Flight Safety Information December 12, 2016 - No. 246 In This Issue Boeing 737 Hard Landing - Gear Collapse (Afghanistan) Delta jet slides into grass at snowy Detroit airport Pillsbury: Global, Top-Ranked, Non-Stop Service Snow grounds 1,800 flights, mainly in Chicago, Midwest PIA grounds all ATR aircraft till shakedown tests complete1 Hot-Air-Balloon Pilot Had Drugs in System at Time of Deadly Crash Sustained safety effort pulled Kazakhstan off EU blacklist Connected Aircraft Conference to take place in March in Dubai India to Train Vietnam Fighter Pilots Pilots fined as probe into LIAT continues Graduate Research Survey Boeing 737 Hard Landing - Gear Collapse (Afghanistan) Status: Preliminary Date: Saturday 10 December 2016 Time: 12:24 Type: Boeing 737-46J Operating for: Safi Airways Leased from: Jordan Aviation Registration: JY-JAQ C/n / msn: 27826/2694 First flight: 1995-01-27 (21 years 11 months) Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-3C1 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 155 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Kabul-Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL) ( Afghanistan) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Herat Airport (HEA/OAHR), Afghanistan Destination airport: Kabul-Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL/OAKB), Afghanistan Flightnumber: 4Q502 Narrative: Safi Airways flight 4Q502 from Herat, was damaged in a hard landing accident on runway 29 at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan. The right hand main gear separated and the aircraft came to rest with the no.2 touching the runway. An evacuation was carried out on the left hand side of the aircraft. Back to Top Delta jet slides into grass at snowy Detroit airport A Delta Air Lines flight slid into the grass as it was taxiing after landing at the Detroit Metro Airport on Sunday morning. Delta confirmed the incident to Today in the Sky, saying it occurred around 11:30 a.m. ET on a flight arriving from Buffalo. "Delta Flight 724 ... landed and was turning from the runway onto the taxiway when it left the pavement, stopping in the snowy grass," Delta spokesman Anthony Black said in a statement. "The passengers were off-loaded and bused to the terminal about an hour late. All bags were recovered." Delta said none of the 65 passengers or five crew members were injured. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/12/11/delta-md-80-slides-into-grass- snowy-detroit-airport/95304028/ *************** Date: 11-DEC-2016 Time: 12:32 Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines Registration: N911DE C/n / msn: 49967/2037 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 70 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW) - United States of America Phase: Taxi Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Buffalo Niagara International Airport, NY (BUF/KBUF) Destination airport: Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW) Narrative: Delta Air Lines flight DL724 reportedly suffered a taxiway excursion at Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Michigan. The aircraft had landed after a domestic flight from Buffalo Airport, New York. The aircraft was turning off runway 21L onto taxiway T when it skidded off into the grass. No injuries are reported. The flight approaching runway 21L after DL724 was told braking action was 'medium' in the first third of the runway and 'poor' in the last third. After landing, DL724 reported braking action 'medium' and requested to leave the runway at taxiway Tango. This was approved by the Tower controller. A previous Notam had been issued for Taxiway T, stating: !DTW 12/275 DTW TWY T BTN RWY 03R/21L AND TWY Q FICON 1/2IN DRY SN OVER COMPACTED SN 70FT WID OBSERVED AT 1612111437. Weather at Detroit-Metropolitan Airport about the time if the incident (12:32LT/16:32Z): KDTW 111653Z 17010KT 1SM R03R/4500VP6000FT -SN BR BKN008 OVC015 M02/M03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP223 P0002 T10221033 $ KDTW 111603Z 17010KT 3/4SM R03R/4000V5000FT -SN BR FEW010 OVC020 M03/M04 A3020 RMK AO2 TWR VIS 1 P0000 T10281039 KDTW 111553Z 17013KT 1 1/4SM R03R/4500VP6000FT -SN BR SCT010 BKN030 OVC045 M02/M04 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP241 P0001 T10221039 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=191965 Back to Top Back to Top Snow grounds 1,800 flights, mainly in Chicago, Midwest A screenshot of the USA TODAY Weather map shows a major winter storm moving across the Great Lakes region on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016. (Photo: USA TODAY Weather) Airlines grounded nearly 1,800 flights nationwide and began waiving change fees as a snow storm wreaked havoc on flights schedules Sunday. The worst overall problems were at Chicago O'Hare, where more than 1,200 flights had been canceled as of 7:50 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. The cancellations represented more than half of the airport's entire daily schedule. Flights that were still operating were faced delays as long as 4-½ hours earlier Sunday, though they had moderated by afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's flight-delay map. Nationwide, about 2,370 flights had been delayed by 7:50 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware. Chicago O'Hare is a hub for both United and American airlines, meaning disruptions could ripple out to other airports as planes and crews get knocked off schedule by the weather problems there. Chicago's Midway Airport also was seeing weather-related problems. More than 170 flights - or about a third of the day's schedule - had been canceled there as of noon ET, according to FlightAware. Southwest is by far the busiest carrier at Midway. In Detroit, no one was injured when an arriving Delta Air Lines MD-80 jet slid into the grass just before noon ET there. The FAA ground stop issued for Detroit after the incident, listing snow, ice and "braking action" as causes. Both delays and cancellations spike in Detroit during the afternoon, but it was unclear if that was fallout from the Delta incident or it was because of deteriorating weather conditions. As of 7:50 p.m. ET, more than 220 flights -- about 20% of the day's schedule -- had been canceled and another 440 delayed, FlightAware counted. Several other airports in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions were being affected by the storm. Among other airports in the region seeing higher than average numbers of delays and cancellations were Cleveland; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; St. Louis; Milwaukee; Grand Rapids, Mich.; South Bend, Ind.; Lansing, Mich., among others. In Canada, Toronto Pearson -- that country's busiest airport -- also was seeing significant weather-related flight disruptions. New York City's big airports were thrown into the delay mix Sunday evening. Newark Liberty, New York JFK and New York LaGuardia -- three of the nation's most delay-prone airports that suffer delays even in moderate weather events -- were seeing a mix of low clouds and wintry precipitation Sunday evening. As of 7:50 p.m. ET, delays and cancellations were running above typical levels at Newark and LaGuardia. The FAA was reporting delays averaging up to 2 hours at the airports. Back to the Midwest, all big airlines flying to the region had waived change fees to customers scheduled to fly through many of the region's big airports Sunday. The nation's three biggest carriers - American, Delta and United - each had enacted such policies. Generally, the they allowed customers with tickets to fly through the region on Saturday or Sunday to make one change to their itineraries without paying the customary change fees, which can cost $200 or more per traveler. United's waiver also covered fliers scheduled to fly through O'Hare on Monday. JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit and Virgin America also waived changes fees for fliers at several of their airports in the Great Lakes region. The exact details of the waivers varied by airline. Southwest does not charge change fees, but said that customers scheduled to fly through seven of its airports in the region would be allowed to change their plans without paying any difference in fare. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/12/11/snow-grounds-1500-flights- chicago-midwest/95300092/ Back to Top PIA grounds all ATR aircraft till shakedown tests complete Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has grounded its entire fleet of ATR aircraft till a thorough 'examination' is completed, the airline's spokesman said. "In view of the Civil Aviation Authority's decision of holding shakedown tests of PIA's entire ATR fleet, it has been decided to keep all 10 ATR aircraft grounded till they are cleared after thorough examination," a press release from the airline stated. Temporary suspension of ATR operation will particularly affect PIA's flight operation to smaller airports like Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Moenjodaro, Zhob, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Chitral and Gilgit. A PIA ATR plane PK-661 crashed last week near Havelian while en route to Islamabad from Chitral, killing all 47 passengers onboard including renowned singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed and DC Chitral Osama Warraich. A PIA spokesperson on Sunday denied claims that the PK-661 crash was due to existing technical faults in the aircraft engine and said such speculation may have adverse impact on public perception. The spokesperson said it was too soon to say that one of the ill-fated plane's fans was rotating the wrong way. He stated that at takeoff time, both engines were working perfectly fine and it was likely that some technical issue had developed during the flight. The official said that inquiry into the incident by the Safety Investigation Board was underway. An initial report by the Civil Aviation Authority on Friday revealed that the left engine of the ill-fated PIA PK-661 plane had exploded before the crash which resultantly damaged the left wing. A PIA flight scheduled to take off from Heathrow Airport in London was cancelled earlier on Monday, reportedly due to issues in the plane's computer. https://www.geo.tv/latest/123406-PIA-grounds-all-10-ATR-aircraft-till-check-is-complete Back to Top Hot-Air-Balloon Pilot Had Drugs in System at Time of Deadly Crash Power lines brought down Alfred 'Skip' Nichols' rig, killing 16 people in Texas in July The partial frame of a hot-air balloon is visible above the crop in a field investigators combed after Alfred 'Skip' Nichols' rig went down in bad weather in Texas in July. Sixteen people, including Mr. Nichols, died in the accident. The pilot of a hot-air balloon that crashed in Texas in July had drugs in his system-including the chemicals found in codeine, sedatives, Ritalin and antidepressants-at the time of the accident, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Alfred 'Skip' Nichols was piloting the balloon when it struck high-voltage power lines and crashed in Lockhart, Texas, about 30 miles south of Austin, on July 30. The crash killed 16 people, including Mr. Nichols. The NTSB hasn't yet issued a statement on what caused the crash. Witnesses said at the time of the crash that visibility was poor. Another nearby hot-air balloon company canceled its scheduled flights because of bad weather and forecasts for bad weather. Federal investigators reported in August that they believed Mr. Nichols tried to duck through a break in clouds without noticing power lines below. A toxicology report for 49-year-old Mr. Nichols, submitted as part of an NTSB investigation hearing last week, found seven potentially impairing compounds, including the sedative diazepam; antidepressant bupropion; muscle relaxer cyclobenzaprine; a synthetic codeine analog; an antihistamine; a controlled- substance stimulant, and the narcotic pain reliever oxycodone. Commercial hot-air-balloon pilots aren't required to have medical certificates to fly, but Federal Aviation Administration instructions state that airmen shouldn't go aloft when using controlled substances, antidepressants, ADD or ADHD medications, sedatives or tranquilizers. FAA rules mandate significantly stricter scrutiny and regular medical exams for pilots of any fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters carrying people for hire-regardless of the number of passengers. Agency officials have been debating how to respond to that discrepancy, and are expected to propose steps to beef up licensing requirements for hot-air balloon operators and pilots. Meanwhile, industry officials and regulators have joined forces to support voluntary efforts to enhance safety programs, including pilot education and focus on spreading best operational practices. As part of their final report, federal accident investigators are expected to call for stepped-up medical and licensing rules for pilots working for such sightseeing balloon companies. Pilots are required to report convictions for driving offenses related to drugs or alcohol. Mr. Nichols, according to the NTSB report, marked "no" on all questions about medical conditions, medications and convictions in a 1996 medical certification. FBI records showed Mr. Nichols was arrested twice for felony drug possession in 1987-before he applied for that certificate. Among other criminal incidents, he was also arrested for felony drug possession in 1998 and 1999, incarcerated for 18 months between 2002 and 2004 for being a DWI "persistent offender," and jailed again from July 2010 to January 2012 for being a DWI "aggravated offender." His driver's license was revoked in 2010, and he wasn't eligible to get a new one until 2020. An FAA security office in 2013 marked on his file five separate alcohol-related driving convictions and license actions, including one that occurred before he applied for the 1996 medical certificate. The FAA didn't take any legal enforcement action at the time of a 2013 letter alerting Mr. Nichols to the issues, but said he could be suspended or have his certification revoked in case of future violations. According to the NTSB investigation, a 2013 psychologist report found Mr. Nichols to have a history of depression and alcohol and substance abuse. The report said, "He now works in reservations but often makes errors due to distractibility and forgetfulness." Alan Thomas Lirette, who worked with Mr. Nichols, said in an interview with NTSB investigators that he knew Mr. Nichols had a "colorful" past but believed he had turned his life around. http://www.wsj.com/articles/hot-air-balloon-pilot-had-drugs-in-system-at-time-of-deadly-crash- 1481484649 Back to Top Sustained safety effort pulled Kazakhstan off EU blacklist Kazakhstan's removal from European Commission blacklisting has followed a sustained effort to modernise and revamp its air safety oversight. All Kazakh carriers were blacklisted under a blanket ban in 2009, with the sole exception of Air Astana, which was permitted to continue operating to Europe albeit with restrictions. But the European air safety authorities have praised the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee for being "willing to engage" with the Commission and "transparent" in recognising the need to continue developing oversight obligations and resolve safety issues. An ICAO-backed validation mission to Kazakhstan in April showed that the effective implementation of international standards had risen to 74%, and ICAO subsequently lifted a serious safety concern centre on certification of airlines. The European Aviation Safety Agency and members of the Commission, among others, carried out an on- site visit in the second half of September. Documentation accompanying the Commission's revised blacklist states that the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee has demonstrated "considerable progress", with a focus on ICAO standards and recent implementation of contemporary aviation safety-management techniques. The Kazakh committee has audit and surveillance plans in place for the country's carriers, and it performs ramp inspections. "It also made efforts to recruit and train additional inspectors for the oversight of the aviation industry in Kazakhstan," says the European evaluation, adding that the committee's executives have a "high level" of experience and personnel within the committee are "overall, knowledgeable". Two airlines - both on the banned list - were examined as part of the European assessment visit, to verify their compliance with international standards. "The main conclusion of the visits to these air carriers is that there was no lack of willingness nor a lack of ability to address safety deficiencies," says the documentation. Civil Aviation Committee representatives also presented an update of its measures to the European air safety committee on 23 November - including amendments to civil aviation legislation, training management, and development of a safety oversight programme and implementation of a mechanism for resolving safety concerns. The Kazakh authority has introduced a voluntary incident reporting system and updated procedures and checklists, while putting in place an electronic database to support surveillance. Its measures also include qualifying more inspectors for examination of dangerous goods shipments. Kazakh operator SCAT also had an opportunity to present to the European committee in November, providing "specific" details on its safety-management system, as well as its maintenance and training regime, and audits undertaken, says the documentation. The air safety committee found SCAT's information to be "satisfactory". In its conclusion the air safety committee says there is "sufficient evidence of compliance" with international standards by Kazakh airlines and the Civil Aviation Committee, adding that the authority has "committed to fully engage in a continuing safety dialogue" with the European Commission. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sustained-safety-effort-pulled-kazakhstan-off-eu-bla-432336/ Back to Top Connected Aircraft Conference to take place in March in Dubai The Connected Aircraft Conference will take place from 7-8 March 2017 in Dubai, UAE. Airlines, OEMs, and solution providers will discuss the latest advancements in satellite connectivity to improve passenger experience and aircraft operations. Highlights from the event will include: John Synnott, Manager, Flight Operations Information Technology from IATA, will provide an update on the development of standards for the compliance, ownership and governance of big data for improved data analysis. Christopher Bigwood, Manager Innovation Programs, Design Engineering and Innovation from Etihad, will discuss how to use predictive analytics for streamlined operations. Dr. Jassim Haji, CIO from Gulf Air, will address the security risks and associated controls for connected aircrafts. Serdar Gürbüz, Digital Innovation Manager from Turkish Airlines, will discuss how Turkish Airlines are using IoT technologies to improve passenger experience, decrease operational costs and generate new revenue streams. http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/connected-aircraft-conference-to-take-place-in-march-in-dubai.html Back to Top India to Train Vietnam Fighter Pilots Both countries conclude yet another pact in their burgeoning defense relationship. India will begin training Vietnamese fighter pilots starting next year, according to an agreement inked by the two countries this week. On December 5, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Ngo Xuan Lich, signed a pact with Hanoi to train the pilots of its Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 multirole combat aircraft. The inking of the agreement came during Ngo's much-awaited four-day visit to India, which began on December 3. India and Vietnam have been strengthening their defense ties over the past few years, and that had already translated into some significant collaboration, such as New Delhi's training Vietnamese submariners. But the two sides have also been looking to further boost relations, with greater momentum from the Indian side under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his inauguration in May 2014 under the "Act East" policy. During Modi's visit to Vietnam in September, which followed Parrikar's own voyage there in June, both sides elevated their ties to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a raft of agreements, which included a new $500 million line of credit for Vietnam's defense, a pact on the construction of offshore patrol boats, the sharing of white (non-military) shipping information, and cooperation in outer space. Ngo's visit provided an opportunity to further boost ties in the defense realm. The highlight of his visit was the agreement on the training of the pilots from the Vietnam People's Army Air Force by Indian Air Force instructors (both countries operate Su-30s). The training is expected to begin early next year, and details will be worked out by both sides in terms of the cost of the arrangement as well as the scale of the collaboration. But other significant developments occurred as well beyond that. Ngo called on several officials including Modi, Parrikar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, which provided an opportunity to discuss current and future defense cooperation and the implementation of the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-India Defense Relations out to 2020. There were also agreements worked out in other areas like air force cooperation, peacekeeping, and exchanges. A conference was also held to discuss defense industry collaboration. Movement on the $500 million credit line still remains unclear. The Indian newspaper The Hindu quoted an anonymous defense source as saying that India had agreed to Vietnam's requests for some of the funds to go to modernization and new platforms, and that an agreement would soon be signed by the Export- Import Bank of India after which more specific projects would be identified. http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/india-to-train-vietnam-fighter-pilots/ Back to Top Boeing Seals Nearly $17 Billion Iran Deal Jet-sale accord comes as Trump's election spurs uncertainty for Islamic Republic deals Fifty 737 Max single-aisle jets are among the 80 aircraft Boeing plans to sell to Iran under an agreement valued at $16.6 billion at list prices. Boeing Co. clinched a deal to sell 80 jetliners to Iran, completing the first major agreement between a U.S. company and the Islamic Republic, just as the political winds are changing. Planned aircraft sales by Chicago-based Boeing and European rival Airbus Group SE to Iranian carrier Iran Air are among the most high-profile transactions signed since Iran and Western powers concluded a nuclear accord that removed sanctions on Tehran. U.S. officials cleared the way for Airbus and Boeing to start contract talks in September. Now, Western executives are trying to figure out whether President-elect Donald Trump will step in to slow, or stop, the tentative approaches many companies have already made. The Boeing deal was first announced in June and officially sealed between Boeing and Iran on Sunday. It is valued at $16.6 billion, based on the company's list price, which doesn't include typical discounts. Airbus has a similar deal for jet sales to Iran pending. The timing of the final announcement is awkward, given how the aerospace giant's relations with the president-elect were strained last week when he criticized the potential cost of replacing the jets that serve as Air Force One. A Boeing spokesman declined to comment on whether it informed the incoming administration about the progress of the Iran sale, but the company said in a written statement that the deal has the potential to sustain thousands of U.S. jobs. It has also said it will work with Mr. Trump on the cost of the Air Force One deal. Boeing's Iran Air sales, because they involve a state-owned airline, require approval from the U.S. Treasury, State Department and Congress mainly linked to any potential financing arrangements, said people familiar with the sales process. This presents new potential obstacles to any transaction should Mr. Trump, an outspoken critic of the Iran deal, oppose these kinds of commercial openings with Iran. An aide to Rep. Peter Roskam (R., Ill.), a critic of the Boeing deal, said it is likely Congress will oppose the deal next year and that the new administration is expected to block the aircraft transaction rather than force lawmakers to act. Officials with the Trump transition team didn't respond to a request for comment about the Boeing aircraft sale to Iran. Despite new wariness after the election of Mr. Trump, many big and small Western companies continue to move ahead with early plans to enter Iran. German conglomerate Siemens AG, French oil giant Total SA, French telecommunications firm Orange SA and British telecom giant Vodafone Group PLC are all among other big Western companies pursuing their own deals, with varying degrees of investment commitments. Still, many have held back on big commitments. Royal Dutch Shell PLC, for instance, signed a deal last week to cooperate broadly in the energy sector with Tehran, but didn't commit to any specific investment. Amid the transition in Washington, executives are likely to forgo the sort of specific, investment-heavy deal that might be unwound should Mr. Trump or Republican lawmakers turn against the commercial openings that have followed the nuclear deal. "Iran is a big market and there's potential there, but we're not sure how the sanctions are going to go," said Anubhav Singh, the head of global sales and marketing at Afripipes, a South African telecommunications-equipment company exploring an entry into Iran. "We are being cautious and seeing how things pan out in the next five or six months." Abercrombie & Kent Co., a luxury travel agency based near Chicago that recently began offering $5,695 guided tours of Iran for Americans, isn't planning a post-election pullback. It will react in response to changes in government policy, spokeswoman Pamela Lassers said. "We are hopeful that President-elect Trump's extensive business and hospitality background will make him receptive to the value of the travel industry," she said. The Boeing deal covers 15 of the company's 777-300ER long-haul jets and 15 of the newer 777X widebody aircraft under development, as well as 50 737 Max single-aisle jets. Boeing had said it might need to trim production of the existing 777 jet unless it won fresh orders. Boeing has more than 5,700 jet orders valued at almost $500 billion, though the company needs to secure more deals for its the 777-30ER to avoid production cuts after a recent slowdown in deals. It also wants to avoid ceding market share to Airbus in Iran, where pent-up demand for domestic travel could mean the country might need as many as 400 new, more-efficient planes. Iran's transport minister, Abbas Akhoundi, said the deal was "the first step for the renovation of the country's aviation fleet," and would soon be followed by concluding talks with Airbus, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA. For Iran Air, replacing planes is a priority. After years of sanctions, some imposed after the Iranian revolution in 1979, the carrier operates some of the world's oldest airliners. Airbus in January agreed to sell 118 planes to Iran Air in a deal valued at roughly $25 billion at list price. Airbus on Sunday declined to comment about talks with potential customers. The Obama administration has encouraged the Boeing deal and others as part of a series of moves to cement its Iran policy, which has the nuclear agreement as its centerpiece. Mr. Trump has called the pact a bad deal and said the U.S. gave up too much for too little in return. http://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-seals-nearly-17-billion-iran-deal-1481507413 Back to Top Graduate Research Survey HI! My name is Amber L. Hulsey, A.B.D. and I am currently working on my dissertation for my Ph.D. entitled, "Human Trafficking: Flying Under the Radar." My dissertation examines the extent to which human trafficking occurs by air as a mode of transportation compared to land and sea. Additionally, the study examines the actions that can be taken to combat human trafficking into and within the United States. The theoretical lens to which this study uses is Human Security Theory. This survey is completely anonymous, has undergone Institutional Review Board and has been approved. If you have any questions or would like to contact me for any reason, please email me at amber.hulsey@usm.edu. The survey will be open from December 7- December 21st. Please share this on all social media accounts, with your friends, family, and with your colleagues. Upon completion of this study, I will share the findings with various government and NGO's to aid in eradicating human trafficking. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HTinUSA Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this survey and more importantly, for helping aid in the research to combat human trafficking by air. Curt Lewis