Flight Safety Information February 8, 2019 - No. 029 In This Issue Incident: Flybe DH8D near Birmingham on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: THY A333 near Ashgabat on Feb 6th 2019, cracked windshield Incident: Skywest CRJ9 at Salt Lake City on Feb 6th 2019, rejected takeoff due to lavatory smoke EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Porter DH8D near Scranton on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Vietnam A21N near Lahore on Feb 6th 2019, engine shut down in flight Airbus A320-251N - Runway Excursion (Norway) Incident: LATAM Brazil A321 at Brasilia on Feb 5th 2019, hail strike Learjet 35A - Gear Up Landing (Mexico) Mid-air "panic" as engine fault causes smoke to fill aircraft IS-BAO Operator Continuous Improvement Roundtable at 2019 NBAA IOC Black Boxes Might Soon Send Real-Time Data After Plane Crashes Pilot Arrested on Suspicion of Being Intoxicated Before Philly-Bound Flight Regional airline loses 1.5-million passenger contract with Air Canada, but firms deny safety concern Bombardier's Award-winning Global 7500 Business Jet Certified by European Aviation Safety Agency Diamond Aircraft Plans To Double Production, Needs More People India's Jet Airways grounds four aircraft after failing to pay lessors Private Moon Landers Could Help NASA's Next Giant Leap in Lunar Exploration Position: Director of Audit Programs / POSITIONS AVAILABLE: IOSA AUDITORS ERAU - Advanced Accident Investigation Course IATA Cabin Safety Conference - 2019 ONLINE SURVEY REQUEST 2019 AIR CHARTER SAFETY SYMPOSIUM Incident: Flybe DH8D near Birmingham on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-JECX performing flight BE-1265 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Luxembourg (Luxembourg) with 40 passengers, was climbing through FL180 out of Manchester when the left hand engine (PW150) emitted a loud bang prompting the crew to shut the engine down. Smoke entered the cabin. The crew decided to divert to Birmingham for a safe landing on runway 15 about 15 minutes later. Passengers reported there was a flash and a bang from the left hand side of the aircraft, subsequently smoke appeared in the cabin. The aircraft was received by emergency services who found something leaking from the aircraft. The airline reported a technical fault in one of the engines requiring the shut down of the engine, the aircraft diverted to Birmingham. The passengers are being rebooked onto alternative flights. In the late evening the airline added, that the engine fault caused an oil leak which led to a small amount of smoke becoming visible in the cabin. The flight crew took the recommended actions and landed safely in Birmingham. There was "no adverse reaction in the cabin and the crew's actions have been praised by passengers, who were on board." http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3e496f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: THY A333 near Ashgabat on Feb 6th 2019, cracked windshield A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration TC-JNO performing flight TK-706 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Kabul (Afghanistan) with 239 passengers and 16 crew, was enroute at FL390 about 120nm northwest of Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) when the crew decided to turn around and diert to Trabzon (Turkey) due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft climbed to FL400 and landed safely on Trabzon's runway 11 about 3 hours later. A replacement A330-300 registration TC-JNI was dispatched to Trabzon, resumed the flight and reached Kabul as flight TK-97E with a delay of 16 hours. The occurrence aircraft positioned from Trabzon to Istanbul about 27 hours after landing, but has not yet resumed service about 42 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3e4bfa&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Skywest CRJ9 at Salt Lake City on Feb 6th 2019, rejected takeoff due to lavatory smoke indication A Skywest Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N896SK performing flight OO-3863/DL-3863 from Salt Lake City,UT to Billings,MT (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Salt Lake City's runway 35 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed. The aircraft slowed safely and came to a stop about 2000 meters/6600 feet down the runway. Emergency services responded and checked the aircraft. About 6 minutes after the rejected takeoff the aircraft vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. A replacement Canadair CRJ-700 registration N641CA reached Billings with a delay of about 2 hours. A passenger reported following the rejected takeoff the captain announced they had stopped due to an aft lavatory smoke alarm. There had been some smoke, however, they would return to the apron and disembark there. The passenger added the captain had also made an announcement he didn't want to jinx the passengers, however, the aircraft had been in the hangar prior to departure, so that they were able to immediately depart without the necessisity to de-ice and thus would bypass other aircraft waiting to be de-iced. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3e4fb8&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Porter DH8D near Scranton on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Porter Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GLQQ performing flight PD-122 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Toronto City,ON (Canada) with 34 passengers, was enroute at 18,000 feet about 15nm northeast of Scranton,PA (USA) when the crew needed to shut an engine (PW150) down. The crew diverted to Scranton's Wilkes-Barre International Airport for a safe landing about 20 minutes later. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/POE122/history/20190207/1405Z/KEWR/KAVP http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3e46e6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Vietnam A21N near Lahore on Feb 6th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration VN-A621 performing delivery flight VN-96 from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Hanoi (Vietnam), was enroute at FL370 about 240nm west of Lahore (Pakistan) when the crew needed to shut an engine (PW1130) down. The aircraft drifted down to about FL230 and diverted to Lahore where the aircraft landed safely on runway 36R about 45 minutes after leaving FL370. The aircraft had earlier departed from Hamburg Finkenwerder (Germany) for its delivery flight and was scheduled to fly to Hanoi via an intermediate stop in Baku. It is still on the ground in Lahore about 20 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3e23bd&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A320-251N - Runway Excursion (Norway) Date: 07-FEB-2019 Time: 09:46 UTC Type: Airbus A320-251N Owner/operator: SAS Scandinavian Airlines Registration: SE-ROE C/n / msn: 7791 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Oslo Gardermoen Airport - Norway Phase: Taxi Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Oslo-Gardermoen Airport (OSL/ENGM) Destination airport: Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN/ESSA) Narrative: SAS flight SK480 from Oslo to Stockholm skidded off a taxiway at Oslo Airport. Weather about the time of the incident (0946Z): ENGM 070950Z 33002KT 2300 1200W R19R/P2000N R01R/1600N BR OVC003 M08/M09 Q1005 TEMPO 1200 BCFG ENGM 070920Z 36002KT 900 R19R/P2000N R01R/0900U FZFG BKN002 M07/M09 Q1005 TEMPO 1500 BR https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=221633 Back to Top Learjet 35A - Gear Up Landing (Mexico) Date: 07-FEB-2019 Time: 07:14 LT Type: Learjet 35A Owner/operator: Jet Rescue Registration: XA-DOC C/n / msn: 35A-447 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Toluca airport - Mexico Phase: Landing Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Destination airport: Toluca airport Narrative: The plane made a belly emergency landing and a runway excursion under unknown reasons. No injuries were reported. There were 2 crew members and 7 passengers on board. Investigan causas de despiste de aeronave en Toluca https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=221624 Back to Top Mid-air "panic" as engine fault causes smoke to fill aircraft The flight to Luxembourg had to make an unscheduled landing at Birmingham Airport A passenger has described the terrifying moment a plane filled with smoke after a bright flash from one of its engines. The FlyBe plane was flying from Manchester to Luxembourg when there was a "flash" on the left hand side of the aircraft followed by "smoke in the cabin". The plane, a propeller-driven Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, was diverted to Birmingham Airport where it landed "awkwardly" on one engine this afternoon, Thursday, February 7. Mo Millward, who was on board the flight, tweeted from the plane saying how those on board had been "panicking" as they "didn't know what was wrong". She said they "shut an engine down" before landing "awkwardly". This is what FlyBe said about Birmingham engine drama The fire brigade then checked the plane for any damage, later tweeted that the brigade had "found something leaking". https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/birmingham-manchester-flybe-engine-drama-15797294 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Black Boxes Might Soon Send Real-Time Data After Plane Crashes Honeywell International Inc. is creating a new kind of black box for airplanes that will increase data storage and, for the first time ever, use satellite connectivity that would allow for immediate, remote retrieval of plane crash data, the aerospace company announced Thursday. "It promises tremendous value for investigators by giving them early insight into accidents," air safety consultant Bill Voss told the Wall Street Journal in a statement. "You're going to have some data, and you're going to have it immediately." Immediacy often isn't an option when it comes to retrieving black box information. Although Air France Flight 447 crashed over the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, its black box wasn't recovered for another two years, and after $40 million was spent combing the sea for the wreckage, CNN reports. "Fortunately they found these boxes," former National Transportation Safety Board inspector Greg Feith told CNN. "But who knows, tomorrow we could lose another airplane and not be so lucky." Such was the case for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which mysteriously went missing in 2014. In spite of many searches, the plane and black box have yet to be found-leaving the family members of 239 presumed dead without closure. Updating black box technology has been a part of public discourse for years-leaving many air travelers wondering why they, personally, can use wifi on flights, while black boxes cannot. The WSJ notes that there is still an ongoing debate among aerospace industry experts regarding the benefits of streaming data versus physical, "deployable recorders," which could be ejected from a plane's tail and float on water in case of an accident. "The importance of reliable Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorders cannot be overstated," Ben Driggs, Honeywell's president of services and connectivity, said. The company is working with cockpit voice and flight recorder maker Curtiss-Write, "to design and develop the next generation of recorders that leverages our full hardware and software expertise to meet the 25-hour requirement, to identify the right information and make it available to airline operators when it's most needed." http://fortune.com/2019/02/07/black-boxes-might-soon-send-real-time-data-after-plane-crashes/ Back to Top Pilot Arrested on Suspicion of Being Intoxicated Before Philly-Bound Flight, Officials Say A pilot was arrested in Manchester, England, when he was suspected of being intoxicated before a Philly-bound flight was set to take off. A Philadelphia-bound American Airlines flight was canceled after one of the pilots was arrested on suspicion of being intoxicated, the airline confirmed with NBC10. The pilot, who has not yet been identified, was one of three on flight AA735. The pilot was arrested in Manchester, England, Thursday morning after authorities suspected he or she was intoxicated, according to a spokesperson for American Airlines. The flight, which was headed to Philadelphia, was canceled. All passengers were re-booked and arrived in Philly later during the day, the spokesperson said. "Safety is our highest priority and we apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans, we have rebooked them on alternative flights," the spokesperson told NBC10. "We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement and further questions should be referred to them." https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/American-Airlines-Pilot-Arrest-Suspicion-Intoxication-Manchester-Philadelphia--505537561.html Back to Top Regional airline loses 1.5-million passenger contract with Air Canada, but firms deny safety concerns a factor Air Georgian has strenuously denied allegations of safety shortcomings by current and former employees, first reported by the National Post Air Canada has ended its contract with regional carrier Air Georgian and is shifting thousands of flights to another company, but denies that concerns about Georgian's maintenance and safety practices had anything to do with the change. The move will not be readily visible to passengers, as all the planes fly under the Air Canada Express banner, but appears to be a significant blow to privately owned Air Georgian. It has strenuously denied allegations of safety shortcomings by current and former employees - first reported by the National Post - and criticized a Transportation Safety Board report that highlighted systemic problems at the airline. The firm currently provides 62,000 flights a year for Air Canada, carrying 1.5 million passengers on short-haul trips within this country and the U.S., part of a little-known trend where large, "mainline" airlines contract out regional service. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the transition from Georgian to Jazz Aviation was unrelated to the allegations. "Air Georgian has performed safely and reliably for us for 20 years," he told the Post via email. "The changes to our regional flying are purely a commercial decision." Georgian is proud to be one of nine Canadian airlines certified by the international airline association's rigorous, 900-point operational safety audit, said Matthew Law, a lawyer for the company. The changes to our regional flying are purely a commercial decision "Safety is the cornerstone of Air Georgian's business," he said in a letter emailed to the Post. "Air Georgian has consistently achieved audit results that place it in the top tier of operators in Canada." If the Post publishes "unfounded speculation" about the company, "Air Georgian will not hesitate to take appropriate legal action," Law warned. The company said it does not expect the loss of this single contract to negatively impact its long-term business growth. "We are very well positioned in the marketplace, with a 25 year track record of superior safety, operational, and financial performance." A National Post investigation in late 2017 reported the concerns of several current and former crew members about Georgian's safety approach, including allegations that it delayed fixing defective plane parts, discouraged reporting of problems and experienced an unusual number of emergency landings. An Air Canada Express flight makes it's final approach into Toronto Lester B Pearson Airport, Monday October 16, 2017. PETER J. THOMPSON/NATIONAL POST In a report last spring, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) blamed a 2016 incident in Calgary - where a plane's front landing gear failed to extend and the aircraft scraped along the runway - on longstanding failings, including inadequate maintenance procedures and training and internal systems that failed to detect potential maintenance problems. John Lee, the board's Western regional manager, refuted Georgian's contention at the time that the report dealt solely with one, narrow maintenance issue. "The system that didn't catch that lubrication task is the same system that oversees other, maybe more serious maintenance activities as well," he told the Post. But in an internal memo, Georgian said the TSB's investigator showed bias, bullied employees and acted insensitively toward staff whose first language was not English. And it has called the allegations of current and former employees false and in some cases motivated by revenge. Most large legacy airlines in North America now contract out many of their shorter routes to other companies under "capacity purchase agreements" that are generally considered a way to limit costs. Fitzpatrick said Air Canada is "ending its capacity purchase agreement" with Georgian to "simplify and modernize our regional fleet, including a shift to larger aircraft, and to improve customer service and to enable us to compete better." Air Canada's shift away from the Toronto-based firm has occurred discreetly, its news release about an expanded accord with Jazz not even mentioning Georgian. As of Thursday, Georgian's website - devoted almost exclusively to its role as a "proud partner" of Air Canada - said nothing about the loss of business. The only public hint came from a pilots' union release last month about a new Jazz collective agreement, which noted Jazz has expanded its Air Canada work and taken over several leased jets from Georgian. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) represents both companies' aviators and said Air Georgian pilots would be absorbed by Jazz. "By joining Jazz, Air Georgian pilots' career paths will be enhanced significantly through better wages and working conditions," Jim Macarthur, ALPA's Air Georgian chair, said in a news release. An internal Georgian memo posted on the Avcanada.ca website indicates that flight attendants, mechanics and other employees will also be able to move to either Jazz, Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge. This is a serious concern given the lack of applicable whistleblower legislation in Canada for airline personnel One poster on an Avcanada forum said Georgian employees, earning some of the lowest wages in the industry, had ironically "won the lottery," even as their company lost its primary source of business. As part of the change, Air Canada is also investing $97 million in Jazz parent Chorus Aviation. In the wake of the Post's investigation, Georgian filed a $10-million libel lawsuit against a former pilot for the company who spoke to the Post. That pilot, Alan Eugeni, has now filed a "SLAPP" (strategic litigation against public participation) motion asking a Toronto court to throw out the suit against him. Georgian's lawsuit, filed last March, charges that Eugeni's self-published book about his two years at Georgian - called The Next Plane Crash - was "replete with false and defamatory statements" about the airline and damaged the business, partly by making it harder to recruit and retain staff. But the motion prepared by Toronto lawyer Howard Winkler says the suit - which also cited quotes Eugeni gave to the Post - was designed to "silence, intimidate and punish" the pilot, and will deter other employees from speaking out about safety issues at regional carriers. "This is a serious concern given the lack of applicable whistleblower legislation in Canada for airline personnel," says the document, filed under a 2015 Ontario law designed to counter so-called libel chill. https://www.thewhig.com/news/regional-airline-loses-1-5m-passenger-contract-with-air-canada-but-denies-safety-concerns-a-factor/wcm/73ab4688-d859-4eaf-9673-90fdeaded11a Back to Top Bombardier's Award-winning Global 7500 Business Jet Certified by European Aviation Safety Agency • Industry's largest and longest range business jet, the Global 7500 aircraft is in a class of its own and entered into service in 2018 • EASA certification allows the Global 7500 aircraft to be registered in a European Union country • Global 7500 aircraft offers Bombardier's signature smooth ride and superior field performance, perfect for operating from key challenging airports in Europe MONTREAL, Feb. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier is proud to announce that the industry flagship business jet, the Global 7500 aircraft, has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification, validating the requirement for the aircraft's operation in Europe. "We've transformed business aviation with the Global 7500 jet," said Michel Ouellette, Senior Vice President, Program Management and Engineering, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "With the longest range in the industry, the aircraft can connect more international cities nonstop, opening many destinations to our customers." The Global 7500 business jet earned its type certification from Transport Canada in September 2018, followed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November 2018, both within only 24 months after the first flight of FTV1. The aircraft entered service in December 2018. The Global 7500 aircraft has demonstrated its ability to fly further than any other business jet by expanding its advertised range to 7,700 nautical miles, a full 300 nautical miles further than initial commitments. Not only does the Global 7500 aircraft provide more range than any other competitor, it can do so from the most difficult locations around the world: the Global 7500 jet exceeded takeoff and landing performance commitments, allowing for exceptional capability from Europe's most desirable and challenging destinations such as Sion and St. Moritz, Switzerland*. These achievements have enabled the Global 7500 aircraft to push the boundaries of business travel by resetting the bar for long-haul missions in the industry. The Global 7500 aircraft is the only business jet that connects New York to Hong Kong and Singapore to San Francisco nonstop, flying eight passengers with standard NBAA IFR fuel reserves.* The Global 7500 aircraft offers not only its signature smooth ride, but also an elevated cabin experience, with spaciousness that is unique among business jets, and its award-winning interior featuring a full-size kitchen and four true living spaces. The Global 7500 aircraft also debuts Bombardier's patented Nuage seat, which was meticulously designed for maximum comfort and will be exclusive to the new Global family of aircraft. About Bombardier With over 69,500 employees across four business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries across the segments of Transportation, Business Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft and Aerostructures and Engineering Services. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/02/07/1713633/0/en/Bombardier-s-Award-winning-Global-7500-Business-Jet-Certified-by-European-Aviation-Safety-Agency.html Back to Top Diamond Aircraft Plans To Double Production, Needs More People Diamond Aircraft intends to "double production" in 2019, and is looking for staff to achieve that goal. More than a year after Wanfeng Aviation purchased Diamond Aircraft, the company claims to be ready to take production to 150 units worldwide, and so needs an additional 200 staff members in both Austria and Canada. That production figure would be significant for a company that built 137 piston aircraft in 2017, 132 in 2016, and 144 in 2015. (Sales figures for 2018 are not yet available.) In 2017, production of the DA-40 dominated, with 60 built, followed by the DA-42 (36 units) and the DA-62 (33 units.) "In 2018 we added more than 100 employees in Austria," says Liqun Zhang, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Austria. "We are planning to increase our staff capacity from more than 600 to 800 for 2019." The job opportunities at the Austrian facility are in research & development, sales and administration. In Canada, where Diamond currently employs more than 300, the company is seeking more workers, especially in the "skilled trades." https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Diamond-Aircraft-Plans-to-Double-Production-Needs-More-People-232243-1.html Back to Top India's Jet Airways grounds four aircraft after failing to pay lessors SINGAPORE (Reuters) - India's Jet Airways Ltd has grounded four aircraft after failing to make payments to lessors, in a sign that leasing firms are losing patience with the heavily indebted carrier. The airline, India's second-largest by market share, did not name the leasing firms involved, nor clarify whether the groundings were voluntary or forced. Jet Airways has a large fleet of mainly Boeing Co 737 jets which it sources from over 20 lessors. "The company is making all efforts to minimise disruption to its network due to the above and is proactively informing and re-accommodating its affected guests," Jet Airways said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange late on Thursday. Jet Airways could not be reached for further comment outside business hours. Saddled with debt of about $1.14 billion, Jet Airways has been hit by price competition, rupee depreciation and high oil costs. The full-service airline, which controls a sixth of India's booming aviation market, owes money to banks, vendors and lessors. Lessors to Jet Airways include AerCap Holdings NV, BOC Aviation Ltd, Avolon, GE Capital Aviation Services, Aircastle Ltd, DAE Aerospace, SBMC Aviation Capital and Jackson Square, according to past announcements and Indian registration documents. Reuters last month exclusively reported that lessors were considering taking back planes after a meeting with the airline that one person familiar with the matter described as an ill-tempered showdown. The situation has since worsened, the person told Reuters on Thursday. "Patience is running very thin and some lessors are not convinced about a viable rescue plan for Jet," the person said, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. "Nobody wants to be the last one pulling out their aircraft." Jet Airways last week said it would seek shareholder approval at a Feb. 21 meeting to convert existing debt into equity and allow its lenders to nominate directors to its board, in an effort to resolve its financial issues. The Business Standard last week reported Jet had agreed to most conditions set by shareholder Etihad Airways for offering a lifeline. The deal would result in Jet Airways' founder and chairman Naresh Goyal reducing his stake to 22 percent from 51 percent and stepping down from the board, the newspaper said, citing sources. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jet-airways-lessors/indias-jet-airways-grounds-four-aircraft-after-failing-to-pay-lessors-idUSKCN1PX035 Back to Top Private Moon Landers Could Help NASA's Next Giant Leap in Lunar Exploration NASA has its sights set on returning to the moon, first with robotic landers and then with humans. Here, the Apollo 12 lunar module orbits before landing. Credit: NASA The first commercial U.S. landers to touch down on the moon should do so by the end of 2021, and they have a long list of scientific questions to tackle when they do. That's the takeaway from two reports released today (Feb. 7) by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The reports address the status of lunar science after President Donald Trump's Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD 1), which put NASA focus on returning to the moon - first sending robots, then humans - with the help of commercial partnerships. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced nine U.S. companies that will compete for the first contracts to place NASA payloads on the moon, but details have been scarce about what precisely such landers could bring with them and what those payloads would do. One of the new papers, which deals exclusively with how the commercial program can contribute to lunar science, helps fill in those details, based in part on information provided by companies that have expressed interest in the program. Those discussions suggest that the first wave of commercial lunar landers could carry payloads of between 22 and 220 lbs. (10 to 100 kilograms). The payloads would likely remain where they landed (except perhaps for some small hoppers that could move around) and would be unable to survive the harsh lunar night, which lasts two weeks in Earth time. But such payloads could still do valuable science, the panel behind the new report argued. The science community has agreed on nine top-priority topics they want to better understand about the moon, from its formation to how it has been hit by meteoroids over the millennia to what resources humans may be able to tap into if they visit. And those topics are profiting from NASA's pivot in response to SPD 1, the first paper concluded. The first step in response to SPD 1 may well be science cubesats that could fly to the moon on NASA's own Exploration Mission-1, the first flight of the massive Space Launch System rocket. One such instrument is already due to map hydrogen across the moon's surface. Even the first generation of commercially ferried instruments could make important contributions to those questions, the second paper concluded. For example, the first commercial landers could place retroreflectors, which are basically sophisticated mirrors, that scientists could use to more precisely measure how Earth and the moon interact. Other early payloads could also take snapshots of lunar environmental factors, like the solar wind, radiation and dust. Once those landers can survive through the frigid lunar nights or deploy rovers able to explore the surface, they will open up still more scientific potential. Rovers, even short-lived ones, could explore lava tubes, which people in favor of human exploration of the moon hope could protect astronauts from harmful radiation. And once longer missions become possible, payloads can mimic the work NASA's InSight lander's seismometer does on Mars, monitoring lunar meteorite impacts. But the new papers also raise some concerns that NASA's lunar program - in conjunction with commercial partners and on its own - will need to address. In particular, the experts said they worried that without careful communication between NASA and commercial providers, there could be mismatches between the landers and instruments. Any such miscommunications could cause schedule and budget overruns. And the committee was clear to emphasize that while all of these initiatives will be valuable for lunar science, the moon-focused SPD 1 has yet to push forward a crucial class of missions. For 15 years now, scientists have endorsed two specific mission concepts for lunar science, each of which would cost up to $850 million. One of those missions would bring a sample back from the South Pole-Aitken Basin region, the same area of the moon where China's Chang'e 4 mission is currently exploring; the other mission would place a network of landers on the moon to help researchers understand the lunar interior. Neither mission is currently on NASA's docket, and the smaller commercial missions discussed so far would not provide the same scientific returns, the reports noted. Scientists interested in participating in the commercial lunar program are currently preparing proposals for scientific instruments to fly on the commercial landers. The proposals were originally due last month, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 27 after the federal government's 35-day partial shutdown. https://www.space.com/43257-nasa-commercial-lunar-landers-science-plans.html Back to Top Apply Now! - Director of Audit Programs mba is seeking an experienced individual to manage its audit programs with respect to IATA's (International Air Transport Association) IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) program. The candidate must meet the following requirements, be a self-starter and a leader within the organization. • Must obtain and maintain qualification as an IOSA Auditor; including qualification as an Auditor in at least one specific discipline • Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint • Be willing to travel globally without restriction to perform audits and attend meetings Duties and Responsibilities: • Manage and develop new opportunities for mba in areas of auditing and training, globally • Manage and lead a team of experienced individuals in the performance of aviation safety focused audits • IOSA(IATA Operation Safety Audit) o Maintain and improve IOSA Administrative management system o Responsible for obtaining and maintaining mba's accreditation as an Audit Organization (AO) in accordance with (IPM Section 1); and mba ITO program manual o Ensure that mba is in conformity with all IOSA Program requirements so long as it is an accredited AO. o Responsible for IOSA Records System o Develop and revise, as necessary, IOSA policies and procedures and ensure that these policies and procedures are available to all IOSA Program personnel o Manage all IOSA Auditing Activity o Responsible for auditor and support staffing for IOSA operations o Maintain listing of approved auditors, verify auditor qualifications, and coordinate auditor accreditation with IATA o Responsible for control and surveillance of Audit Activities and Auditor Performance o For each IOSA, designate team members and schedule audit in accordance with Auditee and Auditor requirements and availability o Develop and instruct Auditor Recurrent Training o Perform the functions of Lead Auditor APPLY HERE ************** POSITIONS AVAILABLE: IOSA AUDITORS mba is currently seeking IOSA Auditors! Do you have over 5 years of aviation experience, 2 years' experience in at least 1 IOSA Discipline, and have completed Auditor Training? Then submit your resume to mba@mba.aero for an opportunity to join our IOSA Audit Team! *IOSA is a registered trademark of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Back to Top Back to Top 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! Curt Lewis