Flight Safety Information January 23, 2018 - No. 017 In This Issue Incident: Aerologic B772 near Leipzig on Jan 22nd 2018, hydraulic problem Incident: S7 A20N at Irkutsk on Jan 21st 2018, descended below profile on approach Incident: SunExpress B738 at Dusseldorf on Jan 20th 2018, flaps problem ATSB releases preliminary report on hard landing accident of ATR 72-600 at Canberra Jet grounds two pilots for Bangkok tail strike The Air Force has appointed a general to investigate why pilots keep having trouble breathing in the cockpit Halladay Survived Plane Crash -- Could Boaters Have Saved His Life? U.S. requires tougher cargo screening from Middle East airports Pan Am pilots' claim for restitution from Lockerbie bombing fund is rejected For in-flight Wi-Fi, airlines likely to charge 30% of fare (India) Coming Soon: Revolution in Aviation Fuel for General Aviation Aircraft Boeing's new Dreamliner aircraft clears FAA certification for commercial service Marshall Space Flight Center: Test Site for NASA's Rockets GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April 2018 ACSF Symposium New HFACS workshops for 2018 Save the Date ISASI PNRC KICK-OFF EVENT FOR 2018 (Seattle) Call for Papers - ISASI 2018 Incident: Aerologic B772 near Leipzig on Jan 22nd 2018, hydraulic problem An Aerologic Boeing 777-200 freighter, registration D-AALH performing flight 3S-570 from Leipzig (Germany) to Shanghai Pudong (China), was enroute at FL310 about 120nm eastnortheast of Leipzg already in Polish Airspace when the crew decided to return to Leipzig reporting a hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely back on Leipzig's runway 08R about 90 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-200 regstration D-AALD departed Leipzig with a delay of about 7 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 11 hours, then returned to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b3f81b6&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: S7 A20N at Irkutsk on Jan 21st 2018, descended below profile on approach A S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration VQ-BCK performing flight S7-3275 from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk (Russia), was on approach to Irkutsk's runway 12 cleared to descend to 600 meters (2000 feet AGL), before the aircraft intercepted the glideslope the controller cleared the flight to descend to 450 meters (1500 feet AGL), the aircraft however continued to descend below that cleared height. When tower called the aircraft, due to radio traffic congestion with a bit of delay, the crew initiated a go around about 8km (4.3nm) before the runway threshold at 270 meters (885 feet AGL). The aircraft positioned for another approach and landed safely on runway 12 about 15 minutes after the go around. Rosaviatsia reported the aircraft had followed the BD1C standard arrival route and was cleared to descend to 600 meters. Before being established on the glide slope the aircraft was cleared to descend to 450 meters (1500 feet AGL), however, descended below 450 meters. Due to traffic congestion on the radio the controller could not immediately intervene. When the controller finally reached the crew and asked about their current height and pressure setting on the altimeter, the crew initiated a go around at 270 meters (885 feet AGL) about 8km (4.3nm) before the runway threshold (Editorial notes: on the 3.3 degrees glideslope for runway 12 the aircraft should have been at 475 meters/1560 feet AGL (3140 feet MSL), Rosaviatsia did not mention which type of final approach - ILS, VOR/DME or Two NDB approach - the aircraft was performing, however, only ILS was possible with the present weather conditions). Rosaviatsia annotated that the aircraft should have intercepted the glideslope at about 10km (5.4nm) before the runway threshold at 600 meters. Metars: UIII 212300Z 10002MPS 2400 BR OVC002 M39/M43 Q1041 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB080 QFE738/0984= UIII 212230Z 08001MPS 2100 BR OVC004 M39/M43 Q1041 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB120 QFE738/0984= UIII 212200Z 09002MPS 5000 BR OVC003 M40/M44 Q1041 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB110 QFE738/0984= UIII 212130Z 08002MPS 3500 BR OVC003 M40/M44 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB110 QFE738/0984= UIII 212100Z 08002MPS 2700 BR BKN003 M40/M44 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB090 QFE738/0984= UIII 212030Z 09002MPS 5000 BR SCT004 M39/M43 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB130 QFE738/0984= UIII 212000Z 09002MPS 2200 BR SCT005 M41/M45 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB150 QFE738/0985= UIII 211930Z 08001MPS 2000 R12/P2000U BR SCT001 M40/M44 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB050 QFE739/0985= UIII 211900Z VRB01MPS 2700 1200S BR FEW006 M40/M43 Q1042 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB200 QFE739/0985= UIII 211830Z 09001MPS 3500 BR FEW006 M39/M43 Q1043 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB200 QFE739/0985= UIII 211800Z 09002MPS 2200 BR FEW003 M40/M44 Q1043 R12/390245 NOSIG RMK QBB110 QFE739/0985= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b3f801e&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: SunExpress B738 at Dusseldorf on Jan 20th 2018, flaps problem A SunExpress Boeing 737-800, registration D-ASXA performing flight XG-4834 from Hurghada (Egypt) to Dusseldorf (Germany), was on approach to Dusseldorf when the crew reported problems with the flaps and climbed back from about 3000 to 4000 feet. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew prepared the aircraft for a high speed landing. The aircraft subsequently landed on Dusseldorf's runway 23L at about 198 knots over ground about 25 minutes after aborting the first approach. The airport reported the aircraft performed a precautionary landing due to some technical problem. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2:15 hours, then returned to service. On Jan 22nd 2018 the airline reported the problem was identified to be a sensor problem only, the flaps had actually correctly deployed. Metars: EDDL 201920Z VRB02KT 8000 -RADZ OVC007 03/02 Q1000 TEMPO BKN012= EDDL 201850Z VRB02KT 9999 -RADZ SCT008 BKN013 OVC020 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201820Z 13004KT 9999 SCT008 BKN013 OVC020 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201750Z 11004KT 080V150 9999 -RADZ SCT008 BKN013 OVC020 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201720Z 15004KT 110V170 9999 -RADZ SCT008 BKN013 OVC020 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201650Z 15006KT 9999 -RADZ FEW005 BKN008 OVC020 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201620Z 16004KT 9999 -RA FEW005 BKN008 OVC017 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201550Z 15006KT 9999 -RA FEW005 BKN008 OVC012 03/02 Q0999 TEMPO BKN015= EDDL 201520Z 15007KT 9999 -RA FEW005 BKN008 OVC012 03/02 Q1000 NOSIG= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b3e2fb7&opt=256 Back to Top ATSB releases preliminary report on hard landing accident of ATR 72-600 at Canberra Airport, Australia The ATSB released a preliminary report into a hard landing accident involving an ATR 72-600 at Canberra Airport, Australia on 19 November 2017. The aircraft was being operated by Virgin Australia as flight VA646 on a scheduled passenger flight from Sydney to Canberra. On board the aircraft was the captain, first officer, a check captain, two cabin crew and 67 passengers. The first officer was pilot flying, and the captain was pilot monitoring. The check captain was positioned in the observer seat on the flight deck and was conducting an annual line check of the captain along with a six month line check of the first officer over four flights on the day. The occurrence flight was the last of these flights. At about 13:20 local time the flight crew were conducting a visual approach to runway 35 at Canberra. The calculated approach speed was 113 kt. At 13:20:52, nine seconds prior to touch down, the aircraft approached the runway at a height of about 107 ft, slightly above the desired approach path. The flight crew reported that at about this time, there was turbulence and changing wind conditions. Flight data showed that at this time, speed had increased to 127 kt. In response to the increasing speed, the first officer reduced power to near flight idle. Over the next five seconds, the descent rate increased significantly and the speed reduced. During the last 50 ft of descent, the captain twice called for an increase in power and then called for a go-around. The first officer responded by increasing the power at about the same time as the aircraft touched down. At 13:21:01, the aircraft touched down heavily on the main landing gear and rear fuselage with a peak recorded vertical acceleration of 2.97G. Assessing that the aircraft was under control, the captain immediately called to the first officer to cancel the go-around and then took control of the aircraft. The flight crew completed the landing roll and taxied to the gate without further incident. After shutting down the engines, the flight crew reviewed the recorded landing data which indicated a hard landing had occurred, requiring maintenance inspections. The captain then made an entry in the aircraft technical log, and subsequent inspections revealed that the aircraft had been substantially damaged. There were no reported injuries. More information: * ATSB AO-2017-111 https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/01/23/atsb-releases-preliminary-report-hard-landing- accident-atr-72-600-canberra-airport-australia-19-november-2017/ Back to Top Jet grounds two pilots for Bangkok tail strike NEW DELHI: Jet Airways has grounded two pilots for a "tail strike" in Thailand last week. The incident reportedly happened when the airline's Boeing 737 was taking off from Bangkok for Delhi with over 160 people on board. During take off, the plane's rear section of fuselage (main body of aircraft) hit the runway. Confirming this, a Jet spokesman said: "Jet flight 9W 65 of January 19, 2018, from Bangkok to Delhi experienced a tailstrike. The Boeing 737-800 with eight crew and 155 guests, landed safely at Delhi. The aircraft was inspected and cleared for operations by the Jet Airways' engineering and safety team." "The airline has reported the event to the regulatory authorities and is also investigating the matter. As a standard practice, the crew of the flight have been placed off active duty to assist with the investigations. At Jet Airways, safety of our guests and crew is of paramount importance," he added. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this incident. While tail strikes can happen for a number of reasons, human error, say experienced pilots, is the most common cause. Airlines globally stress on crew training as the most effective way of preventing this phenomenon. "Tail strike can led to significant damage to rear fuselage, repairing which is both expensive and prolonged exercise. Tail strike during landing can lead to more damage than the same thing happening during take off," said a senior airline pilot. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jet-grounds-two-pilots-for-bangkok-tail- strike/articleshow/62612623.cms Back to Top The Air Force has appointed a general to investigate why pilots keep having trouble breathing in the cockpit * F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing fly an air-to-air training mission against student pilots April 8, 2015. US Air Force/Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen * Numerous Air Force planes were grounded in 2017 after pilots experienced symptoms of oxygen deprivation while in flight. * Both Air Force and Navy planes have seen such incidents over the past several years, but military officials have struggled to find root causes for them. The Air Force has formed a headquarters-level team to take a force-wide look at the problem and recommend steps to reduce and eliminate them. After a spate of physiological incidents involving cockpit oxygen supplies last year, the Air Force has selected a general to lead a team investigating the episodes. Pilots flying several types of aircraft experienced symptoms of what appeared to be hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, which led to the grounding of some Air Force A-10 Thunderbolts, F-35A Lightnings, and T-6A training aircraft. "As part of the integrated effort to address physiological events, the Air Force is providing more resources to understand [unexplained physiological events], standardize response actions to such events and assess options for more robust aircrew training to recognize and respond to these events," Brig. Gen. Bobbi Jo Doorenbos, who was picked to lead the team, said in an Air Force release on Monday. "Our ultimate goal is to prevent UPEs." A physiological event happens when pilots experience symptoms that can be caused by a number of factors, like hypoxia, that can cause dizziness, confusion, and impair a pilot's ability to fly. The team is still waiting for the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for operations to approve its charter, according to Aviation Week. Once that charter is signed, the team will start to gather information in order to determine if previous recommendations were implemented correctly. US Air Force Maj. William Andreotta prepares for takeoff at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in March 2016. Staff Sgt. Staci Miller/US Air Force The Air Force grounded all F-35A Lightning II's at Luke Air Force Base on June 9, 2017, after five incidents in which pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. In each case, the pilot's backup oxygen system worked and the pilot landed safely. A few days after that grounding, the Air Force disclosed 15 cases of pilots experiencing similar symptoms between 2011 and 2017. Five took place between May 2 and June 8; the other 10 were considered isolated incidents. F-35A operations at Luke Air Force Base were cleared to resume on June 21. At that time, investigators hadn't found root causes for the incidents, but took steps to avoid repeating them, like instructing pilots to avoid altitudes where such incidents took place and increasing the minimum levels for backup oxygen systems on each flight. Aviation Week reported in early January that dozens of A-10 Thunderbolts had been grounded at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona in late November after two pilots experienced in-flight physiological episodes that caused hypoxia-like symptoms. In both cases, the backup oxygen system worked and the pilots were able to land. One pilot was using an older liquid oxygen system, which most A-10s have, when the incident occurred. Air Force officials quickly determined the issue with that system and fixed the problem. The other pilot, however, was using the Onboard Oxygen Generation System, or Obogs, which is found in the rest of the fleet. A third pilot had a problem with the Obogs while on the ground. Investigators could not immediately determine the cause of the Obogs problem, leading Air Force officials to ground 28 A-10s using the system at Davis-Monthan. Flight operations for Obogs- equipped A-10s resumed about a week after the grounding, though investigators had not determined an underlying reason for the malfunction. In mid-November, the T-6A Texan II aircraft in use at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma were grounded after four physiological incidents with hypoxia-like symptoms that month. T-6A flights resumed in early December, but investigators had not found specific root causes for the incidents, Air Force officials said at the time. 'We are aggressively addressing these events' These incidents have not been limited to those aircraft. Pilots of F-22 Raptors, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and F-15 Eagles have reported hypoxia-like incidents in recent years. An F-22 pilot was killed in a 2010 incident in which his oxygen system cut off; the cause for the malfunction has not been found. Nor is the problem limited to the Air Force - Navy pilots in the T-45 Goshawk training aircraft, F/A- 18 Hornets, Super Hornets, and EA-18G Growlers have also experienced hypoxia-like incidents at an increased rate over the past several years. Hypoxia-like symptoms have been linked to the deaths of four Navy F/A-18 pilots. Capt. Michael Slotten, a 61st Fighter Squadron F-35 student pilot, climbs into an F-35 Lighting II at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, July 7, 2017. (US Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham) The military has struggled to resolve the problem. It's not clear whether all cases are hypoxia- related - i.e. stemming from an insufficient supply of oxygen - or related to other problems that cause similar symptoms. There are often few common factors, as oxygen deprivation affects pilots in different ways and because different planes in different branches of service use different systems to deliver air to pilots. Doorenbos told Aviation Week that her team would take insights from previous investigations into physiological episodes - such as changes in maintenance and training procedures - and apply them at a higher level. Doorenbos, who stressed the rarity of such problems, also said she would work closely with her Navy counterpart. Military officials have said the results of their investigations would be shared with industry partners and academia - as well as with pilots, in order to reduce the stigma related to reporting such incidents. "Despite the serious nature of these events, the overall historic rate of UPEs is incredibly low. The probability that a pilot will experience a physiological event is less than 1 percent per year," Doorenbos said in the Air Force release. "Still, we are aggressively addressing these events and communicating with aircrew so they remain confident in their aircraft and weapon systems." http://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-picks-general-investigate-oxygen-loss-hypoxia-incidents- 2018-1 Back to Top Halladay Survived Plane Crash -- Could Boaters Have Saved His Life? Christine Negroni , CONTRIBUTOR Boaters arrived at the scene shortly after the crash but no one seemed to attempt to rescue Halladay An autopsy on Roy Halladay, the retired major league baseball star who died last fall in the crash of his light sport airplane, shows the former athlete survived the crash into the Gulf of Mexico and died from drowning and blunt force trauma, according to an autopsy report. That Halladay, 41, was not killed on impact, but lived long enough so that he drowned should prompt some reflection on the behavior of the boaters who arrived on the scene with cameras rolling but do not appear to have investigated whether the pilot of the airplane could have been rescued. The video shows that at least three boats were very close to the barely submerged airplane some time before the Coast Guard arrived. A video shot by one of the boaters right before the accident, Halladay's plane is seen maneuvering at low altitude before it hits the water. The alarmed men then speed to the scene. Whether Halladay, who was alone in the airplane that morning, could have survived had he been pulled out of the water in a timely fashion is not addressed in the report according to Bill Pellan, director of investigations for the District 6 Medical Examiner, which covers two counties in the Tampa area. "Our office is not in a position (to answer that) because our physicians don't treat the living and we are not trauma physicians," Pellan told me when I asked if Halladay could have been saved. Pellan said that question is best answered by a trauma physician who could look at the injuries from the impact and determine if they were survivable. In an air accident, the question of survivability is often part of the investigation. There is little doubt that the National Transportation Safety Board will take note of other points made by the medical examiner - that traces of drugs banned or restricted for pilots were found in Halladay's system including morphine, amphetamines and zolpidem also known as Ambien. The Federal Aviation Administration bans the use of morphine, a pain reliever, by pilots and restricts the use of the sleeping medication zolpidem to not closer than 24-hours before flight. Halladay's level of zolpidem was 72 nanograms per milliliter nearly 50% higher than the level considered to cause impairment in drivers. In a report on drugs and driving by the Food and Drug Administration issued the same month as the Halladay crash, scientists wrote that pairing sleep medication with amphetamines (stimulants) can increase risk taking and aggressive driving. Even though amphetamines are often included in drugs used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, the FAA does not allow their use by active pilots. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinenegroni/2018/01/22/halladay-survived-plane-crash-could- boaters-have-saved-his-life/#282e0c5f4eda Back to Top U.S. requires tougher cargo screening from Middle East airports WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Monday it will require six Middle Eastern carriers to undergo enhanced cargo screening as part of an effort to raise global aviation security. The emergency amendment covers carriers in five countries flying out of seven airports and focuses "on last points of departure locations where the threat is greatest," TSA said in a statement. It comes as the Trump administration has been working to increase international airport security. The carriers and airports are: Egypt Air operating out of Cairo International Airport, Royal Jordanian RJAL.AM operating out of Queen Alia International Airport, Saudia operating out of King Abdul-Aziz International Airport and King Khalid International Airport, Qatar Airways operating out of Doha International Airport and Emirates and Etihad operating out of Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport. All cargo originating from those airports will have to be screened and secured under Air Cargo Advance Screening protocols. The TSA said most of the requirements were already being voluntarily applied by airlines around the world. Carriers must submit advance air cargo data to U.S. authorities. The program uses U.S. Department of Homeland Security "threat information and other data to employ a risk-based approach to improve air cargo security through targeted vetting." A Royal Jordanian spokeswoman said the airline had "received this new amendment from TSA to be implemented on air cargo shipments, and we were given one month period to apply the new amendment." Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Saudi Arabian Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In September, TSA issued a new security directive requiring enhanced screening of cargo from Turkey after an incident in Australia. In July, an Australian man sent his unsuspecting brother to Sydney airport to catch an Etihad Airways flight carrying a home-made bomb disguised as a meat mincer built at the direction of a senior Islamic State commander. High-grade military explosives used to build the bomb were sent by air cargo from Turkey. In October, new security measures including stricter passenger screening started taking effect on all U.S.-bound flights, including some short security interviews with passengers at check-in or the boarding gate. In July, the United States lifted restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-airports-security/u-s-requires-tougher-cargo-screening- from-middle-east-airports-idUSKBN1FB25F Back to Top Pan Am pilots' claim for restitution from Lockerbie bombing fund is rejected Police and investigators look at what remains of the flight deck of Pan Am 103 on a field in Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 22, 1988. Pan Am shut down three years later, and a group of pilots sought compensation for their years of lost wages. (AP) An attempt by pilots of Pan American World Airways, the once-dominant airline victimized by the 1988 mid-air bombing of Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, cannot recover money from a $1.5 billion fund created by Libya to compensate victims of the bombing, a Washington-based commission has ruled. The pilots claimed that the bombing led directly to the demise of Pan Am, costing them their jobs, their health insurance and their pensions. Pan Am folded suddenly on Dec. 4, 1991, after an attempt to buy Northwest Airlines and a merger with Delta Air Lines both fell through. Fifty Pan Am pilots and one flight attendant have been pursuing Libya in the courts since 1994, but it wasn't until 2013 that they were allowed to file a claim with the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, which reviews claims on the Libyan fund. The commission issued a preliminary ruling against the pilots in 2016, but they were granted a hearing in Washington in December 2016. In that hearing, a number of pilots, as well as former Pan Am executives and economic analysts, tried to make the case that the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing, which killed 270 people in the plane and on the ground in Scotland, set off the chain of events which led to the airline's demise. But commissioners Anuj C. Desai and Sylvia M. Becker stood behind their preliminary ruling, and their analysis of Pan Am's decline, which they said was caused by many other factors, including a recession, airline deregulation, oil price spikes and the first Iraq War. The pilots "failed to prove that," Desai and Becker wrote, "if not for Lockerbie, Pan Am would have remained in business. Pan Am's 1991 liquidation was too remote, both factually and temporally, from the 1988 bombing; and far too much happened in the intervening three-year period to hold Libya liable for Pan Am's liquidation." The ruling was issued Tuesday. There is no appeal from the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, and the case is over. Former Pan Am pilot Bruce Abbott led an effort by Pan Am pilots to get compensation from Libya after the 1988 bombing of Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. (Alison Barnes Martin) Joanne Young, a lawyer for the pilots, was critical of the ruling. She said it stood "in stark contrast to the U.S. Congress appropriation of $5 billion to the U.S. airlines to avoid imminent bankruptcy following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when they specifically cited the need to avoid another Lockerbie. It is also contrary to a finding by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 2001, which found that Pan Am 'succumbed to two years of crushing financial pressures caused by the bombing' over Lockerbie in filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy." Young added, "A key argument for us was that, but for the financial losses from Lockerbie, Pan Am could have successfully merged with Northwest and remained in business. " She noted that three former Pan Am executives testified to this. "The commissioners rejected this first-hand testimony and said there were no documents to prove that Lockerbie losses prevented the merger, or even if there had been a merger, that the combined airline would have survived," Young said. Bruce Abbott, the leader of the pilots' case, said that after the December 2016 hearing at the federal courthouse in the District, "I came away with a very empty feeling." He said the two commissioners "spent a whole day chopping away at things that were not of significance to the overall presentation." Almost all of the pilots were military veterans, Abbott said, "and we had answered the call for our nation. We wanted a forum with competent triers of fact. I think we were shut out on that. I don't think we got a fair hearing and I don't think we got to the essence of the case." But the fact that the commission took more than a year to rule indicated to Abbott that Desai and Becker were figuring out how to award damages from the Libya fund. "So when they came through with this, it was startling," Abbott said. "After 25 years of struggling to be heard, now we've gotten the results from what I consider a slapstick consideration, and there's no appeal. I do have a great deal of frustration about it." In their ruling, the commissioners noted that "Pan Am struggled for years prior to the Lockerbie bombing." A new CEO, Thomas Plaskett, took over, and the airline's finances greatly improved in the third quarter of 1988. Economic experts provided forecasts of possible growth if not for the bombing, which the pilots said severely damaged passenger loads. But the commissioners ruled that "the law does not permit recovery based on projections unless there is a strong basis for believing that the projections are based on well-documented, consistent past realities." Young said that the commissioners "unfairly used essentially the criminal 'beyond a reasonable doubt' standard of proof to prove Lockerbie was the cause for Pan Am's demise." She said that was "contrary to their own rules which call for non-adversarial proceedings." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/01/22/pan-am-pilots-claim-for- restitution-from-lockerbie-bombing-fund-is-rejected/?utm_term=.920e788d11d7 Back to Top For in-flight Wi-Fi, airlines likely to charge 30% of fare (India) * Officials said the charges for net connection might range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for thirty minutes to an hour as per international standards * Airlines have to pay service providers like Inmarsat and others a hefty sum to activate in- flight net connectivity. CHENNAI: Travellers could soon be able to post a selfie on social media while on board a plane, but may have to shell out at least 20-30% of the fare to avail of in-flight data connectivity. Airlines are considering options to introduce the facility following a Trai order permitting in-flight voice and data connectivity+ . The move may help airlines add value to services for business class travellers on domestic and international routes. It may not be an option for low-cost carriers. Officials said the charges for in-flight net connectivity would range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for thirty minutes to an hour, according to international standards and taking into account the charges levied by service providers for slots on satellites. Airlines have to pay service providers like Inmarsat and others a hefty sum to activate inflight net connectivity. With advance booking fares starting from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,500 on short domestic routes, in-flight internet connectivity may be too expensive for passengers and airlines in the domestic sector. Anairline official said that Trai's order permitting inflight net connection would be an advantage for flights that traverse the peninsula on intercontinental routes. These flights do not have to switch off the Wi-Fi when in Indian airspace, he added. "We are discussing the feasibility of having the facility on domestic flights. The cost and demand may have to be factored in before taking a decision," said an official of a private airline. Airlines will have to install antennae on planes based on how they decide to receive and send the signals, either over mobile towers on the ground or over satellites. Frequent travellers say that except for a handful of business travellers, there are no takers for in- flight internet even on international routes. Air Passengers Association of India national president D Sudhakara Reddy said, "The in-flight data connectivity may be useful on longhaul flights. But I have hardly seen anyone use it or ask for it on international routes. It may be good during an emergency. Going by the international experience of passengers, it may not be viable for low-cost carriers." Some airlines allow passengers to use Wi-Fi free of charge for WhatsApp and other messenger services which may not need much bandwidth. Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways and Delta are among the airlines that offer the service on international routes. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/airlines-may-charge-30-of-fare-for-wi- fi/articleshow/62611187.cms? Back to Top Coming Soon: Revolution in Aviation Fuel for General Aviation Aircraft Two flight engineers at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) in Daytona Beach, Fla., are working to remove lead from aviation gasoline (avgas), thanks to a $993,000 award from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently, there are more than 167,000 piston-engine general aviation aircraft in the United States, and more than 230,000 worldwide, using avgas. It is the only remaining lead-containing transportation fuel in the country, and avgas emissions have become the largest contributor to lead emissions in the United States, according to the FAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2016, the FAA began its second and final phase of testing of two 100-octane unleaded fuel formulations - one from Shell Oil Company and one from Swift Fuels LLC - as part of the Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative (PAFI) program. The initial two-year, phase one ground testing began with 17 different formulations from six fuel producers and was completed in 2015. The change to unleaded fuel would be the most substantial change in avgas since the 1940s, when the mixtures being used today were developed for airline and military radial engines with high levels of supercharging. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has said, "We're on track to have unleaded aviation gasoline fully evaluated and ready to be authorized for use by the general aviation fleet in 2018." The testing of the experimental fuels for Embry-Riddle's Eagle Flight Research Center is the co- responsibility of Borja Martos, an accomplished flight engineer and research pilot, primarily in research aircraft, and Scott Martin, a senior scientist and EFRC flight test pilot. Both researchers are excited to be working on this project to help create an aviation fuel with less environmental impact. The two engineers have been asked by the FAA to evaluate many aspects of how the new fuels interact with the aircraft fuel systems and engines, such as how the vapor pressure is affected by altitude. Is the freezing point compatible with the current fuel? How does the new fuel's different chemical components affect seals or gaskets in the engine, hoses and pumps? The work is confidential, but Martos can acknowledge that he and Martin are using multiple aircraft in evaluating different performance categories during flight; cold and hot fuel performance, anti- detonation performance, fuel systems compatibility, engine power and performance and engine start ability. Will the new formulation work for most of the general aviation aircraft with little or no additional hardware? Martos' and Martin's research over the next year will be an important part of the answer. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/coming-soon-revolution-in-aviation-fuel-for-general-aviation- aircraft/ Back to Top Boeing's new Dreamliner aircraft clears FAA certification for commercial service SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Boeing company, the world's leading aerospace manufacturer, announced Monday that it has received an official certificate from the U.S. aviation regulator for its new Dreamliner, which set the stage for the aircraft's commercial service. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded the amended type certificate (ATC) to Boeing after a successful flight test of the 787-10 Dreamliner that began in March 2017. Boeing said the test program involved three flight test airplanes totaling around 900 test hours. Boeing has won over 170 orders for the 787-10 Dreamliner from nine customers worldwide. The first delivery is expected to Singapore Airlines in the first half of 2018, it said. "We are pleased to have met the rigorous standards set forth by the FAA and are eager to bring the airplane to market for our valued customers," Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, said in a statement. "After years of design and testing, our team has proven the quality, safety and reliability of the newest member of the Dreamliner family and we look forward to seeing the airplane in service later this year," he added. Boeing said the new Dreamliner will get 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat than other airplanes. The plane can fly 330 passengers up to 6,430 nautical miles (about 1,1908 kilometers). Boeing said other U.S. agencies are expected to follow FAA and certify the 787-10 Dreamliner before it enters service. The 787 Dreamliner is a family of super-efficient airplanes with new passenger-pleasing features, which retains over 95 percent commonality with more seats and cargo capacity, according to the Boeing statement. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/23/c_136916277.htm Back to Top Marshall Space Flight Center: Test Site for NASA's Rockets The 215-foot-tall structural test stand for NASA's Space Launch System is at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Credit: NASA Located in Huntsville, Alabama, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has played a significant role in the American space program. Marshall helped to develop the rockets that carried the first U.S. astronaut into space and those that delivered humans to the moon. Today, the agency is working on the Space Launch System that could one day carry astronauts to Mars. Shortly before opening the new agency, NASA described the Marshall Center as "the only self- contained organization in the nation which was capable of conducting the development of a space vehicle from the conception of the idea through production of hardware, testing, and launching operations." In addition to developing space vehicles, Marshall also participates in scientific programs, helping to develop and test hardware and instruments for projects like the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Japanese-led Hinode mission. OTD in Space - January 23: NASA's Glenn Research Center is Founded Happy birthday, Glenn Research Center! On January 23, 1942, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics-the N.A.C.A.-founded the Aircraft Engine Laboratory, which was renamed Lewis Research Center after NASA was established in 1958. It was renamed again in 1999 as the Glenn Research Center. The facility was named after John Glenn, an astronaut who became the first American to orbit the Earth. The center is located near Cleveland, Ohio and is used as a laboratory to develop new technologies for aircraft engines and spacecraft propulsion systems. History Although the Marshall Space Flight Center wasn't activated until 1960, its roots were well developed. Years before NASA was established, German immigrant Werhner Von Braun and his rocket team, who had developed the V-2 rocket during World War II, had come to the United States with hopes of developing rockets that would one day travel to space. Initially assigned at Fort Bliss, Texas, the Von Braun team was later transferred to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. In the 1950s, the team expanded to include hundreds of American engineers and scientists. On Jan. 31, 1958, they used a modified Redstone rocket called Jupiter-C to launch America's first orbiting satellite, Explorer 1. Two years later, Von Braun became the director of NASA's new George C. Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville. On July 1, 1960, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency transferred the ownership of buildings, land, space projects, property and personnel to the new agency, which was named for Gen. George C. Marshall. Marshall had been the Army chief of staff during World War II, secretary of state under President Harry Truman, and Nobel Prize winner for the economic recovery program that became known as the Marshall Plan. He died in 1959. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the fledgling agency on Sept. 8, 1960. In 1961, Marshall's Mercury-Redstone vehicle carried America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard, on a suborbital flight. Visitors today can still see the Historic Redstone Test Stand, where the rockets that sent Shepard into space were tested. Marshall played a vital role in achieving President John F. Kennedy's admonition of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." The center built the Saturn V rocket that would carry the astronauts on their way to the moon. "Engineers, scientists, administrators and contractors worked night and day to develop the technology powerful enough to lift the 363-foot tall, 6.2-million pound Saturn V rocket into space," according to Marshall's historical website. Marshall also helped to develop the Lunar Roving Vehicle that carried astronauts across the surface of the moon during the last three Apollo missions. The rover allowed astronauts to travel several miles from their landing craft, set up experiments in a wider area and carry home several pounds of rocks. In the 1970s, Marshall participated in Skylab, the United States' first crewed orbiting space station and the first U.S. space program completely dedicated to scientific research. Marshall supplied the Skylab workshop, the four Saturn launch vehicles, the solar observatory, and many of the scientific experiments for each of the three astronaut crews. "Skylab results included significant discoveries in all experiment disciplines and far more data than anticipated," NASA said. "It opened the era of comprehensive scientific research in space." Also during the '70s, Marshall helped to develop the space shuttle's main engines, its solid rocket booster, and its external tanks, as well as a variety of scientific payloads. The agency was responsible for Spacelab, a laboratory carried inside the cargo bay of the shuttle. When the space shuttle launched on April 12, 1981, it "marked a new era in the history of space flight," NASA said. "The world's first reusable space vehicle, powered by Marshall-developed propulsion systems, was thrust into orbit with two astronauts aboard. This new chapter in the history of the Center would feature Marshall at the forefront of the nation's space exploration efforts." After the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster, "Marshall and other NASA centers dedicated their work to ensure that the Space Shuttle propulsion elements would perform safely in the future," the center's website says. On Jan. 22, 1986, four Marshall Center facilities were designated as National Historic Landmarks. The Redstone Test Stand static-tested the first rocket that launched Shepard into space, the last step before flight. The Neutral Buoyancy Simulator mimics the weightless environment as preparation for astronauts traveling into space. The Dynamic Test Stand was used for ground vibration tests of the Saturn V launch vehicle and Apollo spacecraft, for tests involving Skylab, and for ground vibration testing of the complete space shuttle vehicle. The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility became the primary center responsible for large vehicles and rocket propulsion systems. On June 15, 1987, the Saturn V Display, an actual test rocket used in the dynamic testing of the Saturn facilities at Marshall, was also designated as a historical landmark. Marshall continued to propel science forward by playing a role in the development of the Hubble Space Telescope. Launched in 1990, Hubble continues to awe the world with impressive astronomical images after more than 25 years. Marshall also developed and manages NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which probes the depths of space in the X-ray spectrum. Marshall today Marshall is one of NASA's largest field centers, with over 4.5 million square feet of space. The center boasts test, manufacturing and research facilities. It employs nearly 6,000 civil and contractor employees. The Space Launch System (SLS) is currently under development at Marshall. The rockets of SLS will carry missions deep into the outer solar system. With the aid of the Orion crew module, also under development at Marshall, the SLS will be able to carry the first humans to Mars. In 2018, the SLS and Orion were both in the final stages of completion. Marshall plays an important role in the final steps of both. "SLS testing will continue as the core stage structural test articles for the liquid hydrogen tank, intertank, and liquid oxygen tank arrive at Marshall and are loaded into towering test stands to be pushed, pulled and twisted to simulate flight," NASA said in a press release. To test the SLS fuel tank, Marshall constructed a pair of twin towers soaring to 221 feet (67.4 meters) in height. The stand simulated the powerful dynamics of launch and flight. For this test, Marshall was crucial. "There is no other facility that can handle something as big as the SLS hydrogen tank," SLS engineer Sam Stephens said in a statement. The primary elements of Orion's structure are being assembled at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, and will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center by the end of 2018. The agency manages the Discovery program of focused scientific investigations that complement NASA's larger planetary exploration missions. Active Discovery missions include the Dawn mission to Ceres and the Kepler planet hunting space telescope. It also manages the New Frontiers program that conducts robotic missions to explore the solar system. The New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, Juno's mission to Jupiter, and OSIRIS-Rex, the first U.S. mission to return a sample of an asteroid, are all New Frontiers missions. Marshall also plays a role in the International Space Station (ISS), the space home for astronauts in orbit. Marshall supports hardware development, workspace nodes, oxygen generation, water recovery systems, and manages science operations for the space station at its Payload Operations Integration Center, which maintains year-round, 24/7 contact with the ISS. Visiting Marshall Marshall Space Flight Center is not open to the general public. However, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center serves as the center's visitor information center. Here, interactive exhibits and unique historical artifacts help visitors to learn more about Marshall's legacy and ongoing projects. The center's admission is: Adults (13 and up) - $25 Children (5 to 12) - $17 Children 4 and under - FREE Discounts are available for NASA civil servants, retirees, contractors, active military and families. The center is open seven days a week, from 9 to 5, though it is closed for some major holidays. The Space Rocket Center is home of the U.S. Space Camp and the site of the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Educational Escapes is a program for elementary and secondary group tours to the Marshall Space Center, and is conducted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Access to Redstone Arsenal requires a badge and prior approval. https://www.space.com/39463-marshall-space-flight-center.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Attention pilots, I am currently a human factors graduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University conducting a study into the effects of voice gender on pilot perceptual processes as part of my thesis research. The study is aimed at further investigating how speaker voice gender can affect an individual's perception while task saturated, specifically how different air traffic controller voice genders can affect the time it takes a pilot to perceive their instructions. All potential participants should hold no more than a private pilot certificate, be non-professional pilots, have no prior military flight experience, and be at least 18 years of age. This study requires a 30-minute in-person data collection trial to be conducted at the San Carlos Airport (SQL) in San Carlos, CA, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.bit.ly/2FKfORA, or email Tucker Lambert at lambert5@my.erau.edu Thank you, again. Your help is greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Tucker Lambert (650) 200-8426 Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY I am a student with City University in London doing my MSc in Air Transport Management and conducting a survey for academic research on the Importance of Pilot Mental Health and Peer Support Group and would be grateful if you could complete the survey below: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B3HGHVV Thank you in advance! Bilal Farid Back to Top ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Applications for the 2018 ISASI Rudolph Kapustin Memorial Scholarship must be submitted on or before April 15, 2018, says ISASI Secretary Chad Balentine, who serves as Scholarship Committee Chairman. Balentine noted that this worthy program is designed to encourage and assist college-level students interested in the field of aviation safety and aircraft occurrence investigation. ISASI funds the Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship through donations and will provide an annual allocation of funds for the scholarship if funds are available. Applicants must be enrolled as full time students in an ISASI recognized education program, which includes courses in aircraft engineering and/or operations, aviation psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation, etc. Applicants must have major or minor subjects that focus on aviation safety/investigation. A student who has received the annual ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship will not be eligible to apply for it again. Students who wish to apply should go to http://isasi.org/Documents/Forms/ISASI%20Rudolf%20Kapustin%20Memorial%20Scholarship%20Form%20Jan%2010%202018%200923.pdf for guidelines and the application form. Chad Balentine ISASI International Secretary Kapustin Scholarship Selection Committee Chairman email: chad.balentine@isasi.org Phone: 703.689.4225 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top ISASI PNRC KICK-OFF EVENT FOR 2018 (Seattle) To All PNRC Members: First, allow me to introduce myself, John Purvis, as the newly acting President of PNRC. I was asked to take over the reins as President, when Anna Bernhardt took a position with IATA in Montreal. The other Officers remain in place. Invitation to Attend Museum of Flight Event Following are details of an excellent opportunity to be a part of what should be an interesting panel discussion, "Safety by Design", at the Museum of Flight on Saturday, 10 February at 1:00 p.m. This event will coincide with the opening of the new J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit at the Museum. PNRC members who plan to attend will gather in the Museum's Wings Cafe at 11:30 a.m. on February 10th for lunch, social time and discussing possible PNRC program plans for 2018. Your PNRC Officers are looking for your feedback on what you might like to see by way of future efforts to expand our programs and membership. If you're able to attend Some of you may be members of the Museum of Flight - but for those who are not, the normal Museum admission fee for the February 10th event directly supports the valuable work of that great organization. The fee will allow attendance at the panel discussion, along with the other interesting events that day. But the most important event is, of course, the opening of the Museum's newest exhibit, the J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit, highlighting aviation safety and the "Safety by Design" panel discussion featuring some of the world's experts in the field. Note the panelists listed below. Following the panel, attendees will be offered small group tours of the safety kiosk and associated exhibits by a team of Museum docents. Remember . . . . Your admission allows you to visit the entire Museum that day. The Museum's new Aviation Pavilion is now open to showcase the collection's larger airplanes, such as Concorde, B-29, B-17, Boeing 247, the #3 787, the #1 727, 737 and 747, etc. Details from the Museum's website: The Museum will kick off the opening of its newest exhibit highlighting aviation safety with a panel discussion featuring some of the world's experts in the field. The new J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit is unique, laying out the many complex issues that have made commercial aviation by far the safest mode of transportation in the world. And it explains the many components of aviation safety by associating them with aircraft already on exhibit within the Museum. The panelists: * Accident investigation: John Purvis, Boeing Chief Investigator (ret) and Museum Trustee * Airspace and Operations: Captain Steve Fulton, airspace expert and Museum Trustee * Regulatory functions: Captain Thomas Imrich, FAA & Boeing test pilot (ret) * Flight Deck: Peter Morton, Boeing Flight Deck designer (ret) and Museum Trustee * Exhibit design: Cody Othoudt, Museum Exhibits principal for the Safety Exhibit o Moderator: Captain Steve Taylor, President Boeing Business Jets (ret) and Museum Trustee Following the panel, attendees will be offered small group tours of the safety kiosk and associated exhibits by a team of Museum docents. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 10th! Don't forget . . . lunch at the Wings Cafe at 11:30 a.m., with the "Safety By Design" panel discussion at 1:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please let us know. John Purvis President - ISASI Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter 206-244-5958 jwpurvis@earthlink.net Curt Lewis