Flight Safety Information July 26, 2017 - No. 149 In This Issue Accident: TuiFly B738 near Stuttgart on Jul 19th 2017, unusual odour injures two cabin crew Incident: Sun Express Deutschland B738 over Slovakia on Jul 24th 2017, loss of communication Incident: Sunwing B738 at Belfast on Jul 21st 2017, overran runway on takeoff Accident: United A319 near Jackson Hole on Jul 22nd 2017, battery fire in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Roraima Airways PADC/Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander accident: 1 dead MH370 mystery: 'Very surprised' if no breakthrough in next 3-4 years, says Malaysia Airlines CEO CASA signs MoU with IATA for access to aviation safety audit data (Australia) Delta flight delayed by argument between pilot, attendant S. Korea Offers Aviation Safety Know-how to Developing Countries Cameroon: Air Transport - Officials Take Refresher Course More than 1,000 expected to picket outsourcing by American Airlines Honolulu airport receives $1.6 million in federal funding for rescue, firefighting operations Drones In UK Must Be Registered, Pilots Tested PILOTS RALLY AGAINST ATC PRIVATIZATION AT AIRVENTURE United Technologies: Waiting on a Jet Plane Death of an aviation pioneer (Irene Leverton) Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Course. ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) Accident: TuiFly B738 near Stuttgart on Jul 19th 2017, unusual odour injures two cabin crew A TuiFly Boeing 737-800, registration D-ATUN performing flight X3-2985 from Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) to Stuttgart (Germany), was descending towards Stuttgart when an unsual odour was noticed on board causing two cabin crew to feel unwell. The aircraft continued for a landing on Stuttgart's runway 25. The two flight attendants were taken to a hospital and are still on sick leave (standing Jul 25th). Germany's BFU reported the occurrence was reported to the BFU however was not rated a serious incident or accident and is not being investigated. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac19640&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Sun Express Deutschland B738 over Slovakia on Jul 24th 2017, loss of communication A Sun Express Deutschland Boeing 737-800, registration D-ASXD performing flight XQ-714 from Samsun (Turkey) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL400 over Slovakia when ATC lost radio contact with the aircraft, the aircraft continued according to flight plan. Fighter Aircraft from Pardubice were dispatched by the Czech Republic to intercept the aircraft while flying over Czechia, the aircraft restored radio communication thereafter. In the meantime Germany's Airforce dispatched two Eurofighters to intercept the aircraft in supersonic flight, too, the fighter aircraft reached the Boeing near Hof (Germany) near the border between Czechia and Germany. About two minutes prior to the intercept near Hof the aircraft called Germany's Air Traffic Control on radio. Following a cockpit check the Eurofighters aborted their mission and returned to their home base. The Boeing 737-800 continued but diverted for a safe landing in Cologne (Germany). Germany's Police reported that radio contact had been lost due to a pilot error. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac1922a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Sunwing B738 at Belfast on Jul 21st 2017, overran runway on takeoff A Sunwing Airlines Boeing 737-800 on behalf of Thomson Airways, registration C-FWGH performing flight BY-1526 from Belfast Aldergrove,NI (UK) to Kerkyra (Greece) with 186 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Belfast's runway 07 when the crew detected problems with the acceleration of the aircraft and re-selected TOGA prior to beginning takeoff rotation. During the initial climb the crew selected max continuous thrust and power adjusted accordingly. ATC reported the aircraft had an unusually long takeoff run. The aircraft continued the flight and landed in Kerkyra without further incident. The Canadian TSB reported that a runway inspection found an approach light for runway 25 bent over. The aircraft was inspected at Kerkyra with no damage found. The UK AAIB have opened an investigation into the occurrence. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Kerkyra (also known as Corfu) for about 90 minutes, then departed for the return flight BY-1527. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac18a5b&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: United A319 near Jackson Hole on Jul 22nd 2017, battery fire in cabin A United Airbus A319-100, registration N834UA performing flight UA-1536 from San Francisco,CA to Jackson Hole,WY (USA), was descending towards Jackson when the crew reported an interior fire originating from batteries. The flight crew continued to Jackson and landed the aircraft without further incident while flight attendants extinguished the fire and cooled the batteries. The FAA reported two flight attendants and one passenger received minor injuries when an interior fire from batteries occurred. Flight attendants extinguished the fire. The aircraft did not sustain damage. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1536/history/20170722/1457Z/KSFO/KJAC http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac1663c&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Roraima Airways PADC/Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander accident: 1 dead Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 25 July 2017 Time: ca 18:15 Type: PADC/Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander Operator: Roraima Airways Registration: 8R-GRA C/n / msn: 3006 First flight: 1982 Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: near Eteringbang Airport ( Guyana) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Ekereku Airport (EKE), Guyana Destination airport: Eteringbang Airport (SYET), Guyana Narrative: A BN-2A-26 Islander impacted terrain while on approach to Eteringbang Airport, Guyana. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was engaged in shuttling fuel for miners between Ekereku and Eteringbang. It came down in an area of thick vegetation. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170725-0 Back to Top MH370 mystery: 'Very surprised' if no breakthrough in next 3-4 years, says Malaysia Airlines CEO * Circumst ances that brought down flight MH370 in March 2014 remain a mystery, but scientific advances should yield some breakthroughs in three to four years, Malaysia Airlines CEO Peter Bellew said * He added that restructuring is proceeding well at Malaysia Airlines and the company will likely turn profitable by the second half of 2018 * The carrier is also looking to re-list on the local stock exchange in 2019 The circumstances that brought down Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 remain one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries, but the carrier's chief executive said he believed a breakthrough can be made within the next four years. The plane, a Boeing 777, was carrying 239 people en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it vanished from radar screens in March 2014. Search operations concentrated in the southern Indian Ocean, but the aircraft was not found. Pieces of debris were found at various locations, but the search was called off in January this year. "(Given) the advances in scientific research around the location where the aircraft may have gone down ... I personally would be very surprised if in the next three or four years, we don't get a breakthrough. I think that's the timescale we're looking at," the airline's CEO, Peter Bellew, told CNBC on Wednesday. The 2014 double tragedy of MH370 and MH17 - an Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur passenger flight that was shot down when it was flying over eastern Ukraine - aggravated Malaysia Airlines' financial woes. The carrier, which also suffered from increased competition and the weakening ringgit, was taken private by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad in an attempt to keep operations afloat. After the airline cut jobs and unprofitable routes, Bellew said it is expected to turn profitable by the second half of next year as its focus on growing the business-class segment is yielding results. The company is also looking to re-list on the local stock exchange the following year, he said. The CEO's optimism also stemmed from his belief that oil prices are heading down towards $25 or $30 per barrel by the end of this decade as renewable energy and new battery technologies become increasingly common. That will lead to an "unprecedented decade of benefits for airlines," he said. "Lots of aircrafts that don't look economic at $55 per barrel to operate suddenly, at $35 per barrel, will look like great sense, including the A380s," Bellow said. "We're quite confident now. We've seen significant uptick in our business over the last 12 months. Our confidence is buoyed by the fact that the passenger numbers have increased very significantly ... alongside that, the brand has become much stronger." http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/26/malaysia-airlines-ceo-peter-bellew-very-surprised-if-no- breakthrough-in-mh370-mystery-in-3-to-4-years.html Back to Top CASA signs MoU with IATA for access to aviation safety audit data (Australia) CASA will use IOSA reports to monitor foreign airlines operating to Australia. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has widened its monitoring of foreign airlines to include International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit data. The nation's aviation safety watchdog has signed a memorandum of understanding with the airlines' industry body to gain access to IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) reports. "CASA will use the IOSA information to complement the existing oversight and surveillance of foreign airlines," CASA acting chief executive and director of aviation safety Graeme Crawford said in the July CASA Briefing note. "It will also be used as part of the assessment process for new foreign carriers seeking authorisation to operate to Australia." Crawford said Australia was the first country in Asia Pacific to use IOSA as part of the safety oversight of airlines. The IOSA program assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline. Airlines must hold IOSA certification to be a member of IATA. There are also airlines that have gone through the IOSA program but are not members of IATA. While CASA will initially only access foreign carrier IOSA reports, Crawford said the aim was to eventually include locally-based airlines. "In the future we expect to have access to IOSA information in relation to Australian carriers, which will be used to support our existing audit and surveillance work," Crawford said. "CASA worked closely with IATA to understand their audit processes, quality assurance arrangements and management of approved auditors. "The use of the information will benefit airlines as it will make CASA's surveillance and audits even more efficient and effective." CASA noted US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Aviation Safety Agency and China already had agreements to share IOSA information. http://australianaviation.com.au/2017/07/casa-signs-mou-with-iata-for-access-to-aviation-safety- audit-data/ Back to Top Delta flight delayed by argument between pilot, attendant FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, file photo, a Delta Air Lines sign overlooks the unloading area at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta. On Tuesday, July 25, 2017, Delta Air Lines apologized after an argument between a pilot and a flight attendant delayed a Delta Connection flight on Monday from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Portland, Maine. The flight was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)more + Delta Air Lines is apologizing after an argument between a pilot and a flight attendant delayed a flight from New York to Portland, Maine. A Delta spokesman said Tuesday that the crew members were replaced before the plane took off. He said the incident does not reflect the professionalism the airline expects from employees, and that the company is investigating. The confrontation occurred Monday before the Delta Connection flight left LaGuardia Airport. The New York Daily reports that the pilot called the flight attendant a derogatory name after the two argued in the aisle. According to tracking service FlightAware.com, the 76-seat plane left the gate two hours late and spent another hour taxiing before takeoff for the one-hour, 45-minute flight to Portland. It was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/delta-flight-delayed-argument-pilot-attendant- 48839277 Back to Top S. Korea Offers Aviation Safety Know-how to Developing Countries South Korea has invited government officials from dozens of developing countries to provide them with education on aviation safety and related technologies. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said some 30 officials from 26 nations have been participating in a seven-day training at the Incheon International Airport Corporation since last Wednesday. The participants have been offered International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO)-sanctioned safety training as well as direction on how to use a South Korea-developed information and telecommunication system regarding aviation safety. Established in 1947, the ICAO has been a standard setter in the civilian aviation industry. South Korea joined the UN body in 1952 and has been serving as an executive member since 2001. http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?No=128916 Back to Top Cameroon: Air Transport - Officials Take Refresher Course The aviation personnel from some African countries are taking a course on Dangerous Goods Safety Oversight. Aviation officials from some African countries have begun taking a five-day course on Dangerous Goods Safety Oversight. The onsite training programme was officially opened in Yaounde, Monday July 24, 2017, by the Deputy Director General of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), Allabira Mamadou. The course which seeks to permit participants gain insight on best practices in safety oversight management, is organized by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), in collaboration with the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority and the Singapore Aviation Academy. According to the AFCAC Director of Security, Papa Atoumane Fall, the programme is worthwhile considering that passengers have to move with their goods - dangerous ones inclusive, in an emerging challenging security context. He said the training is expected to up the skills of aviation personnel so that they can easily and tactfully handle transportation of dangerous goods, especially when such commodities are to be carried on commercial planes. We learned aviation safety experts will drill participants on dangerous goods audit and process inspection, surveillance planning, passenger public awareness, dangerous goods accident and incident, as well as granting approvals and exemption. The course will also touch on dangerous goods legislative framework and certification process for granting operations specification for transport of dangerous goods by air. The participants, amongst them dangerous goods inspectors, flight operation inspectors and airport fire-fighters are from African countries in the likes of Central African Republic, The Gambia, Côte D'Ivoire, Sudan and Cameroon. At the end of the training, it is expected that participants will be apt to establish the country's Dangerous Goods Safety Oversight programme. States are required to have inspection and enforcement procedures to ensure that dangerous goods are being carried in compliance with the requirements. http://allafrica.com/stories/201707260275.html Back to Top More than 1,000 expected to picket outsourcing by American Airlines Preventing outsourcing of jobs and jump-starting contract negotiations for American Airlines aircraft maintenance and ground support workers top the list of concerns in a picket scheduled Wednesday at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. "Safety and security and preserving American work is what this is all about," Brian Parker, strategic action coordinator of Transport Workers Union 513, said Tuesday in an interview with the Dallas Business Journal. American Airlines ground workers want a new contract and are calling attention to outsourcing of jobs by the airline. TWU Locals 513, 567 and 591, representing Fort Worth-based American's (Nasdaq: AAL) aircraft maintenance, fleet service, facilities and ground support employees, will picket at Terminal D. They will host Transport Workers Union International leadership, and officers and members from labor organizations across the country. More than 1,000 people are expected to participate, Parker said. "We are not pleased that we are put in a position that we have to do this," he said. "It's not a happy day for us to have to step out on the curb and raise our collective voice. But our backs are against the wall and our story has to be told." On the outsourcing issue, Parker said the number of jobs expected to be lost will be quantified at the protest. The union questioned an American Airlines plan to invest what TWU characterized as $100 million into a new aircraft maintenance facility in Brazil that will be staffed with foreign workers. A spokesman for the American Airlines said the facility to be built in São Paulo will cost about $50 million and won't impact work already done in the United States. "All of this work is being done today - we are simply putting a roof over it," spokesman Matt Miller said. "We aren't starting new lines of work that we don't already perform." Parker said the airline is not presenting the full picture. "Once we lose those jobs through attrition, they wouldn't be replaced," Parker said. "The average age of an aircraft mechanic is about 55 years old. So in a very short period of time, those American jobs would be lost." American has been embroiled in contract discussions with labor groups since exiting bankruptcy and completing its merger with US Airways. American Airlines earlier this year boosted pay for flight attendants and pilots - a move that was welcomed by union leaders but questioned on Wall Street. American jumped ahead of contract negotiations scheduled for 2019 and 2020, respectively, for flight attendants and pilots, and gave flight attendants a 5 percent raise and pilots an 8 percent raise. The cost of the mid-contract adjustments will be $230 million in 2017 and $350 million annually in 2018 and 2019, American said at the time. When money was tight and the company's survival was at stake, American Airlines asked TWU workers to tighten their belts to help the airline financially, and TWU did so, Parker said. Now, it's time for American to "make things right," he said. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/07/25/more-than-1-000-expected-to-picket- outsourcing-by.html Back to Top Honolulu airport receives $1.6 million in federal funding for rescue, firefighting operations More than $1.6 million in federal grant funding will help increase safety at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D, Hawaii, announced the news Tuesday. Funding from the Federal Aviation Administration will support the Hawaii Department of Transportation's purchase of replacement aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles to assist the airport in meeting federal safety requirements. "HDOT is grateful to the federal government for providing this additional funding," said Ross Higashi, deputy director of the DOT's Airports Division. "The money will go a long way toward ensuring the health and safety of the passengers and employees of the airports system." "Hawaii's residents and visitors depend on safe, reliable, and efficient air travel," said Hirono. "Today's FAA funding strengthens the emergency preparedness and response capacity at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and supports Hawaii's continued commitment to the safety and well- being of our aviation professionals and the traveling public they serve." http://khon2.com/2017/07/25/honolulu-airport-receives-1-6-million-in-federal-funding-for-rescue- firefighting-operations/ Back to Top Drones In UK Must Be Registered, Pilots Tested The UK's Department of Transport announcement Aspiring drone pilots in the UK must register their craft and pass "safety awareness tests," under new rules introduced over the weekend. Going forward, owners of any drones weighing more than 250 grams must do so "to improve accountability and encourage owners to act responsibly," said a government news release announcing the changes. Exactly how the registry will work still hasn't been ironed out, but the government says it will occur either online or via mobile apps. The testing will be put in place to ensure pilots are familiar with UK safety, security and privacy regulations. DRONES TO PLAY MAJOR ROLE Though some might perceive this as bring restrictive, the government says drones play an important economic role in the UK's industrial strategy. "The UK is at the forefront of an exciting and fast growing drones market and it is important we make the most of this emerging global sector," said Aviation Minister Lord Callanan. "Our measures prioritise protecting the public while maximising the full potential of drones. Increasingly, drones are proving vital for inspecting transport infrastructure for repair or aiding police and fire services in search and rescue operations, even helping to save lives. "But like all technology, drones too can be misused. By registering drones, introducing safety awareness tests to educate users we can reduce the inadvertent breaching of airspace restrictions to protect the public." INDUSTRY RESPONSE DJI, the world's largest manufacturer of consumer drones and other aerial imaging technology, welcomed the move. "The Department for Transport's proposal appears to strike a sensible balance between protecting public safety and bringing those benefits to the UK's businesses and the public at large," said Brendan Schulman in a statement. The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced "We expect the government to work closely with industry leaders to ensure progress and promote technological innovation," added Schulman, the company's Vice-President of Policy and Legal Affairs "The key will be maintaining this balance in the next round of deliberation." SIMULATED COLLISIONS The UK announced its move in conjunction with the release of a laboratory report indicating that simulated drone strikes of varying weights could damage helicopter windscreens. The tests involved using a pneumatic gun to fire a payload at the helicopter windscreen and also at a jet windshield. It found the risk to jet windshields was not great at takeoff and landing speeds, but escalated at higher speeds (which usually occurs at altitudes where drones are not allowed). Because an entire drone could not fit in the gas testing gun, scientists used the following payload to approximate a drone weighing 4 kilograms. These components were fired at a helicopter windscreen in the UK tests. Image via Dept. of Transport report There was some criticism within the drone community that the tests were not representative of average consumer drones. The handheld DSLR camera and 10,000 mAh battery are much heavier than what would be found on many consumer and even some prosumer drones. (The Inspire 2, which is a 4 kg drone, uses a much lighter 4280 mAh battery.) Still, there can be little doubt that certain larger drones could cause damage in a collision under the right (or wrong) circumstances. You can download the study here. The UK's release noted that drones "can help boost productivity and safety, aid the emergency services and bring pleasure to those who use them for fun. We want Britain to be the first choice for businesses, scientists, innovators and investors in technology." It also stated the government plans to expand the use of "geo-fencing" - which uses software to keep drones away from airports and other sensitive areas. DJI's Geospatial Environment Online, which has been the subject of some hacking recently, is designed to keep pilots from flying into areas where they are not permitted or may pose a hazard. https://www.thedigitalcircuit.com/thebuzz-drones-uk-must-registered-pilots-tested/ Back to Top PILOTS RALLY AGAINST ATC PRIVATIZATION AT AIRVENTURE EAA AirVenture-one of the most-loved, most-renowned aviation events in the world that showcases all segments of the industry-would likely be shut down under air traffic control privatization being advanced in H.R. 2997, Experimental Aircraft Association CEO Jack Pelton told hundreds of pilots gathered at the show July 24 for a rally against ATC privatization. "This would be the most devastating thing that could happen to AirVenture," Pelton said. Pelton was joined by AOPA President Mark Baker, National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen, and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Pete Bunce, who united in speaking out against ATC privatization and debunking myths that are being perpetuated by the airlines. GA will be in the "fight for our lives for the next four or five or six months," Baker said. "Thanks to all of you in the room, they do listen to us," he continued, adding that the 20,000 pilots now flying under BasicMed is proof of the influence pilots have on Capitol Hill. All the association leaders debunked the many myths the airlines and some in Congress are spreading around Capitol Hill and to the public. Pelton said that we need only look at ATC systems in Canada and Europe to see how privatization has practically killed GA. Recently, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association explained the situation in Canada that GA can't fly through Class C airspace currently because so many controllers are on vacation during the busy summer travel season. Baker noted that the airlines are claiming that the ATC system is using antiquated World War II radar, but he said that while radar was invented in World War II, "radar isn't something we want to give up." Modern technologies like GPS are being used by ATC to make air transportation more efficient, he said. Another myth is that airline delays are attributable to antiquated ATC systems and practices such as controllers passing paper strips of flight information back and forth. In reality, 70 percent of delays are caused by the high concentration of flights in the Northeast (airline scheduling) combined with a lack of runways and weather delays. ATC can't control either of those variables. Members of Congress are claiming that GA "got everything they wanted" by leaving user fees out of the privatization proposal, but that's far from the truth, the CEOs said. "I've never been asked anything," Baker said, explaining that none of the four heads of the GA associations at the rally had been contacted for input on the legislation. Bolen went even further, saying that GA was purposely ignored. Bolen said that the major airlines have tried to seize control of the ATC system for more than two decades. The airlines want to have "economic power, economic control, economic domination," he said. "Twenty-five years later, that's still true, and that's embodied in this bill, H.R. 2997." "Giving a monopoly to an airline cartel" would not be a wise move, Bolen reiterated. He elaborated with a hypothetical scenario that could be possible under ATC privatization. The private monopoly created to run a privatized ATC system could shut down New Jersey's Teterboro Airport during bad weather to prevent delays at Newark, and GA's only recourse would be to hire a lawyer. This private system would not have congressional oversight, meaning that the public would have no voice in how it is operated. "We're enjoying what other generations have handed down to us," Bolen said, adding that pilots needed to unite to protect the system for future generations. Each of the associations has information about ATC privatization and ways to contact members of Congress at their booths at EAA AirVenture. In addition, pilots can call 855/383-7330 or visit AOPA's call to action page to reach out to their member. "We want to win this every day, every week," Baker said, "for the rest of the year." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/july/25/pilots-rally-against-atc- privatization-at-airventure Back to Top United Technologies: Waiting on a Jet Plane United Technologies Corp. investors heard some good news Tuesday, but they were too preoccupied with what the company didn't say to cheer it very much.The $97 billion maker of jet engines and air conditioners reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised its 2017 revenue and profit outlooks. That's great, but some kind of guidance lift had been anticipated and United Technologies kept the high end of its range in place, saying it doesn't expect to surpass $6.60 in EPS this year. That would represent a decline from the previous year as the company works through the investment costs entailed with rolling out its new geared turbofan jet engine and dealing with the durability and supply-chain growing pains that have haunted it so far. https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-07-25/united-technologies-is-still-waiting-on-a- jet-plane Back to Top Death of an aviation pioneer (Irene Leverton) Irene Leverton flew at a time when women weren't welcome in the pilot's seat Irene Leverton on the wing of a Vultee BT-13 Valiant in her younger years. (Courtesy) EDITOR'S NOTE: Irene Leverton died Sunday, July 23, 2017. She was 90. Some of what follows is a first-person account of our reporter's interactions with Leverton. I had the privilege to first meet Irene and interview her in February 2014. She was in an apartment in a Prescott assisted-living facility by then, but she was still as bright-eyed and enthusiastic as a teenager when it came to talking flying. She was excited to learn that I was a pilot, and we talked for a couple of hours about our respective experiences - hers much more thrilling than mine. Irene was inducted into the Women in Aviation Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004, but even those accolades seem inadequate to honor the strides she made toward allowing women to fly. Her pilot's logbooks, which she showed me lovingly, were dog-eared, covered with notes, and chronicled a career starting in 1944 and ending in 2011, with 25,768 hours flown as a pilot-in- command. The Early Days Irene, a Chicago native, couldn't recall a time when she didn't want to fly, and as a child, she seemed obsessed with it. "Finally, my mom got me a little wooden airplane that I could throw off our third-floor balcony and go all the way down, get it, and throw it again," she said. "Ever since then, I could never think of anything else." She said she wanted to get into military aviation during World War II. Women were allowed to ferry aircraft around, though they couldn't fly combat missions. ("A fighter pilot? I think I would have been good," she said.) But she was too young and wasn't allowed to join. She soloed the same year the WASP (Women in Airforce Service Program) was disbanded. Irene ended up working at an airport. "I was cleaning up and propping (starting) airplanes, and I got to fly," she said. "I made enough money to fly one hour a week." She eventually became a flight instructor and then a check pilot, giving flying tests to students trying to earn their licenses. Irene loved to tell the story of the time, in 1950, she flew over Chicago's Meigs Field for its dedication, spraying the crowd with a new perfume called "Tailspin." Reaching For Space It seemed almost inevitable that, in 1961, when she was 34, Irene would be one of what is now known as the "Mercury 13," women who were part of a privately funded program, undergoing some of the same tests as the "Mercury 7" male astronauts. She was flying for a Santa Monica charter company when she got the call, and, though not very interested in space travel, Irene was always up to fly a new craft. The secret physical and psychological tests, shown in the film, "The Right Stuff," conducted by the same doctor who subjected the male Mercury astronaut candidates to them, were technically unauthorized. After they passed those tests, the women - now nicknamed the FLATs, for "Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees" - prepared to do the next round of testing in Florida, at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine. Just days before the testing was to take place, the U.S. Navy canceled it, because NASA had not requested the women be tested. NASA, for its part, said it required all astronauts to be graduates of military jet test piloting programs and have engineering degrees. The U.S. military, at the time, did not allow women to fly jet fighters, and NASA refused to consider granting an equivalency for their hours in propeller airplanes, which would have made Irene and the others eligible. Back To Airplanes Irene turned her attention back to airplanes and began instructing pilots and giving checkrides for students to get their pilot's license. She became well known for enforcing rigorous standards. She pages through logbooks that cover her time training young men for Japan Airlines, pointing out one student whose entry is highlighted with orange felt-tip pen. "Damn good pilot," she read, laughing. The Japanese men were very respectful, Irene said, but among Americans, "some males didn't want a female to teach them, because females couldn't fly." Perhaps worse, she said, were the flight schools that wanted her to pass students that she believed weren't ready to be pilots. "Some fellows hated me," she said. "I held them to exactly what they had to do for their rating. In 1965, she made an attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean in a single-engine plane, a mission that failed when an on-board electrical fire forced her to turn back to San Francisco. She lived all over the country, ferrying airplanes for anyone who asked or test-flying them when they came out of the shop to make sure they were safe. Irene moved to Phoenix, and then Prescott, in the 1980s, and started her business, Aviation Resource Management, in 1985. Irene spent some of her final flying days working with the Civil Air Patrol squadron in Prescott as a check-ride pilot, having gained certifications all the way to Airline Transport Pilot. Last March, she was treated to a birthday cake and celebration at the North-Aire hangar at Prescott's airport. Smaller, and frailer than I remembered her from that interview two years earlier, Irene still smiled when she saw all the familiar faces who had come to see her. Irene never married, because she said, married women always seemed to stop flying shortly afterwards. She always wanted to write a book about her exploits, but never got around to it. But she will be featured in a Netflix documentary on the Mercury 13 to be released in January, said longtime friend Kathi Schmier. "They came over from London to film it," she said, and a local pilot who owns a Piper J-5 Cub, the same model she first soloed in, took her up. "They put a Go-Pro video (camera) in the plane, and put Irene in the plane, and as soon as they took off, he said she was flying the airplane," Schmier said. "It's amazing." Irene passed away peacefully, at Rutledge Ranch Retreat in Paulden, "with a smile on her face," Schmier said. She requested no memorial services, but memorial contributions can be made to the scholarship fund in her name at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University or to the Yavapai Humane Society, Schmier said. Her remains will be cremated and scattered over the former Meigs Field site, where she learned to fly. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/jul/25/death-aviation-pioneer/ Back to Top Safety and Accident Investigation New for 2017/18: Download our short course brochure here The Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre (CSAIC) is dedicated to high-quality teaching, research and consultancy in transportation safety management, human factors and accident investigation. Continuing professional development We offer a wide range of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, which are designed for the air, marine and rail transport sectors - as well as other safety-critical industries. Our short course portfolio includes: * Fundamentals of Accident Investigation - a three-week course focusing on the fundamental skills required by an accident investigator. * Airworthiness Fundamentals - a five-day course featuring all aspects of airworthiness, from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. * Applied Marine Accident Investigation - a three-week course concentrating on applying techniques to the specialised aspects of marine operations and types of accidents. Many of our CPD programmes can also be used towards our postgraduate qualifications. CSAIC's intensely practical focus is supported by the people delivering our teaching and research - and leading organisations choose us to deliver inventive solutions to their real-life problems or enhance their operational capabilities through research and training. Find out more: Download your free brochure here or call an advisor on: T: +44 (0)1234 754189 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