Flight Safety Information March 13, 2018 - No. 052 In This Issue Incident: Etihad A332 at Hong Kong on Mar 10th 2018, engine shut down in flight. Incident: Indigo A320N at Ahmedabad on Mar 12th 2018, engine shut down in flight Accident: Southwest B738 near Albuquerque on Mar 11th 2018, smell smoke in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection NTSB seeks 'digital portrait' of last minutes of East River helicopter crash Nepal plane crash survivors describe chaos DGCA grounds 11 Airbus aircraft over IndiGo's mid-air engine failure (INDIA) Air Canada: System-wide outage disrupts airport, aircraft operations Aviation Week Network's MRO Americas, April 10-12 in Orlando SUU Aviation Working to Change FAA Curriculum Arrow Aircraft Tapped as HondaJet Dealer for India Smaller, Sleeker Business Jet to Land on Runways of Just 5,000 Feet New Boeing jet to accelerate services shake-up KNOW YOUR AIRCRAFT: SYSTEM TRAINING...By Captain Shem Malmquist New talent hard to come by for space companies GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY RESEARCH SURVEY BOOKS: The Air Crash Files: Thermal Runaway and JET BLAST POSITION AVAILABLE: AVIATION OPERATIONS SAFETY SPECIALIST Position: Manager, Maintenance School Support Incident: Etihad A332 at Hong Kong on Mar 10th 2018, engine shut down in flight An Etihad Airbus A330-200, registration A6-EYH performing flight EY-833 from Hong Kong (China) to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) with about 200 people on board, was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 07R when the crew needed to shut the left hand engine (Trent 772) down, stopped the climb at FL100 and returned to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 07L about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway, stopped on the adjacent runway and shut the right hand engine down for a check by emergency services. The flight was cancelled. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b5ff2b3&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Indigo A320N at Ahmedabad on Mar 12th 2018, engine shut down in flight An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-ITA performing flight 6E-244 from Ahmedabad to Lucknow (India) with 186 people on board, was climbing out of Ahmedabad when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (PW1127G) down, stopped the climb at FL310 and returned to Ahmedabad for a safe landing on runway 23 about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-IEX reached Lucknow with a delay of 6.5 hours. Passengers reported there was a loud bang followed by severe vibrations. The crew announced one engine had failed and they would return to Ahmedabad. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b5fedf4&opt=256 Back to Top Accident: Southwest B738 near Albuquerque on Mar 11th 2018, smell smoke in cabin A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8501V performing flight WN-3562 from Phoenix,AZ to Dallas Love,TX (USA) with 140 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 70nm southwest of Albuquerque,NM (USA) when a strange odour developed in the cabin, passengers observed an unusual heat developing and hot air coming from the air vents associated with a smell of electrical smoke. The flight crew decided to divert to Albuquerque where the aircraft landed safely on runway 03 about 17 minutes later. The aircraft was evacuated including overwing exits. Two passengers received injuries in the evacuation and were taken to hospitals. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N8541W reached Dallas with a delay of 5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA3562/history/20180312/0145Z/KPHX/KDAL http://avherald.com/h?article=4b5fec5f&opt=256 Back to Top Back to Top NTSB seeks 'digital portrait' of last minutes of East River helicopter crash The agency hopes to recover the personal cameras and other digital equipment on board the fatal sightseeing photo flight that left five passengers dead. At a press conference Monday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board had few details to share about its preliminary investigation into the East River helicopter crash that left five passengers dead and the pilot the sole survivor. "We extend our hearts out to all of those who are affected by this tragic accident," NTSB Vice Chairman Bella Dinh-Zarr said. "We don't have a great deal to report yet, but will provide regular updates." The helicopter was on a private chartered sightseeing photo tour through Liberty Helicopters and was piloted by Richard Vance, 33, of Danbury, Connecticut. It crashed into the frigid waters of the East River between East 86th Street and East 96th Street at 7:08 p.m. Sunday, soon after Vance issued a mayday call about engine failure to Air Traffic Control, Dinh-Zarr said. Firefighter Brian McDaniel and video journalist Trevor Cadigan, both of Dallas, Argentinian tourist Carla Vallejos Blanco and helicopter employees Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson were killed in the crash. A senior law enforcement official told CNN that Vance believed one of the passengers' bags may have accidentally struck the chopper's emergency fuel shutoff button, which could have led to the crash, something that was not confirmed nor addressed by Dinh-Zarr. "Our mission is to understand what happened and why to prevent it from happening again," she said. "We will not be determining probable cause or speculate what may have caused this accident." The chopper, which overturned when it hit the water, was recovered from the East River by local and federal governments using divers and a barge on Monday, Dinh-Zarr said. It will be further examined at a secure location. As the helicopter was on a photo tour, Dinh-Zarr said the NTSB will be working with the NYPD to recover the personal cameras and other digital devices "to capture a digital portrait of the last moments of this flight." She urges any member of the public who may have photos or video of the helicopter to send them to eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov. She expects that the NTSB would be on site for five to seven days, investigating air traffic control, operations, airworthiness, survival factors, power plants and weather with Todd Gunther, a senior aviation investigator with 30 years of experience, at the helm. https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/ntsb-digital-portrait-east-river-helicopter-crash Back to Top Nepal plane crash survivors describe chaos The crash is the worst aviation disaster to hit Nepal in years Survivors and witnesses of a plane crash in Nepal have described the chaotic moments when the aircraft went down, killing at least 49 people. The flight, carrying 71 passengers and crew, crashed while landing at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan airport. Witnesses said there was a loud bang and that the plane shook violently while people wept inside the aircraft and chanted. The cause of the crash remains unclear, and an investigation is under way. The flight data recorder has been retrieved from the wreckage. It is the worst aviation disaster to hit Nepal in years. The Himalayan nation has a chequered history when it comes to air safety, with more than 70 crashes involving planes and helicopters since 1949, the year the first aircraft landed there. Most accidents have been attributed to bad weather, inexperienced pilots and inadequate maintenance. 'A loud bang' This aircraft was a 17-year-old Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop flying from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and was being operated by Bangladeshi airline US-Bangla. One survivor recalled the fire, but not how he made his way out of the aircraft. "After the crash I was trying to [get] out of the plane because it was on fire but I could not, my hand and leg was trapped," Keshav Pandey told BBC Nepali. "I was on the seat by the side of the emergency door, [so] maybe I fell outside when [security came] and they opened the door. After that I don't remember anything, I was unconscious." Several people were rescued from the wreckage of the plane Another survivor also described the moment of impact to BBC Nepali. "There was a huge fire outside and smoke gushed into our cabin. Then there was [an] explosion. The fire was extinguished and we were rescued outside," Sharin Ahmed, a 29-year old teacher from Bangladesh said. "All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang," Basanta Bohora told reporters from his hospital bed. "I was seated near a window and was able to break out." "The plane was going up down, right and left, up down. So I thought that was some air traffic only," Sanam Shakya, who also escaped through a window, told AFP. Shradha Giri, who was on board a nearby plane with her daughter, told the BBC: "There was a lot of chaos out there, lot of security personnel running towards it, a lot of ambulances and fire trucks approaching the site where it had crashed." "It was traumatising just to be with my little girl out there...everybody was shaken up because just something like that to happen in front of your eyes." The general manager of Tribhuvan airport, Raj Kumar Chhetri, also told BBC Nepali that relatives of the victims and survivors are set to arrive in Nepal on Tuesday. Of the 22 survivors, 11 are Nepali while 11 are Bangladeshi nationals. It is still not clear what caused the crash. While the airline blames air traffic control, the airport says the plane landed from the wrong direction. A recording of the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control minutes before the crash suggests some misunderstanding over which end of the sole runway the plane was cleared to land on. The cause of the crash has not been determined A dangerous airport A retired Air Force Air commodore in Bangladesh, Iqbal Hossain, described to the BBC the challenges for pilots landing at Kathmandu. "There is a mountain right behind the end of the runway. "Every aircraft - while landing - has to maintain clearance from the mountain, and as soon as the pilot passes the mountain he has to do a very quick descent. "There is some plain land on the left side of the runway but on the right side there is a deep gorge, so if the plane skids off the runway then it will fall into the gorge. It is among the 10 most dangerous airports in the world." Monday's crash was the deadliest since a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed in 1992, killing all 167 on board. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43381785 Back to Top DGCA grounds 11 Airbus aircraft over IndiGo's mid-air engine failure (INDIA) Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday grounded 11 A320 neo aircraft powered by a certain series of Pratt & Whitney engines following instances of engine failures during flights. Of these, 8 are operated by IndiGo and 3 by GoAir. The decision comes hours after an A320 neo aircraft of IndiGo flight to Lucknow suffered mid-air engine failure forcing it to make an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport. The Airbus A320 Neo plane had 186 passengers on board. Citing safety of aircraft operations, the DGCA said, A320 neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect. ''Both IndiGo and GoAir have been told not to refit these engines, which are spare with them in their inventory,'' the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. The regulator said it would be in touch with the stakeholders and review the situation in due course and when the issue is addressed by European regulator EASA and P&W. Last year, DGCA had ordered detailed inspection of 21 Airbus 320neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir that are equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, which have been frequently facing technical glitches. India's largest airline IndiGo, has had to replace Pratt & Whitney engines on its 32 A320 Neo aircraft at least 69 times in the period May 2016-November 2017. In February European plane maker Airbus SE warned of new problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines on its A320neo planes, prompting European air safety officials to issue emergency restrictions. http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_a/airbus/20180312_engine_failure.html Back to Top Air Canada: System-wide outage disrupts airport, aircraft operations MONTREAL, March 12 (Reuters) - Air Canada on Monday said a system-wide computer outage is affecting the carrier's operations, including booking, airport operations and aircraft departures. The airline's technology teams are working to identify and repair the issue, and it is also implementing temporary measures to maintain a limited operation, Air Canada said in a statement. "Today's computer issues have had a wide impact on our customers and we apologize for any inconvenience," Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada, said in the statement. Calgary International Airport said on Twitter that Canada's largest carrier"is experiencing a network outage nationwide, and departing passengers are being checked in manually, which is causing a bit of congestion in the terminal." Vancouver International Airport said in a statement that the outage is"causing delays." https://www.reuters.com/article/air-canada-outages/air-canada-system-wide-outage-disrupts-airport- aircraft-operations-idUSL1N1QU161 Back to Top Aviation Week Network's MRO Americas, April 10-12 in Orlando NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviation Week Network's MRO Americas (#MROAM) is taking place at the Orange County Convention Center April 10-12 in Orlando. The event is the one place where all levels of the MRO industry gather for three days of 360° learning experience: education, networking, and an unparalleled and extensive exhibition floor offering a mix of new and innovative products, technologies, offerings and services. See here for agenda. MRO America's primary focus is on commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), but returning this year is military aviation MRO with the continuation of the Military Aviation Logistics & Maintenance Symposium, supported by the Logistics Officers Association (LOA) to bring "best practices" together. "MRO Americas is an exciting event, where deals happen, contacts are made and where the industry comes together, year after year, to engage, develop, discuss and grow their businesses," said Lydia Janow, Managing Director/Events & Tradeshows, Aviation Week Network. MRO America's supporting sponsor is Enterprise Florida. Diamond Sponsors are Aviation Technical Services, GA Telesis, Pratt & Whitney, Rhinestahl CTS and UTC Aerospace Systems; Platinum Sponsors are Airbus, Chromalloy, GE Aviation, HAECO, HEICO, MRO Holdings, MTU Maintenance, Safran, StandardAero, Satair, Triumph Group, Inc., and United Technical Operations. Highlights from the conference include: Three-way competition: Boeing, Embraer and Airbus with Johann Bordais, President & CEO, Services & Support, Embraer; Laurent Martinez, SVP, Head of Business Unit Services, Airbus; and Stan Deal, President and CEO, Boeing Global Services. Kent Horton, Director, Aircraft Engineering, Southwest Airlines and A4A Engineering Maintenance and Materiel Council Chairman. State of the Airlines during which airlines' operational and technical leadership will candidly share their fleet status and upcoming projects. Participating airlines are Alaska, American, Delta, FedEx, Southwest, United and UPS. Speakers from the Military Aviation Logistics & Maintenance include Lt. General Lee Levy, Commander of Air Force Sustainment Center; Brig. General John Kubinec, Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, USAF; Col. Allan Lanceta, Commander, Corpus Christi Army Depot, U.S. Army; and Lt. General John Cooper, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. The Annual Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), presented by Snap-on, taking place in the MRO Exhibition Hall. https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/03/12/1420729/0/en/Aviation-Week-Network-s-MRO- Americas-April-10-12-in-Orlando.html Back to Top SUU Aviation Working to Change FAA Curriculum Cedar City-Aviation schools around the country are mandated by law to adhere to the curriculum drafted by the Federal Aviation Administration under the U.S Department of Transportation. This curriculum cannot be changed or modified by schools by any means, even though requirements for what is taught have not been adequately updated since 1962. That means today's technicians are being taught curriculum that was created more than 56 years ago, before the invention of cell phones, GPS, personal computers or the Internet. Aviation students are not prepared for real world jobs because they have been learning outdated curriculum that hasn't been relevant in years. Southern Utah University wants to change all of that. SUU's Aviation's Director of Maintenance Jared Britt, was recently appointed chairman of the Legislative Committee for the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). In addition to working with current aviation students at SUU, Britt's goal is to get an exemption from the current curriculum from the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., that will allow SUU's aviation department to teach its own, updated curriculum to coincide with future airman certification standards and better prepare students for industry jobs. With this exemption, SUU aviation hopes to graduate better trained technicians that can be job ready upon completion of the program. Schools that continue to teach outdated curriculum are sending students into jobs where companies are spending substantial amounts of time and money training and teaching new graduates proper techniques and current regulations. Companies like Boeing are left to retrain new graduates on basic tasks required to maintain a modern, sophisticated airplane. Boeing has been frustrated with this process and has stated, "As personnel demand increases over the next two decades, the aviation industry will need to find innovative solutions to keep pace with training requirements." Professionals in the aviation industry, government legislators and especially instructors at various aviation schools all agree that the outdated requirements inhibit aviation schools from keeping up with vital changes in aircraft technology. "Outdated training mandates are more than an impediment; they hinder the aviation maintenance industry's economic growth," said Crystal Maguire, the executive director of ATEC and passionate advocate for changing FAA-dictated curriculum. "As the global aviation sector expands, economic forecasts predict that U.S. maintenance companies will be unable to meet increased demand because of a significant skilled worker shortage. To meet the need, training organization must produce better prepared aviation mechanics." If granted the exception, SUU will be allowed to utilize the method of credit hours in lieu of seat time requirements, will be able to teach with modern, advanced technology, and will encourage workforce development so the transition from graduation to career will be smooth and efficient. The SUU exemption letter states: "Aviation maintenance technician schools with curriculums that emulate industry realities and adequately prepare students for much needed positions will be better equipped to attract students to careers in aircraft maintenance, create job growth, and enhance an industry that already greatly benefits the public." Britt, along with all of SUU aviation, is pioneering an effort that aviation schools around the country will want to follow. Britt is passionate about his work and wants to see SUU be the force of good that will improve the aviation community as a whole. "My passion comes from the consistent need to drive change," said Britt. "The curriculum has barely changed in years. Why shouldn't it be SUU trying to make the world of aviation a safer place by providing better training? There is a need, and we have the ability to meet that need in a way no one else ever has. I am excited to see our aviation program grow and I am proud to be a part of a university that can see the value and necessity for offering technical training along with a degree path." The 2018 ATEC Annual Conference will take place on March 17-20 in Washington, D.C. SUU aviation, as well as the political science department will be contributing to the conference and speaking about the curriculum issue at hand. SUU hopes to see the exemption granted before the 2018 fall semester so the aviation department can implement its new curriculum with the next round of freshmen. https://utahbusiness.com/suu-aviation-working-to-change-faa-curriculum/ Back to Top Arrow Aircraft Tapped as HondaJet Dealer for India Honda Aircraft has appointed New Delhi-based Arrow Aircraft Sales and Charters an authorized sales representative for the HA-420 HondaJet, expanding sales of the very light jet to India. The aircraft manufacturer made the announcement last week at Wings India, where the HondaJet was on display for the first time at this show. "We are confident the addition of Arrow Aircraft as an authorized sales representative will allow for the HondaJet to be successful in the fast-growing business aviation market of India," said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Arrow Aircraft managing director of sales and charters Rohit Kapur noted that the business aviation market continues to grow in India, adding, "The HondaJet's performance and features are a true game changer." Honda Aircraft has established a worldwide dealer and authorized sales network to provide service and support for HondaJet customers. So far, this network spans territories in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-03-12/arrow-aircraft-tapped- hondajet-dealer-india Back to Top Smaller, Sleeker Business Jet to Land on Runways of Just 5,000 Feet The Citation Longitude The Citation Longitude ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY OF CESSNA The new super-midsize (the category between a medium cabin and a large cabin) Cessna Citation Longitude Cessna Citation is due to receive FAA certification by the end of this quarter and is the latest attempt to address an opportunity in the market for a more discreet and practical way to enjoy private air travel. The $23.9 million Longitude acknowledges the economic and logistical reality that, most of the time, business jets fly with cabins that are nowhere near full, fly far short of their maximum range, and onto runways far too short for the airlines. And while this pavement may be long enough for the ultra large cabin category, often it is not poured deep enough to support the weight of these aircraft when loaded up with people and fuel, when they flirt with maximum weights of around 100,000 pounds. For people operating out of airports with 5,000-foot runways, super-midsize aircraft are ideal. They can blast off with full tanks and cabins at weights averaging 40,000 pounds and fly 3,200 to 3,600 nautical miles. There are about 1,500 public-use airports in the U.S. that have one paved and lit runway that is at least 5,000-feet long, according to the FAA. With super-mediums, if you don't need to fill up the seats and take full fuel, in many circumstances, 4,000 foot runways will suffice, and that opens up another 1,500 domestic airports. You can have all this flexibility while still getting a relatively comfortable cabin; most supermids seat 8- 12 and offer enough room to stand-up with flat floor comfort.The Longitude shares the same fuselage cross section with the midsize Citation Latitude, and it is therefore narrower than its super-midsize peers; the cabin measures 6 feet tall, 6 feet, 5 inches wide, and 25-feet long. Cessna says its forward "club 4" grouping of single seats offers the most legroom in the category. (Club four is basically four single seats that face each other in sets of two, two face forward and two face rearward.) While a narrower fuselage means less cabin space, it also theoretically produces less drag, better fuel economy and less interior noise and Cessna's data seems to support this on all fronts; direct operating costs (fuel, maintenance, engine reserves) of slightly under $2,000 an hour and cabin decibel levels measured in the low 60s in the forward cabin. What remains to be seen is if the market will embrace a skinny super-midsize. https://www.barrons.com/articles/smaller-sleeker-business-jet-to-land-on-runways-of-just-5-000-feet- 1520877369 Back to Top New Boeing jet to accelerate services shake-up (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) is doubling down on its landmark new strategy designed to muscle in on the business of maintenance providers by making its next jet the laboratory for in-house services that could radically alter the global business model for selling planes. FILE PHOTO: President, Chairman and CEO of The Boeing Company Dennis Muilenburg speaks at the "What's Next?" conference in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo Unlike Boeing's last all-new design, the 787 Dreamliner, its proposed new mid-market plane will not bring a flood of revolutionary technical designs to the drawing board. But it will give the world's largest plane maker a chance to test its new business approach of designing the plane so that it generates lucrative services revenues for Boeing while also offering efficiencies to airlines over the aircraft's decades-long lifespan. Along with production costs, the new approach could help Boeing decide whether to invest the $15 billion or more in development needed to build the jet. "If we decide to launch, it's a big investment and it's an investment that has to contemplate not only the product itself but all of our other strategic objectives," Chairman and Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told Reuters. "So you can imagine we would want to look at this airplane through the lens of lifecycle value as we are growing our services business," he said. Until recently, Boeing and Europe's Airbus (AIR.PA) sold planes with little involvement in the way they were operated and maintained. Instead, that was work carried out by their own suppliers or third-party shops. Heavy outsourcing on jets like the 787 expanded the trend by leaving suppliers - such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T), which supplies the 787's carbon wings - in command of key components. While Boeing and others squeezed their balance sheets to launch jets, many of their suppliers used their design influence to forge profitable relationships directly with airlines as they conducted part swaps or repairs required by regulators. "That seems a little out of balance, doesn't it?" said Muilenburg, describing how the pendulum is now swinging back to give Boeing more control over parts and therefore the stream of aftermarket services that comes with owning a part's design. "We do take the majority of the risk in developing new products, and we think that would cause us to want to gain the financial benefit of that risk-taking for the long term," he said. The long-term approach to the new jet is the latest evidence of changes in the $180 billion aero- aftermarket as planemakers jostle with suppliers - and even airlines - for control of repairs, training and data in pursuit of higher margins. Last year, Boeing centralized services formerly spread across the company in a new division with a goal to more than treble sales to $50 billion in a decade. The new unit posted operating margins of 15.4 percent last year, compared with 16.1 percent that United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTX.N), a major supplier, earned from selling new equipment, services and aftermarket parts. ENGINEERING DEPTH The aftermarket is not entirely new to Boeing, and is common in defense, where Muilenburg ran services between 2008 and 2009. Airbus set ambitious internal targets last week and Canada's Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) is banking on maintenance. But after airplane demand peaked since 2014, Boeing has turned more aggressively to parts and services to help meet a target of doubling margins to the mid-teens by 2020. Its core jet margin widened to 9.6 percent last year from 3.4 percent in 2016. To support the strategy, Boeing is bringing back key in-house technology like avionics - the brains of a modern jet -partly with an eye to future aftermarket revenue. "It is important that we build out vertical capabilities that sustain our engineering depth...as airplanes become more digital," Muilenburg said, adding that broader growth in the industry would also provide a boon to suppliers. Suppliers say Boeing is also less willing than before to share risks - and profits - with them on the systems they do build. Instead it wants them to build to Boeing's designs rather than leaving them with keys to the all-important aftermarket. Already, there are signs the mid-market jet could see a swing away from risk-sharing towards straight procurement deals,the head of a major supplier told Reuters. "It depends on the area of the airplane we are talking about but we are very clear in our intent to grow our services business, and part of that is bringing back inside some engineering and intellectual property," Muilenburg commented. The downside of doing more by itself, suppliers and analysts say, is that Boeing could weaken access to outside innovation, import risk and tie up capital and finite engineering resources. Depending on how far this goes, industry sources say it may also herald gradual changes in patterns of cash generation. While planemakers get paid on delivery, engine makers charge little upfront and make money on services provided over years. Some analysts say new plane manufacturer strategies suggest those business models could start to converge and put pressure on them to be more generous with discounts on jets. Muilenburg declined to address pricing directly, but acknowledged Boeing's cradle-to-grave services strategy could have some impact on the timing of future income. "The services business tends to be accretive to margin, but this does give us the flexibility of where we drive margin in the business with the idea of raising the bar overall," he said when asked if bundling services could lead to bigger jet discounts. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-strategy/new-boeing-jet-to-accelerate-services-shake-up- idUSKCN1GP0DD Back to Top KNOW YOUR AIRCRAFT: SYSTEM TRAINING By Captain Shem Malmquist System training. This is part of the curriculum when learning any new aircraft. Why is it important to talk about here? In recent years there has been a trend towards less and less system training. At one time we really needed to understand the systems. I can still draw the electrical system of a B-727, I still remember what bus powers the fuel pumps, dump values, what controls are powered by which hydraulic system, etc. This was standard for pilots. If a crossfeed valve failed on an classic B-747 all of us knew we could still move fuel via the dump manifold. I had similar knowledge of the DC-8 and other airplanes I had flown. As a testament to how well we learned these, I still remember most of the systems of those early airplanes after nearly 30 years! Today I still have a fairly in depth understanding of the systems, but that is more due to my work outside of my flying job. It is not part of the curriculums anymore. What changed? It can be argued that much of this was a result of automation, and that does explain some of it. Automated systems are able to act on their own to solve problems, so "why should someone know the details?" the logic goes. The truth is that the automation is only part of it. Engineers have been able to come up with simpler systems that accomplish what needs to be done for the fuel, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and flight control systems. In turn this allows for highly proceduralized steps to be written, which can then be put into checklists or automatic system responses. However, another factor has had an even greater impact on what is trained, and that is greatly improved component reliability. Even 30 years ago it was not uncommon for a pilot to have experienced an engine failure during a career, or a failure in some other critical system. Today the probabilities of many of these types of failures is so low that a pilot has a good chance of flying an entire career with nary more than a fairly minor glitch. The lack of events (industry parlance for accidents or incidents) is then used as a basis for arguing that we should spend our limited training budgets on things that are statistically more likely to lead to an accident. We find those statistics by looking at the accident and incident trends. The industry uses methods that are somewhat limited in finding "root causes" of those accidents (there are serious flaws in this approach as the findings tend to be simplistic, at best) and these are used to build training scenarios. The training "footprint" is also used to teach pilots new technology that has been implemented, new procedures (such as RNP approaches), and the like. The result is a very full simulator period! So, what's the problem then? Well, the way the training is built, the aircraft manufacturers design and build the airplane, provide the aircraft and manual, and then the airlines and regulators are the ones that work to create the training programs. Well, really it is just the airlines, but the program needs to be approved. The manufacturers are rarely involved in what the airline actually teaches their pilots. This is a problem, as I have found that there is a gap between what the people who design airplanes and avionic systems believe pilots should know and what they are actually being taught. The manufacturers all expect pilots to "fill the gaps" for those scenarios they could not foresee. Need evidence? A system fails and who is everyone blaming if the pilot does not prevent an accident or incident? I think we all know the answer here. There is more, however. Modern aircraft systems rely heavily on computers. These computers are "talking" to each other, and rely on information from other computers in the system to function properly. There is a term for this, "integrate modular avionics". Now, these computers are extremely reliable, but if one of them gets bad information or faults, the problem can cascade across the other computers in the system in very unpredictable ways. Unpredictable and almost impossible to reproduce later, as exactly how they react depends on what data is being shared, what faults are present, the way it propagates through the system - even the lag due to the distance the information has to travel (length of the wires) can make a difference. Yes, that data is moving at the speed of light so we are talking about changes in the fractions of nanoseconds. From there, the systems not only fault in unpredictable ways, but also the "boxes" are likely to start sending alerts to the pilots of their problems, but these alerts are also going to present in ways that are impossible to predict. This is part of what the Air France 447 pilots needed to contend with! So, suddenly, we have a very highly reliable system not just fail one aspect, as might have occurred in an airplane built 30 or more years ago, but instead take out all sorts of other systems, including very possibly degrading the flight control system itself! Now the pilot is left trying to sort out a lot of very confusing indications but the "scripts" that are normally relied upon, the checklists, procedures, just don't apply anymore. Everything now depends on that system knowledge, all while flying an airplane that possibly no longer handles like anything they have ever experienced (training for degraded flight control laws in FBW aircraft is often very limited as well). We have seen pilots who had "above and beyond" knowledge do a good job of handling unusual scenarios. "Sully" Sullenberger did it when he started the APU out of sequence, restoring normal law to the flight controls. The pilot of Qantas 72, Kevin Sullivan (coincidentally, also nicknamed "Sully") used his superior knowledge to handle what could have been a catastrophic flight control failure. In a May 2017 article in The Sydney Morning Herald on the event he said something that should resonate with most pilots: "Even though these planes are super-safe and they're so easy to fly, when they fail they are presenting pilots with situations that are confusing and potentially outside the realms to recover" he says. "For pilots - to me - it's leading you down the garden path to say, 'You don't need to know how to fly anymore.' You just sit there - until things go wrong." Both of the "Sully"s had something that is not trained anymore. They "grew up" in a time prior to the highly reliable components, before RVSM rules made hand-flying at altitude virtually illegal, when pilots still needed to learn their systems. They carried that to the day when they needed that information and those skills. Notice this is not about just "hand-flying more". Hand-flying a normal airplane is fun and good, but is not going to equip you to handle a real degraded flight control state. Plus, most hand-flying is done at lower altitude with limited configuration changes, not a great preparation for a degraded airplane in the upper flight levels. While it is a great ploy for the marketing departments to state that pilots can get by with minimal training due to the reliability of the systems an the automation, the reality is that they can get by with it until the day they can't, and we have no idea when that day might come. The engineers tend to have a different take then the folks that are trying to sell airplanes, as previously stated. They expect pilots to "fill the gaps". There are also times when more system knowledge can make a big difference even with no failures. One that comes immediately to mind are the automated radar systems. While these can improve the situation if a pilot had minimal training, the fact is that they still leave significant gaps due to the relative simplicity of the models they use to scan for weather. They can also lead pilots to think that there is not weather ahead when in reality the algorithm is just not depicting the weather due to a difference in the vertical liquid profile of the particular storm in that part of the world. A pilot with more knowledge on meteorology as well as radar functioning can fill those gaps. A pilot with more knowledge can also prevent other problems, such as a delay due to just misunderstanding what the system is doing. Granted there are some that might "overthink" in these situations, but this, too, can be rectified. Pilots remain the most important safety feature on the airplane. System knowledge can be hard to find these days. What really needs to happen is when designing training programs the airlines should be required by regulation to consult with the manufacturers to ensure that pilots are being taught what the manufacturer thinks is important (regarding systems, handling qualities and pertinent aerodynamics, what pilots should have as skill sets to fly the airplanes after various faults, but not operations). That is, the men and women that actually are involved in the design. In the meantime, though, we pilots are on our own. I do not anticipate the airlines voluntarily increasing the training footprint (although there may be ways to teach what needs to be taught without a significant increase), so it is up to us to go out and learn what we need to on our own. As an example, while Boeing stopped publishing, there are still many issues of its magazine, (Boeing Aero) and Airbus has two good in-house magazines (Airbus FAST and Airbus Safety First) that should be read (even if you don't fly one of their products), and there are other sources as well,such as Skybrary. Google what you want to learn, you might be surprised. I realize it is frustrating to have to go out and learn things not provided by your company, but the person you might be saving is yourself! 777 Captain Shem Malmquist is the coauthor of Angle of Attack and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. ***************** Captain Shem Malmquist, the coauthor of the acclaimed new book Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and The Future of Aviation Safety (Curt Lewis Books/Lexographic Press will be speaking at a number of aviation events this spring. Orlando, Florida March 17, 10 a.m. Preventing Loss of Control: Improving Safety Through Design and Expertise Orlando FSDO FAA Safety Team Sebring Regional Airport 128 Authority Lane FBO Sebring, FL 3387 Contact: Virginia Louise Adelstone Phone: (813) 966-3055 pilot.adelstone9@gmail.com Cambridge, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology March 26, 27, 28 presentations with Dr. Nancy Leveson and Dr. John Thomas. MIT Partnership For a Systems Approach to Safety STAMP Workshop presentations Contact Dr. Nancy Leveson (leveson@mit.edu) Orlando, Florida, April 18, 11:15 a.m. World Aviation Training Summit. Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Training to Facilitate Adaptive Capacity in Automated Systems Chicago, May 10, 10:30 a.m. to noon Flight Safety Foundation Business Aviation Safety Summit A Systems Engineering Approach to Safety Performance Indicators and Accident Causality with Dr. John Thomas Radisson Blu, Aqua Hotel Contact Flight Safety Foundation 703 739 6700 Click here to order Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and The Future of Aviation Safety and the feature film it inspired Pilot Error. Or call (231) 720-0930 for more information. You can also email rogerdrapoport@me.com for more information on Shem Malmquist's future events. Back to Top New talent hard to come by for space companies A couple of SpaceX's 7,000 employees work on a flight test article in 2015. Despite the excitement generated by SpaceX, Virgin Orbit and others, space companies are still having a hard time filling some vacancies. Credit: SpaceX WASHINGTON - The space industry's struggle to draw young professionals is causing its workforce to lose members faster than they are gained, according to research from Deloitte Consulting. "We've done a bunch of studies internally looking at the median age across the R&D portfolios for the U.S. government space programs as well as the commercial space market, and the average age of a worker is only getting older," Jeff Matthews, a space industry veteran who works at Deloitte as a consultant, said March 12 at the Satellite 2018 conference here. "With attrition and other causes that drag people out of the industry, we are not backfilling it fast enough to really fill the voids that we are creating." Workforce woes are becoming a "huge pain point," made worse by increased competition from tech giants like Facebook, Apple and Google, Matthews said. Even with the success of companies like SpaceX, Virgin Orbit and Rocket Lab, all of which generate significant interest among young professionals, the space industry continues to have difficulty bringing in new talent. A workforce study from Space & Satellite Professionals International in 2016 found that 67 percent of employees leave their place of employment in less than five years. "We are competing for these engineers as they come out of school, and we have to make space exciting. It is exciting - we all know it's exciting - but we are not telling that story enough to attract the talent," said Kay Sears, Lockheed Martin Space Systems' vice president of strategy and business development. Sears added that the space industry still hasn't "cracked the women engineering issue," and is losing female engineering talent at the collegiate level because of inclusivity challenges in a predominantly male field. "We are only graduating 18 percent female engineers even though they express a very keen interest in math and science earlier in their education, but we are losing them somewhere along the way," she said. For the satellite industry, the types of STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, professionals needed is even broader than the overall space industry. Nathan Kundtz, founder and CEO of Kymeta, said his satellite antenna company has needs more akin to a software company. "From a workforce maintenance standpoint we have the same challenges that every major software company does," he said. "Diversity is a huge challenge." "We haven't had trouble recruiting and getting interest from folks, but the cost of software engineers has continued to rise and so that's one of the challenges on a global basis," he added. Matthews said as the age gap widens, people coming into the industry are bringing different skill sets, making it more difficult to maintain legacy systems that have been in place for years or decades. http://spacenews.com/new-talent-hard-to-come-by-for-space-companies/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Anthony Gaines and I, along with my research partner Lisa Pelate, are developing a research project regarding flight attendant turbulence injuries. We are master's degree candidates at Lewis University. We would appreciate it , if you could complete our Survey Questionaire located at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJc3_fMR3_me7v_DALTuIhZK6kckMjUoOp- PR6Zy3ZN1X8sg/viewform?usp=sf_link Thank you. Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions of criminalization in aviation accidents. This study is expected to take approximately 10 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a certified pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJKwrq6VG_2gRwoXEs7PLRIBBVQ48- d9k75CDD_Yyh6wlk0g/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter winte25e@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top BOOKS: The Air Crash Files: Thermal Runaway and JET BLAST "Dan, you've raised the Bar on accident investigation." Daniel Tenace (pronounced ten-ah-ch?) is a seasoned major accident investigator for the NTSB. In 'The Air Crash Files' series, Tenace becomes involved in two different aviation tragedy investigations: Jet Blast, Tenace must discover the reason airliner engines reverse in flight without warning; Thermal Runaway, Tenace must analyze an airliner disaster in the Atlantic Ocean and uncover what caused an inflight fire that would not extinguish, hours from land. Armed only with experience, Tenace fights bureaucrats and manufacturers, each intent on derailing his efforts. Where the lives of many hang in the balance ... Nobody investigates it better than Tenace. ___________________________________________________________________________________ AVAILABLE FOR ORDER AT: https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Carbone/e/B00SQ0YR78/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=152018 About the Author Stephen Carbone, a thirty-six-year veteran of the commercial aviation industry, is a certificated aircraft mechanic who worked both analog and digital airliners. Stephen spent years working the most sophisticated airliners flying; he inspected them, repaired them, and tested them. As an NTSB major accident investigator, Stephen applied his airliner technical experience to correctly investigate major aircraft accidents, both domestic and international. As an aviation inspector for the FAA's Flight Standards Division, Stephen kept a qualified eye on the aviation industry; he inspected them and investigated them ... and he knew where to look. He's instructed hundreds of U.S. and International professionals in aviation safety and has been writing articles for aviation trade magazines since 2005. Since 2014, he has written weekly safety articles to his website, including 'Lessons Unlearned', where he analyzes past accidents to show how important lessons in safety were missed. Stephen Carbone has lived what he writes about. He can be followed on Twitter: @stephenmcarbone Website: https://danieltenace.com/ Back to Top Position Reporting to the Executive Director, this individual works with air carriers to guide them through designing and implementing aviation safety management programs in accordance with Medallion standards under the Shield ProgramŽ. This specialist should have a broad working knowledge of part 121 and part 135 aviation practices and the general principles of aviation safety management system, a working knowledge of the FARs and good customer relation skills. The position is based in Alaska and requires some travel. The ideal candidate will also serve as the ASAP Facilitator. We manage all of the administrative aspects of the ASAP MOU with over 15 carriers. Applicants with previous part 119 credentials or recent FAA ASI background are strongly encouraged to apply Duties Guide development of documentation to support Medallion Shield programs Perform on-site visits to ensure basic compliance with an aviation operator's Medallion safety programs Interface with Medallion staff and Auditors on progress of programs and deficiencies Work with Medallion Auditors and operators to develop corrective action plans Develop and conduct classroom training in support of the Shield program Keep Medallion database up to date with customer information Other duties as assigned to support other Medallion programs and initiatives Job can be tailored to Part-time or Full-time Qualifications 10 Year Aviation preferred 5 years' experience in aviation safety Understand and apply general principles of aviation safety management systems Must have excellent communication skills and be able to interact with a wide variety of people Have basic computer skills Must have no travel restrictions Able to work with minimal supervision Must be able to lead people and accept responsibility Knowledge and understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations Experience working with certificated aviation businesses Familiarity with Medallion Shield Program a plus Working knowledge of Safety Management System concepts Class Room Training as an Instructor Medallion is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact - info@medallionfoundation.org Back to Top Department of Aerospace - Manager, Maintenance School Support Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is seeking qualified applicants to fill a Maintenance School Support Manager position. Responsibilities include maintaining 14 CFR Part 147 maintenance school aircraft, engines, and training aids essential to the Maintenance Management degree; providing facilities management essential to the operation of the Miller Lanier Airway Science building (AWS) located at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport; coordinating AWS repairs with campus; and maintaining simulation training devices. All applicants must possess two (2) years of aircraft maintenance experience requiring an FAA A&P certificate. Experience includes general aviation maintenance, flight school maintenance, corporate, or Part 121 airline maintenance. One (1) year of maintenance personnel management experience preferred, in addition to required experience. Bachelor's degree and FAA A&P certificate are required. Inspection Authorization (IA) and 30 hour OSHA Outreach Training Program for General Industry are preferred. Must be eligible to work in the U.S. Application review will begin on March 21st and will continue until the position is filled. Proof of U.S. citizenship OR eligibility for U.S. employment will be required prior to employment (Immigration Control Act of 1986). Clery Act crime statistics for MTSU available at http://police.mtsu.edu/crime_statistics.htm or by contacting MTSU Public Safety at 615-898-2424. MTSU, a culturally diverse university, is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educational institution and employer. Women, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To apply, go to https://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu Curt Lewis