Flight Safety Information July 4, 2018 - No. 134 In This Issue Incident: Ural A321 at Bodrum on Jul 2nd 2018, could not retract landing gear Incident: Greenland A332 near Keflavik on Jul 3rd 2018, odour in galley Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Munich on Jun 25th 2018, third fume event in 4 days EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: I-Fly A333 at Moscow on Jul 3rd 2018, hydraulic failure Incident: Angola B732 near St. John's on Jun 22nd 2018, engine shut down in flight Accident: Far Eastern MD82 at Taipei on Jul 2nd 2018, uncontained engine failure Boeing 737-8GJ (WL) -...loss of cabin pressure (India) LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. Inadequate flight planning led to Global Express collision with runway lights at Montreal/St- Hubert Netherlands starts Joint Sector Integral Safety Management System for Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport FAA NPRM Addresses Pilot Training Rule Changes Indonesia's airlines have been declared safe - but which countries are still banned from flying in the EU CAAV asks U.S. for aviation safety assessment FAA tells airline passengers 'We're a safety agency, not a creature comfort agency' ANA to Scrap 113 Flights for Rolls-Royce Engine Inspections Will Etihad Airlines Financial Problems Help Kill The Airbus A380? Small airlines and bush pilots forced to cut back northern flights in wake of Canadian pilot shortage Qatar signs for Hawk jet trainers Bell-Boeing to build 78 new V-22 aircraft and avionics in $4.2 billion U.S. military order Short-Course Schedule for ERAU Daytona Beach AViCON 2018 64th Air Safety Forum - Join Us! 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 Incident: Ural A321 at Bodrum on Jul 2nd 2018, could not retract landing gear An Ural Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VP-BBH performing flight U6-1126 from Bodrum (Turkey) to Kazan (Russia) with 199 passengers and 7 crew, was climbing out of Bodrum when the crew could not retract the landing gear. The crew stopped the climb at FL210 and diverted to the nearest Airport within the Russian Federation, Sochi, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 06 about 2:20 hours after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=4baae39d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Greenland A332 near Keflavik on Jul 3rd 2018, odour in galley An Air Greenland Airbus A330-200, registration OY-GRN performing flight GL-784 (dep Jul 2nd) from Kangerlussuaq (Greenland) to Copenhagen (Denmark) with 146 passengers, was enroute at FL410 about 150nm east of Keflavik (Iceland) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Keflavik reporting an unusual odour in the galley. The aircraft landed safely on Keflavik's runway 19 about 30 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Keflavik for about 16 hours, then continued the flight and reached Copenhagen with a delay of about 16 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4baae534&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Munich on Jun 25th 2018, third fume event in 4 days A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AILA performing flight LH-1988 from Munich to Cologne (Germany) with 92 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Munich's runway 26R when the crew donned their oxygen masks, reported fumes on board and decided to return to Munich. The aircraft landed back on Munich's runway 26R about 10 minutes after departure. The Aviation Herald received information, that this occurrence caused parents to fear for the health of their baby and seek medical assistance for their baby. According to the sources this fume event had been the third fume event in as many (three) days. However, the sources were unable to tell more about the circumstances of the earlier fume events. The Aviation Herald subsequently researched the flights of the aircraft the previous days with following findings: On Jun 22nd 2018 D-AILA had done LH-2066 from Munich to Hamburg (Germany), then remained three hours on the ground despite being assigned to a next sector, then positioned from Hamburg to Berlin Tegel, remained an additional 2 hours on the ground in Tegel then returned to service. On Jun 23rd 2018 D-AILA performed a relatively normal schedule, however, stopped service early at 18:11L at Munich following flight LH-2043 from Berlin Tegel and remained on the ground for 12 hours. On Jun 24th 2018 D-AILA performed flight LH-2110 from Munich to Bremen (Germany), subsequently remained 3 hours on the ground, positioned to Munich and remained on the ground in Munich for another 23 hours. The next flight was the occurrence flight of Jun 25th. Following the occurrence of Jun 25th 2018 the aircraft remained on the ground in Munich for 68 hours before returning to service. The Aviation Herald inquired with the BFU about 4 possible fume events on Jun 22nd 2018, Jun 23rd 2018, Jun 24th 2018 and Jun 25th 2018. On Jul 3rd 2018 the BFU reported in the morning that the occurrences of Jun 22nd, Jun 24th and Jun 25th 2018 had been reported to them, the BFU was looking into the occurrences to collect further information. In the afternoon of Jul 3rd 2018 the BFU followed up reporting that neither of the three reported occurrences was rated an accident or serious incident, no investigation has been opened. https://avherald.com/h?article=4baacf22&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: I-Fly A333 at Moscow on Jul 3rd 2018, hydraulic failure An I-Fly Airbus A330-300, registration EI-FBU performing charter flight I4-9132 from Dalaman (Turkey) to Moscow Vnukovo (Russia) with 335 people on board, was on approach to Moscow when the crew received indication of a hydraulic failure affecting the nose wheel steering. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Vnukovo's runway 19 about 15 minutes later. The aircraft was towed to the apron. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow 12 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4baae2b9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Angola B732 near St. John's on Jun 22nd 2018, engine shut down in flight An Angola Airlines Boeing 737-200, registration D2-TBO performing a ferry flight from Santa Maria Azores Islands (Portugal) to St. John's,NL (Canada), was enroute about 200nm east of St. John's when the crew noticed the loss of oil quantity in the right hand engine (JT8D) and shut the engine down. The aircraft continued to St. John's for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found a gear box oil pressure line had loosened and was leaking oil. The fitting was secured, the oil replenished and a test run of the engine performed. The aircraft, that had originated in Luanda (Angola) and was ferrying via Santa Maria, St. John's to Montreal Mirabel,QC (Canada), was able to continue for the final leg to Mirabel. https://avherald.com/h?article=4baade2d&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Far Eastern MD82 at Taipei on Jul 2nd 2018, uncontained engine failure A Far Eastern Air Transport McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration B-28035 performing flight FE-8026 from Makung to Taipei Songshan (Taiwan) with 165 people on board, was on final approach to Songshan's runway 28 descending through 2800 feet about 7nm before touchdown, when the left hand engine (JT8D) failed prompting the crew to shut the engine down and declare "PAN PAN". The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 28 about 3 minutes later. Taiwan's ASC reported as result of internal damage of the left hand engine the cowling of the engine was pierced. The ASC rated the occurrence an accident and dispatched a team of investigators on site, flight data and cockpit voice recorder have been secured, the engine is being examined. The ASC stated: "Further information related to the occurrence will be published after the completion of the investigation." https://avherald.com/h?article=4baaa24f&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 737-8GJ (WL) - loss of cabin pressure (India) Date: 04-JUL-2018 Time: 01:10 UTC Type: Boeing 737-8GJ (WL) Owner/operator: SpiceJet Registration: VT-SZB C/n / msn: 39427/4225 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: near Ahmedabad - India Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) Destination airport: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) Narrative: SpiceJet flight SG160, a Boeing 737-800, diverted to Ahmedabad Airport (AMD/VAAH), India, following a loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft departed Mumbai at 00:41 UTC and climbed to cruising altitude. During a cabin pressure issue developed. After reaching FL368 in the climb at 01:10 UTC, the flight crew initiated an emergency descent towards Ahmedabad. A safe landing was carried out at 01:40 UTC. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212854 Back to Top Back to Top Inadequate flight planning led to Global Express collision with runway lights at Montreal/St- Hubert Damage to left main landing gear and rear centre fuselage of the Global Express (TSB) The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) found that inadequate flight planning led to a Global Express aircraft colliding with runway lights after landing at the Montreal/St-Hubert Airport. On 15 May 2017, a U.S.-registered Bombardier Global Express corporate jet aircraft was flying from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Montreal/St-Hubert Airport, Quebec, with three crew members and one passenger on board. The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 06L at Montreal/St-Hubert Airport, which had been reduced in size to 75 feet wide and 5000 feet long due to construction work. At about 10:55 local time, the aircraft touched down partially outside of the confines of the reduced-width runway, striking seven temporary runway edge lights. The pilot flying brought the aircraft back to the reduced- width runway centreline before coming to a stop 300 feet from the shortened runway end. There were no injuries but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The investigation found that the crew's flight planning did not adequately prepare them to ensure a safe landing. The flight crew believed that the entire width of the runway was available, despite notices to airmen (NOTAMs), communication with the air traffic controller and other information indicating the reduced runway size. Before landing, the flight crew misinterpreted the runway markings, and the pilot flying perceived the runway side stripe marking along the left edge of the runway as being the runway centreline. As a result, the aircraft touched down partly outside the limits of the available runway. The approach briefing conducted by the flight crew did not include a review of the NOTAMs in effect at the airport, as required by the aircraft operator. This review could have made the crew aware of the reduced runway width prior to landing. If flight crews conduct incomplete approach briefings, there is a risk that information that is crucial for flight safety will be missed. Following the occurrence, the operator of Montreal/St-Hubert Airport added a popup window to its website. It contained a message describing the construction work and specified that flight crews must read the notices to airmen in effect at the airport. Flight crews could also download a diagram of the construction work. More information: * TSB Report https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/07/03/inadequate-flight-planning-led-to-global-express-collision- with-runway-lights-at-montreal-st-hubert-airport/ Back to Top Netherlands starts Joint Sector Integral Safety Management System for Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport In response to recommendations made by the Dutch Safety Board, Dutch authorities and relevant parties in the Netherlands agreed to start a Joint Sector Integral Safety Management System for Amsterdam- Schiphol Airport. Following a series of incidents (some of which occurred more than once), the Dutch Safety Board carried out an investigation to identify any vulnerabilities in the safety system around Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands. The final report, published in April 2017, stated that the Board found no evidence to suggest that safety at Schiphol was inadequate. However, the investigation did reveal a number of safety risks that needed to be tackled integrally and systematically in order to guarantee safety. The Board among others recommended to set up an Integrated Safety Management System at the airport. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment reported that a covenant has now been signed by relevant parties to start a Joint Sector Integral Safety Management System for Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport. The covenant among others states that parties have to develop an ISMS and prepare a 'roadmap safety improvement Schiphol', containing joint safety measures that will lead to demonstrable safety improvements. Additionally, the Aviation Occurrence Analysis Bureau, part of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, will enhance their occurrence trend analysis. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/07/03/netherlands-starts-joint-sector-integral-safety- management-system-for-amsterdam-schiphol-airport/ Back to Top FAA NPRM Addresses Pilot Training Rule Changes The FAA has published a final rule that will increase the allowed use of aviation training devices for flight training and proficiency maintenance. The changes are estimated to save pilots and operators up to $113.5 million over a five-year period. The rulemaking "relieves burdens on pilots seeking to obtain aeronautical experience, training, and certification." The rule makes changes to other training areas as well including opportunities for military instructor pilots or pilot examiners to obtain civilian ratings based on military experience and expanded opportunities for logging pilot time. A rule change affecting aviation training devices removes the requirement to have an instructor present "when accomplishing flight experience requirements for instrument recency in an FAA-approved full-flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device (ATD)." The provision also reduces the frequency of instrument recency accomplished exclusively in ATDs from every two months to every six months, reduces the number of tasks, and removes the three-hour flight time requirement. An additional rule change allows a pilot to log second-in-command (SIC) flight time in a multiengine airplane in a Part 135 operation that does not require an SIC. The option to utilize a single-engine turbine-powered airplane in an approved SIC PDP is now added and the PIC is no longer required to be a Part 135 flight instructor. Crew pairing requirements to ensure the PIC is qualified and has undergone mentoring training have been added to the rule. Pilots can log SIC time obtained in Part 91 operations conducted in accordance with the certificate holder's OpSpec. Pilots can also credit SIC time logged under a SIC PDP toward flight time requirements for ATP certification. Any combination of aircraft and FSTD is now allowed to satisfy the SIC instrument recency requirements and an option is included for Part 135 SICs to reestablish instrument recency. For the single-engine commercial pilot certificate, a technicallly advanced airplane can now be used to meet some or all of the required 10 hours of training that must be completed in a complex or turbine- powered airplane. The requirement for instrument-only instructors to have category and class ratings on their flight instructor certificates to provide instrument training has been removed. New provisions for sport pilots have been added including allowing a portion of sport pilot training to be credited for certain aeronautical experience requirements for a higher certificate or rating. A further rule change allows the addition of a flight instructor rating based on military competency to "simultaneously qualify" for the reinstatement of an expired FAA flight instructor certificate. An additional change allows pilots to "operate certain large and turbojet-powered airplanes (specifically former military and some airplanes not type certificated in the standard category) without a pilot who is designated as SIC. Additional information about the changes and expected financial savings can be found in the FAA NPRM published on June 27. The rule significantly impacts Part 61 and the majority of changes will be effective July 27 with all changes implemented by December 24 of this year. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-07-02/faa-nprm-addresses-pilot- training-rule-changes Back to Top Indonesia's airlines have been declared safe - but which countries are still banned from flying in the EU? All Indonesian airlines can now fly in the EU CREDIT: GETTY The EU has lifted its ban on Indonesian airlines flying in the skies above Europe following improvements to aviation safety standards in the southeast Asian country. In 2007 all Indonesian carriers were placed on the EU Air Safety List, a blacklist of airlines that fall short of the EU's international safety standards. The archipelago has seen a string of high profile aviation accidents in recent years. In February last year, a Garuda plane skidded off the runway after landing at Yogyakarta airport in heavy rain; none of the 123 passengers or seven crew members were hurt. Garuda Indonesia is the only Indonesian airline that currently operates in the EU CREDIT: GETTY In June 2015, an Indonesian military transport plane careered into the side of a hotel, killing all 109 passengers and 12 crew, along with 22 people on the ground. In December 2014, an Indonesia AirAsia plane crashed into the Java Sea during poor weather conditions, killing everyone on board. Indonesia was since placed on the EU Air Safety List - some of the country's main airlines including Garuda were removed - but it is only now that all Indonesian carriers can legally fly in EU airspace. The European 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. " The only Indonesian airline to currently operate flights in the EU is Garuda, with services to London Heathrow, Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam. The airline has one of the highest rankings of any airline on TripAdvisor, averaging 4.5 stars out of 5,320 reviews. Which countries are still banned from flying in the EU There are still a number of countries on the EU's banned list. Afghanistan, Libya and Nepal are among the countries with complete bans, while some specific carriers are banned - such as Iraqi Airways and Avior Airlines in Venezeula. The world witnessed a couple of tumultuous years for aviation between 2014 and 2016. Malaysia Airline Flight 17 was downed in Ukraine in July 2014, while Metrojet Flight 9268 flying from Sharm El Sheikh to St Petersburg was destroyed above northern Sinai Desert in 2016 in a suspected terror attack. The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March 2014 remains unexplained. However, according to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which records all air crashes and incidents reported around the world, there were just 10 fatal accidents involving commercial flights last year, resulting in 44 deaths. This is down from 16 fatal accidents and 302 deaths in 2016. Furthermore, none of 2017's fatalities involved a passenger jet. Given that around 36.8 million passenger flights took to the sky last year, that works out at just one fatal accident for every 7.36 million departures. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/indonesia-air-safety/ Back to Top CAAV asks U.S. for aviation safety assessment The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to carry out the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program in Vietnam to make it possible for the SEA nation to launch direct air service to the world's largest economy next year. CAAV asks U.S. for aviation safety assessment, vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news A CAAV representative told local media on July 2 that Vietnam has done what was recommended by the FAA, and the CAAV has put in a written request for the IASA program to be conducted next month. An IASA assessment is an essential prerequisite for Vietnam to launch a nonstop flight service to the United States. Under the IASA program, the FAA determines whether another country's oversight of its air carriers that operate, or seek to operate, in the United States or codeshare with a U.S. air carrier complies with safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to prevailing U.S. regulations, if an overseas airline wishes to launch air service to the United States, its national aviation authority should meet the ICAO's evaluation criteria and the FAA's safety requirements. In particular, the CAAV must receive a Category 1 safety oversight rating from the FAA. The rating means the air carriers from the assessed state may initiate or continue service to the United States in a normal manner and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with U.S. carriers. Currently, the CAAV remains a Category 2 rating under the ICAO, which means carriers from the assessed state cannot initiate new services and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the United States while corrective actions are underway. If the CAAV achieves Category 1 safety approval, it will be given the green light to inspect Vietnam-based airlines. The move is intended to ensure compliance with prevailing regulations and to meet international standards so that such airlines are able to operate in America. Earlier, the CAAV suggested the Ministry of Transport issue a circular amending regulations on civil aviation safety and aircraft operation. Besides this, the Vietnamese civil aviation watchdog is also carrying out a plan to inspect aircraft operators annually, which includes foreign airlines operating to or from Vietnam, maintenance and training organizations and other aviation service providers. A representative of Vietnam Airlines said the national flag carrier stands ready to meet requirements for airplanes and pilots so that it can operate direct flights to the U.S. If the U.S. agency completes the IASA program later this year, Vietnam Airlines will be able to launch direct flights next year. The airline's plan for launching services between Vietnam and America in July 2008 was postponed due to insufficient preparation. In late 2012, the two nations signed an agreement on amendments to the Vietnam-U.S. Bilateral Air Transport Agreement, which assists Vietnam Airlines in opening the route. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/203586/caav-asks-u-s--for-aviation-safety-assessment.html Back to Top FAA tells airline passengers 'We're a safety agency, not a creature comfort agency' Rows of seats of an Airbus A321LR are pictured after its maiden flight during a presentation of the company's new long-range aircraft in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany. The FAA says it will not regulate seat size, arguing it's an issue of comfort, not safety. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters) By Ashley Halsey III If that airline seat is a tad snug for your burgeoning backside or the distance between rows makes you claustrophobic and fearful that a bit of reclining could crush your knees, blame it on the money-hungry airline. That's the message from the Federal Aviation Administration, which said as emphatically as skillfully fashioned legal jargon can describe Tuesday, that squeezing the nation's expanding bottoms into shrinking airline seats is not its problem. The FAA did so despite a demand for federal regulation of seat size, a lawsuit brought by the consumer group Flyers Rights, and a judge's order that the agency reconsider its position. Reconsider, the FAA did, concluding that there is "no evidence that a typical passenger, even a larger one, will take more than a couple of seconds to get out of his or her seat" in the case of an emergency. Seat width on many major airlines has shrunk from about 18.5 inches to 17 inches. Seat pitch - the distance between your seat and the one directly in front of you - has decreased from an average of 35 inches to 31 inches, and on some airlines it has been reduced to 28 inches. While seats have grown smaller, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the average weight of a woman these days is equal to the average for men in the 1960s: 166 pounds. Men on average weigh almost 196 pounds. Men pack a 40-inch waistline. Women tickle the tape around the waist at 38 inches. That has caused a lot of grumbling from passengers - some of whom are members of Congress, who spend a lot of time on planes - and led to a demand that the FAA do something about the unwelcome squeeze. The FAA said no, it's not going to go through the formal rulemaking process for something that ought to be sorted out between the passengers and the airlines. The Flyers Rights Education Fund figured that suing the airlines was a fools errand, so it petitioned the court to order the FAA to get involved. The FAA said it would rather not, pointing out that seat spacing did not affect the safety or speed of passenger evacuations. That FAA ruling resulted in what Judge Patricia Millett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit called "the Case of the Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat." "Aircraft seats and the spacing between them have been getting smaller and smaller, while American passengers have been growing in size," Millett ruled from the bench, ordering the FAA to think again. Flyers Rights President Paul Hudson said the group is absorbing the FAA documents, which arrived Monday night, but that a second appeal to the court seemed likely. "This response is mainly couched in the idea that they don't know of evidence that larger passengers in smaller seats, and older passengers, would be able to get out as quickly as smaller passengers, younger passengers," he said. "We'll be reviewing it, but it's likely we'll be going back to the appeal court." Others, however, said that the decision is likely to embolden airlines. "This is like a carte blanche to let the airlines do whatever they want. It is a free ticket to narrow seats and put in more rows of passengers," said Brent D. Bowen, a professor at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Ariz., campus. "I think it's causing people to be grumpy, irritable, and literally there's cases where people don't fit in the seat in the back of an airplane. I've seen it and it's quite embarrassing when you don't know that some seats are bigger than others." Were it not for a judge's order, the FAA would have been happy to avoid the whole question of expanding buttocks and shrinking seat sizes. The FAA views itself as a safety agency, one that does its best to ensure that airplanes are well-built and are conducted safely. [Will the FAA come to the rescue of cramped fliers?] The agency, for example, is responsible for the flight attendant's safety message about how seat belts work, even though virtually everyone knows that without being told to insert the metal fitting into the buckle and tighten by pulling on the loose end of the straps. To release your seat belt, lift up the buckle end marked lift. More to the point, the FAA requires that everyone seated in an exit row - beside a door that can be opened - understand their duties or are given the chance to take a seat elsewhere. And then there are a couple of the "unlikely events." "In the unlikely event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the overhead panels" and "In the event of a water 'ditching' you will find a life vest underneath your seat." (Cue to flight attendant who shows how blowing into the red plastic tube will inflate the vest.) The FAA requires all of that, plus that your "tray tables must be in the upright and locked position" for takeoff and landing, "seat backs in the upright position" and "your carry-on luggage must be stowed underneath the seat in front of you." All that is so that you can evacuate should there be an "unlikely event." [Trying to squeeze into that airline seat? Congress is feeling the pinch, too.] That's all about safety, and the FAA does care about whether you're able to get out of your seat and aisle in times of emergency. It has been less inclined, however, to tell airlines about the creature comforts on their planes. If an airline decides to shrink its seats, and that does no harm to a potential evacuation, the FAA would leave it up to the passengers to complain. The FAA spelled that out Tuesday in five-page letter to Flyers Rights accompanied by a seven-page document by Jeffrey C. Gardlin, the FAA's senior technical specialist for aircraft cabin security and survivability. The letter and Gardlin's document say: "The time it takes passengers to get out of their seats, even if those seats are relatively narrow and close together, is less than the time it takes for the emergency exits to begin functioning and for the line that begins forming in the aisle to clear." [It's buyer beware as big airlines embrace 'basic economy' fares] The FAA said it has videos available that demonstrate this. "The key is that the time it takes to stand up from one's seat, even if the seat is relatively narrow and installed at a 28-inch pitch, and even if the passenger is relatively large, is less than the time it will take to get the emergency exits open and functional." In other words, the FAA says seat sizes do not impede the need for passengers to jump from their seats and make their way to an exit. Bowen, who for 28 years has put out the Airline Quality Rating, said most airlines "automatically put you in the worst seats and you have to buy your way out." "They have a strategy only to put you in the middle of a row in a tiny seat in the back of the aircraft," he said. Frequent fliers know how to work the system to find the best seat, he said, but "it's going to have a severe impact on the people who don't fly very much." "It's the infrequent flier that's going to be upset about this," Bowen said. The only solution to the seat squeeze, he says, will come if Congress steps in. "There's no alternative, because the airlines are not going to set a reasonable standard," Bowen said. Bowen said his students recently studied a report titled "FAA policymaking: blood on the runway." "Until we have a plane load of people that are trapped inside and unable to get out, they probably won't act," he said. "That's what it takes for the FAA to act: blood on the runway." https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/faa-tells-airline-passengers-were-a-safety- agency-not-a-creature-comfort-agency/2018/07/03/1684e1fc-3f49-11e8-974f- aacd97698cef_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bcbb45da60c5 Back to Top ANA to Scrap 113 Flights for Rolls-Royce Engine Inspections * Cancellations needed for mandatory checks on faulty engines * Japanese carrier assessing if more cancellations are needed ANA Holdings Inc., Japan's largest airline, will cancel 113 domestic flights for mandatory checks to help assess possible glitches in the Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc engines powering its Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners. ANA Boeing Co. 787 DreamlinerPhotographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg The flights will be cancelled July 6-12, the Tokyo-based carrier said in a statement Wednesday. ANA is assessing whether more flights need to be scrapped beyond that period for checks on the Trent 1000 engines, said Yuko Yoshimura, a spokeswoman at the airline. Carriers around the world have been forced to lease replacement planes or cancel services as idled jets undergo inspections and repairs involving the power plants. The European Aviation Safety Agency said last week it planned to issue a directive on the Trent 1000 engine that will require replacement of high- pressure turbine disc front cover plates, and that a parts failure could lead to reduced control of an aircraft. Dreamliner Engine Fix Is Said to Face Delay Risk on Scarce Parts The Japanese airline has been working closely with Rolls-Royce and regulatory authorities over the past two years on this issue, the carrier said in the statement. The flight cancellations are necessary due to additional mandatory inspections ordered by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau on June 14, it said. ANA was ordered to inspect 136 engines, which includes spares, Yoshimura said. The airline has 64 Dreamliners, Yoshimura said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-04/ana-to-scrap-113-flights-for-rolls-royce-engine- inspections Back to Top Will Etihad Airlines Financial Problems Help Kill The Airbus A380? DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - An Airbus A380-800 jet airliner oeprated by Etihad Airways, on display at the Dubai Airshow 2017. Marina Lystseva/TASS (Photo by Marina LystsevaTASS via Getty Images) If there is a success story in the otherwise rocky tale of the Airbus A380 superjumbo, it is with the Gulf carriers. While many airlines have never owned an A380 (such as all the US carriers), the 555-passenger, $470 million plane has been embraced by the Gulf airlines. Indeed, Dubai, where the A380 is a common sight, is the busiest international airport in the world. Of the 222 Airbus A380s that have been delivered, fully half have gone to carriers located around the Persian Gulf. Emirates is the undisputed A380 heavyweight champion, with 102 A380s already in its fleet (and another 60 on order) but Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, the second-largest airline of the United Arab Emirates, operates 10 (as many as Air France) and Qatar nine as well. Flying on an Etihad A380 can be a special experience indeed, particularly if you opt for The Residence when you fly. The Residence, the only three-room suite on a commercial airline and can only be found on Etihad's A380s. The Residence is designed for up to two guests traveling together. It includes a living room, separate bedroom, 'ensuite shower room' and an Inflight Chef, personal Butler and Lifestyle Concierge. And if you can only afford 'regular' First Class, Etihad says their First Class has been reimagined with the First Apartment. This includes a large leather armchair, a separate bed of 6 feet and 10 inches and 39 square feet of space to walk around in, along with a 24-inch flat-screen TV. In this handout photo provided by Etihad Airways, a general view of The Residence bedroom is seen on board a Etihad Airways Airbus A380. (Photo by Etihad Airways via Getty Images) Unfortunately, Etihad's financial results are not so first-class. Etihad says it lost $1.52 billion in 2017, with issues including significant fuel increases, to which even Gulf monarchies are not immune. The $1.52 billion loss of 2016 comes on top of another $1.87 billion loss in 2016, which apparently was the result of a failed investment and partnership arrangement with Alitalia and airberlin, both of which later filed for insolvency. While Alitalia continues to operate, Air Berlin ceased operations on 27 October 2017. Etihad still holds stakes in four other airlines. And although Etihad claimed it made a profit of $103 million in 2015, Forbes.com noted that this profit did not take into account that the airline received $1.4 billion in cash from the government of Abu Dhabi that year well as a $270 million interest-free government loan. US carriers have long accused the Gulf carriers of being subsidized by their governments, resulting in an uneven playing field as they compete with US airlines. Last year, when Etihad's similarly dismal results were released, Delta CEO Ed Bastian CEO said "The findings from Etihad's financials are more evidence atop what is already a mountain of proof: The Gulf carriers are massively subsidized, and do not operate as profit-minded, fair-playing businesses." But as anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of economics knows, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and sooner or later, one has to pay the piper. There are reports that Etihad is considering deferring or canceling a number of orders for Boeing's $426 million 777X. Etihad also has some 40 A350- 900 and 22 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on order, none of which it has yet received. A model of Boeing's 777X aircraft, manufactured by Boeng Co., at the 13th Dubai Airshow at Dubai World Central (DWC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, An Airbus A380 of Emirates bearing the portrait of late UAE's founder and late president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan during the Dubai Airshow on November 12, 2017. (Photo credit KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images) A possible panacea for the ailing airline is a merger with bigger, stronger Emirates, which apparently has been discussed amongst the United Arab Emirates' ruling families. The airlines are reportedly looking for areas where they can work together without an actual merger. Perhaps there are some economies of scale that can be achieved by manning and maintaining their respective A380 fleets, although Emirates has its own issues. Emirates President Tim Clark said in a June interview that a merger was not imminent. "On the short-term, medium-term horizon, I would say no." So will Etihad's financial problem result in a thinning of the A380 herd? If Etihad puts off purchase of the 414 seat Boeing 777, the large passenger capacity of the A380 may continue to be valuable to the struggling airline. But a different answer may be found in a key metric Etihad reported along with its fiscal loss this month. That statistic is load factor which fell slightly to 78.5 percent. Not only is this below the world average of 81.5%, but it compares particularly poorly to industry leader RyanAir, an "efficient beast" with a load factor of 94.7%. At 77.2 %, Emirates load factor is similarly unimpressive, and critics may say the seats that are filled on the Gulf carriers are heavily subsidized. The four-engined A380 is also among the most expensive aircraft to operate, at an estimated at $26,000 to $29,000 per hour in 2015, before the impact of rising fuel prices. Pricy Residence or no, a load factor of 78.5% on a 550-seat A380 translates into over a hundred empty seats per flight. If Etihad is serious about moving towards profitability, it may have to consider grounding its gas-guzzling A380 fleet. A visitor in the first class cabin of an Airbus A380-800 jet airliner operated by Etihad Airways at the Dubai Airshow 2017 international aerospace event. (Photo by Marina LystsevaTASS via Getty Images) https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2018/07/03/will-etihad-airlines-financial-problems-help- kill-the-airbus-a380/#4b46c51a2ff4 Back to Top Small airlines and bush pilots forced to cut back northern flights in wake of Canadian pilot shortage EDMONTON-As Canada faces a serious pilot shortage, northern airlines are losing out to national companies in the competition for staff, forcing some to cut back service. "In the old days, used to be people would get their licence and go up north somewhere to fly for a few years, get their hours up, and go to a regional airline and then a major airline after that," said bush pilot Dan Wettlaufer. Dan Wettlaufer is a 23-year veteran bush pilot, and his company has been hit hard by the national pilot shortage. (RELIANCE AIRWAYS) "But that is not the case anymore because with the major airlines you can go right away." According to a report put out earlier this year by the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace, pilots and maintenance engineers are in high demand. The industry will need 7,300 additional pilots by 2025, and less than 1,200 new pilot licences are issued every year. Since 2001, Wettlaufer has been the owner and operator of Reliance Airways out of Fort Smith, N.W.T., a town right on the border of northeastern Alberta with a population of just over 2,500. Wettlaufer bought the airline to add to his tourism business and offered chartered flights during the summer throughout the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Hunters, people on eco tours and business people all use his charter service to get to remote areas of the country. But as the years have passed, the pilot shortage has hit his company hard and he had to remodel his business to compensate. "Instead of owning and operating the planes year-round, and having enough pilots for it, a lot of our work is seasonal, so I just do a charter arrangement with another charter airline and utilize their pilots and aircraft just for the peak of our busy season," he said. He said that big airlines like Air Canada and WestJet are facing the same shortage and scoop up talent right away to get them experience flying big jets. Wettlaufer is a lifelong bush pilot with the skills necessary to do the job, but now that few young pilots come up to cut their teeth flying in the bush, it's hard to find pilots with the necessary experience for his company. Joel Fournier, UNIFOR director of transportation, says airline companies go so far as to request that flight schools send their graduates straight to them upon graduation. "Those operators up in the north, northwest, typically they're kind of like training grounds for Air Canada or WestJet," Fournier said. "But now, they're hiring kids right out of cadet school or training school, which is unheard of." UNIFOR, a trade union representing close to 1,000 airline pilots across Canada as well as aviation mechanics and flight attendants, has had to deal with the repercussions. It's not ideal to put a new graduate at the helm of one of the big jets right away, said Fournier, but "they're somewhat desperate." The older generation of pilots is retiring, and there aren't enough newcomers to fill those shoes. Many pilots who are talented and properly trained get offered jobs in other parts of the world where the shortage is also being felt. Fournier says smaller airlines have asked him how to retain pilots, and he has worked to bargain for various bonuses in contracts to try to compete with the higher bidders. Another issue is pilots continuing to fly past the age of 65, he said. "Most pilots have to retire at 65," he said, referring to other countries. "Here in Canada, the charter protects them from doing that, they can keep flying." While "it's not the best situation," said Fournier, he doesn't blame the pilots. Many of them have worked for companies that have gone bankrupt and may not have had pensions. It's a complex situation, he said. However, Wettlaufer said he doesn't think the end is coming for bush flying, even if young pilots taking contracts with big airlines poses a challenge to companies like his. The north was opened up by bush pilots, and many locations are still only accessible by bush flights. "Bush flying will still have its place," he said. "(It) might be more limited in the future, but it's always a symbolic part of Canada - the Canadian bush plane on the water on floats, and every time that float plane takes off on the lake everybody gathers to watch it lift off the water. It's a very mesmerizing, magical event." https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/07/03/small-airlines-and-bush-pilots-forced-to-cut-back- northern-flights-in-wake-of-canadian-pilot-shortage.html Back to Top Qatar signs for Hawk jet trainers Qatar has added nine Hawk trainer aircraft (pictured in Saudi service) to its wider Eurofighter Typhoon procurement contract. Source: BAE Systems Qatar has added nine BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft to its previously disclosed procurement of Eurofighter Typhoons. The company announced on 29 June that the emirate has amended the contract it signed in late 2017 for 24 Typhoons to include nine Hawks (previously, it had stated its intention to buy six of the trainers). Hawk deliveries will commence in 2021, with the first of the Typhoons following in 2022. No financials pertaining to the details of the Hawks were disclosed. The QEAF's training fleet comprises six Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, 24 Pilatus PC-21s, and an unknown number of PAC Super Mushshak basic trainers. While the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets are well suited to the role of training pilots for its current Dassault Mirage 2000s, the Hawk has been developed to more closely reflect the challenges or operating a modern 4+ Generation fighter, such as those now being procured. As well as supporting pilot training for the Qatar Emiri Air Force's (QEAF's) 24 new Typhoons, the Hawks will also be used to train crews for the service's 36 new Dassault Rafales and Boeing F-15QA (Qatar Advanced)-variant Eagles. http://www.janes.com/article/81491/qatar-signs-for-hawk-jet-trainers Back to Top Bell-Boeing to build 78 new V-22 aircraft and avionics in $4.2 billion U.S. military order PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md. - U.S. military aviation officials are ordering versions of 78 V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and avionics from the Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office (JPO) in St. Louis under terms of a $4.2 billion order announced Friday. Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Bell-Boeing JPO to build 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the Navy; 34 MV-22B aircraft for the Marine Corps; 1 CV-22B for the Air Force; and 4 MV-22B aircraft for the government of Japan. The Bell-Boeing JPO is a joint venture of Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Boeing Co. Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis. The V-22 Osprey uses tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. It features vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and short take- off and landing (STOL) capabilities, and is designed long-range high-speed missions. The aircraft has a weather radar, a forward firing ALE-47 airborne countermeasures dispenser system, improved hover coupled features, and an improved environmental conditioning system, compared to earlier versions of the tiltrotor. The V-22 Osprey is a joint service, multirole combat aircraft that uses tiltrotor technology to combine the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane with the vertical performance of a helicopter. With its nacelles and rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land, and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, its nacelles rotate forward to transform the aircraft into a turboprop airplane capable of high- speed and high-altitude flight. The Navy CMV-22B will serve as the future carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft. The COD mission, now handled by the Northrop Grumman C-2A Greyhound turboprop fixed-wing aircraft, carriers people, mail, supplies, medical patients, and equipment to aircraft carriers at sea from shore facilities. The Marine Corps MV-22 transports warfighters, equipment, and supplies from ships and land bases for combat assault and assault support. The aircraft also supports naval missions like combat search and rescue, fleet logistics support, special warfare support, amphibious assault, ship-to-objective maneuvers, and sustained operations ashore. The MV-22 can transport 24 combat troops and 20,000 pounds of internal cargo, or 15,000 pounds of external cargo. On this order Bell-Boeing will do the work in Ridley Park and Glen Riddle, Pa.; Fort Worth, Texas; Park City, Utah; and other U.S. locations, and should be finished by May 2020. The CV-22B is the U.S. Air Force's version of the V-22 tiltrotor, and is for special operations and search and rescue. It also can help with cargo lifts on humanitarian missions. On this order Bell-Boeing will do the work in Fort Worth, Amarillo, McKinney, Denton, and Red Oak, Texas; Ridley Park and Erie, Pa.; East Aurora, Rome, and Endicott, N.Y.; Park City, Utah; Rockmart, Ga; Irvine, Los Angeles, and Dublin, Calif.; Crestview, Fla.; Rockford, Ill.; Tempe, Ariz.; East Hartford, Conn.; Minden, Neb.; Hazelwood, Mo.; and in other locations inside and outside the continental U.S., and should be finished by November 2024. For more information contact the Bell-Boeing JPO online at www.bellflight.com/military/bell-boeing-v-22, or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2018/07/v-22-aircraft-avionics.html 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 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 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