Flight Safety Information May 11, 2018 - No. 095 In This Issue Incident: American B738 at New York on May 10th 2018, engine failure Incident: Jazz DH8D at Timmins on Apr 30th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Lufthansa Cargo MD11 at Frankfurt on May 8th 2018, rejected takeoff due to engine failure Incident: Kenya E190 at Harare on May 7th 2018, bird strike Embraer KC-390 Runway Excursion (Brazil) Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 Landing Accident (Spain) JFK emergency landing due to oil filter problem, airline says NTSB Blames Pilot Error for Santa Barbara County Helicopter Incident 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit Office of Inspector General to audit FAA's maintenance oversight of American Airlines, Allegiant Pilots warn of weak taxiways at Bangkok's busy airport Japan's US Air Base Safety Probe in Deadlock AUSTRALIA MULLS MANDATORY REGISTRATION FOR DRONES AS INCIDENTS RISE PLANES ARE AGING, BUT U.S. AIR TRAVEL HAS A STRONG SAFETY RECORD USAIG and APS Renew Upset Recovery Training Partnership Via Performance Vector Safety Initiative Do Airline Training Schools Have a Duty of Care? Historic flight: Commercial jet flies on 100 percent biofuel The final design of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches today (update) HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Don't miss the HFACS workshop in Las Vegas June 12th & 13th GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: American B738 at New York on May 10th 2018, engine failure An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N843NN performing flight AA-2229 from New York La Guardia,NY to Orlando,FL (USA) with 156 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of New York when the crew requested to maintain 12,000 feet while they were troubleshooting a problem. The crew subsequently advised they had an engine failure and wanted to divert to New York's JFK Airport. The aircraft landed safely on JFK's runway 22R about 20 minutes later. The airline reported the engine had no visible damage, the crew had received an engine fault indication which subsequently was identified to have been caused by the engine oil filter. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N894NN reached Orlando with a delay of about 2 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2229/history/20180510/1045Z/KLGA/KJFK http://avherald.com/h?article=4b86acf9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jazz DH8D at Timmins on Apr 30th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GJZR performing flight QK-8284 from Timmins,ON to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 54 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Timmins when the left hand propeller's RPM dropped to 850, then accelerated to 1060 (overspeed condition). The crew worked the related checklists, shut the left hand engine (PW150A) down and returned to Timmins for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance replaced the propeller PCU. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b86a051&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa Cargo MD11 at Frankfurt on May 8th 2018, rejected takeoff due to engine failure A Lufthansa Cargo McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration D-ALCE performing freight flight GEC-8340 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was accelerating for takeoff from Frankfurt's runway 18 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground) due to the failure of the #3 engine (CF6, right hand). The aircraft slowed safely and stopped about 1000 meters (3300 feet) short of the runway end. Emergency services responded and checked brakes and engine. The aircraft was towed to the apron, the runway re-opened about 50 minutes after the rejected takeoff. A ground observer reported the #3 engine emitted a loud bang and a streak of flame followed by less loud bangs and streaks of flames in regular intervals. The aircraft slowed and stopped on the runway. The right hand engine just "coughing": http://avherald.com/h?article=4b869d71&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Kenya E190 at Harare on May 7th 2018, bird strike A Kenya Airways Embraer ERJ-190, registration 5Y-KYP performing flight KQ-704 from Harare (Zimbabwe) to Lusaka (Zambia) with 96 passengers, struck a bird on departure from Harare and returned to Harare for a safe landing. Passengers reported there were severe vibrations as the aircraft climbed out. The captain subsequently announced they had some technical problem and were returning to Harare. The airline confirmed the incident reporting the bird strike happened while the aircraft was still on the runway. According to information The Aviation Herald received two fan blades were damaged as result of the bird strike and needed to be replaced. Zimbabwe's Civil Aviation Authority opened an investigation into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8686cc&opt=0 Back to Top Embraer KC-390 Runway Excursion (Brazil) Status: Preliminary Date: Saturday 5 May 2018 Type: Embraer KC-390 Operator: Embraer Registration: PT-ZNF C/n / msn: 39000001 First flight: 2015-02-03 (3 years 3 months) Engines: 2 IAE V2500-E5 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Gavião Peixoto-Embraer Unidade Airport, SP ( Brazil) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Test Departure airport: Gavião Peixoto-Embraer Unidade Airport, SP (SBGP), Brazil Destination airport: Gavião Peixoto-Embraer Unidade Airport, SP (SBGP), Brazil Narrative: The Embraer KC-390 aircraft prototype suffered a runway excursion accident during a ground test at Gavião Peixoto Airport, Brazil. Video footage shows the aircraft having traveled about 260 m past the end of runway 20. Gavião Peixoto Airport is a owned and operated by Embraer and used as for flight testing. The single runway 02/20 has a length of 4967 m. Embraer reported that extensive damage was identified on each of the three landing gear of the aircraft, as well as damage to the structure of the fuselage. This same aircraft suffered an incident on Oct. 17, 2017 when it had an uncommanded extremely rapid descent of 4500 ft/min from 20000 ft to 3100 ft. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180505-0 Back to Top Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 Landing Accident (Spain) Status: Preliminary Date: Friday 4 May 2018 Time: 20:10 Type: Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 Operator: Aluminios Cortizo Registration: EC-MOQ C/n / msn: 525C-0161 First flight: 2014 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) ( Spain) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Zagreb-Pleso Airport (ZAG/LDZA), Croatia Destination airport: Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ/LEST), Spain Narrative: A Cessna 525C Citation CJ4, EC-MOQ, was damaged in a landing accident on runway 35 at Santiago de Compostela Airport, Spain. The aircraft blocked the runway for about two hours, causing diversion of several incoming flights. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180504-0 Back to Top JFK emergency landing due to oil filter problem, airline says The plane landed 23 minutes after leaving LaGuardia Airport because crew reported an issue with one of two engines, an airline spokesman said. A worn-out oil filter caused an American Airlines flight with 156 passengers to make an emergency landing early Thursday at Kennedy Airport, just 23 minutes after leaving LaGuardia Airport, an airline spokesman said. The crew on board the Boeing 737 that was bound for Orlando, Florida, had reported an issue with one of two engines while in the air. The airline said the crew chose to divert "out of an abundance of caution" and that preliminary indications were that the engine had no visible damage. A Port Authority spokesman, Rudy King, said the plane landed "without incident." American spokesman Ross Feinstein said the aircraft's indicator light communicated an error or fault message to the crew relating to the engine. Mechanics determined later that the filter was the problem, he said. "It was an issue with the oil filter on the engine," Feinstein said Thursday evening. "The plane will be back in service tomorrow morning." American said all 156 passengers and the crew of six were moved to a different aircraft. "We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans," an emailed statement from American said, adding, "and we are sorry for the trouble this caused." https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/american-airlines-emergency-landing-jfk-1.18476643 Back to Top NTSB Blames Pilot Error for Santa Barbara County Helicopter Incident A federal investigation into an incident involving a Santa Barbara County helicopter that struck another aircraft upon landing at Van Nuys Airport has pinned the blame on the pilot for causing the mishap, while also calling a ground crew member's actions a contributing factor. The Jan. 12 incident involved Copter 308, part of the county's Air Support Unit, and a parked helicopter sitting near a fixed-base operator. The collision caused "substantial damage," the National Transportation Safety Board said. The incident occurred as pilot Matt Udkow landed the aircraft at Van Nuys Airport on the ramp near Rotorcraft Support Inc., the firm that serves as the county's vendor for maintenance and repairs. Just days earlier, Udkow and his crew spent several hours in the helicopter rescuing several people trapped due to the Jan. 9 debris flows in Montecito. After conducting several rescues, Udkow was forced to make an emergency landing at Birnam Wood Golf Course due an electrical burning smell later blamed on water intrusion. "The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a stationary helicopter during landing," investigators said in their findings. "Contributing to the accident was the ground crew's failure to ensure that the helicopter would clear the stationary helicopter," the NTSB report added. The pilot reported that while hovering the helicopter prior to parking between three stationery helicopters, a ground crew member, whose name wasn't released, gave the signal for a 180 degree "pedal turn," the NTSB analysis said. As the helicopter was about to touch down, the pilot felt a shudder in the airframe, prompting him to immediately roll the throttle closed and complete an emergency shutdown, the report said. "Post accident examination revealed that the tail rotor blades struck the main blades of a stationary helicopter, which likely caused the shudder felt by the pilot," the report noted. "The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor and main rotor systems," the report said. "The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation." No one aboard the aircraft or on the ground was injured in the incident. https://www.noozhawk.com/article/ntsb_blames_pilot_error_for_santa_barbara_county_helicopter_incident **************** Date: 12-JAN-2018 Time: 09:15 Type: Bell UH-1H Huey Owner/operator: Rescue Operations in Montecito, CA Registration: N205KS C/n / msn: SN67-17328 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Category: Accident Location: Van Nuys, CA - United States of America Phase: Nature: Ferry/positioning Departure airport: Santa Barbara, CA (GOLF) Destination airport: Van Nuys, CA (VNY) Investigating agency: NTSB Narrative: The pilot reported that, while hovering the helicopter to park between three stationary helicopters, the ground crew gave him the signal for a 180° "pedal turn." As the helicopter was about to touch down, he felt a shudder in the airframe. He then immediately rolled the throttle closed and completed an emergency shutdown. Postaccident examination revealed that the tail rotor blades struck the main blades of a stationary helicopter, which likely caused the shudder felt by the pilot. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor and main rotor systems. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a stationary helicopter during landing. Contributing to the accident was the ground crew's failure to ensure that the helicopter would clear the stationary helicopter. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=210280 Back to Top Back to Top Office of Inspector General to audit FAA's maintenance oversight of American Airlines, Allegiant The U.S. Office of Inspector General stated that it will investigate the FAA's maintenance oversight of American Airlines and Allegiant. In June 2017, the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General announced a review of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of air carrier maintenance. Based on their initial audit work and additional congressional requests, it was decided to adjust the scope of this audit. OIG states that the objectives now are to assess FAA's processes for investigating allegations of improper maintenance practices at two carriers, Allegiant Air and American Airlines. Specifically, to (1) examine FAA's independent reviews, complaints to the FAA hotline, and other sources to see whether inspectors conducting routine surveillance of Allegiant and American Airlines found similar discrepancies and (2) determine whether FAA ensures that Allegiant and American Airlines implement effective corrective actions to address the root causes of maintenance problems. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/05/10/u-s-office-of-inspector-general-to-investigate-faas-safety- oversight-of-maintenance-at-american-airlines-and-allegiant-air/ Back to Top Pilots warn of weak taxiways at Bangkok's busy airport The so-called 'softspots' at Suvarnabhumi parking and taxiways are from a combination of the high water table and deficient construction. BANGKOK (AP) - A professional pilots' organization has warned that soft ground conditions at Bangkok's main international airport can cause the pavement of its taxiways to buckle or otherwise fail. The warning issued this week by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Association says soft ground or soft spots have been encountered and reported by flight crews and ground service providers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport since at least 2008. The group issued a similar warning four years ago. The statement says a high water table and faulty asphalt caused failures on heavily transited areas after about two years, rather than the expected pavement life of around seven years. It says the airport's operator had advised that permanent repairs were not expected to begin until at least late 2019. https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pilots-warn-of-weak-taxiways-at-bangkoks-busy-airport/ Back to Top Japan's US Air Base Safety Probe in Deadlock After a series of U.S helicopter safety mishaps, plans to inspect the U.S. marine base have been met with resistance. On Saturday the Japanese Defense Ministry revealed that efforts to send Self-Defense Force members to a U.S. airbase on Okinawa for safety checks have been at a standstill since February. Government measures to verify safety standards at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma were intended to quell public backlash, but the operation has yet to materialize. On February 1, Japan's Self Defense Forces (SDF) were left hanging when U.S. forces requested that the safety investigation at MCAS Futenma be postponed on the day SDF members were scheduled to be dispatched. SDF personnel with technical expertise intended to assess the maintenance situation, in particular emergency landing functions, and attend briefings on two recent aircraft malfunctions. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said a team of experts were to survey equipment and ascertain whether the explanation from the U.S. side matched up technically. Although the United States initially agreed to the plan, it was abruptly explained that they needed more time for preparations. The U.S. side has failed to respond to concrete talks since the mission was put on hold. Japan's southern island of Okinawa is known as a tropical holiday destination, but it's also home to the main bulk of U.S. military bases in Japan. Since World War II, Okinawans have carried a sentiment of distrust toward the U.S. military bases. But the rape and murder of a Japanese school girl in 1995 by three American servicemen became a major political turning point, fueling hostility and local protests against the presence of military personnel in Okinawa. Recently, the question of public safety has put U.S. forces in the spotlight in Japan after a string of recent helicopter accidents triggered public outrage. In December, a window from a heavy duty transport aircraft fell and landed in the playground of an elementary school near MCAS Futenma. The U.S. military voluntarily pledged to avoid flights over the school; reports that countless aircraft have been flying overhead anyway have been denied by the United States. A Japanese Defense Ministry survey found students were forced to evacuate the playground 216 times within the space of a month due to approaching U.S. aircraft. The U.S. military got off to a rocky start this year with two Futenma-based UH-1 multipurpose helicopters making emergency landings on January 8 and January 23. More recently, in April tensions skyrocketed after two more incidents of emergency landings were reported while a U.S. Air Force parachute was also found on a school grounds in Tokyo. However, February and March stood out for three potentially deadly accidents. A 1.4 kg antenna-like part fell off during the flight of a fighter jet based in Kadena Air Base in Okinawa with a while another fighter jet based in Misawa, southeastern Japan, was forced to dump fuel in a nearby lake after an engine fire. In early March, a plastic rear door from a cargo helicopter weighing 31 kilograms was found in a grass field in a remote island in southwest Japan. The frequency of U.S. aircraft accidents last year doubled compared to 2016, and the trend for emergency landings this year looks discouraging. But U.S forces have praised precautionary landing as a way to prevent possible crashes. Local residents, however, say they're under continuous threat from falling military debris and have made pleas to the government based on the constitutional right to live in peace. The Japanese government has sought to take a heavier hand in addressing the ballooning number of aircraft accidents. However, residents remain convinced public safety has taken a back seat to their U.S. allies. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reassured residents that working on safety with the United States is a top priority, emphasizing that the basic premise of U.S. military operations is to ensure public safety. He urged the United States to take appropriate measures to prevent accidents from occurring again. The United States has criticized the safety probe as a groundless inspection and with limited cooperation, a senior Defense Ministry official said, it's unclear when the safety probe can resume. https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/japans-us-air-base-safety-probe-in-deadlock/ Back to Top AUSTRALIA MULLS MANDATORY REGISTRATION FOR DRONES AS INCIDENTS RISE Australia's safety regulator wants to introduce mandatory registrations for all drones weighing more than 250 gms and require recreational users to take an online safety test. The moves come as the number of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) is increasing rapidly, with industry estimates there are now "well in excess of 150,000" in Australia, and fears one will hit a manned aircraft are rising. That hasn't yet happened in Australia but the air safety investigators say there were 11 reported close calls in January this year alone. In 2017, there were 151 RPA near encounters with manned aircraft, 72 of which occurred within 20 nautical miles of Sydney Airport. This compared with 127 incidents reported in the previous four years. Air New Zealand in March called for jail time for people who recklessly endanger lives with remotely piloted aircraft after a drone came so close to one of its Boeing 777s the crew was worried it had been ingested by one of the engines. While the Civil Aviation Safety Authority favors exempting drones weighing less than 250gms from mandatory registration, it says it is still looking at whether small drones traveling at high speeds can harm humans. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed alternative limit based on kinetic energy of 80 joules that takes into account both a drone's mass and its speed. CASA says it understands EASA's rationale but it wants to follow moves in the US and other jurisdictions to exclude the sub-250gm drones. "However, before doing so CASA intends to complete further research to determine if RPA weighing 250 grams or less and capable of transferring sufficient kinetic energy to cause serious injury when impacting with a human,'' it said in a report released Friday. The report argues drone registration should be simple and costs should be based on an aircraft 's weight and how it is used. This would see commercial operators pay more than recreational users. The authority favors requiring users to re-register after three years for recreational users and shorter period for commercial operators. Users will also need to verify their identity using documents such as driver's license or passport, meaning younger people will need to have their registration completed in the name of a parent or guardian. The report says benefits to introducing an RPA registration system would assist data gathering on drones, allow it to better target education and provide a disincentive to operate the aircraft unlawfully. Registration would be an important element in the safe integration of remotely piloted aircraft into Australia's airspace. It points to technologies such as electronic identification where an RPA emits a unique identifier code linked to the user in the registration process. "An application of this technology would potentially permit a law enforcement officer to detect the RPA unique identification code of an RPA that may be operating unlawfully, by using a hand-held device,'' it says "The unique identification code could then be matched to an RPA registration holder, using a secure interface to the RPA registration database to determine who the RPA registration holder is." Recreational drone users may also face a simple online course on safe recreational operations followed by a quiz with a minimum pass mark. CASA said it recognized many recreational and excluded operators flew lawfully and had a sound understanding of the rules. It was also aware that many of the more than 900 people who contributed to its review did not support training and demonstrated proficiency for small/recreational drones. "However, through CASA's investigation of RPA related incidents and complaints, it is evident that there is an increasing number of RPA operators who are unaware of the legislation about the category of operation (i.e. commercial or recreational) they are undertaking, or who have a poor understanding of the RPA legislation, or have interpreted it incorrectly," it said. The agency acknowledged the advantages of geo-fencing, where technology such as the Global Positioning System combines with onboard software to create a "no-go" boundary around sensitive areas such as airports. "We recognize, however, that the technology requires further development and broad adoption by manufacturers before a mandatory standard can be contemplated,'' it said. A separate review into drone safety is being conducted by the Australian Senate and CASA boss Shane Carmody has said the authority would take this and the government's response into account before making any final decisions on regulatory change. The authority expects to have an RPAS roadmap completed by the end of 2018 that will cover issues such as airspace integration, unmanned traffic management, detect and avoid technology as well as airworthiness and maintenance. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/australia-mulls-mandatory-registration-for-drones-as-incidents- rise/ Back to Top PLANES ARE AGING, BUT U.S. AIR TRAVEL HAS A STRONG SAFETY RECORD Recent high profile emergency landings notwithstanding, crashes and fatalities are still extremely rare among U.S. licensed commercial airlines. On Sunday, the third airline flight in as many weeks diverted because of a broken window. This time, a JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico to Florida made an emergency landing. Two previous incidents involved Southwest Airlines 737s. James Simmons says that aging fleets could be responsible for the recent incidents. Simmons is professor of aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University in Denver. He says the average age of a Southwest Airlines 737 is 10 years old. Federal Aviation Administration regulations require individual parts to be serviced or changed out, based on number of hours in operation, but there are no FAA regulations about the maximum lifespan of an older airplane or engine. Despite the recent Southwest Airlines disaster in which one passenger was killed, Simmons says that air travel in the U.S. is safer than ever. "That fatality, tragic as it was," he says, "was the first passenger death since 2009, in all the licensed airlines in the United States." He says that's a remarkable safety record. "Southwest operates about 4,000 flights a day, with a fleet of over 700 airplanes," Simmons says. "In a fleet that large, with as many take offs and landings as they do, they use their airplanes pretty hard. But I have no qualms about flying on Southwest." http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/airplanes-are-aging-but-u-s-air-travel-has-a-strong-safety-record/ Back to Top USAIG and APS Renew Upset Recovery Training Partnership Via Performance Vector Safety Initiative Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS), the global leader in Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT), announces at BASS 2018 the renewal of its longstanding partnership with USAIG to overcome Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) for its policyholders. LOC-I is the leading cause of fatalities in commercial, corporate, and general aviation today. "Through this partnership with APS, USAIG is helping to provide its policyholders with critical life-saving skills to mitigate the risk of Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I), aviation's most lethal safety threat." CHICAGO (PRWEB) MAY 10, 2018 Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), the global leader in Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT), announced today at the 63rd Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) the renewal of its partnership with USAIG to provide UPRT as part of their Performance Vector safety initiative. The Performance Vector program allows eligible policyholders to choose annually from a range of valuable safety enhancing programs and services delivered by the industry's leading providers. Through this partnership with APS, USAIG is helping to provide its policyholders with critical life-saving skills to mitigate the risk of Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I), aviation's most lethal safety threat. APS has been at the forefront of a decades-long effort, working with regulatory agencies and safety- minded aviation organizations to develop the world's most proven and effective strategies and techniques to effectively recognize, prevent or overcome LOC-I. The APS UPRT curriculum is in strict compliance with the latest ICAO, IATA, and FAA guidance, best practices, and standards and has been proven effective in training thousands of pilots across all aviation sectors. Corporate flight departments, government agencies, the military, owner-operators, airlines and other air carriers around the globe rely on APS to arm their pilots with the necessary skills and strategies to overcome these life-threatening events. More than 30,000 pilots will participate in APS UPRT programs this year alone, including comprehensive UPRT training provided to the pilots of two of the largest major legacy US airlines. Learn more about the APS USAIG program: - - apstraining.com/usaig-upset-recovery-training-by-aps/ "We carefully select Performance Vector partners to ensure we are providing safety enhancing programs that add significant value and long-term safety improvements," said John Brogan, USAIG President and CEO. "APS UPRT is a powerful Performance Vector offering with measurable safety results, and the program has been invaluable to policyholders who have taken advantage of the unique opportunity to gain critical piloting skills and solidify the safety of their flight departments." "As a forward-thinking and safety-oriented company, USAIG is providing their policyholders with powerful tools to enhance safety and make marked improvements to their organizations," said APS President, Paul BJ Ransbury. "APS UPRT effectively teaches pilots the skills they need to recognize, prevent and, if necessary, recovery from an unexpected airplane upset. We are honored to continue working with USAIG to bring these services to their policyholders and aid in improving global air safety. " ABOUT AVIATION PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS Aviation Performance Solutions LLC (APS), headquartered at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona, trains thousands of professional pilots and instructors in comprehensive Upset Prevention and Recovery Training skill development. APS provides integrated LOC-I solutions via industry-leading computer-based, on-aircraft (jet and piston), and full-flight simulator Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT). All training is in full compliance with the Airplane Upset Recovery Training Aid, FAA Advisory Circular 120-109A on Stall Training, ICAO Manual on Aeroplane Upset Prevention and Recovery Training, IATA Guidance Material and Best Practices for the Implementation of Upset Prevention and Recovery Training, and the FAA Advisory Circular 120-111 on Upset Prevention and Recovery Training. APS is the only Part 141 Flight School certified in the delivery of complete upset prevention & recovery, stall/spin and instrument upset recovery training courses worldwide. With additional training locations in Texas (USA), The Netherlands (Europe), and military division in Alabama (USA), APS provides global access to the highest quality Upset Prevention and Recovery Training available. Please visit our website at: apstraining.com ABOUT USAIG United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG) provides a full spectrum of coverage options for owners, operators, manufacturers and maintainers of corporate, private and commercial aircraft. In 1928, our founders -World War I pilots and businessmen David Beebe and Reed Chambers - saw the need for an insurance company that truly understood aviation. We remain a world aviation insurance leader delivering innovative, custom-tailored insurance products and services, including Performance Vector safety programs and Performance Vector PLUS good experience returns. United States Aviation Underwriters, Inc. manages USAIG, maintaining the industry's largest network of underwriting and field claims offices. USAU's wholly owned subsidiary, Toronto-based Canadian Aviation Insurance Managers manages the Canadian Aircraft Insurance Group insurance pool. USAIG is a subsidiary of General Re Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Follow us on Twitter @USAIG_CAIG, Facebook & LinkedIn. Please visit our website at usaig.com http://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/05/prweb15476655.htm Back to Top Do Airline Training Schools Have a Duty of Care? In this Aviation Law column, Steven Pounian and Kevin Mahoney write: Courts around the country are divided over the question of whether flight schools can be held liable for negligent pilot training that results in an air disaster. Courts around the country are divided over the question of whether flight schools can be held liable for negligent pilot training that results in an air disaster. One group of courts have held that claims against flight schools are barred under the "educational malpractice" doctrine that protects institutions of learning from judicial interference. Other courts have concluded that flight schools provide highly specialized safety instruction that imposes a duty of care and resulting liability when the breach of that duty leads to harm. The question will likely become more important with the recent expansion of airline training programs. To bolster their depleted pilot ranks, air carriers are creating "ab initio" flight schools that transform individuals with no flight experience into first-officer candidates. For example, last month American Airlines announced the creation of its "Cadet Academy." The program will give students 18 months of flight training, access to deferred student loans and, at the end of the program, a seat at the interview table with the airline's regional carrier subsidiaries. Jet Blue and United Airlines have created similar schools. The pilot shortage is a result of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations implemented after the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, which killed 50 people. In response to that pilot-error-induced accident, Congress passed the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2010. Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-216, tit. II, 124 Stat. 2367, §216(a)(2)(B) (2010). The law gave the FAA until 2013 to require that new airline pilots hold an Airline Transport Certificate (ATP). Id. §217(c). To get an ATP, a pilot must acquire 1,500 hours total time as a pilot. Flight 3407's first officer only had a commercial pilot certificate , which required only 250 hours. See Press Release-FAA Boosts Aviation Safety with New Pilot Qualification Standards (2013). Airlines are scrambling to find a way around the 1,500-hour rule. See Michael Mroziak, "Schumer: Recent Tragedies Show Why FAA Cannot Give In, Roll Back Air Safety Rules," WFBO Morning Edition (April 24, 2018). The rule upset regional air carriers' business model, which relied heavily on recruiting relatively inexperienced pilots to accept low wages in return for the opportunity to build flight time to qualify for an ATP and compete for a coveted legacy airline position. Now, seasoned pilots are in short supply and the increased salaries they can demand are affecting the airlines' bottom line. See Ginger Pinholster, "Competition for Pilots Remains Fierce, but Higher Pay Helps," the Embry-Riddle Newsroom (March 7, 2018). Under one proposed exception, students trained by airlines would be able to obtain an ATP in just 500 hours. See Robert Silk, "FAA Committee Recommends Accelerated Pilot Training," Travel Weekly (Oct. 27, 2017). The recent push to create airline sponsored classroom-to-cockpit pilot training programs may resurrect the very passenger safety risks that justified the 1,500-hour rule in the first place. After all, Marvin Renslow, the Captain of Flight 3407, participated in a similar first-officer training at a program affiliated with Gulfstream International Airlines. Despite his documented history of poor flight performance, Renslow was ultimately allowed to assume the controls of a passenger airliner. Thus, while the airlines' strategy to combat the pilot shortage may reduce their payroll costs, it may also increase the scope of their liability in future air accident lawsuits. Several courts have concluded that flight-training schools owe a duty of care to their students' future passengers. After the Colgan crash, for example, a New York federal court permitted the plaintiffs to pursue state-law negligence claims against FlightSafety International, which plaintiffs alleged provided important training to the flight crew. See In re Air Crash Near Clarence Ctr., New York, on Feb. 12, 2009, No. 09-CV-1039S, 2010 WL 5185106, at *6-7 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 12, 2010). And, last year, the District of Arizona allowed claims against the Arizona flight school that trained Andreas Lubitz, who, in 2015, deliberately crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps, killing 150 people. Five years before that crash, the Airline Training Center of Arizona (ATCA) trained Lubitz at its facility in Goodyear, Ariz. Family members of many of passengers on board brought suit against ATCA, arguing that it should have prevented Lubitz, who had a documented history of severe mental illness, from continuing through the commercial pilot training program. Although the case was ultimately dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens, the court first concluded that plaintiffs adequately pled a negligence claim. The Arizona district court held it was reasonable "to conclude that ATCA had a duty to make an inquiry about Lubitz's condition to determine if he was suitable to continue in the ATCA portion of the flight training program and beyond." Id. at 1106. The court ordered ATCA to consent to jurisdiction in a German court. Flight schools have routinely fought tort claims with mixed success, claiming that such cases are subject to the bar on "educational malpractice" causes of action. Educational malpractice suits allege that a school: (1) failed to provide a student with adequate skills; (2) failed to diagnose a learning disability; or (3) failed to adequately supervise the student's training. Glorvigen v. Cirrus Design, 796 N.W.2d 541, 553 (Minn. Ct. App. 2011), aff'd, 816 N.W.2d 572 (Minn. 2012). Courts in New York and other jurisdictions prohibit such claims (see Hoffman v. Bd. of Ed., 400 N.E.2d 317, 279 (N.Y. 1979); Glorvigen, 796 N.W.2d at 553-54), reasoning that holding educational institutions liable for their instruction would lead to a flood of litigation against schools and cause undue judicial interference with school curriculums. See Dallas Airmotive v. Flightsafety Intern., 277 S.W.3d 696, 701 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008). These courts also note that, at least in the traditional education setting, the failure of a student to learn effectively could have several causes such that assigning blame to educators would be overly speculative. Id. But, as the Colgan 3407 litigation shows, courts are split on whether the educational malpractice bar should apply to highly specialized private flight training schools. In Newman v. Socata SAS, 924 F. Supp. 2d 1322 (M.D. Fl. 2013), for example, a Florida district court held that plaintiff stated viable claims against an aviation training company that failed to alert a deceased pilot of an aircraft's dangerous propensity to roll. The court noted the public policy justifications for the educational malpractice bar were simply not present in litigation against a private aviation flight school that failed to warn a pilot to follow a procedure required for the safe operation of an aircraft. See Newman, 924 F. Supp. 2d at 1329 ("The public policy considerations that are relied upon to bar traditional educational malpractice claims do not carry over to the flight training setting, at least not on the facts of this case."). In contrast, in Glorvigen v. Cirrus Design, 796 N.W.2d 541 (Minn. Ct. App. 2011), the Minnesota Court of Appeals held that claims against Cirrus Design Corporation scrutinizing its aircraft transition training were barred as educational malpractice claims. The court ruled that because plaintiffs' claims "challenge[d] the effectiveness of the training" concerns about the "lack of a satisfactory standard of care" and "uncertainties about causation" justified dismissal of the plaintiffs' claims as a matter of law. Glorvigen, 796 N.W.2d at 555. Whether future claims against the new airline training programs will be barred as educational malpractice claims is an open question. In the passenger airline context, the enormity of the risk of harm by improper training and screening practices outweighs public policy concerns about judicial scrutiny of private flight school curricula. Additionally, unlike traditional flight schools, which train a whole gamut of recreational and commercial pilots, airline pilot training has a singular pedagogical objective: the safe transport of passengers on large airliners. Accordingly, there is a discrete foreseeable risk and an articulable standard of care. And airlines concerned about attenuated theories of causation can always rely on traditional negligence principles to argue that the plaintiffs' injuries were not proximately caused by their instruction. But even if airlines successfully invoke the educational malpractice doctrine, Plaintiffs will still have legal theories in their arsenal that may subject airline flight schools to liability. In the Germanwings litigation, for example, the educational malpractice defense did not arise because the plaintiffs did not challenge the quality of ATCA's flight instruction. Rather, they focused on the school's failure to warn about the severe risks posed by Lubitz. See Oto, 247 F. Supp. 3d at 1103. Plaintiffs' argument was not that ATCA did not teach Lubitz how to properly fly an airplane; it was that they should not have taught him at all. Pilot training is evaluated and scrutinized in virtually every accident investigation and pilot error is very often ruled as a contributing cause. Consequently, airlines that institute their own pilot training programs will face the prospect of lawsuits alleging that they did not correctly train or screen their pilot candidates. The scope of the airline's duty in this regard remains a disputed issue but current case law shows that airlines should not take their training duties lightly. Not only could vigorous training procedures and pilot screening protect the airlines from future lawsuits, but such measures could save the lives of future passengers. Steven Pounian is of counsel at Kreindler & Kreindler in New York. Kevin Mahoney is an associate at the firm. The firm represented the majority of the plaintiffs in 'Oto v. Airline Training Center Arizona', cited herein. https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2018/05/10/do-airline-training-schools-have-a-duty-of-care/ Back to Top Historic flight: Commercial jet flies on 100 percent biofuel In the Boeing test, a 777 freighter, ran on residual animal fats and plant oils. In a historic first, Boeing has flown the first commercial jet on 100 percent biofuel. The flight was Seattle to Memphis and back -- all without using petroleum. The test was conducted on a 777 freighter, using two General Electric 90-115B engines. Each is the width of a 737 and creates 115,000 pounds of thrust. The biofuel it ran on is a blend of residual animal fats and plant oils. They are refined into a molecule that matches Type A jet fuel. This biofuel actually has three to four percent more energy in it per gallon than regular jet fuel. That means the plane can fly much farther than one that uses standard fuel. How did we get here? Flashback nine years ago to a Boeing lab in Seattle. Any liquid going onto one of Boeing's planes had to be tested there. Work on converting algae, plants and other biological mass -- even garbage and wood chips -- was really just getting started. Jeanne Yu, Boeing's Director of Technology Integration and ecoDemonstrator, was there then -- and she was on the historic flight we just took. "What we did was two things. We are validating that as a use for 100 percent bio fuel, but we're also looking at the certification process for those fuels. It's a 12 step process today. We're trying to reduce that to five, which opens the door and the gateway to more entrants into the biofuel application," said Yu. The price for biofuel is also dropping, from $8 or more per gallon a few years ago to $5 per gallon today. That's attractive to airlines, which need to protect themselves from wild price swings associated with oil. Biofuel blends are already becoming a regular part of aviation. They are available at many airports with more coming. So you may find yourself on a biofuel-powered flight, and not even know it. Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program isn't just about fuel. It looks at other efficiencies, such as airport approach paths that could save on fuel. Something called constant flight path angle descent could also keep your flight on time. "If we're all do the same flight path angle approach, it's easier on the engines because you set the engines. It's less fuel and you can potentially get more airplanes in the same piece of sky because you know exactly how fast everybody is descending," said pilot Kerry Smith. https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/historic-flight-commercial-jet-flies-on-100- percent-biofuel/281-550970736 Back to Top The final design of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launches today (update) SpaceX's launch that's scheduled for this afternoon may appear to be a routine launch to deploy a satellite, but it's actually anything but. Bangabandhu Satellite-1, scheduled for a launch window that opens at 4:12 PM ET, marks the first launch of the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. The Block 5 is the last upgrade of the Falcon 9; there will be no more major updates to the rocket, so this is the version of the rocket that will eventually be human certified. Update: The launch has been rescheduled after an auto about at T-1 minute, and SpaceX says crews are preparing for its next launch opportunity tomorrow, on May 11th at 4:14 PM ET. Some people see SpaceX's tactics as risky because they test new rocket features on active missions, rather than performing test launches. An obvious example: SpaceX didn't use a test mission to figure out whether a reused Falcon 9 stage could fly. They flew that historic mission with an active customer payload, though they did charge a lower rate because of the risks involved. Indeed, many of the changes to the Block 5 have been have been deployed and refined aboard Block 3 and Block 4 rockets. But now, there will be little, if any, tweaking to the rocket during active missions. This will make it easier to certify the Falcon 9 rocket for human flight. NASA will require seven successful flights of the Block 5 Falcon 9 before it's human rated. Presumably, that means the design has to remain the same from flight to flight without too many changes. Right now, the GAO estimates that human certification for the Block 5 Falcon 9 won't occur until late 2019. Most of the changes to this final form of the Falcon 9 are designed to emphasize reusability. For SpaceX to become cost-effective, as it has aimed to do since the company was first founded, it has to make as many components on its rockets as reusable as possible. This doesn't just mean the first stages of rockets; it means everything from the payload adapter to the grid fins should be reusable not once, but multiple times with minimal maintenance and turnaround time from one use to the next. According to a round-up of changes posted on Reddit, changes to the Block 5 Falcon 9 include improved heat shielding around the engines to protect them from the stresses of reentry and switched to a thermal protection barrier, rather than just paint, to help with reusability. SpaceX will also be using titanium grid fins (which deploy during and help control reentry), rather than aluminum. In theory, they should be reusable an unlimited number of times. The payload fairing has also been upgraded, which will theoretically help with recovery, which SpaceX hasn't been able to do yet. Many of these tweaks are also focused on turnaround time for these rockets. Having a reusable rocket isn't super cost effective if it takes months to perform the maintenance needed before it can be used again. SpaceX is clearly trying to cut down the amount of time between when a rocket is first launched and when its first stage (and second stage, down the line) can be launched again. You can watch the live stream of the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 launch below. The window opens today at 4:12 PM ET and closes at 6:22 PM ET. The weather is 80% favorable. If SpaceX isn't able to launch the Block 5 Falcon 9, a backup launch window opens tomorrow at 4:14 PM. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/final-design-spacex-falcon-9-170000182.html Back to Top Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 71st Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 12-15 in Seattle, Wash. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the- award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 14, 2018. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Back to Top Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Dear fellow professional pilots, As part of my Masters Degree in Aviation Management, I am conducting a survey on 'Operator Conversion Courses' (A Course taken by pilots in a new airline when moving from one airline to another but remaining on the same aircraft type) May I ask that commercial pilots amongst you take just 5 minutes to answer this short survey; it is only 10 questions. I would also ask that you pass on the link to as many of your professional pilot colleagues around the world who might also be able to provide valuable data to the survey. The survey is open until the 15th June 2016 and all data is de-identied and shall only be used for the purposes of this paper. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJFHRSK If you have any questions, please feel free to email me on guy.farnfield.1@city.ac.uk Thank you Guy Farnfield Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 My name is Warren Appleton and have been involved in aviation maintenance for thirty years in various roles. Currently I am working on a research project as part of a Masters Degree in Air Safety Management with City University of London. Part of my project is a survey on the topic of "Understanding risks during performance of maintenance and continued airworthiness activities" which aims to collect practical feedback from maintenance and engineering personnel based on your own individual experiences. Everyone's experience is unique and provides valuable insight. By receiving your feedback I hope to improve understanding on this important subject. This survey is strictly anonymous and confidential. It is addressed to all line maintenance, base maintenance, workshop and continuing airworthiness personnel. Active or retired, your experience matters. In order to answer this survey simply follow link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZC3GQ7F For any questions or comments on this survey please use the following email account. warren.appleton.1@city.ac.uk Thank you Warren Appleton Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY Dear pilot/controller, please complete the attached survey about the use of standard phraseology and English language since the introduction of ICAO language proficiency requirements. I would like to find out if there have been any improvements in aeronautical communications since 2008, The results of the survey will be presented at the international conference of Aviation English experts this year. Thank you for your help! Karmen Stumberger, CAA Slovenia Aviation English Examiner-Instructor Link to the survey: https://www.1ka.si/a/158333 Curt Lewis