO) Destination airport: Salt Lake City, UT Narrative: The aircraft impacted a parking lot shortly after takeoff from Elko Regional Airport, Nevada with a heart patient who was being transported to the University of Utah Medical Center. A post-impact fire ensued. All 4 POB died. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=191452 Back to Top Passenger jet in five hour delay and emergency UK landing after ALL toilets blocked with 'something solid' Desperate passengers were finally allowed to relieve themselves after landing at the UK airport A PIA Boeing 777 was forced to land at Manchester Airport after all the toilets became blocked A packed passenger jet was forced into a FIVE hour delay after all the toilets on board became blocked with 'something solid'. The Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 jet had to make an emergency landing in Manchester when it was revealed the ENTIRE lavatory system got choked. The flight had been en route from Toronto to Pakistan on Saturday when the mass blockage was discovered somewhere over the North Sea. PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani, based in Karachi, Pakistan, said something had been thrown down one of the toilets and blocked it, which then clogged up the whole system. According to the Manchester Evening News , he posted a statement from the airline on Twitter shortly after the incident. It confirmed the flight had been forced to land in Manchester saying: "Toronto-Lahore flight PK-798 has been diverted to Manchester as its toilets got choked, due to something solid thrown in by passengers. "As all toilets are connected with a common drain line, the rest of the toilets were also choked. "Keeping in view the convenience of passengers, the flight has been diverted to Manchester where the toilets will be serviced before the flight continues its onward journey. "Inconvenience caused to passengers is regretted." The statement added that passengers need to 'strictly adhere to and read carefully' the warning signs in toilets. It's understood the plane was diverted for a total of five hours while the pipes were unclogged. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boeing-passenger-jet-five-hour-9298695 Back to Top Emirates crash investigation to take up to three years: regulator DUBAI (Reuters) - The investigation into the Emirates jet crash landing at Dubai International on Aug. 3 will take two to three years to complete, the director general of the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said on Sunday. The crash was the first major accident in Emirates' more-than-30-year history. All 300 passengers and crew safely evacuated the jet but a firefighter died tackling flames after the Boeing 777-300, arriving from India, caught fire after skidding along the Dubai airport runway on its fuselage. In a preliminary report released on Sept. 6, the federal aviation authority said the pilot of flight EK521 tried to abort the landing after the plane's main wheels had already touched down. Director General Saif Mohammed al-Suwaidi told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai that the investigation would be completed by 2019 and the GCAA was likely to introduce "some precaution measures" before then. He did not say what those measures would be. A two- to three-year timeframe "to complete an investigation report of this nature is not unusual", an Emirates spokeswoman told Reuters. Al-Suwaidi also said he expected the Russian-led investigation into the March 19 flydubai crash in southern Russia to take "another two years." All 62 passengers and crew on board were killed in the crash. A statement released by the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) on April 8 suggested pilot error was to blame for the accident. https://www.yahoo.com/news/emirates-crash-investigation-three-years-regulator- 090716451--finance.html Back to Top Zimbabwe: Chinese-Built Airport Inaugurated in Zimbabwe Victoria Falls - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Friday commissioned the upgraded Victoria Falls International Airport that was built with support from China. Mugabe said the renovation could turn the airport into a regional tourist hub if aggressively marketed. Completion of the airport project was also a major milestone in the country's development efforts, partnered by China which he described as "a great partner and friend." Expansion of the airport, which began in 2013, was done by China Jiangsu International and financed through a 150 million-dollar-loan from China Export Import Bank. The upgraded airport now handles 1.5 million passengers per year, up from 500,000 and boasts of modern passenger facilities, a new international terminal building, a new 4km runway, extended parking areas for aircraft, new control tower, new fire station, new road networks, a new state of the art international passenger terminal building and a refurbished domestic terminal. The new airport can now accommodate long haul flights from around the globe, which is expected to increase inflow of tourists to Zimbabwe. The airport is the gateway to Victoria Falls, a world heritage site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Mugabe commended China Jiangsu International for good work and pledged to engage the company for similar construction projects in the future. He added that Harare and other airports in the country need to be further expanded and upgraded. http://allafrica.com/stories/201611210044.html Back to Top Frustrated by search efforts, MH370 families will launch own hunt for aircraft debris in Africa Families of those onboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 said Monday they will mount a debris-hunting trip to Madagascar to search for clues to what happened to the missing plane. Investigators have identified six pieces of wreckage to have either definitely or almost certainly come from the jet, which vanished with 239 people while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014. Voice 370, a family association, said the debris collected so far has all been found off Africa's east coast. "Despite these hugely important finds, there has been no systematic, organised search by any responsible party. This leaves the (next-of-kin) no other choice except to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure," it said in a statement. An ongoing search in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed, has been fruitless and could be suspended soon. Grace Subathirai Nathan, whose mother Anne Daisy was on the flight, said she will be going to Madagascar with three other Malaysians, two Chinese and a French next-of-kin. She said the group is financing the December 3-11 trip from their own pockets. "We hope to mobilise the fishing villagers and coastal population to be on the constant lookout for new debris that could become new credible evidence," she said. The Voice 370 statement said the seven-member team will focus their search along high potential sites based on drift modelling, largely focusing in areas on and around Ile Saint Marie, a tropical island off Madagascar's east coast. The group said they may set up an incentive system using their own funds to encourage the search for debris, and will aim to set up a notification system and local collection point for potential aircraft debris. So far, none of the six pieces of debris has helped narrow down the precise location of the main underwater wreckage. Investigators need to find that in order to locate the flight data recorders that could help explain why the plane veered so far off course. Search crews are expected to finish their sweep of the 120,000-square kilometre search zone in the Indian Ocean next month. Oceanographers have been analysing wing flaps found in Tanzania and on the French island of La Reunion to see if they might be able to identify a potential new search area through drift modelling. But any new search would require more funding. Malaysia, Australia and China said in July that the $160 million hunt will be suspended once the current stretch of ocean is exhausted unless new evidence emerges that would pinpoint a specific location of the aircraft. http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2047898/frustrated-search- efforts-mh370-families-will-launch-own Back to Top U.S. House votes to bar sales of commercial aircraft to Iran A IranAir Boeing 747SP aircraft is pictured before leaving Tehran's Mehrabad airport September 19, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File photo The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would block the sale of commercial aircraft to Iran, a bid to stop sales by Boeing and Airbus that have already been approved by President Barack Obama's administration. The bill passed the Republican-led House by 243-174 largely along party lines. Eight Democrats joined Republicans in favor. All 174 "no" votes were from Democrats. The measure would bar U.S. Treasury Department from issuing licenses that U.S. banks would need to finance sales of commercial aircraft, the latest in a series of efforts by congressional Republicans to counteract the international nuclear deal between Iran, the United States and other world powers. The deals by Airbus and Boeing to sell or lease over 200 jets to IranAir would help modernize and expand the country's elderly fleet, held together by smuggled or improvised parts after years of sanctions. Although Airbus is based in France, it must have the U.S. Treasury Department's approval for the sale because at least 10 percent of the aircraft's components are American-made. Some members of Congress have raised concerns that killing the sale could cost jobs. But opponents, particularly Republicans who unanimously opposed the nuclear agreement, argue that the passenger aircraft could be used for military purposes such as transporting fighters to battle U.S. troops or allies in Syria. The measure is unlikely to become law during the current Congress. It would need to pass the Senate, where it would face stiff opposition from Democrats. And the White House said Obama would veto the measure even if it did pass the Senate. The administration believes the legislation would be a violation of the nuclear pact, in which Iran agreed to curtain its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the climate for the nuclear pact could change once Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump was harshly critical of the nuclear agreement during his campaign. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-aviation-usa-idUSKBN13C2MJ Back to Top ICAO seen to conduct air safety audit in 2017 (Philippines) The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is scheduled to conduct an audit on the Philippines' air safety regulations in the middle of next year, a senior government official said. The audit is undertaken regularly and is meant to determine whether a country meets global air safety standards set by the Montreal, Canada-based specialized agency of the United Nations. Failing the ICAO inspection could lead to blacklisting by other jurisdictions, such as the European Union. Nevertheless, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is confident it will pass the next ICAO audit, to be conducted sometime in May 2017, CAAP deputy director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo said. He said the country was still showing "weakness" in three out of eight audit points. These mainly involved inadequate manpower and the lack of an independent air accident investigation board. All these are already being addressed, he said. "We are confident, and we have time to improve still," Tamayo said. He noted that international consultants that assisted the Philippines in getting out of the EU blacklist in 2013 were being tapped to assist the CAAP. Manpower inadequacy at the CAAP was mainly because of low pay, Tamayo said. Regulatory constraints also prevented them from immediately addressing those issues. He was more optimistic on the timing of the separation of airline accident investigations from the CAAP into an independent body. Transportation undersecretary for aviation Roberto Lim said separately that a draft proposal for this measure would be ready for President Duterte before the end of 2016. http://business.inquirer.net/218101/icao-seen-to-conduct-air-safety-audit-in- 2017#ixzz4Qdff1VNY Back to Top HK skies safe, aviation chief insists Hong Kong's aviation chief yesterday dismissed concerns over the new air traffic control system's safety and reliability after a departing flight vanished from the radar for 12 seconds. That incident happened on the second day that the US-made Raytheon AutoTrac III system was fully launched last week. The cause of the flight disappearance has not been identified but aviation officials said it was not related to the HK$1.5 billion system, . The Civil Aviation Department said it would pass details to the manufacturer Raytheon to probe the incident and look into possible improvements. Last Tuesday, a departing flight failed to display on a controller's radar screen for 12 seconds, the first time it happened since the new system went into phased-in operation in June. The department revealed yesterday the flight had taken off when it vanished on the radar monitor and was flying above North Lantau near Sunny Bay at an altitude of from 1,000 and 2,000 feet. Director-General of Civil Aviation Simon Li Tin-chu said yesterday the length of disappearance was "not ideal" but insisted the incident did not compromise passenger safety and similar incidents had happened in the old system. "The minimum aircraft separation standard is two to three miles, equivalent to about two minutes. So 12 seconds is not ideal, but it doesn't have any safety issue," Li said, adding that the flight should be visible on the radar again when switched from "system mode" to "local mode" of operation under the new system. He said there are multiple "safety nets." Aviation officials said some flights are not visible on the radar after taking off at an altitude of 300 to 400 feet, but admitted that by 1,000 feet or above, the flight should be visible on the radar. Li said the flight's disappearance from the radar may have been caused by landscape or bad transmission from the flight, but stressed that the flight was within observable range when the incident happened so there is no concern about safety. "There is a chance that exceptional cases can occur when the new system fully operates," he said. "It takes time to fine tune the system to adapt to the existing environment. We have so far received positive opinion from air traffic controllers." Flights have been reduced over the past month for smooth transition. The new system can handle about 1,800 flights daily. Li said there is no need to extend the period of reduced flights into the peak season of Christmas while admitting that it may take up to a year for the new system to run in "optimized mode." The old system AutoTrac I, which has been running for 18 years, will be kept as a back-up for six months until May. Former Hong Kong civil aviation chief Peter Lok Kung-nam said it is important to probe the cause of the flight's disappearance on the radar but said there was no need to worry overly about the system's safety. Lok, who was aviation chief from 1990 to 1996, said a flight disappearing from the radar occurred during his term but causes varied. Civic Party lawmaker and former commercial pilot Jeremy Tam Man-ho said worries concerning the new system's safety still exist. Similar incidents could happen and the cause is still unclear. The system reportedly failed to detect two aircraft flying on conflicting routes last month coming within 15 miles of each other in a "near collision." It malfunctioned last month after air traffic controllers input data about the Airshow China expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=176542 Back to Top Pel-Air Aviation appeals nurse's $5 million crash PTSD compensation Pel-Air crash survivor Karen Casey PHOTO: Pel-Air crash survivor Karen Casey said she has disturbed sleep, flashbacks, and fears flying. (Four Corners) A Sydney airline is appealing an order to compensate nurse Karen Casey millions of dollars after she developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a 2009 plane crash. Ms Casey, 46, was on board a medevac flight when it ditched into the ocean near Norfolk Island in November 2009. It was transporting an injured patient and her husband from Samoa to Melbourne at the time. All six people on board survived the crash and were rescued after about 90 minutes in rough seas at night time. The flight's operator, Pel-Air Aviation, accepted liability for her physical injuries but a NSW Supreme Court judge last year found her PTSD was a "bodily injury", under the Montreal Convention, which governs air crash compensation around the world. PTSD was therefore found to be compensable, under the convention. The mother of three was awarded close to $4.9 million. Airline's lawyers say PTSD is not a bodily injury Lawyers for Pel-Air have told an appeal hearing, the evidence did not support the findings made by the judge. According to the original decision, Ms Casey's PTSD "involved an injury to her brain and other parts of her body involved in normal brain function". Pel-Air argues Justice Monika Schmidt erred in her ruling, because she "did not correctly apply decisions" handed down here and overseas. The company's appeal submissions also state that Justice Schmidt "misapprehended the expert medical evidence going to the issue". The court heard there have been differing views about the issue in courts in the United Kingdom, but rulings in the United States have been consistent. Pel-Air's barrister Julian Sexton SC said use of the word "bodily" in the convention, shows that not everything was intended to be classified as an injury. One of the American judgments refers to "palpable to conspicuous physical injury". Mr Sexton said the US cases "properly interpret Article 17 (of the convention)". He told the court, the suggestion in the original judgment that Ms Casey has suffered "organic damage" to her brain, was wrong. "The expert evidence simply does not support that finding," Mr Sexton said. 'Combined' psychiatric and physical disabilities enough: lawyers Ms Casey's damages included past economic losses, on the basis that she will never be able to work again. Pel-Air is challenging this finding, as well as an order that the financial management of her funds be paid for, to the tune of around $500,000. In their written response to the appeal, lawyers for Ms Casey said: "The combined effect of the conceded psychiatric conditions combined with the physical disabilities is such that the trial judge's award of damages can be supported even without reference to the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder." Ms Casey gave evidence before Justice Schmidt of disturbed sleep, flashbacks, a fear of getting out of her car and of flying. The hearing is expected to last two days. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-21/airline-appeals-near-5-million-dollar- compensation-for-crash/8043652 Back to Top Watch: Automated Taxi Drone's Successful Test Spells Trouble For Pilots Self-piloting cars are bad enough for the current workforce because of its threat to jobs, but now companies are actually creating aircraft that can pilot themselves. Called the Cormorant, the vertical take-off, and landing (VTOL) vehicle is capable of carrying both people and supplies through the air without a human pilot. This could make it the future of transportation on a global scale and could be the next units of Uber vehicles. The Cormorant is the project by Tactical Robotics, which is an Israeli tech firm, Futurism reports. Capable of taking off vertically and landing like a helicopter, and has a decent capacity to accommodate passengers and baggage, the existence of this vehicle has substantial implications. Granted, it's just a prototype at this point, but the successful tests prove that the concept has merit. Drones like the Cormorant have actually been thought up several years ago, with experts classifying these types of autonomous machines as Air Mule. These are basically machines that act more as a means of carrying heavy loads for their users to make transportation much easier. Considering the enthusiasm that private companies and even governments have for autonomous driving, autonomous machines like the Cormorant were practically inevitable. During the test, it deftly navigated the air, following a pre-set flight route without any major incident. Naturally, the tests didn't go perfectly as the drone did experience some minor errors, Popular Science reports. During the landing phase, the onboard computer had some trouble with the timing, which caused the vehicle to wobble a bit. Even so, the Cormorant landed successfully and without sustaining damage. Right now, the biggest challenge that engineers are facing with Air Mule type drones is creating compact vehicles that are aerodynamic and agile. If they ever want to have these vehicles flying around cities to take commuters wherever they need to go, these problems need to be addressed. The Cormorant is currently the closest Air Mule to achieving this goal. http://www.econotimes.com/Watch-Automated-Taxi-Drones-Successful-Test-Spells- Trouble-For-Pilots-411771 Back to Top Boeing's 10 Largest Customers The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) currently expects to deliver about 745 to 750 commercial aircraft to its customers this year. Through the end of October the company had delivered 617 planes. In October Boeing delivered 54 new commercial jets. If it can maintain that pace - or something near it - the company should easily meet its sales target. The bad news is that orders for the first 10 months of the year total just 457. Ideally, Boeing would like a 1-to- 1 book-to-bill ratio, but in late September the company said it is angling for 535 new orders in 2016. Even that total may be out of reach given the recent vote in the U.S. House of Representatives killing the company's opportunity to sell planes to Iran. Of the 617 planes delivered so far this year 402 have been the stalwart 737. The company has delivered 117 models of the 787 Dreamliner and 80 of the 777 series. It has delivered 10 of its 767 planes so far this year, all to FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX). It has also shipped eight of the venerable 747 jumbo jets. Boeing's order backlog as of October 31 totaled 5,635 aircraft, including 4,321 single-aisle 737s; 29 jumbo 747s, of which 20 are freighters; 96 dual-aisle 767s; and 728 Dreamliners. For the first 10 months of the year, here are the 10 Boeing customers who received the most new planes: Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ: RYAAY): 49 planes, all 737s Southwest Airlines Corp. (NYSE: LUV): 27 planes, all 737s Turkish Airlines: 26 planes, 20 737s and 6 777s American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL): 25 planes, 16 737s, 2 777s, and 7 787s China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd. (NYSE: CEA): 24 planes, 17 737s and 7 777s Air Lease Corp. (NYSE: AL): 22 planes, 15 737s, 5 777s, and 2 787s GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS): 21 planes, 17 737s and 4 777s Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK): 18 planes, all 737s Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL): 16 planes, all 737s Norwegian, Air China, United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL): 15 deliveries each The U.S. Navy also received 16 767s this year. These are being adapted for the KC-46A tanker fleet. Of the 228 new airplanes delivered to Boeing's top commercial customers, 195 (86%) were 737s. Of Boeing's total backlog, about 77% are 737s. Another way of looking at Boeing's top customers is to see which have the most orders in the aircraft maker's backlog. Here are the 10 customers with the most orders waiting to be filled: Southwest: 229 planes, all 737s Lion Air: 214 planes, all 737s Ryanair: 205 planes, all 737s Emirates: 178 planes, 28 777-300ERs and 150 777Xs Air Lease Corp.: 176 planes, 118 737 MAXs, 11 737-800s, 3 777-300ERs, 30 787- 10s and 14 787-9s United Airlines: 173 planes, 99 737 MAXs, 37 737-700s, 4 737-800s, 14 777s, and 19 787s Norwegian: 148 planes, 108 737 MAXs, 21 737-800s, and 19 787-9s American Airlines: 146 planes, 100 737 MAXs, 24 737-800s, and 22 787s GECAS: 133 planes, 95 737 MAXs, 16 737-800s, 2 777-300ERs, 10 787-10s Qatar Airways: 105 planes, 10 777-300ERs, 5 777Fs, 60 777Xs, and 30 787-9s United Airlines last week shifted an order for 65 of Boeing's 737s, switching four that are scheduled for delivery next year from 737-700s to 737-800s, and deferring the delivery of the other 61, which are a mix of 737-700s and 737 MAXs. This was interpreted as bad news for Boeing, but it was actually pretty good, as we discussed on Friday. One last list: the airlines that have flown the most Boeing planes in the 100-year history of the aircraft maker. According to Boeing's bookkeeping, and including McDonnell Douglas (MD) aircraft, the company's best customers over the years have been: United Airlines: 1,550 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery in 1959 American Airlines: 1,207 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery in 1958 Delta: 1,172 Boeing and MD aircraft, including 286 from Northwest; first delivery in 1959 International Lease Finance Corp.: 763 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery in 1978 Southwest: 712 Boeing 737s; first delivery in 1971 GECAS: 522 Boeing aircraft; first delivery 1995 Ryanair: 426 Boeing 737s; first delivery in 1999 Japan Air Lines: 374 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery in 1960 All Nippon Airways: 364 Boeing aircraft; first delivery in 1964 Eastern Airlines: 342 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery in 1960 British Airways: 341 Boeing aircraft; first delivery in 1965 Lufthansa: 322 Boeing and MD aircraft; first delivery 1960 Boeing has delivered a total of 21,318 commercial airplanes to its customers, beginning with just 8 in 1958. In 2015 the company delivered 762 new planes, the most in its history. http://247wallst.com/aerospace-defense/2016/11/19/boeings-10-largest- customers/?yptr=yahoo Back to Top American Airlines pilots upset with holiday bid schedule American Airlines pilots are upset about their December flight schedules, saying that the carrier's computer software unfairly assigned high-seniority pilots to fly on Christmas. In a hotline sent to 15,000 pilots on Thursday evening, the Allied Pilots Association said the problems occurred with the version of preferential bidding system software used to create the December schedules. American Airlines pilots union president Dan Carey delivers remarks during a news conference at Allied Pilots Association headquarters in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. Brandon Wade Special to the Star-Telegram "It has been botched," said Dan Carey, the union's president, at a news briefing on Wednesday. "We have senior pilots who will be working over the holidays in December and junior pilots who will be off." According to the union, a newer version of the software that American received in November could have been used to avoid some of the seniority issues. However, American's information technology team said the software had not been fully tested and senior management chose to use the older version. Carey met with American's chief executive Doug Parker on Wednesday to discuss possible remedies to the bid problems, the union said. American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said the December bid was run with the same software used for the November bid. The update to the software has not been fully tested for every scenario to make sure the algorithms properly address trip coverage, seniority and compliance with Federal Aviation Administration crew duty rules. "We have reached out to APA to come up with solutions for anyone who has concerns with the December bid but so far APA has declined those offers," Miller said. American is slowly rolling out a new bidding system for pilots across the company. Currently, pilot bases in Boston, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and St. Louis are using the new preferential bidding system. Pilots in New York and Dallas/Fort Worth were not affected by the seniority issues as they are not yet using the new system. Last Christmas, a software glitch in the flight attendant's preferential bidding system caused hundreds of former US Airways flight attendants to be mistkenly assigned trips over the holidays. The carrier offered 300 percent pay for the flight attendants who chose to work the mis-assigned trips and 150 percent pay to all of the former US Airways flight attendants for flights worked from December 15 to December 31. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/aviation/sky-talk- blog/article115706413.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Japan's Peach Aviation Orders 13 Airbus Jets The Japanese budget carrier's order for 13 Airbus planes could be worth more than $1 billion An Peach Aviation Airbus SAS A320 plane lands at Kansai Airport near Osaka, Japan, on Nov. 10, 2011. ENLARGE TOKYO-Japanese low-cost carrier Peach Aviation said Friday it has ordered a total of 13 commercial aircraft from Airbus Group SE in a deal that could be worth more than $1 billion. The Japanese budget airline, which is partly owned by ANA Holdings Inc., said it ordered 10 A320neo airplanes with a capacity of 188 seats, and three A320ceo planes, with a capacity of 180 seats. It said the A320ceo aircraft are scheduled to arrive in the 2018 fiscal year ending March 2019, and the first A320neo plane should arrive in April-June 2019. Peach didn't disclose the price of the orders, but the 10 A320neo jets alone could cost more than $1 billion, based on the Airbus list price. http://www.wsj.com/articles/japans-peach-aviation-orders-13-airbus-jets-1479435492 Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Research Survey on Adverse Wind Landing Events Hello, my name is Paul Pillar, and I'm a PhD student at St. Louis University, with an interest area in human factors, especially error production, detection, and mitigation. I've been associated with aviation for 34 years in various roles, including 21 years in the USAF and 13 years as a civil flight tester, human factors engineer, and air safety investigator. I am currently conducting a mixed-methods research project for a PhD course and would like to ask for your support by completing a short and anonymous survey on adverse wind landing events. For the purpose of this survey, I am interested in factors related to downwind and crosswind landings that may result in a hazardous situation. Feel free to share the link as you deem appropriate with colleagues and friends. Thank you very much in advance! Survey Link: https://slu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7R4Tghy0i4ACoJL Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Sherry Saehlenou and I have been in the field of aviation for over 38 years as a flight attendant, purser and cabin safety trainer and recently have started my own training/consulting company. I have been working, for a while now, to raise awareness in the aviation community about the need for training in recognizing and reporting instances of human trafficking around the globe. My focus started with training flight attendants but as I talk to my colleagues it became clear that all employee groups need to develop an awareness and a plan (pilots, ground agents, airport security personnel, ticket counter employees and airport officials, etc.). I have been asked to write an article for a prominent security magazine about what our industry is, or is not, doing to deal with the problem of human trafficking - as airlines are frequently the transport vehicle and airports are distribution hubs. To that end, I need data and input from the aviation community around the globe.This is an anonymous survey; however, you may leave your contact info at the end if you are interested in the results and/or would like more information on Human Trafficking. Please share this survey with your colleagues. I appreciate your help and thank you for your time! Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/htrafficking Curt Lewis