Flight Safety Information February 11, 2019 - No. 030 In This Issue Incident: Aeroflot SU95 near Minsk on Feb 9th 2019, hydraulic failure Accident: Conquest Cargo CVLP near Miami on Feb 8th 2019, both engines failed, forced landing in sea Incident: British Airways A388 at London on Feb 8th 2019, could not fully retract flaps Incident: PenAir SB20 near King Salmon on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Jazz CRJ2 at Bagotville on Feb 8th 2019, runway excursion after landing Incident: Total Cargo B722 at Curitiba on Feb 8th 2019, engine damage at touchdown Incident: India B788 at London on Feb 7th 2019, cracked windshield Incident: Qantas A388 at London on Feb 7th 2019, cargo door indication Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW) - Ground Collision (Kenya) IS-BAO Operator Continuous Improvement Roundtable at 2019 NBAA IOC Microburst detection and avoidance...A primer for pilots...By Captain Shem Malmquist HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING COURSE No jet losses for African carriers in 2 years as safety record improves British Airways Pilots Suspended For Sending Emails With N-Word And Blackface Boeing, Regulators Delay Fixes Prompted by Lion Air Crash: WSJ Ryanair passenger breaks ankle when plane makes dramatic move to avoid an EasyJet aircraft In new government shutdown, flight attendants won't let passengers' lives be put at risk New House Bill Would Fund FAA During Government Shutdown Clock ticking as Air Force looks to stop hemorrhaging experienced pilots (Canada) 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 TODAY'S PHOTO GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE - BECOME A LIVING KIDNEY DONOR ADVERTISE WITH...FLIGHT SAFETY INFORMATION Back to Top Incident: Aeroflot SU95 near Minsk on Feb 9th 2019, hydraulic failure An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89108 performing flight SU-2018 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Prague (Czech Republic) with 53 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 100nm northeast of Minsk (Belarus) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Moscow Sheremetyevo due to the failure of the #1 hydraulic system. The aircraft climbed to FL350 for the return and landed safely on Sheremetyevo's runway 24C about one hour after the turn around. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft returned to service the following morning after 18 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4057fc&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Conquest Cargo CVLP near Miami on Feb 8th 2019, both engines failed, forced landing in sea A Conquest Air Cargo Convair C-131, registration N145GT performing freight flight QAI-504 from Nassau (Bahamas) to Miami Opa-Locka,FL (USA) with 2 crew, was enroute about 10nm east of the coast of Florida east of Miami when both engines failed forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft in the ocean about 9nm east of the coast and about 20nm southeast of Opa-Locka Airport at about 12:15L (17:15Z). Rescue services deployed to the ditching site, one of the pilots floating in a life raft was lifted to a rescue helicopter, the other pilot is currently still missing. The FAA reported the aircraft departed Nassau for Miami's Opa Locka Airport and needed to land in the water about 20nm southeast of Opa Locka Airport. According to preliminary information two people were on board. The Coast Guard reported they hoisted one person and are still searching for the other. Late Feb 9th 2019 the Coast Guard reported they have suspended the search for the second pilot after a continuous search for 21 hours covering 364 square nautical miles. On Feb 10th 2019 the airline identified the missing pilot being the captain (68) of the flight, the rescued pilot was the first officer (28). The first officer remains in hospital care in stable condition. Wreckage seen on the surface of the sea: http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3efa5b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways A388 at London on Feb 8th 2019, could not fully retract flaps A British Airways Airbus A380-800, registration G-XLEA performing flight BA-27 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Hong Kong (China), was climbing out of Heathrow's runway 27R when the crew stopped the climb at FL120 due to a problem with the flaps. The aircraft descended to FL100, dumped fuel and returned to London Heathrow for a safe landing on runway 27R at a normal speed 3 hours after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 16 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3fa6a5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PenAir SB20 near King Salmon on Feb 7th 2019, engine shut down in flight A PenAir Saab 2000 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration N687PA performing flight AS-3298 from King Salmon,AK to Dutch Harbor,AK (USA) with 32 passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at FL280 about 220nm southwest of King Salmon when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (AE2100) down. The aircraft drifted down to FL200 and returned to King Salmon for a safe landing about 90 minutes after departure. The next flight AS-3296, scheduled to fly to Dutch Harbor directly from Anchorage,AK (USA), was redirected to King Salmon to pick up the passengers of AS-3298 and reached Dutch Harbor. The passengers of AS-3298 reached Dutch Harbour with a delay of about 6 hours, the passengers of AS-3296 with a delay of about one hour. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3fa3d8&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jazz CRJ2 at Bagotville on Feb 8th 2019, runway excursion after landing A Jazz Canadair CRJ-200, registration C-GUJA performing flight QK-8682/AC-8682 from Montreal,QC to Bagotville,QC (Canada), landed on Bagotville's runway 11 at 09:43L (14:43Z), vacated the runway onto runway 36 and was about to join taxiway H when the aircraft skidded off the paved surfaces and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained minor if any damage. Related NOTAM: !YBG 01/020 YBG CYBG RWY 18/36 CLSD. DRILLING BY RWY EDGES. NORTH PORTION AVBL AS TWY 1901311720-1902082359 Metars: CYBG 081600Z 11010KT 20SM BKN030 02/00 A2933 RMK SC6 SLP941= CYBG 081538Z 09012G18KT 20SM SCT030 BKN050 BKN080 02/M00 A2933 RMK SC4SC2AC1 SLP943= CYBG 081500Z 09014KT 20SM -SHRA BKN030 BKN050 OVC080 01/M01 A2935 RMK SC5SC2AC2 SLP947= CYBG 081430Z 09018KT 20SM -SHRA BKN030 BKN050 OVC090 00/M01 A2936 RMK SC5SC2AC1 SLP951= CYBG 081400Z 09019G26KT 20SM -FZRA BKN030 OVC050 M00/M01 A2937 RMK SC5SC3 SLP956= CYBG 081300Z 09021G26KT 25SM FEW030 BKN050 OVC090 M01/M02 A2938 RMK SC2SC5AC1 SLP960= CYBG 081200Z 09025G31KT 25SM BKN050 OVC090 M02/M03 A2941 RMK SC5AC3 SLP968= CYBG 081100Z 10022G28KT 15SM BKN050 OVC090 M02/M03 A2945 RMK SC6AC2 PRESFR SLP984= CYBG 081035Z 10021G27KT 12SM BKN045 OVC100 M02/M03 A2950 RMK SC6AC2 PRESFR SLP001= CYBG 081000Z 10019G24KT 10SM -FZRA SCT058 OVC100 M03/M03 A2954 RMK SC4AC4 PRESFR PCPN VRY LGT SLP014= The aircraft off the paved surfaces seen along runway 18 (Photo: Louis Martineau): http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3ee633&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Total Cargo B722 at Curitiba on Feb 8th 2019, engine damage at touchdown A Total Cargo Linhas Aereas Boeing 727-200, registration PR-TTO performing a freight flight from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP to Curitiba,PR (Brazil), landed in Curitiba when at touchdown one of the three engines (JT8D) failed. The aircraft slowed safely and taxied to the apron. Local sources report the blades were broken as result of the landing. The engine seen after landing: http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3f11a1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: India B788 at London on Feb 7th 2019, cracked windshield An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-ANN performing flight AI-111 from Delhi (India) to London Heathtrow,EN (UK), was on approach to Heathrow's runway 27L when a windshield cracked. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on the runway. Passengers waiting for the return flight were told, the aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight due to a bird strike. The aircraft is still on the ground in London about 28 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3f0f7a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Qantas A388 at London on Feb 7th 2019, cargo door indication A Qantas Airbus A380-800, registration VH-OQE performing flight QF-2 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Singapore (Singapore), was climbing out of Heathrow's runway 27R when the crew stopped the climb at FL080 due to a cargo door indication. The aircraft entered a hold to dump fuel and returned to Heathrow for a safe landing on runway 27R about 80 minutes after departure. The aircraft was able to depart again after about 2 hours on the ground and reached Singapore with a delay of 3 hours. The airline reported a cargo door indication prompted the return, there was no issue with the cabin pressure. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c3f0e41&opt=0 Back to Top Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW) - Ground Collision (Kenya) Date: Saturday 9 February 2019 Type: Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW) Operator: Kenya Airways Registration: 5Y-KYR C/n / msn: 19000468 First flight: 2011-08-19 (7 years 6 months) Engines: 2 General Electric CF34-10E6 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) ( Kenya) Phase: Standing (STD) Nature: - Departure airport: - Destination airport: - Narrative: A Kenya Airways Embraer ERJ-190AR (5Y-KYR) was being serviced on the apron at Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya. Chocks were placed at the wheels. As the engine were powered, the aircraft jumped the chocks. It collided with another parked Kenya Airways Embraer ERJ-190AR (5Y-FFF). Both aircraft suffered serious damage. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20190209-0 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Microburst detection and avoidance A primer for pilots By Captain Shem Malmquist You're on final and there are thunderstorms around. As you line up still 10 miles out you notice that you can see the airport but there is some light rain in the vicinity of short final. Lightning is present in the area, but you are below the bases. Your radar is set to about 5 degrees nose up and not painting anything other than the light rain you see. There are no windshear warnings and you are equipped with predictive windshear. As you approach the FAF the aircraft in front of you, a CRJ 700, lands. The tower asks them for a ride report and they report "smooth all the way down". You can still see the airport through the continuing light rain. Are you safe to continue? The answer to this question depends. I think we all know that most pilots would continue in this scenario. Is the airport equipped with a microburst detection system? "A what?" you ask. Is that not the same as a windshear detection system? Nope, we'll get to that shortly. Most all of the current guidance for microbursts follows along a series of things to look for and then recommendations should you encounter it. However, the items to look for are so common that they are often ignored, or, if followed, would preclude so many airline operations they would grind the system to a halt. From the FAA Windshear Training Guide AC 00-54: While the "high" probability items are fairly straight forward, the "medium" are not. Also, notice the caution? Clearly there are some gaps. With just minimal tools to avoid it in the first place, the industry turned to how to recognize you're in a microburst and how to best survive the event. These started with a description and image, likely similar to this one: That would be followed by something like this: or maybe one like this: The guidance for windshear recovery is well known and practiced in training often, but I will add it here as a good reminder, although the following is very generic (out of the FAA Windshear Training Guide) and so does not reflect methods that may be applicable to some current designs, it never hurts to review: All that is great, but there are two parts to preventing a problem. Astronaut Frank Borman (Col, USAF, Ret.) famously stated "A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations which require the use of his superior skill". For the most part, the guidance to on microbursts pilots falls into the "skill" part, and the avoidance of them is left to their intuition or just experience. Unfortunately, microbursts are rare enough that experience is likely not going to be enough. This may also be the reason we do not see more accidents. The odds of a microburst occurring very near the approach or departure path of an airport just when an airplane is there is, fortunately, quite low. Several years ago, while researching material for another project, I had some discussions with a few folks at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory. The Lincoln Lab had developed an algorithm to detect windshear that was not based on the "after the fact". To understand this, look back at the "typical descriptions" we get of microbursts. The focus is all on the way a developed microburst manifests itself and what a pilot would experience flying through it. It starts with a building headwind, then a downdraft and finally a tailwind. The cues pilots are taught are built around that. Windshear alerting systems, both ground based and airborne are designed to look for the differences in the outward flow. They detect lateral flow, parallel to the ground, and if there is enough of a differential they signal a windshear. These systems work well for telling you that a microburst has occurred, but what about detecting one that is about to occur. The below image was developed on work initially done by Dr. Fujita (yes, the same Fujita that originated the scale for tornadoes). This is showing where the water is in the storm, or "Vertically Integrated Liquid" (VIL). The following images come from several papers out of the Lincoln Lab. What you can see if that, for simplicity, a microburst starts as a large updraft holding water aloft. That water finally gets so heavy that the updraft cannot hold it anymore, and so it starts to fall. It may fall directly down, or may be offset quite a bit depending on winds, etc., As it falls it starts to evaporate, cooling it, and accelerating the flow. For practical purposes, the Lincoln Lab developed an algorithm that detects this mass of water aloft. The microburst detection systems they developed using this algorithm are now installed at approximately 67 U.S. airports and Hong Kong. They do not necessarily detect for every runway and the alert is not a "windshear alert" from ATC but rather a "microburst alert". Notice that in the earlier part of a microburst's life cycle the rain is all aloft. Now consider how your radar is set. If you are following what most pilots do, setting just a few degrees up to remove terrain, you are, literally, under-scanning the threat! You will pick up next to nothing. Assuming that the Delta 191 crew was using "standard" techniques, they would not have been painting much on their radar until it was too late. On final, you are below the rain, or maybe just a bit is starting to fall in a thin line that winds its way through the updrafts - sort of a path-finder for the larger mass. Your radar is picking up nothing of significance and you can visually see the runway. All looks great! It is literally "suckering" you in. Then you get too close to avoid it and the mass comes down. Look at the next couple of images. You do not want to be underneath one of these as it collapses on top of you! Going back to the vertical profile, below is an image (you can see my post here for more background on it). Can you tell where you want to scan for the danger? As you probably have surmised, the guidance in most radar manuals and instruction is generally telling us to scan too low to "see" the threat on approach and departure. The solution is to point your beam higher up. Pretty much all airborne radar that I am aware of have a maximum tilt of 15 degrees. Using the tilt formula, one degree equals 1,000 feet at 10 miles, you can see that even at 15 degrees up the maximum you can "see" is 15,000 feet above the aircraft (a bit more depending on your beam width, most large aircraft have approximately 3.5 degrees wide beams). You can use the formula to see where to scan to capture the threat at The illustration below gives some insight. Have an automated system? Know how it works. Read the literature. Like any automated system, we must truly understand how it works to know how to get the information you need. It is very probable you'll have to "work around" the auto mode to "see higher". Some of these systems are further limited when they go into predictive windshear mode, limiting the vertical scan to increase the scan rate. Obviously, this creates a problem, but if you see more water aloft than down below, be careful. Pretty much the only way this can occur is hail, virga or an impending microburst. Of course, virga can be indication of a "dry" microburst as well. I have used this in the real world several times now. A couple of times I was showing my F/O the technique before takeoff and pointing out how a storm looked like it met the profile for a microburst. On one occasion the storm was offset from the departure path so was not going to be a factor, but as we broke ground it "let loose" (several miles ahead and to our left) and we got a "windshear ahead" alert as we could see the bottom fall out of the storm. On another we were in Denver and as we started to taxi I pointed out that as we rolled the tilt up to 15 it went from nothing to green, yellow and red. I said "we are going to have to take a look at this when we get aligned with the runway, but we may need to delay". Just 5 minutes later ATC called "microburst alert" and shut down the airport! Even if you can't get the beam high enough you might still be able to see high enough to get a slightly early warning of an "impending threat". Also, there really is no point in scanning the weather under 10,000 feet. You really can't tell whether what you're seeing is convective or just low altitude heavy rain without tilting upwards. One last caveat. Nothing is 100% sure. This method is just one more to put into your toolbox but continue to rely on all the cues you can get. Pilots around the world are enrolling in Captain Shem Malmquist's acclaimed online High Altitude Flying Course created in association with Flight Safety Information and Beyond Risk Management. He is also the co-author of Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and the Future of Aviation Safety. For more information click here. Back to Top Click here to sign up for the next session with Captain Shem Malmquist beginning in late January. Or call us at 231 720-0930 (EST). High Altitude Flying Overview Back to Top No jet losses for African carriers in 2 years as safety record improves Airlines at an airport. Planes at Kigali International airport. Africa's commercial airlines have had a good record in the past two years. PHOTO | CYRIL DEGEYA | NMG In Summary • Africa looks set to maintain a positive air safety record for a third successive year. • Experts are crediting increased compliance with global aviation standards, better regulation and younger fleets for the improvement. • African Jet aircraft losses first fell from an average of 2.21 hull losses between 2012 and 2015, to zero in 2016. Despite the loss of 14 lives, Africa looks set to maintain a positive air safety record for a third successive year, with no fatal commercial airline jet accidents reported during the first half of 2018. Experts are crediting increased compliance with global aviation standards, better regulation and younger fleets for the improvement. From less than three per cent of global passenger air traffic but more than two-thirds of fatalities just over two decades ago, Africa entered new territory when it reported zero deaths attributable to a commercial jet aircraft accident in 2016. The region maintained the record with no fatalities in 2017 as well. African Jet aircraft losses first fell from an average of 2.21 hull losses between 2012 and 2015, to zero in 2016. That compared with 0.18 for the Asia Pacific, 013 for Europe, 0.92 for the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Sovet Union republics)and 0.41 for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017. While 556 people died in 15 fatal commercial airline accidents during 2018, data for the first half of the year shows that there was no fatal jet accident in the region. The only fatal accidents involved small propeller driven aircraft in which 14 people died. One such accident was the FlySax Cessna 208 Grand Caravan that crashed into a ridge in Kenya's Aberdare mountains killing eight passengers and two crew on June 5 and a June 24 Let410 cargo charter operated by Eagle Air Guinea in which four people died. IOSA certification Although the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is yet to release its final airline safety assessment for 2018, Africa is not expected to make alarming headlines. "A number of factors account for the significant improvements in safety achieved by Africa in recent times," said Raphael Kuuchi, IATA's African envoy for aero-political affairs. Mr Kuuchi explains that following the Abuja Declaration in 2012, there has been efforts among key players and stakeholders in the industry to improve aviation safety. The IATA, the Civil Air Navigation Services organisation, AFRAA and the AU-based African Civil Aviation Commission have pooled technical, financial and material resources to help African states, regulators and airlines to tackle aviation safety. To this end capacity building courses as well as safety gap analyses were conducted at different points in Africa while states were continuously pushed to get their airlines to adopt the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Besides more airlines signing up for IOSA certification, African states invested in infrastructure and committed resources to addressing safety gaps that have been identified through ICAO safety audits. Also, concerned about the likelihood of unsafe aircraft entering its territory, the European Union introduced its AU Safety List in the early 2000s on which airlines deemed unsafe were banned from operating in the EU. The list was dominated by African airlines with the DRC and Nigeria taking the lead. This forced African governments and airlines to invest in air safety and airlines to buy newer aircraft. Availability of new aircraft types that fit the thin African routes better has encouraged African airlines to transition from aged to new equipment. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the average age of the African airline fleet is less than 20 years, compared with the high 30s two decades ago. "New aircraft have better reliability and operational efficiencies. On average, they are less susceptible to technical failures than ageing aircraft," Mr Kuuchi added. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/No-jet-losses-for-African-carriers-in-2-years/2560-4976846-3b3uuuz/index.html Back to Top British Airways Pilots Suspended For Sending Emails With N-Word And Blackface • Black pilots in the United States have alleged similar offenses. British Airways tried to manage a firestorm on Sunday over pilots who were accused of using racial slurs in emails and sending other offensive messages. The airline suspended five pilots and launched an investigation over the emails that included the N-word and nostalgic messages about a minstrel show that was on British TV through the 1970s, the Daily Mail reported. The pilots engulfed in the racial controversy worked part-time as trade union representatives for the British Airline Pilots Association by combining their flying duties with up to 45 hours a month with the union. Union officials denied the accusations, but the newspaper said it reviewed six of the emails. The Daily Mail identified Captain Brendan O'Neal, who trains other British Airways pilots and served as a senior union official, as sending multiple emails with the N-word to a colleague. He has reportedly stepped down from his position as the union's executive president. Airlines in the United States have had their own racial controversies. For example, in 2016 a group of 18 Black pilots called for a federal investigation into a pattern of discrimination at United Airlines that included preventing African Americans from reaching managerial positions at the company. "White pilots have disparagingly referred to African-American pilots as 'consent decree hires' and 'equal opportunity hires'," the coalition alleged, according to CBS News. The harassment included Black pilots receiving racist photos and messages, such as one that showed a Black man lynched by white supremacists with the words "How to move up in seniority at United Airlines." The British Airways pilot who sounded the alarm about the email was targeted in some of the racist messages. He reportedly admitted to sending offensive emails too-so that he could fit in with the culture. Two pictures of blackface actors from "The Black And White Minstrel" show, which ran on British TV from 1958 to 1978, were emailed among pilots and union officials. The caption under the images read, "Ahh. The Black And White Minstrel Show. Wouldn't be able to get away with that these days." An airline spokesman released this message to the newspaper: "We are appalled to learn of this behavor which does not reflect the values of our company." https://newsone.com/3845970/racist-pilots-emails-british-airways/ Back to Top Boeing, Regulators Delay Fixes Prompted by Lion Air Crash: WSJ Search and Rescue personnel examine recovered debris from Lion Air flight JT 610 in Jakarta on Oct. 30. Boeing Co. and regulators are expected to delay jetliner safety fixes for hundreds of 737 MAX jets until at least April, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing industry and government officials familiar with the details. • Fixes prompted by the Oct. 29 crash of Lion Air's Flight 610 • One reason for the delay stems from differences of opinion among some federal and company safety experts over how extensive the changes should be • The 35-day partial government shutdown, during which consideration of the fixes was suspended, also created delays https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-10/boeing-regulators-delay-fixes-prompted-by-lion-air-crash-wsj Back to Top Ryanair passenger breaks ankle when plane makes dramatic move to avoid an EasyJet aircraft Air traffic control on the Canaries told the air crew to stop their descent at 36,000 feet as there was an Easyjet aircraft at 35,000 feet close by A passenger on a Ryanair flight suffered a horror leg injury when the pilot of the aircraft made a dramatic manoeuvre to avoid another aircraft. The Irish registered 737 was flying at 37,000 feet above the Canaries when it requested to descend to 13,000 feet. As it dropped 1,000 feet air traffic control, told the air crew to stop their descent at 36,000 feet as there was an Easyjet aircraft at 35,000 feet close by. A passenger suffered a "broken ankle" in the incident on February 10, 2018 when the pilot switched off the autopilot to make the manoeuvre. A Spanish air accident investigation, published this week, found: "According to the radar data, at 16:38:04, as the aircraft was descending from FL370, it was instructed by the control service to stop the descent at FL360 due to a potential conflict with another aircraft. "Seconds later, at 16:38:07, according to flight recorder data, the aircraft's pilot selected the ALT HOLD mode on the mode control panel (MCP) in order to maintain the altitude. At that time the aircraft was passing through FL364 at a high rate of descent. "One second later, as the aircraft was crossing through FL363, the pilot decided to disengage the autopilot. "The pilot, as per his statement, thought they had gone past their cleared flight level of FL360 and seeing that the recovery manoeuvre was taking too long, he decided to manually return to the flight level instructed by air traffic control." It was at this point that the aircraft lurched suddenly causing the passenger, who was standing, to fall heavily. A flight attendant who witnessed the injury added: "The injured passenger had a child, approximately five years old, in his arms and that he was exiting the right hand lavatory. "These sudden movements caused all four flight attendants to fall to the floor. "The injured passenger turned his body to the left to try to shield the child, which forced his legs into an unnatural position. He broke his ankle when he fell due to the jolts. "The child hit the back of his head, which caused some bruising. No one else was injured. "After the event, the injured passengers cried out in pain. Their relatives were also upset and raised their voices at the flight attendants, complaining about what had happened." The investigation determined that the injury was caused by the pilot dramatic movements when they took control of the aircraft. It said: "The investigation has determined that the accident probably occurred when the crew executed a sudden manual manoeuvre to maintain the specified flight level. "A contributing factor is the fact that the autopilot was disengaged in order to carry out the manual manoeuvre, which contributed to its abrupt nature." https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ryanair-passenger-breaks-ankle-plane-13981257 Back to Top In new government shutdown, flight attendants won't let passengers' lives be put at risk Sara Nelson, Opinion contributor The shutdown put our lives and livelihoods in danger, risked the safety of everyone who flies, and threatened our entire economy. Picture this: Airline pilots typically maintain what they call a "sterile cockpit" during takeoff and landing, when no communication is permitted between the cabin and flightdeck. This is to allow pilots to focus on the most difficult, and task-intensive, parts of the flight. But during the recent government shutdown - the longest in our nation's history - some pilots briefed flight attendants that there would be no sterile cockpit on their flight. They were so concerned that the shutdown had compromised security screening, they felt the need to alter safety procedures so they could be informed immediately if there were a security issue in the cabin. This is just one of many chilling stories I heard in recent weeks from flight attendants and the pilots we fly with. The shutdown put our lives and livelihoods in danger, risked the safety of everyone who flies, and threatened our entire economy. Near Las Vegas on May 9, 2013. Many Americans breathed a sigh of relief when the shutdown ended, assuming that the crisis had passed. But as your flight attendant, I need to tell you the truth: Everyone is less safe flying today than we were before the shutdown. Things will only get worse if the shutdown continues into day 36 this Saturday, the deadline for Washington to keep our government open with stable funding. Many of the people who keep our airports and our planes safe were forced to work more than a month without pay, and others were locked out completely. These are real people who suffered real consequences. No money to pay for rent, childcare, medicine - and no sense of when the nightmare would end. Imagine the kind of stress this puts on people in intense, safety-sensitive jobs. Air travel relies on the whole system working Flight attendants are not federal workers, and people have asked why we are so involved in this fight. Aviation doesn't work without federal workers. Air travel is a fully integrated operation that relies on government and private industry working together. When any link in this chain breaks down, the whole system suffers. Take air traffic controllers. On a normal day, these professionals have jobs so stressful that they're required to retire at 56. They train for three to five years before becoming fully certified and must be fit for duty on every shift. According to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a single air traffic controller at Chicago O'Hare is watching over as many as 20-35 planes at one time. A controller at Chicago O'Hare may be responsible for as many as 5,000 lives at any time. There is no room for error. Planes don't get into fender benders. Similarly, I spoke to transportation security officers who couldn't even afford gas to get home or back to work, so they slept in their cars between shifts. Some simply couldn't afford to stay on the job, leading to long check-in lines - and the overall stress increased the risk of a security breach, endangering all of us. Most Federal Aviation Administration staff who conduct safety inspections of planes were furloughed, leaving critical gaps in safety. If these workers are locked out again, there will be a higher chance of issues such as mechanical failures, planes grounded and flights canceled because aircraft can't get certified. The FAA was rolling out new equipment to prevent incidents where a plane takes off or lands in the wrong place - incidents that happen at least twice a day and cause too many near misses. But this program, and others, were put on hold during the shutdown and haven't been restarted because agencies don't know whether they will be closed again. Air travel stability will be at risk in shutdown If the shutdown continues, we won't know when or where problems could happen, meaning travel could be disrupted at anytime, anywhere - and that's not even counting the damage if there's a serious incident. Flight attendants are aviation's first responders and the last line of defense. We take our responsibility seriously. That's why, through our unions, we've fought to ban smoking on planes, to keep knives out of the cabin and so much more. Now, we are once again standing up for safety. There are serious issues we need to debate as a country, but our democracy and economy only work when the basic functions of our government are in place. It is immoral to put American lives in danger with reckless political games. There is bipartisan support to keep the government open with stable, long-term funding. Americans overwhelmingly support this solution. But if Congress ignores the will of the American people and take us to Day 36 of the shutdown, flight attendants will not risk the lives of our colleagues and our passengers. We have a duty to protect ourselves and the American people from the danger. Working people have power when we come together. If Congress chooses the chaos of a continued lockout, we will use that power. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, is an active United Airlines flight attendant. Follow her on Twitter: @FlyingWithSara https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/02/11/government-shutdown-threatens-air-travel-safety-flight-attendants-risk-column/2829694002/ Back to Top New House Bill Would Fund FAA During Government Shutdown A new bill that would protect the FAA's funding in the event of government shutdown was put forward Friday in the House of Representatives by Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash., the chairmen of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Aviation, respectively. The proposed Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2019 would allow the FAA to keep all of its programs running and all of its employees working by drawing from its Airports and Airways Trust Fund during any lapse in typical government appropriations. According to DeFazio and Larsen's release on the bill, the AATF brings in enough money from sources such as passenger, fuel and cargo taxes to fund the FAA without requiring additional appropriations. "Allowing the FAA to draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund during a funding lapse will ensure essential personnel who work under immensely stressful situations continue to get paid, and that the largest, busiest and most complex airspace system in the world remains safe for passengers and employees," said Larsen in a joint statement with DeFazio. "The United States aviation system is the safest, busiest, most complex aviation system in the world - a system that was seriously jeopardized by the absurd 35-day government shutdown," DeFazio said. "Thousands of FAA safety personnel responsible for providing critical oversight of the U.S. aviation industry were furloughed. ... The effects of this most recent shutdown will be felt for years to come. This must not happen again. Our legislation ensures that in any future government shutdowns, all FAA programs will function uninterrupted and that all FAA employees can remain at work and paid. The users of the National Airspace System pay for the system and deserve for it to function without interruption." The language in the bill specifies that appropriations for FAA programs should be made available for programs at a rate not greater than "the rate for operations provided for in the regular appropriation Act providing for such program, project, or activity for the preceding fiscal year," or, if none is available, pursuant to the rate in the preceding year. The 35-day partial government shutdown was ended with a three-week temporary resolution agreed to by lawmakers partially due to concerns about aviation after air traffic controllers had trouble keeping up with traffic, causing delays or ground halts at major airports. Last week, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi called for a separate funding source for the aviation industry to help prevent such situations. At the time, he said he wasn't sure if such a motion would have champions in Congress, but DeFazio and Larsen, whose Pacific Northwest constituency contains a lot of aviation workers, appear to have embraced the cause. It is unclear at this point how broad the bill's Congressional support will be. Lawmakers want to avoid causing widespread flight delays and hearings are revealing the magnitude of the long-term costs that funding lapses at the FAA will cause, but exempting one agency - particularly one that could be a powerful bargaining chip - from worrying about appropriations in that manner may be a hard selling point for some corners. In the aviation industry, support is overwhelming. More than a dozen stakeholders have shown support, including the NATCA, Airlines for America, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Delta Airlines. "The 35-day shutdown was just the latest of many instances in which FAA, its workforce, and the aviation industry were held hostage by a political fight that had nothing to do with aviation," said NATCA President Rinaldi. "Stop-and-go funding crises wreak havoc on the personal lives of air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals, degrade the safety of the National Airspace System, delay critical modernization and infrastructure projects, and exacerbate the current controller staffing crisis." "Aviation is among the nation's most regulated industries, requiring oversight and a host of services from the FAA," said Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association. "This bill would help ensure that aviation - a key component in the nation's economy and transportation system - will avoid a potentially harmful disruption in the event of a government shutdown." "We strongly urge Congress to pass this crucial bill to ensure safe and efficient air transportation for our passengers and cargo shippers," said Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association. "Flying is the safest mode of transportation in the world thanks to the hardworking professionals who work in a complex, interconnected system. It is unconscionable that these essential aviation professionals were forced to work without pay during the recent shutdown, and we should never let that happen again." Congress is still holding hearings and conducting studies to determine the full impact of the shutdown on the aviation industry. Beyond the short-term cost, industry insiders are concerned about the long-term effect on staffing - which is already projected to be a sore spot in a growing industry - and infrastructure modernization programs by the time and money required to close and restart programs beyond just the month-plus of furloughs. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/02/09/house-bill-would-fund-faa-through-government-shutdown/ Back to Top Clock ticking as Air Force looks to stop hemorrhaging experienced pilots (Canada) Royal Canadian Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger waits to appear before the House of Commons public accounts committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on December 3, 2018. A shortage of experienced pilots is forcing the Royal Canadian Air Force to walk a delicate line between keeping enough seasoned aviators available to train new recruits and lead missions in the air. Air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger described the balancing act during a recent interview with The Canadian Press in which he also revealed many pilots today are likely to have less experience than counterparts in similar positions 10 years ago. OTTAWA - A shortage of experienced pilots is forcing the Royal Canadian Air Force to walk a delicate line between keeping enough seasoned aviators available to train new recruits and lead missions in the air. Air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger described the balancing act during a recent interview with The Canadian Press in which he also revealed many pilots today are likely to have less experience than counterparts in similar positions 10 years ago. Much of the problem can be traced back to veteran aviators leaving for commercial jobs, or other opportunities outside the military, forcing senior commanders into a juggling act over where to put those still in uniform. The dip in experience as veteran aviators leave for commercial jobs or other opportunities has forced senior commanders to juggle where to put those still in uniform. "In order to (support) your training system ... you've got to pull experienced pilots into those positions, but you have to have experienced pilots on the squadrons to season the youth that are joining the units," he said. "So it's a bit of a delicate balance. And when you're in a situation where you don't have as much experience, broadly speaking, you've got to balance that very carefully. Hence the idea of retaining as much talent as we can." Fixing the problems created by the shortage will become especially critical if the air force is to be ready for the arrival of replacements for the CF-18s. Meinzinger said such transitions from one aircraft to another are particularly difficult - the RCAF needs to keep the same number of planes in the air to fly missions and have senior aviators train new pilots, while still sending seasoned pilots for training on the incoming fleet. "Ideally you want to go into those transitions very, very healthy with 100 per cent manning and more experience than you could ever imagine," Meinzinger said. While he is confident the military can address its pilot shortage in the next few years, especially when it comes to those responsible for manning Canada's fighter jets, the stakes to get it right are extremely high. The federal auditor general reported in November that the military doesn't have enough pilots and mechanics to fly and maintain the country's CF-18 fighter jets. Air force officials revealed in September they were short 275 pilots and need more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel across its different aircraft fleets. There are concerns the deficit will get worse as a result of explosive growth predicted in the global commercial airline sector, which could pull many experienced military pilots out of uniform. "That's the expectation, that Canada will need an additional 7,000 to 8,000 pilots just to nourish the demands within the Canadian aerospace sector," Meinzinger said. "And we don't have the capacity as a nation to produce even half of that." Within the military, there also hasn't been enough new pilots produced to replace the number who have left. The auditor general found that while 40 fighter pilots recently left the Forces, only 30 new ones were trained. The military is working on a contract for a new training program that will let the air force increase the number of new pilots trained in a given year when necessary, as the current program allows only a fixed number to be produced. Meanwhile, Meinzinger said the loss of more seasoned pilots means others are being asked to take on more responsibility earlier in their careers, though he denied any significant impact on training or missions. He said the military is managing the situation through the use of new technology, such as simulators, to ensure the air force can still do its job. "There's no doubt commanding officers today in RCAF squadrons, they have probably less flying hours than they did 10 years ago," he said. "What that (commanding officer) has today is probably an exposure to 21st-century technology and training. So I think that certainly offsets the reduction of flying hours." Meinzinger and other top military commanders are nonetheless seized with the importance of keeping veteran pilots in uniform to ensure those climbing into the cockpit for the first time have someone to look to for guidance - now and in the future. New retention strategies are being rolled out that include better support for military families, increased certainty for pilots in terms of career progression and a concerted effort to keep them in the cockpit and away from desks and administrative work. Other militaries, notably the U.S., that are struggling with a shortage of pilots have introduced financial bonuses and other measures to stay in uniform. Meinzinger couldn't commit to such an initiative, but did say that "nothing is off the table." The situation may not represent an existential crisis, at least not yet, but officials know it is one that needs to be addressed if Canada's air force is to continue operating at top levels for the foreseeable future. "Experience is what allows us to (transfer knowledge) and grow for the future," Meinzinger said. "And that's why I talk about it as being kind of the centre of gravity. In the extreme, if you lose all your experience, you can't regenerate yourself." https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/02/10/clock-ticking-as-air-force-looks-to-stop-hemorrhaging-experienced-pilots/ 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