Flight Safety Information December 17, 2018 - No. 254 In This Issue Incident: Delta MD88 at Hartford on Dec 13th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Envoy E135 at San Antonio on Dec 13th 2018, flaps problem Incident: Argentinas B38M near Cordoba on Dec 14th 2018, engine vibrations as result of weather Incident: Norwegian B38M near Shiraz on Dec 14th 2018, engine shut down in flight Accident: Ural A321 at Ufa on Dec 14th 2018, tail strike on departure Quest Kodiak 100, suffered a runway excursion (Russia) Mil Mi-8 Accident (Russia) Agusta A109S Grand - Fatal Accident (Portugal) American Airlines co-pilot falls ill during flight to Tucson Flying car crashes in test run at Willow Run Airport NTSB preliminary report reveals more details about Indiana plane crash Hunt for Lion Air jet's black box delayed by bad weather Thai AirAsia X passes IATA safety audit Abu Dhabi Airports kicks off Safety Week FAA Proposes Penalty Against Steele for Illegal Charter Brexit could disrupt European aircraft production: IATA 'They're coming:' Flying cars may appear in urban skies by 2023 Lion Air and Boeing are heading into a $30b feud Boeing Delivers Its 1st 737 Jet From Completion Center in China New, more precise GPS satellites headed to space Helicopter Accident Investigation from SCSI Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers sUAS Trusted Operator Program certification during CES Incident: Delta MD88 at Hartford on Dec 13th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N903DE performing flight DL-1383 from Hartford,CT to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 83 people on board, was climbing out Hartford's runway 06 when the crew stopped the climb at about 7000 feet reporting they had just lost an engine (JT8D). Departure issued vectors for an immediate return, the crew advised they were reading checklists and not yet ready for a return. The aircraft climbed to 8000 feet to be above cloud and returned to Hartford for a safe landing on runway 06 about 35 minutes after departure. Passengers reported there was a loud bang, the crew subsequently announced an engine had failed and they were returning to Hartford. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1383/history/20181214/0043Z/KBDL/KATL http://avherald.com/h?article=4c19c32d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Envoy E135 at San Antonio on Dec 13th 2018, flaps problem An Envoy Embraer ERJ-135, registration N809AE performing flight MQ-3924/AA-3924 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Del Rio,TX (USA) with 26 people on board, was descending towards Del Rio when the crew reported a flaps problem, diverted to San Antonio,TX (USA) and requested emergency services on standby. The aircraft positioned for a long approach to San Antonio's runway 31L and landed safely at a higher speed than normal (150 knots over ground, 20 knots headwind component). The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway for an inspection by emergency services. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 12 hours before returning to service. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ENY3924/history/20181214/0232Z/KDFW/KSAT Metars: KSAT 140551Z 31020G32KT 10SM OVC038 09/01 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 29032/0543 SLP136 T00890011 10106 20056 402060056 50000= KSAT 140451Z 30023G29KT 10SM BKN039 09/01 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 29030/0402 SLP137 T00890011= KSAT 140351Z 30017G31KT 10SM BKN040 09/01 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 30035/0310 SLP136 T00890011= KSAT 140251Z 29017G26KT 10SM BKN040 09/01 A2997 RMK AO2 PK WND 29034/0240 SLP137 T00940011 51015= KSAT 140151Z 29014G26KT 10SM BKN060 09/01 A2995 RMK AO2 PK WND 30030/0140 SLP132 T00890011= KSAT 140051Z 30020G32KT 10SM FEW041 SCT050 09/01 A2994 RMK AO2 PK WND 29032/0044 SLP129 T00940011= KSAT 132351Z 30017G23KT 10SM BKN049 11/01 A2992 RMK AO2 PK WND 28036/2325 SLP122 60000 T01060011 10206 20106 51050= http://avherald.com/h?article=4c19c008&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Argentinas B38M near Cordoba on Dec 14th 2018, engine vibrations as result of weather An Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-8MAX, registration LV-HKU performing flight AR-1324 from Buenos Aires,BA (Argentina) to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), was enroute at FL310 about 20nm west of Cordoba,CD (Argentina) and bout 270nm south of Tucuman,TU (Argentina) when the aircraft entered a zone of adverse weather, an engine (LEAP) began to vibrate as result. The crew reduced the engine to idle thrust, drifted the aircraft down to FL270 and diverted to Tucuman where the aircraft entered a hold to burn off fuel and landed safely on runway 02 about 3 hours after leaving FL310. A replacement Boeing 737-8MAX registration LV-HKW departed Tucuman about 7.5 hours after LV-HKU landed and is estimated to reach Punta Cana with a delay of about 9.5 hours. On Dec 15th 2018 The Aviation Herald learned that while flying in that zone of adverse weather one of the engines began to vibrate prompting the crew to reduce the engine to idle and divert to Tucuman. Initial information, confirmed by the airline, had indicated an engine failure and shut down of the engine. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 29.5 hours after landing in Tucuman. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c18ff9b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Norwegian B38M near Shiraz on Dec 14th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-8MAX, registration LN-BKE performing flight DY-1933 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Oslo (Norway) with 180 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL320 exactly overhead Shiraz (Iran) when the crew decided to shut the the left hand engine (LEAP) down and divert to Shiraz, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 29L about 30 minutes later. Iran's CAO reported initial reports suggest the crew received an engine oil low pressure indication on the #1 engine, shut the engine down, burned off fuel and landed in Shiraz. A passenger reported the crew announced an engine oil problem requiring them to shut the engine down and divert to Shiraz. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration LN-DYG positioned from Oslo to Shiraz as flight DY-8920 landing in Shiraz about 11.5 hours after LN-BKE, the aircraft has not yet departed Shiraz an hour after landing in Shiraz. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c18fbc9&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Ural A321 at Ufa on Dec 14th 2018, tail strike on departure An Ural Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VQ-BCE performing flight U6-9785 from Ufa to Nizhnevartovsk (Russia) with 165 people on board, departed Ufa's runway 32L, the tail however contacted the runway surface. The crew continued takeoff and climbed to cruise FL350. About 40 minutes after departure, 270nm northeast of Ufa and about 60nm northeast of Ekaterinburg, the crew decided to divert to Ekaterinburg, turned the aircraft around and landed safely on Ekaterinburg's runway 26R about one hour after departure. The airline reported the commander felt a strong impact of the tail with the runway on departure. The flight was aborted and the aircraft diverted to the nearest maintenance base. A replacement A321-200 registration VQ-BOC reached Nizhnevartovsk with a delay of about 15.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 18 hours after landing. Metars: UWUU 140230Z 35002MPS 3000 0400N PRFG BR NSC M08/M09 Q1025 R32L/0///60 TEMPO 0300 FZFG VV003 RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 140200Z 33002MPS 300V360 3000 BR NSC M07/M08 Q1025 R32L/0///60 TEMPO 0300 FZFG VV003 RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 140130Z VRB01MPS 4500 BR NSC M07/M08 Q1025 R32L/0///60 TEMPO 0300 FZFG VV003 RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 140100Z 33002MPS CAVOK M08/M09 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 140030Z 35002MPS CAVOK M08/M08 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 140000Z 34002MPS CAVOK M07/M07 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1009= UWUU 132330Z VRB01MPS CAVOK M07/M08 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 132300Z VRB01MPS CAVOK M05/M06 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1009= UWUU 132230Z VRB01MPS CAVOK M06/M07 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 132200Z 01002MPS CAVOK M06/M08 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1008= UWUU 132130Z 36001MPS CAVOK M04/M06 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1009= UWUU 132100Z 03002MPS 9999 SCT040 M02/M06 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1009= UWUU 132030Z 01002MPS 9999 SCT040 M03/M06 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE756/1009= UWUU 132000Z 35001MPS 9999 SCT040 M03/M06 Q1025 R32L/0///60 NOSIG RMK QFE757/1009= http://avherald.com/h?article=4c18f8ba&opt=0 Back to Top Quest Kodiak 100, suffered a runway excursion (Russia) Date: 17-DEC-2018 Time: 13:35 LT Type: Quest Kodiak 100 Owner/operator: TVPX Aircraft Solutions Inc Trustee Registration: N221QK C/n / msn: 100-0221 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (PKC/UHPP) - Russia Phase: Landing Nature: Ferry/positioning Departure airport: Nome Airport, AK (OME/PAOM) Destination airport: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (PKC/UHPP) Narrative: The Quest Kodiak 100, N221QK, suffered a runway excursion after landing at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport, Russia. Reportedly the aircraft lost a wheel. The airport was closed for about 3 hours while the aircraft was being removed. The airplane was being ferried from Seattle to Sapporo via Anchorage, Nome and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219630 Back to Top Mil Mi-8 Accident (Russia) Date: 16-DEC-2018 Time: 13:48 LT Type: Mil Mi-8 Owner/operator: Yeltsovka Airlines Registration: RA-22649 C/n / msn: 8096 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 25 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Category: Accident Location: Kedrovy City Industrial Zone, Tomsk Oblast - Russia Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Destination airport: Kedrovy Narrative: The Mi-8 rolled over after landing. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219578 Back to Top Agusta A109S Grand - Fatal Accident (Portugal) Date: 15-DEC-2018 Time: c. 18:00 LT Type: Agusta A109S Grand Owner/operator: Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM) Registration: I-EITC C/n / msn: 22007 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Serra de Couce, Valongo - Portugal Phase: En route Nature: Ferry/positioning Departure airport: Santo António hospital, Porto Destination airport: Macedo de Cavaleiros Narrative: After dropping off a patient an Agusta A109 helicopter was returning to his base Macedo de Cavaleiros in the district of Braganca when it crashed in bad weather. The helicopter was missed around 20:55LT and was found around 01:30LT16-12) in the night. Two pilots, a nurse and a doctor didn't survive. According to a statement from the government department "The preliminary assessment of the wreckage that has been possible so far indicates that the crash occurred following a collision with an existing broadcasting antenna in the area". Local media report that the helicopter involved was an Agusta A109S Grand, operated by Babcock Portugal for INEM Portugal. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219553 Back to Top American Airlines co-pilot falls ill during flight to Tucson TUCSON - American Airlines officials have confirmed a co-pilot on a plane from Dallas/Fort Worth was hospitalized after getting sick during the flight. According to the American Airlines Communication Department, Flight 2710 landed in Tucson just before 1:00 p.m. Sunday with a medical emergency. More than a hundred passengers were on the flight. Officials say the pilot had to land the plane. The co-pilot was able to leave the aircraft on his own, but he was taken to the hospital due to standard protocol. American Airlines also stated that this is precisely the reason why there are two pilots in the cockpits during flights. https://kvoa.com/news/local-news/2018/12/16/american-airlines-co-pilot-falls-ill-during-flight-to-tucson/ Back to Top Flying car crashes in test run at Willow Run Airport Engineer Sanjay Dhall is building a flying car in suburban Detroit and hopes to test-fly it next summer. John Gallagher, Detriot Free Press An experimental "flying car" aircraft crashed on Friday during a test run at Willow Run Airport, injuring the male pilot and prompting an investigation, authorities said. The owner of the hybrid vehicle was performing a high-speed taxi test at about 1:15 p.m. when it accidentally went airborne and crashed, according to a statement from the airport authority. "By all indications, this appears to be an accident," said spokesperson Erica Donerson. Paramedics from the Wayne County Airport Authority Fire Department transported the pilot, Sanjay Dhall, to the University of Michigan, confirmed his business partner David Han. Dhall is in stable condition and is "alert and aware," Han said on Saturday evening. "He is in good spirits, and we pray along with his family for a speedy healing and recovery," Han said. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident. A local engineer and pilot, Dhall founded Detroit Flying Cars to create an aircraft that can also be operated as a car. Although Friday's test run ended with the crash, Han said that the team still achieved a milestone: The accident came after two successful tests, and during the third, the aircraft transitioned to "prepare for flight" mode. But only the front two wheels were supposed to come off the ground. "It actually took flight, which was more than what he had planned for," Han said. After Dhall recovers, the team will repair and improve the prototype for more tests. The incident was unexpected, Han said, but will also lead to "tremendous improvements" in future prototyping. The two-seat vehicle was handcrafted mostly from carbon fiber, the Free Press reported last year, with a propeller on the back and a hybrid engine. "I've always loved to design wacky things, strange things," Dhall said in the July 2017 article. "I just find that there is uniqueness buried in things that don't meet the convention. If you make something wacky, there could be a hidden secret that you could unlock." https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/12/15/flying-car-crashes-test-run-willow-run-airport/2323513002/ Back to Top NTSB preliminary report reveals more details about Indiana plane crash The small jet carrying Louisville City FC founder Wayne Estopinal and two others last month was about 6,000 feet in the air "when it began a left turn, descended, and disappeared from radar," according to an initial report from federal investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary report Friday that revealed more details on what led up to the Nov. 30 plane crash in Southern Indiana that killed Estopinal, Sandra Holland Johnson and pilot Andrew Davis. The report did not identify a cause of the crash. A final investigation into why the Cessna 525A went down in a densely wooded area in Clark County about 16 miles north of Louisville could take 12 to 18 months. The NTSB report said the plane took off from Clark Regional Airport around 10:25 a.m. on its way to Chicago's Midway International Airport but lost contact with air traffic controllers minutes later. Shortly before the plane disappeared from radar, Davis had acknowledged instructions from an air traffic controller at Louisville International Airport to report to a new controller in Indianapolis. However, Davis never reported to the new frequency, and no distress message was heard by controllers on either frequency, according to the report. Moments later, around 10:28 a.m., the plane crashed near Memphis, Indiana. Citing local law enforcement, the report said residents near the accident site heard an "airplane flying low followed by a loud noise." The plane first hit the tops of several trees and then the ground, creating a large divot in the ground, according to the report. The impact split the plane into numerous fragments and created a large debris field. The crash caused a fire but no explosions of any kind, according to the report. Investigators were able to recover "all major airplane components," the report said, and the plane's right engine was found almost 400 feet from where the plane hit the ground. Wreckage from the crash was taken to a secure facility for further examination. It was around 52 degrees and overcast outside around the time of the crash, with winds at approximately 7 mph, according to the report. NTSB investigators along with analysts from the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane manufacturer and engine manufacturer worked together to investigate the crash site. The NTSB's goal is to learn what happened so it can prevent similar crashes from occurring. It investigates hundreds of small plane crashes each year, identifies recurring issues and proposes policy or manufacturer changes as a result, said spokesman Keith Holloway. The plane was owned by EstoAir LLC, a Jeffersonville-based company managed by Estopinal, 63, a prominent local figure who was also president of TEG Architects. Johnson, 54, was vice president of TEG and based in the firm's Shreveport, Louisiana, office. Davis, 32, lived in Sellersburg and was an associate corporate pilot for TEG. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2018/12/15/indiana-plane-crash-ntsb-releases-preliminary-report-deadly-clark-county-crash/2323240002/ Back to Top Back to Top Hunt for Lion Air jet's black box delayed by bad weather FILE PHOTO: Workers load up recovered debris and belongings believed to be from Lion Air flight JT6 JAKARTA: A renewed search for the cockpit voice recorder of a Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 has been delayed for two days due to bad weather hampering the arrival of a specialised ship, the airline said. The crash, the world's first of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet, killed all 189 people on board and the main wreckage and second 'black box' were not recovered in an initial search. Lion Air said in a statement that it was funding a 38 billion rupiah (US$2.6 million) search effort using the offshore supply ship MPV Everest, which had been expected to arrive in the search area on Monday. Bad weather and heavy rain at the port of Johor Bahru in Malaysia interfered with the equipment and crew mobilisation process, delaying the ship's arrival at the crash site until Wednesday, the airline said late on Sunday. Lion Air's decision to foot the bill for the search is a rare test of global norms regarding search independence, as such costs are typically paid by governments. A spokesman for the transportation ministry said its obligation was to fund the investigation. The search for the cockpit voice recorder was the airline's responsibility, he said. Lion Air on Sunday said the search for the cockpit voice recorder was the "duty and responsibility" of Indonesia's transport safety committee. The airline on Monday issued a revised statement removing that reference. In 2007, efforts to recover the black boxes from a crashed Adam Air jet were delayed due to disagreements between the Indonesian government and the airline over who should bear the cost. Indonesian investigators said last week that bureaucratic wrangling and funding problems had hampered the search for the Lion Air recorder and they had turned to the airline for help. Safety experts say it is unusual for one of the parties to help fund an investigation, required by UN rules to be independent to ensure trust in any safety recommendations. There are also broader concerns about resources available for such investigations worldwide, coupled with the risk of agencies being ensnared in legal disputes. The clock is ticking in the hunt for acoustic pings coming from the L3 Technologies Inc cockpit voice recorder fitted to the jet. It has a 90-day beacon, the manufacturer's online brochure shows. The flight data recorder was retrieved three days after the crash, providing insight into aircraft systems and crew inputs, although the cause has yet to be determined. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/hunt-for-lion-air-jet-s-black-box-delayed-by-bad-weather-11038860 Back to Top Thai AirAsia X passes IATA safety audit Thai AirAsia X passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Thai AirAsia X is a Thai long-haul low-fare airline. Its main base is Bangkok-Don Mueang International Airport. It started operating flights in 2014 and currently uses eight Airbus A330-343 aircraft. The airline is a joint venture of AirAsia X from Malaysia and Thai AirAsia. The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/12/17/thai-airasia-x-passes-iata-safety-audit/ Back to Top Abu Dhabi Airports kicks off Safety Week Abu Dhabi Airports has kicked off this week its annual Safety Week with a series of activities designed to increase awareness of aviation safety standards and best practices among its employees and airport stakeholders. The programme of activities included a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) pick up walk. During the walk, Abu Dhabi Airports' executives, employees and stakeholders walked across the airside of Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) collecting any objects that may have posed a risk to aircraft. As a part of Safety Week, a special tent was erected on the airside of AUH where employees and stakeholders were invited to attend a series of safety presentations and exhibitions. Topics covered included dealing with dangerous goods, managing heat stress, runway safety, the role of regulators and employee wellness management. Ahmed Al Shamsi, acting chief operations officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: "Abu Dhabi Airports is deeply committed to ensuring the safety, health and welfare of all of its employees, stakeholders, partners and travelers. Through Safety Week and its activities we aim to promote and engrain a culture of safety at our airports and encourage our employees to prioritise their safety and provide a safe environment for all airport users." "At Abu Dhabi Airports we continuously strive to enhance our health and safety practices, and regularly educate our employees about risk management and associated best practices. Safety is fundamental to maintaining the operational integrity of our airports and contributes to our vision of becoming the world's leading airports group," added Al Shamsi Safety Week and its programme of activities is supported by Abu Dhabi Airports' Airside Safety - Operations department and organised in partnership with airport stakeholders including Etihad Airways, the General Civil Aviation Authority, Abu Dhabi Health Services, the Gulf Center for Aviation Studies, Abu Dhabi Customs, Abu Dhabi Police and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/abu-dhabi-airports-kicks-off-safety-week.html Back to Top FAA Proposes Penalty Against Steele for Illegal Charter The U.S. FAA is proposing its second civil penalty this year against Beverly Hills, California-based Steele Aviation for illegal charter operations. Last week, the FAA said it was proposing a $624,000 civil penalty against Steele for allegedly conducting 16 flights for hire between October 2016 and February 2018 without the required air carrier certificate. The flights involved the transport of the same paying passenger to destinations throughout California, as well as to Seattle, aboard a Cessna Citation II and Hawker 125-800. "The FAA alleges the operations were careless and reckless so as to endanger lives or property," the agency said in announcing the proposed penalty. The civil penalty proposal followed a proposed $167,500 civil penalty earlier this year for allegedly conducting unauthorized air carrier operations and using unqualified pilots. That proposed enforcement action involved the alleged operation of a Gulfstream IV and British Aerospace 125 on at least 78 for-hire flights between September 17, 2015, and June 13, 2016, when neither aircraft was listed on the certificate and with pilots who did not meet the training requirements for that type of operation. One of the pilots further lacked the appropriate medical certificate, the FAA also alleged. Steele Aviation was not immediately available for comment. The move on a second proposed penalty comes as the agency has made a concerted effort to step up its enforcement of illegal charter and as it has begun to review stiffer penalties. NATA's Illegal Charter Task Force, which has been working with the agency to increase its activities surrounding illegal charter, welcomed the attempts to crack down on such operations. "We have had nothing but positive reaction from air charter operators and the FAA on the efforts of NATA's Illegal Charter Task Force," said NATA vice president Ryan Waguespack. "Unfortunately, there is a segment of owners and aircraft managers within the industry that willfully engage in prohibited activities and we rely on the FAA's enforcement authorities in such cases." Most operators intend to comply with rules, regulations can be complex and difficult to understand, he added. "Our goal is to provide the educational resources to help keep their operations legal." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-12-10/faa-proposes-penalty-against-steele-illegal-charter Back to Top Brexit could disrupt European aircraft production: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has cautioned that the global aircraft production, mainly in Europe will likely be hampered by Brexit deal. Picture by REUTERS. GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has cautioned that the global aircraft production, mainly in Europe will likely be hampered by Brexit deal. IATA regional vice president for Europe Rafael Schvartzman said the aviation industry needs clarity and certainty for airlines to adapt to the outcome of Brexit. This came to light as airlines in Asia, particularly low cost carriers were banking on huge aircraft orders from Airbus to expand their growth in the region. "Brexit uncertainty remains very high, as the UK government will try to re-negotiate deal that would garner parliamentary approval. "Although the Brexit deal status quo is maintained for two years, the delay is creating more uncertainty for the aviation industry. To avoid serious disruption for airlines and air travellers, the UK government and parliament need to resolve this impasse," he said at the briefing during IATA Global Media Day 2018 last week. Schvartzman said aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and airlines might incur a major loss, citing that the parts and components are currently being produced in the UK, Europe and other 30 countries globally. "Airbus wings are produced in the UK. There are components and parts suppliers in different places in Europe and other region. For example, the A350 aircraft has four million parts with 1,500 manufacturers in 30 countries. "This (production) can pose a logistics disruption in terms of aircraft delivery," he added. He said airlines' growth will be restricted if they do not receive their aircraft orders on time for new expansion or increase capacities in its existing destinations. "Airlines growth can be hampered in terms of economic impact just because OEMs are not able to deliver aircraft and expand network," he said, without giving any quantum on the losses might be incurred. He said the connecting flights between the UK and Europe as well as Asia will also be impacted, citing that airlines should be worried about Brexit. "They (airlines) should plan their strategy ahead. However, it's now difficult to plan when it's still uncertain on what scenario would happen prior to Brexit," he said. IATA urged the UK and European Union governments to listen to their citizens and ensure as smooth transition for aviation sector as possible. https://www.nst.com.my/business/2018/12/441368/brexit-could-disrupt-european-aircraft-production-iata Back to Top 'They're coming:' Flying cars may appear in urban skies by 2023 Goel calculates that an aerial taxi would cut a 90-kilometre commute between the downtowns of San Francisco and San Jose to 15 minutes, down from an hour and 40 minutes Vertical takeoff and landing craft (VTOLs), like this model from Uber, could be shuttling passengers from airports to downtown vertiports by the mid-2020s, according to reports and the dozen or so companies striving to build the first generation of flying cars.The Canadian Press The flying cars depicted in science fiction classics such as "Blade Runner" and "The Fifth Element" have long been seen as flights of fancy, but their arrival is closer than you think. At least a dozen companies are prototyping or testing flying cars or passenger drones, according to a Deloitte report from January. Air taxis will number 15,000 and become a global market worth $32 billion by 2035, with aerial delivery and inspection services adding on another $42 billion, a study by Porsche Consulting predicts. Vertical takeoff and landing craft (VTOLs) carry the promise of delivering people and goods across congested urban and suburban areas in a fraction of the time a driver would need, taking cars off the road in the process. But technological and regulatory hurdles remain. And whether aerial vehicles can substantially change commuter behaviour and emissions - or overcome questions of safety and public perception - is still up in the air. Most VTOLs - or eVTOLs if they are electric-powered - resemble an oversize drone, sporting a halo of small rotors around a passenger pod and taking off and touching down like a helicopter. But they will be quieter, cheaper and greener than their heli-cousins, experts say. "Instead of this deep, guttural, penetrating-through-walls sound, you have a much more acceptable sound, similar to a ceiling fan," said Nikhil Goel, head of product at Uber Technology Inc.'s aviation team, dubbed Uber Elevate. Uber hopes to start hauling passengers in five-seat, hybrid VTOLs above Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and a third city outside of the U.S. by 2023. "Instead of this deep, guttural, penetrating-through-walls sound, you have a much more acceptable sound, similar to a ceiling fan "The vehicles are real. They're coming. I think it's going to be faster than anybody thinks is possible," Goel said. He sees the first wave of aerial taxis providing a shuttle service between major airports and downtown vertiports that integrate into the mass transportation system, rather than leapfrogging from block to block - a hub-to-hub travel option akin to a monorail. "We are not building this product for the elite," Goel said. A few years after the launch of Uber Air, as it's dubbed, the cost of an aerial trip will be the same as one on the asphalt, he said. He calculates that an aerial taxi would cut a 90-kilometre commute between the downtowns of San Francisco and San Jose to 15 minutes, down from an hour and 40 minutes. Uber is not alone in setting its sights on VTOLs. Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang carried out flight tests with a single-passenger drone earlier this year, according to the company's website. German startup Volocopter has produced an air taxi prototype, taking to the skies above Dubai in 2017. And Kitty Hawk, a California-based company funded by Google founder Larry Page, produced a sleek, one-seat VTOL prototype this year. Bell (formerly Bell Helicopter), is one of five companies Uber has teamed up with, along with Karem, Pipistrel and aerospace rivals Embraer and Boeing's Aurora Flight Sciences. Scott Drennan, Bell's vice-president of innovation, sees 2025 as a more realistic commercial launch target than Uber's goal of 2023. A flying car made form AeroMobil display at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre on November 5, 2018 in Shanghai, China. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Battery life is one area that needs to advance, with lithium-ion packs today lasting for between 50 and 100 kilometres on a multi-rotor electric propulsion system, he said. Regulations are another obstacle. To avoid crowding urban skies, VTOLs could trace existing airplane takeoff and landing routes, but at a lower altitude, buzzing along at between 150 and 330 km/h. Western aviation regulators bar out-of-sight drone operations for the most part. Discussions are ongoing with the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency, said Drennan, who said he has also met three times with Transport Canada regarding VTOLs. Mark Cousin, chief executive of Airbus's A3 unit, stressed the traffic management hurdles on the horizon. "The vehicle is the easy bit," he said. "The real challenge lies in integrating thousands of these vehicles into an urban air mobility system within cities." A3 has put out an electric-powered VTOL dubbed Vahana. The autonomous prototype launched its first vertical flight in February. Drones would typically beat other modes of transportation, such as taxis, at distances of 20 kilometres or more in congested areas, according to the Porsche study. The report notes the technology's limited potential, stating that it can relieve some pressure from congested urban hot spots - "but only some." "If one tried to solve all traffic problems on the ground by moving into the air, the myriad take-off and landing spots would become the new choke points." The vehicles are real. They're coming. I think it's going to be faster than anybody thinks is possible, A city with more than five million inhabitants will likely have no more than 1,000 passenger drones in operation by 2035, the study predicts. That would make a relatively small dent in ground traffic. Uber cited Los Angeles as an appealing launch city in part because of the abundance of flat roofs there - a long-standing fire safety regulation required helicopter landing pads atop tall buildings. "But they're actually not that well suited, because it's not just a pickup and drop-off point," said Robin Lineberger, head of aerospace and defence at Deloitte. "It has to be a place where people come, get ready to get on the aircraft...the vehicle has to land, recharge, refuel, maybe light maintenance and inspection going on. If you think about it, it really needs to be a small, multi-function airport service area." Large parking lots downtown are ripe for conversion into vertiports, complete with conveyor belts, charging stations and hangars, he said. Insurance would function in ways similar to a helicopter manufacturer or transport service, Lineberger said, with premiums hinging on the probability and severity of accidents. However, public perception will be an issue for the foreseeable future. Fewer than half of respondents in a Deloitte global survey of 10,000 people this year were convinced that aerial passenger vehicles would be safe, with one-third undecided and one in five disagreeing. https://nationalpost.com/news/theyre-coming-flying-cars-may-appear-in-urban-skies-by-2023 Back to Top Lion Air and Boeing are heading into a $30b feud The crash of a Boeing plane that killed 189 people in Indonesia is spiralling into a $US22 billion ($30.6 billion) feud between the aircraft maker and one of Asia's most influential aviation bosses. In a rare public dispute between the plane maker and one of its biggest customers, the head of PT Lion Mentari Airlines has threatened to cancel an order for billions of dollars of jets because of what he says is Boeing's unfair reaction to the crash. Lion Air has threatened to cancel an order for billions of dollars of jets from Boeing. The man standing up to the US aviation giant is Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air's owner, and while he was little known to the public outside South-East Asia before the crash, he's something of a legend in the industry. Eighteen years after he and his brother rented a Boeing 737-200 to start a service from Jakarta to Bali, Kirana, 55, has turned Lion Air into Indonesia's largest airline, with one of the biggest order books in the world. "He is, by virtue of the significance of Indonesia, right now probably the most important aviation figure in South-East Asia," said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics in Kuala Lumpur. Kirana's undiminished appetite for expansion - he wants to start flights to destinations as far a field as London and Dubai - has made him a key customer for both Boeing and its European rival Airbus. Lion Air is the third-largest buyer of Boeing's updated 737. But seven weeks after a two-month-old 737 Max jet operated by the carrier plunged into waters off Jakarta, Kirana has started a public spat with the plane maker. Lion Air is drafting documents to scrap its $US22 billion of orders with Boeing because, Kirana says, the manufacturer unfairly implicated his airline in the disaster. "I was in a tough situation and they decided to beat me up," Kirana said in an interview in Jakarta, referring to Boeing's response to Indonesia's preliminary report into the accident. "They have been behaving unethically, they have been acting immorally in this relationship, so we just go our separate ways." Boeing wouldn't comment on the discussions with Kirana, but said in a statement that "Lion Air is a valued customer and we are supporting them through this difficult time". The company said it was "taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, and are working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved". The dispute revolves around Indonesia's worst air disaster in two decades. Moments after takeoff on October 29, the pilots on Lion Air Flight 610 battled to control their 737 Max as faulty data from a sensor repeatedly forced the aircraft to tilt its nose down, according to the preliminary report, which included evidence for the plane's flight data recorder, retrieved by divers. The plane slammed into the Java Sea minutes after leaving Jakarta, killing everyone on board. The report by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee last month didn't find a cause for the crash. But it showed that a malfunctioning sensor wasn't repaired before the fatal flight - even though it failed on the plane's previous trip, and it criticised Lion Air's safety culture. The plane's cockpit voice recorder has yet to be found. Boeing's response to the NTSC report upset Kirana. In a statement, the Chicago-based manufacturer noted the doomed plane continued to suffer airspeed and altitude issues on previous flights, even after maintenance work was carried out. And Boeing said the pilots on the flight immediately prior to JT610 had overcome similar problems by following appropriate procedures. It said the 737 Max "is as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies". Kirana took the response as an attempt by Boeing to shift the blame onto him. "The plane was having an issue," he said. "I was the customer. Why are they doing it now and doing it against me - creating a perception that I was to blame for the accident?"According to Kirana, Boeing has yet to deliver about 250 jets to Lion Air. The manufacturer's orders and deliveries website shows 188 unfilled orders. It's almost impossible to cancel firm plane orders without financial penalties. In the interview, Kirana rejected suggestions that his threat to scrap purchases is a ploy to trim an unnecessarily large order book and that Lion Air is struggling to pay for its planes. The airline's deliveries were fully funded through the end of 2020, he said. But Kirana may have other options and a big cancellation from a major customer that called into question the reliability of Boeing's best-selling plane could have repercussions for the manufacturer, even if it managed to squeeze financial penalties from Lion Air. If Kirana can't annul the orders, he might still be able to resell or lease the new Boeing aircraft to other airlines, said Gerry Soejatman, an Indonesia aviation analyst. That, in turn, would distort the market for new and used Boeing 737s, he said. "The ecosystem is so intertwined," he said. Even after a major accident, it's rare for a public dispute to arise between airlines and the big plane manufacturers when the cause of the accident hasn't been determined. But Kirana has a reputation for toughness and perseverance. "He's very loyal to those within his circle - as long as they don't betray him," Soejatman said. "He can be very unforgiving." A one-time salesman for products including typewriters and cake ingredients, Kirana got his first taste of how the aviation industry works as at 27, holding up placards with customers' names at the airport, to help them with customs and transit. One day in the late 1990s he came across an article about online ticketing. "I realised back then this would make the travel-agency business obsolete," he said in the interview. "That was the moment I contemplated setting up an airline." With the savings from his various jobs, he and his brother rented a jet, designed some uniforms, hired four sets of crew and started Lion Air. In the early days, the airline was so unknown that travel agents refused to pay a deposit when they received his tickets. So Kirana allowed them to pay him after they sold the seats. Now Lion Air as a group has nearly 350 aircraft flying to around 300 locations, with a further 467 planes from Boeing and Airbus on order. Kirana, a former adviser to President Joko Widodo, is now Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia and is no longer in charge of the day-to-day running of the airline. But the loss of flight JT610 has brought him into the global spotlight and caused him to lean on his faith to deal with the tragedy. https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/lion-air-and-boeing-are-heading-into-a-30b-feud-20181217-p50mnb.html Back to Top Boeing Delivers Its 1st 737 Jet From Completion Center in China The first 737 MAX airliner was delivered from Boeing's new Zhoushan factory in a ceremony to Air China on Saturday. This comes amid the 90-day truce in the U.S. and China's trade war. The 100-acre completion site is the first of its kind for Boeing and is part of the U.S. aerospace company's plan to deepen its connection to what will soon be the biggest aviation market in the world. The factory is a joint venture between the company and China's Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC). Production starts with exteriors made in Seattle, before going off to China for interior fitting, Simply Flying reported. The Boeing delivery center takes control over product quality and then hands over the finished jets to clients. The location in China allows Boeing to speed up delivery and easy access to maintenance. According to Simply Flying, critics believe the new plant will take away jobs from U.S.-based workers, though more workers will also be required for transportation and management. CNN reported that Boeing estimates China will need 7,680 new planes worth $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years, plus $1.5 trillion in commercial services to support the new fleets. This will help the company stay aligned with European competitor Airbus. Meanwhile, China is set to surpass the U.S. as the world's largest air travel market by 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association. "This is a significant milestone of Boeing's efforts to deepen its footprint in China, as well as to support the growth of China's airline industry, opening an era of the collaboration," Zhao Yuerang, president of COMAC, said in a statement obtained by CNN. Boeing's new site was in the works before President Donald Trump was elected but found itself front and center as the new administration waged a tariff war on Chinese goods to punish the country for what Trump called unfair trade practices. A temporary broad deal was unveiled earlier this month between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. http://fortune.com/2018/12/16/boeing-first-737-china-factory/ Back to Top New, more precise GPS satellites headed to space SpaceX rocket set to launch Tuesday; benefits won't be seen till control system ready in 4-5 years This photo provided by Lockheed Martin shows the first GPS III satellite inside the anechoic test facility at Lockheed Martin's complex south of Denver. The facility is used to ensure the signals from the satellite's components and payload will not interfere with each other. The satellite is scheduled to be launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. DENVER (AP) - After months of delays, the U.S. Air Force is about to launch the first of a new generation of GPS satellites, designed to be more accurate, secure and versatile. But some of their most highly touted features will not be fully available until 2022 or later because of problems in a companion program to develop a new ground control system for the satellites, government auditors said. The satellite is scheduled to lift off Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It's the first of 32 planned GPS III satellites that will replace older ones now in orbit. Lockheed Martin is building the new satellites outside Denver. GPS is best-known for its widespread civilian applications, from navigation to time-stamping bank transactions. The Air Force estimates that 4 billion people worldwide use the system. But it was developed by the U.S. military, which still designs, launches and operates the system. The Air Force controls a constellation of 31 GPS satellites from a high-security complex at Schriever Air Force Base outside Colorado Springs. Compared with their predecessors, GPS III satellites will have a stronger military signal that's harder to jam - an improvement that became more urgent after Norway accused Russia of disrupting GPS signals during a NATO military exercise this fall. GPS III also will provide a new civilian signal compatible with other countries' navigation satellites, such as the European Union's Galileo system. That means civilian receivers capable of receiving the new signal will have more satellites to lock in on, improving accuracy. "If your phone is looking for satellites, the more it can see, the more it can know where it is," said Chip Eschenfelder, a Lockheed Martin spokesman. The new satellites are expected to provide location information that's three times more accurate than the current satellites. Current civilian GPS receivers are accurate to within 10 to 33 feet, depending on conditions, said Glen Gibbons, the founder and former editor of Inside GNSS, a website and magazine that tracks global navigation satellite systems. With the new satellites, civilian receivers could be accurate to within 3 to 10 feet under good conditions, and military receivers could be a little closer, he said. Only some aspects of the stronger, jamming-resistant military signal will be available until a new and complex ground control system is available, and that is not expected until 2022 or 2023, said Cristina Chaplain, who tracks GPS and other programs for the Government Accountability Office. Chaplain said the new civilian frequency won't be available at all until the new control system is ready. The price of the first 10 satellites is estimated at $577 million each, up about 6 percent from the original 2008 estimate when adjusted for inflation, Chaplain said. The Air Force said in September it expects the remaining 22 satellites to cost $7.2 billion, but the GAO estimated the cost at $12 billion. The first GPS III satellite was declared ready nearly 2½ years behind schedule. The problems included delays in the delivery of key components, retesting of other components and a decision by the Air Force to use a Falcon 9 rocket for the first time for a GPS launch, Chaplain said. That required extra time to certify the Falcon 9 for a GPS mission. The new ground control system, called OCX, is in worse shape. OCX, which is being developed by Raytheon, is at least four years behind schedule and is expected to cost $2.5 billion more than the original $3.7 billion, Chaplain said. The Defense Department has struggled with making sure OCX meets cybersecurity standards, she said. A Pentagon review said both the government and Raytheon performed poorly on the program. Raytheon has overcome the cybersecurity problems, and the program has been on budget and on schedule for more than a year, said Bill Sullivan, a Raytheon vice president in the OCX system. Sullivan said the company is on track to deliver the system to the Air Force in June 2021, ahead of GAO's estimates. The Air Force has developed work-arounds so it can launch and use GPS III satellites until OCX is ready to go. While the first GPS III waits for liftoff in Florida, the second is complete and ready to be transported to Cape Canaveral. It sits in a cavernous "clean room" at a Lockheed Martin complex in the Rocky Mountain foothills south of Denver. It's expected to launch next summer, although the exact date hasn't been announced, said Jonathon Caldwell, vice president of Lockheed Martin's GPS program. Six other GPS satellites are under construction in the clean room, which is carefully protected against dust and other foreign particles. "It's the highest-volume production line in space," Caldwell said. For the first time, the Air Force is assigning nicknames to the GPS III satellites. The first one is Vespucci, after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian navigator whose name was adopted by early mapmakers for the continents of the Western Hemisphere. https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/12/16/new-more-precise-gps-satellites-headed-to-space/ Back to Top Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (https://ral.ucar.edu/opportunity/halaby-fellowship). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2019 or early 2020) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) on aviation. We particularly encourage applicants interested in weather impacts on emerging modes of transportation, like unmanned aerial system operations and urban air mobility. The Fellowship will provide: • a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses • round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO • travel to a conference to present results • page charges (if necessary) for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: • Curriculum vitae • Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) • Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2019 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Brochure: https://ral.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/public/opportunity/halaby-fellowship/docs/halabyfellowship_0.pdf Back to Top Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers sUAS Trusted Operator Program certification during CES. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the first AUVSI TOP Certified Training Organization, is offering a TOP Level-3 Operator course in Las Vegas Jan 10-12, 2019. The course timing is aligned with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The course consists of two days of classroom instruction followed by a 1.0 hour practical flight assessment on the third day. The course is only for experienced users who already possess flight knowledge and skill. More information is available on the ERAU Professional Education website https://proed.erau.edu/courses/uas-certification/ Curt Lewis