Flight Safety Information January 18, 2017 - No. 014 In This Issue IAC Starts Work at Crash Site of Turkish Cargo Jet in Kyrgyzstan Failure to find Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves many questions unanswered 2 hurt in Southwest Alaska crash of small plane that iced up, officials say Military jet crashes at Naval Air Station Meridian; 2 eject Motorist sues pilot who sliced cables in jet Don't worry, only around one out of every 1,300 pilots is trying to fly drunk Drone schools look to woo younger pilots for commercial jobs DARPA's Latest Tech May Make Human Pilots a Thing of the Past Air India introduces female-only rows to tackle harassment American Airlines Plane Bumps Into Another Aircraft At LaGuardia Airport Qantas grounds 10 Q400s over missed inspections FAA investigating cell phone fire scare on Honolulu-bound flight The FAA just issued the largest fine ever against a company for flying drones illegally Potential Patch Of Turbulence Ahead For US Airlines Bombardier Business Aircraft completes over 200 96-month inspections on Challenger jets 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 IAC Starts Work at Crash Site of Turkish Cargo Jet in Kyrgyzstan Experts of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) started to inspect the crash site of a Turkish cargo aircraft near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's Emergencies Ministry spokesperson told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. SPUTNIK ICAO Offers Condolences Over Plane Crash Near Bishkek - President BISHKEK (Sputnik) - The Boeing 747, operated by ACT Airlines, crashed into homes near Manas airport close to Bishkek, where it was supposed to make a stopover. The Kyrgyz authorities said up to 37 people had died. The Kyrgyz president ordered a thorough probe into the tragedy, which has been reportedly blamed on dense fog. "IAC experts are now working at the crash site," the spokesperson said, adding that search operations and the removal of the plane debris were continuing. According to the Kyrgyz Transport Ministry, IAC investigation commission is headed by Leonid Kashirsky and includes six experts. https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701181049708753-iac-bishkek-crash-site/ Back to Top Failure to find Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves many questions unanswered After three years and no sign of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, officials have officially suspended their search. See how we got here. USA TODAY NETWORK Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated the fatal-accident rate among airliners. The story has been updated with the correct statistics. As governments sail away from the nearly three-year search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, failing to find the wreckage and explain what went wrong for the 239 people aboard could haunt the industry that has reached lofty levels of safety. The Boeing 777 disappeared without a distress call March 8, 2014, on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Based on clues from the plane's electronics, the governments of Malaysia, China and Australia spent $160 million scouring a section of the Indian Ocean floor the size of Pennsylvania. The suspension Tuesday of the underwater search leaves fundamental questions unanswered: What went wrong? Was there a mechanical problem? Did somebody aboard the plane make a mistake - or crash it intentionally? The search's end comes two months after investigators took another detailed look at the clues that dictated where they were looking, and a month after they found that another area of ocean floor the size of Vermont might be more promising. "They're going to be haunted by what might or might not be in that zone," said David Gallo, who helped find Air France Flight 447 at the bottom of the Atlantic in 2011 and who is now senior advisor for strategic initiatives at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "This should really drive them crazy." Investigators say the plane's wreckage - and potentially the data and voice recorders - could explain whatever problems happened so that they could be avoided in the future. The Boeing 777 is a workhorse of the long-haul fleet, with 1,200 flying worldwide. "We really do need to find the wreckage to ensure that there's no problem with the aircraft," said Al Diehl, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. For example, the recovery of Air France Flight 447 revealed that pilots made mistakes flying in a snowstorm, but also a problem with pitot tubes, sensors that stick out of the fuselage of the Airbus A330, that gave the pilots bad information. Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said the manufacturer has been fully dedicated to the Malaysia search and investigation. The company's thoughts continue to be with the families, friends and colleagues of those aboard the flight, he said. "We accept the conclusion of government authorities leading the investigation and search that, in the absence of credible new information that leads to identification of a specific location of the aircraft, there will be no further expansion of the search area," Alder said. The disappearance came at a time of dramatic improvements in safety. The number of fatalities aboard passenger airliners worldwide from 1959 throgh 2015 was 29,165, according to a Boeing study. But the total for the last decade was 3,133, according to the study. The last fatal crash of a U.S. passenger airline was in February 2009. "Historically, we've achieved this very high level of aviation safety by finding the wreckage and other data, and analyzing it - lessons learned from previous accidents," Diehl said. Finding sunken planes is hard, even when the location is better known than the Malaysia flight. A Northwest Airlines plane that crashed in Lake Michigan in 1950 without modern tracking equipment has never been found. The Aviation Safety Network counts 84 planes, each with at least 14 people aboard, that have gone missing since 1948, typically over oceans, mountains or other remote areas. The Malaysia flight's transponder and automated maintenance system stopped signaling less than an hour into the flight. But a satellite caught hourly pings from the plane, which suggested it flew far out over the ocean until running out of fuel. Because the ocean is several miles deep in the search area, the vessels first mapped the ocean floor and then dragged sonar vehicles on miles-long cords to scan the bottom. They found details as small as anchors and as large as a shipwreck. But no airliner. "It's probably one of the largest continuous maps of the seafloor ever made, with the resolution they made it," Gallo said. He called deep-sea exploration one of the hardest tasks on Earth, comparable to space expeditions. "You're actually mounting an expedition into an unknown world where the mountains are taller, the valleys are deeper and wider. There are volcanoes and earthquakes," Gallo said. "It's almost like going to Mars, to look for a plane. You're mounting an expedition to an unknown world." More than 20 fragments of the Malaysia plane have washed up on distant shores, along the coast of Africa, and the islands of Mauritius, Reunion and Rodriguez. Damage to flaps from the wings suggested that they were in position for cruising rather than landing when the plane plunged into the sea. The search committee conducted a November review of how those fragments drifted and other data. In December, the committee changed its interpretation of where the wreckage might be, to north of where search vessels were focused, in an area of about 9,600 square miles. "The experts concluded that, if this area were to be searched, prospective areas for locating the aircraft wreckage, based on all the analysis to date, would be exhausted," the committee said in a Dec. 20 report. But without a more precise location, the transport ministers of the three countries in charge of the search announced Tuesday the last vessel had left the search area located about 1,000 miles west of Australia. "The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," said the statement from Liow Tiong Lai of Malaysia, Li Xiaopeng of China and Darren Chester of Australia. "Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft." Chester told reporters that he understood the "disappointment and frustration" of relatives of the passengers, some of whom he met with, and that he shared their disappointment even if he couldn't "possibly understand their grief." "They have been waiting for answers now for almost three years, and it is the unanswered questions for them which is the most difficult part for them to deal with," Chester said. But the three governments agreed in July that they would suspend the search if they didn't develop any more precise information about the plane's location. "If I continue the search effort and came to you today and said I have reached agreement with Malaysia and China to find another 20, 30, 40 or 50 million dollars, you'd be saying to me well, 'Why are you spending taxpayers' money in this way?'" Chester said. "But by coming to you and saying that we agreed in July last year that in the absence of any credible new evidence leading to the specific location of the aircraft, we intend to suspend the search, you are now asking well why won't you extend it to a new area. I don't think there's a perfect answer." The advocacy group Voice 370, which represents families of the passengers, urged the search to continue. The group called the November review "a mere smokescreen" and said requiring the "precise location of the aircraft" before continuing the effort would "bury the search." "In our view, extending the search to the new area defined by the experts is an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety," the group said on its Facebook page. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/01/17/failure-find-malaysia-airlines-flight-370-leaves-many- questions-unanswered/96677490/ Back to Top 2 hurt in Southwest Alaska crash of small plane that iced up, officials say Two people were injured Monday night when a small plane flying between two Alaska Peninsula villages iced up and crashed, according to Alaska State Troopers and federal investigators. Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said in an email Tuesday that those on board the plane, a Piper Cherokee 6 operated by Van Air, were 54-year-old pilot Matthew Vandeventer and 53-year-old passenger Gerda Kosbruk. Vandeventer was taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition Tuesday morning. A Providence spokesman said Kosbruk wasn't listed at the Anchorage hospital or at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. Word that the plane crashed between Pilot Point and Port Heiden reached troopers at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to an online dispatch. "Preliminary investigation revealed the flight originated from Dillingham with two persons on board and was en route to Port Heiden," troopers wrote. "The aircraft had landed in Pilot Point due to inclement weather before departing Pilot Point bound again for Port Heiden, when it crashed." The Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage was informed, and a Coast Guard helicopter was sent to the area from Air Station Kodiak. In addition, residents of Pilot Point and Port Heiden conducted ground searches. The Coast Guard helicopter crew found the crash site at about 6:15 p.m., troopers said. National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Wegman said the region of the crash saw snow showers Monday, including a "mist" of fine powder, reducing visibility at both Port Heiden and Pilot Point. "In the 2 to 3 p.m. hour (at Port Heiden), it was low as a mile and a quarter, still considered light snow," Wegman said. "At Pilot Point at about 3 o'clock, they were at 1 mile visibility and light snow as well." Winds at Port Heiden were 20 to 25 mph from the northwest Monday afternoon, Wegman said, but Pilot Point had lighter winds. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Noreen Price said Tuesday that she had spoken with Vandeventer, who said the plane experienced severe icing soon after taking off from Pilot Point. "He decided to turn back and head for Pilot Point, and after he turned back he encountered heavy icing on the propeller, the wings, the windshield," Price said. "He was forced to make a landing where he did, about 4 miles southeast of Pilot Point." The Cherokee sustained damage to the landing gear, the propeller and the right wing, all of which Price said were consistent with the plane being set down on relatively flat tundra. Price said the plane's emergency locator transmitter, designed to automatically send a signal under certain crash conditions, did not activate upon impact. Authorities first heard of the crash when Kosbruk reported it in cellphone calls and text messages that were relayed to the Coast Guard. "She was able to describe what airport they took off of, where they were headed, via text," Price said. "She was able to tell her husband, and they were able to tell her to make herself visible - she was able to turn on the ELT, get out, activate a strobe light." The NTSB isn't sending anyone to Pilot Point to investigate the crash, but Price said investigators will be reviewing imagery from the crash site and looking into why the transmitter didn't activate. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/aviation/2017/01/17/2-survive-plane-crash-in-southwest-alaska/ Back to Top Military jet crashes at Naval Air Station Meridian; 2 eject MERIDIAN, Miss. - Officials at a Mississippi military base say a jet has crashed on a training flight, and that two people on board the plane were able to safely eject near the airfield. Naval Air Station Meridian said in a statement to The Associated Press that an instructor pilot and a student were both taken to a medical facility for evaluation and were in stable condition Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said the T-45C Goshawk jet crashed shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday at the base in eastern Mississippi. Authorities said the aircraft is assigned to Training Air Wing One, and crashed off the east runway. Base officials said the jet that crashed is used for intermediate and advanced portions of the Navy/Marine Corps pilot training program for jet carrier aviation and tactical strike missions. https://www.navytimes.com/articles/military-jet-crashes-at-naval-air-station-meridian-2-eject Back to Top Motorist sues pilot who sliced cables in jet Brian W. Evans, seen climbing out of a plane in July of last year, had his commercial pilot certificate suspended for 180 days. Raymond Meze Davoudi, a San Diego restaurateur, was the passenger riding with pilot Brian W. Evans on May 28 in the Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros that sheared through power cables in De Beque Canyon. A Pitkin County man driving west on Interstate 70 through De Beque Canyon two years ago saw a Cold War jet flying directly at him, sparking fear that the aircraft would fly directly into his vehicle, according to a lawsuit filed in Mesa County District Court. The man, Steve Centofanti, suffered permanent hearing damage when the jet turned sharply away after severing seven power cables, the suit says. Centofanti also suffered injuries to his hands and wrists from gripping the steering wheel after severed cables struck his vehicle, he said in the lawsuit against the jet pilot, Brian W. Evans, and five others, including the passenger in his plane, San Diego restaurateur Raymond Davoudi. Centofanti is seeking unspecified damages for his injuries, damages to his car and emotional distress in the case, which also lists three corporations that employed Evans or owned the Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros, a Warsaw Pact fighter trainer he was flying, according to the suit. Evans' commercial pilot certificate was suspended on Jan. 18, 2016, for 180 days by the Federal Aviation Administration. He is an F-18 pilot whose experience included two years with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron in Miramar, California. Evans said in his report that he saw the cables a "split-second" before he struck them, shearing off about seven feet of his right wing. He turned the jet upward after the collision and circled Grand Junction for about 45 minutes, burning off fuel, before landing at Grand Junction Regional Airport, from which he had taken off before the incident. Two other people have previously been known to have been injured or had their vehicles damaged in the incident near the Grand Valley roller dam. Glenwood Springs resident Steve Reynolds escaped injury, but his car was damaged and repairs cost $6,000, which he said his insurance covered. The driver of a semi-tractor suffered cuts to the face, but was spared more serious injury by the metal bar in the center of his windshield. Centofanti, who had two passengers in his car, saw the aircraft approaching and he "panicked and gripped the steering wheel with all of his strength and managed to safely decelerate and pull off" the road, suffering injuries to his hands and wrists, the suit said. Evans' jet "passed very close to Centofanti's vehicle and the noise of the jet was also deafening and unexpected," the suit said. As a result of the incident, Centofanti has reduced dexterity in both hands, is required to use hearing aids and suffers from constant ringing in his ears. Evans' actions "were intentional, willful and wanton and utterly intolerable in a civilized community," the suit said. No hearings were immediately scheduled. http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/motorist-sues-pilot-who-sliced-cables-in-jet Back to Top Don't worry, only around one out of every 1,300 pilots is trying to fly drunk In the final days of 2016, a pair of alarming reports surfaced that could rattle any traveler. Two commercial airline pilots, 8,400 miles from one another, were removed from their scheduled flights on suspicion of intoxication. On New Year's Eve, Calgary police arrested a pilot for budget Canadian carrier Sunwing Airlines who was about to fly 99 passengers to Cancun, Mexico. The crew reported he was "behaving oddly" and passed out in the cockpit. Police allege his alcohol level was three times the legal limit. A few days earlier, a pilot for Indonesian carrier Citilink reportedly delivered slurred announcements while the plane, scheduled to travel from Surabaya to Jakarta was still on the ground. Footage later surfaced of him struggling to get through a security checkpoint. The airline fired the pilot and two of its executives resigned. Incidents of drunken pilots are very rare, especially considering there were 35 million scheduled flights last year, but they occur often enough. Last August, two United Airlines pilots were arrested in Glasgow airport on suspicion of drinking before a flight to Newark. In August 2015, a co-pilot for Latvian airline Air Baltic was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to have indulged in whisky and beer. And, though even less common, fatalities have been linked to an inebriated pilot. Russian prosecutors cited a pilot's intoxication as a cause in the 2008 crash an Aeroflot subsidiary's Boeing 737 that killed 88 people (paywall). In the US pilots are subject to a blood-alcohol limit of 0.04%, half the legal limit for drivers in many US states. That's the same limit as for other critical jobs, such as air traffic controllers, ambulance drivers, and some ship captains. But pilots aren't required to take a breathalyzer test before boarding their assigned plane each time. Instead, pilots are tested randomly or if there is reasonable suspicion. Of 13,149 tests on pilots for alcohol intoxication on commercial pilots in 2015, most of them random, only 10 failed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. As alcohol affects the body long after it is consumed, the FAA also cautions hangover symptoms such as headache, stuffy nose, upset stomach and dizziness can also be impair a pilot. The FAA warns pilots: "Cold showers, drinking black coffee, or breathing 100% oxygen cannot speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body." The FAA also requires pilots to stop drinking at least eight hours before the flight, or "from bottle to throttle." The standard is also required in Canada and Europe. Yet for all these protective measures, the main defense against a drunk pilot is the eyes and ears of crew as well as the passengers themselves. Cabin crew are encouraged to report any suspected intoxication of a pilot or other crew member. Passengers can reach out to cabin or the airport's ground staff if they have any concerns. In the case of the Sunwings incident, Calgary police said it had "all the potential for disaster," but checks and balances provided by the watchful crew prevented it. The FAA also operates a whistleblower program. "Random testing has a way of keeping people on their toes," said Paul Hudson, the Florida-based president of Flyersrights.org, an airline passengers' advocacy group. While he said it's a "problem" any time a pilot under the influence gets into an airplane, the crew usually spots the individual if he or she isn't caught by random testing. Hudson said the organization has more pressing issues than drunk pilots, such as how to increase security in unprotected parts of the airport, such as baggage claim, where a man opened fire, killing five people in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 6. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 54,000 pilots for US and Canadian airlines, says current measures are effective. "Rigorous peer, management, and regulator evaluation constantly takes place while airline pilots are on duty and that has proven an effective safeguard to detect personal circumstances that could affect safety," the union said in a statement to Quartz. Pilot intoxication can bring criminal charges in the US, where pilots that try or succeed in flying drunk can face up to 15 years in prison. But they can also get off lightly; for example, an American Airlines pilot received a year of probation in August after pleading no contest to charges that he was drunk in the cockpit on a flight scheduled to leave for Philadelphia. European officials last year proposed more rigorous screenings of a pilot's substance use and overall health, after a pilot of a Germanwings Airbus A320 intentionally crashed the plane in the French Alps, killing all 150 on board in March 2015. The FAA says it doesn't have any planned changes to the current system to catch intoxicated pilots. "We have very high standards," a spokeswoman for the agency told Quartz. "The numbers are extremely low and our nation's pilots take fitness to fly and professionalism very seriously." (Though, as when Quartz reported on some pilots breaking safety rules by taking digital photos in the cockpit, some of their responses were less than professional.) Other countries have stricter standards. India requires breathalyzer tests for pilots before all their scheduled flights and abstention for 12 hours before the flight. (It also has a bigger problem with drunk pilots; more than 40 pilots tested positive for being intoxicated on the job in 2015, for example.) In the UK and Australia, a pilot or co-pilot with a blood-alcohol limit over 0.02% is considered unfit for duty. Pilots can also turn to a four-decade old substance-abuse treatment program called the Human Intervention Motivation Study, which can also help the them regain their certificates to fly again. But, then, should passengers be happy that the industry is trying to tackle a problem for these pilots, who face long hours and intense pressure? Or should they be concerned that that there's enough of them to form a support and treatment group? https://qz.com/877003/dont-worry-only-around-one-out-of-every-1300-pilots-is-trying-to-fly-drunk/ Back to Top Drone schools look to woo younger pilots for commercial jobs In this Oct. 17, 2016 photo, Gary Niemeier, left, practices flying a drone alongside Eric Goetsch, a senior instructor pilot for SkySkopes in Grand Forks, N.D. Niemeier was the test pilot for the flight certification of SkySkopes Academy, a new course for drone enthusiasts that targets students between 8th and 12th grades. With the number of commercial drone operations outpacing the pool of certified drone pilots, experts say more training is needed to help young flyers operate the planes legally and safely. (Brandi Jewett/SkySKopes Academy via AP) GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- Leaders in the unmanned aircraft industry are trying to persuade young people who think drones are cool to consider flying them for a living. Commercial pilots must obtain a Federal Aviation Administration drone license, and some companies that employ such pilots have started selling classes that help students prepare for the FAA test or just figure out whether they would be interested in such a career. "I think a lot of people my age are interested in drones because it's cool technology that is really just starting to be available for everyone," said 17-year-old North Dakota high school student Ava Niemeier, who plans to attend new training being offered by a commercial drone company in her state. "There are a lot of kids at my school with smaller drones that they fly for fun." Businesses use drones to take photos and video, for security and to conduct inspections or surveys, among other things. With the number of commercial drone operations outpacing the pool of certified drone pilots, experts say more training is needed to help young flyers operate the planes legally and safely. James Barnes founded the New Jersey Drone Academy on an old miniature golf and driving range complex nearly three years ago. His primary motivation, he says, is to give kids from urban areas who can't afford to go to college a chance to learn a trade and make decent money. "We are just growing at an outrageous pace, but I hardly see anybody in the country moving in that direction," Barnes said. "I'm trying to hire two experienced drone technicians at $20 an hour and I can't find anybody." Participants in Barnes' courses have ranged in age from 8 to 104. Niemeier plans to take a course through SkySkopes, a Grand Forks company that employs unmanned aircraft pilots and is offering an online class for students beginning as early as eighth grade as well as a separate flight certification course. She decided to take the class after her father - a commercial photographer with no aviation experience - was recruited by SkySkopes to test the 20-week flight training course. Matt Dunlevy, SkySkopes president and CEO, said wants to show students "who catch the drone bug early" that there are companies like his that are hiring people. He expects the drone pilot shortage to get worse. Dunlevy's SkySkopes Academy also is starting an internship program through the University of North Dakota, one of the top aviation schools in the country. The SkySkopes course will teach the history of flight and of unmanned aircraft, flight fundamentals, flight science, Federal Aviation Administration regulations, airspace requirements, and uses for drones. Minot Public Schools, which offers aviation classes to high school students, plans to partner with SkySkopes on drone training, Superintendent Mark Vollmer said. The North Dakota Center For Distance Education, a nonprofit online school, also will work with SkySkopes to offer the program. "There are a lot of kids out there who are interested in drones and want to understand what's involved with that and what career opportunities there are," said North Dakota Center for Distance Education spokesman Mike Miller. "We want to make sure that no matter where they are, and no matter how small their school is, they have the same opportunity as any other kid in a larger school that can support a full- time class." Bryan Ackley, also with the distance education program, said that while some of the science might be new to students, he doesn't expect them to be intimidated by flying a drone. "Basically if it involves a joy stick they can pick it up pretty quickly," he said. ___ Online: SkySkopes Academy: www.skyskopes.com New Jersey Drone Academy: www.njdroneacademy.com North Dakota Center for Distance Education: www.ndcde.org http://finance.yahoo.com/news/drone-schools-look-woo-younger-151819941.html Back to Top DARPA's Latest Tech May Make Human Pilots a Thing of the Past DARPA is developing a tailorable, drop-in, removable kit that would promote the addition of high levels of automation into existing aircraft, enabling operation with reduced onboard crew. Last month, the system was successfully tested in three different models of military aircraft, a Sikorsky S- 76 helicopter, a Diamond DA-42 aircraft, and two Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. AI COPILOT The Pentagon's Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA), the agency responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military, has facilitated the development of a robotic system to take over flying duties from military pilots. According to DARPA, the program, known as Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) was to produce "a tailorable, drop-in, removable kit that would promote the addition of high levels of automation into existing aircraft, enabling operation with reduced onboard crew." Last month, the system was successfully tested in three different models of military aircraft, a Sikorsky S- 76 helicopter, a Diamond DA-42 aircraft, and two Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. The testing also included ground demonstrations of the system responding to simulated system failures. These demonstrations also proved that the installation and removal of the system did not damage the vehicles. According to DARPA program manager, Scott Wierzbanowski, "In Phase 2, we exceeded our original program objectives with two performers, Sikorsky and Aurora Flight Sciences, each of which conducted flight tests on two different aircraft." The next phase of development looks to bring the system to seven more types of aircraft, including fixed-wing, and rotary propelled vehicles. "In Phase 3, we plan to further enhance ALIAS' ability to respond to contingencies, decrease pilot workload, and adapt to different missions and aircraft types," says Wierzbanowski. Given the extensive strides the first two phases of the project have made, it may not be too much longer before we see the technology deployed. AUTONOMOUS ALLIES A statement released by DARPA points to NASA, the Air Force, the Army, and the Navy as having expressed interest in ALIAS. With the system being expanded to potentially include a total of ten different types of aircraft, we may start seeing a lot of pilots without planes to fly. However, Sikorsky's chief autonomy engineer Igor Cherepinsky sees things a little differently. He says, "Today's pilots spend a lot of their time making sure the aircraft is stable, it's going in the right direction, it's going the right speed, obeying the laws of the air if you will, so ALIAS copilot can take care of all of that and free the human being to supervise and make sure that the bigger mission is running its course." While future pilots of these planes may be relegated to other tasks on the aircraft, other workers whose jobs are being taken over by automation do not share the same luxury. Some reports indicate that seven percent of all jobs in the United States could be lost to automation. Not only does this include low-skill manufacturing jobs but also professions in the fields of law and even medicine. https://futurism.com/darpas-latest-tech-may-make-human-pilots-a-thing-of-the-past/ Back to Top Air India introduces female-only rows to tackle harassment Country's national airline acts after recent incidents of men allegedly groping passengers and cabin staff Air India will start the service this week on internal flights and roll it out across the network throughout the year. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP India's national airline will designate two rows on every flight as female-only. Air India made the announcement after two incidents in the past month of men allegedly groping cabin staff or other passengers. A general manager at the airline, Meenakshi Malik, said officials had made the decision because "we feel ... it is our responsibility to enhance comfort level to female passengers". The service, which will come at no extra charge, will start this week on internal flights, and be rolled out across the network throughout the year. Women in India can already ride in segregated train carriages and buses, and pink women-only auto- rickshaws in two cities near Delhi. Air India is trying to rebuild its reputation as a safe airline for female passengers after an incident in December, when a business class passenger flying from Mumbai to Newark moved to an empty seat next to a woman in economy and allegedly groped her as she slept. Another Air India passenger was also reportedly arrested in January after a flight attendant complained he had touched her inappropriately and made lewd remarks. This month, the airline announced its crew would begin carrying restraints on domestic and international flights to be used on unruly passengers as a last resort. A former Air India executive, Jitendra Bhargava, told the Hindu the move was a "misplaced priority". "To my knowledge, this happens nowhere in the world. Planes are not unsafe for women passengers," he said. "In case of unruly behaviour, the airline crew are authorised to take action as per the law." Domestic air traffic jumped by more than 20% in India in 2015, making it the world's fastest growing aviation market. But safety fears are also increasing, including near-misses by planes on the tarmac and pilots getting drunk on the job. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/17/air-india-introduces-female-only-rows-to-tackle- harassment Back to Top American Airlines Plane Bumps Into Another Aircraft At LaGuardia Airport NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - An American Airlines plane hit another aircraft at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An American Airlines 1365 Boeing 737 aircraft hit the right wingtip of Republic 4466, an Embraer E170 aircraft, as the American aircraft pushed back from a Terminal B gate at LaGuardia Airport at about 1:40 p.m. Tuesday. Port Authority Police Department's Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter Unit, which handled nearly 600 aircraft emergencies at the agency's airports last year, responded to the scene. Crews worked quickly to clean up the fender bender, and operations at Gate D were back to normal by about 3 p.m., CBS2's Jessica Layton reported. A few passengers aboard the American Airlines flight to Miami took to social media, including one man who posted on Instagram, "our plane crashed with another plane while backing out." No passengers or crew members on that plane were injured. "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience, and are reaccommodating them on other flights," American Airlines said in a statement. "There are no reported injuries." A spokesperson told 1010 WINS' Al Jones the 97 passengers aboard Flight 1365 were switched to a new plane and on their way to Florida within an hour and a half. "There were no impacts to the operation, no cancellations as a result of this incident," she said. There were no passengers aboard the other aircraft, the FAA said. The FAA is investigating. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/01/17/laguardia-american-airlines-plane-bump/ Back to Top Qantas grounds 10 Q400s over missed inspections Qantas has had to temporarily ground 10 of its Bombardier Q400s after it discovered that they had missed an inspection required by the manufacturer. Sources tell FlightGlobal that the affected aircraft required inspections on some fasteners that were replaced under an earlier airworthiness directive issued by Transport Canada. The airline subsequently discovered that follow-up inspections on the aircraft had not been completed, and removed the affected aircraft from service to complete them. It self-reported the issue to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. "This is an administrative issue that relates to technical compliance and not a safety issue with the aircraft," the Oneworld carrier says. It adds that one of the aircraft has already returned to service, while the remaining nine will re-enter service in the coming days. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Qantas operates 31 Q400s, which fly under the QantasLink brand on regional services along eastern Australia. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/qantas-grounds-10-q400s-over-missed-inspections-433232/ Back to Top FAA investigating cell phone fire scare on Honolulu-bound flight A cell phone fire scare on a Delta Airlines flight to Hawaii is being investigated by the FAA. Airport officials say a passenger on a Delta flight from Fukuoka to Honolulu dropped his iPhone 7 and when he tried to shift his seat it crushed the phone and battery. His fingers were singed and smoke and the smell of burning plastic was in the cabin. The crew retrieved the phone and put it in a fireproof box to prevent any other danger. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34271617/faa-investigating-cell-phone-fire-scare-on-honolulu- bound-flight Back to Top The FAA just issued the largest fine ever against a company for flying drones illegally In October, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million fine, but today announced the fine would only be $200,000. The Federal Aviation Administration announced today that it will fine SkyPan International of Chicago, a drone company, $200,000 for conducting 65 illegal drone flights in congested airspace over Chicago and New York City. It's the largest civil penalty the FAA has issued against a drone operator to date. Originally, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million fine against SkyPan in October. Recode reached out to the FAA to ask why the final settlement is dramatically lower than the previously proposed fine, but did not immediately hear back. SkyPan advertises itself as an aerial imaging company that can capture a "bird's-eye view" that's useful in "dense, urban environments" for developers and architects planning new projects. The illegal flights were conducted between 2012 and 2014, and the FAA alleged in October that the company was operating drones without proper FAA clearance in some of the country's most congested airspace. SkyPan was further accused of operating its aircraft without proper communication tools and without receiving an airworthiness certificate and registration. In addition to the $200,000 fine, the agency announced an additional $150,000 fine SkyPan will be responsible for if it violates FAA rules again in the next year and another $150,000 fine if the company fails to comply with the settlement agreement. SkyPan is also required to work with the FAA to release three public service announcements over the next year to promote FAA rules. In exchange for the fine, the FAA "will make no finding of violation," according to a statement from SkyPan. SkyPan's flights were conducted before the FAA issued its commercial drone operator rules in August 2016, prior to which special FAA clearance was required for commercial drone flights. The FAA was expected to release its proposal for rules that would clarify how drones are allowed to fly over populated areas in December 2016, but that didn't happen. Earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said that in 2016 airplane pilots reported 1,800 drone sightings, up from 1,200 drone sightings in 2015. Drone operators are required to avoid flying near other aircraft to prevent a collision in flight, which could cause substantial damage and even bring down a plane. http://www.recode.net/2017/1/17/14298180/faa-largest-fine-flying-drones-illegally-skypan Back to Top Potential Patch Of Turbulence Ahead For US Airlines After a couple of years of rising stock prices and positive financials, US airlines are bracing for a patch of turbulence that could threaten some of those hard-won gains. Price tags on their most costly expenses - fuel, labor and maintenance - appear set to rise at a time when there is increasing pressure on revenue. Even if oil remains around $50 to $55 a barrel - and there's no guarantee - the industry faces higher costs from newly ratified labor contracts and required maintenance on older fleets. Simultaneously, network airlines are fighting off aggressive expansions in Latin America, Asia, and Europe by low-cost and foreign rivals, looking to increase market share and revenue. While the new challenges don't signal a return to the demanding days following the global financial meltdown in 2008, there's no doubt that carriers will not only find it difficult to beat their 2016 historic profitability, they may find it hard to even match it. Already last year, evidence of the coming squeeze was popping up, according to Oliver Wyman's Airline Economics Analysis 2016-2017. Total airline revenue fell to 1.10% of US gross domestic product (GDP) from 1.17%. While the percentage drop seems minuscule, it translated for network airlines into close to $1.1 billion in lost sales in the second quarter of 2016, when compared with the same three months a year earlier. Value carriers, in contrast, saw quarterly revenue go up $300 million. Those figures are based on the most current period for which US Department of Transportation data was available when the report was authored. The culprit behind the revenue decline - capacity increases exceeding GDP growth - is a familiar one to legacy carriers, which have spent much of the past four decades fending off expansions by discount and foreign rivals. Since 2011, total seat capacity to Latin America alone has increased 86%, reflecting substantial growth in short-haul flights to Mexico and the Caribbean. In the Asia-Pacific region, new available seat miles (ASM) - the industry's measure of passenger capacity - rose 29%. The increase in ASMs contributed to a drop in second quarter sales on non-US routes of $800 million for network airlines. Further compounding the legacy carriers' top-line challenge has been a dip in ancillary revenue from such items as excess-baggage fees and ticket-change charges during the second quarter of 2016-the first such decline since 2007. Again, this was not the case for the value players, although the overall gain for them from these fees was less than it had been in past quarters. As revenue has been declining, costs are expected to climb for the entire industry. First, let's look at fuel, the price of which rises with increases in the price per barrel of crude. Toward the end of 2016, the Organization of Petroleum Countries (OPEC) and several large non-OPEC producers, including Russia, agreed to cut back production. This could push the price of crude per barrel above $50 in the foreseeable future, but so far the move has not produced the higher prices OPEC hoped for. Among other things, a sizable rise in prices would depend on OPEC's ability to keep producers in line as well as continued strength in global economic activity, especially in the US and China. US oil producers also would have to resist the temptation to take advantage of the higher prices by supplying more. More expensive fuel would represent a reversal of fortune for airlines. Fuel costs in the second quarter averaged $1.53 per gallon, 24.5% below 2015's second quarter. But so far, it's too hard to predict whether fuel costs in 2017 will once again enhance profitability or decrease it. The direction for labor costs is much more evident-they're going up. While always a top expense for airlines, fuel pushed labor out of the No. 1 slot when crude prices reached triple digits several years ago. This year, however, labor looks to take back its spot as the most expensive cost for airlines. In 2016, labor costs at network airlines already were rising, 5.4% higher in the second quarter than in the same period the previous year as a result of renegotiated collective bargaining agreements at several carriers. That trend is likely to accelerate as the contracts get fully baked into expenses this year. At the value carriers, labor expenses decreased by 3.5% over the same three months. Yet, they too are likely to see increases moving forward, thanks to recent labor contract ratifications at Southwest and pending negotiations at other value carriers. Finally, some airlines should expect to see a hike in maintenance costs this year as life-limited parts on older fleets begin to need replacement. While the hit will be less than it might have been, thanks to decisions by some carriers to swap out portions of their older fleet for fuel-efficient, next-generation aircraft, the industry expects it to be significant. The bottom line: After bouncing back from the global recession, the industry is once again facing strong headwinds on both the cost and revenue sides of the ledger. And legacy carriers bear the additional burden of higher break-even load factors - both domestically and internationally - than their discount competitors. In the end, protecting profitability will depend on each carrier's ability to prevent erosion of unit revenue. With efforts by various carriers to improve the in-flight experience for customers, we're already seeing some successes. That's good, because regardless of where oil prices go, it won't be an easy year to find places to cut costs to push up profits. http://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwyman/2017/01/17/potential-patch-of-turbulence-ahead-for-us- airlines/2/#5b13a7e014a2 Back to Top Bombardier Business Aircraft completes over 200 96-month inspections on Challenger jets Bombardier Business Aircraft has announced its Service Centre Network has completed over 200 96-month heavy inspections on Challenger business jets. "This milestone underscores our customers' trust and confidence in Bombardier Business Aircraft's industry-leading know-how," said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, vice president and general manager, customer experience. "As the aircraft manufacturer, our level of expertise is unrivalled on the 96-month inspection, one of the most comprehensive in the aircraft's lifetime." The 96-month inspection on the Challenger business jet is one of the most in-depth maintenance events in the aircraft's lifecycle, which comes due during its eighth year of service and requires a thorough inspection of the airframe, structure and landing gear. Customers benefit from the Service Centre Network's comprehensive capabilities and flexibility, as well as on-site parts inventory and engineering support. They can also maximise their maintenance event to complete additional work during the downtime, such as paint, installation of in-flight connectivity, avionics upgrades or interior refurbishment. Challenger Aircraft With over 1,600 Challenger aircraft in the installed base, the in-service fleet has performed more than 4,300,000 landings and logged over 7,300,000 flight hours. http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/bombardier-business-aircraft-completes-over-200-96-month- inspections-on-challenger-jets.html 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