Flight Safety Information June 14, 2018 - No. 120 In This Issue Incident: Spicejet B738 at Varanasi on Jun 12th 2018, runway incursion forces rejected takeoff Incident: Qantas A388 and Qantas A388 over Pacific on Jun 10th 2018, wake turbulence causes altitude drop Incident: Trade F100 near Paris on Jun 13th 2018, engine problem Incident: Expressjet E145 at Lexington on Jun 12th 2018, knocking on nose gear's door Incident: THY B739 at Istanbul on Jun 13th 2018, tail strike indication on departure Incident: Globus B738 at Moscow on Mar 27th 2018, rejected takoff due to smoke in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection DHC-8-202Q Dash 8 Set On Fire On The Ground (Papua New Guinea) Five people on board crashed helicopter (New Zealand) Singapore Airlines horror! Made to sit in Kolkata-bound aircraft for 3 hours without AC LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. Qantas A380 jet drops for 10 seconds Naval Safety Center Standing Up Data Analytics Office Amid Surface, Aviation Mishap Increases AI pilots warn management over safety violation on Delhi-Madrid route TSA officers at Boise Airport find gun hidden in box of cookies Flight safety in CIS worsening, according to aviation authority report FAA Inspectors Let Unsafe Charters Fly, Watchdog Probe Says Aviation Safety: Commission removes all airlines from Indonesia from EU Air Safety List The military's crash investigators faced staff, budget cuts as aviation accidents climbed Allegiant cancels 10 flights because new planes haven't arrived COMAC aims to obtain C919 jet's Chinese certification by end-2020 Etihad Airways in talks to cancel, defer Boeing 777X orders ERAU Alumnus John Maris Inducted into Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame Bombardier Safety Standdown Award 2018 - Nominations are still open! Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation, Course, Oct 31-Nov 1, Woburn MA USA 2018 SERC of ISASI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 NTSB - Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident (Course) Aircraft Accident Investigation from SCSI Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI Flight Safety Officer Course from SCSI Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 Incident: Spicejet B738 at Varanasi on Jun 12th 2018, runway incursion forces rejected takeoff A Spicejet Boeing 737-800, registration VT-SGH performing flight SG-705 from Varanasi to Hyderabad (India), was taxiing for departure when the aircraft inadvertently crossed the hold short line before the runway. The crew stopped the aircraft about 10 meters past the hold short line. An Indigo Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IHS performing flight 6E-3175 from Varanasi to Delhi (India) with 178 passengers and 5 crew, was cleared for takeoff and was accelerating for takeoff when tower noticed the Spicejet crossing the hold short line and instructed the Indigo Airbus to reject takeoff. The crew rejected takeoff at low speed and stopped their aircraft safely. The A320 returned to the apron for checks and departed with a delay of about 1.5 hours. The B738 departed shortly afterwards and reached Hyderabad on time. India's DGCA is looking into the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9dac7b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Qantas A388 and Qantas A388 over Pacific on Jun 10th 2018, wake turbulence causes altitude deviation A Qantas Airbus A380-800, registration VH-OQK performing flight QF-94 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Melbourne,VI (Australia), was enroute at FL310 over the Pacific Ocean about 2 hours into the flight when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing it to descend for about 10 seconds before the crew recovered the aircraft and returned it to the assigned flight level. The aircraft climbed to FL320 shortly afterwards and continued to Melbourne for a safe landing without further incident. A Qantas Airbus A380-800, registration VH-OQF performing flight QF-12 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was enroute at FL320 over the Pacific Ocean about 2 hours into the flight, the aircraft had departed Los Angeles about 75 seconds prior to QF-94. The aircraft initiated a step climb to FL340 at or shortly after the occurrence. The occurrence became known by passenger reports indicating that they had perceived a sudden loss of weight and were holding hands when their aircraft nose dived for about 10 seconds. The captain announced that they had experienced wake turbulence from another Qantas A380, they were now talking to ATC and were about to change their flight path slightly. Based on the passenger reports Australia's TSB have asked Qantas for an explanation. A current theory is flight QF-94 encountered wake turbulence from flight QF-12. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA94/history/20180611/0540Z/KLAX/YMML https://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA94/history/20180611/0540Z/KLAX/YMML https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9da5b2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Trade F100 near Paris on Jun 13th 2018, engine problem A Trade Air Fokker 100 on behalf of Air France, registration 9A-BTE performing flight AF-1030 from Rennes (France) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), had just levelled off at FL340 after climbing out of Rennes, when the crew decided to divert to Paris Charles de Gaulle due to an engine (Tay 650) problem. The aircraft landed safely about 25 minutes later. A replacement Cityjet Avro RJ-85 registration EI-RJH reached Amsterdam with a delay of about 5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9d9f08&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Expressjet E145 at Lexington on Jun 12th 2018, knocking on nose gear's door An Expressjet Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N16987 performing flight XR-4183/UA-4183 from Lexington,KY to Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA), was climbing out of Lexington's runway 22 when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet reporting they heard a knocking noise from the nose gear, they were showing three greens, they wanted to return to Lexington, later the crew reported to Lexington approach they had an issue with the nose gear, a funny noise on the nose gear. The aircraft landed safely back on Lexington's runway 22 about 15 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3 hours, then departed again and reached Houston with a delay of about 4 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASQ4183/history/20180612/1100Z/KLEX/KIAH https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9d9dfc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: THY B739 at Istanbul on Jun 13th 2018, tail strike indication on departure A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration TC-JYF performing flight TK-541 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Niamey (Niger), departed Istanbul's runway 35R, the crew however received a tail strike indication, stopped the climb at 7000 feet, burned off fuel and returned to Istanbul for a safe landing on runway 35R about 2:40 hours after departure. The aircraft is being examined, a replacement aircraft is estimated to depart for Niamey however, is still on the ground about 2 hours after TC-JYF landed back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9d9c86&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Globus B738 at Moscow on Mar 27th 2018, rejected takoff due to smoke in cabin A Globus Airlines Boeing 737-800 on behalf of S7 Sibir Airlines, registration VP-BDF performing flight GH-173/S7-173 from Moscow Domodedovo to Novosibirsk (Russia) with 129 passengers and 6 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Domodedovo's runway 32R when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed due to smoke in the cabin. The aircraft slowed safely and came to a stop about 2000 meters down the runway, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation via slides. 18 passengers requested medical assistance, however, there were no injuries, the passengers were taken to the terminal. The aircraft was towed to the apron. A replacement S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A320-200 registration VQ-BDF (Editorial note: only second letter of registration different!) reached Novosibirsk with a delay of 3:40 hours. Passengers reported the crew hinted de-icing fluid might have gotten into the engines (CFM56) and probably caused the smoke. Rosaviatsia opened an investigation into the occurrence. On Jun 13th 2018 Rosaviatsia reported the serious incident was the result of maintenance and technical personnel's failure to comply with the requirements of the procedures to conduct an engine compressor wash. Rosaviatsia reported that during taxiing out for departure an unpleasant odour developed on board which was identified as anti-icing fluid that entered the air conditioning system during treatment of the aircraft. While accelerating for takeoff heavy smoke apppeared in cabin and cockpit prompting the crew to reject takeoff at 100 KIAS. The crew brought the aircraft to a stop and initiated an emergency evacuation through all emergency exits including all overwing exits and all forward and aft doors. The investigation determined that during the previous night an engine compressor wash had been carried out, however, the procedure had not been carried out in full, the engine inlet had been purged at low engine power in violation of the manual's requirements. The engine should have been run between 60 and 80% N1 for the purge with absence of any odour or evaporation products. Rosaviatsia's investigation commission thus concluded the most probable cause of the serious incident was the evaporation of cleaning fluid 20K-27, which remained in the bleed air system after the engine compressor wash, caused the smoke and the subsequent evacuation of the aircraft due to the failure to fully implement AMM 72-00-00 Maintenance Manual. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b6a72df&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top DHC-8-202Q Dash 8 Set On Fire On The Ground (Papua New Guinea) Date: Thursday 14 June 2018 Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-202Q Dash 8 Operator: LinkPNG Registration: registration unknown C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Mendi Airport (MDU) ( Papua New Guinea) Phase: Standing (STD) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Mendi Airport (MDU/AYMN), Papua New Guinea Destination airport: Port Moresby-Jacksons International Airport (POM/AYPY), Papua New Guinea Flightnumber: PX861 Narrative: A DHC-8-202Q Dash 8 aircraft, operating on a round trip between Port Moresby and Mendi, Papua New Guinea, was destroyed by fire at Mendi Airport. The aircraft was parked on the platform when it was deliberately set on fire by supporters of an election candidate after losing a court case. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180614-0 Back to Top Five people on board crashed helicopter (New Zealand) Three men have been injured after a helicopter carrying five people crashed in the central North Island. The helicopter, carying five people, went down shortly before 9am on Thursday on Ngamatea Station in the Kaweka Ranges. One man is in a critical condition, and two others are seriously injured, The Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand says. St John assessed two other men after they were flown by rescue helicopter to Bridge Pa airport, A Hawkes Bay District Health Board spokesperson says. They did not need medical treatment, the spokesperson says. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has opened an inquiry into the cause of the crash. The helicopter is believed to be a Hughes MD600N helicopter, TAIC Chief Accidents Investigator, Captain Tim Burfoot says. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/06/helicopter-crashes-in-central-north-island-with- five-on-board.html Back to Top Singapore Airlines horror! Made to sit in Kolkata-bound aircraft for 3 hours without AC, passengers lash out at SIA Passengers travelling in Singapore Airlines aircraft SQ 546 complained that they were first put through the ordeal of having to wait inside a bus on the ground and then inside a hot aircraft before taking off. This incident happened at the Changi Airport. Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport, Singapore to Kolkata flight, Singapore Airlines performance, Singapore Airlines AC Singapore Airlines horror! Passengers lash out at SIA after making passengers sit in aircraft for 3 hours without AC Passengers travelling from Singapore to Kolkata on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) aircraft were in for a rough time a few days ago, when they were allegedly made to wait for around three hours inside the aircraft without the air conditioner working! Passengers complained that they were first put through the ordeal of having to wait inside a bus on the ground and then inside a hot aircraft before taking off. According to reports, the incident took place on June 8 when flight number SQ 516 suffered technical glitches at the Singapore Changi Airport. Reports say that the aircraft was slated to take off at 9:10 but it was delayed by almost three hours and took off just before midnight. Chandni Doulatramani, who was travelling from Brisbane to Kolkata via Singapore with her elderly parents and a young sister, took to Facebook to recount the horror. She said that the bus they were asked to board to take them to the aircraft, took half an hour. In her Facebook post, Chandni said that when some of the passengers knocked the door and windows of the bus, they were made to alight from the bus wait inside the terminal. "My 73-year-old father and many other senior citizens and toddlers were extremely uncomfortable and exhausted just standing there," she wrote. The passenger added that upon boarding the aircraft at 9:30 pm, they were told that the air-conditioning system of the plane was not working ant it would be fixed within 15 minutes. She said that the captain kept sharing the updates after every five minutes through the public announcement system - 'the engineer is on his way', 'the engineer is here and it will be fixed soon, please bear with us'. Chandni noted that there was no ventilation in the aircraft, adding that after half an hour passed, an airhostess told her the aircraft hasn't been in use for long thus the air-conditioning system was not working. "It was 31 degrees in Singapore and very humid," she said in her post. Later, she said that the pilot announced that they are ready to take off, leaving all passengers worried. "When the pilot announced they were ready to go, the air-conditioning had still not started. Everyone was nervous." The plane took off just before the midnight, she said. "We were on that plane for three hours with zero ventilation in super humid weather, with no way to get out, with a bunch of extremely rude cabin crew, and absolutely nobody helping to make the situation better." Chandni said that they were treated in such a manner by the SIA because passengers in the aircraft were Indians. "This was a traumatic experience not only for me and my senior citizen parents but for everyone on that plane. I strongly believe that this outright racist and dehumanising behaviour was meted out to us because we are Indians and the superiority complex was beyond evident." Later, the SIA issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to passengers travelling in Airbus A-330. It said that the aircraft had experienced technical snags and thus it was delayed by 2 hours and 52 minutes. "SQ 516 operating from Singapore to Kolkata on June 8, 2018, experienced technical issues on ground resulting in a 2-hour-52-minutes delay. SIA sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused to the passengers on board," a spokesperson said. https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/singapore-airlines-horror-made-to-sit-in-kolkata-bound- aircraft-for-3-hours-without-ac-passengers-lash-out-at-sia/1205867/ Back to Top Back to Top Qantas A380 jet drops for 10 seconds The plane, which was flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne, flew into the turbulence about two hours after taking off, the Aviation Herald reported. A Qantas A380 superjumbo reportedly dropped for 10 seconds after flying through the wake turbulence of another jet over the Pacific Ocean. The plane, which was flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne, flew into the turbulence about two hours after taking off, the Aviation Herald reported. Passengers reported the sensation of a sudden loss of weight in the drop. "We were all lifted from our seats immediately and we were in a free fall," passenger Janelle Wilson told The Australian. Pilots recovered the jet from the drop and climbed to a new height 2000 feet above the original flight path, the Aviation Herald said. It is understood Australia's Transport Safety Bureau (TSB) were planning to talk to Qantas about the incident. Qantas flight QF94 experienced another incident last year when it turned around two hours after take-off when sparks were seen coming from an engine. The A380 had been due in Melbourne on Sunday morning, but the pilot was forced to return to Los Angeles after one of four engines on board failed. https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/104709876/qantas-a380-jet-drops-for-10-seconds Back to Top Naval Safety Center Standing Up Data Analytics Office Amid Surface, Aviation Mishap Increases An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 flies over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in the Persian Gulf. US Navy Photo CAPITOL HILL - The Naval Safety Center is standing up a new Knowledge Management and Safety Promotion directorate, which will use data analytics to help get ahead of potential future mishaps. Though the creation of the new directorate came out of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command-led Comprehensive Review last fall following two fatal surface navy collisions, Naval Safety Center commander Rear Adm. Mark Leavitt said it will also help address the rising number of naval aviation mishaps. Speaking at a House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Leavitt said, "based on the findings in the Comprehensive Review and the Strategic Readiness Review, we are working with fleet and type commanders to aggregate training and other data sources so we can conduct complex modeling and analytics. This will allow us to provide a holistic picture about the overall health and risk-level of units. Such analysis will provide preventative solutions that naval leaders can use to make decisions that reduce unnecessary exposure to risk. Getting this right is of vital interest to our Navy/Marine Corps team: our people are our greatest asset, and keeping them safe is our responsibility." Then-Rear Adm. Mark Leavitt, commander of Naval Air Forces Reserve, during a second star pinning ceremony in 2015. US Navy Photo He told the subcommittee that the center would go beyond looking at mishap investigations and hazard reports and would also consider operational, personnel and other data so that "we can become much more predictive in discovering what could come in the future for occurring mishaps - getting left of the bang, as I like to put it." Leavitt told USNI News after the hearing that the Navy plans to increase funding for the Naval Safety Center in Fiscal Years 2018 through 2020 to help set up an office of 25 to 30 uniformed personnel and civilians. A doctorate-level researcher has already been hired to serve as the Knowledge Management and Safety Promotion director, the admiral said, and the Army Analytics Group will contract with them to do data analytics until an organic capability is eventually built up within the directorate. In addition to data scientists, Leavitt said subject matter experts - aviators, surface warfare officers, maintenance personnel, deck handlers and more - will also work in the office to ensure that the projects the data scientists take on are operationally relevant and would lead to better managing risk in the fleet. Leavitt said the directorate's aim is to see hazards before the fleet sees them and to "drive to zero preventable mishaps." The Naval Safety Center has its work cut out for it, though. According to Leavitt's written testimony to the subcommittee, both the Navy and Marine Corps have seen a dramatic increase in Class C mishaps. US Navy graphic. "The naval enterprise is currently investing a great deal of its analytical efforts to understand the recent rise in Class C mishaps, those costing the government between $50,000 and $500,000 or nonfatal injuries or illnesses that result in one or more days away from work. This rise is affecting both the USN and the USMC. Additionally, the majority of these mishaps are aviation ground mishaps, rather than flight or flight-related mishaps. The bulk of these mishaps occur during maintenance evolutions and involve aircraft striking or being struck by other objects. Multiple discrete studies from numerous sources point to inexperience in the E-5 and E-6 maintainer rates as a significant contributing factor," according to the document. "A recent USN study showed that F/A-18 and MH-60 squadrons, the largest aviation communities in terms of density of squadrons and aircraft, are experiencing the largest numbers of these mishaps. Human factors analysis studies point to breakdowns in organizational teamwork, an analysis category defined as the interaction among individuals, crews and teams involved in the preparation or execution of a task that resulted in human error or an unsafe situation. This breakdown could be related to the E-5 and E-6 inexperience issues previously noted. A similar study on USMC Class C aviation mishaps showed the same type of performance-based errors, and suggested applying the largest effort to the MV-22 and F/A-18 communities." US Navy graphic. From FY 2008 to FY 2017, the Navy's Class C mishap rate rose from about seven and a half per 100,000 flight hours to about 22 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. For the Marine Corps in that same time period, Class C mishaps rose from about 10 to about 27 per 100,000 flight hours, according to the document. On Class A mishaps - those involving a death or permanent disability, the total loss of an aircraft or more than $2 million in damages - Leavitt's written testimony classifies the Navy's rate as relatively consistent over the last 10 years and the Marines' rate as rising - though during the hearing Leavitt said the Marines' mishap rate over the last decade has been within "normal" rates, with a couple years like last year being aberrations. US Navy graphic. On the Navy side, Class A mishap rates bounced between about 0.75 and 1.75 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, with no noticeable trend upwards over time. For the Marines, 1.75 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours was the low point on the chart, with 2017 jumping to more than 5 Class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. US Navy graphic. The written testimony notes a decrease in overall flight hours in recent years: "Total USN flight hours averaged 942,000 between FY08 and FY12, in the years before sequestration. In the last five years, flight hours have averaged about 90,000 less. ... USMC flight hours are about a third of the USN's, averaging 302,000 between FY08 and FY12. In the last five years, those averages have dropped by approximately 50,000 hours." Still, Leavitt said during the hearing that there is no correlation between flight hours and the rate of mishaps. "The Navy/Marine Corps team has not been able to draw a direct correlation between a lack of flight hours and an increase in mishaps. What we have discovered is, through a study that was done recently, is a change in optempo (operational tempo) - from very high optempo to very low optempo, or very low optempo to very high optempo - that's where we see the greatest increase in risk. Units that remain in low optempo, they're able to look at that low optempo and mitigate risk ahead of time, and same when we're in high optempo. We've discovered it's the fluctuation between the two is when we see the increased level of risk out there." https://news.usni.org/2018/06/13/naval-safety-center-standing-data-analytics-office-amid-surface- aviation-mishap-increases Back to Top AI pilots warn management over safety violation on Delhi-Madrid route MUMBAI: Raising serious concern over the issue of pilot fatigue and passenger safety, a union of Air India pilots has called out the airline for violating norms. A strongly worded letter issued by the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) to the airline management of Tuesday specifically cites lapses on the Delhi-Madrid route. It goes on to warn the management it will intimate the DGCA if any further violations occur. AI-135, launched in 2016, flies between Delhi and Madrid thrice a week. Since Madrid and Mumbai are not air-linked by non-stop flights, one of the options for a flyer from Mumbai is to board this flight which transit halts in Delhi. The union says the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is often piloted by two "fatigued" pilots. To check pilot fatigue, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has laid down work-rest norms (called Flight Duty Time Limitation: FDTL) for rostering pilots. Under these norms, for flights that are just over 10 hours, a three-pilot crew should be rostered. But flight AI-135 takes less than 10 hours on some days and more than 10 hours on others. "In such a case, the DGCA norm is that if the flight takes more than 10 hours to be completed, then either the airline should try to complete the flight within 10 hours or roster three pilots,'' said a senior commander. In May, the union pointed out to AI management that AI-135 is routinely scheduled as a "two-pilot operation" with random instances of "three-pilot operation". Between December 2016 and April 2018, flight AI-135 was operated 221 times. Out of this, on 116 days, or 52%, the flight exceeded 10 hours of block time. But in violation of safety norms, Air India often rosters only two pilots, alleged the union. "It is imperative AI-135 is operated with three pilots on all days, without exception," the letter stated. Between May 15 and June 9, AI-135 was operated on 12 days and, out of this, on four days the flight flew with only two pilots. The Air India spokesperson did not respond to queries. "With due regard to the safety of operations and the lives of our passengers and crew, we are being pushed with no choice but to intimate the DGCA on every subsequent violation, that this oversight by an operator (Air India) is not acceptable and violation of FDTL CAR laid down by the apex body cannot be ignored,'' said the ICPA letter. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/ai-pilots-warn-management-over-safety-violation-on- delhi-madrid-route/articleshow/64580413.cms Back to Top TSA officers at Boise Airport find gun hidden in box of cookies That discovery comes as the busy summer travel season gets underway at the airport. BOISE - A gun hidden inside of a box of cookies! The Transportation Safety Administration just revealed they made that discovery at the security checkpoint at the Boise Airport. That discovery comes as the summer travel season gets underway. The Boise Airport expects record travelers with 10 percent more people going through the airport this summer. We were there this morning as the TSA shared some of the items agents confiscated within just the last two weeks. TSA officers say they found a gun in a box of cookies last month. We spoke with Federal Security Director Andy Coose about the right way to travel with a firearm. "It is absolutely possible to bring a firearm with you when you travel, however, it has to be in your checked luggage, it has to be declared to the airline, it has to be in a locked case, and it has to be in a hard-sided case," Coose said. If you're traveling this summer, here are some tips to be mindful of: * First, give yourself extra time to get to the airport. * TSA recommends arriving at the airport at least two hours before your departure. * And consider signing up for pre-check to get you through security lines faster. * Also, with 4th of July around the corner, the TSA says do not pack fireworks. https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/tsa-officers-at-boise-airport-find-gun-hidden-in-box-of- cookies/277-564191790 Back to Top Flight safety in CIS worsening, according to aviation authority report Flowers near Saratov Airport to commemorate the passengers killed in the Saratov Airlines An-148 plane crash in the Moscow suburbs © Stringer / Sputnik More aircraft disasters and fatalities occurred in Russia than in any other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nation last year, according to a report by the bloc's top civil aviation authority. The report presented by the Interstate Aviation Committee reveals that the safety level of aircraft transport in the CIS demonstrated "stable negative dynamics" during 2017. The paper's authors noted that the absolute parameter of general flight safety was higher than in 2016, but also agreed that the relative index of accidents and disasters registered in 2017 was the worst since 2013. Natallia AblazheiNot Ukraine's property: Russia's plan to revive huge Soviet-era aircraft irks Kiev According to the report, the 12 countries that comprise the CIS saw 58 aircraft incidents in 2017, including 32 aircraft disasters. In 2016, there were 63 such incidents and 28 disasters within the bloc. The number of human deaths was 74 in both 2017 and 2016. Russia had the highest number of aircraft disasters and the number of individual fatalities. In 2017, the country had 39 aircraft incidents, including 20 disasters that saw 51 people killed. Ukraine had eight aircraft incidents that killed seven people, Kazakhstan had seven incidents with 11 dead, and Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Armenia had one incident each. According to preliminary investigation results, over 80 percent of all aircraft incidents and disasters in 2017 were caused by human error, including three incidents that happened because pilots were under the influence of alcohol. The authors of the report paid special attention to commercial passenger flights, saying that while the practice is becoming more widespread, airline operators continue to ignore safety issues while preparing and conducting flights. Among other safety violations they mentioned were pilots who have no working certificates, or pre-flight medical examinations, the use of aircraft without valid operating certificates, and the access of workers with low qualification to repair works. https://www.rt.com/politics/428756-flight-safety-commonwealth-report/ Back to Top FAA Inspectors Let Unsafe Charters Fly, Watchdog Probe Says By Alan Levin * FAA whistle-blower's allegations were substantiated by counsel * Special counsel finds lapses by U.S. aviation inspectors Government aviation inspectors allowed unsafe aircraft to operate in U.S. commercial flight operations, a whistle-blower investigation has concluded. The Federal Aviation Administration's own review confirmed the allegations, according to the Office of Special Counsel, the agency charged with investigating complaints from whistle-blowers. "Safety inspectors at the Federal Aviation Administration have improperly approved aircraft for commercial operations without first reviewing critical safety information that in some cases would have prohibited their operation," the Special Counsel said in a statement on Wednesday. The planes, mostly with 30 or fewer seats, were being used by smaller carriers that mainly operate charters. In one example, some charter operators were allowed to fly with exit doors that weren't easily accessible during an emergency, a violation of regulations, according to the Special Counsel. After the allegations were brought to FAA's attention, the agency last year agreed with the findings and created a task force to evaluate records for over 11,000 aircraft. The FAA "identified several corrective actions as a result of its investigation" and expects to complete them by Sept. 30, the agency said in an emailed statement. The investigation also uncovered evidence that aircraft were allowed to operate in the U.S. with expired registrations. The FAA said most of the registration violations were inadvertent and didn't put travelers at risk. "It appears that the whistle-blower identified serious problems in the FAA's oversight," the Special Counsel wrote in a letter to the White House reporting the findings. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-13/faa-inspectors-let-unsafe-charters-fly-watchdog- probe-confirms Back to Top Aviation Safety: Commission removes all airlines from Indonesia from EU Air Safety List The European Commission today cleared all air carriers from Indonesia from the EU Air Safety list. In addition, a new system, warning the Air Traffic Controllers of all Member States has being deployed to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace. Today the European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that do not meet international safety standards, and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union. The EU Air Safety List seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens, which is a top priority of the Commission's Aviation Strategy. Following today's update, all airlines certified in Indonesia are cleared from the list, following further improvements to the aviation safety situation that was ascertained in the country. Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: "The EU Air Safety List is one of our main instruments to continuously offer the highest level of air safety to Europeans. I am particularly glad that after years of work, we are today able to clear all air carriers from Indonesia. It shows that hard work and close cooperation pay off. I am also satisfied that we now have a new warning system to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace." All Indonesian carriers were put on the EU Air Safety List in 2007 due to unaddressed safety concerns. Over the past years, a small number (7 in total) were removed, but the bulk of Indonesian carriers remained on the list until today. The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but it also helps affected countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off the list. In addition, the EU Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the EU Air Safety List would become necessary. Following today's update, a total of 119 airlines are banned from EU skies: 114 airlines certified in 15 states[1], due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states; Five individual airlines, based on safety concerns with regard to these airlines themselves: Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Iraqi Airways (Iraq), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Med-View Airlines (Nigeria) and Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe). An additional six airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG (Gabon), Air Koryo (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and TAAG Angola Airlines (Angola). In addition, and in line with the European Union's endeavour to make European airspace as safe as possible, Eurocontrol is today deploying a new system to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace. Since November 2016, any non-European aircraft that enters the Union needs to have a single safety authorisation valid throughout Europe called "third country operator authorisation" or TCO. The new system will alarm the Air Traffic Controllers of all Members States that an aircraft which does not have such an authorisation is trying to fly to the Union. The aircraft will then be denied access to the airspace of that Member State. The new system is the result of close cooperation between the Commission, Eurocontrol and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in a joint effort to put in place the best possible enforcement tools for aviation safety. Background information Today's update of the Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of the aviation safety experts from the Member States who met from 29 to 31 May within the EU Air Safety Committee (ASC). This Committee is chaired by the European Commission with the support of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The update equally got the support from the European Parliament's Transport Committee. Assessment is made against international safety standards, and notably the standards promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Commission is constantly looking at ways to improve air safety as today's new alarming system illustrates. It will pre-notify the EASA Member States of every flight to or from one of the EU countries, Switzerland, Norway or Iceland which intends to fly without the proper Third Country Operator Approval. The Alarming Function warns the authorities of the participating countries and allows them to deny access before the flight concerned is executed. For more information List of airlines banned within the EU http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4131_en.htm Back to Top The military's crash investigators faced staff, budget cuts as aviation accidents climbed Like the rest of the military, the safety centers responsible for analyzing military aviation crashes to prevent future accidents also faced funding and staffing cuts. (Airman 1st Class Alexander Cook/Air Force) The heads of the Air Force Safety Center, Army Combat Readiness Center and Naval Safety Center - which addresses both Navy and Marine Corps accidents, appeared before the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee to describe what actions they have taken to date to address a rise in military aviation accidents. The hearing was the first in a series the subcommittee is planning to understand why military aviation accidents are going up, said subcommittee chairman Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. A Military Times investigation in April found that manned warplane accidents have spiked almost 40 percent since 2013. Fatal aviation accidents reached a six-year-high in May, with 12 fatal incidents claiming the lives of 35 service members. [ Manned warplane accidents up 40 percent since 2013 budget cuts, investigation finds ] The Military Times investigation found that across the board, the largest increase was in Class Cs - less severe accidents that cost between $50,000 and $500,000 to fix or result in lost work days due to service member injury. The Class Cs, while less serious, are watched closely because "it's a matter of inches or seconds that make the difference between a Class C or a Class A," said Army Combat Readiness Center commander Brig. Gen. David Francis. A Class A incident occurs when the aircraft is destroyed; the pilot or crew killed or permanently disabled; or the damage totals $2 million or more. But just like overall aviation safety has been affected by budget cuts, which resulted in the loss of skilled maintainers and pilots across the services, the centers responsible for watching over those incidents have also taken a hit, the commanders said. The $700 billion approved for the Department of Defense in FY18 has funded the Air Force Safety Center at the highest level in the last 10 years, said Maj. Gen. John Rauch, the center's commander. "We've been able to go after more of the initiatives we wanted to do inside the safety center." In the last decade however, as incidents spiked, there were years where reduced funding forced cuts to staff, which led to limits on what the office could do to prevent future accidents as it worked to investigate current ones, Rauch said. For the Navy and Marine Corps, one impact has been on operational safety assessment teams, units that travel to squadrons to review them. "Sometimes when funding gets tight, we cut back on the number of those that actually go out and do that," said Rear Adm. Mark Leavitt, commander of the Naval Safety Center. In those instances the safety center will prioritize its teams to look at at-risk squadrons, Leavitt said. Francis said the Army Combat Readiness Center cut staff over the last five years to meet reduced budgets. "We were asked 'How could we do this more efficiently, as everyone is challenged to do in tough times,'" Francis said. The Army is now reassessing how it staffs the safety center, Francis said, and will need additional analytic capability to look for trends in accidents and additional capability to investigate accidents. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/06/13/the-militarys-crash-investigators-faced- staff-budget-cuts-as-aviation-accidents-climbed/ Back to Top Allegiant cancels 10 flights because new planes haven't arrived CLEARWATER - Allegiant Air has cancelled 10 upcoming flights over the next two days to and from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport , according to an airline travel advisory. That scrambled travel plans for hundreds of passengers from Florida to as far west as Des Moines, Iowa. The problem, the airline told the Tampa Bay Times, is a delay in receiving new aircraft to add to its fleet. "We are in the process of transitioning to an all-Airbus fleet," Allegiant spokeswoman Krysta Levy said in an email sent Wednesday. "Unfortunately, some of the delivery dates for aircraft scheduled to join our fleet have fallen short of the projections, leaving us with limited resources available and the very difficult choice to cancel certain flights." David Eckerson, 52, of Muskogee, Okla., arrived in the bay area on Sunday and found out Wednesday that his flight back home had been cancelled just hours before he was supposed to board. He and his wife had to grab last-minute seats on another airline's flight. "It just stinks that they're going to give us $225 and we had to pay $435," he told the Times, referring to the price of a voucher Allegiant sent him compared to the price of his new ticket. The budget carrier had long depended on an aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. In 2016, a Times investigation found that mechanical issues made Allegiant four times more likely to have unscheduled landings than other airlines in 2015. In August, the airline announced that it had replaced all of its MD-80s at St. Pete-Clearwater International with newer Airbus 320s. In fact, Allegiant plans to replace its entire fleet of MD-80s by 2019 because the older planes are more prone to mechanical issues and also fuel inefficient. "We have offered options to our passengers on canceled flights," Levy said, "including re-accommodation to other flights or refunds." Jeff Jones, 39, and his wife travelled with the Eckersons. Each couple came to Pinellas County to celebrate their 20-year anniversaries. If they come back, they said, it won't be on an Allegiant plane. "We're never going to trust them to get us anywhere and back," he said. Contact Justin Trombly at jtrombly@tampabay.com. Follow @JustinTrombly. Here is a list of Allegiant Air cancelled flights: Thursday * Flight 884 From St. Pete-Clearwater to Tulsa, Okla. * Flight 885 From Tulsa, Okla. to St. Pete-Clearwater. Friday * Flight 824 from St. Pete-Clearwater to Des Moines, Iowa. * Flight 825 from Des Moines, Iowa to St. Pete-Clearwater. * Flight 866 from St. Pete-Clearwater to Pittsburgh, Pa. * Flight 867 from Pittsburgh to St. Pete-Clearwater. * Flight 882 from St. Pete-Clearwater to Grand Rapids, Mich. * Flight 883 from Grand Rapids, Mich. to St. Pete-Clearwater. * Flight 926 from St. Pete-Clearwater to Providence, R.I. * Flight 927 from Providence, R.I., to St. Pete-Clearwater. http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/Allegiant-cancels-10-flights-because-new-planes- haven-t-arrived_169135151 Back to Top COMAC aims to obtain C919 jet's Chinese certification by end-2020 SHANGHAI, June 14 (Reuters) - Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) aims to obtain type certification from China for its narrowbody C919 jet by the end of 2020, putting the state planemaker on track to meet its 2021 goal of delivering the first jet to its launch customer, a senior company executive said on Thursday. China's domestically developed C919 jet is a symbol of its civil aerospace ambitions as Beijing wants the single-aisle aircraft to eventually compete with U.S. planemaker Boeing Co's 737 and Europe's Airbus SE A320. The COMAC jet currently has 815 orders from 28 customers, a number that does not include the 200 jets HNA signed up for earlier this month. China Eastern Airlines Corp is the jet's launch customer. Europe's aviation safety regulator is still carrying out the certification process of the C919 jet, Zhang Xiaoguang, general manager of COMAC's sales and marketing department, said on the sidelines of a conference organised by Airfinance Journal in Shanghai. The European Aviation Safety Agency said last year it had started the certification process. Zhang also told reporters that the widebody jet COMAC is currently developing with Russia's United Aircraft Corp aims to make its maiden flight from 2023. The companies said last month that the CR929 jet had received proposals from seven foreign and local firms to supply the jet's engine. Zhang said these included companies such as Rolls-Royce, General Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Chinese engine manufacturer Aero Engine Corp of China, but added that they had yet to start talks. https://www.reuters.com/article/china-comac/comac-aims-to-obtain-c919-jets-chinese-certification-by- end-2020-idUSL4N1TG2FN Back to Top Etihad Airways in talks to cancel, defer Boeing 777X orders - sources FILE PHOTO: A 777X banner is pictured above the 777 Wing Horizontal Build Line at Boeing's production facility in Everett, Washington, U.S. June 1, 2017. Picture taken June 1, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Redmond/File Photo DUBAI/ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Etihad Airways is exploring options with Boeing to cancel or defer orders for 777X jets worth billions of dollars in a fresh sign of the carrier's financial strains and potentially squeezing Boeing's newest model, four sources familiar with the matter said. Etihad, owned by Abu Dhabi, has been reviewing its fleet plans as part of a strategy overhaul launched after a nearly $2 billion loss in 2016. The airline's management believes it no longer needs all of the 25 777X twin-engined jets and may be willing to incur penalties for cancellations rather than be saddled with future recurring losses stemming from overcapacity, the sources said. Etihad and Boeing declined to comment. Etihad is a launch customer of the 777X: an upgrade to Boeing's successful mini-jumbo series that includes plans for the world's largest twin-engined jetliner, the 406-seat 777-9 which is due to enter service in 2020. Cancelling or deferring orders for jets earmarked for production at such an early stage of the ambitious new program could create a headache for Boeing as it switches to the new model. Although twinjets like the 777X have prevailed over larger and less-efficient four-engined aircraft like the A380 and Boeing 747, analysts say demand for such aircraft remains relatively thin due to cost and size. The 777-9 version has a list price of $426 million. SHRINKING BUSINESS Finding alternative airlines to fill Etihad's production slots in time for the launch phase may not be easy, they say, though Boeing has said it is confident in demand for the 777X and that development of the plane is on schedule. Rivals Emirates and Qatar Airways are also launch customers of the 777X, whose features include a sleek new wing with folding wingtips to allow it to fit in parking stands. Other buyers include Cathay Pacific <0293.HK>, Lufthansa , Japan's ANA <9202.T> Singapore Airlines . Turkish Airlines has also expressed interest. Few details of the fleet review have been made public but Etihad's new Group Chief Executive Tony Douglas said in April it aimed to develop in "a sustainable way". The airline has been shrinking its business, including cutting routes and retiring some aircraft without replacements. Reuters reported in May that planemakers were preparing for possible changes to dozens of plane orders from Etihad as it pressed ahead with its review. It remains unclear to what extent suppliers will be willing to accommodate such requests, with the Gulf making up a significant portion of wide-body jet demand. Etihad has outstanding orders worth tens of billions of dollars for over 160 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including the new 777Xs. The bulk of the aircraft were ordered when Etihad was pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy to keep pace with Emirates and Qatar Airways. Etihad said then that under the agreements with Airbus and Boeing it could transfer orders to airlines it had invested in. But the airline investment strategy seemingly collapsed last year when minority-owned Air Berlin and Alitalia filed for insolvency. Etihad currently holds stakes in four other airlines, half as many as it once held. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/exclusive-etihad-airways-talks-cancel-defer-boeing-777x- 163639648--finance.html Back to Top ERAU Alumnus John Maris Inducted into Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame Embry-Riddle congratulates 2017 alumnus John Maris, Ph.D., for his induction into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) at a ceremony in Calgary, Alberta, on June 7. Maris is a published author on a wide range of aeronautics subjects, holds numerous worldwide patents and serves on the boards of a range of academic and public sector agencies. In 2005, He was awarded Canada's oldest aeronautical prize, the prestigious Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy for his contributions to Canadian aerospace. In 2006, Maris was presented with an Aviation Week and Space Technology Laureate at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, the companion facility of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Maris career began as a Canadian Armed Forces antisubmarine pilot and test pilot, then continued as a team leader in the Canadian Space Agency and as a key person in the development of the robotic arm used on the International Space Station. He is currently the President of Marinvent Corporation, a Canadian aerospace firm based in Montreal. Antonio Cortés, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Aviation, represented Embry-Riddle at the induction ceremony. Cortés was Dr. Maris' dissertation advisor and one of several who nominated Maris for induction into the CAHF. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, based in the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada, commemorates and honors those whose accomplishments in aviation contributed so much to Canada's development as a nation. https://news.erau.edu/news-briefs/alumnus-john-maris-inducted-into-canadian-aviation-hall-of-fame/ Back to Top Bombardier Safety Standdown Award 2018 - Nominations are still open! The Safety Standdown award is given annually to an aviation professional who has demonstrated exemplary dedication to improving aviation safety through the application of the Safety Standdown principle: LEARN - APPLY - SHARE. By learning new skills and applying them, they demonstrate their dedication to personal improvement. By sharing their knowledge, they become distinguished role models. We all know or have worked with exceptional aviation professionals. These are the people who go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety of their operation. They are the mentors we look up to and who teach us so much. They are the dedicated people who demonstrate professionalism and courage in the toughest of circumstances. They are the people who had an impact on us and fostered the love we have for this industry. As you read these few lines, someone probably popped into your mind. Here's a way to recognize them: go to our website and nominate them for the Safety Standdown Award. The criteria for the award can also be found on the site and nomination form only takes a few minutes to complete. Submissions are evaluated by the Advisory council and a recipient is selected from the criteria. The award is presented during Safety Standdown USA 2018 seminar. Nominate now: http://www.safetystanddown.com/aviation-safety-award/ Safety Standdown Team Bombardier Business Aircraft Direct: +1 316 946 7876 Email: info@safetystanddown.com Website: www.safetystanddown.com Back to Top Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE October 30-November 1, 2018 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. Sign Up For Our Course Announcement BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Back to Top Back to Top This course was created in collaboration with Curt Lewis's Flight Safety Information. Learn more from Beyond Risk Management Producer, Captain Elaine Parker, at https://vimeo.com/273989821 Back to Top Title Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident (Course) Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates and Tuition October 25-26, 2018 $1034 early registration, by September 25, 2018 $1134 late registration, between September 25 and October 20, 2018 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Day 1: 8:30am - 5pm Day 2: 9am - 3pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE HERE CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others Comments from course participants See the 235 organizations from more than 30 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend * Investigators from the NTSB and other accident investigation authorities/commissions worldwide * Potential participants in an NTSB investigation: Investigative and safety personnel employed by airframe, engine or component manufacturers, airlines, civilian and military agencies, and related labor unions * Members of the academic community attending for research purposes (on a space-available basis) Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email StudentServices@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 https://www.ntsb.gov/Training_Center/Pages/2018/PA302.aspx Back to Top Back to Top 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 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Dear Airline Pilots, My name is David Carroll. I am a doctoral candidate in the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University PhD in Aviation program, and I am working on my dissertation under the guidance of Dr. David Esser. We would like to find out a bit about how airline pilots learn in order to enhance the effectiveness of training. You can help out by participating in this survey. My dissertation topic entails investigating ways that FOQA data might be used to identify pilots at increased risk for Unstable Approaches. By capturing trend information regarding poor energy management practices that may lead to unstable approaches, the FOQA system may be ale to assign interventional training modules. These is research that indicates that these training events would be more effective if presented in a manner that is preferred by the learner. This survey supports the study by helping to determine if the population of airline pilots has a preferred learning modality. The survey also contains a set of energy management questions to examine pilot perceptions on energy management and stabilized approaches in several scenarios and situations. Participants are asked to select responses that are closest to how they would understand the situation if experienced in their current primary aircraft. Finally, the survey collects demographic information that will provide an understanding of how the body of respondents represents the study population. Respondents must be 18 years of age to participate, and we would like to limit the respondents to those currently employed in scheduled air carrier operations (Part 121, 135, or similar). Thank you in advance for your participation. Your inputs will be invaluable in helping to increase the level of safety in air carrier operations. Providing immediate interventional training for pilots who are demonstrating a need, while maintaining the anonymity of the FOQA concept, should provide such a benefit. If you have any questions regarding the study in general, or the survey in particular, please contact the researcher, David Carroll, at david.carroll@erau.edu or the dissertation committee chair, Dr. David Esser, at esserd@erau.edu. Please find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V532B9J David A. Carroll, Doctoral Candidate ERAU PhD in Aviation Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Dear Aviation Colleague, My name is Nicoletta Fala, and I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Prof. Karen Marais at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. We are seeking your input on post-flight debrief feedback in this survey. The motivation behind this research is the unacceptably high number of general aviation accidents. Our overall goal is to use flight data of various sources to help improve general aviation safety. We are trying to understand how different kinds of safety feedback affect risk perception among general aviation pilots. During the survey, you will be asked to review flight data from four flights and answer specific questions on the safety of each flight. We will then ask you a few demographic questions. The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. During the survey, you will not be able to go back to the previous flight safety questions. You will, however, have the opportunity to review and change the demographic questions as you wish. You may choose to not answer some questions and you may stop the survey at any time without any repercussion to you. If you do not wish to complete the survey in one sitting, you may save your progress and return where you left off if you use the same computer to re-access the link. No personally identifiable information is being asked, analyzed or reported. All responses will be anonymous and in aggregate at the end of the study. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this research. Thank you for your time and your cooperation. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will hopefully enable the general aviation community to improve their safety record. If you have any questions regarding the survey or the information contained within, please feel free to contact the researchers directly either at nfala@purdue.edu or kmarais@purdue.edu. Survey Link: www.nicolettafala.com/survey Nicoletta Fala Purdue Pilots, Inc. President Ph.D. Candidate School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Purdue University || College of Engineering http://nicolettafala.com/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 Dear pilots, My name is Koen Scheers, First Officer and postgraduate student 'Air Transport Management' at City, University of London. Currently, I am working on my research project, which is the final part of my studies at City to gain a Master of Science (MSc) degree. My research project, entitled 'A sustainable model for pilot retention', aims to establish a model of organisational practices to keep pilots in the airline they are working for. To support my research project with data I have created a web survey for pilots, and via this way, I kindly ask your help by participating in the survey. The survey is not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete and is open for participation until 15 July 2018. Also, I would be very grateful if you could forward this message to other pilots in your contact list or spread the word in the airline you are working for. Please click the link below to enter the survey: SURVEY WEB LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/pilotretention Your participation is highly appreciated, kind regards, Koen Scheers +32 486 85 07 91 Koen.scheers@city.ac.uk Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 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 Curt Lewis