Flight Safety Information September 20, 2018 - No. 192 In This Issue Incident: Iberia Express A321 at Madrid on Sep 18th 2018, inflight nesting not recommended Incident: Serbia A319 near Paphos on Sep 19th 2018, cargo smoke indication Accident: Lufthansa A346 at Frankfurt on Sep 19th 2018, fumes on board affect passengers and crew EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Indigo A320 at Mumbai on Sep 19th 2018, burst tyre on departure Incident: Spirit A320 at Myrtle Beach on Sep 17th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Alitalia Cityliner E175 at Rome on Sep 15th 2018, burst both right main tyres on departure Cessna 206 Loss of Power, Wire Strike (Texas) Pilots Forget to Pressurize Cabin, Causing Some Flyers to Bleed Navy sailor killed by propeller on aircraft carrier flight deck LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck Final report: A320 unreliable airspeed indications due to pitot tube icing (Japan) ICAO Calls 2017 Aviation's Safest Year Ever Software fix tested for HK$1.56 billion Hong Kong International Airport air traffic management system ICAO and EASA come together to support aviation in South East Asia Are Airlines Sure We Can Flee Planes Fast? Fat Chance Using safety coaching to foster professionalism in aviation FAA warns pilots of risk of transposed runway numbers FOR YOUR PILOT: FAA UPDATES COLD-WEATHER RESTRICTED AIRPORTS LIST Inmarsat and Panasonic partner on in-flight broadband IATA Says Central America is Struggling with Aviation Development International airline Cathay Pacific misspells its own name on plane, returns aircraft for repainting SkyWest looks to Wichita area to fill airline pilot jobs Gas Turbine Accident Investigation from SCSI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - Course Incident: Iberia Express A321 at Madrid on Sep 18th 2018, inflight nesting not recommended An Iberia Express Airbus A321-200, registration EC-JEJ performing flight IB-3842 from Madrid,SP to Santa Cruz de la Palma,CI (Spain), was climbing out of Madrid's runway 36L when the aircraft received a bird strike. In the absence of abnormal indications the crew continued the climb but stopped the climb at FL280 when it became clear a left hand flap track fairing had taken damage as result of the bird strike. The aircraft returned to Madrid for a safe landing on runway 32L about 70 minutes after departure. The damaged flap track fairing: http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde5058&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Serbia A319 near Paphos on Sep 19th 2018, cargo smoke indication An Air Serbia Airbus A319-100, registration YU-APD performing flight JU-7210 from Belgrade (Serbia) to Hurghada (Egypt) with 143 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 120nm west of Paphos (Cyprus) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Paphos. The aircraft landed safely on Paphos' runway 29 about 30 minutes later. Paphos police reported the aircraft diverted due to some sort of fire indication on board. The airline reported the aircraft diverted for technical reasons as a precaution. The aircraft remained on the ground in Paphos for about 9.5 hours, then continued the flight to Hurghada. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde4e6f&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Lufthansa A346 at Frankfurt on Sep 19th 2018, fumes on board affect passengers and crew A Lufthansa Airbus A340-600, registration D-AIHY performing flight LH-444 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 25C when the crew stopped the climb at FL100 reporting they had a "smell event" on board, "es stinkt nach Öl/ Verbrennung/ irgendwas, ziemlich massiv" (translation: it stinks of oil, burning, something, rather massive). The crew indicated that the aircraft was completely okay, however, it was possible they would not continue the flight, they wanted to remain in the vicinity of the airport while troubleshooting. A number of passengers began to complain about nausea and dizziness. About 20 minutes after levelling off at FL100 the crew advised their decision was taken, a number of crew reported being dizzy because of the odour, they didn't want to risk anything, they were therefore returning to Frankfurt, fuel dump was not necessary, time was more important, a normal landing was to be expected. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 25C about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement A340-600 registration D-AIHV reached Atlanta with a delay of 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground 12 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde54c0&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Indigo A320 at Mumbai on Sep 19th 2018, burst tyre on departure An Indigo Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IHR performing flight 6E-361 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad (India) with 185 people on board, departed Mumbai's runway 27 but burst a tyre on departure. The crew climbed the aircraft to FL290 and continued to Ahmedabad, requested emergency services on stand by for the landing and landed safely on Ahmedabad's runway 23 about 55 minutes after departure from Mumbai. The affected wheel is being replaced. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Ahmedabad about 7 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde4bba&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Spirit A320 at Myrtle Beach on Sep 17th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N616NK performing flight NK-548 from Myrtle Beach,SC to Baltimore,MD (USA) with 52 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Myrtle Beach's runway 18 when the crew declared emergency reporting the failure of the right hand engine (V2527). The aircraft stopped the climb at 2000 feet and returned to Myrtle Beach for a safe landing on runway 18 about 10 minutes after departure. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/NKS548/history/20180917/2040Z/KMYR/KBWI http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde4a5b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Alitalia Cityliner E175 at Rome on Sep 15th 2018, burst both right main tyres on departure An Alitalia Cityliner Embraer ERJ-175, registration EI-RDM performing flight AZ-568 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Geneva (Switzerland), was accelerating for takeoff from Fiumicino's runway 25 when just before becoming airborne the aircraft experienced excessive vibrations. The crew continued takeoff, the aircraft became airborne, the vibrations ceased and the aircraft climbed out. The crew stopped the climb at FL200 after being told tyre debris had been found on the departure runway and decided to return to Fiumicino. The aircraft landed on runway 16R about 35 minutes after departure and stopped on the runway. A passenger reported there had been extreme vibrations just before the aircraft became airborne. After the crew decided to return to Rome the cabin was prepared for a rough landing, passengers were instructed to assume the brace position for landing. The landing was "heavy" but successful, there was no need to evacuate the aircraft. The passengers disembarked normally via stairs onto the runway, were medically checked and offered water, none of the passengers indicated injuries. The passengers were subsequently bussed to the terminal, where police registered every one, which lasted about two hours, before the passengers were released to their hotels or their homes. The shredded tyres: http://avherald.com/h?article=4bde3234&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 206 Loss of Power, Wire Strike (Texas) Date: 19-SEP-2018 Time: 15:00 LT Type: Cessna 206 Owner/operator: Drug Enforcement Agency Registration: N21..F C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: North of Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR), Houston, TX - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Training Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Following a loss of engine power, the aircraft experienced a wire strike and impact with two motor vehicles during the ensuing force landing to major roadway terrain north of Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR), Houston, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage and one of the three occupants onboard received apparent minor injuries. One was occupants slightly injured, agent was taken to a hospital and later released. There were no reported injuries on the ground. 3 hurt when small plane hits several vehicles, crashes in Fort Bend County neighborhood https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=215504 Back to Top Pilots Forget to Pressurize Cabin, Causing Some Flyers to Bleed • Some passengers aboard Jet Airways flight suffer nose bleeding • Indian carrier takes pilots off duty pending investigation Pilots operating a Jet Airways India Ltd. flight on Thursday forgot to turn on a switch that maintains optimal pressure in the cabin during ascent, causing injuries to some aboard. About 30 of the 166 passengers aboard the Boeing Co. 737 aircraft from Mumbai to Jaipur suffered bleeding in their noses, and a few in their ears, forcing the plane to return, according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in New Delhi. The carrier said it has taken the cockpit crew off duty pending an investigation into the incident. "Jet Airways regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests," it said in a Twitter post. The crew of flight 9W 697 failed to flip the "bleed switch," because of which cabin pressure couldn't be maintained, causing oxygen masks to drop when the aircraft was gaining altitude, the nation's aviation regulator said. India's Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a Twitter post that the affected passengers have been treated for the bleeding, and asked the DGCA to file its report immediately. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered a comprehensive safety audit of the country's airlines, airports, training schools and maintenance, repair and overhaul companies immediately, followed by corrective measures to fix any shortcomings. The nation's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is probing the incident. Mumbai-based Jet Airways, which reported its biggest quarterly loss since 2015, is seeking to raise funds and pare debt as part of a turnaround plan it announced in August. The carrier is among those struggling to make money in the Indian market, where competition has driven fares below cost. It has said salary payments to pilots will be staggered over two installments each month for three months. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-20/pilots-forget-to-pressurize-cabin-hurting-jet-airways-flyers *************** Date: 20-SEP-2018 Time: 00:47 UTC Type: Boeing 737-85R (WL) Owner/operator: Jet Airways Registration: VT-JGS C/n / msn: 34800/2085 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 166 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: north of Mumbai - India Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB) Destination airport: Jaipur-Sanganer Airport (JAI/VIJP) Narrative: Jet Airways flight 9W697 returned to land at Mumbai Airport due to a cabin pressurization issue. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, departed Mumbai at 00:42 UTC on a service to Jaipur. Five minutes into the climb, after passing 10,000 feet, the oxygen masks dropped in the passenger cabin. The flight crew stopped the climb and descended back to 10,000 feet. It was decided to return to Mumbai, where a safe landing was made at 01:24 UTC. A DGCA official reported to local media that that 30 passengers had reported nose bleeding, few had ear bleeding and some were complaining of a headache. Airport sources added that about 10 passengers have been taken to hospital for further check-up. The DGCA official further stated that during climb, the crew forgot to select the bleed air switch due to which cabin pressurisation could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks deployed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=215508 Back to Top Navy sailor killed by propeller on aircraft carrier flight deck NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Navy says a sailor who died aboard an aircraft carrier was struck by the turning propeller of a plane. The Navy said in a statement on Wednesday that Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak had just secured an E-2C Hawkeye radar plane to the flight deck. Naglak's death occurred Monday aboard the USS George H. W. Bush while it was in the Atlantic Ocean. The Navy said the incident remains under investigation and that his death has been a heartbreaking experience for those on board the carrier. The 21-year-old enlisted in the Navy in his home state of New Jersey in April 2017. Four months later he had completed his training in Pensacola, Florida, and reported to the ship. The ship remains at sea, and flight operations have resumed. https://nypost.com/2018/09/20/navy-sailor-killed-by-propeller-on-aircraft-carrier-flight-deck/ Back to Top Back to Top Final report: A320 unreliable airspeed indications due to pitot tube icing (Japan) Date: 09-JUL-2016 Time: 09:47 JST Type: Airbus A320-232 Owner/operator: Jetstar Japan Registration: JA04JJ C/n / msn: 5245 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 156 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: 130 km south-southeast of Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO/RJ - Japan Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Fukuoka Airport (FUK/RJFF) Destination airport: Narita International Airport (NRT/RJAA) Investigating agency: JTSB Narrative: An Airbus A320-232 of Jetstar Japan, operating flight JJP/GK502 from Fukuoka to Tokyo/Narita, was cruising at FL370 when both of the captain's and F/O's air-speed indications fluctuated between 500km/h (270 knots) and 110km/h (60 knots). The indications resumed normal as the airplane descended below FL300. The descent was made until FL250, and the flight continued to its destination. No further problem happened until a safe landing at Narita at 10:26 JST. No injuries were reported among 149 passengers, one infant, and six crew members. At the time of the incident a convective system was with cumulonimbus clouds with an echo peak altitude ranging from 12 to 14 km (from 39,370 to 45,931 ft). The captain and co-pilot stated that they heard a sound like rain drops hitting the cockpit windows at an outside air temperature of -44°C. At that time the airborne weather radar echo showed green. There were no traces of ice on the wings and the ice indicator of the aircraft. The aircraft possibly encountered ice crystals existing near or above the center of the cumulonimbus cloud, which formed due to highly active growth existing in the weather front. The temporary unreliable airspeed indication on the captain's side and the co-pilot's side probably occurred when the No. 1 and No. 2 pitot tubes encountered ice crystals. The flight crew when appropriately handled the situation by following the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). Probable Causes: It is probable that this serious incident occurred because the icing occurred in the Pitot tube when the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 37,000ft, which led to the temporary failure of airspeed indication on the Captain's side and Co-Pilot's side. It is somewhat likely that the icing of the Pitot tube occurred because the aircraft flew in an ice crystal area that was existing in the vicinity of a cumulonimbus that grew to a high altitude. Weather data (TEMP) Shionomisaki 47778 (about 100km southwest of the incident site): TTAA 59001 47778 99999 24606 15012 00063 ///// ///// 92746 21400 29026 85479 18400 28525 70130 11400 24537 50588 04934 24044 40761 12914 25027 30975 26739 24037 25104 36550 23043 20254 493// 23048 15436 655// 23559 10673 715// 30032 88109 787// 27055 77126 23571 31313 48108 82331= TTBB 59008 47778 00999 24606 11980 22800 22655 08800 33557 00800 44554 00227 55546 00509 66531 01745 77521 01762 88517 02361 99499 04937 11496 04724 22489 04715 33440 09108 44416 10718 55413 11312 66393 13347 77292 27741 88236 40148 99178 557// 11174 575// 22146 671// 33109 787// 44100 715// 21212 00999 15012 11995 00000 22976 31010 33956 27012 44935 29019 55902 29039 66861 28523 77680 23540 88519 24049 99512 25044 11498 24043 22477 25541 33443 24536 44403 25027 55320 26033 66293 23535 77181 22549 88167 23051 99126 23571 11107 27553 22100 30032 31313 48108 82331 61616 11900 28538 22800 26534 33600 24043= (00:00UTC/09:00JST, temperature -40.1 degree Celsius/ dew-point -44.9 degree Celsius at FL352 (236hPa), temperature -49.3 degree Celsius at FL387 (200hPa)) Sources: http://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/aircraft/detail2.php?id=2159 https://www.jetstar.com/jp/ja/travel-alerts https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp:443/hl?a=20160712-00000083-jij-soci Accident investigation: Investigating agency: JTSB Status: Investigation completed Duration: 2 years and 2 months Download report: Final report https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=188626 Back to Top ICAO Calls 2017 Aviation's Safest Year Ever • Safety concerns in civil aviation also declined. Airlines around the world helped make 2017 the safest year on record for commercial civil aviation. The latest safety report published by the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, the aviation arm of the United Nations, says 2017 was the safest year on record for civil aviation, excluding general aviation. The report provides a high level summary of ICAO's safety initiatives and achievements to enhance aviation safety last year, along with key safety performance indicators pertaining to the 2013-2017 time period. By the numbers, ICAO says last year there were 4.1 billion passengers travelling on scheduled commercial air services worldwide that resulted in 50 fatalities. Nonetheless, this rate of 12.2 fatalities per billion passengers represents the safest year on record for aviation. The number of fatal accidents declined to five from seven in 2016, also the lowest number on recent record. Despite a spike in fatalities due to a number of acts of unlawful interference in 2014 and the tragic events that caused significant loss of life in 2015, there was a general trend toward fewer fatal accidents and fatalities over the past 10 years. The report also shows that in 2017, the number of significant safety concerns (SSCs) declined by 50 percent, from 8 in 8 States in 2016 to 4 in 4 States last year. https://www.flyingmag.com/icao-calls-2017-aviations-safest-year-ever Back to Top Software fix tested for HK$1.56 billion Hong Kong International Airport air traffic management system after recent malfunction • Solution follows glitch last month in which radar screens did not show full data for three flights, but at least one lawmaker wants system scrapped Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is testing a software fix for its HK$1.56 billion (US$198.8 million) air traffic management system after it malfunctioned last month and resulted in controllers not having full information on three flights in the city's airspace for six minutes. In a statement on Wednesday evening, the Civil Aviation Department said it expected next month to implement the solution, developed by the system's US manufacturer, Raytheon, after completing tests and other safety assessments. Air traffic controllers handle on average up to 2,000 flight movements in Hong Kong airspace daily. Photo: Dickson Lee On August 13, from 4.20pm to 4.26pm, a glitch in the Raytheon Auto Trac III system meant radar screens did not show full information for three flights, except for their flight position, altitude information and secondary surveillance radar code - the identification code assigned to planes. Air traffic controllers handle on average 2,000 flight movements in Hong Kong airspace daily. The new system is capable of handling up to 8,000 a day, as traffic is expected to increase with the airport's third runway due to be completed in 2024. The CAD explained the glitch stemmed from "unexpected data corruption" when details of a flight route were being processed by the main air traffic management system. One after the other, both flight data processors in the main system - which provide real-time flight information to controllers - shut down as part of their inbuilt safety mechanism, activating a backup system. The processing and display of flight data then returned to normal and at no point were air traffic control services disrupted for pilots, the CAD said. With the fix, the system would be able to isolate the flight route containing problematic information and alert technical staff to handle the case separately, rather than affecting the whole system, it added. The CAD "will continue to closely monitor the performance" of the air traffic management system, its spokeswoman said, and optimise it as well as overall air traffic control services "in a sustained manner, and remain committed to ensuring that aviation safety is our top priority". In Raytheon's four-page report accompanying the CAD's press release, the US contractor said it had investigated the shutdown and confirmed its programme algorithm and coding were in order. Neither was the shutdown related to system performance, software in use over the last year, air traffic nor adverse weather on August 13, it added. Facial recognition technology installed at Hong Kong International Airport According to its website, Raytheon "supports 80 per cent" of US air traffic through its management systems. But the Auto Trac III at HKIA, which went live two years ago in November, has experienced a series of problems. They included planes disappearing from radar screens and phantom aircraft appearing on monitors. Screens were also sometimes unable to display various pieces of flight information. The August 13 incident happened after a lull in problems for more than a year. While air traffic controllers were able to maintain direct voice communication with the pilots" and still obtain all information they needed from all flights, as a precaution they delayed clearing flights for departure until the backup system came online. When seven years ago the CAD bought the new system, lawmakers criticised it for choosing something with a light track record that had been used only at a handful of Indian airports and the United Arab Emirates. The onset of problems prompted some to urge the system be scrapped. Lawmaker Jeremy Tam Man-ho described the software remedy as "another safety net" to prevent a reoccurrence but without tackling "the root cause of why it happened". Can you spot the error on this Cathay Pacific plane? The Civic Party legislator and qualified commercial pilot said he still supported doing away with the system and buying something more reliable, rather than scrambling to fix problems each time they arose. "It's like your roof is leaking but you don't know where it is leaking from," Tam said. "And what you do is get a bucket to stop the leak from damaging the carpet ... and if it leaks again, your carpet will still be OK." https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/2164965/software-fix-tested-hk156-billion-hong-kong-international Back to Top ICAO and EASA come together to support aviation in South East Asia ICAO, the European Union and South East Asia are working together for cheaper, safer and more sustainable aviation. Cheaper, safer and more environmentally sustainable aviation with less delays will be enabled by the ASEAN Single Aviation Market and Seamless ASEAN Sky. Challenges and opportunities were discussed at the first ICAO-EASA forum on Civil Aviation in South East Asia. For the first time, the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) joined forces to bring together South East Asian aviation stakeholders and discuss the future of air transport in the South East Asian region. Patrick Ky, Executive Director of EASA, said: "Development of the Seamless ASEAN Sky together with the ASEAN Single Aviation Market is a must. It will soon become irrelevant how many passengers the airlines carry, aircraft are bought or freedoms of the air are agreed - if the air traffic management system cannot handle the demand, the only thing that is created is delays." ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, commented: "Besides the forecast growth here, many South East Asia governments will be confronted by a rapidly evolving sectoral environment in terms of technologies, operations, and business models. But as operations here continue to grow, and States continue to prosper from that growth, it is imperative that we continue to work continuously and cooperatively toward our shared objectives." Travel to, from, and within South East Asia is projected to grow at an average 6.6 per cent annually over the next 20 years as passenger demand is stimulated by low cost carriers with expanding routes. The civil aviation authorities of South East Asia are facing increased air traffic despite continued major infrastructure limitations, leading to enhanced requirements for safety and the need to oversee and efficiently operate aviation facilities and services. The ASEAN Single Aviation Market and Seamless ASEAN Sky therefore bring both opportunities and challenges - for example the region's airports and air traffic management (ATM) systems need to cope with the ensuing traffic growth. Since regional cooperation is essential, both ICAO and EASA implement a number of aviation safety programmes, allowing for the integration and harmonisation of rules and standards in safety, air traffic management, and climate change reduction from airline emissions. The forum also discussed climate change, which has prompted ICAO to advance environmental standards for civil aviation without disrupting traffic growth, and the advanced digitalisation of aviation data to raise efficiency and safety whilst also enhancing commercial value. Other critical issues were also debated, such as cyber-crime which is also extending to civil aviation and threatens to disrupt communications, and other critical elements of airlines and ATM. Data mining and analysis, shared cyber-security, and other counter measures to cyber threats are however building resilience to this. The forum concluded with a wide range of recommendations for further development of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market, Seamless ASEAN Sky and other thematic challenges in civil aviation. These recommendations can then be considered by the South East Asian states, their partners and the aviation cooperation programmes in the region. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/75559/icao-and-easa-come-together-to-support-aviation-in-south-east-asia/ Back to Top Are Airlines Sure We Can Flee Planes Fast? Fat Chance With smaller seats, bigger passengers and more baggage packed into jets, why haven't evacuation plans been updated? By The Editorial Board The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section. On every airline flight, a crew member talks to passengers in the exit rows to see whether they can, as Federal Aviation Administration regulations specify, "pass expeditiously through the emergency exit" if needed. Given how passengers have grown in inverse proportion to the spaciousness of airliner seats, anything like "expeditious" evacuation of an entire airliner seems doubtful. The standard economy seat is 17 inches wide, a 9 percent decrease from the 18.5 inches of a decade ago, according to FlyersRights.org, a consumer advocacy group. The standard American male is now 195.7 lbs., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, a 9 percent increase over the past 20 years. Since most airlines charge $25 for checking a bag - oops, United and JetBlue just raised it to $30 - those heftier passengers are also lugging a lot more stuff onboard, along with comfort dogs, cats and cockatoos. It's a zoo up there. Under such constraints, can today's jets be evacuated in the 90 seconds mandated by the F.A.A.? Not according to passenger advocacy groups like Flyers Rights, which has repeatedly and unsuccessfully petitioned the F.A.A. to use its rule-making authority to stop airlines from shrinking seats and passenger space. Not according to Representatives Peter DeFazio, Democrat of Oregon, and Rick Larsen, Democrat of Washington, who have asked the Transportation Department's inspector general to investigate F.A.A. safety standards that haven't been updated in decades. Incredibly, it will require an act of Congress to ensure that the F.A.A. acts, because the agency has denied that seat sizes and body mass index are factors in emergencies. The agency has even denied that it has the authority to regulate airliner seat size. "The F.A.A. has 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," the agency stated to Flyers Rights in refusing that organization's stop-the-shrink petition. There's no evidence of anything, though. Airliner makers consider evacuation drill footage to be proprietary, and the F.A.A. agrees. Not that it matters. The industry now relies on computer simulations of emergency situations to model behavior. The Airbus A321 and some versions of Boeing's popular 737 have never run evacuation tests. The Boeing 757 was last tested in 1982. That's dangerous and potentially lethal. In the most recent real emergency evacuations, including one at Chicago O'Hare in 2016 that was clocked at 2 minutes 21 seconds, it's apparent that passengers aren't as quick-thinking as the jetmakers would have them. Some tried to retrieve their belongings from the overhead bins; others started shooting video with their cellphones - suboptimal behavior in an evacuation situation. The evolution of "thin" seating, which requires less padding and framing, has allowed airlines to add even more seats. American's new 737 Max jet has 172 seats compared with 150 for earlier 737s. The carriers argue that the marketplace should decide minimum seat size, not the government, an argument that takes off from specious and lands at ludicrous. Four domestic carriers rule about 70 percent of the market. They are not moved by market forces, because they are the market. United, Southwest, Delta and American are more motivated by Wall Street, whose executives fly in private jets or in business class and don't tolerate profit-trimming niceties. Carriers will always put profit over passenger needs until Congress compels the F.A.A. to act on our behalf instead of the airlines'. With the F.A.A.'s mandate to collect taxes on airline tickets up for reauthorization this month, this is a perfect opportunity to pass a bill that enhances passenger safety and comfort. Both the Senate and House versions of a reauthorization bill order the F.A.A. to regulate the minimum seat size and seat pitch as it relates to safety. The House measure- the better choice in our view- then orders the F.A.A. to issue regulations on minimum seat side. Congress should also require that the agency get updated tests on airline evacuations to ensure that cramped cabins are not death traps. Correction: September 18, 2018 An earlier version of this editorial referred incorrectly to the last time a full-scale live evacuation drill was conducted on a new airliner. It was as recently as 2006, for the Airbus A380, not 1995 for the Boeing 777. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/opinion/faa-airlines-evacuations-seat-size.html Back to Top Using safety coaching to foster professionalism in aviation BY MICHAEL GIOVANNINI, DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AT KEY LIME AIR Michael Giovannini, director of safety at Key Lime Air, shares his top tips on creating a safe business aviation operation. Of the FAA's four functional components of a safety management system, the safety promotion component can be instrumental in establishing and maintaining an engaging safety culture in your company. One approach to strengthening safety culture can be talking about and coaching professionalism. Coaching expresses support for safe behaviors and provides useful, caring feedback about at-risk behaviors. Although time consuming, using coaching as an approach to build professionalism can be an effective way to improve a company's safety culture and boost professionalism. The best approach Coaching tips that can be implemented into the safety promotion component of a safety management system are: 1. Teach employees why something is important during training, not just how to do something. Correlating the two will enhance the training by creating a greater understanding of the topic being trained. 2. When creating new policies or risk controls, ensure employees are part of the process. They will be more likely to follow rules they have ownership of. 3. In an industry where data collection can provide valuable insight into various parts of the operation, do not underestimate the value of personal interactions, observations and employee feedback. 4. Employee recognition and positive feedback for doing the right thing fosters positive attitudes with employees. Taking just a few moments during the day and or highlighting employee accomplishments in a company newsletter will result in employees feeling valued by management. 5. When providing feedback, focus on the employee's behavior, not the individual. The importance of being thorough One behavior of being a professional can be striving to do the right thing all the time, even when nobody is watching. In aviation, being safe can come from that professional behavior. There can be no shortcuts in approach to the work and the discipline of being a professional in your career field goes hand in hand with safety. Reinforcement of good behaviors and decision making by company leadership shows that management values those professional attitudes. Having management actively involved in that coaching process is an integral part of the safety culture foundation. Robert Agostine, a former Bombardier aviation director and test pilot who launched the Bombardier's annual Safety Standdown many years ago, stated, "The more passionate someone is about their job, the more professional and committed to excellence they will be." That professional excellence can be achieved through diligence, discipline and a desire to excel. Aviation professionals are drawn to standards and compliance and in many ways can be like a captain for an athletic team. A good team captain sets the bar high by demonstrating their skills and how they handle themselves with others, and, as a result, others will rise to be like that too. These 'team captains' are well suited to be safety coaches and advocates in a company. In conclusion, 'being safe' is the natural result when an aviation professional is disciplined, dedicated and ethical. Safety managers can use a coaching approach with employees to foster professionalism in the workplace. We all must strive on a daily basis to be the aviation professionals that our friends, family, and customers think that we are. As a result, individually and as a company, we are safer for it. https://www.businessairportinternational.com/opinion/using-safety-coaching-to-foster-professionalism-in-aviation.html Back to Top FAA warns pilots of risk of transposed runway numbers The FAA has warned in a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) of the risk of a runway overrun at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) caused by transposed runway numbers. Dated Sept. 4, the SAFO describes a runway event at SFO last year that involved pilots consulting takeoff performance system (TPS) data for Runway 10L, while the actual departure was from Runway 01L. "This resulted in an actual takeoff runway length (for 01L) that was 4,220 ft. less than what was calculated by the TPS (for 10L)," according to the SAFO. Using the flap and thrust settings required for Runway 10L "resulted in a rotation at standard speed, and a takeoff with 400 ft. of usable takeoff distance remaining." The pilots submitted a voluntary report under the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). Analysis by the carrier of other ASAP reports and Flight Operations Quality Assurance data revealed that "similar errors of lower severity had previously occurred." Information then was shared with industry-government Commercial Aviation Safety Team and Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) program groups, to determine if the runway event at SFO pointed to a systemic issue in the national airspace system (NAS). "The ASIAS national archive database was leveraged to examine events involving Runway 01L/10L at SFO, as well as other airports with similar alignments that might foster runway number transposition. The analysis of the database identified an additional 25 takeoffs at SFO with less than 1,000 ft. remaining," the SAFO states. "Although the analysis identified several other airports in the NAS with the potential of a transposition error involving runways of significantly different lengths, the majority of the runway transpositions occurred at SFO." The alert advises airline operations, safety and training directors, as well as flight crews to share information about a potential error and develop ways to reduce the risk. It also advises both pilots and air traffic controllers "to exercise increased awareness during heavy traffic periods." http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/faa-warns-pilots-risk-transposed-runway-numbers Back to Top FOR YOUR PILOT: FAA UPDATES COLD-WEATHER RESTRICTED AIRPORTS LIST The FAA has published the annual update of its Information for Operators-InFO 18009 -revising the list of cold-temperature-restricted airports. There are no additions to the list, but more than 20 airports in 12 states were removed. Airports on the list are known to have cold-weather altimetry errors, and a correction factor is required. Notams published on August 16 provide pilots with a complete list of the airports, the affected segments and the procedures needed to correct published altitudes at the restricted temperatures. Last year, the Centigrade/Fahrenheit icons on the approach plates for the listed airports were changed incrementally to Centigrade only. The icon indicates a cold temperature altitude correction will be required on an approach when the reported temperature is at or below what is specified for that airport. Pilots are responsible for applying altitude corrections and must advise ATC when these corrections are being made on a segment of the approach other than the final segment. Controllers are not responsible for making any altitude corrections or advising pilots that an altitude correction is required at a restricted airport. https://www.bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/for-your-pilot-faa-updates-cold-weather-restricted-airports-list Back to Top Inmarsat and Panasonic partner on in-flight broadband LONDON (Reuters) - British satellite company Inmarsat said it would collaborate with Japan's Panasonic Avionics in providing in-flight broadband for commercial airlines. The 10-year agreement will see Inmarsat become Panasonic's exclusive provider of connectivity using the Ka-band satellite signal, Inmarsat said on Thursday. In return, it will offer Panasonic's portfolio of services to its commercial aviation customers. Inmarsat's chief executive Rupert Pearce said partnering with a leader in in-flight entertainment was a "massive vote of confidence" in the capability of its GX high-speed broadband network to provide in-flight broadband. The catalyst for the partnership came from a mutual airline partner, Pearce said, and the two companies were already working on new prospects. Air New Zealand was the first company to integrate Inmarsat's GX services into its Panasonic in-flight entertainment, Inmarsat said in December 2016. In-flight broadband, which allows airline passengers to email and use the internet during flights, is a growth driver for Inmarsat, which also provides communications for shipping and governments. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-inmarsat-panasonic/inmarsat-and-panasonic-partner-on-in-flight-broadband-idUSKCN1M00RX Back to Top IATA Says Central America is Struggling with Aviation Development Central America appears to be struggling with the development of the aviation industry, preventing some nations from accessing the economic and social benefits the industry can bring. According to new insights released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the industry is not developing at an equal pace in all countries in the region. IATA Report Shows Traveler Numbers Reaching New Heights "Some countries in the region are having greater success in unlocking aviation's benefits to support economic and social development," Peter Cerda, IATA's regional vice president, The Americas said during a speech at Aviation Day Central America, which was organized by IATA, the Airline Association of Costa Rica (ALA), and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). Cerda urged governments across Central America to work with the industry to maximize the benefits that aviation can bring. "Aviation supports over 859,000 jobs and makes a $17.9 billion contribution in gross value added to the combined GDP of the seven Central American countries," Cerda added. In Panama, for example, 14 percent of GDP and 238,000 jobs are supported by air transport and foreign arrivals, while in Belize, aviation supports fully 33 percent of the country's GDP, according to IATA. By contrast, in Guatemala, just one percent of GDP is supported by air transport, while in Honduras, the figure is a mere three percent. To help drive the benefits of aviation connectivity to new heights, IATA suggested countries should take a variety of steps including aligning their aviation regulatory framework with global best practices; ensure competitive costs and efficient administration in airports through open communication with the industry; and ensure transparency and participation of the industry in infrastructure planning and development across Central America. IATA said that unfortunately, there are too many examples where this formula is not currently being followed. In Guatemala, for example, airlines face potential tax penalties due to the tax authority's non-recognition of the use of globally-accepted cost allocation formulas to calculate the taxable amount corresponding to the airlines' operations in Guatemala. White Jet Passenger's Airplane Flying over Tropical Palm Trees on Blue Sky. 3d Rendering According to new insights released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the industry is not developing at an equal pace in all countries in the Central American region. IATA and other stakeholders are working with the Guatemalan government and the industry to resolve this issue and ensure Guatemala follows globally-accepted best practices and principles related to taxation of aviation. "Even in countries where governments understand the importance of aviation as a catalyst for growth, there are opportunities to do more," IATA said. In Panama, a court awarded more than $1 million in damages in a cargo claim brought against an airline. This far exceeds the liability limits for cargo claims contained within the Montreal Convention, to which Panama has fully acceded. IATA has intervened in the case, which is currently on appeal. Countries also need to prepare to accommodate an additional 421 million passengers across the Latin American region by 2036. "Within Central America, San Jose (Costa Rica) and Tegucigalpa (Honduras), need new airports, while Panama Tocumen requires a third runway as well as much-needed airspace modernization that the government is undertaking. In El Salvador, the terminal at San Salvador also requires expansion," Cerda said. "Owing to its geographic location, Central America is well-positioned to increase the economic gains that aviation can deliver. The recipe for success is not complicated but it requires all stakeholders working together in partnership. We see differing approaches to how governments approach aviation. This presents an opportunity to learn from the true success stories in the region," said Cerda. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/iata-says-central-america-is-struggling-with-aviation-development.html Back to Top International airline Cathay Pacific misspells its own name on plane, returns aircraft for repainting A company spokesperson said that they did not want to make a fuss about it and just shared the hilarious incident with everyone. In an incident that is perhaps one-of-its-kind, international airline Cathay Pacific painted its own name incorrectly on a new plane. In a gaffe, Cathay Pacific's newly-painted plane was sporting a new version of its name - Cathay Paciic! According to reports, the Boeing 777-367 even completed a journey. The plane flew overnight from Xiamen in China to Hong Kong, where it arrived in the early hours of Wednesday. A couple of passengers spotted the mistake and contacted Cathay Pacific. The airline said that the plane will now be sent back for repainting. "Oops this special livery won't last long! She's going back to the shop!" the airline tweeted. While Cathay Pacific publicly accepted its mistake and brushed it off, it is not clear how this mistake came to be. An engineer for Haeco, a Cathay Pacific subsidiary pointed out to South China Morning Post: "The spacing is too on-point for a mishap. We have stencils. Should be a blank gap in between letters if it was a real mistake I think." A company spokesperson told CNN that they did not want to make a fuss about it and just shared the hilarious incident with everyone. "We did not intend to make it a big fuss in the first place, but photos went viral within the aviation enthusiastic groups, so we just shared the hilarious moment with everyone," said the spokesperson. Netizens saw the opportunity and took it. One user tweeted, "No one gives a F anymore, not even the painters!", while many urged the airline to change their Twitter handle name to Cathay Paciic. Cathay Pacific is one of the top airlines in the world. It was ranked No. 6 in Skytrax's annual World Airline Awards in 2018. https://www.businesstoday.in/trending/world/international-airline-cathay-pacific-misspells-its-own-name-on-plane-returns-aircraft-for-repainting/story/282636.html Back to Top SkyWest looks to Wichita area to fill airline pilot jobs Utah-based SkyWest Airlines will recruit for its Pilot Pathway Program at an event Thursday at Pray Aviation Services at Augusta Municipal Airport, 10504 SW Indianola. Jerry Siebenmark The Wichita Eagle The country's sixth-largest airline is coming to the Wichita area to recruit pilots and those who want to become pilots. And it's doing so through a new partnership with an Augusta-based flight school. SkyWest Airlines will host an information session on its Pilot Pathway Program from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Pray Aviation Services at Augusta Municipal Airport, 10504 SW Indianola. Matthew Pray, chief pilot and owner of the school that provides accelerated flight training for private pilots up to airline transport pilots, said the session is open to anyone interested in becoming a commercial airline pilot, especially helicopter and airplane pilots who are leaving the military. Students and pilots selected by SkyWest for the program are guaranteed a final interview for a first officer position at the airline after they complete their training for an airline transport pilot certificate, including accumulating 1,500 flight hours. Other perks of the program include mentoring from SkyWest pilots throughout the completion of their training, and seniority for company benefits eligibility and seniority among its pilots that starts the day they are accepted into the program. Based in St. George, Utah, SkyWest is a regional airline serving mainline carriers Alaska, American, Delta and United. According to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, SkyWest ranked No. 6 in the U.S. for 35.8 million passenger enplanements in 2017. SkyWest spokeswoman McKall Morris said in an e-mail the airline has partnerships with more than 100 private flight schools, universities and other airlines. Each school and university it enters into a partnership with for pilots is vetted by the airline "to make sure they are a great fit with SkyWest," she said. 'Constrained pilot supply' SkyWest's recruitment event comes a couple months after the Regional Airline Association, an industry trade group, released a pilot workforce update that focuses in part on a nationwide pilot shortage. In the report, RAA said "major airlines are replacing unprecedented number of pilots" because of a mandatory requirement for airline pilots to retire at 65, growing demand for air service and fewer pilots joining airlines than retiring from them. It said "major airlines draw heavily from regional airlines when hiring" pilots. The situation is made more challenging, the report said, by a 2013 Federal Aviation Administration requirement that pilots who want to be a first officer, or co-pilot, for an airline must have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, up from the previously required minimum of 250 hours flight time. The FAA rule "further constrained pilot supply by making the training path more expensive and the career more difficult to access," the report said. RAA said in the report that reducing the training cost of an airline pilot career path will do more in the long run to alleviate the shortage than paying pilots more money. In recent years, the regional airline industry has been criticized for paying its pilots low wages, in some instances as low as $22,000 a year for a starting first officer. But RAA said between 2014 and 2016, average pay for first-year first officers for its regional airline members increased 150 percent to $59,098. Pray said the partnership with SkyWest came together when he befriended one of the airline's recruiters on a Facebook forum for Army pilots. Pray is a former Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Pilots and prospective pilots who plan to attend Thursday's event should e-mail prayaviation@gmail.com or call 316-519-3399. John Oh of Seattle is one of Pray Aviation Service's students interested in working as a pilot for SkyWest Airlines, which has a partnership with the Augusta-based school that provides flight training through Airline Transport Pilot certification. Jerry Siebenmark The Wichita Eagle https://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article218409580.html Back to Top Back to Top Register Here Phone: (231)720-0930 (9-6 EST) Back to Top In less than a month, delegates and speakers from across the aviation, safety, energy, insurance and legal will gather in Texas to discuss the latest in safety best practices and knowledge at the 14th CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The Summit will take place October 2-4 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center More than 40 invited speakers will deliver presentations and lead approximately 80 concurrent sessions between October 2 and October 4 on this year's theme "Building Safety at Every Level: Does this start at the top or with front line employees?" While the Summit is less than a month away, there is still time for interested attendees to register and make arrangements to join industry colleagues at this premiere aviation safety event. Attendees can register at www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com. For those who have already registered and plan on attending, be sure to log in and sign up for your sessions before they fill up. Most sessions are offered multiple times to ensure everyone has the opportunity to attend those they would like to. Those attending the Summit will also have the opportunity to sign up to participate in pre- and post-Summit courses this year as well. The pre and post courses include Accident/Incident Investigation Analysis, A Practitioners' Guide to Building a Safety Case, HFACS Training and BowTie XP. Detailed descriptions and additional information are available on the Summit website here. "We look forward to what promises to be another great Summit," said Duncan Trapp, VP, Safety & Quality, CHC. "Bringing together all these professionals each year, from our speakers and invited guests to our delegates and sponsors, is always a beneficial and valuable experience. We're ready to get going next month, and hope that everyone attending has a productive three days with us." About CHC For more than 70 years, CHC Helicopter has provided safe, reliable, cost-effective helicopter service in some of the most remote and challenging environments around the world. With extensive experience transporting customers in the oil and gas industry, supporting search-and-rescue and EMS contracts, and providing maintenance, repair and overhaul services, our dedication to safety and reputation for quality and innovation help our customers reach beyond what they thought possible. Visit www.chcheli.com for information. Contact Information MEDIA Cameron Meyer Communications Specialist CHC Helicopter +1 214.262.7391 Cameron.Meyer@chcheli.com Summit Contact Irina Sakgaev Safety & Quality Applications Specialist CHC Helicopter +1 604.232.7302 summit@chcheli.com Back to Top Today's Photo ANA's 1st A380 Curt Lewis