Flight Safety Information June 29, 2018 - No. 131 In This Issue Incident: Thomas Cook B753 near Lanzarote on Jun 28th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Delta B752 near Minneapolis on Jun 27th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: PSA CRJ7 at Harrisburg on Jun 27th 2018, dropped gear door Incident: Sunwing B738 near Thessaloniki on Jun 19th 2018, could not reach assigned flight level Accident: Jet2.com A332 at Tenerife on Jun 27th 2017, burst two tyres on landing Antonov An-2 flips over during forced landing, Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk region, Russia Boeing 777-3B5 - broken wheel axle on landing (Japan) Airbus A320-214...engine number one struck by vehicle at Karachi Airport Beechcraft C90B King Air...Fatal Accident (India) LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. ATSB finds AirAsia flight that turned the wrong way out of Perth suffered from runway mixup TSA to enforce international carry-on restrictions towards powders Passengers kicked off plane over dispute about cellphone's airplane mode Updated FAA Rule Adds Flexibility to Flight Training and Checkride Options 3D printing technology transforming aircraft maintenance Kenya Airways seeks 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft These Female Pilots Broke Down Barriers in Aviation Flight testing in Washington state slowly moves Mitsubishi toward goal of a Japanese commercial jet Short-Course Schedule for ERAU Daytona Beach 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: Thomas Cook B753 near Lanzarote on Jun 28th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Thomas Cook Airlines Boeing 757-300, registration G-JMAB performing flight MT-1002 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Arrecife,CI (Spain) with 284 people on board, had been enroute at FL350 and was descending towards Lanzarote/Arrecife when the crew received indication of the failure of one of the engines (RB211), declared emergency, shut the engine down and continued to Arrecife for a safe landing. The aircraft vacated the runway, stopped on the parallel taxiway for an inspection by emergency services and taxied to the stand. Emergency services inspected the left hand engine. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba73a82&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B752 near Minneapolis on Jun 27th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N704X performing flight DL-1137 from San Francisco,CA to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 150nm southsouthwest of Minneapolis,MN (USA) when the right hand engine (PW2037) failed. The crew shut the engine down and diverted to Minneapolis for a safe landing on runway 30L about 45 minutes later. A passenger reported the captain announced the right hand engine had failed and was shut down, they were diverting to Minneapolis. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N697DL reached New York with a delay of 3 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1137/history/20180627/1950Z/KSFO/KJFK https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba73df2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ7 at Harrisburg on Jun 27th 2018, dropped gear door A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N709PS performing flight AA-5560 from Charlotte,NC to Harrisburg,PA (USA), was on final approach to Harrisburg's runway 13 when one of the nose gear doors separated from the aircraft. The crew continued for a safe landing and taxied to the apron. A replacement CRJ-700 registration N526EA performed the return flight with a delay of 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Harrisburg about 28 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL5560/history/20180627/1530Z/KCLT/KMDT https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba738f3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Sunwing B738 near Thessaloniki on Jun 19th 2018, could not reach assigned flight level, TCAS RA A Sunwing Boeing 737-800 on behalf of TUI Airways, registration C-FEAK performing flight BY-370 from Leeds,EN (UK) to Dalaman (Turkey) with 192 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 40nm north of Thessaloniki when the aircraft was cleared to climb to FL390. The aircraft however could not reach FL390 within the given time, the crew levelled off at FL380 and advised ATC, who instructed the crew to turn right 5 degrees. While on the new heading the crew received a TCAS resolution advisory to climb, complied with the advisory and advised ATC. The aircraft subsequently climbed to FL390 and continued to Dalaman for a safe landing about one hour later. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ba73775&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Jet2.com A332 at Tenerife on Jun 27th 2017, burst two tyres on landing A Jet2.com Airbus A330-200, registration G-VYGL performing flight LS-917 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Tenerife Sur Reina Sofia,CI (Spain) with 320 passengers and 11 crew, landed on Tenerife's runway 07 but burst the two aft left main tyres, deflated both aft right hand main tyres and became disabled on the runway. A number of other aircraft on approach to Tenerife South Airport needed to go around and divert as result. On Jul 6th 2017 Spain's CIAIAC reported the occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated by the CIAIAC. There were minor injuries as result of the occurrence, the damage to the aircraft is still being assessed. On Jun 28th 2018 Spain's CIAIAC released an interim statement reporting the aircraft landed on Tenerife's runway 07 when without action by the flight crew all four aft main wheels locked up simultaneously. The aircraft skidded to a halt on the runway and was disabled. There was damage to the runway, both main gear struts, the wheels and tyres. There were no injuries. The investigation focusses on information obtained from the analysis of the flight data recorder as well as by tests carried out on the BSCU (brake and steering control unit). Tests on the BSCU as well as the investigation are still continuing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4aae4354&opt=0 Back to Top Antonov An-2 flips over during forced landing, Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk region, Russia Status: Date: Wednesday 27 June 2018 Type: Antonov An-2R Operator: Feniks Registration: RA-62524 C/n / msn: 1G175-47 First flight: 1977 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk region ( Russia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Survey/research Departure airport: Nizhneudinsk (UINN), Russia Destination airport: Nizhneudinsk (UINN), Russia Narrative: An aircraft engaged in a forest fire survey flight nosed over during a forced landing on an island in the Uda River. The aircraft had just departed Nizhneudinsk Airport. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180627-0 Back to Top Boeing 777-3B5 - broken wheel axle on landing (Japan) Date: 29-JUN-2018 Time: 12:38 LT Type: Boeing 777-3B5 Owner/operator: Korean Air Registration: HL7573 C/n / msn: 27952/288 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 335 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Category: Serious incident Location: Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT/RJAA) - Japan Phase: Landing Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN/RKSI) Destination airport: Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT/RJAA) Investigating agency: JTSB Narrative: Korean Air KE703 from Seoul (ICN) to Tokyo (NRT) suffered serious damage to the rear wheel axle of the right-hand main landing gear. The Boeing 777-300 landed on runway 16L at 12:38 LT (03:38 UTC) and was stopped on taxiway B, five minutes later after it appeared the rear wheel axle had broken. The passengers disembarked on the taxiway and were bussed to the terminal. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212714 Back to Top Airbus A320-214 engine number one struck by vehicle at Karachi Airport Date: 29-JUN-2018 Time: Type: Airbus A320-214 Owner/operator: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Registration: AP-BLC C/n / msn: 2212 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Jinnah International Airport - Karachi - Pakistan Phase: Standing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: KHI Destination airport: LHE Narrative: Aircraft engine number one struck by vehicle at Karachi Airport. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212713 Back to Top Beechcraft C90B King Air Fatal Accident (India) Date: 28-JUN-2018 Time: 13:15 LT Type: Beechcraft C90B King Air Owner/operator: UY Aviation Registration: VT-UPZ C/n / msn: LJ-1400 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 1 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Sarvodaya Nagar, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai - India Phase: Approach Nature: Test Departure airport: Juhu Destination airport: Juhu Narrative: The aircraft crashed into a building site while on approach during a maintenance check flight. Post crash fire. 4 POB (2 pilots and 2 engineers) and a passer-by died. Two others on the ground were injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212681 Back to Top Back to Top ATSB finds AirAsia flight that turned the wrong way out of Perth suffered from runway mixup The pilot of an Indonesia AirAsia A320 flying from Perth to Bali programmed the wrong runway into the plane's computer, which resulted in a sudden left turn after take-off - Australia's crash investigator has found. In its preliminary report released this morning, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau outlined the scenario on November 24 of last year, as the crew of an Airbus A320 - registered PK-AZE and operated by AirAsia Indonesia as flight QZ535 - prepared to fly from Perth to Denpasar. The captain was designated as the pilot monitoring and the first officer (FO) was designated as the pilot flying. The ATSB said while the captain was conducting the pre-flight walk around, the FO entered the flight plan into the flight management guidance computer (FMGC). "Believing that they would be using runway 03 for take-off, as they had recently landed on this runway, he entered this into the FMGC," the report said. However, he then listened to the automatic terminal information service, (ATIS) which indicated the runway-in-use was in fact runway 21 - the same runway but the opposite direction to the south. When the captain returned to the fight deck, the FO completed the pre-flight and departures briefing using runway 03. At 12.01pm, the crew received their clearance from air traffic control for a standard departure south on the runway, with a heading of 210 and a climb to 5,000 feet. At 12.13pm the crew commenced taxiing, having also received ATC clearances to taxi to, and line-up on runway 21, which was read back correctly by the crew. At 12.20pm the A320 took off from runway 21. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft was turned left at 260 feet above mean sea level which was contrary to the departure procedure and below the minimum safe altitude stipulated by the operator. The ATSB found that after observing the aircraft turning left on radar, ATC re-cleared the crew onto an assigned radar heading. The crew then reported operations normal and the aircraft was turned to rejoin the the original planned route and continued to Denpasar without further incident. The investigation is ongoing. The incident is similar to another in 2015 involving Air Asia X in Sydney. In that incident the captain entered the wrong longitude into an Airbus A330's navigation system, making the plane's computer believe it was 11,000km from its location at Sydney Airport. The bungle caused the Air Asia X plane to fly in the wrong direction and across the departure path of an adjacent runway. AirAsia said it had already addressed the incident internally and would continue to work with the ATSB. "Safety is always our number one priority and underpins the operation at all times," a statement from the airline read. "As part of our commitment to always putting safety first, the airline immediately put in place a number of measures to address this incident, in the areas of operational standards and flight crew training following the airline's own independent investigation of the incident. "AirAsia will continue to provide full cooperation to the ATSB with its ongoing investigation. "As the review is ongoing by AirAsia, the ATSB and other relevant authorities, we are unable to comment further on the details at this time." https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/aviation/atsb-finds-airasia-flight-that-turned-the-wrong-way-out-of- perth-suffered-from-runway-mixup-ng-b88881641z Back to Top TSA to enforce international carry-on restrictions towards powders The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is set to enact new restrictions June 30 limiting the amount of powdered materials international travelers can bring into the cabin on flights bound to the US. The limits on powders will join other materials including liquids and gels that are also subject to carry-on restrictions stemming from concerns about aviation security and terrorism. The new rules will restrict the amount of powders travelers can pack in their carry-on luggage to 350 milliliters-roughly 12 ounces, or the size of a soda can. The limits going in place for international travelers have applied to US fliers since July 2017, when TSA enacted heightened screening procedures for US passengers' carry-on luggage. Powders exceeding 350 milliliters will be subject to secondary screening, as opposed to a blanket ban. If screening procedures at central or main checkpoints are unable to verify the materials are safe, passengers will be instructed to discard or place them in checked baggage. TSA Spokesman Michael England told ATW the new measures are part of TSA's efforts to "stay ahead of threats, keep passengers safe and constantly increase capabilities through a layered approach to security." He cited a range of powders, including fentanyl and oleoresin capsicum (known as pepper powder or pepper spray) that could potentially be used to "irritate or harm aircraft passengers and aircrew if released during flight." "TSA is working with international partners to align global aviation security standards. Improvised explosive devices still pose the greatest threat to commercial aviation," England said. The new requirements come just two weeks after US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and TSA initiated the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) program, which requires the submission of advanced air cargo information on all international shipments arriving in the US. Previously a voluntary process, CBP called ACAS a "necessary measure as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to raise the baseline on aviation security worldwide." http://atwonline.com/safety/tsa-enforce-international-carry-restrictions-towards-powders Back to Top Passengers kicked off plane over dispute about cellphone's airplane mode A flight attendant forced passengers off a Delta Connection flight at Fort Wayne International Airport after a dispute with a black flier over whether or not her phone was turned to airplane mode. In a post on Instagram, Robyn Rodgers of New York said she was "unfairly ejected" from Delta Flight 4527 after an attendant asked her to turn her phone on airplane mode. The attendant then stood over Rodgers waiting for her to select the phone setting, she said. "I told her 'I know how to turn on airplane mode, you don't have to stand over me,'" Rodgers said in a post. "She became agitated and said, 'If you're gonna act like that we can go back to the gate and you can get off.' I held up my phone to show her that airplane mode was on." The flight was operated by SkyWest Airlines, a regional airline that Delta contracts with to operate flights to smaller cities. Passengers often are not aware of the distinction because the flights are part of itineraries on Delta's reservation system. The flight attendant is an employee of SkyWest, according to an emailed statement from Delta. Rodgers said the attendant left and came back to her seat, notifying Rodgers the plane would be returning to the gate, where she would be asked to leave the flight. Other passengers, including a Latina woman, who spoke up in defense of Rodgers also were removed, she said. A total of four adults and a child were removed from the flight. Some commenters suggested the interaction might have been racially motivated. Video posted by Rodgers shows the attendant saying she asked Rodgers repeatedly to turn her phone to airplane mode. Another video at the airport shows an airline employee telling Rodgers she was removed because the flight attendant felt "unsafe." SkyWest spokesperson Marissa Snow told USA TODAY the airline is reviewing reports from the flight and officials are working with Delta to follow up with customers involved. A Delta Air Lines representative told WGCL-TV, Atlanta, that the airline accommodated the needs of stranded passengers. Rodgers' said Wednesday the airline did not provide hotel accommodations for any of the passengers forced to stay the night. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/nation-now/2018/06/28/delta-attendant-kicks-passengers-off-plane-over-airplane-mode-dispute/741161002/ Back to Top Updated FAA Rule Adds Flexibility to Flight Training and Checkride Options Changes also affect military certificate transfers and simulator use for flight currency. Revised rule will allow TAA to substitute for traditional complex airplanes. A final FAA rule published in the Federal Register has removed one more major roadblock to certifying more pilots. The updated Part 61 will soon approve the use of a technically advanced airplane, like a Cirrus, as a substitute for the traditional complex aircraft used for commercial and flight instructor checkrides. Some of the changes incorporated into the updated Part 61 were derived from industry suggestions. This updated certification news closely follows word in April that the agency was dropping the requirement to use a complex airplane for some portions of these checkrides. The FAA said reasons for the change include the need to relieve some of the burdens being placed on pilot applicants due to the difficulty in locating complex aircraft, as well as to take better advantage of recent aviation training device technologies that have proven to be a safe, effective and affordable method of gaining pilot experience. In addition to changes related to training aircraft, the updated rule also expands the opportunities for military instructor pilots or examiners to pick up their civilian ratings based on their military experience. Another will allow pilots to log time to maintain currency in an FAA-approved FFS, FTD or ATD without the need for a flight instructor to be looking over their shoulder. Finally, the FAA will soon allow sport pilot instructors to serve as safety pilots. Some of the changes to Part 61 become effective on July 27, 2018, with all expected to be in place before the end of 2018. https://www.flyingmag.com/updated-faa-rule-adds-flexibility-to-flight-training-and-checkride-options Back to Top 3D printing technology transforming aircraft maintenance Australian university researchers are 3D printing aircraft parts that could transform the aerospace industry. A team of RMIT University researchers led by Professor Milan Brandt are leveraging laser metal deposition technology to build and repair defence aircraft parts in a two-year collaboration with RUAG Australia and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC). "It's basically a very high-tech welding process where we make or rebuild metal parts layer by layer," said Professor Brandt, who says the concept is proven and prospects for its successful development are extremely positive. The technology will apply for existing legacy aircraft such as the Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18F/G Super Hornet and Growler fleets, and the new fifth generation F-35 fleet. The technology feeds metal powder into a laser beam, which when scanned across a surface adds new material in a precise, web-like formation, the metallurgical bond created has mechanical properties similar, or in some cases superior, to those of the original material. RUAG Australia head of research and technology Neil Matthews said, "Instead of waiting for spare parts to arrive from a warehouse, an effective solution will now be on site. For defence forces, this means less downtime for repairs and a dramatic increase in the availability and readiness of aircraft." An independent review, commissioned by BAE Systems, estimated the cost of replacing damaged aircraft to be in excess of $230 million a year for the Royal Australian Air Force. A move to locally printed components could mean big savings on maintenance and spare part purchasing, scrap metal management, warehousing and shipping costs. "The project's benefits to Australian industry are significant. Although the current project focuses on military aircraft, it is potentially transferable to civil aircraft, marine, rail, mining, oil and gas industries," said CEO and managing director of IMCRC, David Chuter. This project is the latest collaboration over the past decade between RUAG Australia and Professor Brandt, who is the director of RMIT's Centre for Additive Manufacturing and is a leading expert in the field. https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/key-enablers/2493-game-changing-3d-printing-technology- transforming-aircraft-maintenance Back to Top Kenya Airways seeks 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft Nairobi - Kenya Airways has revived plans to expand its network by proposing to buy as many as 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft as part of a five-year strategy. The move follows three consecutive years of losses caused by a poorly executed expansion strategy and fuel-hedging contracts that saw it miss out on rock-bottom oil prices. The losses forced the company into austerity measures that included job cuts, a 15% fleet reduction and abandoning a valuable landing slot at London's Heathrow airport. "We've put out a proposal for 10 planes at the moment," chief operations officer Jan de Vegt said on Wednesday. "We will then have to take two to three years at least to introduce them. You have to train pilots." Part-owned by Air France-KLM, Africa's third-biggest carrier has 40 aircraft, with which it services mainly routes on the continent. That includes two Boeing 787 Dreamliners and three Boeing 777-300 aircraft that are sub-leased to Oman Air Transport and Turkish Airlines, respectively. KQ, as Kenya Airways is known, intends to take them back between September this year and December 2019. It cut its full-year losses to 10.2-billion shillings ($101m) in 2017, from a record 26.2-billion ($260m) shillings a year earlier. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/transport-and-tourism/2018-06-29-kenya-airways-seeks- 10-boeing-737-max-aircraft/ Back to Top These Female Pilots Broke Down Barriers in Aviation * Only around three percent of the world's pilots are women. Amelia Earhart laughs with joy while flying to London in June, 1928. This story is part of Women of Impact, a National Geographic project centered around women breaking barriers in their fields, changing their communities, and inspiring action. Join the conversation in our Facebook group. A mother of five and grandmother of eight, Babs Ambrose established Stono Farm Market and Tomato Shed Café, an organic vegetable farm on Johns Island in South Carolina. She founded a nonprofit, taught marketing to women entrepreneurs in Russia, served as the mayor, and-on top of her other responsibilities-held her pilot's license. The farm's central wide dirt road was called "the runway," because it was, in fact, a runway. Babs shared that flying a plane gave her "an exhilarating sense of freedom," and, as a woman, a particular feeling of accomplishment. While Babs is not alone in her success, only an estimated three percent of the world's pilots are women. From Valentina Tereshkova, to Bessie Coleman, to Amelia Earhart, it seems women pilots have a particular aptitude for shattering not one but multiple glass ceilings at a time. Pilot Bessica Raiche was a linguist, artist, dentist, and began her own practice as one of the first American woman specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1910, she was the first American woman to fly solo and took that flight on an airplane she built out of silk, bamboo, and wire in her living room. Born in 1906, "Speed Queen" Jacqueline Cochran was the first female pilot to break the sound barrier and the first pilot to fly above 20,000 feet without an oxygen mask. By 1980 she held more speed, distance, and altitude records than any other pilot, man or woman. Willa Brown was the first black female US-licensed pilot, the first African-American officer in the US Civil Air Patrol, and the first black woman to run for Congress. At Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, the 99s Museum of Women Pilots pays homage to the history and current achievements of these courageous women in aviation with over 5,000 square feet of archives and constantly evolving displays. The museum boasts interactive exhibits, a flight simulator, and the largest collection of Amelia Earhart memorabilia, including her flight goggles and original pilot's license. Earhart was the first president and a founding member of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots that began in 1929 inside a Curtiss Airport hangar in Valley Stream, New York (their meeting tea was served from a tool box). The Ninety-Nines have been active now for almost ninety years-supporting the museum, gathering often for competitions and skill-building days, giving first flight experience to girls who have never flown before, and traveling on fun fly-outs with the "49 ˝'s" (the 99s' significant others). In the 1970s, the organization relocated from New York to Oklahoma, a more central home base for members flying in from 50 states and over 30 countries. Oklahoma City is also just a puddle-jump away from Atchison, Kansas, home of the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum and the Amelia Earhart Festival, held every summer, the third weekend in July. The 99's First Fundraising Hangar Dance will be held on September 29, 2018 at Sundance Airpark in Yukon, Oklahoma with live jazz, dancing and a 1940s best dressed contest. The event will raise money for artifact restoration and improved museum displays and technology. While women remain underrepresented in aviation, the 99s bravely remind that there's always room for more. Sky's the limit. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united- states/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/history-female-pilots-aviation/ Back to Top Flight testing in Washington state slowly moves Mitsubishi toward goal of a Japanese commercial jet industry The first of Mitsubishi's MRJ flight test aircraft flies over Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake Wednesday. One of the test planes will fly at next month's Farnborough Air Show outside London. Photo courtesy of Isaac Alexander (photo courtesy of Isaac Alexande) The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) program - with 600 employees in Washington state - is progressing methodically toward its 2020 debut. Undeterred by delays, escalating cost and barriers to U.S. sales, Mitsubishi aims to build a new commercial jet industry in Japan. MOSES LAKE - The Mitsubishi Regional Jet program - which employs some 600 people in Washington state, about half from Japan - is progressing slowly and methodically toward its service debut two years from now, officials said this week at the plane's U.S. flight test center at Grant County International Airport. Officials at manufacturing giant Mitsubishi, undeterred by the program's delays and escalating costs and by barriers to U.S. sales, say their target is nothing less than building the framework for a new commercial-airplane industry in Japan. In two days of media briefings at the flight test center in Central Washington, British-born program leader Alex Bellamy said the vision of MHI Chief Executive Shunichi Miyanaga is "to establish a new industrial sector for Japan." "Starting a new industry is a very difficult task," said Bellamy, who is MRJ chief development officer at Mitsubishi Aircraft. "We are extremely committed to doing that." That means not only designing and building the new family of 69-to-88-seat regional jets, Japan's first commercial passenger airliner in 50 years, but also developing from scratch a Japanese regulatory and certification system to match the established U.S., European, Canadian and Brazilian authorities. In another sign of the far-reaching ambition behind the MRJ program, the aero engine division of parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) - which until now has built only jet-engine components - has set up a final assembly plant to build the MRJ version of Pratt & Whitney's innovative Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine in Japan. Boeing and Airbus typically complete flight tests on a new airplane in about a year. Mitsubishi, with flight tests roughly halfway complete, will take another two years before planned entry into service in 2020. Due to a series of delays, that's seven years later than originally planned at the program launch in 2008, and five years after the MRJ's first flight. Bellamy said that while Boeing has the experience to largely complete a mature design before testing, "we don't have that pedigree." So Mitsubishi, going through flight test for the first time, is using the tests not only to certify the plane but to adjust the design, retrofit modifications and introduce performance improvements as the flight tests progress. At the same time, he said, Mitsubishi is simultaneously working with the Japanese government "to build a regulatory system for Japan." Quiet jet On Wednesday, with the hot, flat desert expanse around Moses Lake a nexus for flight tests by both Mitsubishi and Boeing and for military-training exercises, MRJ test pilots had to wait patiently for their turn in the afternoon sky. First a big C-17 military transport from Joint Base Lewis-McChord made low-level passes. Then a Boeing 737 MAX flew over the assembled press corps. Finally, a trio of F/A-18G electronic jamming fighter jets from the Whidbey Island Navy base did synchronized turns around the airfield before coming in to land and parking with folded wings. Then it was the MRJ's turn. The pilots flew the routine that Mitsubishi will showcase at the Farnborough Air Show near London next month. The most striking element of the flyover, from takeoff to landing, was that the plane is exceptionally quiet. The new GTF engine has a whoosh rather than a roar, and spectators couldn't hear the jet at all until it passed directly in front of them. The aircraft's interior should also impress because the passenger cabin is significantly wider and taller than the cramped cabins of existing regional jets. Its four-abreast seating will offer a wider seat than a Boeing 737 narrowbody. The worldwide fleet of sub-100-seat regional jets - planes used as feeders from smaller airports into larger hubs - is about 3,200 aircraft, with about 1,800 of those in North America. Mitsubishi projects a demand for 5,000 more over the next 20 years. A sales barrier And yet, there is a significant obstacle to MRJ sales in the U.S., the world's biggest market for regional jets. Because regional jets (RJs) are flown by lower-paid pilots, labor contracts negotiated by the mainline jet pilots' unions at the major U.S. airlines include "scope clauses" that limit the number and size of regional jets in the airline fleets, and impose seating and weight restrictions. In recent years, airlines have been ordering larger planes so that the common 50-seat RJs are gradually being replaced by RJs with 76 seats, the upper limit in the scope clause. Anticipating a relaxation of the scope clause rules, Mitsubishi decided to first produce a bigger jet, the MRJ90, which seats 76 passengers in the dual-class seating preferred by U.S. airlines. Unfortunately, that gamble didn't pay off. The MRJ90's take-off weight is just heavier than the scope clause allows and the pilot unions show no interest in relaxing the rule. So the two large U.S. regional airlines now holding 150 of the 213 firm orders booked for the MRJ90 won't be able to fly them. SkyWest, which ordered 100 of the jets, and Trans States Holdings, which ordered 50, must either cancel their orders or switch to the smaller MRJ70, which seats 69 passengers in a dual-class configuration. The MRJ70 won't enter service until 2021. Another troubling aspect for the Mitsubishi sales team is that the MRJ70 will have to compete against the slightly bigger and already flying Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E175. These seat 76 passengers in dual class - the extra seven passengers cutting the advantage the MRJ70 enjoys from its all-new-airplane fuel efficiency. Bellamy is philosophical, pointing to the performance improvements he expects before the MRJ enters service. "We are also looking at how we can cram in extra seats," he added. Pushing forward Yet for all that sales uncertainty, it's clear that deep-pocketed Mitsubishi, with its eye on creating the foundation for future commercial-airplane development in Japan, is determined to push ahead. Japanese media reported last year that MRJ development costs are expected to reach $4.5 billion, triple the original estimate. Mitsubishi's commitment is good news for Washington state. About 400 people are employed for the flight test and certification phase at Moses Lake, and an additional 200 in Seattle. Next year, two more MRJ90 flight test planes will join the four already here. With two MRJ70 flight-test planes to follow those, the flight tests will continue here for another four years at least. Jep Thornton, managing partner at Aerolease Aviation, made a long, successful career in aviation by buying, selling and leasing used airplanes before he was persuaded by Mitsubishi to become the launch lessor for the new MRJ. He ordered an initial 10 MRJ90s. Thornton said the delays to the MRJ program stopped all sales conversations until Mitsubishi could fix the technical problems. "We pulled back," he said. "We realized it was going to take some time for everyone to begin to understand that the program is righted." Now he sees the fixes made and flight testing progressing. Though he doesn't expect many orders as early as the Farnborough Air Show that begins in a couple of weeks, he believes the MRJ is positioned to begin again adding sales. "Mitsubishi can pull this off," Thornton said. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/mrjs-flight-testing-in-washington-state-slowly- moves-mitsubishi-toward-goal-of-a-japanese-commercial-jet/ Back to Top Short-Course Schedule for ERAU Daytona Beach 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