Flight Safety Information March 3, 2017 - No. 046 FAA administrator Huerta 'eager to engage' in ATC reform debate Parents of German Pilot Who Deliberately Crashed Jet Killing 150 People Claim It Was An 'Accident' Pilots union claims American Airlines is violating fatigue policies Air-miss over language glitch, airlines warned over use of foreign pilots Shoreham air disaster: Pilot flew too low and too slow before failing to perform escape manoeuvre An IPS Roadmap for Aeronautical Safety Services SPICEJET EMERGENCY LANDING PROBE POINTS TO INFO BLOCK. PIA captain, two others issued notices for overloaded Karachi-Madina flight Emergency Room & Urgent Care Clinic Coming To DFW Airport Baggage handler who authorities say stole guns passed airport checks Delta Airlines Has Its First Black Female Captain Strengthening Tonga's aviation safety important goal GAMA Hails Long Awaited Acceptance of Single-Engine Commercial Aeroplane Operations in Europe FAA administrator Huerta 'eager to engage' in ATC reform debate FAA administrator Michael Huerta FAA administrator Michael Huerta said it is now the "right time to be asking critical questions" about the structure of US air traffic control (ATC), citing a stable and safe existing ATC system and a strong US airline industry. Huerta has previously mostly stayed out of the debate over whether to separate ATC from FAA and create an independent entity to manage air traffic in the US. But speaking March 2 at the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, Huerta said he is "eager to engage" in the discussion going forward. Huerta was speaking publicly about ATC for the first time since US President Donald Trump suggested that FAA's NextGen ATC modernization program may be "way over budget [and] way beyond schedule" because Huerta is not a pilot. Trump has said NextGen "is a waste of tremendous amounts of money because the system is a bad system." Huerta, whose five-year term as FAA administrator lasts until Jan. 7, 2018, said, "I'll be the first to acknowledge that we'd all like to move faster" on NextGen. But he also defended the program, which he described as an "ongoing modernization" of ATC. "FAA can demonstrate that [NextGen] has already delivered $2.7 billion in benefits," Huerta said, adding that the agency is confident the long-term benefits delivered by NextGen will outweigh the investment in the program. He said the installation of Data Comm-which allows ATC towers to transmit flight clearance information to pilots via text message-at 55 US airports has been an "unqualified success story." The Data Comm initiative, which is part of the NextGen program, is "now 29 months ahead of schedule and under budget," Huerta said. He added that the savings will be used to install Data Comm at seven additional airport towers. The administrator said safety must be the guiding driver behind any reform of FAA, and argued that-given the complexities of US air space and the volume of air traffic in the US- ATC is already relatively efficient. "Aviation has never been safer," Huerta said. "In fact, in the span of most of our careers, flying in the United States has become exponentially safer ... It is certainly the case that virtually everyone in this room recognizes that we operate the largest, safest, most complex air traffic management system in the world ... Doing what we are doing today in aviation is already pretty darn close to doing the impossible." http://atwonline.com/air-traffic-management/faa-administrator-huerta-eager-engage-atc- reform-debate Back to Top Parents of German Pilot Who Deliberately Crashed Jet Killing 150 People Claim It Was An 'Accident' The parents of the German pilot who flew a passenger jet into the French Alps two years ago, killing all 150 people on board, have raised doubts that he was responsible for the heinous crime. Gunter and Ursula Lubitz, whose 27-year-old son Andreas is commonly believed to have deliberately crashed the Germanwings Airbus A320 into the mountains, have told a German newspaper they are conducting their own research into the incident. They told Welt Am Sonntag they believe it could have been an "accident". They said in a written statement: "We also have many unanswered questions, strange facts and doubts about what has been communicated about the accident. We are still researching ourselves." After his death, it came to light that Lubitz had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and had been declared unfit for work by his doctor - a fact he concealed from his employer. It is believed that 30 minutes into a flight on March 24, 2015 between Barcelona and Dusseldorf he locked the cockpit door to prevent the return of the captain, Patrick Sondenheimer, and put the plane into a descent. The flight recorder revealed that Lubitz was breathing normally as this occurred. The cockpit recording ended with the screams of passengers audible in the moments before the crash. Last year Lubitz's parents were lambasted for publishing a tribute to their son in which they described him as a "lovely and valuable person" while apparently failing to show any remorse for anyone else who died on the plane. "For those left behind it is a shock to be confronted with 'alternative facts'," Elmar Giemulla, a lawyer who represents 42 of the victims' families, said. Marlies Weiergraeber, 63, whose brother and niece died in the disaster, said: "The parents cannot and will not accept that their son might be a mass murderer." https://heatst.com/life/parents-of-german-pilot-who-deliberately-crashed-jet-killing-150- people-think-it-was-an-accident/ Back to Top Pilots union claims American Airlines is violating fatigue policies American Airlines' pilots union filed a labor grievance against the carrier, alleging that American has ignored rules to keep tired pilots from flying. In a letter sent by Allied Pilots Association president Dan Carey, he says the carrier has violated the fatigue risk management system processes and has failed to provide safe flight operations by reducing fatigue in the airline's operations. "These violations are ongoing, relate directly to safety and pose a risk of massive, imminent, and irreparable harm and/or death of employees, passengers, and on-the- ground personnel," Carey wrote in the grievance letter. Carey says the carrier should "cease and desist" the practice of crew schedules who threaten or give missed assignments designations to pilots who say they are too tired to fly according to federal regulations. American Airlines spokeswoman Kristen Foster said that safety is the first consideration in every decision the carrier makes. "We have a strong partnership with the APA and our work with them includes a robust process to resolve issues that are important to our pilots and important to American." Foster said. "We just received formal notice of the APA's concerns, and we will work within the process we have in place to engage in a dialogue to understand the concerns raised." Last summer, the union said management was "pilot pushing," asking pilots to voluntarily extend their government-regulated duty time to keep operations during the busy summer schedule on time. Pilots reported that managements was increasing airspeeds near an airplane's limit, decreasing taxi times by using speeds that are not normal, and using flight routes that were in conflict with usual air traffic control routing. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/aviation/sky-talk- blog/article136092263.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Air-miss over language glitch, airlines warned over use of foreign pilots The Goa incident triggered the traffic collision avoidance systems of the two aircraft and forced their pilots to take corrective measures to avoid a potential collision. Indian carriers, India aircraft, foreign pilots, Indian defence airfields, language glitchm GoAir, SpiceJet aircraft, traffic collision avoidance, India news, indian express This comes after an investigation into the near-miss incident between a GoAir and a SpiceJet aircraft in Goa on October 22 found that the foreign crew of the GoAir flight failed to correctly understand instructions given by Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs). Indian carriers have been issued instructions not to roster foreign pilots to defence airfields till they are "thoroughly briefed about the approach procedures of Indian defence airfields". This comes after an investigation into the near-miss incident between a GoAir and a SpiceJet aircraft in Goa on October 22 found that the foreign crew of the GoAir flight failed to correctly understand instructions given by Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs). GoAir and other airlines have now been directed not to operate wet-lease aircraft (where crew is leased with the aircraft) to defence airfields till all foreign crew have been specifically briefed about operating procedures, an official involved in the exercise said. In the wake of the Goa incident, an audit of the wet-lease operation by GoAir had also been ordered by the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Of the more than 100 airports managed by the Airports Authority of India, 26 are civil enclaves at defence airfields. Others include 18 international airports, 78 domestic airports and 7 customs airports. As per information updated till September 30 last year, as many as 284 foreign pilots were employed by domestic aviation companies. The Goa incident triggered the traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS) of the two aircraft and forced their pilots to take corrective measures to avoid a potential collision. Officials said SpiceJet's flight SG-3604 had experienced a TCAS warning when it breached the minimum required vertical separation distance with GoAir flight G8-141 while in the airspace over Goa. The incident happened when the SpiceJet flight took off from Goa for Hyderabad and the GoAir Mumbai-Goa flight was descending to land. Just after take-off, the TCAS alarm went off in the cockpit of the SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft and pilots were forced to take evasive action. "GoAir's wet-leased aircraft did not follow the instructions issued by the Goa ATC for the (landing) approach," according to the investigation report. A query sent to GoAir on the probe findings and the subsequent advisories did not elicit a response. Air-miss incidents are investigated by the Airprox Investigation Board constituted by the DGCA and these investigation reports are reviewed at DGCA headquarters for completeness and implementation of recommendations emanating from the investigations. Under DGCA rules, the "Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum" operations permitted by the aviation regulator in the Indian airspace allows aircraft to fly with a minimum vertical separation of 1,000 feet. A breach in this separation sets off the TCAS of the aircraft. In Goa, the worrying fact is that the pilot confusion over the ATC instructions happened despite standard radiotelephony phraseology being used by the traffic controllers as per ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standards, officials involved in the exercise said. On November 10, less than a month after the Goa incident, there was another incident involving GoAir's Mumbai-Goa flight G8-141 and SpiceJet flight SG-141 (Delhi-Goa) that was triggered by the similarity in call signs of the two flights, which led to "confusion between the crew and the ATC". Then on December 26, there was an incident involving SpiceJet flight SG-123 and IndiGo flight 6E-769 coming face to face on taxiway E2 at Delhi airport while taxiing to their respective parking stands. The controller reportedly intervened and both aircraft were instructed to stop at a safe distance. Of the 284 foreign pilots employed by domestic aviation companies, IndiGo has the highest number - 94, according to Ministry of Civil Aviation data updated till September 2015. Other carriers with a large number of foreign pilots are Jet Airways (84), Air Costa (14), Air India Charters Ltd (11) and Alliance Air (10). The hiring of foreign pilots by aviation companies is done to counter shortage of type- rated commanders in the country due to growth in aviation industry and induction of new aircraft in the fleet of the airlines. While sufficient numbers of Indian co-pilots are available and employed with the airlines, they do not possess adequate training and experience required to become commander on that type. To cover the shortage of type-rated pilots, validation of foreign pilots is done as per Rule 45 of the DGCA's Aircraft Rules, 1937. Indian pilots inducted by airlines, and eligible to become Pilots in Command (PIC) as per the policy of airlines, are being trained by them to phase out expatriate pilots. As a follow-up, cases of Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA) pilots are processed on the basis of information furnished by each airline and only after security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The government has restricted issue of FATA up to December 31, 2018. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/air-miss-over-language-glitch-airlines-warned- over-use-of-foreign-pilots-4551846/ Back to Top Shoreham air disaster: Pilot flew too low and too slow before failing to perform escape manoeuvre The vintage jet crashed in a fireball during the 2015 Shoreham Airshow. The pilot in the Shoreham air disaster was flying too low and too slow to perform his stunt and failed to do the necessary escape manoeuvre before the crash that claimed 11 lives. A final report into the 2015 tragedy found pilot Andrew Hill remained conscious throughout the flight but was untrained in escape manoeuvres, which would have still been possible before he plummeted into traffic. Air accident investigators also called on the Department of Transport to sanction an independent review into the way flying displays in the UK are governed to increase safety levels. They found a "lack of provisions" by the organisers to protect an area outside their control had increased the severity of the West Sussex disaster before the 52-year-old Mr Hill's loop-the-loop stunt went fatally wrong. Responding to the report, the parents of victim Matthew Grimstone said the Civil Aviation Authority and the airshow organisers "have got much to answer for". The victims of the Shoreham air disaster The report found Mr Hill, who survived the crash, had breached flying rules while flying the same aircraft at the previous year's airshow, travelling over a restricted area and was not told to stop by the flight director. It also found the 1955 Hawker Hunter plane did not meet the requirements to fly. Other key findings from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report include: In the fatal 2015 flight Mr Hill failed to abandon the loop-the-loop stunt as he may have misinterpreted the speed and height required as the levels needed for a lighter aircraft. Mr Hill did not use full thrust into the manoeuvre so was travelling 40 knots too slow which meant he could only reach a height of 2700ft when 3500ft was required to pull off the stunt. Whether the Hawker Hunter plane lost thrust due to a technical issue could not be ruled out. Mr Hill could have still aborted the manoeuvre despite not being high enough or fast enough at the top of the manoeuvre. Mr Hill either did not think he needed an escape manoeuvre or did not know he could at the speed he was travelling, being unaware of the minimum speed required to abort it. The AAIB found Mr Hill had not practised or been trained in escape manoeuvres in the Hunter jet, while there was no details on them in the 1950s Hunter's vintage manual. The wreckage was removed and examined by investigators after the crash on August 22 2015. The wreckage was removed and examined by investigators after the crash on August 22 2015. Credit: PA The G-force on Mr Hill's body was not a factor in the accident and confirmed he remained conscious and the aircraft responded to his controls during the whole flight. Mr Hill did not activate the ejector seat however the seat was activated due to damage to the cockpit upon crashing. Mr Hill confirmed in interviews related to an RAF Provost jet that he knew a safety manoeuvre must be used if the plane did not achieve the required safety height. The final report by air accident investigators sought to find how the disaster happened. The final report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) sought to find how the disaster happened, what went wrong, and what safety measures could be brought in to protect future lives. The AAIB final report was expected to help decide whether a criminal investigation by Sussex Police will be pursued. Once that is determined a coroner's investigation and inquest will be held. An earlier report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch had already found: The jet's ejection seat parts were in a "damaged condition" The seat cartridges - which had expired in 2014 - "posed a significant hazard" to emergency service crews Technical support for the jet ended once it was retired from military service A technical manual - written in the 1950s - had not been updated It was unclear whether the jet had a valid certificate allowing it to be flown Safety regulations at UK air show have already been tightened as a result of the 2015 disaster. The Shoreham Airshow will not be staged this summer, for the second year running, out of respect for the families of the victims. http://www.itv.com/news/2017-03-03/shoreham-air-disaster-pilot-flew-too-low-and-too- slow-before-failing-to-perform-escape-manouevre/ Back to Top An IPS Roadmap for Aeronautical Safety Services The world's two largest commercial airframe OEMs are evaluating the inclusion of Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) technology as a line-fit solution on their aircraft once standards for a new IP-based network infrastructure arise. These are the latest developments around how civil aviation regulators, avionics suppliers, air-to-ground data link equipment providers, and more are in the earliest stages of developing IPS for air-to-ground, safety services data communications. A new network infrastructure based on internet protocol that promises to use commercial- off-the-shelf (COTS) products to support air-to-ground aeronautical safety services communications is in its earliest stages of development, with a targeted operational date of 2024-2028. ARINC Project Paper 658, first released in mid-2016 by the Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC), provides the initial roadmap for establishing an Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) for aeronautical safety services. It defines considerations such as the avionics architectures of the 2000s and 2010s, integration of IP into ARINC 429 data bus and ARINC 664 avionics architectures as well as harmonization on sub-network data link usage internationally. It also addresses equipment used on aircraft by OEMs and on the ground by air navigation service providers (ANSPs), air traffic controllers, and data communications service providers. While IP is already used for ground-to-ground sharing of packets of data about safety- critical information (like positioning, speed, and altitude), the air-to-ground portion of modern aircraft data communications is mostly unique to aviation. The thinking behind IPS is that it can foster the move toward broad use of multiple data links on aircraft to support sharing of communications, navigation, and surveillance information under Air Traffic Management (ATM) modernization programs like the FAA's NextGen program, Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program and Japan's Collaborative Actions for Renovation of Air Traffic Systems (CARATS) program. Middle Eastern ANSPs have also held meetings with ICAO in recent years to discuss how they can upgrade their ATM infrastructure. ICAO's 20-year Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) plan focuses on four main areas: airport operations, globally interoperable systems and data, optimum capacity and flexible flights, and efficient flight paths. IPS is being discussed as a way to offer a new sub- network for the exchange of safety-critical data and flight information between aircraft and ground automation systems, as well as to expand the bandwidth, spectrum and sub- network multi-link availability needed to support future air traffic growth projections. Avionics and Air-to-Ground Data Links Regarding the ground systems and air-to-ground data link communications portion of IPS, the ARINC project paper refers to the Aeronautical Communications, Addressing, and Reporting System (ACARS) global, digital air-to-ground communications system that supports transmission of short messages between aircraft and ground stations via airband radio or satellite on a subscription basis for commercial airlines. It says ACARS supports an air-to-ground communications protocol per ARINC 618 that can exchange messages no larger than 3.5 kilobytes, although the system has evolved to support multiple sub- networks, such as Very-High-Definition Data Link Mode 2 (VDL Mode 2), satcom and high- frequency data link. "When IPS is deployed, it may be necessary for aircraft equipage to support both networks ("dual-stack"), similar to current equipage with ACARS and Open System Interconnection (OSI), since ACARS use is expected to continue beyond 2025," the project paper says. Furthermore, the roadmap foresees aircraft radios and routers evolving to support air-to- ground data link messages that are larger than 3.5 kilobytes so that ATM can move to time-based operations and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) procedures can occur with more precision, allowing such advanced concepts as aircraft effectively landing themselves on curved approaches. On the ground-to-ground side, though, ground automation technology that captures the bytes of data sent in packets by aircraft routers and radios is already using IP, according to Joel Otto, vice president of strategy and business development, for the Information Management Solutions (IMS) division of Rockwell Collins. "When we think of IPS, we think of it as that next natural step in evolution in increment to what's already being done for those safety services," Otto says. "We don't necessarily see it as something that is really all that new and different. Our networks today use IP for the ground-to-ground segments and deliver the traffic to the ANSPs. Having the air-to-ground segment move to IP and adding the suites and services on top of it, for us, is something that we think we're going to be really well positioned to accommodate in the 2024-2028 timeframe, depending on who decides to implement it when." IPS concept of operations. Courtesy of Rockwell Collins. Rockwell Collins holds a unique position in terms of IPS because of its acquisition of the ARINC global aeronautical services infrastructure in 2013. It also manufactures aircraft radio and router equipment, as well as flight management systems, touchscreen cockpit displays and other current and next-generation flight deck hardware and software. Otto said he believes that IP can be leveraged in aeronautical safety services in the same way that has made it ubiquitous in all commercial industries' use of information services technology. ANSPs and air traffic control technology companies and organizations are also showing increased interest in IPS, says Santi Ibarz, research and development director for Airtel ATN, a provider of air-to-ground data link servers, front end processors, and ground-to- ground routers for ANSPs. Airtel ATN works with Eurocontrol and European ANSPs like the Danish ANSP Naviair, Nav-Portugal and Italy's ENAV to implement ground automation systems that will need to adopt new air-to-ground protocols to accommodate IPS. Ibarz says the company already is seeing demand for the technology from ANSPs in Europe. "Airtel was involved in IPS when the standard was first written and considered for the industry 10-15 years ago," he says, noting that at that time IPS was never validated in any flight trials or given real consideration for use in air-to-ground data links used for safety-critical aircraft data. Since then, many considerations have arisen concerning a shift to air-to-ground IPS. These include cybersecurity issues and which protocols and technologies ANSPs can use (and when) that will ensure they can continue supporting links like VDL Mode O/A, and Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS), future satcom systems, and L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS), and possibly VDL Mode 2. It is expected that IPS will also provide backward compatibility with traditional ACARS air traffic services (e.g., Future Air Navigation System) and Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC), such as ARINC 702A flight plans, as well as Link 2000+ (Aeronautical Telecommunication Network B1) and ATN B2 applications. "Our ground customers, ATC customers are asking us, what about IPS?" says Ibarz. "ANSPs want to know what technology to choose and when to upgrade to IPS, because the ground systems have to accommodate both the legacy and existing air-to-ground data link protocols, equipment and message sets on in-production aircraft for another 20 years. They'll have to be able to be interoperable with the new aircraft that will eventually have IPS in the future. That's where the interest from our ground customers comes from. They're trying to understand and build their own roadmaps as to when they're going to need to upgrade to this new technology." Airbus, Boeing IPS R&D Airbus and Boeing are both evaluating the prospects of including IPS as a line-fit solution on their aircraft once standards for an IP-based network infrastructure are established. Airbus noted that it has not yet defined its technology roadmap. Boeing told Avionics Magazine that it intends to provide IPS for forward fit on aircraft, although it will look to make any specific decisions after the standards mature. The long life span of Airbus and Boeing airframes is another element of the commercial air transportation and ATM ecosystem. Both companies have order backlogs that would take their production through 2023-2024. The way ARINC Project Paper 658 outlines a path to IPS is beneficial to the long life span of airframes, because step 2 specifically states that an ARINC standard is being developed to define the avionics architecture and functions, as well as an IPS profile that will describe implementation options and constraints and higher-level details regarding the accommodation of different applications. Furthermore, the roadmap states that the standard will define the Communications Management Unit's (CMU) ability to act as an IP router. "Moving to IPS will simplify avionics by unifying the communication protocols from the current multi-stack architectures," says Greg Saccone, research and technology senior systems engineer and associate technical fellow at Boeing. Saccone believes that as ATM modernization programs progress in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and elsewhere, more and more data will be exchanged between the aircraft and ground systems, moving beyond the bandwidth of current communication protocols (which he says do not provide favorable compatibility with broadband applications). "IPS will accommodate current applications while providing a transition path to more data-intensive applications of the future," says Saccone. "ICAO, the FAA, and Europe all agree that the end goal is to move to IPS-based services. Boeing thinks that moving towards this end goal now, especially given the long lead time in developing standards, avionics, and ground systems, is a better spend of resources than continuing to try to extend the lifetime of outdated legacy technologies. Boeing is planning its research and product development accordingly." Saccone says that research will include more work on flight trials of IPS over VDL Mode 2, extensive satellite performance characterization, and trade studies in areas like mobility, security, and multiple-link support. He says Boeing also will look to expand partnerships for additional research in IPS. The world's two largest commercial aviation OEMs work together in many ways. Airbus and Boeing are actively involved in the AEEC IPS subcommittee, one of many on which the two sit together and negotiate over how safety-critical air-to-ground data link communications protocols will be structured. This allows the development of protocols that support competition by enabling installation of equipment on many different aircraft types. "Airbus IPS product policy is not defined yet, and will be - as for any other data link introduction in the past - also conditioned to the airline business cases at fleet level," says Luc Emberger, data link expert - Communications R&T projects leader at Airbus. "Once standardization activities will be completed and resulting standards endorsed by the main suppliers and service providers, IPS to support aeronautical safety services on board Airbus aircraft will be investigated in regards of our industrial roadmap," he said. "This is a long process as is any new aeronautical activity which implies international standardization bodies." Emberger says Airbus sees its first priority as establishing a standardization and regulatory roadmap and making progress on the key topics like cybersecurity aspects, integration of IPS in the current avionics architectures, and the definition of relevant "aeronautical constraints, including software qualification, verification, and validation means," he says. http://interactive.aviationtoday.com/avionicsmagazine/february-2017-march-2017/an- ips-roadmap-for-aeronautical-safety-services/ Back to Top SPICEJET EMERGENCY LANDING PROBE POINTS TO INFO BLOCK Report says lessor hadn't shared plane's safety record details in last year's incident. A probe into the emergency landing of a SpiceJet flight, which had been taken on lease from a Bulgarian carrier along with the crew, following a hydraulic system failure in Mumbai last year has revealed that information about the plane's safety record had not been appropriately shared by its owner. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) had tasked deputy director of air safety and inquiry officer H.N. Mishra to conduct the probe. Although the report was submitted to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in November 2016, it was made public only this week. In the report, Mishra observed that the DGCA should put in place norms to ensure lessors provided proper and authentic information about their aircraft leased to domestic airlines whenever there was a probe in keeping with a recommendation of the AAIB. SpiceJet's Mumbai-Delhi flight, with 158 people on board, had made an emergency landing at the city's airport on March 19, 2016. The Airbus-319 had been wet leased from Bulgarian operator BH Air. Unlike a dry lease, where only the aircraft is hired, the plane is taken along with crew members in wet lease. Maintenance and insurance of the aircraft is also taken care of by the lessor in a dry-lease deal. DGCA has made it clear that a domestic airline operator is required to maintain detailed maintenance and operational information about leased aircraft. But in this case, Mishra's report said that BH Air did not respond to the request of SpiceJet for "incident information" after the wet lease expired. "Provisions should be made in DGCA regulations to ensure the lessor provides aircraft incident and accident information to the lessee whenever required for incident investigation," it said. The AAIB further found out that the leased aircraft had suffered a failure of its hydraulic system. The flexible hose attached to the main landing gear of the plane had developed cracks, which caused hydraulic fluid to leak. The report also noted that while both pilots and cabin crew had acted satisfactorily during the emergency situation, the passengers had unnecessarily panicked. The passengers had not paid heed to instructions given by the Bulgarian crew not to inflate their life jackets (despite an announcement in Hindi by the lone SpiceJet crew member who was on board). In fact, they exactly did the opposite. http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/spicejet-emergency-landing-probe- points-to-info-block/articleshow/57439934.cms Back to Top PIA captain, two others issued notices for overloaded Karachi-Madina flight The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued show-cause notices to a pilot and two others officials for loading seven extra passengers on a Karachi-Madina flight on January 20, in a violation of air safety regulations, sources said Monday. PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani did not comment on the development, but said separately that: "Disciplinary action has been taken against all concerned officials." Capt Anwer Adil, senior purser (air hostess) Hina Turab, and terminal manager Akbar Ali Shah were issued notices for allegedly letting extra passengers travel on jump seats and the cockpit on PIA flight PK-743. The development came after an inquiry committee set up by the airline found the allegations to be true. "After in-depth investigation... it has been confirmed that passenger[s] travelled on [the] flight are over and above of the aircraft configuration (including jump seats) which is a clear violation of SOP [standard operating procedures] and violation of passenger safety," read a report signed by Manager Operations Sohail Jaffar Ali. As per SOPs in cases like these, the report said, the aircraft should be parked again to offload extra passengers "which was not done in this case". "Such type of violation/irregularity cannot be ignored in which safety of the passenger[s] is on [sic] stake." Sources said Capt Adil will not be able to operate flights after being issued the the notice. The Civil Aviation Authority is also investigating allegations of safety violation against the captain. Talking to DawnNews, Capt Adil denied that he allowed extra passengers to travel on jump seats and demanded a transparent inquiry against "whoever allowed passengers on jump seats". As many as seven passengers aboard the PIA flight were forced to stand throughout the over three-hour flight after the airline boarded excess passengers, a Dawn report had said earlier this week. The Boeing 777 aircraft (Reg No: AP BID) has a seating capacity of 409, including jump seats, while flight PK-743 carried 416 passengers from Karachi to Madina. Sources said this constituted a serious air safety breach as in the case of an emergency, passengers without seats would not have access to oxygen and could also cause congestion in case of an evacuation. PIA said Sunday it would investigate the allegations, but denied the extra passengers 'stood in the aisles' for the three-hour journey. The airline's spokesman said media reports that some passengers travelled standing were "exaggerated and baseless. It is not possible for anyone to travel like that in an aircraft, regardless of the duration of the flight." https://www.dawn.com/news/1317322/pia-captain-two-others-issued-notices-for- overloaded-karachi-madina-flight Back to Top Emergency Room & Urgent Care Clinic Coming To DFW Airport DFW AIRPORT (CBS11) - A North Texas company is getting ready to open an emergency room and an urgent care clinic at DFW Airport. "We're going to be the first emergency room on airport property in the United States," said Code 3 CEO Carrie de Moor, who is also an emergency physician. While traveling, she said she noticed the need for airport clinics, which could relieve earaches, replace lost medication or treat passengers who develop medical issues in- flight. DFW Airport seemed the ideal place to start, she said. De Moor said ambulances annually take about 3,500 patients from airport property to a hospital. "(It is) about the size of Manhattan, has 60,000 employees on property every single day. That alone is a small city. On top of that you have 60 million travelers coming through every year," said de Moor. She said the airport board agreed with the idea and even asked her to go one step further. "If we could possibly do one inside the terminal with a pharmacy because it was something passengers had repeatedly told the airport they needed," she said. Along with the ER, which will be built near the airport's administration office, came approval for the clinic in Terminal D. It creates unique challenges. "For example, needles and things, we'll have to get approved before we can get them past a security checkpoint," said de Moor. Employees will need TSA clearance and the pharmacy won't carry narcotics. If travelers are stuck at the airport overnight due to bad weather, the clinic may operate extended hours. De Moor said she's also talking to the airport about disaster management. "What would it be like having an emergency physician there on ground zero if something were to occur?" she said. The clinic is expected to open in August. The emergency room will follow around the end of the year. Code 3 also has plans to open an urgent care clinic at McCarren Airport in Las Vegas. A spokesperson said it is in discussions with other airports as well, but would not say which ones. http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/03/02/emergency-room-urgent-care-clinic-coming-to-dfw- airport/ Back to Top Baggage handler who authorities say stole guns passed airport checks Ja'Quan Johnson is accused of stealing seven handguns from airport luggage from Nov. 29, 2016, through Feb. 2. Investigators said record checks, airport bag tracking, worker schedules and surveillance implicated Johnson. The Austin airport baggage handler who the FBI and Austin police say stole handguns from bags to trade for pot had passed a background check, police said Thursday. The employee, 25-year-old Austin resident Ja'Quan Johnson, has been fired from his contract job at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Lt. Joe Robles said. Authorities believe Johnson stole seven handguns from checked bags at the airport from Nov. 29, 2016, through Feb. 2. Many of those handguns were traded for marijuana, authorities said. Investigators said they tied Johnson to the thefts through record checks, airport bag tracking, employee schedules and surveillance. Police have recovered five of the seven weapons stolen from the airport. The investigation also turned up two more handguns identified as stolen from elsewhere, Robles said. Johnson has been charged with theft from an interstate shipment and possession of stolen firearms. He turned himself in on Wednesday and was released on a personal recognizance bond, according to the U.S. attorney's office. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. On Feb. 3, Austin police searched Johnson's home on Parkfield Drive in North Austin. As a result, they arrested his roommate, 21-year-old Matthew Bartlett, and charged him with felony possession of marijuana. At the time, police interviewed Johnson and he confessed to stealing the weapons from airport baggage, police said. He was fired from his baggage handling job almost immediately, Robles said. Interviews with Johnson led Austin police to Catronn Hewitt, 36, who was also arrested and charged with felony possession of marijuana. Robles said it was unclear how many bags Johnson went through during the months-long stretch of thefts. In one instance, Robles said, Johnson also took a pair of binoculars from a suitcase that had a gun inside, but no other stolen property has been tied to him. Airport spokesman Jim Halbrook said anyone who has access to secure areas of the airport is subject to the same federally mandated background checks, and Johnson was no exception. A check of Texas Department of Public Safety records indicated no criminal history for Johnson, Bartlett or Hewitt in the state. http://www.mystatesman.com/news/crime--law/baggage-handler-who-authorities-say- stole-guns-passed-airport-checks/CNUA1nyL89cOQt54m4dd3I/ Back to Top Delta Airlines Has Its First Black Female Captain This is the second time she's made aviation history. Twenty years ago, Stephanie Johnson became the first black female pilot for Northwest Airlines. And in 2016, Johnson made history again as Delta Air Lines' first black female captain. Delta celebrated Johnson in February, but Women's History Month is also a fitting time to recognize the aviation pioneer. Stephanie Johnson made history as Delta's first black female captain. We're honored to celebrate her this #BlackHistoryMonth & every month. Johnson's trailblazing path was decades in the making. "For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with airplanes and would think, 'What a great thing it would be to know how to fly,''' Johnson told Delta News Hub last month. One of the first in her family to complete college, the Kent State University graduate was a flight instructor for her university's aviation program. Before scoring her historic position at Northwest, Johnson held a number of part-time gigs, including working at Blockbuster. Now a seasoned pilot, Johnson wants to encourage young children to consider a career in aviation, and has worked with the Detroit Aviation Career Education Academy and served as director of the Cleveland ACE Academy. "I feel a great sense of responsibility to be a positive role model," Johnson said. "There are so few women in this profession and too many women who still don't think of it as a career option. When I was hired by Northwest Airlines, there were 12 African-American women airline pilots in the country at the major airlines, and I knew all of their names." "Today is very different, and though there are still people to inform, I am so thankful that the word is out," she continued. "One of the most rewarding parts of my career has been sharing my passion for aviation and exposing young people to the opportunities in the field." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/delta-airlines-has-its-first-black-female- captain_us_58b845e4e4b02a4e8ddaec20 Back to Top Strengthening Tonga's aviation safety important goal Nuku'alofa, Tonga Attendees from CAD (Tonga), CAAC, Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand met in Nuku'alofa. Civil aviation authorities from China and New Zealand and the Pacific Islands looked at how to strengthen civil aviation safety in Tonga, at their meeting from February 15-17, in Nuku'alofa. The meeting between Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand and the Pacific Aviation Safety Office considered ways to provide support and to strengthen Tonga's Civil Aviation capability to ensure safe operations of all civil aircrafts. The four party meeting was proposed by CAAC. In a statement they sai and all parties attached great importance to this meeting for Tonga to improve its capability of safety oversight. The parties have expressed their willingness to provide technical support to Tonga. Subsequently, a high level delegation by Mr Li Jian, CAAC Deputy Director-General and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China were in Nuku'alofa from February 22-24. During meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni and the Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism Semisi Sika, they discussed China's support to Tonga's civil aviation technology and aircraft operation, cooperation in air transportation and pushed for the China-Tonga direct flight. The delegation also had consultation with Tonga's Civil Aviation on China's assistance for the sustained and safe operation of the MA60 aircraft in Tonga. A "Record of Discussion on Deepening Cooperation in Civil Aviation Safety between Tonga Civil Aviation and CAAC" was also signed. Deputy Director General of the CAAC_ Mr Li Jiang and Minister of Infrastructure and Tourism_ Hon Semisi Sika. http://matangitonga.to/2017/03/03/strengthening-tonga-s-aviation-safety-important- goal Back to Top GAMA Hails Long Awaited Acceptance of Single-Engine Commercial Aeroplane Operations in Europe Brussels-The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today welcomed the European Union (EU)'s acceptance of Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operations using Single-Engine Turbine aeroplanes at night or in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (SET-IMC) in Europe. The operations take effect today with publication in the EU's Official Journal. The publication of these rules opens up new markets and stands to improve connectivity across the continent. Marking the end of a 20-year effort by industry and regulators, Europe is now aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards for CAT operations. "The EU's acceptance of CAT operations has been a long-awaited moment for general aviation," GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. "We are very pleased to see Europe joining other regions in permitting this important form of transport." The new regulation is based on rigorous safety analysis, and contains all of the necessary safeguards to facilitate this form of passenger transport. It will greatly facilitate overnight cargo delivery and help provide connectivity to Europe's most remote regions. "We applaud the leadership shown by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in guiding this important safety framework forward, along with many dedicated individuals who helped forge this rule over many years. It will be a welcome development for those underserved by commercial routes to date," Bunce continued. Work on a regulatory framework for single-engine commercial operations began in the early 1990s. Common around the world, such operations are based on ICAO standards issued in 2005. GAMA, and several of the association's members, participated in a rulemaking group created by EASA in 2012 to help develop the agency's regulatory framework. GAMA is an international trade association representing over 80 of the world's leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components and related services. GAMA's members also operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and manage fleets of aircraft. For more information, visit GAMA's website at www.GAMA.aero. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12311534/gama-hails-long-awaited- acceptance-of-single-engine-commercial-aeroplane-operations-in-europe Curt Lewis