Flight Safety Information April 21, 2017 - No. 081 Incident: Southwest B737 near Chicago on Apr 19th 2017, smoke signals Incident: Austrian A320 at Vienna on Apr 19th 2017, oxygen masks deployed on go-around Incident: Eurowings A320 near Prague on Apr 20th 2017, cargo smoke indication Embraer ERJ-145LR Runway Incursion (Toronto) Investigators probe close call at Pearson as jet ignored tower instructions U.S. Air Marshal Left Loaded Gun in an Airplane Bathroom LA airport failed to spot gun in hand luggage China Southern Airlines bans shark fin cargo, joining over half the world's carriers ARSA Seeks Timely FAA Action on Parts Equivalency Ab-Initio training programme's first cadets become captains Should Airport Runways Be Circular? Kazakhstan buys two more Airbus C295 aircraft Man sets off aircraft hijack scare to save face in front of girlfriend Air Safety: Do Away with TSA? FAIRNESS FOR PILOTS ACT INTRODUCED IN HOUSE Japan jet may not make money, but aims to revive dormant industry "Pilot Fatigue" Film Embry-Riddle Executive Master of Science in Safety Science Graduate Research Survey Graduate Research Survey Request SAFE Encourages Pilot Input on GA Runway Incursions (Survey) Incident: Southwest B737 near Chicago on Apr 19th 2017, smoke signals A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7878A performing flight WN-4639 from Columbus,OH to Chicago Midway,IL (USA), was descending towards Chicago over Indiana when an electronic device in the cabin started to send smoke signals. Cabin crew quickly doused and contained the device, while the flight crew declared emergency subsequently advising emergency services that the electronic device had been contained and continued for a safe landing on Midway Airport's runway 04R. Emergency Services did not need to intervene anymore. A passenger reported an e-cigarette began smoking when the aircraft was over South Bend,IN (USA). The occurrence aircraft was able to depart for the next sector about 75 minutes after landing. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA4639/history/20170419/2325Z/KCMH/KMDW http://avherald.com/h?article=4a7e6729&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Austrian A320 at Vienna on Apr 19th 2017, oxygen masks deployed on go-around An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OE-LBW performing flight OS-374 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Vienna (Austria), was on final approach to Vienna's runway 34 descending through about 1900 feet when the crew initiated a go-around, a number of passenger oxygen masks deployed at the same time. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 34 and landed safely about 18 minutes after the go around. A passenger reported: "Australian Airlines flight OS374 (Amsterdam - Vienna). While descending into VIE it performed a go- around from 1700 ft with some of the oxygen masks deployed." Austrian Airlines reported that operations control have no information regarding a go around, probably the go around commenced due to the winterly conditions at the aerodrome. Technics reported a number of oxygen masks in row 22 came down due to a minor technical fault, which was resolved immediately after landing. The occurrence aircraft departed for its next sector about 2 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a7e5bdc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Eurowings A320 near Prague on Apr 20th 2017, cargo smoke indication An Eurowings Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IEU performing flight EW-5805 from Hanover (Germany) to Vienna (Austria), was enroute at FL370 about 40nm north of Prague (Czech Republic) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and diverted the aircraft to Prague for a safe landing on runway 06 about 15 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft is still on the ground in Prague about 3:45 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a7e5703&opt=0 Back to Top Embraer ERJ-145LR Runway Incursion (Toronto) Date: 20-APR-2017 Time: 15:04 UTC Type: Embraer ERJ-145LR Owner/operator: American Eagle Registration: N698CB C/n / msn: 14500877 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Location: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) - Canada Phase: Taxi Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: New York-JFK Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK) Destination airport: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) Narrative: An Embraer ERJ-145LR, operating American Eagle flight AA3725 from New York-JFK Airport, was involved in a runway incursion incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport, Canada. The flight had landed on runway 06R and was instructed by the Toronto Tower controller to exit the runway via taxiway D3 and hold short of runway 06L, which was in use for departures. This instruction was read back correctly by AA3725. Subsequently United flight UA211, a Boeing 737-924ER bound for Chicago-O'Hare, Illinois, USA, was cleared for takeoff from runway 06L. As UA211 was accelerating down the runway, the Tower controller noticed that the AA3725 was crossing the stop bar for runway 06L. The controller came on the frequency and shouted "Envoy 37-25 Stop !" After UA211 had departed without incident, AA3725 was cleared to cross the runway. Taxiway D3 crosses runway 06L at a distance of 1830 m from the runway threshold. Weather reported about the time of the incident: CYYZ 201517Z 09009G15KT 4SM SHRA BR OVC013 05/04 A3014 RMK SC8 CVCTV CLD EMBD SLP211 >> CYYZ 201500Z 07010KT 060V130 5SM SHRA BR FEW008 OVC013 05/04 A3014 RMK SF2SC6 CVCTV CLD EMBD SLP212 CYYZ 201454Z 10009KT 070V140 5SM SHRA SCT008 OVC013 05/04 A3016 RMK SF3SC5 CVCTV CLD EMBD PRESRR SLP219 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=194938 Back to Top Investigators probe close call at Pearson as jet ignored tower instructions The pilots of a regional jet ignored a controller's instruction and taxied into the path of another jet that was speeding, prompting an urgent warning to "stop." An air traffic controller at Pearson International Airport had to radio an urgent command to the pilots of an errant jet to "stop" as another aircraft took to the skies Thursday morning. OTTAWA - Safety investigators are probing a close call at Pearson International Airport Thursday morning after the pilots of a regional jet ignored a controller's instruction and taxied into the path of another jet that was speeding for takeoff. An air traffic controller had to radio an urgent command to the pilots of the errant jet to "stop" as the other aircraft took to the skies. The drama unfolded just after 11 a.m. as Envoy Air Flight 3725, an Embraer 145 jet, landed on Runway 06 Right after a flight from New York's John F. Kennedy airport. The controller issued instructions for the Envoy flight to exit onto a taxiway but stop short of a parallel runway - Runway 06 Left - an order that they acknowledged, according to a recording available on the website www.liveatc.net . That's because the controller had already cleared United Airlines Flight 211, a Boeing 737-900 bound for Chicago, to depart on that parallel runway. But the crew of the Envoy flight apparently failed to stop because the next communication from Toronto Tower is an urgent instruction. "Envoy 3725, stop," the controller ordered. Personnel in Toronto Tower then made plain their concern at the potential near collision. "Did you not see the stop bar there, Envoy 3725?" a controller said, referring to the row of red lights set in the pavement meant to warn pilots of the runway ahead. "Yeah, we ah, we saw it," the pilot replied. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has dispatched a team of investigators to Pearson to assess the occurrence. The scheduled return trip to New York by the Envoy flight, a commuter airline affiliated with American Airlines, was cancelled. The safety board has already identified such events, known as runway incursions, as one of the biggest safety risks facing Canadian travellers. The number of incursions has grown from to 416 in 2015, up from 386 in 2011 - more than one a day. And the board notes that each year there are several serious incursions "in which a collision was narrowly avoided or there was a significant potential for collision." The safety board has already launched a formal investigation into a number of runway incursions at Pearson airport over the last year. The taxiways between the parallel runways on the airport's south side are highlighted on aviation maps as "hot spots" to alert pilots to potential danger. The maps caution pilots to "be alert" to runway crossing clearances issued by controllers and says they should be prepared to stop short of the parallel runway. Thursday's incident is an almost exact replay of a close call that unfolded at the same spot in March when an arriving jet taxied onto the parallel runway as another jet was rolling for takeoff. In that case, the jet got safely airborne. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/04/20/investigators-probe-close-call-at-pearson-as-jet- ignored-tower-instructions.html Back to Top U.S. Air Marshal Left Loaded Gun in an Airplane Bathroom Delta planes in 2014. This month, a federal air marshal left a loaded service weapon unattended in a bathroom on a Delta flight, in what was described as a significant security breach. Credit Eric Thayer/Getty Images WASHINGTON - A federal air marshal on a flight earlier this month from England to New York left her loaded service weapon in the aircraft's bathroom where a passenger found it, four marshals familiar with the incident said. The passenger gave the weapon to a member of the flight crew, who returned it to the air marshal. But the marshal, who is based in the New York region, failed to report the incident to her superiors, as required by agency policy, until several days later. The incident happened on April 6, aboard a Delta flight from Manchester to Kennedy International Airport. Despite the security lapse, the marshal was assigned to a flight a few days later, people familiar with the case said. The Transportation Security Administration, the parent agency of the air marshal service, said that it was aware of the episode but that it would not comment publicly on internal matters, adding that it was "reviewing the circumstances of this incident." Current and former air marshals said that leaving a loaded weapon unattended constituted a significant security breach that should have resulted in discipline and an investigation. "You can't have inept people leaving weapons in a lavatory," said Craig Sawyer, a former air marshal. "If someone with ill intent gets hold of that weapon on an aircraft, they are now armed." The air marshal who left the weapon unattended, according to people with knowledge of the situation, is a new hire. The T.S.A. declined to provide any additional information. The disclosure comes after officials received intelligence showing that Islamic State militants are actively trying to target aircraft, including by hiding bombs in electronic devices. That revelation led officials in the United States and the United Kingdom to bar passengers from airports in 10 Muslim-majority countries from carrying laptop computers, iPads and other devices larger than a cellphone aboard direct inbound flights. The episode is the latest in a string of embarrassments that have plagued the air marshal service in recent years, including allegations of sexism and racism and of employees arranging their schedules to meet up for sexual trysts. In one of the most high-profile cases, the agency fired Robert MacLean, a federal air marshal, for disclosing to a reporter the agency's plans to reduce the number of air marshals on flights. Mr. MacLean sued the agency, and the whistle-blowing case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which decided in his favor in 2015. Current and former employees said the episode raised questions about how discipline is handled at the agency. The employees said some air marshals had been forced to resign or had been fired for minor transgressions. "It's a toxic culture and a lack of accountability," Mr. MacLean said. Several thousand air marshals in plainclothes sit anonymously among passengers and provide the first line of defense against Sept. 11-style terrorist attacks or other threats against jetliners. The service was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to protect against hijackings. This month's incident could provide ammunition to congressional critics of the air marshal program, who say that it is wasteful and unnecessary. The program accounts for about 10 percent of the T.S.A.'s budget, costing nearly $1 billion per year. Critics say it is unclear that the program has actually deterred a terrorist attack. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/us/politics/us-air-marshal-left-loaded-gun-in-an-airplane- bathroom.html?_r=0 Back to Top LA airport failed to spot gun in hand luggage An off-duty policewoman flew from Los Angeles international airport (LAX) to Taiwan with a gun in her hand luggage. The weapon was not detected during security screening and Noell Grant only realised she was carrying it as she changed planes in Taipei. She informed the local authorities and she has been barred from leaving Taiwan until the matter is resolved. US federal officials have admitted security procedures were not properly followed at LAX. The authorities have "determined standard procedures were not followed and a police officer did in fact pass through the (airport) checkpoint with a firearm," said Nico Melendez of the US Transportation Security Administration. "We'll hold those responsible appropriately accountable." Officer Grant, 42, of the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) was carrying a personal firearm, not a service weapon, when she took the flight to Taiwan last week. She was changing planes at Taoyuan international airport in Taipei, intending to travel on to Thailand for a family holiday, when she discovered the gun and six bullets in her hand luggage. She is not under arrest in Taiwan, but she has been told to remain in the country. It is unclear whether Officer Grant will face disciplinary charges on her return to the US, SMPD Lieutenant Saul Rodriguez told the AFP news agency. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39663473 Back to Top China Southern Airlines bans shark fin cargo, joining over half the world's carriers In a move that is sure to please shark-lovers everywhere, China Southern Airlines has announced that it has banned shark fin shipments from its flights. For sharks, this is a huge development. China Southern is not only the mainland's largest carrier, but it is also based in the city of Guangzhou, the largest trading hub in the world for the controversial delicacy, shark fin soup, which animal rights activists have vigorously protested against, believing that the dish could lead sharks to a particularly cruel extinction. Now, more than 50% of international airlines (based on seat capacity) have banned shark fin cargo from their passenger and cargo flights. Back in January, Air China became the first mainland carrier to take that step, following on the heels of Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific's decision to implement a ban last year. According to the South China Morning Post, China Southern vice president Han Wensheng announced the decision to Wild Aid in a recent letter, stating that a ban on shark fins had been put into place earlier this year on March 1st. In the letter, Han said that in the future the airline would "shoulder its social responsibility" and pledged to "actively participate in the cause of wild animal and plants conservation... to jointly promote conservation culture and the sustainable development of [the] human community with the general public," according to SCMP. In response, Alex Hofford, wildlife campaigner at Wild Aid Hong Kong, told the Post that the move was a major blow to shark fin traders: This particular shark fin airline ban will be hugely impactful for the simple fact that Guangzhou is the world's largest shark fin trading hub, even eclipsing Hong Kong. China Southern's ban will no doubt send a strong message to the many Guangzhou shark fin traders that their business activities are often illegal, but always unethical, immoral, cruel and unsustainable. Back in 2013, a survey estimated that fins from up to 73 million sharks a year were being used to make shark fin soup, mostly in China, but due to the efforts of animal conservationists, as well as government crackdowns on corruption in the mainland and bans on shark fin soup at official banquets in Hong Kong, the shark fin trade has fallen off considerably in recent years. http://shanghaiist.com/2017/04/21/china-southern-shark-fin-ban.php Back to Top ARSA Seeks Timely FAA Action on Parts Equivalency The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) has issued a follow-up letter to the FAA's directors of the aircraft certification service and the Flight Standards Service, requesting action on a request filed in February to resolve international regulatory issues associated with commercial parts and commercial off- the-shelf parts (COTS). Currently these parts must be accompanied by an FAA Form 8130-3 or EASA Form 1 when used in work subject to the Maintenance Annex Guidance. The association, along with several other industry interest groups and private businesses, has been working for the past 19 months to mitigate problems related to parts documentation resulting from the U.S.-EU Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which ARSA claims fails to acknowledge the equivalency of each system and generates "imposing paperwork requirements with no attendant safety benefit." According to the association, certificate holders on both sides of the Atlantic must negotiate system differences between the two sides to avoid "untenable situations." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2017-04-19/arsa-seeks-timely-faa-action-parts- equivalency Back to Top Ab-Initio training programme's first cadets become captains ASTANA - The six co-pilots of Air Astana, who first graduated from Air Astana's of Ab-Initio training programme, recently became captains, reported Kapital.kz. Having flown six years as a co-pilot, Roman Suleimanov is one of the first graduates and has now been appointed as a captain. "I believe our pilots from Kazakhstan are as good as foreigners; our training is not inferior to theirs. Our airline company has high safety and flight operation standards acknowledged throughout the global aviation industry. As a matter of fact, civil aviation in Kazakhstan is flourishing now," he said, according to the news report. In the midst of the 2008 shortage of professional local personnel, Air Astana made the decision to train talented young people in aeronautics and launched Ab-Initio ("from the beginning"). The programme is held according to European standards and includes 14 theoretical subjects and summer training. Former cadets receive an EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) recognised by Kazakh aviation authorities. Residents aged 18-34 with a good knowledge of the English language, physics and math skills can try their chance to become pilots. The process of shortlisting participants, held on an on-going basis, incorporates several stages. The approximately 20 best candidates who pass all levels receive an opportunity every year to train in the world's best flight schools. The training lasts 16-18 months and on average amounts to $100,000, with the airline depositing 100 percent of the upfront fee for the programme and not demanding any financial warranties from students, noted Kapital.kz. A cadet must compensate half the cost to the company during his working practice. Less than 50 percent from a cadet's salary is withheld monthly. A total of 186 Kazakh residents have completed the programme and now work as co-pilots for Air Astana. Enrolment is conducted throughout the year, with about 20 students annually sent for training. "This programme contributes to selecting the most talented people in the ranks of captains of civil aviation," said Viktor Chugai, who has become an Airbus A320 captain. Berdykhan Agmurov, Talgat Akhmetov, Dmitry Petin and Timur Turgambayev were also among the first cadets to become captains. All carry out flights on Airbus A320 airplanes. Two more co-pipots who have completed the programme are currently undergoing on-the-job training under the supervision of instructors and are to be employed as captains by the end of April. http://astanatimes.com/2017/04/ab-initio-training-programmes-first-cadets-become-pilots/ Back to Top Should Airport Runways Be Circular? From the sky, tomorrows airports might look more like racetracks than landing strips More people are flying than ever before. But the skies look set to get busier. The latest forecast from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suggests that there'll be 7.2 billion air passengers in 2035 - that's almost twice the number of people who flew in 2016. More passengers will inevitably mean more aircraft, which poses a big challenge for air traffic controllers, airport designers, and urban planners. But one Dutch scientist has a radical idea that he thinks could herald the future of aviation. Henk Hesselink and his colleagues at the National Aerospace Laboratory in the Netherlands are working on a project called the Endless Runway, funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program. In it, they propose replacing the long straight strips of concrete that render airports instantly recognizable from the air, with a single circular runway that surrounds the terminal building. According to Henk, the benefits of their design are manifold - for a start, because planes could take off from any point in the circle, they could avoid damaging crosswinds that can shut down linear runways. In order to manage the traffic of a multi-terminal airport, circular runways would need to be pretty big though - the NAL team suggest a minimum diameter of 3.5 km (2.17 miles)*, which compares pretty favorably with the 'typical' length of a commercial airline runway - in the range of 2.4 - 3.9 km. I can almost hear you thinking, 'But a circle with that diameter would be huge!' The resulting area (? x radius x radius) would be around 9.6 km2. This is actually significantly smaller than London's Heathrow Airport, which covers an area of 12.27 km2, despite having just two runways (for now). So, circular runways could give us smaller airports, without sacrificing air traffic. In addition, the team say that up to three planes can take off and land on their runway at once, which could improve traffic flow. To see how it would work in practice, they looked at the flight patterns from Charles de Gaulle - a four-runway airport on the outskirts of Paris - and as reported in Fast Company, proved that a single "circular runway could handle the same number of departures and landings." Their design is a little like a velodrome or a race track, only circular, rather than oval-shaped. The entire runway would be steeply banked, and to understand why, let's think about how you'd drive a truck around a corner. While you instinctively know that you'll need to slow down for the corner, you might not realize that it's because you're making use of friction (between the wheels and the road). This is the only force that helps you turn on a flat corner. If you're going slowly, that force is more than enough to keep you on the road. If you hit a corner at a slightly higher speed, you might still make it, but you'll find your weight - and that of the truck - shifts to the outside of the turn. This is inertia in action - in effect, you are forcing the truck to turn, but it is trying to resist you**. If you attempt the corner at an even higher speed, your truck may well just tip over***. So, flat corners on a runway of never-ending corners would be a terrible, terrible idea. However, by tipping the roadway inwards, so that the outer edge is higher than the inner edge, you get an additional force - the normal force from the road - acting on the truck / plane. This keeps you on the road, and allowing you to travel safely around the corner, even at much higher speeds. These same forces mean that as a landing plane decelerates, it would naturally move down the bank towards the center of the track, in the same way that a track cyclist does. In terms of what that'd mean for the passengers, Henk told the BBC that they "would experience a slight turn, similar to a turn in the air. Pilots and passengers would not feel like they are in a rollercoaster." As the team point out in their background report, they're not the first to investigate the potential use a circular runway. A 1919 issue of "Popular Science Monthly" proposed constructing a banked circular track, made of iron, on top of (and supported by) skyscrapers, to bring the airport into the heart of the city. A similar idea was patented in 1921, but was quietly forgotten until the 1950s, when the idea reappeared. In the 1960's, a US Navy Pilot called James R. Conrey was granted a patent for his design of such a runway, but it was never built. However, his idea was tested, with both propeller and jet planes, on a circular banked track at the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds in 1964/5. And now circular runways have come back into the public eye. While a big part of me (the same bit that loves motorsport and rollercoasters) really wants to cheer on this idea, I can think of a few concerns around it: Mechanics: Unlike NASCAR vehicles, or racing bikes, airplanes tend to have very long wingspans, which could make landing on a banked runway rather tricky. Also, the weight of the plane wouldn't be spread equally when landing on a banked runway, so could repeated banked landing-and-takeoffs cause undue stresses on the tires and undercarriage? Pilot skill: The training requirements for taking off and landing on a circular runway would be very different from those pilots undertake today. The only time the idea has been tested in reality - on the GM track in the 1960s - pilots really struggled with it. Although, in their background document, the team point out that once they became familiar with it, pilots "reported an exceptional lateral stability." Noise: Henk has talked about the fact that these runways would reduce the noise of airports. But I'm not sure that I buy that. One of the cited benefits of a circular runway is that, in theory, planes could approach or leave the airport from/toward any direction. Henk argues in this video that this would give air traffic control the opportunity to tune the noise levels; to decide which areas should experience no noise, and which should experience some. But, given that most airports are found in densely-packed city suburbs, that's likely to mean that the noise would simply be spread over a wider area. So you might find a lot more people now living under 'the flight path'. Scale: The team say that their runway could handle the traffic of four linear runways. What happens though, if the airport grows so much that you need more than four? It's not a theoretical concern - Chicago O' Hare Airport has NINE runways, and the 25 biggest airports all have 5 or more. Related to that, because the terminals are housed within the circle, does this design limit how big an airport can get? Even with these concerns, a circular runway is not as ridiculous an idea as it might seem on first glance. The team behind this aren't crazy researchers working from a garden shed. They are experienced, respected aviation engineers who have done their homework. For example, they've proposed a geometry that could avoid any contact between wing tips and the runway, as well as considered what impact a circular runway might have on aircraft design. They've looked at the design of the terminals within the runway, and at the math behind a new generation of air traffic management tools. Importantly too, they're thinking about how a circular runway would work on the longer term, with automated and semi-automated aircraft. In this situation, aircraft would be able to automatically determine their optimized descent profile - no 'pilot weirdness' involved. Look, no one is going to raze existing airports in order to build one like this - the cost would be too great. But as the demand for air travel grows, we're likely to see many more airport appearing on the horizon. And maybe, just maybe, some of them will have a circular runway. * If the diameter is much smaller than this, the g force becomes so large that a plane needs to generate more lift in order to take off. That requires a higher speed, which again increases the g force, and so on. ** This is also what people refer to as 'centrifugal force'. Although it's not a force in the sense that magnetism is, it is very real... it's just seen from a different viewpoint. *** Here is some math that very simply compares banked corners with flat ones: http://spiff.rit.edu/classes/phys311.old/lectures/bank/bank.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewinkless/2017/04/20/should-airport-runways-be- circular/#58143e943b9f Back to Top Kazakhstan buys two more Airbus C295 aircraft Kazakhstan's government continues to bolster its fleet of military air lifters with the purchase of two more C295 aircraft from Airbus. Photo courtesy of Airbus Defense and Space April 20 (UPI) -- Airbus Defense and Space will sell two additional C295 military airlifters to the government of Kazakhstan, the aerospace contractor announced on Thursday. In addition to the aircraft, the contract also includes deliveries for spares and a support package. The company says the deal complies with a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in 2012. Once delivered, Kazakhstan's defense force will have a total of eight C295 planes in its fleet. The C295 is a multirole transport aircraft in the light and medium segment. It can perform armed and ground intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations using a multi-mission radar. The plane can also be modified to carry weapons. Other configurations for the aircraft include airborne early warning, aerial refueling, medical evacuation and VIP transport variants. http://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2017/04/20/Kazakhstan-buys-two-more-Airbus-C295- aircraft/5991492703332/ Back to Top Man sets off aircraft hijack scare to save face in front of girlfriend The man thought that if the flights were cancelled due to the hijack threat, she would cancel her trip which would save him embarrassment. aircraft, aircraft hijack, aircraft hijack scare, aircraft hijack scare to save face, fake tickets for girlfriend, hijack scare aircraft man, indian express, indian express news Krishna, a 32-year-old transport agent sent fake flight tickets to his girlfriend. (Source: Thinkstock Images) With no money to spend on a holiday trip with his girlfriend, M Vamsi Krishna sent fake tickets to her and then attempted to save face by sending an e-mail to Mumbai police warning of a possible plane hijack but the plan landed him in the police net. Krishna, a 32-year-old transport agent in Miyapur area, had sent fake flight tickets to his girlfriend, who wanted to go on a holiday to Mumbai and Goa, due to financial problems. He thought that if the flights were cancelled due to the hijack threat, she would cancel her trip which would save him embarrassment. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) B Limba Reddy alleged that the e-mail was sent by Krishna, who posed as a woman, claiming that a group of 23 people were going to hijack aircraft from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai airports. It prompted Mumbai police to alert security agencies at the three airports. The CISF also pressed into service its 'Quick Reaction Commando' teams to undertake a sanitising drill at the airports and all airlines were asked to remain extra vigilant, Reddy said. "As the e-mail was generated from Hyderabad, the Hyderabad Police Commissioner issued instructions to check the veracity of the e-mail. We traced the IP address and found that Krishna sent it from an internet cafe in SR Nagar," the DCP said. The accused told police that his Chennai-based girlfriend had proposed a trip to Mumbai and Goa. Vamsi was facing financial problems and was unable to meet the expenses for the tour. He requested her to cancel the trip but she did not relent, Reddy said. In a bid to cancel the trip, he hatched a plan to make her believe that flights had been cancelled because of 'high alert' at the airports, he said. He created a fake ticket in his girlfriend's name for an April 16 flight from Chennai to Mumbai and e-mailed it to her. Later, he went to an internet cafe and created an e-mail address, which he used to send the threat email to Mumbai Police Commissioner and others, the police officer said. A case has been registered against Vamsi under relevant sections of the IT Act and also under IPC sections dealing with "cheating by personation, and threat of injury to public servant", he said. Vamsi told police that he had in the past extorted Rs 20,000 from a brothel in 2010 and duped a woman of Rs 6 lakh under the pretext of "matrimonial alliance" in 2013. http://indianexpress.com/article/trending/bizarre/man-sets-off-aircraft-hijack-scare-to-save-face-in-front- of-girlfriend-4621355/ Back to Top Air Safety: Do Away with TSA? Husch Blackwell LLP Alan B. Hoffman United Kingdom, USA April 19 2017 The recent US ban on laptops and tablets electronic devices from carry-on luggage from flights from 10 Middle Eastern Airports, and a more limited UK ban, have been widely condemned by the aviation press and the airline industry as arbitrary, ineffective and counterproductive. There is no factual basis for the airports selected, the UK list differs from the US, and the bans can be evaded by taking a connecting flight from elsewhere.[1] These issues raise a more fundamental question: Does the enormous cost and burden imposed upon the airlines and the traveling public by the all-encompassing TSA airport security regime provide any real benefit? While it seems unimaginable today, air terminals were once popular places of entertainment where the public enjoyed watching airplanes. Observation decks were a source of airport revenue. Passengers and non-passengers had free access to boarding areas. Change began in the 1960s with the onset of airline hijackings to Cuba, and passage of the Hijacking Act of 1961. The first metal detectors were installed in 1969. By 1973 the FAA required all passengers to undergo metal detector screening and search of carry- on items. These measures changed little during the 1980s and 1990s.[2] Matters changed radically after 9/11. Congress reacted to the national tragedy by passing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, creating the TSA and giving it full responsibility for and power to enforce airport security in the United States. The TSA reacted to each perceived new threat with further restrictions and requirements. After the failed attempt of shoe bomber Richard Reid to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes in December, 2001, all passengers were required to remove their shoes for examination. A 2006 plot in Britain involving liquid explosives caused passengers to be forbidden to bring "liquids" (which TSA defined very broadly) on board, and later permitted liquids only in less than three ounce quantities. In 2009 "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab led to highly intrusive full body scanning imagery and physical pat-downs (which were later partially relaxed in response to public resistance). The arbitrary nature of many TSA procedures, and the modifications made to them to mollify public outcry, suggests that they add little real value. In tests they regularly fail to detect simulated threats.[3] The costs of the current airport security program are substantial. The direct cost of TSA operations exceeds $7 billion annually, and researchers have concluded that the indirect costs to the public and the airlines are far greater. A 2012 RAND Corporation study concluded that security makes the aviation system more difficult to use and reduces its usefulness.[4] "The fact that you have to get to the airport hours before your flight, stand in a very long line to be scanned and generally felt up-that's a massive waste of time and productivity for everyone, for apparently no benefit at all, other than the security theater."[5] Today the probability of another 9/11-type conspiracy is low. And 9/11 was an intelligence failure, not a security failure. None of the 9/11 hijackers should have reached an airport that day. There has not been a single attempt to hijack or damage a U.S. domestic airline flight in the years since 9/11. The 2001 and 2009 attempts on international flights were foiled by passengers who overcame and subdued the perpetrators. Defenders of the current system may argue that it deters such attempts, but there is scant evidence to support this. Assuming some actual threat to domestic air travel, a better response might be to substitute an effective sky marshal program for the existing TSA infrastructure. The effectiveness of the current program has been questioned, but it only claims to cover 5% to 10% of airline flights, at an annual cost in excess of $700 million over and above the airport security program.[6] These figures suggest that full coverage could be achieved for approximately the same cost as the airport program. Having professionals trained and authorized to use deadly force on every flight would be a powerful deterrent, and an effective counter, to any actual threat. They could also better handle air rage incidents and unruly passengers in flight. And doing so could end the massive current collateral cost and burden upon air travelers and the airline industry. Whether or not this is the best solution, it is time to reconsider the airport security regime adopted 15 years ago in response to 9/11. Husch Blackwell LLP - Alan B. Hoffman http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b7c2334a-1240-484f-aa1b-95fda113315a Back to Top FAIRNESS FOR PILOTS ACT INTRODUCED IN HOUSE U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and three original co-sponsors have introduced the Fairness for Pilots Act in the House of Representatives, following the introduction of identical legislation in the Senate in March by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.). Graves, who co-chairs the House General Aviation Caucus, was joined by original co-sponsors Reps. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), Colin Peterson (D-Minn.)-both AOPA members-and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), also a strong GA supporter. Graves, Rokita, and Lipinski are members of the House Aviation Subcommittee. Are you prepare for 3rd Class Medical Reform? We can help. Join AOPA today! "As a pilot and Co-Chairman of the General Aviation Caucus, I have always felt the responsibility to be a voice for GA in the Capitol," Graves said. "Unnecessary regulations and bureaucratic barriers cost the industry jobs and prevent pilots from flying. I'm proud today to introduce a bill that improves upon the protections established under the original Pilots Bill of Rights, ensuring we can continue safely taking to the skies and operating as a valuable and vibrant component of the U.S. economy." The same four House members introduced the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 in the House during the last Congress. Although the pilots' rights legislation passed the Senate three times, only the section mandating third class medical reform became law. "AOPA supports efforts in Congress to increase protections for pilots that will help preserve general aviation's many contributions to communities of all sizes, including 1.1 million well-paying jobs," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "We thank Congressman Graves for his leadership in introducing the Fairness for Pilots Act in the House of Representatives and will work with both chambers to move this forward." The 2017 measures now introduced in both houses contain provisions for fairer treatment of pilots in FAA investigations, and would require the FAA to expedite its efforts to improve the flight information it provides. During FAA investigations or enforcement actions against a pilot, the agency would be required to "articulate the specific activity under investigation" and provide documentation. Aviators would gain the right "to appeal an FAA decision through a new, merit-based trial in Federal Court." Other provisions would speed up the Notices to Airmen (notam) Improvement Program updates that were mandated in the original 2012 Pilot's Bill of Rights, require that the FAA include the effective duration of temporary flight restrictions in notams, and certify notam accuracy. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/april/20/fairness-for-pilots-act-introduced-in-house Back to Top Japan jet may not make money, but aims to revive dormant industry FILE PHOTO: Visitors sit inside a model of Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ)'s cabin during Japan Aerospace 2016 air show in Tokyo, Japan, October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) has been delayed five times and faces rising costs, yet its future as the vanguard of Japanese-built passenger jets seems assured by the corporate muscle behind it and a government set on reviving an aerospace industry dismantled after World War Two. The delays - the new 90-seat plane was due to take off in 2013, but the first delivery is not now seen until 2020 - have dented its chances of commercial success as established regional jet makers, Brazil's Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) and Canada's Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO), catch up with its innovations, and China and Russia flex their aerospace ambitions. But the Japanese government's primary goal isn't to make money for Mitsubishi Aircraft, the MRJ's manufacturer, rather it's to have the plane cement an industry revival that failed to take off half a century ago with Japan's last passenger plane, the YS-11. "Rather than a simple question of whether it makes a profit or loss, what is more important is will it over the longer term be the foundation of a strong aerospace industry," a government source who is helping the program told Reuters. He asked not to be identified as he is not authorized to talk to the media. Presentation documents prepared by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, seen by Reuters, see the MRJ as the first in a three-generation program stretching beyond 2060. With the plane still awaiting U.S.-standard certification for commercial flights, signed-up customers are banking on the backing of big-name Japanese companies to see the project through. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp is 64 percent-owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T), with Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T) each holding a 10 percent stake. Other shareholders include state-owned Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Corp (8053.T) and Mitsui & Co (8031.T). "Not a bad list," says Jep Thornton, a partner at Aerolease Aviation in Florida which has ordered 10 of the planes. "This is coming from the government sector, the financial sector and the investor sector." Launch customer ANA Holdings (9202.T), Japan's biggest carrier, says it won't walk away from its order for 15 MRJs even as it has to keep older aircraft flying and leases four Boeing (BA.N) 737-800 aircraft to make up for a capacity shortfall. "We want this plane in our fleet and although we have been on stand-by for a while, we await it with anticipation," said Yuji Hirako, who runs All Nippon Airways. RE-WIRING The plane's latest delay, announced in January, can be dated back more than 20 years - six years before Mitsubishi even considered a passenger jet - when a Boeing 747 plunged into the Atlantic, killing 230 people. Investigators blamed a short circuit that ignited a fuel tank fire, prompting the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to tighten wiring certification in 2007. Mitsubishi, which had by then begun work on the MRJ, overlooked the change, said two people with knowledge of the project. "Mitsubishi was clearly aware of it but did not apply it to the design," said one, who didn't want to be named as he is not authorized to talk to the media. Hundreds of engineers wiring the MRJ did so without using a common design framework incorporating the new rule. So, when asked by Japanese regulators certifying the jet to FAA standards how it complied with the stricter standard, Mitsubishi Aircraft faced a time-consuming task to explain each twist and turn in the 23,000 wires snaking through the plane's fuselage. "They decided it would be easier to start from scratch," the second person said. In response to Reuters queries, Mitsubishi Aircraft said: "We were aware of the regulation in our early phase of design, so it is not accurate to say we overlooked the regulation. Our design was made reflecting the regulations, but we made a subsequent decision to relocate certain systems for a better design. System location was the main reason for requiring wiring changes and the re-routing ensures we meet the highest safety standards." Four of the five delays so far have been caused to some degree by similar failures to document work for certification, forcing engineers to redo some of their work, said Yugo Fukuhara, vice president and general manager of sales and marketing at Mitsubishi Aircraft, adding the company is hiring ex-Boeing engineers and other foreign experts to help it better navigate FAA rules. Mitsubishi Aircraft has orders for 233 MRJs, and aims to sell more than 1,000 of the planes over two decades. The company declined to say how many planes it has to sell to break even. Based on presentations by Mitsubishi Heavy, the first four delays doubled the MRJ's development cost, and the latest delay could add another 30 percent - taking total spending to 350 billion yen ($3.17 billion), equivalent to the value of 67 list-price MRJs. At the average operating margin of 7.84 percent at commercial planemakers including Embraer, Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) over the past three years, the profit per MRJ plane would be $3.7 million, according to Reuters calculations. At that rate of return, Mitsubishi Aircraft would need to sell more than 800 of the planes to cover its costs. "Assume a very conservative 30 percent discount to the list price, then re-do. That probably brings us to 1,200 jets, and they'll never get there," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at Teal Group, when asked about Reuters' estimate. A more realistic number, he says, would be 30 aircraft a year over 25 years, adding up to sales of around 750 MRJs. "We understand that the commercial aircraft business is a long-term investment, and we expect to absorb the development costs over the long run," Mitsubishi Aircraft told Reuters. "We see this as the creation of a new industry, establishing supply chains and a regulatory certification process," said Fukuhara, the sales and marketing manager, in his office at Nagoya Airport. "I don't think it will end with the MRJ." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-aerospace-mrj-analysis-idUSKBN17J1ST Back to Top "Pilot Fatigue" Film A documentary film produce in conjunction with the IPA pilot union. http://www.factnotfictionfilms.com/pilotfatigue Back to Top Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Dear colleagues, The flight crew of an airliner is expected to exhibit very high levels of decision making, all the time. Disasters are often attributed to poor decision making skills that are rigorously scrutinised after the event but a good decision never faces similar depth of review. I am doing a research on this very topic and need your help with a short anonymous survey. The primary objectives of this survey are to evaluate: 1. How pilots make decisions in a time and safety critical situation. 2. Whether there are any comparisons with other professionals facing similar time and safety pressures. The survey can be completed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7TKJ66K Can you spare a few moments to take my survey? www.surveymonkey.co.uk Please take the survey titled "Anonymous Survey- Decision making in a time and safety critical environment.City University of London naveed.kapadia@city.ac.uk". Your feedback is important! Thank you for your help and support with this research. Naveed MSc student at City University of London Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Request My name is Mohamed Sheryenna. I'm a student at the University of South wales (UK), MSc. Aircraft Maintenance System. I'm conducting this research about Importance of Implementation SMS to Aircraft Maintenance: For reducing accidents. This study would look to understand the approaches and benefits of implementation SMS in Aircraft maintenance organization to reduce risk of accidents or at least mitigate it by identify and manage risks in predictive phase. Moreover, the study sought to determine the influence of the organizational culture and its effective on maintenance. In addition, to assess some tools used by SMS to support maintenance and engineering to obtain optimal aircraft maintenance. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an SMS implementation means the organization can manage the complexity of these mechanisms to defend against risk incubation. All the information will be treated confidentially and reported in the aggregate. The resultant data will be analyzed as part of my master degree's thesis. I will strictly respect the confidentiality of all participants' input. If you are a participant, and if you desire, I will provide you with a copy of the outcomes of my study. Please return the survey with your business card or contact information to indicate your interest in receiving a copy of the results. I would greatly appreciate your input to my survey. I realize that you are very busy; and completion of the survey should require not more than 10 minutes of your time. These questionnaires are intended to explore SMS in Aircraft maintenance and are purely for academic purpose. Your participation in this research will be highly appreciated. please click the link below to go through the survey http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/8YYUA/ Thank you very much for your cooperation. Sincerely yours, Mohamed Sheryenna 15050033@students.southwales.ac.uk Tel. 00447459876975 Back to Top SAFE Encourages Pilot Input on GA Runway Incursions (Survey) Active general aviation (GA) pilots are being asked to help an ongoing study of GA runway incursions by completing a new online questionnaire. The FAA has said that runway incursions - a vehicle or aircraft on the ground endangering aircraft landing or taking off - average three per day and are a "serious safety concern." GA pilots are involved in about 80 percent of runway incursions. "The question is, what are GA pilots doing, or not doing, that results in so many runway incursions?" said Professor Donna F. Wilt of the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics. "By analyzing such occurrences we can help mitigate those dangerous situations." The study is being conducted by the FIT College of Aeronautics, Hampton University Department of Aviation and Purdue University Department of Aviation Technology. It is funded through the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS), and the FAA Center of Excellence for GA. SAFE is a partner of PEGASAS. The questionnaire will be available from April 1 through April 30, 2017. To take the new questionnaire, click here or click on or copy and past the URL below. The questionnaire is also available on the SAFE web site at www.SAFEPilots.org and will be available at the SAFE booth at Sun 'n Fun. SAFE is encouraging its members to participate in the project. Direct Link URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiJFFh52kh_afnEN7qoBRoliQvqLSUhksMQAGDGbO- EcDweg/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, contact the project's Principal Investigator, Dr. Scott Winter. SAFE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting aviation education at all levels of learning. SAFE is a recognized leader in pilot training reform, safety education, and the mentoring of aviation educators. For information on free resource materials and membership, go to www.safepilots.org. Scott Winter Assistant Professor of Aviation Science College of Aeronautics, Florida Institute of Technology 321-674-7639 (Office) 218-269-9376 (Cell) Curt Lewis