Flight Safety Information March 20, 2017 - No. 057 Transport Canada bans drone use near airports FAA warns airlines of safety concerns regarding Weight and Balance Programs Rex grounds planes as it investigates how aircraft lost propeller mid-air School Aircraft Collide, One Dead Costly aviation tech program seeks to regain FAA OK - and students Airlines for America Forecasts Record-High 145 Million Fliers for Spring Travel Season China's long-delayed C919 jet may fly by end of April Transport Canada bans drone use near airports Transport Canada introduced a measure to prevent the reckless use of drones in Canada, banning the use within 9 km of any airport. TC states that the number of incidents involving recreational drones has more than tripled since 2014, prompting the Minister of Transport to introduce an immediate measure which will affect the operations of model aircraft and recreational drones of more than 250 g and up to 35 kg. The key new rules are that recreational drone operators must mark their drone with their contact information, and may not fly: * higher than 90 metres; * at night; * within 75 metres of buildings, vehicles or people; or * within 9 kilometres of the centre of any airport, heliport, aerodrome or water aerodrome where aircraft take off and land. Operators of drones for commercial, academic or research purposes are not affected by this measure. The rules that are already in place are effective and most commercial users operate their drones in a safe manner, according to Transport Canada. Any recreational operator who fails to comply with the new flying restrictions and conditions could be subject to fines of up to $3,000. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2017/03/16/transport-canada-bans-drone-use-near-airports/ Back to Top FAA warns airlines of safety concerns regarding Weight and Balance Programs The U.S. FAA issued a Safety Alerts for Operators (SAFO), warning Part 121 Air Carriers of safety concerns and operational compliance issues regarding Weight and Balance Programs (WBP). A fatal Boeing 747-400F accident at Bagram, Afghanistan in 2013 brought issues to light regarding the loading of aircraft, particularly with restraining non standard cargo. The FAA's Cargo Focus Team (CFT) was created as a result of the findings in this accident investigation. The Cargo Focus Team identified safety concerns and operational compliance issues during its review of Part 121 air carrier's Weight and Balance Program (WBPs). It appeared that some airlines had developed their own WBP, which allowed for restraint methods that are not approved. These unapproved restraint methods are contrary to the aircraft's FAA-approved flight manual limitations. Air carriers are not permitted to use any cargo restraint methods that are not specifically approved in the WBM or WBM supplement. Other issues of concern identified by the CFT during its review included a lack of documentation of the aircraft's current cargo loading system (CLS). Due to the installation and removal of multiple Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) over time, the cargo configuration of some aircraft could not be determined. In some isolated cases, air carriers had developed procedures for aircraft loading that exceeded the structural design capability of the aircraft. Exceeding this capability can lead to catastrophic failure of the aircraft. The SAFO Bulletin recommends that air carriers should review their WBM and cargo loading documents to validate adherence to the manufacturer's FAA-approved WBM or STC WBM supplement for each aircraft on their Operations Specifications. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2017/03/17/faa-warns-airlines-safety-concerns-regarding-weight- balance-programs/ Back to Top Rex grounds planes as it investigates how aircraft lost propeller mid-air Airline reveals crew shut down right-hand engine of Saab 340 before propeller fell and is investigating all propeller gear boxes and shafts of the same series Rex has grounded a number of its planes after a propeller fell off during a flight from Albury to Sydney. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP Regional airline Rex has grounded some of its planes as an investigation continues into how a propeller fell off an aircraft as it approached Sydney airport late last week. Regional Express has revealed the crew had shut down the right-hand engine of the Saab 340 before the propeller assembly "was seen by the first officer to separate from its shaft" on Friday when the flight from Albury was 25km south-west of Sydney. "Rex has decided, by abundance of caution, to immediately remove from service and quarantine all propeller gear boxes and shafts of the same series as that of the incident for further inspection and testing if warranted," Rex said in a statement on Monday. The airline is yet to confirm how many planes have been impacted. The engine was shut down on Friday following "abnormal indications". That action "feathers" the propeller in order to reduce drag. ?? REX flight forced into emergency landing after losing propeller http://ab.co/2mAQxiA It was at this point that the propeller assembly separated and rotated upwards and to the right of the aircraft which was carrying 16 passengers and three crew members. "The propeller was seen rotating in a horizontal position and then moving away without making contact with the aircraft," Rex said on Monday. "Both passengers and crew reported that the flight thereafter was smooth and the landing was normal in spite of bad weather at Sydney with winds exceeding 35 knots." Rex's chief operating officer, Neville Howell, said a propeller falling off is an extremely rare event. "The only other recorded similar event was in 1991 when US carrier Comair's aircraft also landed safely after a separation of its propeller," he said. Rex said its propeller sheared off at the shaft and all the fittings at the main assembly were intact. Howell on Monday praised the crew for showing "enormous composure and discipline under extraordinary circumstances". The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating Friday's incident, and the search continues for the propeller, which is believed to have sheared off over the Camden area. Regional Express operates a fleet of more than 50 Saab 340 aircraft on about 1,500 weekly flights to 58 destinations across Australia. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/20/rex-grounds-planes-as-it-investigates-how-aircraft- lost-propeller-mid-air Back to Top School Aircraft Collide, One Dead Officials at a Montreal flight school say they are at a loss to explain how two Chinese students flying school-owned Cessna 152s collided above a busy shopping mall and crashed on Friday, killing one of the students and severely injuring the other. One of the aircraft went through the roof of the mall; the other crumpled in the parking lot and the pilot flying died at the scene. No one on the ground was hurt but two witnesses were treated for shock. "The cause is not obvious," Daniel Adams, operations manager and director of flight safety of Cargair, told the Montreal Gazette. "There was no reason to think something like this could happen. The conditions were perfect. It was a storm of good weather: there was no wind, it was magnificent, the visibility was excellent. So what happened?" The flights originated from St-Hubert Airport and the students, among about 150 the school trains annually for Chinese airlines, did all the normal flight planning before their flights. The only anomaly was that one of the pilots inexplicably and without making a radio call suddenly changed altitude. The conflict was noticed by a controller who tried four times to raise one of the aircraft on the radio to tell him to maintain 1,600 feet and that the other aircraft was taking off a mile away. There was no response from the pilot, who had previously had routine contact with the tower. Although they were both from China, the pilots were fluent in English and had no difficulty communicating with ATC, Adams told the Gazette. One of the students had 40 hours on his student permit and the other was a private pilot with 140 hours working on his commercial ticket. The dead pilot was in the aircraft that was taking off, according to the Gazette. http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/School-Aircraft-Collide-One-Dead-228663-1.html Back to Top Costly aviation tech program seeks to regain FAA OK - and students An avionics trainer is part of the equipment available for Atlanta Tech's aviation maintenance program. Kent D. Johnson/AJC With air travel expected to double in the next 20 years, according to industry experts, the demand for all related occupations will soar. That's what officials at Atlanta Technical College were banking on when its decades-old aviation maintenance programs were upgraded seven years ago. But in December, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration alleged the college failed to maintain strict government standards. The FAA suspended its air agency certificate, the official authorization for such training programs. To date, Atlanta Tech is still working to bring the program up to compliance. According to the FAA: Student grade records were either not maintained or incomplete and were not signed by instructors. Several students who had not made up absences were nevertheless allowed to move on to the next block of instruction. Atlanta Tech hasn't enrolled any students or conducted any classes in the aviation maintenance technology program since May 2014. Although the FAA rescinded the college's approved curriculum in June 2014, it continued to administer exit examinations and issued certificates of completion to its former students when it knew it was not authorized to do so. Additionally, Atlanta Tech did not provide the FAA with requested copies of each certificate of completion and a detailed analysis of how students received certificates in the absence of an FAA-approved curriculum. Atlanta Tech doesn't deny any of the allegations, but during a recent interview President Victoria Seals, who just came to the college last year, wanted to focus on the program moving forward instead of the apparent missteps. "We're working to revamp the curriculum and meet the FAA guidelines," she said. "This program is a priority resource, we want to take our time to do it right and not rush the process." Although there were no students in the program, Atlanta Tech has spent an excess of $2 million since 2014 on supplies, equipment, salaries and benefits. Three new Piper airplanes were acquired within the past year. In addition to the three new planes, other functioning aircraft include a Piper, which was acquired about five years ago, and an Aztec airplane. There is also an experimental Piper that is used for teaching students to do airframe repairs. The multimillion-dollar investment of public funds has sat idle for more than two years. And even though the state-of-the art equipment, modernized classrooms and reconfigured work space is ready for students, the department doesn't have a program coordinator. Even though his name was on the website earlier this month, Atlanta Tech told the AJC that the former program coordinator, Ernest Delgado, resigned and they are looking for his replacement. "One challenge we face in recruiting and keeping great staff is the competition with the airline industry," said Atlanta Tech spokeswoman Lauretta Hannon. The interview process has already begun, and Seals said she hopes to have someone on board by fall. Since the revamp in 2010, there have been 1,377 students in two aviation maintenance technical certificate programs, airframe and power plant. FAA officials didn't have much to say about the situation, just that Atlanta Tech must contact them when it is ready to present the modified program materials. "The school would have to comply with Federal Aviation Regulation Part 147," which spells out the air agency certificate requirements, "before the certificate could be reinstated," spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said via email. With the world's busiest airport mere miles away, Atlanta Tech officials say they are working with business partners from Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines to bring the program up to speed. A spokeswoman for Southwest confirmed that some employees of the airline's Atlanta crew are volunteering their personal time and their industry expertise to Atlanta Tech as it re-evaluates its aviation maintenance technology program. "We're certainly working toward bringing this program on track," said Murray Williams, vice president of Academic Affairs. "We get as many as 100 to 150 inquires a month." Currently, the only aviation-related program offered is avionics bench technician. That two-semester course of study prepares students for employment in the field of avionics maintenance technology and aircraft electronics. The job of an aviation maintenance technician Aviation maintenance technicians basically keep passengers and flight crews safe. As part of that, they diagnose aircraft problems, repair and replace parts, meet performance standards and record all their work. They work in various settings and scenarios: for the government, for private employers, outdoors, indoor, in hangars, at airports and at repair stations. According to the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, about 473,000 people work in more than 4,700 repair facilities across the globe. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median pay of $58,390 per year nationally and $72,120 in Georgia in 2015. And demand for the occupation will grow by about 7 percent in the next 10 to 15 years. Students who are interested in aviation maintenance technician careers can search for FAA Part 147 schools on the FAA website: av-info.faa.gov/MaintenanceSchool.asp http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/costly-aviation-tech-program-seeks-regain-faa-and- students/jHLrqRXIkzO223NPbSZasJ/ Back to Top Airlines for America Forecasts Record-High 145 Million Fliers for Spring Travel Season WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Setting a new record-high for spring travel, Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, expects 145 million passengers - nearly 2.4 million per day - to fly globally on U.S. airlines between March 1 and April 30, an increase of 4 percent over last spring's 140 million passengers. Accordingly, airlines are adding 110,000 seats per day across their networks to accommodate the 89,000 additional daily passengers expected to fly on U.S. carriers during this period. "There has never been a better time to fly, as evidenced by the record levels of traffic U.S. airlines saw in 2016 and will see again this spring," said A4A Vice President and Chief Economist John Heimlich. "While historically low fares, reliable operations and several consecutive years of reinvestment in the product are the primary factors underlying this growth, a boost in U.S. employment and personal incomes and the highest-ever level of household net worth are also fueling the strong demand for air travel. "With spring weather on the horizon, consumers are eager to travel and airlines are more than ready to accommodate the growth expected this year with additional seats, new aircraft and increases in staffing," continued Heimlich. Air Service and Competition Continue to Grow In addition to offering lower airfares and further driving competition in the industry, airlines are adding service through nonstop routes and growing the supply of scheduled seats at U.S. airports of all sizes. U.S. and foreign airlines in 2016 added 198 new routes and discontinued 161 routes, equating to a net growth of 37 nonstop routes year-over-year serving consumers traveling to and from U.S. airports. Airlines in 2017 have already added 151 new routes, while discontinuing 134 routes for a net growth of 17 routes. Over the past two years, fliers saw net expansion of 54 nonstop routes to and from U.S. airports. Additionally, the supply of daily scheduled seats departing U.S. airports (U.S. and foreign airlines) grew 3.9 percent from 2015 to 2016 and is currently showing 4.1 percent growth between 2016 and 2017. U.S. airports of all sizes have realized air service gains over the past two years. Specifically, 176 small and non-hub markets saw seats grow at least half a percent from the third quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2017. Large and medium airports across the country had seat growth of 8 and 12.2 percent, respectively, during that time, while small and non-hub airports realized growth of 10.2 and 4.6 percent, respectively. "Airlines recognize how important flight availability is to their customers and are working to benefit the millions of daily passengers they serve with expanded routes and more seat supply," said Heimlich. "These expanded routes and the growth in air service at airports of all sizes serve as a reminder of the important role airlines play in connecting communities across America." Improving Finances Enable Carriers to Retire Debt and Renew Fleets The airlines listed above spent another $8.5 billion in 2016 to retire long-term debt, bringing the seven- year debt-payments total to almost $63 billion and moving many carriers closer to investment-grade creditworthiness. They ended 2016 with approximately $75 billion in gross debt and $22 billion in liquidity. After meeting the most pressing debt obligations, carriers expended capital to renew their fleets, taking delivery of more than 350 new aircraft in 2016 - or nearly one aircraft per day. Including these aircraft acquisitions, U.S. airlines reinvested approximately $17.5 billion in the product and customer experience in 2016, equating to more than $20 per enplaned passenger and averaging almost $1.5 billion per month. At the end of 2016, these carriers had purchase commitments for 1,409 aircraft valued at more than $80 billion. In 2017, the carriers are slated to take delivery of 337 new aircraft. "Cash flow generated in 2016 allowed U.S. airlines to retire expensive debt, acquire new aircraft - nearly one a day - upgrade facilities, expand in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi offerings, deploy more seats, increase staffing and wages and reward investors," continued Heimlich. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/airlines-america-forecasts-record-high-040100039.html Back to Top China's long-delayed C919 jet may fly by end of April The first twin-engine C919 passenger plane made by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) is pulled out of the company's hangar during a ceremony near the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China in November 2015. After years of delays, China's first large homemade passenger jetliner could take to the air for its maiden flight next month. (Uncredited/AP) The first twin-engine C919 passenger plane made by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) is pulled out of the company's hangar during a ceremony near the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China in November 2015. After years of delays, China's first large homemade passenger jetliner could take to the air for its maiden flight next month. (Uncredited/AP) A single-aisle passenger jet that is being built by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is set for its first test flight by the end of next month, according to an executive affiliated with the maker of its engines. A single-aisle passenger jet that is being built by the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is set for its first test flight by the end of April, according to Philippe Petitcolin, chief executive officer of Safran, an aircraft- engine maker. Any problems with taxi trials may alter the schedule, Petitcolin said in an interview in Paris. The Chinese C919 aircraft will be powered by the LEAP engine, made by CFM International, an equal joint venture between Safran and General Electric. China is developing the 168-seat plane with ambitions of eventually challenging the duopoly of Airbus Group and Boeing in the global aviation market. The passenger-jet project is part of an ambitious plan by President Xi Jinping to modernize China's manufacturing. The government has identified aerospace among sectors that could help accelerate the process. The chief engineer at COMAC, as the state-owned aircraft maker is known locally, said in October that the plane would take off by early 2017 at the latest, after at least two delays since 2014. http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/chinas-long-delayed-c919-jet-may-fly-by-end- of-april/ Curt Lewis