Flight Safety Information November 3, 2017 - No. 219 In This Issue Incident: American A319 near Miami on Oct 28th 2017, temporary vibrations, ice shedding suspected Incident: BoA B733 at La Paz on Nov 1st 2017, burst tyres on landing Incident: ANA B763 at Guangzhou on Nov 2nd 2017, low visibility in cabin Incident: Lingus A320 near Cork on Nov 2nd 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Sichuan A333 and China Southern A319 over Myanmar on May 3rd 2017, loss of separation enroute Russia confirms serious loss of control incident of Boeing 737-500 on approach to Vnukovo Airport After B.C. plane crash, a call to test pilots for drugs and alcohol Fingers crossed as UN body comes to audit DGCA, airlines next week (INDIA) EASA proposes Trent 1000 IP compressor blade checks Sumwalt Highlights Living Values, Safety Leaders Key To Changing Safety Culture? Get Started China's C919 jet completes third test flight: manufacturer Boeing Announces More Than $50 Million in Grants to Support Nonprofits Worldwide CommutAir Extends Captain Pay to First Officers NASA Hosts Industry Day for Unmanned Aircraft in National Airspace Collaboration Book Review: Leading People Safely: How to Win on the Business Battlefield "Live Stream- Preventing Loss of Control Accidents with Patty Wagstaff and Rich Stowell" 2017 FORAS Workshop - November 29-30, 2017, Taoyuan, Taiwan PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Incident: American A319 near Miami on Oct 28th 2017, temporary vibrations, ice shedding suspected An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N822AW performing flight AA-505 from Miami,FL (USA) to Mexico City (Mexico), was climbing out of Miami when the aircraft levelled off at FL280. Vibrations developed, the crew reduced the thrust and slowed the aircraft, the vibrations ceased. The aircraft subsequently accelerated again, continued the climb and continued to Mexico City without further incident. A passenger reported about 20 minutes into the flight, just after levelling off at an intermediate cruise level, there were strong vibrations. Cabin crew, visibly uneasy, stopped the cabin service and announced all passengers should remain well strapped in. The engines audibly ran down, about 30 seconds later the vibrations ceased, the engine accelerated again and the flight continued normally. There was no announcement from the cockpit, cabin crew however reported that the captain told them he had never experienced something like this in 25 years, he suspected ice was shedding from fuselage and engines. There had been stormy weather out of Miami, they needed to quickly climb through cumulonimbus clouds which may have caused icing. The captain would have maintenance check the engines after landing. Data off the aircraft's transponder suggest the aircraft levelled off at FL280 at about 507 knots over ground, slowed to about 410 knots over ground, then accelerated again to 500 knots over ground and continued the climb. The aircraft remained on the ground in Mexico City for about 2 hours (about one hour longer than scheduled), then departed for the return flight. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL505/history/20171028/1617Z/KMIA/MMMX http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0817f6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: BoA B733 at La Paz on Nov 1st 2017, burst tyres on landing A BoA Boliviana de Aviacion Boeing 737-300, registration CP-3077 performing flight OB-669 from Santa Cruz to La Paz (Bolivia) with 101 passengers and 6 crew, was rolling out after landing in La Paz when the left hand main tyres deflated disabling the aircraft on the runway. The passengers disembarked onto the runway via stairs. Bolivia's DGCA have opened an investigation into the incident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b08148d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: ANA B763 at Guangzhou on Nov 2nd 2017, low visibility in cabin An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA611A performing flight NH-924 from Guangzhou (China) to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 163 passengers and 10 crew, was in the initial climb out of Guangzhou when mist appeared in the cabin and cockpit causing low visibility. The crew levelled off a low altitude and returned to Guangzhou for a safe landing. The airline reported the aircraft was climbing through about 1000 feet when haze/mist appeared in the cabin and cockpit. The aircraft returned to Guangzhou for a safe landing about 55 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flight NH-934. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0810e7&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lingus A320 near Cork on Nov 2nd 2017, smoke in cockpit An Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200, registration EI-GAL performing flight EI-712 from Cork (Ireland) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 151 people on board, was climbing through FL270 out of Cork when the crew donned their oxygen masks, reported smoke in the cockpit and returned to Cork for a safe landing on runway 35 about 25 minutes later and stopped on the runway to assess the situation. After assessing the situation the crew reported, still with oxygen masks donned, that there was smoke in cabin and cockpit, they wanted to taxi to the apron. The aircraft taxied to the stand. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Cork due to a technical issue. A number of passenger exited the aircraft via the overwing exits, the majority disembarked normally via stairs. All passengers have been taken to the terminal and are being taken to London on the next flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b080e93&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Sichuan A333 and China Southern A319 over Myanmar on May 3rd 2017, loss of separation enroute A Sichuan Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration B-5960 performing flight 3U-603 from Chengdu (China) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 239 passengers and 14 crew, had been enroute at 11,000 meters (FL361) within China and descended to FL350 upon entering Myanmar's Airspace. A China Southern Airbus A319-100, registration B-6202 performing flight CZ-6068 from Katmandu (Nepal) to Guangzhou (China) with 109 passengers and 10 crew, was enroute at FL350 about to enter Chinese Airspace from Myanmar and about 25nm from 3U-603 when 3U-603 began the descent to FL350. Myanmar's Accident Investigation Board (AIB) reported that CZ-6068 needed to be immediately turned right onto a heading of 125 degrees in order to avoid the aircraft in opposite direction being handed off from Kunming Area Control Center (China). The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated by Myanmar's AIB. Myanmar's Aircraft Investigation Bureau (MAIB) released their final report concluding the probable causes of the serious incident were: Primary Cause The duty air traffic controller and the pilot from CSC 603 listened carelessly to their conversation in their radio communication especially not concentrating on aircraft Call Sign. Contributing Factors The radar coverage on air route A599 between LSO and LINSO was not intermittently working properly and not good enough for radar operation around the time of occurrence. The MAIB reported the eastbound A319 was handed off at FL350 from Myanmar's Yangon ACC to China's Kunming ACC while still inside Myanmar Airspace and established contact with Kunming ACC. About 3 minutes later Kunming ACC handed the A333 off to Yangon ACC at FL360 and established contact with Yangon ACC. Yangon ACC, after contact was established, told another aircraft that their requested FL370 was not available and they needed to descend to FL350, instructing that other flight to descend to FL350. However, the A333 mistook the instruction for them, acknowledged the instruction without the controller noticing the wrong aircraft was reading back and descended. The MAIB reported the critical sequence of events: 08:38:26 (TC), CSN 6068 first contacted Kunming ACC on 125.75 MHz before LINSO, So the Kunming ACC controller instructed CSN 6068 to report over LINSO. 08:41:55 (UTC) CSC 603 maintaining FL 360 was transferred to Yangon ACC on 126.75 MHz at 15 KM east of LINSO. 08:42:05 (UTC) CSC 603 first contacted Yangon ACC maintaining FL 360 position at over LINSO. 08:42: 12 (UTC) the Controller of Yangon ACC contacted another aircraft MJC 683 saying "MJC 683, Identified, report LSO, level 370 is not available due traffic, descend FL 350" 08:42:25(UTC) CSC 603 read back, "next report LSO, confirm descend to 350" 08:42:29(UTC) the controller of Yangon ACC, acknowledged the read back, "Affirm descend FL350" 08:42:38(UTC) read back again,"603,next report report LSO and right now descend to FL350" 08:42:45(UTC) the Controller of Yangon ACC instructed "MJC, affirmative descend FL350" 08:42:53(UTC) CSC 603 read back, "Descend to Fl 350, next report position LSO thank you CSC 603" 08:43:15(UTC) CSC 603 commenced descending when passing LINSO, at that time the separation between both aircraft was 66KM. 08:43:56(UTC) there was Predicated Conflict Alert (PCA) on the Kunming ACC radar display, showed CSC 603 was descending with the distance 46Km to CSN 6068. The controller of Kunming ACC tried to coordinated with Yangon ACC, meanwhile, called CSN 6068 to make an immediate right turning on course 125 degree to avoid the opposite CSC 603. The MAIB analysed with respect to the ATC controller: "Even though Licensing system is being executed for international operation as per Myanmar Civil Aviation Requirements, he was unlicensed. In the conversation between ATC controller and CSC 603 as per ATC record, he occasionally did not follow strictly the radio telephony procedures and acknowledged the readback from CSC 603 pilots without carefully listening to." With respect to radar coverage the MAIB analysed: "The radar coverage of air route A 599 between LSO and LINSO was insufficient and did not work properly for that purpose of radar operation as per radar readback. According to the witness statements there has been such deficiencies for long time. Around the time of occurrence CSC 603 could not be seen because of lack of radar coverage." Flight trajectories (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth): http://avherald.com/h?article=4a972cd9&opt=0 Back to Top Russia confirms serious loss of control incident of Boeing 737-500 on approach to Vnukovo Airport Date: 13-OCT-2017 Time: 06:17 UTC Type: Boeing 737-524 (WL) Owner/operator: UTair Registration: VQ-BJP C/n / msn: 28905/2934 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 116 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: Moscow-Vnukovo Airport (VKO/UUWW) - Russia Phase: Approach Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Krasnodar Airport (KRR) Destination airport: Moscow-Vnukovo Airport (VKO/UUWW) Narrative: UTair flight UT588 from Krasnodar to Moscow, Russia, reportedly suffered a loss of control incident while on approach to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) reported that the flight was positioning for an approach to runway 06 via the IBTER point, which is at 16.9DME from the Vnukovo WNK VOR/DME. The aircraft descended to an altitude of 1950 feet (400 meters) at the Final Approach Point (FAP). During the approach, flight crew could not see the ground due to low clouds. The undercarriage was deployed and flaps were selected at 15°. Engines were operating at 35 - 40% N1 as the aircraft turned onto runway heading. Leveling off at 1950 feet, the airplane pitch increased to 10°. At a speed of 133 to 134 knots the autothrottle increased engine power to 75% N1. Upon capturing the glide path, the flaps were selected further down to 30° and the autopilot was disengaged. At that time airspeed was 129 knots at a 19° pitch. With the autothrottle still engaged, the engines powered up to 95% N1. This caused a pitch up momentum to +45°. The airspeed dropped to less than 100 knots and the stick shaker activated. The aircraft rolled 33 degrees to the right, then -34.8 to the left. The pitch supposedly decreased to 30 with the speed dropping to 60 KIAS. The aircraft is then thought to have rolled 96 degrees to the right, pitching -14 degrees (nose down). It then banked 45 degrees to the left with speed increasing to 150 KIAS. The flight crew then regained control at an altitude of about 1100 feet and reported to ATC that they were going around because the approach was unstabilised. The crew positioned the aircraft for another approach and proceeded for a landing at 06:35 UTC, about 18 minutes after the event. The aircraft remained on the ground for 12 days and re-entered service on October 25. In a letter dated November 1, Rosaviatsiya confirmed the serious incident and recommended airlines to pay attention to upset avoidance and recovery procedures. Weather reported about the time of the incident (0617Z): UUWW 130400Z 16004MPS 2000 R24/1600U BR OVC001 08/07 Q1002 R24/290050 TEMPO 1000 -SHRA BR BKN015CB RMK QBB040 UUWW 130500Z 17003MPS 1800 1300SE R24/1300N BR OVC001 08/08 Q1002 R24/290050 TEMPO 0400 FG RMK QBB040 UUWW 130600Z 17003MPS 2100 R24/1600U BR OVC001 09/08 Q1002 R24/290050 TEMPO 0400 FG RMK QBB050 UUWW 130700Z 16002MPS 120V200 4400 BR OVC001 09/09 Q1001 R06/290050 NOSIG RMK QBB050 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=200545 Back to Top After B.C. plane crash, a call to test pilots for drugs and alcohol The wreckage of a Carson Air cargo aircraft that crashed in British Columbia in 2015, killing the two crew members on board. VANCOUVER - The airline industry and Transport Canada should develop a program requiring pilots to be tested for drugs and alcohol, the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday after releasing a report into a crash that killed two people. Board chairwoman Kathy Fox called on both groups to work with employee representatives to implement a program that would protect public safety. She said that self-policing by the industry has not worked, so the issue of impairment will continue to go unrecognized and unreported. "Alcohol impairment almost certainly played a role," Fox said of the cargo plane crash on April 13, 2015, in the mountains north of Vancouver. Four other fatal crashes since 2009, three involving commercial operators, had drugs or alcohol as a contributing factor, said Fox, who added it was time to learn lessons from the latest disaster. The B.C. Coroners Service reported that pilot Robert Brandt had a blood-alcohol level of three times the legal limit for driving. Brandt, 34, was captain of the twin-engine Swearingen cargo aircraft operated by Carson Air. First officer Kevin Wang, 32, also died, but did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system. Other countries, including the United States and Australia, have found mandatory drug and alcohol testing are most effective along with education, employee assistance programs, rehabilitation, return-to-duty programs and peer support, Fox said. The safety board said the crew did not declare an emergency before the aircraft dropped to 900 metres from 2,400 metres in less than 20 seconds. The agency was unable to confirm why the aircraft entered a steep dive and broke apart mid-air, Fox said. "This is not satisfying to the TSB, certainly not for the families involved and not to Canadians who have come to rely on one of the safest transportation systems in the world." Jason Kobi, the investigator in charge, said the aircraft disappeared from radar 80 seconds after the pilots' final contact with air-traffic control. There was no cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder on board, and the lack of hard data significantly undermined the investigation, Kobi said. Investigators found the plane entered a steep dive and accelerated to a high speed that exceeded its structural limits and caused it to break apart before crashing. Debris scattered over a wide area. "But the question remained: Why? Unfortunately, we were never able to determine this with certainty." Kobi said the pilot's high blood-alcohol content was one possibility, because it meant his physical and mental performance would have been impaired and he could have lost consciousness. "Even if the captain had been, for example, slumped forward toward the controls we found no indication that the first officer was incapacitated and he should still have been able to regain control of the aircraft." It's also possible heaters that provide air speed information were off or malfunctioned or that the aircraft was intentionally placed into a steep dive, with several factors suggesting that could have been the case, Kobi said. They include the duration of the dive, absence of any emergency communication and the lack of recovery efforts when the plane started to descend rapidly. Other possible coincidental factors have been identified, including physical indications that the pilot had a history of heavy alcohol use and "the fact that there is a significant relationship between alcohol use and suicidal behaviour," Kobi said. "Those several coincidental factors were present [but] the investigation could not conclude anything about the captain's predisposition to commit an intentional act." http://www.timescolonist.com/business/after-b-c-plane-crash-a-call-to-test-pilots-for- drugs-and-alcohol-1.23083215 Back to Top Fingers crossed as UN body comes to audit DGCA, airlines next week (INDIA) The exercise starts Monday with ICAO's audit of the Indian aviation regulator. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Indian airline companies are in a last-minute rush to prepare for the 11-day safety audit by International Civil Aviation Organization. The exercise starts Monday with the audit of the Indian aviation regulator. This will last till November 10. After that, the United Nations' aviation watchdog will randomly pick up any of the seven scheduled airlines and subject them to its audit till the process ends on November 16. The audit is conducted to check DGCA's compliance with norms and procedures related to airworthiness of planes, pilot training, legislation, licensing, safety procedures at the airports and air traffic control, operations, cabin safety, cockpit sanctity, accident investigation, air navigation and aerodromes. Aviation safety is at the core of ICAO's fundamental objectives. DGCA's last audit by ICAO - done in 2012 - didn't go very well for it. The UN body had placed India in its list of 13 nations with worst aviation safety standards. That ignominy led to the US Federal Aviation Authority downgrading India in 2014. This meant that Indian airline companies could not add any more routes to their network in the US or enter into new codeshare agreements with airlines flying to that country. FAA restored the grade in 2015 but the history has left its impressions which can only go away after a good long track record. The DGCA has hired 75 flight operation inspectors for various airlines on a contractual basis to meet the ICAO norms. The DGCA has aligned most of its rules -- called civil aviation requirements - as per ICAO norms, an official with an airline said. This is the first time ICAO will audit Indian airline companies in a random manner. Quite naturally, officials at DGCA and the airline companies are praying for the entire exercise to pass smoothly to prevent any repeat of 2012. Questions over safety standards do not sit well with a nation that is the third-largest market by the number of local passengers flying annually. The country is among the fastest growing aviation market in the world with the local traffic expected to touch 126 million in 2017-18 on a growth rate of 22 percent. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/fingers-crossed-as-un-body-comes-to- audit-dgca-airlines-next-week-2428107.html Back to Top EASA proposes Trent 1000 IP compressor blade checks European safety regulators have proposed interim measures to address possible blade cracks in the intermediate pressure compressor on Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s, while the manufacturer is developing a modification. The European Aviation Safety Agency states that cracking has been discovered in Trent 1000s with the Pack C performance enhancement measures. These cracks affected blade in the intermediate pressure compressor's first- and second- stage rotors. EASA says the situation could lead to the release of blades during flight. Rolls-Royce has issued a service bulletin instructing inspections of the compressor's rotor sections, and EASA is proposing to mandate these examinations. The authority closed a consultation period on the proposed directive on 2 November. Singaporean investigators have been recommending that Rolls-Royce reviews the design of intermediate pressure compressor blades in the Trent 1000. This recommendation emerged from an incident in which a Scoot Boeing 787-9 suffered a failure to its starboard engine en route from Sydney in November last year. Rolls-Royce had previously been forced to deal with a cracking issue affecting intermediate pressure turbine blades on Trent 1000s resulting from corrosion-related fatigue. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Sumwalt Highlights Living Values, Safety Leaders National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt stressed the importance of a strong safety culture, living the company's core values and providing strong safety leadership as flight operations strive to meet their customers' expectations. Speaking Thursday before the Bombardier Safety Standdown in Wichita, Sumwalt highlighted numerous accidents-from the May 2014 Gulfstream IV-SP crash in Bedford, Massachusetts, where the flight operation was IS-BAO 2 registered but the experienced crew did not complete checklists, to the November 2015 Hawker 700A crash in Akron, Ohio, where procedures were not followed and crew not properly vetted-and asked if operators were providing what customers truly deserved. He argued that there sometimes is a disconnect between the customers' safety expectations and what they are actually getting. He urged the Safety Standdown audience to ask themselves if they have implemented a strong safety culture. He also challenged them to continually strive for such a culture culture rather than believe they have attained it. "We must never get too comfortable," Sumwalt said. He also questioned whether organizations are really living their values. Most will espouse priorities, placing safety on top, he said. But priorities change-core values shouldn't. Safety needs to be a value, not a priority, he said. Sumwalt places such an importance on values that, after stepping in as chairman, he immediately assembled a team to develop values for the NTSB. He pointed to CVS as an example of living values. A few years ago, CVS eliminated sale of cigarettes, saying it was incongruous with the company's mission of wellness. That raised Wall Street predictions that the organization would incur a $2 billion loss as a result. But in the intervening time, profits have increased 10 percent and stock value soared 40 percent. As for safety leadership, Sumwalt stressed the need for an alignment between employees and management. Management often will emphasize safety, but might not practice it. This will filter down throughout the organization, he said. Sumwalt pointed to NTSB's investigations of five accidents at the Metro-North railroad during a 10-month period. NTSB surveys revealed that management there believed more strongly that the railroad had an appropriate safety culture than labor believed, Sumwalt said. The agency further found that train drivers were frequently speeding to keep up with time pressures placed on them. Sumwalt, who attended last year's Safety Standdown, noted that at the time he expected it to be his last as a Safety Board member. He had agreed to stay beyond his expired term to ensure the NTSB had an adequate number of board members. But early last year the White House called and asked him not only to stay on, but move into the leadership role on the board. Sumwalt was later confirmed and officially sworn in on August 10. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-11-02/sumwalt- highlights-living-values-safety-leaders Back to Top Key To Changing Safety Culture? Get Started WICHITA-Quick. What color is a yield sign? If you said yellow, you aren't alone. But yield signs haven't been yellow since 1971, when they were changed to red with a white center. "Once we get a mindset of what's right and wrong, it is difficult to change that," said Mark Briggs, co-founder of Safety Management Resources. "If people are used to taking unmanaged risks in your operation - we might call them bad risks - it's an awful difficult thing to change." Briggs was one of the presenters at Bombardier's 21st Safety Standdown USA in Wichita Oct. 31. The three-day seminar has drawn 500 pilots, crewmembers, maintenance technicians, managers and others from around the country and more through webcasts of the presentations. The Standdown's focus is to fly "Intentionally Safe." Over its 21 years, the Standdown has attracted more than 9,000 attendees. "Have you ever seen an accident where there was one cause and one cause only?" Briggs asked. "The deeper you dig, the more you find." Briggs said his mother was the first risk manager he had ever known. When he was a boy, his father ordered a Bensen copter from a magazine advertisement. But while the family was on vacation, the house had been broken into. Only one thing was missing - the copter. Years later, Briggs asked his mother whether she had paid someone to take it or whether someone had taken it for free. "'I don't know what you're talking about,'" his mother told him. Why do people take risks? "Every single time that you take a risk and do something stupid, at the time you had a reason for it," Briggs said. "Flying an aircraft or maintaining an aircraft and cutting that corner-that is a little gray area. Every time we did that, we had a reason. Some of those reasons, you can start to build a case for justifying. Others, you just have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'that was stupid.'" As an employer or co-worker, your job is to figure out what would motivate someone to take bad risks. "That's our job," he said. "When we see somebody else starting to do something that's not right-somebody you know isn't in the right frame of mind or in the right physical mind to fix the airplane or fly the airplane, we need to stop them." Briggs has seen hundreds of risk management programs in organizations. A company cannot have a good safety management system without a good risk management program, and vice versa. A company must create a culture of safety. "If I see you about to do something stupid, I'm going to intervene," he said. "I'm going to ask the same thing for me if you see me doing something stupid." To start, write down three reasons why you and your employees take unmanaged risk, he said. "You have just taken the first important step in tackling a risk management system." Then, get with others in your organization and have them do the same exercise. Once you've identified the big three reasons, begin to work on them. "You don't need outside help to do that," Briggs said. He suggested organizations order and read the ISO 31000 Standard, a set of standards for risk management codified by the International Organization for Standardization. "The question to ask yourself and your peers and your superiors: Has accepting risk, unmanaged risk, become a family affair in your organization?" Briggs asked. "IF you're just ignoring it, the answer is yes. If you're not doing anything, the answer is yes." His challenge is simple. "Start." www.aviationweek.com Back to Top China's C919 jet completes third test flight: manufacturer SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's home-built C919 passenger jet completed its third test flight on Friday, its manufacturer said, bringing the Asian nation a step closer to its goal of becoming a global civil aerospace player. FILE PHOTO: China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet takes off on its second test flight at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China September 28, 2017. China Daily via REUTERS The C919, which will compete with Boeing Co's 737 and the Airbus SE A320, is a symbol of China's civil aerospace ambitions and President Xi Jinping's push to upgrade manufacturing capabilities. In a statement, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) [CMAFC.UL] said the plane took off at 7:38 a.m. (2338 GMT), flying for 3 hours and 48 minutes before landing at 11:26 a.m. The flight came 36 days after its previous test. Data from plane tracking website Flightradar 24 showed the aircraft flew at an altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,048 m) for most of the time it circled above Shanghai. The website initially estimated a landing time of 8:56 a.m. COMAC said the tests it completed during the flight included those on control of the plane's landing gear. COMAC successfully switched on the engines for a second C919 jet on Thursday evening, it added in the statement. COMAC Vice President Shi Jianzhong has previously said the gap between the C919's future test flights would be much shorter than the nearly five-month gap between its first and second. That was far longer than for other planes, such as the Airbus A350, which had a five-day gap. Last month, a company official said bad weather held up plans for the third C919 test flight, which had initially been expected within two weeks of the second. On Friday, COMAC did not respond to further questions about the lengthy time gap. The C919 is not expected to enter commercial service before 2020, Chinese-owned aircraft leasing company Avolon said on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-aviation-comac/chinas-c919-jet-completes- third-test-flight-manufacturer-idUSKBN1D30QD Back to Top Boeing Announces More Than $50 Million in Grants to Support Nonprofits Worldwide * Includes three-year commitment of $25 million in support of veterans' programs and services Chicago, Nov. 2, 2017 - Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced more than $50 million in grants to more than 500 nonprofit organizations across 50 countries globally. The annual contributions include a three-year commitment of more than $25 million in support of veterans' recovery and rehabilitation programs and transition services. The charitable grants package will fund programs through 2018 and supplement an anticipated $117 million in company-wide business and employee contributions to similar causes-bringing Boeing's total community investments to approximately $167 million this year alone. "We aspire to be a top performer in every area of our business, and that includes leading in the communities where our employees and their families live and work," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer. "By harnessing our teammates' unique skills and passion for giving, our professional networks and partnerships, and our financial resources, we will inspire the dreamers and doers of tomorrow and drive positive, lasting change in our communities across the globe." Anchored by local and regional employee-engagement activities, Boeing charitable grants are geared toward developing tomorrow's innovators through investment in the skills required in today's modern workplace, and supporting military veterans and their families transitioning into the civilian workforce. At a local level, Boeing investments address unique challenges and issues that are critical to those communities where our company operates. In the U.S., some of the largest Boeing grants will support FIRST Robotics and its focus on primary, middle and high school STEM proficiency and diversity; USO Pathfinder and its holistic military transition services; and National Fund for Workforce Solutions through its Boeing on-the-job training program that focuses on strengthening the manufacturing workforce pipeline. Outside the U.S., Boeing' engagement includes Learning Links Foundation to help train India's next generation of aviation workers, Ladies Learning Code to develop 21st century skills in children and adults in communities all across Canada, and Newton International to place experiential aerospace education in the hands of children in several European countries. 2018 Boeing Charitable Grants by the Numbers: * Our Future: Tomorrow's Innovators: A total of 188 grants targeting increased STEM diversity, proficiency and interest among K-12 students. * Our Heroes: Veterans & Their Families: Nearly $8 million in veterans grant investments, representing a year-over-year increase of 50 percent from 2016 to 2017. * Our Homes: Dynamic Communities: More than 130 global community grants supporting a range of programs from environmental projects in Puget Sound, Wash., to health programs in South Carolina and workforce development initiatives in India. About The Boeing Company: Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in 150 countries. See how Boeing and its employees give their time, talent and resources in communities around the world. Download the 2017 Global Engagement Portfolio. Back to Top CommutAir Extends Captain Pay to First Officers NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio, Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CommutAir, a United Express® carrier, reached an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association to pay its First Officers at Captain scale pay rates one year after their completion of initial training. Under the agreement, CommutAir will also begin paying quarterly retention bonuses to its Captains. "Most pilots join us not just for our pay and sign-on bonus, but because our growth story conveys a rapid upgrade to PIC," said Joel Raymond, Chief Operating Officer. "At CommutAir, we have enough confidence in our growth plan to guarantee Captain pay after one year of initial training." "After United's 40% investment, CommutAir has embarked on a plan to triple in size to 61 aircraft and hire almost 4 times the number of pilots that were on our roster in 2016. Add to that the pilots leaving under the best United Career Path Program (CPP), and signing up for 'Captain Pay for First Officers' was easy," said Subodh Karnik, President & CEO. In addition to the 'Captain Pay for First Officers' program, the Company and ALPA also agreed to provide Captains with bonus payments through the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. "CommutAir's success depends on the collective contributions of our Captains and First Officers. And Captains will be rewarded through the bonus program while they complete the CPP requirements and take their career to the next level!" said Captain David Fitzgerald, Chief Pilot. Careers Through 2019, CommutAir will triple in size to an all-jet fleet of 61 aircraft and actively hire in all areas. CommutAir's industry-leading Pilot benefits include: * Fastest United Airlines Career Path Program (CPP) * $22,100 sign-on bonus with paid ATP-CTP * Captain Pay for First Officer program * Retention Bonuses for Captains * Rapid upgrades * Top-Tier pay and benefits - including the industry's first and best Commuter policy For details of this agreement and career, opportunity details go to http://www.flycommutair.com/careers/pilots About CommutAir Founded in 1989, CommutAir operates as United Express and is majority-owned by Champlain Enterprises, Inc. and 40% owned by United Airlines, Inc. CommutAir operates 900+ weekly flights to 30+ destinations, using Bombardier Dash-8 Q200 and Embraer ERJ145 aircraft, from bases in Newark, NJ, and Washington-Dulles. CommutAir's 900+ employees are well-known in the industry for fostering a family culture and a friendly work environment. www.flycommutair.com PR@commutair.com (440) 779-4588 Ext. 384 https://www.facebook.com/commutair https://twitter.com/C5Recruiting https://www.linkedin.com/company/commutair SOURCE CommutAir Back to Top NASA Hosts Industry Day for Unmanned Aircraft in National Airspace Collaboration Press Release From: Armstrong Flight Research Center Posted: Thursday, November 2, 2017 NASA Aeronautics is heavily involved in developing solutions for safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the national airspace. NASA has two UAS projects that work in lock-step with the Federal Aviation Administration to address the challenges facing UAS integration across the full spectrum of aircraft type and sizes, and the environments in which they fly. NASA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System project, or UAS in the NAS, will contribute capabilities designed to reduce the technical barriers related to safety and operational challenges associated with integrating larger-sized UAS - - those that weigh 55 pounds or more and fly higher than 500 feet, including full-size repurposed Predator and Global Hawks -- into the national airspace. For UAS under 55 pounds that fly below 400 feet, NASA leads an associated effort called UAS Traffic Management, or UTM, that focuses on integration solutions to safely enable large scale small UAS operations in low altitude airspace. Accommodating these new entrants in a safe manner along with pre-existing users, such as gliders and helicopters, is a critical national objective. The purpose for NASA's Industry Day, currently scheduled for Nov. 30 in San Diego, is to meet and gather input from various commercial and academic partners who have an interest in or have technologies available that can support the UAS in the NAS project's Systems Integration and Operationalization (SIO) demonstration in the summer of 2020. The goals for the day include leveraging agency research in integrated detect and avoid, command and control, and other state-of-the-art UAS vehicle technologies with a pathway toward Federal Aviation Administration certification for vehicle operations above 500 feet or more above ground level. Specific objectives for the Industry Day include: * Gaining technical information on relevant industry efforts such as technology development cycles and overall plans for UAS commercialization * Obtaining schedule-related information to determine whether or not a 2020 SIO demonstration date is feasible * Acquiring reasonable fiscal rough orders of magnitude (ROMs) from Industry to guide partnership/acquisition decisions, and ensure the SIO demonstration can be successfully executed within resources * Communicating NASA expectations for the NASA partnership development process Fostering coordination across industry participants and potential partnership teams For additional information, visit the Industry Day RFI notice at: https://go.nasa.gov/2htYxBO For more information on NASA's UAS-NAS Project, contact Robert Sakahara Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. 661-276-2566 robert.d.sakahara@nasa.gov For media interested in attending the Industry Day, contact: Leslie Williams Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. 661-276-3893 leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=51791 Back to Top Book Review: Leading People Safely: How to Win on the Business Battlefield by James T. Schultz (Author), Brian L. Fielkow (Author), Foreword by Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt III (Author) SAFETY IS THE CORNERSTONE for excellent operations, but it is often marginalized and relegated to dense handbooks that are ignored by employees. James T. Schultz and Brian L. Fielkow instead offer a straightforward how-to guide for maximizing organizational performance through safety leadership. They demonstrate why safety must be a core value engrained into the rhythms of every task. Jim and Brian show how to bring people and process together in full alignment to provide a definitive competitive advantage. Leading People Safely is packed with succinct, savvy know-how for implementing a culture of safety, punctuated with easy-to-skim lists and textboxes, and uses on-the- ground examples supplied from Jim and Brian's combined seventy-plus years of experience. Applicable for businesses of any size or industry, Leading People Safely is a must read for leaders looking to create a safe and successful business with a healthy corporate culture. * Hardcover: 214 pages * Publisher: North Loop Books (October 25, 2016) * Language: English * ISBN-10: 1635051363 * ISBN-13: 978-1635051360 https://www.amazon.com/Leading-People-Safely-Business-Battlefield/dp/1635051363 Back to Top "Live Stream- Preventing Loss of Control Accidents with Patty Wagstaff and Rich Stowell" Topic: Preventing Loss of Control; Patty Wagstaff and Rich Stowell On Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 20:00 Eastern Standard Time (17:00 PST, 18:00 MST, 19:00 CST, 15:00 HST, 16:00 AKST, 18:00 Arizona, 01:00 GMT) Select Number: EA2379300 Description: Preventing Loss of Control; Patty Wagstaff and Rich Stowell To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here. The sponsor for this seminar is: FAASTeam The following credit(s) are available for the WINGS/AMT Programs: Master Knowledge 2 - 1 Credit Click here to view the WINGS help page Back to Top 2017 FORAS Workshop - November 29-30, 2017, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Organized by Flight Safety Foundation and EVA AIR. The Workshop will introduce Flight Operations Risk Assessment System / FORAS, which is a proactive and predictive tool on hazard identification and risk management on flight operations. FORAS is an essential tool for SMS implementation. The FORAS functionalities and set up requirements and other details will be briefed at this two days workshop. FORAS Workshop will be held on November 29-30 at EVA AIR Training Center in Taoyuan, Taiwan. There is no registration fee for the workshop, details can be accessed from the FORAS website, including links for the workshop, agenda, registration, hotel and other relevant information. http://foras.com.tw/foras-workshop/ Back to Top PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST International airline pilot and 38-year veteran of flying, Karlene Petitt, has instructed pilots on Boeing aircraft for over 21 years, and holds type ratings on A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, and B727. She is working on her PHD in Aviation with a focus on safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Petitt is researching the impact of training, aircraft understanding, safety culture, aviation passion, and manual flight tendencies, to better understand the impact on performance. If the pilot is always blamed for errors, the underlying factors may never be identified. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes and is anonymous. If you fly for a commercial operation, with a two (or more) person crew (corporate, charter, or airline) please visit http://petittaviationresearch.com to learn more and access the link to the survey that can be found at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!! Karlene Petitt MBA. MHS. Doctoral Candidate Aviation ERAU Typed: A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727 http://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a student of Air Transport Management at City University of London. I am in the final stage of writing my dissertation on Human Machine Interaction. However, I am looking for some data in order to have a better understanding of the real issues among pilots. I would like to kindly ask, if you could complete my survey attached: https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/JBZG6FJ Thank you. Kind Regards, Yari Franciosa Back to Top Today's Photo The Spruce Goose flew its one legendary flight in Long Beach 70 years ago, November 2, 1947 Spruce Goose on only flight in Long Beach. AP photo The Spruce Goose, the first aircraft with a wingspan in excess of 300 feet, was also the largest flying boat ever built. Designed and constructed by the Hughes Aircraft Company, it made its one and only flight Nov. 2, 1947, in Long Beach. Why was it built? Howard Hughes always thought big, but he did not actually think up the Spruce Goose. The aircraft originated in the mind of Henry J. Kaiser, owner of an Oakland-based ship manufacturing company. Kaiser dropped out of the project early, leaving Hughes' team to make the H-4 (the plane's real name) a reality. In the first nine months of U.S. involvement in the war, over 500 Allied ships were sunk by submarines. By the end of 1942, the American public was deeply concerned about the depletion of U.S. naval power. The Spruce Goose was funded by the federal government, which was eager for a way to transport troops and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean, well out of the sights of deadly German submarines. spruce goose fuselageBirch Goose? Wartime material restrictions meant that the plane couldn't be built of aluminum, so the eight-engine plane was built of birch wood, giving it the catchy but erroneous nickname "Spruce Goose." Goosing the taxpayer? Like many defense projects, this one fell behind schedule and over budget, and by the time World War II was over the plane still wasn't finished. One estimate for the airplane's construction was $23 million. The project had many detractors in Congress and Hughes was determined to prove the plane airworthy. During what was supposed to be a series of taxi tests, Hughes suddenly took the plane up to 70 feet above the water on a mile-long flight. With the war at an end and concerns about the cost of operating an aircraft of its size on a long-term basis, the H-4, as it was officially known, never flew again. Once displayed in Long Beach under a dome next to the Queen Mary, it's on display today at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore. Size chart from the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum: Spruce Goose size A great selection of archived photos of the Spruce Goose and Howard Hughes are at the UNLV Digital Collections site. Sources: The Associated Press, Hughes Industrial, Howard Hughes Digital Collection, UNLV http://www.presstelegram.com/2017/11/02/the-spruce-goose-flew-its-one-legendary- flight-in-long-beach-70-years-ago-today/ Curt Lewis