Flight Safety Information May 3, 2017 - No. 089 Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on May 1st 2017, cargo smoke, smoke in cockpit and cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Fatal Accident (Alaska) FAA Data Shows Airline-Ready U.S. Pilot Numbers Tumbling Passengers Brawl TWICE On All Nippon Airways Jet Bound For Los Angeles Pilots invite Canadians to join campaign for Safer Skies Korean Air, Asiana, Jeju fined for safety infractions SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS TARGET PIREP SYSTEM Qatar Airways Activates Real-Time Global Flight Tracking Solution From Inmarsat 62nd Annual Business Aviation Safety Summit Begins Thursday. Will Italy be the next country to lose its national airline? American Airlines is cutting more legroom in economy class A4A airlines will no longer remove boarded passengers from aircraft Air Force launches new retention method to combat pilot shortage Embraer posts $44.4 million 1Q net profit, cites jet delivery decline European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management Op-Ed Article: A LETTER TO THE UNITED CEO New Edition of Commercial Aviation Safety book just released Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on May 1st 2017, cargo smoke, smoke in cockpit and cabin A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N866AS performing flight OO- 2936/AA-2936 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to Cedar Rapids,IA (USA) with 51 passengers and 3 crew, was climbing out of Chicago when the crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped the climb at 6000 feet reporting cargo smoke and diverted to Chicago DuPage Airport for a safe landing about 10 minutes after departure. The crew requested to turn into the wind after landing, then advised they had been discharging fire agent into the cargo bay and requested fire services to inspect the cargo bay. Following emergency services reporting not seeing any smoke the aircraft continued to the terminal, passengers disembarked normally via stairs. Fire Fighters subsequently reported they could smell smoke. Passengers reported almost immediately after becoming airborne haze occurred in the cabin, the flight attendant initially attempted to calm them down advising this was only mist, however there was also a clear smell of smoke. Shortly thereafter the passengers noticed the aircraft was maneouvering to land. The FAA reported the aircraft diverted to DuPage Airport reporting smoke in the cockpit. The remainder of the flight was cancelled. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW2936/history/20170501/1330Z/KORD/KCID http://avherald.com/h?article=4a8656a6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Fatal Accident (Alaska) Status: Preliminary Date: Monday 1 May 2017 Time: ca 14:00 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Grant Aviation Registration: N803TH C/n / msn: 208B-0321 First flight: 1992 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: Chignik, AK ( United States of America) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Port Heiden Airport, AK (PTH/PAPH), United States of America Destination airport: Perryville Airport, AK (KPV/PAPE), United States of America Flightnumber: GV341 Narrative: The pilot of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan was killed when his aircraft crashed near Chignik in Alaska. The aircraft operated a service from Port Heiden to Chignik Bay with en route stops at Perryville, Chignik Lagoon and Chignik Lake. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170501-1 Back to Top FAA Data Shows Airline-Ready U.S. Pilot Numbers Tumbling Certification changes have in part created far-reaching effects. Recent data indicates that pilot certification changes have had far-reaching effects on pilot certification levels for commercial and ATP pilots. Following the FAA's 2013 change in certification requirements for becoming an ATP-rated pilot, a requirement for hiring by Part 121 carriers, FAA data shows the number of ATP practical tests being administered in the United States is declining, following two years of declining numbers of applicants for the ATP knowledge exam. ATP numbers peaked in 2016 at over 8,000 certificate issuances. If the current monthly trend continues this year, that number is expected to reach only about 3,300. Additionally, the overall number of pilots earning commercial multi-engine certificates has remained flat while the percentage of those tests being completed by U.S. pilots has declined significantly. In 2007, fully two-thirds of commercial multi-engine certificates went to U.S. citizens. By the end of last year, U.S. citizens earned slightly less than half the multi-engine commercial certificates issued in this country. While the number of non-U.S. pilots training in flight schools here is increasing, most non- U.S. pilot graduates eventually depart for cockpit careers in other parts of the world, making them unavailable to fill any U.S. commercial pilot positions. These students provide valuable flight time to U.S. instructors employed at flight schools, experience that will eventually lead them to qualify for their own ATP certificate and feed the pilot demands here in the states, but with fewer U.S. commercial qualified pilots, the overall number available for airline employment will likely decline. These numbers indicate that flight departments not already experiencing a shortage of pilots are going to begin seeing one in the near future. http://www.flyingmag.com/faa-data-shows-airline-ready-us-pilots-numbers-tumbling Back to Top Passengers Brawl TWICE On All Nippon Airways Jet Bound For Los Angeles Just once wasn't enough!? Two male passengers fought twice Monday on an All Nippon Airways flight bound for Los Angeles from Narita Airport in Japan, according to reports. The brawl, filmed by another passenger, reportedly broke out as the jet was on the tarmac before departure. The two exchanged numerous blows as crew and passengers appear to give them room for their impromptu MMA encounter while a baby cries. The crew then manages to escort the man in red away from the scene but he returns for a rematch. The man in the dark shirt hits him with a stiff jab before the footage ends. Corey Hour, the passenger credited with the video, wrote on Twitter that he then confronted the man in the red shirt and the man eventually left the plane. Hour tweeted that he didn't know what caused the melee and he praised the crew for its response. For the record ANA staff and passengers handled the situation with grace and respect. They did the best they could to diffuse the situation. Hour told The Washington Post that he stopped filming and intervened after a female flight attendant was struck while trying to break up the fight herself. He noted that the man in the red shirt kept talking about about "the government" and "corruption." Japan Today reported that a 44-year-old American passenger on the flight was charged with assault after he choked an employee. In moments not captured in the video above, an ANA spokesperson said the crew asked the apparently drunk man to disembark but he resisted, hit a woman passenger and then attacked the male employee, Japan Today wrote. The flight was already delayed by weather conditions and finally left one hour and 40 minutes behind schedule. "All Nippon Airways apologizes to our passengers on Flight#6 to Los Angeles for the pre- flight incident," an airline spokeswoman said in a statement to The Washington Post. "The individuals involved have been dealt with appropriately by local law enforcement." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/passengers-brawl-twice-on-all-nippon-airways-jet- bound-for-los-angeles_us_5908953ee4b0bb2d0871d294 Back to Top Pilots invite Canadians to join campaign for Safer Skies Canada's four largest pilot groups join forces to launch SaferSkies.ca - a campaign to petition Transportation Minister Marc Garneau for stronger aviation fatigue regulations TORONTO, May 2, 2017 /CNW/ - More than 8,000 passenger and cargo pilots have joined forces to launch SaferSkies.ca, a campaign to inform Canadians about the country's outdated aviation fatigue regulations and to urge the government to enact stronger protections to aviation safety. Fatigue is the most pressing aviation safety concern for Canada's pilots. Today's current rules are more than 20 years out of date, do not align with accepted fatigue science, and lag far behind other jurisdictions. Extensive research on this issue has established the link between aviation safety and fatigue management. As NASA's Ames Research Center notes, common practices for pilots - shift work, night work, irregular or unpredictable work schedules, and time zone changes - are factors that result in performance-impairing fatigue. Twenty years after Canada's current regulations were last updated, draft regulations to manage fatigue by establishing limits to pilot duty periods were published by Transport Canada on March 25, 2017. The draft includes some improvements - but they do not go far enough to protect pilots, passengers and the aviation sector. Fatigue is impairment - it causes reduced alertness and degraded mental and physical performance "We believe updated fatigue rules must be based on science," said Milt Isaacs, CEO, Air Canada Pilots Association. "Today, Canada permits pilots to fly long-haul flights at night for 12.5 hours or longer. The recent draft to the regulations would reduce that to 10.5 hours. But that's a full two hours longer than the limit established by NASA research, which recommended a maximum duty period at night of 10 hours - or 8.5 hours of flight time. Canadian pilots and their passengers deserve better." Canadian pilots and their passengers have waited far too long for adequate fatigue rules Canada's current fatigue rules are out of sync with scientific research and lag international standards. This persists despite a consultation process for industry stakeholders that began in 2010 and involved pilot groups, operators, and Transport Canada. Meanwhile, the United States and Europe have implemented science-based fatigue rules. "For seven years now, we have been mired in a multi-year regulatory review process," said Captain Dan Adamus, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) Canada. "Through this process, we have seen extensive lobbying by airline operators who have essentially - and troublingly - argued that operational considerations are more important than human physiology, science and a concern for safety." Canada's fatigue rules must reflect fatigue science and align with other jurisdictions The Safer Skies campaign is calling on Transport Minister Marc Garneau to address the shortcomings in the draft regulations to ensure Canada's regulations reflect fatigue science and align with other jurisdictions. "Every time pilots fly, they are focussed on passenger and public safety," said Jerry Dias, National President, Unifor. "Not only are these regulations not in-line with science, but some operators may not have to implement updated rules until 2022. We're asking passengers and the public to help pilots in their mission for safety. Please sign our petition to encourage the government to fix these flawed regulations and make it right." The SaferSkies.ca website asks Canadians to sign a Parliamentary Petition, sponsored by Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard, which calls on the government to adjust regulations to: Get the prescriptive rules right, based on science; Require implementation by all operators at the same time; and Address loopholes, gaps and inconsistencies in Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) America learned the hard way, but Canada doesn't have to The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration updated its fatigue rules after a flight crashed in Buffalo, New York in 2009, killing 50 people. Fatigue was found to be a critical factor in this tragic accident. Today, U.S. fatigue rules limit pilots to 8 hours of flight time at night, making them even more stringent than science recommends. "Americans learned the hard way, but we don't have to," added François Laporte, President, Teamsters Canada. "Let's not wait until after an accident to update the rules on fatigue. The government needs to make this right - lives are at stake." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pilots-invite-canadians-join-campaign-123000172.html Back to Top Korean Air, Asiana, Jeju fined for safety infractions Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER © Boeing Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) has been fined KRW3.3 billion (USD2.9 million) by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for breaching maintenance requirements, reports Yonhap News. The fine covers three instances in the past few months. The airline had been found to either have delayed or failed to carry out maintenance inspections of aircraft. The first instance involved a Dalian - Seoul Incheon flight in which the aircraft was not properly inspected before take-off. The original KRW2.4 billion (USD2.1 million) fine was reduced to KRW1.8 billion (USD1.5 million) following an appeal. The other two infractions similarly relate to inspection failures, one of the inertial navigation system of a cargo aircraft, and the other of the wings of two A330s. Asiana Airlines (OZ, Seoul Incheon) also faced a penalty after a flight from Busan to Saipan aboard an A320 was forced to turn back due to maintenance issues. Its fine is KRW300 million (USD260,000). Other penalties meted out by the department were to T'way Air (TW, Seoul Gimpo) for falsifying air logs, and to a Jeju Air (7C, Jeju) pilot who failed to renew his English proficiency certification. The captain elected to pay the fine in lieu of being reported to Chinese authorities. https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/55531-korean-air-asiana-jeju-fined-for-safety- infractions Back to Top SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS TARGET PIREP SYSTEM NTSB REPORT TOUTS AOPA RESOURCES Pilot weather reports (pireps) are vital to a complete picture of in-flight weather. But the system that collects and distributes them is plagued by inefficiencies that discourage pilots from filing pireps and can prevent filed pireps from being distributed, according to a National Transportation Safety Board special investigation report. The NTSB offered safety recommendations, including one that enlists the aid of a popular AOPA Air Safety Institute online safety course. The newly released NTSB report, Improving Pilot Weather Report Submission and Dissemination to Benefit Safety in the National Airspace System, incorporates some findings of AOPA's 2016 Pilot Report Survey and notes the AOPA Air Safety Institute's online course SkySpotter: Pireps Made Easy as a resource for making pireps more effective. Learn to fly through an AOPA flight training scholarship! The NTSB investigation examined 16 recent accidents, and aired discussions with pirep users "that revealed deficiencies in the handling of PIREP information that resulted in delays, errors, and data losses. These types of issues can play a role in the complex interaction of events and conditions that lead to aircraft accidents." It said deficiencies in the dissemination of pireps contributed to two of the accidents when flight crews were not informed of hazardous weather previously reported by other pilots before the accident flights encountered the dangerous conditions. "In other cases, although PIREP issues did not contribute directly to the accident and incident causes, the investigations discovered similar PIREP-related concerns," the report said, noting that evidence gathered during the investigation suggested that the problems are "widespread." The report analyzed reasons why pilots don't file pireps, ranging from a lack of awareness of pireps' importance to the "prohibitive obstacle" of cockpit workload. Fear of enforcement action was also a factor. "AOPA's review of its 2016 survey data found that about 16% of the pilots who responded (107 out of 675) expressed a concern about enforcement. Given that weather-related accidents have the highest fatality rate in GA, it is unfortunate that pilots might withhold critical safety information based on enforcement fears; the consequences of even one unreported icing or low-visibility encounter in a mountain pass could be deadly," it said. The report cited research that found that the idea of filing a pirep while flying did not occur to 49 percent of 189 GA pilots surveyed-a problem that spotlighted the importance of controllers soliciting pireps. A variety of factors leave the system of disseminating pireps in need of improvement, the report said. Air traffic controllers are required to solicit pireps under some weather conditions, and have a responsibility to distribute them. However, their primary responsibility is air traffic separation and issuing safety alerts. Also, different ATC facilities have different standard operating procedures reflecting their equipment and staff levels. "The NTSB notes that different procedures at different facilities can affect how PIREPs are processed" into the National Airspace System, the report said. The report also noted that pirep data-entry mistakes were "common." The NTSB addressed recommendations to several stakeholders-leading with one requesting that the AOPA Air Safety Institute "update your online pilot weather report (PIREP) course content to include, at a minimum, scenario-based training that uses real- world examples that (1) illustrate the value of both fair-weather and adverse-weather PIREPs, (2) explain how meteorologists use PIREPs to verify and revise aviation weather forecasts and advisory products to improve safety in the National Airspace System, (3) provide guidance on how to assess and describe weather phenomena and report their location accurately, and (4) demonstrate the various ways to submit PIREPs." Other recommendations were directed to aviation education organizations, the FAA, the National Weather Service, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and the Cargo Airline Association. "The Air Safety Institute commends the NTSB for a thorough look at PIREPS that resulted in good recommendations. We enjoyed supporting the NTSB in this initiative, and the Air Safety Institute will follow through on NTSB recommendations by updating our SkySpotter: Pireps Made Easy online course," said AOPA Air Safety Institute Executive Director Richard McSpadden. AOPA has strongly advocated a strengthened, more efficient pirep system on numerous fronts. AOPA Alaska Regional Manager Tom George participates in and has blogged about an Alaska pirep working group composed of industry stakeholders, the FAA, and the National Weather Service. Rune Duke, AOPA director of airspace and air traffic, is frequently called upon to attend weather discussions related to air traffic, and he recently provided comments on a revision of the air traffic control manual, 7110.65, with suggestions that would better highlight the impact weather has on aircraft, and the need for pireps to get into the system. "One of the changes going into effect April 27 is language added to the controller's duty priority to "provide and/or solicit weather information in accordance with procedures and requirements outlined in this order," he said. AOPA is an active participant in the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, a group that "works to improve general aviation safety through data-driven risk reduction efforts focused on education, training, and enabling new equipment in general aviation aircraft." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/april/20/safety-recommendations- target-pirep-system Back to Top Qatar Airways Activates Real-Time Global Flight Tracking Solution From Inmarsat Leading international airline Qatar Airways has activated an advanced new space-based system, supplied by Inmarsat, to track all of its flights across the world. Inmarsat worked exclusively with Qatar Airways to develop this cutting-edge solution, which covers its current route network of over 150 destinations worldwide, in addition to any future routes that will be introduced. It utilises Inmarsat's market-leading satellite technology to provide the exact real-time location of the airline's aircraft in latitude and longitude. Qatar Airways signed a contract with Inmarsat following the successful conclusion of active performance trials across its fleet over the past year, which proved that the tracking system exceeds the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s new flight reporting standards. His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: "Qatar Airways has a reputation for pioneering ground-breaking new innovations in global aviation. Our partnership with Inmarsat for this global flight tracking system has once again reinforced our commitment to the highest levels of aviation safety for our passengers and employees." Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: "Inmarsat is the backbone of global aviation safety, delivering over 35 million aircraft position reports last year alone. Unlike other systems that promise space-based global flight tracking somewhere in the future, we have been providing real time flight tracking for Qatar Airways for some time. We are pleased to be working with an airline that is so highly committed to safety and innovation." https://spacewatchme.com/2017/05/qatar-airways-activates-real-time-global-flight- tracking-solution-inmarsat/ Back to Top 62nd Annual Business Aviation Safety Summit Begins Thursday PHOENIX - Flight Safety Foundation's 62nd annual Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) is scheduled to get under way Thursday morning, May 4, with a keynote address by noted aviator, executive and motivational speaker Ron Mumm. The theme of this year's conference, which is being held at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona, is Safety through Synergy. Also scheduled to speak on Thursday is former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Christopher Hart. Mumm, who was a U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot and commanded the USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration Squadron, is owner and managing director of Raven Aviation, a Chicago-based aviation management company. He plans to speak about teamwork and the key to high performance. Hart, who currently is a member of the NTSB, will talk about the challenges of increasing automation. Subjects to be addressed and discussed during the two-day event, which is expected to draw more than 200 business aviation safety professionals, include upset recovery training, laser strike trends and solutions, unmanned aircraft systems, next generation flight safety systems, measuring safety performance, cyber security, runway excursions, lithium battery risk, fatigue management, and the impact corporate executives can have on safety performance. Flight Safety Foundation's recently published Go-Around Execution and Decision-Making Project Final Report also will be discussed. BASS 2017 is produced in partnership with the National Business Aviation Association. For more details on BASS 2017 or to register, please click here. Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12330779/62nd-annual-business-aviation- safety-summit-begins-thursday Back to Top Will Italy be the next country to lose its national airline? Italian flag carrier Alitalia has taken another big step toward liquidation or a sale. The struggling airline applied to enter administration on Tuesday after its staff rejected a major cost-cutting plan designed to salvage the carrier. It's a process that could end with a restructuring, a sale, or the airline could be shuttered and its planes sold off. Alitalia wouldn't be the first national carrier to go the way of the dodo -- or be reduced to subsidiary status. Once a symbol of national power and prestige, flag carriers have struggled for years to compete with budget airlines. Many are saddled with legacy costs and others have failed to adapt to the tactics of cheaper upstarts. Here's a look at other European flag carriers that have faded away or been sold: Malev Hungarian Airlines: The flag carrier of Hungary, this airline went out of business in 2012 and abruptly stopped its flights. Low-cost competitor Ryanair (RYAAY) -- known for its aggressive, cut-throat prices -- immediately capitalized on the situation and opened a new base in Budapest. Malev customers were encouraged to seek compensation from the airline in the month following its demise. Malev Hungarian Airlines 2012 Confusion reigned in Budapest's airport after Malev Hungarian Airlines abruptly grounded its planes. Czech Airlines: Korean Air is credited with saving Czech Airlines by purchasing a 44% stake in the business from the national government in 2013. The airline was valued at just $7.5 million at that time. Czech Airlines now includes Korean language signs for travelers in the Prague airport, next to text written in Czech and English. czech airlines plane aviation travel Korean Air helped rescue Czech Airlines in 2013. Olympic Airlines: The Greek government sold off its flag carrier Olympic Airlines in 2009 to the Greek conglomerate Marfin Investment Group. It was sold again to Greece's publicly-traded Aegean Airlines in 2012. Marfin said at the time that the "transaction [was] necessary for the viability of the Greek airline industry" as it struggled with a deep recession, high fuel prices and low passenger traffic. olympic airlines Olympic Airlines was sold in 2009 and again in 2012. TAP Air Portugal: The Portuguese government sold its majority stake in flag carrier TAP Air Portugal in 2015 to the private firm Gateway, which was backed by JetBlue founder David Neeleman. Months later the government bought back a portion of TAP Air Portugal to retain at 50% controlling stake in the airline. The company reported a small operating profit for 2016 after losing more than $120 million the previous year. Iberia, Aer Lingus: U.K.-based International Airlines Group -- the parent company of British Airways -- bought Spain's struggling Iberia airline in 2011. It had to overhaul the company and slash thousands of jobs to keep it in business. Iberia's chief executive warned in 2012 that Iberia was unprofitable in all its markets and needed the painful restructuring. International Airlines Group also acquired Ireland's Aer Lingus in 2015. Swissair, Austrian Airlines: German carrier Lufthansa has gobbled up a number of smaller national airlines, including Swiss International Air Lines in 2005 and Austrian Airlines in 2009. http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/02/news/alitalia-italy-airline-flights-travel/ Back to Top American Airlines is cutting more legroom in economy class American Airlines 737 economy Just when you thought your legroom in economy class couldn't get tighter. American Airlines (AAL) is planning to decrease the front-to-back space between some of its economy class seats by another two inches. The airline says it plans to add more seats on its coming Boeing (BA) 737 Max jetliners. To do that, it will shrink the distance between seats, also known as pitch, from 31 inches to 29 inches on three rows of the airplane, and down to 30-inches in the rest of its main economy cabin. American isn't the only big airline heading in this direction. United Airlines (UAL) is considering a similar move, according to a person briefed on its evaluations. United declined to comment. The move signals a new step in the shrinking of U.S. airline cabins, and comes even as carriers are promising to improve overall customer service. With the change, American will become the first large U.S. carrier to offer legroom with a pitch that's nearly on par with ultra-low cost carriers Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and Frontier Airlines. Those seats are an industry minimum 28-inches apart. By comparison, economy class pitch on Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United ranges between 30 and 31 inches, while JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) have between 31 and 33 inches. The one advantage the big U.S. carriers still have over their lowest-fare rivals was a few more inches in economy. The bathrooms on American's 737 Max jets will also be smaller, one person familiar with the planning said. The new Max jets will have more than 170 seats, two sources said, compared to 160 on its existing 737-800s. The airline said it is keeping its extra-legroom 'Main Cabin Extra' economy seats, as well as its 16 first class seats. These new single-aisle aircraft will go into use later this year and will primarily be flown on routes in North America. Fliers will still pay regular economy fares for the 18 seats with two inches less leg room. Two of those three rows of 29-inch pitch will be in the back of the plane and a third farther forward. These seats won't be part of its new basic economy fares, which sell for less because fliers don't get access to overhead bins, a seat assignment or frequent flier miles. An American spokesman said the airline will add 40 Max jets to its fleet by the end of 2019. It has 100 on order. The airline also said it might make similar changes to its existing fleet of 737-800s after the Max arrives, but no decisions have been made. http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/02/news/companies/american-airlines-legroom/ Back to Top A4A airlines will no longer remove boarded passengers from aircraft A4A president and CEO Nicholas Calio Airlines for America All Airlines for America (A4A) member airlines are now committed to not removing a boarded passenger from an aircraft in a bumping situation and all are committed to ensuring crew being transported are booked in advance, A4A president and CEO Nicholas Calio said. Speaking at the IATA Wings of Change conference in Miami, Calio said the recent incident in which United Airlines passenger David Dao was violently dragged off of an aircraft after being involuntarily bumped has led all US airlines, not just United, to thoroughly review policies. "Obviously, the entire industry sincerely regrets" what happened on United Express flight 3411, Calio said. "A mistake was made. It was a bad mistake. All of the carriers from A4A have reviewed their processes." A4A passenger airline members include Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, Dallas/Fort Worth- based American Airlines, Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines, New York-based JetBlue Airways, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Chicago-based United. Calio noted that JetBlue already did not overbook flights before the United incident and Southwest has said it will stop overbooking in the current quarter. "Others are looking at their policies" regarding overbooking, he said. Although United Express flight 3411 on April 9 was initially overbooked, gate agents had resolved that situation by the time Dao and other passengers had boarded the Embraer E170 operated by Republic Airlines. A Republic crew then showed up at the gate to be transported on the flight from Chicago O'Hare to Louisville, necessitating more bumped passengers. Dao was forcefully removed from the aircraft by a Chicago Department of Aviation law enforcement officer after refusing to give up his seat for a crew member. Calio said A4A members will no longer remove passengers from aircraft after they have been boarded absent security or safety concerns. He added that A4A members will make sure crew being transported are booked and checked in prior to the passenger boarding process. United has made a series of customer service policy changes in the aftermath of the incident and other airlines may also make changes, Calio said. The US airline industry's "reputation clearly has taken a hit," he said. "This incident was a rarity, but one with an outsized impact that has to be dealt with." Calio acknowledged US airlines are trying to get ahead of potential regulations Congress is considering, and encouraged US lawmakers to refrain from imposing new regulations since the industry is taking action. "There will be those in Congress who want to regulate more," he said. "Many members of Congress assume we don't care about customers. But we compete on the basis of customer service." Airports Council International DG Angela Gittens, also speaking at the IATA conference, said proposed new regulations by members of Congress in the aftermath of the United incident are not unwarranted, but actual legislation is not necessary. "Sometimes the threat of a regulation is the best way to go," she said. "The threat has already led to changes. It's not necessary to do the regulation as long as we know that if we misbehave, new regulations will be coming. Congress has in effect said, be careful because we're watching you." http://atwonline.com/associations/a4a-airlines-will-no-longer-remove-boarded- passengers-aircraft Back to Top Air Force launches new retention method to combat pilot shortage The Air Force faces a severe pilot shortage as experienced pilots decide to bolt to private airlines. Commanders hope a time-tested retention method and bonuses will keep pilots around. Before Colonel Ryan Shuttlemyre joined the Air Force and worked his way to the command of the 33rd Fighter Wing, he knew as a young boy he was destined to fly. "Being able to contribute to our nation and serve, you really don't get that anywhere else, in the airlines or in the civilian sector," Colonel Shuttlemyre said. Commander Suttlemyre trains young pilots on the ins and outs of one of the Air Force's newest jets, the F-35. It's become more important as more experienced pilots leave for more money with a commercial airline, meaning the Air Force has to replace them with less experienced pilots. The air force has decided to sweeten the pot - they've upped the bonus incentive for pilots to stay on to 35 thousand dollars per year, ten thousand dollars more than in previous years. The 33rd, like many fighter wings, is fully staffed, but the shortage thins the ranks of the pilots at the pentagon. "Those jobs are important on the staffs," Colonel Shuttlemyre said, "a lot of times, pilots don't like to do them, but they are important to go and help set those priorities and help senior leaders make decisions." As a commander, he sees the urgency. "If that experience walks out the door, just like any job, it is really tough to replace. According to the Air Force Times, it takes about $11 million to train one Air Force pilot. Total cost to bring the Air Force to full strength: $12 billion. Currently, all Air Force pilots make a 10 year mandatory commitment to the Air Force after signing on for pilot training. The retention bonuses require those pilots to stay on an extra 13 years. Pilots who sign on would earn $455,000 over the length of their contract. http://weartv.com/news/local/air-force-launches-new-retention-method-to-combat-pilot- shortage Back to Top Embraer posts $44.4 million 1Q net profit, cites jet delivery decline The first E195-E2 prototype rolled out March 7, 2017 at Embraer's headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Embraer reported a consolidated first-quarter 2017 net profit of $44.4 million, down 58.1% from the Brazilian manufacturer's $106 million net profit in 1Q 2016. The company recorded $1.03 billion in consolidated first-quarter revenue, down 21.6% from $1.3 billion in the year-ago quarter. Operating expenses declined 16.8% year-over- year (YOY) to $871.8 million. Gross profit for the quarter totaled $154.5 million, down 40.9% from $261.3 million in 1Q 2016. Embraer said its revenue decline was largely attributable to a drop in commercial jet and executive jet deliveries. The company delivered 18 commercial jets and 15 executive jets during the first quarter of 2017, compared to its delivery of 21 commercial jets and 23 executive jets a year ago. "The company's first-quarter deliveries are generally the weakest in terms of seasonality," Embraer said in a statement. "[But] Embraer remains confident in its 2017 guidance for 97 to 102 total commercial jet deliveries and 105 to 125 executive jet deliveries." Embraer's Commercial Aviation segment earned $636.4 million, down 10.5% YOY, during the 1Q, which accounted for 62% of the company's total 1Q revenue, up from a 54.3% share of total revenue in 1Q 2016. As of March 31, Embraer's consolidated reported backlog was valued at $19.2 billion, down $400 million from year-end 2016, and down $2.7 billion from the end of 1Q 2016. Embraer's commercial aviation firm backlog of 432 aircraft as of March 31 includes three E170s, 88 E175s, 56 E190s, 10 E195s, 100 E175-E2s, 85 E190-E2s and 90 E195-E2s. Norwegian regional carrier Widerøe ordered up to 15 of Embraer's E2 jets in January. As the model's launch operator, Widerøe will place the E190-E2 into service in the first half of 2018. Azul Brazilian Airlines will become the launch operator for Embraer's E195-E2 beginning in the first half of 2019. http://atwonline.com/manufacturers/embraer-posts-444-million-1q-net-profit-cites-jet- delivery-decline Back to Top European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management and Safety Investigation - Initial Training Course, Barcelona, 12-16 June, 2017 Special Note: An Early Bird discount of 200 EUR will apply to all registrations received by 12 May 2017. The course will be kindly hosted by GTD at their modern company headquarters located in 'El Poblenou', a beachside area just four kilometres from the centre of Barcelona. (GTD website: http://www.gtd.eu/) Full details of the course, including the Registration Form, are contained in the 2017 Course Information Brochure, which is available from the EAAP website: http://www.eaap.net/read/3566/initial-human-factors-in-flight-safety.html Please note that completion of this training course is recognised by EAAP as contributing towards certification requirements for those wishing to become an EAAP-certified Aviation Psychologist or Human Factors Specialist. The first of these EAAP training courses was conducted at Ispra, Italy, in 1999, and since then the course has been held regularly in locations including Luxembourg, Stockholm, Madrid, Lisbon, Interlaken, Dublin, Dubai and Barcelona, with more than 400 participants attending to date. Each year the course content is updated to reflect the latest thinking, and highlight future developments, in human factors and integrated safety management in both civil and military aviation. In 2017, the experienced team of Dr Rob Lee and Brent Hayward will conduct the course on behalf of EAAP. As detailed in the Course Registration Brochure, EAAP members are offered reduced registration fees for the course, and there is also a significant additional "Early Bird" discount for those who register by 12 May 2017. Course participant numbers are limited, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Those with any questions about the course, please email Brent Hayward: bhayward@dedale.net Back to Top A LETTER TO THE UNITED CEO Op-Ed Article By Roger Rapoport Dear Oscar Munoz: Nice to hear from you. Thank you for your letter to me and millions of other United customers apologizing for the inconvenience suffered by one of your passengers who was denied boarding on a flight to Louisville, refused to leave the plane and was dragged off by police suffering a concussion and other injuries. Good to know that you have settled with this victim and promised not to let this happen again. I'm also glad to know you are guaranteeing that you will offer up to $10,000 to those who are willing to volunteer to leave under similar circumstances and will automatically pay $1,500 to those who have lost their bags. These are good things. Since I know safety is your top priority, may I suggest that you consider a few other policy changes. Most of these are easily done and can certainly benefit your customers. Mandatory seat belts for all passengers Just this past week one of your passengers was injured by turbulence as his flight descended toward Los Angeles. Just a wild guess but typically these injuries impact passengers and working flight attendants not wearing their seatbelts. How about considering this rule. During takeoff and descent everyone stays seated with their seatbelts on. No exceptions. Passengers who break this rule should be identified and warned that they are breaking airline regulaions that are just common sense. I wouldn't mind if the pilots made a much more serious pitch to wear seat belts. How about something like this: "When we fly we wear our seatbelts. You should too. If you wander around when the seat belt sign is on you are endangering yourself and your fellow passengers. Don't even think about it. Please obey flight attendants who are there for your safety." No seat belt exemptions These means no unbelted lap babies under two. My suggestion is that babies be charged a flat fare of $100 in the United States and perhaps $200 internationally, a nice discount that might help persuade some families to fly instead of driving on short trips and of course it means babies won't get hurt or killed because their parents couldn't afford to buy them a seat. Would you want an infant in your own family to travel without being belted into a seat? Thanks for taking this one up with your board. The sooner the better. It's time to stop charging for checked baggage. It's a big hassle for the flight attendants. Their job is passenger safety, not trying to cram as much luggage as possible into the overheads and frequently gate checking bags that don't fit. It wastes time and energy better devoted to getting off on time. In the long run it will avoid battles with passengers over luggage that doesn't fit, speed up boarding and deplaning and make flights more comfortable without all that luggage being stored under seats in order to leave room in the overhead compartments for large bags that should be checked. Southwest does this and still makes a lot of money. Tall People As I'm sure you know, tall people need more leg room than short people. How about giving tall passengers a break and giving them preference on aisle seats and extra leg room. Obviously this is more than fair since they can't fit in cramped seats, especially on long flights. Delays Long delays on the ground are tough because passengers can't get up and go to the bathroom. Let's set a reasonable amount of time, say half an hour, for ground delays before the captain has discretion to let passengers go to the bathroom. Alcohol Alcohol is a factor in aircraft incidents. Some passengers are pretty loaded when they board. Others get there on the flight since the cabin pressure doubles the impact of alcohol. Since this is a safety issue perhaps it's a time to look at the sale of alcohol on planes. Maybe, just saying, some of the issues flight attendants are dealing with relate to passengers boarding drunk. Maybe it's time to tighten down on alcohol and be a little tougher on cutting off passengers or not letting them board at all. Hubs Hubs are complicated, especially because transfer times can be very tight. Congestion in and around major airports is a challenge. A bad weather system knocking out a hub can trigger cancellations for days. Consider the possibility of more direct flights that avoid hubs that are at capacity. This would reduce delays and also improve traffic flow especially when there are weather issues. Southwest has prospered with a lot of direct flights and not just trying to flow the system through a handful of hubs. It's also time to consider minihubs, at smaller airports with plenty of capacity. For example cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan, Omaha, Colorado Springs, Sacramento and Richmond, Virginia would all make nice regional hubs. This would also allow crews to live in lower cost of living cities and not have to commute in and out of crowded hubs where they have trouble getting on a packed flight. This was one of the problems with the Chicago/Louisville passenger eviction that is the subject of your letter. Money It's time to rethink all the ways airlines punish travelers booking last minute to go to a funeral, changing tickets with big penalties and upcharges running into the many hundreds of dollars, huge cancellation fees and high prices during holidays. The huge up charge for last minute booking is a major hassle. Passengers hate all this red tape and it leads to a lot of hostility. How about just figuring out what the average ticket price is for coach, business and first class and keep the prices level, perhaps with some minor seasonal adjustments. People who need to fly the whole family to a funeral shouldn't have to pay three or four times the normal fare because they can't book ahead. This will improve passenger morale and avoid the embarrassing problem of passengers sitting next to each other paying vastly different fares. Food Cart At The Gate We understand you don't really want to feed us. Sometimes you don't have time on short flights to give us anything to drink. It would make a lot of sense to let people just pick up a snack at the gate on the way to the plane, think of it like a lunch bag with something to drink and maybe a sandwich as you board. That way flight attendants could focus more on their primary job, passenger safety and not have to be wheeling carts around that block the aisles, especially on short flights. This would be a nice option and many passengers would happily pay for it. It would be very helpful in hubs where connecting time is tight and people want to stay close to the gate before boarding time. Aircraft Every window on every plane should be up during takeoff and landing, no exceptions. Exit rows seats should not be sold at a premium because in some cases this means they are left empty. This is bad because passengers should be there to quickly open escape windows if necessary. Finally, and I say this with all sincerity, the business and first class thing is out of control. Most of us can't afford it. Consider adding all coach flights on major routes that offer more leg room for every passenger since there are no business class passengers to pamper. . You could charge a bit extra to cover the lost revenue on the premium seats removed to make the coach seating more spacious. Options like these would give you a competitive advantage in this age of shrinking coach seats. Frankly a lot of people don't fly because it's uncomfortable and a hassle. Fixing that problem is well within your reach. See you in coach. Roger Rapoport Roger Rapoport is the producer of Pilot Error and the author of the forthcoming book Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and The Future of Aviation Safety Back to Top New Edition of Commercial Aviation Safety book just released. Available now through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Aviation- Safety-Stephen-Cusick/dp/1259641821 Up-To-Date Coverage of Every Aspect of Commercial Aviation Safety. Completely revised edition to fully align with current U.S. and international regulations, this hands-on resource clearly explains the principles and practices of commercial aviation safety- from accident investigations to Safety Management Systems. Commercial Aviation Safety, Sixth Edition, delivers authoritative information on today's risk management on the ground and in the air. The book offers the latest procedures, flight technologies, and accident statistics. You will learn about new and evolving challenges, such as lasers, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), cyberattacks, aircraft icing, and software bugs. Chapter outlines, review questions, and real-world incident examples are featured throughout. Coverage includes: * ICAO, FAA, EPA, TSA, and OSHA regulations. * NTSB and ICAO accident investigation processes. * Recording and reporting of safety data. * U.S. and international aviation accident statistics. * Accident causation models. * The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). * Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Threat and Error Management (TEM). * Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and Flight Data Monitoring (FDM). * Aircraft and air traffic control technologies and safety systems. * Airport safety, including runway incursions. * Aviation security, including the threats of intentional harm and terrorism. * International and U.S. Aviation Safety Management Systems. 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 Curt Lewis