Flight Safety Information September 4, 2018 - No. 180 In This Issue Incident: SAS A343 at Copenhagen on Sep 1st 2018, spoiler problem Incident: American B763 near Moncton on Sep 2nd 2018, fuel quantity indication issue Incident: Jetblue A320 at New York on Sep 2nd 2018, nose wheel steering failure Incident: AirAsia India A320 near Hyderabad on Sep 1st 2018, cargo smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Copa B738 at Cordoba on Sep 3rd 2018, became disabled during vacating the runway LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. NTSB: Pilot crashed after wing separated from Jet Eze Airways New Zealand and MITRE partner to support Asia Pacific aviation Boeing Working to Lift Vietnam's Air Safety Rating MC-21 aircraft passes tests for night landings Deep-learning algorithms are being used to detect lithium-ion batteries in airport luggage Accidents: September 2018 FAA Warns Against Wrong-Surface Landings Experimental Perlan 2 aircraft breaks high altitude human flight record Pilot shortage has Cal Fire tankers sitting on runways during wildfires RESEARCH STUDY CAAi launch new Risk-Based Oversight and Surveillance training course Automated Vehicles & Meteorology Summit...23-24 October 2018 Become a BowTie Expert (Until September 1st take advantage of the early bird fee) NTSB Basic Aircraft Accident Investigation Course (AS101) How do you track safety? Incident: SAS A343 at Copenhagen on Sep 1st 2018, spoiler problem A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A340-300, registration LN-RKF performing flight SK-997 from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Shanghai Pudong (China) with 243 passengers and 8 crew, was climbing out of Copenhagen when the crew stopped the climb due to a spoiler problem and decided to return to Copenhagen. The aircraft landed safely back about 50 minutes after departure. A replacement A340-300 registration LN-RKP reached Shanghai with a delay of 3.5 hours. The airline reported the occurrence aircraft was already delayed by 45 minutes due to a spoiler problem prior to departure. The aircraft was released to perform the flight with expectance it would be able to complete the flight, the crew however found that they could not complete the flight and decided to return. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 40 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bd36431&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American B763 near Moncton on Sep 2nd 2018, fuel quantity indication issue An American Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N343AN performing flight AA-734 from Philadelphia,PA (USA) to Manchester,EN (UK), was enroute at FL350 about 100nm northeast of Moncton,NB (Canada) when the crew requested to expeditiously return to Philadelphia advising they had a fuel quantity indication issue, no assistance was needed. The aircraft descended to FL320, then turned around and subsequently diverted to New York's JFK Airport for a safe landing about 2 hours after leaving FL350. A passenger reported the captain announced there was a problem with the left hand engine and they didn't have enough fuel to get to Manchester. They diverted to JFK and waited for a replacement aircraft. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N390AA departed JFK about 8 hours after N343AN had landed and reached Manchester with a delay of 11:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 17 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL734/history/20180903/0120Z/KPHL/EGCC http://avherald.com/h?article=4bd35fc2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 at New York on Sep 2nd 2018, nose wheel steering failure A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N580JB performing flight B6-1274 from Charleston,SC to New York JFK,NY (USA) with 149 people, was descending towards New York when the crew advised they had a minor situation on board, subsequently explaining they had no nose wheel steering. They would be able to vacate the runway but would then needed to be towed to the apron, they did not declare emergency and needed no assistance, ATC nonetheless had emergency services on stand by. The aircraft landed safely on JFK's runway 22L, vacated the runway and stopped, the crew again advising no assistance was needed. After landing the crew was asked to shut the engines down, but advised that they'd lose all electrical power with air conditioning out because APU was inoperative. The aircraft was towed to the apron. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 19 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU1274/history/20180902/1356Z/KCHS/KJFK http://avherald.com/h?article=4bd35a3d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: AirAsia India A320 near Hyderabad on Sep 1st 2018, cargo smoke indication An AirAsia India Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IXC performing flight I5-1629 from Amritsar to Bangalore (India) with 112 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 40nm south of Hyderabad (India) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and diverted the aircraft to Hyderabad for a safe landing on runway 27L about 20 minutes later. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. The airline reported the smoke indication was identified to have been false, after thorough inspection the aircraft was able to continue the flight. The aircraft departed Hyderabad after about 2.5 hours and reached Bangalore with a delay of 2:40 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bd358b0&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Copa B738 at Cordoba on Sep 3rd 2018, became disabled during vacating the runway By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Sep 3rd 2018 14:18Z, last updated Monday, Sep 3rd 2018 14:18Z A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HP-1821CMP performing flight CM-124 (dep Sep 2nd) from Panama City (Panama) to Cordoba,CD (Argentina), landed on Cordoboa's runway 18 at 03:14L (06:14Z) and turned off the runway into high speed turn off taxiway C (about 1900 meters/6300 feet down the runway) but became disabled before crossing the hold short line. The runway needed to be closed. Argentina's JIAAC reported they have opened an investigation into the occurrence, the exact nature of which has yet to be determined and that had happened at 06:15 UTC. There were no injuries. According to a photo that surfaced in Argentina the inboard right main tyre deflated. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bd32194&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top NTSB: Pilot crashed after wing separated from Jet Eze COVINGTON - At a press conference Monday afternoon investigators explained what led to Saturday's fatal plane crash. The plane, built with a Covington-based team, went down in a cotton field approximately 2,000 yards east of the airport after its left wing separated from the aircraft in-flight. Witnesses said a fire followed the crash. Its pilot and owner, Kissimmee, Fla. resident Lance Hooley, was performing a low pass near the airport, from which the flight originated, said the National Transportation Safety Board's Adam Gerhardt, who is the investigator in charge. "The core reason for our investigation is to determine what happened but, more importantly, why the accident happened for safety purposes and to issue safety recommendations to aviation industry to prevent future accidents," said Gerhardt. The agency will be investigating "the man, the machine and the environment," he continued, noting the investigation will cover everything from the pilot and his challenges to the plane's design and the weather conditions. "The airplane was a turbine, or jet-powered, experimental home build design. It was a canard airplane, which is an airplane where they move the elevator that controls the front of the aircraft and it's a design that numerous airplanes have. This airplane was a unique airplane that will, obviously, be the subject of our investigation." Hooley was a JetBlue pilot and certificated to pilot the Jet Eze. He took his first flight lesson at age 14 and funded his private pilot's license by a newspaper delivery route. He was inspired to fly because of his father's career as an Air Force pilot who flew a tour in Korea and two tours in Vietnam, he told Sport Aviation magazine. After riding his bike 12 miles to the airport - he didn't have his driver's license until two days later - his first solo was on his 16th birthday in 1976. He later spent four years in the Air Force and built several kit planes before the Jet Eze, which took 13 years from start to finish. In features with Kitplanes magazine in 2017 and 2018, he said his original plans were to build a Long Eze until Covington's Robert Harris, the founder and owner of Jet Guys and whom Hooley called his mentor, gave him a different idea. "Robert suggested using current information and technology instead of 1977 when the plans came out," Hooley said. "From then on, this airplane was not a Long Eze ... it became my design." The team made many modifications to the original plans - making it taller than a Long Eze, lengthening and widening the fuselage, using a modified center spar and wing from the E Racer, moving the gears so that it sits on three wheels with no pilot inside, installing a jet engine with 840 pounds of thrust and more - which were detailed in the article. "The goal was to have a simple jet which flies like a Long Eze. Goal achieved. It's simple to operate but the systems to achieve this ended up being rather complex," Hooley told Kitplanes. "It comes off at 80 knots when heavy and over the fence at 80 knots on all landings. It's not harder to land than a piston type aircraft, just different because of the engine. The time lag from idle to power can be up to 4 seconds. It just takes planning." Hooley debuted the plane at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-in and Expo in April 2017. In April 2018, he won an award at the event for Best Owner Design in the Homebuilt category, which he said was a team effort. Hooley said, "A friend of mine said, 'More people have climbed Mt. Everest than have built their own jet.' Humbling." The remnants of the plane were removed from the crash site Monday afternoon and are being housed in a secured facility. The NTSB will remain in town for several more days and is expected to release a preliminary report in 10 days. The investigation will not be fully completed for 12-24 months, Gerhardt said. "The most important part of the process is looking at the perishable evidence. So, evidence with the passage of time is going to get more difficult for us to examine, that's why we're here." The Tipton County Sheriff's Office has been assisting with the investigation. "I'd like to thank the Tipton County Sheriff's Office for tremendous support. They've helped us out here with our work here on site," said Gerhardt. http://www.covingtonleader.com/news/police_fire/ntsb-pilot-crashed-after-wing-separated-from-jet-eze/article_5c57009a-afc2-11e8-a5db-0f8e921ec5cc.html Back to Top Airways New Zealand and MITRE partner to support Asia Pacific aviation Airways New Zealand and the MITRE Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for improving safety, capacity and efficiency in the aviation sector across the Asia Pacific region. Under the MoU, both partners will collaborate in aviation research and development, and address aviation challenges in the region. Partnering with the aviation community, the US-based not-for-profit research and development organisation MITRE seeks to advance the safety, security, and efficiency of aviation in the US and across the globe. MITRE has been supporting the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for over 55 years. It is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) of the FAA. "Airways information management and navigation subsidiary Aeropath has previously supported MITRE in carrying out projects at Changi Airport in Singapore." Airways International CEO Sharon Cooke said that the collaboration will allow Airways and MITRE to pool their expertise to support comprehensive aviation initiatives across the Asia Pacific. Cooke added: "Airways is excited to be partnering with MITRE to collaborate on delivering aviation projects in Asia Pacific." "Our organisations have a great deal of experience and expertise that we can share to our mutual advantage and for the benefit of the aviation sector in this region." Discussions between MITRE and Airways are currently under progress regarding two potential airspace projects. The partners will get the advantage from their complementary capabilities and experiences in maximising runway capacity, and advanced airspace and procedure design. Airways information management and navigation subsidiary Aeropath has previously supported MITRE in carrying out projects at Changi Airport in Singapore. Airways also teamed up with MITRE for a period of ten years for deploying a new air traffic management system to Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration. MITRE vice president Gregg Leone says: "We are delighted to formalise our relationship with Airways to better support aviation growth and efficiency in the Asia Pacific region. The partnership brings together the best in class advanced research, big data analytics, system development, and air navigation operations to solve immediate needs in the region." https://www.airport-technology.com/news/airways-new-zealand-mitre-asia-pacific/ Back to Top Boeing Working to Lift Vietnam's Air Safety Rating • FAA's Category 2 is now a hurdle to adding U.S. destinations • Vietnam Airlines has initial agreement to buy Boeing 777 jets Boeing Co. is working with the U.S. and Vietnamese governments to lift the Southeast Asian nation's aviation safety rating and help enable its state-run carrier to operate flights to as far as Los Angeles, an executive said. "Right now, they don't have Category 1," Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Boeing's Asia Pacific and India sales, said in an interview at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday, referring to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's rating system. "So we are working with the Vietnamese government and the U.S. government to open that up." Under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, each country is responsible for the safety oversight of its own carriers, according to the FAA website. The agency assesses regulators of nations that have airlines operating to the U.S. to determine whether their oversight meets global standards. Vietnam has a Category 2 ranking, which means its safety processes fall short, and the FAA is reviewing it. Vietnam Airlines Corp. was considering flights to Los Angeles by late 2019 or early 2020, Chief Executive Officer Duong Tri Thanh said in November. The carrier has signed a preliminary agreement with Boeing to buy its widebody 777-8 jets, but a final order would depend on the country getting the upgrade, Keskar said, adding any airline needs to be sure of routes before placing large aircraft orders. "The investment is big and you should be able to fill that airplane," Keskar said. "We feel optimistic that this year will get them the Category 1." Vietnam Air is expanding its fleet in a market that the International Air Transport Association estimates will be among the world's top five in terms of growth in the next 20 years. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-07/boeing-working-with-u-s-to-lift-vietnam-s-air-safety-rating Back to Top MC-21 aircraft passes tests for night landings MC-21 aircraft The first night flight for the type was performed by the MC-21's first flight prototype (Irkut) Russia's advanced narrow-body MC-21-300 passenger aircraft has successfully made its first night flight, approach and landing under the cover of darkness. The tests were conducted at the aerodrome of Zhukovsky-based Gromov Flight Research Institute, reports the aircraft's original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the Irkut Corporation (part of United Aircraft Corporation). The checks also included the aircraft's navigation, landing and exterior lighting equipment, as the prototype made several low-passes at a range of altitudes over the runway, approaching from both directions. All systems functioned correctly throughout the flights, the OEM asserts. A second flight prototype relocated to Zhukovsky earlier this summer and both the MC-21-300s currently undergoing flight tests are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared turbofan engines. Tests with aircraft powered by Russian-made PD-14 engines, which will be offered as a purchase option, will start later on. The third prototype is now undergoing static tests at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) at Zhukovsky, whilst a further three MC-21-300s are currently being assembled at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant division of Irkut. Two will join the flight tests programme, whereas the last one is designated for fatigue testing, a process which is scheduled to start before the end of the year. UAC's president Yuriy Slyusar has recently announced that the US$96.1 million list price of an MC-21-300 will be lower than its western-built Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX competitors. In addition he promised that the new Russian alternative will save operators up to $2 million annually on lower operating costs. The MC-21-300 backlog currently stands at 175 firm orders. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/mc-21-aircraft-night-landings/ Back to Top Deep-learning algorithms are being used to detect lithium-ion batteries in airport luggage By Akshat Rathi I've had the distinct displeasure of boarding a flight, and then being called by name to deplane. This happened three years ago on a flight in India from Kochi to Mumbai, and my crime was leaving a lithium-ion battery in my checked-in luggage. If you remember the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, you may not be surprised at my moment of ignominy. Under pressure-like in the cargo holds of commercial airplanes-some lithium-ion batteries are capable of catching fire, or, worse, exploding. And these batteries, though small, can cause a lot of damage. For example, a battery 20 times the size of the one in a typical smartphone is capable of blowing out the windows of a mid-sized room. With more people using battery packs, such as those in drones, cameras, or simply power bricks to charge the many devices we own, it's become vital to ensure that no lithium-ion battery gets through to a plane's cargo hold undetected. Since 1991, the US Federal Aviation Agency has reported 225 incidents (pdf) of smoke, fire, extreme heat, or explosion involving lithium-ion batteries in cargo or baggage. The way to catch stray lithium-ion batteries is to blast X-rays on the luggage. When exposed, the electromagnetic radiation passes through and bounces off various things inside the bag differently depending on the density of the many types of material. Detectors collect these X-rays and create an image of what's inside the bag. Most airports use some form of software to help aid the process, but human intervention is needed and that makes the process prone to errors. To help cut down on those mistakes, Smiths Detection, a multinational supplier of X-ray detectors at airports, built software they claim can drastically cut the need for human input. It uses a deep-learning algorithm to improve the rate of detection to up to 90%, the company says. SMITHS DETECTION Black-and-white squares show what the algorithm thinks is a lithium-ion battery. Smiths' deep-learning algorithm takes feedback from its successes and failures and refines its method moving forward using data on the shapes, textures, and materials that accurately indicate the presence of a lithium-ion battery. It's self-updating, so it learns and improves on the fly. And because it's a software upgrade, the company can deploy its technology on already-existing Smiths detectors. To create the algorithm, Smiths used a large database of X-ray images collected during live operation at a customer site. Next, the company manually tagged those images as containing lithium-ion batteries or not."Obtaining this kind of comprehensive, labeled data set for training is the most resource-intensive part of the deep-learning process," says Matt Clark, Smiths' vice president of technology and product development. The deep-learning software was then trained using this data and tested against the manually tagged database. That's how it learned from its successes and failures to start with, and it continues to do that in live operations across the world. Smiths plans to adapt its software to also detect drugs, weapons, currency, and flammable liquids. Faster and more accurate detection of all sorts of contraband will not just improve airport security and save money, but also perhaps end the practice of having to shame a passenger for having made a genuine mistake. https://qz.com/1371531/deep-learning-algorithms-are-being-used-to-detect-lithium-ion-batteries-in-airport-luggage/ Back to Top Accidents: September 2018 PRELIMINARY REPORTS MISSED TURN PRECEDED NATURE AIR DISASTER Cessna 208, Dec. 31, 2017, Punta Islita, Costa Rica-A witness reported that the second of two Nature Air Caravans departing the Islita Airport failed to make the right turn toward the only pass through the surrounding hills. Instead, the Caravan, which took off about 15 minutes after company traffic, maintained runway heading into a rising valley that ends in a blind canyon. All 10 passengers and both pilots were killed. Details of the pilots' experience and familiarity with the terrain have yet to be disclosed. Costa Rica's Civil Aviation Administration suspended the operating certificate of Nature Air, which advertises itself as the country's "largest domestic airline," on January 11, but restored its authorization to fly on February 5. All of the passengers were U.S. citizens; both pilots were Costa Rican nationals. FIRST LEGAL ACTIONS FILED IN MUMBAI KING AIR ACCIDENT King Air C90B, June 28, 2018, Mumbai, India-The husband of copilot Marya Zuberi, one of five killed when the King Air crashed into a construction site on its first test flight following extensive renovations, has filed police complaints requesting investigations not only of the airplane's operator and its maintenance provider, but also airport operator Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Prabhat Kathuria's filings allege that the operator pressured his wife, the pilot, and the two engineers killed in the accident to attempt the test flight despite unsuitable weather, and also fault the BMC for allowing incompatible high-rise development under the approach paths to Mumbai's Juhu Airport. His claim that the King Air was "not better than a junk aircraft" extensively used for technician training was disputed by owner UY Aviation, which claims to have spent five times the aircraft's purchase price rebuilding it for service as an air ambulance. Maintenance provider Indamer MRO's inventory of parts replaced during that effort includes both engines and propellers, landing gear, brakes, and flight instrumentation. The aircraft accumulated more than a month of ground testing between initial authorization from the DGCA and the actual test flight. TERRAIN ALERTS SUPPRESSED IN ALASKA FLOATPLANE CRASH de Havilland DHC-3T, July 10, 2018, Hydaburg, Alaska-The pilot of a Turbine Otter that crashed into a mountainside between Steamboat Bay and Ketchikan told NTSB investigators that the floatplane's terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) was in "inhibited" mode to suppress ground proximity warnings. Six of the ten passengers on board the Taquan Air charter flight suffered serious injuries when their airplane hit Jumbo Mountain on Prince of Wales Island while maneuvering around low clouds. The other four passengers escaped with minor injuries, while the pilot was unhurt. The NTSB's preliminary report, released on July 17, includes two passengers' accounts of the airplane flying in and out of clouds just before the crash; one reported texting the passenger in the copilot's seat to request that he ask the pilot to turn around. The pilot reported that visibility decreased "from about three to five miles to nil" as the floatplane entered the Sulzer Portage. After initiating a climbing 180-degree turn, he was "momentarily disoriented" by what appeared to be a body of water ahead. By the time he recognized the mountainside in front of the airplane and attempted a steep emergency climb at full power, the aircraft was no longer in a position to clear terrain. Coast Guard rescuers located the wreckage more than four hours after the accident and evacuated the victims to Ketchikan with the assistance of Temco Helicopters. In its preliminary report, the NTSB drew attention to its Safety Recommendation A-17-35, issued in the wake of a fatal June 2015 accident involving a Turbine Otter in the same vicinity, which calls for the FAA to "implement ways to provide effective terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) protections while mitigating nuisance alerts for single-engine airplanes operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 that frequently operate at altitudes below their respective TAWS class design alerting threshold." The FAA has yet to respond. FINAL REPORTS Failure To Use Supplemental Oxygen Led to Uncontrolled Descent Cessna 501, May 23, 2016, Texarkana, Arkansas-Contrary to federal aviation regulations, the sole pilot of a Cessna Citation was not wearing an oxygen mask when the jet experienced an explosive decompression at FL430. The 15,000-hour airline transport pilot and all three passengers lost consciousness and the jet entered an uncontrolled descent, plunging 36,000 feet before the pilot regained consciousness and recovered control of the aircraft. Both wings were damaged by the aerodynamic loads imposed during the recovery, but the emergency landing in Texarkana was uneventful. In its final report, the NTSB traced the sudden loss of cabin pressure to the combination of a loose clamp that allowed the air conditioning system's primary pressurization duct to become disconnected from the water separator and a fractured flapper in the aft bulkhead check valve. The separation of the duct diverted pressurized air into the unpressurized section of the airframe, while the broken flapper allowed existing cabin pressure to escape. A Phase 5 inspection of the 1980-model airplane had been completed 38 days before the accident at a total time in service of 7,424.8 hours. ERRORS BY GROUND CREW AND PILOT COMBINED TO CAUSE FUEL EXHAUSTION McDonnell Douglas 369D, July 17, 2016, 36 km northwest of Hawker, Southern Australia-An interruption during his preflight inspection led the pilot to omit a visual check of the helicopter's fuel levels, thereby failing to detect that the support crew had not refueled it the previous evening as claimed. The helicopter was one hour, forty-five minutes into a planned three-hour powerline inspection when its engine "just stopped" at an altitude of 100 feet. The pilot was able to steer the craft away from the wires toward a clear area, but he and the two utility workers on board suffered significant head, back, and spinal injuries in the hard landing that resulted. There was no post-crash fire. The fuel system remained intact, and investigators found no usable fuel in the wreckage. The helicopter had been equipped with an auxiliary tank with a usable capacity of 115 liters (30 gallons) fabricated of stainless steel and located in the right rear side of the cabin. It was not equipped with a fuel gauge, sight glass, or any other quantity indicator. A solenoid valve operated by a switch on the instrument panel allowed fuel to flow by gravity into the main tank; a green light illuminated when the solenoid was energized, but the system provided no direct indication of fuel flow. Before the flight, the pilot requested full fuel and was erroneously told that it had been refueled the previous evening, perhaps due to confusion with fueling between two flights that day. A discussion with another crew interrupted his preflight inspection and he forgot to look inside the auxiliary fuel tank's filler neck, the only way to confirm it had been filled. The main tank's gauge was a non-linear design intended to read more accurately at low levels than high, with very little difference in needle position between readings of "full" and three-quarters, and the position of the sun at the time of the accident made the instrument panel's low fuel indicator light difficult to see. Investigators also identified miscommunication in the approval process that led CASA to approve the auxiliary tank for normal-category operations when in fact approval had been intended only for temporary use during ferry flights. In response, the operator removed the auxiliary tanks from its entire fleet, requiring all aerial work to be conducted on the main tanks with adequate reserves. FATIGUE, RECENT TRANSITION IMPLICATED IN LAKE ERIE CRASH Cessna 525C, Dec. 29, 2016, Cleveland, Ohio-The pilot of a Cessna CJ4 that crashed into Lake Erie killing all six on board apparently believed that the airplane was flying on autopilot even though he never actually engaged it. The accident occurred just before 11 p.m. on a moonless night, making it unlikely that he was able to see the lake's surface before impact. The NTSB noted that by that time the pilot had been awake for 17 hours, may have been susceptible to fatigue, and that he had less than nine hours as pilot-in-command of that model. Its instrumentation and panel layout differed significantly from those of the Cessna 510 (Mustang) he had previously owned and flown more than 370 hours. The pilot, his wife, two sons, and two family friends had flown in from Columbus three hours earlier to attend a professional basketball game. The return flight was expected to take 30 minutes at an altitude of 12,000 feet. At 10:56 p.m., the jet was cleared to take off from Runway 24R of Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport with instructions to turn right to a heading of 330 degrees and maintain an altitude of 2,000 feet. ADS-B track data showed that the Citation initially climbed at a rate of 6,000 fpm, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,925 feet 30 seconds after takeoff, then began to descend as its right turn reached a bank angle of 62 degrees and its pitch attitude decreased to 15 degrees nose-down. Impact occurred just over one minute after it began its takeoff roll. Comparison of the instrument panels of the Mustang and CJ4 showed that the autopilot engagement buttons are in different locations, and there is not an adjacent indicator light in the CJ4. The only annunciation of autopilot engagement in the 525C is in the flight system status display in the upper section of the primary flight display (PFD). The PFD's attitude indicator displays also differ, and the NTSB cited "negative learning transfer" as a factor in his failure to recognize that the autopilot had not engaged and the airplane was entering an unusual attitude. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-09-02/accidents-september-2018 Back to Top FAA Warns Against Wrong-Surface Landings In the last two years, 596 aircraft in the U.S. landed or almost landed on the wrong runway or wrong airport, and 85 percent of those events involved general-aviation aircraft, according to the FAA. At a recent Safety Summit held in Leesburg, Virginia, the FAA said these types of incidents are one of the top five hazards in aviation. "I'm asking each of you to make this a priority," FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell said at the meeting, according to a report by NBAA. In a recent Safety Alert for Operators (PDF), the FAA cited several best practices for pilots to ensure they are lining up on the correct runway, such as checking Notams, stabilizing the approach, making good use of the available technology, and being ready to go around if needed. The probability of being involved in a wrong-surface event is highest when operating in visual conditions, according to the FAA, and more than 90 percent of the incidents occur in daylight. Airfield geometry, communications, and expectation bias also play a role. About 75 percent of incidents involve parallel runways; and parallel taxiways also can cause confusion. At the summit, Teri Bristol, chief operating officer at the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, said pilots need to be aware of the issue. "We've had some close calls, and we're very concerned," she said. The NTSB will release its final report later this month on the near-miss in San Francisco last year when an A320 crew lined up on a taxiway instead of the runway. Wrong Surface Landing https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAA-Warns-Against-Wrong-Surface-Landings-231476-1.html Back to Top Experimental Perlan 2 aircraft breaks high altitude human flight record Airbus Perlan Mission II (CNN) - Flying an aircraft to the edge of space usually involves a jet engine, a full tank of fuel, a whole load of noise and a pilot with the kind of Right Stuff needed to reach for the stars. Not any more. This week the experimental Airbus Perlan Mission II pressurized glider got there by silently riding atmospheric pressure waves. And then it kept going -- smashing the record for human flight in a winged aircraft by reaching more than 76,000 feet. This meant the flight crossed the Armstrong Line, the point in the atmosphere beyond which the blood in a human's body will boil unless it's protected. Which means it's probably safe to say chief pilot Jim Payne and co-pilot Morgan Sandercock also have the Right Stuff. The achievement, claimed on Perlan 2's Twitter feed, comes just days after the pair took the experimental glider to 62,000 feet and a year after it hit 52,221 feet over the same region, El Calafate in Argentine Patagonia. "Achieving the impossible" Airbus Perlan Mission II The world's first initiative to pilot an engineless aircraft to the edge of space is getting closer to its target. The team use a unique closed-loop rebreather system to minimize the amount of oxygen needed to be carried. "Perlan Project is achieving the seemingly impossible, and our support for this endeavor sends a message to our employees, suppliers and competitors that we will not settle for being anything less than extraordinary," said Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, sponsors of the project. Built in Oregon, the Perlan 2 has a wingspan of 84 feet and weighs 1,800 pounds. Payne and Sandercock recently began using a high altitude tow plane -- a modified Grob Egrett G520 turboprop -- rather than a conventional glider tow plane, to reach greater heights. The glider uses atmospheric pressure variations caused by the polar vortex and a related weather phenomenon called the stratospheric polar night jet to ascend farther and farther upwards. This only occurs in a few places in the world, one of which happens to be in the area around El Calafate in the Andes Mountains. Perlan 2 was designed to soar up to 90,000 feet at the edge of space. The crew aim to continue pursuing higher altitude flights in Argentina until mid-September 2018. While it will reach a maximum speed of about 280 mph at this height, the glider's airspeed indicator will only indicate 36 knots (about 41 mph) due to the very thin air at this elevation. "At that height, stars are visible even during the day," Payne previously told CNN. "It'll be a lot of fun, that's for sure." The two seats that are built into the gliders pressurized cockpit are about the size of recliner chairs. "It's very comfortable," he added. "Flying these long missions, you're continuously analyzing what's going on around you: the weather, the wind currents, the air traffic control situation and so on, so time goes by pretty fast." Scientific equipment on board the glider will gather data to study weather and atmospheric phenomena, which engineers may use to learn more about how aircraft perform in thin air. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/perlan-2-record/index.html Back to Top Pilot shortage has Cal Fire tankers sitting on runways during wildfires California's long and deadly wildfire season is wearing down its firefighting pilots and causing Cal Fire to ground as many as six aircraft at a time because of staffing shortages. Schedules obtained by The Sacramento Bee show a rising number of grounded aircraft as the summer fire season progressed because pilots were unavailable to fly the planes. The shortage is particularly acute among low-flying S-2T tanker pilots. An average of four of the state's 23 tankers have been grounded on certain days in August because they lacked pilots. It left a critical firefighting component - a rapid response team to attack fires soon after they ignite - significantly understaffed as California battled its worst wildfires this season. Cal Fire leaders say they cannot remember having so many aircraft grounded during peak fire months because of staffing shortages. They can call on private companies and federal aircraft to fill in during an emergency, but they acknowledge that the department's pilot shortfall is straining the fleet. "We are doing our best to consider the mission of the department in this as well as the needs of our pilots," said Cal Fire Chief of Flight Operations Dennis Brown. His plans have been hampered by intense July fires that kept pilots working nonstop, retirements, long-term medical absences, private companies poaching their experienced pilots, an unexpected death and a cluster of job candidates who opted not to become tanker pilots after completing training, he said. Within the last year they lost 10 air tanker pilots to those issues. "They would have had to have a crystal ball to predict this," said Jim Barnes, a longtime tanker pilot who recently retired. Several current and former firefighting pilots in California declined to be interviewed on the record for this story, citing Cal Fire's ability to take away their authorization to fly tankers. The staffing issue is going to take a while to address. In order to cover current shortfalls, fix the daunting schedule Brown admits is having adverse effects on their pilots and staff new planes coming in, Brown estimates they'll need about 40 more pilots in the next few years. Eight people are currently in training to become air tanker pilots, but Brown said historically less than half of trainees actually decide to become air tanker pilots with Cal Fire. "The training is much more vigorous than it used to be, but that's a good thing," Barnes said. "They've come forward light years on that issue." Meanwhile, Cal Fire is preparing to reconfigure its fleet to reflect the realities of the state's recent year-round fire seasons. Today, it mostly flies aircraft built in the 1970s and '80s, and its schedules are built on what officials now say is an outdated assumption that firefighters will get a few months of rest every winter. "We used to have winter maintenance. There is no more winter maintenance," Brown said. As a result, the state is adding new Blackhawk helicopters at a cost of $24 million apiece and taking on seven retrofitted Air Force C-130 planes as new tankers. Each of the new aircraft represents millions of dollars in investment - and the need for more and more pilots. The department is rethinking a demanding schedule that has pilots working six days on before getting a day off. That schedule used to make sense when a pilot could take off on a beach vacation for around half the year, but Cal Fire can't make that promise anymore. "To stay competitive and also as a matter of safety, we can't work these people year-round at these rates," Brown said. Cal Fire and DynCorp, the private company that flies and maintains the state's firefighting airplanes, are now struggling to fill just three slots for tanker pilots that would let them keep all of the state's S-2T tankers up and running. In many cases, they'll be competing with private companies that offer better pay and friendlier schedules. "It's really hard to find specialized pilots to do the kind of work Cal Fire does," said Ed Hrivnak, a firefighter and search-and-rescue pilot in Washington state. He said virtually every level of government is trying to recruit pilots because they're experiencing waves of Baby Boomer retirements. That means intense competition for qualified pilots. "I get unsolicited job offers," Hrivnak said. The S-2T tankers with the most pronounced staffing challenges are part of a layered fleet of aircraft that can rapidly respond to fires throughout the West. Cal Fire manages the fixed-wing fleet, but the aircraft are flown and maintained by employees of contractor DynCorp. The company gets about $60 million a year for its work with the state fire department. Barnes, the recently retired pilot, said S-2Ts are critically important. They represent a rapid response team that is called when fires are still in the beginning stages - before they grow to wildfire status and become much more difficult and costly to contain. "Not having these planes fully staffed is a significant limitation," Barnes said. "The opportunity to contain a new fire is not long, so if you don't have that capability it's a big hole in the program." This year, anticipating a staffing shortfall, Cal Fire hired companies to fly three large tankers through November. They are on call and can't leave the state for the duration of the contract. Cal Fire can call on federal resources, such as the National Guard, and it can hire private aircraft in emergencies to dump water or retardant on wildfires. Cal Fire also has a dozen UH-1 Huey helicopters flown by state firefighters. The pilots "are working crazy overtime, like everyone else," said Tim Edwards, their union rank-and-file director. Some of the department's staffing challenges this season were years in the making. It knew that some of its pilots were planning to retire, for instance, and increased training seats in recent fire seasons. Last year was also the first year Cal Fire didn't have a reserve pilot to cover when other pilots were sick or took off for an emergency, a taste of the staffing problems to come this year. Brown said they could not anticipate that some of the trainees would elect not to become tanker pilots. Less than half of the pilots who begin the program actually choose to fly the tankers, with some not taking to the training, others electing to take jobs with other companies and some deciding air tanker flying isn't for them. The job is inherently dangerous. The tanker holds about 1,200 gallons of flame retardant, and pilots have to react quickly to changes on the ground. Tankers crashed on Cal Fire missions in 2014 and in 2006. "This isn't as much a money issue as it is a qualified pilot issue," Brown said. "If all trainees had gone through and been successful, I know we wouldn't be where we're at right now," he added. Art Trask, a retired DynCorps Cal Fire program manager, said he was worried that the six-day pilot schedule was too much to ask during California's year-round firefighting seasons. "I'm more concerned about next year and the year after and the year after," he said. "I'm hearing people are tired." https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/state/california/article217586785.html Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions of criminalization in aviation accidents. This study is expected to take approximately 10 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a certified pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://goo.gl/forms/NiIYySfv0ObrPzYJ2 For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter winte25e@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top CAAi launch new Risk-Based Oversight and Surveillance training course The training arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), CAA International (CAAi), has announced a brand new, two-day training course on risk-based oversight and surveillance. Risk-Based Oversight, or Performance-Based Regulation as it is commonly known in the UK, is an oversight system which compliments compliance-based auditing. A risk-based approach allows regulators to fully identify and understand risks, allowing for a better allocation of CAA resource to directly influence and mitigate those conditions that threaten aviation safety the most. In 2014, the UK CAA was one of the first aviation regulators to adopt a risk-based approach. The UK CAA recognised that with more demand being placed on the aviation industry, compliance-based oversight was not enough to fully manage the safety risks that exist. This new course, developed by active UK CAA regulators, aims to provide a foundation of risk and performance-based oversight principles. Delegates will learn how to measure an entity to determine baseline oversight levels, identify the key components of a risk-based oversight audit cycle, the importance of the collaboration between the entity oversight team members to fully determine the risk picture and the analytical techniques needed to produce safety performance indicators to monitor trends and identify risks. Mark Vincent, Risk-Based Oversight Manager at the UK CAA said, "Global interest in risk-based or performance-based oversight has made steady progress over the past few years. With both EASA and ICAO advocating a risk-based approach, many more regulators are keen to adopt. Using the UK's approach to risk-based oversight and lessons learnt, this course will allow aviation professionals to explore risk-based oversight principles in practice and give fellow regulators the confidence to develop and implement risk-based surveillance in their industry. CAA International Limited Aviation House Gatwick Airport South West Sussex RH6 0YR United Kingdom T +44 (0)330 022 4401 E info@caainternational.com www.caainternational.com The CAA's first Risk Based Oversight & Surveillance course will take place at the CAA's London Gatwick training facilities in November 2018. For more information, please visit: www.caainternational.com/risk-based-surveillance-training/ Notes to Editor: CAA International (CAAi) is the technical cooperation and training arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA). CAAi works with countries to improve aviation standards sustainably across the globe, connecting States with the expertise from within the UK CAA. CAAi provides technical assistance, capacity building, development and training programmes to aviation regulators and industry across the world. Drawing on world-leading expertise from within the UK aviation regulator, CAAi helps organisations design, implement and maintain regulatory best practice to comply with international standards. In 2017, CAAi worked with over 45 countries and trained over 2,000 aviation professionals from 63 countries. Back to Top Automated Vehicles & Meteorology Summit 23-24 October 2018 Washington, DC The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is organizing the Automated Vehicles and Meteorology Summit on 23-24 October 2018 in Washington, DC. The summit is focused on both surface and aerial transportation, and will bring together stakeholders from across industry, government and academia to discuss the challenges of poor weather affecting in situ and remote sensing capabilities needed to enable fully automated vehicles on the ground and in the air, and to explore development opportunities for reducing risk, accelerating adoption, and supporting operations. https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/meetings-events/ams-meetings/automated-vehicles-meteorology-summit/?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter&_zs=R0nfc1&_zl=4XJ65 Back to Top Back to Top NTSB Basic Aircraft Accident Investigation Course (AS101) This two-week course being held at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Center in Ashburn Virginia on September 17-28, 2018 provides participants with a comprehensive overview of the procedures and methods used and the skills required to investigate an aircraft accident. Examples from recent investigations will be used to demonstrate particular aspects of the investigative process. Instructors include: NTSB Investigators, Aircraft Manufacturer Investigators, and Industry professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice their investigative skills through several hands-on wreckage examinations. Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: • Discuss the entire NTSB investigative process, from when the NTSB receives the initial notification that an accident has occurred through the issuance of the final report and determination of the accident's probable cause • Define the five major aspects of site management at an accident scene • Identify how safety recommendations - the primary accomplishments of an accident investigation - are developed and issued • Identify what questions to ask accident witnesses to elicit the most accurate information • Distinguish the difference between structural failures that may have caused the accident and structural damage that occurred as a result of the accident • Confidently interact with the media at the accident site and during the on-going investigation For further information and to register for the course, please visit: https://www.ntsb.gov/Training_Center/Pages/2018/AS101.aspx Back to Top How do you track safety? Take the Safety Performance Survey: flightsafety.org/safetysurvey Why are we conducting a survey? Flight Safety Foundation is developing a Global Safety Information Project (GSIP) Safety Performance Monitoring Handbook to provide guidance and best practices for safety performance monitoring. Your survey responses will be instrumental in our data-driven development process. Who should take the survey? We encourage responses from employees of ANSPs, airline/aircraft operators, airports, manufacturers, maintenance organizations, training organizations, and regulators. Simply visit flightsafety.org/safetysurvey to participate. What is GSIP? GSIP is a worldwide initiative that guides the aviation community's response to challenges that may emerge from safety data collection and processing systems. Learn more about GSIP at flightsafety.org/gsip. Curt Lewis