Flight Safety Information December 11, 2018 - No. 250 In This Issue Incident: UTAir Cargo AN74 near Kupol on Dec 1st 2018, multiple problems Incident: PSA CRJ9 near Des Moines on Dec 8th 2018, cabin pressure problems Incident: Southwest B737 near Albuquerque on Dec 9th 2018, lavatory smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D at Edmonton on Nov 29th 2018, unsafe gear after manual gear extension Beechcraft C90GT King Air - Runway Excursion (Brazil) Airbus A300B4-203(F) - Nose Gear Collapse During Towing (Mexico) It's More Than Angle of Attack...By Captain Shem Malmquist Pilots of ill-fated Lion Air flight may have been befuddled by safety system Global aviation training symposium kicks off at QNCC Jet Aviation Receives IS-BAH Stage 2 Safety Registration for 20 FBOs at MEBAA ICAO Inaugurates Training Centre at MMIA Gatwick 'signage' blamed as airliner takes off with dangerously little runway left China aims to have 450 airports by 2035: aviation regulator Suit Filed in Kansas Says Cessna Crash Caused by Drill Bit Left During Repair Russia opens helicopter repair center in Peru Alarming number of mobility pilots decline bonuses to keep flying Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals Incident: UTAir Cargo AN74 near Kupol on Dec 1st 2018, multiple problems A UTAir Cargo Antonov AN-74-200, registration RA-74013 performing charter freight flight TUM-9742 from Kupol to Magadan (Russia), was climbing out of Kupol at 370kph (190 KIAS) when the crew received an overspeed indication although the limit should have been 500kph (257 KIAS) but had reduced to 345 kph (177 KIAS). The crew levelled off, then spoilers 5 and 6 (right hand wing) deployed, associated warning lights illuminated and the aircraft entered an uncommanded right roll. The crew stabilized the aircraft and descended to 7000 meters when the crew heard an engine stall and received indication of a left engine (D-36) failure, however, all engine indications remained normal. The aircraft returned to Kupol for a safe landing. Kupol is a private airfield serving a mine at position N66.79 E169.54. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c165cf2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ9 near Des Moines on Dec 8th 2018, cabin pressure problems A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N561NN performing flight AA-5677 from Des Moines,IA to Charlotte,NC (USA), was climbing through FL350 when the crew decided to return to Des Moines due to a problem with the cabin pressure. The aircraft descended to 9500 feet levelling off at 9500 feet about 10 minutes after stopping the climb and landed safely back in Des Moines about 35 minutes after leaving FL350. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 25.5 hours, then positioned to Cincinnati,KY (USA) remaining at or below 10,000 feet, and returned to service about 26 hours after landing in Cincinnati. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL5677/history/20181208/1314Z/KDSM/KCLT http://avherald.com/h?article=4c16581f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Southwest B737 near Albuquerque on Dec 9th 2018, lavatory smoke indication A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7827A performing flight WN-4454 from Lubbock,TX to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was enroute at FL380 about 200nm westnorthwest of Lubbock,TX (USA) and about 55nm southeast of Albuquerque,NM (USA) when the crew received a lavatory smoke indication and decided to divert to Albuquerque. Flight attendants noticed an unusual odour in the lavatory. The aircraft landed safely in Albuquerque about 18 minutes later, emergency services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. A occurrence aircraft was able to continue the journey and reached Las Vegas with a delay of 4 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA4454/history/20181209/2110Z/KLBB/KLAS http://avherald.com/h?article=4c1654e0&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D at Edmonton on Nov 29th 2018, unsafe gear after manual gear extension A Westjet Encore de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-FIWE performing flight WR-3222 from Kelowna,BC to Edmonton,AB (Canada) with 24 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute when the crew received a landing gear inoperative indication. Upon approach to Edmonton the crew performed a manual gear extension, which required excessive force to operate the system. The crew elected to perform a low approach and have the landing gear inspected from the ground. Tower reported that the nose landing gear had not been extended, the main gear was in position. The crew declared emergency, performed a second manual gear extension and this time received three greens. The aircraft landed safely. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance determined the NLGK1 bracket was loose, NLGK1 as well as NGDN1 and NGDN2 required adjustments. A number of gear swings were performed without further anomaly. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WEN3222/history/20181129/1400Z/CYLW/CYEG http://avherald.com/h?article=4c1652ff&opt=0 Back to Top Beechcraft C90GT King Air - Runway Excursion (Brazil) Date: 10-DEC-2018 Time: 15:30 Type: Beechcraft C90GT King Air Owner/operator: Cooxupé Registration: PR-SDA C/n / msn: LJ 1770 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Guaxupé-MG - Brazil Phase: Landing Nature: Executive Departure airport: SBBH Destination airport: SNGX Narrative: The right gear collapsed during the touch down and the airplane veered off runway and crashed into a ravine. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219296 Back to Top Airbus A300B4-203(F) - Nose Gear Collapse During Towing (Mexico) Date: 10-DEC-2018 Time: Type: Airbus A300B4-203(F) Owner/operator: AeroUnion Registration: XA-MRC C/n / msn: 247 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/MMMX) - Mexico Phase: Pushback / towing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: An AeroUnion Airbus A300B4-203(F) suffered a nose gear collapse incident while being towed across the ramp in the maintenance area of Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219292 Back to Top Back to Top It's More Than Angle of Attack By Captain Shem Malmquist As many in the flight test community know, Pete Reynolds (Learjet, later Bombardier) was one exceptional test pilot. Pete possibly had more time in transport category jets (Learjet) beyond the actual stall angle of attack than any other test pilot in history as a result of the work to mitigate the stall characteristics in the Lear. He was prescient in many ways. Prior to his death he worked with one of his favorite engineers, Andy Skow, on a system to alert pilots and bring them rapidly "into the loop" when the energy state of the aircraft was at risk of becoming dangerously low. Note the term "energy state". For the record, I have no connection with Andy aside from knowing about his product and discussing the system with him and others. Most current low energy alerting systems set their alerts only on measured angle of attack. The alert thresholds are presented on the airspeed tape utilizing an algorithm that "synthetically" determines the airspeed appropriate to the measured angle of attack. To avoid nuisance alerts, system alerting thresholds created from this algorithm result in airspeeds lower than needed to mitigate the risk. Earlier alerting is better as long as false alarms are mitigated. This builds in more time for pilots to understand the problem and respond correctly. A delay in crew alerting means the energy state is potentially too low to take corrective action. While current stall detection systems are based on angle of attack, there is another issue related to the problem of low energy. The challenge is not too high an angle of attack, nor is it lack of airspeed. Assuming high lift devices are not changed, the pilot has two controls to the lift, changing angle of attack or airspeed. Essentially, pitch and power. As Skow and Reynolds explain, the issue is not angle of attack nor lack of airspeed. It's lack of lift. By measuring lift it is possible to add a significant amount of margin to detect a deteriorating energy state. By adding airspeed to angle of attack in a low energy alerting system it is possible to set the alerts much earlier while avoiding the potential for a false alarm. The sooner a pilot perceives an issue the sooner the pilot can mitigate the problem. Skow and Reynold's system, called Q-Alpha, normally sits quietly in the background not disturbing the normal flow of actions on the flight deck. It responds when sensing the impending low energy state. The design is such that it is instantly recognizable, clear and unambiguous, especially to a distracted pilot. This approach brings a pilot rapidly back into the frame of reference needed to fly an airplane. The pilot rapidly receives the information needed to eliminate the surprise factor. This may not be the only solution, but concepts like these deserve a close look. Like any important innovation, the Q-alpha system still needs some work to achieve certification. The alerting system must demonstrate adequate performance under various failure conditions (e.g., the angle of attack system), gusts, icing, fight control malfunctions and more, all of which would be part of a detailed certification plan. As outlined, Q-Alpha would not only support low energy alerting but would also mitigate the risk of too much energy which can lead to runway excursion. This solution is quite inexpensive and can be retrofitted easily on existing aircraft. Q-Alpha would not affect existing aircraft systems. I wonder why the FAA or similar organizations have not dedicated some research funding or support to determine the effectiveness the Q-Alpha system as an accident mitigator? Are we going to continue to blame pilots for not paying attention when flying with automated systems that encourage them to not pay attention? A system such as Q-Alpha might actually have prevented accidents as diverse as what happened to Asiana 214 in San Francisco or Air France 447 over the South Atlantic, stretching to mitigating the factors leading to the Southwest runway excursions at Midway and Burbank. The system would also alert for too much energy in an approach environment. Another high risk area, particularly (but not exclusively) for general aviation, are stall/spin accidents. Lockheed test pilot Sammy Mason wrote: "Many accidents that fall under the category of stall/spin do not involve a spin and are not full stalls. They are...the result of 'mushing,' that is, being almost or partially stalled. Because the airplane didn't 'feel' stalled, the pilot felt secure. Then, too often, the first reaction is to further increase the angle of attack instead of applying power. The moment the pilot pulls back on the stick/wheel, the airplane stalls. Whether or not the airplane spins at this point depends on the characteristics of the airplane"[i]. A system such as Q-Alpha might capture this sort of event as well. Captain Shem Malmquist is a veteran 777 captain and accident investigator. He is coauthor of Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and The Future of Aviation Safety and teaches an online high altitude flying course with Beyond Risk Management and Flight Safety Information. He is a Visiting Professor at Florida Institute of Technology. He can be reached at shem.malmquist@gmail.com [i] Sammy Mason. Stalls, Spins and Safety. Copyright 2018 Shem Malmquist Back to Top Pilots of ill-fated Lion Air flight may have been befuddled by safety system Lion Air investigators examine part of the landing gear of the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 at the port in northern Jakarta on Nov. 5. (Azwar Ipank / AFP / Getty Images) Only moments after taking off from Jakarta, the pilots flying Lion Air 610 realized they were losing control of their 737 Max jetliner, the newest, most fuel-efficient and most automated version of the popular Boeing model. The jetliner unexpectedly pointed its nose down, sending it into a series of 26 dives at less than 5,000 feet. Toward the end, the pilot pulled back on the control yoke with all his might to bring the nose up, but the plane entered a death dive into the Java Sea. The crash, 11 minutes after takeoff, killed 181 passengers and eight crew members. The causes of the Oct. 29 mishap are still being investigated by teams from Indonesia, Boeing and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. But the investigation is examining the role played by software, intended to protect against pilot errors, that has caused several deadly crashes around the world and whether the crew understood that system. When the aircraft's flight control system malfunctioned, the pilots had no clue that flipping a single switch in the cockpit would counteract the problem. "They never pulled out of a mode of confusion and panic," said Hans Weber, a San Diego air safety expert and retired aerospace executive. As the aircraft's automated flight control system kept pushing the nose down, no matter how hard they tried to pull up, "they didn't have enough leverage," he said. "It seems crazy." The accident involved many factors, including poor maintenance, inadequate pilot training and failure to report prior problems on the same aircraft, but the automated system's failure is a key focus of the investigation. Many of the questions about the accident may be resolved if and when divers recover the cockpit recording device from the ocean bottom. A second device, the flight data recorder, was found shortly after the crash. Traditionally, Boeing has been well known in the aviation world for a design philosophy that gives pilots significant authority over the aircraft's flight controls. By contrast, European manufacturer Airbus has highly automated its jetliners, limiting what actions pilots can take to adjust controls. But in an evolution of its normal practice, Boeing inserted in the 737 Max software that aimed to prevent pilots from pulling up the nose of an aircraft when they should push it down to counteract stalls and vice versa. Fatal crashes have occurred when pilots didn't heed stall warnings. In 2009, an Air France plane en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro fell into the Atlantic Ocean after one of the pilots continued to pull the plane's nose upward, despite multiple stall warnings. That same year, a twin-engine turboprop, operated by Colgan Air, crashed in Clarence City, N.Y., after the crew ignored stall warnings, killing 49. Engineers also redesigned the plane with bigger, more fuel-efficient engines that shifted the center of gravity forward, creating a potential for the aircraft's nose to pitch up after takeoff. Such a nose-high attitude can reduce the lift from the wings to the point that the aircraft literally starts to drop out of the sky. To safeguard against such a condition, the 737 Max software automatically adjusts what is called the trim or the fine adjustments on a plane's rear stabilizer so that the nose could pitch down in certain conditions. The software was given the oblique name "maneuvering characteristics augmentation system" or MCAS. "What Boeing did was take the pilot out of the loop," said Michael Barr, former director of USC's Aviation Safety and Security Program, which trains accident investigators. "The concept was good, but the question is whether it was properly communicated to the pilots about what it is supposed to do and how it is supposed to work." Boeing's viewpoint is that the procedure to handle a malfunction of the trim system did not change from prior generations of the 737 and that the ability of flight crews to disable the automatic trim is the same on its aircraft dating back decades. Since the accident, two airlines have placed sizable orders for the 737 Max, leading Boeing to believe that the accident will not tarnish the plane's reputation. In a message to employees, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said "the 737 MAX is a safe airplane." He denied media reports that "we intentionally withheld information about airplane functionality from our customers" and said "the relevant function is described in the Flight Crew Operations Manual." "We have not changed our design philosophy," Muilenburg told CNBC in an interview Thursday. "These are airplanes that handled well in the control of the pilots. They're designed the same way our previous 737s are." But unions representing American and Southwest airlines pilots say they were unaware of the MCAS system before the Lion Air crash. American pilots who flew the 737 Next Generation aircraft, the prior model, were able to qualify to fly the Max by taking a 56- minute computer lesson to understand the differences between flying the two planes, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Assn. and a captain. The MCAS system was not covered in that lesson. Proper functioning of the MCAS system depends on accurate measurements from outside sensors that report the angle at which the aircraft is flying - whether it is cutting straight through the air or sliding at an angle. It's called the angle of attack. Those sensors on the Lion Air jetliner had malfunctioned for the previous two days. Maintenance crews thought they had fixed the problem but never got to the bottom of it. The serious problem should have been reported by Lion Air to civil aviation authorities around the world, but word was never sent out. The sensors were incorrectly telling the flight control computer the aircraft had a high angle of attack and was at risk of stalling. Seconds after the wheels left the ground, the pilot's yoke began to shake, signaling the plane was flying too slow and the nose was too high. In error, the software automatically adjusted the stabilizer trim to point the nose down. Veteran pilots say the crew should have recognized something was causing what is known as "runaway trim," in which the control system keeps increasing the trim - an error that can be caused by as many as five conditions. The captain of Flight 610 was a 31-year-old who had just 6,028 hours of experience, few by U.S. standards. "They had just taken off, and the stick was shaking," said Robert Ditchey, a former airline executive and a co-founder of America West Airlines. "They should have known they were not stalling. You have all of the other instruments telling you that you are OK. You could look out the damn window." The stabilizer trim system is also controlled manually by large black wheels in the cockpit that the pilots can twirl around to adjust trim. An aircraft engineer said the pilots should have seen the wheels automatically spinning for as much as 10 seconds, which would have been a dead giveaway that the plane had entered a runaway trim condition. If the Lion Air pilots had figured out that the stabilizer trim was causing the plane to dive, they could have disabled the automated system with a simple switch on the center console or by manually moving the large trim wheels or by pushing a button on the trim wheels. Indeed, crews on the two prior flights on the same aircraft encountered the trim problem and simply shut down the system, avoiding any further risk, according to a preliminary accident report issued by Indonesian civil aviation authorities. John Cox, a veteran pilot and air safety expert, said the captain of the earlier flight dealt with the malfunction by turning over controls to the first officer early, so he could diagnose the problem. But on Oct. 29, the captain continued flying the plane well after takeoff. "They are getting a cascade of fault messages," Cox said. "The captain is hand-flying the aircraft and he is very close to task saturation, trying to figure out how these messages are connected and what is broken on the airplane." Weber said the accident was part of a culture problem, particularly among fast-growing Asian airlines, in which jetliners are operated as a computer rather than a machine controlled by hand. "They are reluctant to fly the plane," he said. That cockpit culture was cited by many aviation experts in the 2013 crash of an Asiana jetliner in San Francisco that pointed out the weak manual-flight qualifications of the crew. As the latest crash investigation proceeds, airlines are moving to strengthen pilots' understanding of the new software. In the U.S., the MCAS system was a "hot item" during a recurrent ground school training session that occurred this week for American Airlines pilots, union official Tajer said. "There's no question there's all hands on deck to make sure this never happens again and pilots are aware of the aircraft they take command of," he said. "Clearly, we embrace technology but not when it's done in the absence of knowledge and without the pilot understanding it. In the event that the technology fails, we are the last line of defense." https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing-737-automation-20181209-story.html Back to Top Global aviation training symposium kicks off at QNCC HE Minister of Transport and Communication, Jasim bin Saif al-Sulaiti, International Civil Aviation Organisation Secretary General Fang Liu, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker and Qatar Aeronautical College director general Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad al-Thani amon gother dignitaries during the opening session of the 3-day Global Aviation Training & TrainAir Plus Symposium at the Qatar National Convention Centre here. * QAC inks pact to offer Advanced Masters in Aviation Safety Management course Qatar Aeronautical College has signed a partnership agreement with French national civil aviation college - École nationale de l'aviation civile (ENAC) to offer Advanced Masters in Aviation Safety Management to students and aviation professionals in QAC. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 3-day Global Aviation Training & TrainAir Plus Symposium at the Qatar National Convention Centre here. This was followed by the 'TrainAir Membership' awarding with the presence of HE Minister of Transport and Communication, Jasim bin Saif al-Sulaiti, , International Civil Aviation Organisation Secretary General Fang Liu and Qatar Aeronautical College director general Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad al-Thani. The ceremony awarded new associate members as well as new full members, and new corporate partners from a host of countries that included Algeria, Oman, and China among others. The symposium is being held for the first time in Qatar and the Middle East, hosted by Qatar Aeronautical College in collaboration with ICAO and support from Ministry of Transport and Communication. The opening ceremony was attended by more than 800 participants representing Members of the 'TRAINAINR PLUS' programme, industry stakeholders and academic institutions with the aim of providing them with a forum to learn about new programme features and benefits, develop new business opportunities, and promote their training organisation and products. This event provides a forum where ICAO Member States and training organisations come together to forge new partnership opportunities in aviation training, and at the same time increase their awareness of key near- and long-term capacity-building priorities for global air transport . The ceremony was followed by the first session of the symposium entitled- 'Building aviation training intelligence', which was moderated by the Civil Aviation Training Magazine European Affairs editor Chris Long. The session focused on building aviation training intelligence methods through identifying and integrating decision useful information, establishing operational plans and training portfolios and meeting aviation growth projections with qualified personnel, all in support of State implementation of standards and recommended practices. After a networking lunch break, the symposium continued with the second session of the day entitled- 'Enhancing the TrainAir Plus Network' through Aviation Training Intelligence. The session, moderated by Jie Huang, ICAO Training Design and Development manager, discussed the importance of the TrainAir Plus Programme in supporting the development of Aviation Training Intelligence. It defined the essential components of aviation training intelligence that assist training centers in building optimal portfolios and operational plans. It also highlighted the latest tools, methodologies and activities utilised by the TPP members. The third session of the day- 'Find your partner' was a B2B session to identify potential collaborators in the field of training, while exploring the benefits of organising joint training activities and establishing communities of practice with TTP Members. The full day of activities concluded by a welcome dinner at Katara Cultural Village where the TrainAir Plus Prizes ceremony took place. The awards were presented by the Secretary General Liu to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the recipient academies and organisations within the TTP programme. https://www.gulf-times.com/story/615862/Global-aviation-training-symposium-kicks- off-at-QN Back to Top Jet Aviation Receives IS-BAH Stage 2 Safety Registration for 20 FBOs at MEBAA Stefan Benz, SVP Regional Operations, EMEA; Terry Yeomans, IS-BAH Programme Director; Rob Smith, President Jet Aviation; and Kurt H. Edwards, IBAC Director General DUBAI / December 10, 2018 - Jet Aviation is pleased to announce today that it has received International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) Stage 2 Safety Registration from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for 20 of its FBOs across EMEA and the Americas. The company intends to achieve IS-BAH Standard registration for its new Hawker Pacific and KLM Jet Center FBOs in 2019. IBAC Program Director for IS-BAH, Terry Yeomans, presented 20 IS-BAH Stage 2 Safety Certificates to Jet Aviation at its MEBAA chalet today in Dubai. "This remarkable achievement demonstrates Jet Aviation's ongoing commitment to the highest safety standards for its customers and employees," said Yeomans. Based around a safety management system that models the structure and format of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (IS-BAO™), IS-BAH establishes criteria for best handling systems, processes and practices to ensure FBOs meet rigorous safety and security standards. J et Aviation received IS-BAH Stage 2 Safety Registration for the following FBOs in EMEA and Asia: * Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland * Berlin (Schonefeld), Dusseldorf and Munich, Germany * Vienna, Austria * Dubai (DXB and DWC), United Arab Emirates * Jeddah, Medina, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia * Singapore In the U.S., Jet Aviation's IS-BAH Stage 2-registered FBOs include: * Washington Dulles, Virginia * Teterboro, New Jersey * Bedford, Massachusetts * Palm Beach, Florida * Dallas and Houston, Texas * St. Louis, Missouri * Van Nuys, California Stefan Benz, Jet Aviation's SVP Regional Operations, EMEA, said, "Two years ago, we announced that we had earned IS-BAH Standard registration at 11 of our facilities. Today, we have achieved Stage 2 at nearly double that number. This is a great credit to our teams of FBO professionals and clearly underscores Jet's culture of global safety." Jet Aviation is exhibiting at MEBAA 2018 from December 10 through December 12. Please take the time to visit the Jet Aviation Chalet (A19/20). Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. More than 4,800 employees cater to client needs from close to 50 facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and the Caribbean. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, FBO and fuel services, along with aircraft management, charter services and personnel services. Jet Aviation's European and U.S. aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of some 300 aircraft. Please visit www.jetaviation.com and follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/jetaviation. More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12438755/jet-aviation-receives-is-bahtm- stage-2-safety-registration-for-20-fbos-at-mebaa Back to Top ICAO Inaugurates Training Centre at MMIA The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has inaugurated the ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre (ASTC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport MMIA), Lagos. The centre would be under the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), which received a Certificate of Recognition at a brief ceremony to mark the event at the weekend. The centre is located at the FAAN training school, which has been rated by ICAO as meeting the international aviation training institution, hence its qualification to host the centre. To further reinforce the importance of the training centre, the British Government also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on aviation security with FAAN for the development of manpower, especially Aviation Security Personnel (AVSEC) in the sector. ICAO said the training centre would cater for aviation institutions in West and Central Africa sub-regions. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, said the objective of the centre was to contribute to the development of manpower, adding that it was also expected to meet the training needs of the West Africa region and even beyond. "It will provide opportunity to handle all aviation security training in West and Central Africa," he said. Also speaking, Director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, said the endorsement of the school by ICAO, showed that FAAN was ready to contribute to the ICAO global aviation security training programme and that the agency has been meeting the expectation of the international aviation body, which is known for its stringent standards on aviation safety, security and other standard practices. "The request for the designation of FAAN AVSEC Training school as n ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre was made on June 8, 2017 after which an evaluation by ICAO was conducted in May 2018 by the Regional Security Officer for Western and Central African Office (WACAF) and under 24 months, the request was granted." While thanking ICAO for the privilege, Usman said the reason for the request for an ASTC was purely for the provision of AVSEC training courses to cater for the English speaking states in the West Africa Sub-region. "In furtherance of our position on this request, I wish to inform ICAO that presently in Nigeria, there are five certified ICAO AVSEC Instructors and over 60 qualified national AVSEC instructors that can be of service at the ASTC. "It is hoped that the designation of the FAAN training school as an ICAO ASTC will attract patronage from the airport communities of the West Africa sub-region and its environs thereby contributing to the development and improvement of aviation security training in the region and elsewhere," he said. Also speaking, ICAO Regional Director, Mr. Mam Sait Jallow, said one of the main pillars of ICAO's aviation training policy was the recognition for training organisations, adding that during assessment of the orgnisation, ICAO validates entities to provide competency-based training and to manage it in a manner that effectively suppers the training of aviation professionals with the appropriate skills. He added that, "With the recognition of the ASTC of Nigeria, the network of aviation security training centres (ASTC) now includes 35 centres wisely distributed in all ICAO regions, to provide aviation security training at the international (ICAO ), regional and national levels to all categories of personnel involved or responsible for implementation of security measures, policies and procedures in accordance with its strategic objectives to improve the level of implementation of Annex 17 Standards. He added further that, "the certificate of recognition issued by ICAO to the ASTC of Nigeria means that it has been duly demonstrated that the Centre meets the general and specific requirements in this respect, and that is able to continue to meet such requirement during the period of validity of the certificate of recognition. "Marinating the certificate therefore requires all stakeholders to redouble their efforts through the implementation of a coherent and comprehensive monitoring programme." https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/12/10/icao-inaugurates-training-centre- at-mmia/ Back to Top Gatwick 'signage' blamed as airliner takes off with dangerously little runway left The report found that an attempt to abort could have been catastrophic Pilots have blamed "bad signage" at Gatwick Airport after nearly running out of runway while taking off. A report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch found the mistake in March could have caused a potentially disastrous "overrun" after the Boeing 787-9 began its take-off 417 metres beyond the proper starting point. The Buenos Aires-bound jet carrying 270 people left the ground with only 600 metres of runway to spare. The Norwegian Airlines aircraft was one of five which failed to start its take-off from the right location at Gatwick's standby runway between September 2017 and March this year. The report noted: "After departure both pilots commented that there was not much runway remaining at lift-off." The report added: "The crew did not identify the beginning of the runway and taxied forward to the landing threshold before beginning their take-off. "This decreased the take-off distance available and meant that the aircraft did not meet regulated performance requirements for its actual take-off weight. "The distance available for the take-off would have been insufficient had an aircraft engine failed and had the crew decided to stop." The repeated problems on the standby runway follow a proposal by Gatwick bosses to bring it into routine use for departures as part of a plan to increase the airport's capacity. Gatwick said it had agreed to make it easier for pilots to find the beginning of the runway, particularly at night. A review undertaken of the markings by the airport revealed they were not EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) compliant. Remedial work was planned for September earlier this year which would increase the number of arrows painted on the centreline. Had the aircraft suffered an engine failure at the critical "V1" speed, an attempt to abort the take-off could have resulted in an overrun, the report concluded. Analysis by the carrier indicated that the aircraft was 12 tonnes too heavy for the available distance. Putting the standby runway into routine use could result in more than 84,000 extra flights per year, analysts believe. The 8,400-foot emergency runway runs parallel to the 10,800-foot main runway and is currently used as a taxiway or as an alternative when the primary runway is undergoing maintenance. It is thought that putting the standby runway into routine use could increase Gatwick's passenger capacity by 20 to 30 per cent, allowing for more than 200 additional flights per day from as early as 2023. The Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions has complained that the plan would worsen noise pollution for nearby residents. However, it has also warned that the standby runway is too close to the main runway for safety. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/09/gatwick-signage-blamed-airliner-takes- dangerously-little-runway/ Back to Top China aims to have 450 airports by 2035: aviation regulator Construction workers work outside the terminal building of Beijing's new international airport during a media tour, in Daxing district, Beijing, China October 26, 2018. China Daily via REUTERS BEIJING (Reuters) - China aims to have 450 airports by 2035, almost doubling its current number of airports as part of the country's ambition to build itself into an aviation power, its aviation regulator said. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) made the forecast on Monday, according to a report by the CAAC News which is affiliated to the regulator. As of end- October, China had 234 civil airports, according to state media. China is expected to overtake the United States as the world's largest aviation market in the next decade as an expanding middle class and government support for the sector fuel demand for flights and airport construction. In the meantime, Chinese policymakers are also hoping that a rebound in infrastructure investment could provide a boost to the economy that is expanding at the weakest pace since the global financial crisis with analysts expect further softening in coming months. The state council said in October that the country would ramp up investment in infrastructure such as railways, highways and airports to spur domestic demand. Fixed-asset investment growth, a key driver of China's economy, is hovering around record lows after Beijing put many projects on hold due to concerns over rising debt. The CAAC also said it was expecting air passenger traffic will account for over a third of total traffic in the country. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-aviation/china-aims-to-have-450- airports-by-2035-aviation-regulator-idUSKBN1OA0B4 Back to Top Suit Filed in Kansas Says Cessna Crash Caused by Drill Bit Left During Repair A drill bit left during repair of a single-engine Cessna aircraft is responsible for a 2015 crash in Arkansas that caused minor injuries to the pilot and destroyed the new $712,290 aircraft, a federal lawsuit filed in Kansas alleged. The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas against Textron Aviation in U.S. by Mid-Continent Aircraft Corp. of Missouri and its insurance company involves the purchase of a 2014 Cessna T206H Stationair TC aircraft. The lawsuit alleges the misplaced drill bit was the cause of the crash and that Cessna's parent company Textron refuses to pay for the loss of the aircraft. Textron declined to comment on the pending litigation. During a pre-acceptance test flight, a problem was found in the left magneto, a self- contained electrical generator which fires the engine spark plugs. Wichita, Kansas-based Cessna Aircraft Co. replaced the faulty magneto and noted in the plane's maintenance logbook that aircraft was airworthy, according to the lawsuit. Mid-Continent took delivery of aircraft N164CS on April 3, 2015. The following month, the plane crashed during takeoff from Piggott Municipal Airport in Arkansas. The National Transportation Safety Board's report of the May 15, 2015, accident said the airplane was about 20 to 30 feet in the air when the engine "surged" before losing power. The airplane settled back down to the ground, but was traveling too fast to stop on the remaining runway. It came to rest in an irrigation ditch near the runway. The pilot's air bag deployed during the accident. When investigators took apart the failed magneto, they found a section of a drill bit about 3/8 of an inch long inside it, according to the NTSB report. Mid-Continent said in its lawsuit that its insurer, National Union Fire Insurance Co., paid $699,000 for the insured loss. Mid-Continent has another $13,290 in uninsured losses. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2018/12/05/511110.htm Back to Top Russia opens helicopter repair center in Peru The specialists of Russian Helicopters Group will be carrying out major repairs of Mi-17 helicopters operational in the Peruvian Air Force MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. A center for the maintenance and repairs of Russian- made Mil Mi helicopters has opened in the Peruvian capital of Lima with the support of Russian Helicopters Group, the rotorcraft maker's press office reported on Monday. "The Helicentro Peru center for the maintenance and repairs of Russian-made helicopters has begun its work on the basis of the Peruvian Air Force Maintenance Service (SEMAN) in the city of Lima. The Center has been set up with the participation of Russian Helicopters Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) and will deal with the maintenance of Mi helicopters," the press office said in a statement. Helicentro Peru will utilize the enterprise's capacities to repair civilian Mi-17 helicopters operational in the region. Specialists of Russian Helicopters Group will be carrying out major repairs of Mi-17 helicopters operational in the Peruvian Air Force. "Although the Center has just begun its work, it is provided with orders until 2023: in the next five years, the repairs of about 40 helicopters are planned. Besides, Peru's advantageous geographical position and the production capacity reserve make it possible to consider also orders from other countries of the region," the press office quoted Russian Helicopters Group CEO Andrei Boginsky as saying. The Center's creation will help carry out the entire range of works without transporting the fuselages from the country's territory. Peru is the largest importer of Russian-made helicopters in Latin America. Currently, Peru operates more than 100 Russian-made helicopters. Mi-8/17 helicopters developed by the Mil Design Bureau are well-known in the world as reliable and easy-to-operate rotorcraft. They are used in medical-sanitary and humanitarian missions, cargo and passenger carriages, including VIP transportations. Mi-8/17 military transport helicopters are designated for carrying personnel, and also cargoes inside the cabin and on an external sling. http://tass.com/defense/1035318 Back to Top Alarming number of mobility pilots decline bonuses to keep flying; overall bonus 'take rates' up slightly Capt. Thomas Beltz, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 514th Air Mobility Wing, closes in to refuel with a KC-10 Extender over the Atlantic Ocean, in February. The number of mobility pilots accepting retention bonuses to stay in the service saw a sharp decline over the past two years. (Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/Air Force) Mobility pilots are declining aviation retention bonuses in alarming numbers, despite the the Air Force's attempt to keep them in uniform with an infusion of cash. Mobility pilot take rates dropped six percentage points, to 37.9 percent, in 2018. That's nearly 10 percentage points lower than in fiscal 2016, when 47.6 percent of mobility pilots signed up for the bonuses. In the past, Air Force officials have said that they hope 65 percent of eligible pilots will take the bonus in any given year. Overall, a slightly higher percentage of pilots accepted a hefty bonus to remain in the Air Force in fiscal 2018, compared to a year ago, as the service rolled out a major expansion of the highest bonuses. Because fewer pilots were eligible to make that decision, however, the overall number of pilots signing up to extend their service as part of the Aviation Bonus Program was down compared to fiscal 2017, and some critical groups of pilots saw significant declines. The Air Force in May announced that, for the first time, some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots would be eligible for the same maximum bonus that were previously given only to fighter pilots. To receive that maximum $420,000 bonus, pilots would have to agree to serve 12 more years. But turning on the cash spigot appears to have had limited effect. According to statistics provided by the Air Force, the overall percentage of eligible manned aircraft pilots agreeing to take the bonuses - known as the take rate - increased from 44 percent in 2017 to 45 percent in 2018. That halted two years of declines, after the take rates dropped from 55 percent in 2015 to 48 percent in 2016, and to 44 percent in 2017. But even though the take rate ticked up, overall number of pilots signing up for retention bonuses dropped from 476 to 418, the statistics showed. The Air Force is intensely worried about the shortfall of roughly 2,000 pilots, or about 10 percent of its overall pilot population, which could hurt its ability to accomplish all its missions. That kind of shortfall, which places an even greater burden on the pilots who remain, threatens to "break the force," Secretary Heather Wilson said last year. The service has rolled out a series of programs to try to plug that gap, and a major part has been offering extremely generous retention bonuses to entice pilots to stay and pass up opportunities to fly for deep-pocketed commercial airlines. An F-22 pilot from the 95th Fighter Squadron out of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., prepares to take off from Ämari air base, Estonia, in September 2015. The Air Force is struggling with a shortage of fighter pilots and rolled out a series of incentives and new policies to convince pilots to stay in uniform. (Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane/Air Force) For the Air Force, the brightest spots in 2018 came in the ranks of 11B bomber pilots and 11F fighter pilots. Bomber pilot take rates increased by 6.9 percentage points, to 52.9 percent in fiscal 2018. And fighter pilot take rates jumped 9.3 percentage points last year to 43.9 percent. Both career fields are now doing better than they were in 2016. In addition to 11M mobility pilots, 11H rescue, 11S special operations, and 11U and 18X unmanned aerial vehicle pilots all saw significant drops in their take rates. Retention bonuses are spiking for a lot of Air Force pilots - could you get up to $420K? Retention bonuses are spiking for a lot of Air Force pilots - could you get up to $420K? The Air Force this year is offering some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots the same massive retention bonuses as fighter pilots. During a panel discussion on pilot retention at the Air Force Association's conference in September, Gen. Maryanne Miller, the head of Air Mobility Command, hinted at potential problems with her pilots' take rates. Typically, AMC pilots accept those bonuses at about the same rates as other active-duty pilots, but as fiscal 2018 drew to a close, she said they were noticeably less. "That's got my attention," Miller said. AMC spokesman Col. Christopher Karns said the improving economy and commercial airlines' ongoing recruitment of experienced military pilots contributed to the decline. But operations tempos are also stressing pilots, he said, and AMC is looking for ways to relieve the pressure and get them flying more. AMC is trying to reduce the administrative burden on pilots and make sure they have enough "white space" to have time at home and time to train while they're back from deployments, he said. AMC also cut the number of its pilots' 365-day deployments, from 47 to 26, in part by having staff officers do some office jobs AMC used to send pilots to do. And the command this year began a limited experiment with a flying-only technical track, that it hopes to later expand. Rescue pilots also dropped 5 percentage points, to 70.7 percent, special operations pilots dropped 5.2 percentage points to 54 percent, and unmanned aerial vehicle pilots dropped 4.8 percentage points to 59.5 percent. However, spec ops and UAV pilots both saw a significant spike in 2017, meaning they're still above where they were in 2016. The statistics show 37 pilots agreed to some of the longest service commitments, of 10 to 12 years. There were also 264 pilots who agreed to stay seven to nine more years, and 117 who agreed to stay four to six more years. But the overall number of fighter pilots accepting bonuses of any length dropped from 122 in 2017 to 72 in 2018. Since their take rates increased, that suggests fewer fighter pilots were eligible for retention bonuses. The number of mobility pilots signing up also dropped from 187 to 117. But the number of spec ops pilots accepting retention bonuses nearly doubled, from 34 to 67. UAV pilots also saw a sharp increase, from 49 to 88 in 2018. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/12/10/alarming-number-of- mobility-pilots-decline-bonuses-to-keep-flying-overall-bonus-take-rates-tick-up-slightly/ Back to Top Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls Delta Airlines said Monday that it will ban all emotional support animals on flights longer than 8 hours and will ban all service and support animals under four months of age on flights no matter the duration. The policy will go into effect Dec. 18, ahead of the Christmas holiday travel season. "These updates support Delta's commitment to safety and also protect the rights of customers with documented needs - such as veterans with disabilities - to travel with trained service and support animals," said John Laughter, Delta's senior vice president, corporate safety, security and compliance. Delta DAL, +0.45% said it amended its animal policy after finding an 84% increase in reported incidents involving service and support animals in 2016 and 2017, "including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 70-pound dog." The airline said the updated support and service animal age requirement aligns with the vaccination policy of the CDC, and the eight-hour flight limit for emotional support animals is consistent with the principles outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Carrier Access Act. As a result of the policy changes, customers ticketed on or after Dec. 18 will no longer be permitted to originate travel with emotional support animals on flights longer than eight hours and will no longer be permitted to originate travel with service and support animals under four months of age regardless of flight length. Customers with tickets purchased prior to Dec. 18, who have already requested to travel with an emotional support animal will be allowed to travel as originally ticketed. Regardless of booking date, emotional support animals will not be accepted on flights longer than eight hours on or after Feb. 1. Additionally, service and support animals under four months of age will not be accepted on flights of any length on or after Feb. 1. Delta said it will contact customers to adjust reservations if the policy update impacts their travel plans. The full policy and additional information on types of accepted animals and other questions related to traveling with service and support animals is available on delta.com. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/delta-bans-kittens-and-puppies-as-support- animals-on-all-flights-and-all-emotional-support-animals-on-longer-hauls-2018-12- 10?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo Curt Lewis