Flight Safety Information September 26, 2018 - No. 196 In This Issue Incident: Cathay Pacific A359 at Copenhagen on Sep 24th 2018, lightning strike Incident: Volotea B712 near Athens on Sep 25th 2018, engine trouble Incident: Delta B763 near Newark on Sep 24th 2018, hydraulic failure Incident: Southwest B737 at San Antonio on Sep 24th 2018, hydraulic failure Incident: Jet2 B733 near Rennes on Sep 25th 2018, pilot felt unwell Beech 200 King Air crashed into a forest on approach to Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, USA Cessna U206G Fatal Accident (Alaska) LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck US blames confused Air Canada pilots after jet almost landed on four other airliners in San Francisco CRUSHED PHONE IGNITES AFTER QANTAS PASSENGER IGNORES SAFETY VIDEO Schumer wants the FAA to regulate airplane legroom BRITAIN PLANS TO STICK TO EU SAFETY RULES ON AVIATION EASA Publishes Dataset Identifying Top Risk Areas And Safety Issues FAA Calls for Inspections of Leonardo AW189 for Cracked Tail Gearbox FAA Updates Cold Weather Altimetry List FAA Garners Industry Feedback On Draft Mechanic Airman Certification Southwest Airlines adds free in-flight messaging Wireless Sensors Suggest a Way to Improve Aircraft Inspections ICAO and CAAi deliver fully funded Aerodrome Certification training in South East Asia Air Force To Award Key Space Contracts For Cutting Off Russia Ties '2018 International Aviation Safety and Education Summit Aircraft Accident Investigation from SCSI Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) shares news of revision to ICAO Annex 6 Part II Position:...Auditor II, Internal Evaluations Program Position:...Manager Air Investigations Gas Turbine Accident Investigation from SCSI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - Course 2018 CHC Safety and Quality Summit Incident: Cathay Pacific A359 at Copenhagen on Sep 24th 2018, lightning strike A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900, registration B-LRK performing flight CX-227 from Hong Kong (China) to Copenhagen (Denmark), was on approach to Copenhagen's runway 04L when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight, the return flight was cancelled. The aircraft returned to service the following day after about 31 hours on the ground. Metars: EKCH 240720Z 30010KT 9999 FEW022CB SCT045 BKN250 09/04 Q1016 TEMPO SHRA= EKCH 240648Z 28012G22KT 9999 -SHRA FEW022CB BKN045 09/04 Q1015 TEMPO SHRA= EKCH 240618Z 29012KT 9999 FEW022CB SCT040 BKN080 08/04 Q1015 TEMPO SHRA= EKCH 240549Z 28013KT 9999 -SHRA FEW022CB BKN040 08/04 Q1015 RESHRA NOSIG= EKCH 240520Z 33010KT 290V350 8000 SHRA SCT022CB BKN030 08/05 Q1015 BECMG NSW= EKCH 240450Z 33010KT 6000 -SHRA SCT022CB BKN042 08/06 Q1014 RESHRA TEMPO SHRA= EKCH 240420Z 36014G26KT 300V030 7000 SHRA SCT026CB BKN034 08/05 Q1014 BECMG NSW= EKCH 240350Z 26009KT 9999 FEW027 07/04 Q1012 TEMPO 32015G25KT SHRA SCT020CB= EKCH 240320Z 30006KT 9999 -SHRA BKN027 09/04 Q1012 TEMPO 32015G25KT SHRA SCT020CB= EKCH 240250Z 33013KT 9999 -SHRA NSC 09/04 Q1012 TEMPO 32015G25KT SHRA SCT020CB= EKCH 240220Z 32014KT 7000 SHRA FEW024CB BKN054 08/05 Q1012 TEMPO 32015G25KT -SHRA SCT020= EKCH 240150Z 34010G21KT 310V010 9999 SCT024 BKN054 10/05 Q1011 TEMPO 32015G25KT SHRA SCT020CB= EKCH 240120Z 01013KT 9999 BKN023 10/05 Q1011 NOSIG= EKCH 240050Z 30012KT CAVOK 10/06 Q1010 NOSIG= EKCH 240020Z 29013KT CAVOK 10/07 Q1009 NOSIG= http://avherald.com/h?article=4be2877d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Volotea B712 near Athens on Sep 25th 2018, engine trouble A Volotea Airlines Boeing 717-200, registration EI-FCB performing flight V7-1447 from Mikonos (Greece) to Venice (Italy) with 116 people on board, was climbing out of Mikonos when the crew stopped the climb at FL240 due to a problem with one of the engines (BR715) and decided to divert to Athens (Greece). The aircraft landed safely in Athens about 75 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground about 8 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4be283f0&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B763 near Newark on Sep 24th 2018, hydraulic failure A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N177DZ performing flight DL-20 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 205 people on board, was climbing out of Newark when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 reporting a hydraulic failure. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew was working the checklists, then the crew decided to divert to New York JFK,NY (USA). The crew prepared the aircraft for a high speed landing, the aircraft subsequently positioned for an approach to runway 04L and landed safely at a higher than normal speed (about 191 knots over ground). The aircraft stopped, the brakes overheated and a total of four main tyres deflated. The airline said the aircraft was diverted to JFK because of the availability of a replacement aircraft. The airport authority (PAPD) reported the aircraft suffered a hydraulic failure, diverted to JFK, made a hard landing on runway 04L, hot brakes caused two tyres on each main landing gear to deflate. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N184DN reached Paris with a delay of 8 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in JFK about 19.5 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL20/history/20180924/2238Z/KEWR/LFPG http://avherald.com/h?article=4be2810a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Southwest B737 at San Antonio on Sep 24th 2018, hydraulic failure A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N462WN performing flight WN-1005 from San Antonio,TX to Baltimore,MD (USA), was climbing out of San Antonio's runway 04 when the crew requested to level off at 5000 feet subsequently advising they had lost their A hydraulic system. They needed to work checklists and reduce fuel some. The aircraft subsequently landed safely on San Antonio's runway 13L about 25 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N481WN reached Baltimore with a delay of 2 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA1005/history/20180924/2155Z/KSAT/KBWI http://avherald.com/h?article=4be27e2b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jet2 B733 near Rennes on Sep 25th 2018, pilot felt unwell A Jet2.com Boeing 737-300, registration G-GDFL performing flight LS-612 from Girona,SP (Spain) to East Midlands,EN (UK), was enroute at FL320 about 30nm east of Rennes (France) when the crew decided to divert to Rennes due to one of the pilots feeling unwell. The aircraft landed safely on Rennes' runway 10 about 25 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft diverted as a precaution after one of the pilots felt unwell. Another pilot is being flown to Rennes. The aircraft remained on the ground in Rennes for about 5 hours, then continued the journey and reached East Midlands with a delay of 5.5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4be27bd9&opt=0 Back to Top Beech 200 King Air crashed into a forest on approach to Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, USA Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 25 September 2018 Time: 05:51 Type: Beechcraft 200 Super King Air Operator: Kalitta Charters Registration: N241CK C/n / msn: BB-272 First flight: 1978 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-41 Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 6,4 km (4 mls) SW of Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI ( United States of America) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Ferry/positioning Departure airport: Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP/KYIP), United States of America Destination airport: Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport, MI (KOSC), United States of America Flightnumber: K985 Narrative: A Beechcraft 200 Super King Air, operarting as Kalitta Charters flight 85, impacted wooded terrain in Iosco County's Wilber Township, 4 miles from runway 6 at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (KOSC), Michigan, USA. The airplane was consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot received fatal injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180925-0 Back to Top Cessna U206G Fatal Accident (Alaska) Date: 25-SEP-2018 Time: Morning Type: Cessna U206G Owner/operator: Regal Air/Laughlin Aquisitions LLC Registration: N1738R C/n / msn: U20604588 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: near Rainy Pass, Alaska - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The plane crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot died. Alaska State Troopers said in a statement: "Carl David Oberg, 67, a pilot flying with Regal Air Services at Lake Hood, died after the Cessna 206 he was piloting crashed. According to AST, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center responded to the area of Rainy Pass and located the plane and Oberg, the sole occupant on board, deceased. " https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=215668 Back to Top Back to Top US blames confused Air Canada pilots after jet almost landed on four other airliners in San Francisco The crew was seconds from landing their Airbus A320 jet on a taxiway where other planes loaded with passengers were waiting to take off Air Canada flight 759 from Toronto was set to land on runway 28R in July 2017 but instead headed for a parallel taxiway where four aeroplanes were awaiting clearance. It could have been the worst disaster in aviation history, with more than 1,000 people aboard the five aircraft. The aircraft overflew two of the planes and flew as low as 18 metres (60 feet) before starting to climb to avoid landing. The NTSB said the incident stemmed from the flight crew's lack of awareness of a runway closure and cited the airline's ineffective presentation of approach information among other issues. "The mistakes identified in this report highlight the need for further review of approach and landing procedures," said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. "This event could very easily have had a catastrophic outcome.' Air Canada said in a statement it would review the final report and its recommendations. The airline noted that, based on internal reviews and work with US and Canadian authorities, it had "implemented measures to refine its training and procedures, and it has acquired new technology to further advance safety." An image from an NTSB report into a July 7 near-miss at San Francisco international airport shows four airliners waiting to take off on a taxi way. Moments later Air Canada Flight 759 came within metres of landing on them. Photo: NTSB The NTSB's probable cause findings cited fatigue as a contributing factor, noting that while the flight crew's work schedule complied with Canadian requirements, the captain would not have complied with US fatigue management rules. Canada has been working to change its fatigue management rules for pilots since 2010, said Dan Adamus, president of the Air Line Pilots' Association, Canada. Currently, Canadian pilots are limited to a 14 hour duty day or work period from the time when they check in at the airport. But pilots can also be reserved, or on call, for hours before they arrive at the airport which makes it harder to plan for rest, Adamus said. Canada has proposed changes to cap a pilot's combined duty day and reserve period at 18 hours, depending on the starting time. Dan Elwell, the Federal Aviation Administration's acting administrator, said in a statement that "reducing the risk of wrong-surface events is one of the FAA's top priorities." The FAA is using a type of Airport Surface Detection Equipment at 35 major airports that enables controllers to detect potential runway conflicts, the agency said. In September 2017, the FAA began testing a modification to detect and issue alerts for aircraft lined up for taxiways. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2165745/us-blames-confused-air- canada-pilots-after-jet Back to Top CRUSHED PHONE IGNITES AFTER QANTAS PASSENGER IGNORES SAFETY VIDEO It isn't rocket science but it seems some people are still having trouble grasping the simple instruction to call a flight attendant if they lose their phone in their seat. A business class passenger on a Qantas Airbus A380 flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne has become the latest to ignore the instruction and cause a furor by crushing their mobile phone moving the seat in an attempt to retrieve it. The aircraft was about two hours out of Melbourne Wednesday when the smell of burnt rubber reportedly wafted through the cabin and flight crew were seen heading to the business cabin with fire extinguishers. The cabin crew contained the smoking phone and the pilot decided to continue to Melbourne after a conversation with the airline's operations center. "Our crew are trained to handle these situations and the crew onboard followed all the correct procedures,'' a spokesman said. "This incident shows why we ask passengers to seek help from our cabin crew in retrieving their mobile phones." READ Passengers continue to ignore device fire danger Not following the correct procedures or the advice given on every flight during the safety video can be dangerous. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority estimates the average Australian passengers travel with three to four personal electronic devices on their person with another one to two packed in checked baggage. "While rare, there have been incidents of malfunctioning/damaged lithium batteries in recent years with the most common cause being smartphones and their batteries being crushed in passengers' seats,'' CASA said. Crushing a phone is not the only reason a battery might ignite: others include electrical shorting, rapid discharge, overcharging, a manufacturing defect, poor design or by simply being dropped. The more severe cases can result in a "thermal runaway", a reaction within the battery causing internal temperatures and pressure to rise at a quicker rate than can be dissipated. "Once one cell within a battery goes into thermal runaway it can produce enough heat to cause adjacent cells to sympathetically react,'' CASA warns. " This can produce smoke, fire and fumes that can repeatedly flare up as each battery cell in turn ruptures and releases its contents." One of Australia's first reportable lithium battery events occurred in November 2011 when a Regional Express passenger's iPhone started emitting smoke as ta Lismore-Sydney flight landed. The overheating was traced to a loose screw from an unapproved screen repair causing a short circuit. Perhaps the most widespread impact of lithium battery fires came when manufacturer Samsung was forced to discontinue the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 after it was banned by airlines globally for safety reasons. CASA tells airlines to educate passengers on how to use and stow their devices and not to use mechanical or electrical seat functions when a device is lost in a chair. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/crushed-phone-ignites-qantas-passenger-ignores-safety- video/ Back to Top Schumer wants the FAA to regulate airplane legroom Air passengers would get more room to spread out under a last-minute addendum to an FAA bill from Sen. Chuck Schumer. The minority leader wants the federal government to establish a relatively roomy minimum plane seat size so airlines stop trying to cram customers so close together. In the past decade, seats have shrunk from 18.5 inches to about 17 inches wide, while legroom has been cut from 35 inches to 31 inches, according to a federal study. "When talking to travelers, the No. 1 complaint I hear is shrinking legroom and cramped seats on planes," Schumer told The Post on Tuesday. "Consumers are tired of being packed into airplanes like sardines, and that's why we must get a handle on this deep-seated problem before it goes any further. "It's no secret that airlines are looking for more ways to cut costs, but they shouldn't be cutting inches of legroom and seat width in the process,'' he said. Schumer is not suggesting any minimums when it comes to space, but he thinks the Federal Aviation Administration should - and it should be generous, his staffers said. Other new language included in the bill, which would take the place of legislation that expires Saturday, would prohibit airlines from involuntarily bumping passengers who are already seated, require them to post online what they're doing to deal with computer-system crashes and set a strict timeline for them to return fees to customers when they didn't actually receive the services. An FAA spokeswoman said the agency is "currently reviewing the legislation." https://nypost.com/2018/09/25/schumer-wants-the-faa-to-regulate-airplane-legroom/ Back to Top BRITAIN PLANS TO STICK TO EU SAFETY RULES ON AVIATION The UK government said in a paper on aviation safety that functions currently performed by the European Aviation Safety Agency would instead be performed by Britain's aviation regulator. A British Airways aircraft prepares to land at Heathrow Airport in west London. Picture: AFP. LONDON - Britain said it would stick to European Union (EU) technical rules and standards in aviation safety if the country leaves the bloc without a deal in March 2019, according to a series of technical notices published on Monday. The UK government said in a paper on aviation safety that functions currently performed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) would instead be performed by Britain's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA). Britain also said that it intended that any safety certificates issued by EASA which benefited UK entities would be valid for two years from the day Britain leaves the EU, and would need to be replaced by CAA versions before the end of that period. While the EU has so far said that it would not recognise CAA issued certificates in a no-deal scenario, the UK said it was encouraging the EU to take "reciprocal action in recognising UK-issued certificates". On security, the UK government said in the event of a no-deal Brexit, there would be no reason for the UK's aviation security regime not to be recognised by the EU as equivalent, meaning no additional security restrictions. However, if the EU decides not to recognise the UK aviation security system, then passengers from the UK transferring through EU airports and their luggage would have to be rescreened when changing flights in EU hub airports. https://ewn.co.za/2018/09/24/britain-plans-to-stick-to-eu-safety-rules-on-aviation Back to Top EASA Publishes Dataset Identifying Top Risk Areas And Safety Issues The agency's data analysis will inform development of the European Plan for Aviation Safety. While not identified as a "high-risk safety issue," aviation maintenance is a factor in some key risk areas, including aircraft upset and aircraft environment, according to EASA's annual safety review. Through its Annual Safety Review, EASA publishes data that drives its European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS)-a road map and key component of Europe's safety management system. For maintenance, the 2018-22 EPAS, published in November 2017, dictates a comprehensive review of Part 66 aircraft maintenance licensing, Part 147 maintenance training organization approvals and Part 145 maintenance organization approvals, with an eye toward performance-based rulemaking and risk-based oversight. Those initiatives were ostensibly created based on the safety trends identified in the Annual Safety Review. The Annual Safety Review is part of a multi-step EPAS development process that includes identifying issues through review and analysis of occurrence data, formal assessment and prioritization, development of proposed actions by key stakeholders, and implementation through oversight, research, rulemaking or safety promotion. The Annual Safety Review formalizes the last step in the process, reporting performance measurements and identifying safety trends and key risk areas. Undesirable outcomes (e.g., an accident) and the immediate precursor to that outcome are identified in the review as key risk areas. For commercial aircraft operations, the top risk areas include aircraft upset, runway excursions, injury, security, runway collision, airborne collision, aircraft environment, ground collision, taxiway excursion, terrain collision and obstacle collision. The EASA Annual Safety Report plots high-risk occurrences based on the European Risk Classification Scheme (ERCS) score, which seeks to provide a better representation of the risk that an occurrence will lead to a fatal accident. Safety issues, including aviation maintenance, are plotted against the identified risk areas and listed according to priority. Maintenance is classified as a priority 3 (out of 4) and, according to the data, most often contributes to negative outcomes related to aircraft upset (loss of control) and aircraft environment. Accounting for a smaller number of aviation maintenance-related occurrences are runway excursion, injury or damages and terrain collision. EASA is careful to point out that the purpose of the dataset is to identify key safety areas-it should not be construed as a risk determination. The system layers on additional analysis, including consideration of contributing factors and level of control over the safety issue, before determining what areas pose the greatest risk. That analysis is what ultimately acts as the basis for EPAS development. EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky says the report will continue to evolve with the release of a new big-data program, Data4Safety (D4S). The information platform will collect, aggregate and analyze voluntarily shared data-an approach supported by 92% of industry according to a 2015 feasibility study. Once integrated into the European System, D4S will be the main feeder for EPAS development, which will better support performance-based regulation and a more predictive system. Full Data4Safety deployment is scheduled for 2020. https://www.mro-network.com/safety-regulatory/easa-publishes-dataset-identifying-top-risk- areas-and-safety-issues Back to Top FAA Calls for Inspections of Leonardo AW189 for Cracked Tail Gearbox An AW189 on oil field work with Bristow Helicopters in flight from Norwich Airport, U.K. The FAA is ordering the inspection of four Leonardo AW189 helicopters in the United States to check for a cracked tail gearbox fitting. The U.S. presence of AW189 helicopters is limited to the four at Milestone Aviation Group and AAR Airlift. An FAA Airworthiness Directive issued last Friday and effective Oct. 26 "requires inspecting the tail gearbox fitting for a crack." A crack in the TGB fitting could "reduce the tail assembly's ability to sustain loads from the TGB and the tail rotor and result in loss of helicopter control." Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the FAA in Fort Worth, Texas, said that Leonardo personnel are to conduct the inspections, but had no further comment. The FAA directive occurs more than two years after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive on the same issue. "EASA advises that this condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to crack propagation up to a critical length," the FAA directive said. "This condition could reduce the assembly's ability to sustain loads from the TGB and tail rotor, possibly resulting in reduced helicopter control. The EASA AD consequently requires repetitive inspections of the fitting and replacing the fitting, depending on the inspections' outcome." The FAA said that it issued its directive "because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs and that air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD requirements as proposed." The FAA declined to comment when asked for an explanation behind the two-year lag between the issuance of the EASA airworthiness directive on the AW189 and the FAA airworthiness directive. https://www.rotorandwing.com/2018/09/25/faa-calls-inspections-leonardo-aw189-cracked-tail- gearbox/ Back to Top FAA Updates Cold Weather Altimetry List Some previously affected airports have been removed. Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska. One topic that sometimes receives scant attention during flight training is the effect of temperature on a pilot's ability to understand just how much air separates them from the ground. Aircraft altimeters don't operate normally when subjected to extremely cold temperatures. In cold regions of the globe, failure to compensate for extreme cold can induce significant errors in the indicated altitude, errors that can prove fatal during instrument flight. In the U.S., the FAA publishes a list of airports where altimeter corrections must be considered when temperatures plummet and includes airports not just in Alaska, but some in California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Idaho, Wisconsin and others. Not only are pilots responsible for applying altitude corrections, but also for advising ATC when these corrections are made on any segment other than the final. ATC is not responsible for advising pilots that an altitude correction is required at a specific airport. Pilots flying internationally should also research how a particular country handles altimeter corrections when the temperature plummets in those areas. The FAA recently announced the results of a risk analysis conducted to determine if any Part 97 instrument approach procedures pose a greater or reduced risk during cold temperature operations. The outcome led to the FAA to publish a Notice to Airman Publication (NTAP) providing pilots with a list of airports, the affected segments and procedures needed to correct published altitudes at the restricted temperatures. A number of previously listed airports have been removed. https://www.flyingmag.com/faa-updates-cold-weather-altimetry-list Back to Top FAA Garners Industry Feedback On Draft Mechanic Airman Certification Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (ACS), expected to be published in 2020, will set forth the minimum knowledge and skill requirements for FAA-certificated mechanics, replace Practical Test Standards (PTS) and govern development of the written, oral and practical mechanic tests. This summer, the FAA/industry working group charged with development of the standard solicited public feedback. It received more than 50 comments; the majority were adopted and incorporated into the Mechanic ACS. The most notable differences between the new standard and its predecessor are the incorporation of risk-management and human-factors elements. Industry response to those changes were vastly positive, evidencing support for the new, all-encompassing testing standard. Several improvements were made to the Mechanic ACS in response to public comment, including changing the title of the document from Aviation Maintenance Technician ACS to Mechanic ACS, in line with regulatory language. The working group also removed, clarified or adjusted several subject areas to include the removal of nearly all welding knowledge and skill elements. A new testing standard will modernize minimum knowledge and skill requirements for newly certificated mechanics. Questions remain about whether the agency will adopt the testing standard as the driver for aviation-maintenance-technician school curriculum requirements. The working group has formally recommended to the FAA that the Mechanic ACS be used for both training and testing, to ensure correlation and avoid schools having to adhere to two standards. Regardless, mechanic technical programs will certainly need to incorporate ACS elements into their training programs, since its subject areas will be the basis for the oral, practical and written FAA mechanic tests. Until the standard is officially published, the aviation maintenance technician PTS (FAA-S-8081-26A, -27A, -28A) remains in effect. Applicants, instructors and evaluators will continue to use those documents as the basis for the oral and practical tests. The FAA mechanic written test bank is currently under review to ensure existing questions are within parameters set forth in the Mechanic ACS. Changes made to the test bank are communicated to the public through a semiannual "What's New" document published on the FAA Airman Testing web page. https://www.mro-network.com/safety-regulatory/faa-garners-industry-feedback-draft-mechanic- airman-certification Back to Top Southwest Airlines adds free in-flight messaging A Southwest Airlines jet leaves Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Can't stand being out of touch at 35,000 feet but don't want to pay for pricey in-flight Wi-Fi? Try instant messaging. Southwest Airlines is the latest carrier to offer free in-flight messaging. The airline had been charging $2 per flight for the service since 2013, a price that is still listed on the airline's website. The carrier, the USA's top carrier of domestic passengers, began rolling out complimentary messaging on select aircraft with Wi-Fi earlier this month, spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said. Passengers can send instant messages via iMessage and WhatsApp as long as they download the apps before the flight. (Passengers who purchase the airline's $8 in-flight internet service already get messaging for free.) The airline said travelers can find out if the free messaging is available on their flight by checking Southwest's in-flight entertainment portal on their device. Southwest is not the first to offer free messaging Delta Air Lines started offering free mobile messaging on Wi-Fi-equipped flights a year ago. It works with iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Alaska Airlines was first U.S. carrier to introduce free messaging, in early 2017. American Airlines planned to offer free messaging, announcing the service a year ago, but never implemented it. The carrier decided to focus on other in-flight entertainment, including free live TV, spokesman Joshua Freed said. United has free messaging on some aircraft, according to spokeswoman Maddie King, and is looking at expanding it throughout the fleet. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/25/southwest-airlines-adds-free-in-flight-messaging.html Back to Top Wireless Sensors Suggest a Way to Improve Aircraft Inspections In the MicaPlex Materials Lab, Suma Ayyagari, a Ph.D. candidate, uses a sophisticated physical vapor deposition machine to sputter incredibly tiny films onto different substrates. Ayyagari is mentored by Embry-Riddle Professor of Aerospace Engineering Marwan Al-Haik. Photo by Daryl LaBello Smart composite materials now under development in Embry-Riddle's John Mica Engineering and Aerospace Innovation Complex (MicaPlex) show promise for improving aviation safety by continuously monitoring aircraft for structural failures - even in flight. More broadly, said Professor of Aerospace Engineering Marwan Al-Haik, wireless sensors embedded into composite materials could help detect/prevent failures across a host of structures, from automobiles to bridges and even athletic equipment, while they are in use. "The idea is to build these sensors right into the structure," Al-Haik explained. "Most failures happen during operation, while the structure is being subjected to a load." Yet, he noted, existing inspection technology often involves "somebody with an ultrasound gun" who walks around an airplane on the ground, focusing on critical areas such as joints and seams where defects are most commonly seen. Other inspection methods include dusting surfaces with magnetized metal powder to spot cracks, or the use of fiber optic wires built into layers of an aerospace material - an approach that can actually cause cracks, Al-Haik said. Instead, Embry-Riddle researchers including Al-Haik, Dae Won Kim, Sirish Namilae, William Barott, Jeff Brown and Fady Barsoum are depositing sensors, in the form of zinc-oxide nanowires, directly onto carbon fibers. The sensors are "piezoelectric," meaning they generate a specific electrical charge in response to different levels of mechanical stress. Interlocked within composite materials, these zinc-oxide nanowires also strengthen aircraft materials, according to Al-Haik. That's important because the layers of fiber-reinforced plastic composite materials used in aircraft can pull apart or delaminate over time. Inside the new Materials Lab at the MicaPlex, a physical vapor deposition machine granted to Al- Haik through an Army Office of Research grant makes it possible to very precisely deposit up to five materials at the same time onto a thin substrate. Operating under extremely low vacuum pressure - 100,000 times less intense than normal atmospheric pressure - the machine can sputter incredibly tiny films onto different substrates. "A human hair is around 25 microns, and we're working on a scale that's one ten-thousandth of that," said Al-Haik, a National Science Foundation Early Career Award winner with six issued U.S. patents and more than 75 peer-reviewed research articles who came to Embry-Riddle by way of Virginia Tech. If they can calculate the specific electrical signal generated by zinc-oxide nanowire sensors under different load levels, Al-Haik said, those electrical "fingerprints" could be correlated with the exact size of a material defect. How would structural monitoring improve aviation safety in a real-world setting? "Airlines could wirelessly receive data to continuously monitor their fleet," Al-Haik said. "Our hope is that, after we get that correlation between defect size and electrical signal, if it's a crack length that exceeds, let's say 5 millimeters, a signal would be sent to an operator on the ground. That person would say, `Uh oh, that's the 747 and it's in wing. We'd better take a look at that right away.'" Preliminary Results Pass Peer Review Al-Haik, with his graduate student Suma Ayyagari, recently published preliminary results in the Journal of Carbon Research. Ayyagari, a Ph.D. candidate who serves as first author on the paper, used a farming analogy to describe the vapor deposition process. "Basically, you deposit some seeds and add a kind of fertilizer," she said. "You need wet chemistry to grow the seeds." The research article, "Mechanical and Electrical Characterization of Carbon Fiber/Bucky Paper/Zinc Oxide Hybrid Composites," published Jan. 18, 2018, describes the mechanical attributes of zinc- oxide enhanced carbon fiber-reinforced composites (CFRPs) versus CFRPs incorporating nanotubes called buckypaper. "There are certain hybrid composite combinations that could lead to the development of highly multifunctional composites with better strength, stiffness, damping and electrical conductivity," the authors wrote. A native of India who comes from a family of computer scientists, Ayyagari said her passion is "fixing things that already exist and understanding what caused the problem." Her work in the lab is painstaking and requires patience, but she said Al-Haik has been an excellent coach. "Before I touch a machine, I know how to use it because he teaches well," she added. "For experimental research, you need help, especially with these new machines, and he's very conscientious in sharing what he knows." In addition to serving as the self-described "custodian" for the Materials Lab, Al-Haik has been working with colleagues to set up the Composite Lab and the Structures Lab in the MicaPlex. (Further information on MicaPlex labs is available online.) His current research is funded by internal grant from ERAU. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/wireless-sensors-suggest-a-way-to-improve-aircraft-inspections/ Back to Top ICAO and CAAi deliver fully funded Aerodrome Certification training in South East Asia In collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), CAA International (CAAi), part of the UK CAA International Group, has delivered an Aerodrome Certification course for 26 delegates from 11 countries in South East Asia. The training was funded by CAAi under its Social Enterprise activity. The course was held at the ICAO Asia and Pacific (APAC) Regional Office in Bangkok and delivered under ICAO's Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Programme - South East Asia (COSCAP-SEA). Developed by the UK CAA and based on ICAO Annex 14, the training was prioritised by ICAO for COSCAP-SEA Member States because it addressed the lowest average USOAP Effective Implementation (EI) area in the COSCAP-SEA sub-region; AGA - Aerodromes and ground aids. The COSCAP-SEA and APAC average EI in the AGA area is 58%. Under the Beijing Ministerial Declaration of 2018, APAC Member States have committed to certify all aerodromes used for international operations by 2020 and raise Effective Implementation in the region above the global average by 2022. Michiel Vreedenburgh, Programme Coordinator for ICAO COSCAP-SEA said, "ICAO welcomes the UK CAA as a valuable new contributing partner to COSCAP-SEA to collaborate with on assisting States in South East Asia to develop and improve aviation safety oversight systems. The topic of the course was prioritised based on the existing low levels of implementation in the sub-region and with a view to achieving the Ministerial Declaration target to certify all international aerodromes by 2020." Under invitation by ICAO, the course attracted delegates from Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Delivered by UK CAA aerodrome experts, Graeme Ritchie and David Macmillan, the training explored 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 aerodrome certification process and continuing surveillance, and the importance of safety management systems. The course introduced participants to the pre-certification documentation, the initial as well as on-going regulatory oversight activities, and the steps to take when regulatory intervention is deemed necessary. Maria Rueda, Managing Director for CAAi added, "We are delighted to support ICAO and COSCAP Member States with this important training. Asia's rapid growth in commercial aviation and continued airport investment relies on safe operations and ICAO compliant regulatory oversight. We hope this course equips our SEA regulatory peers with the latest best practice and competencies for Annex 14 compliance." In 2017, CAAi became a Social Enterprise and committed to reinvest a substantial part of any profit it makes back into the global aviation community. Earlier this year, CAAi and ICAO held its first fully funded aerodrome certification training programme in Nairobi, attracting 36 delegates from 14 ICAO Member States in Africa. For more information, please contact Stuart Coates, Senior Manager - International Marketing & Communications; stuart.coates@caa.co.uk 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 Back to Top Air Force To Award Key Space Contracts For Cutting Off Russia Ties The Air Force is expected to announce this week the winners of its Launch Service Agreement (LSA) contracts, as the Pentagon turns to private-sector space companies to provide strictly U.S.-made rockets. The goal is to meet a congressional deadline of 2022 for phasing out Russian-made RD-180 engines, which are used in the Atlas 5 rocket by the Boeing (BA)-Lockheed Martin (LMT) joint venture United Launch Alliance. The space companies in the running for LSA include Elon Musk's SpaceX, ULA, Northrop Grumman (NOC) Innovation Systems (formerly Orbital ATK), and Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin. In 2016, the Air Force awarded initial contracts to SpaceX, Orbital ATK, ULA and Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD) to develop U.S.-made propulsion systems. The upcoming LSA contracts, each of which could be worth a billion dollars over the next several years, will be for development of the overall rocket. The next step is to narrow down the selection field further to just two by 2021. Those two space companies will then launch a combined total of up to six rockets per year for the military. Here's a look at the space companies competing for the LSA: SpaceX SpaceX hasn't said which rocket it would use but it already launches Air Force payloads with its Falcon 9 rocket, powered by its U.S.-made Merlin engines, ending ULA's virtual monopoly on military launches. The 2016 Air Force contract that SpaceX received helped pay for development of its Raptor engine, which will be used on the upcoming Big Falcon Rocket. That massive spacecraft is envisioned traveling to Mars and beyond and is also seen bringing payloads into Earth orbit. But SpaceX hinted last year that the Raptor engine could eventually find its way on the Falcon 9. SpaceX also has the Falcon Heavy, which is powered by 27 Merlin engines. The Air Force has already picked it for launches, including the classified Air Force Space Command-52 satellite due to launch by September 2020. United Launch Alliance With its Titan and Atlas rockets, ULA is the legacy launch provider for the Pentagon. But it has to develop a new rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, for future Air Force launches. After the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014, the Air Force couldn't use the Atlas 5 with its Russian-made engines. ULA has been working with Blue Origin and Aerojet Rocketdyne on U.S.-made engines to power the Vulcan. While ULA picked Aerojet earlier this year to supply engines for the Vulcan's upper stage, it has yet to choose between Aerojet's AR1 engine and Blue Origin's BE-4 engine for the lower stage. Northrop Northrop OmegA rocket will include Aerojet's RL10 engine for the third stage engine, while the first two stages are powered by the company's own Castor engines. The OmegA began under Orbital ATK. But following Northrop's acquisition of Orbital in 2017, Jefferies analysts predicted their combined scale and space expertise could make the OmegA a formidable competitor. "The company's OmegA rocket is starting at a high level of technology readiness given its leverage of current components," the analysts said in April. Blue Origin Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket hasn't taken off yet, but the Air Force LSA contract would help fund the rocket's development. That won't be the only infusion of money it receives. Bezos said last week that he plans put in more than $1 billion of his own money into the New Glenn's development. The New Glenn is using seven reusable BE-4 engines for the first stage, a BE-4U re-ignitable engine for the second stage, and BE-3U engines for the third stage. Front-Runners The Air Force is expected to award at least three suppliers with contracts. Analysts see SpaceX and ULA as the front-runners for the first two awards, according to Space News. Blue Origin or Northrop's Omega rocket could win the third. The emergence of Blue Origin has added a twist to the LSA contest. The contract award was reportedly delayed from July until September to have more time to evaluate Blue Origin's design submission, Space News has reported. Northrop shares were up 2.7% on the stock market today, Boeing dipped 0.2%, Lockheed rallied 1.8%, and Aerojet jumped 3.9%. Cutting Out Russia The Pentagon isn't alone in ending its reliance on Russia's space program. NASA has contracts with Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Since NASA retired the space shuttle fleet in 2011, U.S. astronauts have had to hitch rides on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. But SpaceX and Boeing will launch their first crewed test flights next year. https://www.investors.com/news/space-companies-air-force-contract-spacex-blue-origin-ula/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) shares news of revision to ICAO Annex 6 Part II Standardization Board Member Amanda Zeigler briefed the Consortium regarding the newly revised guidance from ICAO. (Revision 10, July 23, 2018) On September 13, 2018, during the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) quarterly Continuing Education/Safety Round Table, Standardization Board Member and Quality Control Lead Amanda Ziegler of Quality Resources, briefed BASC membership regarding the new changes to the ICAO document, which must be complied with by November 8, 2018. Zeigler stressed the most pertinent changes likely to affect Business Aviation operators were changes in Flight Recorder requirements, performance data, and documents required onboard the aircraft. Quality Resources is researching applicability and will provide feedback shortly. The Founder and President of BASC, Rick Malczynski, commented that Quality Resources notified him several months prior that a revision would be forthcoming. He shared, "I cannot tell you how proud I am of this team. I have yet to hear anyone else in our industry addressing these changes, yet our members, and now through this release, many more business aviation professionals are aware. The cool thing about BASC is that you don't just find out about a change when you get a new audit checklist. The last thing anyone wants is to find out about something after the fact, and then scramble to comply. Our team keeps everyone informed in a timely manner. Expert and thoughtful analysis is preformed, and then suggestions and recommendations are provided, to insure compliance. We are very sensitive to the personnel issues in Business Aviation, and we thrive on hardworking, professional organizations that have the confidence to lean on us and let us be that twelfth person on the field for them." ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Back to Top Position: Auditor II, Internal Evaluations Program Job Details Description What are some of the daily duties of an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? * Performs scheduled and special evaluations, including identifying and defining issues, reviewing and analyzing evidence, and documenting findings and concerns * Collects objective evidence necessary to substantiate findings or concerns * Prepares evaluation reports * Recommends solutions to findings or concerns * Monitors the development and implementation of corrective action plans * Maintains and updates internal evaluation files * Verifies the implementation of solutions and corrective action plans * Focal point for AirSMS input and deliverables * Assists in recruiting and training qualified IEP personnel * Assists in conducting interviews, reviewing documents and administering surveys regarding the IEP process * Represents IEP on organizational project teams, at management meetings, with executive leadership, and with external organizations What are the minimum requirements to be an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? * ATP pilot certificate, A & P certificate, or dispatch certificate required * Minimum 3 years of IEP or auditing experience required * Certified Quality Auditor preferred * Work experience in 14 CFR Part 121 air carrier operations: stations, training, quality control, maintenance, operations, safety or a combination thereof required * Working knowledge of SMS, DOD principles and the FAA SAS DCTs required. * Previous experience maintaining and enhancing corporate safety standards and safe operation practices required * Advanced verbal, written, and presentation communication skills * Proficient in database and spreadsheet programs * Bachelor's degree in related field required / or experience in lieu of What other skills, knowledge, and qualifications are needed to be an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? * Must pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen * Must have authorization to work in the U.S. as defined in the Immigrations Act of 1986 What are the physical requirements of an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? * Office environment Allegiant is an equal opportunity employer and will not unlawfully discriminate against qualified applicants or Team Members with respect to any terms or conditions of employment based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, military service status, union/non-union activity, citizenship status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. This includes compliance with all federal, state and local laws providing for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all aspects of the employment process and the requirement to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with those laws. APPLY HERE Back to Top Position: Manager Air Investigations Utilise your leadership, investigation communication and interpersonal skills Demonstrate credibility with your air transport experience Medically & physically fit, current passport and driver's licence essential. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC New Zealand) investigates significant aviation, rail and marine accidents and incidents with a view to avoiding similar occurrences in the future. The commission has set a visionary goal of "No Repeat Accidents - Ever!" Thorough investigation skills are pivotal to the Commission's successful performance. To enhance capability and capacity to respond to accidents, TAIC is currently recruiting the Manager of Air Investigations. The successful applicant will have relevant air transport experience, leadership and investigative skills and professional or technical qualifications eg: air pilot; aircraft, electrical engineer or avionics specialist, etc. As the Manager, you will effectively lead those who provide high quality and timely air transport accident investigation services.. Key competencies and experience include: * Leadership and business skills and experience. * Investigative and QA experience and skills. * Ability to anticipate and identify risks/issues and identify possible solutions. * Communication skills, written, verbal and interpersonal. * Understanding of quasi-judicial processes, particularly the rules and requirements applicable to a Commission of Inquiry. * Emotional and psychological maturity to handle stressful and emotionally difficult situations. * Medically and physically fit, with a valid passport and current driver's licence. I look forward to hearing from those interested in progressing their career within this pivotal organisation based in central Wellington, New Zealand. Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday, 3 October 2018 or sooner if a suitable applicant is identified. If you are interested in the position please visit our website www.peopleandco.nz. All applications will be acknowledged electronically. For further information contact Michele Walls on +64 21 858 364 quoting job number 18723. Only people with the right to work in New Zealand may apply for this position. For advice on obtaining a New Zealand work or residence visa visit www.immigration.govt.nz 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 Curt Lewis