Flight Safety Information May 1, 2018 - No. 087 In This Issue Incident: Kuwait A320 at Jeddah on Apr 27th 2018, cabin pressure problems due to avionics cooling fan Incident: American A320 at Des Moines on Apr 28th 2018, bird strike Incident: Delta B738 at Salt Lake City on Apr 28th 2018, animal strike Passenger Opened the Escape Hatch on an Airplane to Ventilate the Saloon ALASKA AIRLINES ENGINE ISSUE PROMPTS EMERGENCY LANDING WARNING 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit Colombia cites poor flight planning in LaMia Avro RJ85 fuel exhaustion accident near Rionegro Southwest jet in fatal explosion to be repaired in Everett 'Give latest position on air safety' (India) Better battery packaging on planes overlooks other safety concerns: airlines FAA quiet on seat pitch and width data as pressure mounts for standards Orlando airport rolling out facial recognition on all international flights HEATHROW AIRPORT HAS RECORD FIRST QUARTER WITH 17.7 MILLION PASSENGERS PASSING THROUGH Iran Ready to Co-op With World's Major Airplane Manufacturers Air Canada delays delivery of 11 737 Max aircraft Regional carriers deal with pilot shortage Aviation human factors expert Dr Rob Lee remembered NBAA Marks Passing of Aviation Safety Advocate, Journalist Richard Collins Incident: Kuwait A320 at Jeddah on Apr 27th 2018, cabin pressure problems due to avionics cooling fault A Kuwait Airways Airbus A320-200, registration 9K-AKC performing flight KU-784 from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Kuwait (Kuwait) with 29 passengers and 7 crew, was climbing out of Jeddah's runway 34L when the crew received indication of an avionics cooling problem and subsequently stopped the climb at about 10,000 feet due to problems with the cabin pressure. The aircraft returned to Jeddah for a safe landing on runway 34R about 30 minutes after departure. According to information The Aviation Herald received a fault in the avionics ground cooling system caused the ground cool vent to fully open in flight causing the cabin pressure problems. A reset of the system remained without success. Maintenance secured the ground cool vent and released the aircraft for a ferry flight under minimum equipment list requirements. The aircraft positioned back to Kuwait about 18 hours after landing back to Jeddah. The aircraft returned to service about 36 hours after landing back in Jeddah. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b7fe913&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American A320 at Des Moines on Apr 28th 2018, bird strike An American Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N653AW performing flight AA-614 from Phoenix,AZ to Des Moines,IA (USA), was on final approach to Des Moines' runway 13 about 7nm before touch down when a large bird impacted the aircraft. The crew continued for a safe landing. The FAA reported the radar cone was bent as result of the bird strike. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 37 hours, then positioned to Phoenix. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL614/history/20180429/0140Z/KPHX/KDSM http://avherald.com/h?article=4b7fe0a1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B738 at Salt Lake City on Apr 28th 2018, animal strike A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N3750D performing flight DL-2274 (dep Apr 27th) from Boston,MA to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), was on final approach to Salt Lake City's runway 16R about 3nm before touch down when the aircraft was struck. The crew continued the approach for a safe landing. The FAA reported the aircraft received damage to the left landing lights and blood splatters on the left engine. The aircraft returned to service 10 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2274/history/20180427/2350Z/KBOS/KSLC http://avherald.com/h?article=4b7fde9c&opt=0 Back to Top Passenger Opened the Escape Hatch on an Airplane to Ventilate the Saloon A passenger on a Chinese airplane opened the escape hatch during the landing to ventilate the saloon, reports South China Mornings Post. According to the release, the 25-year-old man decided that the air in the airplane saloon was stale, so he turned the emergency hatch. It actually opened, which automatically led to the thrust and inflation of the emergency ladder. The young man who panicked at the time was detained for 15 days. He has been fined $ 11,000. http://www.novinite.com/articles/189833/Passenger+Opened+the+Escape+Hatch+on+an+Airplane+to+Ventilate+the+Saloon Back to Top ALASKA AIRLINES ENGINE ISSUE PROMPTS EMERGENCY LANDING WARNING An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Honolulu was forced to make an unexpected landing on Friday due to an engine problem. No injuries were reported, according to KHON-TV. An oil filter bypass light turned on for one of flight 145's engines, causing an emergency announcement aboard the flight. The crew responded by idling the engine while in flight, reported KHON-TV. Although the flight was going to make an emergency landing in Maui, the plane was flying safely and continued on its initial path. The airline told Fox News that the plane's second engine and "all other systems onboard" were functioning normally. "The captain came on the overhead speaker and just said that they were having overheating of one of the engines, so they needed to idle a little bit to try to let it cool off but that we're going to have to make a quicker landing than usual," passenger Carrie Mingle told the outlet. Mingle said the captain told passengers that a fire crew would be ready; the flight was already midway through its route at that point. The mood was apprehensive, and "a lot of people on the plane had written emails or texts to their loved ones" because they were not sure what would happen, said Mingle. An Alaska Airlines plane is parked at a gate of Mexico's Puerto Vallarta International Airport on November According to KHON-TV, there were 157 passengers on the flight and eight crew members. http://www.newsweek.com/alaska-airlines-makes-emergency-landing-905620 Back to Top Back to Top Colombia cites poor flight planning in LaMia Avro RJ85 fuel exhaustion accident near Rionegro Colombian investigators published their final report into the November 2016 accident of an Avro RJ.85 that ran out of fuel and crashed near Rionegro, Colombia. On November 28, 2016, LaMia flight LMI2933 departed Santa Cruz, Bolivia on a flight to Rionegro/Medellín Airport, Colombia. The aircraft carried the Brazilian Chapecoense football team for a match to Medellin. On approach to Rionegro all four engines flamed out. The aircraft impacted a wooded hillside. Six of the 77 occupants survived the accident. The Grupo de Investigación de Accidentes Aéreos Colombia (GRIAA) concluded the following: Probable causes - Inappropriate planning and execution of the flight, since the amount of fuel required to fly from the airport of destination to an alternate airport was not considered, nor was the amount of reserve fuel, nor the contingency fuel, nor the minimum landing fuel, quantities of fuel required by aeronautical regulations for the execution of the type of international flight that the aircraft CP-2339 was performing. - Sequential shutdown of all four (4) engines while the aircraft was descending on the GEMLI standby circuit as a result of the exhaustion of fuel on board. - Inadequate decision making by the management of the operating company of the aircraft, as a consequence of the lack of operational safety assurance in their processes. - Loss of situational awareness and misguided crew decision making, which kept the fixation on continuing a flight with an extremely limited amount of fuel. The crew was aware of the low level of fuel remaining, however, they did not take the corrective actions required to land at an airfield and obtain refueling to allow them to continue the flight safely. Contributing Factors - Premature configuration of the aircraft for landing, during the descent in the GEMLI position support pattern, since, considering the absence of thrust, this configuration affected the plane's glide distance to the runway of Rionegro airport. - Latent deficiencies in the planning and execution of non-scheduled transport flights, by the aircraft operator, related to the insufficient supply of the amount of fuel required. - Specific shortcomings in the planning of the accident flight, on the part of the operator of the aircraft. - Lack of operational supervision and control of the flight by the Operator, which did not supervised the planning of the flight, its execution, and the follow-up of the flight that was would have allowed the crew to be supported in making decisions. - Absence of timely "priority", "emergency" or other calls from the crew of the aircraft, during the flight, and especially when the fuel depletion in the descent and holding phase, which would have alerted to air traffic services to provide the necessary support. - Organizational and operational deviation on the part of the Operator in the application of the fuel management procedures, as it did not comply in practice with what had been approved by the the DGAC of Bolivia in the process of certification of the company. - Delay in the approach of CP-2933 to the Rionegro track, due to its late application for priority, and late declaration of fuel emergency, in addition to the traffic density in the VOR RNG support pattern. Investigating agency: Aerocivil Status: Investigation completed Duration: 1 year and 5 months Accident number: COL-16-37-GIA Download report: Final report https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/04/30/colombia-cites-poor-flight-planning-inadequate-decision-making-loss-of-situational-awareness-in-fatal-lamia-avro-rj85-fuel-exhaustion-accident-near-rionegro/ Back to Top Southwest jet in fatal explosion to be repaired in Everett The jet arrived in Everett for repairs nearly two weeks after a fatal explosion on the Southwest flight. A Southwest Airlines jet that experienced engine failure and had to make an emergency landing earlier this month landed in Everett for repairs Monday. The aircraft has been released from the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation and was flown to Paine Field, according to Southwest Airlines. The plane was flown to Aviation Technical Services facilities, which conducts major services on Boeing aircraft. The left engine has already been replaced. The jet is not back in service, according to Southwest. Southwest Flight 1380 was traveling from New York City to Dallas on April 17 when one of the jet's engines failed, leading to an emergency landing. One passenger died after a window broke and the suction pulled her partially out. https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/everett/southwest-jet-in-fatal-explosion-to-be-repaired-in-everett/281-547408288 Back to Top 'Give latest position on air safety' (India) HC asks for DGCA response on plea alleging violations The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the latest position regarding air safety, probe into aircraft accidents and recruitment of flight operation inspectors. A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked for the information after the civil aviation regulator claimed that it has been following all precautions to ensure flight safety in the country. The court was hearing a petition alleging that private airlines are violating and circumventing mandatory provisions for air safety and air worthiness issued by the DGCA. The plea also claimed that the regulator has no mechanism to effectively check the non-compliance and blatant violation of the provisions. Refuting the allegations made in the plea, the DGCA said that it has safety oversight and surveillance programmes for airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance. It told the court that all of the civil aviation planes in operation in the country are following the aircraft maintenance programme. The regulator also claimed that there is no shortage of flight operation inspectors. However, the petitioner, Alok Kumar, has claimed that there are 72 vacant posts of flight operation inspectors in the DGCA. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/give-latest-position-on-air-safety/article23722617.ece Back to Top Better battery packaging on planes overlooks other safety concerns: airlines MONTREAL/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - New global packaging standards expected in late 2018 will allow lithium-ion batteries back into passenger plane cargo holds, pending design and regulatory approval, but some airlines say the new rule overlooks other safety concerns. It will reverse a 2016 suspension due to fire risks, but some airlines argue that packaging alone will not fully protect against cargo battery fires because battery shipments are sometimes mislabeled. Airlines and battery makers want jet designs to factor in better cargo fire-safety measures. Carriers interviewed by Reuters described finding packages of mislabeled lithium-ion batteries, often by shippers trying to avert the ban. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department, the regulator of the world's busiest air cargo hub, flagged cases of battery packages mislabeled in manifests as clothes, shoes and toys in a 2017 notice to airlines. It is not clear how many mislabeled battery packages are transported by air, or discovered, but carriers fear it could continue as some shippers try to avoid the anticipated higher costs of proper packaging. "The sheer number of batteries produced is growing and is measured in the billions," said Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Director-General Andrew Herdman. "There is a problem with false declaration or non-declaration of such items." Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (0293.HK) conducts random checks to ensure packages are properly labeled, but it can't "catch everyone," Rick Howell, general manager group safety and security, said at a recent Montreal safety conference. That's why Howell and others are also calling for new jet models to include better cargo fire safety protections since planes were designed before the battery threat. "Cargo holds of modern planes are lined with materials and equipped with fire suppression systems that aren't designed to contain a lithium ion battery fire," a spokeswoman for Germany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said. In January, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration identified at least 191 "events" involving lithium batteries producing smoke, fire, extreme heat or explosions in the air or at airports around the world since 1991. While there have been no reported passenger deaths due to a battery fire, lithium-ion batteries were a contributing factor in the crash of an Asiana Airlines Inc (020560.KS) flight that killed the two pilots of a Boeing 747 freighter in 2011, according to a report by Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board. The source of the fire that led to the crash was not determined, but the batteries were a factor because they were so flammable, the report said. Both Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) said that they are working with industry to improve aviation safety and already meet or surpass standards. U.S.-based PRBA, the rechargeable battery association, supports "robust" and "cost-effective" packaging standards but also believes planemakers should factor into their designs "that large volumes of dangerous goods are transported by air," director George Kerchner said. New models such as Boeing's (BA.N) proposed mid-market jet could include modern fire-resistant materials as added protection, airlines said. Aviation working groups are weighing new standards to improve cargo safety, but talks are at an early stage, Rudy Quevedo, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) director of safety, said. Modernizing planes would deliver an extra line of defense against fires but add costs to an industry already investing heavily in safety. But airplane design alone is not the most effective way to prevent potential lithium-ion cargo hold battery fires, the FAA believes. "Operations, hazardous materials and airplane design have to work as a system, with each element contributing to safety, but no one element providing all the mitigations," a FAA spokesman said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-aviation-safety-batteries/better-battery-packaging-on-planes-overlooks-other-safety-concerns-airlines-idUSKBN1HY2O0 Back to Top FAA quiet on seat pitch and width data as pressure mounts for standards The US Federal Aviation Administration is presently staying mum about whether or not it has the data necessary to build aircraft seat pitch and width standards. Last week, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved five-year FAA reauthorization legislation containing "SEAT Act" language that, if agreed by the Senate, would give the FAA one year to set minimum dimensions for aircraft "seat pitch, width, and length" as deemed necessary for the safety and health of airline passengers. The bill does not stipulate what the minimum seat size standards should be, but rather puts the ball in the FAA's court. Asked by Runway Girl Network if the FAA has the data to build the baseline standards now, or if would it need to conduct more testing should the Senate maintain the SEAT Act provision, a spokesperson for the FAA said today via email: "We cannot comment on pending legislation. We also cannot comment on any data on seat pitch and width standards since it is involved in our submission for the federal court case." The federal court case in question is Case #16-1101 at the Federal Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Last year, the court put the FAA in the proverbial hot seat to justify its conclusion that aircraft seat spacing does not impact the safety or speed of passenger evacuations. The court determined that the FAA "failed to provide a plausible evidentiary basis" for denying consumer group Flyers Rights' 2015 petition to establish rules governing size limitations for aircraft seats. The FAA is no stranger to questions about passenger egress as they pertain to high-density aircraft seating configurations. RGN has had a number of exchanges with the agency on this issue. The FAA told RGN last year that, "The FAA does consider seat pitch in testing and assessing the safe evacuation of commercial, passenger aircraft. We are studying the [D.C. Circuit] ruling carefully and any potential actions we may take to address the Court's findings." But Flyers Rights president Paul Hudson alleges the FAA "has continued to delay and refuse [to] release the evacuation tests to the public it claims shows shrunken seats are safe". In remarks issued after the House vote last week, Hudson says, "FlyersRights.org filed FOIA requests in September and made prior requests. In 2017 the FAA also refused to release the alleged tests to the court claiming they were secret due to proprietary information. The court reprimanded the FAA for a 'vacuous record' and noted that 'undisclosed tests don't count'." Hudson believes that, with the passage of the SEAT Act in the House plus last year's 3-0 decision by the D.C. Circuit ordering the FAA to reconsider its denial of Flyers Rights' rulemaking petition, "both Congress and the judiciary have spoken to the FAA and airlines: Seats must accommodate passengers as they are, not as the airline would like for maximum profit regardless of safety, health and comfort." He suggests that "airline seats have shrunk further while passengers have continued to get larger", noting that a third of US adults are classified as obese and three-quarters are "unable to comfortably fit into economy seats. And the rest are being squeezed by their neighbors intruding on their personal space. Shrinking airline seats and passenger space have now reached crisis proportions." https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2018/04/30/faa-quiet-on-seat-pitch-and-width-data-as-pressure-mounts-for-standards/ Back to Top Orlando airport rolling out facial recognition on all international flights Orlando International will soon become the first U.S. airport to use biometric technology to screen all international passengers. Orlando International Airport will be the first U.S. airport to implement a new facial-identification system on all international passengers, with the technology to be fully implemented as soon as July, the airport announced last week. Once deployed, the new screening system will require every passenger boarding an international flight to stand for a photo that will be analyzed against on-file passport or visa photos before getting on the plane. The airport is installing similar technology at the Customs and Border Patrol facility where passengers enter the United States. Travelers going through the checkpoint will again have their photos taken, and those images will be matched with a picture in a gallery of passengers on their arriving flights. CPB builds the galleries from the passport or visa photos associated with the names on a flight manifest. Once the photo is matched, the rest of the entry process proceeds as usual with an agent asking travelers the purpose of their trip. The Orlando airport started running a pilot version of the new system earlier this year on a daily British Airways flight to London's Gatwick Airport. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority says it's allowed the airline to reduce the boarding time on its Boeing 777 aircraft - which carry more than 200 passengers - to 15 minutes. The facial identification system means passengers do not need to show a boarding pass or passport at their departure gates. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the new technology has caught some seasoned travelers off-guard. "Now what do I do?" it quoted an elderly British woman asking as she stopped at photo gate, passport and ticket in hand. Biometric boarding has appeared gradually around U.S. airports since late last year. British Airways installed a system at one of its gates at Los Angeles International Airport in November. It's also started testing them at Miami International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Lufthansa, Europe's largest carrier, started using facial-recognition boarding last month on flights between Los Angeles and Munich, cutting the boarding time for a 350-passenger A380 jet to 20 minutes. Orlando recorded about 44.6 million passengers in 2017, with 5.9 million on international flights, making it the busiest in Florida and 11th busiest in the country. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates Orlando International, approved $4 million in funding to implement the new biometric screeners at the 30 gates that handle international flights and at its two re-entry checkpoints by this summer. https://statescoop.com/orlando-airport-rolling-out-facial-recognition-on-all-international-flights Back to Top HEATHROW AIRPORT HAS RECORD FIRST QUARTER WITH 17.7 MILLION PASSENGERS PASSING THROUGH Europe's busiest aviation hub has reported another record quarter. Almost 200,000 passengers a day passed through Heathrow Airport in the first three months of the year. Between January and March 2018, 17.7 million passengers used London's leading airport, a 3.1 per cent increase on the first quarter of 2017. The sharpest rises in traffic were to Latin America (6.9 per cent) and Africa (6.5 per cent). Domestic routes and services to Europe and North America grew at a slower rate than the average. Heathrow's operating profit for Q1 was £220m, up from £212m on the first quarter of 2017. "Aeronautical income", from charges levied on airlines, was flat at £22.67 per passenger, while earnings from retail spend rose 2.3 per cent to £8.82 for the average traveller. The airport's chief executive, John Holland-Kaye said: "We're delighted that passengers are choosing Heathrow in record numbers - it's a strong signal that we're delivering value for money. "We're within touching distance of Parliament voting on expanding Heathrow and now more than ever we're committed to developing and delivering a hub airport that Britain can be proud of for generations to come." The government has said its preferred scheme for additional airport capacity in south-east England is a new runway at Heathrow, north-west of the existing pair. The Department for Transport has stipulated "a runway length of at least 3,500m and enabling at least 260,000 additional air transport movements per annum" - a 54 per cent increase on today's figure. The government has said it will publish a final Airports National Policy Statement for a vote in the House of Commons before the summer recess. A formal planning application is expected to be submitted in 2020, with a view to the third runway opening in late 2025 or 2026. Airlines have demanded commitments on the costs they will face from an expanded Heathrow, while opponents say the third runway will breach environmental targets. In March, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, said: "We can be confident that the third runway will not go ahead. It's time for government to be realistic, stop wasting time and resources and press ahead with another option." Mr McDonnell is MP for Hayes and Harlington, adjoining Heathrow. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/heathrow-airport-profits-q1-2018-passengers-growth-third-runway-expansion-a8330396.html Back to Top Iran Ready to Co-op With World's Major Airplane Manufacturers April 29--TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran is ready to deal with the world's major airplane manufacturers, such as Boeing, Airbus, Sukhoi or ATR, using every opportunity to purchase their aircraft, Secretary of the Iranian Airlines Association Maghsoud Asadi Samani told Trend. He also positively evaluated the agreement, concluded between Iran Airlines and Russian Sukhoi company. "Overall, considering Sukhoi's great effort, made to participate in the airline market of Iran, I think these contracts will positively affect our cooperation, and I also hope that the obstacles that both sides faced due to OFAC's (Office of Foreign Assets Control) restrictions will be eliminated in future, enabling Sukhoi to provide appropriate services," Samani said. He added that previously the Russian company was planning to use fewer US-made parts on its aircrafts to reduce the need for the OFAC license. In February 2017, during the demonstration of Sukhoi 100 aircraft at the Mehrabad Airport, the director of the Iranian Airlines Association stated that given the changes made by Sukhoi and the fact that less than 15 percent of the plane parts belong to the United States, the aircraft does not need to be licensed for the further presentation in Tehran. Previoulsy, Iran Air Tour Airliner inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for purchase of 20 Sukhoi Super Jet 100 with capacity of 100 seats. The director of the Iran Air Tours' Public Relations Department Marziyeh Jafarzadeh said the deliveries of the planes would start within a year, adding that each plane would add 100 seats to the company's passenger capacity. The 5-day Airshow was held at Antalya International Airport, one of Turkey's top three busiest airports. Antalya was selected as the venue of the airshow because it meets all the criteria for such an international aviation event including technical and operational infrastructures, ground handling services, accommodation capacity, accessibility, and favorable weather conditions. http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12410022/iran-ready-to-co-op-with-worlds-major-airplane-manufacturers Back to Top Air Canada delays delivery of 11 737 Max aircraft Air Canada has shifted its Boeing 737 Max delivery schedule, delaying some deliveries up to three years as it evaluates other aspects of its fleet, including performance of the Bombardier CSeries. But while it will delay 11 737 deliveries, the Montreal-based carrier has shifted five 737 Max deliveries forward one year, to 2020, executives said during Air Canada's earnings call on 30 April. "We concluded an amendment to [our] Boeing 737 purchase agreement where certain aircraft are accelerated and other are deferred," Air Canadachief financial officer Michael Rousseau says during the call. The company does not say if the changes affect orders for 737 Max 8s or 737 Max 9s, and it does not disclose a specific timeline. The company in 2014 placed orders for 61 737 Max, including 50 737 Max 8 and 11 737 Max 9s, with deliveries initially scheduled to run from 2017 to 2021. The 737 Max 9s were to be handed over last, in 2020 and 2021, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. Air Canada already operates 12 737 Max 8s. Its most-recent fleet plan leaves unchanged an expectation for the airline to have 36 737 Max in the fleet by the end of 2019. Asked about why Air Canada made the shift, chief executive Calin Rovinescu says it ensures the company brings 737s on board when it needs the capacity. But he cites other "moving parts", including Air Canada's fleet of 25 Embraer 190s and an order for 45 CS300s. Air Canada will begin divesting E190s this year, and it intends to receive CS300s between late 2019 and 2022. "When we made the 737 order we didn't know exactly what we were doing with exiting the 190s... We didn't have, at that stage, the CSeries orders," he says. "We will also wait and see how the CSeries performs," Rovinescu adds. He also hints at possible further orders, noting that Air Canada holds options on both 737s and CS300s. "These changes give us maximum flexibility to bring the 737s Max in a time when we can use them most effectively," he says. "We don't want to be inundated with aircraft at times when we can't use them, and we don't want to be short of aircraft." https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/air-canada-delays-delivery-of-11-737-max-aircraft-448199/ Back to Top Regional carriers deal with pilot shortage Charlotte is American Airlines' largest regional hub with hundreds of flights each day to small, regional airports. But all of those flight options could be in jeopardy if the regional carriers can't find more pilots. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte is American Airlines' largest regional hub with hundreds of flights each day to small, regional airports. But all of those flight options could be in jeopardy if the regional carriers can't find more pilots. "The pipeline for pilots started to dry up after 9/11," Piedmont Airlines President Lyle Hogg explained. Hogg told NBC Charlotte the regional pilot shortage is more of an issue than some may think. "If things don't change, what could happen down the road?" asked reporter Mark Boyle. "Those carriers that are really tight on pilots would not be able to serve some of the smaller communities," replied Hogg. That's another big issue. Hogg explains regional carriers like Piedmont may reduce frequency to smaller cities, which would create fewer flying options for you. Here's the issue: Learning to be a pilot can cost well over $100,000. After airlines went out of business years ago, and furloughs were being offered, combine that with all of the mergersm and the pipeline of trained pilots dried up. "This is a phenomenon that's happening across the nation. Even the military is short pilots," Hogg said. Carriers like Piedmont are trying to intice young pilots with large bonuses to help pay of debt, but it's still a slow process. It's unclear how a possible pilot shortage will impact summer travel. https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/regional-carriers-deal-with-pilot-shortage/275-547362619 Back to Top Aviation human factors expert Dr Rob Lee remembered Dr Rob Lee (right) with ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood. (ATSB) Long-time aviation administrator and human factors expert Rob Lee died on Friday. "It is our melancholy duty to advise that Dr Rob Lee AO, a great leader and aviation safety visionary passed away peacefully on Friday morning 27 April 2018," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Monday afternoon. "Whilst he will long be remembered for such a significant contribution to aviation safety, he will also be remembered for his warmth, his love for his partner Sue and his family, his infectious smile, his international diplomacy, and for his musicianship, as lead guitarist in the Canberra band 'Mid-Life Crisis'." Dr Lee was the first human factors specialist to be appointed at the then Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) - later to form part of the ATSB - when he joined the organisation in 1983 and helped establish and develop the Bureau's capability in human factors, systems safety and research. He rose to the position of BASI director in 1989. And in 1999, Dr Lee was appointed director of human factors, systems safety and communications at the newly-established ATSB. "During his directorship he transformed the Bureau from a largely reactive investigative agency to an innovative multi-skilled organisation that also concentrated on proactive accident prevention and safety enhancement," the ATSB said in its 2009 Past Present Future publication that celebrated the 10-years anniversary of its formation. "Dr Lee was instrumental in establishing and developing mutual cooperation in air safety investigation between BASI and the Australian Defence Force, including negotiating and signing the first Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies." In 2012, Dr Lee received an Order of Australia (AO) award in that year's Queen's Birthday Honours list for "distinguished service to the aviation industry, to the development of air safety and accident investigation standards, and to national and international professional associations". Dr Lee graduated with first class honours in psychology at Australian National University in 1970. He also completed his PhD in psychology at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, with his research focused on human performance in complex systems, with particular reference to aircraft. His work as an international consultant has also involved analysing accidents around the world including the Gulf Air A320 accident at Bahrain in August 2000, the Singapore Airlines B747 accident at Taipei in October 2000, and the mid air collision between a Boeing 757 and a Tupolev Tu-154M over Ueberlingen, Germany in 2002. Further, Dr Lee's career also included working extensively with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), where in 1976 he was appointed senior psychologist, operational command. He was the first RAAF psychologist to serve as a human factors specialist on RAAF aircraft accident investigation teams. Later, Dr Lee served as Group Captain in the RAAF Specialist Reserve. The consultancy role involved conducting regular training courses on aviation psychology, human factors, systems safety and air safety investigation within the Australian Defence Force. Dr Lee is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. In 2000 Dr Lee was awarded the Aviation Human Factors Achievement Award by the Australian Aviation Psychology Association. http://australianaviation.com.au/2018/05/aviation-human-factors-expert-dr-rob-lee-remembered/ Back to Top NBAA Marks Passing of Aviation Safety Advocate, Journalist Richard Collins Washington, DC, April 30, 2018 - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today marked the passing of Richard L. "Dick" Collins, a leading aviation journalist and lifelong safety advocate, who died at his home in Maryland on April 29. He was 85. In 2000, NBAA recognized Collins with the association's Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in the field of aviation journalism. His writing career spanned 60 years and he produced more than 1,000 magazine articles and more than a dozen books about single-pilot flying technique, weather avoidance and instrument flying. "The general aviation community has lost one of its greatest safety champions," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "By writing about the experience he gained through approximately 20,000 hours of flying, much of it in his famous Cessna P210, Dick Collins shared his knowledge with thousands of fellow light plane pilots, thus making our industry safer. Dick's life and body of work reflect the journalistic excellence and integrity, combined with a deep love and passion for aviation, that made his writing special. Much of his advice is timeless and will continue to benefit aviators for years to come." Collins was born on Nov. 28, 1933, in Little Rock, AR. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1955-1957, he became chief pilot of Little Rock-based Ben M. Hogan Co., which was one of the largest highway construction companies in Arkansas at that time. In 1958, Collins started his journalism career working for his father, Leighton Collins, founder of Air Facts magazine. Ten years later, he joined Flying magazine and served as the magazine's editor-in-chief from 1977-1988. He then spent two years as editor-in-chief of AOPA Pilot, the magazine of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Collins was an independent aviation consultant from 1989-2008, when he was named editor emeritus of Flying magazine. In recent years, Collins wrote a blog for Air Facts Journal, an online publication for pilots. Besides the NBAA Platinum Wing Award, Collins received numerous other accolades. In 1965 he received the Flight Safety Foundation's Sherman Fairchild Award. In 1978, he won the Earl D. Osborn award from the Aviation and Space Writers Association, and he was named to Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1988. Collins also was an honorary member of the Flying Physicians Association, Lawyer Pilots Bar Association and Civil Aeromed Association. Collins was pre-deceased by his wife Ann Slocomb Collins. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12410224/nbaa-marks-passing-of-aviation-safety-advocate-journalist-richard-collins Curt Lewis