Flight Safety Information December 5, 2018 - No. 246 In This Issue Incident: Canada Rouge A319 at Liberia on Dec 2nd 2018, could not retract gear, multiple ECAM messages Incident: China Eastern A321 near Nanchang on Dec 4th 2018, passenger oxygen masks released Incident: Ryanair B738 at Dusseldorf on Dec 3rd 2018, bird takes out pitot tube Accident: Argentinas B738 near Porto Alegre on Nov 24th 2018, turbulence injures three Incident: Lufthansa A319 near Hamburg on Jun 16th 2017, smell of smoke in cockpit and cabin Airbus A340-313 - Smoke on board (Kuwait) EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Flydubai B738 at Moscow on Dec 2nd 2018, commenced takeoff without clearance and rejected takeoff United Airbus A319 loses airspeed indication after bird hit pitot tube on approach to Dallas 'Flight from hell' as temperature on Siberian jet hits 50 degrees Celsius Timeline of occurrences and regulatory actions on Airbus A320-family engine fan cowl door loss incidents African Airlines Complain of Safety Misperceptions Air safety: IATA gives Nigeria, others thumbs up Woman fails in...60,000 euros case against Ryanair over fall down aircraft stairs Entering the Cloud-Based Era of Aviation Maintenance John Buehler selected as Aviation Chief for National Park Service Vertis Aviation Says Long-range Charter Booming L3 Offers Scholarships for Female Pilot Candidates 'Very upset' Lion Air leader talks of slashing Boeing jet orders NASA Astronaut Nick Hague Gets New Space Assignment After Scary Launch Abort Incident: Canada Rouge A319 at Liberia on Dec 2nd 2018, could not retract gear, multiple ECAM messages An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319-100, registration C-GARO performing flight RV-1735 from Liberia (Costa Rica) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 131 passengers and 5 crew, was climbing out of Liberia's runway 07 when the crew could not retract the landing gear, a number of messages appeared on the ECAM display. The crew declared PAN PAN PAN and requested vectors for troubleshooting. The various checklists were executed and the ECAM messages began to clear. The flight crew cleared all ECAM messages and was subsequently able to retract the landing gear. The crew continued the flight to Toronto where the aircraft landed safely about 5:22 hours after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the operator's maintenance is troubleshooting the cause of the ECAM messages. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Toronto for about 25 hours before returning to service. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ROU1735/history/20181202/1855Z/MRLB/CYYZ http://avherald.com/h?article=4c121196&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: China Eastern A321 near Nanchang on Dec 4th 2018, passenger oxygen masks released A China Eastern Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration B-8568 performing flight MU-5257 from Qingdao to Guangzhou (China), was enroute at 10400 meters (FL341) about 140nm northeast of Nanchang (China) when the passenger oxygen masks were automatically released, cabin pressure and all other indications remained normal however. The crew decided to divert to Nanchang, performed a precautionary descent to 3000 meters (9800 feet) and landed safely in Nanchang about 30 minutes after leaving 10400 meters. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration B-6642 reached Guangzhou with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 17 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c120588&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Ryanair B738 at Dusseldorf on Dec 3rd 2018, bird takes out pitot tube A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EVC performing flight FR-8723 from Dusseldorf Weeze (Germany) to Bari (Italy), was in the initial climb out of Weeze Airport's runway 27 when a bird impacted the left hand pitot tube resulting in disagreeing airspeeds. The crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet and diverted to Cologne (Germany), located about 57nm southeast of Weeze Airport. The aircraft landed safely on Cologne's runway 32R about 60 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-FZO reached Bari as flight FR-872 with a delay of 4:20 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 36 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c120172&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Argentinas B738 near Porto Alegre on Nov 24th 2018, turbulence injures three An Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-800, registration LV-GGQ performing flight AR-1293 from Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ (Brazil) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina) with 145 people on board, was enroute at FL380 about 110nm northnortheast of Porto Alegre,RS (Brazil) when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing an altitude deviation of about +100 feet. The aircraft continued to Buenos Aires for a landing without further incident about 1:45 hours later. Argentina's JIAAC reported one passenger and a flight attendant received minor injuries in the turbulence encounter. On Dec 4th 2018 the JIAAC added, that one passenger and two flight attendants received minor injuries when the aircraft entered a zone of severe turbulence. Infrared Satellite Image GOES-East Nov 24th 2018 16:30Z 6 minutes prior to occurrence (Graphics: AVH/NASA): http://avherald.com/h?article=4c0ccc20&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A319 near Hamburg on Jun 16th 2017, smell of smoke in cockpit and cabin A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AILR performing flight LH-16 from Frankfurt/Main to Hamburg (Germany) with 130 passengers, was descending towards Hamburg when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Hamburg's runway 33, vacated the runway onto high speed turn off E3 and stopped. The passengers disembarked via stairs and were taken to the terminal. Emergency services reported they were alerted to smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft stopped on the runway, the occupants disembarked via stairs, all passengers were examined by medical staff, 4 of the crew were taken to a hospital as a precaution. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 30 minutes after landing. The airline reported there had been a strong smell of smoke in cockpit and cabin, in addition one of the smoke detectors triggered and sounded an alarm. On Dec 4th 2018 the BFU released their final summary report stating just the facts reporting following technical dysfunction was determined: The maintenance organisation of the operator examined the left air conditioning system (PACK No. 1) and determined that the cause for the smoke development was a defective air cycle machine. As part of the maintenance work, the air cycle machine and a recirculation filter were replaced. After the components had been installed both air conditioning systems (PACKS No. 1 and 2) were checked. Their proper function, without any irregularities, was determined. On 17 June 2017 the aircraft was released to service. The maintenance organisation examined the removed air cycle machine and determined the following: The turbine casing showed heavy chafing marks caused by the turbine wheel. The surface was scratched and showed chafing marks caused by the high temperatures the chafing of the turbine wheel had generated. The dark colour was caused by carbon deposits during normal operation. The turbine wheel showed corresponding rubber marks resulting from the chafing against the turbine casing. The dark colour at the air intake of the turbine wheel was due to carbon deposits during normal operation. The thrust bearing showed chafing marks and rubbed-off anti-friction coating. On the turbine side the disc showed chafing marks. At the turbine side the journal bearing failed. This journal bearing was an air bearing. The thrust bearing failed and the disc chafed against the anti-friction coated metal with high rotational speed. This caused the overheating of the air bearing. The failure of one of the journal bearings at the turbine side was identified as the cause of the smoke and smell development. The maintenance organisation stated that such a damage pattern is not unusual if an air cycle machine fails. During normal operation of the air bearings the metal does not come into contact with the disc. The journal bearing failed and caused a compressor shaft imbalance. It chafed against the inside of the turbine casing. The turbine casing and the compressor shaft consisted of an aluminium alloy. The turbine wheel in the ACM (Photo: BFU/Maintenance): http://avherald.com/h?article=4aa6a1fc&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A340-313 - Smoke on board (Kuwait) Date: 04-DEC-2018 Time: 18:05 UTC Type: Airbus A340-313 Owner/operator: Joon, opf Air France Registration: F-GLZN C/n / msn: 245 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 237 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Kuwait City - Kuwait Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: CDG Destination airport: BOM Narrative: Air France flight 218 from Paris-CDG to Mumbai, India, declared an emergency and diverted to Kuwait City Airport after the crew reported smoke on board. The aircraft was en route at FL350 over the Persian Gulf at 18:06 UTC when it initiated an emergency descent. A safe landing was carried out at 18:21 UTC. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=218998 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Flydubai B738 at Moscow on Dec 2nd 2018, commenced takeoff without clearance and rejected A Flydubai Boeing 737-800, registration A6-FEQ performing flight FZ-918 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), commenced takeoff from runway 06R without takeoff clearance, tower instructed the aircraft to reject takeoff, the crew complied and rejected takeoff. The aircraft vacated the runway about 1700 meters/5700 feet down the runway and returned to the apron. The aircraft departed about 2.5 hours later and reached Dubai with a delay of 3:15 hours. Russia's Air Traffic Control Organisation reported the aircraft commenced takeoff without clearance and stopped following an according instruction by tower. The crew requested to return to the apron. The aircraft was able to depart about 2.5 hours later following an interview of the crew. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c117450&opt=0 Back to Top United Airbus A319 loses airspeed indication after bird hit pitot tube on approach to Dallas Date: 01-DEC-2018 Time: 18:05 LT Type: Airbus A319-131 Owner/operator: United Airlines Registration: N815UA C/n / msn: 867 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX (DFW/KDFW) - United States of America Phase: Approach Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD) Destination airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX (DFW/KDFW) Narrative: United Airlines flight UA2169, an Airbus A319, lost airspeed indication after a bird struck a pitot tube as the aircraft was on final approach to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, USA. The aircraft aborted the approach to runway 17L and flew a circuit before carrying out a safe landing on the same runway, 16 minutes afterward. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=218945 Back to Top 'Flight from hell' as temperature on Siberian jet hits 50 degrees Celsius The S7 Embraer 170 was flying from Novosibirsk (file photo). Passengers on a flight in Siberia have suffered one extreme temperature to another on a recent journey. The Daily Mail reports that some flyers on the S7 (also known as Siberian Airlines) Embraer 170-E70 were sick as a broken air conditioning unit meant it was a baking 50 degrees Celsius on board. Only moments earlier, the passengers had to endure -25C while waiting to board at Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk. Flyer Vladimir Shakhrin said that the plane felt "like a sauna" while on the ground. "The worst thing was a smell like burning wires, when the insulation starts smelling because of heat. "I haven't had such an awful flight in my entire life." Once the plane took off, an initial blast of cold air didn't last long and it was back to boiling heat for the remainder of the two-hour flight to Ekaterinburg. A S7 spokesperson confirmed the high temperatures, reports the Daily Mail, and an investigation has been launched. https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/109098137/flight-from-hell-as-temperature-on-siberian-jet-hits-50-degrees-celsius Back to Top Timeline of occurrences and regulatory actions on Airbus A320-family engine fan cowl door loss incidents 1 December 2018 Airbus A319 that lost fan cowl doors on takeoff (AAIB) On November 30, 2018, an Airbus A320-214 operated by Frontier Airlines lost the fan cowl doors of engine no.2 upon takeoff from Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport, Nevada, USA. This incident was at least the 45th fan cowl door loss event involving an Airbus A320-family aircraft. In July 2015 the U.K. AAIB published an investigation report into a fan cowl door loss accident involving an Airbus A319. Prior to this May 2013 accident , there were a total of 34 previous occurrences of fan cowl door loss on Airbus A320-family aircraft, including 21 events for aircraft fitted with IAE V2500 engines and 13 events for aircraft fitted with CFM-56 engines. Following the A319 accident, three further instances of fan cowl door losses occurred, bringing the total number of occurrences to 38. ASN was able to trace 29 occurrences, of which seven after the publication of the AAIB report, bringing the total to at least 45 occurrences. A common safety issue among these incidents is the fact that the cowl doors were not closed and latched following maintenance. This was not detected by the engineers, nor by flight crew members during the walk-around check. The design of the fan cowl door latching system, in which the latches are positioned at the bottom of the engine nacelle in close proximity to the ground, increased the probability that unfastened latches would not be seen during the pre-departure inspections. Timeline of occurrences and regulatory actions: 1992 • 9 February 1992; A320-231 of Mexicana at Mexico City, Mexico 1993-1996 no occurrences known to ASN 1997 • 21 November 1997; A320-232 United Airlines at Washington, USA 1997-1999 no occurrences known to ASN 2000 • 20 January 2000; A320-231 of Airtours International at London-Gatwick, U.K. • 12 June 2000; A320-232 of America West at Las Vegas, USA • 13 September 2000; A320-232 of Skyservice at Toronto, Canada • 11 October 2000: Transport Canada issues Service Difficulty Alert AL 2000-06: "Engine Fan Cowl Loss" • 31 October 2000: DGAC France issues AD 2000-444-156(B), mandating fan cowl door latch improvements. 2001 • 5 September 2001: DGAC France issues AD 2001-381(B), superseding AD 2000-444-156(B), and requiring the installation of additional fan cowl latch improvement by installing a hold open device. 2002 no occurrences known to ASN 2003 • 29 October 2003, FAA issued AD 2003-18-06, requiring that the door latches for engine fan cowls on certain Airbus airplanes be modified and that a new hold-open device be installed; all operators were required to comply by April 2005. 2004 • 11 May 2004; A320-214 of Iberia at Madrid, Spain • 13 July 2004; A320-233 of AirTran at Atlanta, USA 2005-2006 no occurrences known to ASN 2007 • 22 April 2007; A319-111 of Frontier at Atlanta, USA 2008 • 9 January 2008; A319-114 of Northwest Airlines at Detroit, USA • 6 May 2008; A319-132 of Spirit Airlines at Detroit, USA • 10 October 2008: NTSB issues safety recommendations A-08-79 through -82 on engine fan cowl separation prevention 2009 • 20 August 2009: FAA issues Notice 8900.91 FAA issues Notice 8900.91 to its safety inspectors to educate operators about revising their maintenance program 2010 • 19 January 2010; A318-111 of Mexicana at Cancun, Mexico • 28 January 2010; A320-233 of Volaris at Tijuana, Mexico • 5 April 2010; A320-232 of JetBlue at Newark, USA • 27 November 2010; A319-112 of Air India at Bangalore, India • 10 December 2010; A320-214 of Bulgaria Air at Sofia, Bulgaria 2011 • 2 August 2011: FAA recognizes, after additional research that fan cowl latching issues are found predominantly with A319 and CRJ200 aircraft and "found no records indicating engine-fan cowl separation incidents due to improper latching since August 2008 • 28 October 2011: NTSB closes recommendations A-08-79 through -82; three as 'Unacceptable Action', one as 'Acceptable Action' • 30 November 2011; A320-232 of Wizz at Bucharest, Romania 2012 • 19 May 2012; A320-214 of TAM at Natal, Brazil • June 2012: Airbus publishes Safety first #14 magazine: "Preventing Fan Cowl Door Loss" 2013 • 18 February 2013; A320-232 of China Southern Airlines at Harbin, China • 24 May 2013; A319-131 of British Airways at London-Heathrow, UK • 12 August 2013; A320-214 of easyJet at Milan, Italy • 9 November 2013; A319-132 of Spirit Airlines at Chicago-O'Hare Airport, USA 2014 • 18 September 2014; A320-232 of JetBlue at Long Beach, USA 2015 • 26 January 2015; A320-214 of flynas at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia • 14 July 2015 AAIB publishes 24 May 2013 A319 accident report with 5 safety recommendations (the report mentioned 40 cases of fan cowl loss events) • 31 August 2015: EASA issues recommendations to prevent loss of fan cowl doors on A320 • 14 October 2015; A319-111 of Sky Airline at Santiago, Chile • 16 October 2015; A320-232 of Tigerair at Singapore 2016 • 14 March 2016: EASA publishes AD 2016-0053; which supersedes DGAC AD 2001-381(B), and requires modification and re-identification of fan cowl doors (FCDs) on IAE engined A320-family aircraft. • 13 June 2016; A320-232 of American Airlines at Phoenix Sky Harbor, USA • 19 September 2016; A320-232 of Aruba Airlines at Miami, USA 2017 • 29 June 2017: FAA issues AD AD 2017-13-10, superseding AD 2003-18-06; requiring modifying the engine fan cowl doors (FCDs), installing placards, and re-identifying the FCDs. The AD also adds airplanes to the applicability. • 25 July 2017; A320-232 of Bangkok Airways at Bangkok, Thailand 2018 • 7 March 2018; FAA issues AD 2018-05-04, requiring modification and re-identification, or replacement, of certain FCDs and installation of a placard. Applicable to CFM56 engined aircraft (A319/A320/A321 series -x1x); Compliance within 35 months • 8 August 2018; FAA issues AD 2018-16-03, requiring modification and re-identification, or replacement, of certain FCDs and installation of a placard in the flight deck of A319-133 and A321-232 airplanes (IAE engines). • 25 October 2018; A320-232 of Vueling at Bilbao, Spain • 30 November 2018; A320-214 of Frontier Airlines at Las Vegas, USA https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/12/01/timeline-of-occurrences-and-regulatory-actions-on-airbus-a320-family-engine-fan-cowl-door-loss-incidents/ Back to Top Back to Top African Airlines Complain of Safety Misperceptions Airline CEOs appearing at the recent African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly in Rabat, Morocco, touted an improving safety record on the continent and lamented what they called a misperception by the international community that paints African air transport as substandard. Suffering no jet hull losses for two years running and following two years of no fatalities involving any airline aircraft type, Africa has demonstrated progress in the area of safety. However, the international community appears far from satisfied. According to the International Air Transport Association, only 24 African states comply with at least 60 percent of the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. "Quite simply, that is not good enough for an industry that depends on global standards for safety," said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac, who added that governments across the continent need to ensure the independence of safety oversight bodies and cooperate regionally, where pooled resources can improve both speed and efficiency. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam noted that most of Africa's safety problems are isolated to only a few of the continent's 54 countries. "It is very unfortunate that safety in Africa is made a point of discussion in conferences like this one," he said. "Because of this very small number of countries where there are safety issues, the whole continent is affected. There is a collateral damage in terms of reputation." GebreMariam cited carriers such as Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airlines, and Kenya Airways (KQ) as more accurate representations of Africa's compliance with global safety standards. He added that a commitment to safety must amount to more than an effort to pass audits. "Safety has a paramount importance in an airline business," he said. "And it has to be built in the DNA of the airline in all sectors of business of the airline." In fact, GebreMariam complained that safety oversight has become overly complex and overlapping. "Primarily there is a national government safety oversight," he explained. "Then we have regional safety oversights for instance like EASA in Europe [and the] FAA in the U.S. There is also international oversight rules of ICAO and IOSA. Most of these oversight requirements and standards are similarly expressed in different forms so there is an overlap." Sebastian Mikosz, group managing director and CEO of Kenya Airways, argued that safety standards in Africa do not differ materially from those in Europe. "We are under constant control," he said. "We are under scrutiny all day long. The scrutiny is coming from EASA, FAA, from our civil aviation authorities, from OEMs who come to see if we are operating the planes properly and how our maintenance and engineering department is doing." Mikosz echoed GebreMariam's sentiments about overlapping oversight and urged delegates to compare Africa's safety record with those of other regions. "I would not be concerned about safety in Africa because all the global safety standards are being implemented," he said. "I would rather be concerned with over implementation of standards. When we can do one procedure we do three, which make African carriers less competitive." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-12-04/african-airlines-complain-safety-misperceptions Back to Top Air safety: IATA gives Nigeria, others thumbs up The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it was excited with Africa's impeccable air safety record, which it said has improved over the years. The clearing house for over 290 global airlines stated also that the continent has had no jet hull losses for two years running and is two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type. The Director-General of IATA, Alexandre de Junaic made these known in a statement he sent to New Telegraph from the concluded African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Casablanca, Morocco. IATA lamented however, that only 24 African states complied with at least 60 per cent of International Civil Aviation Organisation Standard Recommended Practices (ICAO SARPS). It also stated that it's clear that progress is being made, but quick to point out that there is need to do more to sustain the record. De Junaic urged governments to recognize the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in their safety oversight programs. "That is not good enough," said de Juniac, who encouraged states to make global safety standards a top priority. He noted that with IOSA carriers performing three times better than airlines not on the IOSA registry, IATA has a convincing argument. Similarly, states, he reiterated, must push forward greater adoption of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). The good air safety record in Nigeria is majorly down to the help of IATA to map out strategies to secure her airspace and curb series of accidents that bedevilled her aviation sector. It was also due to enormous work of the aviation regulatory body, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in its oversight functions. The major drive to end air crashes in Nigeria was ignited by the tragic accidents of 2005 and 2006 when the country and the world became fixated by avoidable bloodletting in the air, which many wished would never happen again. The Sosoliso Flight 1145 in Port Harcourt on December 10, 2005 with 108 fatalities who were largely children, ADC Airlines Flight 53 in Abuja where prominent Nigerians died on October 29, 2006 with 97 fatalities out of 110 on board and the Bellview Airlines Flight 210 on October 22, 2005, where all 117 souls on board were lost at Lisa, Ogun state of Nigeria. These tragedies left so much pain in the hearts of Nigerians and cast Nigeria's airspace as one of the most dangerous in Africa, as the continent had the uncomplimentary record as the most accident-prone in the world. The desire to correct these anomalies prompted the IATA to pick interest in Nigeria. But there is something in Nigeria that may only be found in few African countries. Nigeria has a population of compulsive travellers. It has the record of the highest number of indigenous travellers, which is a rarity in the continent. Although less than one percent of Nigerians travel by air, the country's passenger traffic in 2017 rose to little 15 million and there are indications that this could double in no distant time, as the economy improves and enhances the citizens' purchasing power. So there was need to end the frequent accidents in the country. As a veritable market, the mega carriers from Europe, Middle East and recently from the US could not stay away from Nigeria despite its unsafe airspace then. Experts in the sector have disclosed that the reason Nigeria have had good safety record over the years is basically because airlines were principally responsible for safety and intensified their human capital development. President, Aviation Round Table, Gbenga Olowo, noted that in the past five years, the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) have made its members to be principally responsible for safety and not necessarily the regulatory body. "Airlines in their strive for safety also do not go the extra mile to subject themselves to audit by other jurisdiction outside its own registration. For example, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification in addition to that of the NCAA have made air safety better in Nigeria and in Africa", Olowo stated. He explained that carriers have also identified human capital development through routine and schedule training for all pilots in particular error account for about 80 per cent of all aviation accidents. He disclosed that there has also been implementation of safety management system and more budgets have been set aside for maintenance and dedicated account for maintenance reserve as accident is planned through neglect and poor maintenance. https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2018/12/air-safety-iata-gives-nigeria-others-thumbs-up/ Back to Top Woman fails in €60,000 case against Ryanair over fall down aircraft stairs A woman who fell down the exit stairs of a Ryanair plane at Dublin Airport three years ago has lost a €60,000 damages claim for personal injuries against the airline - and has been ordered to pay the company's legal costs. Judge Jacqueline Linnane said Sabrina Melloni had been carrying two pieces of hand luggage and her handbag as she disembarked from a Boeing 737 and had not availed of the handrails on either side of the steps. Barrister Andrew Walker, counsel for Ryanair, had told the Circuit Civil Court that Ms Melloni, a 51-year-old multilingual customer care co-ordinator of Beechfield House, Oulton Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3, had been leaving a London to Dublin flight at 11.30am on New Year's Eve 2015 when she slipped and fell. Mr Walker said she had brought the claim under Article 17 of the Montreal Convention on the basis that the stairs, which had been lowered from the body of the aircraft, had been wet and slippery and had caused her fall. Judge Linnane, handing down a reserved judgment, said a full defence had been delivered by Ryanair and Mr Walker had specifically pleaded that the claim or incident did not come within the provisions of Article 17 and Ms Melloni was precluded from maintaining any cause of action against Ryanair. The judge said it had not been disputed Ms Melloni had fallen and been injured but Ryanair had denied the stairs had been wet. Ms Melloni had fallen on her face and had suffered a bump to her forehead and soft tissue injuries that had cleared up after some months. Mr Walker had told the court that Article 17 of the Convention provided: "The carrier is liable for damage sustained in case of death or bodily injury of a passenger upon condition only that the accident which caused the death or injury took place on board the aircraft or in the course of any of the operations of embarking or disembarking." Judge Linnane said the Montreal Convention had been transposed into Irish Law through the Air Navigation and Transport (International Convention) Act of 2004 and provided an exclusive cause of action and sole remedy against the carrier and restricted a claimant to proceedings against the carrier. Ms Melloni had been with her daughter (9) and they were disembarking after up to 70 other passengers had disembarked ahead of them without incident while using the same stairs. Judge Linnane said Ms Melloni was in front of her daughter and had been carrying both her own piece of hand luggage and that of her daughter, along with her handbag, and had not been using the handrails when she had fallen, landing on the tarmac. Judge Linnane said Ms Melloni's evidence was that it was raining and she had not been afforded assistance as she disembarked but had not asked either of the two cabin crew for help. On behalf of Ryanair, a senior supervisor had stated it was not raining and the steps were dry. The judge said weather records for December 31, 2015 showed there had been no rain recorded in Dublin until 4pm that afternoon, more than four hours after Ms Melloni had fallen. She found her fall was not an "accident" within the meaning of Article 17. The court concluded that Article 17 contemplated, by the term accident, "a distinct event, not being any part of the usual, normal and expected operation of the aircraft". https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/woman-fails-in-60000-case-against-ryanair-over-fall-down-aircraft-stairs-37596545.html Back to Top Entering the Cloud-Based Era of Aviation Maintenance COLD SPRING, N.Y., Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudVisit Aviation has released empowering new software that will usher remote aviation maintenance, repairs, and inspections into the era of cloud technology. CloudVisit Aviation Maintenance Software software as a service (SaaS), is a paperless filing system and combines project management with video conferencing. It features checklist integration, annotated screen capture, and session recordings with remote connectivity benefits to produce paperless, cloud-based records of aviation maintenance and repair. CloudVisit Aviation Maintenance Software is available in anticipation of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) remote connectivity guidelines, which will be released in October 2019. "The FAA's decision is monumental for the aviation industry" affirmed CEO and Founder of CloudVisit Aviation, Daniel Gilbert. CloudVisit Aviation Maintenance Software can be implemented immediately, before October 2019. Inefficiency In Current On Site Aircraft Quality Controls, Inspections and Repairs The current aircraft inspection process is not time efficient as it relies upon an already scarce number of industry experts to be physically present at each inspection site. Often, on-site technicians are kept waiting for experts to arrive, meaning an unnecessary increase in labor expenses, along with potential passenger delays. Additionally, the costs to bring industry experts to each field site quickly accumulates in gas, meals, transportation, and hotel stays. The shortage of experts creates large backlogs of uncompleted work and decreases the number of aircrafts that could be flying but are not since inspections have not been completed. According to a 2017 study, Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situations can cost up to $150,000 per hour for large airlines, meaning that remote inspection software can save airlines companies millions. Remote Aviation Maintenance and Inspection Solutions CloudVisit's aviation software maximizes the availability of experts, whose work location is virtual and not physical. No one is kept waiting, and inspections are completed instantly. Meetings between experts and on-site technicians can be both scheduled and impromptu, and each session can be recorded and referred back to at any time. CloudVisit's software documents each step of aircraft maintenance and repair in real time and saves to the cloud for easy reference, so that data is never lost and is easily recovered. When aircraft repairs take place a checklist is developed so that all steps of maintenance and repair are completed. Checklists are customizable according to each projects' needs, and all documentation, including captured images, audio, and video, are uploaded and linked into the checklist. This process ensures that all data is organized, and the supplemental documentation provides verifiable evidence of quality assurance. About CloudVisit CloudVisit Aviation provides leading-edge aircraft maintenance software, which integrates remote project management with quality control. Our software maximizes efficiency while reducing cost and time. CloudVisit is backed by 15 years of success in software programming, video conferencing and telecommunications with a proven record of excellence, efficiency and security. For questions about our leading aviation quality control and inspection software, or to request a no-obligation demo, call 845-809-5770. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/entering-the-cloud-based-era-of-aviation-maintenance-300759777.html SOURCE CloudVisit https://www.aviationpros.com/news/12438418/entering-the-cloud-based-era-of-aviation-maintenance Back to Top John Buehler selected as Aviation Chief for National Park Service John Buehler The National Park Service announced today that John Buehler will be the new branch chief for the agency's Aviation Program, succeeding Margaret "Meg" Gallagher, who is retiring in January 2019 after spending about nine months in the position. Mr. Buehler has served in a variety of jobs in his professional career: U.S. Army (beginning in 1994), tank platoon leader, headquarters company executive officer, a graduate of the Aviation Officer Advanced Course General Electric, Six Sigma program General Accountability Office, auditor Nuclear Regulatory Commission, special agent Bureau of Land Management, internal affairs special agent (his present job). Mr. Buehler is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in civil engineering, math, and law. He received a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management where he completed a dual concentration in finance and operations. Mr. Buehler is a private pilot and continues to serve in the Army Reserves. He was activated as the Department of Defense Liaison to the National Interagency Fire Center in 2014, 2015, and 2017. He will begin his new position January 6, 2019. https://wildfiretoday.com/2018/12/04/john-buehler-selected-as-aviation-chief-for-national-park-service/ Back to Top Vertis Aviation Says Long-range Charter Booming Vertis Aviation BBJ Europe-based charter specialist Vertis Aviation recently added a second Boeing BBJ to its offerings. This one is operated by Longtail Aviation, based in Burmuda. Switzerland-based long-range VIP charter management specialist Vertis Aviation has added a second BBJ to its fleet, as its growing Middle East client-base warms to its product portfolio-especially one-off trips that circumnavigate the globe. The BBJ is operated by Bermuda-headquartered Longtail Aviation, and brings the available Vertis fleet to six long-range aircraft - two BBJs, an Airbus ACJ, two Bombardier Global 6000s, and a Bombardier Global Express. "Vertis Aviation has had a plethora of clients, indeed the full spectrum, in the last month," said Catherine Buchanan, chief commercial officer. "That includes heads of state, royal families, government ministers and the like. We had a lot of flights to the U.N. General Assembly in New York recently and, at the smaller end, in Europe, we see HNWIs, but not UHNWIs, [going to places] such as, for example, Ibiza, or [on] family trips. "If Vertis Aviation doesn't have availability on our fleet, or the client is looking for a different type of aircraft, we will sub-charter an option from one of our many industry partners. We really do cover the full spectrum," Buchanan said. The Vertis business model aims to help operators of long-range jets maximize operational efficiency by acting as their "marketing" department for aircraft charter. Jets are often operated by a small operator with a fleet of only one or two jets, who don't want the trouble of chartering, but want the income that it can generate. Vertis does not operate aircraft, but arranges for their charter via third-parties, with a special focus on long-range aircraft types. "We consider ourselves the operator's marketing department. We partner with independent operators, in most circumstances, to offer efficient solutions. We can contribute to the marketing of the aircraft and provide advice on commercial management of the jet. We are seen in the industry as a quasi-operator, as we do not have an AOC, but as the 'marketing' team, we are at the frontline of the operation," she said. "However In terms of paperwork, we are a broker and all communication is done with us. We work with brokers in exactly the same way as any operator would, even though we are not an operator ourselves." Vertis Aviation's headquarters is in Zug, while the company has other offices in London, Johannesburg, Dubai, and Belgrade. Buchanan said the operations of each owner in the Vertis portfolio, whether for own use or charter, are unique, even on a year-to-year basis. "One year, they might wish to charter the aircraft 60 percent of the time. Another, they may need their aircraft 80 percent of the time, making it available for charter only the other 20 percent. It is completely seasonal as well," she said. Vertis has gained a reputation for organizing trips that involve circumnavigation of the globe. In a recent Middle East example, honeymooners took in Singapore, Cairns, Hamilton Island, Sydney, Queenstown, Tahiti, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Texas, Los Angeles, and Paris before returning to the region. "We have done several round-the-world tours. These have involved film companies, music bands, as well as a couple of honeymoon tours-Middle East couples who set out to see the whole world," she said. "Some are quite complex, with different regulations to comply with, different airports to get into, and often last four-to-six weeks. In this region, they are very bespoke. We work with the client to come up with most efficient routing. The case of Queenstown, New Zealand, springs to mind, where the airport in question, because of the terrain, is very difficult to approach." "We are experiencing a solid rise in demand for aircraft that can accommodate complex trips, and we're arranging an increasing number of global circumnavigations. This type of aircraft perfectly fulfils all the requirements for these very special journeys," said Vertis partner Jeffrey Emmenis, of the Longtail aircraft. Trip costs with Vertis Aviation vary enormously, with prices ranging between €5,000 and €1.5 million ($5,700 to $1.7 million). "On our bespoke trips, we work with everyone. We go down to the finest details, not just about the physical charter, but ensuring the client's favorite wine is on board, favorite restaurant food is available, and the favorite ground handlers are in attendance. We look at everything, and problem-solve before everything happens," Buchanan said. Other clients include fans of Middle East sports teams, such as football clubs. These tend to charter aircraft for fans in the Middle East as well as in Europe. This is less the case in the U.S. However, trips can often involve clients from America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. "The African market is incredibly competitive. There are a limited number of high-end clients. Everyone knows who they are. In Europe, clients from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and France are the main players," she said. Advertising is an important part of the company's philosophy. "We rely on word-of-mouth; we do a lot of social media, referrals, PR, working with industry clients, and conferences, like Corporate Jet Investor. The Middle East market is really small, so we also go to the NBAA, EBACE, LABACE, and ABACE Shows. We go to all of them. What we offer is completely bespoke for each client. Our advice is therefore completely bespoke." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-12-05/vertis-aviation-says-long-range-charter-booming Back to Top L3 Offers Scholarships for Female Pilot Candidates Women In Aviation The Pilot Pathways Female Scholarship program is one of several upcoming scholarships from L3 to help pilot candidates pay for training. In an effort to increase the number of women airline pilots, L3 has launched a scholarship program to help pay for the cost of training. The L3 Pilot Pathways Female Scholarship program will offer 10 scholarships to women candidates applying for the company's Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) training program. The program is open to women in the U.K. and Europe and will award £25,000 or €29,000 depending on where the applicant is based. The application for the scholarship can be found here. The first three scholarships will be handed out in the first quarter of next year and the other seven throughout the remainder of 2019. L3 said it will announce additional pilot training scholarships soon. "We are passionate about encouraging more diversity onto the flight deck," said L3 Commercial Aviation's president of commercial training solutions, Robin Glover-Faure. "It's a significant issue for the industry and addressing it is crucial not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it will attract a broader range of talent, help to address the pilot shortage and deliver a future generation of well-rounded pilots." L3's Airline Academy is a global program that offers ATPL training under both EASA and FAA with locations in the U.K., Portugal and the U.S. https://www.flyingmag.com/l3-offers-scholarships-for-female-pilot-candidates Back to Top 'Very upset' Lion Air leader talks of slashing Boeing jet orders Lion Air Group livery is displayed on the engine of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during a ceremony at the Boeing delivery center in March. A MAX 8 belonging to Lion crashed in October. (David Ryder/Bloomberg) The co-founder of Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air is "very upset" at Boeing for what he sees as an effort to deflect blame toward the airline for the Oct. 29 crash that took 189 lives. He is talking privately about whether he should cancel some of the airline's large order for 737 MAX airplanes. The co-founder of Indonesian low-cost carrier Lion Air is furious at Boeing for what he sees as an effort to deflect blame toward the airline for the Oct. 29 crash that took 189 lives, and he is talking privately about the possibility of canceling some of the airline's large order for 737 MAX airplanes. "He's very upset with Boeing," said an airline financier who knows Lion Air founder Rusdi Kirana well. Over the last few years, Kirana's relationship with Boeing has deteriorated, said both the financier and the chief executive of an aircraft-leasing company. The tension over assigning blame for the crash has only made things worse. Kirana's talk of cutting Lion Air's 737 orders was first reported Monday by Reuters. It may also be an opportune moment to cut some of Lion Air's 188 unfilled MAX orders. Industry sources say it's been clear for some time that the airline has ordered more planes than it can handle. Even last year, before the crash, according to two people with knowledge of the company's thinking, Lion Air was discussing possible deferrals of aircraft deliveries. "I don't know if Rusdi is just using this to gain leverage on Boeing," said the aircraft lessor CEO, who asked not to be identified to protect business relationships. Yet what's more at stake is reputation. Kirana needs to defend the competence of his pilots and maintenance staff to maintain confidence in his airline and keep passenger levels up. The financier said Kirana believes that while there may have been deficiencies on Lion Air's part, the trigger for the crash was software in Boeing's flight-control system. After the preliminary investigation report on the 737 MAX crash was issued last week, Boeing released a long statement that highlighted technical problems on the four flights before the fatal one and the fact that on the flight the previous day the pilots had safely dealt with what seemed very similar inflight problems. While those details point to possible airline maintenance or pilot error, Boeing's statement made no mention of the new flight-control system introduced on the MAX that began pushing the plane's nose down during the flight when a faulty reading from a sensor suggested the plane was approaching a stall. U.S. airline pilots have complained that the existence of this new system was not disclosed in training. "Rusdi has the feeling he's being manipulated by Boeing," the financier said. Kirana founded Lion Air in 1999. Though he was a new entrant to the aviation world who previously ran a travel-agency business, his ambition created the largest airline in Southeast Asia and a huge new customer for Boeing. Although Kirana has ceded day-to-day control of Lion Air to Chief Executive Edward Sirait and has moved on to a political role as Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia, he's still 50 percent owner of the Lion Air Group, which includes sister airlines in Thailand and Malaysia as well as Indonesia. He's said to be in charge of major decisions. Lion Air has taken delivery of almost 200 737s already. And the Lion Group's pending orders for the MAX represent about 4 percent of the undelivered backlog. Lion also has 178 Airbus jets on order, all for the A320neo family that's a rival to the 737 MAX. The airline financier, who asked not to be identified to protect his business relationship with Boeing, said Lion has committed little in advance payments for most of those aircraft. It has put significant money down only on jets to be delivered in the next couple of years. So for aircraft set to be delivered beyond that, canceling would probably not mean a big penalty. Despite Lion's large order numbers, Scott Hamilton, head of Bainbridge Island aviation consultancy Leeham.net, said he doesn't think cancellation of even a significant part of the Lion Air order book would be a big blow to Boeing. With a backlog of just over 4,500 planes, the MAX program can afford to lose a couple of hundred orders. "The silver lining for Boeing is that a Lion Air cancellation would mean less exposure to an airline with dicey credit," said Hamilton. "Plus, it would open up delivery slots for new orders in competition with the Airbus A320neo." According to two sources, Lion Air last year was in financial difficulties and was restructuring leases and considering deferring some orders. Many in the industry believe Boeing helped bail out the airline, with the quid pro quo that Lion would upgrade 50 of its MAX orders to the largest MAX 10 model, which it did in April this year. Others in the industry besides Hamilton agree that Lion Air is overstretched. "They bit off more than they can chew," said Adam Pilarski, an analyst with consultancy Avitas. He notes that in the same region, VietJet and AirAsia also have huge aircraft order books. While passenger traffic in Southeast Asia is growing rapidly, it cannot absorb all those airplanes. Pilarski said the crash exacerbates Lion's problem. "It may reduce passenger traffic and that would impact the number of aircraft they need," he said. The financier said a reduction in the pending orders was likely coming even without the crash. "I think Rusdi realizes he's absorbed a lot of aircraft and doesn't have the equity he needs for the capital expenditure ahead," he said. "If he was growing at the right pace and had the right balance sheet and needed the planes, we wouldn't be hearing this." The lessor CEO believes that though the two sides are now sniping at each other , he expects behind-the-scenes negotiations, which might include deferring some orders and other financial enticements, to eventually cool things down . "There'll be some positioning before it gets really ugly," he predicted. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/lion-air-leader-talks-of-slashing-boeing-jet-orders/ Back to Top NASA Astronaut Nick Hague Gets New Space Assignment After Scary Launch Abort NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Hammock Koch, and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin are set to launch toward the International Space Station on Feb. 28, 2019, as members of Expeditions 59 and 60. Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Nick Hague is set for a second chance at his first trip to orbit. His first launch was foiled by a dramatic launch abort in October, but he is now assigned to lift off again Feb. 28, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hague will ride with cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who was also on the aborted launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket, and NASA newcomer Christina Hammock Koch, NASA officials said in a statement today (Dec. 3). Like Hague, Koch is a spaceflight rookie; Ovchinin has flown to the International Space Station one previous time. Russian officials determined that the cause of the abort, which sent Hague and Ovchinin shooting away from the rocket and parachuting back to Earth in their Soyuz capsule on Oct. 11, was a deformed contact sensor on the nozzle cover for one of the rocket's four strap-on boosters. This caused the booster to detach incorrectly and hit another part of the rocket. All flights to the space station have relied on Russia's Soyuz rocket and spacecraft since NASA grounded its space shuttle fleet in 2011. A Soyuz carried its first crew to the space station since the abort today, transporting Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, bringing the crew currently aboard the space station to six. The three other space station inhabitants are set to return home Dec. 20. Once Hague, Ovchinin and Koch arrive, they will contribute to the station's science experiments - and they're set to be on board during the first test flights of NASA's commercial crew program, NASA officials said in the statement. That program is NASA's effort to ensure that commercial vehicles from SpaceX and Boeing are prepared to carry astronauts to the space station. https://www.space.com/42617-nasa-astronaut-hague-gets-new-flight.html Curt Lewis