Flight Safety Information January 29, 2019 - No. 021 In This Issue Incident: Wizz A320 at Bucharest on Jan 25th 2019, brakes problem und several warning messages Incident: Aeroflot A333 at Moscow on Jan 25th 2019, could not retract gear Incident: CSA A319 at Bucharest and Prague on Oct 8th 2018, floor vibrations near cockpit and galley Incident: TAROM AT45 at Bucharest on Jan 28th 2019, smell of oil on board EasyJet flight EZY1805 from Manchester to Iceland diverts after 'mid-air assault' MID-AIR MAYDAY British Airways flight declares emergency at 30,000ft as 'toxic smell' leaves ten crew sick EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Hawaiian A332 at Tokyo on Jan 28th 2019, runway incursion Boeing 727-200 - Nose Gear Collapse (Alabama) Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane - Accident (Australia) ERICKSON AIRCRANES GROUNDED IN AUSTRALIA AFTER VICTORIAN CRASH During Shutdown, NTSB Didn't Send Investigators to Most Fatal Accidents AIRBUS A330-900 GETS "BEYOND 180 MINUTES" ETOPS APPROVAL Air Force announces fiscal year 2019 aviation bonuses Mitsubishi Aircraft accuses Bombardier of trying to limit competition for regional jets SPACEX REVS ITS ENGINES AS IT GETS CLOSER TO CREWED FLIGHT ONLINE SURVEY REQUEST Aircraft Maintenance Investigation from SCSI IATA Safety & Flight Ops Conference - 2-4 April - Barcelona 2019 AIR CHARTER SAFETY SYMPOSIUM Position: Audit Production Manager Position Available Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Incident: Wizz A320 at Bucharest on Jan 25th 2019, brakes problem und several warning messages A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LWY performing flight W6-3152 from Catania (Italy) to Bucharest Otopeni (Romania), was descending towards Bucharest when the crew declared Mayday reporting they had brakes problems, would not be able to vacate the runway and would need to be towed off the runway. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 08L at a normal speed and stopped on the runway. The aircraft was towed to the apron. The airline reported the crew received several warning messages during the flight. According to safety procedures the commander declared Mayday and requested emergency services on standby. The aircraft landed safely and was towed to the apron. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c377487&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Aeroflot A333 at Moscow on Jan 25th 2019, could not retract gear An Aeroflot Airbus A330-300, registration VQ-BEL performing flight SU-232 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Delhi (India) with 196 passengers, was climbing out of Sheremetyevo's runway 24L when the crew stopped the climb at FL060 after being unable to retract the left and nose landing gear. The aircraft burned off fuel for about 70 minutes, then returned to Sheremetyevo for a safe landing on runway 24R about 85 minutes after departure. A replacement A330-300 registration VP-BDE reached Delhi with a delay of 4:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Moscow for 24 hours before returning to service. Rosaviatsia reported a post flight inspection revealed the gear pins were still installed on nose and left main gear. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3768bb&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: CSA A319 at Bucharest and Prague on Oct 8th 2018, floor vibrations near cockpit and galley A CSA Czech Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration OK-MEL performing flight OK-803 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Prague (Czech Republic), was climbing out of Bucharest when the crew noticed vibrations from the floor at the cockpit and the forward galley associated with low frequency noise that appeared to originate from the air conditioning system. The crew continued the flight as planned. During the descent into Prague the vibrations and sound suddenly ceased, however an odour of burning wires and light haze appeared in the cockpit. A short time later a "VENT BLOWER FAULT" was displayed on the ECAM. The crew carried out the ECAM actions, the odour and haze disappeared. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Prague and taxied to the gate, where passengers disembarked normally. In their fourth quarter 2018 bulletin Czechia's UZPLN reported the air conditioning "BLOWER FAN" was replaced. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3746b9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: TAROM AT45 at Bucharest on Jan 28th 2019, smell of oil on board A TAROM Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-500, registration YR-ATE performing flight RO-275 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Thessaloniki (Greece) with 25 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through FL170 out of Bucharest when the crew stopped the climb and returned to Bucharest reporting an odour of oil on board. The aircraft landed safely back on Otopeni's runway 08L about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement ATR-42-500 registration YR-ATB reached Thessaloniki with a delay of about 2.5 hours. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Bucharest due to the smell of oil in the cockpit. A replacement aircraft took the passengers to Thessaloniki. A first examination of the aircraft did not find evidence of a fault on board of the aircraft. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c376b88&opt=0 Back to Top EasyJet flight EZY1805 from Manchester to Iceland diverts after 'mid-air assault' The flight took off from Manchester Airport A mid-air assault forced the captain of an easyJet flight from Manchester to Iceland to divert to Edinburgh. The firm confirmed flight EZY1805 to Keflavik was met by police in the Scottish capital at 17:03 GMT and a "disruptive passenger" was removed. One witness told BBC News the passenger had smashed his phone, resulting in smoke coming from its battery before "a guy jumped out to stop it setting fire to the plane". There are no reports of any injuries. 'Battery started smoking' The Airbus-A320 departed Manchester at 16:07, Flightradar 24 data revealed. EasyJet said the plane was carrying 141 passengers, plus six crew members including two pilots and four cabin crew. At 16:40 and just north of Glasgow, the plane turned left and flew towards Edinburgh, where it landed at 17:03. The witness said: "Some drunk bloke kicked off and assaulted another passenger. "When he realised we were landing in Scotland to arrest him, he kicked off and smashed his phone up. "This snapped the battery which started smoking on the aisle floor." The plane involved was an Airbus 320 similar to this one In a statement easyJet said: "We can confirm that flight EZY1805 from Manchester to Keflavik was required to divert to Edinburgh and was met by police on arrival due to a passenger behaving disruptively. "Our cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. "Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. "The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority." Edinburgh Airport referred the BBC to Police Scotland, who were not immediately available for comment. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-47035789 Back to Top MID-AIR MAYDAY British Airways flight declares emergency at 30,000ft as 'toxic smell' leaves ten crew in hospital The drama unfolded just hours after the same plane suffered another reported odour scare A BRITISH Airways pilot declared a 'May Day' emergency at 30,000ft due to fumes on a packed airliner resulting in 10 crew members being taken to hospital. The drama unfolded just hours after the same plane suffered another reported odour scare. A British Airways pilot declared an emergency due to fumes on a flight Crew members on a Boeing 747 from Heathrow to Boston told of a "strange toxic smell" after touchdown in the US. An official Air Safety Report was completed into the incident on Flight BA213 - which was carrying passengers including Jason Mahoney, the Head of Engineering for BA. After a check by BA engineers in Boston the same plane was declared safe for take-off on its return leg to London. Flight BA212 was 1hr 41 minutes into the journey when the Captain declared an emergency due to another fume event. CREW TAKEN TO HOSPITAL The aircraft returned to Boston where 10 crew members were taken to hospital for checks. BA sources said two cabin crew were seriously ill, with one violently unwell - but the airline said there was no evidence of this. Bosses jetted out a team of experts to probe the plane and it remained grounded for three days. After returning to London without passengers, the same aircraft was immediately cleared to take off on a flight to New York. NOT THE FIRST FUME INCIDENT The airline has been hit by fume events on previous flights between London and Boston. BA officials said the crew on the latest troubled flight on January 21 were advised to go to hospital as a precaution. Bosses believe the reported fume events were caused by de-icing chemicals used on the runway in Boston amid -15C temperatures rather than toxic fumes. An airline spokeswoman told The Sun: "Engineers carried out thorough checks on the aircraft when it landed in Boston. "An additional team of specialists was flown out to do more tests before the aircraft was cleared to fly again. "We encourage all our crew to report any concerns, and seek medical advice as a precaution if they feel unwell for any reason." BA DENIED FUME EVENT IN 2016 In 2016 BA denied accusations they downplayed an incident that left 25 cabin crew in hospital after toxic fumes leaked into the jet of a San Francisco-bound flight. The Unite union said that BA was attempting to spin the nature of such instances and "manipulate" statistics "to downplay how widespread the problem really is in the industry". https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8300898/british-airways-flight-emergency-smell-crew-hospital/ Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Hawaiian A332 at Tokyo on Jan 28th 2019, runway incursion A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration N381HA performing flight HA-458 from Tokyo Haneda (Japan) to Honolulu,HI (USA), was taxiing for departure in contact with ground control. The aircraft was assigned runway 16L for departure and was cleared to taxi via taxiway B to hold short of taxiway B-7 (runway 22 was active for landing traffic). The aircraft however crossed taxiway B onto high speed turn off B-6 and stopped when lined up with runway 04 about 1000 meters/3300 feet down the runway 04 threshold. Tower noticed the traffic on the runway and instructed the next two arrivals for runway 22 to go around, while ground instructed the Hawaiian to immediately vacate the runway advising them they were on active runway 22 causing go arounds. The aircraft turned off runway 04 onto taxiway B-7, joined taxiway B and taxied to runway 16L, from where it departed about 20 minutes later. The two aircraft having gone around positioned for second approaches and landed safely. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c373df6&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 727-200 - Nose Gear Collapse (Alabama) Date: 28-JAN-2019 Time: 20:08 Type: Boeing 727-200 Owner/operator: Kalitta Charters Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (KTCL), Tuscaloosa, AL - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Laredo International Airport (KLRD), Laredo, TX Destination airport: Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (KTCL), Tuscaloosa, Alabama Narrative: A Boeing 727-200 operated by Kalitta Charters experienced a nosegear collapse after landing at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (KTCL) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The aircraft sustained minor damage and there were no reported injuries to the crew onboard. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=221265 Back to Top Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane - Accident (Australia) Date: 28-JAN-2019 Time: Type: Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane Owner/operator: Erickson Inc Registration: N173AC C/n / msn: 64015 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Gippsland, VIC - Australia Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Fire fighting Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A helicopter crashed into a reservoir during water uplift for fire fighting operations. Crew swam to shore and are OK. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=221210 Back to Top ERICKSON AIRCRANES GROUNDED IN AUSTRALIA AFTER VICTORIAN CRASH Erickson Aircrane N173AC. (Dave Soderstrom)Erickson Aircrane N173AC. (Dave Soderstrom) Victoria emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp says the crash of an Erickson Aircrane helicopter while fighting bushfires has led to the type being grounded across Australia while the cause of the accident is investigated. The move follows an incident involving Helitak 341 N173AC that ended up in a dam in Gippsland in eastern Victoria on Monday, January 28. Crisp told ABC Radio Melbourne the two Aircranes in NSW, one in South Australia and one in Western Australia, as well as Victoria's second Aircrane, would remain on the ground until further notice. "At this stage the Aircranes in those other jurisdictions and our other one will not fly until we get assurances from Kestrel and Erickson," Commissioner Crisp told the ABC on Tuesday. The two pilots and one engineer on board the aircraft survived the incident, the state government's VicEmergency department said in a statement on its Facebook page on Monday. The aircraft was fighting fires in the Thomson Complex Catchment. "The two pilots and one engineer are safe after swimming to the edge of the dam where the aircraft crashed," the VicEmergency statement said. "Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Worksafe have been notified." VicEmergency said the Aircrane, which carries the nickname Christine, had been one of 10 aircraft involved in fire suppression activities at the Thomson Catchment Complex fires. The state has 49 contracted aircraft to fight bushfires, including two Aircranes. "Contingency plans are being put in place to ensure Victoria has adequate aircraft coverage over the Thomson Catchment Complex fires and for the state," VicEmergency said. Emergency services are battling fires burning across hundreds of hectares of bushland in the state. Crisp said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigator would be on the scene on Tuesday. http://australianaviation.com.au/2019/01/erickson-aircranes-grounded-in-australia-after-victorian-crash/ Back to Top Back to Top During Shutdown, NTSB Didn't Send Investigators to Most Fatal Accidents The National Transportation Safety Board said that during the 35-day partial government shutdown it was unable to dispatch investigators to multiple instances of fatal accidents. During the shutdown, of the 397 agency staff, 367 employees were furloughed, 26 employees were excepted and four investigators were recalled and worked without pay to support investigations of three international aviation accidents. But investigators were not sent to the scene of 15 aviation accidents that resulted in 21 fatalities, two highway accidents resulting in seven fatalities and 15 injuries, two railroad accidents resulting in two fatalities, and three marine accidents. The independent agency said its employees returned to work on Jan. 28, resuming normal operations and developing plans to address the work "that could not be accomplished during the partial shutdown of government." "The 22 accidents in which the NTSB did not launch investigations, but would have if not for the partial shutdown, may not result in investigators physically visiting the accident sites, and, it is possible that perishable evidence may have been lost, which potentially could prevent determination of probable cause for those accidents," the agency said in a Jan. 28 statement. The agency said it still intends to take investigative action. In addition, NTSB said there were six accidents in which it did not gather evidence to determine if an investigation was warranted, including: Two pipeline accidents (one diesel fuel, one natural gas). Three highway accidents resulting in eight fatalities. One railroad accident resulting in one fatality. The agency also said that during the partial shutdown, work stopped on: 1,815 ongoing general aviation and limited aviation safety investigations. 33 ongoing rail, pipeline and hazardous materials investigations. 44 ongoing marine investigations. 21 ongoing highway investigations. https://www.ttnews.com/articles/during-shutdown-ntsb-didnt-send-investigators-most-fatal-accidents Back to Top AIRBUS A330-900 GETS "BEYOND 180 MINUTES" ETOPS APPROVAL The A330-900 in TAP colors. Photo; Airbus. The Airbus A330-900 has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval to fly further than 180 minutes from a diversion airport, giving operators additional flexibility. The decision to award the A330neo "beyond 180 minutes" Extended-range Twin-engine aircraft Operations (ETOPS) approval is expected to mirrored soon by the Us Federal Aviation Administration. Airbus said the ruling meant t operators of the A330neo will benefit from the most efficient, reliable and direct long-range routings. "The approval, which includes ETOPS 180min capability in the aircraft's basic specification, now also includes the option for 'ETOPS 285min','' it said. "This extends the potential air diversion distance to around 2,000 nautical miles nm (3700km)." The manufacturer said A330neo operators which chose the ETOPS 285min option would be able to serve new direct 'non-limiting' routings. "Meanwhile, operators flying on existing routes (currently flown with up to 180 minute diversion time) will be able to traverse a straighter, quicker and more fuel-efficient path, and also have access to more - and possibly better equipped - en-route diversion airports if needed,'' it added. The A330neo is powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 and features a 3D-optimised wing which has a greater span and is made from lighter composite materials as well as new wingtip "sharklets". Airbus says the advances give the plane a range of around 7,200nm (13,334kms) with a three-class cabin as well as a 25 percent cut in fuel consumption compared to older aircraft of a similar size. Most orders are for the bigger A330-900 and launch customer TAP Air Portugal operated the first service using the jet in December. While the A330-900 accommodates up to 287 seats in a typical three-class layout, there is also a smaller version that typically seats 257 passengers in three classes. The A330-800 has proved less popular than its big sister and its initial launch customer, Hawaiian Airlines, canceled its order in favor of the Boeing 787. An order for eight planes from Kuwait Airlines in October gave the aircraft a home and European certification is expected mid-year. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/airbus-a330-900-gets-beyond-180-minutes-etops-approval/ Back to Top Air Force announces fiscal year 2019 aviation bonuses By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published January 23, 2019 Arlington, Va. (AFNS) -- The Air Force announced Jan. 23 the details of the fiscal year 2019 Aviation Bonus program. The fiscal 2019 AvB program is designed to augment continuing aircrew retention efforts across the Air Force, by offering experienced aviators bonuses for signing tier-based contracts, ranging from three to 12 years of continued service. Congress raised the annual maximum aviation bonus from $25,000 to $35,000 in the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act and required the Air Force to present aviation bonuses based on a business case analysis. The Air Force evaluates its rated inventory every year to ensure the AvB program is tailored to meet the service's needs. For the fiscal 2019 RegAF program, the following bonus amounts and contract lengths are being offered to active duty aviators whose initial undergraduate flying training service commitment expires in fiscal 2019: * Bomber pilots (11B), fighter pilots (11F) and mobility pilots (11M) o Annual payments of $35,000 for contract lengths of three to 12 years o Lump-sum, up-front payment options of $100,000 exist for seven to nine year contracts and $200,000 for 10-12 year contracts * Remotely piloted aircraft pilots (18X/11U) and special operations forces pilots (11S) o Annual payments of $35,000 for contract lengths of three to twelve years * Command and control/intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots (11R) and combat search and rescue fixed wing pilots (11H) o Annual payments of $30,000 for contract lengths of three to nine years and $35,000 for contract lengths of 10-12 years o A lump-sum, up-front payment option of $100,000 exists for seven to nine year contracts * Combat search and rescue rotary wing pilots (11H) o Annual payments of $25,000 for contract lengths of three to nine years * Combat systems officers (12X) and air battle managers (13B) o Annual payments of $20,000 for contract lengths of three to six years and $25,000 for contract lengths of seven to nine years For aviators whose contracts have expired or who have never signed a previous AvB agreement, the following bonus amounts and contract lengths are being offered: * Pilots (11X) and RPA pilots (11U/12U/13U/18X) o Annual payments of $25,000 to $35,000 based on the three to six year rates of the member's core community identification as set above for contract lengths ranging from three to nine years o Contracts may not extend the Airman beyond 24 years of aviation service * Combat systems officers (12X) and air battle managers (13B) o Annual payments of $20,000 for contract lengths of three to five years o Eligible Airmen must have 19 years or greater of total active federal military Service and contracts may not extend the Airman beyond 24 years of aviation service The application window for Airmen interested in applying for the fiscal 2019 AvB program will be open until Aug. 30, 2019. For full eligibility requirements and details about program changes in fiscal 2019, Airmen should visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1737932/air-force-announces-fiscal-year-2019-aviation-bonuses/ Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft accuses Bombardier of trying to limit competition for regional jets MONTREAL (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp on Monday accused Bombardier Inc of using "anticompetitive conduct" to limit competition for planes with under 100 seats, as the Japanese company works to bring its long-delayed regional jet to market. In October, the Montreal-based plane-and-train-maker sued the aircraft unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, alleging that former Bombardier employees passed on trade secrets to help with the development and certification of the company's new MRJ regional jet. The MRJ would compete with regional jets produced by Bombardier and Brazil's Embraer SA. Mitsubishi said in a counter-filing claim that Bombardier tried to coerce it and Seattle-based Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification (AeroTEC) to sign no-poach agreements in 2016 that would stop them from hiring Bombardier's employees. Bombardier Chief Executive Alain Bellemare also implicitly threatened the continuation of its "supply relationship" with Mitsubishi Heavy in a 2016 letter to board chairman Hideaki Omiya unless the Japanese company "ceased the solicitation of Bombardier employees," Mitsubishi said in the claim. "We believe that in response to the threat posed by the MRJ, Bombardier has chosen to engage in a pattern of anticompetitive conduct instead of competing on the merits of its product," said Mitsubishi in a company statement. "Bombardier has threatened, pressured and sought to coerce Mitsubishi Aircraft, its U.S.-based partners, and individual employees working on the MRJ program." Mitsubishi's regional jet program, Japan's first passenger plane since the 1960s, has been delayed by several years, with first customer ANA Holdings Inc now expecting the 90-seater plane in 2020, rather than in 2013 as originally envisaged. Bombardier has said it hopes to make a decision this year on the future of its money-losing CRJ regional jet as it "aggressively" pursues new orders to secure its industrial future. In response to the latest filing, Bombardier repeated its view that its rival was illegally trying to obtain and use its trade secrets. "Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation's attempt to recast the dispute as anything other than Bombardier's justified protection of its intellectual property is misguided and disingenuous," it said in a statement. "Bombardier will vigorously enforce its rights and that includes holding (Mitsubishi Aircraft), AeroTEC and individual wrongdoers accountable." In the October lawsuit, Bombardier accused Mitsubishi Aircraft of violating the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 by trying to use the confidential data and documents obtained from former employees to accelerate the "extremely complex and costly" process of getting its planes certified. Mitsubishi Aircraft asked a U.S. court in December to dismiss Bombardier's lawsuit, arguing that the allegations were baseless and designed to "disrupt development" of its rival jet. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-lawsuit-mitsubishi/mitsubishi-accuses-bombardier-of-trying-to-limit-competition-for-regional-jets-idUSKCN1PN02U Back to Top SPACEX REVS ITS ENGINES AS IT GETS CLOSER TO CREWED FLIGHT LAST THURSDAY, A shiny new SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sat perched atop NASA's historic Pad 39A, at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, waiting to briefly fire its engines. The exercise was part of a routine prelaunch test. What wasn't routine was the presence of a Crew Dragon capsule atop the slick black-and-white Falcon. The domed capsule, which can accommodate up to seven passengers, represents the next big step in SpaceX's evolution and in NASA's dependency on a commercial space industry. As the rocket's nine Merlin engines roared to life for a few seconds, exhaust plumes billowed around the launchpad. The test simulated all of the events of an actual launch, though with the rocket secured to the pad. A static test fire typically occurs one to two weeks before a scheduled take-off. Although just a practice run, it is getting extra scrutiny because it signals the impending return of crewed space launches to American soil. And it means new hardware: the launch pad features a black-and-white astronaut walkway, called a crew access arm, which was installed last summer. A few hours after the test fire, SpaceX tweeted that it was a success. The rocket SpaceX tested on Thursday could lift off as soon as next month as part of a test flight called Demo Mission-1, or DM-1, which will see an upgraded version of the Dragon cargo craft (called Crew Dragon) fly to and dock with the International Space Station. When SpaceX first designed its Dragon capsules, the intent was for them to ferry humans. To date, however, every SpaceX Dragon capsule has carried only cargo to and from the ISS. The upgraded version, debuting on DM-1, will feature new crew life-support systems, seats, control panels, and a propulsion system that can be used to keep the crew safe during a launch emergency. Despite these upgrades, DM-1 also won't carry people; its purpose is to prove that the spacecraft is ready to transport NASA astronauts to and from the ISS-a first for a private company and the first crew-ready flight of a US vehicle since the final flight of the space shuttle Atlantis eight years ago. In the years after America's storied shuttle program ended in 2011, NASA selected two companies to provide its future space taxis: SpaceX and Boeing. The companies have spent the past five years developing vehicles capable of carrying crew under a contract worth $6.8 billion. Their vehicles-SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner-will be the agency's primary means of ferrying astronauts to space. (Currently NASA and others around the world depend on Russian rockets to send crew to and from the ISS). It's not a cheap agreement, as each seat costs NASA about $80 million. This year, both SpaceX and Boeing hope to finally launch humans. The current estimated date for the launch of DM-1 is February 23, but additional reviews could push it to the end of the month or later. One item of special interest to NASA is the way SpaceX fuels its rockets. Anytime a Falcon flies, SpaceX quickly fuels the vehicle with super-chilled propellant about 30 minutes before launch, with the payload already attached to the rocket. This process is called "load and go" fueling and saves SpaceX time between launches while also boosting performance. (When fuel is kept at a colder temperature, more of it can fit in the tanks, which translates into increased lifting capability.) Many experts within the industry have criticized it as unsafe, arguing that fueling should be completed before astronauts climb aboard. But NASA reviewed SpaceX's procedures and deemed the practice safe, with a caveat. NASA is requesting "additional verification and demonstration" of the fueling procedure, which means that SpaceX will need to fly seven Falcons and demonstrate that it can safely load propellant each time before SpaceX is allowed to fly people. To date, SpaceX has flown four of those missions. Following Thursday's test, the mission must undergo a final review process by both SpaceX and NASA. When the flight does take off, the Crew Dragon will autonomously dock with the space station-another first for SpaceX, as the cargo version is attached using a robotic arm that's controlled by an astronaut on the station. Upon its return to earth, the craft will splash down in the Atlantic Ocean. Assuming all goes as planned, two astronauts could fly to the space station as soon as this summer. https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-revs-its-engines-as-it-gets-closer-to-crewed-flight/ Back to Top ONLINE SURVEY REQUEST Dear Participant, You are being asked to participate in a research study to evaluate pilot decision-making. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and currently employed as a professional pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://goo.gl/forms/9ITjTgICot9o9Jjp1 For more information, please contact: Dr. Stephen Rice scrice@outlook.com We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE July 9 to 11, 2019 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Curt Lewis