Flight Safety Information March 17, 2017 - No. 056 Incident: Monarch A321 at Birmingham on Mar 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to engine fault Incident: Condor B763 near St. Louis on Mar 15th 2017, fuel leak Incident: American B738 near Jacksonville on Mar 14th 2017, IFE wasn't thirsty Saab 340B...propeller sheared off in flight FAA Warns of ADS-B False Alerts White House endorses plan to remove 30,000 FAA workers from federal payroll E-cigarette catches fire inside passenger bag at Bradley Airport Gigantic Aircraft Backed By Tech Billionaire Paul Allen May Fly Soon U.S. Air Force Evaluates Quadcopter for Aircraft Inspections Leonardo sketches 'modular, multi-task' civil-military aircraft Dubai tackles safety issues as it hosts world summit Helicopter involved in Mayo search operation checked for safety in January Drones pose a threat to planes, warns Australian Transport Safety Bureau Airlines run out of flight numbers, DGCA warns safety at risk (India) Air Safety: The Fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370-Revisited Air Canada Pilots Association supports Transport Minister's new interim rules for drones Local airport raises awareness for women pilots Mitsubishi Regional Jet Struggles to Join Siblings in Washington Incident: Monarch A321 at Birmingham on Mar 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to engine fault A Monarch Airbus A321-200, registration G-OZBU performing flight ZB-970 from Birmingham,EN (UK) to Malaga,SP (Spain), was accelerating for takeoff from Birmingham's runway 15 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed. The aircraft slowed safely and vacated the runway about 2100 meters/6900 feet down the runway. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration G-OZBG reached Malaga with a delay of 2 hours. A passenger reported the crew announced the aircraft had received a new engine (V2533) the previous night, the new engine overheated during the takeoff run prompting the rejected takeoff. The airline reported a technical issue prompted the rejected takeoff. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a64a641&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Condor B763 near St. Louis on Mar 15th 2017, fuel leak A Condor Boeing 767-300, registration D-ABUZ performing flight DE-2114 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Cancun (Mexico) with 182 passengers and 10 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 130 northeast of St. Louis,MO (USA) when the crew reported a possible fuel leak and decided to divert to Saint Louis. The aircraft landed safely on runway 30L about 30 minutes later. The crew queried emergency services whether they could see any leak from the left wing. The attending emergency services reported a leak near the left main gear. The airline reported problems with a fuel tank prompted the diversion to St. Louis. A replacement aircraft has been dispatched to St. Louis and is estimated to reach Cancun with a delay of 30 hours. The passengers were taken to hotels. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration D-ABUP is currently enroute from Frankfurt to Saint Louis and is estimated to reach St. Louis about 27 hours after landing of D-ABUZ. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFG114/history/20170315/0835Z/EDDF/MMUN http://avherald.com/h?article=4a64a3f4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American B738 near Jacksonville on Mar 14th 2017, IFE wasn't thirsty An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N955NN performing flight AA-1090 from Miami,FL to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) with 149 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 60nm northnorthwest of Jacksonville,FL (USA) when a flight attendant was serving a can of soda to a passenger but accidentally spilled the content over the passenger and the inflight entertainment system (IFE) which became soaked and began to emit smoke. The flight crew decided to divert to Jacksonville for a safe landing about 25 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Jacksonville for 7 hours, then was able to continue the flight and reached Chicago with a delay of 8.5 hours. The airline reported a passenger spilled soda over an electrical item in the main cabin, cabin crew reacted quickly and resolved the issue, the flight diverted to Jacksonville as a precaution. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a63f882&opt=0 Back to Top Saab 340B propeller sheared off in flight Date: 17-MAR-2017 Time: 11:49 LT Type: Saab 340B Owner/operator: Regional Express Airlines Registration: VH-NRX C/n / msn: 340B-291 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 19 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Category: Serious incident Location: 19km from Sydney, NSW - Australia Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: YMAY Destination airport: YSSY Investigating agency: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) - Australia Narrative: Regional Express (REX) flight from Albury to Sydney as ZL768 issued a PAN after one of its propeller sheared off the shaft over southern suburbs of Sydney. The aircraft landed safely in Sydney. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=194241 Back to Top FAA Warns of ADS-B False Alerts Test signals emanating from the ground have triggered TCAS alerts in airborne aircraft. The FAA recently warned of adhering to proper testing procedures for any new ADS-B equipment based on problems that have begun appearing. As the countdown continues to the Dec. 31, 2019, deadline for ADS-B Out installation, the pace of updates is expected to increase significantly and the agency is concerned about shops rushing to complete the required work. The FAA, in a safety alert for operators (No. 17002), recently warned of adhering to proper testing procedures for any new ADS-B equipment based on problems that have begun appearing. The agency mentioned reports of transponder and ADS-B Out system ground tests in which information, including simulated altitude, was erroneously transmitted from a test aircraft on the ground and received by aircraft in flight. In at least one instance, a ground test created a false airborne target that generated a traffic alert and collision avoidance System II (TCAS II) resolution advisory to a Boeing 737 aircraft on approach to a congested airport. While the pilot correctly reacted to the event, ATC was required to re-sequence other arrivals causing considerable delays. The FAA says equipment ground tests obviously involve a check of the aircraft's altimetry system to simulate operation at various altitudes. But if transmission lines are not correctly attached to the test equipment, antenna shielding must be used to prevent signal interference with nearby ATC operations or TCAS-equipped aircraft. The agency recommends repair stations evaluate their ability to prevent random signal transmission while adding that in some cases, local requirements might demand notifying ATC of any impending equipment testing. http://www.flyingmag.com/faa-warns-ads-b-false-alerts Back to Top White House endorses plan to remove 30,000 FAA workers from federal payroll An air traffic controller at the Dulles International Airport tower in September. (Cliff Owen/AP) President Trump's support for a plan to lop more than 30,000 Federal Aviation Administration workers from the federal payroll gives fresh momentum to an effort that stalled in Congress last year. The proposal is included in Trump's 2018 budget, which would cut funding for the Transportation Department by 13 percent. The move would address two themes at the core of White House strategy: contracting the size of the federal workforce and putting a costly federal program in private hands. [Proposal shifts air traffic control outside government, cuts funding for transit] The more than 30,000 federal workers comprise 14,000 air traffic controllers and about 16,000 other FAA employees, many of whom work on a project called NextGen. The NextGen program is a combination of several projects intended to speed air travel, save airline fuel and accommodate a 20 percent increase in passengers in the next two decades. Congress has become increasingly frustrated by the pace at which the FAA has progressed and by regular criticism of NextGen in reports from the inspector general and the Government Accountability Office. A House committee last year voted to spin off the controllers and the NextGen program into a federally chartered nonprofit organization run by a board of directors. The bill was never called up on the House floor, perhaps because Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) knew there was strong bipartisan opposition in the Senate. Now, the White House has endorsed a transfer to that "nongovernmental organization" as a "benefit to the flying public and taxpayers overall." The issue has divided the airline industry, won surprising union support for leaving the federal workforce and drawn comparisons with other nations that have privatized their air traffic control networks. If it wins congressional support this year, the FAA would lose more than 65 percent of its workers and be reduced to the role of a regulatory oversight agency, much like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which issues auto regulations and recalls faulty vehicles. "For too long, the federal government has been the impediment in updating our [air traffic control] operation to a world-class, state-of-the-art system," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), applauding Trump's proposal. "Like any transformative change in Washington, entrenched interest groups will do and say anything to protect their parochial interests. But the facts are not on their side." Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), a committee member, said the proposal was included in Trump's budget "as a political favor to the chairman, who was an early [Trump] supporter." "Scrapping our nation's air traffic control system is an idea that died in the Senate last year, and it'll die again this year - with or without the administration's support," Nelson said. About a dozen years ago, the FAA was looking for a catchy descriptor for its multifaceted program to modernize a system that had undergone minimal enhancements since radar's introduction during World War II, one in which commercial jetliners still move around the country from one designated way point to the next, rather than flying in a straight line to their destination. The point was to sell Congress on funding several expensive projects, and the name they came up with to cover all of them was NextGen. Giving multiple programs one name has been a blessing and a curse. It gave the FAA a single name to use when it sought modernization money from Congress. But it also gave Congress a single program to hold accountable when elements of NextGen moved slowly or not at all. With the FAA's current authorization set to expire on Sept. 30, the White House and Shuster have a ready vehicle in the reauthorization bill to convey the privatization plan. [Report: FAA isn't delivering what was promised in $40 billion project] The FAA already has spent about $7 billion on elements of the NextGen program and estimates a total cost of $35.8 billion, split between federal taxpayers and the airlines, which will have to install new equipment on their planes. But some airlines have been reluctant to invest, perceiving the FAA as moving slowly and subject to uncertain funding and occasional government shutdowns. That led to a split in the industry last year, when Delta broke away from the trade group Airlines for America, which supported the privatization plan. Delta rebelled, issuing a white paper that said "no evidence has yet been produced to show that privatization would reduce costs." The other major airlines say that privatization will infuse the NextGen program with a level of certainty that will give them confidence to make the required capital investments. Details of the Trump proposal were not available Thursday, but if the White House follows last year's Shuster plan, funding for the nonprofit corporation would come from charges and fees imposed on passenger and cargo airlines, exempting military aircraft and the general aviation community. Shuster and advocates for moving the controllers and NextGen to a nonprofit corporation have studied several foreign systems where such a transfer has been achieved, most notably the Canadian system, which was transferred to a nonprofit 20 years ago. Critics of a the U.S. transfer proposal point out that the Canadian system is far less complex and heavily used as the U.S. system. [Air traffic controllers ready to break away from FAA] A surprising turn in Shuster's push for the formation of the nonprofit corporation came a year ago, when the controllers union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, supported the move to separate its members from the federal payroll. The union's president, Paul Rinaldi, cited the 2013 sequestration, government shutdowns and the lack of funding to hire new controllers in testimony before Shuster's committee. "Unfortunately, we no longer have a stable, predictable funding stream, and this uncertainty has caused serious problems in the system," Rinaldi testified. "We have experienced 24 short-term extensions of authorization, a partial shutdown of the FAA, a complete government shutdown and numerous threats of government shutdowns." Rinaldi laid out terms that he said his members found acceptable - ensuring "that our employees are fully protected in our employment relationship" and "maintaining our members' pay benefits, retirement, health care, along with our negotiated agreements for our work rules." "NATCA supports this bill because it provides a stable, predictable funding stream," he said. "A not-for- profit, independent organization run by the board of stakeholders could deliver results similar to those we have seen in Canada." https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/white-house-endorses-plan-to-remove- 30000-faa-workers-from-federal-payroll/2017/03/16/ce4a4e3c-099c-11e7-93dc- 00f9bdd74ed1_story.html?utm_term=.97ced16c6476 Back to Top E-cigarette catches fire inside passenger bag at Bradley Airport Man Suffers 3rd-Degree Burns After E-Cigarette Explodes in His Pocket While Riding Bus WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (WTNH) - E-cigarettes are an alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes, but quite often they're proving to be pretty dangerous. Security cameras have caught e-cigarette exploding on a bus and behind the counter at a convenient store. Thursday morning, an e-cigarette exploded in a bag while a passenger was getting ready to check in on Delta Airlines flight at Bradley International Airport. Security had to use a fire extinguisher on it. Jamie Carter isn't surprised. "Most of them have a battery pack, and that is what probably blows up. I know if you let it get too hot a lot of them will melt. I have a lot of friends who smoke vapes and I know a lot of them get really hot," said Carter. A witness behind the counter says the bag caught fire in line as people were checking in, somebody grabbed it and brought it right outside an hit it with a fire extinguisher and that was the end of it. However, that leads to a bigger concern - it's not on the travel advisory ban list. E-cigarettes are allowed on the planes. So should they be allowed? What will happen next? It will be up to the airlines themselves and the FAA. Carter says it is a hard call, the same type of battery technology used in the e-cigarette is also used in the cell phone. "I mean they lead on all types of electronics on the plane. Your cell phone could blow up just as easy as an e-cigarette," said Carter. A spokesperson for Bradley International Airport says it was a small fire contained to the suitcase and did not disrupt travel at the airport. http://wtnh.com/2017/03/16/e-cigarette-catches-fire-inside-passenger-bag-at-bradley-airport/ Back to Top Gigantic Aircraft Backed By Tech Billionaire Paul Allen May Fly Soon The massive Stratolaunch airplane backed by billionaire Paul Allen's Vulcan Aerospace may take flight this year, according to report by tech news site GeekWire. Speaking at an event at the University of Washington, Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft (MSFT, -0.20%), tried to capture the aircraft's huge size. "Is it 'ginormous?' I don't know, it's pretty darn big," he said, according to Thursday's report. "The tail is 50 feet high, just the tail. It's probably the biggest carbon-composite vehicle ever constructed," Stratolaunch is meant to provide a cheaper, more flexible way to launch satellites into low-earth orbit. The aircraft will carry satellites high into the atmosphere before launching them. Allen isn't the only tech billionaire backing new takes on space flight. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA, +2.45%), is the force behind SpaceX, which ferries cargo to the International Space Station and hopes to transport passengers into space in the not-too-distant future. Blue Origin, backed by Amazon (AMZN, +0.05%) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, is building less expensive, reusable rockets for transporting cargo. Meanwhile, Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, is also in the latest space race with his space tourism company Virgin Galactic. Stratolaunch, which is built of lightweight materials, is indeed "ginormous." Aside from the 50-foot-tall tail, its wingspan is a whopping 385 feet, nearly double that of the Boeing (BA, -0.29%) 787 Dreamliner. The Stratolaunch's overall length is 238 feet, compared to 224 feet for the Dreamliner. http://fortune.com/2017/03/10/gigantic-stratolaunch-paul-allen/ Back to Top U.S. Air Force Evaluates Quadcopter for Aircraft Inspections U.S. Air Force testers fly 3DR Solo Testers with the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., use a quadcopter to inspect a C-17. (Photo: U.S. Air Force) The U.S. Air Force is evaluating the use of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for aircraft maintenance inspections and other tasks. A new emerging technologies combined test force (CTF) of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, has demonstrated small drone applications twice in the past two months, the service said on March 9. In the most recent demonstration earlier this month, testers used a 3DR Solo quadcopter fitted with a video camera to inspect the exterior of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet on loan from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. The test team, which included maintainers, conducted three sorties with the drone to determine if the quality of its video was adequate for routine inspections and clear enough to see smaller details of the exterior such as structural abnormalities, rivets and cracks. "It was the first time the CTF flew a small unmanned aerial system on the flight line and the second time the CTF has used a sUAS in a new application that shows promise," the Air Force said. In February, the CTF started testing a quadcopter to determine if a drone can be used to calibrate the 412th Range Squadron's telemetry antennas on the base. Those tests also produced positive results, according to the Air Force. The service is also considering using drones for roof inspections, airfield inspections and "environmental-concern area" inspections. Aircraft inspections that normally take 45 minutes to an hour could be done in a few minutes with a quadcopter; in the case of the C-17 a drone would spare maintainers using a lift to inspect its tail. Maintainers at Edwards AFB were able to use the drone's video to sign off their preflight external inspection-an Air Force first-said Maj. Dan Riley, CTF director. "Another reason we've conducted this test is to open the aperture on flying a sUAS near the airfield, which has been frowned upon in the past," Riley said. "[Executing] these missions establishes a baseline for how operations can be conducted safely, not only here at Edwards, but at other bases as well." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2017-03-14/us-air-force-evaluates-quadcopter- aircraft-inspections Back to Top Leonardo sketches 'modular, multi-task' civil-military aircraft ATR shareholder Leonardo intends to break the industry impasse on development of a 100-seat regional turboprop with a new programme to create a "modular and multi-task" aircraft that would also replace the Italian manufacturer's C-27J tactical airlifter. Speaking in Milan today to detail Leonardo's 2016 financials, chief executive Mauro Moretti said he hoped Airbus - the other 50% partner in joint venture ATR - could be convinced to participate in development of a new aircraft under the ATR banner. Failing that, he is prepared to buy Airbus out of ATR. But, regardless, the dual-use 100-seater will go ahead - under the Leonardo banner and possibly with new investors - and be realised in southern Italy. ATR's home assembly centre in Toulouse, Moretti notes, is "full". And for a programme that will cost €1.6- 1.7 billion ($1.7-1.8 billion), investors could be found, he believes; regional development funds may also be available for such a project in the south of Italy. The market potential, he argues, is "great", and the finances attractive because development costs can be spread across two aircraft. Moretti's stance represents a potentially dramatic shift in ATR's industrial position and the civil turboprop market generally. For several years now, the former Finmeccanica has been keen to begin a 100-seat project, but Airbus has shown no interest. The 70-plus-seat ATR 72 has been selling well, and a 100- seater would probably mean an all-new airframe, leaving Airbus inclined to adopt a conservative attitude despite the Italians' enthusiasm. Canadian rival Bombardier, manufacturer of the Q400, has shared Airbus's caution about diving into an expensive new programme for an untested market. But Moretti appears convinced of the market potential for an aircraft with two roles - including replacement of the "not so young" C-27J. For 2016, Leonardo has posted sales of €12 billion and EBIT of €982 million, compared with nearly €13 billion revenue but just €884 million of EBIT in 2015. Group debt - long a heavy drag on finances - shrank to just €2.85 billion, from €3.28 billion a year ago. The aeronautics division, which manufactures fuselage barrels for Boeing 787s as well as the M-346 military trainer, saw sales edge up to €3.13 billion and EBITA gain 11% to €347 million. The orderbook surged, from €6.17 billion at the end of 2015 to €13.1 billion. Despite a torrid market for big rotorcraft, the AgustaWestland helicopter division recorded EBITA of €430 million on sales of €3.64 billion, down from €558 million on €4.48 billion in 2015. The unit's orderbook fell by a billion euros, to €10.6 billion. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/leonardo-sketches-modular-multi-task-civil-milita-435189/ Back to Top Dubai tackles safety issues as it hosts world summit Tackling the safety challenges posed by the booming global aviation industry, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is hosting the World Aviation Safety Summit (WASS), returning to Dubai this year in its fifth edition. Taking place on 11 and 12 April, WASS 2017 will highlight key strategies for the safety culture of the future by engaging with local and international stakeholders from regulatory authorities, airline operators, airport operators, aircraft manufacturers, pilot associations, safety organisations and air traffic control service providers. The Summit will address how the aviation industry implements essential safety measures in order to efficiently manage the processes, threats and risks facing aviation safety professionals worldwide. The Summit will also closely examine best practices in crisis communications, reputation management, safety performance and wildlife management. According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which keeps a database of all air travel incidents, 2016 was the second safest year on record. Yet, despite the lack of major airline accidents challenges remain across aviation cyber security, environmental impact mitigation, communications, and safety performance management. WASS will evaluate a variety of such topics in order to highlight best practices and lessons learned. Since 1997 the average number of airliner accidents has shown a steady and persistent decline. According to ASN, this is largely due to the efforts of international aviation organizations such as ICAO, IATA and the Flight Safety Foundation. As WASS' Association Partner, experts from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will provide attendees with updates on the latest industry safety trends and best practices. Some of the sessions at WASS include enhancing safe and secure operations; overflight and handling a complex geopolitical environment; safety performance, monitoring, measurement and benchmarking; business continuity and air safety; cyber security for safety; and risk management and predictive safety. H.E. Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General at the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said: "As Dubai's Civil Aviation Authority, we are committed to the development of safety in the aviation sector locally, regionally and internationally. We are dedicated to backing the World Aviation Safety Summit and look forward to supporting the learning and innovations that come out of the global gathering. We believe that bringing global safety experts together will make a genuine difference to the industry, enhance performance levels and highlight Dubai's commitment to ensuring a safe and secure future for air travel." Nick Webb, Managing Partner at Streamline Marketing Group, the event organisers, commented: "Returning for its 5th edition, WASS has established itself as an ideal platform for thought leaders of the global aviation safety sector to come together and discuss essential safety measures. Air traffic is booming, and with such rapid growth it is critical that industry and safety experts discuss solutions to the challenges and ever-growing demands of the industry. We look forward to welcoming the world's global aviation safety experts in Dubai for the fifth edition of the Summit." http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/dubai-tackles-safety-issues-as-it-hosts-world-summit.html Back to Top Helicopter involved in Mayo search operation checked for safety in January Coast Guard has five Sikorsky S92 helicopters with a top speed of 185km/h An Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S92 helicopter at its launch at Weston Airport, Lucan, Co Dublin, in February 2014. File photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins The manufacturers of the helicopter involved in this morning's search for four crew of the Irish Coast Guard ordered immediate safety checks on the aircraft at the start of the year. Precautionary inspections were carried out on the five Sikorsky S92s in rotation in Ireland (including a spare aircraft) after the US maker issued an alert. The move followed an incident involving the same make and model on a North Sea platform in December 2016. It was landing on the West Franklin rig on December 28th when it left significant gouge marks on the deck. Helicopters stationed at the Waterford and Shannon bases were checked first, followed by Dublin and Sligo. Sikorsky issued a notice known as an alert service bulletin relating to the tail rotors. It called for visual checks on the helicopters before the next flight. Gerard O'Flynn, operations manager with the Irish Coast Guard said in January the inspections of the tail rotor had not raised any issues. * Coast Guard helicopter wreckage found at lighthouse * Rescue 116 crash: Wreckage found at lighthouse * Staff shortage initially curbed Defence Forces' role in Blacksod emergency "All operators were required to carry out pretty well immediate inspections. As of now all the helicopters are fully operational," he said. The manufacturing company said the alert applied to all of the 280 S92s around the world and insisted it was an "inspection action, not a fleet grounding". Speaking at a press conference this morning, Eugene Cloonan, director of the Irish Coast Guard said said the Sikorsky S92s, supplied by CHC Ireland have an "excellent safety record." 'Flying ambulance' In January 2014, the last of the Coast Guard's Sikorsky S92 helicopters - described as "a flying ambulance" - was launched. The fleet has a top speed of 185 km/h, a range of 500km, and according to then minister for transport Leo Varadkar, is faster and safer, carries more casualties, and can fly at higher altitude and in much worse weather than its predecessor. The S92 crews including State-registered paramedics can provide medical services on inter-hospital transfers, and on donor organ recipient transfers. Specialist medical teams can also be transported, while the aircraft's rear access ramp can accommodate stretchers, hospital trolleys, incubators, equipment and personnel . The helicopters can also assist can mountain rescue teams attending incidents anywhere in the country at very short notice. It is also available for train or bus crash or road traffic accidents requiring multi casualty evacuation. Controversial contract The 10-year, €500 million contract from 2012 to 2022 for the faster and safer Sikorsky S-92 helicopters has proved controversial. Speaking in January, former Air Corps officer Commdt Seamus McCormack said the State could have saved substantially if the Air Corps had been asked to tender for at least part of the work. The Irish Coast Guard has in turn sought to give greater return for the investment by undertaking air ambulance work for the Health Service Executive when the Air Corps is not available. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/helicopter-involved-in-mayo-search-operation- checked-for-safety-in-january-1.3009777 Back to Top Drones pose a threat to planes, warns Australian Transport Safety Bureau Drones have been involved in near encounters with planes.Picture: Picture: Getty Images Australia's air crash investigators have warned that drones pose a serious risk to commercial aircraft. The number of drones flying is expected to double by the end of the year. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday released a report Safety Of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones) and the numbers are concerning. Between 2012 and last year, there were about 180 incidents of drones being too close but more than 60 per cent of all reported encounters - 108 incidents - happened last year. Statistical models forecast a 75 per cent rise in the number of near encounters this year, the safety bureau said. Most encounters happened in capital cities and almost all were above the allowed altitude for drones of 400ft (122m). Some near misses happened at 3000m. The bureau report said "while there had been no reported collisions between RPAS and manned aircraft in Australia, and given the variables, the potential consequences of collisions are not yet fully understood". According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, uncertified drones must also be in line of sight of the controller and at least 5km away from an airport boundary and in non-populated areas. Nearly all encounters breached some or all of these conditions. The safety bureau's chief commissioner Greg Hood said the report sought to better understand the implications for transport safety associated with the rise in the number of drones. "Based on our knowledge of bird strikes, RPAS collisions with high capacity air transport aircraft could lead to an engine ingestion in about eight per cent of strikes," Mr Hood said. "RPAS also have the potential to damage a general aviation aircraft's flight surfaces (wings and tail), which could result in a loss of control. "Similar to the impact from a large bird, collision between a RPAS and a general aviation aircraft's windscreen poses a high risk of penetration." In April 2014, a participant in a triathlon in Geraldton received minor injuries when the remote pilot of a drone filming the event lost control of it and the drone crashed to the ground. the a from collidng while competing in a triathlon in Geraldton from collision with an RPAS that was filming the race. The collision occurred after the remote pilot lost control of the aircraft. https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/drones-a-threat-to-planes-ng-b88417420z Back to Top Airlines run out of flight numbers, DGCA warns safety at risk (India) All big Indian airlines use three-digit flight numbers that are suffixed to the airline code, such as AI for Air India. * The existing three-digit codes are increasingly leading to confusion * 1,800 call sign conflicts were resolved in the last season. NEW DELHI: The boom in aviation in India has given rise to a peculiar problem - airlines are running out of flight numbers. With a growing number of flights and too few flight numbers, call sign confusion emerged as a serious concern among authorities at the recently concluded meeting for deciding summer slots. The existing three-digit codes are increasingly leading to confusion and there has been a spate of safety scares when similar sounding flight numbers operate to or from the same airport around the same time - something that's happening with increasing frequency due to the volume of traffic. At the meeting, S B Sharma, Airport Authority of India's joint GM (air traffic management), said 1,800 call sign conflicts were resolved in the last season (last summer). IGI choked: No new peak-hour flights in Delhi this summer According to the minutes of the meeting, Sharma requested airlines to follow guidelines for enhancing safety of aircraft. Lalit Gupta, joint DG and head of safety, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, too flagged the issue. "Even after detailed deliberations on call sign conflicts during last season, airline operators are filing new flights in the same route within a 15-minute gap, with similar call signs. They were advised to take cognizance of guidelines on the call sign conflict issue," Gupta was quoted in the minutes as saying. Aviation authorities have for long been planning to end the confusion caused by similar sounding call signs or flight numbers by switching over from three-digit to four-digit flight numbers. But there has been no decision so far despite growing traffic. Top Comment Can't they change to a four digit numbering(or five digit to factor in future demand)? That would resolve things. Till that happens, the regulator had taken some interim decisions like not allowing similar sounding call signs or signs with same digits in their numeric part to be flying within a space of up to two hours in the same region. All big Indian airlines use three-digit flight numbers that are suffixed to the airline code, such as AI for Air India. A few small airlines with a handful of daily flights have used four-digit numbers. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/airlines-running-out-of-flight- numbers/articleshow/57680555.cms Back to Top Air Safety: The Fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370-Revisited Blog Technology, Manufacturing & Transportation Industry Insider Husch Blackwell LLP Alan B. Hoffman On the second anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Air flight MH370, this blog explored the known facts and concluded, "Unless and until the wreckage is located on the ocean floor and the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder data recovered, the most plausible scenario is deliberate human action, most likely by one of the cockpit crew." Thereafter, the search area was refined, but in January, 2017 further search efforts were ended. As a result, recovery of the vital "black boxes" is highly unlikely. Last year aviation writer Christine Negroni published The Crash Detectives: Investigating the World's Most Mysterious Air Disasters (Penguin Books, 2016). It hypothesizes that immediately after making a radio call to air traffic control, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah left the flight deck to visit the lavatory, and at the same time, the co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, inadvertently switched off the aircraft's transponder. Also at the same time, "a rapid decompression happened near or in the cockpit," incapacitating the absent captain. The Crash Detectives' hypothesis further assumes that the co-pilot donned his emergency oxygen mask, but that it failed to provide full oxygen flow because the mask or its connection was defective, or because the emergency oxygen system was improperly serviced before departure. No evidence supports these assumptions. It further assumes that this partial incapacitation allowed the co-pilot to "maintain some awareness," but that "he was not thinking clearly," and that in this condition, the co-pilot deliberately turned the plane 180 degrees back toward Malaysia. Then, 32 minutes after pressurization was lost, "he made yet another decision explicable only by a hypoxia-induced, half-witted state. He turned the plane north," and continued on that heading until radar contact was lost thirty minutes later. Thereafter, he made yet another turn, to the southwest. This final turn is where the hypothesis assumes the co-pilot's "deprived brain reached its limit." The plane continued on that heading for another five hours, until fuel exhaustion. This hypothesis is implausible, because it requires the assumptions that (1) the captain left the flight deck immediately after his final radio call; (2) depressurization occurred simultaneously; (3) the captain was unable to use one of the passenger masks that deploy upon loss of cabin pressure; (4) the copilot's emergency oxygen system malfunctioned simultaneously, leaving him in a "hypoxia-induced, half-witted state," which (5) caused him to accidentally turn off the transponder, and (6) prevented him from contacting air traffic control, but (7) allowed him to continue flying for an hour and make three radical course changes. No evidence supports any of these assumptions. The Crash Detectives cites Helios Airways flight 522, a Boeing 737 that crashed near Athens in August, 2005, but that accident does not support its hypothesis. Helios flight 522 lost pressurization shortly after takeoff from Cyprus, and radio transmissions ceased eight minutes later. The plane continued on to Athens and entered a holding pattern under control of the automatic pilot. Greek Air Force jets intercepted it and reported that passenger masks were dangling in the cabin, the co-pilot was slumped in his seat, and the captain's seat was empty. The 737 eventually ran out of fuel and crashed. There was actual evidence that the plane had experienced prior pressurization problems, the crew set the pressurization controls improperly, and the cabin did not pressurize after takeoff. The pilots were quickly incapacitated, and the plane flew to Athens on autopilot, with no post-incapacitation human intervention as hypothesized in The Crash Detectives.[1] "Occam's razor," a well-known problem-solving principle attributed to a 13th century English philosopher, holds that among competing hypotheses the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. The Crash Detectives' hypothesis requires multiple assumptions without supporting facts to explain an hour- long flight, with multiple course changes, by a pilot able to control the plane, but not to communicate by radio or take other action. The hypothesis with the fewest assumptions about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 remains human intervention, most likely by a crew member familiar with and capable of operating the airplane's systems and controls. That hypothesis is supported by data recovered from the captain's personal flight simulator, which includes a flight path to the southern Indian Ocean[2]-flight 370's ultimate destination-and no known facts contradict it.[3] Such events are exceedingly rare, but not unknown, as occurred with EgyptAir Flight 990 in October, 1999, and Germanwings Flight 9525 in March 2015. To view all formatting for this article (eg, tables, footnotes), please access the original here. Husch Blackwell LLP - Alan B. Hoffman http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c521fdaa-7d08-42ed-b16f-1a3fa3f59344 Back to Top Air Canada Pilots Association supports Transport Minister's new interim rules for drones Pilots pleased to see immediate introduction of rules to address reckless use of recreational drones in restricted airspace TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - March 16, 2017) - With more reports of reckless drone use around airports and aircraft, the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) today commended Minister of Transport Marc Garneau on the immediate introduction of new interim drone rules. "We strongly support the Minister of Transport's leadership to quickly introduce fines and restrictions that reduce the risk to aviation safety from reckless drone operations," said Captain Matt Hogan, Chair of ACPA's Flight Safety Division. "Requiring all drones to be marked with contact information will give local police forces an important tool to investigate and assess penalties to reckless operators." Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are controlled remotely and can range in size from under 2 kg to more than 35 kg. While drones are being used for commercial applications, recreational operators can purchase increasingly sophisticated drones with extended range for personal use. Drones operating near an aircraft or airports pose a risk to passengers, crews and the public -- with the greatest concern being during take-off or landing. "As pilots, we are very concerned about drones being unwittingly or intentionally flown in restricted airspace during critical phases of flight," noted Captain Hogan. "At best, drones represent an unwelcome distraction to pilots that must be monitored; at worst, even the smallest drone could cause significant damage to an aircraft or engine." ACPA submitted comments to Transport Canada in late 2016 as the government moves on updating the regulations governing drone operations in Canada. The Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) represents the largest group of professional airline pilots in Canada, representing some 3,300 members who fly passengers and cargo around the world on Air Canada and Air Canada rouge. Learn more at http://acpa.ca. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/air-canada-pilots-association-supports-transport-ministers- new-interim-rules-drones-2203527.htm Back to Top Local airport raises awareness for women pilots Despite the nasty weather over the weekend, the Louisiana Regional Airport in Gonzales was able to host the annual Fly it Forward aviation event on Saturday, a fun and educational ending to Women of Aviation Week. More than 140 girls were registered for the event, where they were able to experience the thrill of flying in a small aircraft for the first time. The event was put on by the Nola Ninety-Nines, a chapter within the Southeast Section of the International Organization of Women Pilots. The organization aims to promote aviation, education, safety and careers through various activities such as Fly it Forward. Thirteen pilots from the NOLA Ninety-Nines and other areas such as Ascension, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the Northshore volunteered their planes and time to educate women of all ages about the benefits of flying and the basics of how to operate a plane. "I had so much fun, I didn't even cry," exclaimed one of the many young girls in attendance as she finished her flight. Baton Rouge pilot Julie Jones was among the women pilots flying on Saturday. Jones has been flying for 16 years and has almost 1,200 hours of flying logged. She was introduced to flying in her 30's, but wishes she would have knew about it when she was young, as she would have made a career out of it. "50 feet off the ground I knew I was hooked," Jones said. "I looked down and I said oh yea I gotta do this. I think back, if I would have known something like this when I was their [attendees] age I probably would have made aviation a career. It's great to see these faces, most of them are nervous, but when they get up they start grinning and I know they are having fun." Former pilot, and husband of a Nola Ninety-Nine pilot, John Weldon said he thinks it is important for women to become involved with aviation because there is no safer pilot to ride with. "I think women should get into aviation because they are safe, they are very well organized," Weldon added. "I haven't seen any women pilots yet that I would be afraid to fly with. They pay attention to detail. There's really no limitations to women." Sherry Saloon traveled from Lafayette to bring her two daughters, ages six and seven, to fly for the first time, but also because they have been learning about clouds in school and they wanted to see what it was like to be in the clouds. Her seven year old daughter Catherine said she was scared but had a lot of fun. Meanwhile, nine year-old Madison said she had so much fun flying that she can't wait to do it again and she said even wants to be a pilot when she grows up. In addition to flying, participants learned about the many flight training scholarships available, learned the mechanics behind planes, was introduced to a flight simulator and saw a checklist of what needs to be done before pilots can take off. The girls were also treated to a fish fry and ice cream bar. "Aviation is so rewarding and challenging. You challenge yourself and you challenge your brain," said Louisiana Regional Airport Manager Janet Gonzales. "Only six percent of the pilot population is female, even after a 100 years. It's important for girls to know that they have the opportunity to fly, whether its for a career or for a hobby." http://www.weeklycitizen.com/news/20170314/local-airport-raises-awareness-for-women-pilots Back to Top Mitsubishi Regional Jet Struggles to Join Siblings in Washington A 4th Mitsubishi MRJ90 test aircraft, JA23MJ, scheduled to fly from Honolulu International to the continental United States and join its siblings undergoing certification testing at Moses Lake, Washington, had to return to the airport shortly after departure on Thursday morning. The reason for the diversion is inaudible in publicly available ATC recordings, but the pilots request to stop climb at 9,000 and return to the field. The first MRJ90 to come to the US for testing in the summer of 2016 had to turn back on its first attempt after having issues with an air conditioning system. It's possible that problem is also present in JA23MJ. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has reportedly contracted with AeroTec, an aircraft certification specialist with offices in Seattle and Moses Lake, to coordinate the certification flight test program. AeroTec is the go-to provider of flight test coordination for Boeing having worked on five variants of the 737 and three variants of the 777, among others. Two of the four MRJ90 aircraft have been flying regularly in the Moses Lake area. The newest aircraft, JA24MJ, had been based outside Chicago, flying in the Midwest, the Great Lakes, and central Canada, in search of icing conditions for much of February. Mitsubishi says that aircraft has since been sent to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for extreme temperature testing. Mitsubishi currently hopes to deliver the first customer aircraft in mid-2020. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Mitsubishi-Regional-Jet-Struggles-to-Join-Siblings-in- Washington-228655-1.html Curt Lewis