Flight Safety Information October 22, 2018 - No. 214 In This Issue Accident: Malaysia B738 at Shanghai on Oct 21st 2018, rejected takeoff due to burst tyres Incident: British Airways B744 over Atlantic on Oct 20th 2018, electrical problems Accident: Jetstar A320 at Melbourne on Oct 20th 2018, odour sickens two flight attendants Incident: Virgin Australia B738 near Adelaide on Oct 18th 2018, electrical issue EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Polar Cargo B744 at Cincinnati on Oct 20th 2018, runway excursion on landing Incident: Jetblue A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Oct 18th 2018, unsafe gear Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage - Inflight Fire - Forced Landing (Utah) Report: ATR 72-600 struck runway maintenance equipment when landing at Surabaya LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner came within 10 feet of a drone on approach to Heathrow Airport, UK SINGLE-PILOT SAFETY STANDDOWN FOCUSES ON CRITICAL SKILLS Aircraft Mechanic Facing Theft Charges Another First for TAC Air: First Large Chain FBO Network to Achieve IS-BAH Stage II Certification DJI Calls Research Video of Drone Hitting Airplane Wing 'Misleading,' Demands Withdrawal US, UN agencies to start checks on India's aviation safety from month-end Aviation disaster in making: This is how often emergency life jackets are checked on flights Boeing Shares Plunge As Airbus Tries To Poach Major Chinese Airlines Brazil's GOL to upgrade fleet with 135 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft Female pilots make debut in Malaysia Airlines Thai Flight Delayed 2 Hours So Off Duty Pilots Could Sit In First Class! Bombardier sues Mitsubishi jet program over trade secrets GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Gas Turbine Accident Investigation from SCSI Upcoming USC Aviation Safety Courses Medallion Foundation - PROVIDING ASSURANCE IN YOUR SYSTEMS HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - Course Accident: Malaysia B738 at Shanghai on Oct 21st 2018, rejected takeoff due to burst tyres A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9M-MXM performing flight MH-387 from Shanghai Pudong (China) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), was accelerating for takeoff from Pudong's runway 35R when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed due to both left main tyres bursting with pieces of the tyres penetrating the fuselage. The aircraft slowed safely and vacated the runway via a high speed turn off about 1800 meters/5900 feet down the runway and stopped, emergency services foamed the landing gear. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The damage: http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf42b5a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways B744 over Atlantic on Oct 20th 2018, electrical problems A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVD performing flight BA-177 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL360 over the Atlantic Ocean about 800nm west of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew decided to return to London due to electrical problems. The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow Airport about 5:15 hours after departure. The flight was cancelled. A passenger reported the inflight entertainment system failed shortly after departure soon followed by the lighting in cabin and lavatories. Some more time later the galleys lost power and the only lights remaining were the passenger overhead signs. Cabin crew detected an unusual odour, flight crew performed an inspection of the cabin to determine the source of the odour. The aircraft subsequently turned around, about 15 minutes after turning around the captain announced they were returning to Heathrow due to issues with one of the electrical systems. After landing the passengers were accomodated near the airport, they were rebooked onto flights the next day. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf42e0c&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Jetstar A320 at Melbourne on Oct 20th 2018, odour sickens two flight attendants A Jetstar Airbus A320-200, registration VH-VQL performing flight JQ-772 from Melbourne,VI to Adelaide,SA (Australia), was climbing out of Melbourne's runway 27 when an odour developed in the cabin causing two flight attendants to increasingly feel unwell. The flight crew decided to stop the climb at FL240 and return to Melbourne for a safe landing on runway 16 about 35 minutes after departure. The two flight attendants were taken to a hospital. The airline reported the two flight attendants were taken to a hospital for observation. The odour potentially came from some cleaning product, it remains unclear however what caused the sickness of the flight attendants. A replacement A321-200 registration VH-VWZ reached Adelaide with a delay of 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 16 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf3696c&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Virgin Australia B738 near Adelaide on Oct 18th 2018, electrical issue A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUP performing flight VA-465 from Perth,WA to Brisbane,QL (Australia), was enroute at FL350 about 290nm northeast of Adelaide,SA (Australia) when the crew decided to divert to Adelaide due to electrical issues on board. The aircraft landed safely in Adelaide about one hour later. Passengers reported shortly after departure from Perth there was a faint burning odour that became more pronounced as the flight progressed. After about 3 hours the captain announced they were having electrical issues and were diverting to Adelaide. The airline reported the captain decided to divert to Adelaide as a precaution after an electrical odour was noticed in the cabin. http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf2d90d&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Polar Cargo B744 at Cincinnati on Oct 20th 2018, runway excursion on landing A Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N451PA performing flight PO-243 from Anchorage,AK to Cincinnati,KY (USA) with 2 crew, was on approach to Cincinnati's Northern Kentucky Airport's runway 27 when the crew went around, positioned for another approach to runway 27 and touched down about 12 minutes later at 19:32L (23:32Z), the aircraft however veered right off the runway and came to a stop on soft ground between taxiways K6 and K7. There were no injuries. On Oct 21st 2018 the NTSB reported they are investigating a Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747 that veered off the runway in Hebron, KY (Northern Kentucky Airport serving Cincinnati,OH). A ground observer reported even the following morning around 01:00L there were still a lot of flashing lights out at runway 27 and 36C, both runways were closed and only runway 36R was available for operations. The 747 appeared to be facing south which the observer thought was unusual. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/PAC243/history/20181020/1750Z/PANC/KCVG Related NOTAMs: !CVG 10/118 CVG RWY 18C/36C CLSD 1810202345-1810210700 !CVG 10/117 CVG RWY 09/27 CLSD 1810202342-1810210700 !CVG 10/115 CVG RWY 27 RVRR OUT OF SERVICE 1810202029-1810241900EST !CVG 10/113 CVG RWY 09 RVRT OUT OF SERVICE 1810202027-1810241900EST !CVG 10/119 CVG TWY K CLSD 1810202346-1810210700 !CVG 10/121 CVG TWY M BTN RWY 18C/36C AND TWY M7 CLSD 1810202349-1810210700 !CVG 10/120 CVG TWY K BTN RWY 18C/36C AND APCH END RWY 09 CLSD 1810202347-1810210700 Metars: KCVG 210152Z 31017G26KT 10SM FEW080 04/M03 A3012 RMK AO2 PK WND 33036/0110 SLP198 T00441028= KCVG 210052Z 32020G27KT 10SM FEW065 BKN080 06/M04 A3007 RMK AO2 PK WND 31042/2357 SLP181 T00611044= KCVG 202355Z 31028G36KT 10SM SCT070 BKN090 08/M01 A3003 RMK AO2 PK WND 31036/2355 PRESRR T00781006= KCVG 202352Z 31026G37KT 10SM SCT065 BKN095 08/M01 A3002 RMK AO2 PK WND 32046/2256 RAB2257E08 PRESRR SLP165 P0000 60000 T00831006 10167 20083 53060= KCVG 202252Z 31030G44KT 10SM BKN080 BKN100 13/M03 A2990 RMK AO2 PK WND 31044/2252 RAB07E16 PRESRR SLP122 P0000 T01331033= KCVG 202152Z 29024G36KT 10SM SCT090 14/M03 A2986 RMK AO2 PK WND 28038/2120 SLP107 T01441028= KCVG 202052Z 29022G37KT 10SM SCT070 BKN090 16/01 A2984 RMK AO2 PK WND 28038/2021 CIG 070 36R SLP100 T01610006 55007= KCVG 201952Z 28020G28KT 10SM FEW060 SCT075 16/02 A2983 RMK AO2 PK WND 26029/1904 SLP097 T01610022= KCVG 201852Z 28023G34KT 10SM SCT050 SCT070 16/02 A2985 RMK AO2 PK WND 28034/1846 SLP104 T01560017= http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf41869&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Oct 18th 2018, unsafe gear A Jetblue Airbus A321-200, registration N997JL performing flight B6-1701 from New York JFK,NY to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) with 186 passengers and 6 crew, was on final approach to Fort Lauderdale's runway 10L when the crew initiated a go around and requested to enter a hold to work on an issue. While in the hold the crew declared emergency reporting they had no indication the left main gear was down and locked and couldn't work out whether this was an indication problem or the gear really wasn't down, they were still troubleshooting. The crew subsequently requested to perform the approach advising they would shut down on the runway. The aircraft landed on runway 10L about 45 minutes after the go around, smoke was reported from the left landing gear. The aircraft stopped on the runway and was shut down. Subsequently the aircraft was towed to the apron where the passengers disembarked normally. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for repairs for about 21 hours then returned to service. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU1701/history/20181018/1209Z/KJFK/KFLL http://avherald.com/h?article=4bf2e416&opt=0 Back to Top Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage - Inflight Fire - Forced Landing (Utah) Date: 21-OCT-2018 Time: 13:30 Type: Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage Owner/operator: Keystone Aviation LLC Registration: N413LL C/n / msn: 4636413 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Washington County, Hurricane, UT - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Hurricane, UT Destination airport: Salt Lake City Int'l (KSLC) Narrative: The aircraft experienced an inflight fire and subsequent force landing to open farm field terrain in southwest Hurricane, Utah. The airplane sustained substantial damage and two of the five occupants onboard received minor injuries. Three of the occupants onboard the aircraft were not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=216522 Back to Top Report: ATR 72-600 struck runway maintenance equipment when landing at Surabaya Status: Final Date: Wednesday 11 June 2014 Time: 06:20 Type: ATR 72-600 (72-212A) Operator: Wings Air Registration: PK-WGK C/n / msn: 1106 First flight: 2013-08-13 (10 months) Total airframe hrs: 1642 Cycles: 1825 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 55 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 59 Aircraft damage: Substantial Aircraft fate: Repaired Location: Surabaya-Juanda Airport (SUB) ( Indonesia) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Lombok International Airport (LOP/WADL), Indonesia Destination airport: Surabaya-Juanda Airport (SUB/WARR), Indonesia Flightnumber: IW1861 Narrative: The airport operator of Surabaya-Juanda International Airport, Indonesia, planned to perform runway maintenance that would be conducted at night after the runway operation. On 11 June 2014, between 0100 to 0500 LT, runway maintenance was performed by a group of 10 workers, using tools including pneumatic compressor, jack hammer, chisel, high air pressure hose, asphalt mixer, small container for asphalt mixture, debris sweeper and other supporting equipment. At 04:05 LT, the Airport Facility Readiness personnel conducted a runway readiness check in conjunction with patrolling the airside using a patrol car. At 04:30 LT, they reported to the Juanda Tower controller that the runway was clear from any hazard except the area near intersection N3 where the runway repair was still in progress. At 04:50 LT, the airport maintenance team reported to Juanda Tower controller that the runway repair had finished and the runway maintenance team had left the runway. No runway inspection was performed after the runway repair finished. The airport opened for traffic at 05:00 as planned. Until 06:06 hours, a total of eleven aircraft departed and one aircraft arrived. No pilot reported any foreign objects on the runway. The first pilot report of objects was near the intersection taxiway N5 and was made at 06:09 LT which was after sunrise at 05:59 LT. At 06:15 LT, the controller contacted the Airport Facility Readiness personnel but received no reply. Thereafter the controller contacted the ARFF personnel and informed them of the pilot report of an object on the runway and requested a check. When the ARFF vehicle arrived near the runway the controller instructed to wait for three aircraft that were about to land. At 06:20 LT, an ATR 72-600 (PK-WGK) with flight number IW1861 landed and impacted the chisel, which resulted in eight holes in the aircraft lower fuselage. The controller then decided to close the runway operation and instructed the ARFF personnel to enter and inspect the runway. The ARFF personnel found a compressor hose (about 10 meters long), a jack hammer (about 60 cm long) and chisel (about 4.5 kg) on the runway. Accident investigation: Investigating agency: NTSC Indonesia Status: Investigation completed Duration: 4 years and 4 months Accident number: KNKT.14.06.13.04 Download report: Final report https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20140611-0 Back to Top Back to Top Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner came within 10 feet of a drone on approach to Heathrow Airport, UK The UK Airprox Board (UKAB) reported that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner came within 10 feet of a drone near London-Heathrow Airport, UK. On June 25, 2018, the pilot of Virgin Atlantic flight VS301, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, reported that a drone-like object had passed just below the right wing, avoiding impact with the engine by an estimated 10ft. The aircraft was at 3200 feet over Clapham Common, while on final approach to Heathrow Airport's runway 27L at the time. The UKAB "considered that the pilot's overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed." https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/10/22/boeing-787-9-dreamliner-came-within-10-feet-of-a-drone-on-approach-to-heathrow-airport-uk/ Back to Top SINGLE-PILOT SAFETY STANDDOWN FOCUSES ON CRITICAL SKILLS Understanding the limits of your airplane in all flight regimes and your proficiency in getting the most out of your airplane were among the themes proffered by two experienced and well-known pilots who for decades have flown high-performance aircraft for personal and business missions. AOPA President Mark Baker has flown many single-pilot operations in turboprop and jet aircraft. Photo by Chris Rose. AOPA President Mark Baker and Experimental Aircraft Association Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton shared the stage at the tenth annual Single-Pilot Safety Standdown hosted by the National Business Aviation Association in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 15. The event was held just ahead of NBAA's annual Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. The panel was moderated by NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown. In sharing his many years of flying all types of aircraft on all types of missions in all types of weather, Baker said, "You can always learn. I've been flying for 40 years and most of the time single pilot." Baker recommended aerobatic lessons to increase stick-and-rudder proficiency and encouraged pilots to "be sincere about the things you haven't done" when planning flight reviews to work on underdeveloped skills. Baker encouraged pilots to "focus on the stuff we don't know." He pointed to the many free resources available to pilots, including the industry-leading safety resources made available through the AOPA Air Safety Institute. Pelton said pilots should never get complacent, and discussed closing the proficiency and personal minimum gap between professional and recreational pilots. "A lot of it gets down to personal decision making," said Pelton. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/october/17/single-pilot-safety-standdown-focuses-on-critical-skills Back to Top Aircraft Mechanic Facing Theft Charges A Florida aircraft mechanic has been charged with multiple counts of theft for allegedly removing serviceable parts from aircraft, selling them and charging his customers to replace them with new parts. Joseph Lippo, who operates J.L. Aircraft Services in Deland, was arrested on Wednesday and has since been released on a $15,000 bond. The investigation began with a complaint from the owner of an old Gulfstream II like the one in the photo that the owner claimed had been "gutted" by Lippo. According to the Daytona Beach News Journal, Lippo told investigators he had permission to scrap the plane by one of the owners and by the Department of Homeland Security, which he claimed had seized the plane. Besides the Gulfstream, Lippo is accused of charging other customers for work that wasn't done to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. "During the investigation, it was discovered that the owner and operator had been removing functional parts from planes, installing them in other planes and charging the owners for replacement parts in the original planes," the paper quoted a police statement as saying. Daytona police are asking for any other potential victims to come forward as they look into exactly how many aircraft and operators are affected. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Aircraft-Mechanic-Facing-Theft-Charges-231746-1.html Back to Top Another First for TAC Air: First Large Chain FBO Network to Achieve IS-BAH Stage II Certification Front Line Services Demonstrate The Execution Of Process To Gain Certification Across the System Dallas, Texas (October 17, 2018) - TAC Air, a fixed-base operator (FBO) with 14 U.S. locations, has become the first large chain FBO to achieve the rigorous safety and ground handling Stage 2 accreditation from the Internal Business Aviation Council (IBAC). With only 32 FBOs globally certified with Stage 2 IS-BAH registration, TAC Air sets the standard. The IBAC Stage 1 accreditation, the global business aviation industry's audit of standards for ground handling, was earned by TAC Air in 2016. Within the required two year period, TAC Air has achieved the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) Stage 2 certificate of registration for all 14 FBO locations. IS-BAH Program Director for IBAC, Terry Yeomans, shared, "The International Business Aviation Council congratulates TAC Air in achieving IS-BAH Stage 2 registration by demonstrating its implementation of safety management and risk mitigation." As the first large chain FBO network to achieve IS-BAH Stage 2 registration in all locations, TAC Air has not only met rigorous aviation industry safety standards, but also proved its practice of safety management and associated activities are appropriately targeted and safety risks effectively managed. "TAC Air is committed to operating at the highest level of safety and is continually seeking ways to improve its operations. Achievement of Stage 2 IS-BAH certification is confirmation of this commitment," stated Christian Sasfai, VP and COO of TAC Air. Certificates of registration are issued by IBAC to FBOs that have successfully demonstrated conformity to the industry's best practice standards through completion of a three-stage external audit by an IBAC accredited auditor. About TAC Air TAC Air is an aviation ground services company providing the highest level of service available in fixed base operations with more than 700 associates in its network of operations spanning across the U.S. from Salt Lake City in the west to Hartford, CT in the east. TAC Air is a division of TAC - The Arnold Companies, a Texas-based aviation services and energy marketing company. Find more information about the passion for great service TAC Air is providing pilots, aircraft owners, airlines and government/military at https://tacair.com. And for more information on TAC visit https://thearnoldcos.com. About IBAC IBAC represents the interests of business aviation worldwide. IBAC is a member-supported, non-profit international trade association with permanent observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Specialized Agency for aviation matters, in Montreal, Canada. IBAC promotes and manages the industry-leading standards for best safety practices through its IS-BAO™ and IS-BAH™ Programmes; Safety Management Tool Kit; SMS eLearning training; and Aircrew Identification Card. www.ibac.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tad W Perryman, VP Marketing 214-538-5475 [tperryman@tacair.com] Back to Top DJI Calls Research Video of Drone Hitting Airplane Wing 'Misleading,' Demands Withdrawal You might have seen a recent video in which the University of Dayton Research Institute fired a DJI drone at an aircraft wing, causing serious structural damage. DJI called the video a "scenario inconceivable in real life" and has sent a letter to the university demanding its withdrawal. The letter, sent via email to the lead researcher on the project, Kevin Poormon, asserts that DJI takes safety very seriously and takes issue with several aspects of the video, including: • The speed of the impact in the video assumes that the Mooney M20 used in the project was flying at maximum cruising speed and the drone was flying beyond its maximum speed. • The plane would only be flying that fast at altitudes well above a drone's regulated maximum altitude. DJI asserts that the actual impact energy would be much lower due to the slower speed the plane would be flying at were it to encounter a drone at a normal altitude where they're found. • The researchers used the damage caused to a four-seater plane as evidence of that which would be caused to a commercial jet. • The researchers did not follow rigorous scientific testing protocol. • The test was designed to maximize damage instead of following FAA's protocol, which dictate testing the most likely scenario. Altogether, DJI asserts that the test created an unrealistic scenario designed to "generate paid research work for UDRI at the expense of the reputation of drone technology broadly, and DJI's products specifically." The company has demanded that the research be withdrawn and a statement of correction be issued. As of now, the video is still live. https://fstoppers.com/drone/dji-calls-research-video-drone-hitting-airplane-wing-misleading-demands-298382 Back to Top US, UN agencies to start checks on India's aviation safety from month-end NEW DELHI: India's aviation safety standards will again be under the scanner of global agencies following the country scoring poorly in various key parameters during previous audits. While America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will visit the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on October 30 and 31, the critical inspection will be by the UN's aviation agency, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), from November 12. ICAO had earlier scored India very low on three areas - accident investigation, airport standards and air navigation services (ANS). "The earlier audit did not go well. Poor rating of these three areas dragged us down a lot in ranking terms. We requested ICAO to visit us again and see the progress we have made in these areas. India even offered to pay for the cost of their trip for this check. Now they are coming on their own expense as some slots opened up from November 12," said a senior official. ICAO conducted its "universal safety oversight audit program" (USOAP) audit last November. This audit given an overall effective implementation (EI) in percentage terms that is arrived at as an aggregate of individual scores in eight fields like legislation, organisation, personnel licensing and airworthiness of aircraft. This score gives an overall picture of how a country is complying with global aviation safety practices under different heads. Post last November audit, India's EI dropped to 57.44 per cent from the pre-audit EI of 65.82 per cent. The overall world average is 62 per cent. With these scores, India's EI currently is below Pakistan, North Korea and only more than that of small countries like Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Samoa. To be sure, the audit did not find any serious safety concern and the lower score was mainly on the issue of air traffic controllers (ATCO) licensing not being done by an external agency but their parent cadre, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), say top Indian aviation officials. After this, India accepted ICAO's demand of an independent agency, DGCA, issuing fresh licences to ATCOs. After ICAO's poor rating, the aviation ministry had said this ranking does not reflect on India's aviation safety. The regulatory oversight of Indian aviation - whose job is to ensure people fly here safely - has been constantly under the scanner of leading international agencies. FAA has been here at least four times in last five years. And ICAO has also conducted inspections. The fear of international agencies mainly stems from a feeling that India has in last decade not taken steps to strengthen its framework even as air traffic has exploded in the country. In fact, following an audit in 2013, the FAA had in January 2014 downgrading the country's safety ranking due to the UPA's continued failure to strengthen aviation safety oversight mechanism. After this first-ever downgrade, India took a number of steps to strengthen the DGCA. Then in April 2015 FAA had restored Indian aviation's top safety ranking. But even while upgrading India, FAA had expressed concerned at the "lack of continuity at top" at the regulator. It was uncomfortable with the fact that the DGCA has had six director-generals (DG) since 2008 (till 2015, a number that has now gone up to seven). https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/us-un-agencies-to-start-checks-on-indias-aviation-safety-from-month-end/articleshow/66284708.cms Back to Top Aviation disaster in making: This is how often emergency life jackets are checked on flights Though life jackets are supposed to be used during an emergency landing in water, in reality, when emergency comes all of a sudden most of the passengers do not get time to don the life jackets. Image source: Reuters Do you check whether an emergency life jacket is under your seat while flying? Though it is not the job of a passenger, there might be situations when you need the jacket in an emergency and you may find that it is not there! Yes, that can happen. Now, a pilot has revealed how often flight attendants really check whether jackets are under the plane seats. Life jackets "are very reliable so aren't prone to faults", the pilot, did not wish to be named, said. Though life jackets are supposed to be used during an emergency landing in water, in reality, when emergency comes all of a sudden most of the passengers do not get time to don the life jackets. The National Transportation Safety Board reportedly wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2014 that most passengers could correctly not wear the life jackets correctly in an actual emergency when the vests were needed. However, during emergencies passeengers are more likely to try to escape rather than find the life jacket under their seat, the report said. However, advance warning of a water landing helps passengers to take out the life vest. https://www.zeebiz.com/companies/news-aviation-disaster-in-making-this-is-how-often-emergency-life-jackets-are-checked-on-flights-68194 Back to Top Boeing Shares Plunge As Airbus Tries To Poach Major Chinese Airlines Potentially breaking news out of China as the Boeing vs Airbus trade war heats up! Turns out, Airbus has been in secret negotiation with exclusive Boeing customer Xiamen Airlines to poach their business! What is the story so far? This explanation will be very simple, and we will skip over the major politics. We will have links to further reading throughout the article. As you may have heard, President Trump has been involved in a trade war with China for the last few months, placing increasing tariffs on goods from China. In retaliation, China has been restricting their local companies from buying American goods. Whilst American made planes have not yet been tariffed, its one item in China's back pocket they are waiting to use in the trade war. Naturally, one American company is rather popular in China, Boeing. China buys the most Boeing 737's in the world. Boeing, of course, loves China. They are currently engaged in a bitter industry battle with their major rival, Airbus, for control of the massive market. With a population of 1.3 Billion people and a huge growing middle class that is very keen to travel, China is easily the worlds best market for airlines. In fact, Boeing knows this very well, predicting that 18% of the worlds airline fleet will be in China by 2037, and will require another 7,690 new airplanes over the next 20 years. Boeing currently sees about a billion dollars worth of business from China. Thus both Airbus and Boeing aggressively court the various Chinese airlines. Below is a graph that shows the current market split (Source). However, with these new tariffs, Boeing has become nervous that their planes are about to become a lot more expensive for Chinese customers. Airbus is not affected as it is a european company. Thus, Airbus has chosen its time to strike. It's weapon of choice? A longer range Airbus A321. Last month, they flew out a large delegation to meet and greet various Airlines, including Xiamen Air, an exclusive Boeing customer for 30 years, to discuss how they could better their fleets. "The discussions gained intensity in September when senior Airbus executives including Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders and incoming CEO Guillaume Faury visited China" - Bloomberg report. What would be the deal between Xiamen Air and Airbus? This would be a massive blow to Boeing, as Xiamen Air was a launch customer for the Boeing 737max jets (The competitor to the A320) last year. They also have a fleet of 171 Boeing jets, 25 on order and own two subsidiary airlines. Xiamen Air is owned itself by China Southern who operate a mixed fleet. It is believed that Xiamen is reluctant to do the Airbus deal, as they prefer to keep a single company fleet as to keep maintenance costs low, but the current trade war situation has made them apprehensive about the future. The potential Airbus - Xiamen deal is rumored to be a huge $18 Billion US. Previous deals would indicate this would be a staggering 180 A321 Neo narrow-body planes. Neither Airbus or Xiamen have commented on the rumor, with only a Xiamen executive giving one sound bite. "Boeing have been and are a great customer" - Xiamen Vice President for Marketing Randy Tinseth Whilst no confirmed sales have occurred yet, it is enough to spook the American giant. What effect is this having on Boeing? This news has made Boeing investors nervous, negating their recent share price gains (Shares fell around -0.9%). However, compared to YTD the shares are much higher. Boeing Trade War Current shares for Boeing (BA) as per Google. Peak just before the rumor. Boeing is currently in a meeting with President Trump as of this article, specifically to discuss how they can prevent further losses and reduce costs by using more suppliers in the local domestic market. They also recently won three defense contracts for the US military. However, commentators have mentioned that they underbid to ensure their victory against military contractor Lockheed Martin. Whilst this is not directly tied to their commercial airliner business, one has to wonder if they are preparing to pursue other revenue models. Boeing The Boeing factory builds many planes for China. What is next? Any major deal would have to be approved by the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, and so far they have not revealed that any discussions are taking place. However, and this is where it gets juicy, on the 5th of November China will be hosting an import-export fair. Essentially a big expo where the government can parade all the new deals it has made with foreign countries, such as farming equipment, mining contracts and of course, airline purchases. If they are going to sign a deal with Airbus, this is when it will happen. One day before the US midterm elections on November 6th. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-shares-plunge-as-airbus-tries-to-poach-major-chinese-airlines/ Back to Top Brazil's GOL to upgrade fleet with 135 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (GOL) has placed an order with Boeing for 135 737 MAX aircraft to renew its current fleet. The order includes 105 737 MAX 8 and 30 737 MAX 10 planes. Between June and this month, GOL had already received the first three MAX 8 aircraft and deployed them for commercial service. GOL is expected to receive four additional MAX 8 aircraft by the end of the year to replace its existing next generation (NG) models. Deliveries are scheduled to be fully completed by 2028, further enabling GOL to conduct additional long-haul flights. GOL chief financial officer Richard Lark said: "The additional range of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft allows us to expand our operations abroad and to improve efficiency via a younger and more modern fleet." "By standardising our fleet with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we will lower costs, increase productivity and be more operationally agile." He added: "By standardising our fleet with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, we will lower costs, increase productivity and be more operationally agile. It gives us greater flexibility to carry out maintenance and exchanges of aircraft across the network. "The same aircraft can be used in both domestic and international segments. This will ensure we continue to provide the exceptional travelexperience for customers that sets GOL apart, with on-time departures in state-of-the-art aircraft." GOL's pilots, engineers and technicians have supported Boeing in the development of its new 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The aircraft features advanced technology to provide improved operational performance and a range of over 4,000 miles to allow GOL to fly to new destinations. GOL's Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet is also equipped with new technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The company's new 737 MAX 10 aircraft is designed to carry 30 additional passengers, and the MAX 8 seating configuration can carry up to 186 passengers. Deployment of the first 737 MAX 10 aircraft into commercial service is expected to take place by 2022. https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/brazils-gol-upgrade-fleet-135-boeing-737-max-aircraft/ Back to Top Female pilots make debut in Malaysia Airlines Soaring high: (From left) Mak, Wang and Nur Waie Hidayah have proven that hard work and ambition are the keys to realising one's dream. KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 - Three local women have broken traditional gender stereotypes by pursuing their dreams to become the first batch of female pilots with Malaysia Airlines. Pearl Wendy Mak, Wang Wen Chien and Nur Waie Hidayah Mohamad Rasidin have broken the norm, as previously most women in the aviation industry would opt to work as flight attendants or ground staff. According to the International Society of Women Pilots' estimation in 2017 out of 130,000 pilots in the world, only 3,000 (three per cent) were female pilots. Captain Mak, 50, who has been flying for 25 years, acknowledged that flying an aircraft is not an easy job for women but this is the new era where women are making inroads into sectors that were previously men's exclusive domain. She has worked with seven foreign airlines over the years before deciding to return home. Mak initially wanted to be an aircraft engineer, then toyed with the idea of becoming a flight engineer. However, when told that the flight engineer's role was becoming obsolete, she ended up taking flying. "So long as you do your part, work as a team, and forget that you will be treated differently, you will not be seen as a man or woman but just a pilot," Mak told Bernama. Her advice to ladies who want to take up the challenge in the aviation industry is that they should understand and be in love with aviation itself, besides being disciplined and motivated. "Constantly read your books, study hard and perfect your skills. At the end of it, you may eventually become a commander or be upgraded to a bigger aircraft," said Mak whose twin sister is also into flying. Meanwhile, Second Officer Wang's dream of becoming a pilot began when her father took her for a 'Fly for Fun' one-day pilot course in Subang when she was 15. "I was fascinated when the aircraft took off with the pilot seated next to me, he actually taught me to do some manoeuvres in the sky and I found it really cool," said Wang who initially wanted to venture into IT. Wang earned her wings in Sydney, Australia and completed her conversion course at the Malaysian Flying Academy in 2016 before joining Malaysia Airlines as a cadet pilot in August 2017. Her advice to young women who want to take to the skies, is just go for it. "Do what you like, it may not be easy at the beginning but never give up half way through because you never know what the end result will be," said Wang whose wish now is to become a captain in eight years time. Wang says she does not find it a problem to fit in with her predominately male colleagues in the aviation sector and does not see it as a glamorous job but a profession and a vocation. "As a pilot one has to work different hours and days as rostered and we got to do quick transits which is about 45 minutes, meaning we have to start the return journey quickly," she said. Nur Waie Hidayah, 21, a cadet pilot with Malaysia Airlines since December 2017, was inspired by her father who is also a pilot. "I grew up in Abu Dhabi, where my father is based. After graduating from high school in 2013, I returned to Malaysia and went to a flying school in Melaka. "My 18 months training there was tough and it took a lot of support from my loved ones and a lot of studying, will power and strict discipline to complete the course. Mak, Wang and Nur Waie Hidayah were honoured at the MAS Crew Graduation ceremony on Aug 11 where 111 cabin crew and pilots graduated. During his speech at the graduation ceremony, Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Capt Izham Ismail said: "I'm very proud that for the first time Malaysia Airlines has three amazing, strong and resilient women graduating as pilots today. It is my hope that the future of Malaysia Airlines includes many more female captains flying our aircraft and making the country proud". Malaysia Airlines recently started its female pilot programme which is now open for enrolment. To date,it has 2,286 cabin crew and 927 pilots operating its fleet of B737-800, A330-300, A330-200, A350-900 and the A380-800. Capt Izham told Bernama that Malaysia Airlines was currently facing a shortage of pilots especially for its narrow-body B737-800 fleet which had led to operational constraints and would have an impact on its growth. "In order to normalise the airline's operations by next year, we need an additional 150 pilots. Filling up the vacancies in the cockpit presents another challenge as the airline sets the bar for a qualifying captain at 4,500 flying hours - 1,000 more than the industry's average," he said. - Bernama https://www.malaymail.com/s/1685220/female-pilots-make-debut-in-malaysia-airlines Back to Top Thai Flight Delayed 2 Hours So Off Duty Pilots Could Sit In First Class! Nobody likes flight delays. Sometimes it means missing a connection, or sometimes you just want to get home. Usually, however, passengers have just to grin and bear the delays. That being said, passengers on a Thai Airways flight from Zurich to Bangkok earlier this month faced a two-hour wait on the tarmac before departure. The reason? Two off-duty pilots demanded to sit in the fully booked first class cabin. The pilots refused to let the aircraft depart until both of the dead-legging pilots had been accommodated in the First Class cabin. Contractual Obligations Thai Airways pilots are supposedly contractually obliged to receive seats in the first three rows of the aeroplane when off duty according to multiple sources. In this case, that meant the first class seats. However, the Bangkok Post reports that an unnamed Thai source claimed: "But for inactive pilots, there is no rule that first-class seats should be reserved for them or not". This is fairly standard policy across airlines. However, the First class cabin was already full of fare paying passengers when the off-duty pilots boarded. Rather than accepting unoccupied seats in the business class cabin, the pilots elected to delay the flight for two hours. Thankfully, unlike a similar United Airlines incident in 2017, no passengers were forcibly removed from the aircraft. The aircraft was eventually able to depart. After a while of waiting, two passengers in the first cabin of the B747-400 aircraft volunteered to be downgraded to business class for the sake of the other passengers. What is interesting in this case is the passengers' complaint to the airline. Thai Airways only sells business and economy tickets on its route between Bangkok and Zurich. This is due to the route usually being operated by a two cabin B777-300 aircraft. Consequently, passengers booked in business were able to select a first-class seat subject to availability. This is similar to how Norwegian allowed passengers to pay extra to be assigned a suite on the HiFly A380. This means that although the passengers were sat in first class, they were travelling on a business class ticket. Generally, if a passenger is downgraded on a flight originating within the EU, they would be eligible for compensation of 75% of the ticket cost. In this case, however, it is likely that the claimants would only receive payment for the price of reserving a seat if they had paid for this. Many Questions The case raises many questions. Is it right that crew should demand free seats in a cabin that is full? Should the passengers be entitled to compensation, despite not holding first class tickets? Was the pilot right to delay the flight for over two hours? I feel it was wrong of the crew to demand the seats given the commotion it caused. Had two passengers instantly volunteered, it would've been okay, but the business class seats wouldn't have been intolerable for the pilots. Secondly, I feel as though the passengers should be due at least some compensation, as they volunteered to move, rather than being forced. If Thai Airways wanted to avoid the bad PR generated by this incident, that would certainly be sensible. Finally, I don't believe the pilot was right to delay the flight for this length of time. Many passengers could have been connecting at Bangkok, as this is Thai's central hub. As a result, the one and a half hour delay on landing could've missed a lot of connections. This appears to be a view shared mainly by the president of Thai Airways who said: "I express sorrow and apologize to all passengers affected by the unprofessional action that caused the delay. And I apologize to the passengers who were directly affected by the seat change. I take responsibility..." https://simpleflying.com/thai-flight-delayed-2-hours-so-off-duty-pilots-could-sit-in-first-class/ Back to Top Bombardier sues Mitsubishi jet program over trade secrets (Reuters) - Canadian airplane maker Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) has sued the aircraft unit of Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (7011.T), saying former Bombardier employees passed on trade secrets to help Mitsubishi's oft-delayed regional jet project. Bombardier filed the lawsuit late Friday in a federal court in Seattle against Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, Seattle-based Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification Inc (AeroTEC) and several former Bombardier employees. AeroTEC is working with Mitsubishi Aircraft to help it get the 90-seat passenger jet certified by regulators. The 92-page lawsuit alleges that Bombardier employees who were recruited by Mitsubishi or AeroTEC brought with them confidential documents and data related to the certification of airplanes in Canada and the United States. Bombardier is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Mitsubishi Aircraft and AeroTEC from using the information it says was taken. The lawsuit says the employees sent key documents to their personal email accounts prior to leaving Bombardier and joining the Mitsubishi project. A spokeswoman for Mitsubishi Aircraft said on Monday the company believed Bombardier's claim was "groundless". "We will consider the details and prove this in the appropriate venue," she added. AeroTEC could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday. Mitsubishi's regional jet program, Japan's first passenger plane since the 1960s, has been delayed by several years, with first customer ANA Holdings Inc (9202.T) now expecting the 90-seater plane in 2020, rather than in 2013 as originally envisaged. In the lawsuit, Bombardier accused Mitsubishi Aircraft of violating the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 by trying to use the confidential data and documents obtained from former employees to accelerate the "extremely complex and costly" process of getting its planes certified. According to the lawsuit, Mitsubishi has in the past cited the difficulty of achieving certification as one of the factors holding up the launch of its planned regional aircraft. It is set to compete with Bombardier's C Series jet, which was renamed as the Airbus SE (AIR.PA) A220 in July. Bombardier said it took it nearly a decade to take its C-Series from concept to commercial flight. It said only four companies since 2000 had been able to develop a "clean-sheet" aircraft program approved by regulators in Canada, Europe and the United States. "This is because, understandably, these various regulatory agencies require aircraft manufacturers to meet innumerable exacting standards to ensure aircraft airworthiness and public safety," Bombardier said in the lawsuit. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-lawsuit-mitsubishi/bombardier-sues-mitsubishi-jet-program-over-trade-secrets-idUSKCN1MV0S5 Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY I am a grad student at City University of London and am completing work on my Masters in Aviation Safety. In my thesis I am trying to determine what the competencies are for being an airline Captain. This is to complement the 9 competencies That ICAO identifies for training pilots. My ultimate goal is to identify the relevant competencies and determine if they are trainable from a flight education standpoint. The first step is to determine the state of Captain/Command training in the United States. The link provided for a survey via survey monkey that hopefully will help me establish a baseline of where we are at in the industry in the US. Thank you for your consideration. Regards, Captain Jeff Kilmer FDX 901-651-6070 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/58SMR3B Back to Top Back to Top Upcoming USC Aviation Safety Courses Safety Management Systems for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Current Operational Conditions for Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Including Live Flight Exercises October 29 - November 2, 2018 5.0 Days Human machine interface theory and problems Unique characteristics of RPA operational environments SMS requirements and guidance Organizational risk management for RPA Special consideration for RPA accident investigation Using RPA for accident investigation FARs and Legislation International Organization Standards & Participation Tuition: $2500 Safety Management Systems for Managers Providing Priciples and Vision for Managers in an SMS November 29 - 30, 2018 1.5 Days Management Roles, Responsibilities, and Accountability Change Process Management Audits and Safety Reviews Motivating Safe Behavior Safety Culture and Climates Just Reporting System Accident/Incident Costs Obstacles to SMS Tuition: $1000 Threat and Error Management Development Integrating Threat and Error Management into a Safety Management System December 17 - 19, 2018 2.5 Days Introduction to threats and errors Performance and loss of situation awareness Threat recognition and error avoidance Building barriers to error Distraction and interruption management SOPs role in threat and error management Tuition: $1250 Earn Points Towards NBAA CAM Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points towards completing the application for the National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager exam. Aviation Safety Management Systems Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Human Factors in Aviation Safety Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance Aircraft Accident Investigation SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Curt Lewis