Flight Safety Information November 22, 2017 - No. 232 In This Issue Incident: British Airways B789 near Copenhagen on Nov 21st 2017, fire in cabin Incident: Delta B764 over Atlantic on Nov 13th 2017, smoke and fumes in cockpit Incident: Easyjet A319 near Brest on Nov 20th 2017, loss of cabin pressure, smell of smoke in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Nepal A320 at Kathmandu on Nov 18th 2017, the eagle has blended U.S. Navy aircraft with 11 on board crashes into ocean off Okinawa No injuries reported after aircraft incident at Little Rock airport FAA Cautions Pilots Against Unauthorized Procedures Airbus A350-1000 Gets EASA, FAA Approval Mitsubishi's long-delayed jet to take flight in harsher climate Two Boeing 747 jumbo jets sold in China Taobao auction International Campaign Will Monitor Fall of China's Tiangong-1 Space Lab IATA launches Aviation Safety Culture survey Book: Angle of Attack The NBAA Safety Committee is conducting its...3rd annual...Business Aviation Safety Survey Risk Culture Survey NTSB Chairman to deliver Royal Aeronautical Society 14th annual Assad Kotaite Lecture at ICAO 9th ESASI Regional Seminar Incident: British Airways B789 near Copenhagen on Nov 21st 2017, fire in cabin A British Airways Boeing 787-900, registration G-ZBKN performing flight BA-39 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Beijing (China), was enroute at FL370 about 35nm south of Copenhagen (Denmark) when the crew decided to turn around and return to London reporting there had been some electrical fire in the cabin, which had been extinguished. The aircraft returned to Heathrow for a safe landing on runway 27R about 100 minutes later. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b159162&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B764 over Atlantic on Nov 13th 2017, smoke and fumes in cockpit A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400, registration N845MH performing flight DL-45 from Dublin (Ireland) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL310 about 280nm northeast of St. John's,NL (Canada) when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke and fumes in the cockpit. The aircraft diverted to St. John's for a safe landing about 45 minutes later. NAV Canada reported the crew declared emergency reporting smoke and fumes in the cockpit. A passenger reported there was a smell of sulfur in the cabin, probably some electronics overheating. Cabin crew started to turn off electrical systems and the odour dissipated. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 7 hours, then continued the journey and reached New York with a delay of 8 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b158d1a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Easyjet A319 near Brest on Nov 20th 2017, loss of cabin pressure, smell of smoke in cabin An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZBK performing flight U2-6407 from Newcastle,EN (UK) to Malaga,SP (Spain) with 130 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 90nm south of Brest (France) when the crew initiated an emergency descent levelling off at FL120 about 5 minutes later (average rate of descent 5000 fpm). The aircraft subsequently turned around and diverted to Brest, where the aircraft landed safely about 24 minutes after leaving FL370. A passenger reported there was a smell of smoke on board, however, no visible haze or smoke. The crew told the passengers that there had been a sudden change of cabin pressure prompting the descent and diversion as a precaution. The airline reported the aircraft diverted as a precaution due to a suspected technical issue. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to take the passengers to Malaga. A replacement A320-200 registration G-EZTL positioned to Brest, continued the flight and delivered the passengers to Malaga with a delay of 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Brest about 28 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b158089&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Nepal A320 at Kathmandu on Nov 18th 2017, the eagle has blended A Nepal Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration 9N-AKX performing flight RA-206 from Delhi (India) to Kathmandu (Nepal) with 135 people on board, was on approach to Kathmandu's runway 02 instructed to maintain minimum approach speed when an eagle impacted the nose of the aircraft, momentarily blended with the nose section causing a large dent and dropped off. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 02 a few minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Kathmandu for about 83 hours before returning to service. 9N-AKX seen on the ground in Kathmandu (Photo: Susheel Bhattarai): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1586ec&opt=0 Back to Top U.S. Navy aircraft with 11 on board crashes into ocean off Okinawa A United States Navy aircraft with 11 crew members and passengers on board crashed into the ocean southeast of Okinawa, Japan, on Wednesday, the 7th Fleet says. The aircraft was headed to the U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan, which is deployed to the Philippine Sea. The carrier is conducting search and rescue operations, the 7th Fleet says. Japan's NHK news agency reports 8 people have been rescued so far. There was no word on their condition. NHK says the aircraft was a C2 transport plane. U.S., S. Korea begin joint exercise off Korean Peninsula The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known. The names of the crew and passengers were being withheld pending notification of next of kin. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-navy-aircraft-with-11-on-board-crashes-into-ocean-off- okinawa/ Back to Top No injuries reported after aircraft incident at Little Rock airport No one was injured after the brakes reportedly failed to work on a small aircraft that landed overnight at the Clinton National Airport. LITTLE ROCK (KATV) - No one was injured after the brakes reportedly failed to work on a small aircraft that landed overnight at the Clinton National Airport. Officials say the incident occurred just before 12:00 a.m. when the pilot, Greg Hatcher of Little Rock, said the brakes were not functioning on the Cessna Citation Cj4 he was flying. Hatcher said the malfunction caused him to turn the aircraft towards a grassy area at the end of the runway in order to bring it to a complete stop. According to the report, the pilot and one passenger were onboard the aircraft at the time of the incident. The aircraft was flying from Las Vegas to Little Rock and registered to Charter Express. The Runway used to land on was on the west side of the airfield and is typically available for general aviation use. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident to look for any damage to the plane. Both the runway used to land on and the Airport's main runway remained open following the aircraft's reported brake failure. http://katv.com/news/local/no-injuries-reported-after-aircraft-incident-at-little-rock-airport Back to Top FAA Cautions Pilots Against Unauthorized Procedures The U.S. FAA is warning pilots against unauthorized use of special instrument procedures, reminding in an Information for Operators (InFO) that these procedures are for specific users. Such special instrument procedures were either intended for private use or require special conditions, equipment, limitations or training, the agency said in the InFO. They can be developed for either commercial or non-commercial operators but require specific authorization by the FAA Flight Standards Service and are marked as such on charts. "Flight crews must not request nor accept an air traffic control clearance for a special instrument procedure without specific FAA-Flight Standards authorization," the FAA cautions, noting that pilots have accepted and flown such procedures without FAA authorization or a valid navigation chart. "These actions introduce a potential adverse safety impact as operators may not have special training and required equipage to safely operate utilizing special instrument procedures." The use of these procedures has become "muddled" in recent years as new technologies have facilitated their distribution to a broader pilot community than intended, NBAA said, adding a number of downloadable aviation databases include special instrument procedures. "Access to the actual procedure charts is tightly controlled, but some operators are choosing to fly these special procedures anyway," said NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure Heidi Williams. "We often see special instrument procedures at mountain airports, and with ski season approaching, the InFO serves as a good reminder for our members to verify that they are flying these procedures with proper authorization." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-11-21/faa-cautions-pilots- against-unauthorized-procedures Back to Top Airbus A350-1000 Gets EASA, FAA Approval The Airbus A350-1000 completed 1,600 flight test hours before gaining certification on November 21. (Photo: Airbus) The Airbus A350-1000 has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following less than a year of flight testing, the manufacturer announced Tuesday. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the first A350- 1000 will go to launch customer Qatar Airways by the end of the year, according to Airbus schedules. The milestone comes after the three A350-1000 flight-test airplanes accumulated more than 1,600 flight hours, of which 150 hours Airbus dedicated to tests performed in an airline-like environment to demonstrate readiness for service entry. "Receiving the A350-1000 Type Certification from EASA and FAA less than one year after its first flight is an incredible achievement for Airbus and for all our partners who have been instrumental in building and testing this superb widebody aircraft," said Airbus COO and president of commercial aircraft Fabrice Brégier. "The A350-1000 benefits from the maturity of its successful brother, the A350-900, which has translated into excellent right-on-time performance. We now look forward to delivering the first aircraft to Qatar Airways by the end of the year." The A350-1000 and A350-900 share 95-percent common systems part numbers and the same type rating. The largest of the new three-member family of composite-bodied airliners, the A350-1000 measures some 240 feet long and carries 366 passengers in a typical three-class configuration, or 40 more than the A350-900 holds. It also features a modified wing trailing edge, new six-wheel main landing gear and more powerful engines. It can fly to a range of 7,950 nautical miles, allowing it to support routes for emerging markets such as Shanghai-Boston or Paris-Santiago (Chile), as well as more traditional flight segments as Manchester (UK)-Los Angeles or Dubai-Melbourne. Eleven customers from five continents have ordered a total of 169 A350-1000s. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-11-21/airbus-a350-1000-gets-easa- faa-approval Back to Top Mitsubishi's long-delayed jet to take flight in harsher climate * Hint of first cancellation comes as industry shifts, cheaper oil imperil success The first Mitsubishi Regional Jet was set to be delivered in 2013. After five delays, the target is now 2020. TOKYO -- The aircraft unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries may lose its first order for the company's long-delayed passenger jet, a potential setback that reflects major shifts in the industry threatening the viability of the milestone project. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet began development in 2008 as the first Japanese passenger plane since the YS-11 about four decades earlier. The first MRJ was to be delivered in 2013, but after five delays the deadline has slipped to 2020. Yet Mitsubishi Aircraft has yet to lose any of its orders, now totaling 447 of the craft. However, a reshuffle among U.S. regional airlines may end that streak. Eastern Air Lines agreed in September 2014 to buy up to 40 MRJs, but management turbulence led to the carrier being purchased in June by Arizona-based Swift Air. Swift had said its fleet would expand from 13 Boeing 737 aircraft to 18 of those jets "in the near future," but made no mention of the MRJ deal. "Maintaining the orders would be difficult," a source familiar with the negotiations said. Mitsubishi failing to meet the planned 2019 delivery would be seen as a factor in losing the deal, potentially worth nearly 200 billion yen ($1.77 billion) based on catalog prices. Mitsubishi Aircraft "does not comment on individual contracts," a public relations official said. The unit's orders and basic agreements include 25 from All Nippon Airways parent and launch customer ANA Holdings as well as 100 from American company Trans States. Winds shift as fuel concerns fade The long process of obtaining certification from aviation authorities in relevant countries has contributed the most to slowing the jet's release. But airlines have continued reshuffling throughout the delays, and buyers also are rethinking their priorities. "Right now, fuel consumption doesn't matter too much as long as [the craft] is not as big as a Boeing 747," said one veteran of a major carrier's maintenance department. A selling point for the MRJ has been its roughly 30% improvement in fuel economy over existing craft. But crude oil prices have lost altitude to around $50 per barrel from heights of about $100 several years before. Brazil's Embraer, which holds a large share in line with Canada's Bombardier in producing regional jets seating 100 people or fewer, has adapted skillfully to shifts in the market. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Mitsubishi-s-long-delayed-jet-to-take-flight-in- harsher-climate Back to Top Two Boeing 747 jumbo jets sold in China Taobao auction Boeing 747 for sale on Chinese auction site The auction got 26 bids and more than 800,000 viewers Two Boeing 747 planes have been sold on the Chinese e-shopping website Taobao for more than 320m yuan ($48m; £36m). The jumbo jets are from a defunct cargo company and the court handling the bankruptcy had been trying to sell them for years. Six previous offline auctions failed and so the planes were eventually put up online. Highest bidder and new proud owner is Chinese carrier SF Airlines, beating out 25 other interested parties. Taobao is an online auction website similar to eBay, owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The planes have been in storage in the cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen since 2013, after their owner, Jade Cargo International, filed for bankruptcy in September that year. They were seized by a court in the southern city of Shenzhen which since then had been looking for a buyer. Still one jet left to go Ever wanted to own your own Boeing 747 and worried you missed your chance? Fret not, there's another freighter on offer which wasn't sold. According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, the third jet could not be sold because there was only one buyer who'd registered for the auction. It's not the first time in fact that online auction sites sell somewhat unusual items for millions of dollars. The highest ever sale on eBay was a $85m deposit for a superyacht in 2006, topping the previous number one, a Gulfstrem II charter jet sold for $4.9m. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-42076373 Back to Top International Campaign Will Monitor Fall of China's Tiangong-1 Space Lab An artist's illustration of China's Tiangong-1 space lab, which is expected to fall back to Earth in early 2018. Skywatchers are on the lookout for China's Tiangong-1 space lab - and the seeing is good. Tiangong-1 (whose name translates as "heavenly palace") launched into Earth orbit in late September 2011. It was used for six successive rendezvous and dockings with three different spacecraft - Shenzhou-8 (uncrewed), Shenzhou-9 (piloted) and Shenzhou-10 (piloted) - as part of China's human space exploration activities. But in March 2016, Tiangong-1 ceased functioning. The uncrewed space lab, which weighed 18,740 lbs. (8,500 kilograms) at launch, is now predicted to fall back to Earth in late January 2018, plus or minus one month, according to a forecast generated by researchers at The Aerospace Corporation on Oct. 31. [Gallery: Tiangong 1, China's First Space Laboratory] "It is unlikely that this is a controlled re-entry," The Aerospace Corporation wrote in a Tiangong-1 re-entry FAQ. "Although not declared officially, it is suspected that control of Tiangong-1 was lost and will not be regained before re-entry." Based on Tiangong-1's inclination, the lab will re-enter somewhere between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south latitude, according to the FAQ. Slow roll Ground viewing of the Chinese space lab and image analyses suggest that the vehicle shows no sign of tumbling but is apparently in a slow roll. If that's the case - and remains so when Tiangong-1 nose-dives into the atmosphere - a few pieces of the space lab could conceivably make it all the way to Earth's surface, researchers have said. (Tumbling objects tend to break apart more completely during re-entry.) But don't worry too much about such putative leftovers. "It is highly unlikely that debris from this re-entry will strike any person or significantly damage any property," The Aerospace Corporation's FAQ stated. "Potentially, there may be a highly toxic and corrosive substance called hydrazine on board the spacecraft that could survive re-entry. For your safety, do not touch any debris you may find on the ground nor inhale vapors it may emit." The Aerospace Corporation will perform a Tiangong-1 risk calculation for both people and property a few weeks prior to re-entry. International campaign An international group known as the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) will conduct a campaign to monitor Tiangong-1's re-entry. The IADC comprises experts from 13 organizations, including NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), European national space agencies and the space agencies of Japan, India, Russia, China and South Korea. IADC members intend to use the fall of Tiangong-1 to conduct their annual re-entry test campaign, during which participants will pool their predictions of the time window, as well as their respective tracking data sets obtained from radar and other sources. The aim is to cross-verify, cross-analyze and improve the prediction accuracy for all members. ESA will serve as host and administrator for the campaign, as it has done for the 20 previous IADC test campaigns since 1998. Geographic footprint Holger Krag, head of ESA's Space Debris Office, said China's space-lab re-entry corridor already excludes the possibility that any fragments will fall over any spot above 43 degrees north latitude or below 43 degrees south latitude. "This means that re-entry may take place over any spot on Earth between these latitudes, which includes several European countries, for example," Krag said. "The date, time and geographic footprint of the re-entry can only be predicted with large uncertainties," Krag added. "Even shortly before re-entry, only a very large time and geographical window can be estimated." Owing to Tiangong-1's mass and construction materials, there is a possibility that some portions of the lab will survive and reach the surface, according to an ESA statement. https://www.space.com/38834-china-tiangong1-space-lab-reentry-observing.html Back to Top IATA launches Aviation Safety Culture survey International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the IATA Aviation Safety Culture (I- ASC) survey to support airlines in the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and building a strong safety culture in compliance with the recently upgraded standards and recommended practices (SARPS) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO safety management SARPS are contained in Annex 19, Safety Management, of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. In July 2016, Annex 19 was amended to strengthen safety management SARPs by requiring airlines to develop and promote a positive Safety Culture. This requirement must be met by November 2019. "Safe operations are underpinned by a safety-centric culture. I-ASC enables airlines to benchmark their performance on safety culture. In doing so, it feeds into the important process of continuous improvement that has helped to make flying the safest form of long-distance travel," said Gilberto Lopez Meyer, IATA's Senior Vice President, Safety and Flight Operations. The existence and understanding of an airline's safety culture is a prerequisite for successful and effective SMS implementation. I-ASC assists this process with objective self-assessment, leading to understanding and action. Virgin Australia was one of the early adopters of the I-ASC survey and Michael Chapman, Virgin Australia's General Manager Safety Systems said: "The I-ASC survey was really useful to allow us to review our results across different departments within our own business, as well as compare ourselves against others within the industry." I-ASC was developed in collaboration with Cranfield University (UK) and other key aviation stakeholders. It provides tangible, de-identified, unbiased and measurable insights into the safety engagement and perceived risk areas of frontline and management staff. The survey covers key safety culture drivers, such as management commitment, just culture and the learning organization. Importantly, I-ASC will help airlines benchmark safety culture issues by country, region, alliance or globally. The service provider shall define its safety policy in accordance with international and national requirements. The safety policy shall reflect organizational commitment regarding safety, including the promotion of a positive safety culture. https://eturbonews.com/171074/iata-launches-aviation-safety-culture-survey Back to Top Angle of Attack NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS Second Printing Rushed to Press Finally, the definitive book on the Titanic of aviation accidents, a state-of-the-art jet that couldn't stall until it did and took the lives of 228 Air France passengers and crew. Based on exclusive interviews with the aircraft's manufacturer, the airline, flight crews, families of the pilots, accident investigators and the Woods Hole led team that recovered the missing jet from the bottom of the South Atlantic, Angle of Attack reveals why airlines and regulators everywhere must respond now to critical lessons from this legendary event. Autographed copies available from Curt Lewis Aviation Books at http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/angle-of-attack Buy the book and the movie it inspired, Pilot Error by Friday November 24 and save $6. http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/book-and-dvd Meet co-author Shem Malmquist at Tampa Florida area Pilot Error screening Sunday December 3 at 3 p.m. at Riverview 14 GDX , 9390 Theater Drive, Gibsonton. (813) 295-6468 WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGLE OF ATTACK "We owe Rapoport and Malmquist a great debt of gratitude. Read every word." -Dr. Gary Helmer, Embry Riddle University "A great resource for aeronautical professionals ... exposes the failed defenses that can reside at each layer of the aviation system. A must read for anyone with an interest in aviation accident investigation and aviation safety." -Dr. Chris Johnson, Director of Aviation Education and Research, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison "A must read for professional pilots, aircraft designers, government regulators and political decision makers." -Gregory Fox, Director of Safety, Florida Institute of Technology, ATPL pilot, safety manager since 1971, 35 years safety regulator, and 20 years check inspector on A320 and A340. "Angle of Attack sheds light for the novice and expert alike. Their subject matter expertise is admirable. They have used the Air France 447 crash and other crashes of automated airplanes as examples of accidents that might have been prevented if the crews had access to realistic training to prepare them for those rare events and if their aircraft had been equipped with angle of attack indicators." -Captain Elaine M. Parker, Beyond Risk Management "You don't have to be a [pilot to find this book moving and absorbing." - Adam Hochschild, Author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold's Ghost "This book proves conclusively that education by meteorologists is the key to fundamental understanding of the impact weather has on the elements of the aviation arena." - Debbie Schaum Embry-Riddle University Back to Top The NBAA Safety Committee is conducting its 3rd annual Business Aviation Safety Survey and needs your feedback. By providing input on the safety culture within business aviation, you will help guide the committee's work in the coming year and have a direct impact on our ability to continue improving the level of safety within our industry. Survey responses are sought from the entire spectrum of aircraft operations, personnel, and responsibilities. Whether you are a pilot, technician, scheduler/dispatcher, flight attendant or someone in a non-aviation role who frequently interacts with business aircraft, your feedback is invaluable to our efforts. Questions on the 2017 survey relate to important topics such as: * Risk management activities * Data sharing * Distractions in safety-critical moments * Participation in formal aviation training and third-party audit programs * Threats and risks you feel are most likely to impact your operation This completely anonymous survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and your response is needed by Dec. 8, 2017. Thank you in advance for your participation, and for helping us work toward minimizing the risks you face in your daily operations. TAKE THE SURVEY NOW LEARN MORE You can also review the analysis and results of last year's survey, and we will make this year's survey results available in the coming months after the analysis is complete. National Business Aviation Association 1200 G Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005 * Tel: (202) 783-9000 * info@nbaa.org Back to Top Risk Culture Survey The results of the 1st Survey and the link to participate in the 2nd Survey can be found @ www.riskculture.org Back to Top NTSB Chairman to deliver Royal Aeronautical Society 14th annual Assad Kotaite Lecture at ICAO Back to Top 9th ESASI Regional Seminar We are pleased to announce that the 9th ESASI Regional Seminar will take place at the Baltic Beach Hotel in Jurmala / Riga, Latvia on 23-24 May 2018. In addition, the meeting of the military investigator group is scheduled to take place on the afternoon of 22 May 2018. The aim of the seminar is to keep the European air safety investigation community abreast of current developments and evolving best practice in aircraft safety investigation. As in previous years, the seminar will include presentations on case studies, the European environment, challenges of modern air safety investigations and human factors in aircraft accidents and incidents. ESASI welcomes proposals for presentations to be given during the 2018 seminar, which should last a maximum of 20 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators; * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in; * practical experience of applying investigation techniques; * new techniques to aid the investigation; * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to - presentations@esasi.eu. https://www.esasi.eu/ Curt Lewis