Flight Safety Information May 29, 2017 - No. 107 Incident: Southwest B733 near Branson on May 27th 2017, loss of cabin pressure ncident: Iberia Express A320 at London on May 25th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Summit Air Let L-410UVP-E20 Fatal accident Goma Air crash: Civil Aviation Ministry forms 5-member probe commission Alaska volcano erupts again; aviation alert raised to red CALL FOR CRACK-DOWN ON DRUNK, DISRUPTIVE AIRLINE PASSENGERS United Airlines President Says If You're Uncomfortable In Coach, It's Your Own Fault Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion Airport Overhaul Man Allegedly Tried To Bite Flight Attendant Before Jumping From Airplane BA computer crash: passengers face third day of disruption at Heathrow Why airline pilots are getting the biggest bonuses ever Russia squares up to Boeing, Airbus with maiden jet flight Safeskies 2017 Conference AIRCRAFT CABIN AIR CONFERENCE Position Available: Human Factors Safety Analyst Position Available: Supervisor, Flight Data Programs Do you want to prevent an aircraft accident? Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited Research Survey - 1 Research Survey - 2 Incident: Southwest B733 near Branson on May 27th 2017, loss of cabin pressure A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration N389SW performing flight WN-2303 from Baltimore,MD to Oklahoma City,OK (USA) with 124 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 120nm northeast of Branson,MO (USA) when the crew initiated an emergency descent to 10,000 feet due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft diverted to Branson for a safe landing about 35 minutes later. The aircraft had suffered two more similiar occurrences in the 370 days, see Incident: Southwest B733 near Seattle on May 23rd 2016, cabin pressure problems and Incident: Southwest B733 near Jacksonville on Jan 2nd 2017, loss of cabin pressure http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA2303/history/20170527/2015Z/KBWI/KOKC http://avherald.com/h?article=4a996d83&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Iberia Express A320 at London on May 25th 2017, smoke in cockpit An Iberia Express Airbus A320-200, registration EC-JFG performing flight I2-3617/IB-3617 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Las Palmas,CI (Spain), was climbing out of Heathrow's runway 09R when the crew stopped the climb at about FL130 reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft diverted to London Gatwick for a safe landing on runway 08R about 25 minutes after departure. A passenger reported the crew announced smoke in the cockpit as cause for the return to London Heathrow, the aircraft subsequently landed in Gatwick however. Other passengers reported smelling smoke, too. Emergency services examined the aircraft after landing and escorted the aircraft to the stand, firemen boarded the aircraft to perform further checks. The passenger disembarked about 25 minutes after arriving at the stand. A replacement aircraft took them to Las Palmas the following day with a delay of 27 hours. A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration EC-JSK was dispatched to London Gatwick and reached Las Palmas with a delay of 27 hours. The occurrence aircraft was able to position to Madrid about 48 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a98b73f&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Summit Air Let L-410UVP-E20 Fatal accident Status: Preliminary Date: Saturday 27 May 2017 Time: 14:04 Type: Let L-410UVP-E20 Operator: Summit Air Registration: 9N-AKY C/n / msn: 2917 First flight: 2014 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) ( Nepal) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM/VNKT), Nepal Destination airport: Lukla-Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA/VNLK), Nepal Flightnumber: 409 Narrative: A Let L-410UVP-E20 operated by Summit Air was destroyed in an accident when it attempted to land on runway 06 at Lukla- Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Nepal. The aircraft operated on a cargo flight from Katmandu with a crew of three. The captain can copilot both sustained fatal injuries. The precise circumstances are unclear. Unconfirmed news reports suggest that the aircraft hit a pine tree, three metres below the runway threshold level before landing. Photos from the scene show the aircraft came to rest on a steep rocky and wooded downslope, next to the airport perimeter fence. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170527-0 Back to Top Goma Air crash: Civil Aviation Ministry forms 5-member probe commission The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has formed a five member probe commission under the coordination of former Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) Director General Triratna Manandhar to probe the crash of a cargo flight of Goma Air at Lukla Airport on Saturday noon. A senior pilot and co-pilot were killed and a crew member injured when a cargo flight of Goma Air crashed as it was trying to land at Lukla Airport yesterday afternoon. The probe committee comprises of Manadhar including members-- Colonel at the Directorate General of Army Aviation, Captain Ashish Narsingh Rana, Senior Captain at Tara Air Bodh Raj Niraula, Senior Engineer at Manang Air, Digambar Rajbhandari and Civil Aviation Ministry Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya as the member secretary of the commission. Injured flight attendant Pragya Maharjan has been airlifted to Grande International Hospital in Kathmandu this morning via Manang Air helicopter. Captain Paras Rai was already pronounced dead at the hospital yesterday. The dead bodies of the pilots have also been airlifted to Kathmandu this morning. On duty air traffic controller Ujjwal Tiwari said "The plane with call sign 9N-AKY slammed into the mound, fell 100 metres and broke into three pieces as it was preparing to land at 2:05pm." http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-05-28/goma-air-crash-civil-aviation-ministry-forms-5-member-probe- commission.html Back to Top Alaska volcano erupts again; aviation alert raised to red An Alaska volcano that has been active for nearly six months has erupted again. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says Bogoslof (BOH-gohs-lawf) Volcano in the Aleutian Islands erupted at 2:16 p.m. Sunday and sent a cloud of ash at least 35,000 feet (10,668 meters) high. The eruption lasted 55 minutes. Ash can harm and stop jet engines. Ash from southwest Alaska volcanos is a threat airliners operating between North America and Asia when a cloud rises above 20,000 feet (6,096 meters). After the eruption, the Aviation Color Code was raised to red, the highest level. The agency says a person on nearby Unalaska Island reports seeing a large white-gray mushroom cloud form over Bogoslof, with ash falling out to the west. http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/alaska-volcano-erupts-aviation-alert-raised-red-47697530 Back to Top CALL FOR CRACK-DOWN ON DRUNK, DISRUPTIVE AIRLINE PASSENGERS One air rage incident every 17 minutes on average Airlines are not getting the support they need from the authorities in bringing drunk and disruptive passengers to justice, a leading aviation lawyer has said. Christopher Smith, an Associate at the law firm Holman Fenwick Willan, was speaking at a session entitled "Drunks, disruption and damage" at the Abta Travel Law Seminar in London. He said the number of cases of onboard disruption has risen in recent years from one in 1,600 flights to one in 1,200. With over 100,000 flights a day globally, that represents one "air rage" incident every 15 minutes on average. At the weekend, two US Air Force fighter aircraft were deployed to escort an American Airlines jet en route from Los Angeles to Honolulu after a passenger became disruptive and tried to gain access to the flight deck. It is thought he had been drinking. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) there were 421 incidences of disruptive passengers at UK airports in 2016, with the majority involving drunkenness. At present it is not illegal for a passenger to consume their own alcohol on board, although most airlines have their own rules prohibiting the practice. Airlines UK, the trade association, has called for drinking alcohol on board which has been bought in duty free to be made a criminal offence. When the subject was last debated in the House of Lords, the then Transport Minister, Lord Whitty, said: "There is no substantial evidence to suggest that breaches of that rule are a substantial problem. It would be difficult to turn such a ban into law." But since then the incidence of disruption has risen sharply. One reason, said Mr Smith, is that the authorities are failing to support airlines who seek to bring charges against offenders. "A lot of the problem is where you don't have the support of the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service]. You then have to resort to the civil courts." There are also issues over jurisdiction when a flight is diverted to a third country because of disruptive passengers. The Montreal Protocol 2014 is designed to assist, but it has yet to be ratified. Airlines are often left with having to turn to the civil courts. The expenses involved in a diversion can amount to tens of thousands of pounds. Increasingly airlines are seeking to recover the costs through civil action. But Mr Smith said there is a frequent barrier to enforcement: the perpetrators have no assets. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/alcohol-airport-aircraft-air-rage-drunkenness-american-airlines-flights- a7753021.html Back to Top United Airlines President Says If You're Uncomfortable In Coach, It's Your Own Fault The airline appears to have no sympathy with your discomfort. Breathe in. Don't breathe out. CREDIT: Getty Images Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. They feel your suffering. They understand your pain as if it were their own. They watch you struggle and they wish they could do something about it. I'm talking about airline executives. And I'm lying. I've been moved, you see, by the words of United Airlines president Scott Kirby. Skift managed to get wind of this thoughts from a recent town hall meeting with employees. I fear you may find some of his sentiments a bit of a drag. Kirby mused this on the subject of coach seats having little to no legroom -- sometimes, the closest measure of this is called seat pitch. "Seat pitch has come down because that's what customers voted with their wallets that they wanted," said Kirby. "I know everyone would tell you, 'I would like more seat pitch.' But the history in the airline industry is every time airlines put more seat pitch on, customers choose the lowest price." You see, oh silly passenger. Your discomfort is caused by your parsimoniousness. If you gave the airlines more money, they'd be only too delighted to offer you more space. Instead, you're being cruel to the airline by not wanting to pay more, so the airline has no option but to make you feel bad. Indeed, you can't help thinking that the airline is happy to make you feel bad in order to extract more money out of you, so that this bad feeling never returns when you're on a plane. Some might wonder, of course, whether the $39.4 billion airlines made in profit last year might have been reduced a little, in order not to squeeze even more seats onto planes. Instead, it seems that Kirby admitted that United's ambition -- if you can call it that -- is to be competitive with Southwest and Spirit. Ergo, this means squeezing in more seats, so that you feel as if you're flying one of the worst airlines in the world. Of course, airlines have found all sorts of glorious ways to nickel-and-dime passengers over the last few years. Thanks to government shielding them from anything that resembles true competition, airlines have patted your pockets down like overzealous TSA operatives, in order to extract the last vestiges of your cash. When they say they know you have many options when you fly, they know that this is piffle. On far too many routes, you may have little to no options. So, now that they have your credit card in the palm of their hand, they squeeze you physically as well as financially. What makes this even more glorious is that most airlines operate in an entirely short-term manner. They care only about their quarterly results and lo, those results dictate their executives' bonuses. Meanwhile, their staff are left to act like police officers, as passengers experience increasingly nasty conditions. You might be uplifted by Kirby's Margaret Thatcher-like insistence that there is no alternative: "I say, 'Pay a little more and you get can get seat pitch'. If it's worth it to you, you can do it. But if you just want the cheapest fare, this is what it is." This is what it is. At the heart of this is you, dear passenger. You're the person who's the reason for your deep, vain thrombosis. Take a look in the mirror and repeat these words: "I hate flying and it's all my fault." https://www.inc.com/chris-matyszczyk/united-airlines-president-says-if-youre-uncomfortable-in-coach-its-your-own-faul.html Back to Top Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion Airport Overhaul * Junta wants to create second Asian aircraft maintenance hub * Thailand investment board says FDI recovering from 2014 fall Thailand is seeking to take on Singapore's dominance in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul with a $5.7 billion upgrade of a Vietnam War-era airport. Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Sikorsky Aircraft is the latest company to study a possible increase in MRO spend in Thailand in the wake of the planned revamp of U-Tapao International Airport, said Ajarin Pattanapanchai, deputy secretary general of the nation's Board of Investment. In March, Airbus SE signed an agreement with Thai Airways International Pcl to evaluate the development of MRO facilities at the civil-military airport near Bangkok. "Singapore is quite tight right now," Ajarin said in an interview at Bloomberg's Toronto office on May 25, during a visit to Canada to woo investment. "To catch up with the demand of airlines in the region -- especially new demand from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia -- and given that we have existing strengths with automotives and engineering, Thailand will be the second choice to be the MRO hub." The airport project is part of junta leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha's goal of boosting the economy, whose expansion has lagged behind neighbors since the military seized power three years ago. It's also a key component of a plan to invest 1.5 trillion baht ($44 billion) between 2017-2021 to develop the country's eastern seaboard. Apart from the airport in the Eastern Economic Corridor, the plan calls for $4.5 billion investment in high-speed rail, $11.5 billion for new cities and $14 billion for industry. The government will control and maintain the airport and a port. Other projects will be public-private-partnerships or privately held. "I am confident we can make it," Ajarin said, referring to raising the funds. The government has already allocated its budget for 2017, she said, declining to provide a figure for the administration's outlay on the corridor or an estimate of the MRO business Thailand is targeting. Foreign-direct investment has revived after sliding following the coup, especially in digital and high-technology sectors, Ajarin said. She gave as an example Toronto-based Canadian Solar Inc., which applied for a license in 2015 and opened its Thai factory two years later. Among electric vehicles, a "big player -- but not Tesla -- is waiting to come in," Ajarin said. FDI increased to $8.6 billion in 2016 from $2.7 billion in 2015, according to data provided by the Board of Investment. While the board offers incentives to foreign companies such as tax sops, it remains unclear how quickly the Thai government can implement its ambitious vision for the eastern seaboard given the scale of the project. Challenges include a shortage of skilled workers, as well as concern that Thailand is prone to harmful episodes of political volatility. Ajarin acknowledged that the risk of political turmoil is a worry for new investors, but argued that companies have weathered past such bouts. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-28/thailand-to-take-on-singapore-with-5-7-billion-airport-overhaul Back to Top Man Allegedly Tried To Bite Flight Attendant Before Jumping From Airplane The man attempted to bite a flight attendant, opened the exit door and jumped onto an active tarmac. A man is accused of trying to bite a flight attendant before jumping out of a plane onto the tarmac at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Thursday. According to a federal complaint, 22-year-old Tun Lon Sein was on an American Airlines flight when he attempted to bite a flight attendant, opened the exit door and jumped onto an active ramp. According to WCNC, the document stated Sein refused to return to his seat and attempted to bite the flight attendant's hand in order to reach the door. When Sein jumped down to the tarmac below, two employees working on the tarmac stopped him from running onto an active taxiway, according to ABC News. From there, the man was transported to a medical facility. "Sein spoke little or no English during these events," the document stated,"However, circumstances surrounding his actions show that Sein understood the directions of the F/A, as well as the safety requirements of commercial air travel." Sein is facing one federal charge of interference with flight crew members and attendants. A judge said in court Friday morning that Sein violated Title 49, United States Code, and "shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both." http://www.oxygen.com/blogs/man-allegedly-tried-to-bite-flight-attendant-before-jumping-from-airplane Back to Top BA computer crash: passengers face third day of disruption at Heathrow Travellers warned to check status of flights before heading to airport as Gatwick says it will run full schedule on Monday People wait with their luggage at the British Airways check-in desks at Heathrow Terminal 5 on Sunday. British Airways passengers are facing a third day of disruption at Heathrow as the airline continues to deal with the fallout from an IT failure. Short-haul flights from the airport were subject to cancellations and delays, after the glitch led to scenes of chaos at Heathrow and Gatwick over the weekend. Both Heathrow and Gatwick warned bank holiday travellers to check with the airline before setting off on Monday. However, BA said it would run a full schedule at Gatwick on Monday and it intended to operate a full long-haul schedule and a high proportion of its short-haul programme at Heathrow. Cancellations on Monday morning included flights to Stockholm, Vienna and Dublin, as well as several domestic routes. Delays were typically less than half an hour. The airline is also dealing with a backlog of lost luggage after many passengers had to leave the airport without their baggage. "We are working to reunite all our customers with their bags," a spokeswoman said. Rose Drury, a childcare assistant from Leeds, told the Guardian she had been attempting to contact the airline about reclaiming her luggage since Saturday. Drury and her sister had been scheduled to travel from Heathrow to New York but the flight was cancelled after they had checked their luggage in. Leaving Heathrow was "honestly like a moshpit," she said. "Hundreds of us were waiting to exit the airport." A BA staff member stood on a bench to announce to the crowds that they should leave without their bags, and would receive them later. Drury said her luggage had important medication that she has now missed for two days, she will have to go to the doctor for more when it re-opens after the bank holiday. She has been unable to get in touch with BA, she said. "Since arriving back in Leeds we've tried to ring continually but just never got through. We can't get through online either," she said. The airline, whose chief executive, Alex Cruz, has apologised for the disruption, said it was continuing to make good progress in recovering from the worldwide IT glitch that grounded scores of planes, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. An airline spokeswoman said: "We operated a full schedule at Gatwick on Sunday. At Heathrow, we operated virtually all our scheduled long-haul flights, though the knock-on effects of Saturday's disruption resulted in a reduced short-haul programme. "As our IT systems move closer to full operational capacity, we will again run a full schedule at Gatwick on Monday and intend to operate a full long-haul schedule and a high proportion of our short-haul programme at Heathrow. "We apologise again to customers for the frustration and inconvenience they are experiencing and thank them for their continued patience." On Monday, we will run a full schedule at Gatwick and intend to operate a full long-haul schedule from Heathrow 1/4 The airline rejected a suggestion by the GMB union that the outsourcing of IT functions to India to cut costs had contributed to the chaos. "We would never compromise the integrity and security of our IT systems," the spokeswoman said. "IT services are now provided globally by a range of suppliers and this is very common practice across all industries and the UK government." She said the problems were caused by a power outage and the airline was investigating the incident. "The root cause was a power supply issue that affected a number of our systems," she said. The airline has said there is no evidence of a cyber-attack. Travellers spent the night sleeping on yoga mats spread on terminal floors on Saturday after BA cancelled all flights leaving the London hubs, and disruption continued into Sunday with dozens more services from Heathrow cancelled. The IT outage had a knock-on effect on BA services around the world, while passengers who did get moving on the limited number of flights to take off from the UK reported arriving at their destinations without their luggage. The disruption also hit transport systems on the ground, with hundreds of travellers flooding King's Cross station in London in the hope of boarding a train north instead. Experts predict the effects could continue for several days, while BA is facing huge compensation costs, with reports suggesting the bill could top £100m. In a tweet, Heathrow said it had "mobilised additional Heathrow colleagues to assist passengers at the terminals and give out free water and snacks". Issuing an apology on Sunday, Cruz admitted it had been "a horrible time for our customers". Early on Monday, a Heathrow spokeswoman said: "Following a worldwide IT system issue, there continues to be some disruption to British Airways flights from Heathrow. All British Airways passengers due to fly should check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport, via Heathrow.com, ba.com and British Airways' Twitter account. "All passengers whose flights have been cancelled should not travel to the airport unless they have already rebooked on to another flight. Passengers looking to re-book flights should go to ba.com." Meanwhile, Gatwick airport tweeted: "Today, Monday 29th May, British Airways are planning to operate a near normal schedule at Gatwick, following the British Airways IT system failure. "We continue to advise customers travelling with British Airways over the Bank holiday weekend to check the status of their flight with British Airways before travelling to the airport. Customers should not travel to the airport unless they have already rebooked onto another flight." The Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement on Sunday highlighting the protections for passengers under by EU law. Matt Buffey, its head of consumer protection, said: "The welfare of passengers must be the priority for any airline experiencing disruption and we fully expect all UK airlines to meet their obligations. "Passengers caught up in this disruption should be informed of their legal rights by British Airways, but they can find out the full details of their rights during delays and cancellations by visiting the CAA website." https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/29/ba-computer-crash-passengers-face-third-day-of-disruption-at-heathrow Back to Top Why airline pilots are getting the biggest bonuses ever Airline pilots are flying higher than ever - on the pay scale that is. Carriers large and small - in both the cargo and passenger sectors - desperate to hire pilots to keep their much-in-demand planes flying - are offering signing bonuses of up to $25,000 along with salaries that have doubled in the last couple of years to $54,995 on average, interviews with several carriers revealed. Carriers are also offering more time off - making piloting one of the hottest jobs in the US. It's quite a turnaround from just eight years ago when a glut of pilots pummeled starting salaries. At that time, pilots on regional airlines made as little as $16,000. But in mid-2017, thanks to an expansion of overseas flights by large commercial airlines, increased demand from corporate jet fleets and the expansion of cargo-service demand from the likes of Amazon and other e-commerce giants, carriers are often battling each other - stealing pilots back and forth. It's not unheard of for a pilot to take a large signing bonus, stay for a year and then leap to a rival carrier - and collect a second signing bonus. "It's a competitive market for new pilots," said Chris Lewless, managing director of labor relations for Horizon Air, a regional carrier for Alaska Air. In January, Horizon started offering signing bonuses of $10,000 to $15,000 for new hires. It was the first time it offered a bonus. But it's gotten so frothy that Horizon's new labor contract allows it to raise the bonus to as much as $25,000. "If a number of our competitors started paying higher bonuses our agreement allows us to go up that high," Lewless added. Horizon is hardly alone. At PSA Airlines, first officers, or pilots, can get a $20,000 retention bonus on their one-year anniversary. Wisconsin Air is dangling a $57,000 sign-on and retention bonus spread out over several years. "We get pilots that will take the bonus for a year and will jump to a second regional," said Tim Komberec, chief executive of Empire Airlines, an Idaho-based regional for Hawaiian Airlines and FedEx. Empire last year began offering $10,000 retention bonuses and a 25 percent wage increase. "We are just stealing pilots from each other," Komberec added. The pilot shortage is impacting fliers as well. Since 2013, with carriers not having enough pilots to fly planes, about 500 airports experienced schedule reductions of between 10 and 20 percent while 18 airports lost connective passenger service altogether, according to the Regional Airline Association. Last fall, for example, Empire lost one of its FedEx routes in the Southeast to a rival because it was understaffed for several months, according to Komberec. "We face an industrywide challenge rooted in the fact that there are too few pilots to fly all of today's routes, let alone tomorrow's," said Faye Black Malarkey, president of the trade group. By 2020, the major airlines will need to hire some 18,000 pilots as that many are expected to retire. That's as many pilots as are currently employed by all regional carriers. Jumping into the field is not easy - or cheap. A four-year aviation degree can cost up to $150,000. "Our industry has regained its health," said Capt. Paul Ryder, with a union repping 57,000 pilots. "It's a great time to become a pilot." http://nypost.com/2017/05/28/why-airline-pilots-are-getting-the-biggest-bonuses-ever/ Back to Top Russia squares up to Boeing, Airbus with maiden jet flight A view shows an An MS-21 medium-range passenger plane, produced by Irkut Corporation, during a flight in Irkutsk, Russia, May 28, 2017. Courtesy of PR Department of Irkut Corporation/Handout via REUTERS Russia carried out the maiden flight of its new MS-21 medium-range passenger plane on Sunday, its first post-Soviet foray into production of a mainline commercial aircraft which it hopes will rival those of its Western competitors. In a surprise statement, manufacturer Irkut Corporation (IRKT.MM) and its state-controlled parent company United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) (UNAC.MM) said an MS-21-300 model had successfully completed a 30-minute flight at a height of 1,000 meters and traveling at 300 km an hour. Squeezed by Western sanctions over its role in the Ukraine crisis, Russia is trying to rejuvenate domestic industrial production to make the country less dependant on foreign firms. The test flight, which was not announced to media beforehand, comes just three weeks after China staged the maiden flight of its new C919 passenger jet, highlighting the growing competition to industry heavyweights Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA). Russian officials have said the MS-21 is superior to its Western-made counterparts in many respects and will be snapped up by both Russian and foreign carriers, but Western analysts say both Russia and China face a huge challenge to shatter the transatlantic airplane duopoly. "The flight mission has been completed. The flight was fine, there were no observations which will prevent further testing," test pilot Oleg Kononenko was quoted as saying. Western aviation sources however expressed surprise at the flight's brevity and relatively low altitude compared with recent 3-4 hour debuts of North American and European models. "It suggests they either have severe limitations or may have had something happen and decided to come back," said a Western flight test engineer, speaking on condition of anonymity. A Western jetmaking source called it a "genteel flight". A UAC spokesman said the flight had been long enough to test everything that needed checking in the air. Russia has fought hard to shake off its Soviet reputation for old and creaking aircraft flown by inexperienced crews. Flag carrier Aeroflot (AFLT.MM) last year earned its fourth star from independent ratings website Skytrax, ranking it alongside major European and Middle Eastern competitors and ahead of big U.S. carriers such as Delta and United. FIRM ORDERS President Vladimir Putin called Irkut General Director Oleg Demchenko to congratulate him and his employees with what the Kremlin called "a significant event". The twin-engine MS-21 will be built in two variants: the MS-21-300 which will have 160-211 seats, and the later MS-21-200 which will have 130-165 seats. It is sometimes referred to as the MC-21 when using the Russian name and Cyrillic letters. Production is expected to start in the next two years and state media have said numerous contracts with domestic and foreign carriers have already been agreed. Irkut said it so far had "firm orders" for 175 planes. America's Boeing and Europe's Airbus remain far ahead of their Chinese and Russian rivals, with bigger sales books and more advanced technical know-how. But the new plane could win sales in Russia and some eastern European and Asian countries, industry analysts say, with buyers attracted by its lower running costs. Irkut said operational costs for its new plane will be up to 15 percent cheaper than current generation aircraft. With a range of up to 6,000 kilometres, the MS-21 will be competing against the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft which currently dominate the medium-range narrow-body market. Both companies recently upgraded those families to achieve comparable 15 percent operational savings compared to previous versions. State defense conglomerate Rostec, which is headed by close Putin ally Sergei Chemezov, said it had agreed to purchase 85 aircraft. At least 50 of them will be leased to Aeroflot, Rostec said, which currently operates a fleet dominated by narrow-body Airbus models, including 70 A320s. UAC President Yury Slyusar said he estimated global demand for the new MS-21 models at around 15,000 aircraft over the next 20 years. "I'm sure the airlines will appreciate our new aircraft," he said. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-idUSKBN18O0DL Back to Top Safeskies 2017 Conference The thirteenth biennial Safeskies aviation safety conference, Safeskies 2017, will be held from October 3 to 5, at the National Convention Centre, Canberra, Australia. Visit www.SafeskiesAustralia.org for details of program and registration. Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Supervisor, Flight Data Programs Job no: 495756 Work type: Full time Location: Hong Kong Department: Quality, Safety & Security Role and Responsibilities: * Manage the flow of FOQA data (including processing by the analysis system), screening the data for accuracy and integrity, and support of the FOQA gatekeepers in the event validation; * Conduct investigations as and when directed by MSMS into accidents, incidents and/or irregularities affecting the safety of operations and produce reports; * Maintain the QAR data mapping and configuration via the Teledyne base station and Application Generation Station (AGS); * Assist the MSMS in the administration of the airlines FOQA program; * With the use of QAR data, develop algorithms for studies of aircraft performance, FOQA triggers, operation efficiency and aircraft maintenance troubleshooting; * Conduct Gap Analysis; Risk Assessment; Change Management as and when directed by MSMS specific to flight data programs; * Produce ad hoc reporting and analysis of flight data trends to include flight safety and operation efficiency initiatives; * Work closely with the Flight Operations department in developing and monitoring the programs FOQA triggers in relation to the flight operation SOPs; * Manage the FOQA system's organization, security, data storage, report retrieval, trending and event databases; * Prepare periodic safety articles to promote safety awareness amongst employees and services providers specific to FOQA trends; * Work with Maintenance & Engineering in the modification of QAR parameter mapping; * Provide MSMS with recommended solutions to identified deficiencies in the flight data programs monitoring effectiveness; * Serve as the QSS representative at Flight Operations Safety Action Groups; * Present FOQA data to various internal and external groups to include senior management, pilots, and external agencies. Qualifications: * Bachelor's degree required. A Degree in Engineering, Statistics, or related field is desired; * At least 5 years' relevant aviation work experience in flight data and flight operation; * Formally trained in aviation accident/incident investigation from a recognized institute a plus; * Experience in the use of Teledyne Application Generation Station (AGS) desired; * Knowledge in statistics, algorithm development and computer programming; * Experience with using Google Earth to generate visual analytics a plus; * Experience with business intelligence tools like PowerBI a plus; * Well versed with practical experience in flight data management and a strong understanding of CAD 712, 739 Requirements; * Good command of both spoken and written English; * Good computer literacy. Desirable Qualities: * Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; * Good Writing ability and organizational skills; * Strong analytical, time-management and problem-solving skills. APPLY HERE Do you want to prevent an aircraft accident? There is a mobile app for everything these days, so why not for preventing an aircraft accident? The Erring Human® presents PFRAT - The Mobile App to Prevent Aircraft Accidents An analysis of most human error accidents shows that they were avoidable if only the risks involved had been adequately evaluated. Most humans understand individual risks, but very few are able to understand the cumulative effect when several risk factors are present simultaneously. While there are several Risk Assessment tools available, they are all based on MS Excel or similar applications and require a computer to complete them. However, there are very few pilots and aviation sector workers, who can use their computers in the field, on airport platforms or heliports, especially in general aviation, airport operations and helicopter operations. Even if they have a laptop, they are often limited by space, Internet connectivity or other such limitations. The Erring Human® now presents an innovative solution: This application, called PFRAT (Personal Flight Risk Assessment Tool) will allow any aviation worker to carry out a risk assessment (RA), without an internet connection, on their mobile phone, in less than 10 minutes, and receive an evaluation of how the cumulative effect of risk factors is likely to impact the flight. The RA will be saved locally and emailed to the registered user when the device connects to a Wi-Fi network or other mobile network. The fixed wing risk assessment used in this application is as recommended by the FAA in AC 120-92 and InFO 07015. For helicopters, RA is as recommended by the Helicopter Association International (HAI). Each RA has 34 questions in 5 categories. The application has additional features to publish the RA in the social network, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google Plus and also send a copy by email to other company officials, such as Director of Operations, etc. This is a fully user customizable app. The users have the option to hide any, or all, of the pre-loaded questions and to replace them with their own questions specific to their type of operation or company hazard/risk register. Even the trigger values at which the users are displayed a Green, Amber or Red light, and the messages associated with it, can be user customized. After all, ICAO defines safety as '... a continuous process of Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation'. I hope that you will try this app and also leave us a review and rating on the Play/App store. Best Regards, Captain Samir (Sam) Kohli CEO The Erring Human® Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) are accepting nominations for the 2017 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award. Presented since 1956, the honor recognizes notable achievement in method, design, invention, study or other improvement in aviation safety. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." www.ltbaward.com Nominations, which should include a one- to two-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website. Nominations will be accepted through June 14. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-05-11/laura-taber-barbour-air-safety-award-nominations- invited Back to Top Research Survey - 1 Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study of your opinions on the implementation of controlled rest in position to combat fatigue. This study is expected to take approximately 8 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and currently employed as a professional pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJLP5j2hu6WNBxMnrsWEFvJwc2Aqp1EHZXduM1dPwS5IezXQ/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter scott.winter@mac.com We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top Research Survey - 2 Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study on risk. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out before study completion, your data will be destroyed immediately. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYQv1wQ7ti8p8uE6rjWsAsoTvRe23hvVCR4LSvJheUNMt72Q/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Stephen Rice Stephen.rice2@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Dr. Stephen Rice, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Curt Lewis