Flight Safety Information December 11, 2017 - No. 245 In This Issue Incident: Wizz A320 at Brussels on Dec 10th 2017, rejected takeoff twice due to disagreeing airspeed Incident: Fedex MD11 near Tokyo on Dec 9th 2017, smoke in cockpit Incident: United B739 near Newark on Dec 8th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Saudia B773 at Jeddah on Dec 9th 2017, tail strike indication Accident: Qatar A321 at Doha on Dec 8th 2017, aircraft on fire during maintenance Incident: Emirates A380 descends very low on approach to New York-JFK Crash Pilot Not Properly Licensed Irate passenger threatens to 'kill everyone on flight' FAA proposes $1.1 million civil penalty against company for shipping substandard lithium batteries AIC COMMENCES INVESTIGATION INTO AN AIRCRAFT LANDING ACCIDENT AT BUKA Air India pilots fly plane with fuselage crack Assaults, rows and coin tosses: airlines miss true scale of air rage as millions fly for first time Global Aerospace Announces the 2018 SM4 Aviation Safety Program Europe And China Agree To Boost Aviation Cooperation Air NZ to use planes, pilots and crew from Portugese company while Dreamliners' engines fixed Cathay Pacific backs down, extends pilot housing allowances for a year Embraer delivers 1,400th E-Jet to American Airlines Order Your $35 Million Citation Hemisphere Jet Now Two Factors Driving Electric Aircraft NASA to Unveil Exoplanet Discovery Thursday - Kepler Space elescope Bow Tie Method of Safety Risk Management - Course Upcoming USC Courses Incident: Wizz A320 at Brussels on Dec 10th 2017, rejected takeoff twice due to disagreeing airspeeds A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LYB performing flight W6-3352 from Brussels Charleroi (Belgium) to Cluj (Romania), had been de-iced and was accelerating for takeoff when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed due to disagreeing airspeeds. The aircraft returned to the apron, was de-iced a second time, taxied to the runway and rejected takeoff a second time. A passenger reported they were officially told that during de-icing a sensor got clogged with ice although no de-icing was performed in front of the pitot tubes to avoid clogging the tubes. The aircraft was able to depart on its third takeoff and reached Cluj with a delay of about 4:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b22877c&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Fedex MD11 near Tokyo on Dec 9th 2017, smoke in cockpit A Fedex Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N618FE performing freight flight FX-49 (dep Dec 8th) from Anchorage,AK (USA) to Taipei (Taiwan) with 3 crew, was enroute at FL320 about 100nm west of Tokyo's Narita Airport when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted the aircraft to Tokyo Narita for a safe landing on runway 34L about 30 minutes later. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the runway was closed for about 4 minutes while emergency services checked the aircraft. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 2:40 hours, then continued to Taipei and reached the destination with a total delay of 4:15 hours. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX49/history/20171208/1915Z/PANC/RCTP http://avherald.com/h?article=4b227973&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: United B739 near Newark on Dec 8th 2017, smoke in cockpit A United Boeing 737-900, registration N62889 performing flight UA-1048 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Cancun (Mexico) with 185 people on board, was climbing through about FL180 out of Newark when the crew donned their oxygen masks reporting smoke in the cockpit and returned the aircraft to Newark. The aircraft landed safely back on Newark's runway 22L about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-900 registration N67845 reached Cancun with a delay of 2.5 hours. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1048/history/20171208/1245Z/KEWR/MMUN http://avherald.com/h?article=4b212904&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Saudia B773 at Jeddah on Dec 9th 2017, tail strike indication A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration HZ-AK40 performing flight SV-21 from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was in the initial climb out of Jeddah's runway 34C when the crew stopped the climb at FL060 due to a tail strike indication, dumped fuel and returned to Jeddah for a safe landing on runway 34R about one hour after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration HZ-AK38 reached New York with a delay of 7 hours. The airline reported an inspection of the occurrence airframe did not reveal any hull damage, however, the tail sensor needed to be replaced. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 22 hours after landing back. Metars: OEJN 090600Z 06006KT 4000 DU SKC 25/03 Q1016 NOSIG= OEJN 090500Z 06006KT 5000 DU SKC 24/02 Q1015 NOSIG= OEJN 090400Z 07007KT 6000 SKC 24/03 Q1015 NOSIG= OEJN 090300Z 06007KT 8000 SKC 24/02 Q1013 NOSIG= OEJN 090200Z 06008KT 8000 SKC 24/02 Q1013 NOSIG= OEJN 090100Z 06008KT 8000 SKC 24/02 Q1013 NOSIG= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b2257dc&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Qatar A321 at Doha on Dec 8th 2017, aircraft on fire during maintenance A Qatar Airways Airbus A321-200, registration A7-AIB, was parked at a remote stand for maintenance concerning the inflight entertainment system and satcom antenna, when at about 06:50L fire broke out in the cabin burning through the roof of the aircraft before the fire could be extinguished. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage and possibly needs to be written off. The aircraft had last flown on Dec 6th 2017 performing flight QR-234 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to Doha (Qatar). The airline reported a fire broke out inside the cabin but was promptly extinguished. "Whilst there was some damage to the aircraft there were no injuries", the airline stated. The aircraft seen after the fire was extinguished: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b21b6e5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Emirates A380 descends very low on approach to New York-JFK Date: 04-DEC-2017 Time: 20:25 LT Type: Airbus A380-861 Owner/operator: Emirates Registration: A6-EEU C/n / msn: 147 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Location: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK) - United Arab Emirates Phase: Approach Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB) Destination airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK) Narrative: Emirates flight EK207, an Airbus A380-861, descended too low during a visual approach to runway 13L at New York-JFK International Airport. The aircraft departed Dubai, UAE with destination New York-JFK, USA. After a flight of almost 14 hours, the aircraft was approaching JFK Airport about 20:25 hours local time. The aircraft followed the 'Parkway Visual Runway 13L/R' Approach procedure, also known as the Canarsie approach. This approach procedure calls for pass Rockaway Point at or above 1500 feet and continue east of the Shore Parkway, crossing the closed Brooklyn Coast Guard Air Station at or above 1500 feet. For runway 13L, aircraft have to track 041° and can only continue descent after passing the Twin Stacks (a group of 218 ft high buildings). From there the aircraft has to turn right to line up with runway 13L. EK207, however, continued descent after crossing the Coast Guard Station. The JFK Tower controller received a low altitude alert and reported this to the flight, stating the altimeter pressure to be 3043. This was read back correctly by the crew. About ten seconds later the Tower controller radioed: "Emirates Five Kilo Papa you appear to be very low on the approach, do you have the runway in sight?" Twenty seconds later, the flight crew radioed they were executing a missed approach. The flight received vectors for the missed approach and continued for an approach and landing on runway 22L at 20:37 hours. Weather about the time of the incident (20:25 LT, 4 Dec./ 01:25Z, 5 Dec.): KJFK 050051Z 14011KT 10SM OVC035 09/04 A3043 RMK AO2 SLP303 T00940044 KJFK 050151Z 15010KT 10SM BKN037 BKN250 09/04 A3043 RMK AO2 SLP302 T00940044 Another Emirates A380 had been involved in a similar incident while on approach to Moscow- Domodedovo Airport, on September 10, 2017 when the aircraft descended to 400 ft, approximately 7.5 Nm inbound. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=202755 Back to Top Crash Pilot Not Properly Licensed The pilot who died along with his four passengers in the crash of a Beech Baron on the Caribbean island of St. Croix last week apparently didn't have the multi-engine or night ratings that would have been minimum requirements for the flight. David Richardson was the owner of the Baron but the FAA airmen's registry lists him as a private pilot certified with only a basic single engine land rating. He had a first class medical, however. The Virgin Islands Consortium reported that the Baron crashed last Thursday at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix but Richardson lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands and had the Baron registered there so was under FAA jurisdiction. There is no FAA presence in the U.S. Virgin Islands and aviation there is administered from the San Juan, Puerto Rico FSDO. The aircraft's registration was renewed by Richardson in March of 2016 and he was the only owner. Richardson took off from St. Croix just before 9 p.m. and reported engine problems. Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from one of the engines. He tried to turn back to the airport but crashed in a field adjacent to the runway. Three of the passengers were affiliated with the band Stylee, a popular local group. Assuming the FAA records are accurate, Richardson's lack of qualifications will cancel any insurance he held. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Crash-Pilot-Not-Properly-Licensed-230028-1.html Back to Top Irate passenger threatens to 'kill everyone on flight' Scary moments on-board a Southwest Airlines flight from Portland to Sacramento Saturday. Video taken by another passenger and shared with Fox 12 shows an irate passenger threatening to "kill everyone on the plane." The airline says the woman was caught smoking in the bathroom and the crew noticed the smoke detector had been tampered with. Witnesses say the flight attendants had to force their way into the bathroom and removed her. They say she then became "uncontrollable." At one point, according to another passenger, she started pushing the flight attendants and tried to get to the front of the plane. Several passengers and flight attendants then restrained her. Southwest Airlines says the pilots declared an emergency for priority air traffic control. The flight had 136 passengers and 5 crew members. Police met the plane when it landed in Sacramento and took the woman into custody, Southwest Airlines said in written statement "that safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority." http://www.kptv.com/story/37036493/irate-passenger-threatens-to-kill-everyone-on-flight Back to Top FAA proposes $1.1 million civil penalty against company for shipping substandard lithium batteries The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $1.1 million civil penalty against Braille Battery, Inc. of Sarasota, Fla., for allegedly violating the Hazardous Materials Regulations. This is the largest civil penalty the FAA has proposed for alleged violations of the requirements for offering an air shipment of lithium batteries. The FAA alleges that on June 1, 2016, Braille offered four shipments, each containing a 24-volt lithium ion battery, to FedEx for transportation by air. One of the batteries apparently caught fire while it was being transported on a FedEx truck, after it had been transported on an aircraft, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle. The FAA alleges the lithium batteries in these shipments did not meet testing standards contained in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria or the U.S. Hazardous Material Regulations, were not equipped with a means of preventing dangerous reverse current flow, and were not in a proper condition for shipment. The FAA further alleges Braille failed to provide its employees with required hazardous materials training. On June 8, 2016, the FAA informed Braille about the concerns in its training program. On June 14 and June 15, 2016, the FAA informed Braille that the Hazardous Materials Regulations and the ICAO Technical Instructions prohibit the shipment of lithium ion batteries that are not proven to meet the UN testing standards. However, Braille continued to offer shipments of these lithium ion batteries for air transportation on 14 separate occasions between July 14, 2016 and August 3, 2016, the FAA alleges. The shipments included a total of 77 batteries. Each shipment contained between one and 27 batteries. The FAA previously assessed an $8,000 civil penalty against Braille in 2013 for shipping undeclared lithium ion batteries. Braille has 30 days after receiving the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2017/12/09/faa-proposes-1-1-million-civil-penalty-company- shipping-substandard-lithium-batteries/ Back to Top AIC COMMENCES INVESTIGATION INTO AN AIRCRAFT LANDING ACCIDENT AT BUKA Back to Top Air India pilots fly plane with fuselage crack NEW DELHI: Two senior commanders and a flight engineer of Air India have been grounded for flying an aircraft with a crack on its fuselage. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the airline are probing this lapse as the crew reportedly operated the flight even after discovering the crack on the main body section of the Airbus A-319 during a pre-flight walk around inspection. "The aircraft was to operate on Patna-Delhi section on October 9. For rostering reasons, two experienced commanders were to fly this aircraft instead of the usual combo of a caption and a co- pilot. During the pre-flight walk around the aircraft on the tarmac at Patna airport, the pilots and flight engineer observed a deep dent with a crack. Still they operated the flight to Delhi and then on arrival gave a voluntary report about the crack in the fuselage," said a source. After getting this voluntary report, AI de-rostered the crew and started investigating the lapse as "luckily the flight was uneventful but there was a potential for things to go wrong due to the crack," said the source. The DGCA was also informed and it also started a probe into the matter. While AI was probing what could have caused the dent and the crack, the regulator asked why the crew operated the flight after observing the same. And why they did not ground the plane to operate the flight after carrying out repairs. These questions became more puzzling as two experienced commanders were operating the flight. The regulator then wrote to AI, asking for the crew to be grounded," said the source. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/air-india-pilots-fly-plane-with-fuselage- crack/articleshow/62014635.cms Back to Top Assaults, rows and coin tosses: airlines miss true scale of air rage as millions fly for first time Unruly behaviour remains a threat to aviation safety, says IATA, and airlines need to prepare staff and crew to deal with disruptive passengers Airlines worldwide are likely to have "significantly underestimated" the true scale of air rage, as the incidents of unruly behaviour by first-time travellers are probably being under-reported in China and the rest of Asia, according to the global aviation industry guild. Unruly behaviour declined 9.8 per cent last year to 9,837 reported cases, ranging from verbal spats to tampering with aircraft equipment, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA). However, the number of physical attacks rose by 1 percentage point to 12 per cent, according to the data by IATA, which represents 275 airlines with 83 per cent of global air traffic. "Unruly passengers remain a significant daily issue for airlines around the world ... [and] can threaten this hard fought safety record [for the aviation industry]," said IATA's assistant director of external affairs Tim Colehan, last week in Geneva. Elderly flight passenger throws coins into engine for 'luck', delays take-off for hours Without a proper understanding of the true scale of potentially disruptive behaviour, airlines cannot adequately prepare, or train their crew, to deal with air rage, aviation officials said. Image of an airline passenger on board an internal flight in China who sparked a safety scare in December 2014 by yanking open an emergency exit just before a plane was due to take off to 'get some fresh air'. The data is particularly inadequate in China, where more people fly for the first time than anywhere else on Earth. The country's air passengers may increase to 1.5 billion by 2036, according to IATA's projection. * Chinese passenger opens emergency exit 'to get some fresh air' as plane prepares for take- off Still, only six of China's 38 commercial airlines - who operate a total of 12,000 flights everyday - ever report their data, including incidents of air rage, to the industry guild. The six carriers include Air China, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines. China Eastern Airlines, the country's third- largest carrier, doesn't report its data, and neither does Shenzhen Airlines nor Sichuan Airlines. Yet Chinese passengers have been responsible for dozens of cases of unruly behaviour, many of them captured on smartphones for social media. A Beijing couple stormed the runway to prevent an aircraft's departure after they missed the check-in time, while an elderly woman in Shanghai tossed coins into an aircraft engine for good luck. Coin-throwing granny joins ranks of weird flight hazards, from dirty dancer to drunk pilot In response, the Chinese aviation authority created a no-fly black list, where offending passengers are banned from any air travel. None of these cases, all reported in the media, would be recorded by IATA because they happened before passengers stepped on board an aircraft, underscoring the gap between statistics and the true state of air rage and unruly behaviour. The problem may be further understated, as the Asia-Pacific region will see 3.5 billion people flying within the next two decades, led by growth in China, India and Indonesia. Many of these will be first-time air travellers, unfamiliar with the behavioural norms, culture or safety procedures required in flying. * Two Chinese men jailed after brawl in plane's first-class cabin "We do see mob-like behaviour at airports and a lot of these reports coming from China," said Philip Baum, a certified aviation security and safety trainer. "That's part and parcel of the speed of growth in aviation in certain markets, and the number of people taking to the skies for the first time is dramatically increasing." * Anything to declare? Chinese tourist stopped at airport with a 3kg live lobster in his luggage Baum was at the IATA summit last week to present tools on how cabin crew can spot an incident before it happens and show how incidents can be de-escalated on board. "Even the figures we have indicate that there's a problem that needs to be addressed in terms of training given and penalties that need to be introduced to punish those people who do find themselves perpetrating acts of unlawful incidents in civil aviation, even if it's only an unruly passenger incidents and not a terrorist incident," he said. http://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2123710/assaults-row-and-coin-tosses- airlines-miss-true-scale-air Back to Top Welcome to the 2018 SM4 Aviation Safety Program Revolutionizing the way insurance specialists help their clients achieve higher levels of safety Global Aerospace, a leading provider of aerospace insurance, is pleased to announce the 2018 SM4 Aviation Safety Program. New this year, Global Aerospace clients (excluding light aircraft clients) are eligible to take up to 10 complimentary Level II safety services per policy year. Since 2010, the company has committed over $4 million to support SM4 and help its clients pursue higher levels of safety. Now entering its 9th year, SM4 continues to expand by providing targeted subject matter experts and financial support to the aerospace sector. Marilena Sharpell, Senior Vice President, Underwriting & Operations Executive, comments, "By significantly expanding the number of tangible safety benefits available to our clients, we further demonstrate our commitment to their safety and the safety of the entire industry." Learn More Global Aerospace is a leading provider of aerospace insurance with a worldwide portfolio of clients who are engaged in every aspect of the aviation and space industries. Headquartered in London, we have offices in Canada, Cologne, Paris, Zurich and throughout the United States. Across the world we employ over 300 people. With experience dating back to the 1920s, the company's underwriting is backed by a pool of high quality insurance companies representing some of the most respected names in the business. Global Aerospace, Inc. | 973-490-8500 | www.global-aero.com Back to Top Europe And China Agree To Boost Aviation Cooperation PARIS-The EU and China are set to sign two agreements that aim to strengthen their aviation cooperation by facilitating market access and boosting the competitiveness of the EU's aeronautical sector, the European Commission (EC) said. The agreements, which the EC and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have initialed, are part of the EC's Aviation Strategy for Europe, a framework set out in 2015 with the aim of making sure the EU taps into growth markets. "China is a key aviation partner for the EU, and deepening our ties is a priority under our Aviation Strategy," European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said. "[The] agreements will allow for more flights between the two regions, boost the EU's trade in aircraft and related products, and ensure the highest levels of air safety." The first agreement is a Bilateral Civil Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) aimed at supporting worldwide trade in aircraft and related products. It will remove unnecessary duplication of evaluation and certification activities for aeronautical products by civil aviation authorities, cutting costs for the aviation sector. It is also designed to promote cooperation between the EU and China toward a high level of civil aviation safety and environmental compatibility. The initialing of the agreements should advance ongoing certification procedures for European aviation products in China, the EC said. The parties also signed a horizontal aviation agreement, which means all EU airlines will be able to fly to China from any EU member country with a bilateral air services agreement with China. Previously, only airlines owned and controlled by a given EU member or its nationals could fly between the European country and China. The deal brings bilateral air services agreements between China and EU members into conformity with EU law and will benefit airlines on both sides, the EC said. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Air NZ to use planes, pilots and crew from Portugese company while Dreamliners' engines fixed Two Airbus planes leased from a Portuguese company, and operated by its pilots and crew, will be pressed into service by Air New Zealand to help meet its schedules while its Dreamliners undergo maintenance after engine problems. Dreamliner The Airbus 330 and Airbus 340, chartered from Portuguese company Hi Fly, are expected to begin operating some Auckland-Sydney and all Auckland-Perth services by next week. Two Dreamliner flights were affected last week after problems with turbine blades in the Rolls Royce engines. A Tokyo-bound flight had to shut its engine down after it was damaged. Air New Zealand general mansager customer experience, Anita Hawthorne, said about 4500 customers have been affected by international flight delays and cancellations over the past week. Once the two additional aircraft are in service the airline will be able to operate a near-normal timetable, she said. The aircraft will be operated by pilots and crew from Hi Fly under the oversight of Air New Zealand, Ms Hawthorne said. "This was a much quicker path to get the aircraft into our network than going through a lengthy certification and training programme for our own people, who are not trained to operate the Airbus widebody aircraft," she said. Unions for Air New Zealand employees have been "extremely understanding" of this situation and share the airline's commitment to take the necessary steps to maintain the flight schedule over this important Christmas and summer period, Ms Hawthorne said. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/air-nz-use-planes-pilots-and-crew-portugese- company-while-dreamliners-engines-fixed Back to Top Cathay Pacific backs down, extends pilot housing allowances for a year * Cathay undertaking 3-year transformation programme * Had proposed cutting pilot housing packages * Chinese airlines trying to recruit Cathay pilots SINGAPORE, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways said on Monday it will continue paying housing allowances worth up to HK$100,000 ($12,807.21) a month to its most senior pilots for another year, backing down temporarily from a cost-cutting proposal. The loss-making airline is undertaking a transformation programme aiming for HK$4 billion in savings over three years from lowering costs and boosting productivity. But a plan to cut housing allowances given to its longest-serving pilots by an unspecified amount had led recruiters from Chinese airlines to flock to Hong Kong to poach Cathay pilots. Many are expatriate Australians, Americans and Britons who were concerned that they could be priced out of living in one of the world's most expensive cities. The housing allowances were due to expire on Dec. 29, but Cathay said on Monday it would provide "similar assistance" for the next 12 months to allow time to agree to a new scheme with the pilots union. "The new accommodation and rental assistance arrangements...are intended to be short-term measures while we continue to pursue long-term options to lower our cost base," Cathay said in a statement. The airline told its pilots in September the housing allowances cost more than HK$900 million a year, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, and proposed cuts to the payments, rather than removing the benefits entirely. The airline's unionised pilots are voting now on whether to raise funds as a buffer against any actions Cathay takes, such as unilateral benefit changes or job losses. Chris Beebe, the general secretary of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association, said on Monday the vote by members was due to close on Dec. 22. He declined to comment on the housing allowance extension. The airline completed last week a year-end negotiation with the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union in which it agreed to a 1 percent salary rise next year but capped a year-end bonus at HK$35,000 or one month's salary, whichever is lower, according to the union's Facebook page. Cathay did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the year-end bonus. ($1 = 7.8081 Hong Kong dollars) https://www.reuters.com/article/cathay-pacific-pilots/cathay-pacific-backs-down-extends-pilot- housing-allowances-for-a-year-idUSL3N1OB1R5 Back to Top Embraer delivers 1,400th E-Jet to American Airlines * Combining the 2013 and 2017 E-Jet orders, American has ordered 74 E175s and selected Envoy to operate 54 of those E175s; this delivery represents Envoy's 44th E175. SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, BRAZIL - Embraer celebrates the delivery of its 1,400th E-Jet, an E175, during a ceremony at Embraer's industrial facilities in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. American Airlines took delivery of this milestone aircraft and selected Envoy Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc., to operate the aircraft. Since American Airlines has been a customer of Embraer for nearly 20 years, subsidiary Envoy is one of the original ERJ operators and currently has over 100 ERJs in its fleet. Combining the 2013 and 2017 E-Jet orders, American has ordered 74 E175s and selected Envoy to operate 54 of those E175s; this delivery represents Envoy's 44th E175. "The E-Jet program, one of the most successful aircraft programs in history, has been instrumental in shaping the 70 to 130-seat market we see today. And to celebrate the 1,400th E-Jet delivery with our longtime friends, American Airlines and Envoy, is truly a special moment for us, especially after they took delivery of their first E175 just two years ago," said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "We understand that being part of an airline's fleet is also being part of their vision, family, and brand. That's why, as the market leader of this segment, we are committed to continuously raising the standard in order to provide products and solutions that ultimately benefit their customers." "Going back to our first jets in 1998, Envoy has enjoyed a long and very successful partnership with Embraer," said Pedro Fabregas, President and CEO of Envoy Air. "They take great pride in the aircraft they produce, and it shows in the quality of the E175 being delivered today. Our employees love operating the aircraft as much as our customers enjoy traveling on it, so we are delighted to share in this important milestone. We look forward to receiving 10 more E175s in the near future and operating these outstanding aircraft for many years to come." Embraer's E-Jet family, launched in 1999, has made its mark in the aviation landscape as Embraer is the only manufacturer to develop a modern family of four aircraft specifically targeted for the 70 to 130-seat segment. With an average mission completion rate of 99.9% and more than 16 million flight cycles, the E-Jet fleet has surpassed the 22 million flight hour milestone. In addition to their proven reliability, E-Jets have a strategically-located global network of customer support and services with more than 40 MRO centers, 9 of which are authorized and over 31 are independent. Since entering revenue service in 2004, when the first aircraft was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,800 orders and delivered 1,400 aircraft. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 130-seat family has flown more than one billion passengers and flies with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers. https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/embraer-delivers-1400th-e-jet-to-american-airlines Back to Top Order Your $35 Million Citation Hemisphere Jet Now * Deliveries of the corporate jet are scheduled for 2020. The Citation Hemisphere, Textron's largest-ever corporate jet, is still in development, but the company now has opened its order book and is ready to take deposits. The jet is the first clean- sheet design in its segment in 20 years. Textron says its aim is to optimize space and comfort in the cabin, while providing the newest and most efficient technology for the engines and the cockpit. The company brought a full-scale mockup of the three-zone cabin to Las Vegas recently, for the annual trade show hosted by the National Business Aviation Association. The cabin is the widest in its class, at 8.5 feet, with 6 feet 2 inches of stand-up clearance, a flat floor, and room for up to 19 passengers. Twenty oversized windows flood the cabin with natural light. Seats and cabinetry are custom-designed and handcrafted in-house. All the seats are fully berthable, and feature thermo- electric technology to provide optimal heating or cooling. A three-place divan converts to a bed. Cabin altitude during flight never exceeds 5,000 feet, helping to protect travelers from jet lag. A full galley supports fresh meals for travelers. The flight crew will be supplied with a fly-by-wire transoceanic flight management system, powered by Honeywell's fully integrated Primus Epic avionics system. The SmartView feature provides pilots a detailed 3-D view of the outside world even in fog, rain, or snow. Wind-tunnel tests on the fuselage have recently been completed. Two all-new Safran Silvercrest engines, with 12,000 pounds of thrust, will drive the big jet at speeds up to Mach 0.9 for more than 5,100 miles, while reducing emissions and noise compared to other engines in the same category. The Silvercrest engines are still in development, and have been taking longer than expected, slowing the timeline for Falcon's 5X jet. Textron officials say it's too soon to tell if the delays will affect the Hemisphere's development schedule, but they are continuing to work toward the original timeline, with first flight in 2019. The $35 million jet is expected to start deliveries in 2020. http://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/order-your-35-million-citation-hemisphere-jet-now- 2765588/ Back to Top Two Factors Driving Electric Aircraft We are used to the idea of electric cars, electric bikes, electric buses and electric trains. Most are in their early stages, but are economically viable with varying degrees of subsidy and the technology is developing rapidly to improve efficiency and further bring down costs. But electric planes? Well, there has been plenty of media attention on single-person transports, essentially beefed-up drones with four corner fans capable of carrying one, possibly even two, people. However, both technologically and economically, they are some way from being a viable product, without even beginning to consider the approval and regulatory process. But two factors are driving the development of the electric passenger aircraft that is encouraging the investment of considerable sums of money and fast-tracking potential roll-out of a viable product. A purely electric aircraft is still in its infancy, pending development of battery technology. The weight of the batteries would make the range of a purely electric aircraft too short to be economically viable. But a BBC report says that Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are partnering on a hybrid electric aircraft prototype, the E-Fan X, that will prove how the blending of conventional and electric engines could work. The E-Fan X demonstrator will a use modified four-engine BAe 146 by replacing one of its gas turbine engines with a 2MW electric motor, followed by a second engine as the program progresses. By 2020, the group hopes to have a demonstrator flying using a jet turbine generator positioned in the fuselage to power the electric engine. Any excess power from the generator will be stored in banks of batteries in the fore and aft holds. The stored energy would be used during takeoff and landing. Source: Airbus What About Emissions and Noise? What's driving the investment are two dynamics. Firstly - and not surprisingly, when you consider that all three firms are European - is the issue of emissions. A jet turbine running at a constant steady state is expected to be more fuel efficient and emit less Nox and CO2 than conventional jet engines, which are ramped up and down in power output frequently during a flight. There is the hope it will also be more fuel efficient, jet fuel makes up a large proportion of a typical aircraft's running cost (17-36%, depending on the price of fuel). Any saving, however small, would be a competitive advantage. Secondly, there is the noise, as a Telegraph article explains. Airports are desperate to reduce noise levels, despite the huge gains that have already been made in recent years. Airbus's A380, the article states, emits only half as much noise as an older 747 on departure, and three to four times less on landing. Some aircraft are even beginning to limit 90 decibel emissions on departure (equivalent to a diesel truck going by) to within airport boundaries, but the pressure from local communities is so intense that some airports penalize noisier aircraft, creating a financial incentive to reduce levels further. London's Heathrow, for example, charges the 1% of visiting aircraft that are still very noisy 10 times as much as the quietest ones. An electric aircraft engine, like an electric car engine, would emit a fraction of the noise level that current conventional turbines emit. The rewards, therefore, are substantial; but so, too, are the challenges. The Way Forward Improvements in batteries and electric motors are key, but so are further weight savings to reduce the demands put on those key components. Rolls Royce, for example, is said to be working to make the turbine as light as possible, and that "parts of the engine, generator and power electronic systems will be integrated to reduce weight." Research will no doubt drive further innovation in aircraft materials - indeed, it will need to if hybrid aircraft are to stand a chance of achieving a viable range - but the prospect of marrying the best of current jet propulsion with the best of electric turbine technology seems to have more potential than the prospects for all electric in the foreseeable future. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/two-factors-driving-electric-aircraft-220000948.html Back to Top NASA to Unveil Exoplanet Discovery Thursday Artist's illustration of NASA's Kepler space telescope, which has discovered more than 2,500 confirmed alien planets to date. NASA is about to announce some more big alien-planet news. The agency will hold a news conference Thursday (Dec. 14) at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) to reveal a new discovery made by its prolific Kepler space telescope, which has been searching the heavens for alien worlds since 2009. Space.com will air the briefing live, courtesy of NASA. "The discovery was made by researchers using machine learning from Google," NASA officials wrote in a media advisory. "Machine learning is an approach to artificial intelligence, and demonstrates new ways of analyzing Kepler data." [7 Ways to Discovery Alien Planets] The following people will participate in the news conference: * Paul Hertz, director of NASA's Astrophysics division at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. * Christopher Shallue, senior software engineer at Google AI in Mountain View, California. * Andrew Vanderburg, astronomer and NASA Sagan postdoctoral fellow at The University of Texas at Austin. * Jessie Dotson, Kepler project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. Kepler spots alien worlds by noticing the tiny brightness dips they cause when they cross the face of their host star from the spacecraft's perspective. Kepler is the most accomplished planet hunter in history. It has found more than 2,500 confirmed alien worlds - about 70 percent of all known exoplanets - along with a roughly equal number of "candidates" that await confirmation by follow- up observations or analyses. The vast majority of these discoveries have come via observations that Kepler made during its original mission, which ran from 2009 to 2013. Study of these data sets is ongoing; over the past few years, researchers have used improved analysis techniques to spot many exoplanets in data that Kepler gathered a half-decade ago or more. Astronomers have confirmed more than 800 planets beyond our own solar system, and the discoveries keep rolling in. How much do you know about these exotic worlds? Kepler's first mission, which involved staring continuously at about 150,000 stars, ended in May 2013, when the spacecraft lost its second orientation-maintaining "reaction wheel." But the telescope's handlers soon figured out a way to stabilize Kepler using sunlight pressure. It is now on a second mission, called K2, during which it's hunting for exoplanets on a more limited basis and making a number of other observations. https://www.space.com/39032-nasa-alien-planet-kepler-discovery-announcement.html Back to Top Back to Top This ad will run 11/6, 11/8, 11/10, 11/13, 11/15, and 11/17 Upcoming USC Courses Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance Maintenance Safety Principles and Guidelines for Developing Effective Maintenance Safety Programs January 8-12, 2018 4.5 Days Safety Program Administration Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FEMA) Process Prediction, Communication, and Influencing Management Safety Program Organization Safety Climates/Management Styles Reporting Systems Accident Response Planning Tuition: $2500 Data for Aviation Safety Management Creating a Data-Based Safety Case for All Aviation Operations January 8-12, 2018 4.5 Days Evolution of Flight Data Analysis Flight Data Recorders, types, capabilities, and history International Regulatory Standards Relationship to SMS FOQA, ASAP, and ASRS Video and Audio Analysis Commercial Safety Data Services Animation of Flight Data ADS-B Practical Exercise Tuition: $2500 Threat and Error Management Integrating Threat and Error Management into a Safety Management System January 17-19, 2018 2.5 Days Introduction to Threats and Errors Performance and Loss of Situation Awareness Threat Recognition and Error Avoidance Building Barriers to Error Distraction and Interruption Management SOPs role in Threat and Error Management Tuition: $1250 For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Curt Lewis