Flight Safety Information January 16, 2017 - No. 012 In This Issue Turkish Cargo Jet Crashes In Kyrgyzstan Village, Killing At Least 37 Lufthansa A321 near Moscow on Jan 15th 2017, cracked windshield Airports Authority of India tells pilots to watch out for kites Investigation underway into airplane that narrowly missed Mt. Wilson last month PNG police suggest putting air marshals on international flights A Dec. 28 incident involving a CHC-operated S-92 has led to new inspection requirements EUTELSAT 117 West B All-Electric Satellite Fully Charged and Now in Commercial Service Canada's Porter Airlines resumes flights after outage grounds fleet DOJ: Criminal charges apply to assaulting airport workers Poland may buy 100 extra fighter aircraft.. Korean flag carriers set to introduce new aircraft Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers...ISASI 2017, San Diego CA ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA GRADUATE RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Turkish Cargo Jet Crashes In Kyrgyzstan Village, Killing At Least 37 Most of the victims were residents of a village struck by the Boeing 747 as it tried to land in dense fog BISHKEK (Reuters) - A Turkish cargo jet crashed near Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport on Monday, killing at least 37 people, most of them residents of a village struck by the Boeing 747 as it tried to land in dense fog, Kyrgyz officials said. According to the airport administration, the plane was supposed to make a stopover at Manas, near the capital city Bishkek, on its way from Hong Kong to Istanbul. It crashed when trying to land in poor visibility at 7:31 a.m. (08:31 p.m. ET). The doomed plane plowed for a few hundred meters (yards) through the village, shattering into pieces and damaging some 15 buildings. Initial estimates put the death toll from the crash at 37, said Kyrgyzstan's emergencies ministry. Rescue teams have reached the crash site of a Turkish cargo jet near Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport. Kyrgyz officials initially identified the Boeing 747-400 as belonging to Turkish Airlines, but Turkish cargo operator ACT Airlines said the jet was theirs. "Our TC-MCL signed plane, flying on Jan. 16 from Hong Kong to Bishkek, crashed on landing at Bishkek at the end of the runway for an unknown reason," ACT Airlines said in an emailed statement. "More information will be disclosed concerning our four-person team when we get clear information." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turkish-airlines-crash- kyrgyzstan_us_587c514ce4b09281d0eb8de7 ****************** Status: Preliminary Date: Monday 16 January 2017 Time: 07:19 Type: Boeing 747-412F Operating for: THY Turkish Airlines Leased from: MyCargo Airlines Registration: TC-MCL C/n / msn: 32897/1322 First flight: 2003-01-13 (14 years ) Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney PW4056 Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Collision casualties: Fatalities: 28 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU) ( Kyrgyzstan) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport (HKG/VHHH), Hong Kong Destination airport: Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU/UCFM), Kyrgyzstan Flightnumber: TK6491 Narrative: A Boeing 747-412F cargo plane was destroyed after impacting terrain near Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU). Local sources say all four crew members and 28 persons on the ground were killed. Flight TK6491 departed Hong Kong on a cargo service to Istanbul. An en route refueling stop was planned at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows the aircraft on approach to Bishkek's runway 26 at the time of the accident. Weather at the time of the accident was poor with a visibility of 150 m and a Runway Visual Range reported for runway 26 of 550 m in freezing fog conditions. Vertical visibility was 100 m. Temperature was -9°C, Dew point -10°C. Sources: » eng.24.kg METAR Weather report: 01:00 UTC / 07:00 local time: UCFM 160100Z VRB01MPS 0050 R26/0300N FZFG VV001 M09/M10 Q1023 R26/19//60 NOSIG 01:30 UTC / 07:30 local time: UCFM 160130Z VRB01MPS 0150 R26/0550 FZFG VV001 M09/M10 Q1024 R26/19//60 NOSIG https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170116-0 ******************* Crash: MyCargo B744 at Bishkek on Jan 16th 2017, impacted terrain on go around A MyCargo Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter on behalf of Turkish Airlines, registration TC-MCL performing flight TK-6491 from Hong Kong (China) to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) with 4 crew, was on final approach to Bishkek's runway 26 at 07:18L (01:18z) when the aircraft went around from very low height but did not climb out to safety, impacted terrain about 1100 meters/3600 feet past the runway end and went through a couple of houses of a village. All 4 crew on board the 747 as well as 28 people on the ground perished, 8 people on the ground received injuries and were taken to hospitals. Boeing reported flight TK-6491 operated by ACT Airlines suffered an accident near Manas Airport in Bishkek and extended condolencens to the families of those perished and best wishes for those injuries. A technical team is on stand by to assist the investigation. Turkish Airlines offered their condolences to the families of those perished in the crash of the ACT Airlines aircraft in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan's Health Minister reported all 4 pilots and 28 people on the ground have died, 8 people received injuries and were taken to hospitals. Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister stated the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC, also known as MAK) is going to investigate the crash. The aircraft was about to land for a fuel stop on its flight from Hong Kong to Istanbul and was cleared to land by air traffic control. 11 other aircraft had landed without incident prior to the accident in the morning hours of Jan 16th. Emergency Services reported the aircraft destroyed 30 of 43 houses when it impacted the village of the Aviator Society, debris spreads over an area of 1000 meters. Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft was on approach from the east to west when the aircraft went around but impacted the airport fence and subsequently fell onto the housing estate. MyCargo Airlines were formerly known as ACT Airlines. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a38d07d&opt=0 Back to Top Lufthansa A321 near Moscow on Jan 15th 2017, cracked windshield A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AISO performing flight LH-1452 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Moscow Domodedovo (Russia), was descending towards Moscow when the crew reported a cracked windshield after the windshield had overheated. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Domodedovo's runway 14R about 30 minutes later. The airline confirmed the incident, the windshield is being replaced in Moscow. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow 15 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a38e804&opt=0 Back to Top Airports Authority of India tells pilots to watch out for kites The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a notice to airmen (Notam) for Ahmedabad airport warning pilots about the "kite flying in day and lighted kite flying in night in and around the airfield due to Uttarayan festival. Pilots to exercise caution during arrival and departure." The Notam is valid from last Friday to Monday (Jan 16). While the Notam (A0074/17) is for Ahmedabad, airline pilots say they have to be on the lookout for kites while flying in and out of several airports in western India like Indore, Vadodara, Surat, Udaipur and even Mumbai this time of the year. "Issuing such a warning to be on the lookout for kite flying around airports is meaningless, as there is precious little that a pilot can do," said a senior pilot of commander rank. "Given the size of the kites and the speed of aircraft, how can a pilot avoid them? Local ground authorities must curb kite flying around airports instead of telling us to watch out," he added. How much risk does a kite pose to an aircraft? "If it is a small paper kite, then there is not much of an issue. But I have seen huge kites being flown with ropes, and if such an object gets caught in the engine, there can be damage to the equipment. It is similar to bird hits," said another senior pilot of the rank of commander. "With the aircraft moving at high speed, the impact of a collision with a heavy bird or big kite can be significant," added the airman who heads the operations of a big airline. "Issuing such Notams is just passing the buck so that in case, God forbid, something goes wrong due to this, they can always say we warned in advance," said a pilot. Airport operators, on their part, say they are quite helpless. "Whether it is the issue of dumping garbage, or of flying kites near airports, we can only tell the local police and municipality to curb these activities. But we have had little luck on both these fronts," said an airport operator on condition of anonymity. Airport operators in cities like Mumbai and Bhubaneswar have in the past sought police help to curb flying kites and helium balloons near airports. Kite flying peaks around Makar Sankranti (celebrated as Uttarayan in Gujarat), Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan in several parts of India. "Sometimes we report to the air traffic control if a big kite, drone or helium balloon comes in our path so that other flights don't face the same issue," said a pilot. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/aai-tells-pilots-to-watch-out-for- kites/articleshow/56577052.cms Back to Top Investigation underway into airplane that narrowly missed Mt. Wilson last month Mt. Wilson towers The top of Mt. Wilson bristles with a variety of broadcast towers that are hundreds of feet high. The array includes lower solar towers belonging to the Mt. Wilson Observatory on the right. (Larry Bessel / Los Angeles Times) The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the flight of an EVA Air Boeing 777 that headed the wrong way after departing Los Angeles International Airport last month and narrowly missed crashing into Mt. Wilson. Keith Holloway, an NTSB spokesman, said Friday that the agency will look into the actions of an air traffic controller who issued incorrect orders and the pilots of EVA Air Flight 15 that took off to the east from LAX on Dec. 16 early in the morning. Holloway said the investigation will include evaluations of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the Boeing 777, a wide-body jet that was carrying 353 passengers and crew during the mishap. Though obligated to obey instructions from air traffic control, federal regulations also state that the pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of their aircraft. Holloway said the investigation will determine whether there are safety problems that need to be addressed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the incident began about 1:30 am when the controller mistakenly ordered the flight to turn left to the north after the pilot shifted air traffic control responsibilities from the LAX tower to approach control in San Diego, a common practice. The standard procedure for eastern departures from the southern runways at LAX is to make a right turn to the south after takeoff and then head toward the ocean. FAA officials said the incorrect order sent the Taiwan-bound airliner across the flight path of a departing Air Canada passenger jet and toward the San Gabriel Mountains. When the controller realized the EVA flight had turned in the wrong direction, FAA officials said, she took immediate action to keep the EVA Air and Air Canada flights safely separated. The controller then turned her attention to getting the EVA pilot to turn south and repeatedly ordered him to do so until he finally complied, according to recorded radio transmissions. At one point, the controller said, "EVA 15 what are you doing? Turn southbound now!" The Boeing 777 appeared to clear the 5,713-foot peak of Mt. Wilson by 500 to 800 feet. However, broadcast towers along the summit rise anywhere from several hundred feet to almost 1,000 feet in the air. Solar towers at the nearby Mt. Wilson Observatory are 60 and 150 feet high. EVA officials have said the airline is cooperating with federal investigators and that their passenger jet was never too close to the mountains or other aircraft. The FAA also is looking into the incident. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-flight-investigation-20170113-story.html Back to Top PNG police suggest putting air marshals on international flights The police in PNG have suggested putting air marshals on international flights after a midair incident on an Air Niugini flight a week ago. Air Niugini and Fiji Airways parked at Nadi International Airport in FijiAir Niugini and Fiji Airways parked at Nadi International Airport in Fiji Photo: RNZI/Sally Round Police said during the flight from Port Moresby to Singapore a man was accosted and detained by passengers after he reportedly put on a life jacket, inflated it and began walking down the aisle towards one of the emergency exits. A police spokesperson, Dominic Kakas, said the police want a meeting with government agencies and airline representatives to ensure it doesn't happen again. He said PNG is hosting major international events and it must demonstrate to the travelling public that it is serious about air safety. "From what we understand following the 9/11 incident in the US that I think was supposed to be compulsory for all airlines, international airlines to have a air marshall onboard but as I said this is something for all the agencies to meet and sit down and discuss this," Dominic Kakas said. http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/322485/png-police-suggest-putting- air-marshals-on-international-flights Back to Top A Dec. 28 incident involving a CHC-operated S-92 has led to new inspection requirements for the global fleet. CHC Photo PHP - Starter Generators in stock! Operators Demand PHP learn why FAA issues emergency airworthiness directive for S-92 helicopters Sikorsky S-92 helicopters must now undergo inspections every 10 hours under the terms of a new emergency airworthiness directive (AD) issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A Dec. 28 incident involving a CHC-operated S-92 has led to new inspection requirements for the global fleet. CHC PhotoA Dec. 28 incident involving a CHC-operated S-92 has led to new inspection requirements for S-92 tail rotor pitch change shaft assemblies. CHC Photo Churchill Navigation - ION: The Next Generation of Video Recording. $9,500 Multi- Channel HD Recordin The FAA issued the emergency AD on Jan. 13, calling for immediate inspections of all S- 92 tail rotor pitch change shaft (TRPCS) assemblies, followed by repetitive borescope inspections at intervals not to exceed 10 hours time in service. The emergency AD follows an alert service bulletin (ASB) issued by Sikorsky on Jan. 10, which called for immediate inspections of the S-92's TRPCS assembly and a review of associated health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) data. That ASB was prompted by a Dec. 28 incident in which a CHC-operated S-92 lost tail rotor control while landing on an offshore helideck in the North Sea. According to the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the loss of control likely resulted from a seized bearing in the TRPCS assembly. The inspections have caused temporary disruptions in the offshore oil-and-gas sector, especially in the North Sea, which is heavily reliant on the S-92 due to the continued grounding of Airbus Helicopters H225 and AS332 L2 Super Pumas by the U.K. and Norway. While S-92 flight activity dropped precipitously on Jan. 10 following issuance of the ASB, it largely rebounded within 48 hours, according to data provided by Seer Aerospace, a helicopter-focused data analytics and software company that uses ADS-B to track activity levels across the global fleet. Data provided by Seer Aerospace shows the drop in S-92 flight hours on Jan. 10 compared to normal Tuesday flight activity.Data provided by Seer Aerospace shows the drop in S-92 flight hours on Jan. 10 compared to normal Tuesday flight activity. On Jan. 13, Sikorsky reported that "physical inspections of the tail rotor pitch change shaft bearing are well underway with over 250 aircraft inspected," adding that the company is reviewing HUMS data for those aircraft as well. According to news reports, the inspections have revealed possible issues with at least four S-92 helicopters in the offshore fleet. Sikorsky stated that "a small number of parts are being returned to Sikorsky for additional evaluation," noting that "these findings do not constitute failure of the bearing." The company added, "We appreciate the FAA's mandate of the inspection of the S-92 tail rotor pitch change shaft assembly as it supports the continued airworthiness of the S-92 fleet and our top priority, safety." The S-92's TRPCS bearing was the subject of a previous emergency AD, issued by the FAA in November of last year. That AD, however, applied only to TRPCS assemblies with less than 80 hours time in service. Preliminary investigation of the Dec. 28 CHC incident determined that the bearing failed despite having more than 80 hours time in service, which prompted the FAA to expand its inspection requirements to all S-92 TRPCS assemblies under the latest emergency AD. According to the AAIB, at this stage of the investigation, it is unclear whether the bearing degradation in the Dec. 28 event is the result of a new root cause. The FAA described its latest emergency AD as an "interim action," adding that it will consider further rulemaking "if final action is later identified." https://www.verticalmag.com/news/faa-issues-emergency-airworthiness-directive-s-92- helicopters/#sthash.r3OGS1pF.dpuf Back to Top EUTELSAT 117 West B All-Electric Satellite Fully Charged and Now in Commercial Service PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Eutelsat Communications (ETL.PA) announces that its EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite has entered into full commercial service and is now ready to support customers across Latin America. Commercialised by the Eutelsat Americas affiliate, EUTELSAT 117 West B is the second all-electric satellite in Eutelsat's fleet. It is equipped with 48 Ku-band transponders (36 MHz equivalent) connected to four beams providing premium coverage of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, the Andean region and the Southern Cone. Eutelsat's new satellite complements EUTELSAT 117 West A, launched in 2013, to create a multi-satellite neighbourhood at 117° West, which is already used by Millicom's Tigo Star, Stargroup and Televisa. It will also provide key services to telecom operators and government service providers in Latin America. EUTELSAT 117 West B also features a new-generation WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) payload operated by Raytheon as prime contractor for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will go live in 2018. Developed for the civil aviation community, the WAAS payload is designed to receive signals from ground stations that verify signal accuracy and rebroadcast the information to GPS users, including airline cockpits, the most demanding of civil GPS applications. It will increase GPS signal accuracy from 10 metres to 1-2 metres, thereby enhancing aviation safety for users in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the continental United States including Alaska. The WAAS payload is the first to be hosted on an all-electric satellite. It is also the third hosted payload on a Eutelsat satellite, following the EDRS-A data relay node on EUTELSAT 9B for ESA and Airbus Defence and Space and the S-band payload on EUTELSAT 10A for Echostar. About Eutelsat Communications Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies. Eutelsat's satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user's location. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service. For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com http://finance.yahoo.com/news/eutelsat-117-west-b-electric-102700178.html Back to Top Canada's Porter Airlines resumes flights after outage grounds fleet Jan 14 Privately held Canadian carrier Porter Airlines said flights had resumed after a system outage grounded its fleet earlier on Saturday. The airline, which operates short-haul flights out of Toronto's city airport using a fleet of turboprop aircraft, said the unidentified outage affected about 400 passengers and five flights were cancelled, the airline said. "The system is now operating normally. Flights have started departing," Porter said in an emailed statement. "We will be reviewing the circumstances to determine ... what caused the issue." The carrier, which has 15 Canadian and eight U.S. destinations, partners with JetBlue in the United States. Last June, Porter Chief Executive Robert Deluce said he would consider taking the carrier public in the medium term as a strategy to support its broader growth plan. http://www.reuters.com/article/canada-airline-porter-idUSL1N1F40J2 Back to Top DOJ: Criminal charges apply to assaulting airport workers Airline and airport workers cheered Friday that criminal charges will be possible if they suffer physical or verbal abuse from a passenger. The confirmation was a long time coming, dealing with legislation approved in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001. The aviation-security law that Congress approved in November 2001 set criminal fines and up to 10 years in prison for anyone who assaults "a federal, airport, or air carrier employee who has security duties within the airport, interferes with the performance of the duties of the employee or lessens the ability of the employee to perform those duties." But the departments interpreted that language to apply to only Transportation Security Administration or law-enforcement officers. Communications Workers of America, a union representing thousands of aviation workers, fought for 15 years to have the law cover airline and airport workers. Travelers regularly become angry in airports, sometimes throwing luggage at ticket agents or punching them, according to the union. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., headed a congressional letter in September to the Transportation and Justice departments asking for a broader interpretation of who is protected by the law. The departments have now agreed, according to Peter Kadzik, an assistant attorney general in the office of legislative affairs. "We agree that this statute includes, but its very language, assaults on an 'airport, or air carrier employee who has security duties within the airport,'" Kadzik wrote Garamendi on Jan. 5. "As such, we also agree that the statutory language considers not only TSA and law enforcement officers in this criminal offense, but also airport and air carrier employees who have security duties in the airport." Federal prosecutors decide which charges to file based on the evidence, Kadzik wrote. Local authorities could also investigate, he wrote. Workers welcomed the new interpretation of the law. "Now no one will have to be exposed to violence in our nation's airports," said Tom Robertson, an Envoy agent from Joplin, Mo. Envoy is a regional affiliate of American Airlines. Takisha Washington Gower, an Envoy agent from Dallas-Fort Worth, said the decision "is proof that our voices were heard and now agents feel safer on the job, knowing they are protected." http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/01/14/doj-criminal- charges-apply-assaulting-airport-workers/96550992/ Back to Top Poland may buy 100 extra fighter aircraft The Polish Ministry of Defence is analysing a possible purchase of 50-100 aircraft to replace the Polish Air Force's aging Sukhoi Su-22 strike aircraft and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft. Poland is considering buying up to 100 new or used fighter aircraft to replace its aging MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft (pictured). (IHS/Patrick Allen) "We consider various possibilities that would be beneficial, [including purchase of] F- 16 aircraft; used or new or another solution. The optimal solution would be a purchase of 50-100 aircraft," Bartosz Kownacki, deputy defence minister responsible for defence procurement, told the government-owned Polish Press Agency (PAP). "I think that during a month and a half we will have a clear idea if is worth buying used F- 16s from the United States or new F-35s," he added. According to Kownacki, the aircraft Poland has been offered are older variants than the F-16C/D Block 52+ models currently used by the Polish Air Force. The F-16 option being considered would see Poland purchase 96 used F-16s (six squadrons) for PLN100 million (USD24 million) each to replace Poland's aging 32 MiG-29s and 32 Su-22s. The deputy defence minister also added that extended support for the aircraft is expected to be conducted by WZL No.1 in Bydgoszcz. He said though that if Polish companies are involved in upgrading old aircraft then delivery to the air force is likely to take 10 years. However, Kownacki suggested that now would be the wrong time to purchase the F-35, should that be the route the country opts for. In his view, had Poland enterer the programme five years ago, then Polish industry could have been involved. However, given the current price of the initial aircraft remains high it is worth Poland waiting a few years until "F-35 availability rises and the prices drop". http://www.janes.com/article/66925/poland-may-buy-100-extra-fighter-aircraft Back to Top Korean flag carriers set to introduce new aircraft South Korea's two largest commercial airlines plan to introduce new aircraft this year, market sources said Monday, providing a chance to fly in the latest and most advanced aircraft, as well as enhanced overall flight safety by replacing aged aircraft. Local industry leader Korean Air Lines Co. is set to introduce Boeing's latest B787-9 Dreamliner in March, along with the CS300 in June. The B787 is a midsize jet airliner with up to 290 seats, and will likely be operated on routes to and from Los Angeles, Paris and London. The CS300 is a small aircraft with about 130 seats, developed and built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace. It is expected to serve domestic routes and short- range international flights, the informed sources said. Asiana Airlines Co., too, plans to introduce a new aircraft as a way of providing new and improved flight experiences to its passengers. The airline will begin operating the new A350-900XWB from European manufacturer Airbus in April. The A350-900 is one of the largest passenger aircraft ever built with up to 440 seats. The new aircraft, in addition to offering new flight experiences, will likely improve the South Korean airlines' safety, as well as their profitability. According to company officials, the new B787 is significantly lighter than conventional aircraft, with nearly 50 percent of its body made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, also making it up to 20 percent more efficient in terms of fuel mileage. The A350 is said to have up to 70 percent of its body and wings made of the advanced material. South Korean flag carriers have been continuously replacing their aged aircraft since all seven airlines, including five low-cost carriers, here pledged in May 2015 to keep the age of each and every aircraft at below 20 years. There currently is no limit on the age of an aircraft, according to officials from the transportation ministry. As of 2015, only 14 out of 264 aircraft operated by the seven South Korean airlines were aged 20 years or more. (Yonhap) http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170116000235 Back to Top Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course from Embry-Riddle Register for Massive Open Online Course for sUAS Operators, which begins Feb. 6 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - If you received a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), or drone, as a gift this holiday season, or if you want to stay updated on the latest FAA regulations for these aircraft, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is providing a free, two-week online course-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. Registration for the course is now open. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) runs Feb. 6 to 19 and introduces novice sUAS users and seasoned aeronauts to numerous aspects of unmanned systems, as well as current and future applications. The MOOC also offers guidance on responsibly piloting aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). This course is taught by a team of UAS experts, led by Dr. Scott Burgess, Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Worldwide's College of Aeronautics. Dr. Burgess has over 30 years of aviation expertise in both military and civilian aircraft, including helicopters and unmanned aircraft systems. "This post-FAA Part 107 course will focus participants toward regulations, safety of flight and flight planning considerations," said Burgess. "We have an outstanding team of faculty with private, commercial and government sector experts teaching on topics such as UAS integration, regulation, international operations, safety and systems. We will also harness the power of social media so participants can interface directly with each other and faculty." Students will learn the basic elements of safety, and airspace definitions and regulations so those individuals using the NAS understand and use best practices for reducing the risk of collisions between aircraft when operating a sUAS. This popular course, previously offered in 2016, has been updated to include the FAA's new 2016 regulations (FAA Part 107) for sUAS operators. For more information and to register go to Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. You may also download Embry-Riddle's free sUAS Consumer Guide, designed to assists a wide variety of users, especially novices, to evaluate options for purchase, appropriate to their skill and experience levels, while introducing key metrics for future consumer sUAS comparison. For additional information on this and other specialized industry training online courses, please contact Gary Burke, Worldwide Director of the Office of Professional Education, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114.Email: training@erau.edu; Phone (386) 226-7232. About UAS at Embry-Riddle Embry-Riddle was one of the first schools in the nation to offer a degree in UAS and today has the nation's largest UAS degree program. The University offers: a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science at the Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona Campuses; a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications through the Worldwide Campus; a Master of Science in Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus; and a fully online Master of Science in Unmanned Systems through its Worldwide Campus. Embry-Riddle is also a co-founder of the ASSURE Coalition (Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence), a Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. MEDIA CONTACT: James Roddey, Director of Communications, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.; (386) 226-6198; james.roddey@erau.edu. ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. Back to Top Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" Abstracts of Technical papers are invited to address the theme in conjunction with other contemporary matters on aviation safety investigation, including recent case studies, new investigation methods and aviation safety trends or developments. For those interested in presenting a paper, submissions of abstracts are due by March 15, 2017. Abstracts should include a title and up to 300-word summary of the main points of the proposed paper. Please also include your name(s), affiliation, position, and a brief resume. Submissions, or any inquiries regarding submissions, are to be sent to: isasi2017abstracts@gmail.com The panel reviewing the submitted abstracts will consider criteria such as the quality of the paper for relevance to the seminar theme and air safety investigation. They will also endeavour to ensure that a broad range of topics are covered during the seminar. Decisions on the selected abstracts will be made by the April 15, 2017 and details on the required format of the final presentations will be issued at that time. Presenters will be required to submit their papers by July 15, 2017. Up to date information on ISASI 2017 can be found at www.isasi.org Back to Top ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA The European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) will hold their annual seminar in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on the 19 and 20 April 2017. Further details, and previous seminar programmes, can be found at www.esasi.eu . ESASI would welcome proposals for presentations to be given during the 2017 seminar, which should last a maximum of 25 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators, * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in, * practical experience of applying investigation techniques, * new techniques to aid the investigation, * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Brian McDermid, by 31 January 2017, at presentations@esasi.eu. The ESASI committee will select the presentations in early February 2017. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY My name is Ian Fyfe-Green and I am undertaking a Doctorate of Business Administration with the University of Portsmouth Business School. The aim of my research is to assess the impact of regulatory change on aviation risk management, with a specific objective to understand how best to manage this change without inducing error. As part of this research I have developed a survey that will help to answer my research questions, and I hope that around 1000 people across the aviation industry will complete these questions about their experiences. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete, and consists of a number of questions on aviation, with a final question about the individual for context. Participation in this study is completely voluntary, and I neither need a name or any identifying details; all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality. At no point will anyone be able to identify an individual from the responses to the multiple choice questions. If there are any questions about the survey, please contact me at my university email address of ian.fyfe-green@myport.ac.uk Thank you in advance for your valuable insights, I am extremely grateful for any assistance you can provide in facilitating the widest distribution, and in answering the questions themselves. The survey is hosted by QuestionPro, an independent research firm, to field your confidential survey responses. Please click on this link to complete the survey: Start Survey Best Regards Ian Fyfe-Green Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Hello, I'm Dr. Tim Holt and I'm currently the Program Chair for Aeronautics and an Associate Professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. In this position I'm responsible for faculty, curriculum, course updates, course alignment, etc... Furthermore, I teach undergraduate courses in aeronautics, safety, unmanned systems, and airport management for the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics program. To this day, there are no reported statistics of general aviation pilots that have survived hypoxia during normal flight operations. More often than not there are tales of pilots getting themselves into a hypoxic situation and not surviving; rarely do people hear of those that survive. This leaves the aviation community unsure of the common circumstances that these pilots find themselves that create a hypoxic state, as well as whether or not that reported the occurrence to the proper establishments. The data collected from this survey issued to general aviation pilots, will hopefully give insight as to how best to prevent these occurrences from happening, as well as promote a healthy safety culture to report these events. It is with this in mind that we decided to embark on this research study. This survey is completely anonymous and individual responses will not be recorded. It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete. The link to the survey will provide you the Informed Consent and contact information of the researchers involved in the study. Thank you in advance, it's truly appreciated. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GAHYPOXIA Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2017 or early 2018) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for enhanced mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) and management of air traffic. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2017 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Curt Lewis