Flight Safety Information June 28, 2018 - No. 130 In This Issue Incident: Travel Service Hungary B738 at Antalya on Jun 24th 2018, cracked windshield Incident: ANA B763 near Osaka on Jun 27th 2018, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Dolomiti E195 near Munich on Jun 25th 2018, cracked windshield BAe Jetstream 41 Bird Strike, Engine Shutdown (UK) Aircraft does a belly landing at Pikangikum (Canada) Pilot's Mistake Triggers 'Nightmare' for Passengers LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. Families of Pilots File Wrongful Death Suit in 2016 Arizona Helicopter Crash Government plans to split airspace for better air safety (India) Canada reinstates Island Express Air Operator Certificate for air taxi operations Blockchain-Based Aeron to Set new Standard in Aviation Safety China's aviation authorities to hold foreign airlines to safety rules Will Booze Ever Be Banned on U.S. Airline Flights? FAA CUTS COST OF TRAINING, PROFICIENCY...INSTRUMENT AND SPORT PILOTS BIG BENEFICIARIES MRJ aircraft runs test flights in US Facebook Will Not Build Solar-Powered Internet Aircraft After All AViCON 2018 64th Air Safety Forum - Join Us! Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 Incident: Travel Service Hungary B738 at Antalya on Jun 24th 2018, cracked windshield A Travel Service Hungary Boeing 737-800, registration HA-LKG performing flight 7O-5397 from Antalya (Turkey) to Debrecen (Hungary), was climbing out of Antalya when the crew stopped the climb at about FL210 due to a cracked windshield and returned to Antalya for a safe landing about 35 minutes after departure. A replacement Travel Service Boeing 737-800 registration OK-TVW reached Debrecen the following morning with a delay of 14 hours. The airline confirmed a cracked windshield. The windshield was replaced, which took longer than anticipated, then the aircraft returned to service. The passengers were supplied with refreshments. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 19 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba689a3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: ANA B763 near Osaka on Jun 27th 2018, loss of cabin pressure An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA8568 performing flight NH-629 from Tokyo Haneda to Kagoshima (Japan) with 105 passengers and 8 crew, was enroute at FL400 about 50nm southeast of Osaka Kansai Airport (Japan) when the crew initiated an emergency descent due to the loss of cabin pressure, the passenger oxygen masks were released. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Osaka's Kansai Airport for a safe landing about one hour after leaving FL400. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the crew received indication of loss of cabin pressure and diverted to Osaka. An investigation has been opened whether the cabin pressure had actually been lost. The airline reported the crew received indication of a loss of cabin pressure, however, there was no feeling of a loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft is being examined. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba6855e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Dolomiti E195 near Munich on Jun 25th 2018, cracked windshield An Air Dolomiti Embraer ERJ-195 on behalf of Lufthansa, registration I-ADJK performing flight LH-319 from Florence (Italy) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL360 about 100nm south of Munich (Germany) still in Italian Airspace about to enter Austrian Airspace when the crew observed a sudden flash from the right hand windshield, arcing and cracking of the right hand windshield. The crew initiated a diversion to Munich where the aircraft landed safely about 30 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 24 hours, then positioned to Dresden (Germany) and resumed service. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba65de3&opt=0 Back to Top BAe Jetstream 41 Bird Strike, Engine Shutdown (UK) Date: 27-JUN-2018 Time: ca 09:15 UTC Type: BAe Jetstream 41 Owner/operator: Eastern Airways Registration: G-MAJU C/n / msn: 41071 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: near Aberdeen Airport (ABZ/EGPD) - United Kingdom Phase: Initial climb Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Aberdeen Airport (ABZ/EGPD) Destination airport: Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands (LSI/EGPB) Narrative: Eastern Airways flight T3 1035 returned to land at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, following a bird strike. One of the engines was shut down as a precaution. A safe landing was made back at Aberdeen after about 30 minutes. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212665 Back to Top Aircraft does a belly landing at Pikangikum (Canada) * Airline CEO says company has "awesome" safety record PIKANGIKUM FIRST NATION, Ont. - The Transportation Safety Board and Northern Skies Air Service are investigating the cause of an incident in which a chartered aircraft landed with its wheels up. No one was injured when a twin-engine Navajo Chieftain PA-31 350 did a belly landing Tuesday afternoon at the Pikangikum airport. The plane, carrying five passengers and two crew members, had arrived at Pikangikum from Poplar Hill First Nation to pick up two more passengers. Northern Skies is owned by the First Nations communities of Weenusk, Attawapiskat, Kashechewan and Fort Albany. CEO Ron Basaraba said in an interview Wednesday morning that the investigation into what happened was just starting. "We don't know the cause of this. The root cause, we have no idea." Basaraba told Tbnewswatch the five-year-old airline has flown close to 7,000 charters, and this is the first incident of its kind. "We have an awesome safety record," he said on the phone from the company's Sioux Lookout base. The aircraft, one of three in the fleet, was to be assessed for damage on Wednesday. https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/aircraft-does-a-belly-landing-at-pikangikum-968080 Back to Top Pilot's Mistake Triggers 'Nightmare' for Passengers JetBlue flight's hijack alarm traced to incorrect code A JetBlue airplane sits at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) (NEWSER) - Some 150 passengers waiting to take off from New York's JFK Airport got quite the scare Tuesday when a pilot accidentally triggered a hijacking alarm. "Woah. My worst nightmare," passenger Alexa Curtis tweeted alongside photos of authorities surrounding and searching JetBlue Flight 1623 ahead of departure to Los Angeles. "Honestly thought we were going to die." Though passengers were apparently kept in the dark, the Airbus 321 had "experienced a radio equipment problem" while taxiing, according to the FAA. A pilot then entered an incorrect code, which triggered a hijack alert, per CNN. No security threat was detected and the flight departed four hours late, per the New York Post. http://www.newser.com/story/261183/pilots-mistake-triggers-nightmare-for-passengers.html Back to Top Back to Top Families of Pilots File Wrongful Death Suit in 2016 Arizona Helicopter Crash The families of two pilots who died in a 2016 helicopter crash in western Arizona have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the California-based manufacturer of the aircraft. The suit filed last Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that defective rotor blades on the Robinson R66 helicopter contributed to the fatal crash. The helicopter went down in hilly desert terrain near Wikieup, Arizona on the afternoon of June 23, 2016, on a flight from Prescott, Arizona, to Riverside, California, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. An NTSB investigation concluded the helicopter experienced sudden high winds and turbulence from several large dust devils and the R66 broke up in flight, leaving a debris field 750 yards long and 150 yards wide. The wreckage wasn't found until early the following day in Wikieup, located 124 miles northwest of Phoenix. David Cormey, 55, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, and Timothy Shawn Brown, 52, from the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, were the only persons aboard the helicopter and were killed in the crash. The two experienced pilots were on a positioning flight as part of their jobs with a helicopter flight school in Prescott. According to the lawsuit, the helicopter's main rotor blades contacted the airframe "resulting in a sudden and immediate catastrophic in-flight breakup in the middle of the desert." The suit seeks unspecified damages against the Robinson Helicopter Company of Torrance, California. It alleges that Robinson helicopters, including the R66 model, "are especially susceptible to catastrophic mast bumping events due to, among other things, the design of the rotor head and main rotor blade system." Kurt Robinson, president of the Robinson Helicopter Company, said Monday that he agreed with the findings of the NTSB report that turbulence caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft but added that he had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2018/06/27/493387.htm Back to Top Government plans to split airspace for better air safety (India) The decision on bifurcation was taken at a meeting convened by aviation secretary RN Choubey on May 29 this year. Concerned by the number of near misses in the Indian skies, the aviation ministry has decided to apportion the Indian airspace into two categories to ensure focused monitoring by the Air Traffic Controllers' office. The airspace that commercial airliners use is between zero and 46,000 feet and this will be divided into lower airspace (up to 29,000 feet), and upper airspace (between 29,000 feet and 46,000 feet). This move will help in better monitoring of aircraft movement and improve the efficiency of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and make skies safer in the world's highest expanding market. The decision on bifurcation was taken at a meeting convened by aviation secretary RN Choubey on May 29 this year. Explaining the benefits of the bifurcation, a senior ATC official said that the move will reduce workload on ATCOs and help enhance efficiency as well as safety. "This bifurcation helps reduce load on ATCOs, as dedicated controllers can be assigned to guide flights overflying the Indian airspace or landing and taking off at Indian airports," said a senior ATC official, who did not want to be identified. The official said that this will reduce load on ATCOs and go a long way to reduce the number of near misses, or close calls, in the Indian skies. Confirming the move, Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman GP Mohapatra said that such initiatives help improve efficiency. "These initiatives help us improve efficiency by reducing space between airplanes and cater to more number of airplanes in the same space," Mohapatra explained. The ATCOs at Indian airports are under huge stress due to a sheer shortage of these officers. According to estimates, India has between 2,500 and 2,800 ATCOs and need to hire about 1,200 more. The requirements are set to increase further as Indian aviation expands to unserved parts of the country under the regional connectivity scheme. There has been a deficit because controllers were not hired for many years. Now, AAI has inducted about 600 ATCOs, who are under various phases of training. The hiring process for another 400 ATCOs is also under way. With such initiatives, India aims to reduce the safety violations, or near misses, or air proxies, further. A government data shows that safety violations by airlines in Indian skies dropped to 269 in 2017 from 352 reported in 2016. The data also shows that number of air miss incidents also declined to 26 in 2017 from 32 in 2016, when it has grown by 28% over 2015. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/government-plans-to- split-airspace-for-better-air-safety/articleshow/64703846.cms Back to Top Canada reinstates Island Express Air Operator Certificate for air taxi operations Transport Canada has reinstated Island Express Air's Air Operator Certificate for its air taxi operations after a robust review of the company's operations. Island Express Air has addressed Transport Canada's concerns regarding the deficiencies in its operations. (Image Credit: Reuters) Transport Canada has reinstated Island Express Air's Air Operator Certificate for its air taxi operations after a robust review of the company's operations. The reinstatement allows the company to provide commercial air service in North America. Island Express Air has addressed Transport Canada's concerns regarding the deficiencies in its operations. Transport Canada will closely monitor Island Express Air's operations to verify that the company remains compliant with aviation safety regulations. On February 28, 2018, Transport Canada suspended Island Express' Air Operator Certificate in the interest of public safety due to the airline's February 23, 2018 accident in Abbotsford, BC and its contraventions of the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The safety and security of Canadians is a top priority and the department will not hesitate to take swift action when a deficiency is detected. https://www.devdiscourse.com/Article/43930-canada-reinstates-island-express-air-operator-certificate- for-air-taxi-operations Back to Top Blockchain-Based Aeron to Set new Standard in Aviation Safety London based Aeron looks to make one of the most popular modes of transportation even safer. In 2017 aviation with either freight or passengers reached a capitalization of $250 billion, with 4 billion passengers and 104,000 flights annually. By 2037, Boeing expects their fleet to double in size for both passengers and commercial cargo in order to keep up with increasing demand in this industry. While flying is one of the safest ways to travel, over 3000 accidents occur yearly still. Some of these cases are fatal, and also results in large amounts of collateral damage when planes crash. Aeron to Tackle Common Industry Problems Aeron will make flying safer with their blockchain based platform that will tackle the most common problems in the industry of pilot training and flight school management, including thwarting flight log forgery, under-reporting flight hours, and stopping any modified data and replacing an old system with one built on new technologies and tools. Discrepancies are flagged automatically when information from sources (pilot, aircraft, operator, ATC) differ from each other. The app will make recognizing differences much easier, and will also keep up to date records on pilot licenses, and will flag expired licenses or pending renewals. The Future for Aeron The Aeron Team has recently announced launch of the mobile application to both Google and Apple's mobile application services, and even got their native token integrated within Aerotrips marketplace. Aeron CEO, Artem Orange said: "We are proud to announce that we will integrate the ARN token to be the payment method of choice for Aerotrips.com. We are all excited for the future of Aeron, we believe putting the passengers safety first, a vital part of our company beliefs. The development team are hard at work finishing off the decentralized storage portal next. We are on track at what looks to be a very successful year, and I would like to say thank you to everyone that has and continues to support Aeron." Aerotrip is an aviation marketplace that offers services like chartered flights to air safaris and flight training. Users will now have another payment method for the same services, and also a better way of referencing data. Proper logs are a major key to fixing mistakes that can lead to catastrophic failures. Under reporting flight hours to allow an aircraft to fly more may result in short term profits, but risks equipment failure and potential loss of human life. Equipment that isn't properly maintained, and given proper time to rest and cool down from operation is more likely to fail during use and not last as long compared to aircraft handled correctly. https://nulltx.com/blockchain-based-aeron-to-set-new-standard-in-aviation-safety/ Back to Top China's aviation authorities to hold foreign airlines to safety rules Passengers get aboard a flight at the Beijing Capital International Airport. (File photo/China News Service) (ECNS) - China's civil aviation authorities have vowed to increase penalties against carriers that violate rules or refuse to accept inspections, according to the latest amendment to the Operations certification: Foreign Air Transportation Carriers (CCAR-129-R1). The Civil Aviation Administration of China organized a meeting on June 25 to urge all civil aviation companies and foreign airlines operating in China to fully understand the significance of the regulations and improve safety operations. The amendments place stricter requirements on the on-board terrain awareness and warning system and traffic collision avoidance system, demand rigorous recording of compliance violations, and raises the upper limit of punishment for refusal to accept inspections. Authorities will make comprehensive use of big data analysis to further promote supervision, allocate supervision resources for key companies, and increase administration of carriers that suffered from frequent security issues. Li Jian, deputy director of the administration, said the regulation, as the localized version of standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, is important to ensure the safety of people's lives and property and improve the operations of foreign air carriers. Foreign carriers under the jurisdiction of CCAR-129 operated 547,000 flights in 2017, which accounted for 48 percent of China's total international flights, and transported 72.6 million passengers, about 51 percent of total international flight passengers, Li said. http://www.ecns.cn/news/cns-wire/2018-06-28/detail-ifyvrptq6363794.shtml Back to Top Will Booze Ever Be Banned on U.S. Airline Flights? Skift Take Despite some well-publicized incidents involving drunk passengers, U.S. airlines aren't about to fly dry. The revenue is just too big. But flight attendants say drunk passengers are the top source of harassment and want airline staff to keep them off planes. A drunken passenger last December assaulted a flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Tampa, forcing the plane to divert to Birmingham, Alabama. In February, a New York-bound JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic had to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles when a drunk passenger caressed another flier, then threw snacks at and kicked a flight attendant. In April, a man raged at a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight from St. Croix to Miami, after he was refused alcoholic beverages. Interested in more stories like this? Subscribe to the Skift Airline Innovation Report to stay up-to-date on the business of airline innovation. The American incident, widely shared on YouTube, resulted in the passenger's arrest on charges of interfering with a flight crew, a federal felony offense. Given that such incidents seem to happen on a monthly basis, generating unwanted publicity for the passengers and the airline, it's easy to wonder: Would U.S. carriers ever consider flying dry? After all, a number of international airlines operate alcohol-free flights, mainly on trips that are flown by Middle East-based companies, or which originate in the Middle East. Elsewhere, some airlines serve limited offerings, such as only water and juice, on their shortest flights, but that's mostly to make service go faster. BOOZE IS A REVENUE-PRODUCING STAPLE By and large, alcohol is going to remain an aspect of flights within the United States and to many countries overseas, for two reasons. First, the revenue that booze generates for the airlines, and passengers' expectation that they'll be able to have a drink during a flight. "Beverages are a very profitable line of business for airlines, and still an expected amenity, not only in premium cabins," said Robert W. Mann, Jr., an aviation consultant. "I don't see inflight drinks going away, but I do see drunks being dispatched quickly and decisively, which is entirely appropriate, since you don't want the impaired driving home on arrival." Airlines do not publish alcohol revenue, and several airlines contacted by Skift declined to share their companies' figures. However, the onboard technology company GuestLogix estimates that alcohol spending is passengers' largest single in-flight expense, far surpassing food items, and comfort items such as headphones and blankets. During a four-month period in 2013 and 2014, the most recent time GuestLogix measured the data, five major airlines brought in $43 million in alcohol sales. If that spending held up over an entire year, that would mean major airlines collect nearly $130 million annually from alcohol sales. And, the figure could be higher, given prices have gone up. In February, Southwest set aside its long-held $5 happy hour and added $1 to $2 onto the price of alcoholic beverages. Southwest still charges a little less than its competitors, however. Meanwhile, JetBlue has rolled out a menu featuring D.I.Y. Drinks, which teach a passenger how to combine items available on board to make their own craft cocktails. For instance, a Mile-High Mule includes Tito's handmade vodka, which costs $7, with ginger ale and a packet of powdered lime juice. A rum punch includes Bacardi rum, also $7, plus cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Brad Hawkins, a spokesman for Southwest, said there are "no dry flights planned or in operation. (How much would THAT flight suck?)" But Hawkins said Southwest flight attendants are trained to limit the sale of alcohol to any passenger who shows signs of intoxication during flights. PASSENGERS WANT IT There's definitely an audience that wants to imbibe on board. "Drinking age and flying-alone age came a long time ago for me, at 18," said C. Claiborne Ray, a retired New York Times editor. "I still want my adult beverages! I enjoy a drink or two on a flight, especially one long enough for meals. A glass of wine or sometimes a liqueur helps smooth over the many major and minor irritants of flying these days." Added Virginia Willis, the cookbook writer and author of Secrets Of The Southern Table: "I do like a drink at the end of the day and at the beginning of my "weekend" - whenever that happens - if I'm on a plane, so be it." But Willis noted something many industry officials feel contributes to the drunken incidents. "I am always amazed at customers at bars in airports at all hours of the day - and that's where I think the actual trouble starts," she said. "The troublemakers are over served before they get on the plane." Taylor Garland, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants, said airline staff, including gate agents and customer service agents, need to work more closely with flight attendants to keep intoxicated passengers from boarding. "We try to keep the situation on the ground," Garland said. "We want to keep them off the plane before it takes off." But, she said that's often out of an airline's control. "People get to the airport early. Their flights get delayed. And if they're headed to a vacation destination, they might drink more than they usually would," she said. Garland said the flight attendants' union knows airlines are not about to remove alcohol from planes entirely. However, she said intoxicated passengers are the number one reason why flight attendants face harassment during flight, and wants the public to be aware of the situation. That might persuade a passenger to skip that one last drink, whether in the airport or on board. "Understand that when you're coming on board, there are 100 or more people who want to have an uneventful flight," Garland said. "You're not alone on the plane. So, bring a sense of community on board." Doug Levy, a San Francisco-based writer, said he can see the benefits of doing away with alcoholic drinks. "On one level, I like that it's available, but eliminating it would also eliminate the stupid people who drink too much," he said. "That's a small price to pay for a bonus like that." https://skift.com/2018/06/27/will-booze-ever-be-banned-on-u-s-airline-flights/ Back to Top FAA CUTS COST OF TRAINING, PROFICIENCY * INSTRUMENT AND SPORT PILOTS BIG BENEFICIARIES The FAA on June 27 published a final rule that will allow broader use of technology to reduce the cost of flight training and maintaining proficiency without compromising safety. For years, AOPA has sought and supported these regulatory changes that are expected to save the general aviation community more than $110 million in the next five years. A pilot practices a lazy eight.AOPA has made it a priority to ease the financial burden on students and certificated pilots, and many of the changes made by the FAA that are incorporated in the final version were requested by AOPA and other aviation groups. The FAA's final rule includes many changes, particularly to Part 61, which were originally published in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in 2016. The Part 61 overhaul will take effect July 27, with all changes implemented by Dec. 24, and will reduce costs to pilots in large part by leveraging advances in avionics, aircraft equipment, flight simulators, and aviation training devices. The new regulations recognize the effectiveness of modern technology and ease past restrictions on its use to further reduce the cost of flight training, as well as proficiency maintenance. They are also crafted to give the FAA more flexibility to approve the use of advanced technologies still to come. The FAA estimates that pilots and operators will save up to $113.5 million over five years (in 2016 dollars), with the most significant savings to come from allowing instrument-rated pilots, who use advanced aviation training devices (ATDs) to satisfy flight experience requirements, to enjoy six months of currency rather than two. That part of the Part 61 overhaul takes effect Nov. 26. The extended currency interval will also allow instrument-rated pilots to use any combination of aircraft and ATD to accomplish the flight experience required for currency. The FAA estimates (in 2016 dollars) that these changes to FAR 61.57(c) alone will save pilots $76.1 million over five years. Allowing sport pilots to credit their flight experience toward higher certificates and ratings will increase the value of sport pilot training and save pilots an estimated $14 million over five years. Eliminating the requirement for an instructor to be present while instrument-rated pilots use flight simulators and ATDs to satisfy currency requirements is estimated to save the instrument pilot population another $12.5 million over five years. In April, the FAA discontinued the requirement that commercial pilot and flight instructor candidates conduct their single-engine airplane practical test in a complex airplane, and the final rule published June 27 takes that a step further. As of Aug. 27, commercial pilot candidates can use "technically advanced airplanes" in lieu of, or in combination with, a complex or turbine-powered airplane to satisfy the 10 hours of required training in these airplanes. This is estimated to save trainees $2.8 million over five years. "Making aviation less costly is fundamental to AOPA's mission, which is why we pursued these changes that will save the general aviation community more than $100 million over the next five years alone and help to make pursuing and advancing a pilot's certificate more accessible to everyone," said AOPA President Mark Baker. The FAA, responding to industry comments on the NPRM, also adjusted the definition of "technically advanced airplane" to be broader and more general, adding language to Section 61.129(j) to allow the FAA to authorize use of aircraft that may not meet the requirements as presently written. "This additional language is intended to provide flexibility by allowing the FAA to accommodate future technologies that do not necessarily meet the confines of the regulatory requirements for a TAA in § 61.129(j)," the FAA wrote in the final rule. Another of the many changes detailed in the lengthy final rule will allow sport pilot instructors with a required endorsement to provide training on control and maneuvering solely be reference to instruments. While the FAA estimates "minimal" cost savings to students, the change will nonetheless increase the value of the sport pilot instructor's certificate, and benefit flight schools that offer sport pilot training, as well as instructors and students. AOPA Director of Regulatory Affairs Justin Barkowski led the association's effort to analyze and respond to the NPRM that preceded the final rule. Among the points successfully pushed, pilots will be allowed to use a combination of complex, turbine-powered, and technically advanced airplanes to satisfy the 10-hour commercial pilot training requirement, instead of having to choose one of the three. Sport pilot instructors will be allowed to receive the required flight training hours in an ATD in order to obtain the endorsement required to teach instrument skills. Barkowski said he expects the final rule to prompt discussion of what, exactly, a technically advanced aircraft is, and noted that the FAA drafted the final rule to accommodate advances in technology. "Generally speaking, aircraft equipped with an electronic primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction display (MFD), as well as a two-axis autopilot, would qualify as a TAA," Barkowski noted. "The language in the final rule gives the FAA discretion to approve other types of TAA in the future without further rulemaking, but we encourage everyone to check the definition to see if your aircraft qualifies, first." AOPA also asked the FAA to allow pilots to obtain a temporary document online to confirm medical certification. The FAA determined this particular change is outside the scope of the rulemaking, though the agency noted that a system is being created (the Aerospace Medicine Safety Information System) and scheduled for implementation in 2020 to accomplish this goal. HIGHLIGHTS OF NOTABLE REGULATORY CHANGES * 2016 dollars, FAA estimates https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/june/27/faa-cuts-cost-of-training-proficiency Back to Top MRJ aircraft runs test flights in US The long-delayed passenger jet developed by Mitsubishi Aircraft ran through a series of successful test flights in in the US. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is being put through its paces to win safety certification. It's Japan's first domestically-built aircraft in half a century. The twin-engine jet completed a series of steep banks and turns, as well as swift speed and altitude changes. The trials took place in Washington State. The manufacturer says 4 MRJs used in the tests have already completed more than half the hours required for certification. Hitoshi Iwasa of Mitsubishi Aircraft said, "There could be some minor glitches but what's most important is to keep flying the jet by steadily fixing them. With less than 2 years to deliver the aircraft, we will continue the flights. " Mitsubishi has said it's won orders for more than 400 of the aircraft from Japan, the US and other countries. The jet is built to carry 70-90 passengers on regional routes. Development was delayed due to design changes and other reasons. The maker postponed delivery dates 5 times so far. The first deliveries are now forecast for mid-2020. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180628_28/ Back to Top Facebook Will Not Build Solar-Powered Internet Aircraft After All Facebook has announced it will no longer pursue its project of building solar-powered aircraft to bring the Internet to remote communities. Somewhat unsurprisingly, project Aquila will not be the revolutionary technological success Facebook was hoping for. In a news post, the company announced that "we've decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgewater." The Aquila program started in 2014 when Facebook acquired Ascenta, a drone research company. The hopes were to build the world's first solar-powered aircraft capable of bringing the Internet to remote communities via a laser beam. Several structural and mechanical failures led the company to reconsider its plans. Several structural and other mechanical failures led Facebook to reconsider its plans to build the world's first solar-powered Internet aircraft. According to TechCrunch, Facebook will continue to work with industry partners, such as Airbus, to help advance "high altitude platform stations" (HAPS) like the Aquila. But Facebook will clearly not try to build the aircraft itself any longer. https://wersm.com/facebook-will-not-build-solar-powered-internet-aircraft-after-all/ Back to Top Back to Top 64th Air Safety Forum - Join Us! safetyforum.alpa.org July 30 - August 2, 2018 | Washington, DC CONFIRMED KEYNOTES INCLUDE * Senator Tammy Duckworth * Capt. Tim Canoll - President, Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l * The Honorable Dan Elwell - Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration * The Honorable Howard "Skip" Elliott - Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) * Mr. Paul Rinaldi - President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association PANELS INCLUDE(visit safetyforum.alpa.org for panel descriptions) * Fire In The Hold: Anticipating/Preventing Fires from Passenger Checked Baggage * Meet the Doctors * Pilot Peer Support: The Next Phase In ALPA's Approach to Pilot Wellness * Disruptive Passengers: Keeping Problems Off the Airplane * Data Mining for Safer Skies * Flight Deck Access in the Post 9/11 Age * Pilots & Controllers -- Managing Change in an Evolving NAS AGENDA AT A GLANCE (visit safetyforum.alpa.org for agenda details) MONDAY, JULY 30 (all Monday sessions are invite only) 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. General Session (Open only to ALPA Members) 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ASO Workshops, Council Meetings, Trainings, Jumpseat Forum & Aviation Security Forum TUESDAY, JULY 31 (all Tuesday sessions are invite only) 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. - ASO Workshops, Council Meetings, Trainings, Jumpseat Forum & Aviation Security Forum WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Jumpseat Council Meeting (ALPA members only) 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Ask Your ASO (ALPA members only) 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Air Safety Forum (open to the public) THURSDAY, AUGUST 2 (open to the public) 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Air Safety Forum 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - ALPA Air Safety Forum Awards Reception 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - ALPA Air Safety Forum Awards Banquet THANK YOU SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS! Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities available. Email airsafetyforum@alpa.org for more information. 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 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 I am a student of Air Safety Management in City University of London and I am passionate about Human Factors and Psychology in Aviation. I designed a questionnaire which measures the level of self- control in pilots and cabin crew. The questionnaire is part of my research for Final Project titled: "The Role of Self-Control in Aircrew Performance Managing emotional responses to enhance rational decision- making". The Final Project aims to address the subject of self-control - an acquired cognitive skill that enhances the ability to take intelligent decisions and promotes rational choices in both daily operations and emergencies by pilots and cabin crew. Survey Links: Flight Crew - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KWB6NKV Cabin Crew - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KSDY9DK regards, Malgorzata Wroblewska Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 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 - 3 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 - 4 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 Curt Lewis