Flight Safety Information September 11, 2017 - No. 181 In This Issue Incident: Wizz A320 at Liverpool on Sep 7th 2017, smartphone with withdrawal symptoms Accident: Bhutan A319 at Kolkata on Sep 9th 2017, smoke from APU prompts evacuation EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Southwest B737 at Los Angeles on Sep 8th 2017, runway incursion forced rejected takeoff Incident: Brussels A319 near Brussels on Sep 9th 2017, first officer incapacitated Incident: Jet Airways B738 near Delhi on Sep 10th 2017, loss of communication Antonov An-26B sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident (Congo) Show-cause notice slapped on PIA pilot Nigeria's aviation safety status not threatened - NCAA Portugal asked to review laser laws after pilot blinded American Airlines grounds plane after scorpion hitches a ride 16 Thai airlines suspend their operations after failing safety assessments Minister Susan Close pressured to 'come clean' over air safety bungle (Australia) NTSB Highlights Fuel-management Issues in Accidents Worldwide drone database could be coming Lion Air Group chooses Ideagen Coruson to enhance aviation safety management Chesapeake-based company's drone pilots fly more than 5,000 Harvey disaster relief missions in Houston Miami's Wealthy Pay Up to $14K to Escape Irma on Private Jets The Hidden Risk Faced by Female Pilots During World War II Air India defers delivery of A320 neo plane on CFM engine issues Russian authority revokes dozens of pilot certificates GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Wizz A320 at Liverpool on Sep 7th 2017, smartphone with withdrawal symptoms A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LYN performing flight W6-1011 from Katowice (Poland) to Liverpool,EN (UK), was on final approach to Liverpool's runway 27 when the crew reported a smartphone in the cabin had begun smoking. Emergency services responded, while cabin crew took care of the phone, secured it and moved it into the back of the cabin and the flight crew landed the aircraft safely and taxied the aircraft to the gate. Passengers disembarked normally at the stand. The airport reported their emergency services were alerted to a phone emitting smoke in the cabin, the phone had been moved to the back of the cabin by the time of landing already. Emergency services did not need to intervene and were on standby as a precaution. The airline reported a passenger's phone began to emit smoke, the crew followed standard operating procedures to ensure safe operation of the flight and alerted fire fighters. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. The aircraft departed for the return flight on schedule. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ae13c87&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Bhutan A319 at Kolkata on Sep 9th 2017, smoke from APU prompts evacuation A Bhutan Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration A5-BAB performing flight B3-700 from Kolkata (India) to Bangkok (Thailand) with about 80 people on board, was preparing for departure from Kolkata when smoke emanated from the APU prompting the flight crew to initiate an evacuation via slides onto the apron. About 20 people received injuries during the evacuation. A replacement A319-100 registration A5-BAC was flown from Paro (Bhutan) to Kolkata and resumed the flight reaching Bangkok with a delay of 5.5 hours. The airport reported the aircraft had just been moving to taxi towards the runway for a few seconds when emergency services noticed the aircraft's APU was emitting smoke - at the same time the aircraft's doors were opened and the slides inflated. An immediate response was triggered, the APU was quickly secured. Emergency services needed to treat a number of people with cuts and bruises received as result of the evacuation. On Sep 10th 2017 it emerged that a subsequent inspection of the occurrence aircraft did not reveal any evidence of fire or heat. Maintenance discovered leaking oil may have dropped onto the hot section of the APU causing the smoke, that had been observed and reported by the crew of another aircraft. The occurrence aircraft positioned to Bangkok under minimum equipment list requirements with the APU inoperative about 6.5 hours after the occurrence but has not yet resumed service about 27 hours after the occurrence. A5-BAB seen after evacuation (Photo: Somit Sengupta): http://avherald.com/h?article=4ae1ccb6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Southwest B737 at Los Angeles on Sep 8th 2017, runway incursion forced rejected takeoff A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7726A performing flight WN-6326 from Salt Lake City,UT to Los Angeles,CA (USA), landed on Los Angeles' runway 24R and was instructed to hold short runway 24L while taxiing towards the apron. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N787SA performing flight WN-1190 from Los Angeles,CA to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was cleared for takeoff from runway 24L. About 30 seconds after the takeoff clearance WN-6326 reported they were slightly over the hold short line, the controller subsequently instructed "Southwest 1190, cancel takeoff roll!", the crew of WN-1190 acknowledged and rejected takeoff at high speed. The aircraft vacated the runway and returned to the apron. A passenger reported the passengers deplaned, the aircraft was refueled, the brakes checked, the passengers boarded again and the aircraft departed about 2 hours after the rejected takeoff. WN-1190 reached Las Vegas with a delay of 2.5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ae1567c&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Brussels A319 near Brussels on Sep 9th 2017, first officer incapacitated A Brussels Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration OO-SSK performing flight SN-3233 from Brussels (Belgium) to Rhodes (Greece), was climbing out of Brussels when the captain stopped the climb at about FL270 reporting the first officer had fallen ill and decided to return to Brussels. The aircraft landed safely back on Brussels' runway 25L about 22 minutes after stopping the climb. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2 hours, then was able to depart again and reached Rhodes with a delay of 2.5 hours. The airport confirmed the first officer had become ill in flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ae1d35e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jet Airways B738 near Delhi on Sep 10th 2017, loss of communication A Jet Airways Boeing 737-800, registration VT-JFN performing flight 9W-2264 from Kolkata to Delhi (India), was descending towards Delhi when radio communication was lost. The crew set the according transponder code descending through about FL180. ATC exhausted their options to reach the aircraft via other channels and relay through other aircraft and continued to monitor the aircraft via radar ensuring that every other traffic was out of their way and the runway they were approaching was clear. Just prior to landing communication was restored by the crew, and the aircraft landed safely on Delhi's runway 29. The airline confirmed the crew temporarily lost radio communication with ATC, both crew and ATC followed the related procedures. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ae2bf78&opt=0 Back to Top Antonov An-26B sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident (Congo) Status: Preliminary Date: Sunday 10 September 2017 Type: Antonov An-26B Operator: Services Air Registration: 9S-AFL C/n / msn: 14003 First flight: 1985 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Goma Airport (GOM) ( Congo (Democratic Republic)) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Goma Airport (GOM/FZNA), Congo (Democratic Republic) Destination airport: Kisangani Airport (FKI/FZIA), Congo (Democratic Republic) Narrative: The Antonov An-26B transport plane sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident at Goma Airport, D.R. Congo. After departure from Goma, the aircraft suffered a loss of engine power. The flight crew elected to turn back to the airport. Reportedly the airplane touched down half way down runway 35 and failed to come to a stop on the runway. It overran onto an area of lava. The right hand main gear collapsed. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170910-0 Back to Top Show-cause notice slapped on PIA pilot Pilot Sadiq Amin Rehman has been issued notice for violating air safety rules KARACHI - The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has served a show-cause notice to a Pakistan International Airlines pilot for not following air safety rules and putting lives of hundreds of passengers at risk, Dawn News reported. The media outlet quoting sources claimed that a notice has been issued to pilot Sadiq Amin Rehman (ATPL 984) for not taking mandatory rest before operating a Canada-bound flight, besides directing him to submit reply within seven days or face an ex parte decision. The notice said that, "you Capt Sadiq Amin Rehman (APTL 984) did not avail minimum rest before operating flight on July 4, 2017, in violation of rules 202 and 240 of Civil Aviation Rules (CARs) and Air Navigation Order (ANO) NO 91.0012 issue 5 of April 7, 2011 relating to flight time, flight duty periods, duty periods and rest periods for fatigue management for flight and cabin crew". "You were issued ONCR No 559 dated July 18, 2017 for this non-conformance and your reply vide application dated July 25, 2017, was found unsatisfactory. "Due to above act(s) you have violated the provision of Rule 202 and 240 of CARs and ANO01.0012. "Now, therefore, you, Sadiq Amin Rehman (ATPL 984), hereby, are called upon as to why action should not be initiated against you under Rule 342 of CARs, 1994, for suspension of your licence or under rules 334, read with rule 372, of CARs for imposition of appropriate financial penalty, as the case may be. "Your written reply must reach the undersigned within seven days of the receipt of this notice failing which an ex parte decision will be taken against you. Further, you may also state in the reply whether you desire to be heard in person or not, otherwise it will be presumed that you have nothing to offer in your defence and do not wish to be heard in person," the notice added. https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/show-cause-notice-slapped-on-pia-pilot/ Back to Top Nigeria's aviation safety status not threatened - NCAA Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt Usman Muktar Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has said that the country's international safety rating remains positive following a recent audit by the United States Federal Aviation Authority. The regulatory agency said the five-day exercise, carried out in August, focused on the critical elements of aviation legislation, regulation, organisation, technical staff, quality and training, technical guidance tools, licensing certification, approval, continuous surveillance and resolution of safety concerns. The NCAA's General Manager, Public Affairs, Sam Adurogboye, told our correspondent on Friday that Nigeria's Category One status was not threatened, adding that the report of the audit would be ready 60 days after the audit, which was concluded on August 25. "We still have some areas to close and that will be done within 30 days, after which they will calculate final results and send to us after 60 days of the audit. "Stakeholders are working to make things work. In the debriefing we had with the FAA team before they left, we didn't fail. If we had failed, we would have known before they left. Whatever we derive from the closed areas can only add to our score," he said. Nigeria achieved the Category 1 air safety rating from the US government under the FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment programme in 2010. The rating means that Nigeria complies with international air safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and the United Nations' technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance. The Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, had said at the end of the audit that the agency remained optimistic that Nigeria would retain its Category 1 safety rating. "As with any audit exercise, you cannot expect 100 per cent performance. We expect that within the next 30 days, we will receive a written report from the FAA on their findings. As of now, Nigeria is still in the Category 1; and so far, so good, we are optimistic about our performance," he said. Adurogboye also stated that there were no threats of ban on Nigerian carriers from entering the US airspace, adding that the FAA's audit was only on the activities of the agency. He said, "The FAA has nothing to do with airport certification. It is not one of the items they looked at; they did not go to the airports. "It is the American Transport Safety Administration that audits airports not the FAA and it is done once in a year at airports where their airlines fly to. Nigeria has never failed in any of the annual audits, and we have no reason to fail which is why we still have the US airlines operating here." He said the FAA team only visited the maintenance organisation of Med-View Airline as a reference operator for the exercise. The spokesperson for Med-View Airline, Obuke Oyibotha, said the airline's operations were used as part of the criteria to audit the NCAA, adding that the airline passed the audit. "The FAA does not relate with airlines; they relate with the regulator. If they want to do anything, it is the NCAA that will be downgraded and that is when airlines can be affected. But if a country has attained the Category One status, it cannot be downgraded just like that because a lot goes into attaining that status," he said. http://punchng.com/nigerias-aviation-safety-status-not-threatened-ncaa/ Back to Top Portugal asked to review laser laws after pilot blinded Irish air accident investigators have called on the Portuguese civil aviation authority to review current legislation regarding the use of dangerous lasers after a Ryanair flight crew was forced to abort a landing because a pilot was 'temporarily blinded.' An investigation into the incident, at Porto Airport in Portugal on September 5 2015, has highlighted the lack of legislation in Portugal covering the targeting of aircraft with lasers. The probe into the incident was delegated by the Portuguese authorities to the Irish Department of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Unit as Ireland is the 'state of registry' for the incident aircraft. The incident flight was a scheduled service from Lille in France to Porto Airport in Portugal. Shortly after 9pm the Boeing 737-800 was on its final approach when the co-pilot, who was the pilot flying, was distracted by a green laser light being shone towards the aircraft. The laser was not pointing directly at the aircraft, and then disappeared from view, leading the co- pilot to believe that it had been switched off. However, shortly after establishing on the final approach track, a laser was directed towards the aircraft from the same area but this time illuminated the cockpit. The co-pilot put his left hand up to shield his eyes. The commander, who was acting as pilot monitoring and was unaware of the laser, looked up at that moment and her eyes were struck by the laser light. She sustained flash-blindness which is a temporary visual loss or impairment during and following exposure to a light flash of extremely high intensity. The effects may last for several seconds to a few minutes. As a result, flight crew co-ordination was compromised which led to the final descent being delayed and the approach becoming unstable. The co-pilot reported that his vision had not been affected. The laser was seen operating from an area close to the centre of Porto, which he stated was a 'common occurrence'. While there are strict laws in Ireland that deal with the targeting of aircraft with lasers, it is not an offence in Portugal to illuminate an aircraft with a laser or other bright light. As a result, the investigation unit has made one safety recommendation, that: "The Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority should review the current civil aviation legislation with a view to taking account of occurrences of deliberate or reckless illumination of aircraft, or persons involved in the operation of aircraft, by laser light or similar." A spokesman for the investigation unit said: "A safety recommendation was made in our report to the Portuguese civil aviation authority. As per European and Air Accident Investigation Unit requirements, [we] will track response from the Portuguese authorities and will populate the Safety Recommendation Information System which is the European database for safety recommendations." http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/portugal-asked-to-review-laser-laws-after-pilot-blinded- 458691.html Back to Top American Airlines grounds plane after scorpion hitches a ride A scorpion on board a plane caused the cancellation of an American Airlines flight at Sacramento International Airport on Sunday morning, according to airline officials. More than 100 passengers were told of the scorpion as they lined up at the gate for the 10:40 a.m. flight, said Jim Zuber, a passenger on the flight. The flight crew was trying to decide what to do, he said. The Boeing 737 had been in Phoenix the night before, said American Airlines spokeswoman Leslie Scott. "The flight was canceled because we want passengers and crews to feel comfortable," she said. According to the Mayo Clinic, scorpion stings hurt but are rarely life-threatening. Most stings do not require treatment among adults, but children are at risk for complications. It is unknown if the scorpion is still on board so the plane will go to a maintenance facility in the Dallas Fort Worth area to be fumigated, Scott said. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article172497326.html Back to Top 16 Thai airlines suspend their operations after failing safety assessments SIXTEEN airlines registered in Thailand have failed safety and related regulatory assessments conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), requiring them to suspend operations until they get new Air Operator's Certificates (AOCs), as authorities enforce stricter rules in accordance with requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO is due to send delegates to inspect Thailand's new aviation safety regulatory system later this month or in early October, after which the agency is expected to consider lifting its "red flag", which was imposed in 2015 due to safety concerns. According to a government committee chaired by Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan, Thai authorities had already issued AOCs to nine airlines under the new regulatory system, while another 11 airlines were in the process of applying for AOCs.New challenges Due to the Thai aviation sector's rapid growth rate over the past decades, there have been concerns about safety and other issues facing a large number of airlines registered in Thailand. In addition, the regulatory system needs to be overhauled to cope with new challenges resulting in the restructuring of multiple agencies, including the CAAT. As a result of failing to pass the CAAT's assessments, all 16 airlines were ordered to suspend their service as of last Friday, in line with the ICAO's regulations. According to Colonel Sirichan Nga- thong, a spokesperson for Prawit, the ICAO had already inspected the safety and other related aspects at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang international airports as well as those of the CAAT in July. The results are understood to be satisfactory with no significant safety or related concerns. After ICAO delegates review the country's overall aviation safety and regulatory system, the agency is expected to report its assessment within the next 60 days, especially regarding the status of the red flag affecting Thailand. Thailand has faced a shortage of qualified personnel and training officials regarding aviation and safety issues following years of a boom in the aviation and tourism sectors. The number of foreign tourists has increased rapidly over past decades to about 30 million this year. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30325783 Back to Top Minister Susan Close pressured to 'come clean' over air safety bungle (Australia) South Australian Minister Susan Close and Premier Jay Weatherill. Picture: AAP The opposition has called for South Australian Skills Minister Susan Close to "come clean" over why she kept quiet for months after a national air safety regulator audit exposed a serious training bungle at TAFE SA that could have endangered the lives of air travellers. South Australian Liberal Opposition Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman today told reporters in Adelaide the revelations in The Weekend Australianexposed a "scandal". "We have a situation where TAFE are now under review in respect of an aviation maintenance and engineering course," Ms Chapman said. "This is not about greasing a bicycle chain. This is about keeping planes in the sky." As revealed by The Weekend Australian, around 90 aircraft maintenance engineers, whose jobs are to ensure planes and helicopters are safe to fly, have been caught up in the scandal at the Parafield Airport campus of TAFE SA. Those affected include a small number of Qantas engineers. An investigation by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and TAFE SA is ongoing with some training activities and licence conditions suspended "until further notice". Ms Chapman called on Skills Minister Susan Close, who was informed of the bungle in April, to "come clean". "It is absolutely critical now that Minister Close come clean as to why she has kept this review a secret now for four months," she said. "It is totally unacceptable that such a serious allegation, resulting in a secret review should have continued to be concealed from the public. "Minister Close had every opportunity to report to the parliament what had happened, what she was doing about it, and provide reassurance to the public. "Instead she has been absolutely silent on this for four months. "This government just continue in scandal after scandal and concealment of these events, which is not only unacceptable but leaves in this instance a situation of serious concern by the community." A small number of Qantas engineers have been caught up int he scandal. Picture: Jenny Evans A spokeswoman for Dr Close said the minister was advised of the matter in late April and sought her own reassurance. "The Minister was notified in late April and as a result sought immediate and comprehensive advice on the matter and how it was to be resolved," the spokeswoman said. Ms Chapman said the bungle had left scores of students in limbo and "who now have a certificate which isn't worth the paper it's written on". "Clearly they will need to be re-skilled if they want to pursue this type of occupation. They are the first lot of victims," she said, "But the people of South Australia are victims when this type of scandal is continued to be concealed. We want to know what has happened and obviously some reassurance that this hasn't permeated other aspects of TAFE." TAFE SA executive director of education Brian Rungie told The Weekend Australian that the issues, mainly around administration, identified by CASA were "critical in this (aviation) environment". "This is quite embarrassing," he said. "The training itself was where it needed to be, but we couldn't demonstrate it." Mr Rungie said retraining and compensation for those affected would be considered on a "one-on- one basis". "From our internal perspective, this has been a situation that clearly is not satisfactory and we will be addressing internally," he said. "We've let ourselves down." A CASA spokesman said, "issues were found with training assessments and outcomes". "These issues related to procedures that must be followed under their approved maintenance training manual," the spokesman said. "CASA will ensure all issues are fully rectified before normal training activities resume." Some affected aircraft maintenance engineers have told The Weekend Australian that the failure to teach to acceptable standards potentially had endangered lives. But the CASA spokesman said: "Aviation safety has been protected through the checks and balances built into the aircraft maintenance system." There are only three other centres in the country offering the training; at TAFE NSW, Aviation Australia and Federation Training in Gippsland, Victoria. An ongoing investigation into the TAFE SA course, which involves a "student-by-student review of all material", is expected to be completed within weeks, Mr Rungie said. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/minister-susan-close-pressured-to-come-clean- over-air-safety-bungle/news-story/d4e1e7f58972974bf51eadf4061e39b8 Back to Top NTSB Highlights Fuel-management Issues in Accidents Noting that improved fuel management could prevent an average of 50 general aviation accidents a year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today issued a new safety alert, "Flying on Empty," to highlight issues surrounding fuel-related accidents. "Running out of fuel in a car is an inconvenience," the Safety Board said. "Running out of fuel in an aircraft is unthinkable, and yet it causes more accidents than anyone might imagine." Fuel management is the sixth leading cause of general aviation accidents in the U.S., the NTSB noted. Fuel exhaustion, when an aircraft runs out of fuel, was involved in 56 percent of the fuel management-related accidents. Fuel starvation, when fuel is present but doesn't reach the engine, accounted for another 35 percent. Pilot error was a contributing factor in 95 percent of those accidents; equipment issues contributed to just 5 percent. Most of the fuel-management accidents occurred when the destination airport differed from the departure airport, and 80 percent occurred during day visual meteorological conditions, the NTSB noted. Nearly half of the fuel management-related accidents involve pilots holding commercial or air transport pilot certificates. Only 2 percent involve student pilots. In Safety Alert 067, the NTSB highlights basic steps pilots can take to better manage fuel, including knowing how much is on board at all times and confirming fuel quantity during preflight inspection. Ensuring fuel needs and fuel reserves before flight and knowing engine burn rate were also among the preventive measures cited by the NTSB. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association also recently raised concerns about fuel management in its release of the Air Safety Institute's most recent Joseph T. Nall report. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-08-29/ntsb-highlights-fuel- management-issues-accidents Back to Top Worldwide drone database could be coming The United Nations has called for all drones worldwide to be entered into a database. This registry was originally thought up by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the organization in charge of all the UN's aviation legislature. Ideally, they want this database to help format some sort of rules for civilian unmanned aircraft as well as let any country access the list of who's got drones in case of an emergency. This database won't come easy however. In the US alone, drone enthusiasts put up such a fight against the Federal Aviation Admission that the FAA eventually repealed it's law requiring drones to be entered in a national registry, after only a year and a half. In addition, while the ICAO sponsored the registry idea, they didn't explicitly say who would be running it. It would make sense for the ICAO to take on the responsibility, but the UN hasn't officially tasked anyone with it. These issues aside, the UN is still faced with one big problem in implementing the database: they don't have the power to enforce it. While countries tend to agree with things sponsored by the UN (like it's declaration of human rights or economic sanctions), there's nothing to stop countries from completely ignoring the things they don't like. So is a worldwide drone database likely? Not really. The amount of backlash in the US alone would probably kill it. But between the FAA regulations, China's drone registration process, and the EU- backed European Aviation Safety Agency, the skies seem to be pretty safe for now. http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2017/09/worldwide-drone-database-could-be-coming Back to Top Lion Air Group chooses Ideagen Coruson to enhance aviation safety management Lion Air Group, the largest private airline carrier in Indonesia, is to enhance aviation safety management with software from Ideagen. Ideagen Coruson, Ideagen's enterprise cloud-based software, will be implemented as an organisation-wide safety, reporting and risk management solution. The software will provide Lion Air Group with safety performance oversight across its six affiliated AOCs, delivering detailed performance data to quickly highlight potential safety weaknesses and risks, such as those linked to pilot fatigue or aircraft incidents. Coruson will replace an older system, helping to strengthen the airline's safety culture through functionality such as smart forms, GEO tagging and a mobile app for detailed reporting. Jose Fernandez, Group Safety & Quality Director, said: "Ideagen Coruson will be our dedicated safety, quality, risk and reporting solution and it will provide us with excellent functionality to enhance a number of areas within the organisation, particularly our safety reporting and risk management. "Our current system offers no easy way to gauge safety performance across any of our affiliates, resulting in difficulties when trying to assess overall airline performance. Coruson will change this. "We are particularly excited to be working with Ideagen and its Coruson software, which will provide us with a central software solution for safety, risk and reporting and allow us to strengthen safety foundations ahead of planned future growth." Based in Jakarta, Lion Air Group flies to more than 183 routes across all corners of Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke as well as through several international countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, India, China and Saudi Arabia. Currently in the middle of a period of rapid growth, Lion Air Group is planning to add to its 332- strong fleet of Boeing 747-400s, 737-800, 737-900 ER, 737 MAX 8, ATR 72-500, ATR 72-600, Airbus A330-300s, Airbus A320 CEO, Hawker 900 XP, EC 135-P2e, and Cesna 172. Mr Fernandez added: "Coruson is scalable and the main value we will see from the system is that scalability and ease of deployment across three countries and six AOCs. "The number of services we will be able to offer will continue to grow because of the aviation market in Indonesia, which continues to grow rapidly. Ideagen Coruson will tie in nicely with our ambitious growth plan." Ideagen is a market leader and innovator in aviation safety, quality, risk and performance management. The company currently has more than 300 aviation clients across the globe, including Emirates, the International Airlines Group, Ryanair, Thomas Cook, Flybe and KLM. http://www.theindependent.sg/lion-air-group-chooses-ideagen-coruson-to-enhance-aviation-safety- management/ Back to Top Chesapeake-based company's drone pilots fly more than 5,000 Harvey disaster relief missions in Houston area A Chesapeake-based company that trains amateur drone pilots coordinated more than 5,000 disaster relief missions in the Houston area after Hurricane Harvey. DroneUp, an app that's the main interest of Chesapeake resident Tom Walker's company DART Ventures, allows certified drone pilots - many of them hobbyists - to sign up for training and be part of a "drone-assisted response team" to help when they receive alerts, such as for a missing child or missing elderly person. After seeing Harvey's destruction of Texas communities, the app's leaders said, they decided to help by recruiting local drone pilots who could help capture photos and video in areas most people couldn't reach, said Jim Harenchar, DroneUp's chief marketing officer. Following approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, the team introduced the platform in Texas a little more than a week ago. The idea was to recruit local pilots who could download the app and be alerted to disaster-related assignments from law enforcement or citizens. More than 400 pilots signed up, a quarter of them in Houston, Harenchar said. Some were from out of state. "They packed up their drones and their suitcase and off they went to try to be of help," Harenchar said. DroneUp served as a sort of middleman, alerting its pilots to the missions when they popped up and sending the photos and video to the appropriate individual, commercial or government parties. The pilots have carried out more than 5,000 assignments in the area, Harenchar said Saturday. Those included residents' requests to check on elderly neighbors or people who had to flee their farms and needed to know the status of their animals left behind. The pilots would receive an address, fly their drone out and come back with footage that could inform the displaced people who needed it. Many commercial operations used the platform to check on flooded facilities and see when they could get employees back in. Harenchar said requests are starting to decline with only a little more than a dozen each day. All the work in Texas was voluntary. Now that the newly launched platform has gained significant recognition, the team is shifting to developing a revenue stream. On that note, DroneUp named Wayne Zinn, who has worked with Virginia Beach-based Operation Smile, as its CEO. Walker had served as president and CEO and will continue as president. "This experience showed us that we were stretched way too thin," Harenchar said. But the Harvey work also proved "a bit of validation for what we thought the platform would allow." DroneUp has been in contact with state and federal emergency management officials from Virginia down to Florida to help with Hurricane Irma efforts. But Harenchar said they want to make sure "we are not a distraction to ongoing or existing plans. "We're prepared. We're on standby. But we'll only go if the states ask us to." https://pilotonline.com/news/local/chesapeake-based-company-s-drone-pilots-fly-more-than- harvey/article_0ce4952f-fa3c-5417-912b-f643280fbe08.html Back to Top Miami's Wealthy Pay Up to $14K to Escape Irma on Private Jets As evacuees have desperately tried to fly out of South Florida before Hurricane Irma hits, the airports have been a mess. Stranded passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were shuttled to an elementary school that doubles as a shelter, while dozens of flights out of Palm Beach County were canceled or ominously "delayed." In the heat of it all Thursday night, a man with a knife at Miami International Airport was shot by a Miami-Dade police officer in the middle of Concourse J. But not everyone has had to schlep it with the rest of us in coach. Members of JetSmarter, a Fort Lauderdale-based startup that's been billed as "the Uber of private jets," have been booking one- way flights as high as $14,000 just to get out of Irma's path. On Friday, the service added eight extra flights from Florida to New York due to the increased demand from customers. Irma Now Projected to Slam Florida Keys, Southwest Coast, but Miami Threats Remain "In the wake of Hurricane Irma, JetSmarter wants to do everything they can to ensure the safety of their loyal South Florida community," JetSmarter CEO Sergey Petrossov says. "We're offering emergency flights for South Florida residents, to New York, to warrant their safety." Available flight out of #Florida tomorrow to get out of #HurricaneIrma's way. Members and non- members can book for $3,500 per person. With membership tiers that range from $5,000 to $50,000, JetSmarter's higher-tier members can basically shuttle wherever they want as a part of their subscription, while lower-tier members pay a surcharge for flights. This week, the company's phones were "ringing off the hook" as members and non-members clamored to catch a plane out of state. Pre-scheduled flights sold out early, but custom shuttles with three seats were available for around $6,000. One-way private charters to New York started around $14,000. The planes joined an incredible convoy of airliners headed away from Irma today: Shared charters, where someone purchases a flight and then sells the extra seats, have also been popular, with flights taking off to New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and even Tampa and Orlando. The eight flights to New York on Friday were starting at $2,990 a seat. Petrossov said in a statement that the emergency flights were added to warrant members' safety and offer non-members another way to get out. "We are sending our thoughts to all South Florida residents during this time of uncertainty," he added. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/hurricane-irma-drives-private-jet-demand-from-miamis- elite-9657623 Back to Top The Hidden Risk Faced by Female Pilots During World War II American military commander Lt. George Fairfield (center) shakes hands with Women's Air Force Service Pilot (WASP), and former Olympic swimming champion, Katherine Rawls Thompson (fourth left), and another unidentified pilot, as they are watched by six additional WASPs, all of whom had flown L-2 'Grasshopper' liaison planes to various Army bases from the Taylorcraft factory, Alliance, Ohio, in June 1943. PhotoQuest-Getty Images Common narratives about the U.S. role in World War II tend to concentrate on how men and women united behind the common cause of defeating the Nazis. But at times, the American women who served could feel as if the men were at war with them. Women who served as pilots during the war say that some of their colleagues could end up grounded because they'd have trouble starting their engines, only to discover sugar or other material had been put in them. "One time I was out, had a forced landing, because when I put on the second engine it hadn't started," recalls former Women Airforce Service Pilot Geri Nyman in the new Audible-produced audio documentary The Home Front: Life in America During WWII, narrated by Emmy and Golden Globe- winning actor Martin Sheen, a clip from which can be heard below. Taking apart the engine with an inspector revealed that it was filled with rags. "I was sabotaged by somebody," she claims. Some women reported finding grass in their tanks or acid in their parachutes, or that their tires had been slashed very slightly so that they'd blow out in the air. Another pilot, Mary Ellen Keil, reported that some of her flight controls came lose from her plane after takeoff. Camp Davis on the southeast coast of North Carolina had the most reports, where at least 11 female pilots had to make forced landings. Pilot Jacqueline Cochran personally discovered sugar in the gas tank of a plane that had crashed, killing her colleague Betty Davis, but feared she and her colleagues would lose their jobs if they reported it as such, according to Amy Goodpaster Strebe's Flying for Her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II. Pilot Lorraine Zillner claimed these incidents happened because of men "who didn't really feel that women had any business in a cockpit," but none of these alleged cases were proven, historian Helena Page Schrader writes in Sisters in Arms: The Women Who Flew in World War II. More than 1,100 non-military status Women Airforce Service Pilots were trained between 1942 and 1944 and served on 120 bases nationwide, helping augment a shortage of male pilots for certain tasks. Many were trained in Sweetwater, Texas, and flew planes to flight schools across the South that were used to train more pilots. They also "towed gunnery targets, transported equipment and non-flying personnel, and flight-tested aircraft that had been repaired before the men were allowed to fly them again," according to Sarah Byrn Rickman, an expert on WASPs. At least 38 would die during the war, many from plane mechanical failures.It would take more than three decades for the risk these women took for their country to be fully recognized, when in 1977, when President Jimmy Carter signed legislation that gave the special force military status so that they could receive the same benefits as male veterans. http://time.com/4923054/world-war-ii-sugar-engines/ Back to Top Air India defers delivery of A320 neo plane on CFM engine issues The aircraft for Air India are powered by LEAP-1A engine manufactured by CFM. National carrier Air India has deferred the delivery of at least one A320 neo aircraft due to issues with CFM-manufactured engine, sources said. The development also comes at a time when no-frills carriers -- IndiGo and GoAir -- have grounded at least 11 A320 neo aircraft due to problems in their Pratt and Whitney engines. Airbus 320 neo -- the new engine option -- are more fuel efficient and Indian carriers have placed orders for more than 500 such planes. The A320 neo planes of Air India and Vistara are powered by CFM-made engines while those of IndiGo and GoAir run on P&W engines. The sources told that Air India has deferred the delivery of at least one A320 neo plane due to problems with CFM engine -- probably the first instance of these planes facing woes on account of CFM engine. Specific details could not be immediately ascertained. Queries sent to Air India spokesperson on Thursday remained unanswered. When contacted for comments about Air India deferring the delivery of aircraft on account of CFM engine issues, a spokesperson for Safran Aircraft Engines in an e-mailed statement said, "I regret to inform you that CFM does not want to comment." CFM is an equal joint venture between US-based GE and France's Safran Aircraft Engines. It manufactures LEAP and CFM56 engines for commercial planes. "We are working closely together with the engine makers and our customers on next deliveries, which are agreed with the customer," an Airbus spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. The aircraft for Air India are powered by LEAP-1A engine manufactured by CFM. Currently, the airline has eight A320 neo planes in its fleet. The national carrier took delivery of the first LEAP-1A- powered A320 neo aircraft earlier this year. Air India has plans to lease a total of 27 A320 aircraft, including neos. Air India has a fleet of 112 planes. Recently, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said technical snags faced by A320 neo aircraft operated by IndiGo and GoAir pose a "safety issue". "Obviously, any failure is a safety issue. So, the operating procedure we changed... What is attractive is fuel efficiency. Fuel efficiency is one thing and risking life is another," the minister had told in an interview. His comments had come in response to a query on whether the P&W engine issues were a safety concern. The aviation regulator DGCA has asked the American engine maker to expedite the supply of spare engines to India. On whether there could be harsher action with respect to the engine issues, Raju had said some of the planes have been grounded because of regulations, implying that existing norms are strict. "Why are they grounded, that is because of the regulations. You don't want to take risks with life... Everybody is working on it (addressing the engine issues). As long as glitches don't massacre human beings, it is okay. They will be addressed and sorted out," he had said. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/air-india-defers- delivery-of-a320-neo-plane-on-cfm-engine-issues/articleshow/60449449.cms Back to Top Russian authority revokes dozens of pilot certificates Since the beginning of this year, Russia's federal aviation regulator has cancelled nearly 50 commercial pilots' certificates obtained at a Chelyabinksk civil aviation training academy. Rosaviatsia disclosed the figure as it cancelled 11 certificates on 8 September, citing false data. It states that the pilots received training from the ChLUGA flight school which was "in violation" of legal requirements. Forty-seven certificates have been cancelled this year, it adds, and another 19 are subject to being annulled. Rosaviatsia points to "doubtful" data including inconsistencies in the training services being applied, particularly relating to timing and the type of training provided. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY This Survey is being undertaken as part of my Master of Science (MSc) in Air Safety Management at City University, London and will form part of the dissertation to determine whether there are benefits to the UK CAA and the wider UK Aviation community, by the UK CAA having to access to CVR recordings. This is particularly relevant to me in my role as Head of Performance Based Regulation (PBR) as one of the principles of PBR is to be able to assess the performance of an organisation to determine the risk and where to focus the resource. Having access to various data sources is a key driver in this approach and CVR data could be one of those additional data sources. This survey has gone through the City university ethics assessment process. All data will be kept anonymous. No personal identifiable information will be collected. All answers reported in analysis will be without any connection to you on any response that you provide. If you would like to take part, please click on the link below. Thank you for your assistance. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y7YC8TK Stephanie Shaw Curt Lewis