Flight Safety Information July 18, 2017 - No. 143 In This Issue NBAA Applauds Nomination of Robert Sumwalt to Lead NTSB Incident: Thomson B752 near Rennes on Jul 17th 2017, loss of communication prompts intercept Accident: Alaska B739 near Seattle on Jul 16th 2017, fumes on board EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at London on Jul 17th 2017, burst tyre on departure Incident: Aeromexico B738 at Mexico City on Jul 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to tyre damage, evacuation Boeing 737 Landing Accident (Indonesia) MH17 Victims Remembered Three Years After Jet's Downing The secret system that prevents pilots who hate each other from sharing a cockpit WestJet aircraft hit by laser on approach to airport in Charlottetown Delta flight gets stuck in dirt, shutting down NC airport for hours FAA and Singapore Sign Aviation Safety Agreement CAAS, EASA to enhance work on airworthiness MITRE September Courses Position:...Manager, Safety Management Systems ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) NBAA Applauds Nomination of Robert Sumwalt to Lead NTSB Washington, DC, July 14, 2017 - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomes the recent nomination of safety visionary Robert L. Sumwalt III to be the 14th chair of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Sumwalt's extensive and successful career in aviation makes him a compelling choice for heading an organization that is dedicated to improving aviation safety. Sumwalt, a former member of NBAA's Safety Committee, managed a small flight department for a utility company in South Carolina before being appointed to the NTSB in August 2006, when he was also designated vice chair of the board for a two-year term. In November 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Sumwalt to another five-year term as a board member, and Sumwalt was again designated vice chair on March 31, 2017. While on the board, Sumwalt has led teams of NTSB investigators and other parties as the member on-scene for several significant investigations, including an Embraer Phenom 100 accident in Gaithersburg, MD in 2014; a Hawker Beechcraft Premier 1A accident in Thompson, GA in 2013 and the crash of an emergency medical services helicopter in Georgetown, SC in 2009. In addition to Sumwalt's career in business aviation, he was a pilot for 24 years with Piedmont Airlines and US Airways, where he was on a special assignment to the flight safety department and served on the company's flight operations quality assurance monitoring team. He was also a consultant to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System. Sumwalt is a frequent and engaging presenter at NBAA safety events, where he shares his wealth of knowledge with attendees. His focus on safety leadership has helped promote the importance of proactive safety management. Further, his diligent work on safety awareness and leadership has greatly influenced business aviation, guiding the industry's voluntary adoption of safety programs that have demonstrated real value in helping improve business aviation safety. "Robert is a stalwart advocate of safety, not only for business aviation, but for all of aviation," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "His strong leadership and the resulting increase in implementation of safety programs benefits aircraft operators, travelers and the greater transportation industry. We look forward to supporting his nomination and working with him once he takes office." If Sumwalt's nomination is confirmed by the Senate, he will lead the NTSB for a two-year period as chair. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12351988/nbaa-applauds-nomination-of-robert- sumwalt-to-lead-ntsb Back to Top Incident: Thomson B752 near Rennes on Jul 17th 2017, loss of communication prompts intercept A Thomson Airways Boeing 757-200, registration G-OOBG performing flight BY-2123 from Ibiza,SP (Spain) to Manchester,EN (UK), was enroute at FL340 over France when the communication with the aircraft was lost. French Airforce dispatched two fighter aircraft to intercept the flight, the Thomson crew subsequently restored communication and continued the flight to Manchester for a safe landing. The aircraft is still on the ground in Manchester about 12 hours after landing in Manchester. A listener on frequency reported multiple unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the flight on various frequencies including the VHF Guard Frequency. The aircraft was intercepted by two French Rafaele Fighter aircraft near Rennes (France) after which the crew of the Boeing began to communicate on the correct frequency again. http://avherald.com/h?article=4abc4d46&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Alaska B739 near Seattle on Jul 16th 2017, fumes on board An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N433AS performing flight AS-24 (dep Jul 15th) from Seattle,WA to Boston,MA (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 390nm east of Seattle when flight attendants in the forward cabin began to feel increasingly dizzy and were put on oxygen. The flight crew declared emergency due to air quality on board of the aircraft, descended the aircraft to FL200 and returned to Seattle for a safe landing about 75 minutes after turning around. The FAA reported the flight crew declared emergency due to air quality and returned to Seattle landing about 104 minutes past midnight local time. http://avherald.com/h?article=4abc42d6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at London on Jul 17th 2017, burst tyre on departure An Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300 on behalf of Air Canada, registration C-FMLV performing flight AC-1925 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 282 people on board, departed Gatwick's runway 08R but burst a tyre on departure prompting the crew to stop the climb at FL070. Debris was found on the departure runway. The aircraft entered a hold for about 30 minutes, then positioned for the approach to and landed safely on Gatwick's runway 08R. The forward outboard right hand main tyre was found blown. The airport reported the runway was closed shortly after departure of the aircraft for about 15 minutes while the runway was inspected and debris removed, then the runway was reopened for the return of the aircraft and closed again after landing. The backup runway 08L was put into operation however had to be closed as well after debris swept over onto that runway, too. http://avherald.com/h?article=4abc3ac0&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Aeromexico B738 at Mexico City on Jul 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to tyre damage, evacuation An Aeromexico Boeing 737-800, registration XA-ZAM performing flight AM-698 from Mexico City (Mexico) to Boston,MA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Mexico City's runway 05R when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 155 knots over ground). The aircraft slowed safely and was vacating the runway when a large plume of smoke was seen rising from below the aircraft prompting the crew to stop the aircraft on the adjacent taxiway, clear of the runway, and initiate an emergency evacuation via slides. The airline reported all passengers and crew were safe after tyre damage (puncture) forced the crew to reject takeoff. The airport reported the smoke was the result of brakes overheating. http://avherald.com/h?article=4abc0ae9&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 737 Landing Accident (Indonesia) Date: 18-JUL-2017 Time: 04:00z Type: Boeing 737-301(SF) Owner/operator: Tri-MG Airlines Registration: PK-YGG C/n / msn: 23743 / 1510 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Wamena Airport (WMX/WAVV) - Indonesia Phase: Landing Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Timika Destination airport: Wamena Airport (WMX/WAVV) Narrative: Tri-MG Airlines flight TMG103 from Timika suffered a landing accident at Wamena Airport, Papua Indonesia. An airport official reported that the aircraft bounce twice on landing. It then veered off the runway, causing the left hand main gear to be torn off. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196737 Back to Top MH17 Victims Remembered Three Years After Jet's Downing Dutch King Willem-Alexander (left) and his wife Queen Maxima attend an event to unveil a national monument commemorating the victims of the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine, in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands. More than 2,000 relatives gathered in the Netherlands to unveil a memorial to family members who were killed when a passenger jet was shot down by a missile over conflict-torn eastern Ukraine. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on July 17 attended the ceremony the ceremony to dedicate the memorial to flight MH17's victims in Vijfhuizen park, near Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Family members read the names of the 298 passengers and crew killed when the Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down during what should have been a routine flight from Schiphol to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014. Most of the passengers were Dutch but there were people of 17 nationalities on board on board the Boeing 777, including Australians, Britons, Malaysians, and Indonesians. A total of 298 trees have been planted in the shape of a green ribbon -- one for each of the 283 passengers and 15 crew - in what organizers called a "living memorial." They said the trees will be surrounded by sunflowers, which bloom in July and will "radiate a golden glow" over the site. Evert van Zijtveld, who lost his two teenage children in the crash, told a ceremony attended by relatives and friends of the victims that they "shall not give up and shall not be silenced until those who are responsible have been brought to justice." "Our loved ones together went on a journey on July 17, 2014, and this memorial forest symbolically unites them again," he added. The plane was shot down months after the start of a war between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists who seized parts of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk amid unrest that was fomented by Moscow. The war has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014 including the passengers and crew of MH17, which crashed in separatist-held territory in the Donetsk region. An international investigative team concluded in September 2016 that the Russian-made Buk missile system that was used to down the airliner had been brought into Ukraine from Russia shortly before it was shot down and then quickly smuggled back to Russia afterward. It said the missile was fired from a field in separatist-held territory. In a statement on July 17, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reiterated the bloc's "full support" for continuing investigations into the downing of the plane, saying "it is crucial that the investigators can complete their work, independently and thoroughly." Despite voluminous evidence that it has sent troops, weapons, and other support to the separatists, Russia denies involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. It has repeatedly sought to cast doubt on evidence of involvement in shooting down MH17. "This insolent crime would not have happened if it were not for Russian aggression, a Russian installation, and a Russian rocket brought from the territory of Russia," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a statement. "Our responsibility before the victims as well as future generations is to prove to the aggressor and terrorist that it is impossible to escape liability for all the crimes it has committed," he said. In a tweet earlier in the day, Poroshenko said: "We bow our heads before the 298 innocent victims whose heartbeats were stopped by a Russian missile three years ago." About 15 relatives of victims demonstrated on July 16 in front of the Russian Embassy in The Hague, protesting what they called attempts by Moscow to block investigations into the disaster. The demonstrators set a sign in front of the embassy saying: "Waiting for responsibility and full disclosure." Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop urged Russia to cooperate with new initiatives to prosecute suspected perpetrators. In an interview on July 16, Bishop urged Russia to comply with UN Security Council resolution 2166, authored by Australia. "That calls on all states to cooperate to ensure that those responsible for the killing are brought to justice," Bishop said. She said suspects may be tried in absentia. No suspects have been arrested. Dutch authorities have said any eventual trials would be held in the Netherlands. https://www.rferl.org/a/mh17-amsterdam-ukraine-russia-malaysia-disaster/28620074.html Back to Top The secret system that prevents pilots who hate each other from sharing a cockpit do not pair list "That was my packed lunch. It was clearly labelled." Imagine spending the best part of 17 hours stuck in a tiny room with somebody you really dislike, with no opportunity to escape, while being required to constantly interact. This is what happens when two pilots who don't get on are rostered on the same flight route. Pilots may all sound the same over the tannoy but they are real people with real feelings, and in the same way that you might think your colleague is a wazzock, so might they. And how the cockpit should be And as it is particularly important that the flight deck - basically a pilot's office - hosts a calm, considerate and communicative environment, airlines have developed a system to stop two people who hate each other getting stuck in there together. Called "Do Not Pair", the system works thus: each captain, first and second officer has an electronic list which feeds into the carrier's scheduling system, to which they can add the names of anyone they do not want to be sat beside for hours on end. The rota then prohibits those two names ending up in the same cockpit. It is a lesser-known element of a pilot's nine-to-five, but a quick scour of the Internet finds a number of incidents that have led pilots to add a name to their "Do Not Pair" list. One relays the story of a first officer whose captain wanted him to be his "wing man" for meeting members of the fairer sex on a layover. To cut a long story short, the first officer ended up adding the other pilot to his list. In 2008, an American Airlines captain caused a stir after filing a complaint about the pilot of another aircraft for taxiing too slowly - landing them with a 15-day unpaid suspension. "We would imagine his Do Not Pair list is growing by the minute," a Dallas News commentator quipped. Long haul flights can last up to 17 hours In a recent article for the LA Times, a flight attendant wrote about the lists. Elliot Hester explained how he witnessed a pilot have a violent falling out with a third officer only minutes before a flight was due to take off from Rio de Janeiro for Miami. The service would have been cancelled were it not for a 10-minute emergency meeting "where differences were resolved, or at least shelved". After landing in Miami, however, Hester said the third officer "pulled out his laptop, logged onto the employee website, entered the captain's name and clicked: Do Not Pair". Author and pilot Patrick Smith doesn't mention the list by name in his book Cockpit Confidential, which answers dozens of burning questions about air travel, but he does reference how noting which colleagues you want to avoid is part of normal schedule planning. "Every 30 days, around the middle of the month, we bid our preferences for the following month: where we'd like to fly, which days we'd like off, and which insufferable colleagues we hope to avoid," he writes. "What we actually end up with hinges on seniority. Senior pilots get the choicest pickings; juniors get whatever is left over." One small saving grace for those pilots who don't really get on is a regulation called the Sterile Cockpit Rule, which forbids pilots from talking about anything other than essential flight-related things when the aircraft is below 10,000 feet, to ensure maximum concentration on the flight deck. So at least their innane chatter is limited to cruising altitude. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/do-not-pair-list-pilots-who-take-like-each-other/ Back to Top WestJet aircraft hit by laser on approach to airport in Charlottetown A pilot taxis a Westjet Boeing 737-700 plane to a gate after arriving at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on February 3, 2014. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS) CHARLOTTETOWN -- RCMP are investigating a report of a green laser being directed into the cockpit of a commercial aircraft as it approached the airport in Charlottetown. Police said the WestJet passenger aircraft encountered the beam of light at around 11 p.m. Sunday as it flew over the Brackley Beach area of P.E.I. The laser, which could temporarily blind pilots, shone in the cockpit for about five to 10 seconds. The pilot landed the plane without incident a few minutes later. Laser pointers a serious threat to pilots, police warn Transport Canada urges Canadians to stop aiming laser pointers at planes RCMP spokeswoman Sgt. Leanne Butler said police are appealing to the public for help after they patrolled the area, but did not find anything. "We did not find a person last night," said Butler. "If anyone knows who did it, was a witness to it or can point us in the right direction we'll certainly follow up." Butler said the act of shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious federal offence and could carry fines of up to $100,000 and five years in prison. "We take it as a very serious matter because it could have dire consequences," she said. A spokesman for WestJet confirmed the incident took place, but said it didn't interfere with the landing of the plane. "Neither pilot looked at the laser and were not affected," Robert Palmer said in an email, adding that the matter was reported to air traffic control. http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/westjet-aircraft-hit-by-laser-on-approach-to-airport-in- charlottetown-1.3506084 Back to Top Delta flight gets stuck in dirt, shutting down NC airport for hours ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A pilot error at a regional airport in North Carolina led to multiple flight delays and cancellations. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Asheville Regional Airport spokeswoman Tina Kinsey says a Delta flight from Atlanta landed safely in Asheville on Sunday night, but the pilot moved the aircraft onto a taxiway connection that was under construction. The airplane's gear became caught in the dirt, rendering the plane immobile. Kinsey says the airport deplaned and shuttled the passengers, before working with Delta to remove the plane and tow it back to the pavement. The airfield was closed for three hours, reopening around 1:30 a.m. Monday. Two Allegiant flights were diverted to other airports, and a Delta flight and a United flight were delayed. American Airlines cancelled two flights to the airport. Back to Top FAA and Singapore Sign Aviation Safety Agreement The agreement allows for surveillance on repair stations According to a news release, the FAA has signed a Maintenance Agreement Guidance (MAG) with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The agreement provides guidance for surveillance on certified repair stations located abroad for each of the agreement partners. The agreement allows for reliance on each other's surveillance systems to the "greatest extent possible" while maintaining safety. Surveillance will be used to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. https://ohsonline.com/articles/2017/07/14/faa-and-singapore-sign-aviation-safety-agreement.aspx Back to Top CAAS, EASA to enhance work on airworthiness The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have signed a working arrangement that will reduce regulatory compliance cost and facilitate more business opportunities for companies in Singapore and Europe. The Working Arrangement on Airworthiness Certification (WA-AC) was signed by director-general of CAAS, Kevin Shum, and executive director of EASA Patrick Ky on the sidelines of the World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum. The WA-AC establishes a reciprocal arrangement between the two organisations to validate and accept each other's design certifications and approvals of aircraft parts, aircraft modifications and repairs. In addition, Design Organisation Approval (DOA) holders will no longer need to hold duplicate CAAS and EASA Approvals to operate in both Singapore and Europe. The number of regulatory inspections will be reduced, resulting in time and cost savings for the aviation industry on both sides. The partners said air operators and other industry stakeholders from both Europe and Singapore will benefit from this arrangement. In addition, the WA-AC facilitates the sharing of work practices and exchange of safety oversight information between CAAS and EASA. This will improve safety, deepen cooperation and pave the way for future collaboration. This WA-AC was concluded under the ambit of a CAAS-EASA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in February 2012. This WA-AC is the third working arrangement (WA) signed under the MOU. The first WA, concluded in September 2013, pertains to the collection and exchange of information under the European Union (EU) Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) programme. The second WA, signed in August 2015, involves a joint study of aircraft wake turbulence, with the aim of safely reducing aircraft separation standards during take-offs and landings, thus boosting runway capacity. CAAS's Shum, said: "We are pleased to be able to conclude this agreement with our good friends and partners in EASA. This agreement will benefit companies in Europe and Singapore, and strengthen aviation safety." EASA's Ky added: "We value our long-standing cooperation with CAAS. This agreement and this year's opening of the EASA regional office in Singapore demonstrates how important a partner Singapore is for EASA and for the European aviation industry as a whole." "With more than 50 per cent of our fleet being Airbus aircraft, this Working Arrangement between the CAAS and EASA will definitely be beneficial to Singapore Airlines in shortening the lead time and reducing the costs of aircraft and cabin modifications", said Lau Hwa Peng, senior vice president engineering of Singapore Airlines. Dr Yip Yuen Cheong, executive vice president of aerospace engineering & manufacturing, ST Aerospace, said: "As ST Aerospace grows its engineering, design and manufacturing business such as aircraft interiors and seats, reciprocal arrangements on certification between CAAS and EASA will help to shorten the time taken to commercialise new solutions or products, which is important when competing in a fast-paced, global aviation market." Dr Bicky Bhangu, regional director, south east Asia & Pacific, Rolls-Royce, said, "Singapore is a major hub for Rolls-Royce; we have significant manufacturing, build as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities. So we appreciate and welcome this working arrangement between CAAS and EASA. We are positive that this arrangement will help reduce cost and time, and therefore help attract new opportunities for the aviation industry in Singapore." http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2017/07/caas-easa-to-expand-airworthiness-collaboration/ Back to Top Back to Top Position: Manager, Safety Management Systems Job no: 495841 Work type: Full time Location: Hong Kong Department: Quality, Safety & Security Role and Responsibilities: * Develop and maintain the Safety Management System; * Member to and provide secretarial support to the Safety Action Group; * Review and maintain the Safety Management System Manual; * Review safety relevant industrial and regulatory advisories and recommend actions required to DQSS; * Review and maintain the training program on Safety Management System; * Participate the internal management system audit; * Manage the Flight Operations Quality Assurance programme (FOQA); * Participate in the IOSA programme for Organization discipline; * Produce periodical report on safety and flight data program performance; * Maintain and review services provider contracts for Safety Systems; * Produce periodic safety articles to promote safety and security awareness amongst employees / services providers; * Prepare and manage the budget for safety; * Manage the development of MFOQA, SSMSD, SFS, ESS, SFDP and OSS; * Validate alerts generated by the decoded flight data; * Produce analytical reports aimed at pre-emptive measures; * Produce communication in the forms described in COMM to improve the understanding of the Flight Data Program and flight safety; * Co-ordinate regular meeting with the operations manager to review the information and recommendations from Flight Data Program; * Maintain and review the services provider contract; * Validate the contingency measures with respect to business continuity; * Conduct interviews when authorised by DQSS; * Prepare periodic report to DQSS on the performance of Flight Data Program; * Liaise with authorities and external parties in relations to Flight Data Program matters; * Liaise with Maintenance & Engineering Department on the standard of the DFDR / QAR program; * Coordinator and member of the Safety Action Group (SAG) held within the QSSAG; * Investigator of safety events to include accident and incidents. Qualifications / Requirements: * At least 10 years relevant aviation work experience, including two years of appropriate managerial experience or equivalent; * Holder of an Air Transport Pilot License or equivalent (current or frozen); * Formally investigator trained and/or certified aviation accident investigator; * Comprehensive knowledge and familiarity with Flight Data Analysis Programme, safety management system and business continuity; * Good command of both spoken and written English; * Good computer literacy; * Team player and a team leader across an international environment. APPLY NOW Back to Top ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" All up to date information including the link for registration and hotel reservations can be found at www.isasi.org. Dates to Remember Early Registration rate cut off is midnight July 5, 2017 PDT Seminar rate at the hotel will end on July 27. After that date there will be no guarantee that rooms will be available. We look forward to seeing many of you in San Diego Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) Pavement Management Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding pavement management through the use of advanced technology. The survey is less than ten questions long. Thank you so much for your assistance. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WJ8T9M6 Mary Popko San Diego State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics Curt Lewis